LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The pressure is mounting on Malawi Police Service to release civil rights activist Sylvester Namiwa from cell following his arrest on Thursday afternoon, July 30.
Namiwa has spent a night at Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe on false news publication charges, according to deputy national police publicist Alfred Chinthere.
But what has surprised many is police unprofessional conduct of denying other political and civil rights leaders to pay homage to the detained Namiwa.
On Thursday evening, UTM leader Dalitso Kabambe spent an hour to see Namiwa but officers denied him to access the activist describing the action as unfortunate.
The same evening, other civil rights group leader Benedicto Kondowe was also denied access to Namiwa.
Malawians are questioning Malawi Police Service on this unprofessional conduct.
In a press statement issued on Friday, CDEDI is demanding unconditional release of its leader.
“The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), is hereby demanding the unconditional release of its Executive Director, Mr. Sylvester Namiwa from custody, due to the failure by the Malawi Police Service (MPS) to formally charge him with any crime he is suspected to have committed.
“Mr. Namiwa was invited at the Area 30 Police Headquarters in Lilongwe, on Thursday afternoon, 30th July 2026, reportedly for a private meeting with the Head of Criminal Investigations Department, a Mr. Gerland Chiwanda and the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Richard Luhanga,” reads CDEDI statement in part signed by its publicist Promise Thom.
Thom adds, “Surprisingly, the same Thursday afternoon the police took Mr. Namiwa to Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe, where he was locked up in a cell, for reasons that have not yet been disclosed.
“While in police custody, Mr. Namiwa was denied warm clothing and food, including having access to his family, friends and members of the general public”.
The publicist condemns Police for unprofessional conduct, “It is for this reason that CDEDI is condemning the unprofessional conduct by the police and is demanding Mr. Namiwa’s unconditional release from custody, since the authorities have failed to charge him with any crime.
“CDEDI is hereby expressing its gratitude to the human rights defenders, leaders of various Civil Society Organisations and political parties, the media and members of the general public, for standing in solidarity with Mr. Namiwa during this time when he is still in police custody”.
Namiwa arrest comes barely hours after he refused to apologise to Lands Minister Chimwemwe Chipungu for asking to go for life style audit over his questionable accumulated worth within shortest period after being appointed as minister since November 2025.
But Police is conducting unprofessional by denying people to access the activist under Peter Mukhito, Norman Chisale?
When President Lazarus Chakwera and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) kept on arresting Chisale on murder, fraud charges was anyone denied access to him?
Is Malawi becoming a police state?
When will politicians going to learn from others past mistakes?
Why police officers always listen to echoes of politicians against voters, citizens who give power politicians?
