Outspoken governance activist Sylvester Namiwa was arrested on charges of publishing false news and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, according to Nyasa Times. The executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives was detained at Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe shortly after being summoned to the national police headquarters. The arrest follows Namiwa's recent calls for a forensic audit into the Beautify Malawi Trust, a charity run by the First Lady, and his demands for a lifestyle audit of Minister of Lands and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu. AllAfrica reports that United Democratic Front president Atupele Muluzi has publicly backed Namiwa, warning that the police actions undermine democratic accountability.
In a separate incident, a long-running land dispute over the Tichitenji Estate resulted in severe violence and subsequent arrests, Nyasa Times reports. Security guards were attacked with machetes during a confrontation between the Kaphwiti Banda family and representatives of former presidential hostess Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira. Police quickly arrested the alleged attackers, who have since been released on bail by the Mkanda Magistrate Court. The Kaphwiti family has remained on the property following a 2025 High Court ruling in their favor, though a stay of execution has prolonged the legal battle.
Meanwhile, a legal dispute over the leadership of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition continues to unfold in court. Malawi24 reports that the HRDC Ad Hoc Committee accused national chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa of misleading the public by claiming the High Court had conclusively resolved their internal matter. According to committee chairperson Henderson Mhango, the court simply directed the factions to a 30-day mediation process to address governance gaps, warning that the case will return to trial if an agreement is not reached.
In regional crime enforcement, police in Limbe have arrested two men accused of selling counterfeit and unregistered agricultural chemicals, according to Nyasa Times. Officers from the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section detained the suspects following a tip-off during a routine patrol. Authorities seized 85 bottles of various chemicals and 143 sachets of suspected fake products, which the Bvumbwe Pesticides Control Board later confirmed to be counterfeit.