Police in Salima district arrested three individuals on Sunday and confiscated 178 litres of fuel as part of a crackdown on illegal petroleum trading, according to Malawi24. Salima Police spokesperson Sub Inspector Rabecca Ndiwate identified the suspects as Zekiel Gon'gola, Bright Focus, and Sabina Assan. Preliminary investigations revealed the suspects were purchasing fuel from local stations and reselling it at inflated prices on the black market. Ndiwate warned the public against the illegal storage and sale of highly flammable petroleum products without the necessary permits.
Update: The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate's Court has temporarily suspended arrest warrants against former Human Rights Defenders Coalition leaders Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, and Reverend MacDonald Sembereka, Nyasa Times reports. Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda paused the execution of the warrants to grant the State additional time to respond to the defence's application to cancel them entirely. The activists' lawyer, Khwima Mchizi, argued that the State cannot legally issue fresh warrants for alleged bail breaches on a case that was formally discontinued in October 2020. The matter will return to court on October 21.
Update: Child rights organisations have demanded maximum sentences and an expedited High Court trial for the suspects involved in the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Mzuzu's Zolozolo Township. The Child Advocacy Centre and the Women Human Rights Defenders Network issued a joint statement arguing that recent police arrests are not enough to curb escalating violence against children. The advocates urged the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure justice is served swiftly to send a clear deterrent message.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda highlighted the growing burden on the judicial system during the opening of the 2026/2027 Judicial Calendar in Blantyre. Nation Online reports that Mzikamanda revealed the courts registered 75,866 cases in 2025, representing a 14.72 percent increase from the previous year. He noted that the courts managed to conclude 45,101 cases over the same period, reflecting the heavy workload facing the justice sector.