The treason trial of Sylvester Namiwa, executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives, has been postponed to November 17, 2026. Namiwa faces charges of treason and publishing false news. According to Nyasa Times and Malawi24, High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula adjourned the case after a series of procedural setbacks. These included scheduling difficulties by the prosecution and a bereavement affecting a court clerk.
Update: Just days after a Lilongwe court cancelled arrest warrants for former Human Rights Defenders Coalition leaders, the State announced on October 23 that it intends to formally revive the underlying criminal case. Nyasa Times and The Nation report that prosecutor Prescott Mwayiulipo plans to file an application to resuscitate the 2020 matter against Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo, and McDonald Sembereka. Defence lawyer Khwima Mchizi has vowed to challenge the move, arguing the case was officially discontinued six years ago.
In Karonga, a land dispute culminated in the demolition of a Winners Chapel church building on October 21. According to Malawi24 and The Maravi Post, an angry mob destroyed the church over a conflict with the Lulindo Primary School Committee, which has contested the property ownership since 2015. Karonga Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Rose Chipyola confirmed the incident. She noted that the demolition also damaged the foundations of two neighbouring properties, and police are assessing the extent of the destruction.
Meanwhile, police in Lilongwe are warning the public about railway safety after a man was struck and severely injured by a train in the Kanengo Industrial Area. Malawi24 reports that 35-year-old Dyson Kumalinga suffered severe head injuries late on October 22 after falling asleep on the railway tracks while returning from a drinking establishment. Kanengo Police Station spokesperson Macfarlen Mseteka confirmed the incident, marking the fourth railway accident recorded by local police in the past two months.