CDEDI’s Namiwa nabbed over unauthorised Parliament vigil

August 11, 2021 Watipaso Mzungu-Nyasa Times 25 Comments

Police have this morning nabbed leader of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), Sylvester Namiwa, for organizing a vigil at the Parliament Building in Lilongwe.

On Monday, CDEDI announced that it would hold a vigil to force Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara and Clerk Fiona Kalemba to address questions lingering on the smuggled Loan Authorisation Bill Number 22 of 2021.

Sylvester Namiwa: Arrested

Gotani Hara and Kalemba paid a deaf ear to calls from the human rights watchdog to provide answers on what had happened for non-parliament employees to smuggle the Bill into the National Assembly.

The two had up to Sunday evening to address the nation on the matter. This has riled CDEDI, which has now resolved to hold a vigil at the National Assembly, just a stone-throw away from the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) where delegates are holding the 41st Summit of the Southern African Development Committee (SADC) Heads of State and Government.

Briefing the media in Lilongwe on Monday, CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa vowed that they would go ahead with the vigil despite the Lilongwe City Council not giving them permission.

But barely two hours into the vigil, the police pounced on the human rights activist, with his followers running through different directions.

A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confided that Namiwa is likely to face the charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Nyasa Times is yet to establish where he is being kept.

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25 replies on “CDEDI’s Namiwa nabbed over unauthorised Parliament vigil”

  3. There is nothing wrong here, thats what democracy is all about. Let me do it and this is how democracy works, mumuona, atuluka ameneyo. Is this is so worse than what Mtambo and his colleagues did by destroying citizens property and injuring people. Nonsense, pali chani apa. Thats how its done in the western world, just as it has been done here. People who are disgruntled with things, they wait for global or big functions like this and then demonstrate, this is indeed one pay state regime.

  5. Please spare us the drama Mr Namiwa, we don’t need it, especially now with the SADC meeting here……

  6. Lilongwe city council denied him permission instead of seeking Court intervention he does it his jungle way. This embecile is stupid and empty upstairs, Malawi is a democracy, governed by the law not arnachism and jungle law.
    Charge him accordingly by the law kuti next time azaziwe kuti even CSOs aren’t above the law

    1. He has been paid to cause havoc during this time of sadic meeting. You show your dirty linen in front of visitors. He just wanted to impress the donors that he is working. Stupid idiot. Chindere chakufikapo

  7. Shame in free and Democrat societies the grounds of Parliament are owned by the citizens who have rights to hold vigils and demonstrations.

  11. This guy and his Team are just bunch of stupid, what is it exactly he want? so all these what he wanted to do is just to shame the Government in the eyes of SADC conference? this guy must be stupid and very stupid! i just believe some one is behind this stupid thing! let him face the law.

    1. Exercising their democratic right is ‘shaming’ the government??

      The arrest of peaceful protesters is a shameful act of this government.

    4. He can’t face the law and we are in a democratic country him is fighting for poor Malawians during Timothy Mtambo demos who was arrested…..? This government is digging its own grave.

    5. Mbuzi za anthu. You are in Govt thru same ma Demo yet you don’t want others to express their anger thru the same channel. Namiwa didn’t do anything wrong. He has the right

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