Freed! Namiwa granted High Court bail – as his explosive ‘President within two months’ claim heads for treason trial in September

Jailed rights activist Sylvester Namiwa has finally been granted bail by High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula, bringing an end to weeks of anxious waiting for the campaigner, who has remained behind bars since his dramatic arrest last month – but he will not walk free without a raft of strict conditions attached.

Delivering his ruling this morning, Judge Mvula ordered Namiwa to pay a cash bond of K5 million and provide two sureties bonded at K10 million on a non-cash basis before he can be released.

The court further ordered Namiwa to report to Area 30 Police Station every fortnight on Mondays, continue residing at his home in Kaphiri, and surrender a photocopy of his National ID to police.

In a striking gagging order, Namiwa has also been barred from commenting directly or indirectly on matters relating to the case, and has been explicitly prohibited from holding press briefings that touch on the proceedings.

The activist has additionally been ordered to surrender his passport to the court, though he may apply for permission to travel should the need arise.

Judge Mvula also used the ruling to voice his displeasure at the swirl of misinformation surrounding the case, stressing that the courts remain impartial and base their decisions solely on the law, rather than on external pressure or public speculation.

The judge has set 8 September for the treason trial to commence, meaning Namiwa will now await his day in court as a free man – albeit one bound by strict bail conditions – rather than from behind bars.

Namiwa was taken into custody on 30 July 2026 after responding to a police summons at National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe. He was initially held on allegations of publishing false news and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.

The case has since escalated dramatically. Before it was committed to the High Court, the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court formally charged Namiwa with treason under Section 38(1)(a) of the Penal Code, alongside a charge of publication of false news likely to cause public fear and alarm.

The explosive charges stem from remarks Namiwa allegedly made during a July television interview on Luntha TV – comments in which he sensationally claimed that Vice President Jane Ansah would become President within two months. The bombshell declaration has continued to send shockwaves through Malawi’s political landscape, with questions still swirling weeks later over who, if anyone, was behind the explosive claim and what prompted Namiwa to make it.

Namiwa is head of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives, a governance watchdog that has previously been vocal in holding public officials to account.

His release on bail is likely to be welcomed by supporters and civil society groups, though all eyes will now turn to September, when Namiwa faces the far more serious task of defending himself against the treason charge in court.