By Rahim Abdul
The Mzuzu Youth Caucus has come out strongly in defence of Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, describing his police summons as a threat to democracy and accountability.
The youth grouping says the decision by the Malawi Police Service to summon Namiwa raises serious concerns about the country’s commitment to protecting civic freedoms and fighting corruption.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Caucus Chairperson, Gomezgani Nkhoma, said the development reflects what he described as growing political intimidation against individuals exposing alleged corruption.
Nkhoma argued that such actions could discourage citizens and civil society organisations from speaking out on issues of public interest.
He further warned that continued intimidation of anti-corruption campaigners could undermine public confidence in governance and democratic institutions.
According to the statement, the summons also risks weakening the credibility and independence of institutions tasked with combating corruption.
The group specifically mentioned the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), saying they must be allowed to operate without political interference.
The Caucus has therefore called for an immediate end to what it termed the harassment of Namiwa.
It has also urged President Peter Mutharika to dismiss ministers allegedly linked to corruption allegations and restore the independence of accountability institutions.
The statement further appealed to the government to guarantee the safety and protection of citizens who expose suspected corruption and abuse of public resources.
Namiwa was earlier summoned to appear before the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
The summons comes just days after the CDEDI Executive Director questioned the controversial acquisition of land belonging to Airport Development Limited (ADL) in Limbe and made corruption allegations involving senior government officials.
