Malawi: Six Activists Granted Bail After Antigovernment Demonstrations

[caption id="attachment_101891" align="alignnone" width="1012"] Joshua Chisa Mbele[/caption]

Vocal social media critic Joshua Chisa Mbele along with five other anti-government protesters who conducted demonstrations against the Lazarus Chakwera government last week have been granted bail today in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe.

This was after their bail ruling was reserved for today from yesterday.

Today, at a jam-packed court session, Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to Mbele along with Levy Luwemba, Seleman Moffat, Davie, Mustafa Kalilombe and Kennedy Luwembe.

The six have been ordered to pay 200-thousand-kwacha cash bond and produce two non-cash sureties worth 500 thousand kwacha.

They have also been ordered to surrender travel documents and report to police every fortnight.

Their arrest came after holding demonstrations in which they demanded the resignation of Chakwera over corruption scandals rocking his regime and a rise in the cost of living.

The six were have been charged with two counts of contravening written notice by the District Commissioner in relation to the demonstrations and inciting violence.