The Malawi Government is denying explosive allegations that it is concealing the investigation report on the tragic plane crash that killed Vice President Saulos Chilima. In a fiery statement, Malawi Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu dismissed the claims as “nonsense,” insisting there is no report to hide, as the investigation is still ongoing. The government maintains that it only received a verbal briefing which investigators had also shared with the Chilima family, and that there was no report to share with the Malawian public.
Kunkuyu’s statement comes in response to swirling rumors that the government is deliberately keeping the findings of Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) under wraps. These claims have ignited a storm of controversy, with many questioning the transparency of the government in handling such a high-profile investigation.
“The investigation is still being conducted by Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU),” said Kunkuyu. He explained that the BFU, which is leading the investigation in collaboration with the Malawi government, has only provided a verbal briefing on what was “recovered from the crash site.”
“In the days following the plane crash, the Bureau conducted an inspection of the crash site, the wreckage, the aerodromes of both the departure and destination airports, and the home base of the aircraft in Zomba,” Kunkuyu detailed, adding that the BFU had interviewed several officials within the aviation authority as part of their thorough investigation.
The verbal update from the BFU to both the bereaved family and the government has been misinterpreted as a formal report, according to Kunkuyu. He clarified that no official report has been submitted yet, and what some are calling a report was merely an update informing the family and government about the recovery of a Global Positioning System (GPS) from the wreckage. The GPS, along with data from the departure and destination aerodromes, was taken back to the BFU lab for comprehensive analysis.
The government further explained that this verbal briefing was made public on the BFU’s website on July 11th, 2024, which Kunkuyu insinuates is reason Government did not bother briefing the nation on the progress of the investigation. This has done little to quell the public’s demand for transparency, with many still speculating about the contents of the final report.
The tragic plane crash on June 10th, 2024, in Chikangawa Forest claimed the lives of Vice President Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi, and 8 other people. The plane went missing for more than 24 hours before the wreckage was discovered, despite an eyewitness quickly alerting various government officials after the crash.
The government’s initial explanation for the delay in locating the crash site—blaming bad weather and the thick Chikangawa forest—has since been called into question. It was later revealed that the plane had crashed near a village and was visible from a nearby M1 road, raising further suspicions about the handling of the incident.
Former President Joyce Banda fanned the flames of controversy by suggesting that the crash bore unsettling similarities to assassinations carried out by the ruling Malawi Congress Party regime under Kamuzu Banda against political dissidents. Her comments have only added to the growing unease surrounding the investigation considering that she made those remarks while being a member of the ruling Tonse Alliance which is being led by Malawi Congress Party under President Lazarus Chakwera.
Adding another layer to the intrigue were claims that Saulos Chilima and Malawi President Chakwera had fallen off. Chilima was expected to challenge President Chakwera in the 2025 presidential elections. Chilima’s fallout with Chakwera over allegations of corruption involving British business tycoon Zuneth Sattar had already made headlines, with Chilima claiming he was being persecuted. Although the charges against Chilima were eventually dropped, the tension between the two leaders remained palpable. The controversial deal that led to Chilima’s arrest involved the Malawi Defence Force (Malawi Army).
However, Chilima said he was not the Malawi Army Commander-In-Chief who is the overseer of the MDF to influence the tendering process. The claims added fuel to the fire considering that Chakwera is the Commander in Chief of the Malawi Army. Adding further mystery to his death, Chilima died in a German-made Dornier plane operated by the Malawi Army.
