The Commission of Inquiry, which was instituted by President Lazarus Chakwera to investigate circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Saulos Chilima and eight others in the Chikangawa forest on 10th June 2024, is reported to have completed two of the three phases of its investigations.
The Commission says it has completed the first phase in the Northern Region from 4th-9th November 2024 and has just completed the second phase in the Eastern Region-Zomba from 11th to 13th November 2024 and is now in the Southern Region-Blantyre from 15th to 16th November 2024.
It says so far, the Commission has interviewed and gathered information from 55 witnesses and has observed that while the response of the individuals summoned to appear before it has been very good, the response from the members of the general public, has been very poor.
Reacting to this, Political activist Bon Kalindo said the Commission of Inquiry cannot produce credible results claiming that witnesses cannot be free to express themselves before a committee which has no blessings of Malawians.
Kalindo said members of the public fear for their lives to appear before a commission, which is MCP, that the MCP is still the same as it was yesterday, and once testifying before this commission; one risks his or her life.
He said right from the beginning, members of the public called for the disbandment of this Commission for an independent one comprising of members from the bereaved families, opposition parties, church organizations and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), but this landed on the deaf ears of President Chakwera.
“Out of 50 summoned to appear before the Commission, only one turned up; the rest are afraid to testify, fearing what is coming to them tomorrow,” he said.
On his part, a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district, Mr Rodgers Kamphangala, has described the commission of inquiry as a total waste of public resources, claiming that the members are there to cover up President Chakwera from his wrongdoings.
Kamphangala, a Roman Catholic dedicated member, has appealed to Catholic Bishops in Malawi to meet President Chakwera to establish the reasons why he is running away from instituting an independent Commission of Inquiry and opting for a cover-up commission of inquiry.
He has warned President Chakwera `that he can be covered today, but after the change of government, the independent commission of inquiry to be formed will expose him and all those who took a hand in the killing of Dr Chilima and eight others.
“Malawians are praying with candles in their bedrooms; how long it will take, the truth will sprout out from the ground and set President Chakwera and others free, there has been the commission of inquiries before but no results and for Dr Chilima; Malawians have the results,” said Kamphangala.
