Nearly two years after the tragic plane crash that robbed Malawi of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others, civil society group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) says only a fresh, credible investigation can bring closure and restore public trust.
CDEDI has written President Peter Mutharika, demanding a new probe into the June 10, 2024 plane crash in Nkhata Bay, which claimed the lives of nine people, including the then Vice President.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said millions of Malawians voted for President Mutharika with the hope that his administration would help the country heal by uncovering the full truth surrounding the accident.
Namiwa said the organisation is concerned that days have turned into weeks without action on the recommendations presented by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Charles Mhango, soon after assuming office.
“As it stands, families and close friends, both within and outside Malawi, are carrying wounds that will only heal after reading a more comprehensive and down-to-earth report,” Namiwa said. “Malawians want a report that truthfully reconciles what happened before and after the crash, hence our call to action.”
He said public expectation was that President Mutharika would institute a fresh commission of inquiry soon after taking office in October, but the continued delay is testing people’s patience.
“We find it important to highlight that Malawians wanted a fresh commission of inquiry instituted soon after President Mutharika took over the mantle,” Namiwa said. “But days of waiting have turned into weeks, and patience is wearing thin, hence our humble reminder.”
Namiwa also criticised the commission of inquiry instituted under former President Lazarus Chakwera, arguing that its findings left the nation with more questions than answers. In some quarters, he said, the report was viewed as “a ploy to cover up the truth.”
He further argued that the report by aircraft experts in Germany should have been followed by a forensic audit to clarify unresolved issues, including the aircraft’s reported 360-degree turn before crashing.
CDEDI has also echoed calls for criminal investigations, insisting that some individuals should be arrested and held accountable for their roles in events surrounding the tragedy.
“The proponents of criminal investigations are of the strong view that the president then, and his cronies, lied to Malawians,” Namiwa said. “They must explain the 12-hour suspense before the official announcement to the nation about the missing aircraft.”
According to Namiwa, any fresh probe should begin with the phone conversation between the pilot, the late Flora Selemani, and the ground controller at Zomba Airbase, a communication that reportedly continued until the moment of the crash.
CDEDI maintains that only a transparent, independent, and thorough investigation will finally give Malawians the truth they deserve and help a grieving nation find closure.
