Walter Nyamilandu, newly elected chair of a special parliamentary committee investigating the 2024 military plane crash that killed former Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima, has promised a fair, transparent, and professional inquiry.
The committee, announced last week by Sameer Suleman, Speaker of Parliament, includes lawmakers from across Malawi’s political spectrum, tasked with uncovering the full circumstances of the crash.
The aircraft went down on 10 June 2024 in the Chikangawa Forest, claiming the lives of nine people and leaving the nation seeking answers.
Nyamilandu said, “I am humbled to chair the adhoc committee of enquiry and can only promise Malawians that we will be just, fair and transparent in the whole process.”
He noted that the committee will address gaps identified in an earlier investigation, adding, “The last report showed gaps and inconsistencies and our task is to close those gaps so that the truth must prevail.”
Stressing the need for cooperation from all parties, Nyamilandu said, “It will not be easy to accomplish on our own and we really need support from all relevant stakeholders.”
The committee will soon decide whether proceedings will be public, with Nyamilandu explaining, “We will meet to map the way forward on how to proceed with the enquiry, whether public or not, guided by parliamentary leadership.”
