Families searching for answers over the Chikangawa plane crash have been dealt another shock after the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) admitted that a critical aircraft tracking battery expired more than two decades ago and was never replaced.
Appearing before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash, MDF Commander General George Jafu Jnr revealed that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) battery on one of the military’s aircraft systems expired in 2004.
According to Jafu, the military repeatedly requested funds to procure a replacement, but efforts were frustrated by financial constraints and shortages of foreign currency needed to purchase aviation equipment from international suppliers.
He further revealed that the original batteries are no longer manufactured, meaning the military would now have to replace the entire locator system at a significantly higher cost.
The admission provides a rare glimpse into the operational challenges facing the MDF, which Jafu said has struggled to acquire modern equipment due to budgetary limitations. He told lawmakers that several procurement payments remain outstanding because of persistent foreign exchange shortages.
While he maintained that the country’s security remains intact, Jafu acknowledged that the military has not been able to modernize equipment at the pace required.
The revelation is likely to intensify scrutiny over the state of military aviation assets and whether resource constraints may have affected aircraft safety and emergency preparedness.
Parliament’s committee continues to hear evidence as it investigates circumstances surrounding the fatal military aircraft crash that claimed the lives of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
