It has emerged that a Malawi Defence Force officer contacted one of late Saulos Klaus Chilima’s close friends on the night of 10 June, breaking the news of his death hours before State House made any official confirmation.
Moses Nthakomwa, a close associate of the late Vice President Chilima, told a parliamentary committee that he received a phone call at exactly 8:19pm from retired Major General John Msonthi Jr, who expressed condolences over the loss of their colleague.
Nthakomwa said the timing of the call shocked him, as at that point the aircraft involved in the incident had not yet been officially located or publicly confirmed.
“I was very confused because, to my knowledge, the aircraft had not yet been found. Msonthi told me that the wreckage had already been located and went on to describe how the aircraft’s wing struck a tree before it slid about 80 metres uphill,” Nthakomwa told the committee
He said Msonthi went on to explain how the incident allegedly happened and gave details on how the bodies were found, despite no official communication from government at the time.
According to his testimony, he was told that one of the aircraft wings reportedly struck a tree during the crash.
Nthakomwa further told the committee that he could not understand how the bodies were retrieved, as details around the recovery process were still unclear at the time.
He also said he chose not to share the information with anyone else, including members of Chilima’s family, fearing it could cause distress before any official announcement was made.
At that time, the nation was still in uncertainty, with no formal statement from State House confirming the fate of those on board.
It was only on 11 June 2024 that President Lazarus Chakwera officially announced the tragic news, confirming the deaths and bringing an end to hours of national suspense.
The testimony has now raised fresh questions over what information was circulating in the hours before the official government announcement, and how early details of the tragedy may have been shared before public confirmation.
Moses Nthakomwa, a close associate of the late Vice President Chilima, told a parliamentary committee that he received a phone call at exactly 8:19pm from retired Major General John Msonthi Jr, who expressed condolences over the loss of their colleague.
Nthakomwa said the timing of the call shocked him, as at that point the aircraft involved in the incident had not yet been officially located or publicly confirmed.
“I was very confused because, to my knowledge, the aircraft had not yet been found. Msonthi told me that the wreckage had already been located and went on to describe how the aircraft’s wing struck a tree before it slid about 80 metres uphill,” Nthakomwa told the committee
He said Msonthi went on to explain how the incident allegedly happened and gave details on how the bodies were found, despite no official communication from government at the time.
According to his testimony, he was told that one of the aircraft wings reportedly struck a tree during the crash.
Nthakomwa further told the committee that he could not understand how the bodies were retrieved, as details around the recovery process were still unclear at the time.
He also said he chose not to share the information with anyone else, including members of Chilima’s family, fearing it could cause distress before any official announcement was made.
At that time, the nation was still in uncertainty, with no formal statement from State House confirming the fate of those on board.
It was only on 11 June 2024 that President Lazarus Chakwera officially announced the tragic news, confirming the deaths and bringing an end to hours of national suspense.
The testimony has now raised fresh questions over what information was circulating in the hours before the official government announcement, and how early details of the tragedy may have been shared before public confirmation.
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The truth shall prevail.. there is no room for secrecy here on the Earth