Defence Minister Feston Kaupa tells Parliament the military aircraft that crashed, killing Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others, was not fitted with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, raising fresh questions over the investigation.

NEWS | Investigation | Edwin Mauluka

The military aircraft that crashed in Chikangawa Forest, killing Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others, was not equipped with either a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder, Defence Minister Feston Kaupa told Parliament’s Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the June 10, 2024 disaster on Monday.

Kaupa said military aircraft are not required to carry so-called “black boxes”, but acknowledged that he had not independently verified whether the Dornier 228-202K operated by the Malawi Air Force was fitted with either device.

The matter requires further investigation, Kaupa told the committee.

Former Defence Minister Harry Mkandawire backed Kaupa’s account, saying most aircraft in the Malawi Defence Force fleet lack black boxes because of their age.

“The only aircraft fitted with a black box is the Super Puma helicopter — the large helicopter that the late First President, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, used,” Mkandawire said. “The rest were acquired in the mid-1980s and do not have black boxes.”

Chilima had departed Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe en route to Mzuzu Airport before travelling to Nkhata Bay for the funeral of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara.

Mkandawire told the committee that then Malawi Defence Force Commander General Paul Valentino Phiri informed him that the vice president would no longer attend the funeral because of deteriorating weather conditions.

“Instructions had been issued that the aircraft should not land in Mzuzu but return to Lilongwe, provided the crew could be contacted,” Mkandawire said.

He had arrived at the funeral venue around 8.30am ahead of the 10am requiem mass and relayed the message to Kasambara’s family, after which church officials proceeded with the service.

Mkandawire said he repeatedly tried to call Chilima but could not reach him.

“The Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, and President Lazarus Chakwera also attempted to contact the Vice President, but none of the calls went through,” he said.

After the funeral, while travelling back to Mzuzu, Mkandawire said he received a call from Phiri indicating that a signal had been detected within a 10-to-20-kilometre radius of Raiply in Chikangawa and that search operations were under way.

“That was around 3pm,” he said, rejecting claims that the search had been suspended on the night of 10 June.

Mkandawire also dismissed suggestions that senior officials were absent from the search effort. He said President Chakwera had initially asked him to represent the government at Kasambara’s funeral because it was expected Chilima would not attend after returning from an overseas trip.

He said he later joined the search operation, adding that Malawi Defence Force personnel continued searching throughout the night after police officers and members of the public had left the area.

Mkandawire also told the committee that he sought assistance from Zambia, which provided an aircraft to transport the remains of the nine victims to Lilongwe.

Earlier, Kaupa told the committee that the Malawi Defence Force remains severely underfunded and requires significant investment to refurbish and replace ageing equipment, including aircraft, naval vessels and service vehicles.

The parliamentary inquiry continues on Tuesday, when senior military commanders are expected to testify on command responsibilities and procedures governing military support for VIP and VVIP travel.

Those scheduled to appear include Malawi Defence Force Commander General George Jaffu, former Commander General Paul Valentino Phiri, Air Force Commander Brigadier General Robray Ismael and Deputy Air Force Commander Major General Harrison Kandula.

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