By The Forum
Malawi’s Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee revisiting the 2024 plane crash that killed Vice President Saulos Chilima is set to begin its work in mid-May, with about 150 witnesses expected to testify.
Chilima and eight others were aboard a Malawi Air Force Dornier 228 that crashed in Chikangawa Forest in Nkhata Bay district on 10 June 2024. All on board died.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the committee said it is ready to start proceedings. Some testimonies will be heard in camera, while others will take place in public hearings.
Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda said members of the public are also invited to submit any relevant information, including evidence not previously presented.
“All submissions will be handled in accordance with established procedures to ensure fairness, proper record-keeping and confidentiality,” he said, adding that details on how to participate will be communicated through official channels.
Nyamilandu said the inquiry will follow a structured, evidence-based process drawing on documentary records, witness testimony, site visits and expert input.
“The objective is to ensure the inquiry is thorough, credible, transparent and fair,” he said.
The investigation will begin with three parallel processes: a Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE) audit of systems and operations; a forensic audit to establish facts and uncover new information; and an autopsy process involving post-mortem examinations to better understand the causes of death.
“These audits will run concurrently with site visits,” Nyamilandu said. “The committee will then proceed with evidence gathering, analysis and validation, culminating in a final report within 90 days.”
He added that preparatory work has been completed and members have undergone orientation sessions with technical experts.
Chilima, leader of the UTM Party and a key ally in the then-ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) coalition, had departed Lilongwe International Airport en route to Mzuzu and onward to Nkhata Bay. He was scheduled to attend the funeral of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara.
Announcing the tragedy at the time, President Lazarus Chakwera said the wreckage had been found with no survivors.
“The search and rescue team have found the aircraft completely destroyed… all passengers on board were killed on impact,” Chakwera said in a televised address.
In October 2024, Chakwera appointed a Commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Jabbar Alide. Its findings, released in December, were met with skepticism. Critics questioned the handling of the search operation — which was suspended overnight after the aircraft was reported missing — and raised concerns about possible foul play.
In February this year, President Peter Mutharika directed Parliament to establish a special committee to conduct a fresh investigation. The move followed recommendations by Justice Minister Charles Mhango after reviewing reports by both the Commission of Inquiry and the aircraft’s German manufacturer.
Mhango cited several gaps in the earlier investigations. He said the manufacturer’s interim report was published before inquiries were complete and criticised the commission’s terms of reference as too narrow, with limited time to conduct a full probe.
He also pointed to integrity concerns, including the resignation of two commissioners and the reluctance of some witnesses to testify for fear of reprisals.
Mhango further questioned the final report by the German investigators, saying it relied heavily on the commission’s conclusions, particularly in attributing the crash to weather conditions.
“In view of these factors, the investigations failed to provide definitive conclusions and closure to the accident,” Mhango said.
The new parliamentary inquiry now carries the burden of resolving those doubts and answering a question that has lingered since the crash: what really brought down the aircraft on that June morning?
—
Also Read: Chilima widow applauds new probe as MCP questions inquiry neutrality
