LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has asked President Lazarus Chakwera to institute a commission of inquiry on the Chikangawa Forest plane crash that killed late Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
CDEDI calls comes barely a week after Chakwera told the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Lilongwe mega rally that he had no hand in the plane crash while arguing that the accident should not be used as political tool ahead of 2025 general elections.
The civil rights grouping observed that the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident failed to answer key issues including the cause of the plane crash.
Reading the letter to the news conference on Friday, September 20, 2024 in the capital Lilongwe, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said Malawians deserve the truth on plane crash.
Namiwa said the letter has been submitted already before Chakwera departure to United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Therefore CDEDI has demanded the firing Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu for false narrative on plane crash.
CDEDI demands, “Fire the Malawi Army chief General Valentino Paul Phiri for allowing the country’s Vice-President to travel on an aircraft that was a disaster-inwaiting and, also, for misinforming the nation that the Malawi Defence Force could not locate the plane due to the thickness of the forest, a notion that has been contradicted by the FBU preliminary report”.
“In exercise of our governance watchdog role, we the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) write you, Sir, with reference
to the above stated matter.
“To begin with, we would like to commend you, Sir, for according a dignified burial to the fallen Vice-President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, former First Lady Dr. Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and the seven others who died in that
plane crash in Chikangawa Forest in Nkhata Bay on that fateful Monday,10th June 2024,” reads CDEDI letter in part.
The letter adds, “Secondly, we would like to applaud you, Your Excellency, Sir, for engaging international experts, the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident, who have since provided a preliminary technical report on the accident. However, Your Excellency, Sir, the aforementioned report has not provided answers to critical questions bothering the nation.
“Thus far, Your Excellency, Sir, public sentiments you made at your Malawi Congress Party (MCP) rally on September 15, 2024 at Ngwenya in Lilongwe City, just a few weeks after the release of the report, attest to the fact that there are many speculations, accusations and counter-accusations that are not helping matters towards allowing Malawians and many others to find a
closure on that tragedy”.
CDEDI letter observes, “Actually, until the 15th September, 2024 MCP rally, most Malawians thought you were not bothered by the speculations and the accompanying finger-pointing over the Chikangawa nine deaths. But, Your Excellency, Sir, your lamenting over the same puts you in agreement with the troubled majority who are seeking a closure on the tragic loss of those nine patriots.
“Your Excellency, Sir, Malawians are, therefore, dutifully expecting you and your administration to go beyond mere lamenting over the deaths by quickly constituting an independent commission of inquiry over circumstances that led to the tragic accident”.
CDEDI letter explains further, “Your Excellency, Sir, we recognise Malawians constitutional right to read the sequence of meticulous reports of the turn of events stemming from the FBU preliminary report as a critical step towards finding a satisfying closure on the tragedy.
“But, elsewhere, the FBU report shows crystal clear cases of negligence, suppression of material facts and failure to adhere to laws and regulations governing the nation, we are shocked that till this hour no single
government official has been held accountable for their actions and/or failure to act”.
The letter adds further, “Your Excellency’s apparent lack of interest to act after the FBU preliminary report has clearly contradicted your own and your government’s narrative surrounding the plane crash, is too glaring to be ignored.
“It is our belief that this happening elsewhere in a truly transparent and accountable government heads would have by now rolled, including arrests”.
CDEDI demands, “On behalf of millions of Malawians that are tearfully seeking answers over the ill-fated plane, we demand that you act on the
following within two weeks (14 days); Institute a commission of inquiry into 10th June 2024 Chikangawa Forest plane crash, fire the Malawi Army chief General Valentino Paul Phiri for allowing the country’s Vice-President to travel on an aircraft that was a disaster-inwaiting and, also, for misinforming the nation that the Malawi Defence Force
could not locate the plane due to the thickness of the forest, a notion that has been contradicted by the FBU preliminary report.
“Fire Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu for providing a wrong government narrative on the accident.Fire the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority Director General Daud Suleman for initiating a hotline 261 calling for information leading to the location of the plane when, according to the FBU preliminary report, the site had a tower that gave signal”.
CDEDI letter adds, “The preliminary technical report revealed that four gadgets belonging to three passengers on the plane had their gadgets switched on, but also logged in.
“Your, Excellency, Sir, we dutifully wish to notify you that your failure to do the needful, in the interest of the nation, will leave us with no choice but to mobilise Malawians to respond to the same with peaceful demonstrations”.
Meanwhile, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has also endorsed proposals for inquiry on Chikangawa Forest plane crash.
