LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) calls for calmness and civility during the mourning of the late Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others who died on Monday, June 10, 2024 in a plane crash inside Chikangawa forest in Mzimba district.
The call comes amid speculations that the accident was staged targeting Chilima.
In a press statement issued on Friday and signed by HRCC board chairperson and member Robert Mkwezalamba and Desmond Mhango respectively says has noted with grave concerns open and direct attacks by UTM party officials, Ngoni Warriors, Social media influencers and selected individuals on some public officers including the President as being behind the death of our beloved brothers and sisters who perished in that plane crash on 10th June 2024.
HRCC observes that UTM has gone further to demand that Ministers of Defence and Homeland Security MUST not be allowed to attend the burial ceremony of the Vice President.
HRCC finds these calls as grave allegations, divisive, damaging, unacceptable and
condemns them in strongest terms as they have the effect of causing chaos and violence in an already heartbroken society.
“Its absurd that merely 4 days after the crash some overzealous individuals have already conducted investigations and pronounced judgement on their so-called culprits before even the MDF or our development/bilateral partners (who have been asked to help with investigations) have done so.
“It should be pointed out that HRCC was among the first organisations to make calls for an independent, impartial, multi-disciplined and robust investigation team to carry out a thorough investigation of the crash and subsequent cause of death for an acceptable closure of the loss,” reads the statement in part.
HRCC adds, “Understanding that such an investigation is massive and that it cannot be undertaken in a day or two as well as the fact that no amount of ‘site’ manipulation can change the cause of any objective investigations, we resorted to focusing our energies on burying our nationals as the processes get set in earnest.
“HRCC would therefore like to call on UTM, the Maseko Ngoni’s and the ordinary citizens, to hold their breath and anger and stand ready to give in their evidence when investigations commence”.
HRCC stands ready to ensure that any individual who claims to have first-hand information on the matter is not unnecessarily or arbitrarily deprived their right to free speech or provide evidence without being coerced, injured or harmed.
“In this regard, we commend government for agreeing to our calls for an independent investigation team including the use of private autopsy experts with a view to exonerate itself from the conspiracy theories that have engulfed our society.
“While we prepare to mourn our Vice President and that we have already buried some of the victims, HRCC calls on government, the development and bilateral partners to fast track the process of assembling the expert investigators to undertake the investigations with a view to provide the nation an unflinching detail of the cause of accident and subsequent death of our loved ones,” observes HRCC.
The grouping appeals, “In Managing the process, we further call on government (MDF inclusive) to collaborate the information it is giving to the public to refrain from providing conflicting details from those earlier provided as that has the effect of fueling discontent among listeners (a case in point is where we were previously told that the plane was returned due to bad weather only to now learn that there was no contact with the plane from Mzuzu).
“We call on all persons of goodwill to mourn our loved ones with dignity, humility and compassion they deserve and in accordance with the nonviolent lives they lived! May God heal our broken hearts and enhance our Unity”.
The late Chilima remains is laying in state in the capital Lilongwe waiting for burial on Monday, June 17, 2024 at his home village, Nsipe in Ntcheu district.