LILONGWE (Maravipost)-Board Chairperson for Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), Robert Mkwezalamba, has expressed strong reservations about the ability of Parliament to conduct an independent and objective inquiry into the death of former Vice President Saulos Chilima.
Speaking in an interview with Maravi Post on Saturday ,Mkwezalamba argued that the political nature of Parliament makes it ill-suited to handle such a sensitive investigation.
“Late Chilima being a politician, it remains very challenging to entrust an objective and independent inquiry to politicians who are already conflicted,” he said.
Mkwezalamba emphasized that the fairness of any inquiry depends largely on its purpose and objectives.
However, he maintained that Parliament lacks the institutional capacity to carry out an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Chilima’s death.
He further noted that a parliamentary probe is unlikely to uncover new information beyond what is already known.
Previous investigations have already been conducted by the Bureau of Financial Intelligence (BFU), the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), and a special commission of inquiry.
According to Mkwezalamba, it would be more practical and cost-effective for any parliamentary committee to focus on reviewing existing findings rather than reopening investigations from scratch, which he warned could lead to speculation.
“The choice of members is neither here nor there they are one and the same politicians who were all angered by Chilima’s death,” he said.
He stressed that what was needed instead was a team of fully independent individuals of integrity and strong standing in society to lead such an inquiry.
Mkwezalamba’s remarks add to the growing debate over how best to ensure accountability and transparency in the investigation into Chilima’s death, with questions continuing to be raised about credibility, independence, and public trust in the process.