A Special Parliamentary Committee established to investigate the plane crash that killed former vice president Saulos Chilima and eight others has officially commenced investigations.
The others who died in the plane accident are former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, Lucas Kapheni, Chisomo Chimaneni, Dan Kanyemba, Abdul Lapukeni as well as Colonel Owen Sambalopa, Major Flora Selemani and Major Aidin, who are Malawi Defence Force personnel who were operating the Malawi Air Force plane.
Speaking at Parliament Building in Lilongwe yesterday, chairperson for the committee, Walter Nyamilandu, said the team expected to conclude its investigations by August this year.
“We have kickstarted investigations into the plane crash. We need the truth to come out so that this matter can finally be put to rest,” Nyamilandu said.
He said committee members would tour Nthungwa Forest in Chikangawa, where the military aircraft crashed on June 10, 2024, before proceeding to Mzuzu International Airport and Zomba, where some of the wreckage is being kept.
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Nyamilandu said committee members wanted to gather comprehensive information surrounding the tragedy to ensure professionalism when questioning people connected to the incident.
“We want to have a clear picture of all the information regarding the accident so that, when it comes to engaging those involved, we should be very professional,” he said.
He added that the committee was expected to hold discussions with families of the victims to determine whether there may be need for exhumation of the remains for further investigations.
Committee members have already started work at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe, where they met with officials responsible for aviation operations, including representatives of Airport Development Limited.
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The parliamentary team is expected to collect information that will assist in establishing circumstances surrounding the crash.
The military aircraft carrying Chilima and the others crashed in Chikangawa Forest on its way to Mzuzu, killing all nine people on board.
A German-led inquiry commissioned by the government released its preliminary findings, indicating that poor weather conditions and low visibility were among factors that contributed to the crash.
However, the findings triggered mixed reactions from the public and some stakeholders, with calls for an independent parliamentary inquiry to establish further facts surrounding the accident.
