Since we lost former vice president, Saulos Chilima, there has been a dark cloud flying so low it may blind us. Most people, especially those who loved Chilima, are failing to come to terms with his tragic demise.
This is normal, for nobody expects anyone to die in their prime. It even becomes worse when the death does not result from natural causes.
What Malawians of goodwill are looking for are answers to what might have caused the tragic accident that claimed the vice president and eight others, and that is not too much to ask.
When people heard that the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (BFU) was contracted to conduct an investigation on the crash, there was hope that they were going to get answers.
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But unfortunately, the interim report that has been released by the bureau falls short of providing such answers.
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Some of the basic questions people have been asking are: what transpired during the flight? Why was it that the wreckage of the plane was not found until several hours later? What went wrong and why?
Most of this information is not contained in the interim report and this has, unfortunately, raised more questions and incited anger in those who are unsatisfied.
Following the release of that report, people have been trading barbs on social media and in other spaces where Malawians mingle.
There is a group of people sympathising with the ruling regime, who argue that those questioning the report are not smart enough and they must wait for the full report to be released.
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Apparently, according to this group, answers will be contained in the full report.
The other side, which mostly comprises Chilima’s sympathisers, argue that the report is a farce and that they may never get to know the truth about the death of their leader.
During their memorial rally last Sunday, UTM made it clear that they do not accept the findings (or lack thereof) of the report. They have since called for a commission of inquiry into the accident.
What this does is that it creates tension on our political landscape. There is growing animosity between those on the side of government and those who have moved to the opposition because they feel short-changed.
The narrative on the accident is now at the mercy of competing opinions and this is dangerous.
The problem with depending on opinions is that everyone thinks they are right and any opinion that speaks to their perceived truth becomes a fact in their mind.
Since we don’t have concrete facts on the accident yet, each side of the story is gaining momentum to the point that the noise is so loud it may lead to a brawl.
It is a fact that we have people in this country who strongly believe there was foul play involved in the accident.
It is also a fact that some believe it was nothing but an accident. This means we are walking on slippery ground and we cannot continue this way for long.
It is at this point that information management matters. There should be a way of controlling information and ensuring that the populace is not misled by varying opinions on the issue.
Such tensions as we are experiencing now are not good for our country, bearing in mind that the political situation has been edgy for some time now.
Unfortunately, the only way of taming the situation is by providing a report that has what needs to be addressed. Until that happens, we will continue to walk on this tightrope, risking falling.
Despite being inconclusive, the interim report that the BFU released revealed just how reckless and negligent we are as a country.
We cannot have the vice president flying in a plane without flight data recording devices. We cannot sit here and just listen to somebody telling us that there was no radar information on the plane on that fateful day.
It is absurd to be told that the plane carrying the second citizen of the country had a damaged battery on its tracking device. That is just shamefully shocking.
While the report is inconclusive, one thing we know is that somebody somewhere failed to do their job. This is the only fact we have.
