Opposition UTM Sunday rejected an investigations report by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) into the plane crash which killed its president Saulos Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and seven others on June 10 this year.
Addressing a mammoth crowd at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe, UTM campaign director Makwenda Chunga said the party had since demanded a commission of inquiry into the plane crash.
According to Chunga, the report by the BFU is far from being impressive.
“Karipoti kabwera dzulo, karipoti. Karipoti aka ife sitikalola karipoti. Ndibwerezenso. Ripoti iyi ife sitikuilola. Ndipo tikuti ngati kuli ripoti imene yabweretsa mpungwepungwe kwambiri, ife sitikuilola [we are not impressed with the so-called crash investigations report that has been released. I repeat, we reject that so-called report in its entirelity],” Chunga said.
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He observed that they were initially told that the plane crashed after it failed to land at Mzuzu Airport because of bad weather but that now they were being told that the plane never reached Mzuzu Airport but was just going round and round instead of going to Mzuzu.
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Carrying a portrait of Chilima, Chunga pleaded with President Lazarus Chakwera to institute a commission of inquiry into the plane crash.
He said Chilima was, together with Chakwera, in court during the 2019 elections case and demonstrations that characterised that period and that Chilima is the one that played a key role in his ascendancy to the country’s top seat.
“Here I am sending this message to the government. Saulos Chilima will never be forgotten in the history of this country.
We are hurt. When we are in our homes, it is like he has just gone to the ghetto of Ndirande and he will be back.
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“When we are in our homes, we feel like Chilima has gone to Kameme in Chitipa and he will be back. But Saulos is gone for good. May the spirit of Saulos Chilima be in all of you here; the fearless spirit,” Chunga said.
The development comes after, on Saturday, Information Minister—who is also government spokesperson—Moses Kunkuyu addressed journalists on the issue of the plane crash.
When one journalist asked: “What will you do with the recommendations given in the report?”, Kunkuyu responded: “Any sane government would act on the recommendations. So, we will do as the recommendations have said.”
Another question was: “The plane lacked some necessary equipment like Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and functional Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), who do you think should take responsibility?”
While stating that the report did not apportion any blame on anyone, Kunkuyu said he could not respond properly as he had no knowledge on how the said equipment could have prevented the crash.
When asked if the President also used to board the same plane, his response was: “Yes, and he boarded it many times more.”
Taking her turn at yesterday meeting, UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati said it was unfortunate that Malawi was still trapped on the list of the world’s poorest countries when others, notably China, graduated long ago.
According to Kaliati, in 1981, Malawi was the world’s fourth poorest country but that 43 years letter, today, the country is number five on the list of poorest countries.
She said in 1981, China was the third poorest country in the world but that, today, it is among the world’s richest countries due to good leadership.
The former Gender minister said it was unfortunate that leaders of today were bragging that they had delivered the goods when people of the country were swimming in abject poverty.
“What have you delivered?” Kaliati queried.
Meanwhile, UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala has cautioned people he accused of going around and saying “boma ndi lomweli” that they should not underrate voters.
Njawala said in a democracy like Malawi, voters decide who to give power and who to boot out of power.
He accused the current administration of punishing people with high commodity prices, saying no one punishes people and survives.
Conspicuously missing at the Masintha rally was president Michael Usi.
Kunkuyu could not also address questions regarding the safety concerns raised in the report and people’s concerns that the plane was not fit to be carrying high-profile individuals.
On the Malawi Defence Force report, Kunkuyu said he had not personally seen it but was quick to say Malawians were expecting the report from Germany.
“Many Malawians eagerly awaited the release of this report. Since the plane was owned by the Malawi Defence Force, it was expected that their investigation would focus on internal matters, as they previously indicated,” Kunkuyu said.
