A fresh parliamentary inquiry into the Chikangawa plane crash that killed former vice-president Saulos Klaus Chilima and eight others is set to start mid-May, with investigators lining up forensic audits, system checks and autopsies to resolve lingering questions.
Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda said the team has completed preparations and is finalising resource mobilisation and contracts.
In a statement yesterday, Manda said the probe will run three parallel tracks: a Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE) audit of aviation systems and operations; a forensic audit to establish facts and uncover new information; and autopsies to determine medical and pathological causes linked to the deaths.
answers to the fatal plane crash. | Nation
“These audits will run concurrently with site visits… The committee will then proceed with evidence gathering, analysis and validation, culminating in the submission of its final report within 90 days,” he said.
According to the chairperson, over 150 witnesses connected to the aircraft or flight will be invited to testify in a mix of in-camera sessions and public hearings, depending on the evidence.
Reads the statement further: “The committee assures the public that its work will be conducted through a systematic, evidence-based process.
“It will draw on documentary records, witness testimonies, site visits, and specialist input where necessary. The objective is to ensure the inquiry is thorough, credible, transparent and fair.”
The committee has also invited public submissions, including new evidence, under strict confidentiality procedures.
The renewed probe follows widespread calls for clarity after the crash shocked the nation and prompted calls for a more transparent and comprehensive investigation.
Meanwhile, Chilima family representative Joshua Varela welcomed the move, saying Malawians expect answers.
He said the family is ready to testify if invited.
Said Varela: “I want them to put a process that… when they put down their report in 90 days, people should be more satisfied than the situation at the moment.”
He added that the family is comfortable with Parliament leading the inquiry but urged the committee to engage experts in aviation, medicine and related fields.
In a separate interview, UTM Party president Dalitso Kabambe said the party expects the inquiry to establish what happened, why it happened and who is responsible, including scrutiny of operational systems, aircraft maintenance history, search and rescue response, crisis management and support to bereaved families.
Malawi Congress Party whip Moses Kunkuyu said Malawians expect the inquiry to confront unresolved questions and ensure all relevant witnesses are called.
President Peter Mutharika ordered the fresh probe in February after Minister of Justice Charles Mhango cited gaps in three previous inquiries and recommended a new investigation.
The President tasked Parliament to lead the process to avoid perceptions of politicisation.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sameer Suleman, in announcing the 13-member committee last month, said its terms of reference are broad enough to interrogate previous findings, close gaps and deliver closure. The committee has 90 days to report to the House.
Leader of the House Jappie Mhango said the timeframe underscores urgency on a matter of national interest.
The cross-party 13-member committee comprises four members from the Democratic Progressive Party, three from the Malawi Congress Party, three Independents, and one each from UTM, United Democratic Front and People’s Party.
A previous commission of inquiry instituted by former president Lazarus Chakwera failed to settle the matter, with families and the public still demanding answers.
Chilima and eight others died on June 10 2024 when their Malawi Defence Force aircraft crashed in Viphya Plantation en route to Nkhata Bay to attend the funeral of former Justice minister Ralph Kasambala.
