Government to publicise tragedy expenses

Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu says government will make public expenses incurred during the funeral of former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others who died in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest on June 10 2024.

Briefing the media in Lilongwe yesterday, he said to ensure transparency and accountability, a technical committee that was looking into issues of finances will be ready with the report on Thursday and government will communicate to the public on Friday about the expenditures.

Said Kunkuyu: “The President directed that everything that will be needed, government should provide—whether transport, caskets, food and anything.”

He further indicated that consultations for an independent investigation into the plane crash that claimed the lives of the nine are at an advanced stage.

According to Kunkuyu, President Lazarus Chakwera has called for support into an independent inquiry in line with calls from the family and other stakeholders.

He said: “Government is looking forward to an independent investigation to help shed more light on what may have happened on that fateful day leading to the crash of that aircraft that caused death of our nice compatriots, including the vice-president.”

Kunkuyu said in the meantime, the plane crash site is being guarded to ensure things are intact for investigators to properly carry out their work.

He said when the investigations are concluded, the findings will be made available to the bereaved families and the public.

However, the minister did not disclose the results of autopsies that were carried out on the victims of the plane crash, saying government cannot make public the findings without their families’ consent.

Meanwhile, the chief government spokesperson has said Chakwera has cancelled his trip to South Africa to attend the inauguration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, delegating Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo to represent him. The inauguration is today.

In an interview, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence commended government for initiating processes to lead to independent investigations.

But he said there is need to ensure that the investigation process is truly independent

Chilima and eight others died on June 10 after the Malawi Defence Force plane they were travelling in crashed in Chikangawa Forest  in Mzimba.