Govt says working on crash report recommendations
Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu says government is working on recommendations in the interim report on the plane crash that killed Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others on June 10 2024.
In a written response yesterday, he said the relevant ministries, departments and agencies are aware of the recommendations made by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) probing the crash of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) plane near Nthungwa Hill on the Nkhata Bay side of Viphya Plantation, widely known as Chikangawa Forest.
“The preliminary report has made recommendations that government has taken serious note of through its agencies,” said Kunkuyu.
The response comes amid growing calls from civil society organisations and the public for President Lazarus Chakwera to act based on revelations and recommendations in the report, some of which point to negligence and systematic failures.
For example, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) has demanded the removal of MDF Commander General Velentino Phiri.
Among other things, the report also found that the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was not functioning in the plane.
The German investigators recommended to the Ministry of Defence to ensure that MDF aircraft transporting people be equipped with functional ELT.
In a brief response, Minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire said they discussed the recommendations and that the public should wait for a ministerial statement.
The report also recommended that Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara should ensure that up-to-date information concerning radio navigation aids in Malawi is available to aircraft crews all the time. Hara did not respond to our questionnaire.
In a separate interview, University of Malawi peace and security lecturer Master Dicks Mfune said some heads should have rolled by now based on the recommendations.
He also said the plane should have been checked before Chilima and others boarded.
“The findings show the aircraft was not in flying condition. Its spare parts are not available and should have been decommissioned. The MDF Commander was at fault for releasing it,” said Mfune.
In a statement dated August 31 2024, Human Rights Consultative Committee executive director Robert Mkwezalamba said they acknowledged the gravity of the issue and stressed the importance of addressing it with the seriousness it warrants.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition chairperson Gift Trapence has also called for speedy completion of the full investigation.
According to the BFU, the final report will probably be published in the summer of 2025 on their website, both in German and English.
