Some hot-headed Malawians had anticipated a report that would implicate the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the tragic death of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others in the Chikangawa plane crash. However, the report reveals no political involvement, concluding instead that the plane crash was solely the result of heavy clouds and turbulence.
As previously promised, the German experts who were brought in to investigate the incident released their findings today, in the month of August, regarding the plane crash that occurred on June 10 while en route to Mzuzu Airport. The report also confirmed that the crash was unsurvivable due to the severe impact.
Spanning 19 pages, the report highlights that the aircraft, manufactured in 1987, had several critical components and systems that were outdated and poorly maintained, falling below the required standards for safe operation. Furthermore, the report notes a delay in locating Chilima’s plane, attributing it to faulty equipment used in the search and rescue mission. Specifically, the aircraft’s emergency transmitter locator had been nonfunctional since 2004 due to a corresponding battery failure.
The report concludes with recommendations directed at the Ministers of Defence and Transport to prevent such accidents from occurring in the future. While propagandists may attempt to discredit the report, it will be difficult for Malawians to accept such claims, as the findings from the independent German investigators have decisively laid to rest any speculation.
