By Alice Kamwanje
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash, Walter Nyamilandu Manda, says the inquiry is gathering extensive information that is helping identify areas requiring further examination.
He said the current phase of the investigation is focusing on pre-flight planning, authorisation and preparations, adding that the committee will thoroughly assess all evidence before drawing conclusions.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary responsible for administration in the Office of the Vice President, Eric Yesaya, told the committee that he was surprised to learn that former Vice President Saulos Chilima would personally attend the funeral of Ralph Kasambala.
Yesaya said he had initially been informed that Mary Chilima would represent him and revealed that he did not see any official memo or documentation relating to the trip. He further described it as the first time he had seen a Vice President travel on a military aircraft without the necessary paperwork.
Minister of Justice Charles Mhango appeared before the Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash that claimed the lives of former Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others, on 17 June 2026, where he presented his analysis of reports produced by German aircraft accident investigators and Malawi’s Commission of Inquiry.
Mhango told the committee that the interim report by Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) was not conclusive on the actual cause of the accident because it was released before investigators received a weather report from the German Meteorological Department.
Mhango said the 19-page interim report mainly relied on testimonies from air traffic controllers at Kamuzu International Airport and GPS data used to track the aircraft’s movement from Lilongwe to the crash site.
He observed that the report did not provide details on the airworthiness of the aircraft and also failed to indicate the expected arrival time of the plane at Mzuzu Airport despite noting that it departed Kamuzu International Airport at 9:16 a.m.
On the findings of the Commission of Inquiry established by former President Lazarus Chakwera, Mhango said the commission based its conclusions on theoretical possibilities, suggesting that the crash may have been caused by human error, technical failure, or adverse weather conditions.
He further faulted the commission for failing to disclose the identities of the first people who arrived at the crash site and for not thoroughly investigating reports of gunshots allegedly heard in the area around the time of the accident.
Mhango told the committee that he has since recommended a fresh inquiry into both the cause of the crash and the handling of the aircraft after the accident.
Mhango also raised concerns over remarks reportedly made during the funeral of the late Ralph Kasambala, where an unidentified person allegedly announced at around 10:00 a.m. that Chilima would either not arrive or would be late, despite the aircraft being expected in Mzuzu at 10:02 a.m. and the crash occurring at 10:16 a.m.
He questioned how such a statement could have been made before the accident and called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of both Kasambala and Chilima.
According to Mhango, the two deaths occurred within 72 hours of each other and the 2024 Commission of Inquiry failed to adequately examine whether there was any connection between the two incidents.
Lawyer Wapona Kita also appeared before the committee and presented a funeral programme used on June 10, 2024, which listed a “former Vice President” among the expected speakers without identifying the individual.
The programme prompted discussion among committee members, with Kita later telling journalists that he suspects the reference may have been to former Vice President Khumbo Kachale, who attended the funeral.