MDF general calls for end to plane crash speculation

By Wezzie Gausi Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Brigadier General Dan Kuwali has urged the ad hoc committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash to caution the public against making unsubstantiated allegations that MDF officers were involved in a plot to kill then Vice President Saulos Chilima. Appearing before the committee Thursday, Kuwali said allegations circulating on social media and other public platforms have unfairly implicated serving and former military officers without evidence, damaging both individual reputations and the image of MDF. He told the committee that while MDF has the capability to identify those behind the allegations, it has deliberately left the matter to the Malawi Police Service. "I urge the committee to publicly discourage people from making accusations that are not backed by evidence while the inquiry is still underway," he said. He also distanced himself from the arrangements that led to Chilima boarding the military aircraft, saying his involvement was limited to assisting the family of the late lawyer Ralph Kasambara to charter the aircraft for funeral arrangements. Kuwali told the committee that when officials from the Office of the Vice President approached him seeking to use the same aircraft, he contacted the then Air Force Commander, who said he had not been informed of the request. According to Kuwali, both concluded that the proposed itinerary was not operationally feasible because the aircraft had already been chartered by Kasambara's family. Former MDF Chief of Staff Major General Mandiza Kalisha also denied any involvement in planning or authorising the flight. Kalisha told the committee he had only assumed the position of Chief of Staff on May 30, 2024, about 10 days before the crash, and only learned that the aircraft had disappeared after being contacted by the then Air Force Commander. Former Protocol Assistant in the Office of the Vice President Davie Kalilombe gave an emotional account of Chilima's final moments before departure from Kamuzu International Airport. Kalilombe said he was among the last officials to bid farewell to Chilima before he boarded the aircraft. He said members of the advance team later returned to the airport following reports that the aircraft might have turned back due to poor weather. "We all waited, expecting to catch a glimpse of the plane carrying the Vice President back to Lilongwe. Unfortunately, the plane was never spotted," he said. Assistant Superintendent of Police Limbikani Banda, who led Chilima's advance security team to Mzuzu, also described the frantic moments after communication with the aircraft was lost. "I instructed the officers at the airport to check with the control tower for an update. They came back and informed me that air traffic control had lost contact with the plane," he said. Committee Chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda said the inquiry is progressing as planned. He said the first phase of hearings is expected to conclude today but stressed that the investigation is far from over. "There are still many people who are supposed to appear before the committee," Nyamilandu Manda said. The parliamentary inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding the military aircraft crash in Chikangawa on June 10, 2024, which claimed the lives of Chilima and eight others.

WIRE — By Wezzie Gausi Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Brigadier General Dan Kuwali has urged the ad hoc committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash to caution the public against making unsubstantiated allegations that MDF officers were involved in a plot to kill then Vice President Saulos Chilima. Appearing before the committee Thursday, Kuwali said allegations circulating on social media and other public platforms have unfairly implicated serving and former military officers without evidence, damaging both individual reputations and the image of MDF. He told the committee that while MDF has the capability to identify those behind the allegations, it has deliberately left the matter to the Malawi Police Service. "I urge the committee to publicly discourage people from making accusations that are not backed by evidence while the inquiry is still underway," he said. He also distanced himself from the arrangements that led to Chilima boarding the military aircraft, saying his involvement was limited to assisting the family of the late lawyer Ralph Kasambara to charter the aircraft for funeral arrangements. Kuwali told the committee that when officials from the Office of the Vice President approached him seeking to use the same aircraft, he contacted the then Air Force Commander, who said he had not been informed of the request. According to Kuwali, both concluded that the proposed itinerary was not operationally feasible because the aircraft had already been chartered by Kasambara's family. Former MDF Chief of Staff Major General Mandiza Kalisha also denied any involvement in planning or authorising the flight. Kalisha told the committee he had only assumed the position of Chief of Staff on May 30, 2024, about 10 days before the crash, and only learned that the aircraft had disappeared after being contacted by the then Air Force Commander. Former Protocol Assistant in the Office of the Vice President Davie Kalilombe gave an emotional account of Chilima's final moments before departure from Kamuzu International Airport. Kalilombe said he was among the last officials to bid farewell to Chilima before he boarded the aircraft. He said members of the advance team later returned to the airport following reports that the aircraft might have turned back due to poor weather. "We all waited, expecting to catch a glimpse of the plane carrying the Vice President back to Lilongwe. Unfortunately, the plane was never spotted," he said. Assistant Superintendent of Police Limbikani Banda, who led Chilima's advance security team to Mzuzu, also described the frantic moments after communication with the aircraft was lost. "I instructed the officers at the airport to check with the control tower for an update. They came back and informed me that air traffic control had lost contact with the plane," he said. Committee Chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda said the inquiry is progressing as planned. He said the first phase of hearings is expected to conclude today but stressed that the investigation is far from over. "There are still many people who are supposed to appear before the committee," Nyamilandu Manda said. The parliamentary inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding the military aircraft crash in Chikangawa on June 10, 2024, which claimed the lives of Chilima and eight others.

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