Calls for a fresh investigation into the June 2024 military plane crash that killed Malawian Vice-President Saulos Chilima have gained bipartisan momentum following a dramatic intervention by senior opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislator Eisenhower Mkaka.
Mkaka, a former MCP secretary general, has publicly backed calls for a new inquiry into the crash, which also claimed the lives of eight others.
“The three reports that were presented here were dismissed by our colleagues from the other side [Democratic Progressive Party],” Mkaka told parliament.
“So the new government can stand as an independent arbiter in the matter by instituting a fresh investigation. We, too, want to know the truth.”
His remarks mark the first time a senior MCP figure has openly supported revisiting the case, which has remained a source of national grief and political tension.
The initial Commission of Inquiry, whose report was released in late 2024, concluded that the crash was caused by adverse weather and pilot error.
However, critics have long questioned the thoroughness and transparency of the probe, citing inconsistencies in flight records and communication logs.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Charles Mhango confirmed that his ministry is reviewing the existing report to determine whether further legal action or a new investigation is warranted.
“We are studying the report carefully to decide the next course of action,” Mhango said.
If approved, a renewed inquiry could reopen one of Malawi’s most emotionally charged tragedies and reshape public understanding of Chilima’s legacy.
Widely seen as a president-in-waiting, Chilima’s death shocked the nation and left a leadership vacuum within the then coalition government involving the MCP and the late vice president’s United Transformation Movement (UTM).
The UTM is also demanding a fresh investigation into the cause of the crash, with the party’s leader in parliament, Patricia Kaliati alleging that the military aircraft used for the fateful flight “had no fuel.”
“We cannot rest until we know the truth about what really happened that morning,” she said.
The calls for a fresh probe come as the MCP party, now in opposition following its defeat in general elections held in September, is grappling with internal divisions over the party presidency.
JN/APA