Malawi Cables
Silvester Namiwa has called for the commission of inquiry into the tragic deaths of Vice President Saulos Chilima, a former First Lady, and seven others in Chikangawa to be conducted transparently and broadcast live. He proposed that the following key witnesses testify first:
1. Lazarus Chakwera – to clarify his statement that the plane had returned to Mzuzu, contradicting BFU Investigators’ findings that it never reached Mzuzu.
2. Moses Kumkuyu – to provide an update on the black box’s location, as he previously stated it had been found and was being kept safe.
3. Army Commander Valentino Phiri – to explain his statement that the plane landed in forested, inhabited areas, despite photographic evidence showing otherwise.
4. Daudi Suleman, MACRA Director-General – to clarify why a hotline was initiated in an area already covered by a cell tower, given MACRA’s ability to monitor all towers and potentially ping passengers’ phones.
5. Richard Chimwendo Banda – to address why he was returned from boarding the plane and by who , stating it was full while the plane has a capacity of 16 and carried only 9 passengers on the flight.However, Namiwa’s call for a public inquiry was rejected by 95% of the commissioners, who opted for a closed-door investigation. This decision prompted Namiwa to withdraw from the inquiry, as he believes a public investigation aligns better with democratic values and his commitment to advocating for the voiceless.
Namiwa has since vowed to continue pushing for a live broadcast of the inquiry, so that Malawians can witness the proceedings firsthand and understand the circumstances that led to this tragic loss of life.
Watch Namiwa’ interview excerpts:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/6wX8LX6nf7GAwg88/?mibextid=WC7FNe
