By Suleman Chitera
Mary Chilima has publicly thanked President Peter Mutharika for ordering a fresh investigation into the 2024 Chikangawa military plane crash that claimed the life of her husband, former Vice President Saulos Chilima, and eight others.
In a brief but emotionally charged message posted on her official Facebook page, Chilima wrote: “Zikomo kwambiri, kwabasi, Your Excellency…” — signaling relief and renewed hope for accountability nearly two years after the fatal crash.
The development comes just hours after Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Charles Mhango, informed Parliament that government will institute a new inquiry into the tragedy.
Mhango told lawmakers that his review of findings from the Commission of Inquiry and Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation exposed gaps significant enough to weaken the credibility and conclusiveness of the earlier reports.
While he did not immediately detail the specific deficiencies, the minister acknowledged that unresolved questions remain — an admission likely to reignite public scrutiny over how the original investigation was conducted and whether critical evidence was overlooked.
The Chikangawa crash sent shockwaves across Malawi and beyond, abruptly ending the life of a sitting Vice President and triggering national mourning. However, the initial findings failed to settle speculation surrounding the circumstances of the military aircraft’s downing.
The decision to reopen the probe suggests that government now recognises that public confidence in the earlier conclusions was far from secured.
For the Chilima family and many Malawians, the renewed investigation represents more than a procedural review — it is a test of transparency, institutional integrity and political will.
As pressure mounts for clarity, the central question remains: what exactly was missed the first time?
