Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima plane crash inquiry uncovers early info leak

On 10 June 2024 a plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima, senior military officers and crew crashed in the Chikangawa Forest, killing all nine on board. A parliamentary ad‑hoc committee has been investigating the incident.

Testimony from Moses Nthakomwa, a close friend of Chilima, alleged that retired Major General John Msonthi contacted him at 8:19 pm on the day of the crash and described the aircraft’s wing striking a tree and the condition of the bodies – information that contradicts the president’s public statement that the wreckage had not yet been located. Nthakomwa said he withheld the details to avoid panic.

Committee members have asked for call logs and for Msonthi to appear before the panel. Additional witnesses, including former Secretary to the President Colleen Zamba, defended the government’s response, while families of victims criticised the handling of the mortuary and the lack of a post‑mortem examination.