By Vincent Gunde

The Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), has appealed for citizens patience, civility, and responsible state leadership following the release of the interim report on the plane crash that claimed the lives of Dr. Saulosi Chilima, Former First Lady Dr. Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and seven others, in the Chikangawa forest in Mzimba district on Monday, 10th June, 2024.

The HRCC says the incident that tragically claimed the lives of the 9 departed souls in the Chikangawa forest is a profound loss for the nation and has understandably been the focus of widespread speculation and concerns.

The organization has called on the government to demonstrate leadership by addressing the critical concerns raised by the public in a professional and transparent manner saying this will help ensuring that the interim report is interpreted correctly and that public discourse remains constructive and informed.

In a statement dated 31st August, 2024 signed by its Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba, the HRCC commended President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for his decision to seek support from international partners to initiate an independent investigation into the plane crash in Malawi.

But, speaking at Masintha ground in Lilongwe on Sunday, UTMs Campaign Director Makwenda Chunga while holding a portrait of the departed Dr. Saulosi Chilima in his hands, rejected the report by the Germans on the argument that President Chakwera told the nation that the plane crashed after it failed to land in Mzuzu because of bad weather.

Chunga said the German report has contradicted with President Chakwera’s speech that the plane did not reach Mzuzu Airport saying Malawians are not satisfied with the report hence rejection in strongest terms possible.

He pleaded with President Chakwera to institute a Commission of Inquiry to investigate circumstances that led to the plane to crash for Malawians to trust observing that Malawians have received a preliminary report and the Germans will be releasing the report in stages a development which is worrisome.

“What Malawians are after is the report coming with answers as to what exactly made the plane to crash, was it human error or mechanical,” said Chunga.

In the statement by the HRCC, the organization says it acknowledged the details in this interim report as subject to further analysis which will likely provide more conclusive insights into the critical cause of the plane crash in the Chikangawa forest.

The HRCC has made it clear that it is premature for recipients of this report to draw definitive conclusions or suggest that the German’s Bureau of Flight Investigations (BFU) has failed to explain the cause of the plane crash saying any such statements are purely speculative and risk causing unnecessary alarm and panic among the public.