By Chisomo Phiri
Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba on Wednesday July 1,2026,appeared before the Parliamentary Committee investigating the military plane crash that claimed the lives of former Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) and eight others in Chikangawa Forest on June 10, 2024, where she defended key decisions made before and after the tragedy while responding to extensive questioning from the Members of Parliament (MPs) in the inquiry committee.
She appeared before the committee virtually as she is currently receiving medical treatment in South Africa.
During the hearing, Mwanza Central MP,Felex Njawala questioned Zamba on whether she had spoken to former President Lazarus Chakwera before meeting him later that afternoon.
Zamba said she had not spoken to the former President before then and had only met him that morning.
The legislator further asked whether, after informing the former President that the aircraft was missing, it appeared to her that it was the first time he was hearing about the matter.
Zamba said she could not tell because the former President did not say anything that suggested whether he already knew.
The MP explained that he asked the question because the former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander,Paul Valentino Phiri had earlier testified that he called former President Chakwera at about 10:35 a.m. to inform him that the aircraft had not arrived.
He therefore,said he wanted to know how the former President reacted when Zamba briefed him later that afternoon.
Questioning then turned to a message Zamba sent to the former Secretary to the Office of the Vice President Dr. Lucky Sikwese around midday reading “Eish, sorry.”
Zomba Thondwe MP,Dumisani Lindani,asked why she sent the message while maintaining that she only informed the President later that afternoon.
Zamba said she initially explained that the message referred to Dr. Sikwese’s unsuccessful attempts to reach her because her phone line had been busy.
Committee Chairperson Walter Nyamilandu also asked where she obtained information that the aircraft had turned back from Mzuzu.
Zamba said officials at Mzuzu Airport informed her that the aircraft had disappeared from radar and suggested it was possible it had returned to Lilongwe after failing to reach its destination.
Recounting events before the tragedy, Zamba said that on Sunday, June 9, 2024, she attended the Paper Sunday church service before travelling to her home village for a Chiliza ceremony.
She said while there, she saw on social media that Vice President Chilima was expected to attend the funeral of the late Ralph Kasambara in Nkhata-Bay.
She explained that she followed developments because they did not want a Cabinet minister to be the guest of honour if the Vice President was attending, since protocol required the Vice President to take precedence.
Zamba also informed the committee that her mobile phone remains in police custody, making it difficult for her to accurately recall some events and exact times.
She testified that Dr.Sikwese later called to confirm that the Vice President would attend the funeral.
She said she then contacted Richard Chimwendo Banda to inform him and requested him to make the necessary arrangements.
Zamba further said she later asked Dr. Sikwese whether Chimwendo Banda could travel aboard the aircraft with the Vice President.
She said Dr. Sikwese informed her there were no available seats, after which she advised Chimwendo Banda to travel by road the following morning.
Nyamilandu asked when she first heard that the aircraft had failed to land in Mzuzu and was returning.
Zamba said she could not remember who informed her or where she obtained the information.
The committee chairperson also questioned why, after seeing news of Kasambara’s death on social media, she instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP),Marlyn Yolamu,to verify the information before acting, but did not similarly verify reports that the Vice President’s aircraft had returned after failing to land.
Zamba responded that she was trying to reach the Principal Secretary in the Office of the Vice President for confirmation.
She added that aircraft returning after unsuccessful landing attempts was not unusual, recalling previous occasions when she had experienced flights returning to Blantyre and when trips with former President Chakwera to Dwangwa had been aborted after reaching Mzuzu.
Nyamilandu also questioned why her press statement referred to the aircraft as missing instead of stating that it had failed to land and was returning.
Zamba maintained that the second paragraph of the statement clearly explained that former President Chakwera had cancelled his trip to the Bahamas because aviation authorities had lost contact with the aircraft.
Blantyre Malabada MP, Ishmael Mkumba,asked about the relationship between former President Chakwera and Vice President Chilima despite Chilima’s earlier arrest.
Zamba described the two leaders as brothers who shared mutual respect and said Cabinet retreats demonstrated their close working relationship.
Dedza Kasina MP, Joshua Malango,questioned whether the recommendation for Richard Chimwendo Banda to represent the former President at Kasambara’s funeral originated from her office.
Zamba confirmed that it did and that the former President approved the recommendation.
The MP then asked why the former President also instructed Defence Minister Harry Mkandawire to represent him at the same funeral.
Zamba admitted the confusion originated from her office.
She explained that while seeking the President’s approval she wrote that the “VP may attend.”
According to Zamba, the wording led the former President to believe she was referring to the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Vice President for the Northern Region rather than the State Vice President, prompting him to call Harry Mkandawire instead.
Asked whether she unsuccessfully tried calling Dr.Sikwese around 10:41 a.m., Zamba said she could not verify the exact time because her phone remains with police, but believed it was around then.
She said the purpose of the call was to confirm whether the Vice President had already departed.
The committee also asked whether she informed former President Chakwera that Vice President Chilima had already returned from South Korea and travelled to Nkhata-Bay.
Zamba said she believed the former President was unaware that Chilima had returned to Malawi, which explained why he misunderstood her message referring to the “VP.”
Returning to the “Eish, sorry” message, Dedza Kasina MP,Malango, asked whether she was apologising because the aircraft had failed to land.
Zamba confirmed that the apology referred to the aircraft’s failure to land, adding that the telephone call was also breaking up.
Nyamilandu questioned how she could regard the aircraft’s failure to land as normal while at the same time expressing sympathy.
Zamba responded that saying “sorry” was simply a common expression acknowledging that events had not gone according to plan.
Zomba City South MP,James Mpunga,asked whether her unsuccessful call to Dr. Sikwese at around 10:41 a.m. was intended to discuss the aircraft’s failure to land.
Zamba said it was not, explaining that she only wanted confirmation that the Vice President had departed so she could accurately brief the former President.
Questioned about when she met the former President, the IGP and the MDF Commander, Zamba estimated the meeting took place at around 3:00 p.m.
She said search operations had already begun and the former President was briefed on the ongoing search and the fact that the aircraft had not yet been located.
Zomba City South MP, Mpunga,also challenged Zamba’s position that Chilima attended Kasambara’s funeral in his personal capacity.
Zamba maintained that he attended privately.
When asked why Chilima presented condolence money and addressed mourners if his attendance was private, she said protocol required the Vice President to perform those duties once present, even though former President Chakwera had neither instructed nor expected him to attend.
The same MP referred to Mary Chilima’s testimony that she was only informed the aircraft was missing and not that it had crashed.
Zamba said she knew the then Minister of Health ,Khumbize Kadondo,visited Mary Chilima’s home before the former President addressed the nation to ensure the family had been informed.
Asked how the families of the other victims were notified, Zamba said she did not personally communicate with them because each institution handled its own personnel.
Lilongwe Mude MP,Mphatso Boti Phiri, asked whether there had been previous occasions where Chilima attended an event privately but a Cabinet minister still spoke despite his presence.
Zamba cited the funeral of the late Goodall Gondwe, saying she only realised Chilima was attending after he arrived.
Zamba also told the committee that the previous government continued supporting the family of the late Vice President and that his widow, Mary Chilima, continues to receive benefits through OPC.
She recalled that after the tragedy Mrs. Chilima requested permission to purchase a vehicle, and the OPC facilitated the necessary arrangements for her to buy the vehicle she wanted.
However, she said the office declined a later request to purchase a second vehicle.
Zamba further dismissed allegations that former President Chakwera delayed visiting the mortuary where Chilima’s body was being kept.
She explained that members of the Chilima family requested that the President wait until relatives had viewed the body first.
In her closing remarks, Zamba thanked Civil Service employees for their dedication during the crisis, saying staff at the OPC worked tirelessly throughout the difficult period.
As the hearing concluded, Committee Chairperson Nyamilandu wished Zamba a speedy recovery.
Zamba thanked him for the well wishes, prompting Nyamilandu to jokingly remark that home is always home.
Laughing, Zamba replied that once she completes her treatment at the hospital, she will definitely return home.
Earlier inquiries, including a technical assessment by German aircraft manufacturers and a government-appointed commission of inquiry, largely attributed the crash to adverse weather and operational factors, pointing to no foul play.
But the findings failed to extinguish public scepticism, with lingering questions over information management, decision-making and other circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The persistence of those doubts ultimately triggered renewed calls for another inquiry, piling pressure on parliament to demonstrate transparency, independence and professionalism.
President Peter Mutharika ordered the fresh probe in February this year after Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango cited gaps in three previous inquiries and recommended a new investigation.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sameer Suleman announced a 13-member committee tasked to interrogate previous findings, close gaps and deliver closure and report back within 90 days.
