Ex-minister details SKC plane use

Former minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire says the then president Lazarus Chakwera authorised fallen vice-president Saulos Chilima to use the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) aircraft that later killed nine people on June 10 2024.

In his testimony made at Parliament Building in Lilongwe yesterday where the Ad Hoc Committee of Parliament investigating the plane crash is holding hearings, Mkandawire said former MDF Commander General Paul Velentino Phiri (retired) briefed him that the President had given authorisation.

Mkandawire: I got information from the Commander. | Parliament

Responding to a question from Mwanza Central legislator Felix Njawala (UTM Party), Mkandawire said: “I got information from the Commander that he had gotten clearance from the Commander-In-Chief [the President] to allow Chilima to use the Dornier.”

But he could not indicate whether he independently verified with Chakwera.

When pressed further, Mkandawire said Chakwera only notified him to hold the plane for Chilima who might attend the funeral of former Attorney General and minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara if he was OK from his “long trip from South Korea”.

Mkandawire’s response comes against a background of the Chakwera-instituted commission of inquiry into the plane crash, which suggested that the Office of the Vice-President acquired the use of the MDF Dornier 228 aircraft unprocedurally.

On whether the Dornier complied with maintenance standards, the former minister said it was fully operational until the time of the incident when they learnt that the ELT battery was not functional.

The ELT battery fault is included in the report presented by the German team’s technical report.

Before Mkandawire’s testimony, incumbent Minister of Defence Feston Kaupa told the inquiry that he had not seen any documentation authorising the Vice-President to use the ill-fated military aircraft.

He said military flight procedures require all flights to be formally authorised, planned, registered and documented.

Kaupa said institutions seeking military air transport are required to submit formal requests explaining the need for the aircraft and providing detailed itineraries.

“All flights are required to be authorised, planned, registered and documented in line with established protocols,” he said.

Yesterday, the inquiry also heard that the Dornier 228 did not have a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, commonly known as a black box.

Kaupa said: “According to the reports I have seen, there was no black box, considering that military aircraft are not required to have one.”

He said he could not independently verify the matter because he was not directly involved in the immediate post-crash investigations.

Nonetheless, Kaupa said government should consider installing black boxes in State and military aircraft in future.

His testimony raises questions about statements made shortly after the crash.

In June 2024, then minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu told journalists that issues surrounding the aircraft’s black box would form part of investigations by local and international experts.

While he did not explicitly state that a black box had been recovered, Kunkuyu’s remarks suggested investigators would examine matters relating to one.

The absence of a black box meant investigators could not rely on cockpit recordings or flight data normally used to reconstruct an aircraft’s final moments.

Kaupa also told the inquiry that MDF remains severely underfunded and requires substantial resources to refurbish and replenish critical transport assets.

Responding to questions on measures taken to ensure the safety of military aircraft, ships and vehicles, he said funding constraints continue to affect operational readiness.

The minister said the MDF needs support to restock and refurbish transport equipment across its services.

When Dedza Kasina legislator Joshua Malango (Malawi Congress Party) pressed him to disclose the size of the military’s inventory, including the number of aircraft and service vehicles, Kaupa declined, saying such information could not be discussed publicly due to national security concerns.

Kaupa also defended the age of the Dornier, which was purchased in 1986 and had been in service for nearly four decades before the crash.

The hearing also exposed broader governance challenges within the defence sector with Kaupa telling lawmakers that both the Defence Policy and Defence Force Regulations remain in draft and are still awaiting approval.

He said the military operates under constitutional and statutory provisions, including Section 161 of the Constitution, which designates the President as Commander-in-Chief.

The MDF aircraft number MAF T03 left Mzuzu Airport at 7.05am and landed at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe at 7.48am to pick the Vice-President and others to Mzuzu to proceed by road to Nkhata Bay to attend the funeral service of Kasambara who died on June 7 2024.

Besides Chilima, others on board were former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, Lukas Kapheni, Chisomo Chimaneni, Dan Kanyemba and Abdul Lapukeni. The flight was operated by Colonel Sambalopa, Major Flora Selemani and Major Aidin from MDF.

A commission of inquiry established by Chakwera concluded that there was no foul play and attributed the accident to adverse weather conditions and human error. It also said there was no evidence of a technical fault as the aircraft was airworthy and in good condition at the time of the crash.

On the other hand, a final technical report by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation released on June 7 2025 also identified human error as one of the contributing factors to the accident.

President Peter Mutharika earlier this year ordered a fresh probe after an assessment of previous inquiries by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango noted gaps.

Today, the inquiry is scheduled to interview Velentino Phiri and current MDF Chief General George Alexander Jaffu Jnr.

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