DoDMA Struggles to Explain Conflicting Accounts on Chikangawa Search

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has struggled to explain conflicting accounts it has given to the Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash.

The contradictions emerged when DoDMA Commissioner Wilson Moleni and other officials appeared before the committee to explain the department’s role in the search and rescue operation following the June 10, 2024 crash that killed former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others.

Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu said two reports submitted by DoDMA contain conflicting information, making it difficult for the committee to establish a clear account of what happened.

One of the issues concerns a DoDMA aircraft which was being used for mapping exercises at the time of the crash.

Moleni, together with DoDMA officials Samuel Gama and Fidelis Mandalasi, told the committee that the aircraft was ready to join the search operation but did not do so because the wreckage had already been located.

However, an earlier report submitted by DoDMA indicated that the aircraft had flown out for a mapping exercise on the morning of June 11, 2024 but was forced to return because of bad weather.

Zomba Thondwe legislator Dumisani Lindani questioned the department over the different accounts.

Lindani said approval for the aircraft to join the search had been granted at around 9pm on June 10, but the aircraft was only scheduled to take part in the operation at around 9am the following day.

Nyamilandu also raised concern over the conflicting accounts and asked the department to provide clarification.

Moleni said DoDMA would work with the Department of Civil Aviation to resolve the discrepancies and provide a report giving a clear account of what happened.

The committee also questioned why DoDMA was not involved in the initial planning of the search and rescue operation despite its mandate to coordinate disaster response.

Committee member Felix Njawala said the omission was concerning, while Nyamilandu said the matter exposed gaps in planning involving the Civil Aviation Authority and the Office of the President and Cabinet.

Moleni also told the committee that DoDMA had not conducted simulation exercises with other government departments to clarify roles and responsibilities during emergencies.

He called for clearly defined search and rescue protocols covering air, road and water accidents, with each institution’s responsibilities clearly spelt out.

Moleni further called for increased investment in search and rescue, including equipment, training and capacity building.

He said there was also a need for an updated inventory of search and rescue resources, including helicopters, aircraft, boats, drones, specialised vehicles and communication equipment.

The commissioner recommended regular joint simulation exercises involving agencies responsible for responding to air, road, rail and water accidents.

Moleni also told the committee that DoDMA has no drone assessment results from the search because its drone team did not conduct an assessment after the aircraft was located.

He said DoDMA officials arrived in Chikangawa at around 9am on June 11, 2024 and found a Malawi University of Science and Technology drone team already conducting a drone-assisted search.

According to Moleni, there was no written correspondence between DoDMA and the drone team, with communication taking place through phone calls and WhatsApp due to the urgency of the operation.

The committee is continuing to examine the different reports and testimonies as it seeks to establish a clear account of the search and rescue operation following the crash.