LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has formally called on President Arthur Peter Mutharika to take decisive action on the June 10, 2024 Malawi Defence Force (MDF) plane crash at Chikangawa in Nkhata Bay, demanding a fresh inquest into the tragic incident.
Addressing the news conference on Tuesday, January 2026 CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa disclosed the grouping has written Mutharika urging him to act on recommendations earlier presented by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Charles Mhango, shortly after assuming office.
The organisation wants a renewed and independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash of the Dornier 228 aircraft (MAF-TO3), which claimed the lives of nine people, including the Vice President, a former First Lady, senior government officials and members of the MDF and Malawi Police Service.
CDEDI argues that Malawians voted President Mutharika into office with the hope that his administration would help the nation find closure by uncovering the truth behind what it describes as the country’s most devastating aircraft accident.
According to the organisation, the commission of inquiry appointed by former president Lazarus Chakwera failed to provide satisfactory answers and was widely rejected by the public, with some viewing it as an attempt to conceal the truth.
The pressure group says families and friends of the victims, both locally and abroad, continue to suffer unresolved pain, which can only be healed by a comprehensive, credible and transparent report that fully accounts for events before, during and after the crash.
CDEDI maintains that only such a process can provide genuine closure and restore public trust.
The organisation further notes growing calls in some quarters for criminal investigations, alleging that the then Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led administration attempted to force acceptance of what critics termed a “sham” report.
Among the concerns raised is the claim that former president Chakwera reportedly learned of the crash from a neighbouring head of state minutes after it occurred, rather than from officials within his own government and that there was a 12-hour delay before an official announcement was made to the nation.
CDEDI says experts have suggested that any fresh probe should begin with examining the final communication between the pilot, the late Flora Selemani and a senior officer at Zomba Airbase.
It also questions several public statements made during the search and rescue phase, including updates from the former army chief and appeals by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority, describing them as potentially criminal in nature.
The organisation has also raised concern over the suspension of search efforts in the evening, alleged obstruction of access to the crash site and unresolved technical questions from aircraft experts in Germany, including reports that the plane made a 360 degree turn before crashing.
CDEDI says a forensic audit should have followed the expert report to clarify these issues and determine who authorised the use of an aircraft that was later described as a flight risk.
While acknowledging President Mutharika’s earlier assurance that the Justice Minister was reviewing the rejected report, CDEDI says public patience is wearing thin as days have turned into weeks without concrete action.
