Malawi: 'You're Not Okay Upstairs!' Chilima Crash Inquiry Erupts As Witness and MPs Trade Insults

What the report says

A parliamentary inquiry in Malawi into the plane crash that killed former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others became chaotic during testimony by independent campaigner Christy Lwara, according to Nyasa Times as distributed by AllAfrica. The hearing, held before an ad hoc parliamentary committee, focused on the events surrounding the search and response after the crash.

Lwara told lawmakers that he was dissatisfied with how the military handled the search operation. He said he believed soldiers were slow to act and raised questions about why people were allegedly stopped from going toward Kasangazi, referring to a claimed lack of fuel as part of the explanation. He also said conversations with officers led him to think the aircraft had crashed in that area.

The exchange escalated when members of Parliament challenged what they described as inconsistencies in his testimony. One MP confronted Lwara over differences in his account of whether people were being turned back from Kasangazi or Nthungwa. Lwara responded with pointed remarks of his own, and the discussion quickly turned into a string of insults and interruptions.

Committee chair Macmillan Water Nyamilandu Manda repeatedly tried to restore order as tempers rose. The episode highlighted the sensitivity of the inquiry, which is examining one of Malawi’s deadliest aviation tragedies and the official response to it.