Social media commentator Idris Ali Nassah has alleged that authorities made a deliberate decision to allow late Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and the eight other occupants of the military aircraft that crashed in Chikangawa Forest to “bleed out,” following the accident.
Nassah: Its questionable
In a strongly worded social media post, Nassah said while he has never believed claims that the aircraft crash itself was a planned assassination, he is increasingly convinced that the authorities’ handling of the search and rescue operation raises serious questions.
“I have always held it that it was an unfortunate accident—an act of God—and I don’t buy into the rumours and claims that it was a planned assassination,” Nassah wrote.
He, however, argued that information emerging about the response to the crash suggests that those in positions of authority failed to act with urgency after learning that the aircraft had gone down.
“But, from what is emerging, you’d be forgiven to think that once those in power heard that Chilima’s aircraft had gone down, they thanked their evil gods and then made a deliberate, callous, heartless, grim decision to let him—and others—bleed out in that Chikangawa forest,” he stated.
Nassah questioned why it reportedly took about 23 hours before the wreckage of the aircraft was located, saying the lengthy delay continues to fuel public concern over the effectiveness of the search operation.
“How, in all honesty, did it take 23 hours?” he asked.
The remarks come amid continued public debate over the circumstances surrounding the June 2024 military plane crash that claimed the lives of Chilima and eight others in Chikangawa Forest.
The tragedy remains one of Malawi’s most significant aviation disasters and has continued to generate demands for greater transparency and accountability regarding the events surrounding the search and rescue operation.
Nassah’s comments represent his personal views and add to the growing public discourse questioning whether authorities responded adequately after the aircraft disappeared from radar.
