Kuwali hits out at ‘cocaine‑fuelled’ crash conspiracies
Brigadier General Dan Kuwali has warned Malawians against “cocaine‑fuelled conspiracy theories” circulating on social media, telling Parliament’s plane‑crash inquiry that false claims linking him to the death of former vice‑president Saulos Chilima are damaging his integrity and misleading the nation.
Appearing before the Ad hoc Committee, Kuwali said unnamed individuals were spreading fabricated stories alleging he played a role in the crash.
He said the claims were “malicious, reckless and meant to tarnish my name,” stressing that he had built his professional reputation over decades as a lawyer, academic and senior military officer.
Kuwali’s frustration was visible as MPs pressed him on his long‑known friendship with Chilima — a line of questioning he repeatedly challenged as irrelevant to the inquiry’s mandate.
The exchange grew tense:Zomba City South MP: “Kodi malemu a Chilima anali anzanu?”
Kuwali: “How many times should I answer this? Yes, I knew Chilima very well. We played golf together, we were in college together, and he was a close friend. Does that sufficiently answer your question?”
MP: “Yes.”
Kuwali: “Then allow me to ask — why is this friendship of such interest to you?”
MP: “Because I am the one asking questions. You answer, we ask.”
Kuwali: “I will only answer questions that are relevant.”
The committee continued probing his relationship with the late vice‑president, but Kuwali insisted that personal friendships had no bearing on the operational facts surrounding the crash.
He urged the public to rely on verified information rather than social‑media speculation, saying the inquiry must focus on evidence, not rumours.
Commentator Idris Ali Nasser says Kuwali’s appeal for Malawians to ignore “cocaine‑fuelled conspiracy theories” is understandable — but warns it may be impossible for any Commission of Inquiry to shut down rumours once they take hold online.
Nasser argues that the inquiry faces a structural dilemma: it is expected to establish facts, yet must operate in an environment where wild claims about the crash — some allegedly pushed by people “high on cocaine” — circulate freely on social media.
He says this creates a parallel narrative that no formal process can fully contain.According to Nasser, the Commission can present evidence, correct misinformation and issue public statements, but it cannot police every rumour or silence individuals determined to spread falsehoods.
He suggests the real challenge is ensuring the public distinguishes verified testimony from online speculation.
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