Mary Chilima, the widow of former Vice President Saulos Chilima, today gave emotional testimony before the Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the June 10, 2024 plane crash.
βͺοΈShe said she did not travel with her husband to Nkhata Bay because she was preparing and presenting her PhD proposal. Their final conversation was a text message in which Dr. Chilima said he was leaving, and she wished him safe travels.
βͺοΈMary told the committee she only learned the aircraft had gone missing about five hours later and questioned why it took so long for search efforts to begin. She said she eventually discovered the plane had crashed through social media.
βͺοΈShe also raised concerns over the aircraftβs emergency locator transmitter, the conduct of the search operation, and the level of security provided to her family during the funeral, where violence broke out and lives were lost.
βͺοΈMary called for a separate investigation into the funeral violence, saying she feared for her life and that of her children after their convoy came under attack.
The Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee continues hearing evidence from witnesses as it investigates the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
