My heart goes to Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi

By Bob Chimkango

On the 10th day of June, 2024, fighting tears, he still held his head high to address the nation about the befallen tragedy.

On the 10th of June, Dr. Chakwera informed this nation that he has on several occasions used the aircraft, MAF-T03. Our President has flown on the aircraft whose Emergency Location Transmitter was mounted in the cabin, on the left side of the fuselage close to the door.

On seeing this, Mr. President would be assured that he was flying in a very safe machine; unbeknownst to him, this Transmitter was but a dummy, whose battery had expired 16 years before he became President.

My heart goes out to The President of the Republic of Malawi, who flew from Lilongwe to Blantyre and Lower Shire, to inspect the extent of the damage caused by floods.

I verily believe he could hear the Pilot speak to the Tower Controls on the way, and he was very sure the conversations were recorded as normally should be.

But today, just like you and me, he learns that all that talk between the Captain and the Tower was just like a phone-in programme on Radio 1. Today he learns that the plane he boarded to Lower Shire had no Cockpit Voice Recorder.

I sympathize with President Chakwera who has flown on the Dornier on many occasions, a Dornier without a Transponder.

I stand with Mr. President, whom on several occasions we put in an aircraft whose frequencies could not be monitored by international satellites since 2009, the President we profess to love.

I can imagine how he feels now that all along his safety was compromised by those who are supposed to protect him. While we keep mourning the departed Vice President, let us spare a thought for our President, our number one citizen, Commander of the Armed Forces. Long Live Mr. President. Long Live Democracy.

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