By IOMMIE CHIWALO
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has learnt with dismay the deplorable manner in which the Commission of Inquiry has handled the long-awaited report containing its findings.
In a press statement made available to the publication, CDEDI Executive Director, Sylvester Namiwa says it is worrisome to note that three days after the Commission read out the report to the public which has been yearning for answers to the tragic accident, no Malawian has had an opportunity to read through the report.
Namiwa has since called for an immediate release of the report for public interest.
“Clinging to the report is taking Malawian, who have been eagerly and patiently waiting to get answers to the many disturbing questions they have over that
tragic accident for granted,” he says.
Adding that it is more disturbing to learn that the Commission’s Chairperson Justice
Jabber Alide actually went public, in a statement, indicating that President Lazarus Chakwera had directed the Commission to give the report to Malawians first, before presenting it to him.
However, Malawians were surprised that after reading out the report on Saturday, December 14 2024, they heard, through the media, that it would take the prerogative of the President to make the report public.
“The same report the President had instructed to be made public before being submitted to him? Something is really not adding up. Either the Commission or the President himself is playing games. Careless games for that matter,” he says.
Namiwa is suspecting that it is either the Commission lied to Malawians that President Chakwera made such a directive, or the Commission is clandestinely buying time to further doctor this report, which many people have already branded as a sham, and a waste of resources and time.
He has reminded the Commission and the President that official government
communication is always made in writing.
“Therefore, unless Malawians have the report in whatever format—electronic or hard copy—then this report has not yet been released to Malawians,” says CDEDI Executive Director who adds that there is no need for emphasis that the nation and, notably the bereaved families, are yearning to read the report line-by-line and page-by-page in quest for a closure to the many questions they have over that tragic accident.
He has also pointed out that, as it stands, the Commission’s conduct further erodes the trust and integrity Malawians had in it, and the Presidency.
Namiwa has since challenged Justice Alide to immediately release the report or admit that he has defied the President’s directive.
“That will mean Justice Alide risking his own credibility and that of the report.
Simply put, Malawians cannot trust President Chakwera with such a report, more so given that another sham of a Commission of Inquiry on the arrest of the former Anti Corruption Bureau Director Martha Chizuma released a report which, allegedly, had some of its pages removed and, sadly, the President is still sitting on that report. He is also still sitting on three other reports, namely on killings of persons with albinism, on public sector reforms prepared by some eminent sons and daughters of the land, led by his Vice President [Chilima], and on Covid-19 response funds,” highlighted Namiwa.
The demands by CDEDI are coming in the interest of transparency and accountability since the Justice Alide-led Commission of Inquiry spent K200 million of Malawians’ hard-earned taxes in that attempt to get a satisfying closure of the tragic aircraft accident.
Namiwa, therefore, feels that any attempt to cling to the report will prompt CDEDI and other well meaning Malawians to take action over that Executive arrogance.
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