Update: Parliament has officially launched its fresh inquiry into the 2024 military plane crash that killed former Vice President Saulos Chilima. According to Pan African Visions and The Daily Times, Walter Nyamilandu was recently elected to chair the special parliamentary committee overseeing the investigation. Nyamilandu pledged that the probe will be conducted with fairness, professionalism, and strict accountability to establish the truth behind the accident.
Update: The government continues to manage fallout over the restructuring of executive offices. The Office of the President and Cabinet issued a formal statement, signed by Chief Secretary Justin Saidi, dismissing claims that First Vice President Jane Mayemu Ansah is being victimised or sidelined, Investigative Malawi reports. According to the publication, the ongoing controversy stems from the transfer of the Department of Disaster Management Affairs from Ansah's office directly to the presidency, a shift the government has defended as a standard reform agenda.
In local governance news, the government has introduced a new policy tying Constituency Development Fund allocations to council performance, according to The Daily Times. The directive requires local authorities to meet set benchmarks to secure funding and improve public service delivery. The Daily Times also notes that a recent health report has flagged poor waste handling practices in Lilongwe. Further north, local women in Kasungu have staged protests demanding immediate intervention over severe water shortages, The Daily Times reports.