Commission of inquiry on Chasowa’s death yet to release report

Close to five months after being sworn in and three weeks after it said it will release the report into the death of former Polytechnic Engineering student Robert Chasowa, the Commission of inquiry remains mum on the outcome of the inquiry.

Simbarashe Mungoshi, one of the Malawi Polytechnic lecturers who were involved in an independent investigation into the death of Chasowa before President Joyce Banda commissioned another one, said he is not aware why the report is not yet out because he had submitted his findings to the commission sometime back.

“As far as I am concerned I surrendered everything I found out to the commission and there is nothing I can say about it. I do not know what is happening in the commission now,” Mungoshi said.

Liason and Investigation Officer in the Commission of Inquiry Rhudo Chimbalawala could not comment much on when the report will be out arguing that as Commissioners, they are under oath of secrecy.

“I will be mute on that we are under oath not to disclose anything,” Chimbalawala said.

He, however, said they are at an advanced stage to complete the investigations and are satisfied with the findings, but he said the Chairman of the Commission Andrew Nyirenda is better positioned to speak about some of the matters.

“We are almost done. We are convinced with where we have reached and when the results are out you will know,” he said.

Nyirenda could not be reached on his mobile phone.

Chasowa was found dead on a pavement at the Polytechnic campus on September 24, 2011 under mysterious circumstances.