John Adoyi
After hours of search by the military of Malawi and other rescue teams, it has been confirmed that the Vice-President of Malawi, Saulos Chilima, and nine other passengers, on board the military plane that went missing on Monday, in the country’s north did not survive.
Announcing the devastating news on Tuesday, President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, said he is “deeply saddened and sorry” to inform Malawians of the terrible tragedy. He said the rescue team found the aircraft completely destroyed.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“Despite the experience of the crew, something terrible happened to that aircraft sending it crashing down and killing everyone on board,” Chakwera said. He acknowledged that this news cannot take away the pain and helplessness felt by the nation. “I understand these feelings because I feel them too. It is important that we comfort each other now and in the weeks to come as we mourn together,” he added. “He was a good man, a patriotic citizen. It was an honour to have him as my deputy for the past four years.”
PBA earlier reported that Chilima was aboard a Malawi Defence Force aircraft to attend the funeral of the country’s former Justice Minister and Attorney General, Ralph Kasambara, on Monday alongside nine other passengers in Nkhatabay district. However, the plane failed to land at the Mzuzu airport, due to bad weather. Aviation experts advised the pilot to return to Kamuzu International Airport in the country’s capital, Lilongwe for a safe landing, but it reportedly crashed in Chikangawa Forest in the country’s Northern region.
The government confirmed that authorities lost contact with the plane at 10 am on Monday.
Chilima was born on 12 February 1973, to a Catholic family. Before becoming Vice-President, he was head of the telecommunications network, Airtel, in the country. He was first sworn in as Vice President of the Republic of Malawi on May 30, 2014. On June 28, 2020, Chilima was sworn in for his second term as Vice President of Malawi. He was widely loved in Malawi, particularly among the youth. However, Dr. Chilima was arrested and charged in 2022 on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts. Last May, the court dropped the charges, giving no reasons for the decision. Dr. Chilima is survived by his wife and two children.
