Malawians pay tribute to vice-president killed in plane crash
Thousands of Malawians gathered at the national stadium for a funeral service honoring their vice-president who tragically died in a plane crash last week.
Saulos Chilima, 51, was widely regarded as a dynamic figure in Malawian politics, known for his eloquence and energetic campaigning, particularly influential among the country’s youth, who make up more than half of the population.
During the service, President Lazarus Chakwera pledged a comprehensive investigation into the crash, seeking assistance from foreign governments. “I share the same questions as all Malawians,” he stated.
Initially attributing the crash to poor visibility caused by adverse weather, President Chakwera faced skepticism from Mr. Chilima’s UTM party, which demanded an extensive and independent inquiry. Despite the Malawian military’s commitment to investigate, President Chakwera acknowledged the necessity for an impartial investigation.
At the Bingu National Stadium, where over 41,000 people filled the seats with many more outside, some attendees voiced dissent towards President Chakwera and government officials, prompting intervention from Catholic priests to restore calm.
The solemn ceremony, which included a full Catholic mass, reflected Mr. Chilima’s strong Catholic faith. His final resting place will be in Ntcheu, his hometown district located 180km south of Lilongwe, with the burial scheduled for Monday, declared a national holiday.
The coffin, adorned with Malawi’s national colors of red, green, and black, was escorted into the stadium with ceremonial respect.
His son, Sean, recalled what a loving father he was, how he always had time for children and played games with them. He added that his father had been extremely competitive and always wanted to win.
“Dad was a hard worker who always made sure he got things done,” he said.
His brother, Ben, said the family was grateful to have been given the personal belongings he had on him at the time of the accident, including his watch and rosary.
Mr Chilima died last Monday as he was flying to the northern town of Nkhata Bay where he was to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister.
The entire crew and other passengers on board, including former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, also perished.
Mr Chilima had a successful career working in the private sector where he held various senior, well-paid positions in business before taking what many thought was a risky decision, venturing into politics aged just 40.
He had been vice-president since 2014, initially under former President Peter Mutharika.
After falling out with Mr Mutharika, Mr Chilima formed his own party, the UTM.
He ran for president in the 2019 elections, coming third behind Mr Mutharika and Mr Chakwera, but the election results were nullified by the Malawi high court following complaints of fraud.
In the 2020 presidential election, Mr Chilima agreed to be Mr Chakwera’s running-mate, in an alliance of nine opposition parties.
In June 2022, he said that as part of that agreement, President Chakwera was to serve for only one term and he would then back Mr Chilima in the next elections in September 2025.
President Chakwera has not publicly disputed Mr Chilima’s claim, but in recent public pronouncements he started to hint that he might seek re-election next year.
In public appearances, Mr Chilima and Mr Chakwera looked to be on good terms but many thought a fall-out was inevitable particularly after senior leaders of their respective parties had started to openly endorse the candidatures of the two in next year’s elections.
