It has been confirmed that Saulos Chilima, the vice president of Malawi, has died in a military plane crash with nine others including his wife, and Mrs Shanil Dzimbiri – a former First Lady of Malawi traveling with him.
The plane was on a domestic flight from the capital city Lilongwe to Mzuzu in the north, carrying high-profile passengers to the funeral of Ralph Kasambara – a former government minister who died four days earlier. Not long after takeoff on Monday morning, the plane vanished from airport radars.
The aircraft reportedly faced extreme weather conditions causing poor visibility. It attempted to turn back but eventually crashing in the Chikangawa Forest.
Soldiers deployed to crash scene report there were no survivors.
President Lazarus Chakwera delivered the horrific news to the country during a solemn news briefing on Tuesday morning. He remarked, “I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform Malawians of this terrible tragedy,” after learning that the commander of the Malawi Defence Force had notified him that the search and rescue mission had been successfully concluded.
Although from two opposite political parties, 51-year-old Vice President Chilima and President Chakwera forged an alliance for the 2020 elections. Chilima had been vice president since 2014 and was well-beloved, particularly by young people.
The late VP Chilima left behind a legacy of devotion and dedication to his country.
However, he has not been without his challenges. In 2022, he was arrested and charged with accepting money in exchange for government contracts. The charges were dropped only last month. No explanations were given.
Chilima is survived by his wife and two children.
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