President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has declared a 21-day national mourning period in honor of Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others who tragically died in a plane crash.
As a mark of respect, the President has directed that all flags be flown at half-mast throughout the mourning period.
The bodies of Chilima and his fellow passengers were discovered in the wreckage of the ill-fated plane on Tuesday, June 11, after it crashed on Monday. The Vice President and his entourage had departed from the capital city of Lilongwe on a condolence visit to the family of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara. Tragically, their own families are now receiving condolences.
The Dornier 228 aircraft carrying them went missing, and the wreckage was found on Tuesday in the Chikangawa Forest Reserve in northern Malawi. The loss has deeply shaken the nation, prompting the extended period of mourning as the country grapples with the sudden and profound tragedy.
Currently, Malawi is in a state of national mourning, a reflection of the country’s deep respect and acknowledgment of the contributions made by the vice president and the other notable victims of the air crash, according to commentators.
Known for his strong stance against corruption, Chilima had recently faced corruption charges himself.
He was accused of receiving money in return for influencing the award of some government procurement contracts, but he denied the allegations, and prosecutors dropped the charges last month.
Chilima died in that ghastly air crash on Monday after he had just returned from an official visit to South Korea the day before.
He was in his second term as vice president after serving from 2014-2019 under former President Peter Mutharika.
Fully known as Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima, the late vice president was a 51-year-old economist and politician who had earlier served as the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, as well as Head of Public Sector Reforms.
Born on February 12, 1973 in Ntcheu, Malawi, Chilima was the first child of Henderson Brown Chilima of Ching’anga Village, T/A Njewa, Lilongwe and Elizabeth Frances Chilima of Mbilintengerenji Village, T/A Champiti, Ntcheu.
Chilima spent most of his early life in Blantyre, where his parents were working.
After his primary and secondary schools, he proceeded to the University of Malawi where he graduated with a degree in social sciences in 1994.
He returned to his alma mater to pursue a master’s degree in Knowledge Management, graduating in 2006. On 10 August 2015, Chilima received his Ph.D in Knowledge Management from the University of Bolton, United Kingdom.
