Malawi President Calls for Independent Probe into VP’s Plane Crash Death
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has called for an independent investigation into the tragic death of Vice President Saulos Chilima, who perished in a plane crash alongside nine others in the northern region of Mzimba last week.
The state funeral for Vice President Chilima took place on Monday in his village south of the capital, following a solemn ceremony held at the Bingu Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday.
President Chakwera, alongside dignitaries and mourners, bid their final farewells to the late vice president during the national mourning event.
The aircraft, en route from Lilongwe to Mzuzu, went missing amid adverse weather conditions and poor visibility last Monday morning.
Despite efforts by hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers, the wreckage was only discovered after an extensive 24-hour search in a forest plantation south of Mzuzu.
President Chakwera disclosed that air traffic controllers had advised against landing in Mzuzu due to the adverse weather conditions, instructing the flight to return to Lilongwe. Unfortunately, contact with the plane was lost thereafter, leading to the tragic crash.
During the funeral proceedings, military honours including a 19-gun salute and ceremonial trumpet were rendered as Vice President Chilima was laid to rest.
Among those who paid their respects with wreaths were President Chakwera, all three former presidents of Malawi, and the grieving family of Vice President Chilima, including his wife, children, and relatives.
Echoing the sentiments of the Chilima family, President Chakwera has called for an impartial investigation into the incident to uncover the circumstances surrounding the plane crash that claimed the lives of Vice President Chilima and others aboard.
