Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has tragically passed away following an aircraft crash, President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
“Despite the experience of the crew, something terrible happened to that aircraft, sending it crashing down and killing everyone on board,” President Chakwera stated. “This loss does not diminish the pain and helplessness we feel. It is important that we comfort each other now and in the weeks to come as we mourn together.”
Chilima served as Vice President for the past four years. He died alongside nine others on the Malawi military aircraft that went missing shortly after leaving Lilongwe on Monday morning.
The Malawian Defence Force reported that the aircraft “went off radar” after departing from the capital. It was expected to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the northern part of the country just after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
“All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far,” said Collen Zamba, Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Following the incident, President Chakwera canceled his scheduled flight to the Bahamas and ordered a comprehensive search and rescue operation. “The public will be updated on any developments as facts are established,” the president’s office stated.
General Valentino Phiri informed President Chakwera that the cause of the aircraft’s disappearance remains unknown. Malawi’s Information Minister, Moses Kunkuyu, described the search efforts as “intensive.”
Chilima was on his way to represent the government at the funeral of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who passed away three days ago. “The airport he was to land at, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place,” Kunkuyu explained.
In 2022, Dr. Chilima faced allegations of accepting money in exchange for awarding government contracts. However, the charges were dropped last month without any reasons provided by the court.
Who was Saulos Chilima?
Dr. Saulos Chilima, born on February 12, 1973, was first sworn in as Vice President of the Republic of Malawi on May 30, 2014, and commenced his second term on June 28, 2020.
Before his political career, Dr. Chilima held key leadership roles in multinational companies such as Unilever and Coca Cola. He was also the first Malawian to head Airtel Malawi, the leading mobile telecommunications company in the country. Additionally, he held senior sales and marketing positions in the banking sector and the fast-moving consumer goods sector, including roles at Leasing and Finance Company, Unilever Malawi, Coca-Cola, and Carlsberg.
Dr. Chilima, aged 51, was married and leaves behind two children. He was described on the government’s website as a “performer,” “workaholic,” and “an achiever.” He held a PhD degree in Knowledge Management.