Malawi Vice President’s funeral held

Tens of thousands of Malawians attended a funeral at the National Stadium to pay tribute to the vice president who died in a plane crash last week.

Saulos Chilima, 51, is considered a breath of fresh air in Malawian politics.

He is an eloquent public speaker and dynamic activist who wields enormous influence among young people, who make up more than half of Malawians.

At the funeral, President Lazarus Chakwera promised a full investigation into the cause of the crash and said he had requested assistance from foreign governments.

“I have the same problem as Malawians,” he said.

President Chakwera has previously said the crash of the military plane was due to poor visibility due to bad weather, but Mr Chilima’s UTM party has called for a thorough, independent investigation.

The president said the Malawi military would conduct an investigation but that another independent inquiry was needed.

Mr Chakwera and other government officials were booed by some of the crowd at Bingu National Stadium. The 41,000-capacity stadium was packed, and there were even more people outside.

Calm was restored only after the intervention of a Catholic priest.

Mr Chilima is a devout Catholic and the ceremony included a full Mass.

He will be buried on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday, in his home district of Ntcheu, 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of Lilongwe.

His coffin, draped in Malawi’s red, green and black flag, was carried into the stadium by a guard of honor.

The ceremony began with a touching tribute from his family.

His son Sean recalled what a loving father he was, always having time for his children and playing games with them. He added that his father was very competitive and always wanted to win.

“Dad was a hard-working man who always made sure he got things done,” he said.

His brother Ben said the family was grateful they were given personal items he had on him at the time of the accident, including a watch and rosary beads.

Mr Chilima died last Monday while en route to the northern town of Nkhata Bay, where he had planned to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister.

All crew members and other passengers on board, including former first lady Shanil Gimbili, were also killed.

Mr Chilima had a successful career in the private sector, holding various senior, well-paid positions in the business world before making what many considered a risky decision to enter politics at just 40 years old.

He has served as deputy president since 2014, initially under former president Peter Mutharika.

After falling out with Mr Mutharika, Mr Chilima formed his own party, UTM.

He ran for president in the 2019 election, finishing third behind Mr Mutharika and Mr Chakwera, but the results were annulled by Malawi’s High Court amid complaints of fraud.

Mr Chilima agreed to be Mr Chakwera’s running mate in a coalition of nine opposition parties in the 2020 presidential election.

In June 2022, he said that as part of the deal, President Chakwera would serve only one term before supporting Mr Chilima in the next elections in September 2025.

President Chakwera has not publicly refuted Mr Chilima’s claims, but in recent public statements he has begun to hint that he may seek re-election next year.

In public appearances, Mr Chilima and Mr Chakwera appear to be on good terms, but many believe a row is inevitable, especially as senior leaders of their respective parties begin publicly backing the pair in next year’s election. After candidacy.