Malawi’s former vice president Saulos Chilima, who died in a plane crash last week, was laid to rest this Monday in his hometown of Ntcheu, 180km south of the capital city, Lilongwe.
Chilima’s remains were discovered along with those of the country’s former first lady after a search and rescue operation was launched following the plane’s disappearance.
The burial followed a memorial service led by president Lazarus Chakwera in honour of Chilima and eight others who also perished in the accident.
“Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is, and I can only imagine how much pain and anguish you all must be feeling at this time, as well as how much pain and anguish you all will be feeling in the coming days and weeks as we mourn this terrible loss,” Chakwera told the press.
Chilima was born on 12 February 1973 and served as Malawi’s vice president.
He assumed office on 28 June 2020, after a landslide victory of the Chakwera-led Tonse alliance.
Before that, he was the country’s minister of economic planning and development, as well as head of public sector reforms under former president Peter Mutharika.
Prior to his political career, he held leadership positions in a range of multinational companies like Unilever, Coca-Cola and Airtel Malawi.
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