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Dr Saulos Chilima
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The wreckage of a plane carrying Malawi's vice-president has been found with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera has confirmed. Saulos Chilima and nine others were flying within the country on Monday morning when their aircraft disappeared from airport radars. The military aircraft was flying in bad weather.
Soldiers had been searching Chikangawa Forest overnight and into the morning in an effort to locate the plane. In a news briefing on Tuesday, President Chakwera announced that the Malawi Defence Force commander had informed him that the search and rescue operation had been completed and the plane had been found.
President Chakwera expressed his deep sorrow, stating, "I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform Malawians of this terrible tragedy." He added that the rescue team found the aircraft completely destroyed.
The wreckage of the airplane Dr Chilima was travelling in
The Vice-President Who Transitioned From Business
Dr. Saulos Chilima, the vice-president, and President Chakwera come from different political parties but teamed up to form an alliance during the 2020 elections. Mr. Chakwera paid tribute to Dr. Chilima, describing him as "a good man," "a devoted father," and "a formidable VP." He remarked, "I consider it one of the great honors of my life to have had him as a deputy and as a counselor."
Dr. Chilima, 51, was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, who died four days ago. Former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on the flight, which took off from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning. The flight was intended to land at the airport in the northern city of Mzuzu but was turned back due to poor visibility.
The military is transporting the remains of Dr. Chilima and the other victims to Lilongwe, President Chakwera said, adding that funeral arrangements will be announced in due course. Dr. Chilima had been vice-president of Malawi since 2014 and was widely loved in Malawi, particularly among the youth, according to AFP news agency reports.
In 2022, Dr. Chilima was arrested and charged with allegations of accepting money in exchange for awarding government contracts, charges he denied. Last month, the court dropped the charges without providing reasons for the decision. Dr. Chilima is survived by his wife, Mary, and two children, Sean and Elizabeth.
AFP
