Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima Confirmed Dead in Plane Crash
Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima has been confirmed dead following the discovery of a crashed military aircraft with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera announced. Chilima, 51, was on board the plane with nine others when it departed from Lilongwe, the capital, at 09:17 am (0717 GMT) on Monday. Shortly after, the plane went “off the radar,” prompting a desperate search.
Wreckage Located in Northern Malawi
After more than a day of searching, the wreckage of the military plane carrying Chilima was found in a mountainous region in northern Malawi. President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed in a news briefing on Tuesday that there were no survivors. Chakwera stated that the Malawi Defence Force commander had informed him the search and rescue operation was complete and the plane had been located, according to BBC reports.
“I’m deeply saddened. It has turned out to be a terrible tragedy. The search and rescue team found the aircraft near a hill… completely destroyed with no survivors,” Chakwera said. The crash also claimed the life of former First Lady Shanzi Dzimbiri, who was on the flight.
Search Efforts Hindered by Bad Weather
Initially, there were reports that the plane might have crashed in a dense forest, according to the military on Tuesday. Top military official Paul Valentino Phiri explained that foggy weather around Chikangawa Forest had hampered search and rescue efforts by reducing visibility. The plane had seven passengers and three military crew members on board. The president described it as a small, propeller-driven aircraft operated by the Malawian armed forces. The provided tail number indicated it was a Dornier 228-type twin propeller plane delivered to the Malawian army in 1988, as per the aircraft tracking website ch-aviation.
Search and rescue operations around the Chikangawa Forest were severely affected by foggy conditions, said top military official Paul Valentino Phiri. Scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02 am (local time), the plane was ordered to return to the capital due to poor visibility, President Lazarus Chakwera explained in a televised address on Monday. Malawi’s information minister mentioned that the country had sought assistance from Angola’s space agency to locate the aircraft.
Who is Saulos Klaus Chilima?
Chilima, a former business executive turned politician, was traveling to represent the government at the funeral of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who had passed away three days prior. Serving as vice president since 2014, Chilima was a candidate in the 2019 Malawian presidential election, where he finished third. The election, initially won by incumbent Peter Mutharika, was annulled by Malawi’s Constitutional Court due to irregularities. Chakwera finished second in that election.
In the historic 2020 election rerun, Chilima joined Chakwera’s campaign as his running mate, leading to Chakwera’s victory. This marked the first time in Africa that a court-overturned election result led to the defeat of a sitting president. Chilima was married to Mary Chilima, who was not on the flight, and had two children.
Facing corruption charges, Chilima was accused of receiving money in exchange for influencing the awarding of government contracts, but the charges were dropped last month, sparking criticism of Chakwera’s administration for its perceived leniency on corruption. Chilima, arrested in late 2022 and having made several court appearances, has denied the allegations, although the trial has yet to begin.
