* Chilima was peaceful, humble and loving and always wanted to see Malawi develop
* And this is why he always put the country’s future first in his priorities
* Let me ask the people of Malawi to continue wishing the country well just as he had hoped
Maravi Express
Saulos Klaus Chilima has been interred and from all eulogies made he was the pride of the nation — and greatly for the Ngoni people in Ntcheu where he has been laid to rest at his home village at Nsipe.
Advertisement
In paying his last respect today, Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V said the late Vice-President was the pride of the Ngoni people inane that he was both a friend and advisor to the Inkosi who was always there in times of need.
“Chilima was peaceful, humble and loving and always wanted to see Malawi develop and this is why he always put the country’s future first in his priorities,” he said. “Let me ask the people of Malawi to continue wishing the country well just as he had hoped.”
Inkosi Gomani thanked government and well wishers for the support rendered during the funeral ceremony, which was attended by scores of people including international dignitaries and representing the bereaved family, Elizabeth Mkandawire Mwanga said Chilima was a happy, loving and charitable man, who was poised to become a global leader.
She thanked the international community, Malawi government and church community for honouring him: “Allow me to thank United Transformation Movement (UTM) for the support rendered during the mourning period and thanks to chiefs for the love.
“I would like to thank the people of Malawi for the gesture during the mourning period,” she said, while appealing to government “to conduct an investigation to establish the truth and that such a tragedy should not happen again.
“Let me appeal to the nation to keep the Chilima dream alive and not to give up hope so that his dreams become a reality. Osaopa, osatopa, osafooka,” Mwanga said.
First to lay the wreaths was Chilima’s wife, Madame Mary Chilima followed by President Lazarus Chakwera and the First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera and former President Peter Mutharika and his wife, Gertrude Mutharika.
Among others delegates accompanying President Chakwera at the burial included former President Bakili Muluzi, former Vice-President, Khumbo Kachali, UTM Party secretary general Patricial Kaliati and in his sermon at the funeral mass, Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre Diocese encouraged people to maintain peace just as how the late Vice-President had hoped for, and that his death should not bring about confusion and disagreements among the people.
A devout Christian, the late Chilima was born on February 12, 1973, and together with his wife, Mary had two children.
The late Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and seven others died in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest in Mzimba district.
Born on September 25, 1964, Dzimbiri served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Balaka West from 2014 to 2019 and her remains will be laid to rest at Senzani in Balaka on Friday.
The others were Malawi Defence Force (MDF) plane crew of Major Selemani Ngwirinji, Major Wales Aidini and Major Selemani Ngwirinji — along with Malawi Police Inspector, Chisomo Chimaneni, who was Chilima’s aide-de-camp (ADC) and guard commander, Assistant Commissioner Lucas Kapheni.
Also on the tragic end to their lives were deputy chief of protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Lapukeni and Dan Kanyemba, personal physician for late Saulos Klaus Chilima.—Reported by Leonard Masauli & Maston Kaiya, MANA; edited by Maravi Express
