Loss of MDF’s Col. Owen Sambalopa, Major Selemani, Major Aidini is a huge deprivation to us all

* Col. Sambalopa was one of the finest officers who did not compromise military principles—MDF Commander, General Phiri

* Training a pilot is not easy and takes a long time; as such, it will take long for us to recover—Lieutenant General George Jafu

A tribute by Duncan Mlanjira

From the eulogies made by top ranked Malawi Defence Force (MDF) leadership, led by Commander, General Valentino Phiri; his deputy, Lieutenant General George Jafu and Land Forces Commander, Major General Chikunkha Soko — the three high ranked officers, who perished alongside Vice-President Saulos Chilima in the plane crash on Monday — were no ordinary officers in uniform.

The officers are pilots Major Selemani Ngwirinji, Major Wales Aidini and  aeroplane technician, Major Wales Aidini — who have been laid to rest in peace and in his eulogy in Zomba at the funeral of Col. Sambalopa, MDF Commander, General Valentino Phiri said Col. Sambalopa was one of the dedicated officers of the MDF and served the nation with diligence.

He added that the army has lost one of the finest officers who did not compromise military principles and as Commander of the MDF, he was devastated as an individual because the late Sambalopa was his student at the Malawi Armed Forces College in Salima.

He said Colonel Sambalopa was an instructor and an experienced pilot and flight instructor and that his death has created a huge gap for the MDF to easily find a replacement of such caliber.

Born on September 30, 1969 and joined the MDF in March 1999, Sambalopa is survived by a wife and four children.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General George Jafu said the gap that late Major Selemani Ngwirinji has left would take a long and difficult to fill.

He said this in Thyolo during her funeral ceremony, who until her death was a pilot of the MDF plane that crashed on Monday killing all on board including Chilima, former First Lady Madame Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and 7 others.

Lieutenant General Jafu described Major Selemani as a well-experienced pilot, who served President Lazarus Chakwera with honours as well as high-level visitors from across the world.

He described her untimely death as a huge blow to the defence force, saying: “Training a pilot is not easy and takes a long time. As such, it will take long for us to recover.”

Late Selemani joined the MDF in November 1999 and was commissioned as an officer in 2015. Over the years, she rose through the rank and file from Lieutenant to Captain up to Major.

She served as base operation & training officer, Wing Commander as well as base flight safety officer.

She died along with Major Wales Aidini, her aeroplane technician and in his eulogy at the funeral, Land Forces Commander, Major General Chikunkha Soko said Aidini was a dedicated as well as a committed soldier, who joined the military in 2001 and later did a number of aircraft engineering courses.

“Due to his hard work and education, Wales was promoted in 2017 as Captain and in 2020 as Major. He had four medals [of honour] to his credit and worked under the United Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and in DRC. We have lost an icon,” he said.

The Malawi Police Service was not spared from the tragedy as it too lost two dedicated men in uniform — Inspector Chisomo Chimaneni and Assistant Commissioner Lucas Kapheni, who were late Chilima’s aide-de-camp (ADC) and guard commander respectively.

Speaking at the Police Headquarters at Area 30 in Lilongwe, during prayers for the two police officers, Inspector General of Police, Merlyn Yolamu, said it is sad that they have lost people “who were hard workers and of good conduct”.

“It is even more tragic that they have gone while young. As a nation, we will never forget this moment,” she said while consoling the bereaved families, saying such incidents do not frequently happen in the country but this one has occurred at an unexpected time, and as such they need to take heart and pray.

Men in uniform receive gun salute honours at their funerals but the ones the five received were of immense distinction as they were on duty to escort the second highest holder of public office of the nation.

They deserve a kind heart from all of us and as we lay to rest our dear Vice-President tomorrow, know that behind him are five officers who kept security vigil over him — public officers whose work is always unseen but we now know that in everything, there is always someone behind the curtains who move things without us all knowing.

From Maravi Express, we doff our hats to these men in uniform — Major Selemani Ngwirinji; Major Wales Aidini; aeroplane technician, Major Wales Aidini; Inspector Chisomo Chimaneni and Assistant Commissioner Lucas Kapheni — may their souls rest in PERFECT peace.