President Lazarus Chakwera has declared that Lilongwe’s Six Lane Road, from Kamuzu Central Hospital to Parliament Roundabout, be named after former vice president Saulos Chilima as a way of honouring his legacy, dedication and commitment to Malawi.
Chakwera made this declaration during the memorial ceremony for the nine people, including Chilima, who died in a plane crash at Nthungwa in Nkhata Bay District on June 10, 2024.
The President said that after engaging the bereaved families on their concerns, among other matters, he tasked the Secretary to the President and Cabinet to consolidate their issues and report to him by this month on how the government can support them.
He also said that in the next few days the government would announce steps to be taken in compliance with the recommendations made by Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), which investigated the circumstances that led to the plane crash.
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“Also, the late Vice- President Chilima was a great man in this country, so I deserve to pay him special respect.
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“For this reason, I have decided that the six-lane highway our government built in Lilongwe be named after Chilima in recognition of the role he played in promoting our unity and the development of the country rather than the politics of division,” Chakwera said.
He added that “the last important thing in our journey of seeking solace as a nation” is to draw lessons from all that has been made public through the reports of the investigation into the causes of the disaster.
The president was apparently responding to some dissatisfaction from certain sections of society questioning the findings of the BFU investigation.
The German experts concluded that the accident, involving the military aircraft Dornier 228-202k, occurred due to poor judgement by the pilots, lack of awareness and inadequate pre-flight preparation.
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The BFU conducted the investigation at the request of the government of Malawi to the German Government.
Since the disaster occurred last year, three reports have been released.
The first report was released by doctors who examined the bodies of the deceased in June last year.
The second report was released by the Commission of Inquiry in December last year, which investigated the work of various agencies on the day the plane crashed and the day it was found.
The third report was released last Saturday by the BFU.
Chakwera then commended those who, he said, despite being hurt, never used the tragic death as a political tool, which could have caused further pain to the bereaved families.
In his remarks, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda said the Department of Museums and Monuments has earmarked Nthungwa, pending approval, as a site of memory to honour Chilima and the eight others.
Chimwendo Banda said there is a need to create a monument and a memorial park to serve as a reminder to duty bearers to put in place emergency and disaster response mechanisms.
“The monument will also inspire future leaders and citizens on good governance, patriotism and selflessness,” he said.
In his sermon, Archbishop Desmond Tambala of Lilongwe Archdiocese asked Malawians to reflect on “why we are still alive when others are gone.”
“Are we exceptional, is it a privilege?” he posed as a rhetorical question.
He also shared reflections from the book When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Jewish teacher Harold Kushner.
Tambala concluded his homily, rooted in Hebrews 4:13-16, by saying that Malawians have passed the tragedy’s stages of denial and anger and that what remains is to define the country’s mission.
The memorial ceremony took two forms: a visit to the plane crash site in Nkhata Bay District and a wreath-laying and prayer session at Lunjika Turn-Off in Mzimba District.
Chakwera, accompanied by Vice-President Michael Usi, started by visiting the crash site, located approximately four kilometres from where the ceremony was held.
After visiting the crash site, Chakwera led others in laying wreaths at Lunjika Junction Ground.
On behalf of the victims’ families, Christopher Kapheni represented his family, while Gladson Chipumphula represented the Chimaneni family.
There was also a representative from the Kanyemba family. Atupele Muluzi, leader of the United Democratic Front, also laid a wreath.
He was followed by Usi and his spouse. Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V, Inkosi ya Makhosi Gomani V and Paramount Chiefs Lundu, Kyungu, Kaduya and Chikulamayembe also laid wreaths.
Absent was Leader of the Opposition George Chaponda, despite his name appearing on the programme.Chilima and the eight others died while en route to Nkhata Bay, where he was scheduled to attend the burial ceremony of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, who had died three days earlier.
