By Isaac Salima:
Government officials were conspicuously absent in Nsipe, Ntcheu, Tuesday where a memorial service was held for former vice-president the late Saulos Chilima.
Instead, the occasion was graced by other notable figures, including former president Joyce Banda, her then vice Khumbo Kachale and UTM president Dalitso Kabambe.
Chilima’s remembrance started with a memorial mass at Nsipe Parish, which was led by Bishop of Dedza Diocese Peter Chifukwa.
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Chilima’s widow, Mary, flanked by their two children, Sean and Elizabeth, all dressed in black, arrived before 9am and sat in the front row of the packed Nsipe Parish.
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Speaking during the event, Chilima’s sister, Tiwonge Phiri, said her brother’s departure had left a huge gap in the family.
“We still do not accept that you are gone forever. We will continue honouring you in everything we do by making you proud,” Phiri said.
The memorial mass was followed by the laying of wreaths, where officials took turns paying their respects to the departed.
Mary and her two children were the first to lay their wreaths, followed by Banda.
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Representing the Chilima family, Joshua Valera said they were grateful that people had come in large numbers to attend the memorial.
“By gathering in this way, it shows that they truly loved him,” he said.
UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala said the party was pleased with the commemoration of its founding leader’s first anniversary.
Later in the afternoon, UTM and friends of Chilima held a candlelight ceremony at Nsipe Ground.
Before the event, there were music performances by renowned artists and groups such as Zembani Banda and others.
During the speeches, speakers took turns with the microphone in honour of the former veep.
However, many addressed the “controversial circumstances” surrounding his death.
“We demand answers to this death because we are not convinced by what happened. Chilima wished this country well and it was heartbreaking to lose him in such a way,” Maurice Munthali of the Alliance for Democracy said.
UTM’s presidential advisor, Patricia Kaliati, criticised government officials for their response to the tragic accident.
“How can you suspend a search operation when the vice-president is missing?” queried Kaliati, in reference to previous details that the search had been suspended on the day of the crash.
Democratic Progressive Party vice-president for the Eastern Region, Bright Msaka, said that if his party returns to power, it will further investigate the events surrounding Chilima’s death.
On his part, Kabambe concluded the speeches by questioning the findings of the inquiry conducted by German investigators who pointed at human errors as the main cause of the accident.
“The report has only done well in making recommendations. We want a report that tells us what really happened. We hear the report concluded that the aircraft was unfit to fly. Who authorised it to fly in such marginal conditions?” Kabambe said.
Chilima died on June 10, 2024 in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of eight others including former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri.
