According to reports from the President’s Office this morning, a plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President and nine others had gone missing and a search was underway. The plane carrying the Vice President Saulos Chilima left the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday but failed to land at its scheduled time at the Mzuzu International Airport around 45 minutes later. An intense search operation finally confirmed the death of all passengers aboard.
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The aircraft was also carrying Dzimbiri, the ex-wife of former President Bakili Muluzi. The dignitaries were traveling to pay respect to the demise of a former minister. Three out of the nine passengers were military crew responsible for flying the plane. The aircraft took off at around 9am local time, hoping to cover a distance of 370 km to the north. Midway through the flight however, the air traffic control ordered it to not attempt a landing and to turn around because of extreme weather and poor visibility. Shortly after, the plane disappeared from the radar, losing contact with the Air Traffic Control.
Mzuzu is situated in a picturesque region characterized by hills and dense forests. This area is enveloped by the majestic Viphya Mountain range, which is known for its vast expanses of pine tree plantations. Serving as the capital of Malawi’s northern region, Mzuzu is the country’s third largest city. However this region is currently facing the devastating effects of rain.
Response from President Chakwera
President Lazarus Chakwera canceled his trip to the Bahamas on being informed about the incident by the head of the Malawian Air Forces. He immediately ordered a search operation. In a televised address the President said “ I know this is a heartbreaking situation. I know we are all frightened and concerned. I am too concerned.” “But I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resources to find that plane. And I am holding onto every fiber of hope that we will find survivors.” The President also stated that the US, UK and Israel have offered assistance in the search operation and provided ‘specialized technologies’ that would help locate the plane quicker. The President had also given orders that the search operation must continue until the plane is found.
After an intense search operation, the Malawi Defence finally found the plane through the thick plantations and confirmed the death of all the passengers aboard. President Chakwera infomed public of the news through a brief televised address and stated that he was “deeply saddened and sorry” to inform the people of this tragedy.
Brief Background on Saulos Chilima
Saulos Chilima had been serving as Malawi’s Vice President since 2014. According to his profile on the government website, he also previously worked for the mobile network Airtel Malawi, Unilever, Coca-Cola and Carlsberg. He earned a PhD in knowledge management from the University of Bolton. He is survived by his wife and two children.
In 2022 Chilima was arrested by Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau due to allegations that he received benefits from a renowned businessman in exchange for providing government contracts. Although he denied all allegations, the scandal tarnished the reputation of the government that had pledged to clean up corruption in one of Africa’s poorest countries. Earlier this year, the bureau abandoned the case and all charges against Mr Chilima were withdrawn. He was expected to launch a campaign for the Presidency in the 2025 election.
