Malawi was thrown into mourning on Tuesday, as the missing Malawi Defense Force Aircraft, which departed from Lilongwe on Monday morning with Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others on board, was found on a hill in the Kangawa Forest.
The discovery, made by a search and rescue team, revealed a grim reality: there were no survivors.
In a somber address to the nation, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera confirmed the tragic turn of events.
“The search and rescue team has found the aircraft completely destroyed with no survivors as all passengers on board were killed on impact,” President Chakwera announced, his voice heavy with grief.
Vice President Chilima, once poised to challenge President Chakwera in the upcoming General Election, now becomes a symbol of a nation’s collective mourning.
The late Vice President Chilima was billed to challenge President Chakwera in next year’s General Election after both men fell out over an alleged one-term agreement.
President Chakwera’s decision to cancel his scheduled trip to the Bahamas now takes on a poignant significance in the wake of the disaster.
Instead, he has shifted his focus to leading the nation through this period of sorrow and reflection.
“Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is, and I can only imagine how much pain and anguish you all must be feeling at this time,” President Chakwera expressed, acknowledging the deep sense of loss felt by the nation.
“Death has a way of reminding us that we do not have control over so many things that affect our lives and those we love.”
