Tuesday 18, 2024
By Methuselah Nyamari
United Transformation Movement (UTM) supporters gather at a vigil at the party headquarters in Lilongwe June 11, 2024, to mourn their founder and president Saulos Klaus Chilima who is also Malawi’s Vice State President who was killed in a plane crash. (Photo by AFP)
A tragic accident marred the funeral procession of Malawi’s late Vice President, Saulos Chilima, when a vehicle in the convoy rammed into mourners on Sunday night. The incident, which occurred in Ntcheu, a village in central Malawi, resulted in the death of four people and injuries to twelve others.
The Accident
The vehicle, part of a motorcade transporting Chilima’s body, veered into the crowd as it travelled to Nsipe, Chilima’s home village, located 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital, Lilongwe. The procession was en route for his burial, which had been declared a public holiday.
According to a police statement, the impact caused severe head injuries and multiple fractures to the victims, leading to the death of two women and two men while they were receiving treatment. Police spokesman Peter Kalaya confirmed the injury of twelve more people.
Eyewitness Accounts
Thousands of mourners had gathered along the streets to pay their respects and catch a glimpse of the vice president’s coffin. An eyewitness reported that the vehicle plunged into the crowd while attempting to navigate through the volatile gathering. Tensions were high as mourners along the route demanded that the procession stop so they could view the coffin.
Felix Njawala, a spokesman for Chilima’s party, the United Transformation Movement (UTM), described how people in Dedza blocked the road, insisting on seeing the coffin. “Only when the convoy stopped were people pacified and the convoy was able to proceed,” Njawala told AFP, adding that in some instances, stones were thrown at the convoy. Despite the unrest, Njawala called on supporters to maintain peace and calm.
Call for Investigation
The incident has added to the calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Chilima’s death. The vice president died in a plane crash earlier last week, along with eight others, when a military aircraft crashed into Malawi’s Chikangawa Forest in dense fog. The wreckage was discovered the following day.
During a public viewing of Chilima’s body at a stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday afternoon, President Lazarus Chakwera called for an independent inquiry into the plane crash. “People want to know how the plane carrying the Vice President and the others went missing and crashed. I too want to know what happened,” Chakwera stated.
The Plane Crash
The plane, a Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K, disappeared after failing to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to poor weather conditions. It was instructed to return to the capital but crashed before reaching its destination. Chilima’s party, UTM, which allied with President Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the 2020 presidential election, is demanding answers.
As the nation mourns the loss of its vice president, the tragic accident during the funeral procession underscores the grief and turmoil faced by Malawi. The call for peace and a thorough investigation into both the accident and the plane crash reflects the country’s need for closure and justice.
Press Corp 