Malawi’s Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, is said to be missing and the aircraft carrying him and nine others has disappeared. The Malawi Defence Force aircraft lost contact with air traffic control after taking off from Lilongwe, the capital, on Monday morning. The plane was headed to Mzuzu International Airport in the north, where Mr. Chilima was scheduled to attend the funeral of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara.
President Lazarus Chakwera has cancelled his trip to the Bahamas and has ordered a search and rescue operation to find the missing plane. The reason for the disappearance is unknown, and efforts to locate the aircraft are ongoing.
Mr. Chilima, 51, has been Vice-President for 10 years and has been a key figure in Malawi’s government. Prior to his political career, he held leadership roles in multinational companies like Unilever and Coca Cola. He is married with two children and holds a PhD in Knowledge Management.
In 2022, Mr. Chilima was arrested and charged with corruption, but the charges were dropped last month. His disappearance has sparked concern and fear in Malawi, and the government is working tirelessly to locate him and the other passengers on board.
The search and rescue operation is being led by the Malawi Defence Force, with support from the government and international partners. The nation is holding its breath, hoping for a positive outcome.
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