An aircraft carrying Malawi’s Vice-President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others has gone missing, a statement from the president’s office announced. The Malawi Defence Force aircraft “went off the radar” after departing from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning.
The aircraft was scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport in the north of the country shortly after 10:00 local time (09:00 BST). However, aviation officials lost contact with the aircraft, prompting President Lazarus Chakwera to order an immediate search and rescue operation.
In response to the incident, President Chakwera cancelled his planned flight to the Bahamas, which was set for Monday evening. “The public will be updated of any developments on the situation as facts are established,” the president’s office said.
General Valentino Phiri, who briefed President Chakwera on the situation, stated that the cause of the aircraft’s disappearance remains unknown. Malawi’s information minister, Moses Kunkuyu, informed the BBC that efforts to locate the aircraft are “intensive.”
Vice-President Chilima was en route to represent the government at the burial of former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara, who passed away three days ago. “The airport he was to land at, which is in the northern part of Mzuzu, was the closest to where the funeral was taking place,” Kunkuyu explained.
Dr. Chilima, 51, has been a prominent figure in Malawian politics. Before his political career, he held key leadership roles in multinational companies such as Unilever and Coca-Cola. He is described on the government’s website as a “performer,” “workaholic,” and “an achiever,” holding a PhD in Knowledge Management.
In 2022, Dr. Chilima was arrested and charged with allegations of accepting money in exchange for awarding government contracts. However, the charges were dropped last month without explanation from the court.
As the search continues, the nation awaits updates on the whereabouts of Vice-President Chilima and the others onboard the missing aircraft.
