Malawi’s vice president, Saulos Chilima, was buried in his hometown, located south of the capital, on Monday. At the funeral, President Lazarus Chakwera urged for an independent investigation into the plane crash that caused his death.
Chilima and nine others perished in a plane crash in the northern Mzimba region of Malawi last week.
The state funeral took place at the Bingu Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday, with President Chakwera and other dignitaries honouring the late vice president.
For over 24 hours, hundreds of soldiers, police officers, and forest rangers searched until they found the wreckage in a forest plantation south of Mzuzu.
The aircraft was on a brief trip from Lilongwe to Mzuzu when it disappeared on Monday morning.
President Chakwera previously mentioned that air traffic controllers had advised the plane not to land in Mzuzu due to adverse weather conditions and low visibility, instructing it to return to Lilongwe instead.
Subsequently, contact with the plane was lost.
The military honoured the vice president with a 19-gun salute as his body was interred, followed by a prolonged trumpet call and reveille.
Among those who laid wreaths were President Chakwera, Malawi’s three former presidents, and Chilima’s family members, including his wife and children.
The Chilima family has also requested an independent investigation.
Nancy Mbamalu
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