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The Pan African Parliament (PAP) and the United Nations have sent condolence messages following the death of former Vice President of Malawi, Saulos Klaus Chilima.
VP Klaus Chilima and eight others perished in a plane crash in Malawi
Speaking on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement: “The United Nations stands in solidarity with Malawians in this difficult period.”
The secretary-general conveyed “his sincere condolences to the government and the people of Malawi for the loss of Vice President Chilima,” the statement said.
Chilima and the eight others were killed on June 10 when their plane crashed in Chikangawa Forest in Malawi.
On his part, Hon Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, the President of the Pan African Parliament, described the untimely demise of Hon. Chilima as unfortunate.
“In what will go down as a dark day not just for Malawi but the entire continent, Africa indeed lost a gallant son of the soil who sacrificed the comforts and opulence of a thriving career in the private sector to dedicate himself to a life of service as the Vice President of Malawi.
“A larger-than-life character who brought style and swagger into public office, the late Hon. Chilima’s meteoric rise to the second highest public office in Malawi, inspired hope among the youth and rekindled the zeal for youth participation and inclusion in the national governance framework.
“Though the late Hon. Chilima has gone too soon, we hope that the people of Malawi will draw inspiration from his relatively brief but impactful life in public office, to rededicate themselves to the values of Ubuntu – “ I am because we are” – which the late Hon. Chilima held dear. May his dear departed soul rest in eternal peace,” Chief Charumbira said.