By Chisomo Phiri
President Dr.Lazarus Chakwera has constituted a ministerial committee to oversee the state funeral of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others who were killed in a military plane crash near Chikangawa Forest in Mzimba on Monday June 10,2024.
According to Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu, the committee, which is chaired by Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo and other 10 cabinet ministers will co- opt United Transformation Movement (UTM) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary Generals(SGs) Patricia Kaliati and Eisenhower Mkaka respectively.
He says the other committee members are Harry Mkandawire Minister of Defence; Michael Usi Minister of Natural Resources; Simplex Chithyola Banda Minister of Finance; Nancy Tembo Minister of Foreign Affairs; Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda Minister of Health; Richard Chimwendo Banda Minister of Local Government; Ken Zikhale Ng’oma Minister of Homeland Security; Vera Kamtukule Minister of Tourism; Moses Kunkuyu Minister of Information and Jacob Hara Minister of Transport and Public works.
The late Chilima was expected to attend the burial ceremony of the former Minister of Justice and prominent lawyer Raphael Kasambara in Nkhata Bay on Monday.
But the military plane carrying him and eight others could not land at Mzuzu Airport due to bad weather.
On return to Lilongwe, the aircraft crashed near Chikangawa Forest where he and eight others perished .
Meanwhile, the burial arrangements for the departed souls will be announced in due course.
