If there is one person who cannot be stopped from mourning the death of late Vice President Saulos Chilima, it is his wife, Mary Chilima.
Her devastation cannot be overstated, and it is clear from her public appearances and demeanor that she is experiencing immeasurable grief.
Losing a spouse in such tragic and sudden circumstances is unimaginable, and any criticism of her personal mourning process would be insensitive and unjust.
However, there is a disturbing development that, if not nipped in the bud, could lead Madam Chilima to not only tarnish her own image but also ruin the lasting legacy her late husband left behind.
The signs are there, glaring and undeniable: Madam Chilima appears to be embarking on a path of political manipulation, using the plane crash in Chikangawa Forest that claimed her husband’s life as a springboard for political sympathy.
This is a dangerous trajectoryone fraught with unforgiving consequences.
Going by her social media posts, one is left wondering whether Madam Chilima is genuinely seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding the crash or if she is merely fishing for public pity.
A tragic death should not be used as fodder for political gain and Madam Chilima’s recent behaviour suggests that someone is whispering bad advice in her ear, urging her to enter the political arena. Big and Monumental mistake.
Let us start with the facts: After the crash, the Chilima family requested an autopsy, and the government did not object. They even permitted a family-chosen pathologist to conduct it.
While the family has chosen not to release the autopsy findings publicly, one thing was clear: Saulos Chilima, along with the other eight, died on impact. This means that even if the rescue team had arrived within minutes of the crash, no lives could have been saved.
Yet, despite the clarity of this fact, Madam Chilima continues to play the blame game, alluding to conspiracies and cover-ups as if there are secrets still left to be uncovered.
The second key point: During the late Vice President’s funeral, the Chilima family requested an independent investigation into the circumstances that brought down the Malawi Defence Force plane.
This was an entirely fair request, given the magnitude of the tragedy. President Lazarus Chakwera wasted no time in appealing to the international community for assistance in the investigation.
Germany, the manufacturers of the Dornier plane involved in the crash, promptly responded and investigators from the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) arrived in Malawi to conduct a thorough inquiry.
Preliminary reports from BFU ruled out foul play and reaffirmed that all passengers and crew died from the impact. So, what exactly is Madam Chilima looking for?
The nation mourned alongside her, but the persistence with which she publicly questions the circumstances of the crash, even after these comprehensive investigations, starts to feel less like a search for truth and more like a play for political relevance.
It is disheartening, then, to see her posting on Facebook a picture of herself at the crash sitenothing wrong with that, of course.
But the caption? Mobilizing Malawians to join her in seeking answers to her husband’s death, whom she would have been celebrating an anniversary with on September 29?
The sentiment may be touching, but the subtext is loud: She is fueling a narrative that there are still untold secrets about the crash, a strategy aimed at keeping herself in the public eye.
Her mourning is understandable, but exploiting the tragedy in a manner that suggests political ambition is a dangerous game. This kind of politicization comes with risk, not just to her, but to the very legacy of her late husband.
Saulos Chilima was a man who, despite his flaws, built a reputation as a no-nonsense politician, willing to challenge the status quo and stand for what he believed in.
It would be a great disservice to that legacy for Mary to turn the tragedy of his death into a political tool.
Whoever is advising herwhether it is the inner circle or self-styled political strategistsshould take a step back. The Malawian political landscape is not for the faint of heart.
One misstep, one wrong maneuver and a potential political career can be over before it begins. Worse still, it could bring down the goodwill her husband worked hard to build.
This is not the time to play politics; it is the time for healing and reflection.
Madam Chilima should tread carefully. She must not allow herself to be fooled into thinking that political gain can be built on the back of her husbands tragedy.
Grief and politics make a volatile mix and in the long run, the only people who suffer are those who venture into this dangerous territory with reckless abandon.
