Mr. Chilima died with eight others on Monday when their military plane, on a domestic flight, crashed in the Chikangawa forest, near Mzuzu, in the northeast of the small southern African country.
His party, the United Movement for Transformation (UTM), joined forces with Lazarus Chakwera’s Congress Party (MCP) for the 2020 presidential election, presenting a joint ticket.
But the alliance that brought the two men to power is under pressure, with UTM leaders demanding answers from the authorities over the accident.
“We are demanding to know what happened to our leader. The plane had already traveled to Mzuzu in similar weather conditions,” said Stevie Mikaya, regional governor and UTM figurehead.
“Is it a mechanical problem? Did he run out of fuel? We need the truth,” he said.
At the party headquarters in Lilongwe, the capital, Mr. Mikaya denounced negligence in the organization of relief.
“It is disheartening that the plane crashed at 10am and no action was taken to save those involved. We believe timely efforts by ministers could have saved lives,” he pointed.
Mr Chilima, 51, who died with eight others, including former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, will be buried in his native village on Monday.
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