Lilongwe, June 10, 2024 – A military plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima is missing after failing to make a landing Monday morning, the government said. Since the aircraft stopped responding to radar, all attempts by aviation authorities to establish contact have failed, according to an official statement.
The plane, which took off shortly after 9 a.m. local time, was carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima, 51, and nine other people. In response to the situation, President Lazarus Chakwera ordered regional and national forces to launch immediate searches to locate the aircraft.
In 2022, Saulos Chilima was suspended from office after being arrested and prosecuted for corruption in a scandal involving an Anglo-Malawi businessman. However, in May 2024, a court in Malawi quashed the charges against him after several hearings in his presence.
Malawian authorities have mobilized significant resources to find the missing plane. The search operations involve various security and rescue agencies, both nationally and regionally, in the hope of quickly locating the aircraft and rescuing the passengers.
The evolution of this situation remains uncertain and arouses great concern among the population and the Malawian government. We will continue to monitor developments closely and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Zola NKOSI/THE INTERVIEW.CD
