Northern Chiefs Join Chakwera in Mourning Late Vice President Chilima
The gathering underscored the ongoing national mourning and the unifying role of traditional leadership in times of crisis.
MZUZU, Malawi— Chiefs from Malawi's Northern Region gathered at Mzuzu State Lodge on Wednesday to console President Lazarus Chakwera over the death of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others in a June 10 plane crash, writes Tionge Hara.
Chiefs from Karonga, Rumphi, Chitipa, and Nkhata Bay districts used Chakwera's presence in Mzuzu to express their condolences, according to Anthony Kasunda, presidential press officer.
"This death did not only affect one person," Kasunda quoted Chakwera as saying.
"It affected everybody."
Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga praised Chakwera's restraint in the face of criticism since the tragedy.
"He should continue not responding to insults," Kyungu said.
"What is important as Malawians, we must know, you can only have one President at a time, and we have Lazarus Chakwera. He deserves our love, our respect, and our togetherness."
Kyungu urged the president to focus on development rather than "unnecessary violence."
The chiefs' visit underscores the ongoing national mourning and the unifying role of traditional leadership in times of crisis.
It also highlights the political tensions that have emerged in the wake of the vice president's death.
Chakwera thanked the chiefs for their condolences and reaffirmed the nationwide impact of Chilima's death.