First plane crash victim laid to rest

Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy chief of protocol Abdul Lapken became the first military plane crash victim to be buried, as he was accorded the honour yesterday at Chapola Village in Mangochi.

Sobbing friends and relatives filed into the graveyard to witness the burial of Lapken who died in a Malawi Defence Force plane crash along with Vice-President SaulosChilima and seven others in Mzimba on Monday.

“Yendabwinomwanawathu. Rest in peace and wait for us in heaven,” one of Lapuken’s relatives was overheard lamenting.

Funeral traditions for Muslims call for a quick burial of the dead.

Lapken’s body arrived in his village in Senior Chief Chimwala’s area in Mangochi yesterday morning.

Hundreds of people, including senior government officials, businesspeople, politicians and religious leaders thronged Mpale Primary School for the funeral service.

Speaking at the ceremony, his elder brother JuwaduLapken could not hold back the tears, saying their family is devastated with the loss of Abdul, a father of six.

He said: “Abdul’s death has come as a big blow to us. My brother was assisting the entire family financially. He was paying school fees for his relatives’ children too, and was very supportive to everyone in the village.

“We are devastated that he has died. We are heartbroken and our lives will no longer be the same.”

On his part, Senior Chief Chowe, who spoke on behalf of Senior Chief Chimwala, said Abdul was a pillar in the village in terms of development and other social activities.

“We have lost a great son of the community,” he mourned.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo, who came alongside Minister of Energy and Mining Ibrahim Matola and Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daudi to represent President Lazarus Chakwera, said government has lost a hardworking civil servant.

She said: “President Chakwera is saddened by the death. Abdul Lapken was a hard-working person who dedicated himself to serving the ministry and government. We will miss him dearly.”

Lapken joined the civil service through the National Statistical Office, but in 2000 he moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as foreign services officer and later got promoted to principal foreign services officer and then rose to assistant chief of protocol before he finally rose to the current position.

Democratic Progressive Party vice-president (Eastern Region) Bright Msaka, Muslim Association of Malawi publicity secretary Sheikh DinalaChabulika, presidential advisor on religious affairs Sheikh AbbasiHashim and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Mambo Adams were some of the notable names that attended the solemn ceremony.