Govt urges restraint at SKC funeral

Amid fears of a pandemonium at the burial of Vice-President Saulos Chilima in Ntcheu District tomorrow, government says it anticipates different political party supporters to uphold peace.

Responding to questions from the press at Parliament Building in Lilongwe yesterday, Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu said political party supporters must put their differences aside and avoid clashes to honour the fallen UTM Party leader.

The questions were in reference to what transpired in Balaka District on Friday at the burial of former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri where UTM Party supporters wanted to block former president Joyce Banda and Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara from making speeches.

It took the intervention of former president Bakili Muluzi, who is also Dzimbiri’s former husband, to calm the situation.

And while condemning the incident, Kunkuyu, who is also the government spokesperson, said party supporters must not politicise the VP’s burial.

He said: “We are all mourning, but if others are going to politicise the burial, it will disrupt what even he [Chilima] would have loved because he was a peaceful person.”

Kunkuyu said the presence of security personnel and the expectation of every individual is to mourn the late Vice-President peacefully.

He, therefore, allayed fears of any commotion.

On Wednesday, UTM Party legislators and councillors asked President Lazarus Chakwera to remove Minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire and Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma from the ministerial committee coordinating the late Chilima’s funeral for allegedly delaying search and rescue efforts for the military plane crash.

“The committee was chosen by Chakwera and there was a reason for their inclusion. Everyone has different roles,” he said.

Kunkuyu further said such demands by the UTM Party members would have best been handled through formal platforms instead of the media.

He, however, did not explain whether the two ministers will attend the burial tomorrow.

Today, Chakwera will lead Malawians in paying their last respects to Chilima at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

Thereafter, Chilima’s remains will be taken to Nsipe, Ntcheu District.

Prior to the departure, a mass will be conducted led by Dedza Diocese.

Meanwhile, former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Peter Mutharika, who worked with the late Chilima from 2014 before their fallout in 2018, on Friday announced that he will attend the burial.

DPP organising secretary Chimwemwe Chipungu said in a statement Mutharika remains steadfast in his commitment to paying his last respects and standing in solidarity with the bereaved family.

“The attendance of Mutharika and other senior DPP leaders underscores their deep respect and solidarity for [the late] Vice-President. This highlights the importance of unity during such a time of national mourning,” he said.