What could have been departed Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima’s (SKC) 52nd birthday was yesterday marked with a posthumous launch of his foundation aimed at fulfilling his vision and legacy.
The black-tie launch event at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe last evening was graced by a cross-section of people, comprising President Lazarus Chakwera, First Lady Monica Chakwera, Vice-President Michael Usi, Cabinet ministers, business community, members of the diplomatic community, including United Nations Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adah-Dontoh and friends and family of the Chilimas.
Chilima alongside eight others died in a military plane crash in Viphya Plantation on June 10 2024 en route to a funeral in Nkhata Bay. A commission of inquiry the President instituted has since ruled out foul play, attributing the accident to bad weather and human errors.
But Chilima’s widow, Mary, during the launch, said there were still lingering questions on the accident.
“There are still many unanswered questions regarding those 24 hours and so far, efforts to address these concerns have fallen short from being satisfactory,” she said.
Mary, who is chairperson of the foundation, also firmly dismissed speculation about her joining politics, saying she is dedicated to preserving Chilima’s legacy through service.
In an earlier statement announcing the birth of the foundation last week, Mary said it seeks to fulfil the vision and goals of Chilima and is a duly registered trust which will be overseen by a board of trustees.
She said: “The Saulos Klaus Chilima Foundation intends to serve as a beacon of hope, progress, and empowerment for Malawians. By promoting education, self-reliance, and leadership while maintaining a non-political stance, the foundation will ensure SKC’s vision for Malawi and Africa is realised for generations to come.”
In his address last evening, SKC Foundation launch organising committee chairperson Boyd Luwe warned against politicising the organisation’s work, saying doing so would be doing a disservice to the legacy of SKC.
The avid golfer who played alongside SKC and participated in various fundraising initiatives with him also said transparency is central to the foundation’s launch.
Ironically, UTM Party which Chilima was founding president boycotted the launch, arguing that they would not be comfortable to share the same space with the President and other Malawi Congress Party members.
Briefing journalists in Area 49, Lilongwe, UTM Party president Dalitso Kabambe said: “Therefore, we cannot wine and dine with people who have not provided answers to the death of Chilima. How do we share the platform with those who owe Malawians the truth?”
But he said the party stood with Mary and deeply respected her efforts to honour her husband’s legacy and announced a K20 million donation for the Foundatiom
However, political analyst George Chaima described the UTM decision as a big blunder and a demonstration of selfishness and lack of visionary leadership.
In a separate interview, another political analyst, Chrispin Mphande, described the boycott as a missed opportunity, saying the function was to honour late Chilima and organised by the wife.
