The happenings at the parallel June 10 2025 memorial events in Mzimba and at Nsipe in Ntcheu, respectively, have left a lingering aftertaste after pitting political opponents and opening festering wounds instead of healing them.
Government held the function near the accident site at Lunjika Turn-Off along the M1 in Chikangawa Forest to remember the death of all the nine plane crash victims while the former State vice-president Saulos Chilima’s family observed its memorial at Nsipe in Ntcheu where the former president was buried.
Politicians and other leaders did not just find themselves at either of the events. They responded to mainly three pull factors, namely: duty, family ties and political expediency.
In this write-up we delve into why all paramount chiefs and United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi attended the government function in Mzimba. And why former State president Joyce Banda, former State vice-president Khumbo Kachale and DPP officials graced the memorial at Nsipe. Some political figures such as former State presidents Bakili Muluzi and Peter Mutharika and PDP leader Kondwani Nankhumwa were absent from both events. Why? For political figures, our stance is that through attending one or the other memorial they made huge political statements.
Out of duty, all paramount chiefs availed themselves at the government memorial. Of particular interest at this function was the Maseko Ngoni chief, Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V. He had no choice. Chiefs, so we are told, work with the government of the day. Inkosi Gomani could thus not have snubbed the government’s event despite the Nsipe memorial function taking place right in his backyard. Suffice to say he must have delegated one of his Impis to represent him at the family memorial ceremony at Nsipe.
Atupele Muluzi attending the government event presented an interesting talking point. Was he there out of duty or political expediency? Speculatively, we would argue he was probably representing his father—Malawi’s former State president Bakili Muluzi. But the salutations by key speakers during the function were silent on this suggesting nothing about delegation from the senior Muluzi. If, on the other hand, he was representing his father, he would have ensured he was addressed as such. From the foregoing, it is strongly believed the younger Muluzi was there in his own or other capacity.
Former State president Joyce Banda and former State vice-president Khumbo Kachale attended the event at Nsipe, while the senior Muluzi and Mutharika were absent from both. It is not an issue that the senior Muluzi missed from both functions. He doesn’t travel long distances by road owning to his health. As for Mutharika, his party was strongly represented at Nsipe by DPP vice-president for the Eastern Region Bright Msaka.
Why did Banda, Mutharika and Kachale not feel duty-bound to attend the government function but instead chose to bless the Nsipe event? Political correctness appears to be the main reason. Their political ties with UTM Party overrode their sense of duty to be represented at the government function in Mzimba. This sits well with what is already in the public domain that all opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), People’s Party (PP), Aford, UTM Party, including United Democratic Front (UDF), have agreed in principle to form an opposition electoral alliance. At the very minimum, therefore, Atupele Muluzi’s presence at the government function would signal a possible break from the proposed opposition alliance.
As for UTM Party officials, as hosts of the Nsipe Memorial function, by virtue of their ties with the Chilima family, it was obvious they were not expected to be at the government function.
Nankhumwa may have decided to play it safe by staying away from both functions. But while this does not show his affiliation to government, his absence from the Chilima memorial more strongly alienates him from UTM Party and other opposition parties than from government.
Let me end with the speeches at the two functions. Many people spoke but it is the speech by Mr Msaka that caught my attention most for what it lacked. It was in bad taste, to say the least. He went completely overboard. UTM Party had extended an invitation to DPP out of goodwill, as another opposition party and potential electoral alliance partner, and in the spirit of working together with the common objective of unseating the MCP administration.
All this was meant to show solidarity to and champion the values and principles that Chilima espoused. But Msaka had other ideas. For him, the memorial was just an extension of a political rally, another excellent opportunity to campaign not just against MCP but even the host—UTM Party. Come on guys, this was supposed to be a mourning event meant to heal or soothe broken hearts and not the campaign rally he turned it into. How could he disrespectfully taunt the host like that? While President Lazarus Chakwera’s naming of the six-lane street under construction in Lilongwe after Chilima was a fitting tribute to the late patriotic son of the land, Msaka’s speech spoiled the broth.
The best he should have done was simply to talk about the need for opposition parties to work together as one force in fighting to annihilate the common enemy.
