Youths honour Chilima with candlelight vigils

Hundreds of youths in Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre at the weekend held candlelight ceremonies to honour the legacy and life of fallen Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

The ceremonies started at Katoto Secondary School ground in Mzuzu followed by one at Bingu International Convention Centre grounds, on Saturday and in Blantyre central business district yesterday.

The youth braved the cold weather in Blantyre to attend the service whose mood was sombre and the air heavy with emotion as the people, dressed in black, clutching their candles, stood shoulder to shoulder, united in sorrow.

Soft whispers of prayer and hymns filled the air, punctuated by sobs from the people who were frozen in a moment of collective grief.

In separate interviews, the people said they came to mourn, remember and find solace in the shared experience of their loss of a visionary leader who changed Malawi’s political landscape.

Among the people that gathered, both young and old, was Ellen Banda, a resident of Ndirande Township in Blantyre who said she first saw Chilima in person at a rally at Njamba Freedom Park in the commercial city.

“He was the reason why I voted in 2019. He brought hope and I was just simply inspired by him,” she said.

Her voice cracking with emotion, she said the military plane crash has claimed the life of a patriotic leader that Malawi has never had for decades.

Nearby Ellen was an elderly man, George Chitsulo who came with his family all the way from Chirimba Township.

Clutching a wornout Bible, his eyes welling up with tears, he expressed sentiments similar to those of Ellen.

Said Chitsulo: “I have been voting almost all my life, but in 2019 I was motivated to vote for him because I felt he was the right person Malawi needed. In 2020 I also voted because of him.

“He promised to bring hope and change. Now, he is gone and we are left with only memories.”

One of the event’s organisers, Jabulani Mandala, told the crowd that the ser vice was organised to honour the late Chilima who inspired the country’s youths.

In Mzuzu, orange flames glimmered out of the dark space adjacent to the Reserve Bank of Malawi building where Chilima’s followers, mostly the youth, came to pay their respects.

The event started at 5pm and ended at 8pm with five selected youthful participants from the UTM Party, sports, business and corporate world leading in lighting candles and making speeches on how they remember the fallen leader.

One of the congregants, Killy Msukwa in an inter view described the event as crucial to advancing late Chilima’s values of courage and hard work.

“We shared his wisdom and how he impacted our lives. Late Chilima gave us a sense of confidence and he was a beacon of hope that the youth can fight for what they want,” he said.

Organiser of the Mzuzu event Willard Kachikwati said they felt duty-bound to remember Chilima and inspire one another. He urged the youth to emulate Chilima’s example by showing interest in national affairs.

In Lilongwe, hundreds of youths bowed their heads in prayer while holding candle light to reflect Chilima’s legacy.

One of the youth said they held prayers to ask God for answers on the sudden death of the country’s beloved Vice- President.

Chilima, who will be laid to rest at his Nsipe home village in Ntcheu District, was a devout Catholic and is survived by a wife, Mary, and two children, Sean and Elizabeth.