Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Klaus Chilima, along with nine others — among them former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri — died when a military aircraft went down in northern Malawi on June 10, 2024 amid severe weather. The Dornier 228-202K plane, initially reported missing, was later discovered completely destroyed in the Chikangawa Forest, as President Lazarus Chakwera announced at the time.
Chilima, viewed as a likely contender in the forthcoming presidential race, had just returned from South Korea where he attended the Korea-Africa summit. The crash happened as he was traveling to the funeral of Malawi’s former justice minister in Mzuzu. The aircraft took off from Lilongwe at 9:17 a.m., but poor visibility prevented it from landing at Mzuzu airport. It was ordered to return to Lilongwe, after which it lost communication with air traffic control and dropped off radar.
President Chakwera confirmed in a national broadcast that the search and rescue efforts had concluded. “I am heartbroken to announce that this has ended in a dreadful tragedy. The search and rescue team located the aircraft near a hill, completely destroyed with no survivors,” he said. He also noted that the military had begun transporting the victims’ remains back to the capital.
Despite the aircraft’s reputation for reliability and the experience of its crew, the redirected flight toward Lilongwe encountered a fatal issue that resulted in the crash.
“Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with honor, and a powerful vice president,” Chakwera said in tribute.
Images circulated online showed security forces and rescue teams at the crash site, with debris scattered around what remained of the tail section.
At 51, Chilima had formerly served as Airtel Malawi’s director and led the United Transformation Movement party. He joined forces with Chakwera to establish the governing Tonse Alliance and served as his running mate in their victorious 2020 campaign. However, tensions grew between them ahead of the 2025 presidential election, with expectations that Chilima would challenge Chakwera.
Chilima was arrested in 2022 on corruption charges, which were later dismissed when the Director of Public Prosecutions filed to discontinue the case. Throughout the process, Chilima maintained he was innocent.
President Chakwera declared a national day of mourning to honor the crash victims. The bodies of Chilima and the others were flown back to Lilongwe.
International assistance significantly supported the search and rescue work, with nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Israel sending specialized equipment. The U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe expressed deep concern about the crash and offered all possible help, including a Defense C-12 aircraft.
The tragedy cast Malawi into deep sorrow, with many offering condolences. According to AFP, “Dr. Chilima was widely loved, particularly among the youth.”
Chilima is survived by his wife, Mary, and their two children, Sean and Elizabeth.
More than a year and a half after the disaster, Malawian President Peter Mutharika ordered a new probe into the military plane crash that killed Chilima. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango informed parliament in February 2026 that earlier reports had not sufficiently addressed key questions about the June 10, 2024 crash, prompting a renewed investigation.
The initial inquiry, conducted by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation and released in May 2025, concluded that “marginal weather conditions with poor visibility” caused the Dornier 228-202(K) to strike rising terrain, leaving no possibility of survival. However, the report noted that radio exchanges between the crew and Lilongwe’s air navigation services were not recorded. A separate commission formed by then-President Lazarus Chakwera determined in December 2024 that there was no evidence of foul play, attributing the tragedy to environmental and human factors, including poor weather and pressured decision-making.
The new inquiry, to be led by a commission including members of parliament and international specialists, follows Mutharika’s rise to office after the September 16, 2025 general election. His administration committed to re-examining previous findings for any potential further action. Officials from the United Transformation Movement, the party founded by the late vice president, have welcomed the call for a renewed investigation into the crash that also killed Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, wife of former President Bakili Muluzi, and seven additional passengers.
