By Vincent Gunde
Minister of Information and Digitalization who is also Chief Government Spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu says President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has directed that there will be a Memorial service for the nine departed souls who were tragically killed in a plane crash in the Chikangawa forest on 10th June, 2025.
Kunkuyu said government is expecting all families of the departed souls to attend the Memorial service at Nthungwa in Nkhatabay district and President Chakwera will lead the nation in honoring the departed souls for the great works they have done while they were on this earthly world and laying wreaths.
He said after this national Memorial service, families of the departed souls will be holding their memorial services in their respective districts where the departed souls were laid to rest claiming that these families had friends and relatives to honor them too.
Ever since 10th June, 2024 when the country lost the Vice President Dr. Saulosi Chilima and eight others, in the Chikangawa forest, the MCP government has failed to provide answers to millions of questions surrounding the death of the departed souls.
President Chakwera has for so many occasions travelling to the northern region of Malawi for government businesses but at no time, he visited the site where the plane crashed in the Chikangawa forest only to get a picture at a place where Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda planted his tree in the Chikangawa forest.
Since the day the MCP government announced to hold a memorial service for Dr. Chilima, there have been questions after questions adding to millions of questions without answers that what is now so special with the MCP to hold a memorial service at Nthungwa in the Chikangawa forest.
Media reports indicated that the family of the late Dr. Chilima told government not to hold the tombstone memorial service as they are still searching for answers as to what exactly happened for Dr. Chilima and eight others, to be tragically killed in such circumstances.
The family said doing this memorial service at the site where the 9 souls were tragically killed will bury the evidence which was there for future references with a believe that how long it will take the truth of the matter will prevail.
The family of the late Dr. Chilima has made it clear that on the 10th June, 2025 there will be one mass memorial service which will be held at Nsipe in Ntcheu district where Dr. Chilima was buried not Chikangawa forest as planned by government.
And in another related development, the family of the departed Ms. Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri has humbly invited Malawians to join them in unveiling the tombstone of their beloved mother to be held on the 14th June, 2025 in Balaka.
A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, has accused government of not listening to calls from family members of the departed souls not to hold the Memorial service at Nthungwa in Nkhatabay district on 10th June, 2025.
Kamphangala said what the MCP government has done defying calls from the families is speaking for itself that President Chakwera is surrounded by people who don’t wish the country well claiming that these people want to take advantage of the Memorial Service to loot government resources.
He said he expects the Catholic Church from which Dr. Chilima, Ms. Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and others, were its members, not to take part in the Chikangawa forest memorial service but to join the families of the departed souls at Nsipe in Ntcheu district.
“I am a Catholic dedicated member, this Memorial service is for the MCP and not for Malawi, shame should go to the organizers of the Nthungwa Memorial Service,” said Kamphangala.
