By Innocent Manda and Patience Kapinda

Lilongwe, June 10, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera will lead a memorial service honoring Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, and seven others who died in a plane crash on June 10, 2024, at Nthungwa in Nkhata Bay district.

The memorial will be held at Lunjika Turn-Off in Mzimba, near where the aircraft crashed, and the event will mark a moment of national reflection on the nine departed souls across Malawi.

The military plane carrying the Vice President and the rest went missing on the radar end route to Mzuzu from Lilongwe, calling for a search by the country’s security agencies until it was later found in Nthungwa Forest, with all the nine passengers, including government and security personnel, dead.

Malawians from all corners are paying their tribute via various platforms, expressing fond memories of the Vice President and the other eight, wishing their souls eternal peaceful rest.

Poet Robert Chiwamba has described Chilima as a “beacon of hope and a true icon”.

"He gave us hope, the youth and the nation. May his soul continue to rest in peace. He was a true icon,” Chiwamba wrote on his social media page.

Malawians continue to mourn Vice President Chilima, remembering him for his leadership, dedication to youth, and his push for public sector reform and modernization in government systems.

Malawians also continue to mourn Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, who was, at one time, the country’s First Lady and she became a key figure in HIV/AIDS awareness, championing prevention and breaking societal stigma during her public service.

Dzimbiri’s Foundation donated medicine and equipment to poor communities, and she is also remembered for her hands-on commitment to helping vulnerable groups through grassroots initiatives.

As MP for Balaka West (2014–2019), she advocated for a National Planning Commission, seeking to improve governance by depoliticizing development agenda and promoting long-term planning.

The memorial service at Lunjika Turn-Off serves as a national moment of reflection, offering Malawians an opportunity to remember and honor the lives lost in the tragic plane crash of June 10, 2024.