LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera has directed that the country’s 60th independence be celebrated only with prayers to honor the late veep Saulos Chilima and eight others.
The directive comes also amid 21 days of mourning following the death of Chilima and eight others in plane crash on June 10, 2024 in Chikangawa Forest in Mzimba district.
The 21 days of nation mourning continues to be observed from June 11 to July 1 2024.
Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu told the news conference in the capital Lilongwe that all celebratory activities will not be part of the commemorations this year even though July 6 falls outside the 21-day mourning period.
Traditionally, independence celebrations are marked by activities such as prayers, traditional dances, a football match, music performances, military displays and speeches.
But Kunkuyu said: “The President has made this directive because we are still in a mourning period following the death of the former vice-president and eight others.”
Chilima was led to rest on June 17 at his home village Nsipe in Ntcheu district.
The plane crash victims also included former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, Chilima’s guard commander Lukas Kapheni, aide-de-camp Chisomo Chimaneni, medical officer Dan Kanyemba, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy chief of protocol Abdul Lapukeni, Colonel Owen Sambalopa who was the pilot-in-command, Major Flora Selemani who was the second pilot and aircraft engineer Major Wales Aidin.
Social commentator Wonderful Mkhutche has therefore lauded Chakwera for the directive.
“We are a nation in mourning and there is no room for celebrations at the national level,” he said.
Malawi gained independence from Britain on July 6 1964.
