Following Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika’s death in April 2012, I learned something valuable, though this lesson came months later. By then, it was too late; I had lost some friends and realised my foolishness. I don’t want it to be the same for you! Drawing on my lessons, I hope that Saulos Chilima’s tragic accident in a plane crash, which claimed his life, teaches us something important.

There is no denying that Malawi is in a mess under the current regime. I can confidently say that support for President Lazarus Chakwera is primarily within the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and among those directly benefiting from his leadership. But consider this: if the roles were reversed and it was Chakwera in that Dornier jet, how would you have reacted? That is what’s key. Perhaps that’s the lesson we need to learn—that there are others in Malawi who would feel the same pain and disgust at seeing Chakwera’s lifeless body shared on social media, rather than celebrating it.

Personally, I don’t care about someone’s status; I just find it inhumane that we have normalised sharing such photos in Malawi. How many photos of road accidents and lifeless bodies are on your phone? It still hurts me to see photos of Qaddafi because of what his detractors, influenced by the West, did to him, because: “They build their world on great confusion to force on us the devil’s illusion.” But we are not them!

We, as the people of this great country, should not allow such disrespect to happen here—whether it’s a person unknown, SKC, or Chakwera. It is both unethical and, for the first time, I would use this word, “un-Malawian” (read that as inhuman because I don’t really know what Malawian really means in this diverse cultural landscape).

I have never supported SKC, whom I christened as Benja or “I am delivery boy” following his stunt of carrying that bag of fertiliser when he promised to bring down the price of that bag for less than K5,000. Today, I believe he deserves dignity, even in death.

Saying this does not imply that my goal is to censor anyone. As such, I will not join those calling for the arrest or punitive action against people sharing such images. That is an overboard reaction. Actually, it scares me. With such reactions, I learn that Malawi can easily slide into an Orwellian state with the blink of an eye… so many Charringtons eager to serve the Thought Police—calling for the arrest of this one and punishment for that one! If given the chance to follow these “Squealers,” soon we may not even have anyone left to arrest. Everyone will be at Maula! Even talking in whispers and a mere ‘Good Morning’ could become thought crimes!

Today’s tweets following the recent incident show that Malawi can easily slide into an Orwellian with the blink of an eye… so many Charringtons eager to serve the Thought Police!! Arrest this one! Punish that one! Don’t write that! Soon we may not have anyone left to arrest.…

— Pearson X. Nkhoma (@NkhomaPearson) June 12, 2024

I can only make a case that we can mourn or allow those who grieve the passing of Chilima the dignity to do so and give Chilima a dignified send-off. That’s the lesson I learned following the demise of one of Africa’s greatest warriors, Bingu wa Mutharika.

Postscript:

The plane crash needs a serious and independent investigation. President Chakwera pleaded with the international community for assistance in the search for what was then the missing plane, which we later learned had crashed about an hour’s journey from Mzuzu. Let that plea be followed by another for an aviation investigation with support from the international community and experts, even from the manufacturer of the plane—this is standard practice (unfortunately, the manufacturer is defunct, so the German government through Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation would be closest to Dornier-Werke GmbH to help us with investigations).

In addition to the Germans, Chakwera should also reach out to the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Annex 13 (Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) provides international requirements for the investigation of aircraft accidents and incidents. It spells out which States may participate in an investigation, such as the States of Occurrence, Registry, Operator, Design and Manufacture. It also defines the rights and responsibilities of such States. Malawi, as the State of Occurrence, may delegate all or part of the investigation to another State or a regional accident and incident investigation organisation, and may call on the best technical expertise available from any source to assist with the investigation.

I am saying this because someone called various people in top government position to alert them about the accident soon after it happened. The names are out there; let those individuals answer for possible negligence, as evidence suggests the crash site could have been found within a few hours after the accident. But due to negligence, it wasn’t, despite several people in top positions being informed. That person deserves state protection, given the unforeseeable risks he may face.

Also, photos of the crash site revealed it was not secured from the public, compromising the site when it was officially located over 24 hours after officials were first tipped off. Additionally, Malawi police and other officials were seen without gloves while around the scene of the accident, risking further contamination.

Unfortunately, this is Malawi. And given our leadership’s capacity (if any exists at all), I doubt an invitation has been extended to BFU and/or ICAO.