Former President Professor Peter Mutharika has paid tribute to the late Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima, lauding him as an energetic, dedicated, and exceptional leader who always prioritized the welfare of the Malawian people.

Mutharika shared his heartfelt reflections on his Facebook page shortly after attending Chilima’s burial in Ntcheu today.

Recalling a significant moment from their past, Mutharika wrote, “In February 2014, I stood side by side with Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima at Comesa Hall in Blantyre. As we sat at Comesa, he whispered to me, ‘bwana tiiphula game iyi’. And, indeed, we did that.”

Despite their successful collaboration, Mutharika acknowledged that over time, various circumstances led them to follow different paths.

Nonetheless, he emphasized Chilima’s unwavering commitment to the people of Malawi and his remarkable leadership qualities.

Chilima has been laid to rest at Nsipe in Ntcheu following a plane crash that killed him and eight others in the Chikangawa Forest.

Malawi is still in a 21-day mourning period for Chilima, as ordered by the government.