The Hon. the Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has cut short his United Kingdom (UK) trip to mourn the Rt. Hon. Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, the Vice-President of Malawi, who died in a tragic plane crash in Mzimba District on June 10, 2024, alongside eight others.
The AG, who left Malawi for the UK on June 8, 2024 on official engagements, and planned to return on June 30, 2024, is expected to arrive in Malawi today.
Nyirenda, in an interview this morning from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, enroute home, described the late Vice-President as a down to earth individual who respected everyone regardless of their positions in society.
“I last spoke with the Rt. Hon. Vice-President on Sunday morning, June 9, 2024, when he was in South Africa on his way home from South Korea. It was on two important transactions for the country which have huge economic potential benefits for the country, but with legal underpinnings,” the AG said.
The AG said the Veep has left unmatched legacy and he would miss his fatherly advice he used to offer him and many others.
“The Rt. Hon. Dr. Chilima never demanded strict protocols to schedule meetings on important matters of the State. He was a great listener and a goal-getter.
“Because of his approach to work not to demand strict protocols, things used to move faster than expected and you had tasks executed within timelines,” Nyirenda said.
The AG described the loss of the nine distinguished sons and daughters of Malawi in the tragic plane crash as a big loss to the nation.
The AG extends his sympathies to the Veep’s wife Mary, their children and families, the State President His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwara, the First Lady and all members of his Cabinet, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and all Catholics in the country and all Malawians.
Nyirenda’s trip to the UK was for an official engagement, where he was selected to speak at the prestigious Africa Arbitration Academy’s flagship training program on June 10, 2024, the same day as the tragic plane crash.
The Africa Arbitration Academy’s flagship training program has attracted legal professionals, arbitrators and experts from across Africa and beyond.
Before assuming the Attorney General’s office, Chakaka Nyirenda worked at Malawi’s Central Bank, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) as Manager of Ethics and Compliance Division and as In-house Legal Counsel.
Hon. Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda holds an LLB from the University of Malawi and LLM in International Financial Law from the University of Sussex in United Kingdom.
