Prominent author and socialite Pemphero Mphande has offered a controversial perspective on the matter involving the death Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others . In a widely circulated Facebook post, Mphande has asserted that Chilima's death was not the result of a targeted assassination, as some have claimed, but rather a collective failure of the Malawian government and its systems.
Mphande dismisses the notion that President Lazarus Chakwera or the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) were responsible for the plane crash, arguing that such an act would ultimately benefit the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He contends that the tragedy was a consequence of the country's inadequate infrastructure, outdated aviation equipment, and the government's inability to provide modern and safe aircraft for its citizens, including the country's second-highest-ranking official.
"Chilima has been murdered by the inadequacies and deficiencies of our government and our systems of governance," Mphande writes. "He has been murdered by poor airports with no up to date systems and equipment. He has been murdered by a government unable to buy modern aircraft and instead uses an old aircraft built in 1988 that should have retired."
Mphande's analysis has sparked a wider debate, with a large number of his followers agreeing with his perspective in the post's comments section and others bemoaning his stance.
The opposition DPP has been accused of attempting to capitalize on the tragedy, allegedly organizing supporters to cause disruptions during the funeral period, though their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
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Amidst the ongoing discussions, Mphande has also acknowledged that Chilima was not without his flaws, stating that he was "not a saint" and was part of the "mess and the corruption" within the system. However, Mphande argues that Chilima had a vision for a better Malawi and inspired people to believe in the possibility of a brighter future for the country.
Mphande further took a moment to trash the prospect of DPP regaining leadership of the country calling it a party of ruthless vultures who reign havoc and terror as their system of governance. He called upon the youth to undertake a civic duty of voting against the DPP.
As Malawi continues to mourn the loss of its vice president, the debate over the cause of the tragedy and its broader implications for the nation's governance is likely to continue, with Mphande's perspective adding a thought-provoking element to the ongoing discourse.
