Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has died on the week of 51 nearest an army plane he used to be gliding in crashed in a woodland within the north of the rustic.

He were vice-president for 10 years, to begin with underneath former President Peter Mutharika, who picked him from the industry sector for the second one maximum senior put up in govt.

He used to be described as a “performer” and “workaholic” however he used to be in all probability outlined by way of being on the centre of corruption allegations in govt.

First as an accuser, and after as an accused.

Prior to Dr Chilima was vice-president in 2014, he used to be the managing director of the rustic’s chief telecommunications company Airtel Malawi, the primary Malawian to move the organisation.

Mr Mutharika had reportedly stated he used to be partnering with a “reliable and productive” individual.

However 4 years nearest, Dr Chilima fell out with the president, accusing the federal government of now not doing enough quantity to combat corruption and protective some public.

Beneath Malawian legislation the president can not fireplace the vice-president – Dr Chilima defied yelps to surrender in spite of publicly difficult the federal government he used to be in.

He nearest shaped his personal political celebration, the United Transformation Motion (UTM), calling for radical alternate and reform within the nation.

He ran for president in 2019 because the celebration’s candidate and got here 3rd.

Mr Mutharika received that election but it surely used to be therefore annulled by way of Malawi’s govern court docket on account of popular irregularities.

It used to be the primary era in Africa that an election consequence used to be each overturned by way of a court docket and after the sitting president went directly to be defeated in a re-run.

Dr Chilima teamed up because the operating mate of Lazarus Chakwera within the historical 2020 re-run.

Mr Chakwera, who had emerged 2nd within the discredited ballot of 2019, used to be resoundingly elected president, and Dr Chilima was his vice-president.

However the vice-president would quickly himself face corruption allegations, which he had such a lot rallied towards within the earlier management.

He used to be arrested in 2022 on claims that he won cash in go back for influencing the awarding of presidency guarantees – which he denied.

The president fired alternative officers who had been named along him.

As he may just now not sack the vice-president, Mr Chakwera promised he would not delegate any authentic tasks to Dr Chilima hour he used to be going through trial.

However the fees had been dropped latter week without a causes given – in a advance that raised questions in regards to the dealing with of corruption circumstances.

Prior to his position as a political heavyweight in Malawi, Dr Chilima had held alternative senior roles within the company sector, together with at Coca Cola and Unilever.

He used to be an economist and held a PhD in wisdom control.

Occasion serving in govt, he used to be additionally the minister accountable for financial making plans and community sector reforms.

The federal government’s site stated he used to be a “performer”, “workaholic” and “an achiever”.

Dr Chilima used to be born on 12 February 1973 in Ntcheu district in central Malawi.

He leaves at the back of his spouse Mary and two kids, Sean and Elizabeth.