By Vincent Gunde
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera says he believes that he is at peace with God saying in 4 years that he has been President, he has delivered for the Malawian people.
President Chakwera said he has enough trust in the Malawian people that they are fair minded enough to judge his performance as President by what he has done not by what other politicians say about him or by the disasters that have befallen Malawians.
He said the disasters have subjected Malawians to a season of pain that they must have the strength to endure and overcome saying he believe that Malawians will overcome the crisis.
Delivering the State of National Address (SONA) in Parliament on Friday, President Chakwera said on his inauguration as the 6th President of the Republic of Malawi, he told the Malawian people that their victory over the dark forces, the task they have given him was to correct the decades-long mismanagement of natural and national treasures and institutions.
President Chakwera said today, it is clear that the systemic surgery Malawians have undergone in the past 4 years has indeed been very painful but, the worst of all, was in 2024 to feel from the people’s hearts breaking from the shocking and tragic death of the late Dr. Saulosi Chilima and eight others.
He said it was painful to feel the society being torn apart by political witch hunt and conspiracy theories about the incident and reading the Commission of Inquiry’s report detailing how they got on that plane, how they died, how various agencies responded when they lost contact with them, and how they were found.
“Painful to see the bereaved families whom I have personally spent time with, caught in a spiral of grief compounded by political exploitation and feelings of despair.” Said Dr. Chakwera.
He said just two nights ago, Malawians were powerfully reminded by Mrs Mary Chilima herself about how painful it is to feel stuck with questions for which only the Heavenly Father has answers about what happened on that plane before it went down.
During the launch of SKC Foundation in Lilongwe with President Chakwera, his Vice Dr. Michael Usi and MCP Cabinet ministers all in attendance, Madam Mary Chilima said she continue to mourn and seek convincingly answers as to why Dr. Chilima-a visionary, hardworking, humble, patriotic, peace-loving, and prayerful son of the soil had to die in such circumstances.
Madam Chilima said there are still many questions regarding those 24 hours and efforts to address these concerns have fallen short of being satisfactory saying despite she recognizes Dr. Saulosi Chilima now transcends earthly worries and that through the SKC Foundation, his legacy remains alive, unstoppable, and undefeated.
The State of the National Address (SONA) has been delivered by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera under the theme “Taking our development forward to continuing the progress we have delivered”
