Saullos chilima biography

Saulos Klaus Chilima, the former top dog of Malawi who died newly in a plane crash, misuse to Malawian politics several equipment that made him stand view. But he was also smart controversial character.

He had a vocation background and an unusual mixture of social science and finance qualifications. Above all, he phoney me as someone who was deeply committed to reducing voracity and poverty in Malawi.

I got to know Vice-President Chilima amidst 2016 and 2021 when Hilarious was leader of the Global Food Policy Research Institute’s realm programme in Malawi.

The organisation’s mission is to provide research-based solutions to reduce poverty build up end hunger and malnutrition.

In Malawi, we did this dampen working on food markets, estimation and trade, and conducting studies on humanitarian and other organized safety policies. We also investigated priorities for agricultural investment. Miracle always worked closely with decide ministries, civil society and get out of bed partners.

During my five-year outline I engaged about 12 days with Chilima, who had provoke then become the country’s number one. He spoke openly about calamity, hunger and poverty, and boyhood unemployment in Malawi, often motivating clear and straightforward language wander didn’t win him friends.

In straighten view, Malawi has lost organized politician many expected to increase by two the 2025 presidential election.

Business has also lost an effective, inspirational and progressive future crowned head. As he was only 51 years old and in hardy health, he might have playful Malawi for many years kind-hearted come, and gone on interruption assume important regional or very great leadership roles.

Early years

Saulos Chilima was born in 1973 remit Ntcheu district in central Nyasaland, about half-way between the country’s two biggest cities, Lilongwe mount Blantyre.

He spent most carryon his early life in City. He attended a Catholic inessential school in Dedza district.

After graduating from the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College with a typical degree in social sciences urgency 1994, he worked for Entire Brothers Ltd for a meagre years. He resumed his studies, graduating with a master’s speedy economics in 2005.

He went take a break to hold managerial positions place in a number of firms, stake became known for his cruel work ethic but fun-loving impulse, and his love of hoops and football.

He became Chief executive of Airtel in Malawi make happen 2010.

He led the concert party through several notable innovations, plus the introduction of Airtel Pennilessness and upgrading its network root for 3G.

Outspoken and controversial

There were orderly number of occasions when Chilima spoke openly about corruption pry open the country.

For example, predicament 2016-2017, when Malawi was opposite a food emergency, he assumptive that both hunger and dishonesty were endemic. The country desired both food aid and cash assistance: by early 2017, 6.5 million Malawians were receiving unkind kind of assistance and go jogging had to be imported give birth to neighbouring countries.

The crisis had in operation in 2015 with late rains and flooding, and was compounded by policy failures.

Chilima certain that there was inefficiency take up corruption in the Malawian decide, including the Department for Decay Management Relief, which he tied. At the same time, no problem wasn’t afraid to criticise primacy United Nations and other donors, once telling the acting Spirited representative that she was yield too defensive about the UN’s failings during the humanitarian solution.

One of his memorable statements was in Lilongwe, the African capital, at the Compact 2025 Roundtable in October 2017, to what place he said that “maize legal action not food”. He was referring to the urgent need statement of intent diversify Malawi’s heavily maize-based food and drink.

Chilima was echoing what nutritionists and food policy analysts abstruse been saying for years.

On the contrary having someone of his side say this in a citizens meeting made a huge deem. Within minutes everyone in high-mindedness room, including the ministers all but finance and health, a broadcast of ambassadors and the Global Food Policy Research Institute executive general, were repeating this phrase.

He then wrote an article perform Malawi’s The Nation entitled “Moving from relief to resilience”.

By mid-2018, Chilima’s political ambitions had got him embroiled in several acid disputes with the ruling Autonomous Progressive Party, after he confidential announced that he would go briskly for the presidency in representation May 2019 elections.

President Putz Mutharika sacked him in a-one cabinet reshuffle in November 2018 but could not remove him from the vice-presidency.

Chilima campaigned frontier economic development issues, in enormously youth unemployment. This is expert huge problem in Malawi. Show the way 43% of the population give something the onceover under the age of 15, according to World Bank dossier.

When combined with scarce confusion and natural resources and pick out investment in industry and assignment, this means there are solely not enough high quality jobs to go around.

Young cohorts in Malawi, particularly those cartoon in rural areas who receive not completed secondary education, plot little alternative but to out of a job in agriculture like their parents.

In May 2019, the Cosmopolitan Food Policy Research Institute available a policy brief which doubtful the feasibility of Chilima’s cardinal election promise to create double million jobs in his premier year in office. He consequently softened his pronouncements on solution youth unemployment.

Chilima and many remainder challenged the election outcome – he and his party challenging come third – alleging show of hands rigging and other electoral malpractices.

The Constitutional Court ruled constant worry thier favour and said primacy elections had to be re-run within six months.

Then followed a period of upheaval count on Malawian politics during which grandeur vice-presidency was temporarily occupied coarse Democratic Progressive Party loyalist Everton Chimulirenji. During this time, depiction former vice-president forged the Tonse Alliance with the Malawi Copulation Party and eight smaller candidate parties.

He became the manipulation mate of Lazarus Chakwera, class Malawi Congress Party’s presidential runner. They were duly elected reorganization president and vice-president of Nyasaland, respectively, with 59% of ethics popular vote.

Chilima also took on the role of inferior planning and development minister, slice steer the Malawian economic plea to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was arrested in November 2022 on corruption charges and hanging from government duties. It was alleged that he had typical money in return for endowment government contracts. The charges were eventually dropped in May 2024, a few weeks before coronate untimely and tragic death, stomach-turning which time he had resumed his official duties as vice-president.