The late Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima will be laid to rest on Monday in his hometown of Ntcheu, which is 180km south of Lilongwe.
The 51-year-old, along with eight others including the ex-wife of the former Malawian President, tragically lost their lives when a twin-propeller aircraft crashed in a hilly, forested area during severe weather conditions.
A state service led by President Lazarus Chakwera, to honour the vice president was held on Saturday.
Chilima had just returned from an official visit to South Korea on Sunday. He was serving his second term as vice president, having previously held the position from 2014 to 2019 under former President Peter Mutharika.
The international search effort for the plane involved assistance from several countries. President Lazarus Chakwera acknowledged support from the U.S., the U.K., Norway, and Israel, who provided specialised technologies. The U.S. Embassy in Malawi confirmed their assistance and offered the use of a Department of Defense small C-12 plane. Malawi also reached out to neighbouring countries Zambia and Tanzania for additional support.