By Pemphero Malimba:
UTM officials Wednesday boycotted the launch of the SKC (Saulos Klaus Chilima) Foundation, which was held in Lilongwe.
The officials made the announcement during a press briefing presided over by the party’s president, Dalitso Kabambe.
This stance was later confirmed by the party’s absence at the event, which was attended by several dignitaries, including President Lazarus Chakwera, Chilima’s widow, Mary, and members of the diplomatic corps.
Announcing the decision, Kabambe said the party had opted not to attend the launch of the Foundation following a decision made earlier in the day.
According to Kabambe, UTM Central Executive Committee and National Executive Council members had agreed not to attend the event.
He explained that this decision was due to what he called the continued absence of answers regarding the death of UTM founder Chilima.
“We still don’t have answers regarding the death of our founding president and we have been asking the government to present a credible investigation that provides us with the full details of these matters,” Kabambe said.
He added that the party leadership believed it was inappropriate to attend the event alongside government officials.
“If President Lazarus Chakwera had not been invited to the event, we would have attended,” he said.
He also revealed that the party would donate K10 million to the Foundation.
“We regard the establishment of the Foundation as a noble cause because we believe it has the potential to realise Chilima’s dream of transforming the lives of people in the country,” the UTM leader said.
Speaking later at the launch of the Foundation, the organising committee’s chairperson, Boyd Luwe, insisted that the Foundation was non-political and non-partisan.
“Any attempts to politicise the event must be condemned,” Luwe said.
He added that the invitations sent to participants were inclusive, regardless of political affiliation.
“We thank President Chakwera for agreeing to grace the event,” he said.
He described Chilima as a selfless man whose life had been dedicated to serving humanity.
Commenting on UTM’s decision, political commentator George Chaima described the boycott as a sign of immaturity.
“If the UTM leadership was truly behind the sorrow the Chilima family feels, they would have attended the occasion. The boycott itself is a sign of greater leadership disunity and immaturity.
“This should not have happened and by all means, UTM should have avoided this, as this was not a political event,” Chaima said.
Chilima and eight others died in a plane crash on June 10 last year.
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