Tens of thousands of Malawians attend a funeral at the national stadium to pay tribute to the vice-president who died in a plane crash last week.
Saulos Chilima, 51, was considered a breath of fresh air in Malawian politics.
He was an eloquent speaker and an energetic activist who had great influence among young people who represent more than half of Malawians.
He was a devout Catholic and the service included a full mass.
He will be buried in his home district of Ntcheu, 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of Lilongwe, on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday.
The service at the Bingu National Stadium began with moving tributes from his family. The stadium with capacity for 41 thousand people is full, with more people outside.
His coffin, draped in the red, green and black flag of Malawi, was carried into the stadium by a guard of honor.
His son, Sean, remembered what a loving father he was, how he always had time for the children and played with them. He added that his father was extremely competitive and always wanted to win.
“Dad was a hard worker who always made sure to get things done,” he said.
His brother, Ben, said the family was grateful to have received the personal belongings he was carrying at the time of the accident, including his watch and rosary.
Some at the stadium booed government officials, including President Lazarus Chakwera, when they spoke.
Calm was only restored after the intervention of Catholic priests.
Mr Chilima died last Monday while traveling on a military plane to the northern town of Nkhata Bay, where he was to attend the funeral of a former minister.
The entire crew and other passengers on board, including former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, also died.
President Chakwera said the plane crashed due to poor visibility caused by bad weather, but Mr Chilima’s UTM party called for a full and independent investigation.
At the ceremony, this appeal was supported by Archbishop Desmond Tambala of Lilongwe, speaking on behalf of the Catholic Church in Malawi.
President Chakwera said assistance would be sought from foreign governments and international agencies in investigating the accident because “the Malawi Army cannot investigate itself”.
Chilima had a successful career working in the private sector, where he held several senior and well-paid positions in companies before making what many considered a risky decision, venturing into politics at just 40 years old.
He had been vice president since 2014, initially under former president Peter Mutharika.
After falling out with Mr Mutharika, Mr Chilima formed his own party, UTM.
He ran for president in the 2019 elections, coming third behind Mutharika and Chakwera, but the election results were annulled by Malawi’s high court following complaints of fraud.
In the 2020 presidential elections, Chilima agreed to be Chakwera’s running mate, in an alliance of nine opposition parties.
In June 2022, he said that as part of that agreement, President Chakwera would only serve one term and then support Mr Chilima in the next elections in September 2025.
President Chakwera has not publicly challenged Mr Chilima’s claim, but in recent public statements has begun to suggest that he might seek re-election next year.
In public appearances, Chilima and Chakwera appeared to be on good terms, but many thought a falling out was inevitable, especially after senior leaders of their respective parties began openly supporting their candidacies in next year’s elections.
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