Malawi: Chilima's Remark 'If I Die, I Will Die' Was a Vernacular Expression, Inquiry Told

The parliamentary inquiry into the June 10, 2024 military plane crash has heard fresh testimony from Kelvin Sentala, a close acquaintance of the late vice-president Saulos Chilima, who sought to clarify a widely discussed remark attributed to Chilima shortly before his death.

Sentala told MPs that Chilima's statement -- "If I die, I will die" -- was a translation from vernacular, not a literal or fatalistic declaration.

He said the phrase emerged during a conversation the two had following the death of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara.

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According to Sentala, Chilima had reflected that Kasambara might have been better buried in Blantyre, where most of his friends lived, before turning to the question of where he himself would prefer to be laid to rest.

Sentala said he asked whether Chilima often thought about death, prompting the former vice-president to respond with the now-quoted line.

Pressed by the committee, Sentala explained that the original expression was: "Alipo amene sadzafa?" -- loosely meaning "Is there anyone who will not die?"

He emphasised that Chilima was making a philosophical point rather than expressing fear or premonition.

The Ad Hoc Committee has resumed hearings as it continues to piece together the circumstances surrounding the crash, which killed Chilima and eight others.

Sentala's testimony adds a small but notable clarification to the personal conversations being examined as part of the wider inquiry.