Saulos Chilima facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saulos Chilima
|
|
|---|---|
Chilima in 2022
|
|
| Vice President of Malawi | |
| In office 3 February 2020 – 10 June 2024 |
|
| President | Peter Mutharika Lazarus Chakwera |
| Preceded by | Everton Chimulirenji |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| In office 31 May 2014 – 31 May 2019 |
|
| President | Peter Mutharika |
| Preceded by | Khumbo Kachali |
| Succeeded by | Everton Chimulirenji |
| Minister of Economic Planning and Development | |
| In office 29 June 2020 – 10 June 2024 |
|
| President | Lazarus Chakwera |
| Preceded by | Position Created |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Minister of the Civil Service | |
| In office 31 May 2014 – 31 May 2019 |
|
| President | Peter Mutharika |
| Preceded by | Khumbo Kachali |
| Minister Responsible for Public Events and Disaster Management | |
| In office 31 May 2014 – 31 May 2019 |
|
| President | Peter Mutharika |
| Preceded by | Khumbo Kachali |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 February 1973 Ntcheu, Malawi |
| Died | 10 June 2024 (aged 51) Chikangawa Forest Reserve, Malawi |
| Political party | Tonse Alliance United Transformation Movement (UTM) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Progressive Party (until 2018) |
| Spouse | Mary Chilima |
| Children | Sean Chilima Elizabeth Chilima |
| Alma mater | University of Malawi University of Bolton |
Saulos Klaus Chilima (born 12 February 1973 – died 10 June 2024) was an important Malawian leader. He served as the Vice President of Malawi from 2020 until his passing. He also held roles as Minister of Economic Planning and Development.
Before entering politics, Chilima was a successful businessman. He worked in top leadership jobs at big companies like Unilever and Coca-Cola. He even became the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Malawi. On June 10, 2024, Vice President Chilima passed away in a plane crash.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Saulos Chilima was born in Blantyre, Malawi, on February 12, 1973. He was the first child of Henderson Brown Chilima and Elizabeth Frances Chilima. Saulos spent his early years in Blantyre, where his parents worked. He often visited his grandparents in Lilongwe and Ntcheu during holidays.
He attended HHI and Dharap primary schools. For his secondary education, he went to Marist Brothers Mtendere Secondary School. Later, he studied at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College. He earned a degree in social sciences in 1994. After working for some years, he returned to the university. He completed a master's degree in Knowledge Management in 2006. On August 10, 2015, he earned his Ph.D. in Knowledge Management from the University of Bolton in the United Kingdom.
Professional Career Highlights
Saulos Chilima was a skilled marketer. He began his career at Lever Brothers, which is now Unilever. He then worked at Leasing and Finance Company of Malawi. After that, he moved to Southern Bottlers Limited, now called Castel Malawi.
His last job before politics was at Airtel Malawi. He started by leading their sales team. In 2010, he became the first Malawian managing director for the company. Chilima led many important projects at Airtel. These projects helped Airtel Malawi's yearly income grow a lot. It increased by 75% in just three years.
Political Journey
In February 2014, Saulos Chilima joined politics. He became the running mate for Peter Mutharika. Mutharika was the presidential candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). They ran together in the May 2014 presidential election.
Later, Chilima left the DPP. He started his own political party called the United Transformation Movement (UTM). This was on July 21, 2018. He planned to run for president in the May 2019 elections. The UTM tried to form an alliance with other parties. This was to create a strong opposition.
In the 2019 election, Chilima came in third place. His party, the UTM, won four seats in the National Assembly. However, the 2019 presidential election results were later cancelled. A new election was held in 2020. For this election, Chilima joined forces with Lazarus Chakwera. He became Chakwera's running mate for the Malawi Congress Party. They formed a group called the Tonse Alliance. This alliance included nine opposition parties. Their goal was to win the election against Peter Mutharika's government.
Public Service and Causes
Saulos Chilima also served as a minister for disaster relief and public events. He was a member of the Leadership Council of Compact 2025. This group works to end hunger and poor nutrition by 2025. He often spoke about how to help countries grow in a fair and lasting way. He also talked at international meetings about ending hunger.
Chilima was a strong supporter of protecting the environment. He also encouraged people to be physically fit and play sports. He was known for speaking out against corruption in politics. As a student, he was a champion for multi-party democracy. He also actively supported church seminaries.
Personal Life
Saulos Chilima was a dedicated Roman Catholic. He was married to Mary (whose maiden name was Chibambo). They had two children together, a son named Sean and a daughter named Elizabeth.
Passing Away
On June 10, 2024, a plane carrying Saulos Chilima and nine other people went missing. The plane was flying to the Chikangawa Forest Reserve in the Northern Region. They were going to attend a funeral. President Lazarus Chakwera ordered a search and rescue mission. On June 11, 2024, President Chakwera announced that the plane's wreckage was found. He confirmed that Vice President Chilima and everyone else on board had passed away in the crash.
See also
In Spanish: Saulos Chilima para niños
