Malawi Prison chief laid to rest
The body of head of prison services in Malawi Macdonald Chaona was on Wednesday afternoon buried at his home village Balamanja, TA Mlumbe in Zomba district.
Scores of people paid their last respects to the Chief Commissioner of Prisons who died suddenly but peacefully in his sleep last Friday after suffering from what is suspected to be cardiac arrest.
According to Malawi Prisons Services (MPS) Spokesperson, Evans Phiri, burial of late Chaona was delayed because of the funeral of Malawi’s former President Bingu wa Mutharika who was buried on Monday, April 23.
Phiri said the body of late Chaona was taken from College of Medicine in Blantyre where it was sent for postmortem and embalming on Monday to Liwonde before going to Zomba for burial.
“It was the wish of the family to take the body to Liwonde where he had built his house before burial in Zomba,” Phiri said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said results of an autopsy which was conducted by pathologist Dr Charles Dzamalala have not yet been released.
Phiri said they were allowed to collect the body without the results “because the specimens which were taken on the body to ascertain cause of his death were sent to Lilongwe for further examinations.”
Hours before his death, late Chaona led senior prison officers in paying their last respects to departed Malawi leader at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre before he travelled back to his base in Zomba.
The fallen head of prisons who died aged 58 joined the Prison Services in 1972 and rose through the ranks until 2005 he was promoted to the position of Commissioner of Malawi Prisons Services.
