Malawians pay last respects to politician Harry Chiume
Sombre mood engulfed HHI Cemetery in Blantyre Saturday afternoon when thousands of Malawians from all walks of life paid their last respects to veteran politician and lawyer late Harry Chiume.
Late Chiume, founding President of the now disbanded National Unity Party (NUP) and also an accomplished academician, died last Sunday, aged 65, at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre after suffering heart complications.
In their eulogies, various speakers hailed the late Chiume for his principled personality as well as exemplary lifestyle while serving the nation in various capacities as a politician and law lecturer at the University of Malawi (UNIMA), among others.
“Malawi has lost one of its courageous sons. He was a principled politician, an accomplished academician who fought gallantly for multiparty democracy in our country,” mourned Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Uladi Mussa who represented President Joyce Banda.
Paying his tribute on behalf of the legal fraternity, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ralph Kasambara applauded late Chiume for the positive contribution he made while serving in various legal positions in the country.
Kasambara observed that late Chiume was a professional person who worked diligently and will be missed by the entire Malawian legal fraternity.
Also paying homage was at the burial ceremony was Clapperton Mayuni, Executive Director of the Bible Society of Malawi (BSM) where late Chiume was also the president after serving as its Executive Director between 1984 and 1986.
Mayuni described late Chiume as a visionary man who, during his time at BSM, tirelessly enticed the youth in scripture distribution besides dedicating his life to the work of God.
Late Chiume also served as Vice Chairman of the House of the Lords of the Enlightenment Christian Gathering Church International of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri where he congregated.
Besides Mussa, Kasambara several other senior officials such as Deputy Minister for Economic Planning and Development, Khwauli Msiska, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ephraim Chiume, People’s Transformation Party (Petra) President, Kamuzu Chibambo, former minister and Malawi’s High Commissioner to Mozambique, Ziliro Chibambo, Attorney General, Anthony Kamanga, Retired Justice Elton Singini, Justices Anaclet Chipeta and Edward Twea also attended the burial ceremony.
Survived by a wife and four children, late Chiume who hailed from Nkhata Bay district, was the first publicity secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) that took Malawi’s founding President and dictator late Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda head on.
Nyasa Times senior photographer Jeromy Kadewere took pictures and here is the pictorial focus of the burial ceremony.
