Mahilasi, 62, who passed on at Zomba Central Hospital, also served as national boxing coach.
Mahilasi’s eldest son Moses and Malawi Boxing Association (Maba) general secretary Arthur Nanthulu confirmed the local boxing legend’s demise.
According to Moses, the remains of his father will be laid to rest today (Sunday, 4 March) at his home village in Namadzi, Chiradzulu District.
“He has been on and off since October last year. We took him to Zomba Central Hospital after his condition deteriorated where he passed on this morning,” said Moses who is also a boxer.
Mahilasi, who was also known as ‘Namadzi Bomber’, rose to become one of the best boxers on the domestic scene in the 1980s alongside the likes of Joe ‘Anglican Cobra’ Nyirenda, Phillemon ‘Hitman’ Ayesu and Tar Baby ‘Bazooka’ Maseko.
He fought many local and international bouts and helped put the country on the map and drove people to have passion for the sport.
Sports Council executive secretary George Jana and Nanthulu described Mahilasi’s death as a big loss to the nation.
Said Jana: “We are shocked. He was a sportsman at heart and a hero.
“He was such a brilliant boxer who did the country proud. It is unfortunate that we are losing heroes that people were looking up to, but unfortunately life being what is it is, his life had to come to an end.”
The Sports Council boss also said his office did not know of Mahilasi’s illness.
On his part Nanthulu said: “One of the reasons why I started to like the sport in my primary school days was because of Mahilasi’s brilliance. He was such a great boxer and an icon. The nation has lost a real hero who was also a national coach for some years. We are saddened by his death.”
According to Moses, Mahilasi is survived by a wife, eight children and five grand children.
At the time of his death, he was teaching at Neno Girls Secondary School.
