Man Commits Suicide After Pressure From In-Laws Over Bride Price

In a devastating incident in Rufunsa, Zambia, 42-year-old Chansi Ngoma took his own life following a confrontation with his mother-in-law regarding an outstanding bride price balance.

The confrontation occurred at his residence over K4,500 still owed from a K10,000 charge levied in 2014 for his marriage.

The tragic event unfolded when Ngoma’s mother-in-law visited him to demand the remaining bride price. Believing that Ngoma had gone to retrieve the money, she waited outside.

However, after a considerable delay, Ngoma’s wife, Maria Ngoma, entered their bedroom to find her husband in a critical state, hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling.

Reports from the Zambia Daily Mail indicated that Ngoma had also ingested an overdose of assorted drugs prior to the act.

A relative of Maria revealed that Ngoma had managed to pay only K5,500 of the total amount demanded by his in-laws as the bride price for their daughter.

Bridget Bowa, the sister of Ngoma’s mother-in-law, disclosed that she had accompanied her sister on the day of the incident to Ngoma’s house to press for the payment of the balance.

The incident has shed light on the immense pressure and distress that financial obligations, such as bride price payments, can impose on individuals.

Bowa said, “While we were still talking, our son-in-law, who had been quiet all the while, went into his bedroom.

“We thought he went to get the money, but after about 15 minutes, his wife went into his room and found him hanging on the ceiling and gasping for breath.

“There were with lots of drugs and empty packs on the floor. We rushed him to the hospital, but unfortunately, he died.”