Melo News | Sunday, February 4, 2024 | Lusaka
A 42-year-old resident of Rufunsa took his own life following a confrontation with his mother-in-law at his residence. The dispute arose from an outstanding balance of K4,500 for the bride price, which was initially set at K10,000 in 2014.
Chansi Ngoma reportedly ended his life in the privacy of his bedroom, leaving his mother-in-law waiting outside the residence, unaware of his tragic decision. She had believed that he had left momentarily to retrieve some money, unaware of the heartbreaking truth that awaited her.
Upon realizing that her husband had been in the bedroom for an unusually long time, Maria Ngoma grew concerned and decided to investigate. To her horror, she discovered him struggling for breath, desperately attempting to hang himself. It became apparent that he had previously ingested a dangerous combination of various medications, compounding the severity of the situation.
The victim’s wife’s relative revealed that the bride price, which had been imposed on the victim back in 2014, was only partially settled by him, with a payment of K5,500.
On the tragic day, Bridget Bowa, the sister of the victim’s mother-in-law, revealed that she had accompanied her sister to the residence of the deceased. The purpose of their visit was to assertively request the remaining balance of the bride price.
During our conversation, our son-in-law, who had remained silent throughout, abruptly excused himself and retreated to his bedroom. Initially, we assumed he had gone to retrieve some money, but our concern grew when his wife followed him after approximately 15 minutes. To our utter shock, she discovered him hanging from the ceiling, struggling for breath, surrounded by numerous empty medicine packs scattered on the floor. Without wasting a moment, we frantically rushed him to the hospital, but tragically, he passed away there,” she recounted with a heavy heart.