Man Dead By Suicide Over Pressure Of Bride Price From In-Laws

In what should have been a joyous and memorable period of his life turned to loss of life for a 42-year-old Chansi Ngoma in in Rufunsa, Zambia, after taken his own life following a confrontation with his mother-in-law regarding an outstanding bride price balance.

According to reports, the confrontation occurred at his residence over N4,500 still owed from a N10,000 charge levied in 2014 for his marriage.

It was gathered that 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.

Sources revealed 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.