Malawi tobacco farmer commits suicide over poor sales

A 30-year old tobacco farmer  in Dowa has commited suicide for not making profits in the leaf sales.

Police spokesman at Dowa , Richard Kaponda, confirmed the man, identified as Mandaachepa Kandikana Kachipere,  of Kauma village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Msakambewa hanged himself on Saturday 23 Juky..

Kaponda said Kachipere went to Kasungu in 2015 Kasungu where he was cultivating tobacco.

“When he took his bales of Tobacco to the auction for sales he did not come out with profits due to low prices,” Kaponda said.

The deceased later thought of returning home in Dowa at Kauma village.

When he arrived home, he told his relatives about the losses and his elder brother told him to sleep in his house.

“The following morning in the wee hours of Sunday 24th July, 2016 he was found dangling from the roof of his brother’s house after he hanged himself by using a rope.” Kaponda said.

Postmortem conducted revealed that death was due to surffocation, the doctors did not suspect any foul play.