Eighty-Nine people allegedly committed suicide last year compared to 97 recorded in 2020 with the majority being men.
The suicide cases documented between January and December, last year, reduced by eight per cent compared to the previous year.
Seventy-two men allegedly committed suicide and 17 females took their own lives last year compared to 80 men committing suicide and 17 females in 2020.
The increase in the suicide cases for men was attributed to marital disputes, witchcraft accusations and other family disputes.
According to statistics prepared and released by the Zambia Police Criminal Investigations Department, Lusaka accounted for the highest number with 30 representing 24 male and six females, indicating a 33.70 per cent followed by Luapula with 26 cases in which 23 were males and three females thereby accounting for 29.21 per cent.
Others were Eastern which recorded the lowest cases with only one involving a man while no cases were recorded on the Copperbelt, Central, Southern and Western provinces in 2020 and 2021.
Muchinga Province recorded 21 suicide cases with 17 men and four women, Northern recorded nine accounting for six men and three women, while Western Province recorded two cases which included both genders. Central, North Western and Western provinces did not document any suicide cases in both periods under review.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the majority of the cases involved males and that the causes of suicide varied depending on the situations.
Hamoonga said some cases were influenced by marital disputes, witchcraft accusation, stigma and civil disputes between family members, friends and neighbours.
He said it was also noted that suicide cases occurred at both rural and town homesteads.
“A total of 89 suicide cases were recorded countrywide in 2021 as compared to 97 suicide cases recorded in 2020. Cases reported reduced by eight representing 8.24 per cent. In 2020, majority of the cases were recorded in Luapula which accounted for 44.32 per cent followed by Lusaka which accounted for 25.77 per cent. In 2021 majority of the cases were recorded in Lusaka which accounted for 33.70 per cent followed by Luapula which accounted for 29.21 per cent,” he said.
Times of Zambia
