Police Officer Commits Suicide in Dedza; Cases on the Rise in Malawi

Constable Eric Chasweka of Dedza police station has committed suicide by hanging himself to the roof of his house. He was discovered by his colleagues after noting that had been missing for some time.

He has left 3 suicide notes, one for his boss, OC, another going to his mother and the last one going to his girlfriend. The reasons for taking his own life is not yet known.

Meanwhile, 153 people, mostly men, have killed themselves from January to March 2025 alone. This is attributed to a volatile economic environment.

Malawi Police Service statistics have indicated that suicide cases continue to rise in Malawi with figures from the first quarter of 2025 surpassing those of the corresponding period in 2024.

Reports indicate that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) suicide is attributed to a public health problem that requires a public health response.

Police statistics show that out of 153 suicide cases reported this year, 125 were males while 28 only involved females while during the same period last year, 126 suicide cases were reported with 109 involving males while 17 involved females.

Overall suicide cases continue to rise with more males largely committing the vice as compared to females.

National Police spokesperson Harry Namwaza observed that most affected age group is between 20 and 39 years, with 61 males and 15 females in this age bracket committing suicide in this year’s first quarter.