Clement Chiwaya shot himself dead at the office of the clerk of parliament on Thursday, September 30.
The deceased who served as an MP for Mangochi Central Constituency for 15 years under the United Democratic Front was also a deputy speaker between 2014 and 2019.
He reportedly suffered polio at age two which rendered him disabled and wheelchair-bound, so he relied on a specially adapted vehicle which enabled him to move about conveniently as an MP.
After exiting parliament, Chiwaya reportedly paid for the said vehicle to own it permanently for his use. But he has since had issues with officials in parliament over the transfer of ownership.
In the suicide note that was found after he shot himself, he mentioned the alleged refusal of parliament to hand over the vehicle to him as one of the reasons he decided to end his life right in front of the Clerk of Parliament, Fiona Kalemba.
“While it would have been easier to hurt others with the means I have, I don’t want that to be my legacy. My heart and spirit have been brought down not because of the possession such as a vehicle but the persistent begging that I am doing to get what belongs to me.
“Is this life worth living? Probably yes to others. For me, the fact that I have taken the issue to various people and I am forced to be begging them to do something is really depressing.
“I don’t have any more energy to carry on. Many of you will not forgive me but I am down. I have reached the end of my tether. If I continue living I will hurt others and I don’t want that to happen I am already suffering from my post-polio syndrome which is getting worse everyday. Compounded by this these people think I am asking for charity and yet this is a vehicle I bought with my own money,” the suicide note left behind by Chiwaya read as quoted by some news outlets.
Meanwhile, after the incident, the speaker’s office released a statement saying that the issue regarding the specially adapted vehicle is still pending in court.