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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
A POLICE officer who was facing rape charges in Gwanda allegedly hanged himself on Wednesday morning at a police post where he was deployed.

The cop was set to appear in court on October 26.

On the fateful day, Constable Godknows Dube (36) who was stationed at Guyu Police Station left his girlfriend’s place for work at Gungwe Police Base where he had been deployed.

He was found hanging about two hours later at the police base.

A source said the cop did not leave a suicide note but there are suspicions that he could have ended his life due to pressures arising from the rape allegations.

Dube is said to have been found hanging by a colleague at around 6AM within the yard at Gungwe Police Base where he was deployed.

A police source said Dube used a rope to hang himself on a tree. He is suspected to have removed a rope from a flag post at a school where his girlfriend is a student teacher and used it to hang himself.

“His girlfriend is a student teacher at Gungwe Primary School and Dube is said to have spent Tuesday night at her house at the school. He left the school at around 4AM saying he was going to prepare to go to work.

His body was discovered hanging from a tree by a workmate at around 6AM.

“We suspect he could not stand the pressures of a case of rape that he was facing. I will not disclose much on the alleged rape except that he was arrested and was due to appear in court on October 26,” said the source.

National Police Spokesperson Senior Commissioner Charity Charamba said she had not yet received a report on the alleged suicide as she had been out of office.

Last year in October, a married police officer stationed in Masvingo allegedly hanged himself after his girlfriend ditched him.

Before taking his life, he allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to his girlfriend directing her where to find his body. That incident came barely two days after a senior officer at Bulawayo’s Westgate Police Station shot himself.

@winnie_masara