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The house where the policeman committed suicide

Elizabeth Tsuro Midlands Reporter
A POLICEMAN from Gweru beat up four people in a street fight while in uniform and allegedly went on to commit suicide by drinking poison which he stole from the evidence room at his workplace.

Constable Andrew Machengete from Mkoba Village One police station was allegedly drunk when he pummelled the four men in a fist fight at around 4AM outside a night club at Mkoba Village 14 Shopping Centre on Saturday.

Sources said Machengete was visibly angry over an undisclosed issue when he ran riot and sent the men fleeing.

Hours later, he allegedly drank the poison which was among some exhibits at his workplace and died on admission to Gweru Provincial Hospital.

Machengete’s sister Chiedza said police were investigating her brother’s death.

“I don’t have much detail on the circumstances surrounding his death because I stay in Mkoba Village 20 and he was staying in Mkoba Village 16. His wife and my elder sister went to the hospital together with police officers who attended the scene and the matter is still under investigation,” said Chiedza.

She said her brother — a father of two —would be buried in Gutu.

Chiedza said Machengete did not leave a suicide note.

Neighbours told The Chronicle that Machengete arrived at his lodgings in Mkoba 16 around 4AM, turned on the radio and started playing music at high volume, waking other tenants.

They said around 6AM, while his wife was doing her household chores, Machengete downed the poisonous substance.

“He then called his wife and told her that he was dying. He started complaining of stomach pains,” said a fellow tenant, who only identified herself as Mai Angela.

“His wife found him frothing at the mouth and rushed him to hospital. He died on admission.”

A police source said: “He was on duty that day. He stole the poison that was an exhibit and it was only discovered after he had died.”

Acting Gweru Provincial Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Armstrong Mupandawana, confirmed Machengete’s death.

“I can confirm that there was a police officer who died after drinking a poisonous substance.

“He was brought to Gweru Provincial Hospital where he died upon admission on Saturday. We’re waiting for the post-mortem results to ascertain the poison he consumed,” said Dr Mupandawana.

Efforts to get a comment from police were fruitless as Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Joel Goko, was said to be out of office.

He was not reachable on his mobile phone.