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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter

“l still cannot believe that my daughter is gone, l don’t understand where an 11-year-old gets the idea of hanging herself or how she even knew that hanging is a way of killing herself,” lamented Mr Mike Chishemu (38) the father of an 11-year-old who hung herself at her home in Njube suburb, Bulawayo.

Mr Mike Chishema (38) the father of the deceased 11-year-old girl, Patience Chishema who committed suicide. (Picture by Maita Zizhou)

Patience Chishemu is said to have hung herself on Sunday morning after an undisclosed misunderstanding with her mother.

Her distraught father alleges that the child was “living in hell” as she was being sexually abused and had been attending counseling.

Patience’s parents separated some years ago and she was living with her mother and would occasionally visit her father in Victoria Falls during holidays.

She was a Grade 5 pupil at Mpumelelo Primary School in Mpopoma.

Mr Chishemu said his daughter was a free spirit, a great cook and loved singing.

“On Saturday she sent me a video of herself singing a gospel song. It saddens me to know that is the last song l will hear her singing. She was outspoken and loved cooking and telling me stories,” he said.

He was told about his daughter’s death on Sunday afternoon.

The heartbroken father said he has since been told that Patience hung herself on a Xakuxaku (Snot Apple aka African Chewing gum) tree inside her mother’s yard.

Mr Chishemu said he last saw his daughter in December when she visited him for the holidays.

Does he understand the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death?

“I refuse to believe what they tell me right now because it does not make sense. l recently found out that she was being raped. l am still yet to confirm with the police if it is true. If it is true then the mother will explain to me why l was not told about all of this,” he said.

An emotional Mr Chishemu said they are waiting for post-mortem results so that they can determine what really happened to her.

Efforts to get a comment from the police and the mother were unsuccessful.

More to follow…

@flora_sibanda