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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
A 37-YEAR-OLD laboratory technician from Entumbane suburb committed suicide by hanging on Monday citing that he had failed his family in a note, which was later found by his son.

Kelvin Magenende decided to take his life after an unresolved domestic dispute with his wife.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday.

“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of sudden death by hanging which occurred in Entumbane Suburb, Bulawayo on the 27th of June.

Inspector Abednico Ncube

“The deceased is a male adult aged 37 of Entumbane who was employed as a laboratory technician by the Ministry of Health and Child Care at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH),” he said.

“On the 27th of June 2022 in the afternoon, a nine-year-old male juvenile who is the son of the now deceased came back from school and found his father hanging from the roof truss. The juvenile ran to a neighbour whom he told what he had seen. The neighbour advised the boy to go to the police.”

Insp Ncube said the boy made a police report and at the scene, they found a suicide note which stated that he loved his wife and she should take care of their two children since he had failed to cope with the situation.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the now deceased had domestic disputes with his wife. The body was taken to UBH for post-mortem. Police are urging members of the public to share their problems with others or to approach local counsellors, church leaders and other relevant personnel in order to avoid such cases because committing suicide is not a solution to any problem,” added Insp Ncube.

United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH)

According to last year’s World Health Organisation data on suicide, Zimbabwe has a suicide rate of 14 deaths per 100 000 people.

The male rate is at 20 percent while the rate is pegged at 8,8 percent for women. This has left Zimbabwe ranked 34th on a list of 182 countries, and the fifth in Africa, behind Lesotho, Eswatini, South Africa and Botswana.

There are many men in Zimbabwe and around the world who are suffering from some form of mental illness that leads to depression.

Sometimes this depression is so severe that some men drown their sorrows in alcohol or a narcotic of their choice to numb their mind. Others pursue self-destructive behaviour such as violence and suicide to escape or perhaps deal with the difficulties of life. – @thamamoe