News / Africa
'Jump, jump, jump,' crowd says as Zimbabwean man commits suicide in SA
10 Dec 2014 at 08:26hrs | Views
A Zimbabwean man clutching his bible plunged to his death after an hour-long standoff ended with him committing suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of a building in Joburg CBD.
Bheki Themba Ndlovu on Thursday committed suicide from the fifth floor of a building, on the corner of Bree and Simmonds streets , in front of a large group of onlookers.
Witnesses told EWN that the man climbed out the window shortly before 5pm before proceeding to read scriptures in front of a large group of onlookers.
The crowd on the street starting chanting "jump, jump, jump," before the man jumped to his death.
The 22-year-old man's cousin, Beauty Zibonele, told Eyewitness News she's angry the crowd made no effort to stop him.
A person inside the flats tried to grab the man but was unsuccessful.
"This thing is hurting me because people sometimes take things that are serious as a joke, which is not good.
"I can't cope for now and I can't hold [back] my tears because I wasn't expecting such a thing," Zibonele added.
She confirmed Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean national, was in South Africa for a month and in Johannesburg for only a day.
Zibonele said Ndlovu seemed possessed in the days leading up to his death, prompting them to take him to a church downstairs.
She said while her cousin appeared aggressive and disturbed last week, he had always been a deeply religious, kind and happy man.
Witnesses initially reported that Ndlovu was clutching his Bible, which was in fact a Zulu/English dictionary.
Paramedics were unable to resuscitate Ndlovu and he was declared dead on the scene.
Bheki Themba Ndlovu on Thursday committed suicide from the fifth floor of a building, on the corner of Bree and Simmonds streets , in front of a large group of onlookers.
Witnesses told EWN that the man climbed out the window shortly before 5pm before proceeding to read scriptures in front of a large group of onlookers.
The crowd on the street starting chanting "jump, jump, jump," before the man jumped to his death.
The 22-year-old man's cousin, Beauty Zibonele, told Eyewitness News she's angry the crowd made no effort to stop him.
A person inside the flats tried to grab the man but was unsuccessful.
"This thing is hurting me because people sometimes take things that are serious as a joke, which is not good.
"I can't cope for now and I can't hold [back] my tears because I wasn't expecting such a thing," Zibonele added.
She confirmed Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean national, was in South Africa for a month and in Johannesburg for only a day.
Zibonele said Ndlovu seemed possessed in the days leading up to his death, prompting them to take him to a church downstairs.
She said while her cousin appeared aggressive and disturbed last week, he had always been a deeply religious, kind and happy man.
Witnesses initially reported that Ndlovu was clutching his Bible, which was in fact a Zulu/English dictionary.
Paramedics were unable to resuscitate Ndlovu and he was declared dead on the scene.
Source - ewn
