Missing man found hanging

A 56-year-old man was found by his neighbours hanging from a tree in the bush close to the Bulawayo dumpsite known as Ngozi Mine on Saturday afternoon.

Bernard Warambwa had been reported missing 12 days earlier and was found hanging by a group of boys who were looking for firewood, in a suspected case of suicide.

"Warambwa was a part of our community and it is hard to come to terms with the fact that he is no more," a distressed David Moyo, chairperson of the Ngozi Mine Residents, said.

Moyo said residents were still baffled by what could have led Warambwa to hang himself.

Warambwa is said to have left his workplace in Cowdray Park to visit his wife at Ngozi Mine and was last seen leaving his wife's shack. He was found hanging from a tree on Saturday afternoon.

"I saw Warambwa leaving his wife's house in the afternoon and he did not talk to anyone as usual," a community member Samuel Sibanda said. "I then saw him go straight into the bush and I thought he was going to relieve himself. That is the last time I saw him," Sibanda said.

Warambwa's wife, who only identified herself as Mai Warambwa, told Southern Eye that she did not know why her husband committed suicide considering that they had not had any disputes and he had not complained about anything to her.

"I don't know what could have driven him to take his life because we never fought or argued," she said in between sobs.

Warambwa's body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary by Cowdray Park police.

The Ngozi Mine community contributed $1 each towards Warambwa's burial set for today at West Park Cemetery.

Contacted for comment, the Bulawayo provincial police Press office said they were yet to get information on the case from Cowdray Park police.