Suicide shocks residents

MAGWEGWE NORTH residents woke up to a horrific sight after the body of a 19-year-old man was found hanging from a tree at his parent's home on Tuesday.

Simbarashe Makumbe, who was expecting his ‘O' Level results this year, is suspected to have, for unclear reasons, tied a wire round his neck and hung himself from a tree just after dawn.

When Southern Eye arrived at the house at around 10am, the body was still hanging from the tree, while neighbours had filled the yard in an effort to get a glimpse of the deceased.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, said Makumbe showed signs of depression, particularly during discussions with neighbours, telling them about his problems.

"Simba would come and tell us that he was not at peace, but never got into detail on what was bothering him," the neighbour said.

"He once ran away from home a few months back and his family declared him missing and even asked neighbours who had knowledge of his whereabouts to assist them.

"He came back home on his own about a week later, but did not tell anyone where he had been." One of his close friends, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Makumbe was acting strangely the last time he saw him, adding he could have been haunted by the death of a friend.

"I last saw him yesterday (Monday) and he was saying he had been drinking alcohol that he took from a friend," the friend said.

"I asked him why he did not seem drunk and who the friend was, but he walked away, focusing on a text message he had just received."

The Makumbe family refused to comment on the suicide, saying they were in mourning and felt it was inappropriate to talk to the press about the issue. Bulawayo Provincial police spokesperson Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway.

"I can confirm that we received a case, but cannot give full details," he said.

"Investigations are ongoing and the cause of death is yet to be confirmed."

Suicide among the youth seemingly been on the rise in recent days, as last Thursday a National University of Science and Technology student committed suicide, the next day a University of Zimbabwe student recorded a video of himself before taking his life, and a student from the Midlands State University drank poison and took his life in front of administration building.