Man runs over mother, commits suicide

IN an incident that has left villagers shell shocked, a man from Shurugwi resettlement area went berserk and ran over his mother before committing suicide by hanging following a misunderstanding with his family.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when Tapiwa Huruva ran over his mother following an altercation with his father who had allegedly chased him away from home over allegations of stealing farming inputs at their plot in Guinea Fowl in Shurugwi.

A source close to the family alleged that Tapiwa and his father, a Mr Huruva, had a longstanding dispute after the former allegedly abused farm inputs at the farm.

Mr Huruva allegedly asked his son to leave home and find alternative accommodation since they were not getting along well.

It is alleged that on the fateful day, Tapiwa approached his nephew to accompany him to his father so that he would ask for forgiveness for his wrongdoings.

"Tapiwa was accompanied by his nephew to his father's plot in Guinea Fowl. While on their way, they met his father, who was in the company of his mother and his sister-in-law, near Guinea Fowl High School.

"Tapiwa and the nephew got into the car and a heated argument ensued after the now deceased did not show remorse for his wrongdoings. It is alleged that Mr Huruva stopped the car and disembarked. Mr Huruva is said to have tried to pull his son out of the car," said the source.

The source added that Tapiwa, who had no driver's licence, rushed to the driver's seat and tried to speed off but ran over his mother, Mrs Agnes Huruva, who had also disembarked from the vehicle to restrain the two.

She died on the spot.

"When Tapiwa drove the car he did not notice that he had killed his mother because he thought she had sustained minor injuries. He then drove the car along Gweru-Shurugwi road together with his nephew and his brother's wife threatening to commit suicide by driving the car into the river so that the three would drown together.







"His sister-in-law calmed him down and he stopped the car. Tapiwa told his nephew and sister-in-law to disembark from the car before driving off leaving them behind," he said.

The source said Tapiwa dumped the vehicle after it ran out of fuel and he locked the doors.

"He called his brother and told him that his vehicle had run out of fuel and told him where he had left it. His brother and other relatives tracked him down and handed him to the police and asked them to keep him in custody since he had threatened to commit suicide," said the source.

Police allegedly released Tapiwa from custody before he could be taken to court.

He went on to commit suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Shurugwi along the railway line after realising that he had killed his mother.

Mr Huruva confirmed the incident but referred all questions to his relatives who then narrated the ordeal.

"We went back to the police station the following day so that the police would release him from custody and we would take him home for counselling. We also wanted him to reconcile with his father and resolve the dispute which was there.

"We were told that he was released on Tuesday night. His body was later discovered hanging from a tree in Shurugwi," said a relative who refused to be named.

The relative alleged that over R2 500 and passports that were left in the car when it was surrendered to the police also went missing at Gweru Central Police Station.

The relative also expressed disappointment in the manner the police handled the matter when they released the man from custody after he threatened to commit suicide.

"We left Tapiwa in custody of the police because we thought he would be safe. We informed the police that he had threatened to commit suicide. When they released him he committed suicide. That was negligence on the side of the police," said the relative.

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko could neither deny nor confirm the incident.

"I am not in the office," he said.