Ex-wife barred from suicide burial

THE family of a man who allegedly committed suicide last week at his in-laws' home in Masvingo suspect foul play in his death.

They barred his ex-wife from his funeral after he left a suicide note accusing her of deceiving him.

Forty-five year old Steven Mbirikira's body was found hanging from a tree at the family residence of his ex-wife Tendai Murinye, 36, in Mucheke, Masvingo on Wednesday morning, hours after the woman had rejected his plea for them to reconcile.

The Chronicle is in possession of a copy of the suicide note he is believed to have written shortly before he took his life. In the note, Mbirikira accuses Murinye of having deceived him and asked her mother Ketina Mabhuma, 81, to take care of their six-year-old child.

The suicide note reads: "Tendai Murinye Thanks for the time we had together. Most of the time you were deceiving me so that. You snatched me so that you could kill me. Thanks so much Mbuya Murinye, makaita basa (You did well). Mundichengetere mwana wangu. (Thank you look after my child) I AM GOING. Steven."

On Friday, Mbirikira's father Davison Tsungai Biri, 72, led the family in blocking Murinye from Mbirikira's burial at Mangwandi Cemetery under Chief Chiwara's area.

Yesterday, Biri said lack of resources had limited them from pushing for a second post-mortem as they were suspicious even though the first one ruled out foul play in his son's death.

Biri said three factors make his son's death suspicious: the body had scars on the neck, the spinal cord was broken and his right shoe was filled with blood which flowed along his leg from the neck.

"I received a phone call from Murinye's family neighbour informing me about the tragedy at around 6.30AM. I rushed to the scene and saw my son's body hanging from a tree at the Murinyes' family house in Mucheke A. I was however, taken aback by the posture that he had, he had his right hand in his pocket," said Biri.

"I wonder how a person who has committed suicide would have a broken spinal cord. Mbirikira didn't soil himself as expected of suicide victims. I can't rule out foul play although I respect the doctor's report that he died of suffocation and strangulation."

He said his son arrived in the country five days before his death and he suspected that he had been a victim of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Biri said when he went to the scene where his son was found hanging, Murinye ran away, which he said was also suspicious.

The Chronicle spoke to Murinye on her way out of the graveyard on Friday after she was threatened. She rejected claims that she or her family were behind Mbirikira's death.

She added that her union with her former husband ended due to physical abuse perpetrated by him against her.

"I've been expelled from the burial but I left my son behind. I'm being held responsible for Steven's death but God is my witness I don't have anything to do with him committing suicide," said a sobbing Murinye.

"Maybe the only sin I committed was telling him to leave me, I no longer loved him and decided to part ways with him. I nearly died in his hands as he kept on assaulting me."

She said even some of his relatives knew about his violent behaviour against women and his suicidal tendencies.

"Steven's parents are now putting me and my family in a corner over his suicide. It's not fair, especially when almost every member of his family was aware of his suicidal tendencies. More often than not his brother who stays in Harare used to come and counsel him over his behaviour and he kept on entertaining the idea of taking his own life. His suicide note has also absolved me of any wrong doing and I don't know why they're persecuting me," she said.

Mbirikira is survived by six children with three different women, the eldest is 15 while the youngest whom he had with Murinye is aged six.

The late Mbirikira's elder brother, Simon Biri, 54, did not support the decision to expel Murinye from the proceedings. He added that his younger brother used to abuse her.

"It's unfortunate that they've expelled Murinye from witnessing the burial of her husband. She ought to be here comforting her son that they sired with Steven," said Simon.

"I knew Murinye from 2009 and I once came to counsel them following a report of domestic abuse. Steven was a violent man especially on Murinye and had suicidal tendencies. I'm also surprised that he had six children with three different women, I'm discovering it now," said Simon.

Last week Murinye told The Chronicle that Mbirikira came to their house on Tuesday night when she was already asleep and engaged her mother, Mabhuma.

"I heard Mbirikira begging for forgiveness from my mother but never went out to meet him. I had long ditched him but he kept on forcing me as he said he deserved another chance. He was an abusive husband who used to assault me," said Murinye.

She said after some time, Mabhuma got into the house, leaving Mbirikira outside and he later sent a message on his ex-wife's phone asking her to come out, but she declined.

She said when he finally left, she received a text message on her phone hinting that he wanted to commit suicide. She said the message read:

"You made a covenant on my blood that you would be with me, so why are you running away from me? When you wake up today you will see me, I will be with you. Take care of my child, Tendai, bye bye."