News / Local
Man, 60, dies after drinking brake fluid
10 Nov 2014 at 21:04hrs | Views
A 60-YEAR-OLD Gwanda man committed suicide by drinking a bottle of brake fluid after two previous attempts had failed.
Boy Khumalo of Spitzkop Medium Density in Gwanda Town who was employed as a driver at the Gwanda Rural District Council (RDC), is suspected to have committed suicide by drinking a 500ml bottle of brake fluid while he was at his home last Thursday morning.
When Chronicle visited Khumalo's home on Saturday, relatives and other mourners confirmed that Khumalo took his own life after drinking a poisonous substance.
They said it was not known why Khumalo decided to terminate his life that way.
Relatives believed that Khumalo's widow could have been the only one with a clear picture concerning her husband's death. However, the widow was not in a state to speak to the press.
It is said that the night before killing himself, Khumalo told his wife how he wanted things to be handled in the event that he died.
Khumalo's daughter, Valentine, said her father drank brake fluid barely a week after he had tried to kill himself by taking an overdose of pills and rat poison.
"This time he drank brake fluid because my mother found him vomiting with an empty brake fluid bottle just next to him. He was rushed to hospital but attempts to revive him failed. Last week on Thursday, my father took an overdose of pills and attempted to drink rat poison mixed with hot stuff. However, he was unsuccessful as he became too drunk and fell asleep. On that occasion, he was treated and discharged. The hot stuff bottle was found next to him and we still have that bottle at home," she said.
Valentine said Khumalo never revealed his problems to them. "Something was bothering him but we never got to know what exactly it was. Recently, he was involved in an accident and I suspect that's where the problem started," she said.
But a close relative who requested not to be named said sometime last year Khumalo tried to kill himself by drinking dip chemical but survived.
Khumalo's body was taken to his home area in Matshetsheni for burial.
Matabeleland South Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Philisani Ndebele, could not be reached for comment.
Boy Khumalo of Spitzkop Medium Density in Gwanda Town who was employed as a driver at the Gwanda Rural District Council (RDC), is suspected to have committed suicide by drinking a 500ml bottle of brake fluid while he was at his home last Thursday morning.
When Chronicle visited Khumalo's home on Saturday, relatives and other mourners confirmed that Khumalo took his own life after drinking a poisonous substance.
They said it was not known why Khumalo decided to terminate his life that way.
Relatives believed that Khumalo's widow could have been the only one with a clear picture concerning her husband's death. However, the widow was not in a state to speak to the press.
It is said that the night before killing himself, Khumalo told his wife how he wanted things to be handled in the event that he died.
"This time he drank brake fluid because my mother found him vomiting with an empty brake fluid bottle just next to him. He was rushed to hospital but attempts to revive him failed. Last week on Thursday, my father took an overdose of pills and attempted to drink rat poison mixed with hot stuff. However, he was unsuccessful as he became too drunk and fell asleep. On that occasion, he was treated and discharged. The hot stuff bottle was found next to him and we still have that bottle at home," she said.
Valentine said Khumalo never revealed his problems to them. "Something was bothering him but we never got to know what exactly it was. Recently, he was involved in an accident and I suspect that's where the problem started," she said.
But a close relative who requested not to be named said sometime last year Khumalo tried to kill himself by drinking dip chemical but survived.
Khumalo's body was taken to his home area in Matshetsheni for burial.
Matabeleland South Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Philisani Ndebele, could not be reached for comment.
Source - chronicle
