Suicide over hooker wife

A MAN from Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo hanged himself from a roof truss at his rented home after his self-confessed sex worker wife of two years allegedly fell in love and ran off with one of her clients.

The incident happened on Monday. Residents of the suburb yesterday said Anele Titosi Moyo (23) met his wife, Simelinkosi Luphahla (19), at a bar in the city centre when she was six months pregnant with a client's baby and married her. They alleged he was pimping her out to other men for a living.

In an interview, Ms Luphahla said she left home because her late husband was abusive. She also confirmed that she was the breadwinner and worked as a prostitute.

"On Sunday in the afternoon, Anele contacted me and told me to collect my belongings at his sister's home in Hillside.

"His sister squabbled with me. Anele assaulted me on the same day at Hillside. I told him that I can't stay with him and I'm no longer interested in our relationship because he was abusive. The deceased was unemployed and I was the breadwinner of the family".

She said Anele would inexplicably complain that their 18-month-old son was not his.

"I'm not fully employed. I do some piece jobs in town and also work at night as a prostitute in order to make a living. I was responsible for rent and basic needs because we were renting in New Magwegwe suburb. I had separated with him by the time of his death," said Ms Luphahla.

Moyo was found by a fellow tenant who only identified herself as NaShantel who was checking up on him as she had not heard from him or his wife for the whole day, which she said was unusual.

Another fellow tenant Ms Patience Moyo said the couple did not keep their source of income a secret.

"They met at a night club in town and he married her when she was six months pregnant with another man's child but he loved her still. She told us that he did not mind that she was a sex worker and the money sustained them as a family.

"He would escort her to the bus stop every night when she was going for 'her shift' and he would do all household chores during the day when she was asleep after shifts as she would be tired from working all night," said Ms Moyo.

The fellow tenants said problems started between the couple after Ms Luphahla started getting fond of one of her clients who became a regular.

They said the couple fought over the said client, leading to Ms Luphahla running off with the man.

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday.

"I can confirm that we are dealing with a case of sudden death where a man was found hanging from a roof truss in his bedroom in Magwegwe suburb. The matter is being treated as suicide by hanging. He was hanging from a roof truss and had used an electric cord," said Insp Ncube.

Police attended the scene and the body was taken to Mpilo Central Hospital at around 7PM on Monday. The late Anele's sister, Ms Tapiwa Moyo, narrated the events which led to the tragic incident and expressed her shock at her brother's decision to end his life.

"My brother was a quiet person and a man of few words. He had a dispute with his wife. They were always fighting. Their domestic problems started when the wife told him that the child they were raising did not belong to my brother after living together customarily for almost three years. My brother was greatly troubled because the wife had left him claiming to have found someone better. My brother loved his wife and I think he was heartbroken and this led him probably to commit suicide because he was lonely and felt rejected," said a sobbing Ms Moyo.