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Zanu-PF chair in ‘HIV suicide’

by Patrick Chitumba
23 Apr 2016 at 12:47hrs | Views
A 34-YEAR-OLD Zanu-PF youth chairperson for Lalapanzi allegedly committed suicide after discovering that his wife and two children were taking HIV medication. Villagers said Moses Mbuyo went missing on Independence Day and was found hanging from a tree on Wednesday. Zanu-PF District Chairperson for Lalapanzi, Simon Zigauke, confirmed Mbuyo's death.

"I can confirm that we've lost a party member, Mbuyo. He was found hanging on Wednesday around 8AM by a passerby. He had been missing since Independence Day. He was youth chairperson for Lalapanzi administration district which falls under Chief Chirumanzu," he said.

He said Mbuyo, who leaves behind his wife and three children, was last seen on Independence Day at Zimasco Stadium. Friends of the late Mbuyo said on April 17, he was involved in a domestic dispute with his wife after learning that she and their two children were allegedly taking anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) without his knowledge.

"He had a fight with his wife over ARVs. He came across the ARVs in his house and was told that his wife was taking them together with their two children," a friend said.

"The following day, he came to the Independence celebrations at Zimasco and unknown to us, he was contemplating taking his life. But we don't know for sure if the children are his and why they would be taking the ARVs behind his back."

Efforts to get a comment from his wife or relatives were fruitless as some rowdy Zanu-PF youths blocked The Chronicle. According to the summary of sudden death form seen by The Chronicle, Mbuyo committed suicide in an area called Jerusalem Gardens in Lalapanzi.

"On April 18, Mbuyo, a male adult aged 34 years went missing. He was last seen by Lovemore Ngoma at Zimasco independence celebrations. On April 19, Mbuyo was phoned and his phone went unanswered," reads part of the form.

"On April 20, Sabi Itaumire and her son went looking for building poles. When in the bush, they came across the body of Mbuyo hanging from a tree branch. Itaumire informed the police and no foul play is suspected." Mbuyo was buried yesterday around 2PM at Lalapanzi cemetery.

Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe MP Auxillia Mnangagwa attended the funeral and called on villagers to desist from violence and seek mediation, instead of resorting to suicide. "The death of Mbuyo really pained me as we worked together very well with him. Taking one's life is never a solution," she said.

Mbuyo's body, which was at Mvuma Hospital for postmortem, was taken straight to the cemetery for burial. It is against Shona tradition for the body of a person who committed suicide to be brought into a homestead or house before burial.

Source - the herald
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