More turn to suicide as economic hardships bite

During the early seventies it was taboo to come across a person who had killed himself but now it is a norm in Zimbabwe. As the country plunges deeper into economic turmoil more people are committing suicide as they are failing to cope with the ever increasing cost of living and spiraling prices of basic foodstuffs. The Military government has totally failed and is now clueless about how to manage the economy which is now a ticking time bomb towards civil unrest.

Police reports across the country have indicated a sharp rise in the number of people now turning to suicide as a result of problems associated with the country's economic quagmire. Cases reported include people who shoot, hang or poison themselves as they are failing to cope with the country's mounting economic, political and social challenges.

Recently a security guard shot himself three times in Bulawayo the country's second capital in a suicide described by social service workers as stress related, while train drivers have reported a growing number of people throwing themselves in railway lines.

In most rural areas people have reportedly been found hanging on trees as they are failing to cope with the ever increasing cost of living or are victims of political persecution by ruling party thugs paid to unleash violence on the hapless citizens.

"We have young people of about fifteen years committing suicide, this is how bad the situation is in this country, they are hopeless and what they see is a bleak future ahead of them. There are no job opportunities, no future prospects nothing," said Tendai Ndlovu a social services worker with the government.

He said the number of people seeking assistance from the Department of Social Welfare was growing by the day but they could do nothing as there was no money or resources to assist resulting in people committing suicide.

According to the police reports suicide cases stood at more than a hundred as of June this year while a number of them went unreported as a result of the lack of confidence in the system by the country's citizens.

The highest number of suicide cases has been reported in towns, rural Zimbabwe has recorded less numbers, males account for the highest number of people killing themselves as they are failing to provide for their families.

"the family unit has virtually broken down in Zimbabwe and this is worrying more and more young people are turning to crime, prostitution and drug abuse to get away from the economic situation, they are a hopeless generation," said Ndlovu.

Social unrest is mounting in Zimbabwe despite calls by Emmerson Mnangagwa for peace and calm; opposition leaders are arbitrarily arrested and beaten by the security services, especially the army whose members have been receiving huge salary allowances against other government workers. The Military government has also been beefing up its armories with weapons secretly acquired from countries such as China and Russia.  Russia has also been handsomely rewarded with diamond mines in the country.

Mnangagwa has also banned the use of foreign currency and put  a stringent law that outlaws people from using forex although party officials and government officials are still trading in forex and fuelling the black market leaving ordinary citizens with no other alternatives except killing themselves.

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Makho Precious, I write my personal opinions as a free spirit standing for human rights and space in society