Police in Mashonaland Central province are urging people to take suicidal threats seriously after a recent incident in which a 56-year-old man took his own life.
The man, identified as Stephen Mubaiwa from Mbisva Village, hanged himself with a wire after an argument with his 37-year-old son, Nicholas.
According to police spokesperson Samuel Chikasha, Mubaiwa had fought with his son following a misunderstanding over family issues on May 26. Three days later, Mubaiwa told his wife Zione Andiseni that he was going to kill himself because she was supporting Nicholas’s behaviour.
Mubaiwa then picked up a wire from the yard, went into the house and locked himself inside. His wife was unable to open the door. She alerted Mubaiwa’s uncle Bernard Mukono for help.
Villagers broke down the door and found Mubaiwa hanging from a wire tied to the roof trusses in the dining room. Police attended the scene and Mubaiwa’s body was taken to Concession Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.
Police urged people to take suicidal threats or behavior seriously and seek help to prevent further tragedies. The arguments with family members apparently overwhelmed Mubaiwa and pushed him to take his own life.
