Bulawayo – In an incident that has left the Tshabalala residents in Bulawayo speechless and searching for answers, a man died after fighting with a sangoma he had found sleeping in his mother’s house.
The now deceased, 22-year-old Peace Israel Mlauzi, died under tragic circumstances on Sunday. He was found hanging from a mango tree, and is believed to have taken his own life after a heated altercation with a traditional healer, or “sangoma,” who was staying at his mother’s house.
According to police reports, the fight erupted on Saturday evening around 9 pm when Mlauzi returned home intoxicated and discovered the sangoma, a 45-year-old man, sleeping on the couch. Mlauzi, seemingly angered by the sangoma’s presence, questioned why he was at his mother’s house instead of his own residence. The ensuing argument quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, with Mlauzi striking the sangoma on the forehead with a bronze cup.
“On the 27th of July 2024, at around 9 pm, the deceased returned home drunk and found a 45-year-old male traditional healer from Tshabalala, Bulawayo, who works with his mother, sleeping on the couch. An altercation ensued when the deceased questioned why the healer was at their house instead of his own residence. A fist fight broke out, during which the deceased struck the healer on the forehead with a bronze cup,” said Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube.
The fight was eventually broken up by Mlauzi’s grandmother, but the incident left a deep rift between the young man and the sangoma. A police report for assault was filed, and the matter seemed to be resolved, at least temporarily. However, the following day, tragedy struck. On Sunday, news spread through Tshabalala that Mlauzi had been found hanging from a mango tree, his body bearing signs of a struggle.
“On the 28th of July 2024, the police received information that the deceased had hanged himself using a cloth from a mango tree. He had bruises on both hands and his tongue was partially protruding from his mouth,” Inspector Ncube added.
Inspector Ncube, in a heartfelt plea to the community, urged members of the public to seek counselling when facing challenges rather than resorting to taking their own lives. He stressed that violence is never a solution to conflicts, especially when people act under the influence of alcohol.
“Investigations revealed that the deceased was reporting to ZRP Tshabalala regarding a pending murder case,” Inspector Ncube revealed, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
