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MENTAL health professionals have bemoaned the lack of awareness of services available to people in the wake of soaring suicide cases.
Suicides have been on the increase in the past few months, and police recorded more than 10 cases, last week.
Most of the reported suicides involved men.
Harare bouncer, Takudzwa Mutaguta, 22, took his own life by downing cyanide amid claims he was having marital problems with his wife.
He reportedly sent his father a suicidal WhatsApp message.
Ximex dealer, Tafadzwa “Boss Pango” Murengwa, made headlines after ending his life by drinking an unidentified poison.
He had gunned down his estranged girlfriend, Samantha Dzapata. He accused her of dating a married man.
George Nigel Rennie shot himself in the head with a gun at his house in Gunhill.
He shot himself in his bedroom while his wife was in the kitchen.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the statistics were worrying and showed that many people were suffering from social challenges.
“These cases of people ending their lives are an indication that we have a lot of troubled souls in our communities.” he said.
“We implore members of the public to seek help when facing challenges in life.
“There are churches, relatives and the Victim Friendly Unit in the police service available at police stations nationwide.”
Ass-Comm Nyathi said rising cases of mental illness could also be a contributing factor to the surge in suicides.
McDonald Matika, a psychology lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said many people were anxious about the present and what the future has in store for them.
“When stress becomes chronic and people have poor coping mechanisms, some contemplate suicide as a way out,” said Matika.
Another psychologist, Noreen Wini-Dari, said there was general inaccessibility to mental healthcare, as most mental health services were not stationed at primary healthcare centres.
“When you get to a clinic, it’s not always that you get someone who can offer this service (mental healthcare), unlike physical health” she said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter