Long serving cop commits suicide

Chief Mphini Ndiweni’s long-serving policeman committed suicide by hanging on Thursday at his relative`s homestead in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province.

The policeman, Jerry Tonye Ndebele (69) is from Ndiweni village.

Ndebele is said to have left his wife sleeping early in the morning and went to a relative, Vinnah Ndebele`s homestead where he entered a two-roomed house and hanged himself from the roof truss.

“The body was discovered by the late’s wife who followed his footsteps to his relative’s homestead which is not far from their homestead. She found him hanging from a roof truss with a rope in a two-roomed house,” said a neighbour who declined to be named.

The neighbour said the matter was reported to police who took the body to Plumtree District Hospital for post-mortem.

The neighbour said the Ndebele did not leave any suicide note.

Chief Mphini Ndiweni confirmed that the chieftainship’s long-serving policeman committed suicide saying he was devastated.

“Yes ipholisa lami lizibophele (my policeman hanged himself) but I cannot give details as to what happened. He was my father`s policeman and to me, he was more than a policeman. I can say he was my parent because I learnt a lot from him, he had all our history. He was a well-known cop and there are a few people who did not know him,” he said.

Chief Mphini said the late Ndebele is survived by a wife and two children, although one of the them disappeared in South Africa years back.

Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena was not reachable on her phone.

Chief Mphini was installed in 2008.

@themkhust