Suicide after family refuses to open door

Whinsley Masara
A 28-year-old man from Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s Old Magwegwe suburb who was allegedly drunk committed suicide by strangling himself with a telephone cable that hung outside their house after the family refused to open the door for him. Aï¿½

Ntando Ndlovu is said to have taken his own life on Monday morning after his family cautioned him of knocking and demanding that they open the door for him early morning.

The reason why he killed himself is yet to be established as family says they doubt the cautioning could have driven him to end his own life.

They said the suicide happened within a few minutes and he was already dead by the time they discovered him although he still had a pulse and his body was still warm.

The family said Ntando left in a state of drunkenness the previous night and when he came back in the morning; he allegedly still behaved and looked drunk which is why they were hesitant on opening the door for him.

The now deceasedaï¿½ï¿½s mother, Stella Ndlovu told B-Metro that her third child, Bhekisisa Ndlovu discovered Ntandoaï¿½ï¿½s body on a chair with his hands still clutching onto the telephone cable.

aï¿½?Ntando left home at around 10pm saying he was going to put up at his uncleaï¿½ï¿½s house which is a few houses away from ours. He had been sleeping at either of the houses for the past 10 years. He was drunk after he had been drinking with friends after a period of three months without him touching alcohol.

aï¿½?He knocked at the door at around 5am and I went to the door and cautioned him about knocking that early while we slept and as a security measure which he was aware of. I reminded him how much I hated opening the door that early and he went to sit on a chair which was on the other side of the wall,aï¿½? she said.

Ndlovu said after about five minutes she went and opened the door and I found him pulling the telephone cable that was hanging loose from the roof of the house.

aï¿½?He threatened to hang himself. He usually behaved funny, aggressive and violent when drunk but he had since stopped drinking. I grabbed the cable from him and threw it back onto the roof top and returned into the house to take a shower as I didnaï¿½ï¿½t suspect that he could persist on suicide.

aï¿½?When his sister went outside she found him looking slump and dead while he sat on the chair, clutching on to the cable. We tried to render first aid but realised he was already dead,aï¿½? she said.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident.

aï¿½?Police are investigating a sudden death case due to hanging. We received a report of a 28-year-old man from Old Magwegwe who is suspected to have committed suicide following a domestic dispute,aï¿½? said Insp Simango.

She urged residents to seek counselling instead of resorting to taking their lives.

aï¿½?We call on members of the public to use other means of solving differences. They must seek counselling services from community elders, religious leaders, family, and friends or approach the police when theyaï¿½ï¿½re facing difficulties.

Dialogue is very important when people are facing difficulties,aï¿½? Insp Simango said. .