Online Reporter
Tindo Ngwenya was just 19.
Nineteen. An age when life is supposed to be full of dreams, laughter, mistakes, second chances and endless possibilities. Instead, Bulawayo is mourning another young life after the Cowdray Park teenager was found hanging inside her home.
Her death is heartbreaking. But what is even more heartbreaking is that she is not alone.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, yet Zimbabwe continues losing sons, daughters, fathers, mothers and friends to a battle that many people still refuse to talk about. We bury the dead, whisper about “family problems” or “stress”, then move on until the next tragedy.
Enough is enough.
Zimbabwe’s suicide rate remains alarmingly high, with about 14,1 deaths per 100 000 people.
Behind every statistic is someone who smiled yesterday but was silently breaking inside. That cheerful neighbour, that church member, that colleague who jokes every morning, that teenager glued to a phone in their bedroom. Pain does not always wear a sad face.
The most dangerous words in our communities are often: “Kuzadlula.” “Be strong.” “Indoda ayikhali.” “Pray about it.”
Yes, prayer is powerful. Strength matters. But so does talking. So does listening. So does professional help.
Too many young people are carrying burdens bigger than their age. Unemployment, relationship heartbreak, cyberbullying, family conflict, abuse, drugs and hopelessness are crushing them. Some feel trapped with nowhere to turn. Men are suffering too. Society has taught boys that crying is weakness and asking for help is shameful. The result is that many men bottle up pain until it explodes in the worst possible way.
This silence is costing lives.
As families, we must stop treating mental health as a taboo subject. Ask your children how they are really doing. Notice changes in behaviour. Check on that friend who suddenly disappeared from WhatsApp groups. Visit the neighbour who has been unusually quiet.
And when someone says, “I’m tired,” or “I don’t want to live anymore,” do not dismiss it as attention-seeking. Take it seriously.
Schools, churches, workplaces and communities also have a role to play. Counselling should not be seen as something for “crazy people”. It is healthcare. Just as we seek treatment for malaria or high blood pressure, emotional pain deserves care too.
Alcohol and drugs are not medicine for a broken heart. They often deepen depression and make impulsive decisions more likely. Running away from pain is not healing.
Tindo’s story should not become another forgotten headline in tomorrow’s newspaper. It should become a conversation in every home in Bulawayo and across Zimbabwe.
This September, let us do one simple but powerful thing: start the conversation. A phone call can save a life. A hug can save a life. Listening without judging can save a life.
No one should suffer in silence until a roof truss, a rope or a cable becomes their final answer.
Life is precious. Let’s make sure our people know they never have to fight their darkest battles alone.
