BULAWAYO – Bulawayo police are investigating two sudden death cases in the city this week involving a 61-year-old man and an 18-year-old housemaid.
The bodies of Sizondo Moyo of Makokoba and Duduzile Ngwenya, an 18-year-old housekeeper from Cowdray Park, have been sent to Mpilo Central Hospital for a post-mortem.
Moyo’s body was found lying facedown at his Makokoba Market stall at 5AM on January 6. He had been drinking heavily, police said.
Inspector Abednico Ncube of Bulawayo police said Moyo left his home where he was drinking “King Whisky” intending to collect empty plastic bottles at the market where he worked.
A security guard at the market told police he saw a sozzled Moyo at his stall in a drunken state and told him to go home, but he was unable to walk. He slept at the market.
“At 5AM the next day, the security guard was about to knock off duty and checked on the now deceased at his stand and found him not showing any signs of life,” Inspector Ndebele said.
“The guard reported to the matter to Mzilikazi Police Station. Police attended the scene and his body was found lying facing down with no injuries. His body was taken to Mpilo Central hospital for post-mortem.”
Inspector Ncube said Ngwenya is believed to have taken poison, apparently after communicating an intention to kill herself to a relative who asked her by SMS: “Why, do you have corona?”
Ngwenya, according to police, visited a neighbour’s house and asked to use a mobile phone. She is thought to have sent a text, which she deleted before handing over the phone to its owner and returning to her workplace.
Police said at about 5.30PM on Wednesday, the owner of the phone Ngwenya had used got a text message which read in IsiNdebele: “Ubone kugcono kulokuthi ukhale ngokudinga imali ubuye ekhaya? Ulani, ule korona yini? (You think that’s better, instead of straining to get money and come home (rural area)? Why, do you have corona?”
Police said the woman whose phone Ngwenya had used proceeded to her workplace to show her the message, but found her on the flow wreathing in agony on a verandah.
Inspector Ncube said upon being asked what was wrong, she revealed that she had consumed a poison.
Cowdray Park police were called to the scene, but they did not find the source of the poison. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Mpilo.
“We appeal to members of the public to improve family bonds and active communication as this may help reduce suicide cases,” Inspector Ndebele said. “People who feel neglected or socially excluded end up seeing no reason to live as people live for each other.”
