The ManicaPost
Ray Bande and Luthando Mapepa
ANOTHER day, another suicide case over a partner’s alleged infidelity.
Former Premiership football star, Philip Chandisaita committed suicide after discovering his wife’s alleged acts of infidelity barely three days after a Chipinge money changer also ended his life in similar circumstances.
The Chipinge money changer, Darlington Manzunzu, even took pictures as he consumed an insecticide last week on Thursday.
He went on to post the images on social media before breathing his last.
For Chandisaita, he bade farewell to most of his friends moments before he took his life.
Chandy, as he was fondly referred to by his peers in football circles, turned out for the Mutare army outfit, Buffaloes, during and after its stint in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Details of how exactly Chandisaita discovered his wife’s extra marital affair are still sketchy.
Efforts to get a comment from his wife, Prisla Kennel, were fruitless as her relatives refused to entertain our crew after we had visited her rented Chikanga home on Monday evening in the company of the deceased’s workmates.
Chandisaita’s close friend, Lloyd Katongomara said he tried in vain to convince the deceased to do away with his suicidal thoughts.
Katongomara said Chandisaita opened up about his intentions to commit suicide after he had visited his wife in Binga recently.
“The last time he phoned me, he was in Binga where his wife was working as a teacher. In that telephone conversation, he told me that he was heartbroken over what his wife had done to him.
“I asked him what his wife had done, but he could not divulge anything. He only promised to tell me the whole story upon his return to Mutare.
“Yesterday (Sunday), I phoned him as l knew he was now around. We arranged to meet and that is when he told me that he had discovered that his wife was cheating on him. He said he had decided to take his own life. He looked and sounded distressed.
“I tried to counsel him. After some time, I left him for some errands I had to do. He visited his rural home on Monday and that is when he phoned me to bid me farewell saying: ‘Lolo mfana wangu ndaakuenda (Lolo my buddy, I am dying)’.
“The next thing was a phone call announcing the sad news that he had committed suicide at his rural home in Headlands,” said Katongomara, who is now turning out for Manica Diamonds.
The then team manager at Buffaloes, who identified Chandisaita’s talent as he was turning out for Masvingo United and secured his signature to join the Mutare army side, Ticha Zikai, recounted the years he spent with the late footballer.
“I personally took them from Masvingo United – Philip Chandisaita, Bevern Chirere and Elton Dzumbunu. I gave them money for bus fare to travel from Masvingo to their rural home in Makoni before coming to Mutare to join Buffaloes.
“It is painful to lose a colleague in this manner. We really find it difficult to understand why he had to take his life. He was a very disciplined player.
“Apart from the pain we have for Philip’s unfulfilled dreams and ambitions in life, we feel for the child that will grow up without a father,” said Zikai, who is now with Manica Diamonds.
Buffaloes chairman, Tendai Chitowa said: “He was part of us since the days he left Masvingo United. His death is hard to comprehend and accept. We did not expect this.
“He was with us for the four years that we played in the Castle Lager Premiership. When we launched another campaign to bounce back into the Premiership in 2016, he was with us until he got a job in the Zimbabwe National Army.
“Even if he had issues that were troubling him, suicide was not the solution. It is sad. We want to urge players to share their problems, not only with their peers, but elderly people who are able to make them see the different side of the coin,” said Chitowa.
Meanwhile, Manzunzu’s case left the Chipinge Medium Density community in a state of shock.
Manzunzu, a well-known money changer, committed suicide over his wife’s alleged infidelity.
It is said Manzunzu drank an insecticide after allegedly discovering that his wife, Quelani Ziyadhuma, was cheating on him.
Manzunzu was buried at his rural home in Dorowa.
Just like Chandisaita, Manzunzu and his partner were blessed with two children.
However, Manzunzu and his wife had a history of domestic disputes.
Last week, Ziyadhuma dragged Manzunzu to Chipinge Civil Court as she was applying for a protection order against him.
Ziyadhuma was accusing her husband for abusing her.
In an interview, Ziyadhuma’s friend who requested anonymity said the two were recently at each other’s throats, with Manzunzu accusing his wife of having an extra marital affair.
“The two had not been staying peacefully for a long time. Quelani would frequent my place telling me that she was being abused by her husband. I tried to ascertain the root cause of their disputes, but she would not open up.
“Recently, she told me that she was fed up with Darlington and wanted a divorce,’’ she said.
