The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube Post Correspondent
A CHIKANGA woman was on Monday morning split into two after she threw herself in front of an oncoming train in a grisly suicide case.
Some of Chipo Muunga (24)’s body parts were strewn all over the railway following the gory incident that happened at the 16km peg along Harare-Mutare Railway Line.
Scores of residents from the surrounding Hobhouse and Natview Park high-density suburbs immediately swarmed the scene to witness the aftermath of the incident.
Chipo’s lower part of the body was flown a few metres away from the railway line, while the upper part was stuck in the rail.
Reports revealed that Chipo had on numerous occasions tried to end her life by taking poisonous substances as she could not fathom the breast cancer ailment she was suffering from.
Her husband, Crucial Mabika (36), revealed in an interview on Wednesday that his late wife constantly talked about committing suicide as her breast ailment was stressing her.
He sobbed bitterly during the interview and chronicled how he incessantly counselled his wife against the idea.
“Mai Anesu (Chipo) let me down. I cried whenever she talked about committing suicide. She sometimes got emotional and revealed her intentions in front of our children. She was able-bodied, but one of her breasts pained her and was abnormally big possibly because of cancer. I remember some of her words when she said: ‘Zvinorwadza kuti munhu wawajaira kugara naye afume akaenda and ndirikufunga hangu kuzviuraya nekuti ndarwadziwa.’ On another day she said it was not good to commit suicide especially when you have little children.
“Our marriage was wonderful. I loved her despite the ailment. I could not believe it when detectives visited me at my workplace on Monday morning to break the horrific news. The breast in question kept growing big and doctors were saying she needed to be operated. I am in pain,” he said.
Police said Chipo had revealed to her husband that she was tired of living.
“Chipo revealed to her husband that she was tired of living and wanted to commit suicide. He convinced her against the idea and Chipo changed her mind. Brian Mtetwa witnessed the deceased throwing herself in front of the oncoming train at the 16km peg along
Harare-Mutare Railway Line. She died instantly,” said Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa.
He urged people to seek professional counselling from elders as well as police’s public relations department.
“Cutting your own life short has never been a solution. We urge people to seek professional counselling from elders, police’s community relations department for sound advice. We discourage suicide. We urge people to proffer positive solutions and live a mentally-health life.
Neighbours interviewed said Chipo was so eager to kill herself after she felt segregated by some sections of the society because of her unique ailment. They revealed that before she finally decided to throw herself in front of a moving train she was contemplating throwing herself in front of a moving haulage truck last Saturday.
“She would sometimes sit outside asking us if she would recover from her breast ailment. She told me that she had lost faith. Last Saturday, she told me that she was going to Sakubva to leave her three children there and throw herself in front of a haulage truck at Mutare Teachers’ College. The most disturbing thing is that soon after advising her against the idea she would convince us that she would never commit suicide. We are deeply pained that she deceived us and decided to die like this,” said Chipo’s neighbour, Ms Molline Manditereza.
A day before the incident, Chipo visited her friend, Patricia Nyambuya and told her that she was happy because the train was coming the following day.
“I counselled her against such suicidal tendencies and she assured me that she was not going to take her life. That was after she had told me that muchazongonzwa kuti ndazviuraya. She also told me that a train was coming without revealing the reason why she was so keen on the arrival of the train from Harare.
“It was weird and I could not understand it. She revealed that her husband, Crucial had done his best to love her in that condition, but she no longer wanted to continue burdening him. She left behind three children, Anesu, Tino and Emmanuel,” said Ms Nyambuya.
