HARARE - A 26-year-old Chitungwiza man forced to relocate to a farm by his mother has chosen to kill himself than kissing goodbye to town life.

Police say Kudakwashe Kadzatsa shot himself at the weekend after his mother told him to leave Chitungwiza so he could help with labour at a family farm.

“Investigations are still underway but preliminary findings suggest that the deceased refused to go to the farm where he had been told by his mother to go,” said Harare police spokesperson Tarirai Dube.

“If people have problems in their families, they should try to solve them without resorting to use of guns and other dangerous weapons. If a misunderstanding within a family goes beyond the help of other family members, it is wiser for the affected person to seek assistance from our Victim Friendly Unit than taking their own lives,” Dube said.

Zimbabwe has witnessed an upsurge in the number of suicide cases because of economic hardships coupled with marital problems, according to police.

Last year’s police statistics suggests that most of the suicide cases were linked to marital woes, with men being the most suicidal.

Since the beginning of the year, Chitungwiza has witnessed five suicide cases, with men topping the list. - Staff Writer