04 Jan 2013

Lobatse station commander, Superintendent Robert Mack has expressed concern about growing incidents of suicide in his policing area.

Superintendent Mack said in an interview that his office recorded 11 incidents of suicide in 2012, while it recorded 16 incidents the previous year. He said most of the incidents took place in Molapowabojang in the Southern District while a few happened in Lobatse.

Superintendent Mack said the incidents were disturbing as most of the time they involved men who were in relationships. He said it appeared police messages that murder and committing suicide were not the solution to problems fell on deaf ears.

Superintendent Mack noted that between Christmas and New Year holidays, his office recorded six male suicide cases where all the men hanged themselves in their houses.

One of the incidents involved a 27-year-old man who was found hanging in his lover’s house  at Tshweneyagae ward in Molapowabojang. He said the owner of the house was not in and a friend of the deceased found him hanging from the roof when he went to check on him. The deceased had on the previous day asked him to visit him at his lover’s house.

A 46-year old man was also found hanging at his house still in Molapowabojang on the same day. According to Superintendent Mack, the deceased used a school belt to hang himself. The incident was reported by neighbours.

On December 31, a 44-year-old man was found hanging from his house at Ntomalome ward still in Molapowabojang.  Superintendent Mack said the deceased left a note that stated that he had misunderstanding with his partner. Meanwhile in Lobatse a certain man was found hanging in his house at New Stance.

Superintendent Mack said the body of deceased was already decomposed and was buried immediately. He said the deceased who originated from Makopong in Kgalagadi  was last seen by his neighbours on Christmas Eve. He said the neighbours realized there was bad smell coming from his house and reported the matter to the police.

On another issues, a middle aged man was questioned over the murder of a 20-year old man. The dead man was stubbed with a sharp object under the breast at a bar in Molapowabojang. Superintendent Mack said the victim was rushed to hospital where he was certified dead. ENDS