04 Mar 2014

Maun police have recorded two suicide incidents involving two men of Sedie and Boseja wards.

Station commander, Superintendent Kenanao Badumetse said in the first incident, a 26-year-old man of Sedie ward shot himself with a shot gun at his parents’ home subsequent to shooting his ex-girlfriend who is recuperating at Letsholathebe Memorial hospital.

The man reportedly entered the woman’s house and found her watching television with a female friend and shot her on the hand and thigh and she sustained serious injuries. The police said the female friend ran for her life and the man disappeared after the shooting.

Supt Badumetse said while the police were searching for the man, they received a report that he had shot himself on the chest at his parents’ home, a kilometre from the woman’s place. The police said the man’s father indicated that his son stole the gun.

At Boseja ward, a 42-year-old man hanged himself with a school scarf/belt in the bush on March 1.

Supt Badumetse said before the incident, the man told his girlfriend that he wanted to commit suicide and she sent children to go and call his relatives so that they could question and counsel him.

He said before the relatives arrived, the man ran away into the nearby bush and on Sunday they received a report that he was found hanging from Motsebe tree in the bush.  No suicidal messages were found in relation to the two incidents.

Supt Badumetse said incidents of suicides were worrisome and pleaded with public to seek advice from pastors, social workers and the police adding that committing suicide was not a good solution.

He said people should learn to open up when they have problems rather than resorting to suicides. ends