ALTHOUGH suicide rates are difficult to ascertain in Zimbabwe because of variations in the way officials report causes of death, the number of people taking their own lives seems to be on the increase countrywide. NQOBANI NDLOVU STAFF REPORTER The reporting of suicides is not always consistent and statistics reported are rather too low.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated one million people take their lives every year worldwide with most of them being men.
The reasons for suicides are often complex and vary from case to case, but infidelity has emerged as one of the chief causes behind the rise closely followed by financial stress and economic setbacks.
Hardly a fortnight goes by without someone committing suicide in Bulawayo although no group has compiled reliable statistics to highlight the surge.
A week ago, Humphrey Mbanje (31) hanged himself in a room in Mpopoma following an undisclosed long-running domestic dispute with his wife dating back to 2009.
Mbanje’s wife Tryphine Ndlovu said they had been having numerous fights resulting in her moving out and returning to stay with her parents.
She said Mbanje called her a few hours before he was found hanging and thanked her for the good times they shared as a couple. That was the last time she would talk to him.
Mbanje then went on to hang himself.
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For five years, Mbanje and Ndlovu failed to find a solution to their dispute and had turned to friends for counselling.
Sadly though, none of their friends are trained counsellors and the problem escalated until Mbanje chose suicide as the only way out.
Mpopoma-Pelandaba legislator Bekithemba Nyathi revealed that Mbanje’s suicide was the third reported case in his constituency in a short while and blamed the economic downturn for the suicide deaths.
Also last week, 19-year-old Gabriel Rupapa from Kwekwe was rushed to hospital after passers-by cut loose the belt he had used to hang himself close to the National University of Science and Technology.
No reasons were given for Rupapa’s suicide attempt, but his parents acknowledged that he had a problem, without elaborating.
Non-governmental organisation Varume Svinurai/Vukani Madoda last year said its research had shown that 55% of suicide cases in Zimbabwe were committed by men, a 2% increase from 2012.
The organisation attributed the rising suicide cases to stress related to bread winning roles and the general expectations by society where men must provide for families even in the face of the socioeconomic crisis.
Parliamentarians and pastors blamed the rise of suicide cases in Bulawayo to stress triggered by grinding poverty and compounded by rising unemployment, job cuts and company closures.
Pumula MP Albert Mhlanga said the majority of people in his constituency were under stress.
“Families, marriages and relationships are falling apart due to stress related to the dire economic situation. People are burdened with bills and other living expenses yet they have no money and that leads to crime, prostitution and other bad vices and eventually, suicide,” Mhlanga said.
“And those who commit suicide will be saying okungasikufa yikuphi? (either way I will die) after seeing no escape from their problems, mostly related to money matters. If there were jobs, people had money, no one would think of committing suicide,” he said.
He also cited extra-marital affairs as a major driver of suicide cases.
Lobengula MP Samuel Sipepa Nkomo blamed the socioeconomic crisis for the high number of suicide cases.
“The biggest problem that we have is that of social pressures because of lack of money to take care of themselves and their families . . .it then becomes difficult for some to withstand the pressures hence committing suicide after seeing it as the only solution,” Nkomo indicated.
According to a global research, suicidal people can exhibit symptoms such as having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly, giving away belongings, talking about going away or the need to “get my affairs in order”, suddenly changing behaviour, especially calmness after a period of anxiety and losing interest in activities they used to enjoy.
Mpikelelo Maseko, a psychology lecturer at the Midlands State University said knowing the risk factors associated with suicide is critical to prevent it.
Maseko said risk factors include mental illness and mental problems, alcohol and drug abuse, serious illness, marital breakdown, economic hardships, loss and abuse.
He said psychologists can treat and prevent people from committing suicide through crisis intervention and psychotherapy.
“Crisis intervention is the most common intervention. It aims to reduce risk for an imminent suicide attempt by providing someone who understands their feelings and problems. Psychologists can help mobilise support from the family and friends,” Maseko said.
“Through contingency contracting, the psychologist can make a contract with the suicidal person that he will not attempt suicide or at least will re-contact the psychologist as soon as the suicidal feelings return.
Community based crisis intervention centres can be critical in this endeavour.
“Given that mental disorders are precursors to suicides, long-term psychological treatment may be necessary.
Dialectical behaviour therapy is one approach specifically designed to address suicidal behaviour and thoughts.
“The therapy involves a number of techniques aimed at increasing problem solving skills, interpersonal skills, skills in managing negative emotions and impulsivity. Therapists often include spouses, partners and family members in the treatment. This is because some of the problems behind suicide attempts may reside in troubled relationships and family environments. Even when this is not the case, family members can play an important role in helping suicidal relatives.”
He said the signs and symptoms of a suicidal person include change in eating and sleeping patterns, loss of interest in activities usually enjoyed, irritability, sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, loss of energy; feeling tired and listless, inability to concentrate and sudden poor school performance in children.
Other signs include restless, pacing type of behaviour, excessive self-blame for everything, giving away precious possessions, recent loss, feeling suicidal (it’s a myth that people who talk about it do not do it) and previous attempts.
Although most suicides are still committed using firearms, the research said there was a marked increase in poisoning deaths, which include intentional overdoses of prescription drugs, and hangings.
Pastor Useni Sibanda, co-ordinator of the Institute of Social Transformation, said his experience as a counsellor had shown that it is hard to tell symptoms of a suicidal individual.
“It is difficult to tell unless they come to you and say they want to commit suicide. Stress and hopelessness causes people to commit suicide. Those that are committing suicide are seeing no sense of a solution coming their way; a solution to their financial problems because of the state of the economy,” Sibanda said.
“The government needs to come up with solutions that give hope. We need solutions for hope recovery so that people have a sense and reason for wanting to live.
“The church should also lead in hope recovery initiatives. The church needs to preach messages of hope to the people, the majority of which have reached a stage of hopelessness.”
Pastor Anglistone Sibanda, a counsellor and social worker, said it is difficult to prevent people from committing suicide.
“We can only but offer psycho social support like counselling otherwise it is difficult to prevent, unless you catch that person trying to commit suicide. In general, people do not commit suicide because they are in pain, they commit suicide because they don’t believe there is a reason to live and the world will be better off without them,” he said.
“That is why thousands flock to prophets and other churches out of desperation to seek prayers and other concoctions for their financial problems and when all that fails, they commit suicide. It is unfortunate that politicians do not realise the consequences of their decisions and how it has affected most people.”
He said he would like to see more attention paid to prevention and support for family members who lose someone to suicide.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo said they had no ready statistics on the number of suicide cases recorded in the city per month or last year.
“It is difficult to compile the statistics and it takes a lot of time,” Moyo said.
