Terrence Mawawa|A Bikita man committed suicide, by drinking a deadly chemical after being slapped with a maintenance fee above his monthly salary.
Artwell Murindi ,who was an employee of Bikita Rural District Council, Committed suicide on March 23 ,after the court there ordered him to pay $270 as a maintenance fee for a child he had with a local woman. A figure above his $ 240monthly salary.
Murindi’s relatives told ZimEye.com last week ,that he had initially considered fleeing to South Africa after the court ruling.
“We are still shocked by Murindi’s decision to take his life .He initially indicated he was crestfallen and he wanted to flee to South Africa after the court ruling.We tried to advise him to remain calm and get over it but to our surprise he drank some poisonous chemical and died instantly.” Further stating: “Murindi visited the woman he had a child with in a bid to resolve the issue but he later decided to kill himself,”said Murindi’s relative. Bikita Rural District Council Chief Executive Peter Chibi ,said the incident was deeply disturbing.He however did not disclose much information on the matter adding it was a delicate issue.
Murindi’s untimely death is still ridden with controversy in the local community with some of his relatives blaming the woman for causing the his death.