14 year-old commits suicide after reprimand from g...

14 year-old commits suicide after reprimand from granny

We are in a state of emergency': What's behind the rising suicide rate among Black kids — WHYY

Zim Now Writer

A Form Three student at St Mary’s Secondary School in Chikanga, Manicaland, committed suicide in a school toilet earlier this week because she had been reprimanded for wrongful behaviour by her grandmother.

On the day Rumbidzai Chimusasa, 14, committed suicide, she had been warned against misbehaving by her grandmother, Ms Juliet Mafunga, whom she was staying with.

“On the day she died, I had warned her against playing with some of her naughty friends and told her to stop coming home late. I am not sure if this is what prompted her to commit suicide, but surely was I wrong?”

“I am not sure if I was supposed to just remain and watch her coming home late as well as continue playing with friends that I knew would be of bad influence to her. I took her as my own child. I have six children and I am not married. I am a vendor and the least I expected was to be troubled by kids that I work so hard to feed,” she said.

Ms Mafunga said she did not reprimand only her now deceased granddaughter, but her own daughter as well.

Ms Mafunga said Rumbidzai had also had a bitter relationship with her stepmother.

“I know that there was bad blood between Rumbi and her stepmother, but unfortunately only her father can explain that. I also got to hear about some scary things that happened between her and her stepmother that I cannot disclose,” she added.

The Roman Catholic Mutare Diocese education secretary, Mr Lawrence Chibvuri said they have been conducting prayers and counselling sessions at St Mary’s Secondary School to help learners cope with their social challenges and also help them cope with the recent nasty incident.