BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Members of an Apostolic sect based in Victoria Falls got the shock of their lives when they stumbled on a lifeless man’s body that was hanging from a tree while going to a church service.
The deceased man suspected to be in his 30s is believed to have hanged himself the previous night.
Victoria Falls’ Ward 11 councillor Goshen Zhou said the body of the yet to be identified man was found near Dadani High School in Chinotimba high density suburb.
“We suspect that he hanged himself on Saturday night because there was no sign of the body having decomposed considering the high temperatures that we are experiencing,” Zhou said.
“Police delayed in coming to collect the body as they said they did not have a ready vehicle.
“They pulled the body down three hours later before it was taken to the Victoria Falls Hospital mortuary.”
The councillor said the deceased man had no form of identification or mobile phone to enable police to identify him.
“We are appealing to the public to visit the police if they are missing any of their male relatives in his mid-30s,” Zhou said.
“He was wearing a black T-shirt, green to black jeans and Nike tackies that are black and white in colour.”
He said there were signs that the man tried several ways to take his life, including trying to use his shoelaces.
“He tried to hang himself with his shoelaces that were also found at the scene,” Zhou said.
“When the attempt failed, he took trucks belts often used by haulage truck drives to tie their cargo and he hanged himself that way.”
Matabeleland North Province police spokesperson Glory Banda could not be reached for comment.