A grief-stricken woman from Gwanda was overwhelmed with sorrow following the death of her mother in Mpopoma, Bulawayo and decided to follow her to the other world shortly after her burial.
Sithembiso Phiri-Sibanda who stayed with her husband in Gwanda committed suicide by hanging herself with a wrapping cloth a few hours after burying her mother, Rita Phiri (65), who reportedly died in her sleep on Sunday.
Phiri-Sibanda had travelled to Bulawayo to attend her mother’s funeral but ended up handing herself in one of the rooms.
The deceased’s visibly shocked husband, Obadiah Sibanda said he was at a loss for words following the double tragedy that befell the family. He told Chronicle:
We went to bury my mother-in-law at around 11 am. I had not realised that she did not go to the cemetery. When we returned from the cemetery, we had lunch and neighbours dispersed to their homes.
Sibanda said his wife took a bath after which she went into one of the rooms intending to change clothes.
However, after she failed to come out of the room after a considerable period of time, Sibanda said efforts were made to look for her and they discovered her room was locked.
They tried to knock on the door and there was no response, and on peering through the window, they discovered Phiri-Sibanda’s body hanging from the trusses.
She did not leave a suicide note.