KANYAMAZANE – Two middle-aged men committed suicide in separate incidents over the past week.
According to WO Andries Skwambane, spokesperson for the local police, the first incident happened at Section 1 and it was followed by another one the following day at Ntokozweni Section near Thekwane South. Both victims killed themselves at their homes and were discovered by family members.
“They were both employed, one lived with his family while the other stayed with relatives. We suspect their actions could be linked to relationships problems,” said Skwambane. He also encouraged members of the community, especially young people, to talk to their relatives, police, churches, social workers or any other stakeholders to find amicable ways of solving their issues rather than resorting to taking their own lives.
“We also urge our local churches to pray against satanism as we suspect it also had to do with attacks,” he said.
According to Wikipedia, suicide is often committed out of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder or alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as stress factors including financial difficulties or troubles with interpersonal relationships. Research further shows that around 800 000 to a million people commit suicide every year, making it the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. The incidence is higher among men than women, with males three to four times more likely to kill themselves.
On a different issue, the local police had seen an increase in reported cases of domestic violence among couples since the beginning of the year.
Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other.
Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse into violence. And while physical injury may be the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences are also extremely severe.
