BOPHELONG – Tawurai Kandle (41) succumbed to the overwhelming pressures of life, ending his life in a secluded area in Bophelong extension 18 on Monday, May 27.
Kandle’s lifeless body was discovered the following day by a group of young boys while playing in the area.
Kandle’s brother, Owen Mugomo (39) spoke to Ster South about the heartbreaking circumstances leading to his brother’s death.
Videos of Kandle’s body were circulated on social media after he was discovered.
According to Mugomo, Kandle had been battling severe depression and felt the crushing weight of life’s challenges bearing down on him.
On the day he disappeared, Kandle confided in his brother about his decision to end his life.
In an attempt to convince him otherwise, Mugomo tried to engage Kandle who had a rat poison in his possession.
“I tried to speak to him to rethink his decision, he told me he had already concluded with his heart and he was going to kill himself, showing me rat poison. He ran away from me while we spoke, I tried to chase him but couldn’t find him anywhere,” he said.
Mugomo said he went on a frantic search the next morning to find his brother without success.
“In the evening, some residents fetched us home after they discovered my brother’s body. We went to the scene and found him face down on the ground in a huge plantation of weeds,” he said.
The visibility devastated Mugomo said his family was broken following the suicide.
Vanderbijlpark police are investigating an inquest docket, however, their spokesperson was not available for comment at the time of going to print.
