79-year-old Man Throws Himself On Moving Train

My son brought a letter from my father. Initially, I didn’t think it was urgent but when I opened it I got worried as it was saying “sengihamba alisangiboni futhi” (I’m leaving and you won’t see me again).

The note freaked out Phiri who rushed to her father’s place only to be told that he had been missing for quite a while. Added Phiri:

We started searching for him and we heard that an old man had been found dead near the railway line across the road.

We rushed to the scene where several people were already gathered.

We positively identified him although he was badly injured on the face and leg. He was bleeding through the nose and mouth.

Phiri revealed that she was aware of an ongoing dispute between her father and his son:

Although I do not know what really happened, I think he had a misunderstanding with my brother.

They lived together here at home. I couldn’t ask him (her father) what was troubling him but he was definitely not himself of late.

We also avoided asking my brother what could have happened as tension is still too high. But we will ask him when things settle down.

National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) Public Relations Manager Nyasha Maravanyika urged members of the public not to throw themselves onto railway tracks. Said Maravanyika:

We also encourage families to make sure that when they have their relatives in unstable emotional condition, they should keep checking on them so that they don’t wander and throw themselves on the tracks or in front of oncoming train traffic.

The train is there to serve our communities not destroy lives.

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More: Chronicle