A 33-year-old man allegedly committed suicide in a holding cell at a Plumtree police station on 30 December last year but his relatives suspect foul play.
Conscious Sibanda was found lying face up with the rope around his neck still intact, suggesting that he might have been strangled.
His relatives are not convinced with claims that he took his own life since the rope that he is alleged to have used to hang himself was not broken.
The deceased’s friends and relatives believe he was murdered and are waiting for the results of a post-mortem, which was conducted at United Bulawayo Hospitals on Tuesday. Talent Sibanda, a relative of the deceased said:
There was some kind of foul play in the whole exercise. Something is not adding up and this is very worrisome. Apparently, they are hiding something from us.
Sibanda had been arrested for shoplifting. He allegedly tried to sodomise a man he was sharing a cell with.
He reportedly killed himself after charges of sodomy were laid against him.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the case is under police investigation. Said Nyathi:
We are investigating the death of the suspect in police cells. There are reports that he tried to sodomise his cellmates. We are also investigating those allegations.
More: B-Metro