MATOBO — A Zimbabwe Parks and Wild Life Management Authority ranger based at Matopo National Parks committed suicide by shooting himself following a domestic dispute last week.
Acting Matabeleland South police spokesperson Sergeant Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident, which took place on March 23 and identified the ranger as 29-year-old Zibani Ncube.
“Ncube had a dispute with his wife on the fateful day,” Mangena said. “The dispute emanated from the fact that he had slept away from home the previous night.
“His friend (not named) tried to mediate the dispute, but Ncube immediately went out of the office where the talks were going on. “He came back armed with his service AK rifle and threatened to shoot his wife (name not given),” said Mangena.
Mangena said Ncube’s friend tried to restrain him, but did not succeed as he fled into the bush.
His friend and wife tried to follow him but they heard a gunshot before they reached Ncube’s residence. They found him lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound in the head.
The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and took the body for a post-mortem.
Mangena said it was clear a service rifle was used in the suicide and appealed to employers to observe the behaviour of their employees before entrusting them with firearms.
