Man (22) found with minor commits suicide

MBABANE – A young man aged 22 years last week committed suicide after he was found with a minor in his rented house in Matsapha.

Mdumseni Mdlovu ended his life allegedly in fear of imminent arrest as the mother of the 13-year-old minor who was his neighbour screamed in shock at the sight of him and her daughter.

*Thantazile, not her real name to protect the minor, said she discovered her 13-year-old daughter was not in the house after she tried several times to call her one evening.

That is when she suspected that she might be with the deceased, who was a known neighbour. Thantazile said her reason to think of the deceased as the person who might have been with her child, was because she had been told a number of times by other neighbours that her daughter was always seen with him.

Thantazile said she went to the deceased’s apartment accompanied by the child’s aunt who lives nearby and when they reached the apartment she decided to peep through the window.

“I peeped through the window which was open and I saw her inside, seated on the bed with the deceased, they were looking at something which seemed like a video on a cellphone,” she said.

She said that image of her daughter seated on the bed even though they were both dressed made her uncomfortable and she screamed and ran off, leaving the aunt behind.

The aunt is the one who knocked on the door and took the minor back to her mother.

Thantazile said she was unaware of what happened in the deceased’s apartment after she left and only focused on her daughter who had come back with the aunt.

She said she sat her daughter down and voiced her anger at not finding her home and in the deceased’s apartment.

When this reporter enquired if she suspected they were lovers, Thantazile said her child was young and nothing came to her mind to that effect.

When further pressed on why she screamed and ran off and further had a doctor examine her daughter, she did not give a response. “The child is at primary school, who would see a girlfriend in a minor like my child, that never crossed my mind,” insisted Thantazile.

Despite this reporter notifying her that he was aware she took her to be checked for any sexual assault by a doctor.

Thantazile instead said she did not want to dwell much on the issue as a life was lost and people around the area were dealing with the loss of life differently. She further disclosed she was also stressed about the unfortunate suicide.

DOCTOR

After being discovered in the late Mdlovu’s flat, the minor girl was taken to a doctor for examination. The report which was seen by this reporter showed that there was no penetration or signs of sexual activity.

The doctor’s physical examination report further stated that not only was the no assault but the girl was still a virgin.

The mother of the minor, confirmed having received the doctor’s report. She said the report was received after the minor was taken for pregnancy tests and it was also given to the police to have authority over it for their criminal investigations.

Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed knowledge of the matter of the minor and the deceased.

Mnguni said the matter was too sensitive for the police to discuss with the media as it involved a minor. “The matter is still under police investigation and it involves a minor,” said Mnguni.

Meanwhile, the aunt to the deceased confirmed to Eswatini news that she went to the deceased’s house. She said the situation was very unfortunate and as a family, they strongly suspect demonic challenges as no one spoke to Mdlovu after the child was taken back to her mother’s house.

The aunt said the mother of the child was definitely upset at finding her minor daughter in an adult man’s house. She alleged that when she tried to go and speak to her, she refused to even open the door to entertain her. “She was the one who peeped through the window which was opened and then cried out in a scream before rushing off,” said the aunt.

She said that could have scared the deceased into thinking he was in trouble, but added that those were just her assumptions as she never had a chance to speak to him.

* Not real name.