Ex-teacher hangs self over scholarship scam

A FORMER teacher suspected to have been running a bogus scholarship scam died in a suspected suicide case at his home in Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo, police have confirmed.

Zenzo Moyo (38), who taught for a number of years at Usher Girls High in Matabeleland South Province allegedly hanged himself from the roof trusses using a leather belt last week.

When Sunday News crew visited Moyo’s residence last week, his father Mr Oliver Moyo said the family was not sure of what really transpired as he found his son’s body hanging facing the wall with one foot on the ground and the other leaning on a sofa.

Mr Moyo added that on the previous day at about 11am, his son was allegedly attacked by two people who claimed that he owed them R400 which he took on 31 December last year.

The fight was only stopped by the deceased’s elder brother, Mr Killion Moyo who offered a small generator to compensate for the money owed.

Bulawayo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident.

“I can confirm that we received a case of sudden death where a man from Emganwini was found hanging from roof trusses at his house last week Monday,” she said.

Asst Insp Msebele said they received news from an informant who claimed to have found a suicidal note which was left by Moyo.

The police still have the note but could not disclose its contents.

Moyo’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for a post-mortem.

Asst Insp Msebele urged people not to commit suicide but seek advice from church elders, relatives and community leaders.

Sources from Emganwini said Moyo’s death might have been caused by depression as he was involved in scholarship scams which left him owing many people huge sums of money.

According to a parent whose child applied for a scholarship that was purportedly run by Moyo, the man would claim he could send students to China for tertiary studies.

“My daughter was one of the students whose application failed to be processed after several months of working with Zenzo Moyo as one of the agents for the China scholarship.

“It took us close to a year to process the papers as he would postpone dates of sending the applications, around November 2018 he divorced himself from the procedure and handed us over to another agent in China to finish the process by sending approval letters and up to now we have not received any letter,” said one of the parents.

The parent said she ended up withdrawing from the scholarship deal and made a written agreement with Moyo that he would refund the money in instalments but he did not pay a cent.

She said there were a number of other parents who have complained about losing money in the scholarship scam to Moyo.

Moyo was buried yesterday at Athlone Cemetery.