Kgalagadi Land Board employee commits suicide

ZOLANI KRAAI
Correspondent | Friday May 3, 2013 00:00

The man, who was an employee of the Kgalagadi Land Board, was found by a passerby on Monday morning who then reported the matter to the police. Assistant Superintendent Kabelano Tebogo confirmed to Mmegi that a case of suicide is being investigated and that the relatives of the deceased have already collected the corpse for burial in Kanye.

'At this juncture we are unable to tell what time this incident occurred or what might have led the deceased to commit suicide as he left no message to explain the reasons for killing himself. The man is said to be have been living alone at the time of the incident. Mmegi investigations have also revealed that the man was a driver with Kgalagadi Land Board and he originates from Kanye in the Southern district. It is said the man, who was once stationed in Hukuntsi was transferred to Tsabong some time in the 1990s on promotion as an executive driver. Reportedly while he was there he had a query with his employer over back pay for his duties as an executive driver and was later rewarded.

Sources say he spent some of his monies to purchase a car and some heard of cattle. Meanwhile, unconfirmed rumors also doing rounds in Tsabong have revealed that the man recently got divorced from his wife of almost 10 years upon which he lost property to her after the High Court ruled against him. However, the Director of Gender Affairs Department Valencia Mogegeh, who offered Mmegi an interview in her personal capacity, said such cases exist and when looking at the age of the deceased, 'not compromising the police investigations, people who would be preparing for retirement often come across situations of passing their peak and after having established their life retirement packages and when matters of divorce occur they unfortunately get depressed.

'They feel the chance of a decent life is slipping away hence the situation turns out to be devastating and emotions might erupt that can lead to suicide for example,' said Mogegeh. Mogegeh called for people to seek advice when encountering similar situations saying it is never too late hence many hands make work light. 'People should have some hope beyond elements of desperation in life as the effects of such situations affect us all especially children who remain behind or are caught between the divorce.

'A concerted effort in programming and public education is essential to help address such problems,' said Mogegeh.