Headmaster hangs himself for failing census test

A headmaster at Mutsungi Primary School in Mberengwa District hanged himself when he was disqualified from training as a census enumerator after failing the prerequisite entrance test, police said yesterday.

Aspiring enumerators were required to write a test and score at least 75 percent before they could be accommodated in the national population counting programme. The now deceased; Hlanai Shoko (56) fell short of qualifying by one mark after scoring 14 out of a possible 20 marks.

“Shoko scored 14 out of 20 during the entrance test conducted at Msume High School in Mberengwa. Some of his colleagues including teachers from his school started laughing at him for failing the tests. They questioned his leadership qualities,” said the source.

Sources said Shoko then quickly packed his belongings and went to his rural home, which is close to his school where he reportedly committed suicide. The sources said Shoko left a suicide note. “In the suicide note, Shoko blamed his ancestors, accusing them of letting him down by letting him fail the census entrance tests,” said the source.

A witness who refused to be named said what provoked the now deceased was the way his colleagues ridiculed him for failing the census “examinations”. The people who were present and ridiculed the now deceased for failing the tests must have felt highly guilty after receiving the sad news that Shoko had committed suicide by hanging.

“Everyone was laughing at him and this made him appear stupid since he was the only headmaster who failed the tests.” Acting police spokesperson for Midlands Province Assistant Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident.

“I can confirm a sudden death by hanging in which a Mberengwa School headmaster committed suicide and left a suicide note, which had something to do with the census tests.” Shoko’s body was taken to Msume Mission Hospital for post-mortem. The Herald