By Staff Reporter
HARARE – Music promoter Tawanda Chingara, who worked for Red Rose Entertainment, committed suicide by taking poison on Friday after allegedly losing US$450 in a botched motor spares deal.
Its claimed Chingara borrowed the money from a workmate at Red Rose Entertainment only identified as Jean.
When the deal turned sour Jean is alleged to have engineered Chingara’s arrest by police in Glen Norah.
“I am told Tawanda borrowed money from Jean to purchase minibus spare parts that he had been told would sell double the price. It appears the deal did not materialise and he ended up losing the money,” a source is quoted saying.
“No one told me what was happening until last Thursday morning when Jean came to confess but Tawanda had been taken into custody by the police in Glen Norah.
According to Red Rose Entertainment director Barbara Chikosi, Jean went to Chingara’s house with the police and found his brother at home. They waited until Chingara’s wife came around 8pm.
“It is said they wanted to take the wife to the police station to pressurise him,” said Chikosi.
She said the wife called Chingara and he came home and had a two-hour meeting with his creditor. They agreed he would return the money the following day, but he could not fulfill the promise.
“I did not know anything about the deal and I tried to intervene, but he refused to come to work. The next thing I heard he had taken poison in Harare Gardens and was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he died the following day.”
Chingara is survived by his wife Doris Shava and a son.
Mourners are gathered at house number 3770 Glen Norah A, Harare.
He will be buried in Chivhu.
