By Dumisani Nsingo
BULAWAYO – A 32-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man died in the city centre after allegedly taking too much alcohol yesterday. Tapiwa Dube, a tout at Mac’s Garage, an illegal passenger pick-up point in the city, died around 2pm at a local restaurant.
According to his friend, Mr Bongani Jubane, Dube, who was now living in the city’s streets after being evicted from his lodgings in Queens Park two months ago, started drinking a cane spirit, Mbarure, in the morning in the company of his friends.
“We started drinking Mbarure early in the morning before we could eat anything,” Mr Jubane said.
He said Dube spent most of his time intoxicated and hardly had a decent meal, a situation which was always a threat to his health.
“After drinking for a while, I left him taking a nap at my vegetable stall and went for a meal at the nearby restaurant. Upon my return he managed to wake from his slumber and said that he was hungry and later proceeded to the restaurant for a meal,” Mr Jubane said.
He said he became suspicious when Dube took long to return from the restaurant and decided to follow him since he had left while he was in a drunken stupor.
“When I got inside the restaurant, the staff there told me that he had passed out due to heavy alcohol intoxication after vomiting and soiling himself. I checked on him and realised that he didn’t have a pulse and I knew that he was dead,” Mr Jubane said.
He said an ambulance was called and Dube was certified dead by the medical crew. Dube’s body was later taken by the police at around 6pm.
Efforts to get a comment from Bulawayo’s police spokesperson, Inspector Precious Simango were fruitless by the time of going to press. Sunday News