Man’s suicide note instructs family to cremate his body

By Whinsley Masara

A 72 year old man from Newton West suburb in Bulawayo who shot himself dead on Wednesday left a suicide note instructing his family to cremate his body and not hold a big funeral for him.

Amos Bells allegedly shot himself once in the head with a pistol at around 7AM and his body was discovered by his employee Mr Phillip Mambwere and a neighbour Mr Silibaziso Nkomo.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the discovery of a suicide note written by the now deceased.

“The 72-year-old man who allegedly shot himself, left behind a suicide note in which he instructed his family on how to handle his burial,” she said.

“Suicide cases have been on the rise and we continue to warn people against taking their own lives, urging them to find better ways of solving their problems.

“Police have noted with concern that more men are committing suicide in the country compared to women”.

Insp Simango said another worrying trend are the advanced ages of people committing suicide as the elderly are the ones expected to guide and counsel the younger generation.A source said Bells left the note on top of a dressing table in his bedroom before ending his life.

“After the discovery of his body in the storeroom, a note by Bells was found in his bedroom.

“The note read that his body should be cremated, and that no money should be wasted on the purchase of a coffin. He also didn’t want money spent on a tombstone for his grave.

“He further stated that a small gathering with very few people should be held for him,” said the source.

On Wednesday, Mr Mambwere said when he heard the sound from the gunshot, he did not suspect that his boss had shot himself.

He said he later went to Mr Bells’ house to collect a drilling machine but he did not find him.

Mr Mambwere said at that time he never suspected that something bad could have happened.

He said he later went to some house in the neighbourhood and when he returned at around 10AM, he found a neighbour, Mr Nkomo, at the gate.

“He said he wanted to see Mr Bells because he had tried phoning him the previous evening at around 6PM. That’s when we both decided to look around for the old man.

“We searched around the house and yard only to discover him lying in a pool of blood in the storeroom with a pistol in his hand. We called his wife and neighbours who were equally shocked by the incident,” said Mr Mambwere.

He said Bells never struck him as a troubled man and he never expected him to think of ending his own life.

According to the police, the number of suicides increased from 474 in 2015 to 636 in 2016.

A total of 489 men committed suicide in 2016, up from 348 in 2015 while 147 women committed suicide in 2016 and 126 took their lives in 2015. The Chronicle