Churchill suicide boy named, Pressured to pass A Level exam for mum

Following last week’s tragic development in which an Upper Six student at Churchill High School committed suicide, his distraught relatives have spoken out.

According to the relatives and friends of the late Takudzwa Nigel Chirindo, he was vocalising and displaying suicidal thoughts and tendencies. They said that Takudzwa who was a student at Churchill High School was an achiever who did not want to disappoint his single mother by failing his Advanced Level examinations.

In an interview with local publication, H-Metro, Takudzwa’s grandmother Mbuya Chari, who used to stay with him said,

I have stayed with Takudzwa since he was doing grade one. I cannot believe he is gone.

Before he died, he was asking his friends about a building where a pastor committed suicide and he always said he wanted to jump off a building so he can die, but I always discouraged him.

At one time, he said he was trying to find someone who owns a gun and we were worried about it.

He said to me that he cannot bear the thought of failing exams and disappointing his single mother who works in South Africa. He used to say his mother is suffering and working hard and he would rather end his life than disappoint her.

Mbuya Chari also attributed her grandson’s suicide to evil spirits telling H-Metro,

A bad spirit was haunting him before he went and jumped off that building. He first gave his backpack to someone and told him to hand it to me before jumping to his death. It pains my heart to see him die like that. I loved him so much and at one time his headmaster called me and said I should pray for my grandson because even at home I noticed a strange behaviour in him.

The publication also managed to talk to Takudzwa’s mother Jessica Chirindo who had travelled from South Africa for her son’s burial.

Jessica said,

I was with him in South Africa last week and he always said to me that he was scared of growing up and of life. He wanted to be an engineer and so, what I can say is, depression is real, not only in us adults but children as well.

Suicidal tendencies were there but I think it was triggered by school challenges and he would always say ‘mama you’re single, you pay for my fees.’ Akakanganisa but God has forgiven him.