Tragedy struck on a 55-year-old headmaster from Marondera who died on Sunday after he fell from an avocado tree he had climbed to get the fruits for resale.

Cephas Farai Kanyai was pronounced dead upon arrival at Marondera Provincial Hospital after falling headlong from the fruit tree at his Cherutombo residence.

Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident.

“I confirm receiving a report of a man who fell from a tree and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Marondera Hospital,” he said.

According to the police, on the day, the deceased who was up in the tree reportedly lost balance, slipped and fell to the ground headlong. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police attended the scene before placing the body at the hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Zimbabwe’s underpaid teachers have been crying incapacitation for quite some time and have threatened a crippling strike should the government fail to pay them in United States dollars.

Most of them were now resorting to informal trading for survival.

-Newsday