Family Demands Answers Over Dorset Death, Police Maintain Suicide Narrative

Shurugwi, Zimbabwe - A family in Dorset Ressetlemet Area of Shurugwi South Constituency is demanding answers following the death of a 35-year-old man, whose passing has been officially recorded as a suspected suicide by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), but relatives insist the circumstances point to possible foul play.

Police confirmed a case of sudden death after Taonga Bongwane allegedly hanged himself from a roof truss using a piece of cloth on February 8th, 2026, at around 0130hrs.

Police say Bongwane and his wife, Memory Muyengwa (38), were at their shop on the night in question when a text message was received on Muyengwa’s cellphone.

It is alleged that Bhongwane confronted her, suspecting infidelity, and an argument ensued.

The couple later retired to bed. At around 0130hrs, Muyengwa allegedly woke up and discovered Bongwani hanging from a roof truss with a cloth tied around his neck.

However, the Bongwane family strongly disputes the suicide narrative, pointing to what they describe as critical disparities between the official version and what they were told about the condition of the scene when police arrived.

Family spokesperson, Memory Makwati (née Sibanda), the deceased’s eldest sister, said the family will pursue answers through legal formal and investigative channels.

“It is unlikely that my brother committed suicide,” Sibanda said. “We were informed that when the police got to the scene, they found the body lying down, wrapped in a blanket, not hanging from the roof truss as is being reported. That is a serious inconsistency,” she said.

She questioned how the matter could be framed as a straightforward suicide when, according to the family’s understanding, the body was no longer suspended upon police arrival.

“If he was found lying down wrapped in a blanket, who took him down? At what point was he removed from the roof truss? And why are those details not clearly explained?” she asked adding that, “you cannot ignore such disparities and rush to call it suicide.”

The family further expressed concern that the position of the body as allegedly found by police does not align with the hanging narrative presented in the official statement.

“How can the police rely solely on a script allegedly written by the suspect? What we heard was a doubtful story, reportedly cooked up by the girlfriend.

"There were no clear signs at the scene, as described to us, that pointed conclusively to suicide,” Sibanda said.

The family also raised questions over a purported suicide note.

Sibanda claimed that a local neighbourhood watch committee police officer, identified as Samuel Dangaisvo, mentioned the existence of a letter allegedly written by the deceased.

“He confirmed that there was a suicide letter purportedly written by our brother.

"Why was that letter not availed to the family for verification? That raises serious questions for us,” she said.

Further contention arose over the deceased’s marital status. While police referred to Muyengwa as Bongwane’s wife, relatives maintain that he was divorced from a previous partner with whom he had children and was not legally married at the time of his death.

“As a family, we are shocked as to where the police obtained information that our brother was married to the person they mentioned.

"He was divorced. We only knew that he had a girlfriend who worked at Tembo Shops in the Goko dispute area of Vungu,” Sibanda said.

The family said they approached officers at Gweru Rural Police Station to correct the deceased’s marital status and that amendments were made to both the family’s copy and police records.