Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator Descent Bajila has called for stronger national action on suicide prevention, saying Zimbabwe must treat suicide as both a health and social concern.
Bajila made the call in Parliament yesterday during a point of national interest to mark September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, an international observance aimed at raising awareness about suicide and encouraging communities to support people experiencing distress.
He said suicide affected people across age groups, genders and social circumstances, with its impact extending beyond those who die to their families, workplaces, schools and communities.
“Suicide affects children, young people, adults, men and women and its consequences are felt by families, workplaces, schools and communities long after a life has been lost,” Bajila said.
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“It is therefore a matter that warrants our attention in this House, not only as a health concern but as a national social concern.”
Bajila said statistics from Bulawayo showed worrying trends, particularly among men.
“In Bulawayo Province, police records reported 21 cases between June and November 2024 alone, and 20 of them involved men,” he said.
He also raised concern over suicide among children and teenagers, saying the trend showed that prevention efforts could not be limited to a particular age group or gender.
“More recently, the Government has acknowledged growing concern over suicide among children and teenagers,” Bajila said.
“These developments remind us that vulnerability takes different forms and that no age group or gender can be considered outside the conversation on suicide prevention.”
Bajila said people experiencing suicidal thoughts or severe distress often faced multiple challenges, including financial hardship, family and relationship problems, substance abuse, violence, bullying, grief, isolation and mental health difficulties.
“Behind these reports are circumstances that are often complex and deeply personal. Financial hardships, family and relationship difficulties, substance abuse, violence, bullying, grief, isolation and mental health challenges can converge in ways that leave individuals feeling very much unable to cope,” he said.
He said stigma remained a major barrier to people seeking help, with some individuals feeling pressured to endure their problems in silence.
“Distress is frequently concealed by stigma and by individuals feeling unable to cope,” Bajila said.
“This concealment and stigma come from the expectation that people should simply endure their difficulties in silence.”
Bajila said awareness campaigns should go beyond highlighting suicide cases and instead promote a culture in which people can openly discuss their struggles and seek assistance without fear of judgement.
“This makes awareness important but more importantly, it calls for a culture in which people feel able to speak out, to seek support, and to be heard without judgment.”
He urged Zimbabweans to use September as an opportunity to reflect on how society responds to people experiencing emotional distress.
“Let September therefore, be a moment of collective reflection on how we recognise distress, how we respond to those who are struggling and how we ensure that compassion does not arrive only when it is too late,” he said.
Bajila said suicide should not be viewed as a series of isolated tragedies but as a wider social concern requiring collective action.
“As we observe this month, let us resist the temptation to regard suicide as a series of isolated tragedies. Each case is a reminder of the fragility of humans’ wellbeing and of the value we place on life as a society,” he said.
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