The Minister of State for National Security, Lovemore Matuke, has attributed delays by police in removing bodies of individuals who commit suicide by hanging to a lack of resources at police stations.
This issue was discussed during a Senate session, where concern was raised about the increasing number of men committing suicide in Bulawayo.
Senator Molly Ndlovu questioned the delays in police response times and sought clarity on cultural and legal practices surrounding trees used in suicides.
“My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs, and in his absence, to the Leader of the House. We have noticed that many young men are committing suicide by hanging. How long should it take the police to come and remove the body from the tree? Also, should that tree be removed culturally, or should it remain? What does the law say about this?” asked Ndlovu.
In response, Minister Matuke explained that there is no official time frame for police to remove the bodies, as response times depend largely on available resources.
“On the delays by police to attend to the scene and remove the body of someone who has committed suicide, there is no specified time limit. If resources at the police station are adequate, they can respond quickly and should, in fact, do so,” said Matuke.
He noted that the delays are often due to limited access to vehicles at police stations, compounded by other duties officers may be attending to.
“Some challenges include a lack of vehicles to reach the scene promptly, as well as the distance to the site of the suicide. At times, the only vehicle at the station may already be deployed elsewhere, and officers must wait for it to return before responding,” Matuke explained.
Addressing the question of whether the tree used in a suicide should be removed, Matuke clarified that there is no legal requirement to do so.
“If a person has an accident near a bridge or river, should we then remove that section of the road? It is not proper. We do not have laws that mandate the removal of such trees. However, in certain communities or under certain cultural practices, there may be a belief that the tree should be cut down and burned. If we were to follow this practice universally, we would soon run out of trees,” Matuke said.
