A Form V pupil has died by suicide after ingesting a poisonous substance, following alleged complaints of neglect.
The 17-year-old girl from KaNgoyiya, KaNdinda, reportedly took her own life and her lifeless body was discovered by her grandmother on Sunday morning.
According to the girl’s maternal grandmother Tobhane Ngozo, the teenager Nonhle Shongwe had for some time allegedly expressed feelings of neglect by her parents prior to the incident.
Ngozo said she had cared for Nonhle since she was a toddler after the girl’s mother remarried.
She explained that she raised her and supported her through primary school. She alleged that over the years, Nonhle’s paternal family later took her in and she went to live at her paternal homestead. At the time, she was in Form I and continued her education there until Form III.
“She came back to live with me when she started Form IV. That is when the challenges began. Her paternal family stopped providing for her,” claimed Ngozo.
She emphasised that while Nonhle lived with her paternal family, she was well taken care of. According to Ngozo, the girl only returned to her after undisclosed domestic issues.
She added that although she was deeply saddened by the incident, she took solace in the fact that, after discussions, Nonhle’s paternal family agreed that she would be buried at their homestead.
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“There is nothing much I can say now. Pointing fingers will not bring back my granddaughter,” she said.
Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the incident.
Suicide incidents also feature as a serious social tragedy in the Royal Eswatini Police Service’s annual performance report for the financial year that will end on March 31.
The report states that during the reporting period, 133 people were reported to have died by suicide. Of these, 109 incidents involved males and 24 were females.
Additional Context
This tragic incident highlights critical social and public health concerns, including:
– Youth mental health and emotional wellbeing
– Family and social support systems
– Rising suicide cases nationally
Police data showing 133 reported suicide cases within a year underscores the urgency for:
– Expanded counselling services in schools
– Stronger community support structures
– Increased mental health awareness and intervention programmes
