A grieving family has raised suspicions of foul play in the death of a teacher who was reportedly found dead outside his home after allegedly falling from a flight of steps.
The teacher, Sipho Mbingo (50) of Ticantfwini in Manzini, is said to have died in the early hours of Sunday. Initial reports indicate that he fell from the steps of his house and sustained fatal injuries.
Sources close to the matter said Mbingo was discovered lying face down at the foot of the steps. He was a teacher at Ekuphakameni Central High School, situated near Mankayane under the Mahlangatsha Constituency.
According to a family member, Mbingo had spent the night out with friends and reportedly left for home in the early hours of Sunday morning. The relative said the family later received the devastating news that he had been found dead outside his residence.
The family member, who requested anonymity, said Mbingo lived with his wife and that on the day of the incident, the wife’s son was also at the home. According to information relayed to the family, the son was the one who allegedly discovered Mbingo unconscious at around 6am.
However, relatives say several observations made at the scene have left them unconvinced that the teacher’s death was as a result of an accidental fall.
“We were told that he fell to his death, but when we arrived at the scene, where the police were also present, we found blood splatters on the side of the top concrete step,” said a family member.
The relative further alleged that there appeared to be signs that part of the area had recently been cleaned. The family maintains that if Mbingo had simply fallen down the stairs, blood stains would likely have been visible on the lower steps, close to where his body was eventually found.
The family has since appealed to the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mbingo’s death. The relative added that identifying and prosecuting the person responsible would be the only way for the family to find closure.
Acting Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Mazwi Ndzimandze confirmed the death of a 50-year-old man at Ticantfwini.
When asked about reports that three people had been questioned by investigators, Ndzimandze said police investigations were ongoing and could not provide further details at this stage.
“The police are still investigating the matter and, at this point, it is being treated as a sudden death rather than a murder case,” said Ndzimandze.
