Gokwe (New Ziana) –Police in Gokwe, the Midlands province have identified the boy who trended on social media while hanging by the neck from a dish drying rack.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the boy was nine-year-old Clive Mpala of Mahamba village under chief Sai in Gokwe South.
While many social media users had rushed to conclude that it was su1c1de, Insp Mahoko said police were still investigating to establish the facts of the matter.
Mpala was found hanging outside the house by his grandmother Patricia Mnkuli (50) on Wednesday at about 8 AM.
It is alleged that Mpala, who was doing Grade 4 at Zhamba Primary School in the area, woke up as usual to prepare for school.
“He did not locate his pair of socks and asked his grandmother with whom he was staying. The grandmother is said to have also searched for the pair of socks and could not find them,” Insp Mahoko said.
He said Mnkuli told Mpala not to go to school and left for Zhamba Business Centre to buy some groceries, leaving the boy at home.
When she returned, Mnkuli found Mpala’s body hanging from the rack in the yard and reported the matter to the police, who visited the home and took the body to Gokwe South District Hospital.
Insp Mahoko invited people with information on what could have transpired leading to the death of Mpala to come forward to ensble them to get to the bottom of the matter.
Social media was awash with the picture of the boy hanging from the rack before police had given official information leading to a number of conspiracies including foul play as the boy’s boy appeared to touching the ground, which is not charecteristic of suicide by hanging.
Other reports were suggesting that the case happened in Masvingo after the boy’s father had failed to buy him shoes.
New Ziana