SHARPEVILLE. –The suicide of 32-year-old Mpho Mphuthing from Phomolong in Sharpeville has devastated his family. Mphuthing’s body was found just a street away from his home in an outside toilet at another residence on Monday morning, 17 April.

His grandmother Diana Mbele (78) says Mpho came home on Sunday evening with blood stains on his hands and told her that he had assaulted his pregnant girlfriend.

Mbele says: “I thought he was joking so I told him we must go to the police station to report the matter. I was already in bed so I got dressed and accompanied him to the police station. On arrival, he alerted the police about what had happened. The police told us to go home and said that they would go to the girlfriend’s house to find out what happened and come back to us.

“We went home and I went to bed. I suspect that Mpho sneaked out of the house that night because in the morning, our neighbours alerted us that they had found his body.”

Mbele states that Mpho feared that he had killed his girlfriend after she fell during the altercation.

“This has really started to haunt me. I wonder what would have happened if the police had kept him in the cell. I am asking myself so many questions. Mpho was a kind and very calm person. We have really lost as a family.”

Mpho’s mother Mahadi Mphuthing says she is hurt by the fact that her son chose to end his life.

“Mpho was very happy and looking forward to having his first child. He bought the unborn baby a lot of clothes, this is what showed us his excitement. We are saddened by the suicide. We have lost a sweet person that loved his entire family dearly.

“We went to report the matter to the girlfriends family. They told us that she is in hospital,” she said.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Gertrude Makhale confirms the incident. Makhale says an Inquest case docket was opened for investigation. Mpho will be buried on Sunday.