A 34-year-old man from the Kuwadzana suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe, has ended his life following the loss of a $500 sports bet, adding to the tragic toll of Zimbabwe’s escalating gambling crisis.
Taurai Manyepo, a father of two children, made a high-risk bet on Manchester City to triumph over Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup. Against all expectations, the English team fell 4-3 in extra time, leading to a catastrophic outcome for Manyepo, who had borrowed the full sum for the wager.
The money he borrowed was reportedly secured through deception. According to the lender, Lloyd Pikiri, Manyepo had falsely claimed the funds were urgently required for a CT scan for his mother at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
“I feel like I killed a friend. He presented such a convincing story about his mother’s CT scan needs,” Pikiri said, clearly distraught by the event.
Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson, stressed the need for thorough investigations into suicide cases, especially those not reported by families. He also voiced alarm over the increasing number of suicides tied to gambling losses. World Bank data indicates that Zimbabwe’s suicide rate is currently at 17.34%, with gambling-related suicides becoming more common.
Manyepo’s death is not an isolated incident. In 2019, a man from Chinhoyi took his own life after losing $600 to betting. More recently, a Harare man collapsed after losing $724 on the popular Aviator game, and a manager at Baker’s Inn stole $3,420 from his workplace to fuel his gambling addiction.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
