BISHOP Joseph Bundala of the Tanzania Methodist Church (55) has committed suicide allegedly due to financial debts.
The bishop was found dead in the church’s office at Meriwa Street in Dodoma city where he hanged himself with a rope
Bundala, also erstwhile vice chairman of the African synod of the church, left a long statement claiming that he ended up with that decision as he was upset due to difficulty in repaying the debts as well as a stressing dispute on the ownership of a private school.
ACP Archelaus Mutalemwa, the regional police commander, said investigation has commenced to further dig out the inner cause of the suicide incident, underlining that despite that the bishop left the message, the police force will dig out more of the surrounding issues.
The bishop was found dead on Thursday at around seven in the evening, he said, noting that he was a resident of Ihumwa suburb in the city. The message did not show the amount of debt he faced, he further stated.
Grevas Lungunyale, the chairman of Sulungai Street, said that he received a phone from a pastor of the church informing him of the incident.
In a message found in the office, the bishop said that there are some monies which he owes and other sums he claims from other people, he said of the scene the police witnessed when taking out the body.
He qualified the matter as a big and painful incident since as a bishop many people trust him and know him “but it seems he had no one to tell on what had happened to him so that he could get advice that could have helped him.”
Kedmondi Ngalya, a neighbour of the late bishop, said the bishop hanged himself in his office leaving behind a document that was taken by the police.
Omar Hussein, also a neighbour, said he met the spiritual leader three days ago and exchanged greetings, asserting that the now deceased bishop did not show any disturbing signs of stress that could conceivably culminate in taking his own life.
“I was very surprised by news that he committed suicide because he used to condemn suicidal acts saying it is a sin. And now, he has hanged himself,” he said in consternation.
Steve Magawa, another neighbour, said the incident has brought sadness because the religious leader was an avid teacher of what is spiritually right to do.
The Guardian News
regional news
In an uncommon suicide episode, Bishop, 55, died.
As reported by a Guardian correspondent, The Guardian
May 18, 2024, 8:00 AM Published
Pictured: File Rope
A Tanzania Methodist Church clergyman, Bishop Joseph Bundala, 55, committed suicide, reportedly because of debt.
On Meriwa Street in Dodoma City, the bishop hanged himself with a rope and was discovered dead in the church office.
In a lengthy statement, Bundala—who was also the former vice chairman of the African synod of the church—said that he made the decision because he was worried over a disagreement about who owned a private school and was unable to clear his obligations.
The regional police commander, ACP Archelaus Mutalemwa, stated that an investigation has begun to delve deeper into the reasons behind the suicide incident. He emphasizes that even if the bishop left a note, the police force would continue to probe into additional surrounding issues.
The bishop was a resident of the city’s Ihumwa district and was discovered dead on Thursday night, he added. He added, “The communication did not reflect the full extent of his debt.”
Sulungai Street chairman Grevas Lungunyale said he was notified of the event by phone from a church pastor.
The bishop described the circumstances surrounding the police’s discovery of the body in a note they discovered in the office. They stated that he owed money in certain cases and that he had additional payments he claimed from others.
While many people know and trust him as a bishop, he described the occurrence as significant and unpleasant, adding that “it seems he had no one to tell on what had happened to him so that he could get advice that could have helped him.”
According to Kedmondi Ngalya, the late bishop’s neighbor, he hanged himself in his office and left behind a document that the police later confiscated.
Another neighbor, Omar Hussein, claimed to have met the spiritual leader three days prior and spoken with him, adding that the now-deceased bishop showed no worrisome symptoms of stress that would have led to his suicide.
“When I learned that he had taken his own life, I was shocked because he had previously said that suicide was wrong. And now, to his dismay, he’s hanged himself.”
According to Steve Magawa, a fellow neighbor, the religious leader was a fervent instructor of what is morally correct, therefore the occurrence has saddened him.
