Man commits su!cide after sports bet loss

A 34-year-old man from Harares Kuwadzana suburb, Zimbabwe, has taken his life after losing a $500 sports bet, marking another tragic case in Zimbabwes growing gambling crisis. Taurai Manyepo, a father of two, placed a high-stakes wager on Manchester City to defeat Saudi Arabias Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup. Contrary to expectations, the English champions suffered a 4-3 loss in extra time, resulting in a devastating outcome for Manyepo, who had borrowed the entire amount for the bet. The borrowed funds had reportedly been obtained under false pretenses. According to Lloyd Pikiri, the lender, Manyepo had claimed the money was urgently needed for his mothers CT scan at Parirenyatwa Hospital. I feel like I killed a friend. He presented such a convincing story about his mothers CT scan needs, Pikiri said, visibly shaken by the incident. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi emphasised the importance of thoroughly investigating suicide cases, particularly when they go unreported by families. He also expressed concern over the rising number of suicide incidents linked to gambling losses. According to World Bank data, Zimbabwes suicide rate currently stands at 17.34%, and gambling-related suicides are becoming increasingly frequent. Manyepos death is not an isolated case. In 2019, a Chinhoyi man died by suicide after losing $600 to betting. More recently, a Harare man collapsed after losing $724 on the popular Aviator game, and a Bakers Inn manager stole $3,420 from his workplace to finance his gambling addiction. The post Man commits su!cide after sports bet loss appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.