Publications
Partners
ANC leader Jackson Mthembu’s eldest daughter, Khwezi Mthembu, took her own life on Tuesday evening.
This is according to the chief whip, who on Wednesday morning tweeted out the tragic news.
He said that he and his family were in “deep pain”.
My eldest daughter , Khwezi Mthembu , last night committed suicide at our Pelican parliamentary village home in #Capetown . We are in deep pain . We don't know what led her to take her own life at such a tender age of 25 years .
— Jackson Mthembu (@JacksonMthembu_) March 20, 2019
A string of condolence messages began pouring in, including those from the leader of newly formed political party, the African Transformation Movement’s (ATM) Mzwanele Manyi, the EFF’s Godrich Gardee and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Oh no!
— Mzwanele Manyi VoteATM (@MzwaneleManyi) March 20, 2019
Condolences Cde Jackson.
God will give you and your family strength to go through this painful period.
Condolences Cde Jack...and family .....
— Godrich Gardee (@GardeeGodrich) March 20, 2019
My condolences Mr Mthembu and family, God is your comforter. May her soul Rest In Peace ??
— Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane (@AdvBMkhwebane) March 20, 2019
Although the details surrounding the death of Khwezi are unknown at this stage, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported last year that South Africa has the sixth highest rate of suicide in the world.
WHO also indicated that 800 000 people died as a result of suicide each year, and that it is the second leading cause of death in the world’s population, aged between 15 and 29 years old.
In 2017, Africa Check said that suicide was the fourth leading cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 24 in South Africa in 2012. That year, 1 665 young people died as a result of suicide.
