A Tanzanian bishop allegedly commits suicide over debts

Dodoma. A Bishop with the Methodist Church Joseph Bundala has, allegedly, committed suicide in his office using a telephone wire, after being overwhelmed with debts.

The incident is purportedly to have occurred on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at around 1pm in the restroom of his office located within the Methodist Church, Meriwa Ward, in the Tanzania administrative capital, Dodoma.

Dodoma acting Regional Police Commander (RPC), Alchelaus Mutalemwa, said on Friday, May 17, 2024, that the police are investigating the incident.

"Investigations at the scene revealed a note with a message indicating that debts, along with a dispute over the operation of private schools, were the reasons for the suicide," he said.

The Meriwa Ward chairman, Mr Gervas Lugunyale, said on the fateful day at 1pm, he received a call from one of the pastors seeking assistance after Bishop Bundala, 55, was found hanging in his office.

“I sought the assistance of the police immediately upon arriving at the scene. When I entered the office, I discovered, to my great sorrow, that Bishop Bundala had already taken matters into his own hands. His lifeless body was hanging," he said.

Furthermore, Mr Lugunyale said on the bishop’s desk there was a document summarising the debts he owed and those owed to him.

According to him, the police retrieved the body and took it to the mortuary.

"It is a strange, painful incident because the bishop was known and trusted by many," he said.

When The Citizen sought to know about the amount of money he owed and was owed, the ward chairman said,

"No amount was written on the note, but since there is an ongoing investigation, it is inappropriate to speak too much on the issue."

The Chairman of Zone Number 11, Meriwa Ward, Ipagala District, Mr Jonathan Mpando, said they have been hurt by Bishop Bundala’s demise because he was helpful to the citizens in the area.

"He was a leader we relied on for advice. We often turned to him in times of distress," he said.