CIO WHO EXPOSED PIUS NCUBE COMMITS SUICIDE

A BULAWAYO businessman and private investigator who exposed former head of the Roman Catholic Church in Bulawayo, Archbishop Pius Ncube’s sexual escapades 14 years ago, Ernest Tekere committed suicide yesterday at his company offices.

Tekere, who was the managing director of Home Guard Security Services, a Bulawayo-based private investigations company, was found hanging at his offices situated at Josiah Tongogara Street and 13th Avenue in the city centre, by his employees shortly before 3PM.

Tekere shot to prominence when he took incriminating photos and videos of Archbishop Ncube with a married woman, the late Mrs Rosemary Sibanda at his then official residence at St Mary’s Cathedral in July 2007.

The disgraced clergyman who was accused of having affairs with women from his diocese, was later served with summons for a $20 billion lawsuit over the alleged adultery by the woman’s husband, Mr Onesimus Sibanda.

Investigations by this paper at the time revealed that Archbishop Ncube had turned his official residence into a love nest where he enjoyed sexual encounters with many women.

Catholic priests take an oath of celibacy, which stipulate that they must never marry or engage in sexual intercourse.

Prior to forming his company, Tekere worked for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) before retiring after serving for 20 years.

When a Chronicle news crew visited the scene shortly after the incident, relatives had gathered outside the Home Guard Security Services premises.

Police were also at the scene interviewing the relatives, who however refused to talk to the news crew.

Some relatives also caused a scene when they manhandled Chronicle senior photographer Dennis Mudzamiri and ordered him to delete pictures that he had taken.

There was a melee, which lasted for about 15 minutes as relatives pulled and shoved the photographer before he was whisked away by police.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the suicide, saying the details were sketchy by late yesterday as they were still in the process of gathering detailed information on circumstances that led to the suicide.

“I can confirm that our officers attended to a suicide case, which occurred in the city centre involving a businessman by the name Ernest Tekere. We are yet to get detailed information,” he said.

Tekere was also a farmer and the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association cultural secretary. Chronicle

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