A 28-year-old Zimbabwean man two weeks ago doused himself with petrol before setting himself on fire in the eastern Johannesburg suburb of Alberton.
Tinashe Marimo, who hailed from Chitungwiza, allegedly committed the act in a fit of rage. He was hospitalized for a few days with third-degree burns and eventually succumbed to the injuries.
Sources close to the story say Tinashe had a romantic relationship with a 38-year-old woman named Lizzie Ndlovu (ten years his senior) who also stayed in the same suburb. He allegedly could not stomach seeing Lizzie with other men after she called off their relationship in December last year.
“The two had an on-and-off relationship and seemingly the woman had more power financially. At first they were so much in love and were inseparable. They actually had a child together but they would fight a lot.
Lizzie finally called it quits in December and they were staying in separate places,” said a source close to the two. “Tinashe was a ‘hustler’ but things were not going well for him due to this COVID pandemic. He had been trying to reconcile with Lizzie who had since moved on. He didn’t take this lightly possibly resulting in what he did,” added the source.
Marimo who was also a qualified truck mechanic met Lizzie when they were working at the same company. The multi-talented Tinashe was also into music specializing in Zimdancehall.
On the fateful night, an angry Tinashe allegedly barged into Lizzie’s house already dripping with petrol. Everybody in the house was shocked with the way he was behaving and he lit himself up. Neighbours rushed with buckets and the complex’s fire extinguisher but the fire was too much.
A video circulating on social media shows sympathisers pouring cold water on a motionless Tinashe who was visibly in deep pain and speechless. Some chided him for wanting to kill his own child in the act. Apparently this is not the first time Tinashe attempted to take his life. A few years ago he attempted to hang himself, said the source.
Tinashe’s body was taken to Zimbabwe on Wednesday night in a Doves hearse. In a short memorial service at the funeral parlour heartbroken relatives could not stomach what they saw during the body viewing session. They suspect foul play.
“Shuwa here Tinashe kuurayiswa nehu** mwana mudiki kudai?” wailed one inconsolable relative. Some even fainted. What made it more painful for the family is they could not accompany the body even to leave the province of Gauteng. With the COVID regulations in place no mourners are allowed to travel with the body and only the driver and the casket are allowed to travel to Zimbabwe
