Mentally Challenged Man Dies After Consuming Poisoned PorridgeBulawayo provincial police spokesperson Nomalanga Msebele said the case highlights the serious dangers of keeping toxic substances in easily accessible places at home.
“The now-deceased, identified as Kindness Paradza, who was reportedly mentally unwell, put an unknown pesticide in a pot of porridge he was preparing for his family,” she said.
Msebele explained that Paradza’s wife quickly disposed of the porridge to prevent the family from consuming it, an action that reportedly led to a confrontation and prompted relatives to call the police for assistance.
“While arrangements were being made to take him for medical help, it was discovered that he had already consumed some of the poisoned porridge,” she said.Police in Bulawayo have urged residents to safely store pesticides and other hazardous household chemicals following a tragic incident that claimed the life of a 35-year-old man in Mpopoma on 22 March 2026.The police spokesperson also cited other troubling incidents to underscore the risks associated with unsafe storage of chemicals.
“Chemicals must never be left in places where they can be easily accessed or mistaken for food or drink,” Msebele warned.
She referred to a case where a child drank cattle dip that had been stored in a soft drink bottle, mistaking it for a beverage, as well as another incident in which a student reportedly died after consuming an insecticide following disappointing O-Level examination results.
Authorities are now urging members of the public to ensure that all hazardous substances are properly labelled and kept out of reach, particularly in households with children or vulnerable individuals.An ambulance was immediately called, but Paradza was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.”
