Ntsebeng Motsoeli
HATA-Butle residents on Friday woke up to the shocking sight of a lifeless body of a National University of Lesotho (NUL) student dangling from the rafters of a rented apartment. Next to it was a full-page handwritten suicide note.
The deceased, Thabang Kobeli, was a second-year Faculty of Science (Bsc Biology and Chemistry) student at the National University of Lesotho (NUL).
Police spokesperson, Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said they have opened an inquiry to determine whether Mr Kobeli had committed suicide or there was foul play involved.
The NUL management confirmed the death but referred all questions on the causes to the police.
“It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thabang Kobeli, a second-year student in the Faculty of Science (Bsc Biology and Chemistry) who passed away on 24 July 2020 at Roma,” an obituary by the NUL Dean of Students’ Affairs reads.
“Burial details will be communicated later.”
Mr Kobeli’s could not be reached for comment yesterday.
NUL student representative president, Reatlehile Makateng, said on the morning that he was found hanging in his room, Mr Kobeli was expected to meet with one of his fellow students at the university campus.
On realising that Mr Kobeli had not arrived at the meeting place, the friend then visited his off-campus accommodation only to find his friend’s lifeless body hanging inside the house.
“I got a phone call at around 11am to go to the scene and there I found the deceased’s body hanging by what looked like a bag strap. The neck was so stretched that his feet were almost touching the floor. Next to him was a chair that he could have used to reach the rafters,” Mr Makateng said.
He said on the bed was a suicide note where the deceased poured out his heart and explained why he had decided to take his life “because life was not worth living”.
On the note, the deceased said that he had actually planned to commit the suicide at 8pm the previous night but inexplicably failed.
In the letter, Mr Makateng said, the deceased said his suicide had nothing to do with the bad results he had received the previous day but had to do with other hardships that he was facing in life.
The deceased was required to supplement two subjects but instead, he said he ended his life “because it was not worth living and that no one cared about his wellbeing”
He also listed his belongings, which he said should be inherited by his girlfriend.
Mr Makateng said the deceased’s landlady attested that Mr Kobeli was always a lonely figure for the two years that he had rented the apartment.
When almost all students were eager to visit their homes during school recess, Mr Kobeli is said to have remained at his apartment. He landlady assumed that he either did not have anyone to go to or maybe that he had sour relations with his family.
Although the landlady did not know much about her tenant, she could tell that he was struggling to make ends meet. However, he always paid his rentals on time.
