MFABANTFU – A 40-year-old security guard from Ekudzeni was found dead in a Mfabantfu forest yesterday after a two-day search.
The discovery brought a tragic end to an intensive search by concerned family members and community members who had been looking for him after he disappeared on Tuesday. According to information gathered by this publication, the deceased went missing shortly after an alleged domestic disagreement with his partner.
Before his disappearance, he reportedly sent a distressing message to his mother, indicating that he would be found dead in a forest. The message reportedly raised alarm among his relatives, who became concerned about his whereabouts and safety.
Following his disappearance, family members and members of the community joined forces in searching for him. Their efforts continued until his body was eventually discovered in the Mfabantfu forest during the early hours of yesterday.
Preliminary information gathered by this publication suggested that the deceased may have died after ingesting a poisonous substance. However, the exact cause of death is yet to be established.
Police were called to the scene to conduct investigations and arrange for the body to be transported to the mortuary. The matter is being treated as an unnatural death, with an inquiry opened as authorities await post-mortem results to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
A police officer who responded to the incident confirmed that they received a report about a man who had been found dead in the forest.
The officer said upon their arrival at the scene, preliminary information indicated that the deceased had ingested a poisonous substance. “Fortunately, we have located his mother and relatives,” the police officer said.
The officer further disclosed that the information they had gathered established that the deceased was aged 40 and came from Ekudzeni.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Zwane also confirmed the incident.
Meanwhile, Zwane disclosed that two other people had also lost their lives in separate incidents reported on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
In the first incident, she reported that a 33-year-old man from Ngwane Park was found hanging inside his bathroom at around 3pm.
Following the discovery, he was rushed to Manzini Clinic, where he was certified dead upon arrival.
In a separate incident reported at around 5pm on the same day, a 37-year-old woman from Lawuba was discovered hanging from the rafters inside her bedroom.
She was also rushed to Hlatikhulu Hospital, where she was certified dead upon arrival.
The three deaths come against the backdrop of growing concern over suicide cases in the country, with statistics previously reported by this publication showing an increase in the number of people dying in suspected suicide incidents.
In July 2025, this publication reported that statistics from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) showed that 486 people had died by suicide between 2022 and 2024.
The figures reflected a steady increase in the number of recorded deaths over the three-year period. In 2022, the country recorded 151 cases, which increased to 161 in 2023 before rising further to 174 in 2024.
The statistics further revealed that men accounted for more than 80 per cent of the recorded deaths, while 18 of the victims in 2024 were children and adolescents aged between zero and 17 years.
The concern has also extended to young people, with the Ministry of Health recently raising alarm over mental health challenges affecting pupils.
