A 34-year-old man from the Kuwadzana suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe, has tragically taken his own life after losing a $500 sports bet, highlighting the country’s growing gambling crisis.
The deceased, Taurai Manyepo, a father of two, had staked the entire amount—borrowed under false pretenses—on Manchester City to defeat Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup. The English side lost 4-3 in extra time, leaving Manyepo devastated.
According to Lloyd Pikiri, the lender, Manyepo claimed he needed the money for his mother’s CT scan at Parirenyatwa Hospital. “I feel like I killed a friend,” Pikiri said emotionally. “He told such a convincing story about his mother’s medical needs.”
Zimbabwean police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged families to report suicide cases promptly and called attention to the rising number of deaths linked to gambling. He stressed the need for thorough investigations into such incidents.
Zimbabwe currently has a suicide rate of 17.34%, according to World Bank data. Gambling-related suicides are reportedly becoming more frequent. Manyepo’s death mirrors previous tragedies—including a 2019 case where a man in Chinhoyi died by suicide after losing $600, and more recent incidents involving betting losses and financial crimes driven by gambling addiction.