A veil of secrecy surrounds the suicide by hanging of a well-known Sibasa school principal. Mr Nickson Mammburu (55) of Thohoyandou Unit D, who has been acting as principal at Phaswana Secondary School for a short while, was found dead after allegedly committing suicide in the nearby bushes at Ha Magidi-Rockville, not far from the Sibasa CBD.

He was found on Friday morning, after he went missing on Thursday last week.

His death has caused shockwaves in the community and around academic circles. The circumstances surrounding the suicide are still sketchy, as the family does not have clues as to could have led to his committing suicide. The secrecy surrounding his death has led people to believe that he had a problem with colleagues at the school where he worked.

He is alleged to have tried to commit suicide at home, but was stopped from doing so by his child. The family is alleged to have cooled him down and they thought everything was back to normal.

According to a report, he and a helper went to to the nearby shops on Thursday. At the shops, it is said that he had sent the helper to buy something and then disappeared. The helper was shocked to find that he was no longer in the car. He alerted the family and they searched for him, to no avail.

He was only found the following morning by a passerby. Soon after word had spread of the hanging body, onlookers came in their numbers to have a glimpse of it. Allegations doing the rounds in the community are that work-related stress could have led him to commit suicide.

Still more allegations are that some colleagues at the school have also eyed the position and at one time he was warned that he would not act for three months. This exactly what happened, as three months have not passed since his taking over.

Members of the family were not prepared to discuss the issue with this newspaper.

Members of the SGB said they were shocked by the death of Mr Mammburu. Police spokesperson in Vhembe Capt Mashudu Malelo said they had opened an inquest docket.