Detective in hot soup for sharing bad suicide joke on Whatsapp status

A poor attempt at humour had disastrous results, and Detective Constable Jonah Nomore Gono of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Bindura, Mashonaland Central, found himself in hot water.

A horrible joke that Gono made has now resulted in disciplinary action being taken against him.

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Gono shared a photo on his WhatsApp status in a careless moment of humour that shocked his family and coworkers. He was shown holding a gun to his chin in the picture, which also said, “We will meet in heaven.”

Naturally, this sparked fear for his safety and panic.

His police colleagues raced to find him and make sure he was safe. Gono’s remark in Shona, “Tosangana kudenga” (We will meet in paradise), and three depressing emojis added to the horrific image of a gun pointed at his neck and added to the seriousness of the issue.

But 20 minutes later, Gono updated his WhatsApp status to let everyone know everything was well. His updated status stated simply, “Sorry… I’m fyn.”

Police Officer Faces Disciplinary Action For Suicide Joke

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Following this incident, Gono’s superiors requested a report from him. It is likely that he will be arrested and charged under the Police Act for “acting in an unbecoming or disorderly manner or in any manner prejudicial to good order or discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the police force.”

If convicted, the detective could face serious consequences such as discharge from the police force, a reduction in rank, or a reprimand.

When contacted by ZimLive for comment, the national police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said he had not been briefed on the matter.