Cold Weather Kills Kwekwe Homeless Man

In the mining town of Kwekwe, a tragic discovery was made when a homeless man was found deceased due to the severe cold weather in the town’s central business district (CBD). The lifeless body of the unidentified man was found by passersby early yesterday morning.

This unfortunate incident comes in the wake of a recent advisory from the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) warning about the onset of extremely cold weather in Zimbabwe. The warning indicated that the cold spell would persist until Wednesday, 12 June 2024. Across the country, maximum temperatures have been around 20°C, while the minimum temperature has plunged to a frosty 3°C. This has posed significant challenges, especially for vulnerable individuals such as the homeless population.

In Kwekwe, the temperature dropped to a freezing 5°C on Sunday night and into Monday. These temperatures are especially dangerous for homeless individuals who lack shelter and warm clothing to protect them from the cold.

On Sunday, a homeless man only had a thin jacket to shield him from the harsh cold. Without any blankets, he used a few sacks to keep himself warm. However, the cold weather was too intense, and the sacks couldn’t protect him. Tragically, he succumbed to the cold and passed away during the night.

Residents and vendors in Kwekwe noticed something unusual about how he was lying and upon closer inspection, realized that he had frozen to death. Images shared on social media show him lifeless, with the morning sun shining on him, but it was too late to save him.

Over the years, the winter season has claimed lives in Zimbabwe.

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In 2016, a 16-year-old homeless boy died from hypothermia in Gweru during a cold snap. In June 2021, another homeless woman was found dead outside a building at Corner 10th Avenue and George Silundika Street in Bulawayo.