A well known Harvest House International Church Reverend, Pastor Tani Tuturu, has joined his ancestors after he committed suicide by hanging himself in the church hall over an alleged $15 000 debt.
The 44-year-old Pastor Tuturu, who had over 42 pastors under his watch in the church which has followers all over the world, was found dead at around 4PM on Monday by a church member who had gone for prayers.Rev Tuturu, was a very a popular man of the cloth not only in Gweru where he was based, but even in Harare where he was stayed when he was still in charge of the Church's Harare branch as well as in Bulawayo as he was often invited to preach at Harvest House's head office church, corner gave the opening prayer during the official opening of the Gweru High Court circuit in January and has written several Christian books including one titled, I have chosen to be great which was released in August 2013.
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| Well Known Zimbabwean Pastor Commits Suicide In Church. |
"We are not yet privy to the circumstances surrounding his death hence investigations are underway. We would like to appeal to members of the public to engage other initiatives and interventions whenever they face personal problems rather than taking their own lives."
At Rev Tuturu's house at number 38 Kopje, Gweru, friends and fellow congregants were consoling his family. His body was still at a local funeral parlour. Rev Tuturu's elder brother, Chemai Tuturu, who is also a reverend in the church, could not shed light on the circumstances leading to his sibling's death.
"I was in Harare when my brother committed suicide. I can't say much about the whole incident because as a family we're all shocked with my brother's untimely death. I'm yet to be furnished with full details on how he committed suicide," said Rev Tuturu.
A church member who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tuturu’s church was in arrears and he was failing to raise $15 000 for rentals and other services. The source said the dire situation was worsened by pressure coming from other church members after his former congregant who later became a pastor managed to raise $100 000 after a conference while his Masvingo counterpart raised about $80 000.
"It seems like personal ego was also at play. The pastor was under pressure because other branches of the church were doing well while he was failing to raise $15,000 to settle his church's debts," said the church member.
He said on Monday, Rev Tuturu left home and proceeded to the church. The source said the Rev's wife had travelled to Harare. "He was later found dead by a congregant hanging from the roof trusses in the church hall. The congregant had gone to church for prayers," said the source.
Tuturu’s elder brother Reverend Chemai Tuturu also confirmed the death, but professed ignorance on the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death.
"I was in Harare when my brother committed suicide. I cannot say much about the whole incident because as a family we are all shocked with my brother’s untimely death. I am yet to be furnished with full details on how he committed suicide," said Reverend Tuturu Snr.
His body has since been taken to his rural home in Hwange for burial on Wednesday. A church service is to be held in Bulawayo by the church’s founder, Bishop Collin Nyathi.
