Zimbabwean opposition lawmaker and celebrated poet Desire Moyo has died after his vehicle collided with an elephant while traveling with fellow MPs on the Bulawayo-Gweru highway.
Zimbabwean opposition lawmaker and poet Desire Moyo has died after his car collided with an elephant in the early hours of Friday morning. The accident occurred along the Bulawayo-Gweru highway while he was traveling with four other MPs, local broadcaster ZBC reported.
Mr. Moyo, who represented Nkulumane Constituency under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), died instantly, while the other lawmakers sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. Fellow MP Discent Bajila told ZimLive.com that the vehicle “hit the elephant on its backside,” adding that the animal “turned round and fought the vehicle,” causing fatal damage.
Tributes have poured in for the 45-year-old lawmaker, who was also an award-winning poet and educator. CCC MP Caston Matewu described him as “one of the hardest working MPs in Parliament.” The City of Bulawayo mourned him as an “iconic leader and creative” who championed the arts and inspired Zimbabwe’s cultural community.