FORMER Zapu cadre Elias Sikholiwe Njani Moyo has died.
His death was announced by his great-grandson, Mkhululi Chimoio on behalf of the family in a statement yesterday.
“The family of the late liberation struggle icon and former Zapu leader Elias Sikholiwe Njani Moyo regretfully announces his passing away on 26 April, 2025, at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo. He was 100 years old,” Chimoio said.
“Moyo dedicated his life selflessly to the liberation of Zimbabwe and the empowerment of its people. His unwavering commitment to the struggle for freedom resulted in his imprisonment for life by the Smith regime — a sacrifice emblematic of his deep love for the nation.”
Chimoio said Moyo’s contribution remained an important part of Zimbabwe’s history.
“Beyond his role in the liberation movement, Moyo was a pillar of the business sector, playing a significant role in uplifting communities through economic empowerment and business development, with many families benefiting from his wisdom, leadership and foresight,” Chimoio said.
“At the family level, Moyo was a devoted and compassionate patriarch who placed family at the centre of his life. He worked tirelessly to ensure family members had food, children were sent to school and he remained available to guide, support, and nurture young generations.”
Chimoio said the family celebrated his extraordinary life and enduring legacy, which continued to inspire many.
- Former Zapu cadre Njani Moyo dies
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He said Moyo would be buried at his home in Emawabeni, Teryline village, Matabeleland South, where mourners are gathered.
Moyo, who was imprisoned by the Rhodesian regime in 1976 for involvement in the liberation struggle, celebrated his 100th birthday on January 15 this year.
As the then treasurer of a Zapu branch Moyo, who was 50, was accused of aiding “terrorists” after a white storekeeper, Leonard Ashly, was shot in Mbalabala on July 7, 1976.
The Rhodesian media reported that Moyo provided food and shelter to three freedom fighters for four days and on the fourth day, the fighters allegedly murdered Ashly near Moyo’s village.
The media portrayed Moyo as a man who had lost everything because of helping freedom fighters.
The story titled This man lost all—through helping the terrorists, painted him as a betrayer who had risked his family’s well-being, lost his US$50-a-week job and sold cattle to pay US$700 legal fees.
He was later falsely accused of murder and was arrested, but he escaped the death penalty and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Moyo spent four years at Khami Maximum Prison under inhumane conditions, including being stripped naked in cold weather and confined to a cell for 23 hours per day.
He was released after independence in 1980 and faced the challenge of rebuilding his life, which he did through determination and hard work. Moyo started his education at Mawabeni Primary School at the age of 13 and later did menial jobs while attending school at night in Bulawayo.
He recently told journalists that after his early experience in carpentry and building, he worked as an assistant to a builder and later became a general manager at Wilfred Mart, a furniture shop employing 200 workers.
He owned multiple buildings and shops at Mawabeni shopping centre. Born on January 15, 1925, in Sipaba village in Esigodini, Moyo was the last born. All his older siblings are deceased.
His father, Njani “Sphokotsha” Nkolokazime, had four wives and his mother was Malimbitha Sibanda.
His parents passed away when he was still a teenager and that shaped his spirit of resilience, hard work and turned his life around at a young age.
Moyo remarried after the death of his first wife, Mary Ngwenya, in 1988.
He is survived by his wife Constance Nkala, five children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
