Zimbabwe lawmaker and poet dies after his car hits an elephant

Zimbabwean opposition MP Desire Moyo has died after the vehicle he was traveling in hit an elephant, local media report.

The accident occurred early Friday morning as Mr Moyo and four other MPs were driving along the Bulawayo-Gweru highway, according to state broadcaster ZBC.

He died instantly while his fellow lawmakers were injured, the media added.

Tributes are pouring in for the famous poet, hailed for his contribution to the arts, who died a day before his 46th birthday.

He was a member of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Nelson Chamisa, and served on the Zimbabwean Parliament’s Committee on Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

Nkulumane’s constituency in Zimbabwe’s second city Bulawayo, which he represented, confirmed the news of his death in a statement and shared its “deep sadness and shock”.

Another CCC member and MP Discent Bajila provided more details of the horrific accident to local news site ZimLive.com. He told the publication that he spoke to the injured deputies, who relayed what happened.

“I spoke to [Madalaboy] Ndebele, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. As he remembers, they hit the elephant on the butt. After the impact, he remembers the elephant turning and fighting the vehicle.

“This, he believes, is what caused the most damage to the upper right side of the vehicle and ultimately led to Moyo’s fatal injuries,” Bajila said.

MP Caston Matewu was among those who paid tribute to Moyo, affectionately known as Moyoxid, hailing him as “one of the hardest working MPs in Parliament”.

“The inhabitants of Nkulumani [sic] were stolen from this great [man]”Mr Matewu said.

The City of Bulawayo, led by Mayor David Coltart, said Mr Moyo would be remembered as an “iconic…and creative leader” who “strove to champion the arts” in the city and beyond.

Mr Moyo was an award-winning poet, educator and arts administrator “who dedicated his life to nurturing Zimbabwe’s creative sector”, according to the public news site Herald.

The other deputies involved in Friday’s crash were taken to the hospital.

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