Centenarian celebrates birthday in style: Prays to live longer

AT 100 years old Mr Sithula Moyo from Bulawayo’s Makokoba suburb still desires to live longer to be able to see his large family of 80 grandchildren, 130 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren flourish.

On a special day that families across the world celebrate their dads on Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16, Mr Moyo’s family went all out to organise an extraordinary day filled with food, music, and festivities to mark his century birthday celebrations.

He was born on June 12, 1924 in Filabusi, Matabeleland South, and moved to Tsholotsho before settling in Nkayi.

Mr Moyo is the only survivor from a family of 13 siblings.

For a man who has lived through World War II, the country’s war of independence against colonial rule, multiple droughts, and natural disasters such as Cyclone Idai and the Covid-19 pandemic, at 100 years old Mr Moyo is still of sound mind and body.

“Today I feel so proud that my family is celebrating all these years that I have lived since I was born. I can see my children, grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren are here,” he said.

Mr Moyo is a father of 10 children, three of which have died. His seventh-born son, 61-year-old Amos Moyo, described his father as a hard-working man who loved his family dearly.

“Growing up, one thing that I still remember about my father was that he loved bread from Downings Bakery. He would not eat any other bread except from Downings Bakery,” he said.

“Today we are here to celebrate his life and for being the pillar of strength of our huge family, which has over 200 family members from his children down to his great-great grandkids.”

The centenarian worked for the Bulawayo City Council’s roads department; the only employer he ever knew from the time he joined the local municipality until he retired after more than five decades of dedicated service.

“We moved around as a family from Mzilikazi, Pumula North until he bought his house here at Kusile Flats in Makokoba.

“My father was a hard worker who believed that a man must stay loyal to one employer until retirement. Some people might be surprised that I still go to my father for advice whenever I encounter a problem that I think he might help me solve,” said Amos.

Granddaughter Miss Sihlangabezile Moyo (47) remembers Mr Moyo’s bicycle that was inscribed with the words “sunduza wondle abantwana” and how he would not come back empty-handed from a long day’s work at BCC.

“That bicycle was his pride and joy and I remember how as his grandkids we would run to welcome him back home from work because he always had something to give us,” she said.

“If ever he sent me to buy bread and I bought anything that wasn’t from Downings Bakery, he would send me back to the shops,” said Miss Moyo.

As the number of grandchildren continued to grow over the years, they would all visit their grandparents in Makokoba suburb during school holidays, filling the house to the brim.

“I’m so happy that his family is back here again to celebrate his 100th birthday and show him how much he is loved,” added Ms Moyo. Their grandmother passed away in her 90s.

Young Keith Bwanya, one of the many great-grandchildren, remembers the old man for showering them with sweets whenever they visited him at Kusile Flats.