Hundreds mourn lawyer Moyo

Fidelis Munyoro

Chief Court Reporter

Scores of people thronged the River of Life Church in Greystone Park, Harare, yesterday to pay their respects to one of Zimbabwe’s most respected attorneys and senior partner in one of the oldest law firms, Mr Sternford Moyo, who died last week.

Mr Moyo died at the age of 68 and his funeral service attracted people from the legal profession, judges, captains of industry and commerce, politicians from across the divide, family members, relatives and friends.

Mr Moyo’s untimely death left the legal profession and the business world shocked. Speakers hailed Mr Moyo for leaving an indelible mark not only in the legal fraternity, but the business world and the nation at large.

 Veteran lawyer Mr Theophelus Gambe described Mr Moyo as a very critical and intelligent man who had left a legacy of open mindedness and was eager to share his ideas and train others.

 “He did not regard other lawyers as competitors, but as people in the same trade and interested in the development of the profession,” he said.

 Ms Rumbidzai Matambo described Mr Moyo as a true giant in the legal profession.

“An excellent, intelligent and brilliant lawyer who worked for the cause of justice,” said Ms Matambo, the president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe.

“He was a human right defender, a defender of the rule of law as well as a commercial lawyer, particularly an astute leader who served the profession with distinction.”

For Mr Evans Moyo said the death of his mentor left him with a profound sense of loss. He said Mr Moyo was such a person you would look up to in the profession.

“He was available for all of us. He connected with us at levels that were so deep. It gives us a profound sense of loss to imagine that he is no more.”

Mr Moyo was the first African to hold the post of president of the International Bar Association (IBA).

An illustrious figure in legal circles, Mr Moyo earned the rare honour of being awarded the Freedom of the City of London on September 28 2022.

At the time of his death, he was chairman and senior partner at one of oldest and largest law firms Scanlen and Holderness, which he joined in 1981.

 He also served on several boards including as chairman of Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Limited, chairman of Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited, chairman of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Delta Beverages and a director of several companies, including Alpha Media Holdings Limited and PPC Limited.

Mr Moyo did his primary education at Pambe Primary School in Mwenezi and enrolled at Hope Fountain Mission in Matabeleland North for part of his secondary education. He did his A Level at Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo.

 Mr Moyo would spend the next four years studying law at the University of Zimbabwe, graduating with distinctions in the Bachelor of Law degree (BL) in 1980, and the Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) in 1981. Mr Moyo was buried  at Glen Forest Memorial Park. He is survived by his wife, Serah Moyo, nee Mukonoweshuro, and three children.