Remembering Desire Moyoxide

Langalakhe Mabena, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub

THE local arts industry has dimmed with the loss of Desire “Moyoxide” Moyo, a celebrated poet, arts director and politician who left an indelible mark on the hearts of many before his untimely death.

Moyo, aged 45, died in a car accident in the early hours of Friday, October 10, 2025, when the vehicle he was travelling in to Bulawayo collided with an elephant near Shangani along the Bulawayo-Harare Road. The crash claimed his life instantly while fellow Members of Parliament he was travelling with escaped with injuries.

Born on 11 October 1979 in Nkayi, Matabeleland North Province. Moyo attended several primary schools, including Mhali in Magwegwe, Fusi in Gwabalanda, Malinga in Nkayi, and finally Amavene in Nkulumane. He then proceeded to Manama High School from 1993 to 1996. While a student, he was a vibrant member of the school’s theatre club, which also had other thespians like Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu, who would later become famously known as Madlela Skhobokhobo.

It was there that his passion for performance and storytelling first took shape.
After completing his studies, Moyo enrolled at Hillside Teachers’ College, where he studied towards a Diploma in Secondary Education. He began his career as a teacher at Manama High School, but his passion for the arts soon became too strong to ignore.

He left teaching and went on to found several influential arts organisations, including Missing Peace Performing Arts in 1999 and Victory Siyanqoba in 2008, which later evolved into the Victory Siyanqoba Trust. These platforms became vital in nurturing artistic talent. Through the Victory Siyanqoba Trust, he pioneered the concept of edutainment, a creative model that merged education and entertainment. His community theatre initiatives created safe spaces for dialogue and artistic expression, allowing audiences to interact with content that spoke directly to their everyday realities.

One of his key projects, Eziko Theatre Laboratory, strengthened his mission to promote African identity and connect the arts with policy-making. The workshops and campaigns orchestrated under this platform reflected his vision of turning Nkulumane suburb, where he resided, into a vibrant cultural hub.

Moyoxide was not only a performer and director, he was also a mentor. He understood the importance of nurturing the next generation of creatives and was dedicated to providing them with platforms that empowered their voices. Through his innovative initiatives, he gave young artists a sense of belonging and purpose, proving that the arts could be a viable and respected profession.

In August 2023, he transitioned into politics after being elected as the Member of Parliament for the Nkulumane Constituency in Bulawayo. In Parliament, he continued to advocate for increased funding for the arts and emphasised the role of artistes in shaping national identity and preserving Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.

Before his death, Moyoxide had made a highly-anticipated return to the stage after 15 years.