PR practitioner Moyo dies
PUBLIC Relations practitioner and former Sunday Mail business editor Augustine Moyo has died. He was 38.
Moyo died in the early hours of yesterday at a local hospital due to injuries he sustained in a freak accident in the capital on Monday.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Moyo was run over by a car being driven by his girlfriend.
“The matter involving the death of Augustine Moyo is being investigated by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Homicide. He died in the early hours of 26 May 2020 after being run over by his girlfriend with a car at a shopping centre in Eastlea, Harare, following a dispute,” he said.
Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations expressed their condolences.
“ZIPR and the entire public relations fraternity offers our deepest commiseration on the passing of Augustine Moyo, an affable journalist and peer.”
A family member, who declined to be named, said they were waiting for the family spokesperson to announce burial arrangements.
“We cannot speak now, we are waiting for the family spokesperson and we are also not sure yet about the burial arrangements.”
The Herald visited Eastlea Shopping Centre yesterday where one of the eyewitnesses, Mr Taurai Matoropito, narrated how the accident allegedly happened.
“I was at the shopping centre when my friend Bonface called me saying that there was some noise coming from one of the vehicles parked at the centre. We at first argued about going to where the car, a Honda Fit was parked.
“From where we were standing, we could see that a man was quarrelling with a female, who was behind the wheel. The woman suddenly shouted for help and we decided to advance, at the same time shouting for them to stop fighting,” Matoropito said.
He said at that moment, the woman drove the car at high speed, while they were still fighting.
“We saw the woman driving off at high speed. At that moment, the man’s legs were swinging in the air, while the greater part of his body was inside the car.
“I suspect that they continued wrestling on the steering wheel, and within some seconds, we heard a loud bang that is when we realised that the Honda fit had smashed into a Jacaranda tree. We rushed to the scene and we found the man lying on the ground, wriggling and groaning.
He said they managed to calm him down and assured him that help was coming soon.
“We advised him to remain calm and assured him that help was coming. The woman disembarked from the vehicle and came to where the man was lying. She made some calls and after some minutes another man arrived.
“I think the man called a doctor because after a few minutes, the injured man was whisked away in an ambulance.”
Moyo worked as a business reporter at The Sunday Mail before rising through the ranks to business editor.
He left to join Zimbabwe National Road Rehabilitation (ZINARA).
He left the organisation last year. Moyo is survived by his wife Chantelle and three children — Chacha, Rebecca and Ethan.
Mourners are gathered at his residence in Marondera.