The 81-year-old man from Tsholotsho who spent the past 61 years in South Africa before returning home will be taken to an old people’s home after his relatives showed a lack of interest in accepting him.
Philip Moyo, who is now physically unwell and suffering from malnutrition, left his home in Nemane Tsholotsho for South Africa before Ian Smith’s far-right political party, the Rhodesian Front, unilaterally declared independence.
He is yet to find relatives willing to take him in when he is discharged from Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.
Moyo has spent the past five weeks at the hospital and is now awaiting discharge.
A woman who is aged 60 years and claims to be his daughter, recently visited the hospital and later disappeared.
The woman has not been seen after reuniting with her father whom she never saw or communicated with since she was born.
Moyo said he had a family in South Africa including four children who did not want to be part of his life anymore.
The octagenarian said he left Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), without a passport as they were not required then and started a family with his wife who is from Botswana.
He also had a child in Rhodesia but he cannot remember the name of his girlfriend or the child.
Mpilo public relations officer Matron Norma Mabhena said the hospital will ensure that Moyo goes to an old people’s home since his relatives have failed to accept him. She said:
We are working with social workers to take him to an old people’s home and so far we have several promises.
His relatives haven’t come and his daughter came once and then cut off all communication with us.
The civic leaders have also tried to get the family members to communicate with Moyo without any luck and we are now working on taking him to a home.
During his initial interview with State media, Moyo said that he only remembers that his father was Sibambosobunyonyo and his mother was MaDawu and that his home was near Nemane Primary School in Tsholotsho in an area called Mandeya.
Civic leaders including Chief Gampu visited him in the hospital.
Millions of Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa over the past several decades, with some settling there permanently.
Moyo’s predicament highlights the need for emigrants to keep in touch with their relatives back home so that they will have a place to go in case they are forced to leave their adopted country.
SOURCE : PINDULA
