Felix Fandroy Moyo

Playwright/Actor

Felix Moyo, popularly known as “Silandulo” after his role in the television drama, Kukhulwa Kokupela, has been involved in the arts industry since the 1960s when he was at Loreto Primary School in lower Gweru in the Midlands Province.

1976 while working as a teacher at Msitheli Secondary School in Bulawayo he decided to go public with his first play entitled Umbaxambili which was performed at Mpopoma Hall. During the same year, he formed the Mthwakazi Actors’ and Writers’ Association (MAWA) with the late novelist and playwright Mthandazo Ndema Ngwenya who wrote the television drama Kukhulwa Kokuphela with Moyo, Pathisa Nyathi, and the late Robert ‘Donga’ Mele making contributions. After Ngwenya died in a car accident soon after independence, Moyo took over as the script-writer of the show.

Moyo also wrote the radio play Zaphela Izindaba – Izindaba Zaphela which ran on Radio 2 the show was so popular that even after retirement from radio productions he continued to provide storylines for theatre groups and producers in and outside the country.

While taking a full-time job with the National University of Science and Technology Moyo established himself as a Ndebele poetry writer and his anthology of poems, Imbabazane was used as an “A” Level set book. He established his own publishing company Usiba Publishers which specialises in Ndebele literature. Moyo has also assisted Ndebele authors who want to have their novels and other books published under his company.

The series Kukhulwa kokuphela was memorable to viewers and it had an equally profound effect on young writers in Bulawayo, who saw that it was possible to tell authentic stories from the City of Kings.

Moyo developed the story of the drama to capture the social scene in the country and it resonated with the daily struggles of ordinary people especially in the city of Kings. His work made him an inspiration to the theatre sector and his work as a publisher has made him in contact with young writers who he has helped through polishing their works and assisting in publishing new authors.—NACZ.