Byo author tackles the vanishing African pride

By MARGARET LUBINDA | Jul. 8, 2024 | 2 Min read

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Moyo casts light on the societal ills whose discussions have melted into thin air.

A BULAWAYO-BASED author has penned a 94-page Afrocentric poetry anthology titled Into the Dark, delving into the less talked about issues that affect Africans’ daily lives.

Perfect Moyo’s writings were inspired after he observed that there were some things in Africa that were not being spoken about.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Moyo casts light on the societal ills whose discussions have melted into thin air.

“There are some issues that lie in the dark and are less spoken of, so I tried to venture into them, hence the title of the book. These issues include inferiority complex, war, poverty, climate change, political injustice, crime and marginalisation, among others,” he said.

“The poem that gave me the title of the whole book is about a lady who vanishes into the dark, representing all the things that are vanishing in Africa — peace, love, values, cultural standards, good climatic conditions and African pride.”

Moyo further revealed that his book is a call to action, a beacon of light in darkness and a testament to the resilience and strength of the African spirit.

In his anthology, Moyo challenges Africans to go back to originality and shun the issue of trying hard to be Western in their approach to doing things.

“Nowadays, people will actually laugh at you for failing to speak in English, whereas no one judges you for not speaking Shona.

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“Most people try hard to look Western. They go to the extent of changing their complexion through creams, injections and pills,” he said.

“Almost everything bad is labelled black magic, black market, black book, black sheep, blackmail and everything seems to be normal that way.”

Meanwhile, the new offering marks Moyo’s transition, with his 2020 publication Tribute to a Storm aimed at giving hope to readers in the event they experience heartbreaks.

Through it, he aims to make them understand that one can pick themselves up, live and love again after a heartbreak.