October Memories: When the Guitar Fell Silent

Mpund Valerie 15 October 2011 | Remembering Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo

Hearts were broken that night.

At St Anne's Hospital in Harare, the man who had made Zimbabwe dance for two decades strummed his last chord. Tongai Moyo - Dhewa, the Sungura Maestro - was gone. He was 43.

The news spread like a veld fire. From Kwekwe to Mbare, from Mutare to Bulawayo, radios were turned up. Minibus drivers stopped. People cried in the streets. Songs were composed overnight. Favourite tracks played on repeat. Naye. Samanyemba. Pinda Panyanga. Mamuro. Muchina Muhombe. Toita Basa.

Dhewa was born on 12 March 1968 in Kwekwe. A humble boy who picked up a guitar and became a giant. With his band, Utakataka Express, he didn't just sing he told our stories. Stories of love, of struggle, of work, of life in the high-density.

He fought a quiet, painful battle against Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the blood. Even when his body was weak, his voice remained strong. He performed until he could no longer stand.

When he died on 15 October 2011, Zimbabwe lost more than a musician. We lost a son, a brother, a storyteller.

14 years later, this October 2025, we remember him.

We remember the man who smiled through pain. The man who wore his signature smile. The man who proved that Sungura could speak to every Zimbabwean heart.

His son, Peter Moyo, carries the guitar now. But the father's shadow is long and loving.

Dhewa did not die. Musicians never truly disappear. Their music changes address from the stage to our hearts, from the radio to our memories, from one generation to the next.

Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo (1968–2011).

Forever in our hearts. Your music lives on.

In memory of all those who have succumbed to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and in solidarity with those still facing the disease, may this remembrance also encourage people to seek medical attention for persistent or concerning symptoms.

Tongai Dhewa Moyo remembrance