1975 (Sept.) Member National Executive Committee, ANC (Nkomo).
1976 Deputy National Organising Secretary, ANC (Nkomo).

Clement Moyo was born at Shabani on 10 January 1934. He was one of the ten sons and seven daughters of a polygamist father who was, it is believed, 114 years old when he died in 1972. The father came from the Mambo Rozwi tribe, the original inhabitants of the Zimbabwe area and the king—makers of the Shona people. In his young days he met Lobengula on a number of occasions and claimed a “close acquaintance” with him. He was a wealthy man – owning many cattle – and was able to give his children, including the girls, a good education.

Clement went to Dadaya Mission after reaching Standard III¹ In 1948 he participated in a ‘strike’ against the poor food at the school and was one of a number of pupils temporarily rusticated to the kraal school near his home. He subsequently returned to Dadaya where he quickly completed Standard VI and obtained his UJC.

He went to Salisbury (Harare), intending to go back to school later for secondary education. However, after working for a time he discovered that he had a talent for singing, and before long he was a popular figure at the various entertainments in the townships. This sudden rise to public acclaim – plus a passion for football – caused him to abandon ideas of further schooling. It led, instead, to an invitation in 1956 to join the ANYL. From this he graduated to the ANCongress and later to the NDP.

Clement Moyo states that he also became a member of the Highfield Ratepayers Association and was prominent in the negotiations and discussions leading to the setting up of the Highfield Community School in 1962. In this work he co-operated with political leaders such as George Silundika and Robert Mugabe, all of whom gave full backing to the concept.

He was detained in 1964 and sent to Gonakudzingwa for a year. After his release he was at liberty for two weeks only before being re-arrested when the state of emergency was declared on 5 November 1965. Although at first sent to Salisbury (Harare) Prison on an indefinite detention order he was returned, shortly after Christmas, to the familiar camp at Gonakudzingwa. Here he met, among others, Lazarus Nkala (a relative) who urged him to get down to study. “I picked up pen and paper and dictionary and started to work.” By the time of his release in August 1970 he had passed both ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations of the General Certificate of Education as well as several courses for an external degree in commerce with the University of South Africa.

On his release he found his wife in poor health. In order to give her proper attention he decided to avoid the disrupting influences of an active political career² He remained in close touch, however, and when the special congress was held on 27-28 September 1975 he found it possible to accept an appointment as an aide to Joshua Nkomo and a member of the executive. He was appointed Deputy National Organising Secretary on 18 January 1976.

Clement Moyo has five children, all of whom are at school.

1 The Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole was one of his teachers at Dadaya.
2 He turned down an offer from Josiah Chinamano to serve on the ANC Executive in 1971.