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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
HE is widely known for supreme social commentary and general excellence in corporate and personal communication.

However, former National University of Science and Technology (Nust) director communication and marketing Mr Felix Moyo has slowed down after he suffered a stroke in 2018 that affected his ability to communicate. For some time, he was in an awkward position of being a communicator who could not communicate as his speech and memory were affected.

He says his two grandchildren, the eldest being eight years old, greatly contributed to his recovery from the stroke.

A natural communicator, who excelled interpreting for the late former President, Cde Mugabe at public events held in Matabeleland, Mr Moyo said his recovery came with a lot of frustrations, as he could not do things that he used to do with ease.

He was no longer as agile as he used to be and the medical condition saw him suspend his doctorate studies to focus on his health.

He said some of his friends, family and even colleagues helped him recover from the ailment, with special mention of the communication and marketing department secretary Ms Sitheni Badza and his two grandchildren.

“My personal assistant, she is like a daughter to me. We had become a team and when I suffered stroke, she was there for me even when some people were concerned about ensuring that I exit the office. Maybe, they thought, I would not recover. But she would visit me at home and even make me sign leave forms when others wanted me gone. Family also supported me a lot as I recovered, and my two grandchildren Mqhelisi (8) and Mncedisi were instrumental to my recovery. The stroke really affected my speech and they would even teach me, how to pronounce some words. Even now we take some health exercises where we walk even for 40 minutes as I clear my mind,” said Mr Moyo.

He says his doctor attributed the stroke to work-related pressure.

However, Mr Moyo said his health has greatly improved since his departure from Nust.

“I used to struggle to talk, we wouldn’t have conversed for this long, it frustrated me failing to communicate, communication has always been a part of me. So, it was hard being unable to communicate. If you remember there was a time I would request to respond to questions via text to avoid talking. But two months since I left Nust my communication has significantly improved. I can converse with much ease now,” said Mr Moyo, adding that he feels rejuvenated for his next project.

He left Nust recently a happy man after serving the university for 23 years. However, he feels that the institution has stagnated because it is an institution of meetings and little action.

“There is just too much talk but no action at the institution. Nust is an institution of meetings, you will spend the whole morning in a meeting as you break from one meeting you will see yourself in another meeting. I think that needs to change. As opposed to having meetings we need more action. Another thing that needs to change is that there are some people who do not seem interested in work. They spend a lot of time chatting without executing their duties. It’s a typical public sector behaviour yet Nust should not operate like that. But this does not mean I leave Nust a bitter man, I loved my work at Nust and I would encourage anyone to love their job,” he said.

Mr Moyo said about nine years ago, he had made his intentions clear of leaving the university but was dissuaded by the late former Vice Chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu, who felt that he still had a lot to offer.

He said leaving Nust does not mean the world has seen the last of him, as he has several personal projects that he is pursuing.

Mr Moyo says he is dedicating his time to his company, Usiba Publishers, where he works with his sons to produce several materials including books.

The company just like many organisations has embraced working from home due to Covid-19 induced changes, to maximise on productivity.

His son, Cetshwayo, said having his father around would see the company maximise on output, especially at a time when they are working from home.

Mr Moyo, a playwright who produced the popular, Kukhulwa kokuphela drama series, says he is in the process of reproducing some of his masterpieces from yester year as a lot of people were calling for it.

So outstanding was the drama series produced at the turn of the millennium that it remains relevant even today. It touched on societal issues including corruption and earned him the name Silandulo, which has stuck to him until today.

However, he could not be drawn into revealing when he would resume television productions. -@nqotshili