The late Bhekitshe Moyo: Appeal

Please support our campaign to meet the costs of repatriating the remains of Bhekitshe Moyo who was found dead in a park in South London on the 6th of March 2017.  Bheki's mother, who lives in the village, was too upset to talk but is desperate to raise money for a visa and air tickets to travel to the UK to take Bheki's body back to the place of his birth.

Police and friends described desperate scenes as his young sister tried to co-ordinate the search from Southern Africa. The deceased's mobile was triangulated and the area searched. He was eventually located by a Police Helicopter which in turn guided the officers on the ground to the location.  Suicide notes were found on him and one of the notes was to the immigration service.

Moyo was born in Manama area of Gwanda in Zimbabwe where he attended Nhana Primary and Bethel Secondary School. He then went to South Africa where he attained a degree in banking. He migrated to the UK in 2002 on a sports visa (boxing), which he renewed regularly as required and competed in more than 50 professional bouts; using his spare time to study law, volunteer at boxing clubs and teaching children the sport.

Everything changed when he was refused leave to remain when he applied for settlement after a qualifying period. He was threatened with deportation and was kept at Brook House detention centre. Bheki used all his savings as he fought for the right to stay in the UK through the courts. He dropped out of his LLB course due to lack of funds and was reduced to sofa surfing after he became homeless.

On the 15th February 2017, Bheki wrote to the Home Office and told his case worker that: "if I have any freedom left, that freedom is the control over my own life and body and I shall exercise it by removing myself from the hurt the Home Office has put me under and end my own life" 

In his last message on Facebook on the 6th March, at 18.51hrs, Bheki encouraged people to fight for a just and democratic world concluding: "I shed a tear as I write this because I will not be there when a new and just work is built. I have to sleep now. I love you all. Now be good to one another. Peace"