Zimbabwean opposition lawmaker Desire Moyo has died after the vehicle he was travelling in hit an elephant, local media report.

The accident happened in the early hours of Friday morning while Mr Moyo and four other MPs were travelling along the Bulawayo-Gweru highway, according to state-owned broadcaster ZBC.

He died instantly while his fellow lawmakers were left injured, the news outlet added.

Tributes are pouring in for the well-known poet, hailed for his contribution to the arts, who died a day before his 46th birthday.

He was a member of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), and served in the Zimbabwean parliament's sport, recreation, arts and culture committee.

The Nkulumane Constituency in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, which he represented, confirmed the news of his death in a statement and shared its "deep sorrow and profound shock". 

Fellow CCC member and MP Discent Bajila provided more details on the horrific crash to local news site ZimLive.com. He told the publication he had spoken to the injured MPs, who relayed what had happened.

"I spoke to [Madalaboy] Ndebele, who was in the front passenger seat. His recollection is that they hit the elephant on its backside. After the impact, he remembers the elephant turning round and fighting the vehicle. 

"This, he believes, is what did the most damage on the top right side of the vehicle and ultimately led to Moyo's fatal injuries," Bajila said.

The accident took place in an area where elephants are known to roam to and from their home ranges in the north-west of Zimbabwe.

Fellow lawmaker Caston Matewu was among those to pay tribute to Moyo, affectionately known as Moyoxide, hailing him as "one of the hardest working MPs in Parliament".

"The people of Nkulumani [sic] have been robbed of this great [man]," Mr Matewu said.

The City of Bulawayo, led by mayor David Coltart, said Mr Moyo would be remembered as an "iconic leader ... and creative" who "strove to champion the arts" in the city and beyond.

Mr Moyo was an award-winning poet, educator and arts administrator "who devoted his life to nurturing Zimbabwe's creative sector", according to the state-run Herald news site.

The other lawmakers involved in Friday's crash have been taken to hospital.