Thokozani Khuphe Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Thokozani Khupe
Honorific-Suffix:Senator
Office:President of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
Term Start:15 February 2018
Term End:December 2020
Successor:Douglas Mwonzora
Predecessor:Morgan Tsvangirai
Office2:Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
Alongside2:Arthur Mutambara
Term Start2:11 February 2009
Term End2:13 August 2013
Primeminister2:Morgan Tsvangirai
President2:Robert Mugabe
Successor2:Position abolished
Predecessor2:Position established
Office1:Vice-President of the Movement for Democratic Change
Term Start1:November 2005
Term End1:15 February 2018
President1:Morgan Tsvangirai
Predecessor1:Position established
Constituency Mp3:Makokoba
Term Start3:March 2000
Term End3:2018
Majority3:8,450 (50.8%)
Predecessor3:Sithembiso Nyoni
Office4:Secretary for Transport of the Movement for Democratic Change
Term Start4:2000
Term End4:2005
Predecessor4:Position established
Successor4:Paurina Mpariwa
President4:Morgan Tsvangirai
Birth Date:18 November 1963
Birth Place:Makokoba, Southern Rhodesia
Party:Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (until 2022)
Citizens Coalition for Change (since 2022)
Residence:Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Profession:Trade unionist

Thokozani Khupe (born 18 November 1963) is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and CCC party member. She was Deputy Prime Minister 2009–13.

Following the death of party founder Morgan Tsvangirai in early 2018 Khupe opposed the ascent of Nelson Chamisa as leader of the MDC-T on the grounds that she was the only one of its three Vice Presidents elected by congress, whereas Chamisa and the third vice president Elias Mudzuri had been appointed by Tsvangirai. Khupe was supported by much of the party organization in this, but lost the power struggle to Chamisa; Khupe and her supporters consider their faction the legitimate MDC-T and have continued to use the MDC-T name. They are involved in a court battle with the Chamisa faction over the party name, symbols, logo and trademark;[1] the matter had not been resolved prior to the 2018 general elections and the Khupe faction ran in the elections as the MDC-T while the much bigger Chamisa faction ran as part of the MDC Alliance.

On 22 April 2018, she was elected unopposed as the president of her MDC-T faction at an extraordinary congress in Bulawayo.[2]

In 2020 she was removed from the position of party president by Douglas Mwonzora amid strong claims of violence and cheating from her fans.[3] [4]

Education

Born in Bulawayo, Khupe graduated in 1999 from the Turin Centre in Turin, Italy, with a certificate in Information Technology.[5] She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from the Zimbabwe Open University, Master of Business Administration, MBA from the National University of Science and Technology,[6] and a PhD in Social Studies from the University of Zimbabwe.[7]

Trade union politics

She served as an official of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Union (ZARU) in 1987. In 1991 she was elected secretary of the ZCTU Women's Advisory Council and also became a member of the General Council of the ZCTU. In 1999 she participated in the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change party, in which she was elected as a National Executive member responsible for Transport, Logistics and Welfare.

Political career

In June 2000, Khupe was elected as the Member of Parliament for Makokoba Constituency in Bulawayo.[8]

She was a member of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee; and on Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation Committee and was elected vice chairperson of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus and became Parliamentary Deputy Chief Whip of the MDC. She retained the constituency in the March 2005 parliamentary election. She is in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Defense, Home Affairs and National Security and that of Budget, Finance and Economic Development.[9]

In the March 2008 parliamentary election, Khupe ran for re-election in Makokoba constituency as the candidate of the MDC-Tsvangirai faction, defeating Welshman Ncube, the Secretary-General of the MDC-Mutambara faction. She received 4,123 votes against 2,475 votes for Ncube.[10]

She was for several years an active member of the African Parliamentary Network against Corruption.

Khupe was Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 11 February 2009 to August 2013 in the government of national unity between the MDC-T and ZANU-PF. She was a Member of Parliament for Makokoba constituency before being recalled by her party in 2018 on the grounds that she no longer represented the party's interests.[11]

In 2005 she was elected vice-president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)[12] [13] taking over from veteran trade unionist Gibson Sibanda.[14]

One of her close allies in the Senate of Zimbabwe was Mildred Reason Dube.[15]

In March 2022, Khuphe urged Zimbabweans to vote for Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change in that month's by-election.[16]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MDC-T name, symbols, logo fight: Chamisa wants Khupe interdicted – DailyNews Live . dailynews.co.zw . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180809153231/https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2018/05/28/mdc-t-name-symbols-logo-fight-chamisa-wants-khupe-interdicted . 2018-08-09.
  2. Web site: Staff Reporter. 2018-04-21. Khupe elected MDC-T President. 2021-08-23. The Zimbabwe Mail. en-GB.
  3. Web site: Khupe Says Mwonzora Not Legitimate Leader of MDC-T.
  4. Web site: Mwonzora to recall Khupe from Parliament over split. 24 January 2022.
  5. News: Success Story: the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is a former Turin Centre participant. BIZZOTTO. ITCILO. 2018-06-18. en.
  6. News: Why not Madam Khupe for MDC-T president?. The Herald. 2018-06-18. en-GB.
  7. Web site: Thokozani Khupe graduates with PHD. Bulawayo24.
  8. Web site: MDC-T Byo members attack Khupe – The Zimbabwe Independent. theindependent.co.zw. 22 February 2013. en-US. 2018-06-18.
  9. Web site: Leadership profiles. thezimbabwean.co. 6 April 2006. en-US. 2018-06-18.
  10. Web site: Zimbabwe election results 2008 . Newzimbabwe.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080405183324/http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/electoral203.17984.html . 5 April 2008 .
  11. News: Zimbabwe Opposition MDC-T Recalls VP Thokozani Khupe from Parliament. Dube. Gibbs. VOA. 2018-06-18. en.
  12. Web site: Zimbabwe enforces price freeze. Tvnz.co.nz.
  13. News: BBC News. Constitutional deal in Zimbabwe. 18 September 2007. 2010-05-25.
  14. Web site: Opposition seeks AU team to monitor Zimbabwe elections . 28 June 2007 . Afriqueenligne.fr.
  15. Web site: Khupe reacts angrily to her 'expulsion' as MDC-T leader . 14 July 2022 . The Zimbabwe Mail. 29 April 2020 .
  16. Web site: MDC-T's Thokozani Khupe Urges Zimbabweans to Vote for Citizens Coalition for Change Candidates in Forthcoming National By-elections. Voice of America. 6 October 2022. 21 March 2022.