Thokozani Khupe
{{Short description|Zimbabwean politician and trade unionist}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Thokozani Khupe
| honorific-suffix = Senator
| image = Thokozani_Khuphe.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| office = President of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
| term_start = 15 February 2018
| term_end = December 2020
{{small|Disputed with Nelson Chamisa}}
| 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
| successor1 =
| 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 = {{birth date and age|1963|11|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Makokoba, Southern Rhodesia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (until 2022)
Citizens Coalition for Change (since 2022)
| residence = Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
| profession = Trade unionist
| signature =
| website =
}}
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;{{cite web |url=https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2018/05/28/mdc-t-name-symbols-logo-fight-chamisa-wants-khupe-interdicted |title=MDC-T name, symbols, logo fight: Chamisa wants Khupe interdicted – DailyNews Live |website=dailynews.co.zw |url-status=dead |archive-url=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 |archive-date=2018-08-09}} 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.{{Cite web|author=Staff Reporter|date=2018-04-21|title=Khupe elected MDC-T President|url=https://www.thezimbabwemail.com/main/khupe-unveils-new-look-mdc-t-leadership-at-extraordinary-congress/|access-date=2021-08-23|website=The Zimbabwe Mail|language=en-GB}}
In 2020 she was removed from the position of party president by Douglas Mwonzora amid strong claims of violence and cheating from her fans.{{Cite web|url=https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-thokozani-khupe-mdc-t-congress-mwonzora-press-conference/5789676.html|title=Khupe Says Mwonzora Not Legitimate Leader of MDC-T}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/01/mwonzora-to-recall-khupe-from-parliament-over-split/|title = Mwonzora to recall Khupe from Parliament over split|date = 24 January 2022}}
Education
Born in Bulawayo, Khupe graduated in 1999 from the Turin Centre in Turin, Italy, with a certificate in Information Technology.{{Cite news|url=https://www.itcilo.org/en/community/news/success-story-the-deputy-prime-minister-of-zimbabwe-is-a-former-turin-centre-participant|title=Success Story: the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is a former Turin Centre participant|last=BIZZOTTO|work=ITCILO|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en}} 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,{{Cite news|url=https://www.herald.co.zw/why-not-madam-khupe-for-mdc-t-president/|title=Why not Madam Khupe for MDC-T president?|work=The Herald|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en-GB}} and a PhD in Social Studies from the University of Zimbabwe.{{Cite web|url=https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-117872.html|work=Bulawayo24|title=Thokozani Khupe graduates with PHD}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2013/02/22/mdc-t-byo-members-attack-khupe/|title=MDC-T Byo members attack Khupe – The Zimbabwe Independent|website=theindependent.co.zw|date=22 February 2013|language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-18}}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thezimbabwean.co/2006/04/leadership-profiles/|title=Leadership profiles|website=thezimbabwean.co|date=6 April 2006|language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-18}}
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/electoral203.17984.html |title=Zimbabwe election results 2008 |publisher=Newzimbabwe.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405183324/http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/electoral203.17984.html |archive-date=5 April 2008 }}
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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-thokozani-khupe-expulsion-parliament/4344228.html|title=Zimbabwe Opposition MDC-T Recalls VP Thokozani Khupe from Parliament|last=Dube|first=Gibbs|work=VOA|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en}}
In 2005 she was elected vice-president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC){{cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411366/1221780|title=Zimbabwe enforces price freeze|publisher=Tvnz.co.nz}}{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7000314.stm|title=Constitutional deal in Zimbabwe|date=18 September 2007|access-date=2010-05-25}} taking over from veteran trade unionist Gibson Sibanda.{{cite web |url=http://www.afriquenligne.fr/actualites/english_section/opposition_seeks_au_team_to_monitor_zimbabwe_elections_200706291064/ |title=Opposition seeks AU team to monitor Zimbabwe elections |date=28 June 2007 |publisher=Afriqueenligne.fr}}
One of her close allies in the Senate of Zimbabwe was Mildred Reason Dube.{{Cite web |title=Khupe reacts angrily to her 'expulsion' as MDC-T leader |url=https://www.thezimbabwemail.com/politics/khupe-reacts-angrily-to-her-expulsion-as-mdc-t-leader/ |access-date=14 July 2022 |website=The Zimbabwe Mail|date=29 April 2020 }}
In March 2022, Khuphe urged Zimbabweans to vote for Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change in that month's by-election.{{cite web|title=MDC-T's Thokozani Khupe Urges Zimbabweans to Vote for Citizens Coalition for Change Candidates in Forthcoming National By-elections|url=https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/6494941.html|website=Voice of America|access-date=6 October 2022|date=21 March 2022}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2008: Makokoba}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
|candidate = Thokozani Khupe
|votes = 4,123
|percentage = 50.8
|change = -25.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
|candidate = Welshman Ncube
|votes = 2,475
|percentage = 37.7
|change = +37.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|candidate = Tshinga Judge Dube
|votes = 2,002
|percentage = 12.5
|change = -11.1
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 1,648
|percentage = 10.2
|change = -26.2
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 16,100
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2005: Makokoba}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Movement for Democratic Change (pre-2005)
|candidate = Thokozani Khupe
|votes = 12,120
|percentage = 75.8
|change = -8.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|candidate = Sihle Thebe
|votes = 3,777
|percentage = 23.6
|change = +10.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)|Independent
|candidate = Charles Mpofu
|votes = 84
|percentage = 0.5
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 8,343
|percentage = 52.2
|change = -19.5
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 15,981
|percentage = 36.4
|change = +0.6
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Movement for Democratic Change (pre-2005)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2000: Makokoba}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Movement for Democratic Change (pre-2005)
|candidate = Thokozani Khupe
|votes = 20,781
|percentage = 84.7
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|candidate = Sithembiso Nyoni
|votes = 3,193
|percentage = 13.0
|change = -51.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)|Others
|candidate = Others
|votes = 552
|percentage = 2.2
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 17,588
|percentage = 71.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 24,526
|percentage = 35.8
|change =
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
|winner = Movement for Democratic Change (pre-2005)
|loser = Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Wikiquote| Thokozani Khuphe}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.thokozanikhuphe.com/ }}
- The official site is
http://www.mdc.co.zw , but it may harm visitors' computers with trojan software.[http://safebrowsing.clients.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=http://www.mdc.co.zw/]
{{Zimbabwe government ministers 2009}}
{{Members of the 8th Parliament of Zimbabwe}}
{{7th Parliament of Zimbabwe}}
{{Members of the 5th Parliament of Zimbabwe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khupe, Thokozani}}
Category:Citizens Coalition for Change politicians
Category:Northern Ndebele people
Category:Deputy prime ministers of Zimbabwe
Category:Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe
Category:Zimbabwe Open University alumni
Category:University of Zimbabwe alumni
Category:21st-century Zimbabwean women politicians