Thokozani Khuphe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Thokozani Khupe Senator
President of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
In office 15 February 2018 – December 2020 Disputed with Nelson Chamisa
Preceded by	Morgan Tsvangirai
Succeeded by	Douglas Mwonzora
Vice-President of the Movement for Democratic Change
In office November 2005 – 15 February 2018
President	Morgan Tsvangirai
Preceded by	Position established
Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
In office 11 February 2009 – 13 August 2013 Serving with Arthur Mutambara
President	Robert Mugabe
Prime Minister	Morgan Tsvangirai
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of Parliament for Makokoba
In office March 2000 – 2018
Preceded by	Sithembiso Nyoni
Majority	8,450 (50.8%)
Secretary for Transport of the Movement for Democratic Change
In office 2000–2005
President	Morgan Tsvangirai
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Paurina Mpariwa
Personal details
Born	(1963-11-18) 18 November 1963 (age 61) Makokoba, Southern Rhodesia
Political party	Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (until 2022) Citizens Coalition for Change (since 2022)
Residences	Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Profession	Trade unionist

Thokozani Khupe was born on November 18, 1963. She is a well-known politician and trade unionist from Zimbabwe. A trade unionist is someone who works to protect the rights of workers. She is currently a member of the CCC party.

From 2009 to 2013, Thokozani Khupe served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. This was a very important role in the country's government.

After the founder of her party, Morgan Tsvangirai, passed away in 2018, there was a disagreement about who should lead the party next. Thokozani Khupe believed she should be the leader. She was one of three Vice Presidents, and she was the only one who had been chosen by the party's main meeting (called a congress). The other two, including Nelson Chamisa, had been appointed by Mr. Tsvangirai.

Even though many party members supported her, she did not become the main leader. Her group continued to use the party name, MDC-T. They were involved in a court case about the party's name and symbols. This issue was not settled before the 2018 elections. In those elections, her group ran as MDC-T, while the larger group ran as part of the MDC Alliance.

On April 22, 2018, she was chosen as the president of her part of the MDC-T. This happened at a special meeting in Bulawayo. In 2020, she was removed from this position by Douglas Mwonzora.

Learning and Skills

Thokozani Khupe was born in Bulawayo, a city in Zimbabwe. She has a strong educational background. In 1999, she earned a certificate in Information Technology from the Turin Centre in Italy.

She also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies from the Zimbabwe Open University. Later, she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the National University of Science and Technology. She also holds a PhD in Social Studies from the University of Zimbabwe.

Working for Workers' Rights

Thokozani Khupe started her career by working to improve conditions for workers. In 1987, she was an official for the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Union (ZARU).

In 1991, she was elected as the secretary of the ZCTU Women's Advisory Council. She also became a member of the ZCTU's General Council. The ZCTU is a big group that represents many workers in Zimbabwe.

In 1999, she helped create the Movement for Democratic Change party. In this new party, she was chosen to be a national executive member. Her role was to manage transport, logistics, and welfare.

Political Journey

In June 2000, Thokozani Khupe was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Makokoba area in Bulawayo. An MP is someone chosen by voters to represent them in the country's parliament.

As an MP, she was part of several important committees. These included the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee. She also served on the Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation Committee. She was also chosen as the vice chairperson of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus. She became the Parliamentary Deputy Chief Whip for the MDC party.

She won her seat again in the March 2005 election. She continued to serve on committees related to defense, home affairs, national security, and budget and finance.

In the March 2008 election, Khupe ran for re-election in Makokoba. She was the candidate for the MDC-Tsvangirai group. She won against Welshman Ncube, who was from another MDC group. She received 4,123 votes, while Ncube received 2,475 votes.

For several years, she was an active member of the African Parliamentary Network against Corruption. This group works to fight corruption in African parliaments.

From February 11, 2009, to August 2013, Khupe was the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. This was during a time when different political parties worked together in a government of national unity.

She was an MP for the Makokoba area until 2018. Her party then removed her from this position. They said she no longer represented the party's goals.

In 2005, she was elected as the vice-president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). She took over from a long-serving trade unionist named Gibson Sibanda.

In March 2022, Khupe encouraged people in Zimbabwe to vote for Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change party in the by-election that month.

Election Results

Here are the results from some of the elections Thokozani Khupe has participated in: