Khupe struggles for position in MDC-T

If social media is anything to go by, then MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe has a colossal task trying to assert her position as a viable candidate to take over from the frail MDC-T president Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

People's opinion on who should assume the leadership role in the MDC-T seems to be skewed towards Nelson Chamisa, who is viewed as charismatic and also a good orator. This has left Khupe in a situation where she has to sell her image all over again, despite being the first Vice President in the MDC-T, a position that naturally should propel her to the next level of presidency, which would logically mean she takes over after ailing Tsvangirai retires.

Ever since the big announcement by Morgan Tsvangirai that he was ready to hand over the reins to the next person, who will take over from him, social media platforms have been ablaze with people brain-storming over the possible candidate. This in itself has led to both Khupe and Nelson Chamisa setting up social media platforms in order to spruce up their image and garner up support from the grass roots.

According to trends on social media, Khupe's image has been battered as she has been described as lacking charisma, compared to her counterpart Chamisa who has been described as people's choice, an orator and result oriented leader.  The patriarchal air that looms within the MDC-T seems to present Khupe in the negative. 

Some members of the MDC-T party are of the opinion that Thokozani Khupe can deliver because she is educated, calm, collected, mature and of age, whereas Nelson Chamisa is not yet of age.  According to the country's Constitution, one has to be above the age of 40 years to be in a position to contest for president.  In what has been termed a controversial act, Nelson Chamisa has posted pictures of himself and his co-sanctions advocate, Tendai Biti, with a caption "plotting and planning with Tendai Biti." The post has been condemned by netizens on social media as being out of line questioning the reason Chamisa would claim to be plotting with people outside of the MDC-T.   The word plot in itself was defined on social media as a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful.  

People on social media have blamed Chamisa's actions to partner Biti castigating him for planning and defining the future of the MDC-T outside of the core-team.  Many netizens have called Biti a Judas Iscariot, who is known for his flip-flopping trends.  Thokozani Khupe, on the other hand has been urged to keep the vice president position as that's as far as she can go and not dream too much because she is a woman and also of the wrong tribe.  She has had to wade off serious criticism from social media with some saying they cannot replace their ailing president with another ailing person.  There is so much uncertainty within the MDC-T with some party members wondering if Tsvangirai's exit would leave the MDC-T party with enough time to prepare for the next election.  A greater chunk of them feel that Tsvangirai should hold on to power until after elections.

Africa has a long way to go in terms of accepting women in leadership position; this has seen the likes of Nkosazana Dhlamini Zuma losing to Cyril Ramaphosa for the position of President of the ANC candidate for the president of South Africa in their next general election.  Despite Zuma having displayed great leadership qualities during her stint as Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the people of South Africa did not think she was capable of running Africa's industrial giant as its president.