Khupe vows to fight to the finish, gets support from other women leaders

Former Movement for Democratic Change vice-president Thokozani Khupe, who has refused to recognise Nelson Chamisa as the party leader and is organising an extra-ordinary congress in two weeks, has vowed to fight to the finish.

She has also received the backing of other women including legislator Priscillah Misihairabwi-Mushonga and People’s Democratic Party leader Lucia Matibenga.

All three women are founding members of the Movement for Democratic Change but joined factions that broke away following disagreements with the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Matibenga later broke away from Tendai Biti while Misihairabwi-Mushonga has stuck with Welshman Ncube since the 2006 split.

Speaking at a high tea event organised by women from various opposition parties, Khupe said: “When I am looking at all of you, I see myself because my story is your story and your story is my story.”

According to Newsday, Khupe vowed: “I will not disappoint the women of Zimbabwe. I am going to fight to the finish, forward ever, backward never.”

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said women would triumph if they voted for fellow women candidates instead of voting for men.

She said women should therefore not wear pants on voting day so that if the demon that made them vote for men gripped them, they should just lift their skirts and look at their bottoms. They would know who to vote for.

Women across all political parties are calling for a 50-50 representation in Parliament.

Khupe accuses Chamisa of grabbing party leadership instead of going by the party constitution which says the party leader should be elected by congress.

She has therefore called for a special congress which was initially scheduled for tomorrow but was postponed to 21 April because Chamisa is holding a rally in Bulawayo tomorrow.

Chamisa and his supporters insist his appointment was above board as it was done by the national council which is the party’s highest decision-making body in between congresses.

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