Zimbabweans Mock Suspended Opposition Leader on Twitter · Global Voices
Madalitso Mwando

Morgan Tsvangirai with Elizabeth Macheka cutting the wedding cake at at the Glamis Arena. Photo used with permission from nehandaradio.com
As former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) implodes amid infighting for the party leadership, Zimbabweans took to Twitter and found humour in what others have described as a “Greek tragedy.”
Rebels within the party led by MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti suspended Morgan Tsvangirai and other senior officials accusing them of resisting leadership change and failing to oust president Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai says that he is still the party leader.
Zimbabweans, who call themselves “Twimbos”, had a field day suggesting titles for an imagined book about Tsvangirai, and the wisecracks came fast and funny.
@fingerray started the Twitter conversation that inspired some creativity among Zimbabwe’s Twitter users with the challenge:
#Twimbos I dare u to come up with a #TitleforMorgansBook after ths mess @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh
— Ray Ndlovu (@fingerray) April 30, 2014
Playing on both the movie “12 Years a Slave” and Tsvangirai’s tenure at the helm of the MDC, @fingerray tweeted:
@phirimarko @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh @nematombo @teldah @cchabikwa @ChrisNqoe 15 years a slave
— Ray Ndlovu (@fingerray) April 30, 2014
He wrote again:
@fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh #titleformorgansbook They said I was like Mandela
— John-Paul Matenga (@jpmatenga) April 30, 2014
@ConorMWalsh suggested:
@fingerray @263chat @cchabikwa @chrisnqoe @cynicharare @deltandou @phirimarko @rangamberi @sirnige @teldah “A Series of Unfortunate Events”
— Conor Walsh (@ConorMWalsh) April 30, 2014
@phirimarko wrote:
@fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh The Man Who Wouldn't be King
— marko phiri (@phirimarko) April 30, 2014
@jpmatenga suggested a self help book:
@fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh #titleformorgansbook how to lose friends in 10 days
— John-Paul Matenga (@jpmatenga) April 30, 2014
@__The_Duke came up with:
@fingerray My Lifestory:From The Frying Pan To The Fire. #TitleforMorgansBook
— Guzzler (@__The_Duke) April 30, 2014
@George_Ruzv wrote:
@deltandou @cchabikwa @fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh @TVYangu “The End.”
— GEORGE (@George_Ruzv) April 30, 2014
@DeltaNdou joined in:
@cchabikwa @fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh @TVYangu “Being the face of the struggle & butt of every joke”
— Delta Milayo (@deltandou) April 30, 2014
@RickyEMarima wrote:
@ConorMWalsh @263Chat @CynicHarare @deltandou @fingerray @RangaMberi @SirNige The Great Betrayal. Volume 2 #TitleForMorgansBook
— RickyEM (@RickyEMarima) April 30, 2014
@Cchabikwa played on the name of the MDC headquarters, Harvest House:
@fingerray @SirNige @263Chat @deltandou @CynicHarare @RangaMberi @ConorMWalsh @TVYangu came up with #HarvestOfThorns
— Cynz (@cchabikwa) April 30, 2014
@RickyEMarima wished the title Things Fall Apart was not taken:
@ConorMWalsh @263Chat @CynicHarare @deltandou @fingerray @RangaMberi @SirNige Too bad Things Fall Apart's already taken #TitleforMorgansBook
— RickyEM (@RickyEMarima) April 30, 2014
@designartistic posted:
#TitleforMorgansBook To Kill A Morgan Bird
— Design Artistic (@designartistic) April 30, 2014
@ChrisNqoe suggested:
#TitleforMorgansBook Lord of the Riggings : the return of Nikuv
— EverybodyHatesChris (@ChrisNqoe) April 30, 2014