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 [1]and failing to oust president Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai says [2] 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 [3] I dare u to come up with a #TitleforMorgansBook [4] after ths mess @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10]
— Ray Ndlovu (@fingerray) April 30, 2014 [11]
Playing on both the movie “12 Years a Slave” and Tsvangirai’s tenure at the helm of the MDC, @fingerray tweeted:
@phirimarko [12] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] @nematombo [13] @teldah [14] @cchabikwa [15] @ChrisNqoe [16] 15 years a slave
— Ray Ndlovu (@fingerray) April 30, 2014 [17]
He wrote again:
@fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] #titleformorgansbook [19] They said I was like Mandela
— John-Paul Matenga (@jpmatenga) April 30, 2014 [20]
@ConorMWalsh suggested:
@fingerray [18] @263chat [6] @cchabikwa [15] @chrisnqoe [16] @cynicharare [8] @deltandou [7] @phirimarko [12] @rangamberi [9] @sirnige [5] @teldah [14] “A Series of Unfortunate Events”
— Conor Walsh (@ConorMWalsh) April 30, 2014 [21]
@phirimarko wrote:
@fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] The Man Who Wouldn't be King
— marko phiri (@phirimarko) April 30, 2014 [22]
@jpmatenga suggested a self help book:
@fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] #titleformorgansbook [19] how to lose friends in 10 days
— John-Paul Matenga (@jpmatenga) April 30, 2014 [23]
@__The_Duke came up with:
@fingerray [18] My Lifestory:From The Frying Pan To The Fire. #TitleforMorgansBook [4]
— Guzzler (@__The_Duke) April 30, 2014 [24]
@George_Ruzv wrote:
@deltandou [7] @cchabikwa [15] @fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] @TVYangu [25] “The End.”
— GEORGE (@George_Ruzv) April 30, 2014 [26]
@DeltaNdou joined in:
@cchabikwa [15] @fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] @TVYangu [25] “Being the face of the struggle & butt of every joke”
— Delta Milayo (@deltandou) April 30, 2014 [27]
@RickyEMarima wrote:
@ConorMWalsh [10] @263Chat [6] @CynicHarare [8] @deltandou [7] @fingerray [18] @RangaMberi [9] @SirNige [5] The Great Betrayal. Volume 2 #TitleForMorgansBook [28]
— RickyEM (@RickyEMarima) April 30, 2014 [29]
@Cchabikwa played on the name of the MDC headquarters, Harvest House:
@fingerray [18] @SirNige [5] @263Chat [6] @deltandou [7] @CynicHarare [8] @RangaMberi [9] @ConorMWalsh [10] @TVYangu [25] came up with #HarvestOfThorns [30]
— Cynz (@cchabikwa) April 30, 2014 [31]
@RickyEMarima wished the title Things Fall Apart was not taken:
@ConorMWalsh [10] @263Chat [6] @CynicHarare [8] @deltandou [7] @fingerray [18] @RangaMberi [9] @SirNige [5] Too bad Things Fall Apart's already taken #TitleforMorgansBook [4]
— RickyEM (@RickyEMarima) April 30, 2014 [32]
@designartistic posted:
#TitleforMorgansBook [4] To Kill A Morgan Bird
— Design Artistic (@designartistic) April 30, 2014 [33]
@ChrisNqoe suggested:
#TitleforMorgansBook [4] Lord of the Riggings : the return of Nikuv
— EverybodyHatesChris (@ChrisNqoe) April 30, 2014 [34]