Chamisa, Majome trying to kiss and make up

The MDC leadership has scrambled to save its relations with one of its long-serving MPs, Jessie Majome, who last week announced she would stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming elections after citing manipulated party guidelines in choosing candidates for its primary elections.

Yesterday, Majome who insisted her decision to run as an independent candidate for Harare West constituency did not mean she was quitting the MDC, met the party's president Nelson Chamisa to try and resolve the problem.

Majome told the Daily News that she had been told that MDC national chairperson Morgen Komichi had been tasked to handle the issue.

"I had a meeting with him (Chamisa); he agreed that the party will address the gross irregularities that caused me to withdraw. I am encouraged that the party leadership engaged me," Majome said.

She, however, expressed shock that Chamisa had not received a letter of complaint she had penned to the MDC leadership highlighting the irregularities.

"He said he did not see my letter which I wrote complaining about irregularities even …Komichi said he did not receive the letter but I delivered the letter to the secretary-general, this issue disappointed me and I was surprised by this.

"I am willing to listen to the party. I really care about this party. The president told me that my issue is now being handled by… Komichi," said Majome.

Komichi, who is in charge of the MDC internal elections, yesterday said he was scheduled to meet Majome today.

"We are engaging her (Majome). We are making progress on the issue; we are making effort to try and mend a relationship that has gone sour. I am going   to meet her on behalf of the party," said Komichi.

However, Majome complained that the MDC is taking time to address irregularities in its selection of candidates.

"There was chaos in Harare West over the weekend. There was violence and it's so sad, the party must address this issue before it is too late," Majome warned.

Majome recently announced that she was withdrawing from the MDC primary race where she was set to lock horns with microbiologist and former student leader Joana Mamombe.

The veteran lawyer and former Women's Affairs deputy minister in the short-lived inclusive government, had served Harare West for 10 years on an MDC ticket, and is widely respected for the decent work and engagement with residents in the constituency.

Her sudden withdrawal from the party primaries triggered outrage from the Harare Westerners, as the residents call themselves, who suspect their adored MP was being set up for defeat by the leadership's preferred candidate, Mamombe.