Chamisa and MDC-T hands off Jessie Majome!

There is this undercurrent of dislike and hatred of women in MDC-T Party. A powerful, intelligent, forceful woman will never find peace in this party. We had thought those were the traits of late Tsvangirai (MHSRIP) that dominated his leadership. But it seems Chamisa is not very comfortable with women who have eloquent leadership qualities, intelligent women, and professional women. It answers my questions about the absence of women in all these MDC-T rallies have held so far. MDC-T men-dominated party loathes women with evident and eloquent leadership abilities and capabilities. The leadership of the MDC-T Alliance is wholly masculine and misogynistic in character. This is evident with the obvious absence of those women who mean a lot in this party, they are just not seen or heard. We look for them in rallies and we don't see them, we ask questions where are they?

I have never seen Jessie Majome personally but I have read about her intensively. I once communicated with her briefly in 2013 on very personal issues. Her input in parliament leaves us without the doubt that this is a woman of worth, a professional woman, a fearless woman, a woman who knows her work very well. Above all her constituency is happy about the work she has done for them. So all of a sudden she is told she must give up her constituency for a younger person: Ms Mamombe. Is that not the travesty of justice? Is Jessie Majome so old to be told she should move to a senator candidacy? Did the constituency agree to this arrangement? Such are the dictatorial tendencies we see in this party aptly being practised unchallenged. Why should President Chamisa dictate who should represent the constituency either than the residents in Harare West constituency?

This harassment of women as if they are mere subjects of men is galling and downright undemocratic. It shows immaturity and lack of foresight in the leadership. This party MDC-T should learn to listen to the residents in that constituency first and never a dictatorship from the top. This party should learn to respect women ever to win the coming elections. This party of MDC-T should not take women for granted. A Jessie Majome of shining leadership qualities and calibre should never get this treatment she is now subjected to.

Jessie deserves better than what she has to put up with. Jessie Majome never rebelled against the party each time the MDC Party split. She remained loyal to her party MDC-T, something we deeply respect. It is just inconceivable that those who left the MDC-T party for many reasons: Biti, Ncube are now the visible ones in all rallies and catapult to the top. Jessie is sidelined to the point of losing her parliamentary constituency because she is a threat to Chamisa, and Chamisa fears powerful women around him.

We see a Winnie Mandela in our Jessie Majome: we know too how the ANC treated during the South African independence negotiations in 1989 onwards. We know how Mandela was pressurised by the very party ANC to jettison Winnie Mandela in all groundbreaking events leading to the country's independence. Today some of them who used and abused Winnie are mourning more than the bereaved. Much as Mandela would have liked to forgive Winnie his wife, Mandela was given a hard choice either his wife or the party ANC. We know all these traumatic stories about forceful, intelligent and powerful women whose fate had and has always been determined by some misogynistic men inside these parties. We know too how much fight we need to put to rid this masculine approach to women whom they perceive as a threat. We draw parallels between Jessie Majome and Winnie Mandela as victims of man chauvinism in their political parties.

Reading her career rise, Advocate Jessie Majome is a well-qualified woman in her right. Currently, she is a member of National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe since 2008: She is a Chairperson of its Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. She is a member of Parliamentary Legal Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Local Government Rural and Urban Development. Majome is founder Principal at Jessie Majome & co. Legal Practitioners. A former Zimbabwe Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and then later she was given a Deputy Minister for Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development.

Sure a woman with vast knowledge and experience, eloquently a professional: is she someone to mess around with the way her party MDC-T is subjecting her to? This woman is an inspiration to many women: young and old in this country. Her battle for human rights started early in her age. Sometimes was told she was a "bad girl." This shaming championed her to fight gender inequalities, a passion she has carried through her life. Because of several portfolios, she has held in government, indeed she is a fountain of hope; she made that difference in government in parliament and in her community that gave her the mandate. Majome is above any tribal, political divide. not constrained by different views; she can work easily with other political parties with little or no friction at all. She says in one of the articles: The issues that concern women cut across all distinctions, political affiliations, class, race and social categories.

Her concern about gender-based violence in this country is a punctuation of her career life and as human rights advocate. The tangible positive changes she has made are deeply felt by her constituency she serves. She has improved education, health facilities and introduced an alternative water supply in Harare West. Majome has a vision: She says "I want Zimbabwe to be a place where each woman, man, girl, boy can be best that they can be." This is our Jessie Majome: A woman of substance, a woman who is fearless, and a woman who loves to serve other people. Advocate Majome is our Winnie Mandela, our Michelle Obama, an epitome of wisdom already in her 40s, an embodiment of love and care for the people she serves; thy neighbour!

We warn the presidency of MDC-T to keep their hands off Advocate Jessie Majome. We want this woman to continue to serve her constituency according to the wishes of the residents of Harare West. Chamisa could be fearful of intelligent, forceful, powerful women hence he would frustrate the best women we have in our political landscape: one of them is indeed Advocate Jessie Majome. Chamisa should respect women for him to succeed in his political career in this great country. Women are the cornerstones of this nation: he can never run away from this fact. Chamisa should not fear empowered women but embrace them, achinje maitiro in him first and foremost. Jessie is still a young woman who has a lot to give in this country. She should never be pulled down by men who have an inherent fear of intelligent, forceful, professional women with vast knowledge and experience on her Curriculum Vitae.

On a personal level, I admire this woman because of her naturalness. She is a true daughter of this African continent. Her hairstyle and her natural blackness stand out and make me proud to be black. Jessie defines a Zimbabwean woman in as much as she represents the black people of this great continent of Africa. We would like to tell you that we are behind you emotionally in this trauma you have been subjected to by men who fear your unshakable inner strength, your professionalism, your success in your constituency, your vast experience in legal matters, your powerful input in parliament, and your advocacy in gender issues. For the work you have done in your constituency: in parliament, and in government, we say thank you Meme Africa!