Staff Reporter

MDC-T Harare West MP Jessie Majome who, last month, made a decision to run as an independent in the 2018 polls after her party allegedly imposed a young candidate Joanna Mamombe in the constituency has been, chairman Morgen Komichi has said.

In a statement released Tuesday evening, Komichi warned Majome and 10 others that failure to withdraw as independent candidates would force the party to take appropriate action.

The members had up to Wednesday close of business to withdraw as registered independents to withdraw.

In an interview with New Zimbabwe Wednesday, Komichi said, “Jessie Majome decided to stand as an independent and as far as we are concerned she is no longer a member of the MDC Alliance. Actually, Mai Majome overreacted. All the issues that she raised were raised before we reached the primaries and she did not want to participate in the process.

“Our first process was consensus. The consensus process gave us the opportunity to resolve some of the issues and grievances which people were having. All the issues that were raised were attended to.

The voters’ roll which she had raised, we put up all things in order for the primaries. She had already opted out. So really to say we did not respond to her issues she is not telling the truth.”

Out of the 11 candidates under the MDC Alliance, only one (Hon. Maramwidza) had withdrawn by the deadline, according to Komichi.

“I hope all the others are going to follow suit,” said Komichi.

Majome, however, told journalists recently that Komichi and Chief of Staff in the MDC-T, Sesel Zvidzai, failed to handle her issues properly arguing that those two never accommodated her to try and resolve her grievances which led to her announcing to be an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Komichi has dismissed allegations that he imposed some candidates in the run-up to the primary elections in certain constituencies.

Among those mentioned are Brigadier Agrippa Mutambara and his wife, brother to MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, Staney Chamisa and daughter to the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Vimbai Tsvangirai.

On Vimbai, Komichi said the party considered the legacy of her late father.

“I am not ashamed to tell the world on this one that we sat down as a party to have the legacy of our late Morgan Tsvangirai preserved and we made a decision to elect Vimbai. We also made decisions as an Alliance on certain constituencies not to have primaries for certain genuine reasons,” highlighted Komichi.

Majome told New Zimbabwe on Wednesday evening that she was not going to respond to Komichi.