FORMER MDC Harare West legislator Jessie Majome has congratulated former MDC Mabvuku-Tafara legislator James Maridadi for being appointed Zimbabwe’s Ambassador-designate to Senegal by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Congratulations to His Excellency the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Senegal His Excellency James Maridadi! I’m proud of him and know that my nation Zimbabwe will be represented well and our flag will fly high and resplendent! Zimbabwe needs your brand of service with excellence,” Majome said.
Majome left the MDC after she felt she was muscled out of the party’s primary elections for Harare West constituency. She campaigned for the seat as an independent, but lost it to MDC Alliance Joana Mamombe.
Meanwhile, Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) has also congratulated James Maridadi, saying he believes the former spokesperson for Morgan Tsvangirai has what it takes to represent Zimbabwe on foreign soil.
Mliswa however said Maridadi’s “intelligent” presentations in Parliament will be missed.
“Maridadi, whose contributions are sorely missed in Parliament would be a perfect appointment as an Ambassador. He’s intelligent and articulate and would represent the country well.
“That’s what we need as Zimbabwe, the appointments of people who are capable of delivering,” Mliswa said.
Maridadi is among 15 ambassador designates and 23 foreign affairs officials who started a month-long diplomatic training course, whose aim is to provide them with appropriate orientation before they set off on their new assignments.
Mnangagwa has been tolerant even before, allowing the late opposition member, Trudy Stevenson to continue serving the country as ambassador in Senegal way after the expiry of the Government of National Unity (GNU) under whose tenure she had been appointed.
There are fears within the opposition MDC that President Mnangagwa plans to appoint more opposition officials to key government positions notwithstanding his continuing brawl with MDC boss Nelson Chamisa – who has adamantly refused to recognize him as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader.
The move is seen within the MDC family as a tactic to weaken the support around party leader Nelson Chamisa.