Mwonzora Bags $59M From Political Finance Quota

Opposition MDC-T leader, Douglas Mwonzora continues to get preferential treatment from the ruling Zanu PF after his formation was awarded over $59 million through the political finance quota.

In an Extraordinary Government Gazette published Friday, Mwonzora was given a golden handshake which will see the party’s bank account credited with $59 940 000 courtesy of the Political Finance Act (Chapter 2:11).

On the other hand, Zanu PF, which was reportedly struggling to raise money for the holding of this year’s virtual Annual People’s Conference in October, will receive $140 060 000 from Treasury to bankroll the yearly festivities.

Reads part of the notice, “Political Parties Finance Act (Chapter 2:11) Disbursement of money to political parties. The money shall be disbursed to political parties that qualify in terms of subsection (3) of Section 3 of the Act as follows: a). one hundred and forty million sixty thousand dollars ($140 060 000,00) shall be paid to the Zimbabwe African National Union (Patriotic Front) Zanu PF, which received 70, 08% of votes cast.

“b) fifty-nine million nine hundred and forty thousand dollars ($59 940 000,00) shall be paid to the Movement for Democratic Change- Alliance (MDC-A), which received 29, 97% of the total votes cast.”

Following the death of MDC founding president Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition split with Nelson Chamisa attempting to wrestle power from vice president Thokozani Khupe.

Mwonzora eventually took over control of the party from Khupe at last year’s congress to make him the bonafide leader of the MDC-T, which contested the 2018 harmonised elections as MDC Alliance incorporating other smaller parties.

Controversy has shrouded the Treasury funding to political parties, with fringe formations lobbying government to extend financing to all parties to enable them to campaign in the run-up to elections.

Currently, political party funding is disbursed to parties with five percent parliamentary votes, a situation that leaves the bigger chunk of parties without resources to mount strong campaigns.

Currently, the ruling Zanu-PF and opposition MDC Alliance share the party funding between themselves.

In 2018, more than 100 political parties contested for various seats around the country but only three parties are represented in the House of Assembly which is controlled by Zanu-PF. NewZimbabwe