Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T funds 'vanish' from bank account
27 Dec 2020 at 07:01hrs | Views
THE MDC-T has made some "special arrangements" with public transporter, ZUPCO to ferry delegates to its extraordinary congress in Harare this Sunday amid reports of some missing party funds.
Despite being paid money under the Political Parties Finance Act a paltry $500 000 is reported to be now in the MDC-T bank account.
The party had received US$60 000 from the Treasury.
The amount is almost equivalent to $5 800 000 using the official exchange rate.
Some delegates told NewZimbabwe.com ahead of the event that the party was forced to enter into a last-minute agreement with ZUPCO with promises to settle the debt within two weeks.
"We have been aware that congress will go ahead as the national council has made arrangements with ZUPCO buses to carry delegates to Harare and they will pay later," a source told NewZimbabwe.com.
"We are shocked that the National Council is silent on this following a letter from the deputy treasurer general exposing the rot and how the money has been abused.
"We fear that the whole leadership may have benefitted from the loot because why is such a case of fraud being swept under the carpet."
Party national chairperson Morgen Komichi said delegates would be picked from the main roads.
"We are providing buses in all provinces to carry delegates," Komichi said.
"No delegate should be left out, no discrimination; the transport challenge is under control."
There were fears that the congress may fail to take place after the deputy treasurer general Chief Ndlovu claimed that party secretary general Douglas Mwonzora had wiped out the MDC-T coffers.
"I was left shocked to learn that the SG expects Treasurer general to release money when he is the one who transferred all the money out of the account without my explicit approval," Ndlovu wrote to all MDC-T ECO delegates.
Ndlovu said the EOC was not going to take place, as there was no funding.
The congress is expected to elect a successor to late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who died of colon cancer February 2018.
The opposition leadership has also failed to agree on the voters roll to be used.
Candidates include acting president Thokozani Khupe, Mwonzora, Elias Mudzuri and Komichi.
Despite being paid money under the Political Parties Finance Act a paltry $500 000 is reported to be now in the MDC-T bank account.
The party had received US$60 000 from the Treasury.
The amount is almost equivalent to $5 800 000 using the official exchange rate.
Some delegates told NewZimbabwe.com ahead of the event that the party was forced to enter into a last-minute agreement with ZUPCO with promises to settle the debt within two weeks.
"We have been aware that congress will go ahead as the national council has made arrangements with ZUPCO buses to carry delegates to Harare and they will pay later," a source told NewZimbabwe.com.
"We are shocked that the National Council is silent on this following a letter from the deputy treasurer general exposing the rot and how the money has been abused.
"We fear that the whole leadership may have benefitted from the loot because why is such a case of fraud being swept under the carpet."
"We are providing buses in all provinces to carry delegates," Komichi said.
"No delegate should be left out, no discrimination; the transport challenge is under control."
There were fears that the congress may fail to take place after the deputy treasurer general Chief Ndlovu claimed that party secretary general Douglas Mwonzora had wiped out the MDC-T coffers.
"I was left shocked to learn that the SG expects Treasurer general to release money when he is the one who transferred all the money out of the account without my explicit approval," Ndlovu wrote to all MDC-T ECO delegates.
Ndlovu said the EOC was not going to take place, as there was no funding.
The congress is expected to elect a successor to late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who died of colon cancer February 2018.
The opposition leadership has also failed to agree on the voters roll to be used.
Candidates include acting president Thokozani Khupe, Mwonzora, Elias Mudzuri and Komichi.
Source - newzimbabwe
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