'Tendai Biti never thought money politics could jam'

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai repeated his plea for Zimbabweans to underwrite their own struggle for democracy by collectively financing the party through paying their subscriptions and making donations to the party.

Addressing a huge crowd of over 15 000 supporters - a clear endorsement of Tsvangirai's leadership - at a rally in Bulawayo's Stanley square , Tsvangirai emphasised the need to build a party that is funded by its members, and with leaders accountable the members, not some alien donors.

Organising and Party Building secretary Nelson Chamisa was tasked to oversee implementation of the programme of collecting subscriptions from members nationwide.

Earlier, at a rally in Mabvuku, speakers took turns to emphasise the importance of members paying their subscription - a practice which would eliminate confusion of who party members are and who should vote in the primaries when they are due.

The call also comes against a background of a financially squeezed party, with allegations flying around about how the suspended Deputy Treasurer General Elton Mangoma was abusing party funds to fund a personal agenda of unconstitutionally unseating Morgan Tsvangirai.

Elton Mangoma and Tendai Biti, the MDC Secretary General, widely believed to be the leaders of a small clique now known as the "renewal team" calling for the undemocratic ouster of Tsvangirai are being accused by the grassroots of conniving with a certain section of the donor community to plot a boardroom coup against the popular leader.

A begging bowl is said to have made rounds to the donor community raising millions of dollars which the so-called renewal team is using to further the agenda of toppling Morgan Tsvangirai.

They are said to have set up a parallel structure with an office in Milton Park designed to starve Harvest House financially, a move intended to prove poor leadership qualities of Morgan Tsvangirai and those loyal to him.

The grassroots, however, have vowed to defend their congress-elected leader, with youths assembly members and some Provincial structures passing votes of no confidence against their executives - in Harare Paul Madzore, the singing provincial chairperson, MP Willas Madzimure who was the provincial secretary and Tichaona Munyanyi who was the provincial organising secretary have already fallen victims of a vote of no confidence.

In a highly charged National Council meeting held on Friday the 7th of March, which subsequently suspended Elton Mangoma, delegates openly accused Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma of using party funds to bribe some members of the National Executive to thwart every move to bring Mangoma's issue before the National Council for an initial hearing.

A visibly disappointed Biti who harshly criticised the National Council's decision to suspend Mangoma, called a Press conference at his legal chambers - a move interpreted as the disappointment of a man who never thought money politics could jam.

Commenting on the issue Charlton Hwende a National Executive member said:

"It is this Nyau Accounting approach whereby party leaders use party funds and their offices for their own agendas, contrary to the will of the people which we are saying must stop. We are devising an all-encompassing system which allows everybody to have a say on party finances".

The call by Tsvangirai seems to have been received by many as an idea which will strengthen the decision making process of the party structures from branch level to national. It will give a sense of ownership among members of the party, though there are many members who may not necessarily have money, but make invaluable contributions through their activism.

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Ngoni Chimbalu is an MDC activist writing in his own capacity. This article was initially published by Change Zimbabwe.com