Zanu-PF splurges $3,5m on conference

THE ruling Zanu-PF splurged $3,5 million on the just-ended 17th annual people's jamboree held at Umzingwane High School in the farming town of Esigodini, while the party received $23,5 million in donations this year.

Zanu-PF also got slightly above $5 million in a grant from government.

According to a central committee report, the $3,5 million was mainly used for transport, accommodation and catering.

The largest chunk of Zanu-PF's 2018 revenue was used to fund election-related expenses - with $26 million used to acquire top-of-the-range vehicles for the campaign.
The remainder was in administrative expenses.

In the report, Zanu-PF also revealed that this year's election campaign was the most funded in the history of the party since independence.

"They were the most highly funded elections since attainment of independence, and as a result, the party won overwhelmingly by more than two-thirds majority in Parliament. The party successfully raised resources to fund the 2018 harmonised election campaigns, albeit it still runs on overdraft to sustain the administrative expenses," read the report.

According to the report, almost $5 million was spent on salaries.

The party also revealed that it would spend a lot of money to boost the security department to guard against infiltration by perceived enemies. "As the party focuses on the economy than politics, and in pursuit of his Excellency the President's (Emmerson Mnangagwa) vision of making Zimbabwe an upper-middle income economy by 2030, it is prudent that national security maintains a peaceful environment to enable that economic development," the report read.

"The party's security departments need to be activated, strengthened and conscientised on their roles to ensure that infiltration of the party at all levels is monitored and exposed. This is so since Zanu-PF has always had numerous enemies always operating within its structures. In addition, vigilance needs to be maintained. Physical security at party offices needs to be improved to avoid property being damaged and people being injured."

Zanu-PF lost property at its Harare provincial headquarters, including cars that were set alight, in the violent August 1 protests.

Meanwhile, the party said it was on the lookout for errant non-governmental organisations, claiming some are bent on soiling their administration.

Last week, acting Labour and Social Welfare minister Kazembe Kazembe said the State was cautioning NGOs allegedly dabbling in politics, saying they must stick to their mandate or risk deregistration.

Zimbabwe has had a love-hate relationship with NGOs since the era of former President Robert Mugabe's brutal 37-year rule, who frequently de-registered them, amid accusations of supporting the rival MDC party, while ironically relying on them for food aid and maintenance of social services which his broke government could not do without.