News / National
Khupe gets new windfall
21 Dec 2020 at 06:50hrs | Views
THE government has once again snubbed the MDC Alliance, after it disbursed a total of $76 million to the ruling Zanu-PF and Thokozani Khupe's MDC interim leadership, the Daily News reports.
Of this amount, Zanu-PF received $61 million - while the MDC got nearly $15 million under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, which sanctions the disbursement of funds to major political parties in Parliament.
This comes as Khupe is involved in a fierce tussle with Nelson Chamisa for the control of the MDC, whose congress was cancelled at the last minute over the weekend amid claims of a shambolic voters' roll.
Justice ministry permanent secretary, Virginia Mabhiza, confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that authorities had indeed made the disbursements to Zanu-PF and the MDC.
"Yes, Zanu-PF received $61 million and MDC $14,9 million. This is for 2020," she said.
According to the Political Parties (Finance) Act, the State should provide funding to political parties that won at least five percent of the vote in a general election.
"(1) Subject to this Act, every political party shall be entitled in each Parliamentary year to receive from the State the sums of money that are payable to it in terms of this Act.
"Each political party whose candidates received at least five percentum of the total number of votes cast in the most recent general election shall be entitled to the same proportion of the total money appropriated as the total number of votes cast for its candidates in the election bears to the aggregate of votes cast for all political parties that qualify to be paid moneys in terms of this subsection," reads part of the Act.
In July, the government also released $25 million which was shared between Zanu-PF and the Khupe faction - prompting Chamisa to seek an interdict at the High Court.
In this tranche, Zanu-PF pocketed $17,5 million while the MDC received $7,4 million.
This comes as the MDC is involved in a zero-sum internal war over the control of the country's main opposition party.
The mindless bloodletting started following the death of the much-loved MDC founding father, Morgan Tsvangirai - who lost his valiant battle with colon cancer on Valentine's Day in 2018.
The party's infighting escalated in March after the Supreme Court upheld last year's ruling by the High Court that nullified Chamisa's ascendancy to the leadership of the MDC.
Of this amount, Zanu-PF received $61 million - while the MDC got nearly $15 million under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, which sanctions the disbursement of funds to major political parties in Parliament.
This comes as Khupe is involved in a fierce tussle with Nelson Chamisa for the control of the MDC, whose congress was cancelled at the last minute over the weekend amid claims of a shambolic voters' roll.
Justice ministry permanent secretary, Virginia Mabhiza, confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that authorities had indeed made the disbursements to Zanu-PF and the MDC.
"Yes, Zanu-PF received $61 million and MDC $14,9 million. This is for 2020," she said.
According to the Political Parties (Finance) Act, the State should provide funding to political parties that won at least five percent of the vote in a general election.
"Each political party whose candidates received at least five percentum of the total number of votes cast in the most recent general election shall be entitled to the same proportion of the total money appropriated as the total number of votes cast for its candidates in the election bears to the aggregate of votes cast for all political parties that qualify to be paid moneys in terms of this subsection," reads part of the Act.
In July, the government also released $25 million which was shared between Zanu-PF and the Khupe faction - prompting Chamisa to seek an interdict at the High Court.
In this tranche, Zanu-PF pocketed $17,5 million while the MDC received $7,4 million.
This comes as the MDC is involved in a zero-sum internal war over the control of the country's main opposition party.
The mindless bloodletting started following the death of the much-loved MDC founding father, Morgan Tsvangirai - who lost his valiant battle with colon cancer on Valentine's Day in 2018.
The party's infighting escalated in March after the Supreme Court upheld last year's ruling by the High Court that nullified Chamisa's ascendancy to the leadership of the MDC.
Source - Daily News
