MDC-T forces members to fund party

THE cash-strapped Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC has resorted to forcing its members to bankroll its activities, including paying workers who have not been paid since it lost the July 31 elections to President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF last year, NewsDay reported.

But, party sources told NewsDay yesterday that members were not willing to contribute because of the infighting rocking the party.

Until other fundraising mechanisms were in place, the MDC-T was hoping to raise over $8 million to bankroll its activities by arm-twisting MPs, National Executive and ordinary members to contribute towards the party.

An official in the party told NewsDay  yesterday that the party's supreme decision-making body — National Council — in March this year decided that sitting MPs would be required to part ways with a once-off payment of $100 while National Executive members would contribute $50 each.

Councillors would pay $10 each while ordinary members would contribute $1 each towards the party's cause.

The members have up to the end of this month to make the payments, according to a letter from MDC-T acting deputy treasurer-general Tapiwa Mashakada. The payment, known as underwriting fees, would then be followed by a subscription of $6 each per year from every member of the main opposition party.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the development, saying it had been necessitated by government's unwillingness to release funds the MDC-T was entitled to under the Political Parties Finance Act.

The MDC-T was currently locked up in serious infighting that has led to the expulsion of party deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, national executive member Last Maengahama, former Youth Assembly secretary-general Promise Mkwananzi and Jacob Mafume, a former director in Tsvangirai's office. Mangoma and his faction, known as the renewal team, have been campaigning for Tsvangirai's ouster.

"Members are reluctant to pay due to the current infighting. Some MPs are citing lack of accounting procedures to motivate them to pay," the source added.

Some sitting MPs were reportedly resisting the move except for those who were appointed through proportional representation.

As resistance from MPs mounted, there were moves to suspend party secretary-general Tendai Biti, who is perceived as lobbying the MPs against paying.

Most MPs used their own resources to campaign in last year's elections after the party availed a paltry $700 to each candidate.

"Before the elections, about $1,7 million meant for paying polling agents went missing at Tsvangirai's office. A probe was done and the then a senior official who was in charge of elections was implicated who then immediately took a retirement package. Surprisingly, he is now back and no action was taken against him. But now, they want to force us to contribute to the party?" queried a disgruntled MP.

"There are intentions to suspend Biti before May 5 so that he will be replaced by someone they can use to threaten the MPs. There are also plans to purge all anti-Tsvangirai members before the next congress."

According to section 129 of the party's constitution, a sitting MP could only be recalled from Parliament after notification by letter from the secretary-general, which the anti-Tsvangirai faction doubted Biti would do. However, Mwonzora denied any intention to fire Biti, saying he was not facing any charge. He said Biti was also part to the decision to raise money internally.

The MDC-T has been experiencing cash challenges since last year's electoral defeat. Tsvangirai admitted on Monday that the MDC-T was broke. The MDC-T has also not paid packages to workers retrenched after the election loss.

Tsvangirai's party had been reportedly relying on donor funds from the West since its inception in 1999.