News / National
Biti's faction claims it has enough cash
20 May 2014 at 20:42hrs | Views
LOBENGULA legislator Samuel Sipepa Nkomo has declared that his MDC-Team faction has adequate financial resources to fund its activities.
Sipepa-Nkomo, who is the interim chairperson of the MDC-Team seeking leadership renewal in the main opposition MDC-T, told Southern Eye that his faction was "doing fine" financially at a time their bitter rivals led by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai were hamstrung by funding shortfalls after traditional funders withheld their purse strings demanding major reforms, including a change of leadership.
Apart from battling power struggles over control of party assets, the MDC-T is also facing financial problems that have seen it appealing to its followers to chip in with contributions.
Sipepa Nkomo said the financial situation in the renewal team was good but declined to reveal their source of funding.
"We are trying. We are doing fine financially," Sipepa-Nkomo said in a telephone interview on Sunday.
The MDC-T power struggle over assets and parliamentary representation saw the two factions trading accusations of abuse of party funds, amid reports that millions of dollars may have helped to fuel the leadership renewal row.
The financial problems in the MDC-T began after the traditional funders froze funding after last year's harmonised elections resulting in the party struggling to pay its workers or other services.
The party has also complained that it has not received $1,5 million it is entitled to under the Political Parties Finance Act because the government does not have money, leaving its coffers dry.
Sipepa-Nkomo, who is the interim chairperson of the MDC-Team seeking leadership renewal in the main opposition MDC-T, told Southern Eye that his faction was "doing fine" financially at a time their bitter rivals led by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai were hamstrung by funding shortfalls after traditional funders withheld their purse strings demanding major reforms, including a change of leadership.
Apart from battling power struggles over control of party assets, the MDC-T is also facing financial problems that have seen it appealing to its followers to chip in with contributions.
Sipepa Nkomo said the financial situation in the renewal team was good but declined to reveal their source of funding.
"We are trying. We are doing fine financially," Sipepa-Nkomo said in a telephone interview on Sunday.
The MDC-T power struggle over assets and parliamentary representation saw the two factions trading accusations of abuse of party funds, amid reports that millions of dollars may have helped to fuel the leadership renewal row.
The financial problems in the MDC-T began after the traditional funders froze funding after last year's harmonised elections resulting in the party struggling to pay its workers or other services.
The party has also complained that it has not received $1,5 million it is entitled to under the Political Parties Finance Act because the government does not have money, leaving its coffers dry.
Source - Southern Eye
