MDC factions to be tested again over Z$650 million state funding for political parties

By Lance Guma
03 January 2007

Since the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) split into two camps in October 2005 over participation in senate elections and other issues, disputes over the party name and property have flared up occasionally. But nothing brings out more controversy though than who should receive state funding under the political parties finance act. Sources say the money is due to be disbursed sometime in January. The Mutambara led MDC took the entire allocation of Z$8 billion (old currency) last year fuelling accusations from the Tsvangirai MDC that Zanu PF was more sympathetic to the camp then led by Gibson Sibanda. This year is set to offer the same dilemma. Which side of the opposition divide is entitled to an estimated Z$650 million (revalued) of state funding.

The Secretary General of the Tsvangirai MDC, Tendai Biti told Newsreel the media was trying to create a big story out of the issue by presupposing there was going to be acrimony over the distribution of the money. Explaining last year’s allocation, he said the Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa had made government’s position clear in saying they were blind to the split and would give the money to the Secretary General (Welshman Ncube) as they had always done. Biti also hinted to the fact that a lot of discussions have taken place since the split and the two sides were not necessarily going to fight over the money. He however made it clear these ‘crumbs’ from government would do nothing to alter the political landscape.

Bulawayo based lawyer David Coltart who is aligned to the Mutambara MDC also echoed Biti’s sentiments saying they were speaking to their colleagues and hoped to resolve the matter amicably. He says the two sides are working well with each other in parliament and there is great optimism the two sides would not quarrel over the money. Coltart suggested that a more sensible option would be to divide the money in accordance to the two MDC’s parliamentary representation. He also pointed out that a more pertinent issue to be highlighted was how the entire budget of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) surpassed the money given to all political parties combined. Yet as Coltart observed the political parties were there to entrench democracy.