Suspicion over party funds given to pro-senate MDC by government

By Tererai Karimakwenda
13 March 2006

An MDC official has raised questions as to why the funds set aside for opposition parties by the Political Finances Act were given to the pro-senate MDC party by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa. In February, it was reported that Z$8 billion was given to the group now led by Professor Arthur Mutambara as the share allotted to opposition parties that have representation in parliament. Officials from the party have since confirmed that this was true, but MDC shadow minister for economics, Tendai Biti, told us Monday that he believes the group received much more than that for their congress, using the Political Finances Act as a cover for support. He said this was the government’s way of legitimising the pro-senate faction. We sought comment from the Mutambara MDC but were unable to reach them. We will keep trying.

At the time the money was released, Minister Chinamasa said the government did not recognise the split within the MDC and would give the money as usual to the party as a single unit. As a result the funds were given to the secretary general of the party, Welshman Ncube, as it had been done in previous years. But Ncube is now the secretary general of the Mutambara MDC and Biti said if the cheque had been made out to the MDC as usual, the Tsvangirai camp would have access to it. Biti then explained that this is why he believes the government is supporting the other side. He said he believes the government paid for the Mutambara MDC congress that was held in Bulawayo last month. He went further to say: “This is why Robert Mugabe went on television and said Welshman Ncube is a reliable man, And this is why Tsvangirai is vilified in the state papers weekly.”

Biti said in the year 2000, MDC representation in parliament was almost equal to that of ZANU-PF, and they received more funds back then. But he said the number has gone down to about 41 and that’s why the amount was Z$8 billion. He also said he believes the government is trying to demonise Tsvangirai and “the real” MDC, but this only serves to strengthen them. We tried to contact at least 3 officials in the Mutambara MDC but we were unable to reach them.