Sikhala denies accusing MDC of taking bribes to boycott senate

By Violet Gonda
26 October 2005

The opposition legislator for St Mary’s Job Sikhala is said to have denied issuing statements about MDC leaders receiving illegal funding from Ghanaian and Nigerian governments. The allegations have not only caused a stir in the MDC but the Minister of Justice has warned that the government would investigate these claims. Under Zimbabwe's Political Parties Finance Act it is illegal for local parties to receive foreign funding.

These claims have been dismissed by MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai who said, "Sikhala is prone to such outbursts which do not help the party. It is a mere allegation but unfortunately he speaks as if it is a fact. We cannot lose sleep over that.”
John Kuffour, the President of Ghana has also denied these allegations. A statement issued from the Office of the President's Press Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyepong described the allegation by the MDC MP as "purely baseless and speculative." Mr Agyepong quoted the President as saying "This is the most mischievous report."
Although Sikhala is denying making these allegations, he was quoted by the Herald newspaper saying this foreign funding triggered the current infighting within the party. He said an impasse over MDC participation in the forthcoming Senate elections was precipitated by US$500 000 the party received from the two West African countries. "The struggle in the party borders on the issue of controlling donor funds that were recently released by His Excellency President John Kuffour of Ghana and His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria," said Sikhala.

He reportedly said, "One of them (the MDC's "top six" leaders) became greedy over the distribution of the money, which angered some among themselves."

Reports on Wednesday quote Sikhala denying "emphatically and repeatedly" ever having made any such a pronouncement. He said he had earlier granted an interview to reporters in Zimbabwe but had been misquoted.