In line with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) constitution, party leader Nelson Chamisa is alleged to walk away $720 000 richer as he is set to pocket 20% of the $3 596 400 which the is expected to get from the Treasury under the Political Parties Finance Act.
The MDC will get the share from the $12 million allocated to political parties by the Treasury while Zanu-PF will get $8 403 600.
This comes of the back of the two political parties being the only one to amassed more than 5% votes in the July 2018 elections, as stated in the budget.
However, party insiders say Chamisa is likely to get 20% of the total amount to be received since the same was done to former president, the late Morgan Tsvangirai from 2015 until the time he succumbed to cancer in 2018.
A source within the opposition movement told 263Chat that during the time that Tsvangirai became ill, the party agreed to give him 20% of the money from the treasury for his upkeep.
“The 20% clause was put for Tsvangirai because he was not feeling well and he was unemployed. When you now have a president who is employed and healthy, the logic goes.
“Tsvangirai did not always get this 20%, he got it because the party did not have money to carter for his medical bills, so it was when he fell ill, and that the party decided to chip in. This was around 2015,” the source said.
However, the party’s secretary general, Charlton Hwende professed ignorance over the allegations saying the party’s constitution does not allow for the money to go to an individual.
“The funds are meant for party programmes. They are not meant for any individual, including the president. There is nothing like that, I’m not aware of any money that was given to Dr Morgan Tsvangirai,” Hwende said.
He said for the first time in the party’s history, the accounts will be audited by private auditors.
This is despite the party’s constitution outlining that there should be yearly reports for audited accounts.
“There is no way the money will be mismanaged because the party has to do political activities,” he said.
Hwende said the late Tsvangirai would foot his medical bills while the whole sum would be channelled into the party’s accounts.
However, another source said the 20% will now be channelled towards the Office of the President which is wholly under Chamisa.
“The 20% clause has not been removed. It’s still there but now it will be channelled towards the office of president Chamisa because it is a very critical office in our party. They are the bedrock of the party as they make sure the president is well taken care of.
“They also have their own programs which they run so it remains to be seen what they will use the money for,” said the source.
