The Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance has cleared the air surrounding the allegedly missing ZWL$ 2 million when the party presented its audited financial statement today showing no signs of misuse of funds.
The allegedly missing ZWL$2 million was part of the spoils the party got from government through the Political Parties Finance Act.
In February this year, media reports suggested that funds were missing from MDC Alliance coffers and had been used for unintended purposes.
Presenting the party’s audited financial statements for the seven months ended 31 December 2019, MDC Alliance treasurer general, David Coltart said the audit concluded the allegations were baseless.
“The auditors looked at our entire books of accounts including all state funds that came out and found that the allegations were baseless,” said Coltart.
Coltart said presentation of the audited financial statement was in line with resolutions of last year’s party congress.
“One of the most important resolutions at the MDC Alliance congress held in Gweru last year was that we would be held accountable to highest international standards ourselves and we resolved that our accounts would be submitted to an independent audit by a firm of chartered accountants internationally recognised and that is what we have done.
“It may seem to be a relatively insignificantly small statement but we believe it is a momentous statement not just in a life of this political party but in the life of our nation because through the publication of these statements we are subjecting ourselves to be accountable for public funds,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s Treasury approved the disbursement of $12 million, which was shared between Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC under the Political Parties Finance Act. Zanu PF, the party with the majority in parliament and 70 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2018 elections, pocketed $8 million while the MDC received $4 million, having garnered almost 30 per cent of the total votes cast.
He said most of the funds were handed to the MDC Alliance in terms of the Political Parties Finance Act and they had the obligation to present a report to the people who contributed the money.
The presentation was attended by party leaders led by MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa and secretary general Chalton Hwende.
