TREASURY has approved the disbursement of $12 million to be shared between Zanu PF and the opposition MDC Alliance under the Political Parties Finance Act, but the two parties yesterday said the money was not enough for their needs.<\/p>\n
In a Government Gazette published yesterday, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced that Zanu PF, as the party with the majority in Parliament and 70% of the total votes cast in the 2018 elections, will pocket $8 million while Nelson Chamisa\u2019s MDC Alliance is set to get $4 million, having garnered 29,97 % of the total votes cast.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is hereby notified in terms of the Political Parties and Finance Act that the total amount of money payable to political parties in respect of the year beginning January 1, 2019 and ending December 31, 2019 is $12 million,\u201d the Government Gazette read in part.<\/p>\n
Under the Political Parties Finance Act, political parties with more than 5% of the total votes cast can benefit from the fiscus and in this case, it is only Zanu PF and the MDC Alliance who are eligible to benefit.<\/p>\n
In 2018, the two parties shared $6 million from the Political Parties Finance Act.<\/p>\n
The Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T and the National Patriotic Front, largely made up of former Zanu PF members, managed to secure a single parliamentary seat each and are ineligible to benefit from the fund.<\/p>\n
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said although the money was not enough, it nevertheless would help oil the ruling party\u2019s programmes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, money will never be enough, but this is what Treasury has given us. We have to work with it. It is an allocation from Treasury and we have to look at
\nthe priorities that we have as a party and then allocate the money accordingly,\u201d Moyo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are to look at our demands and requirements as a party, it is not enough. But we have to work within the allocation and we shall see how we advance the
\ngrowth of the party.\u201d
\nMoyo said the party\u2019s treasury department was better placed to know how to use the money.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us as Zanu PF, we would want to see the money being used wisely. This is taxpayers\u2019 money and it must benefit the people. It must be used to advance the
\ncause of the people, not to be channelled towards negative agendas. We appeal that this money must not be abused in whatsoever manner. These are public funds.\u201d<\/p>\n
MDC secretary-general Charlton Hwende also said the money was inadequate to cover the opposition party\u2019s programmes.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, money cannot be enough. If you look at the inflation rate, the money is not enough. It has been eroded already,\u201d Hwende said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember this money was passed in the last budget so it has lost its value. However, it will go a long way in assisting us in advancing our agenda as a party,
\nwhich is to grow the party and help our MPs to ensure they are visible. We shall add it to our subscription from members across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five years ago, opposition leader Kisinoti Mukwazhi, of the Zimbabwe Development Party, approached the Constitutional Court, seeking an order to force
\ngovernment to fund all political parties that were participating in national elections, but the matter was dismissed.<\/p>\n
The Political Parties Finance Act was promulgated in 2002 to curb the foreign funding of local parties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TREASURY has approved the disbursement of $12 million to be shared between Zanu PF and the opposition MDC Alliance under the Political Parties Finance Act, but the two parties yesterday said the money was not enough for their needs. In a Government Gazette published yesterday, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced that Zanu PF, as the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":8562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[38,88,548,120],"class_list":{"0":"post-10135","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-parties","9":"tag-zanu-pf","10":"tag-mdc","11":"tag-parliament","12":"tag-parties"},"yoast_head":"\n