The Sunday Mail
Zanu-PF and the MDC have received about US$9 million under the Political Parties (Finance) Act with the money expected to jump-start the two political parties’ campaigns ahead of elections this year.
According to the Political Parties (Finance) Act, the State is obliged to fund any party that gets at least five percent of the vote in a general election.
Part of the Act reads: “(1) Subject to this Act, every political party shall be entitled in each Parliamentary year to receive from the State the sums of money that are payable to it in terms of this Act.
“…each political party whose candidates received at least five per centum of the total number of votes cast in the most recent general election shall be entitled to the same proportion of the total money appropriated as the total number of votes cast for its candidates in the election bears to the aggregate of votes cast for all political parties that qualify to be paid moneys in terms of this subsection:”
In the 2013 elections, Zanu-PF won 61,09 percent of the vote and MDC-T 33,94 percent.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, Finance and Economic Planning Deputy Minister Terrence Mukupe said: “Treasury has disbursed the money to the two political parties. Zanu-PF has received $6 126 633,17 while the MDC-T received $1 873 663,83.
“The money was provided for in the National Budget and as Treasury we are complying with our obligations.”
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Leader of Government Business in Parliament Ziyambi Ziyambi confirmed the money had been disbursed. “The calculations were made in terms of a party’s popularity, according to the number of seats won in Parliament and also according to the number of voters,” he said
Minister Ziyambi said the disbursements showed Government’s commitment to the rule of law.
Director of communications for the Mr Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-T, Mr Luke Tamborinyoka, said: “We have our allocation for this year, but Government still owes us from previous years.”
He declined to give figures or evidence to validate the claim.
A rival MDC-T faction led by Dr Thokozani Khupe is claiming the funds and has said it will approach Government on the matter.
