The Sunday Mail
Strive Masiyiwa
Bulawayo Bureau
Econet Wireless founder Mr Strive Masiyiwa pledged US$1 million to support MDC-T’s 2008 ill-fated election campaign, it emerged in court on Friday.
Mr Masiyiwa has previously denied being an opposition party financier.
The claims were made by businessman Mr Laurence Zlattner in his evidence-in-chief before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva in the trial in which Cabal Trade Finance (Pvt) Ltd and Mr Zlattner’s Security Mills (Pvt) Ltd company accuse MDC-T of refusing to pay over R4 million for T-shirts, wrappers and bandanas allegedly used in the 2008 Presidential run-off campaign.
Mr Zlattner told his lawyer Advocate Richard Fitches that officials from an MDC-T support group — Zimbabwe Democracy Now, fronted by the opposition party’s former security advisor Mr Simon Spooner — told him that Mr Masiyiwa promised to pay for the campaign materials.
“They told me that Mr Masiyiwa had promised to give them US$1 million for the printing of the campaign material. The order was made on the strength of the verbal agreement, which was made by the support group on behalf of MDC-T,” said Mr Zlattner.
MDC-T treasurer-general Mrs Theresa Makone denied that the party authorised Bulawayo South legislator Mr Eddie Cross to order the regalia.
Cabal Trade and Security Mills were placed under judicial management by the Bulawayo High Court after accruing combined debts of R4 627 863, 93 for printing the MDC-T regalia.
Mrs Makone said Cabal Trade’s invoices were for the March 29, 2008 elections and not the June Presidential run-off.
Justice Takuva reserved judgment.
