via MDC-T factions trade barbs over funds | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo on Tuesday, February 11, 2014
MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora has reacted angrily to suggestions that party President Morgan Tsvangirai abused funds.
Accusations of financial impropriety were carried in the privately-runNewsDay last week.
The paper quoted some senior party officials who said the raging infighting over Tsvangirai’s leadership stemmed from his misuse of funds.
Last month, deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma asked the MDC-T leader to step down, and raised questions about the lack of financial accountability within the party.
“How will we put closure to the question of misuse of funds, and ensure that our friends regain confidence that donations will be channelled to the people’s project going forward?” Mangoma asked in his letter to Tsvangirai.
The officials who spoke to NewsDay alleged that some donors had withdrawn their support for the MDC-T, citing a lack of accountability in the party finances.
A person purporting to be Roy Bennett wrote on the Newsday discussion forum, standing by the allegations that Tsvangirai “took liberties with party funds”. SW Radio Africa was not able to speak to Bennett as he was said to be travelling.
On Monday party spokesman Mwonzora furiously denied the allegations which he said were malicious, adding that Tsvangirai is not directly involved in the disbursement of funds.
“All major financial decisions of the party are made by the Finance and Administration Committee chaired by the Secretary General of the Party.
“It is therefore impossible for the President of the Party to allocate financial resources of the Party by himself without the Treasury Department or the Administration of the party’s involvement,” Mwonzora said in a statement.
In a separate response to the statements attributed to Bennett, Mwonzora said: “If indeed Mr Bennett genuinely wanted an audit into the MDC finances then he would have made his request to the Standing Committee, the National Executive or the National Council of the Party justifying his reasons for such a demand.
“Further he would not have waited for a Newsday article to make his statement. We therefore doubt very much the authenticity of the author of this letter.”
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said the two MDC-T factions were being shortsighted and immature in failing to resolve their problems.
“But the current cracks are a sign of leadership fatigue and the best thing to do for Tsvangirai is to subject himself to peer review and fixing what needs to be fixed, even if it means admitting that he’s failed to deliver the mission without waiting for a structure to say it,” Ngwenya said.
He said while calls for a financial audit were legitimate, as allegations of financial misuse go to the heart of political accountability and transparency, this was not possible with a party such as the MDC-T which receives donor funding.
“It is illegal in Zimbabwe for political parties to receive external funding and the MDC-T and its financiers know that they can’t audit without revealing who has been funding the party.”
Ngwenya said it was up to the MDC-T leadership, if they see themselves as the government-in-waiting, to behave in a morally blameless manner because their behavior now has implications on how they will manage the public purse should they ever come into power.
COMMENTS
hapana nyaya. Bernet is a loser.
Tsvangirai has to go.His stupidity has led to our current predicament. ZANU is ruling because of his stupidity.Tsvangirai supporters are as good as Mugabe supporters, passionately backing failure.IDIOTS.
Tsvangirai is soiled goods. He is venal. He has compromised himself many times. The MDC will fade away unless its leadership is renewed with unsullied figures. If the man does not go the action will move elsewhere.
All of this is so basic that it is shocking that he still tries to cling on. The history is that the MDC is in fact a ZANU splinter. Perhaps this explains the culture of the party
Tsvangirai murume, dai Mwari apindawo musoro mako wobva hako wasuduruka, umwe opinda panyanga.Hongu unoti vanhu vanokuda, vangani?Did you count them.Sure, for God’s sake, please step aside for the sake of Zimbabweans and let another person take over.Zimbabweans will respect you. Panewo vanogona kutungamirira wani.Onaka!!Pharoah akaomeswa musoro naMwari akatadza kuona kutadza kwake. Hauonewo imwe party hombe zvairi kuita.Siya wega, kwete kuomesa musoro.Wakaedza wani.Ukawina, asi ukabirwa kakawanda.Suduruka uchengetedze ushingi hwawakaratidza pakuvambwa kewMDC.Ndingafara ufunge kuziva pane zvawafunga.
For now no one in MDC can command the same support like Tsvangirai. He is our current face of Opposition. You may like it or not but its a fact that even Zanu recognizes. Save is not going anywhere until chirangano
Perhaps then it is those around him that are the problem, are they the ones on their own selfish agendas?
Opposition to MDC purporting to make justifiable noise to taint and weaken the party. We have 2016 to decide on the fate of Morgan. Right now, Morgan is More
Tsvangirai did not make himself but he was made by other people which same people can elect another leader to lead the MDC. As things stand, Tsvangirai will not be able to moot a political challenge to Zanu PF. He is compromised and seems not to have a clue to take the MDC forward. The MDC should be working on electing another candidate and groom him/her for 2018.
We , the really members of MDC T , i mean us the undisputed members , we will have a final word , for now we have got our leader and that leader is Tsvangirai , so your stories of him stepping down must go to Mugabe .
In Zimbabwe ,i mean our beautiful country to be rebuilt , Tsvangirai is the man to lead us for rebuilding , who else can take us forward ??? who else ???? ZUNDE no no , the trying ZAPU no no , Mthwakazi no no noways , Simba Makoni nooooo , Welshmen Ncube nooooo he is always failing , Zimbabweans we are talking about the really man , the man who shaked up ZANU PF , so what are you saying about this great man in our land , let him finish his mission by 2018 , don’t worry about his low level of education , Mugabe have got degrees , what did he do for us apart from dragging us to sewage drains , where are we today because of his degrees ??????
man, dont deceive yourself, Morgan has done his part & now needs to go, he has overstayed. We can not justifiably call for Mugabe to Stand down when we the suppossed democratic party can not even lead by example. We cannot honestly claim that noone can have as much grassroots support as Morgan when we have not tried anyone else, lets give others a go, after all this so called grassroots support has not got us anywhere. He is not even out of the Prime Minister’s house yet, can you explain then what the story is there? Who is funding that stay?
Thanks for your good piece. The problem we have in our country is everybody wants to be a leader and we are so selfish to the point where we pull down our own! Tsvangirai is and will for a long time to come be the face of our struggle. The so-called technocrats are dinning with zanu guys and that is where they get their ideas of pushing out Tsvangirai from to weaken the party. Biti and co are not for the common man but Morgan is and those clamouring for his ouster will rue that mistake for a long time. Mangoma and his sponsors must forward a candidate who will challenge Tsvangirai at the 2016 congress.
The problem in AFRICA is that we Blacks that get into power won’t let go, even if proved to be doing the wrong thing or if there are calls for us to stand down, we will always declare innocence and ability, we are not invincible but are infact human we make mistakes.
Put them right.
Opposition is good if we listen to others views but a closed mind is no good to us. that is what ZANUPF is closed mind, closed doors and closed to suggestions they can do no wrong, SAVE, dont fall into the same trap, talk to your people, see what we want, dont move with security, move with pride and confidence talk to us shake hands with the voters see the Povo and help them, give up your seat for older persons you are wanting us to support yet you treat us like MORONS, like untouchsables.
anyone who wants to lead this country lead from the front, you must be prepared to lay down your life for your people, your country.
ZANUPF don’t move without security, WHY, because they fear themselves, they fear that which they know they did wrong the fear those that they want to vote for them. Won’t happen because they are cowards and they will steal another vote.
SAVE(Prime Minister Morgan)why are you not assisting your people in flood areas. take your shoes off undo your belt and work with the people to save the nation, don’t sit in your office crying fowl, come work with us as you did years ago, when we could see you, shake your hand, and before you were to hi up the ladder to acknowledge us YOUR VOTERS that got you there.
@ED Murehwa Why should he move out of the state house you ZANU PF member , the house should be part of his exit package thats it .
We should try somebody to lead MDC T , have you ever tried anything like that at your ZANU PF , do you understand the danger of trying , we don’t need to try anything here , ZANU PF had been rigging ever since Morgan has never failed , so there is nothing to fix here , leave it as it is .
Don’t come with your democratic style which has never worked at ZANU PF , MDC T is not trying field , it is not a field to practise what you think is democratic , bhudi uyagula hamba eMpilo bazakusiza , kungehlula eMpilo hamba eNgutsheni uzabafica abafana nawe .
@Ed Murehwa -Morgan has done his part , he has overstayed -what is this nonsense from you , what do you know about overstaying , overstaying is above 34 years exactly what your grandfather Mugabe has done hanging on power at his age of 90 years , so go and tell your overstaying to ZANU PF , please close your valve you are more than confused .
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Zimbabweans are sick to death of “purporting” as it creates deceptive perceptions of falsity.
I strongly suggest to SW Radio that they STOP “purporting” and start “reporting” factual truths and leave out the fiction.
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