Obert Mpofu, Jonathan Moyo raise $250,000 for Zanu-PF congress

via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Obert Mpofu, Jonathan Moyo raise $250,000 for Zanu-PF congress 29 November 2014

Zanu-PF politburo members Obert Mpofu and Jonathan Moyo have raised close to $250 000 for Matabeleland North province towards next week’s congress, amid reports some senior party officials were not keen to aid the financing of the crucial indaba.

Impeccable sources in the ruling party said Matabeleland North province had, by Thursday, raised more than its target to bankroll the congress which bursts into life on Tuesday. The province is the only one that has not been tainted by factionalism, which is threatening to tear the party down the middle.

Mpofu, who is secretary for economic affairs and also Transport and Infrastructural Development minister, raised about $200 000 and Information minister Moyo $70 000. Several government officials and individuals also contributed towards the congress.

Speaking at a recent fund raising dinner in Victoria Falls, Mpofu lamented the failure by senior members of the party to contribute financially to the party.

“Some people want positions in the party, but have never contributed even a cent to it,” he said amid applause from the audience.

“They just run around until their trousers are torn doing nothing to build the party, but just seeking power.”

Mpofu said every member of Zanu-PF should make a meaningful contribution to the growth of the party.

“You should add value to the party,” he said.

Information gathered by The Zimbabwe Mail shows that despite Matabeleland North surpassing its target of $150 000 for the congress, senior party officials in the province, including National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda, have not made any contributions as of Friday.

Mudenda, reportedly eyeing the party’s national chairship position, the sources said, did not attend any fundraising activities of the party in the province.

Instead, the sources claimed, he was busy soliciting for support before the politburo passed amendments bestowing President Robert Mugabe with the powers to appoint his deputies, the chairperson and all politburo members at next week’s congress.

Information gathered from the other provinces, showed that they were battling to meet the target set by the party to bankroll the congress.

Manicaland had by early this week raised above $100 000, the bulk of it at fundraising dinner in Mutare. No individual contribution breakdown was announced.

The party’s acting provincial chairperson Samuel Undenge, who is also the chairman of the fundraising committee, said the province would meet its target.

Every province was expected to raise $150 000 towards the successful hosting of the people’s congress that runs between the 2nd and 7th of December in the capital.

Other provinces were reluctant to divulge how much they had raised a week before the congress expected to cost over $3m.

This comes amid reports that there is a clique in Zanu-PF bent on stopping the congress on factional lines.

Zanu-PF organs and war veterans have demanded the ouster of Vice-President Joice Mujuru amid allegations that she and her faction wanted to oust President Mugabe by hook or crook.