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MDC argues over illegal funding
24/10/2005 07:54 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Taiwan, Ghana and Nigeria have given Zimbabwe's opposition illegal political funding of $2.5m (R16.5m), Zimbabwe's Herald Online reported on Monday.
It quoted Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) MP Job Sikhala as saying this donor funding triggered the current infighting within the party.
He said an impasse over MDC participation in the forthcoming Senate elections was precipitated by $500 000 the party received from the two West African countries recently.
"The struggle in the party borders on the issue of controlling donor funds that were recently released by His Excellency President John Kuffour of Ghana and His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria," said Sikhala.
"One of them (the MDC's "top six" leaders) became greedy over the distribution of the money, which angered some among themselves." he said.
MDC leaders 'greedy'
Zimbabwe's Political Parties Finance Act prohibits parties from receiving external funding.
Government spokesperson George Charamba said on Monday the problems in the MDC had nothing to do with the well-being of the country, but was driven more by greed from its leaders.
"The crisis in the MDC is not a leadership crisis in the country, but it's about a party which is being used as a pawn by the British and other leaders in West Africa," Charamba said.
"It does not matter who their principal is, but what remains clear is that they are not original, they are donor-driven."
Sikhala said the crisis in the MDC has been worsened by donor fatigue that prompted leaders to fight over dwindling resources.
"What fuels the crisis more is as the donor fatigue crept into MDC sponsorship, the thinning cake," he said.
"The struggle for control of that cake is leading to the total collapse of my party."
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