Mwonzora accused of stealing $300 000 from MDC-T party coffers

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

MDC-T acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has been reported to the police over allegations that he siphoned $300 000 from the party coffers without the knowledge of interim president Thokozani Khupe.

In a circular sent to party members titled Unauthorised Withdrawal/Payment of $300 000 from Treasury, the party’s deputy treasurer-general Chief Ndlovu said Mwonzora confirmed during a finance and administration meeting that he had made the transfer and gave details.

“It is true that the only person who was supposed to make payments of any nature from the party coffers is the treasurer as you have been aware. I am, however, not the only person with access.

“I would like the party membership to know that I had no hand in the transfer of $300 000 out of the party account. The truth of the matter is that I only got to know about that transaction after it had gone through.

“I only got the details of the transfer when I got into the finance and administration meeting. The secretary-general (Mwonzora) explained that he made the transfer and gave details.

“This is now known to the party leadership and the whole standing committee to which the SG apologised and I am sure it is being handled by the leadership. As your treasurer-general, I will always handle financial matters with honesty and trustworthiness,” Ndlovu said.

Meanwhile, a party member, Leonard Chisvo on Friday made a fraud complaint against Mwonzora to the police at Highlands Police Station and the matter was recorded under ref: RRB4586626.

But Mwonzora in a statement dated December, 8, dismissed the allegations as “a smear campaign against some candidates.”

“Periodically, through the treasurer-general, the party provides financial reports to the national executive committee. Further, it is impossible for any individual to get money out of the party without the other leaders’ knowledge.

“One of the rules in the party is that when it comes to internal elections, individual candidates source their own funds and are not funded by the party.

“The reports coming from the social media are simply part of a smear campaign against some candidates and have to be dismissed as such,” he said.

In October, MDC-T national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe approached the High Court and complained that party funds totalling $7 million have been wiped out by acting party president Khupe and national chair Morgen Komichi.

This comes ahead of the party’s much-awaited extraordinary congress scheduled for December 9, 2020.

The extraordinary congress will only have a single agenda of electing the party leader and members of the National Standing Committee (NSC). Nehanda Radio