Zanu-PF, Mwonzora share US$1,5 million ahead of 2023 elections

The ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition MDC Alliance led by Douglas Mwonzora will share more than US$1,5 million released by the government under the Political Parties Finance Act.

Zanu-PF will get ZWL1 050 450 000 (US$1 098 901), while the MDC Alliance will be getting ZWL449 550 000 (US$494 505)

The money, which will be shared between the two parties, is split based on the number of seats a party obtained in the previous election (2018).

Zanu-PF and MDC Alliance are set to face a stiff challenge in the coming harmonised general elections to be held later this year from the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s biggest rival Nelson Chamisa.

Chamisa contested in the presidential elections in 2018 under the MDC Alliance but the party was later grabbed by Mwonzora courtesy of what some called a sympathetic judiciary. Mwonzora also got MPs, councillors, properties and party funds.

He recalled from local authorities and Parliament all opposition officials who supported Chamisa.

In March 2022, Mwonzora and his party were humiliated after they were defeated in by-elections where a two month old CCC party won 19 seats out of 28. Zanu-PF won 9 seats while MDC Alliance garnered zero.

Towards the by-elections, Zanu-PF received the lion’s share of ZWL350 150 000 translating to 70.3%, while the MDC pocketed ZWL149 850 000.

In February this year, principals of the MDC Alliance demanded the immediate resignation of Mwonzora citing his failure to share funds received under the Political Parties Finance Act as one of the main reasons he had to step down.

They argued that Mwonzora was refusing to share the funds which ran into millions of Zimbabwean dollars.