MDC-T, the biggest opposition party in the MDC Alliance, has been
hampered in its election campaign by lack of funding, in sharp contrast
to the ruling Zanu PF which is riding on a massive war chest topping
US$200 million after receiving money from China, the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) and Equatorial Guinea.
A threadbare budget has proved to be a big hurdle for the MDC-T ahead
of the make-or-break polls set for July 30, as the opposition party is
still trying to secure funds for marketing, recruiting polling agents,
volunteers, posters, billboards, door-to-door fliers and rallies, among
other campaign things.
Zanu PF, by comparison, has a financial boost from the Chinese, who
have also bankrolled its previous campaigns. Part of the US$200 million
extended to Zanu PF was channelled towards procuring campaign material,
including vehicles, bicycles, motorbikes and campaign regalia such as
T-shirts, caps, cloth wraps, flags, wrist bangles and other material
such as torches, kitchenware and sewing machines.
Zanu PF insiders last month told the Zimbabwe Independent that the
security sector will also play a key role in funding the party’s
campaign.
“There are slush funds from Treasury and security investments. This
is key and includes paying for party candidates’ nomination fees,
allowances for polling agents. There will be three agents per polling
station: one inside, one outside and for relieving either the one inside
or the one outside. The fourth is paid for by the party or candidate
and that, too, is from donated funds,” a source said. “The security was
also used to purchase vehicles for each of the 210 constituency
candidates, 60 senatorial candidates and 60 women’s quota candidates.”
It is alleged that there are over 5 000 soldiers deployed
countrywide. Parastatals have also been forced to donate cash and
supplies to Zanu PF and the resources will be used mostly for media
campaigns on radio, television and print media.
Private companies and individuals have also made contributions on top of the party’s official state funding.
While Zanu PF has a hefty campaign budget, the MDC-T is hard-pressed
for resources. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has occupied most billboards
in the big cities and rural areas, while the MDC Alliance candidate
Nelson Chamisa is hardly visible, as if Mnangagwa is running a one-man
race.
Former government spin-doctor Jonathan Moyo in April warned the MDC-T
on his Twitter account to guard against getting excited about the huge
numbers turning up at rallies, and instead focus on strengthening its
structures.
“A rally isn’t a structure; 2. A generation isn’t a person; 3. In
elections its Votes, Stupid; and a serious party must field 1 958 local
government candidates and have at least 39 040 election agents to deploy
4 in each of the 9 760 polling stations (2013 figure)!” tweeted Moyo.
Sources said the MDC-T will struggle to find money to pay election
agents given that it still has an outstanding salary dispute with its
former and current employees. In addition, some disgruntled election
agents deployed by the party in previous elections have complained they
felt cheated by the country’s biggest opposition party.
An MDC-T insider told this newspaper that while the party received
US$1,8 million from Treasury as its share of the Political Parties
Finance Act disbursement, the money has been gobbled up by outstanding
expenses, including payment of salaries and debts.
MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora yesterday admitted that his
party was facing funding challenges. He, however, said party programmes
were continuing.
“We have been financing our campaign program through donations from our
friends, party members and well-wishers. But obviously Zanu has more
resources than us, it abuses state resources to finance its campaign,”
Mwonzora said. Zimbabwe Independent
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