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Herald Reporter

Zanu PF is set to receive $350 million, while the MDC-T led by Mr Douglas Mwonzora will get $149 million of the $500 million allocated in this year’s annual national Budget under the Political Parties Finance Act.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi notified through the Extraordinary Government Gazette published this week.

This means that Mr Mwonzora will continue to receive money from the Government under the Political Parties Finance Act despite claims by his erstwhile deputy, Dr Thokozani Khupe that she had broken ranks.

The fallout followed her suspension from the main opposition by Mr Mwonzora, who alleged that she was supping with adversaries and fermenting dissent in the fractious MDC.

Discord among the two seemed to have created a legal minefield regarding which outfit would be entitled to money from Government under the Political Parties Finance Act that the MDC-T had been getting since a pronouncement by the courts that it was legitimately recognised opposition in Parliament.

But in an interview yesterday, Minister Ziyambi said they had not received valid evidence that would warrant them to vary the way they had been distributing the money between Zanu PF and the opposition.

He said until they received such evidence they will continue handling the money in the manner they had done previously.

“We have not received any correspondence that the status quo has changed and as such we deal with the existing leadership within the MDC,” said Minister Ziyambi.

In his notification in the Government Gazette, Minister Ziyambi said political parties will share $500 million this year.

“It is hereby notified, in terms of section 3 (2) of the Political Parties (Finance) Act (Chapter 2:11) that the total amount of money’s payable to political parties in respect of the year beginning 1 January 2022 and ending 31st December 2022 is $500 million.

“The money shall be disbursed to political parties that qualify in terms of section 3 (2) of the Act as follows (a) $350 150 000 shall be paid to the Zimbabwe African Union Patriotic Front which received 70,03 percent of the total votes cast and $149 850 000 shall be paid to the MDC which received 29,97 percent of the total votes cast,” said Minister Ziyambi.

Government outlawed foreign funding of political parties after it emerged at the turn of the millennium that some political parties were receiving money from hostile foreign governments to effect illegal regime change.

Political parties should get their money either from the Government, selling party cards, fund-raising activities or from their membership.

A political party that garners at least five percent of the total votes cast in a general election is entitled to the money under Political Parties Finance Act.