Khupe And Chamisa Stopped From Getting Millions In State Funding
The Supreme Court has ruled that neither MDC Alliance nor MDC-T can receive the $7.5 million political funding under the Political Parties Finance Act until a resolution on the ongoing legal battle over which formation is entitled to the money is settled.
The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T and the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa are involved in a legal battle over the control of the opposition MPs and Senators elected in 2018, and thus the $7.5 million to be paid under the Political Parties Finance Act.
This is despite reports that the MDC-T received $7.5 million on Friday from the government despite the Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance having obtained a provisional court order barring the Zimbabwean government from disbursing the funds to MDC-T according to the Political Parties Finance Act
Chamisa’s party successfully applied for an interim order before Justice Priscilla Munanfati-Manongwe at the High Court in May, to stop the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T from receiving the funding.
MDC Alliance had listed Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi and Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube as respondents,
The two ministers then appealed against the judgment of Justice Munangati-Manongwa at the Supreme Court.
A panel comprising Justice Chinembiri Bhunu, Justice Tendai Uchena, and Justice Alfas Chitakunye partially allowed the appeal, but with the consent of both parties’ legal counsel blocked both formations from receiving the money until the underlying legal dispute is settled.
Under the Political Parties Finance Act, all parties that poll more than 5 percent of the vote in a general election share the sum budgeted for political parties each year in proportion to their votes. By-election results can alter those proportions.
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