Own Correspondent
The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T has confirmed that it was paid $7.5 million by goverment under the political parties finances act money which ordinarily should have been paid to the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.
Speaking in a press conference at Harvest House on Sunday afternoon, party spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni confirmed that the minority MDC grouping was paid the money a week ago.
Phugeni further clarified that the money was paid to the party in Zimbabwean dollars not US Dollars as been claimed by some social media outlets.
“I can confirm that we received the money on Friday a week ago,” said Phugeni.
“If you speak of $7.5m out sounds like a lot of money until you come to Zimbabwe, we got $7.5m Zimbabwean Bond Dollars not US Dollars,” said Phugeni.
The government paid MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe $7 492 500 million which she says she is entitled to under the Political Parties Finance Act.
The development was confirmed by the minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi who said the money was deposited into the MDC-T account controlled by Khupe and her allies.
“Why is there an outrage? I paid what was gazetted and those who were not paid are not entitled to anything,” he said.
“Those who were supposed to be paid were paid; those who were not supposed to be paid were not paid, full stop.”
The PPF Act states that the money is meant to block political parties and candidates from seeking foreign funding or donations.
It also states that it is given to each political party whose candidates received at least five per centum of the total number of votes cast in the most recent general election.