ACCUSED: MDC UK & Ireland Branch - (Picture) The outgoing MDC UK Chairman
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LONDON - The British office of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change has been suspended amid allegations of financial irregularities in overseas branches.
A sum of £57,000 was said to have gone missing from the British branch, which is second only to the South African office of the party in importance.
The MDC, which is in an inclusive government with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF, relies on the support of Zimbabweans who have left the country.
Roy Bennett, the MDC's treasurer-general, said the UK branch had been suspended in the wake of what he described as a problem the party faced "everywhere".
Although a formal instruction had not yet been given, all other overseas branches would be disbanded, as they had rogue elements, he alleged.
"They are bleeding us," he told the Independent newspaper. "I would hate to know the amount of money that has been raised by Zimbabweans in exile purporting to represent the MDC.
They have used the MDC name and pocketed the money." The UK and Ireland provincial executive has been suspended pending an investigation into what the MDC finance minister, Tendai Biti, described as "shocking" financial irregularities.
But British-based officials claimed that any financial irregularities under its supervision were not the result of corruption.
"It is more to do with the way the money was remitted to Harare," Jeff Sango, chairman of the MDC in south-east England, told the newspaper.
"The people who were supposed to make the investigation should come here and do that investigation. There is no evidence right now. It is only an allegation." The MDC has about 800 active members in Britain. About 70 per cent of funds are sent back to Zimbabwe with the rest used to cover administration costs.
But the MDC in Harare said the British branch failed to submit adequate financial reports. The Telegraph (UK)
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Chigutiro Chikavangwena
on
30 July, 2010 12:48:03
Postmam
on
30 July, 2010 12:43:29
Qawe laMaqawe
on
29 July, 2010 11:10:51
nxa
on
29 July, 2010 10:21:47
bibi adepoju
on
29 July, 2010 09:54:17
Comments (13 posted):
I think this is just a piece of the jig-saw that Tapera and others have been missing. Well well done www.thezimbabwemail.com
The people in exile have since acquired citizenships in the countries they're living in and in a way the MDC is right to dispense with that pile.
As for the theifing issue, I don't think no sane Zimbabweans in the UK would contribute as much as £57 000 as members.
Tembo, if you're in the UK, that figure is too big an amount, but what I think is happening is that these guys were not paying their people in Harare.
Even before Independence, the likes of Dydimus Mutasa were holed up in Birmingham and come free Zimbabwe, they claimed they were sending stuff to freedom fighters, and 30 years on they claim credit for it.
MDC must forget about the people abroad, particulary in Western Capitals because they are nolonger Zimbabweans and it will take a dramatic shift to persuade them to go home.
ACCORDING TO THE MDC CONSITITUTION, UK & IRELAND IS A PROVINCE SO AS USA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND. GIVEN THIS BACKGROUND TSVANGIRAI CHANGED THE MDC CONSITITUTION SO THAT HE REMAINS PRESIDENT FOR AS LONG AS HE WANTS. IF MDC GOES TO CONGRESS THESE EXTERNAL STRUCTURES CAN VOTE FOR THE POST OF PRESIDENT TO BE CONTESTED FOR. MDC STRUCTURES IN ZIM ARE SO SUPPRESSED SUCH THERE IS NO CHANCE THEY CAN RAISE A FINGER AT CONGRESS TO HAVE A VOTE FOR PRESIDENT.
THIS IS THE REASON WHY EXTERNAL STRUCTURES ARE BEING DISSOLVED, ITS A MATTER OF SHUTTING THEM OUT. COME MDC CONGRESS THERE WILL BE NO VOTE FROM THE DIASPORA THAT'S TSVANGIRAI IS NOW ANOTHER MUGABE
Tough luck, man. Ushe madzoro!
I advise you to be like me! No allegiance to anyone, but myself and my family!
On 9th september 2006 i refused to take up a position when tapa came to power. if you want to know more about me and the truth about how corrupt your master tsvangirai is. send a msge to my email then will u my number then you ring me.
you must respect some other people's opinions even though you disagree. tsvangirai knows he was part of the siphoning of money from uk & ireland so he doesan't want to be exposed. why are they not carrying out investigations and audit the uk books.
its so funny party funds disappears then they dont bother carrying out an audit.
ALEX WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME YOU DAFT AT SCHOOL.
Zvasu...... murima
Rinamanyanga hariputigwi. As all the truth is coming out Morgan needs Robert never like before.
Shame on those who were used by MDC
He is desperately trying to speak on behalf of a section in the MDC that is fearful of the diaspora - an irrational fear if they are genuine MDC cadres.
They all know there was no fraud. But they are till playing the game!
Again, you sound to be one of the accused. As much as I sympathise with the MDC, I have never attended their gatherings and I don't even know their slogan.
But, I think it is high time for those people who are now British passport holders and have settled well in the UK to stop masquerading as active members. It's misleading and a distortion of the differentiation of a supporter and an active member.
I know the money talked about is just grossly inflated, since the minimum wage earners couldn't have raised such an amount on a daily subscription basis.
People are fighting for power in the UK and hence this latest squabling.
Zimbabwe still lacks human rights. MDC chefs love free money but hate scrutiny
Is it the same handiende game played by Robert Mugabe?
Most of the executive members are now British citizens and are not contemplating going back home soon, so what makes the positions so attractive? I have never been to an MDC meeting or rally in the Diaspora.
Can someone help by explaining where the big sums of money are coming from. Surely subscriptions from minimum wage earners cannot raise £57 000.00.
Just a piece of of the bigger answer. Remember Tony Blair openly saying in British Parliament "We are working with the opposition in Zimbabwe, MDC, to bring change deserved by Zimbabwean voters ....".
When the western world are saying they are working with oppositions, they mean they are financing them. So the big chunk of the money came directly from British government and other silly NGOs.
Think of it this way the Tapa executive were spending days and night beating drums demostrating at the Zim High Com in London. They needed money for living expenses where was the money coming from? To me I once visited their so called vigil, and I was shocked to the born of what I heard and saw. It didn't bother me much as I was enroute to somewhere else.
This is a bit of what I saw and heard, everyone who was part of that was a refused asylum seeker driving good cars, they all looked well fed, clothed and mis-informed.
One openly said to me expecting to win my dear support "If you are not working because you don't have papers come and join then we will organise something for you"
I think this small piece will give Alexander and other a better view of MDC (UK) activities and motives.
By the way, I don't approve of or partake in any type of corruption. It's just your reaction and comments that are astonishing.
What has happened to Zimbabwe and its economy during the last ten years? Not a single comment or protest has been heard from you. Are you with them or it did not happening?
Actually, I stand corrected, in one of your frequent commentaries (Tembo), you wondered why Biti did not spend his energies getting the Zimbabwean economy out of its mess.
So you recognise that the country, is in an economic and political meltdown. If the MDC caused the meltdown while Zanu was running the government, why did Zanu, not have the capacity correct the mess, you are now urging Biti to correct?
Which leads one to ask as to what is your motivation - agenda?
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