HARARE – Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has hired independent auditors after $2 million Zimbabwean dollars allegedly vanished from its accounts last year, NewsDay reported on Wednesday.
MDC treasurer-general David Coltart told the independent publication that a team of independent auditors would start work this week after unconfirmed reports that the money had been abused by senior officials in the Nelson Chamisa-led party.
Coltart however did not confirm the theft allegations.
“Whether it is $190 000 or $1.9 million, I am not aware of any irregularities. I am not saying they are not there. I am not an auditor and that is why we have an audit. An independent firm will be doing the audit of the MDC books since 2019 and it is the first for the MDC and for any political party. It is the first time a political party has subjected itself to an audit,” Coltart told NewsDay.
Sources told the publication that there was proof showing that $1,9 million withdrawn from the MDC accounts had been used for “other unintended purposes”.
Last year, Zimbabwe’s Treasury approved the disbursement of $12 million, which was shared between Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC under the Political Parties Finance Act.
Zanu PF, the party with the majority in parliament and 70 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2018 elections, pocketed $8 million while the MDC received $4 million, having garnered almost 30 per cent of the total votes cast.
African News Agency (ANA)
