By Takunda Chimwaka & Gondai Kamumango

MDC Bulawayo provincial leadership is under fire from its members after emerging allegations of mismanagement of donor funding meant to buy Christmas hampers for the underprivileged communities in Bulawayo, The Harare Post can exclusively reveal.

Speaking to this publication, an MDC member in the Bulawayo executive, who preferred anonymity, revealed that, the party sourced funds from a well wisher in the UK to buy hampers which were to be donated at local children’s and old people’s homes.

“We received about US $25000 towards these hampers, but the groceries which were bought cannot be equated to that amount. If we are to make a round up figure of the total costs of these hampers they can give us at most US $4000, leaving a question of where is the rest of the money.

“MDC Bulawayo provincial treasurer, Sonny Phiri, seems not to be entertaining questions to that effect as he only promised to write an official internal statement justifying how the money was used,” said the MDC executive member.

MDC has been on record to facing financial constrains as most of its perennial donors have pulled from donating to the opposition party citing gross mismanagement and embezzlement of funds.

In a bid to save face, the Bulawayo executive embarked on a food distribution exercise to a selected elderly and other vulnerable communities.