Shongedzai Mugwagwa

All is not well at the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (MRT) House following the withdrawal of financial pledges by foreign donors to fund the MDC’s crunch congress set for this Saturday, the Harare Post can exclusively reveal.

Sources within the party have revealed that MDC has pressed the panic button over the funding of the congress which is due in two days.

The sources have revealed that party leadership has sent its Finance Director, Ngoni Chimbalu to go and beg Government to release the political parties’ money which they are now banking on to fund their congress.

The party has cut short its congress days to only two days as an austerity measure to reduce costs. Delegates will leave for Gweru on Friday. Initially, they were supposed to have left today. The Harare Post can exclusively report that all is not well in the party. Cash crunch has sunk deeper into the individual’s pockets.

Farai Chinobva from the party Director National Organising Department has sent an SOS message to all provinces advising them of the party’s position in as far as the issue of funding is concerned.

Chinobva wrote that all members who will attend the congress are supposed to arrive in Gweru at the venue by 1400Hours and the Youth and Women Assembly congress will be held on the same day of arrival concurrently.

It was revealed that members have been directed to pay affiliate fees to participate in the congress.

“District Assembly delegates have been directed to pay $6, Provincial members to pay $20, National Executive members to pay $100 and Mayors to pay $100,” said one of the sources.

Chinobva said that delegates should carry their own things to use throughout the congress period.

“All delegates are requested to bring their own blankets, as our accommodation will be in schools and halls. However, organise your own transport, if the party provides, it will be a bonus,” he said.

Interestingly, only paid up members will be accredited to participate during the congress and those who would have failed, automatically; they will be disenfranchised in the congress proceedings.

Apart from the said affiliate fees, delegates have been directed to foot all their food, transport and accommodation expenses. The party promised to reimburse them only after Government has released the political parties’ funds.

The development did not go down well with the delegates who pointed out that there is likely to be a low attendance as the grassroots delegates will not afford to foot their expenses..