by Bruce Zvandasara

In a bid to settle down legal fees which were incurred during Constitutional Court (ConCourt) challenge by the MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, the Alliance has set up a Go Fund Me account for fundraising purposes. However, the fundraising setup has met up with mixed feelings which are dividing the Alliance.

It has been revealed that in Mashonaland Central Province, the fundraising appeal has divided the already frail Alliance grouping. Harare Post has it on good authority that some members are hesitant to make contributions citing that it was a futile exercise.

The Go Fund Me account was created for those in the diaspora and a local Ecocash account, merchant code 204861 and Steward Bank Account number 1007956661

A source privy to the development who has asked to remain anonymous has told this publication that many supporters were afraid and still skeptical over the donation to fundraise. He said that there was no proper communication from the principals and were afraid of losing their hard earned money to internet skimmers.

“We have since asked our Provincial office to verify the authenticity of the Go Fund Me account from the principals. Up to now we have not received official communication to that effect,” he said.

Such development has forced MDC Alliance National Youth Assembly Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs, Patience Chigwande to encourage members through social media platforms to donate for the party. Chigwande urged members that National Youth Assembly chairperson, Happymore Chidziva had authenticated the legitimacy of the accounts.

The Go Fund Me donations come at the backdrop of donor fatigue as most of the MDC Alliance perennial donors were no longer forthcoming. In the build up to elections, MDC Alliance suffered critical financial crisis which led the party to rely more on donations from its party members to sponsor their presidential candidate campaigns.

During Morgan Richard Tsvangirai’s era, the party also begged for donations from its members and the account was later mysteriously hacked. Some of the money was unaccounted for and this is the reason why in Mashonaland Central, the Go Fund Me account is dividing the party as it is equated to a Ponzi scheme meant to benefit the principals.

There is a section which is aligned to another faction purported to be against Chamisa ascendancy which is advocating for the party to accept a Zanu PF win for economic progress