{OPPOSITION MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai\u2019s recent trip to the United States was meant to fundraise for various party programmes including campaigns to force the Zanu PF government to speed up implementation of electoral reforms and fix the declining economy, NewsDay has learnt.}<\/p>\n
Party insiders said Tsvangirai had managed to raise substantial amounts of money to run party activities after going through a bad patch since his third successive defeat by Zanu PF in July 2013.<\/p>\n
\u201cTsvangirai got significant funding from party activists and other traditional donors to the party for programming as the party starts to restructure ahead of the 2018 polls,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the funding came with some conditions that the donors will be paying directly to service providers,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n
Tsvangirai had a week-long visit to the US where he met party members and middle level government officials to apprise them of the political and economic developments in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
The MDC-T last October held its congress on a shoe-string budget after being dumped by most of its donors and had to rely heavily on the $250 000 released by Treasury under the Political Parties Financing Act. <\/p>\n
Contacted for comment yesterday, party spokesman Obert Gutu disputed reports that Tsvangirai had received funding from his US funders.<\/p>\n
\u201cTsvangirai\u2019s tour was a resounding success, but he took no money from foreign funding. Our party funds itself from membership subscriptions, internal party fundraising activities and funds from Treasury under the Political Parties Financing Act,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSome of our external provinces like the US, the United Kingdom and South Africa play their part by fundraising for the party in their respective constituencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gutu, however, confirmed that they had introduced stringent measures in the handling of party funds to curb abuses.
\n \u201cWe are moving on with the times on international standards of procuring goods and services. Sometimes individuals can abuse their positions thus we have to ensure that procurement is done above board,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai has been holding rallies across the country urging party members to remain resolute in their fight to remove President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF in free and fair elections.<\/p>\n
Tsvangirai says his party will only participate in elections after adoption of a new electronic voters\u2019 roll, liberalisation of the airwaves and major reform of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.<\/p>\n
{{News Day}}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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