By Leopold Munhende

POLITICAL foes, Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his MDC counterpart will share the RTGS$12 million for their performance in last year’s general elections.

The money is set aside by government under the Political Parties Finance Act after every general election.

According to a general notice published by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF which swept to power with 70.3% of the vote will get the major chunk of the war-chest for the period January to December 2019.

“It is hereby notified, in terms of section 3(2) of the Political Parties (Finance) Act [Chapter 2:04], that the total amount of moneys payable to political parties in respect of the year beginning 1st January, 2019 and ending on the 31st December, 2019, is $12 million dollars,” reads the circular.

Chamisa will get $3 596 400 after coming second with 29.9% of the vote. While accepting the result of the parliamentary and local authority elections, the MDC leader however has refused to recognise the result of the presidential poll won by Mnangagwa with 50.8% with Chamisa coming a close second with 44.3%.

The Political Parties Finance Act stipulates that only parties that attain at least 5% of the vote in a general election are eligible for funding from government on a proportional basis.

The MDC however, has a pending leadership battle in the courts after a member of the party approached the High Court seeking an order to declare Chamisa illegitimate.

The High Court ruled in Gokwe based Elias Mashavira’s favour, indicating Chamisa’s ascendency to power was null and void.

However the youthful politician appealed the ruling at the Supreme Court, which is yet to hear the case. As if to complicate matters even further Chamisa has proceeded to hold and ordinary congress were his leadership of the opposition party was given a seal of approval.