National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) party leader, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, says he does not regret receiving a vehicle from President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he is one of the principals of the state-sanctioned Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD).
Madhuku, who is also a university lecturer, told reporters in Harare today that the Zimbabwe Constitution clearly stipulates that political parties have a right to form, join and participate in the activities of any organization of their choice.
“Once you exercise your freedom then the state must fund you. That’s what our constitution says … The constitution starts by giving every citizen a right to join or form a party of their choice. Once they form a party of their choice the next thing is that the state must make a mechanism to fund political parties.
“Now, the current Act which is in the process of being amended provides one method for funding political parties. If you participate in an election and get 5% of the vote you get funded, which is what has been happening for a very long time here. But that’s not the only way in which political parties will be funded under our constitution. I have heard people saying we did not get 5% of the vote … A political party does not need to get 5% of the vote to be formed.”
Madhuku has been attacked by some opposition parties, especially the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance led by Nelso Chamisa, for receiving an Isuzu D Max from Mnangagwa, who said 19 vehicles recently given to the NCA leader and others in POLAD, would be used to implementing national programs.
Mnangagwa’s government formed POALD soon after the 2018 general election, noting that it was designed to promote dialogue among all political parties in Zimbabwe.
Chamisa’s MDC Alliance refused to join POLAD claiming that Mnangagwa was illegitimately elected president of Zimbabwe.
Chamisa claims that he won the 2018 presidential election. The Constitutional Court declared Mnangagwa president after the MDC Alliance took the matter to court, claiming that there were serious electoral irregularities.