"MDC financial audit meeting best international standard" - where is political audit, have democratic accountability black-hole P Guramatunhu

“The audit currently underway is the first of such routine audits, which has nothing to do with the false reports of any missing funds. This is the first time any political party in Zimbabwe has subjected its accounts to an audit, and is the part of a wider programme to transform the MDC into a party which meets the best international standards of internal governance.”

It is very heartening to hear that MDC is interested in meeting “the best international standards of internal governance!” But now that the party has shown this highly commendable inclination on financial matters, will it extend it on political matters too?

The people of Zimbabwe would very much like to know why MDC has continued to participate in elections flawed and illegal elections and thus giving the process “credibility”, by your own admission Senator Coltart. 

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” confessed Senator Coltart in his book.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report. 

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

You participated in the July 2018 elections and have even given the parliamentary result you thumbs up approval although the process did not meet international standards for one reason and one reason only - it got you a seat on the gravy train, you are a senator and for leader and party a generous cut of the taxpayers’ money! 

“All political parties should do the same in the interests of transparency and accountability because these are taxpayers' funds received by political parties under the Political Parties Finance Act. Currently being conducted is a routine audit to ensure that the party's finances and accounting systems are given a thorough check in the true spirit of transparency and accountability. I stress this is not a forensic audit,” continued Senator Coltart.

MDC reported got $3.4 million payout from the Political Parties Finance Act. Nelson Chamisa, as the MDC leader, got 20% of the payout, $680 000. You, senator Coltart, MP Tendai Biti and all the other MDC leaders who got seats in the senate or in parliament are receiving the usual generous gravy train salaries and allowances. 

If the truth be told, and it must be told, MDC leaders have abandoned the fight for democratic change including free, fair and credible elections to feather their own nests.

By the late 1990s it was clear that Zanu PF had systematically corrupted the nation’s state and public institutions such as ZEC, judiciary, Police, public media, civil service, etc., usurping the people’s freedoms and rights, to create the de facto one-party dictatorship. There was a national consensus on the need for democratic changes designed to dismantle the dictatorship and restore the people’s freedoms and rights.

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb; in 2008 alone over 500 were murdered by Zanu PF, political reprisal for rejecting the dictatorship; to elect MDC leaders into power on the promise they would delivery the democratic changes the nation was dying for. 

One does not need a forensic political audit to confirm that MDC has failed to implement even one democratic reform in all its 20 years on the political stage. The political reality on the ground says it all. The Zanu PF dictatorship is very much alive and thriving. 

Indeed, by participating in flawed and illegal elections MDC are the ones giving the illegitimate Zanu PF regime legitimacy. 

“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections” Chamisa boasted. He was silencing those asking why MDC was participating in the July 2018 elections when ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. 

Of course, MDC did not have any measures to stop vote rigging, there are none other than implementing the reforms. He just did not want to be nagged on reforms and the need to restore the people’s right to a meaningful vote. MDC has lost interest in delivering democratic changes now that the the party had reached a gentleman’ s agreement with Zanu PF to share the spoils of power! 

When it was clear to the international community that MDC leaders had sold-out big time during the GNU the former, including the party’s backers and donors, deserted MDC in droves. It is no secret MDC has survived on scraps ever since, a year ago the party had its office furniture taken away to pay its debts. No doubt having the party’s books audited to international standards is meant to make the party more attractive to the lost backers and donors. 

“All political parties must have financial audit in the interests of transparency and accountability!” The the nation has been dying for, literally, is a political audit on parties’ failure to deliver free, fair and credible elections and to hold the sell-out political parties to democratic account - boot them out!