Disputed leader of the CCC, Sengezo Tshabangu, received $1.6 million form the government as part of government funding political parties get after every election. Tshabangu, NewsHawks reports, received the money last week as government recognised leader of the CCC, the party he wrestled from Nelson Chamisa.
According to the Political Parties (Finance) Act, parties that manage to get at least 5% of the vote receive funding from the government
The government disbursed ZiG47 ,883,500 to Zanu PF and ZiG22,116,500 to CCC. The government official rate is 13.9 converting the CCC portion to $1.6m.
Government takes the money from Treasury, which is funded by taxes levied on ordinary Zimbabweans when they buy goods, import goods into Zimbabwe, or when they transact electronically.
Tshabangu seemed to appear out of nowhere to challenge Nelson Chamisa authority when he, claiming to CCC Secretary General, sent a letter to parliament recalling elected CCC MPs from parliament. Strangely the Speaker of Parliament acknowledged and acted on the recall letters, despite Chamisa and other senior CCC leaders protesting that there was Secretary General post in the CCC.
When the CC approached the courts to rid Tshabangu of the power, they lost case, in a development many described as capture of the CCC by Zanu PF through the courts. Chamisa eventually quit the CCC in frustration. Tshabangu later appointed himself Senator and leader of the opposition in parliament.