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By and large the fortunes of parties are determined by the amount of resources at their
disposal. Their capacity to sponsor election candidates and organize effective
campaigns is largely determined by access to such resources.
One mechanism for subsidizing political parties in the developing world is through
public funds, something that others view as indefensible.
On Legal and Institutional Framework
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There are no laws in Zimbabwe that compel political parties to register in order to
legally exist.
The only time registration is obligatory is during elections when a party wants to
contest by fielding a candidate/s. That is, a candidate is required by law to be
proposed and endorsed by a certain number of registered voters in his/her
constituency and has to pay a candidacy deposit which is returned if he/she gets a
certain stipulated threshold of valid votes cast.
The Political Parties Finance Act of 2001, (first enacted in 1992 and amended in 1997
before being repealed in 2001 only to replaced by a ‘new’ by the same title) explicitly
defines a political party as “an association of persons the primary object of which is
to secure the election of one or more of its members to a local authority or
Parliament.”
A cursory look at the Political Parties Finance Act of 2001 framework indicates that
political parties are free to regulate their affairs as they deem fit. The state does not
interfere at all in the running of the ‘domestic’ affairs of these parties.
On the Funding of Political Parties in Zimbabwe
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State-led political party financing is spelt out in the Political Parties Finance Act
which stipulates the requirements for accessing public funds not only to run elections,
but to finance political party activities even outside the electoral arena.
By law any political party that garners at least 5% of the vote in the previous election
is eligible to receive public fees, and to date only two political parties – the ruling
Zanu-PF and the main opposition MDC - have enjoyed the privilege.
Most political parties in the country, great or small, still depend on the financial and
other resources of generous individuals, businesses and private organizations.
Political parties are not required by law to disclose their source of donations from
within the country nor does it set ceilings for such contributions, let alone account for
public funds that would have been availed to them.
Contributions from ‘well-wishers’ is also a key source of funding for major political
parties.
Some revenue is generated from sale of membership cards, party regalia and
literature.
Another lucrative source for big parties is their business interests. Both the Zanu PF
and the MDC have substantial business interests that contribute to party finances.
Other small parties do not have similar ventures but Zanu-Ndonga depends a great
deal on the funds generated by the business interests of its president, who contributes
about 60% of the party’s revenue.
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