CDF A POLITICAL WHIP
I write to bemoan the happenings on the very much preached about Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
This is a Fund that is meant to improve the well-being of zambians. It is taxpayers’ money which does not belong to any Political party.
I note with dismay the kind of political interference that is being applied on this well-intended Fund.
For the record, Chitambo Constituency received about K25,350.00 in 2022. The balance was withheld by the Ministry of Local Government for the purposes of purchasing the CDF ‘monitoring vehicle’ which up to date has not been delivered.
The CDF Committee to which I am a Member, sat and concluded its business of evaluating and approving all CDF projects, disbursements of bursaries, financing of skills training programs and awarding of grants in September of 2022.
But to date, Council workers have failed to implement Projects under the guise of Procurement processes. However, Council workers who have sought anonymity for fear of being victimised have testified that there are instructions from ‘above’, directing them not to implement the approved programs. As I write, Chitambo CDF account is still holding on to about K19,000,000 unused funds despite the fact that beneficiaries for developmental projects, skills training and grants were already identified and approved by the CDF Committee in September 2022.
Chitambo Constituency has 6 projects which are complete which were ready for handover in January 2023. Equally, beneficiaries for Skills and Grants programs were also ready to receive their allocations by January 2023.
The Provincial Minister working in collusion with the Provincial Permanent Secretary and the District Commissioner (DC) for Chitambo District has made sure that no official handover of CDF projects and programs takes place.
The first handover ceremony was scheduled for the 7th of march 2023 but it was cancelled on the actual day when everything was prepared and ready to go.
The second handover was organised to take place today. Again it has been councelled on the material day on very lame excuses.
All these matters have been brought to the attention of the Minister for Local Government to no avail.
The Regulations guiding the handover of CDF projects, skills training programs, bursaries and Grants are very clear. It is the Council Chairperson, the DC and the Member of Parliament who are required to handover the programs and projects. And in all the two instances, the aforementioned office bearers have always been present and ready for handover but nothing has happened.
It is very clear that the UPND Government has chosen to use the CDF as a political Tool to whip the opposition at the expense of developing Zambia. They want to deny Opposition MPs the chance to deliver so that they use that to de-campaign the MPs in 2026.
I want to appeal to the conscience of the UPND; it is not me they are punishing but it is the beneficiaries who in this aspect are the people of Chitambo constituency who are bonafide Zambians.
As Chitambo Member of Parliament, I shall note take it lightly to be caught up in this political cynical games of hoodwinking the masses that Government has given out CDF while frustrating the good intentions of development.
I appeal to the President to ensure that his Government practices what it is preaching.
I thank you.
Issued by;
Hon Remember Mutale CHANDA
Member of Parliament
Chitambo Constituency
Central Province
