LUMEZI TREASURER CHEWS K24,000 CDF MONEY, SHARES K13,000 WITH HUBBY
A 23 year old woman entrusted with managing cooperative funds has left her youth cooperative members fuming as she turned her position into a personal cash cow after she allegedly chewed over K24,000 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) meant for a youth empowerment project in Lumezi District of Eastern Province.
The suspect, identified as Esther Mbewe serves as treasurer for the Kalaba Youth Cooperative which had been allocated K40,000 for a poultry farming project under the 2024 CDF programme.
According to Lumezi Town Council assistant public relations officer Irvin Muyumbwa, the alleged CDF scammer withdrew K27,000 from a bank account linked to the cooperative.
However, she only declared K14,000 to the group and left a mysterious K13,000 unaccounted for.
To add salt to injury, the alleged thief reportedly handed the missing K13,000 to her husband, who is not even a member of the cooperative.
The councill further revealed that K11,260 of the CDF grant was directly paid to a supplier for poultry inputs on behalf of the cooperative, but none of the products have been delivered, bringing the total amount allegedly misappropriated to K24,260.
Mbewe has been detained at Mwase Waminga Police Post in Mwanya Chiefdom where she is awaiting formal charges while investigations continue.
Authorities have warned that if the stolen funds are not recovered, she will face court action.
Lumezi Council condemned the alleged theft and warned other CDF beneficiaries against misusing funds intended to uplift communities.
“The CDF funds are meant to uplift their livelihood and should not be subjected to any form of abuse by any beneficiary,” said Muyumbwa.
“Ward Development Committees are also urged to be proactive in monitoring utilisation of the CDF funds by all beneficiaries in their respective wards and report any irregularities to the Council for appropriate action.”
Kalemba,
Itsnt Lumezi the constituency where Muri Zulu is MP?
This is what happens when people are unsupervised. The MP isnt in the forefront leading the constituency, he rarely is there to ensure that projects in his area are being monitored. Instead he insulting and turning Parliament into a circus.
Where a joker is leading….we shall see the seeds they sow.
We are seeing you people in a new light.
And that is not a compliment.
Vote wisely in 2026.