Mudenda bemoans low up take of CDF by MPs

The Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has bemoaned a tendency being shown by some Members of Parliament who are not applying for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

He says about 150 legislators did not bother to apply for the fund under the CDF, despite the fact that this resource could have been used to improve the lives of citizens, who voted them into the House.

In the years gone by, MPs have been accused of abusing the funds by converting the it to own use.

Meanwhile, early this year, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa (independent) wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly, requesting that all MPs in the 210 constituencies be allocated an emergency Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to be channelled towards COVID-19 prevention and preparedness.

The CDF is established in terms of Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act and is designed to sponsor developmental projects in communities around the country.

To guard against corruption, the government says CDF is managed through strict guidelines in terms of selecting of projects, composition of constituency committee and follow ups from parliament.

Apparently, the structure of the CDF now include senators, women’s quarter MPs, chiefs and councillors. Different committees handle different transactions in order to create transparency and strong checks and balances.

At some point MPs especially from the opposition parties have accused the government of releasing the funds only to MPs who are members of the ruling party.

But the government has denied the allegations saying opposition party MPs were not applying for the funds, thereby failing to develop their constituencies.

-Zwnews