Rumphi, March 18, 2015: Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe of Rumphi has called for policy reforms on the administration and management of Constituency Development Fund (CDF), saying under the current system, some Members of Parliament (MPs) tend to personalise the fund.
The chief expressed the sentiments in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) this week on the sidelines of Rumphi District Council meeting that discussed 2015/2016 Budget for the district.
The chief observed that under the current status, some Members of Parliament personalise CDF, which he said results into development projects not being evenly spread in the constituencies.
“I am not happy with the way the fund [CDF] is being managed and administered because some honourable Members of Parliament take the money as their personal money,” he said.
He said the way the fund is being administered in the district now is not fully benefiting the masses as it was supposed to, alleging that some of the money is not fully utilized on the projects implemented.
Chikulamayembe also observed that in some scenarios, MPs in the district tend to favour areas where they had garnered more votes during the last national elections to implement CDF projects.
The paramount chief, therefore, proposed that the fund should be managed and administered by local councils with ward councillors playing a major role.
“I would be grateful if the government looks into this matter again and discuss with the Members of the Parliament to come up with changes such as letting the district councils administer the [CDF] fund,” proposed the paramount chief.
Commenting on the matter, Member of Parliament for Rumphi West, Jacqueline Kouwenhoven, agreed with the chief’s proposition that the fund should be managed at local council level, saying the ward councillors are closer to the grass root people.
She told the consultative meeting which was organized by National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) that drew MPs, Ward Councillors and District Council Secretariat staff, to raise awareness on the management of CDF.
NICE District Civic Education Officer, Wallace Kudzala, observed that though guidelines are clear on the role of ward councillors in the implementation of CDF projects, most of them take a lesser role and sometimes do not even get involved.
He said his organisation (NICE) had organized the consultative meeting to raise awareness so that there should be transparency in the way CDF is managed and administered.
“The guidelines on how the fund should be managed and the role each stakeholder should play are very clear. But on the ground things do not work that way.
“By raising awareness on the role of ward councillors in the administration of CDF, NICE want to ensure that guidelines are followed to every detail for the benefit of our communities and that there should be more transparency,” said Kudzala.
