Fights over CDF derailing development – NGO

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Phalombe

A non-governmental organisation has said disagreements between Members of Parliament (MPs) and councillors over Constituency Development Fund (CDF) are derailing development.

This comes at a time when many Malawians have also been suggesting that development is being compromised due to the sour relationship which is there between MPs and councillors.

Centre for Social Concern’s (CfSC) economic governance programs manager Lucky Mfungwe told Malawi24 in Phalombe district after a governance consultative meeting on Friday that development is being derailed due to the current status of the relationship of the two parties.

Lucky Mfungwe
Mfungwe: development is being derailed.

“During the meetings we had with Area Development Committees (ADCs) in two traditional authorities we learnt that there is no collaboration between the two thereby putting the development at stake,” said Mfungwe.Acting Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Phalombe District Council, Morson Magombo, also admitted that there is indeed poor relationship between some councillors and legislators in the district.

“Since 2014 in some areas the relationship between Councillors and MPs isn’t good. Most times the problems come because of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF),” admitted Magombo.

When asked what the CDF guidelines say, Magombo said MPs and councillors alongside ADC members of that particular constituency are supposed to discuss on how to use the funds.

“CDF is for the people in communities so there is need for the MPs, Councillors and ADCs to sit down and discuss on developmental projects which can be done using this fund of which has been not the case as most times the MPs seem to have more powers,” Magombo added.

Mfungwe, the CfSC programs manager, said his organization would love to see the two sides working together for the benefit of all the taxpayers in this country.

“They should be conducting developmental rallies and projects monitoring together since they are all tapping resources from one pot,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Phalombe District Council has disclosed plans of having refresher workshop for all the stakeholders concerned so as to remind them of the guidelines.

Centre for Social Concern is a non-governmental organization working in Malawi on different issues including ensuring that there is good governance.

 

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2 Comments

  1. CDF ithe, life dera lathu palibe chomwe taonapo, misewu tumakhonza tokha, ma bridge timamanga tokha. MP yo amangotchulidwa pa maliro kuti wathandiza K10,000.

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