Malawians have expressed the need for all development facilitators in the country’s councils to be transparent and accountable.
During a debate at Hotel Victoria gardens in Blantyre on Friday organized by National Initiative for Civic Education NICE Trust and Blantyre Press Club, panellists and participants agreed that there is really abuse of project funds in all the country’s councils.
Speaking at the debate whose topic was ‘Are funds meant for development projects in councils fulfilling intended purpose?’, one of the panellists, Roderick Mulonya who is also Angaliba Radio and Television founder said there is need for mindset change over funds meant for development projects.
He said it is saddening to note that there is still enmity and lack of coordination amongst councillors and Members of Parliament who are key developmental project facilitators in local councils.
“I want to agree with what someone here has said on the relationship between MPs and councillors, still more it seems there is no unity amongst them hence the funds are being misused.
“There is still need for clarification on who should do what between the two, otherwise development project funds will keep on being misused as it is the case,” said Mulonya.
Concurrently, Chikondi Manjawira of The Maravi Post said the other problem is that there is also politicizing of development projects in most of the councils a thing which has been condemned.
She said most MPs and councillors bring development projects to communities where most of their supporters are.
In an interview with this publication, NICE Southern Regional Civic Education Officer Enoch Chinkuntha said they were glad to have conducted the debate.
He said they will be heading to several districts to conduct similar debates to hear from communities themselves in as far as development projects are concerned.
