Blantyre District Council staff, ward councillors and traditional leaders have been urged to watch for warning signs of corruption in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) gave the advice on Monday during a sensitisation meeting organised by the council’s Institutional Integrity Committee to help local leaders protect public resources from abuse.
ACB Senior Corruption Prevention Officer Yamikani Tembo explained that corruption takes various forms, including bribery, fraud, extortion and nepotism. Tembo warned that such practices drain public resources, compromise the quality of construction work and can even cost lives.
Another ACB official, Senior Corruption Prevention Officer Abwino Kunchenga, emphasised the need for stakeholders to systematically monitor CDF projects and follow established guidelines to promote transparency and accountability.
He identified several warning signs that should raise suspicion, including missing or incomplete documentation, inflated prices, political interference and complaints from community members.
Kunchenga also cited the repeated awarding of contracts to the same contractor and payments made without corresponding physical work as practices that could point to corruption.
Chairperson of the Institutional Integrity Committee, Atupele Malimbasa Katsabola, described the meeting as an important platform for raising awareness and encouraging stakeholders to take an active role in promoting integrity.
He said the committee would continue building a culture of integrity within the council while strengthening collaboration with ward councillors and traditional authorities to prevent corruption at all levels.
