CDF not reaching beneficiaries, manna for cadres
By Hicks Sikazwe
THE conversation on the utilisation of the now famous Constituency Development Fund (CDF) continues to be of great interest. Why not? More than K30 million is sunk in every constituency for development.
Even when the value of the kwacha continues to shrink against currencies, including the United States dollar the above amount is a lot of money.
Latest to voice concern is President Hakainde Hichilema himself. Addressing the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly two weeks ago, he told Zambians to demand results from their representatives on the facility, asking for its effective utilisation.
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He revealed there that there were some members of Parliament not willing to utilise the cash simply to derail decentralisation, calling the behaviour “economic sabotage”.
Reacting to the President, one Ndola resident said some of those frustrating the programme are those in the ruling party, the United Party for National Development (UPND). How? I queried. Look, the people running these committees adjudicating the disbursement are party members at ward and constituency level.
He claimed the party officials are the major beneficiaries. So, the money is not going to those it was intended for. Sources also revealed that in most of the constituencies members of the committee are not only the key beneficiaries but their family members and friends as well.
Sources further revealed authorities on the Copperbelt are investigating claims that when it comes to forming cooperatives a ward official simply collects national registration cards from friends and relatives to create the cooperative on paper for him or her to access the money.
Another day, I jumped on a cab from Knsenshi Shopping Centre on my way home. The driver, who said he knew me, asked whether I had connections with people controlling CDF committees. I said, “No.” I said. “Why?” I asked.
“It is very difficult to get the money if you are not connected,” he said. “I have applied for more than five times, but I have not been given the money. At one time a minister just brought in 15 people and insisted that those be given.”
“Do you know the name of the minister, where he comes from or the ministry?” I asked him. But he could not say. According to him, he feared that if he did I maybe report him and he will never get the money.
Ever since the fund was enhanced from K1 million to more than K30 million, the above complaints keep rising, and numerous as they are, they are not new.
In all fairness, the CDF, well implemented can be a game changer and, above all, an attractive dangling to boost the campaign for the ruling party. The facility does not only cut off the red tape in the government releasing of funds for development, but it helps communities to develop projects of immediate need thereby fostering decentralisation . But alas that has not been the case. The money appears to be heaven-sent for people close to or those in the UPND.
Those older people will recall that after independence in 1964, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and Dr
Kenneth Kaunda set up the Credit Organisation of Zambia (COZ). Its primary aim was to loan money to people who were interested in investing in agriculture. A lot of people got the money. Majority were members of UNIP.
Not all of them went into farming. Some opened grocery shops, others went in some traditional business and many simply burnt off the cash as proceeds of independence. Strangely, no one was punished for not paying back the loans. The result was that COZ wound up.
After 1991, when MMD came into power, President Frederick Chiluba scrapped the government maize marketing system and gave money to MPs hoping that they should instead buy the maize and other produce from constituencies. The grain was never bought. It went to waste. Some of it swamped by brief case buyers. Peasant farmers in border areas offloaded the maize cheaply across borders. Today, we have not been told how much money was recovered or whether any culprits were punished.
Today, the CDF finance is manna for those in the ruling party. So far, some of the projects that have been undertaken through CDF are not even one percent of the amounts released. One time, Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane was reported complaining about the exaggerated bill of quantities by those seeking to access the money.
So, the major assignment for authorities is to review the system of disbursing the money. One immediate action needed is to review the composition of CDF committees. Most members are not only ordinary residents but in almost all the cases there are no accountants.
Why not employ qualified people even if it means to run advertisements and restrict the selection from the constituency? So far, there are indications that the transactions are not subject to internal audit.
Second, there is need to monitor the disbursement and implementation. Above all, even check the projects executed. For instance, why is it that the most common projects available are toilets, classroom blocks and maybe painting of structures?
The truth remains that the CDF is not benefitting the people it was intended for. The money gets hijacked by party people who are encouraged by a system which is open for abuse as there seems to be no checking or monitoring progress and transactions.
It is a bottomless pit.
In normal circumstances whenever the money is given to the constituency the people are supposed to sit down and identify which projects are needed immediately. For instance, if the community decides to build a school, the labour should come from the constituency itself. That means its bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters and general workers must all be recruited from the constituency. Unfortunately, that is not the case now. Those fattening their pockets with the money are party officials and those closely linked to them. Yet the rest are expected to vote for the same party next year? That is a misty dream. That partly is the sabotage heralded by acclaimed party members.
Hicks Sikazwe is the author of Zambia’s Fall back Presidents, Wasted Years and Voters in Shadows. He is former Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Times of Times, now Media and Communications consultant based in Ndola. Comments 0955/0966929611 or hpsikazwe@gmail.com
