MP accuses Council of mismanaging development funds
Dedza South West legislator Clement Mlombwa has accused the Dedza Council Secretariat of mismanaging Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
The Member of Parliament (MP) alleged that the secretariat is failing to disburse CDF in full, observing that this is stifling development in the district.
The MP said after a full Council meeting on Friday which ended prematurely because the Finance Committee was not ready with the mid-year financial report for July to December 2018 which was supposed to be tabled.
“There is very little CDF money that has been disbursed and in other constituencies it’s only a third of the money that has been expended but if you go to the council they tell you that the council does not have money,” Mlombwa said.
He accused the Council of diverting funds meant for borehole projects in constituencies.
“There was K 8 million which was meant for boreholes but in my constituency we have only been given k6 million and this is affecting people negatively,” he said.
Mlombwa explained that the Finance Committee which was supposed to present a report at the full council is deliberately dodging because they know that they have been mismanaging funds and there are huge sums of money which are missing at the Council.
In a separate interview, District Commissioner (DC) for Dedza, Francis Matewere said the report from the Finance Committee was not ready because the committee submitted it late.
“But on issues of financial mismanagement, I think we should wait to hear from the finance committee report before we can comment anything on the matter since the report has not yet been presented to the council,” he said.
In previous Full Council meetings, members had recommended that the finance report should always be presented first before any other report that is why the Council members voted to stop the meeting since the financial report was not ready.
There’s a lot of mess at this council and nothing is being done. Shame