An MCP Member of Parliament appears to be performing a dramatic political U-turn, showering praise on the rival DPP government’s decision to massively boost constituency funding — despite previously being a vocal critic of President Peter Mutharika. Gelard Kazembe, MP for Mangochi Monkey Bay, was elected on an MCP ticket and previously served as the […]
Minister of Local Government has hit back at claims his own department is dragging its feet on rolling out crucial development funds, insisting everything is running smoothly despite mounting concerns from MPs on the ground. Dr Ben Malunga Phiri dismissed suggestions that local councils were causing delays to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and other […]
An opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP has publicly humiliated the ruling DPP government, demanding it slash its own flagship Constituency Development Fund (CDF) pledge from a colossal K5 billion to a mere K500 million — bluntly declaring the administration “cannot afford its own promise.” Salima North MP Maxwell Mnjema, speaking at a political gathering […]
Local Government Minister Dr Ben Malunga Phiri has fired back at claims government has no money to implement the reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF), insisting the rollout is well and truly underway. Phiri was grilled in Parliament on Tuesday after several MPs accused government of struggling to get the reformed fund off the ground due […]
Malawi’s Local Government Minister has unveiled a major shake-up of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), insisting the controversial pot of public money will now be driven by what communities actually need — rather than what officials decide to hand out. Dr Ben Malunga Phiri made the bombshell announcement in Parliament as he faced pointed questioning […]
A Malawian MP has demanded to know why councils across the country are being quoted billions of kwacha for secondary school construction — when a German charity managed to build a fully-equipped school for a fraction of the cost. Nsanje Central MP Francis Kasaila used a session in Parliament to challenge Education Minister Bright Msaka […]
Malawi’s minister of homeland security, Peter Mukhitho, has advised Lilongwe City Ngwenya MP Nancy Tembo to consider tapping into the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and District Development Fund (DDF) to support the construction of police houses in her constituency, arguing that locally administered resources can help ease pressure on central government budgets. Responding in Parliament […]
The Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture has assured Malawians that implementation of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is progressing according to plan, saying the programme is currently going through critical administrative processes before full-scale disbursement of project funds begins. Speaking in an interview, the ministry’s spokesperson, Chimwemwe Njoloma, said the CDF is […]
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation has called on Members of Parliament to engage more closely with their local councils over the procedures required to access the Constituency Development Fund, following complaints from legislators about delays in disbursement. Joseph Mwanamvekha, the minister responsible, addressed the matter in Parliament after MPs pressed the ministry […]
A Member of Parliament has challenged the government to stop making promises it cannot fulfil and openly admit that it does not have enough money to finance the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) at the promised level of K5 billion per constituency. Speaking amid growing frustration over delayed CDF disbursements, MP Sylvester Ayuba James said the […]
The Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) has raised fresh concerns over delays in releasing funds for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), saying its monitoring shows that councils have yet to receive the K5 billion allocated for the programme. In a comment monitored on Zodiak’s Sunrise Malawi programme, CSAT executive director Willy Kambwandira said […]
Chitipa South MP Werani Chilenga is proposing that parliament takes tight control of constituency development fund (CDF). Currently, the K100 million per constituency development fund is administered by councils. In parliamentary motion notice, alleges that councils are abusing the fund. “That having adopted the report by the ad hoc committee on CDF and water development […]
The Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) has condemned a report of the Parliamentary Ad hoc Committee on implementation of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Water Development Fund by local councils, urging Ministry of Local Government and National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) to “ignore” the recommendations of the report. Malga–an umbrella body of all local […]
Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has sealed loopholes on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) following rampant abuse of the fund by council officials. Among the measures are that the council should open a special current account for CDF. The money will only be used for CDF projects. The National Assembly will have to […]
A member of parliament and ward councillors have dug themselves in war trenches as they are fighting over control of Constituency Development Fund (CDF). This warfare is delaying development in Chitipa south where its legislator Welani Chilenga is in disagreement with ward councillors over the use of the CDF. The Chitipa district council has since […]
The Deputy Minister of Lands, Abida Sidik Mia, who is also a member of Parliament for Chikwawa Nkombedzi constituency has opened a new morgue worth K28 million at Ngabu Rural Hospital in the constituency. The facility, which has been constructed using Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the tune of K24 million and K4 millionfrom her—Abida […]
Social media is awash with questions emanating from a statement by Dunia Building Contractors demanding a payment of over K13 million for tiny house and a pit latrine at Lungwena Police in Lutende, Mangochi. In a letter dated 19th June 2020, titled ‘Claim for Payment-Lungwena Police Staff House’, addressed to Mangochi District Council, Dunia Building […]
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Regional Governor for the North, Christopher Nzomera Ngwira, has been convicted by the courts in a case he was answering, pertaining to abuse of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) funds. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has successfully prosecuted the case in which it acused Ngwira of presenting invoices from YOGI and Mzimba Hardware on […]