K224 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has been spent on various projects, grants, loans as well as skills development in Southern Province in 2024 alone.
Meanwhile, Southern Province Minister Credo Nanjuwa has called for prudent utilization and management of CDF funds to ensure that they meet the intended purpose.
Mr. Nanjuwa said the government has continued to increase the CDF allocation to steer local development needs in various constituencies.
Mr. Nanjuwa was speaking when he addressed the Southern Province Development Coordinating Committee Meeting in Choma.
“Am delighted to report that the government has increased Constituency Development Fund CDF from the current 30.6 to 36.1 million Kwacha allocation per constituency in the 2025 budget to support more developments,”he said.
Mr. Nanjuwa said the continued increase in CDF allocation is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to supporting the decentralization agenda by allocating resources to the remotest parts of the country.
“With this increase I expect to see a notable increase in the number of youths and women empowered, expanded secondary school and skills development bursaries, more projects in agriculture and livestock and water resource development,” he noted.
The Minister said CDF funds are a public good which must be used to develop the grassroots and not individuals charged with the responsibility to manage the funds.
Mr. Nanjuwa has since warned of serious action against local authorities, councilors and ward development committees involved in corrupt practices relating to CDF for their personal benefit at the expense of the purpose for which the President increased the CDF allocation.
“I therefore wish to warn those local authorities councillors and ward development committees who wish to sabotage the CDF processes to desist from corrupt practices and ensure that the funds meet the stipulated purpose,”he said.
Meanwhile, Southern Province Local Government Officer Mainza Sikaale in his presentation to the meeting highlighted that over two hundred and twenty four million kwacha CDF has been spent on various projects, loans, grants and skills development in Southern Province in the year 2024.
