The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it has embarked on community stakeholders’ capacity building programmes in Eastern, Northern and Muchinga provinces on how to track and monitor the management and utilization of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in a bid to promote accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in the country.
FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the programme is meant to compliment government’s efforts in ensuring that CDF funds are prudently utilized and that the public benefits from the funds.
Mr Chipenzi explains that the programme is in response to concerns of limited accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in most councils which has led to poor service delivery.
“Under the project called “Enhancing public accountability and citizen participation in resource tracking at community level funded by the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (HIVOS) through PANOS Southern Africa, FODEP is complimenting government effort in ensuring that constituency development fund (CDF) is prudently utilized to the benefit of all Zambians.”
“This is in response to concerns of limited accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in most councils leading to poor service delivery to citizens and later on government gets the biggest blame.”
Mr Chipenzi further commends stakeholders for highlighting cases of abuse and misapplication of funds meant for community development at local level in the country.
” We would like to commend the Anti-Corruption Corruption, the media, the government and the Auditor General’s Office for taking a bold step in highlighting abuses and misapplication of this important fund meant to encourage micro projects and community development at local level in Zambia.
“The keen interest taken by the above institutions in the management and utilization of the CDF and for bringing the culprits to book regardless of their status in society or government is highly commendable and encouraging.”
Meanwhile Mr Chipenzi said his organisation is training stakeholders so as to quip them with skills and tools to demand accountability and transparency from relevant authority in the management and use of the CDF in the projects sites.
“It is for this reason that FODEP embarked on the training of journalists, councilors, NGOs and other community members to equip them with skills and tools to demand accountability and transparency from relevant authority in the management and use of the CDF in the projects sites. FODEP will be setting up task forces in the entire project sites to report any misuse of CDF to relevant authority.”
This is contained in a statement released by FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi.
If I had a way I can monitor, reduce and finally stop the loss of funds paid to deceased workers which culprits abuce with impunity. Dead employees are kept on pay roll and that money is drawn by other people in the system. Same goes to employees who leave civil service but they remain on pay roll for over six months or over a year or years. I can reck in a lot of stollen money back into the govt coffers. Why has this loop hole been aloud for far too long? Deliberately? I support you FODEP, monitor CDF, there is misuse, misapplication and misappropriation of CDF, regretably.
The only thing is most media practitioners now are gullible. Immediately Chipenzi talks about monitoring CDF utilization in Northern, Muchinga and Eastern province it should click in ones mind why he has only picked provinces where other parties other than UPND are popular. Why has Chipenzi focused north and not South or other areas where his party UPND has some popularity. This is confirmation that FODEP has become an extension of UPND. Ask some of us who know the background of Chipenzi and we will attest to you that he is actually a UPND card carrying member