MP accuses council of mismanaging funds

Dedza South West legislator Clement Mlombwa (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) has accused Dedza District 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 was stifling development in the district.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) after a full council meeting which ended prematurely on Friday because the council’s finance committee was not ready with the mid-year financial report for July to December 2018, Mlombwa said: “There is very little CDF money that has been disbursed and in other constituencies it is 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.”

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,” Mlombwa said.

But in a separate interview, Dedza district commissioner Francis Matewere said the report from the finance committee was not ready because the committee submitted it late.

He said: “I think we should wait to hear from the finance committee before we can comment anything on the matter.”