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The Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) has voiced its opposition to President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to include District Commissioners (DCs) in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committees, arguing that the move will increase bureaucracy and politicize the process.
GPZ president, Jackson Silavwe, expressed concerns that the involvement of DCs would compromise the independence of CDF committees, which he believes should be driven by local communities rather than government appointees.
“The authority to make decisions on developmental projects was supposed to rest with the local communities in the wards, rather than with the District Commissioners,” Silavwe stated.
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In a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday, Silavwe accused the President of trying to embed political influence within the CDF process by involving DCs, whom he described as political cadres.
“To this effect, we would like to underline this point: it is important for the allocation of CDF funds to be fair and transparent. Allowing DCs to be part of the CDF committee will only hinder the process from being driven by the local people on the ground,” he said.
Silavwe warned that the directive could delay essential development in constituencies, arguing that it adds unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.
“We have no doubt the decision by Hichilema is a clear attempt to politicize CDF and undermine the authority of the CDF committees because District Commissioners that are serving now are politicians picked from the UPND party setup, and including them in the CDF they will definitely be biased in the approval of the projects,” he alleged.
He also raised concerns about potential favoritism, pointing to previous instances where DCs allegedly prioritized their own interests in public programs.
“We have numerous complaints, even regarding other employment opportunities in these districts where DCs take their special lists for persons to be employed. A case in point is the Census enumeration exercise, where DCs were busy advancing lists of their own children, relatives, and close friends for consideration,” Silavwe added.
Silavwe called on the government to simplify the CDF disbursement process, recommending that funds be released in a single lump sum and the act be amended to eliminate bureaucratic delays.
“As a party, we urge the government to simplify the process and release the CDF funds in one lump sum and amend the act to remove unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that are slowing down the disbursement and implementation process, rather than adding more red tape to the funds,” he stressed.
He further suggested that the government strengthen CDF committees with technical experts to ensure the funds benefit the broader public and not just those aligned with the ruling party.
“We call on Hichilema to strengthen the Mayor’s role as proposed by the technical committee of 2015. CDF committees must remain independent and free from political interference because development is for all,” Silavwe concluded.
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