By 
Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has called for a review of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) programme, describing it as a “leaking tap” that requires urgent reforms to address governance weaknesses.
TI-Z Executive Director, Maurice Nyambe, questioned the political rationale behind the annual increase in CDF allocations, arguing that many constituencies and local authorities lack the capacity to effectively utilise the funds.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Nyambe urged the government to consider reducing CDF allocations due to persistent underperformance, as highlighted in the 2023 CDF Audit by the Auditor General’s Office.
“Notably, less than 42 percent of the available funds for community projects were utilized, and the programme overall spent only 52.9 percent of the total funds provided by the government,” he said.
Nyambe revealed that TI-Z had conducted a detailed analysis of the Auditor General’s findings, comparing fund utilization across different CDF components and ranking the performance of provinces and constituencies.
“Our analysis shows that the highest utilization, at about 98 percent, was for administration, while the lowest utilization—less than 42 percent—was for community projects,” he noted.
He raised concerns over accountability, questioning why CDF administrators continued drawing funds for meetings while core development activities remained largely unimplemented.
Nyambe highlighted several governance weaknesses in the programme, including ineffective monitoring, weak quality control, poor contract management, and inadequate accountability mechanisms.
“It is unjustifiable to continue increasing CDF allocations when public resources are at high risk of misappropriation, embezzlement, and abuse,” he warned.
Nyambe stated that in terms of overall CDF fund utilization, North-Western, Copperbelt, and Eastern provinces performed best, with an average usage rate of about 58 percent. Southern, Muchinga, and Western provinces followed at around 55 percent, while Lusaka stood at 53 percent.
Central, Luapula, and Northern provinces recorded the lowest utilization, at below 50 percent.
He further noted that eight out of ten provinces utilized less than 50 percent of funds allocated for community projects.
Among the top-performing constituencies, Rufunsa, Roan, and Lukashya exceeded 100 percent utilization, followed by Nyimba and Luanshya Central at over 90 percent. Chirundu, Lufwanyama, and Vubwi recorded over 80 percent utilization.
Conversely, the worst performers included Kaputa, Chilubi, Chawama, Chimbamilonga, and Kasama Central, with utilization rates between 20 and 30 percent, while Lusaka Central managed less than 15 percent of its allocated funds.
Nyambe reiterated the need for stricter oversight, warning that without urgent interventions, CDF would remain a poorly managed programme susceptible to waste and abuse.
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