By Vincent Gunde
There were jubilant celebrations in Parliament following the passing of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) where Members of Parliament (MPs) both government and opposition unanimously agreed on their role that they will be monitoring the implementation of the Fund.
Malawians are asking MPs what exactly they would like to monitor the CDF implementation after failing to utilize the fund in the years their constituencies started receiving CDF claiming that the tangible development projects many MPs have implement with CDF, is pocket development.
While MPs from both government and opposition benches were all up in celebrations congratulating themselves for passing the Bill, Malawians out there are angry that the vision of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to make each and every constituency in the country develop with K5 billion CDF will not be realized.
A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, has accused MPs of deliberating the CDF Bill when the court already gave its direction that MPs are not part and parcel of the CDF.
Kamphangala said CDF started with K30 million per constituency, then K100 million, K200 million asking each and every MP to account for projects one has implemented in his or her area, it will be a challenge claiming that there is nothing except substandard infrastructures case in point bridges.
He said councilors live with the people in the constituencies saying it was the wish of President Professor Mutharika to allocate K5 billion per constituency for councilors and Area Development Committees (ADC) to plan and implement projects.
The MCP diehard said since the suggestion of K5 billion per constituency came from President Professor Mutharika’s himself that he being a servant of the people should not sign the bill passed by Members of Parliament (MPs) into law.
He has warned President Professor Mutharika that once he put his signature to the CDF controversial bill, he should know that Malawians will withdraw their trust from him as their leader advising him to side with Malawians that voted for him into power on the 16th September, 2025 elections.
“All Malawian eyes are on you, your Excellency President Professor Mutharika, this bill is a temptation to you to fall on it,” said Kamphangala.
He has suggested to President Professor Mutharika that should Members of Parliament (MPs) insists on their role to monitoring CDF, then, he should take it by himself on what best can go well with the voters reminding him that Malawians did not vote the DPP into office.
Kamphangala has expressed hope and confidence that President Professor Mutharika being a listening President, will not put his signature to the passed CDF Bill into law advising him to work hand in hand with the newly created body- Make Malawi Great Again assuring him that Malawians are the ones driving him and not MPs.
