Address failure by communities to follow CDF guidelines

LACK of capacity by commu nities to follow guidelines on accessing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) empowerment programs is a serious concern that the government should address to achieve development at the local level, Justice and Peace Activists, Eugene Kabila has said.

Mr. Kabilika who is former Caritas Zambia executive di rector, observed that commu nities lacked capacity to follow the guidelines on accessing empowerment through DCF because for many years they have been getting the funds without following any guideline.

He said in an interview that there was urgent need for the ministry of Local Government and Community Development working with civil society and community based organizations to raise awareness on accessing the empowerment funds under the new guidelines.

“People in the communities are failing to access the CDF empowerment fund because the government made them get used to receiving funds without making an effort,” he said.

Mr. Kabika said there was a lot of work that the govern ment and other stakeholders needed to do to ensure that communities are empowered through CDF.

He said it would be unfortu nate if the year ended without millions of the CDF empower ment program not spent sim ply because people lacked ca pacity to follow the guidelines on accessing the funds.

Mr. Kabilika said awareness should be raised in communi ties so that people at the local level know how to access and utilize the funds meant for development.

MR KABILIKA

“People in the communities are failing to access the CDF empowerment fund because the government made them get used to receiving funds without making an effort,”