Questionable Decisions: Council officials exploit CDF for personal gain

By Charles Mafa

President Hakainde Hichilema pledged to redistribute resources equitably to benefit all Zambians. During his visit to the US, just a month after assuming office, he emphasised a significant overhaul in resource allocation while addressing Zambians at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC on Saturday night, September 25, 2021.

“We are shifting money from the centre where the big thieves are in Lusaka and the big thieves are in Lusaka, yes, and I have no shame in saying that and we will take it (money) to the constituencies, and we will enhance constituency development fund,” he stated.

However, Hichilema may not have anticipated that similar exploitative trends exist even in rural areas, where individuals also misuse resources for personal gain.

Chitambo Council

In Chitambo Constituency, situated within Chitambo district, an allocation exceeding K5.2 million (K5,290,396) designated for secondary boarding schools and skills development bursaries, intended for over 500 youths, through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), is reportedly being targeted by officials for personal enrichment.

Chitambo, situated in Central Province, was established as a separate district from Serenje in 2012. It lies approximately 360 kilometres northeast of Kabwe along the Great North Road. The district shares borders with Serenje, Samfya in Luapula Province, Lavushimanda in Muchinga Province, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the north. 

CDF transformed, resources straight to the people

The government uses CDF as a crucial tool to bring resources directly to the people. However, in Chitambo, senior council officials are purportedly embezzling these funds for personal gain, prioritising their connections over the progress of community development endeavours.

The CDF has three components, including community projects, youth, women and community empowerment, and secondary boarding school and skills development bursaries.

Within the Chitambo council, concerns have arisen regarding theft and collusion, particularly within the latter component.

The aim of the secondary boarding schools and skills development bursaries component is to grant access to vulnerable learners for secondary boarding schools and institutions providing skills training.

The primary objective of these bursaries, as outlined in the CDF guidelines, is to promote human development and support local entrepreneurship initiatives.

Testimonies from youths

MakanDay has interviewed several fund recipients, who have confirmed the alleged involvement of council officials directing CDF recipients to enroll in driving lessons provided by specific driving schools chosen by the officials themselves.

Close to 40 youths applied for driving lessons at various institutions. As per the procedure, they provided acceptance letters from the schools they applied to. However, these youths revealed to MakanDay that they were later informed that their places were secured at Perfect Driving School in Lusaka, with all lessons to be conducted there.

Some of the affected youth, whose identities remain confidential, have revealed that they were mobilised and transported by bus to Lusaka. Upon arrival, accommodation was arranged for them at Amaka Kioma Lodge in Kanyama, Lusaka.

It remains unclear who will cover the expenses for accommodating the 50 students for over a month. MakanDay has established that the cheapest room at the lodge is priced at K100.

Their trip to Lusaka encountered complications, as the owner of driving school was unaware of their enrollment.

The students spent more than a month in Lusaka without any progress.

Moses Viyuyi, the proprietor of Perfect School, told MakanDay that he declined the offer due to the council’s failure to make a down payment for the lessons.

The school typically charges between K2,500 and K3,500 for Class B and C1 driving lessons respectively. However, the cartel, operating through an intermediary identified as Binwell Leza, offered the school amounts ranging from K10,000 to K11,000 per student.

Furthermore, there are suspicions that the cartel manipulated the final list of beneficiaries submitted by the CDF committee. Initially, there were 38 students from Chitambo, but upon arrival in Lusaka, an additional 12 individuals were included, increasing the total to 50 students.

When MakanDay contacted Leza for comment, he directed all inquiries to the council in Chitambo.

More twists and turns

On March 25, 2024, the students were relocated to Mufulira, Copperbelt Province.

Despite being instructed to attend Nirvana Driving School in Mufulira, the students requested to be returned to Chitambo.

MakanDay’s investigation has revealed that Nirvana Driving School is an institution accredited by the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA). The institution provides a range of courses, including driving lessons, heavy equipment operator training, excavator, among other courses.

According to records from the Patent and Company Registration Agency (PACRA), Nirvana Business Solutions Limited, the company that owns Nirvana School, was registered in June 2014. The directors and shareholders of the company are Elias Mununga, a Zambian, and Theodorus Cornelius Vos, a South African.

The registered business address is located in Mufulira, Copperbelt Province, and its primary nature of business is listed as “other professional, scientific, and technical activities”.

Mununga, the director at Nirvana, clarified that his school was approached only after the failed arrangement in Lusaka. However, despite Nirvana offering transportation services, including picking up the students from Lusaka to Mufulira, the students opted to return to Chitambo.

In a telephone interview, Mununga said: “You can confirm with the chairperson, because I informed the council chairperson…they (students) are back in Chitambo”. He mentioned that his school is currently accommodating 50 students sponsored by Chitambo council who are taking various courses at his school.

Additional testimonies from youths

According to one youth, a council official provided them with a vague explanation as to why they were not reporting to the schools where they were accepted.

The official claimed that the schools they applied to no longer had available spaces, prompting the need to find an alternative school for them.

However, when the students contacted the school to verify the council’s claims, they were informed that the information was false. Contrary to the council’s assertions, their places were still reserved, and the schools were anticipating their arrival.

Following their return to Chitambo, a meeting was convened, attended by council management, the students, representatives from the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the chairperson of the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Chitambo district.

The purpose of the meeting was to address the grievances raised by the students.

At the meeting, it was resolved that the students would be relocated to Nsanje Driving School in Lusaka, where they have since been enrolled. However, some individuals expressed frustration and opted not to commence their driving lessons.

Those allegedly involved in the fraudulent activities comprise two senior council officials and a community development officer.

Council Secretary Mwiche Mudala,in response to MakanDay’s request for comment, said that he cannot provide any comments on the matter as it is currently under investigation.

“The tragedy that we have is that this matter is before investigative wings in the country, so based on that I am not able to comment,” said Mudala.

In contrast, District Planning Officer, Precious Mukamba declined to respond to MakanDay’s questions, stating that she did not know the caller.

As of now, the status of the ACC probe into the Chitambo Council CDF fiasco has not been confirmed.

MP unavailable for comment

When asked to comment on the events unfolding in his constituency, Member of Parliament Remember Chanda Mutale requested sufficient time, citing that he was en-route to a funeral.

While Mutale does not individually choose the beneficiaries of the CDF, he does have a role in appointing members of the CDF committee.

The committee includes, among other members, two community members appointed by him. Additionally, out of the three councilors on the committee, one is appointed by the MP.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development appoints the remaining members.

Among the responsibilities of the committee, it deliberates on project proposals from the wards. Additionally, it is tasked with developing and presenting a comprehensive project list to the council for subsequent transmission to the Minister of Local Government.

Laid down CDF procedure

The procedure to benefit from skills bursaries under the CDF involves submitting a completed bursary application form to the Ward Development Committees (WDC), along with an acceptance letter from a public school or training institution.

Subsequently, the WDC compiles a consolidated list of bursary applicants, which is then forwarded to the CDF Committee.

Following review, the committee selects the final applicants from the constituency and submits the consolidated list to the local authority for payment processing.

Additionally, applicants are required to obtain admission letters from any TEVETA-recognised institution or the Zambia National Service as per the CDF guidelines.

The fact that Chitambo council officials are engaged in selecting driving schools for the youths, a responsibility typically delegated to the applicants, highlights the officials’ eagerness to divert part of the CDF funds for personal gain.

In a desperate attempt, officials were in the process of enrolling students in schools lacking TEVETA accreditation, such as Perfect Driving School, which is currently undergoing the accreditation process.

The CDF Committee chairperson, Chesha, was unable to provide a response. Initially, he requested more time before addressing the questions, but later began to avoid the calls altogether.

Additional reporting by a MakanDay correspondent

Main Photo Source | President Hichilema’s Facebook page