Member of Parliament for Njube-Lobengula constituency, Gift Banda says there is need for a review of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation as it is no longer adequate to implement community projects.
The CDF is funded to the tune of RTGS$50 000 per constituency.
Speaking at a feedback meeting with residents on Sunday, where he unveiled the committee that will oversee the implementation of the projects funded by the CDF, Banda said the funds had been ravaged by inflation.
According to the legislator, the funds will be used to drill additional boreholes in the constituency to augment water supplies.
“We appreciate that the funds came out, but it’s a drop in the ocean in terms of what it can do on the ground as there is hyperinflation,” Hon Banda said.
“The committee will have to source additional funds to complement what the government gave us as a constituency because we can not only rely on the CDF funds alone.
“We have people who are in position to help us as a constituency because of the manner in which we have represented ourselves, we have people from different backgrounds that is the old, disabled, the youths and even all political parties. The constituency is not about an MP but people who live in the constituency.
Banda said there is need for the constituency to work together regardless of political affiliation.
“We need to work hard as a constituency to see that everyone regardless of the political party is catered for. As a constituency we need to package ourselves as a marketable constituency that can walk in any organisation and get assistance because of the way we have positioned ourselves,” he said.
The legislator however, said they will not be able to meet the number of targeted boreholes due to funding constraints.
“In terms of the number of boreholes, the money is not going to give us a lot of boreholes because if you look at the money in hard currency its less than USD$5000,” Banda said.
He said their second priority is to fund less privileged children who are struggling to get an education.
“We have children in our constituency that are gifted academically but do not have means to access that education,” said Banda
