CBOs urged to do more on monitoring local projects

The Pan African Civic Educators Network (Pacenet) has advised community-based organisations (CBOs) in Thyolo to triple their efforts in tracking development projects under Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Local Development Fund (LDF) to ensure that only intended communities are benefiting.

The advice follows reports that most development projects initiated and implemented with funding from CDF and LDF have stalled in many parts of the country.

Government has cited a number of reasons for this, including community failure to monitor projects, mismanagement of project materials, political decisions and in some cases irregularities in service delivery.

But speaking when he officially opened Thyolo CBO Network consultative meeting on Tuesday, Pacenet executive director Steven Duwa blamed CBO leaders for failing to mobilise beneficiary communities to police implementation of development projects in their areas.

Duwa said Malawi needs CBO leaders who can actively participate in the initiation and implementation of projects if the country is to realise meaningful transformation.

“If you’re active and watchful, all these excuses wouldn’t have been there. In fact, you could have been in the forefront providing all sorts of expertise in the implementation of development projects in your areas,” he said.

Duwa said Pacenet, with assistance from Tilitonse Fund, is empowering area development committees (ADCs), area executive committees (AECs), village development committees (VDCs) and transparency and accountability clubs (TACs) to increase citizen participation in the planning, implementation and monitoring of local development projects at community level.

Pacenet has since advised Thyolo CBO Network to compile and submit a list of all stalled projects in the district in two weeks’ time.