Only 52 Constituencies Accounted For CDF Funds, Parliament Reveals
- Southerton Business Times
- May 16
- 2 min read
Only 52 out of Zimbabwe’s 170 constituencies that received Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations in 2025 have submitted reports explaining how the money was used, raising growing concerns over accountability and transparency in the handling of public funds.
Jacob Mudenda revealed the figures in the National Assembly on Thursday, expressing concern that the majority of Members of Parliament had failed to comply despite repeated reminders from Parliament.
“Following the announcement made on 18 February 2026, reminding Hon. Members of the requirements to submit Constituency Development Fund (CDF) acquittals, I noted with concern that only 52 out of the 170 constituencies that accessed funding in 2025 have submitted their acquittals,” Mudenda said.
According to Parliament, this means 118 constituencies are yet to account for the use of CDF allocations received last year.
Mudenda warned that all outstanding acquittals must now be submitted before the end of May.
“The Hon. Members who have not submitted their acquittals should do so without exception by 29 May 2026 in terms of Article 14 of the CDF Constitution,” he added.
The Constituency Development Fund was introduced in 2010 before later being formalised under the 2022 CDF Act. The programme was designed to decentralise development funding by allowing communities, through their elected MPs, to identify and prioritise local infrastructure and development projects.
Under the scheme, each constituency receives approximately US$50,000, or its equivalent in Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), to finance projects such as classroom blocks, clinics, boreholes, bridges, roads and other community infrastructure. However, the low rate of compliance has triggered renewed debate around transparency, monitoring and oversight mechanisms within the fund. Critics have previously questioned whether some constituencies fully disclose how CDF resources are spent, particularly in rural areas where monitoring systems are often weak.
The issue has also exposed disparities in fund disbursement itself, with some legislators reportedly claiming they have not yet received any allocations despite Parliament demanding acquittal reports from recipients. The latest revelations are likely to intensify scrutiny over the management of public resources at the constituency level as Parliament pushes for stricter compliance ahead of future disbursements.
CDF Zimbabwe
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