Zambia: Contractors in Mazabuka’s Magoye Constituency have accused the Council of outsourcing labour for projects under the Constituency Development Fund-CDF. The initiative is started by the govermment with the aim of providing developmental avenues to the people of the country.
The CDF has helped many communities across the country get access to developmental infrastructure. These infrastructures include the schools and classroom blocks being constructed in many parts of Zambia. Notably, the people of Zambia also have significant employment opportunities through the CDF.
However, the contractors of Mazabuka district’s Magoye Constituency report not receiving the complete benefit of the Constituency Development Fund. The construction projects that are being funded through CDF are being constructed through contractors of different constituencies.
The contractors have claimed that the people have to deal with the bias from the local authorities, who do not want to employ them in the local projects. The Magoye Local Contractors Representative, Stanley Sakala, talked to the media regarding the issue.
He said that the Local Authority has sidelined them in implementing community projects. He has accordingly called on the authorities to change for the benefit of the local contractors. The authorities claimed that there is a need for them to prioritize the local contractors.
Talking to the media, he claimed that information on the bidding process of CDF projects is not available to local contractors. He further noted that the contractors who only see counterparts from other districts are being awarded contracts.
After the situation came to light the media has been making an effort to get the comments of the Council Management.
Recently, United Party for National Development-UPND Senior Official, William Banda also commented on the situation. He reiterated the President’s call for Local authorities to prioritize resident Contractors on CDF projects.
The president of Zambia installed the CDF-Community Development for the benefit of the country’s vulnerable population. The project aimed to ease the burden of combating the strain of unemployment in the constituencies.