Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on Mchinji District Council to actively involve Community Project Implementation Committees when carrying out development projects funded by the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) initiative.
This follows a monitoring exercise conducted by CSOs, with support from the Civic Engagement Committee, which assessed various projects implemented across the district.
CSO Vice Chairperson, Davis Damson, expressed concern over the lack of community involvement in some projects.
“During our assessment, we discovered that certain projects were implemented without engaging the Project Implementation Committees,”Damson said.
Damson emphasised the importance of these committees in ensuring accountability.
“When these committees are active, they can hold contractors accountable for construction materials and overall project quality,” Damson added.
He further revealed that out of the 13 projects monitored, only six had been completed.
Governance Thematic Group Chairperson, Anthony Kiokwa, also stressed the need for collaboration.
“For development projects to succeed, there must be strong cooperation between the council and the community members where the projects are being implemented,” Kiokwa stated.
However, Mchinji District Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Martin Pindamkono, dismissed the claims, insisting that the council had fully engaged the committees.
“The council has involved the Project Implementation Committees in all development activities,” he Pindakono Said.
Pindamkono also highlighted progress under GESD, stating, “Most of the development projects allocated to different areas in the 2023–2024 budget have now been completed.”
