After a three-year wait, Hwange Central constituency has finally received its Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation, with the first disbursement since 2022 having been released under the 2024 national budget.
Hwange Central Member of Parliament Daniel Molokele confirmed the developments that an amount of ZiG$1,3 million was deposited last week into a special bank account established exclusively for administering CDF resources.
“This is the first disbursement we have received since 2022, and it falls under the 2024 national budget,” Molokele said.
He indicated that no CDF disbursement was made under the 2023 national budget, a position that has already been confirmed by the Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Molokele added that there remains no clarity on when funds under the 2025 and 2026 national budgets will be released, raising concerns about continued delays in constituency development planning.
The MP said the local CDF committee will, during the coming week, begin the process of rolling out approved development projects in five wards, namely Ward One, Ward Four, Ward Five, Ward Six and Ward 14.
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He noted that the remaining wards in the constituency will be catered for once the next tranche of CDF funding is disbursed.
The CDF is a government facility established to support small-scale infrastructure and community development projects identified at constituency level.
The fund is administered through Parliament, with MPs working alongside local CDF committees to prioritise projects in areas such as education, health, water and sanitation, and road rehabilitation.
However, the fund has in recent years been affected by delayed disbursements, limiting its impact across constituencies countrywide.
Legislators and civil society organisations have previously raised concerns that late releases undermine planning and slow down service delivery in communities that rely heavily on CDF-supported projects.
Molokele said while the release of the funds was a welcome development, predictable and timely disbursements were critical for ensuring that communities benefit meaningfully from the programme.
“This disbursement is long overdue, but it is a positive step. What is now needed is certainty going forward so that constituencies can plan effectively and implement projects without disruption,” he said.