These
latest
acquittal
figures
expose
broader
governance
challenges
surrounding
the
management
of
public
funds
and
oversight
by
Parliament
itself
since
118
constituencies
are
yet
to
account
how
they
used
the
money.
This
was
revealed
at
the
National
Assembly
on
Thursday,
after
Speaker,
Jacob
Mudenda,
expressed
concern
over
the
low
compliance
rate
by
legislators
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.
“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.”
The
development
places
the
spotlight
back
on
the
CDF
programme,
which
over
the
years
has
been
plagued
by
allegations
of
delayed
disbursements,
weak
accountability
and
political
grandstanding
over
projects
funded
through
the
initiative.
The
CDF,
introduced
in
2010
and
later
formalised
through
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
Act
of
2022,
was
designed
to
decentralise
development
and
allow
communities
to
identify
and
implement
priority
projects
through
their
elected
representatives.
Each
constituency
is
allocated
US$50
000
or
ZiG
equivalent
meant
for
projects
such
as
classroom
blocks,
clinics,
boreholes,
bridges
and
other
community
infrastructure.
Although
Parliament
is
demanding
acquittals
from
MPs
who
received
the
funds,
some
legislators
previously
complained
that
they
had
not
received
any
allocations
at
all.
On
18
February
this
year,
during
parliamentary
proceedings,
lawmakers
questioned
how
they
could
be
expected
to
submit
acquittals
for
money
they
had
not
accessed.
“I
also
have
to
inform
the
House
that
all
Hon.
Members
who
accessed
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
in
2025
are
required
to
submit
their
acquittals
and
returns
in
terms
of
Article
14
of
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
Constitution,
as
read
together
with
Article
18
of
the
Accounting
Officer’s
Manual,”
the
Acting
Speaker
told
Parliament
then.
“This
is
in
preparation
for
accessing
the
2026
allocations.
Hon.
Members
who
do
not
submit
their
returns
will
not
be
able
to
access
any
new
funding.”
This
was
challenged
by
Warren
Park
MP
Shakespear
Hamauswa,
who
argued
that
some
constituencies
had
not
received
the
money.
“The
point
of
privilege
is
emanating
from
the
fact
that
if
we
do
not
acquit,
we
are
not
given
money.
For
some
of
us,
we
do
not
have
anything
to
acquit
because
we
did
not
receive
any
funds,”
Hamauswa
said.
“As
you
are
sitting
on
that
Chair,
can
you
help
us
by
investigating
so
that
we
get
the
funds
that
we
are
supposed
to
get
to
our
constituencies
because
our
constituents
are
asking
for
those
funds?”
The
Acting
Speaker
responded
by
promising
to
engage
the
Ministry
of
Finance
over
the
delays.
“Your
funds
should
come.
I
will
engage
Finance
so
that
you
get
your
money.
There
is
nothing
that
is
stopping
it,”
he
said.
Despite
such
assertions,
tensions
surrounding
the
fund
are
not
new.
Last
year,
disputes
over
delayed
disbursements
reignited
debate
over
whether
the
Treasury
was
undermining
local
development
and
public
trust.
Emakhandeni-
Luveve
MP,
Descent
Bajila,
accused
the
Treasury
of
fuelling
frustration
in
communities
after
some
constituencies
reportedly
went
years
without
receiving
allocations.
“Some
constituencies
have
not
received
CDF
since
2022
and
this
is
the
time
citizens
who
are
affected
to
take
action
against
Treasury,”
Bajila
said
at
the
time.
“When
MPs
consult
citizens,
their
expectations
on
development
grow.
Delays
cause
a
lot
of
despair
and
mistrust.
Treasury
must
be
called
out
for
fuelling
public
mistrust
on
state
processes
and
citizens
must
lead
that
process.”
Meanwhile,
the
matter
also
exposed
growing
political
tensions
within
Parliament
over
how
the
CDF
is
publicly
framed
and
who
ultimately
gets
credit
for
development
projects
funded
through
the
programme.
During
Thursday’s
parliamentary
sitting,
Zaka
North
MP
Ophias
Murambiwa
praised
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
for
various
infrastructure
and
development
projects
in
his
constituency,
including
projects
funded
through
CDF
and
devolution
allocations.
“Right
now,
we
are
preparing
for
the
official
opening
of
Chinyazvivi
Clinic,”
Murambiwa
said.
“All
these
things
were
built
through
the
CDF,
which
was
allocated
to
the
constituency
and
we
also
use
the
devolution
funds
for
all
these
projects.”
He
said
people
in
his
constituency
had
asked
him
to
thank
Mnangagwa
for
developmental
projects
taking
place
across
the
country.
However,
his
remarks
triggered
objections
from
opposition
legislator
Corban
Madzivanyika,
who
warned
that
excessive
praise
of
the
President
risked
undermining
Parliament’s
oversight
role.
“As
much
as
we
should
acknowledge
the
President
of
the
country,
it
is
not
wise
to
just
drop
the
name
of
the
President
in
vain,”
Madzivanyika
said.
“Remember
Mr.
Speaker
Sir,
we
are
an
oversight
institution.
Our
mandate
is
to
bring
the
President
and
the
Executive
to
account.”
He
added
that
constant
praise
could
create
the
perception
that
Parliament
had
been
“captured
by
the
Presidium”.
The
Speaker
however,
dismissed
the
concerns,
saying
there
was
nothing
wrong
with
acknowledging
national
development
under
the
leadership
of
the
Head
of
State.
“I
do
not
see
any
Standing
Order
that
has
been
violated
by
the
national
development,”
Mudenda
ruled.
“In
fact,
the
Head
of
State
in
Government
is
the
Head
of
State
of
all
people
of
Zimbabwe,
regardless
of
their
political
affiliation.”