Nkeyema UPND member of parliament Kapelwa Mbangweta says Constituency Development Funds (CDF) should be given in full at the beginning of every year without members of parliament lobbying for it.

Speaking when he featured on a live CBC TV programme on Tuesday, Mbangweta also predicted that there would be hunger next year because the e-voucher system has not worked this season.

“There should not be issues of lobbying for CDF from anybody because CDF is budgeted for and its approved by parliament as part of the budget process. And there are also regulations which say that each MP’s office is suppose to have K1.4 million every year. So there is no issue of lobbying anybody because the government knows how many constituencies they have created. And so if they put the money in the budget, what we expect is that when its due, it should be given. That is number one. Number two, not all the CDF money has been given, at least for Nkeyema. We have only received half. So this is also not a good sign because this money is suppose to be given as at once,” Mbangweta said.

“Now what I am challenging is to find out from my colleagues if they have received in full, the K1.4 million, then you will know that the ‘Don’t kubeba’ is at worked. And then you should find out what is the basis of that arrangement. But just to advise the PF government that what we desire is that this CDF should ordinarily be given at the beginning of the year, full amount without lobbying for it.”

And Mbangweta warned that Zambia would experience hunger in 2018 because farmers were frustrated.

“The e-voucher has not worked well and it will not work well. We have told the PF government that they should listen to the people who are in the field. So we in the UPND, the things that we are competent about is how to run the economy and how to farm. I am a farmer myself and I have done that for 25 years; most of my colleagues are farmers. That e-voucher like I explained has not worked well and it will not work well because the cards have just arrived and there is an issue of activating them. There will be an issue of communication in areas where there are no communication towers,” said Mbangweta.

“I understand my colleague in Kabwe was complaining about the same. I understand also one of the senior PF members who is a member of parliament was also complaining about the same because the people in his constituency are also complaining that this e-voucher has failed, so the end result is that next year, there will be hunger.”