There have been growing concerns by members of Parliament (MPs) and councilors attending Dowa ordinary full council meeting that some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the district are implementing their projects in their respective areas without their knowledge and this is a challenge in terms of follow up to such NGOs.
Interestingly, some of the organizations are operating in the district while bypassing government structure, they go straight to the chiefs, a development which is worrisome to the future of projects in the district and according to the requirements of the council, all projects go through the Technical Working Group before approved by District executive committee (DEC) and NGOs are assigned where to work.
In view of this, the council has for so long been calling for a meeting with NGOs implementing their interventions in the district for their budget line and catchment areas and this has been failing due to resources basing on arguments that the council wants to meet CSOs and expect the CSOs to fund the meeting.
On Monday, the council held an ordinary meeting at the boma, its Chairperson, Councilor Mayamiko Kambewa did not miss words but to warn all NGOs that failure to avail in the meeting with the council, it will have no option, but to bar them from attending council meetings and implementation of projects in the district.
Councilor Kambewa said he has arrived at this decision because CSOs do not have the interest to meet the council they are happy implementing projects without the knowledge of MPs and Councilors who are eyes of the community in terms of project implementations.
“I order you to organize a meeting with the council to be held before the next full council meeting, failing which, we will stop working with you,” said Kambewa.
Kambewa appealed to elected members of the council to disseminate information as deliberated in the full council meetings for the good of Dowa and that they should always be reminded that Dowa is known for bad news.
Msakambewa East ward councilor, Martin Luka Phiri rose on a point of order that the best to be done for a good approach was to invite the CSO network leadership to a roundtable discussion to find out what is the problem with them for failure to organize a meeting with council before taking any decisive action.
Speaking on behalf of all CSOs network, its representative, George Kaunda, challenged the council that CSOs are ready to meet the council anytime on projects being implemented in the district, but all will depend on the availability of resources saying it was the wish of the CSOs to meet the council way back before but this meeting was hampered by Covid-19 restrictions.
Kaunda assured the council that CSOs of the district will continue with humanitarian developments, advocacy and governance work to ensure that there is transparency and accountability of any penny from public funds advising the council chair to follow rules of engagement because threats and intimidation, have no room in democratic governance.
……’’Our working in the district is very transparent and accountable, we are complimenting government efforts towards delivering social development projects of the country, our projects are align with the District Development Plan [DPP]’’……said Kaunda.
