Opposition MP raises alarm over delayed CDF allocations as Acting Speaker urges acquittals
Warren Park MP Shakespear Hamauswa has raised a point of privilege in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, accusing the government of stalling community projects by withholding Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations. While Acting Speaker Joseph Tshuma maintains that 2025 acquittals are a prerequisite for 2026 funding under the CDF Constitution, Hamauswa contends that some legislators never received the initial disbursements to account for. The standoff underscores systemic delays in fiscal decentralization, impacting local infrastructure and social services across various constituencies
Dumisani Ndlovu 
HARARE – Opposition legislator Shakespear Hamauswa has accused the government of failing to release Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations, leaving some constituencies without resources to implement community projects.
Speaking in Parliament, Hamauswa, who represents Warren Park, raised a point of privilege, saying that while MPs are required to submit acquittals for 2025 funds before accessing 2026 allocations, some lawmakers have nothing to account for because the funds were never disbursed.
“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.”
Acting Speaker Joseph Tshuma, also the legislator for Pelandaba‑Tshabalala, acknowledged the concerns and urged all MPs who accessed CDF funds in 2025 to submit their acquittals and returns in terms of Article 14 of the CDF Constitution and Article 18 of the Accounting Officer’s Manual. He emphasized that submissions are required to access 2026 allocations and that MPs who fail to submit returns will not be able to access new funding.
“I will engage Finance so that you get your money. There is nothing that is stopping it,” Tshuma assured lawmakers, underscoring that delays should be addressed promptly.
The CDF is designed to fund constituency-level projects such as small-scale infrastructure, social services, and community development initiatives. Delays in disbursement, MPs say, disrupt planned programs and leave communities without the benefits intended by the fund.
Hamauswa’s concerns highlight ongoing frustrations among lawmakers over the timely release of CDF resources and the need for clear accountability mechanisms to ensure that funds reach the constituencies for which they are allocated.
HARARE – Opposition legislator Shakespear Hamauswa has accused the government of failing to release Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations, leaving some constituencies without resources to implement community projects.
Speaking in Parliament, Hamauswa, who represents Warren Park, raised a point of privilege, saying that while MPs are required to submit acquittals for 2025 funds before accessing 2026 allocations, some lawmakers have nothing to account for because the funds were never disbursed.
“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.”
Acting Speaker Joseph Tshuma, also the legislator for Pelandaba‑Tshabalala, acknowledged the concerns and urged all MPs who accessed CDF funds in 2025 to submit their acquittals and returns in terms of Article 14 of the CDF Constitution and Article 18 of the Accounting Officer’s Manual. He emphasized that submissions are required to access 2026 allocations and that MPs who fail to submit returns will not be able to access new funding.
“I will engage Finance so that you get your money. There is nothing that is stopping it,” Tshuma assured lawmakers, underscoring that delays should be addressed promptly.
The CDF is designed to fund constituency-level projects such as small-scale infrastructure, social services, and community development initiatives. Delays in disbursement, MPs say, disrupt planned programs and leave communities without the benefits intended by the fund.
Hamauswa’s concerns highlight ongoing frustrations among lawmakers over the timely release of CDF resources and the need for clear accountability mechanisms to ensure that funds reach the constituencies for which they are allocated.
