An Investigation into the Impact of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) on Rural Development with Special Reference to Education and Health Sectors in Rufunsa Constituency

Abstract

This paper was purposed to investigate the impact of CDF on rural development with special reference to education and health sectors in Rufunsa Constituency. The paper used a desk review and expert analyses of mosaic literature on the subject matter and ascertained that CDF resources have not had any meaningful developmental impact in the constituency in the sectors under review. Prima facie evidence suggests that the 14 schools and 24 health centres in the constituency are not only inadequate for the population but also encumbered with service delivery limitations owing to lack of sufficient input factors for quality service delivery. The paper came to a conclusion that one of the critical causation to inadequate impact of CDF resources on these rural communities was deviation by implementation officials of the fund from the legal framework and guidelines underpinning the the management of the resources to the effect that in 2013, over K1.3million (US$ 68, 965.51) was fraudulently withdrawn and misapplied without the knowledge, awareness and consent of the community and the higher structure officials. This is a typical challenge epitomising the general trend of CDF resource utilization which has had a negative impact on the development of rural areas to the point that as at 2019, the number of children out of school in Zambia due to lack of space/distance to school, among others, had surged to over 800,000 from 195,000 in 2015 while maternal related deaths had reached up to 15 women per week by 2019 and was declared a public health emergency by government.