Tsabango Youth Network from Mlodza ward have requested aspiring Members of Parliament and councilors in Lilongwe Central constituency to show transparency and accountability in their development activities when voted into power next week.

The youth network made the request on Tuesday during a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different political party MPs and councilors on how to conduct community development works at Tsabango resource Centre hall in Lilongwe.

Tsabango Youth Network Resource Manager, Lingson Dede said lack of transparency and accountability among political leaders in their areas resulted to low development projects of poor quality due to misappropriation of resources in their constituencies by their political leaders.

“We wanted them to sign the MOU so that when they are voted into power, they should be transparent and accountable for the betterment of our areas in development,” he said.

He added that the communities were experiencing challenges whereby Members of Parliament and councilors in their constituency were not able to disclose the allocation of their development funds to their Area Development Committee (ADC).

The Manager reminded the aspirants that if they do not abide by their responsibility to bring development through Local Development Funds (LDF) and Constituency Development Funds (CDF) will not give them another chance after the end of their five-year-term.

Independent shadow MP for Lilongwe Central constituency, Ruth Mapemba commended the network because the MoU will help her and other Members of Parliament who will be voted into power to be transparent once elected.

“For this transparency to be achieved there has to be training for the Village Development Committee (VDCs) and traditional leaders for them to provide checks and balances that will assist in ensuring transparency and accountability in their development works,” she pointed out.

UTM councilor for Mlodza ward central constituency, Vasco Mphika and independent councilor, Willy Chipasula commended the MoU saying it will help in following up development activities in the area and also besides helping to foster collaboration with the community.

“If this MoU was there before, I believe that this ward could have been a very developed community because in the past there was no transparency which has led to under development,” said the UTM Councilor. o