Community radios use accountability reports to demand accountability - the case of Ndingala FM Radio - Sumbawanga

WAJIBU through its Amka Tuongee project engaged and built the capacity of 15 community radios in Tanzania. The Ndingala FM radio is one of such radios where it used the CAG's report on Local Government Authorities 2020/21 and picked the issue of uncompleted Sumbawanga district hospital project with the value of TZS 956,340,753.

The Ndingala FM journalist conducted a radio program where the Municipal Executive Director, the Regional Bureau Chief - PCCB (Rukwa region), Mayor, the Member of Parliament and citizens were interviewed as to why is the hospital project not completed in time while funds had been disbursed a year ago? The aim of Ndingala FM radio program was to influence change in terms of the implementation of development projects in Sumbawanga. The radio program engaged citizens (callers) to ask questions to the invited speakers. The radio program created collective demands and follow-up measures for implementation of CAG's recommendations including attempt for public demonstrations calling for re-assignment of the Municipal Executive Director and three other LGA officials (accountant, economist and human resource officer). This was followed by the Minister responsible for local government to issue a press release informing the public on administrative changes the council management team was subjected to and the other measures taken to improve the situation which were as follows;

• Four positions (Municipal Executive Director, Planner, Human Resource and Treasurer) stepped aside for further investigations by PCCB and were later replaced with new public officials.
• The Ag. Municipal Executive Director confirmed on the changes in the working culture since the project intervention.
• The financing and construction approach of the hospital changed. Previously, the Municipal Council used the force account method to implement the project, but currently the single source method has been deployed, which is confirmed to be more effective given the size of the project.
• The Government has allocated additional TZS 1.17 billion to complete the hospital.
• The hospital is currently operating, and the construction is at 95 Percent completion stage.