Vice-President Inonge Wina says there is need to look into the propensity in which some political want to assume that they have presidential and executive powers to do certain things in whichever way they wish.

And Vice-President Wina says it is almost tantamount to corruption for the opposition UPND to want to distribute relief food to the needy using the “backdoor” when there is an official channel of doing so through the DDMU.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Wina says Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo will soon inform Parliament on the status of the mysterious 48 houses case.

Speaking in Parliament during the vice president’s question time, Friday, said opposition leaders where supposed to donate food to hunger-stricken citizens via DMMU.

“So Mr Speaker, the propensity that some of the leaders or politicians are taking to assume that they have presidential powers and executive powers to do certain things in whichever way they would want to conduct themselves, I think this should be looked into because there are certain channels of government and there is a government in place headed by His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. And this is a government of laws and we are following the laws including the DMMU Act,” Vice-President Wina said.

Responding to Choma Central UPND lawmaker Cornelius Mweetwa on why government was blocking the opposition from donating relief food, Vice-President Wina said it was almost tantamount to corruption for the UPND to want to distribute relief food to the needy using the backdoor.

“There is an official channel that government uses to channel all humanitarian relief support and that is the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit of government. DMMU is currently receiving support from various members of the public, corporating partners, well wishers, politicians but the way the honourable member’s party wants to do its distribution is not a normal way. It’s almost tantamount to corruption because it’s using the backdoor to reach out to the people. And yet there is no reason why the party can make even an announcement even at the DMMU office that ‘we want to distribute maize or mealie meal or whatever in this manner’ and DMMU will accompany the party members who want to carry out the distribution,” she said.

Meanwhile, responding to a question from Kabompo UPND member of parliament Ambrose Lufuma, who wanted to know the status of the 48 houses, Vice-President Wina said Kampyongo would soon update parliament on the matter.

“This notion that it is only politicians who are involved in corruption cases may not be the true situation on the ground. This government has done a lot in encountering these malpractices in the financial sector. The fact that the Financial Management Act has been put in place is an indication in itself to show that government is determined to ensure that there is no corruption in the handling of financial resources of this country. And Mr Speaker, on the issue of the 48 houses, investigations have been ongoing and a report is being compiled. But I would not go into details regarding this case because the Minister of Home Affairs is coming to the House to give a comprehensive report on the matter of 48 houses,” said Vice-President Wina.