By Isaac Zulu
Vice President Mutale Nalumango has said that she does not know when President Hakainde Hichilema will shift to State House.
And Nalumango has said that the UPND government is more than 100 per cent committed to the fight against corruption.
Responding to PF Bwacha member of parliament Sydney Mushanga who wanted to know if Nkwazi House is still undergoing some renovations, considering the fact that President Hakainde Hichilema is still staying at Community House, which is his private residence, as opposed to staying at the Presidential residence, Nalumango said she does not know if the refurbishment to Nkwazi House have been concluded and, therefore; she would not be in a position to know when the Head of State will move to State House.
Mushanga reminded the Vice President that late last year she told Parliament that President Hakainde Hichilema was still staying at Community House because Nkwazi House was being renovated.
“I don’t know how far the renovations have gone af Nkwazi House. Therefore, I am not in a position to tell when the President will shift to State House,” Nalumango said.
And responding to leader of opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile during the Vice President’s Question Time on Friday, who questioned the UPND government’s decision to award contracts to Grandthonton and KPMG for the auditing of the procurement of local contracts, stating that the two companies are among firms that are run by friends and associates of President Hichilema, Nalumango said that the UPND government is on firm ground to fighting graft.
Mundubile wanted to know if the awarding of contracts to friends and associates is not tantamount to corruption.
Nalumango argued that the UPND administration has not deviated from its resolve to the fight against corruption.
“There is no deviation from our resolve to fight corruption. We are 100 plus one per cent committed to the fight against corruption,” said Nalumango.
And minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu rose on a point of order, asking if Mundubile was in order for insinuating that President Hakainde Hichilema is awarding contracts to his friends and associates.
But Speaker of National Assembly Nelly Mutti reserved ruling in the matter, stating that she needed time to assess if Mundubile was out of order.
