The government said it is untrue that money earmarked for drought relief was used to renovate the old state house as well as the head office of the office of the Prime Minister.

The funds, says the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Peya Mushelenga, in his Cabinet briefing, were budgeted for under the Office of the Prime Minister during the 2013/2014 financial year.

"Cabinet further took note that due to delays in the commencement of the old state house and the head office of the office of the prime minister, respectively, funds were transferred to the National Emergency Disaster Fund to ensure the continuity of the projects. Cabinet took note that the transferred funds were solely used for the intended purpose and not designated for the drought relief programme and their usage in the National Disaster Emergency Fund was purely for operational management purposes."

The Cabinet has also approved, in principle, additional funding to provide water to identified schools and water supply and water resource management interventions by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises.

The expansion of the mandate of the Cabinet Committee on Water Supply Security to include emphasis on bulk water supply, water supply, and sanitation challenges in rural areas has also been approved. 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform will also, under the Public Procurement Act, procure contracts for works, goods, and services to implement the water interventions of the government Drought Relief Programme country-wide.

"The Cabinet has taken note that the delay in procurement is not entirely on the OMAS but largely on the awarded contractors, some of whom have no capacity to deliver. The process of cancellation and re-advertisement has a negative impact on the supply of water sanitation services."