Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa has warned those selling food meant for drought relief that such acts are tantamount to crime.

He also urged regional leaders to familiarise themselves with the operations of the Disaster Disaster Risk Management Programme and ensure that communities in need benefit from it.

Mutorwa made the remarks at Katima Mulilo while on a familiarisation visit to the region on the activities of the Disaster Risk Management Committee.

He witnessed many crop fields from which many people would have little or no harvest.

Mutorwa, however, cautioned those who are managing drought relief as well as the beneficiaries to stop selling the rations.

He stressed that drought relief food must not be kept for too long in the warehouses, which should be used as a clearing place.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged the regional leadership to assist in the capture of data for the beneficiaries of drought relief under the new system.

The new voucher system has made it easy for the beneficiaries to access food without hurdles.

Zambezi Governor, Alufea Sampofu, appealed to the Office of the Prime Minister to drill more boreholes in the community and deepen the existing ones.

The Director of the Disaster Risk Management Committee in the Office of the Prime Minister, Helen Likando, called on the regional disaster risk management committee to be proactive given the warning of a possible El Niño year.

The councillors also raised concern about a lack of assistance to people whose properties were destroyed in a fire, saying the Disaster Risk Management Programme needs to help fire victims as well.