Thursday, 17^th March, 2022

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Nalumango): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the House an indication of the business it will consider next week.

 

Sir, on Tuesday, 22^nd March, 2022, the Business of the House will begin with questions. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Sir, on Wednesday, 23^rd March, 2022, the Business of the House will start with questions. Thereafter, the House will consider Private Members Motions, if there will be any. That will be followed by the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will then continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Mr Speaker, on Thursday, 24^th March, 2022, the Business of the House will commence with questions. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will then consider the Second Reading Stage of the following Bills:

 

1. The Emoluments Commission Bill, 2022:
2. The Zambia Institute of Marketing Bill, 2022;
3. The Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management Bill, 2022; and
4. The Social Workers Association of Zambia Bill, 2022.

 

After that, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 25^th March, 2022, the Business of the House will begin with the Vice-President’s Question Time. That will be followed by questions. Thereafter, the House will consider presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will then continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

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MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

 

MR MUMBA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KANTANSHI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT ON THE PREVAILING SITUATION AT THE BLACK MOUNTAIN

 

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): On a matter of urgent public importance, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A matter of urgent public importance is raised.

 

Mr Mumba: Mr. Speaker, as you know, I come from a mining town or constituency, Kantanshi. You are aware that through the empowerment programme of the New Dawn Administration, the Government decided to empower some youths and cooperatives in Kitwe with the Black Mountain.

 

Mr Speaker, the reports that we are receiving and actually seeing will lead to a calamity in Kitwe that might end up being another mining disaster. The mining activities that are taking place seem to be in a shambolic state, to the extent that they are threatening lives of the people. In fact, even the number of hours, something like three hours, that have been allocated are making it like a competition. This is making it even difficult for orderliness to occur in that mining activity.

 

Mr Speaker, I want to seek your guidance on whether the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development is right to remain silent when the matter on the Copperbelt and that mining activity is controversial.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Your point qualifies to be a matter of urgent public importance. Maybe the Leader of Government Business in the House, Her Honour the Vice-President, can shed light on that because the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development is not around.

 

The Vice-President showed dissent.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: If you are not ready, you can do so even next week.

 

The Vice-President showed assent.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Kantanshi, Her Honour the Vice-President or the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development will come up with a statement next week as regards to your situation.

 

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

PROGRESS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF MINI CIVIC CENTRE IN KABWATA CONSTITUENCY

 

294. Mr Mutelo (Mitete) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

 

1. what the progress, in percentage terms, on the construction of the mini civic centre in Kabwata Parliamentary Constituency was, as of October, 2021;
2. what the cause of the delay in completing the project is; and 
3. when the construction works will be completed.

 

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, I inform the hon. Member for Mitete, through this august House, that the progress, in percentage terms, on the construction of the mini civic centre in Kabwata Parliamentary Constituency was standing at 72 per cent as of October, 2021.

 

Sir, the cause of the delay in completing the project is financial constraints. The contract of the project expired and the Lusaka City Council (LCC) is seeking renewal of the same contract through the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA). When the approval is done, works will resume subject to the availability of funds.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the answer. He has just said the contract expired. I want to know when it expired.

 

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, the contract was signed on 11^th June, 2018 and the validity period was only seven months. The contractor’s name was Angel Construction Limited and the contract sum was K1,958,680.80. It had been extended, as a matter of fact, after the said seven months to 31^st December, 2020 and that is the day that it finally expired.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Mr Speaker, greetings from the people of Roan. I want to find out from the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development the status of the same mini civic centre and I believe it is not the only one. A few weeks ago, there were reports of vandalism taking place at these mini civic centres. Could the hon. Minister state the extent of the vandalism that has taken place and what will be the negative effect in terms of more resources that will be poured into completing this mini civic centre in Kabwata?

 

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, let me thank the hon. Colleague for that very important question which is completely in line with the president’s wish of protecting public assets. I am sure you do recall that when the President came here, he was very emphatic about protecting public assets. I confirm to the hon. Member that I have not received any adverse reports of vandalism in the case of the Kabwata mini civic centre. Now that he seems to have information about vandalism having taken place in other civic centres, it would be very kind of him to let us know so that we can put appropriate measures to quell the vice of vandalism.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his responses. I want to draw his attention to the issue of ‘subject to the availability of funds’. He knows that he is running a very big ministry, which has many competing projects. I heard that the value of that project is K1.9 million. He has been in office for six months and if funds were made available to him, has his ministry come up with a strategy apart from the completion of projects which are at 80 per cent? Has the ministry come up with any strategy as to which ones will be first, maybe by value terms, considering that resources will still be limited, so that the ministry can start from somewhere in terms of completion of these projects?

 

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, I also very grateful to the hon. Colleague and friend who has asked this question, which is very important, regarding the protection of public assets and completion of projects. I want him to know or understand that the principle of halting all government projects that were below 80 per cent was as a result of the former Government’s desire, at the time, to make infrastructure development the bedrock of this economy. So, they embarked on projects without putting the corresponding budgetary requirements on the other side. 

 

Sir, the hon. Member of Parliament for Kantanshi should note that this is the case in many places and not only in my ministry. We can confirm to him that my hon. Colleague here who has just sat has inspected several infrastructures in the education sector that were abandoned by the former rulers of this country. They are the ones who came up with that 80 per cent and at that time, it did make sense to stall projects so that we could complete those that were nearly complete.

 

Sir, now, he asked whether we have a plan on how to carry on if funds were available, definitely we do. The first thing that I did when I got into the ministry was to get an inventory of all the uncompleted projects. This included those done using the constituency development fund (CDF), although it was pretty small. There are projects that have been standing and stalled for a period of more than five years. So, yes, we do have a plan. If funds were available, we would do it. Let me be quick to say that with the expanded CDF, we will only insist that the local authorities complete the projects that are within the ring-fence of the CDF because some of the projects were completely outside of the CDF. Therefore, they will require to be funded along those same budget lines when the funds are available.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, was the contract sum of K1.9 million a genuine one that will see this mini civic centre completed?

 

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member brings in a completely different question that I had not anticipated because the genuineness of a contract cannot be determined from face value. Therefore, I can only state that from where we stand, the contract was signed under the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), which is a recognised statutory body of this nation. So, I can only confirm that this contract exists and is genuine. To the extent whether the works done can match the sum of money, it requires experts to go and check whether this K1.9 million that was allocated to this project is equal to the level of completion in this project. We would have to get experts, like I said, who are in the construction industry to help us, the way we did with the feeder roads.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: We are supposed to go to the next question, but the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development was due to give a statement. He has written that he is ready. So, you can go ahead before we go to the next question, hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.

 

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CLARIFICATION ON QUESTION NO. 292 RAISED ON 16^TH MARCH, 2022

 

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Mr Speaker, I thank you. I think it is re-answering yesterday’s question. So, with your indulgence I can do it from here.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: You can go ahead.

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to correct what went wrong yesterday. First of all, as the Government, we take the business of this House very seriously. We know that the Legislature is an important arm of Government and part of its work, in addition to appropriation, legislation and holding the Executive to account, is that of representation. As part of that representation, hon. Members of Parliament ask the Executive and it is expected that accurate answers will be given.

 

Mr Speaker, in the case of yesterday, the hon. Member for Chama South, Hon. Mung’andu, raised a question to the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development where he asked the following:

 

1. why the rehabilitation works of the Chasefu/Chifunda Road have stalled;
2. when the works will resume;
3. who the contractor for the project is;
4. how much was paid to the contractors as of September, 2021;
5. what the total cost of the project is; and
6. what the time frame of the completion of the project is.

 

Mr Speaker, when answering questions here, hon. Ministers rely on the Civil Service and extensive civil service to ensure that we are provided with accurate answers. When an answer that is not accurate is provided and read on the Floor of this House, there is no excuse for that.

Mr Speaker, I can assure the House that action will be taken.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Milupi: Sir, however, the hon. Member for Chama South and the hon. Member for Lumezi who raised questions on this on issue were absolutely correct. Therefore, the answers are as follows:

 

Mr Speaker, the works on the Chasefu/Chifunda Road have stalled due to funding challenges. The road was part of the scope of the project for the periodic maintenance of 58 km of the Chama to Chifunda Road and this is under our sister Ministry, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

 

Mr Speaker, the works on the project will resume once funds are made available by the Treasury.

 

Sir, The contractor engaged on the project was Messrs Muco Trading Limited. Again, confirming what the hon. Member said yesterday. Works worth K12,785,776.33 have been certified on the project and as of September, 2021, the contractor had been paid a total of K11,634,224.45.

 

Sir, the cost of the project is K34,899,588.23, including Value Added Tax (VAT). The timeframe for the completion of project is eighteen calendar months from the date of resumption.

 

Mr Speaker, thank you very much.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, I should have been in the House but I will be coming. Again, our hon. Colleagues powdered me because of yesterday’s ruling. So, I had to make a U-turn to change my suit. This is very unfortunate, Mr Speaker. You need to protect us.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister. The hon. Minister said that K11 million had been paid to this contractor. I want to tell him that if he decides to go Chifunda at the moment, he cannot reach there because the road is cut-off. We cannot point at any structure worth that much. Is the hon. Minister is in a position to send independent engineers to go and check if indeed works worth K11 million were done so that the people of Chifunda and Chama South are not disadvantaged?

Eng Milupi: Mr Speaker, these are the issues we keep talking about ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Eng Milupi: ... and sometimes when we say we are doing an audit and those that are found wanting will be put on a certain list, we sometimes get adverse comments from our friends to your left. That should not be so. We are following up this project, together with many others, that were either not embarked upon in spite of money being paid or were done badly or where not enough work was done. We will follow the projects up and where we find people wanting, there will be action taken, including recovery of what has been paid.

 

Mr Speaker, in this case to answer his question, yes, it is part of those that we shall be investigating to make sure that the amount of paid is equivalent to the amount of work done. The amount of money is paid on the basis of interim payment certificates (IPCs), which are only signed to certify that certain work has been done. Now, if the owners in the local community are saying nothing was done, it means this could have been one of those that were providing a conduit for money to be misappropriated. So, we will follow up.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Amb. Kalimi (Malole): Mr Speaker, I commend the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development for being very open and sincere. Where something is wrong, you say sorry, this was wrong and I was misled. I wish we could have even three hon. Ministers in this Cabinet, the New Dawn Government can tick. Thank you very much hon. Minister for being sincere and for promising and assuring the House that heads will roll for those people who are misleading you.

 

Mr Speaker, I would rather the hon. Minister travels to these constituencies and districts to go and appreciate the challenges that these people are facing or else he will end up being misled again.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I take that as a comment. It is just a wish.

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, for the people of Chifunda, it is the entire chiefdom with a population of maybe more 5,000 in just one area. If we add together, it is a population of more than 20,000 people. They are completely cut-off. They cannot reach the Chama central business district (CBD). They cannot reach Lundazi. In this case, the people of Chifunda get all their commodities from Lundazi. They are completely cut-off, unless they use a helicopter.

 

Sir, are there any emergency plans, especially for crossing points and certain areas, so that the people can at least use their bicycles and motorbikes to reach Lundazi where they get medical services? I know reaching Chama is practically impossible. Are there such plans so that people of Chifunda can be helped, considering that the contractor who was on this road received K11 million and there is nothing to point at when you go on the ground showing where the money was spent? Is there anything that the ministry is planning or that can be put in place for the people of Chifunda so that they are able to access the much needed services?

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, when we eventually take action on things like this, I ask our hon. Colleagues on the left to not accuse us of witch-hunting. These are painful things. The hon. Member of Parliament for Chama South is speaking on behalf the people in Chama South and if they are cut-off, that is unfortunate. What I can assure him is that we will send our regional manager in the Eastern Province to go and carry out an assessment. On the basis of that, he will advise us on what needs to be done.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Mr Speaker, it seems this habit or experience of road contractors being paid and not doing any work was all over Zambia because even in Mufulira, we are still crying for the K267 million which was paid to Swift Cargo Services Limited, but no work was done. I want to find out from the hon. Minister when we are going to see arrests and prosecutions of the thieves.

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, these are well-known stories. The story of Swift Cargo Services Limited versus the company that was given the contract on the Ndola/Mufulira Road to Mokambo is well known. We are following up these matters. However, his question is when. I believe that it is the desire of Zambians to see accountability in the way their resources were misused. As a House, I think we should stand as one to make sure that we do ask for accountability of how the money was spent. We are the ones who pass the Budget here and when those monies are misappropriated, misused or misapplied, it us as a complete House that should feel concerned.

 

Sir, we are fully aware that all these matters, including the one that the hon. Member of Parliament for Kankoyo has asked, even though it is not subject of this, are being investigated. Where somebody will be found wanting, action will be taken.

 

Mr Speaker, this ministry and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, in terms of infrastructure such as roads and so on, were to a larger extent used as conduits for money going to do wrong things. The people of this country have to understand where the piles of money that people were showing in the videos on social media were coming from. It was coming from ministries such as ours. That is why works were not done properly. Instead of doing the work, money was going into pockets and because it was so much, they were now blatantly displaying it. We cannot afford to ignore that. We have to follow up. I tell you that action will be taken; some of it will be blacklisting, naming and shaming, and serving time eventually.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mutelo (Mitete): Mr Speaker, how I wish even us as Parliamentarians, more so our friends on the left, should now be coming to say the much talked about unprecedented development was not there. Before doing all that will come after investigations, is the Government not extending an olive branch to offenders to just own up and bring back the money?

 

Amb. Kalimi: Arrest them!

 

Eng Milupi: Mr Speaker, I think we are a party of order. We obey rules and understand the structure of our leadership. Our able President has extended an olive branch for the recovery of the money. We, as hon. Ministers follow that. Those who think are clever and that we will not find out, there is no way we cannot find out. In terms of roads, for those who got money and did shoddy works, what we are doing now is drilling cores and examining them to find out exactly whether they fitted the specifications. We are also measuring the width roads, to make sure that where it was supposed to be 6 m, they did not do 5.5 m and over 200 m taking so much money. We are going to do this so that the people understand how their resources were used.

 

Sir, however, when the President asked people to bring back the resources, I urge those who know they were involved to take advantage of that. However, it will not end there. Investigations are being carried out and when they are finished, there will be no time to say “sorry I did this” because then, we will have the evidence to take into court.

 

Mr Speaker, I am very pleased because now, whether it is as a result of the front bench there (pointing to the left) taking a rest, I think we are getting cooperation from hon. Members across there. This is as it should be. Nobody should support wrong doing especially when that affected the people of Zambia.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker. 

 

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Mr Speaker, with the information that the money was paid, my guess is that engineers in his ministry, some who may be there, certified those amounts that the works were done. Now, if the information is that money was paid, but there was no work which was done, what action has the ministry taken or is it going to take on those engineers or members of staff in the ministry who certified works which did not exist?

 

Eng Milupi: Mr Speaker, I think I heard a leader or an acting leader of a certain Opposition party boasting that we still have people in the system. I think this is what the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwense is making reference to. To those people who are in the system, the President’s message first of all, is for rebuilding the country through reconciliation and so on and so forth.

 

Sir, we understand that the previous time was difficult. People were coerced into belonging to a certain organisation or party to keep their jobs. We know that those who were genuinely coerced can reform and when they reform, we can work with them. However, those that continue – The hon. Member of Parliament is right because if a contractor has a payment certificate for work not done, it then means that even our officials were colluding in that act. So, this is what we want to stop to ensure that firstly, any contracts that we give out as the New Dawn Government will be backed by the Budget and availability of money. Secondly, any interim payment certificate (IPC) signed by our engineer will be genuine. We have seen on occasions, engineers certifying works at 60 per cent. However, when people go on site, they find that only 30 per cent has been done and sometimes nothing. These are serious issues. 

 

Mr Speaker, this money belongs to hon. Members of Parliament and their constituents and so on and so forth. Let us work together to expose this so that we put a stop to it, once and for all. We have to have a proper country going forward.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Mr Speaker, revelations were made yesterday on the Floor of this House by an hon. Member of Parliament that no one was involved in corrupt activities in the previous regime. Going by what was stated yesterday on the Floor of the House when the Executive was challenged, what is the Executive’s current position towards the revelations and the challenge that were made yesterday? It was said that no one was involved in the activities that people perceive the former regime to have committed and that the eyes of the citizens of this country are becoming blue because they want to see action done?

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, kindness sometimes gets abused. The New Dawn Administration through the President has said it wants to rebuild the country, uphold the rule of law and bring order in the nation so that there are investigations to find out exactly what happened before we take someone to court.

 

Sir, certain people have taken advantage of that because in their minds, they think that with the time given, they could have moved things from where they were and hidden them somewhere else. They think they are clean and they can come and challenge us to take them to court. They say that we should not tell them to bring back anything but just take them to court. That level of arrogance in a nation that is trying to heal, a nation where everybody knows that things went wrong, is not helpful. For some of these cases require people are to be brought here to reach the bottom of those things. Things like immunity cannot just be done anyhow. So, those people should not dare the Government of the day on this matter.

 

Mr Speaker, we are serious about wanting a corruption-free country. The President said the corruption fight would look at the past, the present and the future. The present, of course, involves us who are in office now. That is a warning to us. The future is a warning to those who will come after us, but the past is not a warning because actions have already been taken. When they come out arrogantly and tell us to take them to court, what they think they have hidden away somewhere will be exposed. This country is too small for people to dare those who are running the country. I hope that we will not be hearing things like that.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Ordinarily, the hon. Minister of Health was supposed to render a ministerial statement on Friday, but we are all aware that tomorrow is a public holiday. I should commend her for her efficiency as she is ready to render her ministerial statement. So, before we go any further, I will allow her to render her ministerial statement because the issue in question is contentious in nature.

 

I thank you.

 

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

AVAILABILITY OF MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN THE COUNTRY

 

The Minister of Health (Mrs Masebo): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity to update the House and the nation at large on the availability of medicines and medical supplies in the country in general, and in Chama District in particular. I will also use the opportunity to update the House on the measures that the Government has put in place to address the issue of low drug levels in some public health facilities in the country.

 

Sir, the Government is committed to the provision of equity of access for all Zambians to good quality, safe and efficacious medicines and medical supplies. These supplies should be affordable, rationally used and should be taken as close to the family as possible in line with our National Drug Policy.

 

Mr Speaker, the availability of essential medicines and medical supplies countrywide in the last few years has been below the expected target of 80 per cent. Hon. Members will appreciate that for a country to be said to be sufficient in the provision of medicines, the country’s facilities need to ensure that they are at least at 80 per cent.

 

Sir, currently, the national stock position is low, although some facilities may have the required essential medicines and medical supplies. This deficit has been necessitated by a number of factors.

 

Mr Speaker, the first issue is the issue of resources. You will appreciate that for a country’s medical supplies to be at 80 per cent, the amount of money that would be required would be K5.2 billion. However, this has not been the case, unfortunately, for many years, especially in the last three to five years.

 

Mr Speaker, you will note that in 2021, the budget for the procurement of medicines and medical supplies was about K1.4 billion. This is against a total annual drug budget of K5.2 billion. This gap in the Budget overtime negatively impacted commodity security. As a result of this deficit of the years, the Ministry of Health kept on procuring drugs without paying the suppliers, leading to a drug debt of over K2.2 billion. The accumulation of the drug debt has become unbearable and as a result, most suppliers could no longer supply medicines and medical supplies as they needed to be unlocked through debt servicing.

 

Sir, the New Dawn Government took note of this situation and, as you noted in the current annual Budget of 2022, increased resources for the purchase of drugs from K1.4 billion to 3.8 billion.

 

 

Mr Speaker, in addition, last year in December, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, taking into account the situation on the ground, released outstanding allocations for drug supplies for three months. All these resources were paid in December to allow health facilities countrywide to, at least as a matter of emergency, procure some medicines and medical supplies from local suppliers and manufactures.

 

Mr Speaker, the New Dawn Government last year, in addition to what was released to all the health facilities, released a further K617 million for emergency procurement of medicines and medical supplies from local suppliers and manufactures by Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA).

 

Mr Speaker, I draw the attention of the House and the public to recollect that the process for procurement was advertised by ZAMMSA, however, there were irregularities in the procurement processes as ZAMMSA did not conduct a transparent tendering procedure. As a result, there were arbitration processes which were initiated following complaints from various bidders through Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA). As a result of this process, it led the newly appointed board and the new ZAMMSA management to re-initiate a new and transparent procurement process. This was not only done in the spirit of transparency and fairness but also in the spirit of helping to build proper trusted procurement systems for the institution.

 

Mr Speaker, let me inform you that it is as a result of the action by ZAMMSA’s new management to re-advertise that contract that we noted a systematic ploy by some of the suppliers who have mounted a massive propaganda to create a very bad picture of the drug situation in the country. This is why you have heard people say the situation of the lack of drugs in the country has been there for the last six months. The question that begs an answer is: if it is six months, what was happening in the last six months?

 

Mr Speaker, the truth of the matter is, indeed, as I have alluded earlier, the levels of drugs in this country have been low. Normally, one would want to have a supply of drugs that would last for three months. At three months you begin to get through the process of procurement.

 

Mr Speaker, further, I inform you that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has in itself adversely affected the global supply chain in that most countries which manufacture raw materials for medicines and medical supplies were on lock down, coupled with restrictions in the transport sector.

 

Mr Speaker, indeed, the situation in the facilities can only be said to be very good when supplies are above 80 per cent as earlier stated. However, I am delighted to inform the House and the Zambian people that the New Dawn Administration under the able leadership of His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Zambia, has put measures in place to improve supply management system to ensure availability of essential medicines and medical supplies. I will outline some of the measures.

 

The procurement, storage and distribution function of medicines and medical supply has since been moved from the Ministry of Health Headquarters to ZAMMSA. This is in accordance with the new Act that was enacted in 2019 but took time for enactment. So, in following the law and making sure that we, as the Government, do not continue doing things outside the law that is exactly the first step that we took;

 

The ZAMMSA board has since been put in place to provide policy and strategic direction to the management and operations of the agency. The board has hit the ground running.

 

Mr Speaker, currently the men and women that are running ZAMMSA are of high integrity and vast experience in Government procedures. It is unfortunate that it is in this country, and I repeat what I have always said, where men and women of high integrity are brought down through mud-slinging and falsehoods that are spread on social media just to get what they want. 

 

Mr Speaker, I must tell you that all that is going round over the issue of hitting at the new board at ZAMMSA, which is barely three months in the office, is nothing but a ploy by some suppliers. This is because they are used to the old system of corrupting people and once they meet people that they cannot corrupt, they get on social media, using people who do not understand, to begin to destroy even the very people who are trying to help them. 

 

The New Dawn Government has increased, as I said, the drug budget allocation from K1.4 billion in 2021 to K3.4 billion in 2022. Take note, as earlier said, that in the month of December, 2021, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning released three outstanding grants specifically for drugs.

 

Mr Speaker, I am aware and I must report that yesterday, as an hon. Minister, I deliberately asked the District Commissioner (DC) in Central Province, particularly in Kapiri Mposhi, and other places to go and check for me because the noise of “zero drugs” was becoming too loud.

 

Mr Speaker, you know and you have been following how much of drugs we have been receiving even just from our cooperating partners since January or last year mid November. Various partners have funded direct medicines which have received and other consumables which have been distributed to hospitals countrywide.

 

Mr Speaker, I want to state that the DC for Kapiri Mposhi did visit one of the hospitals and I was told that he went with the press to inspect a particular hospital in Kapiri Mposhi. It is a rural area. It is not in town, Ndola or Lusaka. What he found there was that yes, it was not at 80 per cent but was above 50 per cent.

 

Mr Speaker, the answer was simply that the management at that hospital has been using the resources that the Government sent them for drug purposes. We know that hospitals can buy their drugs over the counter. Although they may be buying over the counter, in some cases they may pay higher than when we buy in bulk. This is exactly what has happened to a number of health facilities in the country where we have responsible managers who are neither misappropriating the money nor doing things deliberately.       

 

Mr Speaker, I want you to know that only yesterday, I challenged the provincial heath director for Lusaka. I asked him to explain why we do not have drugs. I am fully aware that hospitals have been given resources to help them cushion the situation while ZAMMSA is stabilising. I am happy to state here that I personally called the Managing Director for the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Adult Hospital to ask about the situation. His answer was “yes we are low but we are okay”. The drugs are there. It is easy, one can go to Kapiri Mposhi and the UTH and they will find that yes, the challenge of low drugs is there, but not in the manner it is being deliberately portrayed just to create a problem on a problem that already exists. It is very unpatriotic indeed. 

 

Mr Speaker, I may seem like I want to take you back. You have seen the unnecessary fight when it comes to the recruitment of health workers as if this is the first time Zambia is recruiting workers. Yet this Government is trying to employ a big number of workers, which is unprecedented. What do they do? They try to cause confusion. They try to undermine us. The same thing that they are doing with procurement and the issue of recruitment of health workers is what they are trying to do now on the issue of drugs.

 

Mr Speaker, I am delighted to inform the House that the procurement of 42,000 health centre kits which form the backbone of the primary health care service delivery supply chain is being finalised by ZAMMSA. This procurement will translate into a one year’s supply with coverage of over 95 per cent. It is our hope that the country should start receiving these kits within the shortest period, taking into account all the legal processes. Attaining universal health converge involves ensuring adequate health care financing and putting financial protection mechanisms in place. It is in this regard that the Government, through the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA), provides accredited facilities with complementary, predicable and sustainable financing. This aims to progressively ensure that all Zambians have equitable access to essential quality health care without suffering any financial impoverishment.

 

Mr Speaker, on the Floor of this House, I did say when we were discussing the budget for the Ministry of Health, that this administration has put in place a mechanism to increase the budget for drugs. Apart from putting the K3.4 billion for drugs, there will be finances that will come through NHIMA specifically for procurement of drugs. This is not something that will be coming; this is something that is already happening. You may appreciate that currently, NHIMA itself has selected accredited drug stores or chemists in various parts of the country. I am sure you have seen that some chemists say that they are accredited to NHIMA, meaning a patient can go to that chemist and be given the drug that has been prescribed by a particular hospital and the patient does not pay. Why? It is because the patient is a member of NHIMA.

 

Mr Speaker, I have, on the Floor of this House, urged my hon. Colleagues to assist us to go out and talk to their people and get their people to understand that it pays to belong to NHIMA and that the money you pay, whether it is K50 or K30 every month, helps when you get sick and go to the hospital but you do not have money. The hospital will give you a prescription and with that prescription, you will go to a pharmacy in town or anywhere else or if the hospital has the drug, the hospital will give you that drug. If the hospital does not have that drug, it will give you a prescription which you will take to a private chemist and get that drug without you paying because NHIMA will pay. That chemist will claim the money later from NHIMA which will make the payment for that drug that was consumed by a particular patient. What am I saying? I am saying that there is another measure that the Government has put in place to ensure that the purchase of drugs is funded by NHIMA.

 

Mr Speaker, the third component is donor funding. Donors have come through, as I said earlier, to help us ensure that we have adequate drugs for various diseases, especially human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria, COVID-19, including tuberculosis (TB), just to mention a few. Most of these drugs have been received since we took office and have continued to come. A total of 74,435 x 30 pack size of anti-malaria drugs were received. The first delivery of 151,695 out of the 704,300 x 100 pack size was completed on 16^th February, 2022. The balance of 552,605 is being delivered in staggered quantities. These are actively being delivered to ZAMMSA, as I speak. The team at ZAMMSA has been directed to ensure that the commodities being received should immediately be distributed to the health centres to help stabilise the supply chain, and ZAMMSA has also received the required consumables for patients who are on life-saving dialysis. These commodities were distributed last week to the UTH and other centres have continued receiving these this week. Many more are needed of course and the procurement will continue because that is the job of ZAMMSA to procure medical supplies and drugs for the country.

 

Mr Speaker, the emergency procurement of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) for the second and the third lines have also been complemented. The ARVs should be in the country and ready for distribution within two weeks.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government has also increased monthly grants to all health institutions and has been consistent in releasing these grants to all districts and hospitals. It is from the said grants that hospitals and district health offices are expected to buy drugs and medical supplies so as to supplement those supplied by ZAMMSA. Hospitals that fail to prioritise the buying of drugs do not mean well for the people of Zambia, and the Ministry of Health, through the provincial directors, has been asked to check which institutions these are for further action.

 

Mr Speaker, the donor community has also contributed to commodity security as ARVs, TB medicines, anti-malaria drugs, anti-COVID-19 drugs, drugs for treatment of HIV-related diseases, test kits for HIV, viral load test kits, test kits for COVID-19), and various other drugs and supplies are also in good supply because the Government, working through the donors, has made these available.

 

Mr Speaker, the House may wish to note that in 2021, NHIMA processed and paid K406,939 claims valued at K174.2 million to accredited providers. Furthermore, 131 accredited Government and Mission Hospitals were given advance payments by NHIMA worth K60.4 million to invest in improving service delivery. Cumulatively, from the inception of NHIMA in October 2019, it has so far invested over K260 million in accredited Government and mission hospitals of which 60 per cent has been used by the facilities to supplement procurement of essential medicines and supplies to mitigate the low refill rates from ZAMMSA. NHIMA, even as we speak, continues paying theses claims to the hospitals making the burden lighter.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to share how NHIMA helps facilities using an illustration of Chama District hospital. NHIMA accredited Chama District Hospital received K395,718.54 in advance payments and unclaimed payments for 2021. This represents significant complimentary funding levels of 26 per cent to Government budgeted grants for Chama District Hospital, the majority of which was used to procure medicines and medical supplies for the patients in the facility. Furthermore, the NHIMA district hospital level tariffs were revised from 3^rd January, 2022 which is expected to lead to a tenfold increment in claim values from the Government and mission hospitals for 2022.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government will, with the support of partners, operationalise the Medicines and Medical Supply Fund established under the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency Act 9 of 2019. The purpose of the fund is to provide among others:

 

1. to ensure availability of medicines and medical supplies in public health facilities; and
2. to procure and distribute medicines and medical supplies for emergency purposes for public health facilities.

 

Mr Speaker, we are all aware that Zambia, like many developing countries, is faced with not only high disease burden of communicable diseases but also a rising burden of none communicable diseases. This Government is not only going to focus on treating diseases but also on promoting wellness and preventing diseases at the same time. We need to cut the cost of treating diseases availability of medicines and medical supplies must be supported by the public through improved health status of our people. This can only be achieved by ensuring the continuum of care through promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitation and palliative services, is sustained. Therefore, promotion of good health and prevention of diseases are some of the cornerstones of public health and those are some of the things and programmes that we are, as Government, ensuring that we enhance to ensure that we cut on costs.

 

Mr Speaker, it is with the above in mind that the Government shall ensure that while it increases spending on medicine and medical supplies, it also ensure that our interventions that contribute to health population are not neglected.

 

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I inform this House that the Government will ensure that the security of medicines and medical supplies are enhanced. We will restore efficient and effective procurement, storage and distribution of medicine and medical supplies. This will initiate commodity security and restore confidence in our health systems by health workers, patients and, indeed, the general public

 

Mr Speaker the national procurement of storage and distribution of medicines is not a preserve of the Government alone and therefore, I call upon all members of this august House and the general public to report any malpractices to the police or relevant authorities. We know that there are times that drugs procured by the Government find themselves in private chemists. It is time for us to work together to change the narration on medicines and medical supplies in our country.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement given by the hon. Minister.

 

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North): Mr Speaker, I raised this matter on behalf of Chama North and there were two issues I raised. The issues are the shortage of coartem and other essential drugs and oxygen cylinders. I said that Chama district hospital has only ten oxygen cylinders but only one is working. However, I have not heard the hon. Minister addressing the issue of oxygen cylinders yet we are in the Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) era and we cannot have a situation where you only have one oxygen cylinder working. On the issue of drugs, this morning, I called the Council Chairperson who went to the hospital and he found the situation still the same. Chama has serious problems in terms of road infrastructure. It is very difficult to reach most of the health centres there. I want to find out what immediate measures the ministry is taking to ensure that coartem is available because we are aware that malaria is the number one killer disease in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I urge the House to keep asking questions in line with the statement that has been presented.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I will try as much as possible to stick to the question because I see that I used a hospital in the hon. Member’s constituency as an example. Thanks for that timely question which speaks to everybody because his concern in Chama is the concern in Chongwe, Mansa and Kapiri Mposhi.

 

Mr Speaker, in my statement, I did allude to the fact that currently – In fact, I must state that I was in the Eastern Province and I have been there twice. The first time I was with Her Honour the Vice-President and we had an opportunity to visit a number of clinics but in particular the main hospital. We found that the x-ray machine was not working. Immediately we returned, we sent an x-ray machine there. Whilst they still had that x-ray machine, thanks to donors we received a new x-ray machines and a new x-ray machine was sent to Chipata. We also discovered that the stock levels of drugs were low. The second time I went to Chipata, just two to three days or four before the Ncwala Ceremony, there were five trucks of drugs that were going to the Eastern Province.

 

Mr Speaker, the day when I went to the hub, a thirty tonne truck of drugs had arrived. I even left instructions that when the other four trucks arrive, the permanent secretary (PS) for the province should ensure that the drugs are followed up and ensure that they are disbursed to other health centres. With the quality of our road network and the heavy rains, it is possible for me to say that it is possible that maybe the transportation of these drugs may be slower in some of the remote parts of the Eastern Province. However, I want to assure the House and the nation through you, Mr Speaker, that we are doing everything possible to ensure that the issue of drugs is streamlined in an effective and sustainable manner.

 

Mr Speaker, through this question, I also want to say this that Zambians must take time to investigate to understand issues. My office is always open. How many times have I called hon. Members of Parliament from your left and right out after they asked a question and together we phoned the relevant hospitals or the PS to ensure that something is done about the situation?

 

I said the problem in the health sector is big. Our colleagues have left a big problem there, but I am surprised that instead of us working together to make things better, no, people are beginning to do politics on issues to do with health. All these things they are doing are all politics. I have committed my life to serving this country through this ministry. Instead of people joining hands, they want to be used by suppliers to fight this Government and see it fail. If this Government fails, it is the people of Zambia that fail.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Hammer!

 

 Mrs Masebo: So, please, let us wok together. Do not be used by suppliers.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the ministerial statement. Indeed, it contains a cocktail of issues that require to be interrogated.

 

Sir, one of the things that I have picked that I mentioned on the Floor of this House is where the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) are sitting when they are supposed to be sitting in the same place. So, you need to look into it. I know that there is a multi-sectoral approach, but the correlation is too strong for them to sit in different ministries. However, the hon. Minister also said that because of the new procurement system, there is a lot of competition that is going on and therefore, suppliers are trying to use different methods to kind of disturb the procurement cycle that she feels will be good to support our health system.

 

Mr Speaker, for example, in my constituency, the fact of the matter is that we have a serious drug shortage and unfortunately, as much as your office is open the way she has described it, you find that the workers are scared. I tell them that I have to represent them in the ministry for the drugs to come. What are some of the immediate interventions her ministry is putting in constituencies like mine where you find that even NHIMA members are complaining that they cannot access the drugs probably because the chemists in Mufulira or Kantanshi do not have the sort of drugs. What is the ministry doing to respond to that? This is why I have been insisting on NHIMA being moved back to the Ministry of Health.

 

 Mrs Masebo: Madam Speaker, the point the hon. has raised is very important. Truthfully, I have nothing to hide and when things are not good, I am always the first one to say we have issues and I have always tried to be mature about these issues on the Floor of this House. I have not tried to use the House to get at people. I am sure if some of my hon. colleagues were in my shoes, this country would have been on fire due to a number of issues that transpired in that ministry, but never! You have never seen me come here use my position or the information that I know to settle any scores with anybody except when people begin to play with the health of people and to use orthodox methods of misinforming the public and playing to the gallery, then it becomes a problem for me. At that stage, I really have no problem to face things head on.

 

 Mr Speaker, for example, he has talked about NHIMA. While I was sitting here, I got a message from somebody on the Copperbelt, a Mr Banda. I get a lot of information from across the country. Mr Banda says:

 

“Hon. Minister, do something. I am a NHIMA accredited patient and I have been given a prescription by the Ndola Teaching Hospital to go and buy the drugs. Fair enough, I am not paying. The Government is paying through NHIMA, but I have to walk and I am a patient. I have to walk from the hospital and go across the road to a pharmacy. Why can we not have those drugs inside?”

 

Now, that is where you are right when you talk about issues of how we manage ourselves internally between the ministry and the NHIMA especially that NHIMA is now under another ministry.

 

Mr Speaker, in another situation, I can given instruction immediately to NHIMA that instead of that clinic, can you accredit the hospital. These are some of the issues that we are already looking at addressing expect it is taking a bit to time to ensure that NHIMA is able to have a chemist within the hospital. In that way, it is easy. Now, people have to leave the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) go to Cairo Road Chemist, Vikay Pharmacy or whichever pharmacy that has been credited.

 

Mr Speaker, the second point is that we have to get NHIMA to get accredited to as many as clinics as possible even in the townships so that it is not only in town, for example. Yes, I admit that there are number of administrative steps that we need to take to make NHIMA work better for the people, but it is important for hon. Members, like I begged them last time, to talk to their people and let them get accredited to NHIMA. By doing that, they will not need to pay anything because that is another form of getting the service.

 

In the second part of his question where he asks what we are doing to improve the clinic or hospital in his district or constituency, Mr Speaker, yesterday, I deliberately sent a number of text messages to a number of hospitals including some provincial directors. I wanted to get the real update because I cannot be everywhere. I can speak about Luapula because I was there. I can speak about Chipata because I was there. I can also speak about some clinics here in Lusaka where I have been, but I cannot speak about all the places including the Copperbelt although I have been to the Copperbelt. I have been to the hospital in Ndola and I have also been to some of the health facilities. In the places I have been, I ask this question publicly in front of the cameras: “What is your situation?” Just like yesterday, I asked the director of the hospital to not say things to please me but should just tell me factually. I cannot visit all the chemists. I asked what their status was and they said:

 

“Hon. Minister, we are as we have always been. We are not at 80 per cent, but surely, we are moving on and we are buying our drugs locally from the money you send us whilst waiting for ZAMMSA to come at full blast so that we can start boasting that we are at 80 per cent.”

 

Mr Speaker, so, that is the situation.

 

Sir, there are some clinics or hospitals that maybe very bad and the reason is simple; it is a management issue. Can the hon. Member tell me, because previously, he was getting K50,000 as grants for using as pocket money for his hospital. The new Government comes and in the same year in December, it gives you the same amount three times in one month. Remember, we are now in March. In January it moved from K50,000 and is now giving you K100,0000 and giving it to you on time.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mrs Masebo: Surely, what are they doing with the money? One would expect that they prioritise what they do not have. Yes, there are some clinics that are very far and it might even be difficult to reach them. I can take responsibility for them. Not for clinics or hospitals on the Copperbelt, worse more for those in Lusaka District. It is means that something is cooking. I get information every day. What are you doing with the Patriotic Front (PF) people? Surely, do you want us to go and fire everybody? The President has said no, because that is not what we were elected for.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Bring the money back!

 

 Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, we have said to everybody, including the staff ministry, to work together for our country. The people of Zambia will see that we are uniting for their good, but it is clear that we are having members of the Civil Service who are serving outside masters.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, that is why the hon. Member can see that even when he is sitting here, people can start writing articles responding to the hon. Minister’s statement and they have information as if they are in the ministry. They even misinform the people.   
 

We have a problem Mr Speaker and through you, Mr Speaker, I want to say to the people of Zambia that let us not play with issues to do with health. Their agenda is to get the hon. Minister fired. Even if I get fired tomorrow, it will not change anything. It might just get worse. So, please, let us not tempt the appointing authority.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Just continue serving them.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mtayachalo: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mtayachalo: Mr Speaker, I rarely rise on points of order. My point of order is in line with Standing Order No. 65 (1)(b) which says:

 

         “ensure that the information he or she provides to the House is factual and verifiable.”

 

The hon. Minister has made very serious allegations that some people are being used to fight the New Dawn Government on behalf of the suppliers.

 

Mr Mabeta: Yes!

 

Mr Mtayachalo: Is the hon. Minister in order to make those allegations without laying facts on the Table.

 

 I need your serious ruling on that matter.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Madam Minister said that she has information as regards to that. However, being a Minister, there is some information that she is privileged to that is classified.

 

Mr Mabeta: Ema Speaker, aya!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: It is not every piece of information that she may lay on the Table because she may be compromising certain information.

 

Thank you.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for her elaborate Ministerial Statement. I indeed do sympathise with her because the issues in her ministry are quite historic and we are aware that even with the centralised buying system, we had grocery stores or even construction companies registered with the National Construction Council (NCC), supplying medical equipment and drugs to the ministry. I am concerned that even with the centralised buying, we had these problems and now that Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) is settling and that there are grants being extended to these health centres, obviously, we will still have a problem or not having drugs because this kind of system subjects the ministry to a lot of political sabotage and, of course, even by business people. When will ZAMMSA settle so that we can get back to centralised buying and that we do not have many problems in chasing up these health centres that are not doing their job?

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for his follow up question which is very important. If you recall, I said the new Act which we are following now is Act No. 19 or 9 of 2019, states that in order for us to improve on the levels of procuring medicines and medical supplies, ZAMMSA will be assisted with what is called a Drug Fund. The Drug Fund, Mr Speaker, has not yet been operationalised. To operationalise the Drug Fund, we needed resources to be appropriated by Parliament which has now been done by approving the K3.4 billion.

 

The second point, Mr Speaker, is that there will be NHIMA. Remember that the NHIMA is a new establishment. With the NHIMA, it is hoped that we will have many Zambians, apart from people in formal employment accredited or registered with the NHIMA so that when they get sick, that insurance will help them. They do not have to start running around looking for money for health care. I can tell you that from experience so far, NHIMA is helping those that have been accredited. The only problem are the challenges which the hon. Member from the Copperbelt has raised which are administrative because they are still new and there are a number of things that they are trying to improve. They are not a 100 per cent perfect but I must tell you that in my view, as minister now, they are trying. However, they need to get more people from your constituencies in order for the best to become big. From whatever money NHIMA gets, 60 per cent of that money goes to our hospitals for nothing else but drugs. That again, is to improve on the drug budget.

 

The third component, Mr Speaker, is donors. I will tell you that in this year’s budget, we have K174 million for COVID-19 drugs only but we have not yet spent much of that money because we have so much drugs that we received from donors that have really supported Zambia and the New Dawn Government. Thank you, to them. Such that, with all this COVID-19, you have seen how we have tried to even bring down the deaths and to get people to get vaccinated. When we took over power vaccination was at 3 per cent, today, we are over 25 per cent or so. Many people now are getting vaccinated. Thanks to all the hon. Members of Parliament from both the right and left sides of the House, the chiefs, churches and the people of Zambia at large, they have all come up. I do not have that problem as hon. Minister anymore where people were saying this and that because people are now going by themselves to be vaccinated. So, these are the three components and of course any other sources as the hon. Minster may designate in terms of raising resources.

 

Mr Speaker, this new Government, this new hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has been magnanimous because he has sent the money that we have asked from him in as far as drugs are concerned. The challenge has been the corruption in the procurement where you have a clique of people …

 

Mr Samakayi: PF!

 

Mrs Masebo: … who want to continue with the old order at the exclusion of Zambians.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Masebo: When we say no, they begin to use the same Zambians to hit at us …

 

Mr Mabeta: Imagine!

 

Mrs Masebo: … without asking themselves what is going.

 

Interruptions

 

Mrs Masebo: That is the issue that we are trying to resolve. Anna Chifungula, the Chairperson of the Board, is a woman of the highest integrity. Nobody seated here or outside can question that. Mr Mwaba, the Acting Chief Executive who is also the Chief Executive for Apex University, is a renowned health practitioner and a decent man. They allow people from the street who are just crooks to be hitting at him just because somebody wants to create a situation of desperation so that we buy from them. We are saying no. Let us put our house in order ladies and gentlemen.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Masebo: Yes, indeed, we have problems in many things in the health sector but we are doing our best. There is commitment from the highest level of this Government; the President himself. Thank you, to a number of you hon. Members, both from the left and right sides of the House that have really supported this ministry. Without their support we would not reach this far. Please, let us continue.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the statement. We really appreciate it. To what extent is the impact of the famous Honeybee drugs to this drug situation in the country and what measures have been taken to bring about discipline to the culprits in the ministry vis-a-vis these issues that we are experiencing now from some of the culprits that are busy campaigning against the situation when they caused it?

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I will answer that question in relationship to the drug situation. As you will note, the order to purchase drugs from ZAMMSA was in fact a purchase of what we call essential medicine which, as I stated in the statement, is the backbone of the drug supply in our health facilities.

 

Mr Speaker, this is the kit where we have all the various drugs for very common diseases and that order did not work well enough because of the problems which they know. Even today, your Committee was calling my Permanent Secretaries to answer issues concerning the same Honey Bee and because of that problem, that also did have an impact. There were many other suppliers that had always supplied drugs. However, some of the suppliers were also left out in preference to Honey Bee. The drugs from Honey Bee became problematic. It meant that there was an impact on the supply into ZAMMSA.

 

Mr Speaker, you know that some of those drugs were kept in a special place because they were said to not be good for consumption. Unfortunately, you know what happened; those drugs were erroneously released. I want to tell you today that I even ask myself, as a minster, if it was an error or deliberate. That is for the ongoing investigations and I pray to God that one day, we will soon know the truth.

 

Mr Speaker, you know that now we are being told to pay them because the Government used the drugs and yet these are drugs that are still problematic. So, my answer to the hon. Member is that these are matters that even Parliament is still investigating. These are matters that are still being investigated. These are matters which have even brought new issues now because somebody tried to distribute part of those drugs them. Now all this is part of the information that people are feasting on. 

 

Mr Speaker, Zambians are not taking time to understand the issue or to even come and ask me what the issue is so that they can understand, especially for leaders so that they can help. This is the time when you hear people now want to go to the streets. I do not know whether going to the streets answers the question.

 

Mr Speaker, as I said, we are a sincere and committed group of people who only want to work and serve this country. We have no other interest, but to serve Zambians to the best of our abilities.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, I want to state that we, as opposition hon. Members, do not believe in derailing, disturbing or bringing down the Government because we are aware that the success of our President is not his but our people’s success. It is our people who will benefit. He is already the President. We are aware of that. So, the assertion by the hon. Ministers that people are being used is not correct because we were never medical suppliers neither do we know who the suppliers to her ministry are. As we sit here, I want to state that we can never be used.

 

Mr Speaker, we need your protection. I seek one point of clarification from the hon. Minster since she has mentioned that National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) is playing a role through procurement of these drugs and engagement of private pharmacies. However, these pharmacies in most rural areas, including Chama, do not exist. We will never find a pharmacy in Chama.

 

Mr Speaker, in case they are giving the hon. Minister wrong information on the ground, as I speak now, our people do not have panadol and coartem for treatment of malaria. In short, they do not essential drugs. What measures has the hon. Minister put in place to ensure that rural areas like Chama where people totally depend on the Government are not included on programmes which might need someone to go to pharmacies which will later be paid by NHIMA? In Chama we do not have pharmacies.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I do not know whether it the same hon. Member who asked the question. If I am right, let me make an assurance that after this, I will work with the hon. Member to ensure that the issues he has raised here concerning coartem and panadol. He should come back to the House and inform the Speaker that it has been done, assuming that what he is saying is factual, as well.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you have been invited to go to the hon. Minister’s office so that more clarity can be given.

 

Amb. Kalimi: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Amb. Kalimi: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order pursuant to Standing Order 65. Have the rules of the House and procedure changed that only the Backbenchers are affected and the hon. Ministers are not affected? Are the hon. Ministers hon. Members of the House that they can come on the Floor of the House, insinuate things, say things that are not factual and then they can go scot-free? I need your guidance and serious ruling.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you are not precise.

 

Amb. Kalimi: Sure, Mr Speaker. There was a point of order which was raised by Hon. Mtayachalo over what the hon. Minister said here that we are being used and it was ruled that maybe the hon. Minister had some factual information. However, what I know is that the hon. Minister is an hon. Member of Parliament here and she is not exempted from any rule and procedure.

 

Mr Speaker, I, therefore, wanted you to guide me if the hon. Ministers are exempted from the rules of this House.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, I thought we dealt with that issue and I ruled accordingly. The issue under question was investigative in nature. That is why I said there is some information that the hon. Minister cannot lay on the table because certainly they could be under investigation. I think that was my position. Let us progress.

 

Amb. Kalimi: Sorry, Mr Speaker.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you can take your seat. Let us progress.  

 

Mr Mulaliki:  (Senanga): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister of Health for the information she has given us regarding the medicines. Now, as I stand here today, we have a challenge of medicines in Senanga. As I speak now, we do not have medicines in Senanga Hospital. However, the hon. Minister have stated that medicines have been dispatched.

 

Mr Speaker, is it not that those same people in her ministry who are trying to frustrate her work, discredit the Government and deliberately delaying the dispatch of these medicines.

 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is doing a lot to ensure that the health of our people is taken care of. However, when she is working with people whose only aim is to ensure that they discredit her work, they will make sure that even those things that should be done within twenty-four hours are done in two weeks times. She will not be there to check on them each and every moment.

 

Mr Mung’andu: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Mulaliki: Mr Speaker, it is actually important that the hon. Minister ensures that those people –

 

The Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, ask a question. You are now debating. 

 

Mr Mulaliki: Mr Speaker, thank you very much.

 

Sir, when is the hon. Minister getting rid of people that are discrediting her work in the ministry?

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: That question is not in line with what the hon. Minister was presenting.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, what is happening right now in most hospitals around the country is that when a patient goes there, they are given a prescription to go and buy drugs in town. We have now seen the situation becoming worse. Is it not that the people managing stock are the ones trying to sabotage the Government, including those who have private hospitals? Does the hon. Minister not think that our medicines, which the Government is taking to the hospitals, are ending up in private hospitals where majority of the people go to get some good services?

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I hope as I answer that question, I also take into account some of the issues being brought out indirectly.

 

Mr Speaker, firstly, I want to put it on record that I did not mention anybody in particular, whether here in this Parliament or outside. I just said some suppliers or some people. That is what I said. So, unless somebody is guilty, they can start pointing at themselves.

 

Hon. Government Members: Mung’andu is guilty!

 

Mrs Masebo: Secondly, I did not stand here to tell anybody that the hospitals or health facilities in Zambia have all the drugs. I did not say that. I said we are low on drugs. That is what my statement is saying. What does low mean?

 

Mr Speaker, let me deliberately tell you that I speak to people even as I am here, to help me answer the questions. Some of my officers are there (pointing at Government officers). They have said to me that Chama received 115 oxygen cylinders from the Government and four oxygen cylinders from Afrox Zambia Limited. However, the hon. Member of Parliament said they only have one working oxygen cylinder and they they do not have anything. Yes, it is even possible that there could be issues of poor use of those same cylinders, but the fact remains that they were considered and they received, maybe even much more than other areas.

 

Sir, the other point is that hon. Members of Parliament have been part and parcel of this Government in approving the budget for the Ministry of Health and they have been asking questions such as, when certain things and ambulances were going to taken to their constituencies? I have told them that those are processes and they have heard His Excellency, the President mention that there are challenges with procurement processes in the country, but some of these challenges are legal because they are bound by the Constitution and an Act. In some cases, you can even see that some of these things –

 

Mr Speaker, you heard somebody saying that the new Board went around looking at prices and that was a problem. Further, that the Board should not do that because it is not its business. They are saying that against the Board because they are looking for week souls that they can corrupt but they have found a tough Board and Management. They do not have a way to corrupt the Board. They are now using people who do not understand the situation and keep asking them why the Board Chairman and the manager going around to verify.

 

Sir, the President gave us three guidelines; that drugs must have the right prices, should be of good quality and must be delivered on time. We have to follow that line. My hon. Colleagues know that when you try to follow the right things, those that are used to corruption will fight you. I expect these guys to help us and not to join those people to fight and weaken us. They are not helping themselves.

 

Sir, the point here is that there are big business cartels in this country; whether they deal in fertilizer, roads, medicine or hunting, and the hon. Members know it. The people of Zambia are just spectators in these businesses and the President is trying to help to make the people of Zambia get involved in their own economy, but what are they are doing? They are allowing themselves to be used by other people.

 

Mr Nkandu: Not Foreigners.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Masebo: I did not say who it is. I just said Zambians out there. Can hon. Members of Parliament tell me; if the people who are going round creating confusion even where there is no confusion are right even when it comes to simple things about procurement? Does the hon. Minister procure as an individual? Does the hon. Minister employ as an individual? It is the Government system, but everything we do is challenged. I have challenged hon. Members of Parliament to help in their respective areas. So, when they bring these questions, I am happy because they are helping me. So, if from here hon. Members of Parliament can go back and phone their various institutions and ask them that, “the hon. Minister said you were given resources, what have you done with them?”

 

Sir, it is the hon. Members to help. I am giving out this information so that hon. Members can follow up. The hon. Member of Parliament for Senenga must ask the hospital in Senenga why they do not even have basic drugs. How can a hospital not have panadol? Please, gentlemen and ladies.

 

Sir, it is true that I am being undermined and I know it, but I also know that even some officials in my ministry are being abused by people from outside the ministry. I know that. I know that there are suppliers paying people within my ministry to create confusion, leaking information and giving half-barked information. I know. I have gone through this lane before, but I stand for the truth.

 

Mr Chibuye: Calm down, calm down.

 

Interruptions

 

Mrs Masebo: I stand for the truth and I do my best within my ability to serve the appointing authority because I swore that I would serve him honestly and the people of Zambia. That is all I am doing. So, if working for Zambia is going to cause me to have high blood pressure (HBP), then I think it is a thankless job. All I am saying is that let us help each other. If a particular hospital or health facility currently has no panadol, then that is a problem. An hon. Member with such a clinic should come to our ministry so that we resolve it because the money is there. It is not that we do not have the money, the money is there. That is why I said if what the hon. Member said that they do not have coartem is correct, then let us go after Parliament adjourns and make sure that we rectify that and come and report to the Speaker when we come back on Tuesday.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr J. Daka (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, Chadiza Constituency has not been spared from the shortage of drugs as well, especially the essential ones. I have heard the hon. Minister mention panadol. At Chadiza District Hospital, we have a similar situation where we have even run out of panadol.

 

Sir, most of the community or residents in Chadiza are poor. Even if we were to have National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) accredited chemists or drug stores, what strategy has the Government put in place to ensure that there is universal access to NHIMA facilities?

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Though the hon. Minister in her statement mentioned that, maybe she can shed some more light on it.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I have been advised that coartem has been received and is being distributed to districts, including Chama District.

 

Sir, I would really and truly want hon. Members to work with us. Let all the hon. Members on the right and the left get in touch with their district hospitals to get a status, first of all, from December to date, of what they have done within themselves because resources were given to them and they were advised to procure drugs because we understood – By the way, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has assured me that just as he did in January, he is also doing for February and he is also going to do for March. In as far as funding to the hospitals and health facilities in the country is concerned, I am assured 100 per cent by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

 

Mr Speaker, hon. Members cannot say that their hospitals do not have money because they have never gotten the money they are getting now. Even the little K1.4 billion that was budgeted for in 2021 was not released. The allocation has been doubled and we are releasing it on time. I expect the situation to stabilise.

 

Sir, however, let me say this. There are drugs that are very expensive, not only for the hospitals but even for ZAMMSA. I was on the Floor of this House telling you about drugs for kidney disease. If you remember, we talked about this and we said that just for one person it is about K28,800. Do hon. Members recall the discussion that we had here?

 

Mr Speaker, let us understand one thing, and this, I will not just say for the UPND. I must acknowledge that even during the time of the Patriotic Front (PF) and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), even from Dr Mwanawasa’s time, this is the only country where we have 1.2 million Zambians that are given ARVs everyday that are paid for by the Government. You do not get that in most countries. This Government has continued on the same path to ensure that people get facilities, but it will take a bit of time to stabilise. Give us time and it will stabilise, but help us. What we are doing is that we have given them money and this month we are going to give them more money. I am told that next week the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning will be releasing more money which we still give to the hospitals. They can go and buy cafenol. Surely, can they fail to buy gloves? Where is the money? What is happening?

 

Sir, let us help each other. Tomorrow is a holiday and we are still mourning our father. They can spend a bit of time to contact their districts and constituencies, get information and then come back to me tomorrow to see how we can work this out together to make things better for our people.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Mr Speaker, my question has partially been answered. However, there are essential drugs that are produced locally. The hon. Minister will agree with me that we have had problems like the recent Honey Bee scandal in Kasama and other areas. Those were panadols that were imported into the country.

 

Sir, we can all agree here that each product has a shelf life. How is it so difficult for us as a country to promote and buy from local pharmacies? I know the narrative of the so called ‘suppliers’ is that they cannot buy from here because our drugs are expensive and the manufacturing investments or costs that are put in are higher than those we are importing. However, the disadvantage of those we are importing is the shelf life and the way they are transported from India or whichever country to here.

 

Mr Speaker, why is it so difficult for personnel in her ministry to purchase panadol, brufen and simple medication that is very essential to us? Aspirin 75 is manufactured in this country. Why is it so difficult to buy from our own manufacturers?

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, these are some of the questions we ask. Why should we import panadol if the panadol is here? This is one of the reasons the new management and board has tried to engage suppliers on this matter. I am happy to inform this House that it is true that we do have some local manufacturers who are producing panadol and other essential drugs. The question should be, if they are being produced here, why then should we go to India to get drugs that become questionable by the time they arrive, in some cases, as we have heard?

 

Sir, I will tell you that the problem this country has is nothing but corruption. That is the cancer that all of us must fight. It is a big problem. If people know they have to buy straight from you but there is no commission, they will not come and buy from you. There are always looking for ways and means or processes where it is easy to get a 5 per cent. That is the bottom line.

 

Mr Nkandu: And he knows!

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, talking about where to buy and why away from Zambia, there is the story of Egypt in Cairo. I was very disappointed to hear people start talking about another nation in such a way trying to make insinuations. Zambia and Egypt have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at country level that was signed, not with this administration but between Egypt and the previous administration. We have carried on and one of the issues we have been looking at as a ministry is to see whether we can make sure of that MOU because, as you know, Egypt is very developed when it comes to the production of drugs. So, the ministry is looking at avenues, nearby countries and cheaper sources than just the usual because the truth of the matter is that the amount of money Zambia is paying for drugs is too much.

 

Sir, we should be annoyed as citizens. We cannot continue on the past path. We must change. If changing is going to cost my seat, then it is okay, but posterity will teach us a lesson as Zambians. We cannot continue buying cheap things at inflated prices.

 

Sir, if you go into a chemist and buy cafenol, it is k10, but if the Government goes to the same people to buy cafenol, they will say it’s K20. I must accept that? Surely? Zambians, please wake up! Let us change our country for the benefit of our people.

 

Mr Nkandu: Nyimba is listening!

 

Mrs Masebo: The youth say they want to supply to the Ministry of Health but they are told it is not possible unless they use big companies that are registered. Are you sure? When are our children going to have business?

 

Hon. Government Members: Ask them!

 

Mrs Masebo: They should be annoyed and they should be shouting at us as ministers saying they want to breakaway and that they want the money in Zambia by Zambians for Zambians. That is the quarrel I should be having with my colleagues as opposed to being challenged by the same people when we are doing things for their own good.

 

Hon. Government Members: Mung’andu!

 

Mr Nkandu: Leader of Opposition, listen!

 

Mrs Masebo: Please, take time to understand these issues. There many issues in the Ministry of Health, but I am a mature politician. I am not going to come here and start throwing mud at people. They have seen that I have avoided that, but let them stop provoking me.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mung’andu: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, I am rising on Standing Order No. 134 which states that a Member may call the attention of the House to the presence of a stranger in the Chamber –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER, in the Chair]

 

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was raising on a point of order according to our Standing Order 134. I noticed a stranger in the Chamber.

 

Mr Speaker, I knew the hon. Member for Nkeyema, Mr Kapelwa Mbangweta, very well. He was an old and friendly man, but the hon. Member whom I saw who was shouting, “Mung’andu, Mung’andu” there, was looking like someone in his early twenties. He was very young, smart and energetic. So, I was very shocked as to whether that is the hon. Member for Nkeyema I knew or he has become younger. Luckily, I can see I was seeing a stranger because he is not there. That was my point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, that was on a lighter note.

 

_______

 

REVISION OF FRA MANDATE

 

(Questions for Oral Answer resumed)

 

295. Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to review the mandate of the Food Reserve Agency to allow it to export maize instead of restricting it to procurement of the crop for strategic reserves; and
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

 

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Mr Speaker, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is a statutory body established by the Act of Parliament in 1995. The Act was repealed and replaced by the Food Reserve Act No. 6 of 2020 to re-define its functions.

 

The mandate of the FRA is provided in Section 5 of the Food Reserve Act No. 6 of 2020 and the functions of the FRA are as follows:

 

1. To manage the national strategic food reserves;
2. to market and trade designated commodities;
3. to purchase, import, sell, trade and export a designated agriculture commodity;
4. to establish, manage, lease and maintain storage facilities and equipment to be used in relation to the designated agriculture commodity;
5. to collect information related to marketing of the designated agriculture commodity; and
6. to advise the hon. Minister on matters relating to National Strategic Reserves.

 

Mr Speaker, in view of the above, the FRA has the mandate to export maize as provided for in the Act. As stated above the FRA already has the mandate to export maize or any agriculture commodity.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mtayachalo: Mr Speaker, in fact, I noticed on the Order Paper today and I raised this issue with Journals department that in my original question, my concern or the area or interest is the small scale farmers. Yes, I am aware that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has the mandate to export maize. So, my area of interest is the small scale farmers, who have failed to graduate. They have continued using outdated methods of farming for so many years but they are not graduating.

 

Mr Speaker, can the Government through FRA export maize on behalf of the small scale farmers? That is my area of interest. I am aware that we have tried by all means to make the price of mealie meal political so that people can eat cheaper mealie meal at the expenses of farmers in Situwe in Shangombo. So, these small scale farmers do not have the capacity to export. It is the big guys who have the capacity to export. Therefore, is the Government going to ensure that FRA exports maize on behalf of the small scale framers?

 

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, I would like to advise the hon. Member that indirectly that is what FRA is doing because it buys from the small scale farmers and trades in that crop. It buys at a good price and sells the maize. So, indirectly it is doing that.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, clearly the allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture, 80 per cent of it goes to Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) at the expense of other needy areas within the ministry. Ultimately, when you buy this maize and offload it to millers at a very affordable price in order to maintain the stable price of mealie meal for our people, the Government is losing a lot of money.

 

Mr Speaker, does the Government have plans to bond the FISP beneficiaries, like what the cotton companies do. When you get the seed, you come and sell cotton to the very company that supplied that seed. Do you have those plans so that the private grain market should also go into outgrower schemes in terms of enticing our farmers by giving them a good price unlike the situation is at the moment? Since the FRA Act was amended to allow it to make a profit. As the Government do you have those plans to bond the FISP farmers so that it first buys the maize that is when maybe after it reaches adequate levels that is when it can be able to sell to other so called briefcase traders?

 

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, I will answer the question in two parts.

 

Mr Speaker, firstly, the FRA and the FISP programmers are both undergoing quite severe reviews. If hon. Members have views that they would like us to include, they are free to write so that we can consider those views.

 

Secondly, it is time that we started letting the country know that the next season and going forward when we say that the agency is going to procure 500,000 metric tonnes, it will just be limited to that. This is because once we do otherwise, we disturb the market in the country and that we would like to avoid. So, going forward, what we say will procure, is what will be procured.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Mr Speaker, may I know whether there is a deliberate policy or ploy to allow small scale farmers or co-operatives to export their output directly?

 

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, the country has allowed exports. No farmer in this country should depend wholly on the FRA to export their produce. They are free to do it on their own. That is the policy which we put into effect about three weeks after getting into office and I announced it here. So, the export market is open. Those who did not get it, you are free to export what you grow and we will give you the export permit.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Mr Speaker, first of all, I want to confirm that I am one of the beneficiaries of the export permits, on behalf of the people of Mufulira. We have an export permit and we have given it to the community to start exporting maize. The Government invests a lot of money in the production of maize. Are we really making a profit, as a country, when we export maize because we may end up subsidising other citizens?

 

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, it is good that the hon. Member is involved in the export of maize. We opened the export of maize to hon. Members. We said that those who have the capacity to export, please, come forward and we will help you, and through you, we will help the small scale farmers.

 

Mr Speaker, in as far as profit or loss of export of maize is concerned, that we leave to you as you export. In as far as the Agency is concerned, when we set the price at that time at K200 a bag, which is equivalent to K4,000 per tonne, depending on the exchange rate it is about US$233, the Agency was not making a loss. That, I can guarantee. However, as the exchange rate moves around, yes it can pose a problem and our role would be to make sure that we see how much we can move the price to still make the maize competitive on the export market and see if we can reduce the loss, if any.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

PLANS TO PROCURE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE FOR SOLWEZI EAST

 

296. Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East) asked the Minister of Health:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to procure an additional ambulance suitable for the terrain of Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency; and
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to procure an additional ambulance suitable for the terrain of Solwezi East Constituency.

 

Mr Speaker, as earlier stated, the Government has no immediate plan to procure an additional ambulance. Therefore, this question falls off. The House may wish to note that the Government has prioritised procurement of ambulances to cater for health facilities that do not have ambulance services, and the procurement will be implemented in a phased approach depending on the needs and the amount in the budget.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Katakwe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister may wish to know that Solwezi East Constituency is so vast and currently, we only have the Iveco type of ambulance that has a low base. So, it cannot service the people up north, which is about 140 km on the kind of roads that we have, and 165 km down south on a very bad road. It takes about five to six hours at the moment for one to get from St Dorothy to Mapunga, which is in Chief Mujimanzovu area. To travel to service the border side which is 140 km, it takes about four or five hours on this kind of terrain. You will notice that there are many ambulances which are just lying idle in various ministries. Some of them maybe just have a faulty pump. Such can just be repaired and given to us. Hon. Minister, really, we want your help in that area as soon as possible because we do not have this kind of facility. Many people are dying because we are not able to reach them.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, this year we are buying ambulances and the starting point will be for those health facilities which do not have ambulances. It is also true that although there are some districts that may have an ambulance, there will be need to give additional ambulances because of the distance. You will find that some districts are in three parts. So, you will find that for the ambulance to reach the third part, it is as if it is going to another district. In some cases we use a particular district to service another district. I will give an example of Ngwerere under Chongwe. Ngwerere is more a part of Lusaka District than Chongwe and so to expect an ambulance to come from Chongwe to Ngwerere you will find that it is too late. So, maybe that is the situation. If that is the situation, indeed the ministry is looking at such districts and that will be the next phase.

 

Mr Speaker, let me use this opportunity to speak to the hon. Members of Parliament. You have the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) under your control. There are ambulances dotted in your constituencies. Indeed it is true that some of them have very little problems. Maybe this time we can work together. Maybe some of these ambulances can be fixed and then they can be allocated to those constituencies where the hon. Members of Parliament think ambulances are a priority.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Sampa (Matero): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister pre-empted my question on whether Solwezi East could use its Constituency Development Fund (CDF). In the case of Matero, we used the CDF. What role will the ministry play in the running costs or maintenance of these ambulances that will be bought using the CDF?

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I want to say that we in the Ministry of Health are of the view that the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and any other ministry are one Government. Therefore, we believe that hon. Members of Parliament who want to use their CDF in respect of the Ministry of Health functions, for example, can do so. If you want to build a hospital or clinic, you want to buy an ambulance, or you want to get extra staff, for example, a nurse, to work in a particular hospital because you think that nurse is cardinal, and for the remaining maybe six months you choose that you will use part of your CDF to pay that nurse, you can come and we can work together. Within our budget, we can put our monies together to assist each other. What is important is service delivery. So, in that regard, if you buy an ambulance, although that ambulance has been bought by the CDF under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, we will take that ambulance as if it is a Ministry of Health ambulance. We will fix it if it breaks down and we will support the running of that ambulance.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

STALLED REHABILITATION OF CHIKWA/CHASEFU ROAD

 

297. Mr Mung’andu asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

 

1. why the rehabilitation of the Chikwa/Chasefu road in Chama South Parliamentary Constituency has stalled:
2. when the works will resume;
3. who the contractor for the project is;
4. how much money was paid to the contractor, as of September, 2021;
5. what the total cost of the project is; and
6. what the timeframe for the completion of the project is.

 

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Mr Speaker, the works for the rehabilitation of the Chikwa/Chasefu Road in Chama South Parliamentary Constituency have stalled because of erratic funding to the project.

 

Mr Speaker, the works for the Chikwa/Chasefu Road will resume when funds are made available to the project.

 

Mr Speaker, the contactor awarded the works on the Chikwa/Chasefu Road is Messrs NAB African Enterprises and the amount paid to the contractor as of September 2021 is K3,827,586.21.

 

Mr Speaker, the contract sum for the project is K119,878,413.60, Value Added Tax (VAT) inclusive and the time frame for the completion of work is twenty months.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Munir Zulu (Lumezi): Mr Speaker, we have become a bit of a poetic House in the sense that most of our answers are that ‘when funds are made available’. The hon. Minister told this august House the period in which this contract should have been executed and how much was spent, about K3 million plus, as late as last year, 2021. Is the hon. Minister in a position to give this august House a definite answer as to when funds will be made available?

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, it is not possible to say when funds for this particular project will be made available. Time and again on the Floor of this House, we, on your right hand side, in Cabinet have detailed the process through which we are going to put this economy back on track. The actions that are being taken or that will be taken that hopefully will result in the creation of the fiscal space, what others call headroom. We are saying when that happens, we will then have extra resources to be able to allocate to the many needs including infrastructure development which will cover projects such as this. Until such a time as it happens, it is not possible to pinpoint a particular day when this will be available.

 

Mr Speaker, again, it would have been very easy for the New Dawn administration as was the case in 2011, 2012 when the new administration of the Patriotic Front (PF) came in. Fiscal space was available at the time and in terms of what we owed the other nations, it was around K3 billion to K3.5 billion, there were resources available. What they did was they went on the international market and the commercial market and borrowed money commercially and did whatever they wanted to do. It would have been very easy for this administration to do exactly the same and sink this country further in economic quagmire. We have a very responsible President who is saying we are not going to do that, let us correct what has gone wrong and part of correcting that is to bring down the debt of this country to levels which are manageable. I think that is the correct way to go. When we do that, together with what is being done to resuscitate the economy, in coming years, this country will see money being spent to develop the country to enhance the status of this country.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, I want to mention that Chikwa/Emusa Road, this contractor mobilised. However, within a month we saw him parking. I am even shocked that he received a K3 million. We just heard that contractor is on the ground then later heard that the contractor has left. As I speak, the people of Chikwa, again, cannot reach Lundazi because the Lubelezi Bridge, which the hon. Member for Chasefu had asked about in the previous question is not functional. It is a bridge that is leading to Chief Chikwa and people are completely cut off. Is the hon. Minister in a position, as we wait for funding to help us attend to only I think one or two crossing point especially Lubelezi Bridge so that the people of Chikwa should be able to access Lundazi because during rainy season it is practically impossible to access Chama.

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, again I thank the hon. Member for Chama South who has taken full advantage of the absence of his friends to raise a number of his questions. This is as it should be. I hope he will stay permanently in that position.

 

Mr Speaker, what we have done in the past is that where there were crossing points or road stretches of an emergency nature. We came together and we developed a list where we identified which particular spots would enable our citizens to continue communicating. Case in point was the two Lundazi Bridges; Misozi Bridge and the Lundazi Bridge. As a caring Government, even when there was no money, we found and released some emergency funds to make sure that we attend to those. The hon. Member is at liberty, again, to engage, if there are further spots that need to be attended to so that our citizens can communicate. We will listen to that. Sometimes we can direct some funds towards things like the bridge the one the hon. Member is talking about and not the whole road. It is not our desire to have sections of populations totally cut off. So it is really up to him. Even in his busy schedule now as acting leader of opposition, if can find time to come to my office, we shall discuss.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama South): Mr Speaker, the people of Chama have vested enormous confidence in the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development following his visit to Chama. Further, Chama has been relocated from Muchinga Province to the Eastern Province meaning that reaching the provincial headquarters takes much longer now. Is the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development not going to consider making the Chikwa Road a priority because that is the one which connects Chama South, Lundazi and Chipata?

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Although I heard the hon. Minister answering that question, but maybe, he can shed more light on that one.

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, like he said, I also have a lot of time for the good people of Chama. It is a wonderful place and I desire to go there again when I am able to.

 

Yes, from my visit, we prioritise places like the Kapemba Bridge which we think needs to be completed so that not again will people like Senior Chief Kambombo be cut off as it has been happening recently in the Patriotic Front (PF) Administration. The New Dawn Administration has a lot of respect for Senior Chief Kambombo. As I said on this one, let us engage and if there is need for some emergency finding to make one particular spot accessible to our population, we can discuss that. I have asked the hon. Member to engage with us and the ministry.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

MEASURES TO IMPROVE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

 

298. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Education what measures the Government is taking to improve the School Feeding Programme in primary schools, countrywide.

 

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Mr Speaker, I inform the House that the Government has put several measures in place to improve the school feeding programme in primary schools countrywide which include, but are not limited to the following:

 

The Structure

 

The Ministry of Education now has a directorate entirely responsible for managing school health nutrition programmes in schools.

 

Funding

 

The programme is wholly funded by the Government and has seen an increment in the 2022 Budget from K33 million to K39 million.

 

Decentralised Purchase of Food

 

The Ministry is now disbursing funds to districts to procure food locally to have a variety of foods.

 

Rebranded

 

The Ministry has changed the programme form the School Feeding Programme to the Home Grown School Meals Programme which is more sustainable with multiple benefits including support to local farmers and providing nutritious food to the learners.

 

Timely Release of Funds

 

So far, seventeen districts have received funds and thirty-three districts are earmarked to receive funds in the course of the year.

 

Capacity Building

 

The districts that have received funds for food procurement are being trained in procurement processes. So far, twenty-two districts have been trained in local procurement and more will be trained in the course of the year.

 

Accountability

 

The ministry implements a Food Tracking System as part of the data collection and monitoring system.

 

Innovations

 

The ministry piloted hydroponics in Lusaka at Woodlands B Primary School and National Science Centre in 2020. Currently, it is being implanted in twelve districts in forty-four schools.

 

Boosting Production Units

 

School Health and Nutrition Unit is also working on linking with the production units in Schools to provide a viable market for the produce. Currently, data is being compiled on what schools are producing countrywide.

 

Multi-Sectoral Approach

 

The Ministry of Education works closely with the Ministry of Health and the National Food and Nutrition Commission on matters of health and nutrition for mass drug administration food supplements.

 

Quality Assurance

 

The ministry also recently developed a standardised draft menu for all boarding schools in the country.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mrs Masebo: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I just felt that your office could help me.

 

Mr Speaker, you will recall that when we were dealing with a report from Chama, the hon. Member of Parliament from Chama gave a report that today, he has been in touch and they had told him the drugs are not there, but the information available is that coartem is available and it was collected from the Chipata Hub on Monday.  Coartem was not the only drug which was collected, but other essential drugs too for the hospital and the health centres in Chama. The Coartem that they have is in fact now for one and half months.

 

 Mr Speaker, I just thought that you could help us so that hon. Members of Parliament could be in order. Is he really in order to mislead us? I need your serious ruling.

 

 Mr Second Deputy Speaker:  Order!

 

Hon. Minister, the hon. Member of Parliament was not in order to mislead the House with unverified information from the source.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker:  Order!

 

Before we say something, let us verify our information from the source. The recipient that happens to be the hospital was supposed to be asked before coming up with such a misleading question.

 

Rev. Katuta: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Rev. Katuta: Mr Speaker, I have been trying to make the voice Chienge be heard on the Floor of the House especially that I am participating in these very important national issues in the House via Zoom platform. My point of order is that officers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department are aware that I am unable to log in using the e-Chamber System. They have tried to help me, but it is not working. I have been raising my hand using the Zoom platform, but I have not been given a chance to ask a question.

 

Mr Mtayachalo: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Rev. Katuta: I just want your indulgence on whether this House is in order to not allow an elected hon. Member of Parliament to participate in the deliberations? I am being deprived of the chance of voicing out what the people would like say to the nation and the Executive. I need you ruling.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker:  Hon. Member, we have taken note of your concerns. The officers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department will address the concerns as we resume on Tuesday.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

  Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has outlined a very good programme. I want to know whether Mitete was amongst the first twenty-two districts he has mentioned. If not, when shall Mitete be included?

 

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, I cannot remember off cuff whether Mitete was among the first but what I know is that the programme is currently being implemented in fifty-nine districts, having 4,322 schools and benefiting 1.6 million children across the country, in all the ten provinces. Eleven new districts were selected and have since been trained and added to the programme to bring the number to seventy. So, we would need to verify if Mitete was one of the first.

 

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the measures and new the interventions which the Government has come up with are very much commendable. However, I want to find out from the hon. Minister on the procurement process. Since the hon. minister said money would be disbursed to various districts and provinces, what measures has the Government put in place to quicken the procurement process so that the beneficiaries are not at a disadvantage?

 

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, as you may have heard me saying that we have decentralised the purchase of food meaning that it is within the areas the schools are where they purchase it from. That also scales up the economics of that area. So, the monies will be released. All I know is that the children are not starving because the money is being released.

 

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

NUMBER OF DIP TANKS THAT WERE EARMARKED FOR CONSTRUCTION UNDER PROGRAMME FOR CONSTRUCTION OF DIP TANKS

 

300. Mr Samakayi (Mwinilunga) asked the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock:

 

1. how many dip tanks were earmarked for construction, under the programme for construction of dip tanks, province by province;
2. how many dip tanks were completed, as of September, 2021;
3. when the remaining dip tanks will be completed;
4. what the cost of the dip tanks at (c) is;
5. what the total cost of the project is;
6. whether the programme has achieved its intended purpose so far; and
7. if the purpose has not been achieved, why.

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Chikote): Mr Speaker, a total of 467 dip tanks were earmarked for construction and rehabilitation countrywide under the Dip Tank Construction Programme in 2012. Of these, 214 were new constructions and 253 were rehabilitations. These are segregated, province by province as follows:

 

Province                            New Construction       Rehabilitation              Total

 

         Central                           20                                18                                38

 

         Copperbelt                     33                                2                                  35

 

         Eastern                           7                                  73                                80

 

         Luapula                          9                                  7                                  16

 

         Lusaka                            11                                10                                21

 

         Muchinga                       16                                11                                27

 

         Northern                         16                                7                                  23

 

         North-Western               21                                8                                  29

 

         Southern                         81                                117                              198

 

         Total                              214                              253                              497

 

Mr Speaker, a total of 253 dip tanks were completed as of September 2021 of which 92 were new constructions and 161 were rehabilitations as follows:

 

   Province                                     New Construction          Rehabilitation                          Total

 

      Central                                       3                                     11                                            14

 

      Copperbelt                                 23                                   2                                              25

 

      Eastern                                       6                                     46                                            52

 

      Luapula                                      6                                     3                                              9

 

      Lusaka                                        5                                     9                                              14

 

      Muchinga                                   7                                     11                                            18

 

      Northern                                     12                                   3                                              15

 

      North-Western                           15                                   6                                              21

 

      Southern                                     15                                   70                                            85

 

      Total                                          92                                   161                                          253

 

Mr Speaker, the House will recall that I had assured the nation that the ministry was undertaking a comprehensive assessment of all dip tanks countrywide. Therefore, information of when the remaining dip tanks will be completed will be availed after the assessment.

 

Mr Speaker, as pointed out in part (c) above, the cost of the remaining dip tanks will be determined after this assessment. So (d) falls out.

 

Mr Speaker, the House may wish to note that the cost of the project between 2012 and 2018 was K48,189,920.79. In 2014 the Government allocated a budget of K60 million for the programme.

 

Mr Speaker, as pointed out in (c) above the achievements of this programme will only be known after the comprehensive assessment.

 

Mr Speaker, as pointed out in (f) above, (g) falls out.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Musanje (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, considering the neglect that went on in the past. In Mbabala, we are experiencing many animal diseases. Recently, we lost over fifty animals. Furthermore, over 300 animals are sick because of the negligence that was happening in the past where this programme was not working well. Therefore, is the ministry considering taking new proposals for rehabilitating and sinking of new dip tanks in our constituencies so that we can mitigate and stop the current loss of animals as it is happening in Mbabala and many other areas?

 

Mr Chikote: Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, the New Dawn Government attaches very great importance to the livestock. We are on top of things in making sure that animal health in this country is brought to the standards that are accepted.

 

Mr Speaker, like I have stated, we are only going to have the right position after our comprehensive report is collected in all the nine provinces especially, in the Southern Province where we have about eighty-five dip tanks. We really want to have the right information before we can provide a way forward under the New Dawn Government.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Simushi (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, I commend the New Dawn Government for the direction it is taking in ensuring that the livestock industry is brought to high standards through the eradication of animal diseases.

 

Mr Speaker, Sikongo Constituency is one of the constituencies that have quite a number of cattle. However, I have one concern because in Sikongo we have dip tanks that are not being used. The reason is that when the Government policy changed from supplying the drugs, communities stopped using dip tanks because the responsible was given to them to procure the dip chemicals.

 

Mr Speaker, so what measures is the ministry putting in place to ensure that such communities are sensitised so that they can start to use these dip tanks even before we can talk about constructing new ones?

 

Mr Chikote: Mr Speaker, indeed, we have many lapses amongst our farmers where disease control is concerned. Some of the factors which we have already realised as a ministry are the lack of information and the lack of guidance by providing extension services to our farmers.

 

Mr Speaker, like I have been mentioning before, as the New Dawn Government, we are not going to do things haphazardly. We are going to do things methodically, whereby even issues of extension services provided to our farmers will be done in the right way. Even with such facilities like the one in Sikongo, farmers should know the role they are supposed to play to make sure that the health of our animals is brought to standard.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.    

 

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Mr Speaker, we have seen ministries such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health having standardised the plans for the classrooms or staff houses. Is the hon. Minister considering standardising the size of the dip tanks?

 

Mr Speaker, my question is arising from the fact that in my constituency in the Southern Province, in the same location, the contractor will construct a dip tank that which will take about 40x210 litres of water and the other one will just take about 20x210 litres of water. Then, when it comes to procuring chemicals for these dip tanks, we find that the requests are variance.

 

Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister considering standardising the sizes of these dip tanks so that even for planning purposes, he knows that if we are planning for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and we want to give these dip tanks a certain number of litres of dipping chemical, we know that the results across all the dip tanks are same.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, do you have an outright answer or you need to go and consult your technocrats why there are some variances in terms of the sizes.

 

Mr Chikote: Mr Speaker, I can provide the information.

 

Mr Speaker: Alright, you can go ahead.

 

Mr Chikote: Mr Speaker, like we have been saying and I have said on the Floor of this House, that as the New Dawn Government, we will not do things haphazardly. We will do things methodically. A system has to be put in place. Our farmers have to be given the right information. When we get the comprehensive report, our experts will provide expert knowledge across the country as the question is saying.

 

Mr Speaker, even if our hon. Colleagues from the left are denying the fact that they contributed to the many problems in this country, even in terms of animal health programmes, they feel as if we are trying to revenge, no. Some of these dip tanks I have just mentioned here, were not of the standard because there was too much politics involved. Instead of getting expert knowledge and giving contracts to the right people who could have done the right things, they ended up giving contracts to cadres. Hence, we have this problem across the country. That is why I have assured the House that after the comprehensive report, we are going to provide a road map with the expert knowledge and at the same time help our farmers.

 

Mr Speaker, when we embark on the programme to continue working on these dip tanks, we are also going to engage our communities. We are not going to impose these dip tanks amongst our farmers. We will also try to find out that people understand what is that is going to come in their communities. You will find that Most of these dip tanks were constructed even where there are no animals. So you can tell what kind of system our colleagues had in the past. So I can assure the hon. Member that going forward, after the comprehensive report, we will do the right thing that is going to help our people and even the dip tanks will be of the same standard across the country. That is what we are going to do as a ministry.

 

 I thank you. Mr Speaker.

                                                                                  

STALLED CONSTRUCTION OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION BLOCK IN MULOBEZI DISTRICT

 

301. Eng. Mabenga (Mulobezi) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

 

1. why the construction of the district administration block in Mulobezi District has stalled;
2. when the project will resume;
3. what the total cost of the project is; and
4. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, the construction of the district administration block in Mulobezi District stalled because of delayed payment of outstanding interim payment certificates (IPCs) for works done.

 

Sir, works, on the project, have resumed following the payment of KI,738,970.03 towards the outstanding certified amount and the contractor re-mobilised in September, 2021.

 

Sir, the cost of the project is K13,864,230.90 and the timeframe for the completion of works is twelve months, in which case, we expect completion by end of December, 2022.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

_______

 

MOTION

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Amb. Kalimi (Malole): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for according the people of Malole an opportunity to contribute to the President’s speech. First of all, let me pass my condolences to the people of Zambia over the demise of our Fourth President Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda.

 

Sir, as I debate on this issue on the progress made on the application of national values and principles as per constitutional requirement by the President, I will first of all look at the moral and ethical values which the President spoke about.

 

Sir, I failed to find any fundamental thing in the President’s speech. First of all, the President encouraged us to embrace each other. When the President came here, he did recognise the hon. Member who won in Kabwata, my young brother, whom I am finding very difficult to congratulate because that is not the only election which took place. We had the Kaumbwe by-election, but the President could not recognise it and congratulate the hon. Member who was also around. I do not know if it was by mistake that the President could not recognise the hon. Member of Parliament for Kaumbwe or maybe he thought that before he addressed the House, that man had not yet own the election. Or, maybe he just did not want to congratulate him. He just wanted to congratulate my young brother Andrew, whom I knew a long time before he even became hon. Member of Parliament.

 

 Mr Speaker, from a Catholic point of view, morality demands that you need to be telling the truth or be honest. That is what I know. Morality is to tell the people that in the Southern Province, we had ninety-nine hospitals, which were constructed and not to say, we did not have anything.

 

Mr Speaker, morality is to ensure that hon. Ministers and others move into Government Houses than getting K11 million per month, money which is supposed to be meant for giving medicine to Nalolo and Mazabuka. That money can go a long way. Where is the morality when we have even refused to shift?

 

Sir, morality is to provide sanitary facilities for police officers who line up from community house up to here. Where do those ladies in uniform go? There are no toilets. How are those ladies changing their sanitary pads? Up to day, we do not know how. Are we looking after those women? They line up from 0500 hours up to 2100 hours, waiting for the President. Are we looking after those women properly? Or are they relieving themselves in the maize fields? Is that what we can call morality, by keeping those women in such standards?

 

Sir, I am calling on the hon. Ministers that if they have morals and ethics, can we save the money so that that it can be used to procure medicine. I am also urging the President to look after those women who are on route lining from 05 hours up to 16 hours or 21 hours, without even going anywhere. I do not know how those women are relieving themselves. I am talking about that morality.

 

Mr Speaker, on corruption, I welcome the President’s stance to even make the Fast Track Court. That is excellent. That is the kind of President we want. We are sick and tired of calling for an amnesty that those who stole should bring back. No, they should be arrested. In fact, I will support that. The criminals should be arrest if they stole. Let them be taken before the court of law. That is why the Fast Track has been established. Why should the Government be calling people to bringing back what was stolen?

 

Interruptions

 

Amb. Kalimi: They should follow them and arrest them. There is no need to say, if you stole bring back. This is not a campaign song. I am very much aware that when the Movement for Multi-Party (MMD) under Mr Rupiah Banda, may his soul rest in peace, left power, people said RB stole, but he did not steal. They have also used the same platform that the Patriotic Front (PF) stole, but when it comes to reality, nothing was stolen. Now they are just appealing for them to bring back what they stole. What is there to bring back? Why has the Fast Track Court been established, let them be arrested and I am going to support that. There is no promotion of amnesty. That is not a fight against corruption.

 

Mr Speaker, the best thing to do is to extend the fight against stealing even to the other side (pointing to the right). I have friends on the other side who were awarded road contracts. I am not going to mention them. If I am lying, I am giving them 10 seconds to look into my eyes.

 

Interruptions

 

Amb. Kalimi: They were given road contracts and they came to me, not one or two of them. Today they are on the other side. I would have mentioned them. It is just unfortunate that I cannot mention them. The same Government gave them contracts for feeder roads. If others corruptly got those road contracts, its means even those guys were corrupt. They came to tell me to fight for the money.

 

Sir, they should stop scratching their heads or become uncomfortable, I will not mention them because they are protected.

 

Interruptions

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Amb. Kalimi: How many got contracts at the Ministry of Health? I have their numbers and the contracts which they forwarded to me and I can mention them. So, can the fight against corruption be extended to people on the other side who were corrupt even before they became hon. Members of Parliament? Let them be arrested. We are sick and tired of them saying we are corrupt. I know those who have been asking us to go and talk to that hon. Minister so that he pays us money at the Ministry of Health. They keep asking us to go and talk to this and that person. I know them. They are here in this House. They are hon. Members of Parliament and some of them are hon. Ministers. So, I will say that whoever has never stolen should pick a stone and throw it, but they have failed. This is what we want. We know that some are innocent, of course.

 

Sir, we had scandals even before. Others ordered those manda manda at the council. There were scandals but today they are champions when they are in another Government saying the PF stole –

 

Mr Kambita: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Amb. Kalimi: So, we are not going to accept that.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hammer!

 

Mr Kambita: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Amb. Kalimi: Mr Speaker, I commend the President for the establishment of the fast track court. That is a welcome move, but let them extend this everywhere.

 

Sir, over the Constitution, our friends in the UPND participated in the National Constitution Conference (NCC). They chewed the money and got the allowance, but when it came time for the Constitution to be enacted here, they chickened out. Is that morality? Stealing the people’s money? That is stealing to me because they should have rejected the same process at the same time –

 

Mr Kambita: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Amb. Kalimi: They should have refused to participate in the constitution-making process. Mind you, in 2016 when Michael Sata constituted that Constitution, they refused. They said we should not remove anything from that Constitution –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Kambita: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Kambita: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to raise this very serious point of order on the hon. Member who is debating.

 

Sir, our rules are very clear and this is coming from Standing Order 65 of the Standing Orders, 2021. The hon. Member who is almost displaying drama in this honourable House has been citing people who are seated here as involved in stealing and the like without mentioning facts. Our Standing Orders are very clear. If he has any facts, he should lay them on the Table. We have various avenues to follow-up such people who could be corrupt or anything, instead of him coming to this House to degenerate this House by using innuendoes and insinuations in trying to spice up his debate just because he has nothing to talk about.

 

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious ruling so that he is put in his place.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you did not cite the Standing Order that he breached.

 

Mr Kambita: Mr Speaker, I cited Standing Order 65 of the Standing Orders, 2021.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I think the hon. Member for Malole is not in order for insinuating or laying allegations without tangible evidence.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Amb. Kalimi: Mr Speaker, one hon. Minister came here to say he would start pointing at former PF ministers who had been stealing, but no record was laid on the Table. I am talking because that precedence has been there. Nevertheless, thank you for your guidance –

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, your time is up.

 

Amb. Kalimi: Ah mwashuka nga namipwisha.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Samakayi (Mwinilunga): Mr Speaker, I convey condolences on behalf of the people of Mwinilunga to the family of our late President. The late President was the only President ever to have visited Mwinilunga twice in one week and for that, he is held in high esteem by the people of Mwinilunga.

 

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Mwiniluga as well as on behalf of the people of the North-Western Province, I want to comment on the speech by His Excellency the President on the Progress Made on the Implantation of the National Values and Principles.

 

Me Speaker, as far was the North-Western Province is concerned, Mwiniluga in particular, the President came here to make an affirmation of his commitment to observance and adherence to implementation of the national values and principles. I hope I am being followed properly.

 

Mr Speaker, as far as the people of the North-Western Province are concerned there were no values and principles implemented during the rule of Patriotic Front (PF) and I will give reasons why I am saying that.

 

Mr Speaker, the PF Government had leaders who abused alcohol, gassed our people and presided over skewed development which was only one sided. We lost our youths. This country was divided on ethnicity, politics and social groupings. For that, no one would convince us, from the North-Western Province, that the PF Government had implemented any national values or principles. That is why I am saying that we will listen to the report that will be read or presented by the President in 2023. For the report that was read here, the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema or the New Dawn Government is barely in office for just six months.

 

Mr Speaker, the President talked about democratisation as constitutionalism. I want to say that as far as the North-Western Province is concerned, we have been treated very unfairly by many Governments in the past. I want to say that when you look at the land mass of the North-Western Province in comparison to the Western Province, it is more or less the same. However, how many constituencies do we have in the North-Western Province? We only have twelve. The Western Province has nineteen but with the same land mass. The Western Province has sixteen districts whilst the North-Western Province has twelve districts but with the same land mass. The land mass of Luapula Province is fifty square kilometres.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mtayachalo: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mtayachalo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member is making blanket statements accusing the Patriotic Front (PF) of all sorts of things. Is he in order because he is propagating regional debate, which I think is quite very dangerous for this nation? Yesterday, we were attending a Rural Electrification Authority (REA) meeting and there were many hon. Members of Parliament from the Southern Province and the Western Province who were saying they had a fair share in terms of electrification, which some of us in Chama did not have. So, pursuant to Standing Order 65, is the hon. Member for Mwinilunga in order to accuse people here without laying facts on the Table?

 

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, I think you have heard what the hon. Member for Chama North has said. Maybe there is some empirical evidence that you have to back your claims?

 

Mr Samakayi: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member will have a chance to debate. If he has any issues, he will come and debate against what I have said. The evidence is there. Do we not have nineteen constituencies in the Western Province? Do we not have sixteen districts in the Western Province? Do we not have eleven districts in the North-Western Province? Do we not have fifteen or eleven districts in Luapula Province? Do we not have fifteen constituencies in Luapula Province? What kind of evidence does he want?

 

Mr Speaker, Luapula Province is three times the size of Mwinilunga District but Mwinilunga District has one constituency and Luapula Province has fifteen constituencies. Luapula Province is two times the size of the North-Western Province but Luapula Province has fifteen constituencies and eleven districts. That is what we are arguing about. This country has been very unfair to the people of the North-Western Province and this unfairness must be dealt with by the New Dawn Government.

 

Mr Speaker, we cannot continue with the way we have been handling issues. We are number three in terms of contributing to the national Treasury. If the distribution of resources to districts and constituencies is based on the number of constituencies and districts, then you have been grossly unfair to my constituency and to my province. You have been highly unfair, and we need to reverse this unfairness. We cannot continue on this trajectory. You have been very unfair to the North-Western Province.

 

Mr Speaker, now the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is K25.7 million. How much is going to the North-Western Province and how much is going to other districts which have more constituencies? You cannot be unfair. This has to change and it has to change now. Otherwise, we are not going to participate in politics any further because that is what you want. We have to change the trend. It has to change now. You cannot be unfair to us like this.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Samakayi: Mr Speaker, maybe let me drink some water.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Samakayi: The message is clear.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Yes. We have all seen that you are very passionate about your constituency, but I think drink some water.

 

Mrs Munashabantu (Mapatizya): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving the people of Mapatizya an opportunity to express themselves concerning the President’s Speech, which addressed the progress made on values in this country.

 

Mr Speaker, my comment is not very much about antagonism but reality. I may not be able to bring the facts today because the facts are on the ground. The President spoke about inequalities in development between the rural and urban areas.

 

Mr Speaker, Mapatizya has been neglected for a long time. We, in Mapatizya are miners. Our terrain is hilly. There is a Government owned mine since 2019, but it has been neglected. Mapatizya has no power because it is not connected to the national grid, and one wonders why because power is generated 50km from Mapatizya, in Livingstone or in the Sinazongwe, Kariba. We only see the pylons.

 

Mr Speaker, Mapatizya is nothing to write about. However, we thank God for the New Dawn Government which has come to its rescue. We thank God that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has been raised to K25.7 million. If that did not happen and the Government had not changed, Mapatizya was going to be forgotten. It could have gone into obscurity. Mapatizya is now benefitting from the K25.7 million and we are looking forward to having small off grid system–

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I think there is an observation that I have made. You are supposed to debate the President’s Speech. From the look of things, you have drifted a bit.

 

Ms Munashabantu: Mr Speaker, I am talking about the developmental inequalities.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: So the emphasis and point of concentration should be the President’s Address.

 

Ms Munashabantu: Mr Speaker, I am going to talk about the developmental inequalities. My main point is that Mapatizya has been left out. There has been inequality in the development because we were left out. There is no road, district hospital and electricity in Mapatizya, when in actual fact there is a Government owned mine; 100 per cent Zambia Consolidated Copper Mine Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH). So, those are the inequalities I am talking about. I know there is power in Mpika at a place called Kopa but there is no mine or any developmental project going on there but it is connected to the national grid. Therefore, that is one of the problems of developmental inequalities we have and have faced in the past in the area.

 

Secondly, Mr Speaker, the President talked about the effects of climate change. Mapatizya has been hit by floods and draughts. We are people who are found in the valley, so we are in problems. We appreciate the New Dawn Government for coming up with the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). We are sinking boreholes and we are going to start winter maize projects in Mapatizya because of the CDF. We thank God for this Government otherwise I do not know what would have happened in Mapatizya. We would have gone back to 2019 where people were eating roots and ended up dying. Thank God to the President’s Speech.

 

Interruptions

 

Ms Munashabantu: Finally, I do not want to waste much of your time. If I am not mistaken, the President talked about abiding to the labour laws. I stand to be corrected. I remember that very well.

 

Mr Kambita: You are correct.

 

Ms Munashabantu: Mr Speaker, we have another mine in Mapatizya. I will talk about the mine because that is the only source of income we have among the people of Mapatizya. It is the only company. This company was seen employing only people from a certain region and has not been paying its employees. As I speak right now, if someone had to go there to find out that fact on the ground, it is there. Our locals have not benefitted. Pensioners have not been paid and people have been fired at will. I am very happy that the President made his pronouncement over observation on labour laws. 

 

Mr Speaker, we, the people of Mapatizya thank God and we were excited and hopeful that the President came out strongly that the labour laws must be abided to otherwise we were going to be fired anytime and anywhere because it was happening.

 

Mr Speaker, right now, there are heaps of cases in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of our people who were fired and not paid. Right now, the people of Mapatizya are in jubilation, full of hope and grateful to the New Dawn Government …

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Munashabantu: … because the labour laws are going to be followed.

 

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank God for His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema for the policies of the New Dawn Government. We are looking forward to working with this Government as people of Mapatizya because it is already benefiting us.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Kankoyo this opportunity to speak.

 

Sir, kindly allow me to pay tribute to the late President, His Excellency Mr Rupiah Banda on his demise. We pray for his soul to rest in peace for having contributed greatly to this country.

 

 Mr Speaker, in line with our National Values and Principles in Article 8 of our Constitution being; Morality and Ethics, Patriotism and National Values, Democracy and Constitution,  and Human and Dignity. We, the people of Kankoyo have observed progress in the last six months as mentioned by the President.

 

Mr Speaker, in the last six months, we have observed that there has been an increase in the number of Zambians who are proud to be identified as Zambians everywhere else.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabeta: Before the New Dawn Government, most Zambians were ashamed to be identified as Zambians because the country became a junk. This country was reduced to a junk nation which no one wanted to be identified with.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabeta: Furthermore, more Zambian companies are willing to have their products identified as Zambian because they are proud of being Zambian owned companies. This has led to an increase from the total number of companies which were using the logo from twenty-seven to forty-seven in the last six months. This is a serious increase which will create employment to the youths.

 

Sir, if the companies which are run in Zambia are not willing to be identified as Zambian companies, we may not be able to create employment because of the lack of marketing of those products. So, this pride in the companies and goods being manufactured in Zambia gives us an opportunity to expand our production capacity.

 

Mr Speaker, in the last six months, we have seen huge drifts from the tribalism and hate speech we witnessed under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. In this last six months –

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mabeta: Mr Speaker, maybe you could allow me to speak without a mask. I am sorry. It is a health condition.

 

Mr Speaker, before the ascending of President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND Government to governance, we saw a lot of hate being distributed among the citizens. The Tonga speaking people were reduced to third class citizens who had to fight for their identity and pride in this country. Those who were championing tribalism were promoted to the level of Permanent Secretaries (PSs). Fake bishops were given positions as PSs just for insulting Tongas. Other politicians who have been reduced to junk politicians today were given choppers to go around the country to insult their fellow citizens. This was so sad Mr Speaker, to a point that the division we had in our country spread into offices, religion and homes. There was a point in my life where I experienced my son, who is only eight years old, asking me why a known politician had so much hatred for the Tonga speaking people. Today, I still struggle to heal and control him not to hate other tribes because of what he experienced at that tender age. This should never happen again in our land.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabeta: Mr Speaker, the seed we plant today, may eat us up in future.

 

Mr Speaker, the President also spoke about the reduction in early marriages and childhood education. The provision of free education has given an opportunity to many girls who have gone through early marriages to go back to school through the re-entry programme and also discourage young girls to go into marriage because they can afford to go to school.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Mr Speaker, thank you for according me the opportunity to say a few words commenting on the speech that was delivered on the Floor of this House by the President. Mr Speaker, the President came here to update us on the progress that we have made in the achievement of the national values and principles which are enshrined in the Republican Constitution. In his speech, the President went further to cite particular issues that were really pertinent to ensuring that we make much more progress in this regard.

 

Sir, I will itemise them according to how the President laid them bare. On morality and ethics, of course, the President made comments but in passing not to remind us about the gloomy situation through which we passed where certain citizens were regarded as third class citizens based on their ethnicity but to simply show clear vision of what his leadership would be characterised by. This is shown in the way he is going about doing things. I know it is a bit painful to those that were aggrieved in that, in his selection, especially starting from his own Cabinet going down to the selection of Permanent Secretaries and many other Presidential appointments, he has demonstrated clearly that he does not want to go back to that way of doing things. In here he has demonstrated clearly how much progress we have made towards sticking to ethics.

 

Mr Speaker, on patriotism and national unity, indeed the President seeks national unity and patriotism is key in that direction. In ensuring that we have patriotism, the President went ahead citing forty-seven companies that have now been certified to use ‘proudly Zambian’ logo on their products. Approximately 565 local products are now using that emblem. It is a step in the right direction. It is not just about that, he went ahead and mentioned that at no time shall this country ever allow a desk to be imported. All desks in schools should be produced here in Zambia by Zambian companies and more especially by our youths and many of these co-operatives that are being formed.

 

Mr Speaker, the President went ahead and made comments on democracy and constitutionalism. I heard him congratulate our dear brother who was just elected to the position of Member of Parliament in Kabwata, where we lost a hon. Member of Parliament in very questionable circumstances which we have not forgotten. We strongly believe that some people opposed to democracy could have been involved in that gruesome murder, if I want to be crude, of that our dear one. Never should we entertain such kind of behaviour in this country.

 

Mr Speaker, human dignity, equity, social justice, surely –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate adjourned)

 

_______

 

The House adjourned at 1842 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 22^nd March, 2022.

 

____________

 

WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION

 

PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BWANA MKUBWA CONSTITUENCY

 

299. Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa) asked the Minister of Education:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct a secondary school in Bwana Mkubwa Parliamentary Constituency;
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented;
3. what the estimated cost of the project is; and
4. what the estimated time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Mr Speaker, the Government has plans to construct a secondary school in Bwana Mkubwa Parliamentary Constituency in partnership with Promoting Equality in Africa Schools (PEAS).

 

Mr Speaker, the implementation of the project will commence this year 2022, as soon as the rains stop and will be done in three phases namely:

 

1. phase one includes 1x4 classroom block, two ablution blocks for girls and boys, 1x2 science laboratories, administration block and kitchen;
2. phase two consist of 1x4 classroom block, teacher’s housing, library, Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory, and 2 ablution blocks; and
3. last phase has 1x4 classroom block, additional teacher’s housing, and 2 ablution blocks.

 

Mr Speaker, the cost of the project depends on the engineering designs of the school that will inform the bill of quantity.

 

Mr Speaker, the estimated time frame for the project’s implementation is thirty-six months subject to final project designs and other associated features to be agreed upon.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.