Thursday, 31^st March, 2022

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MADAM FIRST DEPITY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER

 

DELEGATION FROM THE PARLIAMENT OF MALAWI

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to acquaint you with the presence, in the Speaker’s Gallery, of the following members of staff from the Parliament of Malawi:

 

Mr Chikondi J. Kachinjika      –          Deputy Clerk (Corporate Services) and Leader of the delegation;

 

Mr Alex Makwangwala          –          Controller ICT;

 

Mr Johnstone E. J. Mdala,      –          Chief Policy and Planning Officer;

 

Mr Steven K. Banda               –          Chief Editor of Hansard;

 

Mr Chikosa Matandara           –         Chief Audio and Visual Officer;

 

Ms Nellie Nkhata                    –         Committee Clerk;

 

Mr Longani Kabitchi              –          Principal Clerk Assistant (Table Section);

 

Mr Gerald Mserembo              –         Principal Audio Visual Officer;

 

Ms Bridget Chiwaya               –         ICT Officer; and

 

Mrs Tiwale Kaduya                –         ICT Officer.

 

The officers are on a visit to the National Assembly of Zambia to study the operations of our hybrid system of the Sitting of the House. I wish, on behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, to receive our guests and warmly welcome them in our midst.

 

I thank you.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, as we raise matters of urgent public importance, we should also be mindful that tomorrow is our last day for the sitting of this Session.

 

_______

 

MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

 

MR MUMBA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KANTANSHI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF ENERGY, MR KAPALA, ON ZESCO LIMITED AWARDING THE SUPPLY OF POLES TO FOREIGN FIRMS

 

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

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A matter of urgent public importance is raised.

 

Mr Mumba: Madam Speaker, thank you very much and I hope you will take time to listen to this matter of public urgency and of great concern to our people.

 

Madam Speaker, I am sure you have read recently about the floatation of a tender relating to poles that ZESCO Limited is trying to procure. To that effect, it has advertised the international companies that have been considered for this particular tender.

 

Madam Speaker, I know you are also aware that there has been an outcry from various stakeholders in the country, particularly, from business people and those involved in tax collection and transportation, who feel that they will be disadvantaged if this decision continues. Most importantly, that does not speak to the New Dawn Government’s agenda in as far as creating business opportunities for our local people, is concerned.

 

Further to that, Madam Speaker, you are aware that one of our largest business opportunities in this country is in the mining sector, which is predominantly run by international companies. The Government in Zambia has been pushing for a long time for local participation, particularly saying that Zambians should be given an opportunity to participate in wealth creation through the mining activities. The battles that have been running economically for some time now have not yielded the Government’s desire.

 

Now, Madam Speaker, ZESCO Limited is a Zambian company which is supported highly by Zambian economic activities. I want to find out from you, through your guidance Madam Speaker, whether the step that the Ministry of Energy has taken in supporting ZESCO Limited’s position does not amount to disadvantaging Zambian businesses, which most workers depend on. I gave an example of the mining sector where a lot of small businesses owned by Zambians are supported because of the Government’s position that mining companies should support local businesses.

 

Madam Speaker, when these international companies see that our own Government is not keeping its side of bargaining in ensuring that a local company such as ZESCO Limited supports local businesses, we will most likely see job losses taking place around the Copperbelt and beyond into the North-Western Province. As you know, that might result into riotous behaviour, considering the cost of living that we are going through.

 

Madam Speaker, I am seeking for your guidance whether the Government is right in considering the decision that ZESCO Limited has made.

 

MR MUKOSA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR CHINSALI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, MR MWIIMBU, ON CRIMINALS TERRORISING MPIKA RESIDENTS

 

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A matter of urgent public importance is raised.

 

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to rise on a matter of urgent public importance.

 

Madam Speaker, in Mpika, there is a situation where criminals have started terrorising the people there. Just in the recent days, there have been serious incidences in Mpika. In Chikwanda chiefdom, they gutted the Chikwanda Health Centre just a few days ago. Within the same few days, in Chilonga area, they attacked a mad woman, whom they raped and murdered. They also killed another person and his burial is today. There is also, another family that was attacked in Kalamata in Nachikufu Ward.

 

Mr Munsanje: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Mukosa: At least members of that family were not injured.

 

Madam Speaker, as you may be aware, Mpika is very close to Chinsali and the people of Chinsali have requested me to raise this matter of urgent public importance because they know that in an event that those criminals finish their activities in Mpika, they will easily cross over to Chinsali.

 

Madam Speaker, I seek your guidance if the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security is in order to sit quietly without putting measures in place that can expedite arresting the situation in Mpika.

 

MR SAMPA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MATERO, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT AND ARTS, MR NKANDU, ON CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS OF THE DEATH OF DR JOSEPH KABUNGO

 

Mr Sampa (Matero): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A matter of urgent public importance is raised.

 

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, I will be brief. This is a non-political matter of urgent public importance, but it is patriotic in nature and it borders on the dignity of our country, Zambia. I wish to quote The Diggers newspaper for today, Thursday, 31^st March, 2022 as follows:

 

“Kabungo Died of Cardiac Arrest – NFF

 

Nigerian Football Federation gives account of what happened to Zambian doctor.

 

Nigerian Football Federation has disclosed that CAF doping control officer, Joseph Kabungo, has died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday night. The Zambian, who was on duty as a doping officer during the 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off between Nigeria and Ghana passed away shortly after the game at the M. K. O. Abiola Stadium.”

 

Madam Speaker, this matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts, Hon. Elvis Nkandu. We have hardly recovered as a nation from the 1991 Gabon Disaster. Up to now, the nation has not been told what happened. Now, our beloved colleague, Dr Kabungo, died at a Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) football match, working for FIFA. We have a Nigerian football association telling us how and why he died. How did they know? Have they done a postmortem already?

 

Secondly, the FIFA President today issued a secret statement to the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), which is not on their website, wishing condolences to the family of Dr Kabungo, without even stating what happened. There are journalists in Ghana stating that they witnessed him being stepped on after the match and that is how he died.

 

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts in order to keep quiet and not come to this House and tell us how that beloved gallant son of Zambia, Dr Joseph Kabungo, died in a football pitch in Nigeria? Is FIFA trying to protect Nigeria? Does it mean that it does not care about Zambia?

 

Mr B. Mpundu: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Before I take the matters for the hon. Members for Mitete and Mbabala, I will respond to the three that have been raised.

 

We will start with the matter by the hon. Member for Kantanshi, where he talked about Zambians being deprived of tenders for poles. This is where he said that ZESCO Limited is a Zambian company but what has been seen is that contracts have been offered to foreigners. I do not know. Is the hon. Minister of Energy in attendance to issue out something?

 

Interruptions

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: He is not around.

 

Hon. Members, like I mentioned at the beginning of this session, we are rising tomorrow. Since we have urgent issues, I want to ask the hon. Ministers to consider and work on them. These issues relate to the one I have just mentioned, which was raised by the hon. Member for Kantanshi and also, the others.

 

There is another issue that has been raised by the hon. Member for Chinsali, where criminals have been terrorising people in Mpika. They have even raped and murdered a woman there. There is also another person who was murdered. They also attacked a family. This is quite serious. Is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security present? He is not present. We shall not bury this issue just because we are closing tomorrow. I am sure he has heard wherever he is that there is an urgent matter in Mpika that needs to be attended to urgently.

 

The other one is about our doctor who died, was it yesterday, at a football stadium. There are conflicting reports that are being announced as the cause of death. I think there will be need for the hon. Minister concerned to inform the Zambian people on what exactly transpired in Nigeria, that led to the death of our doctor.

 

MR MUTELO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MITETE, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF TOURISM, MR SIKUMBA, ON WILD ANIMALS RAVAGING MAIZE FIELDS IN MITETE

 

Mr Mutelo (Mitete): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A matter of urgent public importance is raised.

 

Mr Mutelo: Madam Speaker, having taken your guidance on Standing Order 134, this is just to inform the hon. Minister of Tourism through this urgent matter that in Mitete, Kakulunda Ward in particular, the people who have fields along the banks of the Zambezi River have had their fields eaten up not by people, but by hippos.

 

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: The hippos are enjoying all the maize in the fields. Our request through the hon. Minister of Tourism is just to quicken steps to see how the issue of hippos eating the maize in the fields, which is culminating into them eating the fields …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mutelo: ... can be handled with the urgency it needs.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on a matter that was raised by the hon. Member who was speaking via our Zoom platform. This is a very honourable House in which we expect very parliamentary language in line with Standing Order 65. This Standing Order provides that an hon. Member in his or her speech shall ensure that the information he or she gives is factual and verifiable. It also forbids the use of unparliamentary language or offensive expressions at part (2)(a).

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member who was speaking alluded to a mad woman. Is the hon. Member in order to deem another human being as mad whom he has not taken to any institution for verification as to whether that person is mad? I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, at this point we are looking at matters of urgent public importance and not points of order. However, what I can say on that one is that I think the hon. Member who raised that issue maybe knows the person, since it is a person from his constituency. It is good that he did not even mention the name.

 

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, this is a rights-based country.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Alright, we will look at the matter raised by the hon. Member for Mitete.

 

Mr Sampa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The matter raised by the hon. Member for Mitete is that maize in the fields along the river is being eaten up by hippos. I am sure this will lead to hunger if the people of Mitete will not harvest anything. So this issue is equally very important. Is the hon. Minister of Tourism in the House? Maybe he can assure the people of Mitete that something will be done. The hon. Minister of Tourism can go ahead. Well, if he is not around, I think that is a point that has been taken even through the Office of the Vice-President to make sure that the people of Mitete are assisted, so that they are able to harvest some food in order to reduce hunger in the area.

 

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

 

STATUS OF THE KONKOLA COPPER MINES PLC LIQUIDATION PROCESS

 

The Minister of Mines and Mineral Development (Mr Kabuswe): Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me and my ministry this opportunity to update the House and the nation at large on the status of Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM).

 

Madam Speaker, the KCM is currently under provisional liquidation, a process that was initiated by the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines-Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH), pursuant to Section 57(G) of the Corporate Insolvency Act of 2017. The ZCCM-IH, a minority shareholder presented a petition for compulsory liquidation in the High Court on 21^st May, 2019. The petition included an application for the appointment of a provisional liquidator. This was necessitated by the need to protect assets in the interim period between presentation of the petition and determination of the matter.

 

Madam Speaker, the KCM has been under full control of the provisional liquidator, who has been tasked with sustaining its operations by implementing several findings and strategic initiatives. Effective 1^st February, 2021, a decision was taken to split the KCM into two separate business units, to improve operational and financial efficiencies. The split was done by the formation of two subsidiary companies namely; Smelterco Limited and the KCM Mineral Limited (KMR), with two separate management structures and employee arrangements. Both companies are currently wholly owned by the KCM in liquidation.

 

Madam Speaker, Smelterco Limited comprises the Nchanga Smelter and refinery, the Nampundwe Pyrite Mine, the Tailings Leach Plant and the old East Mill. The KMR comprises the mining units such as the Konkola Underground Mine, Nchanga Open Pits and underground mines, and support services such as hospitals; schools; and corporate offices, the 500 tonnes per day acid plants and the Tailings Dams.

 

Madam Speaker, the splitting of the business operations into two companies for the purposes of mining and processing as subsidiaries of the KCM resulted in transferring of 5,588 employees from the company to the newly formed companies and subsequently, payments of redundancy packages at the total cost of a US$110 million. The redundancy package was phased in three equal instalments. As at 31^st December, 2021, the redundancy packages had been paid in full.

 

Madam Speaker, following the resignation of Mr Milingo, the liquidator from his position, on 17^th March, 2022, Ms Natasha Kalimukwa assumed the role of provisional liquidator by operation of law.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to acknowledge that the KCM has had operational challenges in the past that attributed to the following;

 

1. under-investment in development of the all reserves, which has resulted in failure to realise economies of scale to cover high production cost;
2. poor  de-watering of the infrastructure;
3. liquidity and capital constraints and significant interest-bearing loans that have increased from US$1.8 billion to US$1.55 billion as of 31^st December, 2021;
4. low equipment availability; and
5. poor infrastructure, among others.

 

Madam Speaker, it is gratifying to note that the picture is actually showing a positive trajectory. For example, integrated copper production over the past two months has increased from an average of 4,300 tonnes to 6,100 tonnes, which represents 41 % increase in production. It is also worth noting that this is the highest integrated production achieved ever since the KCM was placed under liquidation. Furthermore, the KCM has put in place plans to increase production to 7,000 tonnes per month.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the future of the KCM lies in the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP). This project has been partly implemented with the initial sinking of the number four shaft at the KCM. However, additional works are required to complete the project. The project is estimated to take four to five years of construction, equipping and development before the company experiences increased production and the benefit of the investment.

 

Madam Speaker, the completion of this project will result in the life of mines being increased to about thirty-five years as estimated by the KCM management. Let me conclude by assuring the House that the KCM is one the mining companies in which the ZCCM-IH has key interest. To this effect, in order to establish the current state of the company, the ZCCM-IH is undertaking a number of measures including carrying out review and technical evaluation of the company to ensure that the company is viable and remains competitive.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

 Madam Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the ministerial statement given by the hon. Minister.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, you will agree with me that Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) is one of the largest mines in Zambia, which, if properly capitalised or financed, it will be able to create the much needed jobs. It will also be able to support our tax space in the country. Now with all these issues of liquidation, what is the New Dawn Government’s strategy, in as far as taking the full operations of the mine is? Is there any other decision we are expecting to see maybe, Vedanta Resources Limited coming back? What is a clear policy of the New Dawn Government as far as mining is concerned?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the KCM right now, is entangled in a legal battle between the ZCCM-IH, who is a shareholder and Vedanta Resources. So, I would not want to delve so much in details because I may risk being cited for contempt. So, I may not give the full details. The Government has serious plans for the KCM. It is one asset that we consider to be critical to the vision of the New Dawn, to ramp up production to 3 million tonnes per year, in the next ten years. It is a critical asset to us and, whatever we are doing behind the scenes, let me assure the House that it is for the betterment of this country, and for the benefit of Zambians in general.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan) Madam Speaker, in as far as the hon. Minister has outlined what is intended to be done at Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM), there are quite a number of cases in terms of mismanagement that were reported during the receivership period, where people were reported to register their companies today and tomorrow, they get an order and the other day, they are even paid in advance. Could the hon. Minister state whether his ministry has taken time to take a forensic clean up in terms of such reports of mismanagement and whether there have been any casualties in terms of job losses?

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members. Please be advised that it is one question per person.

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, it is very sad that when the liquidation took place in the previous regime, people started using the KCM as a cash cow to intimidate others and get money from the asset. It is public knowledge that the previous liquidator has a case in court. I may not go into details for fear of being cited for contempt. However, the resignation of the liquidator was because a lot of work behind the scenes was done. Many things were done during the time the liquidation started.

 

Madam Speaker, the politics that were happening – Madam Speaker, you will realise from my report that the improvement started showing in the last two months. It means that after President Hakainde Hichilema took the reign and gave a directive on how we should proceed in managing public assets, it has began to show a positive trajectory. As a ministry, we have said, that there should be no interference. We have to allow people to be professional. That is why the liquidator had to resign because the water became too hot for him. He had no choice but to leave so that this Government could propagate his vision properly.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Sampa (Matero): Madam Speaker, the statement by the hon. Minister is timely. Mr Anil Agarwal is the owner of Vedanta Resources Limited, who bought Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) at US$25 million and he was online, boasting that within one year, he had made US$2 billion. With that background, the current price of copper as at today is US$10,400 per tonne, representing about 10 to 20 per cent increase since August, 2021, which is a very important month. Now, with the Russia/Ukraine war, we know that the prices of copper will go up. Can the hon. Minister state categorically that whatever is going on now, including all the court cases that the hon. Minister has mentioned, the end game is that this country wants to give back the KCM to Mr Anil Agarwal, instead of keeping it ‘mine’ so that we can use it to empower the youths in Zambia?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I said clearly that this matter is in court. I may not go into details of who is going to get what.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Can we also be mindful of the questions that we ask. If the issues that we are focusing on or asking about are still in court, it will be very difficult to get answers. It is as if we will just be wasting time because we have a lot of business for today. So, let us be mindful of the issues that are in court.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker gave the Floor to the Acting Leader of the Opposition (Mr Mung’andu)

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Members who endorsed this position.

 

Madam Speaker, in this Parliament, we enjoy immunity. So, I wonder what the hon. Minister means when he says he might be cited. Madam Speaker, comfort him that whatever he says here cannot be taken to any court of law.

 

Mr Sampa: Separation of powers!

 

Mr Mung’andu: That is a fact!

 

Madam Speaker, my point of clarification is: Considering that the power they just took over ...

 

Mr Nkombo: Yours?

 

Mr Mung’andu: ... was also ours, that it was also his, and just as his Government is ours, ....

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mung’andu: ... clearly, I want him to be categorical. The control of these resources particularly, mineral resources, has indicated that that is the only way our country can get out of the economic malaise it is in currently. Why is it that this court action has suddenly become prominent, at the time when the New Dawn Government is in power as opposed to when the Patriotic Front (PF) Government had indicated that all the mines would be owned by the State so that our people could benefit, and they were already seeing the benefits?  Why is it that Vedanta Resources Limited has become very active after the United Party for National Development (UPND) party has formed the Government? Could it be that it is an indirect position that the Government wants to give back these assets to foreigners as opposed to our people?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member has just opened a can of worms on himself because the confusion that we found in the mining sector is clearly due to the mismanagement that happened in the previous regime.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kabuswe: When a good President like Mr Hakainde Hichilema assumes power, the good will that is all over the world becomes large. Everybody now wants to deal with Zambia. That is why we are seeing all these interests. Investors were running away because the previous regime was failing to manage these assets. They were creating cash cows through the KCM. It is public knowledge that there are companies that were disadvantaged because they were suspected to belong to the United Party for National Development (UPND). Most PF companies were being registered instantly and paid the day after. 

 

Hon. Government Member: It is a fact!

 

Mr Kabuswe: These issues were happening.

Hon. Opposition Member: Were you one of them?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, suffice to say that, I, in my previous life, I was a business man in the KCM and my money was locked because I belonged to the UPND.

 

Mr Mung’andu: And you were paid!

 

Mr Kabuswe: I have not been!

 

So, the confusion in the mining sector was created by the previous regime. Now, a great leader has come.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Solution?

 

Mr Kabuswe: I am telling them the solution now. The solution is to be methodical and do things in the correct manner. That is why the previous liquidator has left. We are creating an environment that is attracting many people. Everyone wants to come into the mining sector today but we have to do the correct things. So, even for the KCM, like I said, whatever is being done behind the scenes, the Government does not work like it will tell you when it begins to cook. It will tell you, “This is done, get it.” So, whatever we are doing behind the scenes is something that will benefit the people. We are doing the correct things and not the wrong things that were done previously. 

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, I am at sea noting the limitations that the hon. Minister has in responding to some of the matters surrounding that issue. I come from Kitwe, Nkana in particular, which is home to some of the assets of Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM), which assets have been stripped. Today, we are talking of the mine almost being flooded. From the mining perspective, when a mine gets flooded, it will not have life.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Kitwe and the Copperbelt predominately survive on two mines, namely: the KCM and Mopani Copper Mines. Life is extremely unbearable in our areas today. I met a group of people yesterday who have relocated to Lusaka to look for greener pastures because of the situation. Perhaps the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development would do us a favour in jumping the gun by way of pre-empting the outcome of this litigation and telling us what will happen to the people that survive on the KCM, like the suppliers and miners. Is the Government going to go in and recapitalise it?  Are we going to find an equity partner or do a management buyout?

 

Madam Speaker, can we hold on for now hoping that the hon. Minister and his team can give us some assurance that alas, very soon, we may have life or something to hold on to, or maybe, we all need to shift to Lusaka?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I want to assure the Zambians that the KCM is not going to get flooded. That is why it is showing a positive trajectory. The Zambian people, the people of the Copperbelt particularly, must be rest assured that the KCM is an asset that we value. It is an asset where Zambians will get benefit from after these issues are concluded.

 

Madam Speaker, I will not be forced to pre-empt anything or give a statement. The way the Government operates is that things must be approved by Cabinet before I can come out and speak about them. Whatever I have given from the statement is the status of the KCM today. We are working hard as the Government. That is why in the past two months, the asset is showing a positive trajectory and production is going up. Even under the circumstances, we are making sure that the management team there performs at the highest level.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that wonderful statement. The liquidator of Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) resigned at a time when he was facing a number of cases to do with plunder and mismanagement of some of the assets. Could the hon. Minister shed light in the progress made on the recovery of those assets which were plundered by the liquidator?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, indeed, the figures that have been taken to court are quite alarming, but the court has not ruled yet. So, we will give a statement when the recoveries are done, after those court processes are completed.  

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North): Madam Speaker, the plight of the Zambian workers is very close to my heart as I come from that background. The hon. Minister has indicated that two business entities have come from Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM). Are the 5,588 employees on contract or on pensionable jobs?

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. Member that the workers are safe. They were paid severance packages because the company was unbundled. They demanded that since they were moving to new companies on pensionable jobs, they be paid what they had worked for or be declared redundant from the one unit that was in existence previously. As at now, they are working on pensionable jobs.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Madam Speaker, the challenges currently confronting the mines were caused by two groups of people. Firstly, it is the past Administration and secondly, the management of the mines. The people of Zambia have helped us by removing the past Administration, the Patriotic Front (PF). There is one enemy that has remained which is the management of the mines. What is the ministry doing to eliminate some of those bad eggs that positively contributed to the downfall of the mines?

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. Member that his first statement is correct. The second statement may not be correct because I think that was a good team with a bad coach. Now there is a good coach and that is why it is showing a good trajectory but, of course, substations are being done. That is why there is now a new liquidator. The new liquidator must begin to implement the cleanup so that we fine-tune the management. For the mine to show positivity under the circumstances, even when we have not changed so many people, it means that it was a good team with a bad coach. Perhaps we just need to fine-tune it a little and the mine will be kept afloat.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND

 

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity. Today, contrary to many days that I stand to speak, I am a bearer of good news from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, and our Minister of Finance and National Development, who is seated with us in this Chamber.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: As a matter of fact, I have fantastic news this afternoon.

 

Madam Speaker, under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, the Government has continued to give priority in the actualisation of decentralisation as a strategy to improving access to resources at local level. It has also started empowering people to participate in development, where they can make decisions on the course of their socio-economic progression. The Government has undertaken to leverage on the Constituency Development Find (CDF), as the means of providing resources for development at local level and also, ensuring the actualisation of local development. Through the CDF –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

Sorry to disturb but we still have the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  I do not know whether you can wear your face mask.

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I normally suffocate when I talk with a mask on. That is why I carried this (pointing at his hand sanitiser). I thought I would sanitise but I take you guidance. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker, through the CDF, all communities in our constituencies will have an opportunity to participate in the development and improvement of their standards of living.

 

Madam Speaker, in the quest to facilitate development at district and sub-district level, the Government increased the allocation of the CDF for each constituency, all the 156 constituencies, from a paltry K1.6 million to an unprecedented  K25.7 million per constituency, per annum.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Further, the Government increased a scope of the CDF, which initially was only including community projects, to now include youth, women and community empowerment, over and above that, secondary school (boarding), and skills development bursaries per constituency.

Madam Speaker, this K25.7 million is equivalent to what twenty constituencies used to receive in the yester year.

 

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Nkombo: As a way on monitoring the absorption capacity, I wish to remind the august House that the Government committed to release the allocation of the constituencies in quarterly disbursements.

 

Madam Speaker, in this regard, I am pleased to be the bearer of this good news and report to this honourable House that your Government, as at yesterday, 30^th March, 2022, made a complete disbursement of the CDF for the first quarter ...

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: ... to all the 156 constituencies.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the funds have been paid out into disbursements as follows:

 

The first disbursement of K198,056,525 was made in January, 2022. This was to cater for schools and skills bursaries in view of the fact that schools were opening in the very early days of January, and that the learners required to go back to school. So, the Government scored the first by making sure that this money was in the school accounts, to be specific, by 11^th January, 2022.

 

Madam Speaker, the second disbursement for the quarter was made yesterday, 30^th March 2022, which included the total quarterly balance for the bursaries component and all the remaining components of the CDF. Therefore, a total of K1,003,656,525.00 has been released to date, representing over 25 per cent of the CDF due, for all the 156 constituencies in this country.

 

Madam Speaker, this entails that each constituency, as at now, has received its quarterly allocation, mark my words, quarterly allocation for the CDF amounting to K6,433,695.67. This allocation includes the 5 per cent administrative component. For the information of the hon. Members, this K6 million is equivalent to what each constituency used to receive in four years. The allocated amount caters for all components of the CDF, namely; community projects, youth, women and community empowerment, as well as secondary (boarding) schools and skills development bursaries.

 

Madam Speaker, the funds released are desegregated among the CDF components as follows:

 

1. Administrative cost – K50,183,325 with K321,687.98 per constituency.

 

Interjections

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the money is too much. I am actually getting mixed up. Thank you for the correction.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker,

 

1. Community projects – K572,083,920 with K3,667,204.61 per constituency;
2. Youth, women and community empowerment – K190,694,640 with K1,222,401.51 per constituency.
3. Secondary school (boarding) and skills development bursaries – K190,694,640 with K1,222,401.54 per constituency.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, it is imperative that the funds that are released are utilised for the intended purpose. Hon. Members, please, kindly pay attention. It is imperative. This is important for everyone. It is important that the funds that have been released by this Government are utilised for the intended purpose, which is to facilitate development for our communities at local level. 

 

Madam Speaker, in ensuring that this happens, the Government has developed and disseminated comprehensive CDF guidelines to guide the management, disbursement, utilisation and accountability of the CDF as espoused in the Constituency Development Fund Act No. 11 of 2018. The Government’s intention is for all community projects and programmes to benefit the wider community to have not only an active but participatory role in highlighting and addressing their social and economic needs. The intention is for communities to address challenges of inadequate infrastructure such as water and sanitation points, schools, health facilities, police posts, and feeder roads for rural connectivity, at the right price by the way and not what used to happen. The other challenges to be addressed are market shelters, crossing points, as well as canals and dip tanks. All these are included among the projects that qualify.

 

Madam Speaker, the empowerment component of the CDF is inclusive and prioritises the youth, women, people living with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons in the community. This empowerment will target programmes and address youth-related challenges such as limited access to education and skills development, limited access to factors of production, including finance, limited employment and empowerment opportunities. Empowerment of women and other vulnerable persons will contribute towards the reduction of vulnerability and poverty, as well as improving the livelihoods of our people.

 

Madam Speaker, as part of the dissemination of the CDF guidelines, the Government undertook some orientation of key stakeholders, which included selected Ward Development Committees (WDCs), the Constituency Development Committees (CDCs) in all the 116 local authorities countrywide, or councils, to put it in simple terms. Members of staff from all councils or local authorities, provincial Permanent Secretaries (PSs) and provincial heads of departments in all the ten provinces of our country have also been oriented. The objective was to ensure that all the key players in the CDF management, disbursement and accountability, fully understand and appreciate their roles in the successful implementation of the CDF, which this Government is not ready to compromise.

Madam Speaker, among the key issues arising from the orientation are:

 

1. the need to provide clear guidance on the monitoring and evaluation of the CDF;
2. the need to clarify the issue of allowances of the WDCs with regard to the CDF, taking into consideration that guidelines indicate that they are not entitled to any allowance for the WDC meetings;
3. the need to consider mission schools as well as primary schools for children with special needs under the bursaries component of the CDF;
4. another prominent issue was that of the learners staying in private boarding facilities in areas where there are no boarding schools;
5. engagement of councillors, public workers and other members of the community who are employed but belong to co-operatives and would like to participate in co-operatives activities; and
6. participants also were interested to learn on the issue of financial institutions to administer the CDF soft loans.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to assure the hon. Members of this honourable House that the ministry, with other stakeholders is working tirelessly and will study all submissions that are now emerging with regards to the way the CDF was initially couched, to address the five points I have provided above. Once we have finished our conversations with all the stakeholders, who include our hon. Members of Parliament seated here and those outside, they will participate in developing a document that will service our people in the most diligent and equitable manner.

 

Madam Speaker, your Government has emphasised the need for active participation of all key stakeholders in the implementation and monitoring of the CDF. These include and not limited to the following groups of people: The WDCs, the traditional leadership, the district and provincial sector departments, the private sector, the civil society, and the hon. Members of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, monitoring and evaluation shall be undertaken at national, provincial, district, constituency and ward levels to ensure that the developmental objectives of the CDF are fully achieved. Of particular importance, is the role that the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) and the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC), with regard to the provision of oversight through the reports that the local authorities will be providing, as well as ensuring that there is no duplication in the projects that are being implemented in the constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, moving forward, and I as conclude, your Government will continue to distribute the CDF guidelines. It will endeavour to translate these guidelines in all the Zambian local languages and also in Braille for our people who have sight deficiencies. Let me take this opportunity again to say that hon. Members of Parliament are urged to make sure that they are not found wanting for:

 

1. failing to absorb this money into the projects; and
2. making sure that there is prudence and accountability in the disbursement of this particular money, for all expenditure of these monies will be a subject of an audit by the Office of the Auditor-General.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity, and I am quite sure and very certain in my mind that this statement is extremely clear to the extent that it may not even attract follow-up questions.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the ministerial statement given by the hon. Minister.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Madam Speaker, clearly this is a welcome development. We should give credit where it is due. Imagine our rural constituencies receiving K25 million plus every year, that would change the lives of the people.  For us, this is a promise kept. Well done, Her Honour the Vice-President and His Excellency.

 

Madam Speaker, my point of clarification is: What measures has the hon. Minister put in place to do with councils? As I speak, the K1.6 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which used to be disbursed irregularly in the past –

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mung’andu: These are facts, hon. Colleagues. In my constituency, I have been having challenges with the council. Whenever they misapplied funds, I would not see anything on the ground. As a hon. Member of Parliament, I was told I was not part of the council and I would find it very difficult to make a follow up. The hon. Minister and I are both politicians and we want work to be done immediately but some council officials would find a way of wasting time and even misapplying these funds. What measures has the ministry put in place to ensure that councils that do not utilise these resources properly are dealt with and that there is avoidance of political interference in the application of the CDF? Otherwise, that is a good programme but without the measures that I am talking about, as politicians, we might be in problems.

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, let me first acknowledge and express my gratitude to the hon. Member of Parliament for Chama South for the kind words that he has given this afternoon. This is as it ought to be. I do appreciate the hon. Member, brother and friend’s concerns about the misapplication of these funds, even from the paltry K1.6 million. The hon. Member has raised this afternoon, issues of ‘not belonging to the council’ and that of ‘avoidance of political interference’. Every coin has two sides. 

 

Madam Speaker, in the ministry that I was privileged to head, one of the issues that the officers brought before me, was the last one that the hon. Member brought, where they said that there was too much political interference by hon. Members of Parliament, and that the hon. Members of Parliament could decide to change the will of the CDF Committee, as and when they wanted, which caused delay in approving and also, executing these projects.

 

Madam Speaker, in the third last paragraph of my statement – Maybe with time, I will make a copy of this particular statement. So, those who are willing can come to the office to get a copy so that they can use it as a document that will make sure that there is engine fire in all the cylinders. 

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: We are all part of an engine called the ‘Government’, except that this particular House, is a Legislative wing of the Government. We are the Executive wing of the Government. There is the third wing that may not be relevant to be discussed now.

 

Madam Speaker, this is the reason in my third last paragraph, I made emphasise on the participation of the DDCC, as part of the process that is going to help this engine fire in all the cylinders. There should be no political fights in the disbursement of this money. Just for avoidance of doubt, it should be known that this is Government money. We have decided that there should be no duplicity in the project, as it was in the beginning when the CDF was only K30,000, where the DDCC played a role not to change what the CDF Committee, which the hon. Members of Parliament were an integral part of had planned.  This is something that everyone must embrace.

 

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the issue of hon. Members of Parliament not being part of the council. We are a legislative Assembly. We are the ones who change the law. Tomorrow, if the processes allow, Hon. Mung’andu can bring a constitutional amendment proposal for hon. Members of Parliament to go back to the council, and on this side (right) will be the first to support him.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, this is the privilege that the hon. Member carries. His primary role in his office as an hon. Member of Parliament is to formulate laws. This is a low hanging fruit that shows that a law-making-process should be apolitical where one agrees that this is good for him and those who will come after him. He can enact the law.  Clearly, we all believe that the exclusion of the hon. Members of Parliament from the council was a mistake. We all agree that if he so wishes, he can come with an amendment. He can check with the ones who run the processes in this House on how a constitutional provision is amended. We will be the first ones to rally behind him.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the issue of application, finally, I sounded not a warning but a bell that, we, as hon. Members of Parliament in the guidelines, are charged with certain responsibilities.  One of them is to see and make sure that the utilisation of this money answers to the three things that this Government has been speaking about, day in day out, which are: the quality, and cost and timely delivery of services of goods. Once the hon. Member does those things, we will be good together.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, I also want to be on record to commend the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and his counterpart, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for responding to our calls. I did not know what I was going to tell the people when I go back home tomorrow. At least, there is something now to smile about.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. Minister that if this disbursement is as he has told us, that it will be quarterly, then we will not fight with him. I wish to state that the guidelines must be uniform and generated from one end. I realised from the conversation I had with my colleagues earlier on that, whilst from the other constituencies, the deadline was given to us for the submission of projects for 2022 and 2023, which passed a long time ago, the other hon. Members of Parliament have not even started that. So, there seem to be one set of rules for other constituencies and another for other constituencies. The hon. Minister is aware that for my constituency, we have since submitted our projects for 2022 and 2023, and we were rushed to prepare for them. What is the position of the hon. Minister with regards to these circulars and instructions as to when the deadline should be?  Who should be generating these instructions?

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, it is also important for me to put on record my gratitude to my colleague, the hon. Member for Nkana, for acknowledging the good things that have happened since our Government took over. I appreciate.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding his apprehension, I want to thank him for sounding a warning that if things were not done as they were, if we did not give this statement today, he would not know what to tell his people in Nkana and that, he would not fight us.  I want to put it on record that even if a fight ensued, he would lose ...

 

 Laughter

 

 Mr Nkombo: … because we are operating under a mandate that came out of an election, where the Zambian people removed his party from power. They removed them from here (right). They used to sit here and I used to sit where the Leader of the Opposition is sitting. We did musical chairs. That by its own making was an usher of authority. At points where we have a stalemate in wanting to get a buy-in with everybody, we have the right by law to make an Executive decision, because we are the Executive of this country, for this moment. I that say with deep humility because the hon. Member used the word ‘fight.’ At this point in time, with the developments that have come, it is always good to acknowledge that as an Opposition, they are at their weakest and they cannot compare what used to happen in their time and what has started manifesting now.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Nkombo: Regarding the Two-Tier System that the hon. Member is referring to, I can only throw the challenge back to him. I only know of one circular to the entire country that had a deadline. If he has one that is contrary to what I am saying, it will be very nice of him to show it to me so that I can expressly go back to my office and find out the generator of that second tier letter, which gives a different timeline for other constituencies. That used to happen a long time ago. I want him to read my lips, the discrimination of people will never ever happen under the leadership of our Leader of Government Business here and the President, Mr Hichilema. That is top on our agenda. Our language is that of equity ...

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Nkombo: … but they should not mistake equity for equality. Our language is that of equity that, what is good to the goose is good for the gander. It is also true that we are running behind schedule as a people in this particular fiscal year. They should not forget that the Budget was only approved less than three months ago. A journey of a million miles starts who one step. Sometimes, you may tumble but in life, the definition of a man and ‘man’ generically, including women is, ‘It does not matter how many times you fall, what matters is that you pick up the pieces and move.’

 

Madam Speaker, we are under pressure to make sure that this money is utilised as at end of December this year. So, we are all behind time. The period that he is referring to is extended. We shall communicate to him the extension period.  In every council and constituency, there will be no double dealing. Everyone will be treated the same way. Even this hon. Minister he is speaking to today, had the same deadline. So, it will be extended. I hope that this is a subject that should not appear in public ever again because it actually causes injury. When one is dubbed or accused of being discriminatory and he knows he is not, it causes injury. So, I want to assure my colleague and friend that that may be a subject on just malicious social media. We operate under one strict rule of equity.

 

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Sampa (Matero): Madam Speaker, when promises are not achieved, we are here to point them out on behalf of the people. When one promise is met, we are here to commend the Government. On this particular one, we commend the hon. Minister for releasing these funds to everybody. I am very confident that he will not victimise any hon. Member or any Mayor out there. As hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, I am sure he will treat every Zambian equal.

 

Madam Speaker, quarter one (Q1) is ending today and that is when the money has been released. The hon. Minister has stated that the absorption of these funds is long. It takes three months because of the bureaucracy in the council and the ministry. I am also confident that he will take out all the CDF tenderpreneurs at the council and the ministry. Does the hon. Minister not think that the Government should have actually released quarter 2 (Q2) as well, as we start it tomorrow so that we start absorbing it? Otherwise, at this rate, we will soon be in December and Q4 money will not have been released. We will eventually enter the next year and there will be lagging period.

 

 Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, let me also thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Matero for the kind words that he has showered this Government. We appreciate.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding his apprehension, I want to state that the hon. Member of Parliament was once an hon. Deputy Minister of Finance, who should understand very well that there are competing needs in this country.

 

Mr Sampa indicated assent.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the idea of quarterly releases of this CDF is not by any way demonstrating a feeling of mistrust on the absorption. There are so many competing needs in this country. So, he should bear with us. That is the only reason, apart from the absorption capacity which we want test by releasing it quarterly.  Once our economy starts to grow from the negative 2 per cent, where they left it themselves, …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Nkombo: … excuse me, to our projected 4.5 per cent by 2026, and once we see that the absorption capacity is in synchrony with the availability of funds, we may, mark my words, graduate it to half-yearly disbursements. Once we see that there is capacity for everyone, and that all the players like, the WDCs, Constituency Development Fund Committees (CDF Committees), where he belongs, the DDCC and the PDCC, start to synchronise and everything is being done, and dealing with the issue of red tape, the bureaucracy of delays, I can assure him that if the hon. Member, as a representative of a constituency can retire his expenditure and gets full marks of approval of the prudent management, he may even get the whole year’s allocation as he goes into the future, which is very long.

 

So, we are very conscious that we should not throw all the eggs in one basket. He knows that the rural roads are all washed away today. So, if today we decide to put the entire money for the CDF into the councils’ account, what will happen to the procurement of medicines? What will happen to the free education policy? We have crash programme to get things right for this country.  So, we are taking things in order of priority and we are quite happy. Like I said to him, what we have disbursed today is equivalent to what the PF or the former regime were disbursing in four years. I think that that is a milestone.

 

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his statement. I have been in this House for the past six years. During that period, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government only managed to give us one full and a half Constituency Development Funds (CDF) between 2016 and 2021. That was about K2 million only. I am surprised and I want the hon. Minister to educate this House and the country at large today as to where the money was going during the time of the PF. Where did the Government get this money from, which they have given to all the 156 constituencies? Has the Government borrowed from the Chinese or this money was generated by the Government? What is the hon. Minister’s take?

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Bweengwa for that question whose answer to part one of his question I may not have because I was never, even for one moment, a member of the PF to have understood what was happening. Herein, lies the difference, Madam Speaker, in terms of what the country’s priorities are. I know for a fact that only seven months ago, there was a lot of money concentrated in few hands. We used to see it on television and on phones. We used to see it everywhere. People were flashing it and it was not a secret. I want to make this very clear that today, People who are complaining are the ones who were benefitting, the chosen few, who were having liquid money at all times at the expense of those in the rural areas.

 

Madam Speaker, the dichotomy or difference between the poverty levels in rural areas and the city is too much to contemplate.

 

Hon. Member: Yes

 

Mr Nkombo: This is why Mr Hichilema, who by the way, I have always referred to as a very serious individual, has decided that he will remove money from the pick pocketers in Lusaka and take it to the rural areas.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Nkombo: I am just quoting what the President has said. So, I wish to tell the hon. Member for Bweengwa that this money has been obtained through the Government’s innovation under the leadership of my elder man, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: There is no rocket science here. It is a question of priority.

Mr Muchima: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: I am sure as the few who were flashing money are unhappy in the cities here …

 

Mr Kangombe: Tantameni!

 

Mr Nkombo: …the rest of the country today, is jubilating ...

 

Mr Muchima: Yes!

 

Mr Nkombo: … because we have not only sent money to the local jurisdictions but we have also said that they will take part in deciding and determining their own destiny. What more can one ask for?

 

Mr Kangombe: Look at them!

 

Mr Nkombo: Those who were called the voiceless, today, have a voice. The WDC can go into a meeting and say they want a borehole, ...

 

Mr Muchima: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: … or a clinic, on their own. All the Government has to do is to send them money. This is not a miracle. It is about people planning. When the President says we want to be methodical, this is what he means. Some people think it is just music in the ears.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Nkombo: It is actually happening. So, I do not know how the money was being handled by the PF those days but I know clearly, that if the hon. Member wants a documentary trail, as to where the money is coming from, the hon. Minister is there and he can tell him about Control 99. Control 99 is a Government account that contains money from taxes. In the midst of all this, we were left with a debt mountain which is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Shame, shame!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, due to lack of time, as the hon. Minister has invited hon. Members to go and pick the ministerial statement, I think we are going to have the last four hon. Members to ask questions.

 

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, when we talk about scholarships for students, which tertiary institutions should the children apply to? Is it only Government tertiary institutions or even private institutions can be approved by the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA)?

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member was not very audible in my ears, maybe someone or you, Madam Speaker, can do me a favour to just repeat that question. I just heard –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chienge can you please repeat the question.

 

Rev. Katuta: Am I audible, Madam Speaker?

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You are.

 

Rev. Katuta: Thank you.

 

Madam Speaker, my question to the hon. Minister is, for skills or scholarships for students, which tertiary institutions should our children apply to? Is it only Government institutions or they can also apply to private institutions and be approved by TEVETA?

 

Am I audible?

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: It was loud and clear.

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, in my statement, I elucidated five points of concern. One of them is related to what my sister, the hon. Member for Chienge is referring to, where I said that stakeholders indicated that we needed to consider mission, primary, and private schools to be included in the programme. I said that this is a matter that we are now calling ‘food for thought’ because it also includes certain constituencies or jurisdictions, Madam Speaker, that do not have boarding schools.

 

Mr Mubika: Like Shang’ombo.

 

Mr Nkombo: Where there are day schools, some children are living in boarding houses. I did mention that we are trying to devise a mechanism through a consultative process. I remember saying that we will include hon. Members of Parliament to help us see how we can unbundle this so that there are monies that are allocated to boarding schools, where there are none, just like the hon. Second Deputy Speaker told me that he has no boarding school in Luangeni Constituency.  We also have constituencies like Mitete, and Liuwa where the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning comes from, which do not have boarding schools. So, we have to sit and agree that where absorption cannot happen due to lack of facilities, they should remember that we took a one-size-fits-all approach. Now, with these challenges that we are facing, we have to make some variations. We have to make some adjustments which we will put in the guidelines so that it is not free for all to make sure that they are followed to the later to accommodate everyone. So, with regards to the issue of the hon. Member for Chienge, that is included. I am inviting the hon. Member, when she has a moment to just come through to the office so that we can sit and see how we can find a resolution to the issue she has raised.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Minister for actually making the hon. Members very relevant to the people in their constituencies. I am sure everyone here is very happy. The hon. Members will go braggadociously into their constituencies, talk about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and praise the New Dawn Government.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kamondo: Madam Speaker, one of the issues that we faced in the previous Government was that when most of the projects were done by districts and councils, we used to have a lot of problems with the ministry and the hon. Minister himself, who would actually maybe, approve projects for a certain grouping and leave the others.

 

Madam Speaker, can the hon. Minister assure the nation that the New Dawn Government is not going to behave in such a manner?

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I have learnt some new vocabulary today.

 

Mr Mubika: George Mpombo!

 

 Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, even though I am a teacher of English, I now believe that learning a language is a continuous process. Braggadocios! Alright! 

 

Laughter

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the question that the hon. Member of Parliament for Mufumbwe raises is similar to what my hon. Colleague from Nkana also raised, which is the issue of discrimination. Without getting into details of those who sat in the chair before me, and how they conducted themselves, I want to assure him or even double assure him, since we have been together for maybe, four months now, from the time I was appointed an hon. Minister, that my office is open to all the hon. Members, including those from the Opposition. I made a policy in my office and my two secretaries have been told that even if there is a queue, when an hon. Members of Parliament or a chief come, they must skip the queue.

 

Madam Speaker, they are here.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, they can attest to the fact this is how we conduct ourselves in the office. Apart from the bureaucracies that may have been happening from the local authority and the communication protocol in my office for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) proposals, I wish to state here that there is no single CDF file that stays in my office for more than thirty minutes, as long as I am seated there. I will attend to it. I read what is contained in it and make sure that it is within the requirements of the guidelines and the law. I will then append my signature and say, “approved.” So, in terms of what the hon. Member for Mufumbwe is asking, again, for as long as we are here, discrimination of people based on their political beliefs will never happen because we are in a democracy.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister who has brought a very good message, a message of ‘discrimination’ which surpasses other messages we used to hear in the last regime. My question is on the allocation for empowerment. What will be the interest paid on the loans that will be given to the youths and women? What will be the recovery period of those monies?

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo for his kind words on discrimination. The hon. Member is asking about the issue of interest on soft loans. As far as I know, this is an empowerment programme which is different from grants. Grants are not repayable. Soft loans are payable and in as far as I know, there is no interest, unless, I have not read my documents right. There is no interest, whatsoever. You just pay it back so that it can help the next wishful person to conduct a project.

 

Madam Speaker, with your permission, I just want to emphasise how welcome everyone is to our offices. Without mentioning names, a colleague from Patriotic Front (PF) came to my office and at the end of our conversation, I asked him, “Why has it taken you so long to approach this office?” When he came, I had not even recognised him. His response was, “I did not know that I would be this welcome. I did not know that you would accommodate us in the manner that you have because we were very bad to you.”  

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, allow me to join the hon. Member of Parliament who have welcomed the hon. Minister’s statement. Indeed, I thank the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema in ensuring that at constituency level, we find ways and means of empowering our constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, my question is an area that the hon. Minister had hinted on and that is of flexibility. I was actually sharing a concern with the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning that in the first quarter, all hon. Members received the K635,000 meant to support bursaries for boarding schools and so on . Unfortunately, that uptake has been extremely weak. For example, for Kantanshi, and my two hon. Colleagues from Kankoyo and Mufulira, I do not think we have more than ten pupils and this means that on average, K1.8 million is just put in the bank. Of course, the bank is there to make money and this tax payer money obviously, is being multiplied by the banks at the expense of our constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, to what extent is the ministry going to be flexible to allow this money to go towards buying school books or supporting uniforms for the vulnerable? To what extent can the ministry allow hon. Members of Parliament to give suggestions because I know that all constituencies are unique in the way they are, considering the different economic activities they have and the levels of poverty?

    

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, thank you once again. I thank the hon. Member for Kantanshi for his question on flexibility. In my statement, I listed five areas of concern and one among them was the issue of lack of boarding facilities in many constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, remember, this document called ‘guidelines’ is a living document like laws. It will have to be adjusted as we get along to suit the desires of man, ‘man’ generically, including women. So, where they find themselves in a situation, where K1.8 million is just put in the account, it would be nice that they write a letter because boarding schools like day schools, in most cases, as an example, lack desks. So, if they say they would like to buy desks so that their children do not sit on the floor, we shall agree to vary this money from boarding school to buying desks.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: We will agree because nothing is cast in stone. What we want is a decent learning environment for our children.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

_______

­

BILLS

 

REPORT STAGE

 

The Emoluments Commission Bill, 2022

 

The Zambia Institute of Marketing Bill, 2022

 

The Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management Bill, 2022

 

The Social Workers’ Association of Zambia Bill, 2022

 

Report adopted.

 

Third Readings on Friday, 1^stApril, 2022.

 

_______

 

MOTIONS

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

The Minister for Central Province (Mr Nanjuwa): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing the people of the Central Province to make a contribution to this important debate over the President’s Speech, on the application of national values and principles.

 

Madam Speaker, I rise to contribute on the address by His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, …

 

Hon. Government Member: Commander-in-Chief!

 

Mr Nanjuwa: … and Commander-in-Chief …

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, Hear!

 

Mr Nanjuwa: …as delivered on 11^th March, 2022.

 

Madam Speaker, for a long time, this august House has been deprived of such an insightful and honest Address on the application of national values and principles. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to thank His Excellency for delivering such an inspiring Address to the First Session of the Thirteen National Assembly.

 

Madam Speaker, hon. Members of Parliament, both on your right and left, will agree that the application of national values and principles is firmly anchored on our conviction and belief on the supremacy of God in the affairs of our nation. The President in this regard, raised many pertinent issues in his Address to the nation. He highlighted how this Government has performed in the implementation in the past six months this Administration has been in power.

 

Madam Speaker, in his Address, the President recognised the importance of national values and principles as bedrock to our development agenda. There is no doubt that without values, we as a country cannot develop as vices such as corruption, cadreism, hate speech, tribalism, violence and many others are counterproductive, as the case was not too long ago, to which all of us are the witnesses.

 

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government is resolved to build a culture of a value-centred nation where everyone’s views and opinions are respected irrespective of their ethnicity and political affiliation.

 

Madam Speaker, inculcating morally upright and ethical behaviour in our citizens and getting them to live a positive value-centred life remains a priority of the New Dawn Government.

­­­­­

In the last few months, as a province, we have proactively engaged communities, renewed partnerships, revisited the use of one-stop centre facilities and we have since recorded some great progress.

 

Madam Speaker, in light of child marriages, I am happy to report to this House that in the Central Province, over 687 children were withdrawn from early marriages in 2021. Therefore, we are sincerely grateful to all the traditional leaders in our province and co-operating partners that were working with the provincial leadership for us to achieve this.

 

Madam Speaker, the President’s emphasis on the need to embrace the value of hard work at personal, organisational and national levels resonates well with the Central Province, that has been considered a ghost province for a long time. The people of the province are happy and support the President’s call for hard work. We have commenced mentoring our Public Service individuals and sectors to take opportunities obtaining in the province and the country to increase on production to grow our economy as it is the only way the lives of the people in the Central Province shall be changed. I am happy to inform this House that in the few months we have been in Government, we are seeing the changes taking place in the Central Province.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to point out a few issues on mindset change as alluded to by His Excellency the President. Until we change our minds and stop seeing corruption and harassment of innocent citizens by cadres as normal, we will not develop. We need to move from handouts to working hard for ourselves, our families and our country. We need to embrace mindset change and start being ashamed whenever we throw waste anyhow and expect someone else to clean for us. We need to stop activities that block drainages. Cadreism should never be allowed to show its ugly face in this great nation as it was in the past. We should stop the culture of embracing corruption and other vices and consider the perpetrators of corruption as victims.

 

Madam Speaker, as Central Province, we support His Excellency the President in the fight against corruption and we demand that perpetrators of corruption should face the law.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mubika: Now you are talking!

 

Mr Nanjuwa: Madam Speaker, we need a mindset change and support the President’s Address so that together, we can move this country forward. With these few remarks, on behalf of the Central Province, I appreciate and support ...

Hon. Government Members: And all the Lenjes!

 

Mr Nanjuwa: ... the Motion.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Laughter

 

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, the presentation by the President on national values and principles is a dictate of Articles 9 and 56 of the Constitution and is meant to be a vanguard of the protection of everyone’s rights and freedoms.

 

Madam Speaker, in his speech, the President alluded to the importance of moral values. He also spoke about his concern about alcohol intake among the young ones and also, the abuse of technology. The President also put a word on the need not to neglect the youth for it is the youth that made it happen to change the Government.

 

Madam Speaker, at the funeral of our late Fourth President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, the Bishop there, I think his name was O’Connell or something like that, said that in life, no one should be written-off.

 

Madam Speaker, in the speech, on page 13, President Hichilema made emphasis on patriotism and national unity. He said that this country belongs to all of us. He said it about four times while seated there where you are, Madam Speaker. A few weeks later, when President Rupiah Banda died, the Bishop said, “Mr Rupiah Banda is an example of why no one should be written-off in life.”

 

Madam Speaker, to certain people, Mr Hichilema had been written-off. He was so written-off such that he was abused. He was the most vilified person I know who is alive today. Mr Hichilema has shown some magnanimity in running the affairs of this country. He is one of the victims of verbal and cyber-digital-abuse where a Minister of the Government, not so long ago, had the audacity to say, “People of Mr Hichilema’s tribe are polygamous and they must marry many women to produce many children if they want to take the Presidency of this country in, maybe, 100 years.”

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Nkombo: It was said by the hon. Minister of Defence in that Government. The other one said, “For these types of people, ‘meaning ourselves’, to ascend to become Presidents, they must marry Bemba women. Then, they may qualify.”

 

Hon. Government Members: Miles Sampa!

 

Mr Nkombo: Look at the magnanimity of the individual who is now sitting at the helm of this country, where what comes out of his lips is national unity first. Once we unite –

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Those are his words. He said vengeance is for God. He was also quick to say, “Do not take my kindness for weakness”, using my own words, that you must now start crying foul that you are being prosecuted and even mispronouncing English. You are being prosecuted and not persecuted.

 

Hon. Government Member: Correct!

 

Mr Nkombo: Persecution was done during the After Death (AD) and Before Christ (BC), of the biblical times.

 

Madam Speaker, the President was very clear that those who erred in the past, present and future are going to face the same seamless colour of the law. The President has been very clear about how he loves this country

 

Madam Speaker, some of us had to call a meeting, which is now on the Internet, because of the discrimination that we suffered, which was dubbed chundu chaitwa. I am sure they remember what chundu chaitwa was all about. We had to gather ourselves. We told the then Head of State to say, the minimum he could do was to eliminate the people who were dividing this country from his Cabinet.  

 

Hon. Government Member: He never!

 

Mr Nkombo: No, not only did he not do it, but he is also quoted as saying “One day, umutonga akaba President, but not this one”.

 

Hon. Governments Member: Shame!

 

Mr Nkombo: This is a lesson for all of us to learn that what goes around does come right around. Everyone, whether you are Luvale, Chokwe or Nkoya, you have what it takes to become a President of this country.

 

Hon. Governments Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, to my fellow colleagues, I have this to say. Let us be different. I am now addressing the people on your right. Let us forgive these who persecuted us –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

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

 

Laughter

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was urging my hon. Colleagues, these ones here (right) to exercise the muscle of their hearts to forgive those who were in the Patriotic Front (PF) and persecuted them.

 

Mr Sampa: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, forgiveness is a virtue. The lessons that we have learnt about the way they treated us, as second class citizens, the constitutionalism has taught us about the supremacy of the people as a political order. People used to tell us, when we were in the Opposition, ise tiyembekeza chabe pa 11. There came a time when everybody was feeling subdued; they could not express themselves; they were beaten up in bus station and they would only say, “tiyembekeza chabe day imozi.” When that day came, the supremacy of the people as a political authority spoke for us. Therefore, my appeal to the hon. Colleagues on this side (right) is that we should never fall under the trap that our friends went into ...

 

Hon. UPDN Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkombo: ... because there is a fall after pride. Too much pride always results into a fall. Let us not fall prey of what those – We have learnt lessons enough that what goes around, comes right around. The political order and the supremacy of the people as a political authority reigned when they put us into power.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Sampa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, my point of order was targeted at the speaker who was failing to acknowledge the figurative term ‘metaphor.’ There were things that were said as metaphor, that they brought people forward and won. They brought Madam Nalumango, the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services and many others and they formed Government. That is what was said in that context as metaphor. I just wanted to correct that. He was citing people who were not in the House.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Maybe before we move to the next hon. Minister, let us try as much as possible to avoid debating ourselves.   

 

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the speech on national values and principles as delivered by the President to this House.

 

Madam Speaker, I will split my discussion into two parts. The first part will be general and then the last part will be to try and respond to some of the issues raised by the hon. Members of the House.

 

Madam Speaker, let me start by putting into view what the President talked about in terms of human dignity, equity, social justice and non-discrimination. I will discuss these in relation to agriculture.

 

Madam Speaker, there was a disjoint in this particular aspect. When we took over power, you will realise that we came to the House and gave indication that we were going to bring equity, for example, in the distribution of fertilisers.

 

Madam Speaker, there was no equity at all in the way this was being managed by the previous Government. However, when we came in, we made sure that every citizen in Zambia, who was participating under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP), got an equal share as the others did. That, we did without looking at political affiliation but continued to build on what the other parties had done before us. That is the way things are supposed to be.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about specifics which the President talked about, which are national unity and indeed, the issue of developing the country. The President of this Republic has anchored all his views on these two issues which are national unity and growth of this country.

 

Madam Speaker, first of all, let us look at the person who talks about these things. The current President does not only have the exposé as a President, but indeed, you can tell that his personality fits for one to be called a President and he does exactly what you expect him to do.

 

Madam Speaker, let me exemplify this. If you see our President travel, dear hon. Colleagues and hon. Members of this House, he can go to any part of the country but you will never see him flashing a political symbol. That is a mark of a true President.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mtolo: He realises that he is a President for all and all he does is to wave. He opens his palm, which is not a political symbol whatsoever, to acknowledge that everyone is a Zambian and that everybody actually deserves like the other might do.

 

Madam Speaker, I will go further. You will notice that the healing in our country is unimaginable. The President has made sure that there are no political vehicles zooming in our streets in the colours of the ruling party. Nothing, Madam Speaker. There are no posters advertising hon. Ministers and hon. Members of Parliament. This is because not everybody voted for the current party into power. Therefore, in realising that and in order to build the country, he has made sure that there are no posters around.

 

Madam Speaker, I shudder to think, what would have been the case, if this party was not in power and another party was. The pollution that we noticed before was just going to be too loud for us to just ignore and in the process, there was not going to be a healing process. So, when a man talks of national unity, he should live by it.

 

Madam Speaker, the President in his speech, also mentioned that we must be very clear and conscious to differentiate between patriotism, laziness and hard work.

 

Madam Speaker, what we are now seeing is that people are migrating from laziness and corrupt acts, and are getting into working hard. This is slowly coming into the fall. When a person talks of values, these are the things that they talk about.

 

Madam Speaker, having said that, one would like to ride on what all the other hon. Members of the House have mentioned that we should not as a country, admire people with ill gotten wealth. We should make sure that our children in the homes are taught that a person who develops or shows a lot of wealth without proper sources should not be admired but should be shunned and properly exposed.

 

Madam Speaker, the other issue that the President talked about is alcoholism.  Our country is being ravaged by this desire for the young ones to imbibe. I think it is important for us to continue talking about this issue so that the youths are not destroyed. We are all told that a high percentage of the population is youths. I think we have about 30 to 40 per cent of our population as youths who are the future leaders. However, at the rate alcohol is being consumed, we will have the problem of passing on the baton because the current generation is getting wasted.

 

Madam Speaker, another issue which one would like to talk about and would urge all the hon. Members in this House to take this as they go back home, is cleanliness. Zambia is such a beautiful country, with beautiful weather and everything but we do not look after the environment. We are the enemies of ourselves. We have dirt and plastics thrown all over the place. I think it should start from us as individuals and then, it will cascade into the society as a whole.     

 

Madam Speaker, having said that, let me now answer very briefly, some of the issues which the hon. Members brought out. The hon. Member for Nalolo, Mr Wamunyima, said “Why are we exporting maize instead of finished products?” I would like to assure the hon. Member that we are encouraging exporting of finished products other than maize. The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) does not mill maize but sells it. It is up to us and the public sector to ensure that mealie meal or finished products are exported.

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Kantanshi, Mr Mumba, bemoaned the dependency on imported goods in our supermarkets. Again, the President talked about that on page 15 of the speech, where he did encourage Zambians to ensure that they consume locally produced commodities. You will recall that he talked about it a lot. He even talked about the gentleman who is promoting the “Buy Zambian Campaign.” So, let us be patriotic and go for what is produced in Zambia so that in the process, agricultural production could be enhanced.

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Chinsali talked about the scandal on fertiliser. Again, this just goes to speak to the importance of what the President talked about. Instead of the hon. Member finding out from the right ministry on what happened on the fertiliser, he goes to talk about it as a scandal. Scandal for what, when we were healing a problem which was created by his very party? I am encouraging him to come to the ministry so that we can give him more facts.

 

Madam Speaker, lastly, the hon. Member for Katete, Hon. Peter Phiri, cried out that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) cannot be used on agricultural colleges. Again, I think we heard today that the possibility of variation is there as long as we do the right thing through the ministry.

 

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I wish to indicate that I support the Motion very seriously and thank you for the time.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I am following the list that I have received. The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning may take the Floor.

 

The Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane): Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

 

Madam Speaker, when the President came to address Parliament for the second time from the time he assumed office, he spoke on the topic entitled “Progress Made on the Application of National Values and Principles.” Now, I think for many of our country men and women, this may sound a bit confusing, but I will start by simplifying what we are talking about.

 

Madam Speaker, national values and principles mean recognising the bad and good things that we should have in the country. National values and principles are about how we live as a country. Am I living well with my neighbours or not? Are we in this province living well with the next province or are we living badly?

 

Madam Speaker, national values and principles is about brotherhood. Are we living well, through brother to brother? By ‘brother’ I mean anyone who is next to you. Are we practicing doing unto others as we wish them to do unto us? Those are national values and principles. For public things that belong to all of us like public money, are we as a country utilising it properly or not? Are we destroying the environment or we are looking after it?

 

Madam Speaker, when the President came here to talk to us, it was about him indicating whether we are making progress in all these areas that I have talked about. It was about measuring or an attempt to measure whether the values and principles that we are espousing are good or not.

 

Madam Speaker, I am sure there are many ways of determining whether we are making progress or not. I think the easiest way of measuring whether we are making progress or not is simply to see what is happening now and compare it with what was happening six or seven months ago. Now, if we take it that way, then I would say that we, as the United Party for National Development (UPND), within a very short period of being in Government, are doing very well. We are definitely doing much better than what our colleagues in the Patriotic Front (PF) were doing in ten years. Let me give you an example.

 

Madam Speaker, I witnessed a by-election in Sesheke that brought in Hon. Kangombe. I was shocked and I will go to my grave still remembering what happened there. While the villagers were innocently campaigning and not provoking anyone, all of a sudden, the paramilitary came on the scene and started firing machine guns. I think many of us still remember that. Is it not? They started firing machine guns at innocent villagers. Everyone had to disappear in the bush, including the current President. This is something that I saw with my own eyes being done by unprovoked people. Our hon. Colleagues today, whenever there is a by-election, they are totally free to go and campaign without any harassment of one type or another. That is progress.

 

Madam Speaker, in the past, whenever you heard that a political leader was arrested, you would be sure that political leader would spend several nights in the cell. Today, those of our hon. Colleagues who say we are persecuting them, are arrested on understandable reasons and very few of them if any, have spent nights in the police cells. They are arrested, charged and immediately given police bonds. That was a taboo in the past. Would they not say this is progress?

 

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the use of public money. In the past ten years, public money was used a lot on things that did not make sense. Public money went to finance continuous by-elections. All the time, by-election. All the time, by-election. Today, as we have seen this afternoon, public money is being utilised for good things like the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Musokotwane: They are wondering, “Where is this money coming from?” It is because public money is not being utilised for wasteful things such as the CDF.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, the message to my hon. Colleagues on the other side is simple. I think I want to follow in the steps of Hon. Nkombo, there. We forgive them from our hearts but as we do so, I just want to ask them for something, to show remorse. This is to end the culture of lying every day. Our hon. Colleagues, every day, they are busy thinking about the next false story to spread. Every day, false story. Every day, false story.

 

The people know about all this. The people know our colleagues used say to others, “This one is a heathen; this one is a non-Christian; and this one supports homosexual.” Fortunately, the people said, “No” to all that. So, as we forgive them, the message to them is that they should calm down and stop the habit of inventing false stories to confuse the Zambian people every day.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

The Minister of Health (Mrs Masebo): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the President’s Speech made to the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, on the Progress made in the Application of the National Values and Principles, delivered on Friday, 11^th March, 2022. Let me thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for helping our people to understand exactly what these values and principles are all about. I hear from the comments by some of our colleagues, especially on your left when they debate this Motion that clearly, they do not understand what these values are.

 

Madam Speaker, may I start by reiterating the statement made by the President that incidences of immorality and unethical conduct, among them, alcohol and substance abuse, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence (GBV) continue to be high in the country. This situation is of grave concern to the New Dawn Administration.

 

Madam Speaker, alcohol and substance abuse among members of the public, and in particular the youth, continues to remain high and has been disturbing the country over the years. Harmful consumption of alcohol is a major contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The most common NCDs attributed to harmful consumption of alcohol include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, digestive problems, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory obstructive disorders. Alcohol consumption also impairs judgement and delays the reaction, leading to increased incidences of road traffic accidents. 

Madam Speaker, further, harmful consumption of alcohol destroys the nervous system and the brain, leading to mental health disorders. In additions, excess consumption of alcohol weakens the body’s immune system, making the body a much easier target for many communicable diseases.

 

Madam Speaker, harmful consumption of alcohol increases the risk to diseases, disability and premature deaths. In addition, excessive consumption of alcohol increases domestic expenditure, reduces individual productivity, reduces household income and pushes families into poverty and inequalities. Furthermore, harmful alcohol consumption escalates expenditure on provision of health care, and has the potential to reverse the country’s socio-economic gains.

 

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Administration is cognisant of the fact that harmful consumption of alcohol has negative impact at individual, household, and community levels, leading to reduced national productivity and socio-economic development. In order to curb alcohol and substance abuse, the Government has continued to implement the National Alcohol Policy through its implementation plan using a multi-sectoral approach in order to provide for a coordinated response. In implementing the policy, one of the measures has been the sensitisation of citizens on the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse. The Government is using various media channels, and is working with community-based organisation (CBOs) to fast-track community interventions and counselling in order to escalate alcohol prevention interventions and behavioural change activities.

 

Madam Speaker, in addition to health promotion and disease prevention, the Government provides medical and rehabilitative care to those that develop conditions such as mental health disorders at specialised institutions such as Chainama Hills Hospital. The Government has continued to expand such services to reach everyone and leaving no one behind.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency has made a clarion call that the fight against alcohol and substance abuse is not for the Government alone. So, let us all get involved and help our fellow citizens, especially the youth. Each player has been called upon to play their role. To the parents, let us not neglect our responsibility of moulding our children into morally upright citizens. To the Church, Civil Society and traditional leadership, let us all take interest and participate in the fight against this scourge. To the youth, we urge you to refrain from abusing alcohol and other drugs. To the private sector, especially the liquor industry, we implore you to put in place measures and programmes that will help our people refrain from alcohol and substance abuse. We further, implore you to operate within the confines of the law. In particular, we call upon the local authorities, Mr Garry Nkombo, to strictly enforce the by-laws that regulate the sell and consumption of alcohol.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President noted with concern the increasing incidents of mental health problems in the country. I want say that in order to address mental health problems, the Government has escalated and strengthened human resource capacity through specialised training and deployment, and improved case management of patients living with mental health disorders.  Further, the Government will operationalise the Mental Health Act No. 6 of 2019, which seeks to protect the rights of persons with mental health disabilities and constitute a Mental Health Council to spearhead the mental policies.

 

Madam Speaker, there are a number of issues that the President raised relating to the health sector. I just want take this point, seeing that time is not with me, to urge the hon. Members that as they go back to their constituencies, they should take time to look at issues to do with alcohol abuse and mental illness. These issues are real on the ground, obviously because of high unemployment and poverty levels. The world has become so fast for our children. So, I want to call upon all hon. Members of Parliament that we should help the youths to make use of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). We should also look at issues to do with income generating activities and poverty reduction strategies that are on the ground. Let us also help in identifying those that look mentally disturbed so that we can help them to access medical care.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to say that as leaders, we cannot feel that we are ruling if we are leading young people who are drunk all the time. I think this issue of the young people, we need to take it very serious. We need to mainstream young people in our programmes, especially the girl child. That is why even on the recruitment, I want to ask the hon. Members of Parliament to take time and ensure that there will be equity and equality in the process. Let us make sure that there will be no corruption. Let us make sure that those who truly deserve the jobs can get them.  I am aware that money is exchanging hands. Young girls are being abused by being told, “Sleep with me, I will give you a job.” It is our task, now that we are going back home to our constituencies, to help the girl child to be able to get the jobs without selling their bodies.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of Information and Media (Ms Kasanda): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a contribution to the President’s Speech on the Progress made in the Application of the National Values and Principles.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate the President on his visionary speech to this august House. I am proud to state that the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, under President Hakainde Hichilema is walking the talk in actualising the national values and principles. This is in appreciation of the importance of national values and principles in building strong families, communities, and generally, a strong and united Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, under President Hakainde Hichilema, a “One Zambia One Nation” motto is becoming a reality as seen in the composition and complexion of the Cabinet, which is reflective of all the ten provinces in the country.

 

Madam Speaker, in the past, this was not the case …

 

Hon. UPND Members: Shame!

 

Ms Kasanda: … because we saw a Government that isolated the appointments of the composition of the Cabinet to a certain region. This bred disappointment and disunity among citizens in the country, who felt marginalised in the running of the affairs of the country. This was a very sad state of affairs affected the entire leadership of this country whereby, for one to be appointed to any position, he or she had to have a connection with someone of the immediate past Government or the party itself.

 

Madam Speaker, under this Government, you do not need to be Lenje, Ngoni, Soli or Lozi to be Zambian.

 

Ms Kasune: Mwanyumfwa!

 

Ms Kasanda: All you need to be is a Zambian to be appointed to any position, which is what President Hakainde has demonstrated in his appointments.

 

 Madam Speaker, abuse of public resources meant for the people of Zambia deprives a child in Chisamba, Keembe and Sioma of a desk to sit on. It also deprives a mother out there to be able to go to a decent hospital or clinic.

 

Madam Speaker, in making the national values and principles a reality, this Government is emphatic on the promotion of good governance, where those entrusted with the management of public affairs must be responsible, accountable and transparent. The fight against corruption is top on our agenda so that public resources benefit the people of Zambia and not a few individuals like we saw in the past. It is our collective duty as citizens to embrace a culture of patriotism which entails putting the interest of our nation first.

 

Madam Speaker, our efforts to promote national values and principles are however, threatened by one big enemy called, “social media.” While social medial is an important tool for communication, some people are abusing it with impunity to spread hate speech, fake news and other vices that are detrimental to the unity and stability of the nation.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear! Shame!

 

Ms Kasanda: Madam Speaker, this is an enemy that we are all called to fight to make the social media a tool of progress and not problems. In this regard, Government will not rest in sensitising the public on the need for responsible use of the social media for the benefit of our people in the country.

 

Madam Speaker, the media is another area of concern in the promotion and application of national values and principles. Over the years, the media has been highly divisive in their reporting by taking sides especially during elections. This is detrimental to our national values and principles of unity under the “One Zambia, One Nation, One people” motto.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government’s desire is to have a media that is objective and professional in its reporting in order to contribute to a united and peaceful country we all desire.  It is for this reason that the Government through my ministry has scaled up the promotion of professionalism in the media sector and results are beginning to show.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Kasanda: Today, the media is free to cover any of us here regardless of our political affiliation. In the past, it was unheard of to be aired on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), the Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail to cover the Opposition. It was actually a taboo. This is now a thing of the past, Madam Speaker, as all voices of Zambians are now being heard on all the media platforms.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Kasanda: This is the Zambia that the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government buildings for ourselves and generations to come, a united Zambia under the Motto; “One Zambia, One Nation and One People.” This is a Zambia where our people are assured of their basic needs such as food, shelter and free education, a Zambia anchored on love, national unity and mutual respect.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Haimbe): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for according me this privilege to debate the Motion of Thanks on His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s Address to Parliament on the Progress made on the Application of National Values and Principles.

 

Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking His Excellency the President for his thorough and well-thought-out Address on the application of our national values and principles. They are as the President highlighted the foundation of every aspect of our society.

 

Madam Speaker, as the Ministry of Justice, we are conscious of the burden we carry on behalf of the people of Zambia as the custodians of the governance pillar, which is one of the main stays of the New Dawn Government’s plan to lift our beloved motherland from the doldrums of the recent past. Indeed, the ministry has noted the policy guidelines contained in His Excellency’s Address, which are aimed at leveling the playing field in matters of good governance and the rule of law.

 

Madam Speaker, at the very apex of this drive, is undoubtedly Constitutional reform. As a demonstration that the New Dawn Government is committed to this importance aspect, His Excellency the President has consistently underscored its importance in the New Dawn’s Administration.

 

Madam Speaker, additionally, in keeping with His Excellency’s vision of protecting our children from exploitation, neglect, early marriage and similar vices, the Ministry of Justice will work closely with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, and other stakeholders to secure the enactment of the Children’s Code Bill, 2022, during the current Session of Parliament. 

 

Madam Speaker, hon. Members may be aware that this Bill, when presented, will seek to consolidate and harmonise all child related legislation and act as a preventative tool to curb vices against children. It is our belief that once the Bill is presented, it will be fully supported by this august House so as to entrench our vision of a Zambia that every citizen will be proud of and where our children, our children’s children, and every generation thereafter, can hold their heads high knowing that they are truly proud and free.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Haimbe: Madam Speaker, this epitomises the speech of His Excellency in terms of achieving our national values and principles of morality and ethics. Indeed, we are walking the talk.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Haimbe: Madam Speaker, with respect to democracy and constitutionalism, I reiterate the President’s commitment to ensuring a democratic and Constitutional Order that will not only stand the test of time, but also one that fully reflects the aspirations of the Zambia people. As Government and indeed, the Ministry of Justice, we are fully committed to ensuring a broad- based transparent and non-partisan constitutional reform process.

 

Madam Speaker, as the Government, we are not merely uttering words but leading the way through measurable and verifiable action. To this end, we shall soon undertake engagements with you, our fellow hon. Members of Parliament to see how we can win together on urgent amendments to the law that will address pressing issues of the moment, such as how we can rid ourselves of unnecessary by-elections thereby, saving this country colossal sums of money.

 

Madam Speaker, as already alluded to, the Ministry of Justice is fully committed to supporting legal reforms in other sectors, such as curbing gender-based violence (GBV), public order, investment and private sector growth, to mention but a few. This is to ensure that the vision that has been put forward by our flag carrier, His Excellency the President, comes to fruition. Again, we are not a mere talking shop but we are aimed at being a responsible Government that will deliver to the people of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, in the coming sittings, therefore, a number of Bills will be presented to this House in an effort to lay a foundation in achieving these goals. My ministry is key to ensuring that these Bills are brought forth.

 

Madam Speaker, lastly, may I add my voice to our national values and principles on good governance and integrity. The President emphasised the need for the nation to observe the tenets of good governance, and we are fully committed in achieving this aim. This is because good governance is imperative for our country’s political stability, security, economic growth and sustainable development. Upholding these principles requires the participation of all citizens in the governance of the nation, including the marginalised such as women, children and persons with disabilities.

 

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government aims at ensuring that all these groups are well catered for hence ours leading by way of national values and principles. As the Government, we are committed to ensuring that all citizens participate equally in the future of our country.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government reiterates its commitment to strengthen protection of human rights and good governance by observing the rule of law, upholding national values and principles, entrenching transparency and accountability, enhancing access to justice, constitutional reform, and most importantly, the protection of women and children’s rights as this cannot be divorced from the well being of the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, may I thank His Excellency for the wonderful speech which is a clear direction of the vision that he has for this our beloved Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Chikote): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the progress made towards the application of national values and principles by His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, to this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President reminded this august House and the country at large on the national values and principles as enshrined in Article 8 of the Constitution, which are morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination, good governance and integrity, and sustainable development.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President adequately addressed the progress the New Dawn Government has made in the application of our national values and principles and outlined the direction we all ought to take in order to achieve what we want ourselves to be.

 

Madam Speaker, the citizens’ economic empowerment has been a challenge for a long time. Lack of meaningful empowerment programmes has equally eluded our citizens. You can remember very well, Madam Speaker, the way our colleagues were distributing the empowerment. It was on partisan lines. They were empowering cadres in the past.

 

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, they were only selecting the people who were singing their songs as the PF. Now, under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema is now showing this nation that every citizen in this country matters. This is through the empowerment that we have under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. My ministry did not choose which region to go to empower the Zambian citizens. We have been going wherever there are capable people in this country. There has been no selection of regions or tribes. Our leader His Excellency the President has given us directions to demonstrate that every Zambian in this country is important.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock endeavours to keep all citizens especially the youths in meaningful and gainful economic activities. You can see Madam Speaker, that we are slowly moving our citizens, more especially the youths from issues of tantameni.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: We are now trying to motivate and give capacity building to our youths to start contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP). You can even see this under the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art. You can see the kind of programmes that we are giving our youths.

 

Mr Mposha: Yes!

 

Mr Chikote: That shows that we mind our morals on how we govern this country.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: We make sure that our youths become part and parcel in seeing the economic growth of this country.

 

Madam Speaker, in aquaculture, these are the activities which are helping our youths to move away from abuse of alcohol. This is the best we are doing. We are not encouraging them to go and sit in the markets or bus stations and start abusing alcohol. We are making them form co-operatives so that they are empowered to go into aquaculture, which is a productive activity.

 

Madam Speaker, the ministry will also continue implementing other empowerment programmes such as Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Programme (E-SLIP). With this programme, we are making sure that it caters for everybody across the country regardless of where they are coming from or their political affiliation. Sustainable Livestock Management Projects (SLIMP) are the projects we are giving to our people to make sure that their livelihoods are not be the same as the way they were treated by other regimes.

Madam Speaker, the President called for a professional and ethical workforce in order for the country to achieve its developmental agenda. Madam Speaker, I know people easily forget. This country was governed in a wrong way.

 

Mr Mposha: Yes, very wrong!

 

Mr Chikote: Very wrong!

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hammer, hammer!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, you can imagine how the police force was infiltrated by cadres and how education was politicised. The District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) were being promoted on partisan lines. Just a few years ago, Madam Speaker, we were seeing cadres going into police stations beating up officers and nothing was done to them. Today, under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, there is professionalism in the security wings. The security wings now, are important elements in terms of peace in this country. Today, you cannot see any cadre from the United Party for National Development (UPND) trying to do things outside the law. They will be locked up if they did that because the President has already given the direction. He has shown the people that this country should be governed in accordance with the law.

 

Madam Speaker, we saw cadres governing this country as if they were professionals. People were only recruited if they spoke the language of the PF.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: This, Madam Speaker, has come to an end. Today, if you walk into these offices, you will see change. In the Civil Service, people are now breathing fresh air because the President has shown us direction. Madam Speaker, we really feel very bad about the time wasted by the Zambian people –

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, I consider it a great honour and privilege to deliver a vote of thanks before this august House, following the President’s Address on national values, principles and economic policies in line with Articles 8 and 9, as read with Article 86 (1) of the Republican Constitution. I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for his insightful and important Address to the nation.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by joining the nation in expressing my heartfelt condolences to the people of Zambia and the family of the late His Excellency, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, who passed on, on 11^th March, 2022. The former President contributed immensely to the development and the unity of this nation.

 

Madam Speaker, further, I wish to join the nation in expressing and conveying my heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Professor Lupando Munkonge, who passed away on Saturday, 31^st March, 2022. Equally, Professor Munkonge had a long and outstanding medical career and made great contribution to this country. I also wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr Kabungo, who tragically lost his life while on duty in Nigeria. May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.

 

Madam Speaker, the speech of His Excellency the President is a reflection about how far we have come and how fear we still have to go in actualising the national values and principles. The national values and principles are a bedrock of our social economic development, hence the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in uplifting the national values and principles. We have been reminded not just about the work we need to do but also, of the strategies and commitment that we have to adopt in order to succeed.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to express my profound gratitude to His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, Hear!

 

Mr Mposha: ... for his support to the water sector through increased investment, clear and consistent policy direction. In his Address to the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, on the progress made in the application of the national values and principles, the President stated that the New Dawn Government was working to enhance access to water and sanitation.

 

Madam Speaker, in this regard, I wish to assure the Zambians that with support from various co-operating partners, the Government is implementing a number water and sanitation interventions across the country which include, among others, dam construction and rehabilitation, borehole construction and rehabilitation, piped water schemes construction and indeed, rehabilitation. The Government is also constructing sanitation facilities in public institutions and places. Further, the Government has scrapped off registration fees for domestic boreholes. This is in order to reduce the cost of drilling boreholes.

 

Madam Speaker, these interventions are aimed at fostering the attainment of universal access to clean, safe and adequate sanitation services and ensuring national water security to enhance social economic development.

 

Madam Speaker, indeed, our Government is committed in ensuring that the application of national values and principles is actualised. This has so far been practically demonstrated by walking the talk, through the introduction and implementation of relevant policies such as the free education policy that will lead to reduction of alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancies, among our youths, which have been very rampant in the recent years. In terms of democracy and constitutionalism, the Government has allowed an environment where people are free to criticise and interact freely amongst themselves, regardless of ethnicity and party affiliation.

 

Madam Speaker, we are coming from a recent past where certain individuals would not be allowed to enter certain regions merely because certain individuals were partying and drinking Jameson in those areas.

Laughter

 

 Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, today, we are allowed to sit, mourn and chat together as one people. This is how it should be.

 

Madam Speaker, together, we will build the country we want and make changes that are desirable for creating an optimal and enabling environment for development. It is not yet time to rest. We have a lot of work to do. I thus, call upon all well meaning Zambians to join hands with the New Dawn Government and make the Zambia that we want.

 

Madam Speaker, with these remarks, I want to commend and thank the President for an extremely insightful speech.

 

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, Hear!

 

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to register my thanks to the speech of His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, on progress made in the application of national values and principles delivered to this House on Friday, 11^th March, 2022.

 

Madam Speaker, the President ably delivered his speech and articulated the progress made in the application of the following national values and the principles enshrined in our republican Constitution. These are, morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination, good governance and integrity, and sustainable development.

 

 

 

Madam Speaker, the President was on point when he called on everyone in this House, and the country at large, to embrace these values and principles, and make them part of our way of life. As the President rightly guided the nation, if we embrace these values and principles, we shall be a people and a nation of sound character that stands out among the global community of nations.

 

 Madam Speaker, my statement of thanks to the President’s speech will focus on the issue of morality and ethics, among our values and principles. The President reported progress on the application of our national values in relation to morality and ethics. The President expressed concern at the continued high levels of alcohol and substance abuse, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV), and corruption in our society. The President directed all of us to unite as a country against these vices. These vices are enemies of progress and development,

 

Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that in the not so distant past, corruption and the corrupt were glorified. The country witnessed public display of lavishness and wealth, by people that did not even have established well-paying jobs or businesses.

 

Ms Kasune: Shame, shame!

 

Eng Milupi: Madam, the public display of huge sums of money, opulence and wealth was strange and totally alien to Zambians. Zambians are humble people, who believe in hard work and its rewards. When many of our people were working hard under very difficult circumstances, a clique of a few individuals and their supporters were displaying wealth way beyond the common man's imagination.

 

Madam Speaker, this display of ill-gotten wealth, associated with corruption and proceeds of criminal activities is no longer the case. Why? One may ask. It is because of the change of the Government that happened. Zambians decided to bring decency back to the country on 12^thAugust, 2021. Zambians rejected corruption, greed, criminality and the public display of ill-gotten and corruptly obtained wealth.

 

Madam Speaker, wealth obtained through proceeds of crime will be repossessed by the State, regardless of who is involved. Those involved must be prosecuted and when found wanting, punished to set as an example to others. Corruption must be fought with all the vigour necessary. We must set a good example to our youth and future leaders that corruption and criminality do not pay.

 

Madam Speaker, let me now focus on two phrases that have made news now. Those are ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘genuine dialogue.’

 

Madam Speaker, hypocrisy is walking around with clasped hands and a bowed head, whilst arresting opponents on trumped-up charges, whilst presiding over increasing corruption levels in the country...

 

Mr Nkandu: They have even run away!

 

Eng Milupi: ...and procuring fire tenders at US$1 million when they are second hand and valued at not more than US$50,000.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Eng Milupi: Madam Speaker, hypocrisy is presiding over the Government that allows citizens through the length and breadth of the country to be traumatised by gassing and burning of markets.

 

Madam Speaker, hypocrisy is also, presiding on a party in Government that brutalises its citizens who are members of the Opposition, including killing and injuring them even at funerals and graveyards and hacking them with pangas.

 

Madam Speaker, let me now refer to genuine dialogue. We, who were in the Opposition then, led by President Hakainde Hichilema, when the country was traumatised, after the 2016 General Election, by his arrest, the country was in need of genuine dialogue and reconciliation. We, recognising that we were a Christian country, engaged the Church mother bodies to superintendent of the process to bring genuine dialogue and reconciliation, leading then, to the development of a People-driven Constitution. They today, who are asking for genuine dialogue, scuppered the process and instead, preferred their National Dialogue Forum (NDF) that resulted in a much aligned and hated Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill N0.10. That was not genuine.

 

Madam Speaker, we are talking about values and principles, it was right and proper that President Hakainde Hichilema, as a person, is the one who was able to deliver on these principles and values. First of all, to lead a country, as individual, you need to see values and principles in you as a human being. There is no better person in this country who can display that. He has a big heart. Those of us who were with him when he was being traumatised through arrests or being pushed throughout the bush, as the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning indicated, we see that heart of forgiveness now, which many people would not have if they were in his shoes. Many people are now turning against him and calling him all sorts of names, but he is a genuine leader.

 

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister for Lusaka Province (Mrs Mulyata): Madam Speaker, I want to thank you most sincerely for affording me this privilege to add my voice in support of the Address by the Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on the progress made in the application of national values and principles delivered on Friday, 11^th March, 2022, right in this august House.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mulyata: Madam Speaker, the Republican President's National Address to this august House on the progress made in the application of national values and principles, set the tone on the aspirations of the New Dawn Administration, in its quest to provide leadership in promoting morality against evils such as alcohol and substance abuse, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV), corruption and abuse of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and social media.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to assure this august House that Lusaka Province takes the promotion of national values and principles seriously. Therefore, appropriate measures are being undertaken to address the high incidences of alcohol and drug abuse, child marriages, teen pregnancies and GBV, among others.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Kasanda: Lusaka One!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, the provincial administration is deeply concerned with the culture of corruption that has become endemic in our society today. I wish to assure this august House that we will endeavour to handle financial obligations with utmost care, transparency and accountability. One of the measures we have since put in place as the provincial administration is to establish integrity committees at both provincial and district levels, aimed at curtailing the abuse of public resources.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, the problems of child marriages and teenage pregnancies as highlighted in the Republican President’s Speech are of serious concern to us as the provincial administration. To this effect, we are vigorously engaging the royal highness in the rural districts and school administrators to ensure that the scourge is effectively dealt with, almost immediately.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, we also believe that the provision of bursaries under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the free education policy are some of the critical measures that will encourage the girls to remain in school.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia said in this august House, and I quote:

 

“As leaders, we are entrusted with the vital role of promoting a strong culture of hard work and self discipline which are critical to national development ...”.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: To this effect, the provincial administration, working with the Civil Service Commission has established the Province Human Resource Management Committee to deal with human resource matters in the province. It is our considered view that this development will contribute to the promotion of transparency in the handling of human resource matters, thereby, enhancing professionalism and, consequently, service delivery.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, to promote the culture of taking care of the weak and vulnerable among us, the Government has increased the cash payments to vulnerable households under the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) Programme covering all the districts in the province. Currently, we have a caseload of slightly over 54,000 households. How great is that?

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: We are receiving in excess of K25 million per month. Can you imagine? These guys failed to do it but we are on top of things.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sampa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Laughter

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, in addition, we are also training our youth in various survival skills such as metal fabrication and carpentry in all the youth centres in Lusaka Province.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, in the area of upholding the rule of law, the provincial administration will continue to accord everyone equal treatment in line with the law and our national values and principles. We will also endeavour to preach peace and unity in our province at all times. We recognise that we are all Zambians, first of all. We do not look at where one comes from, which political party they belong to, or what colour they are. We are, One Zambia One Nation.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: Madam Speaker, let me state as I conclude that as a province, we are keen on ensuring that national values and principles are sufficiently promoted as we believe that all human beings are created in the image of God Jehovah ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Mulyata: ... and, therefore, deserve dignity and must be provided ...

 

Mr Sampa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Mrs Mulyata: ... with an opportunity to actualise their potential. As we strive to develop our country, we must make sure we guard against impunity and unbridled focus on oneself, but work for the betterment of all. We should not be like those people who say, “Hypocrisy” when they are hypocrites themselves.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, order!

 

That was a powerful voice of a woman.

 

Laughter

 

The Minister for Northern Province (Mr Mbao): Madam Speaker, I rise to support the National Address to this House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, which was delivered on 11^th March, 2022. The good people of the Northern Province want to welcome the measures that have been clearly outlined in the 2022 National Address to Parliament on values and principles by the President.

 

Madam Speaker, Northern Province being a rural province, faces a lot of social economic challenges that have hampered physical and human development. These include early marriages, gender-based violence (GBV), high poverty and inequality levels, and alcoholism, substance and drug abuse. Furthermore, the province has poor road infrastructure and communication network.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency was concerned that while as a nation, we have made progress in the application of moral and ethics, more remains to be done as incidences of moral and unethical conduct continue to be high. Among these, are, alcohol and substance abuse, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, GBV, corruption, abuse of information and communication technology and social media.

Madam Speaker, in agreement with the Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, I must quickly inform the House that child marriages and teenage pregnancies have remained a serious issue in Northern Province. The marriage of a person below the age of eighteen, what it means by child marriage, deprives adolescent girls of their reproductive health rights. It impinges on their opportunity to realise their full potential and enjoy their human rights as established in various international treaties. Adolescent girls have the right to education, health, dignity, non-discrimination and quality life.

 

Madam Speaker, protecting, promoting and fulfilling these rights is necessary to ensure that adolescents grow into health, skilled, productive, independent and reasonable adults. The prevalence of child marriage in Zambia and particularly, Northern Province stands in the way of enjoying these rights to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of the adolescent girls. There is need to eradicate child marriages.

 

Madam Speaker, the effects of early child marriages on our children especially, the girl child, are retrogressive. These effects: 

 

1. deprive girls of education;
2. create health risks;
3. increase girls’ vulnerability; and
4. put girls at risk of violence.

 

Madam Speaker, realising these effects, the New Dawn Administration has removed structural barriers to poverty and culture, which have been the main drivers of early child marriage. These are fiscal centralisation, high cost of education, poor economic performance, poor road infrastructure leading to farm blocks and tourism sites, poor housing, high youth unemployment, untapped natural resources especially forestry; wildlife; minerals and water bodies, among others.

 

Madam Speaker, in response to these economic barriers, the New Dawn Administration under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema has developed policy measures to remove school fees from early child education to Grade 12. The free education policy from early childhood to Grade 12 is there to remove barriers to youth skills training and development. It also increases bursary coverage for students attending tertiary education. It is also good to note that in the Northern Province, in terms of teenage pregnancies, 166 school going children fell pregnant and 1,650 girls were readmitted into schools in 2021.

  

Madam Speaker, this Government has implemented fiscal decentralisation by increasing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million to K2.5 million, which includes youth and women participation throughout the Northern Province.

 

Madam Speaker, the country was divided on tribal and political affiliation. There was also the perception that some regions such as the Northern Province were more developed than others. I am here to underscore the fact that the Northern Province is actually the third poorest province in this country, Zambia. If indeed the last Government, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, developed the Northern Province, it could have got good results in 2021. Alas, the people of the Northern Province spoke against the oppression that was under the PF by giving the New Dawn Administration 51 per cent of the vote, which was not something that was easy. It was a revolt. The PF took the Northern Province as their ‘bedroom,’ meanwhile there was nothing that was going on on the ground.

 

Madam Speaker, the Northern Province has continued to engage key stakeholders such as the private sector, religious organisations, traditional leaders, civil society, emergent political parties and the private sector to take a lead in championing the application of national values and principles.

 

Hon. Member: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Interruptions

Mr Mbao: We can assure the hon. Members of this august House and the public that the New Dawn Administration will remain committed to the values and principles of inclusion. Therefore, I urge this House and the public to rally behind the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mbao: ... to safeguard the –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

The Minister of Green Economy and Environment (Eng. Nzovu): Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank you for according me this honour to rise and comment on the speech delivered to this august House, by His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, Commander-in-Chief of the Zambian armed forces, on the Progress Made in the Application of the National Values and Principles.

 

Madam Speaker, from the President’s Speech, it is evident that as a people, we still have a huge task in shaping the national agenda through hard work, responsible actions, accountability and self discipline. This will also facilitate unity and harmony in the country, thus foster national development. As expounded by the President in his speech, ours as a party in the Government is to genuinely promote and support all Zambians, in particular, the women and the youths to have access to land, mining and timber licences, and contracts for goods and services. This is real empowerment, and it is important for national unity and development.

 

Madam Speaker, this is the Zambia we want, led by a visionary elder who promotes teamwork, abhors discrimination, detests corruption and promotes unity in diversity and unity of purpose as key ingredients to national development.

Madam Speaker, I was delighted when the President galvanised the nation with a call to pay special attention to sustainable development which benefits both present and future generations. This is because the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste is with us. Climate change is real and it continues to impact lives as the nation records extreme weather conditions of raised temperatures, floods and droughts.

 

The President was on point with this challenge to engage in meaningful solutions to counter climate change which includes, implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies, construction of climate resilient infrastructure, swift renewable energies, tackling the scourge of waste pollution and environmental degradation and the important national duty of tree planting which should really become part of our culture as Zambians.

 

Madam Speaker, this Government through the Minister of Green Economy and Environment has under-pinned its developmental agenda on green growth path ways which emphasises sustainable utilisations of natural resources. In response to the President’s call on solid management, my ministry is reviewing the Environmental Management Policy and Regulations to address among other issues, sustainable waste disposal with a shift to a circular economy. Institutions including the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), Zambia Metrological Department (ZMD), Bio-Safety Department, Mwekera Forestry Collage and the Scientific Research Unit will be fully supported to ensure timely delivery of services.

 

Madam Speaker, to support and anchor Zambia’s green growth pathway, my ministry is developing a green growth strategy focusing on resource efficiency by using the limited resources including forest and minerals sustainably, while minimising impacts on the environment, use of renewable energy, by emphasising the utilisation of clean and green energy to power the production processes, minimising waste, reducing the amount pollutants, emissions and wastes generated per unit of product or service, sustainable forest management, restoration of biodiversity loss, inclusiveness by focusing on inclusive and participatory decision-making, promoting equity and equality, community cohesion, social justice and green jobs, taking into account intergenerational equity.

 

Madam Speaker, arising from the proceeding facts, I am making a passionate plea that as citizen we should invest our energies in practices that promote the environment from further degradation. The culture of protecting the environment is one that should start from our homes, schools, communities, as well as work places. This responsibility is enormous and requires nurturing for us to maximise environmental benefits. I therefore, would like to sincerely thank all Zambians who made it their call duty to ensure that forests are protected and trees are planted.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia has pronounced its self to reducing it carbon foot print in line with the objects of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is therefore earns to reduce carbon emissions from greenhouse, automobiles, and the industry through investment in renewable, and alternative industry including, sustainable environmental and forest management.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia continues to invite local and foreign businesses to support the sustainable exploitation of forests as well as set up local manufacturing industries to process timber and non-timber forest products. Investors are therefore, invited to invest in carbon trading under the approved carbon trading rules. I wish therefore, to restate that the importance or the application of national values and principles is a corner stone in national development. As the President said, a Zambia anchored on love national unity and mutual respect can only be realised if its developmental agenda is one anchored on environmental sustainability. 

 

Madam Speaker, let us all therefore, keep Zambia clean, green, and health,

 

Madam Speaker, as we go back to our constituencies when we rise tomorrow, I urge all hon. Members of Parliament to utilise part of their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) on environmental sustainability by planting trees. Let us be above political divide because we live in the same environment. This is an area where we should work together without making unnecessary noise. We need to ensure future generations find a good environment to live in. We need to ensure that our aim to ensure that there is environmental sustainability and our turn to a circular economy are realised.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mrs Chonya (Kafue): Madam Speaker, I am really grateful for having been given an opportunity to move this very important Motion that helped us to reflect on our national values. I want to thank all those who debated the Motion because they brought out very important issues, which will be very critical as we reflect and forge ahead. Issues of national unity were talked about. General developmental issues formed part of people’s debates. Issues of good governance and rule of law were cardinal. It was pleasing to hear hon. Members on both sides talk about the importance of a Constitutional reform that will stand the test of time particularly, the readiness on the part of our colleagues to move with us on this agenda.

 

Madam Speaker, of course, people were reminded about the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10, but this should not make us lose an opportunity to actually come up with a good Constitution that will be good for all of us as Zambians.

 

Madam Speaker, it was also, I do not know what word to use but listening to how people recalled, the difficult times that we underwent under the Patriotic Front (PF) Regime. It was like opening old wounds but I believe that process could have helped us to actually heal as we talked about those difficult times. I hope that all my colleagues who were injured that time will find room in our hearts to actually forgive each other and be able to move together as one Zambia, in unity and in love because at the end of the day, that is what indeed, will demonstrate the true Zambianness in all of us.

 

Madam Speaker, let me end by urging all Zambians to uphold our national values and principles as enshrined in our Constitution and as espoused by His Excellency, himself.

 

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Question put and agreed to. 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.   

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

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The House adjourned at 1834 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 1^st April, 2022.

 

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WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION

 

TARRING OF THE KASHIKISHI/LUCINDA ROAD IN CHIENGE

 

313. Ms Katuta (Chienge) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

 

1. when tarring of the Kashikishi/Lunchinda Road in Chienge District will commence;

 

1. what the cause of the delay in commencing the project is;

 

1. what the cost of the project is; and

 

1. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, the tarring of the Kashikishi/Lunchinda Road in Chienge District will commence once funds for the project have been secured. The current works on the road have been rescoped from upgrading to bituminous standard to an all-weather gravel owing to limitations in available funds to the road sector.

 

Madam Speaker, the delay in commencing the project has been due to financial constraints and the cost of the rescoped project to an all-weather gravel road is K589,748,811.01.

 

Madam Speaker, the current contractual period ends on 2^nd May, 2022, however, due to the slow progress of works, this is likely to be extended subject to availability of funds.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.