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Debates- Friday, 21st September, 2012
DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE SECOND SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY
Friday, 21st September, 2012
The House met at 1000 hours
[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]
NATIONAL ANTHEM
PRAYER
__________
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
The following Member took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance:
Wynter Munachambwa Kabimba
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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER
COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, the National Assembly will join the international community in commemorating the International Day of Democracy on Monday, 24th September, 2012. The theme for this year is “Dialogue and Inclusiveness – Central to Democracy.”
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Zambia National Group Executive Committee, led by the Hon. Speaker, met on 19th July, 2012, and adopted a project proposal in line with the theme. The main activity to be undertaken by the national group will be an open day at one of its constituency offices.
Due to preparations which were being undertaken in connection with the Official Opening of the National Assembly by the Head of State and the unavailability of hon. Members of Parliament on 15th September, 2012, the commemoration will, instead, take place on 24th September, 2012.
The main aim of having the open day is to take Parliament closer to the people. The activities scheduled for the day include the following:
(i) an exhibition of various Parliament documents to the local people;
(ii) digital photo display on various Parliamentary events;
(iii) a sensitisation talk to highlight the operations of Parliament and how people will have access to the constituency offices and participate in the governance of the country; and
(iv) a drama performance on the role of a Member of Parliament.
The other activity to be undertaken at the open day will be a debate on the role of constituency offices by twenty selected pupils from the ten provinces of Zambia. This will be based on the theme “Are the constituency offices meeting the expectations of the electorate?”
Laughter
Mr Speaker: I hope that the activities of the open day will enlighten people on the role of Parliament. I, therefore, urge hon. Members of Parliament who have been invited, to give the support to the national group on this IPU Calendar.
I thank you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
__________
TIME OF THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
The Vice-President (Dr Scott): Mr Speaker, I beg to inform the House that the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, will be arriving at 1025 hours to declare the causes of his calling the House to meet today.
I thank you, Sir.
Business was suspended at 1009 hours until 1024 hours.
His Excellency the President entered the Assembly Chamber escorted by Mr Speaker.
(Assembly Resumed)
The Clerk read the Proclamation.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear! Boma! Boma!
His Excellency the President (Mr M. C. Sata): That is Parliamentary democracy.
Laughter
__________
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
His Excellency the President (Mr M. C. Sata): I am pleased to join you, including Dr Phiri and Dr Effron Lungu, to open the Second Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.
Today is a big day for me. It was the second time that I stood before the First Battalion of the Zambian Regiment. The first time was when I granted them Freedom of the City when I was the District Governor for Lusaka. I sat in this House, but not in this Chair. I was a Backbencher as Member of Parliament for Kabwata, and Mpika Central. I also sat here as hon. Minister of State for Decentralisation, Minister of Local Government, Labour, Health and, finally, as Minister Without Portfolio.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: The people from Chipata used to ridicule me and would call me Minister Opanda Nchito (Minister Without Portfolio).
Laughter
His Excellency the President: The former Speaker, Hon. Nabulyato, used to censure them all the time each time they stood up and said, “Minister Opanda Nchito”.
It is almost one year since I was last with you. That was when I opened the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.
Mr Speaker, before we go any further, I note with sadness that during the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, the House lost the hon. Member of Parliament for Muchinga, the late Hon. George Kunda, State Council, and former Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia who passed away on 16th April, 2012. May His Soul Rest In Peace.
As if that is not enough, three days ago, we lost a pioneer woman, a woman among women, Mrs Betty Kaunda. She died in her sleep in her daughter’s house in Harare. May Her Soul Rest In Peace.
Since the President and the National Assembly make Parliament, I request all the hon. Members to rise and observe a minute of silence.
Hon. Members of Parliament stood in silence for a minute.
His Excellency the President: May you all sing or have you forgotten how to sing One Land and One Nation.
Hon. Members of Parliament sang the National Anthem.
His Excellency the President: You may sit down.
Hon. Jack Mwiimbu used to sing very well when he was a cadre. Now he is too big to sing.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I told you that my father was the relationship go-between, for Kenneth Kaunda and Betty Kaunda. Betty Kaunda and my late sister were of the same age. My wife was very close to Betty Kaunda. I do not know about Dr Phiri, but where I come from, funerals take precedence over everything else.
In Zimbabwe, the Shonas say, “Chapinda mushizo chakaipa, chapinda mudumbu chakanaka, (to go through trials is bad, but what gets into the stomach is good). There are people like Dr Phiri who understand Shona. In Namwala, they say that “Mala azuma, watazuma walya mankomona (Mala is village strength, if you have no strength, you will eat coconuts).
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We used to enjoy being in this House with some muzungu Member of Parliament. Every time we disappeared from the House, we went outside to smoke.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Order!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, I am very pleased that there are three ladies representing Madam Vera Chiluba. She used to come here wearing big dukus (head scarves).
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the seven hon. Members of Parliament who emerged victorious in the by-elections in Chongwe, Nakonde, Magoye, Musanzala, Chama-North, Muchinga and Livingstone constituencies. I would like to congratulate Reverend Sikwela. Instead of sticking to the Bible, he also wants to represent the people in this august House. Congratulations, gentlemen.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Parley is a French word. It means to speak or to talk. When you are here, you have to say everything. Do not be partisan and do not insult because Mr Speaker has absolute powers to discipline you.
When I was part of the Standing Orders Committee, we expelled Mr Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika. You can speak, but if you do not understand the subject on the Floor, consult Jack Mwiimbu, and he will advise you. You can say anything, but do not be personal and do not insult. If you want to describe Mr Kambwili, you can describe him like Kalusha Bwalya did.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: This was addressed to the new hon. Members of Parliament.
To all of you, I say that, if you do not want to be a one-term Member of Parliament, your constituency should be your priority. When Parliament adjourns on Friday, you should go back to your constituency and see the problems that are there.
When you criticise us for what we have not provided – you have seen that today is the first time I am talking. I do not talk, but I listen instead. If I start answering, it means I will be hiding. There are so many things which we have not done, and there are so many things which we, as Members of Parliament, have to do for the people. We are sitting in here, where it is air-conditioned. However, our people do not have this facility which we have. We need to provide the little we can to the electorates and their children.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Some of our people have children who are more brilliant than our children. However, they children cannot go to school because they do not have any money to pay for school. Let us work as a team to liberate the people who made us what we are.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: I would like to register my disappointment at the violence that characterised some of the by-elections. When you spill blood, you should imagine it is your blood. Let us compete with words; not by fighting. Va kale-kale vakamana (old things are gone).
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}
His Excellency the President: Let us stop fighting. You are fighting with your brother just because you want to vote for Hon. Jack Mwiimbu. I campaigned for Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, although I do not come from Monze. Hon. Jack Mwiimbu and I used to work together in the council. Now we have Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, Hon. Wynter Kabimba and Hon. Emmanuel Chenda. We started serving the people at the lowest level. Let us go to Monze and upgrade the dam that we built under very difficult conditions.
The Southern and Western provinces are supposed to be key in the supply of animals. Let us look for meat markets and find treatment for our animals. Our animals are just as important as human beings. I do not like to see animals dying. Let us revitalise all our dip tanks so that our animals are protected. Once they are protected, the ministries of Agriculture and Livestock; Commerce, Trade and Industry; and Foreign Affairs can help us to find markets. Once we find the market, the people of the Southern and Western provinces and parts of the Eastern Province will survive because they have many animals which we can sell. Impongo nkoilli. (Goats are there.)
Democracy, my dear brothers and sisters, is not about fighting. You should ask our people, such as Hon. Wynter Kabimba and Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, who were privileged to go to school and have certificates. These people spent a long time in school. When you meet them dressed like Mr Speaker, you want to run away. You have seen Their Lordships seated in this House. These are the only people who do not tell us to fight. They tell us to argue in order to reach an agreement. Please, let us avoid partisan and electoral violence.
The First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly was very productive in many respects. This august House dealt with matters that are of great importance to our people. The hon. Members debated these matters candidly. This is a clear testimony of our growing and maturing democracy. In this regard, I commend you, Mr Speaker, for the impartial and able manner in which you guided and presided over the business of the House during the last Session.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: I am not supposed to congratulate Mr Speaker on doing his job. However, I have to congratulate him when he does a good job. In the same way, I am not supposed to congratulate the Chief Justice because it might be viewed as corruption.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I also congratulate the hon. Deputy Speaker who has a wrong name. His name is Mr Spear Lungu, but he has translated the spear in Tumbuka, and it is now Mkhondo Lungu.
I also congratulate His Honour the Vice-President on not losing his temper on some tempting questions. Do not behave like a Tonga. Answer every question.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, Hear!
His Excellency the President: You have to answer all the questions. It does not matter who is asking them.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: I had the benefit of serving under a One-Party State, which had an opposition group within. There was no Opposition per se. However, we who sat on the Back Bench were the Opposition and we took the hon. Ministers to task. I, therefore, urge my brothers on the Back Bench, Middle Bench and Opposition to take these hon. Ministers to task.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: The former hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Health, who is now the Vice-President of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), should use his experience.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Hon. Lt. Colonel Shikapwasha, you should use your experience as former hon. Minister of Home Affairs to criticise this Government. I do not like a situation where hon. Ministers fail to answer questions because they are not in the House.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, you should employ the Standing Orders Committee if hon. Ministers fail to answer questions because they are not in the House. Being absent from the House is an offence that might cause someone to be expelled from Parliament. We are ready to go for a by-election.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: We are here to answer questions, and all questions are pertinent. If you are on the Back Bench or in the Opposition, you should ask questions for hon. Ministers to answer. At tea break, they are your friends, but when you come into the House, you should ask them serious questions.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I hope the Opposition has a Whip. If it does not, it should choose one. Mr Speaker, please, assist the Opposition to choose its Whip so that the Government Chief Whip and the Opposition Whip can work together to ensure that the Business of the House is conducted as it should. There are these shadow hon. Ministers. We can nominate Mr Munkombwe and make him Government Chief Whip.
Laughter
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: I can see that he is welcome.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I can see that he is very welcome. Mr Daniel Munkombwe is an alderman. He is a statesman. When we are not buying maize, he says, “These boys are not buying the maize.” He calls us boys. We ask Hon. Dr Chenda and Hon. Kazabu to go and see Mr Munkombwe. We need more people like him. There is no enmity. We need all these senior statesmen and Their Royal Highnesses to see how far we can go.
The Clerk of the National Assembly has handled this Parliament the way she handled her former job at the Ministry of Justice. I knew this woman when she was a draughtsperson.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We poached her from the Ministry of Legal Affairs. There was a Minister from Lundazi who used to say Ministry of Lego Affairs. That was Mr Nuisance Zimba (Mr Newstead Zimba).
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, the Clerk of the National Assembly and Madam Jhara did a good job in drafting laws. When you are in the Government, you ask legal draughtspersons to draft laws. Some of the laws we inherited from the Colonial Government have been left the way they are because they have helped us to maintain peace. The bad ones have been improved and the good ones, such as the Public Order Act, have remained. The Public Order Act was meant to encourage nationalism in this part of the world.
Hon. Member: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: At the moment, the police in all the provinces and districts are understaffed. We need to start recruiting. Mazabuka, for instance, is a very important town and needs a big number of police officers.
Mazabuka, which is in the Southern Province, with its commercial activities, needs a far bigger transport network which it lacks at the moment. Communication is very important. There is one road which has brought us to where we are and this is the Monze-Namwala Road. We have to work on this road before the end of this year.
Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!
Hon. UPND Member: What about the Bottom Road!
His Excellency the President: We are already working on the Bottom Road.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, if you are Bottom, we are already ‘bottoming’ you.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Even if they did not vote for me, I promised them that I would work on the Bottom Road as soon as I assumed power, and we are working on it. I am impressed with the progress on the works on this road. Yesterday, we were on the Chiawa Road. However, we were warned by the Chieftainess not to allow some people from the Eastern Province to go there because they can poach the animals. This area has many animals. So, for Charles Banda, that is a no-go area.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Let me thank the Zambian people for their patience, and for continuing to support our Government as it remains steadfast in addressing their many and varied needs. If we achieved everything overnight, – once, I was told by Chieftainess Nkomesha that, if you marry a girl and, immediately, she tells you that she is pregnant, you must know that the pregnancy is not yours.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We inherited the pregnancy. If we did everything within one year, our colleagues in the Opposition would have nothing to talk about. We have to give them something to talk about.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: When they say that we are not fulfilling our promises, it means they are reading our manifesto. Do not insult them, but listen to what they are saying. When I was in Russia, I was told that Kruschev said that when you promise people a bridge, when you go back to them and they ask you about it, you must have an answer. You can say that you did not build a bridge there because you put up a bridge where there was water. You can then tell them that since there is no water here, I will come and build a bridge later.
The House considered a total of twelve Bills. In addition, the House continued to exercise its role and obligation to hold the Government accountable to the Zambian people by debating 609 Parliamentary Questions, seven Private Members’ Motions and twenty-three (23) ministerial statements.
Mr Speaker, we need more ministerial statements. All hon. Ministers should make ministerial statements because they give a chance to the Opposition and the Back Bench to ask questions or examine the Executive. Instead of going to the constituencies, the Executive should use this House to tell the people of Zambia what it is doing.
Sir, I further note that twenty-one Motions to Adopt Reports of the Parliamentary Sessional Committees and five Motions to Adopt the Select Committee Reports for the ratification of presidential nominees to constitutional offices were considered and adopted by the House.
Mr Speaker, we are going to move a few more Motions for ratification. If the nominees are not ratified, I will be happy because it is you who will be delaying the Government. If a nominee is not ratified as a judge, do not say that there are 400 cases which are pending judgement, and yet this House refused to ratify my nomination. You may refuse to ratify my nomination, but I do not know how to write a judgement. I do not even know how to read it. How do you expect me to do it? When you are ratifying nominees, call them and ask them pertinent questions. Do not ask them personal questions such as how many boyfriends they have.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I remember, we had Reverend Ben Zulu from Kapoche Constituency in this House. When we sat to ratify a nominee, he would ask them personal questions, such as “Uchoka kuti? Uli na bana bangati? (Where do you come from? How many children do you have?)
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, a total of sixty one (61) Papers and Annual Reports were laid on the Table of the House by Government ministries and quasi-Government institutions. These Papers and Annual Reports are evidence of our administration’s desire to foster good governance and remain transparent and accountable to the Zambian people.
Despite the diverse political representation in the House, hon. Members were able to work together for the purpose of fostering development and improving the welfare of our people.
I would like to warn Hon. Kambwili. When hon. Members of the Opposition query you on anything, it is not because they do not like you. They seek clarification because when they go back home, they are asked questions which they must answer.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: So, they should also crucify you. You should be like Hon. Simuusa because he has clarity of thought. The other day, I was backbiting Hon. Simuusa with Hon. Jack Mwiimbu.
Laughter
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: Order!
We were saying that Hon. Simuusa ngumusankwa. Wamana basimbi, abalo bamumana. (Simuusa is a man. He has finished the girls and they have also finished him).
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I must confess. When I nominated Hon. Simuusa to stand in Nchanga, I was condemned. They asked me why I had chosen a Tonga man to stand in Bembaland. I told them that it was not Bembaland, but a mining land, and that Hon. Simuusa was a mining engineer. Therefore, he would be able to understand the problems of the people in Nchanga. So, you have to vote for him and they voted for him overwhelmingly. Now, he is untouchable in that place.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Again, people asked me why I chose Hon. Dr Chenda to stand in Bwana-Mkubwa because he comes from Chiawa. I told them not to worry because Hon Dr Chenda lives in Bwana-Mkubwa. I asked them why they did not chase him when he went to buy a farm there. They are now happy with him and want him more. They do not want him to be an hon. Minister. They want him to go back to Bwana-Mkubwa. Please, interact with our colleagues. They are all our brothers. The only difference is that we came to this House on different tickets.
I remember Hon. Dr Brian Chituwo was my medical officer in Ndola. I transferred him to Kabwe where I had problems.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: From Kabwe, I took him to Mumbwa to stand as Member of Parliament. I confess my sins.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: He was a very good doctor. I poached him from Maina Soko Hospital and took him to the Government and introduced him to politics. We want some of his medical experience to benefit politics. Now, he is doing very well. He is helping Mr Nevers Mumba.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: He is sitting next to Hon. Fackson Shamenda. I was telling Comrade Namugala – by the way, this House does not accept the word ‘comrade’. I was telling Hon. Namugala not to abbreviate Mr Shamenda’s name. If she abbreviates it, people will wonder what is wrong with her.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: What is funny?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Is it his first name?
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: Do not abbreviate it or the ladies will sort you out.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We should be proud that our democracy can only be seen from this House. This is because, outside the House, you want to see why Mr Sata’s skin is dark, and why Hon. Kambwili has a big tummy. Let us advance democracy in here for the people. If you follow the prayer that is cited in this House, you will realise that we have all come for one thing regardless of which party or constituency you come from, and this includes Ndola Central.
We are particularly impressed with the on-going construction of constituency offices, completion of the construction of the Media and Visitors’ Centre, installation of solar equipment in some constituency offices, extending the coverage of Parliament Radio, and capacity building programmes for Members of Parliament and staff of the National Assembly. All these will ensure that we bring Parliament closer to the people.
I am very pleased that the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting is working very hard. The hon. Minister of Finance has not committed himself. Normally, when you see him smiling, know that he is about to commit himself. You talk to him nicely because we want all the provincial capitals to have television stations.
In the Southern Province, apart from the one in Choma, there will be a television station in Monze. We need to broadcast in local languages because there are people who have not been advantaged to go to school to learn how to speak English. The Local languages will enable hon. Members of Parliament to easily disseminate information. Some community radio stations are doing that.
Sir, I can assure this august House and the people of Zambia that this Government is committed to supporting the Parliamentary Reforms. Hon. Members of Parliament should not be afraid. If you have anything to say, write to me and I will definitely reply because you have a duty to the people who elected you. If you go to your constituency and continue to criticise us, they will ask you what is wrong with you because all you do is talk. In the meantime, say something and we can work out something together.
Mr Food Reserve Agency (Hon. Dr Chenda), you should buy all the food because you are making my Members of Parliament very unpopular in all the areas where you have not bought crop produce. Start with the Opposition areas. Buy all their produce so that you disarm them and theywill have nothing to talk about.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: In my last address to this House, I reflected on the many developmental challenges facing our country, which included high youth unemployment and high poverty levels. I also outlined our Government’s development agenda to meet the expectations of the people. Our Government is committed to making Zambia a better place for all. This is in line with the PF’s vision which is:
“The citizens of this great land not only deserve better lives, but are entitled to better lives.”
I ask the hon. Minister of Tourism and Arts, to go with Hon. Muntanga to bungee-jump in Livingstone.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Go and bungee-jump with him because Hon. Muntanga has spent much time fighting for this country. We have to recognise such people.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Hon. Munkombwe wants to be chairman of some tourism organisation. You go there because there are so many tourist attractions which we can use in the Southern Province. At the moment, we are waiting for tourists from Japan. However, we also need local tourists, and that is why we are building Leopards Hill Road so that, on weekends, hon. Members of Parliament can go to the Kafue and Chongwe River Confluence to see the hippos. Some Members of Parliament, like Hon. Lt. General Shikapwasha, have never seen a hippo in their life.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: There are no hippos in his constituency. He has never seen a crocodile. He has only seen it on television. Please, madam, interact with all of them. They are all happy with the way you looked in those Zambia Wild Life Authority (ZAWA) trousers.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: This occasion, Mr Speaker, gives us an opportunity to reflect on our past achievements and what we intend to do. It also enables us to seriously reflect on what we intend to do in addressing the many challenges that lie ahead in improving the welfare of the majority of our people as the first call of duty. It is surprising that, today, in Zambia, we still have little huts built on trees. Where are the councils? Let the councils look at the affairs of these people. We can find money to improve social facilities for our people.
The Zambian economy is on course to attaining a growth rate higher than the 7 per cent that was projected for this year. Our optimism is based on evolving prospects characterised by single-digit inflation and decreasing interest rates. Other indicators in the macro-economic area include well-managed Government borrowing, stable exchange rate and increased private sector credit and investment.
There was a not very serious Opposition leader, Mr Sakala. I do not know his political party. He condemned us for borrowing the 750 million Euro Bond. I forgave him. If it were 750 rats, he would have understood. He does not understand the Euro bond. Please, forgive him.
On 18th May, 2012, the Government issued Statutory Instrument No. 33, which prohibits the quoting, paying or demanding to pay or receiving of foreign currency as legal tender for goods, services or any other domestic transactions. This is in defence of the sovereignty of our national currency as is the practice in all other countries with stable economies.
The unfortunate part is that people misunderstood that decision. If we allowed the dollar to be flexible, the Zambian Kwacha would have been at K7,000. Now, it is just below K5,000, and even now, the ones suffering are the common people in Kabwata and Misisi compounds because the food is pegged on the currency. So, the more we can work as a team and move in our constituencies and explain, the better.
Our bureaus are becoming more active because the people are going there to exchange their money. I have a problem with the people in the Western Province. My brothers and sisters in the province sell their animals to people in Angola in dollars. We cannot stop them. It is up to them to look for a bureau where they can change their money. At least, there is trade going on between the province and Angola.
In order to ensure stable and higher growth rates, this Government will strive to improve on these macro-economic parameters. Budget execution has continued to improve. By the end of June, 2012, the Government had released more than 75 per cent of the Budget with most of the ministries and spending agencies having received more than half of their 2012 allocations.
Hon. Members of Parliament, regardless of your political affiliation, you should check with the ministries wherever there is a shortfall. Go there and query them. That is what you are here for, and that is why the people of Zambia gave you the title of ‘honourable’. When you are honourable, nobody can stop you from entering any office. Enter any office and query, but do not box them. Some of you are fond of boxing. Do not box them.
Mr Ntundu: Like GBM!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Be very careful because GBM is seeing where you are.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: There used to be an hon. Member in this House, whom I will not mention. He used to say ‘I will see you outside’.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I will not mention his name.
Our Government is in the process of establishing a Government wide Monitoring and Evaluation system which will enhance resource allocation and evaluation system to projects and tracking of policy performance, including support of result-based management. We can only achieve this with the support of all hon. Members of Parliament because, if we rely on the Government in areas where we do not have constituencies, we will lag behind and we do not want to punish people in those areas. It is because we are not organised that we are not represented in those areas. If we get organised, and our primary organs get organised, Monze would be the easiest constituency to win.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Monze is the easiest constituency to win. Hon. Jack Mwiimbu knows this. I was the first person to provide a dam in the district. I am very disappointed because that dam has not been expanded. I remember that I went to the mission hospital with Comrade Jack Mwiimbu and the late George Cornhill. There is so much we can do together. In Chikuni Mission, there is so much we can do together. Let us work as a team, hon. Ministers. I urge His Honour the Vice-President to go everywhere in the Southern Province because they like bakuwa (Whites).
Laughter
Mr Ntundu interjected.
His Excellency the President: You can take him with you.
Despite the favourable economic conditions in Zambia, the economy of the country is still faced with a number of challenges. In particular, poverty levels remain very high, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. There are also unacceptably high unemployment rates, especially among the youths. Further, the shortage of electricity has continued to have a negative impact on economic performance.
Ladies and gentlemen, hon. Members of this House, fifty years after Independence, we still have people who do not know what electricity looks like. Are we not ashamed? Fifty years after Independence, we still have people who are using firewood. Their houses burn because they use firewood. Let us work as a team to improve things. We have plenty of water. If this water were in other countries, electricity would even be on trees.
Our Government recognises the need to intensify efforts in closing the development gap between rural and urban areas and create opportunities for achieving sustainable development through economic growth, diversification, social development and environmental protection. I assure this August House that my administration is ready to address the challenges that the Zambian economy is facing. In this regard, the Government will continue to maintain strong fiscal prudence to ensure that resources are used properly. My administration will curtail non-priority expenditure and ensure that key programmes aimed at poverty reduction and employment creation are given due priority.
Our Government is determined to foster inclusive social and economic development. In this respect, we shall enhance expansion and diversification of the economy, ensure the promotion of foreign direct investment while doing everything to foster local investment, sustain the single-digit inflation rate and continue to work towards effectively reducing the interest rate, enhance domestic resource mobilisation, significantly increase employment and limit Government borrowing to sustainable levels in order to avoid putting a huge burden on posterity. The overall growth strategy is to increase growth to an average of 8 per cent per annum.
In the medium and long term, the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) and the Vision 2030 will remain the main development frameworks of the country. The Government shall pursue the growth strategy in line with the PF (PF) Manifesto.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: The 2013 National Budget, which will be presented to this august House, will be the first under the direction of the PF Government. In this regard, the Budget will ensure that economic growth is inclusive and pro-poor. The focus will be on the strategic areas of education, health, agriculture, local government, housing, and improved governance, with emphasis on rural development and judicial reforms.
Fifty years after Independence, we still have a shortage of Supreme Court judges and magistrates. If things get worse, I will take Hon. Jack Mwiimbu ‘by air’ to the High Court.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: He has the qualifications required to be a judge. We could amend the law to allow judges to sit in this House, but they might charge us with contempt of court.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We have to be very careful.
To enhance the Government revenue base, the focus will be on reviewing the current tax system. Further, the Government is determined to significantly reduce tax evasions and leakages through strengthening the framework for granting fiscal incentives and enhancing audit trails to ensure export volumes are accurately declared. Further, the Government will continue the process of widening the tax base by, among other measures, ensuring tax compliance. I know that Dr Phiri does not like tax. However, he has no choice in the matter.
Mr Speaker, education, skills development, and science and technology are key to improving the productivity of our people and facilitating national development, guided by the PF Manifesto. Our Government has commenced the review of the education policy and the Education Act.
So far, we have two universities in Lusaka Province. I am grateful to the hon. Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education. We have the University of Chalimbana and University of Palabana. I am grateful to the hon. Minister for the two universities in Chinsali. I am also grateful that the hon. Minister is thinking of building a university in Livingstone. Hon. Members of Parliament will tell you of other areas that require this service. You should also look at the number of primary and high schools. Without education, we are doomed.
The Government is also working on the Higher Education Authority Bill so as to augment the national qualification framework. The Government appreciates the initiatives taken by the private sector to establish universities and other tertiary institutions of learning across the county.
We should be ashamed as lawmakers. It was because of our deficiency that the missionaries built Chikuni, Kasiya, Malole and all the others. As a Government, when private people divert money for their own maintenance, we should think about it. When you have private universities, you cannot control the quality of those universities. If corruption starts in these universities, they will start selling degrees. I, for instance, can also have a degree tomorrow.
Laughter
Hon. Opposition Member: Hmm!
His Excellency the President: Do not say hmm. I already have one.
Laughter{mospagebreak}
His Excellency the President: I only have one in the meantime. I have one from an American university, and the person who supervised my learning was Dr Phiri …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: … when he was a dean at the university.
Hon. Opposition Member: Are you sure?
His Excellency the President: Yes.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I hated him, but when they sent me the piece of paper, they did not send me kamakepesi or graduation attire.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: In my address during the Opening Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, I announced the transformation of some colleges into universities as well as the establishment of Lubwa University in honour of the First President of the Republic of Zambia. However, this time, after the people in that place protested and asked me why I wa forgetting Mr Robert Makasa, I am going to name Mulakupikwa University after Robert Makasa. I will name the university at Lubwa after another pioneer missionary, Mr Mushindo.
Laughter
Hon. Ntundu: What about me!
His Excellency the President: You also want a university named after you?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Dr Phiri, this man wants a university named after him. Can you build a university and name it after him.
Laughter
Hon. Ntundu: We need one in Gwembe.
His Excellency the President: You are honourable who?
Mr Ntundu: Ntundu.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Hon. Tribe?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Gweembe is very important. We have to do something about it. There was development all over Zambia, but very little in Gwembe. We have to move into Gwembe, and in all directions. At least, you have seen the Bottom Road being worked on.
Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: The Government has accelerated the construction of Mulakupikwa University which will now be named Robert Makasa University and Kwame Nkrumah, Mulungushi University. The intention of the Government is to have, at least, one public university in each province.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: If we have one or two public universities in each province, it would help. We have so many primary schools. Previously, I do not know about now, they used to say you must have passed Grade 7 to qualify to be a Member of Parliament. At the time I became Member of Parliament, you qualified to become a Member of Parliament if you could remember to sign the same signature three times.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: The returning officer had to test me on whether I could remember to write my signature three times. In the old days, they told you to put your arm over your head and if you touched your ear, then, you were fit to enrol in Grade 1. All of us in this House have to work on that.
I have been told that we are building trades training schools in Lundazi, Sesheke, and Mumbwa. What about Gwembe?
Hon. Ntundu: There is nothing in Gweembe.
His Excellency the President: Do not worry. We will ‘sort them out’.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: In order to improve the quality and relevance of education, the curriculum has to undergo review. The new curriculum will integrate both academic and vocational skills training. This will facilitate the acquisition of skills to enable students to be self-employed when they cannot secure formal employment. Another key aspect of the curriculum will be the inclusion of entrepreneurship.
The Government will continue to re-organise and manage the health sector to ensure significant improvement in health service delivery. On 27th January, 2012, the Government launched the National Health Strategic Plan for the period 2012 to 2015. This strategy is aimed at addressing both non-communicable and communicable diseases.
In order to address the issue of infrastructure, the Government allocated funds for the rehabilitation of health facilities and construction of new hospitals. We are currently constructing a cancer diseases hospital at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) with a total capacity of 220 beds. The Government will soon commence the construction of 650 health posts across the country.
Let me take this opportunity to appeal to the hon. Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, and the hon. Minister of Health to not ignore the previous experience like that of Hon. Dr Brian Chituwo and others who have worked in this field before. This is because they can assist us immensely. Some of the plans which you are trying to implement are in their heads.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Let us either bring them onto the boards or planning committees. Do no worry about what other people will say. They are hon. Members and, as they are representing the people, they would like to improve the status quo.
The Catholic Church has more rural health centres than the Government. Are we not ashamed? When we did a stock-take with Dr Chituwo, we were very embarrassed. We did not say anything when we discovered that the Catholic Church had more rural health centres than the Government. We should now find out what these health centres are lacking.
Mr Speaker, our country has experienced an increase in the number of road traffic accidents, thereby stretching our capacity to adequately provide emergency health care. Apart from that, unless we improve our road system, it will not matter how many clinics or hospitals we have because, if we have more people, we will still have floor beds at fifty years of independence. This is most unfortunate.
Sir, Hon. Dr Brian Chituwo and I introduced user fees because of the Budget constraints. We wanted to improve the health facilities, but this increased the cost. So, the young man brought brilliant ideas of introduction of user fees. These fees helped a great deal to improve, especially theatre facilities, pharmaceutical facilities and a number of other facilities. I am very grateful that the current hon. Minister of Health is trying to bring it in. I urge him to communicate with Hon. Dr Chituwo. He will show you where we failed and where we succeeded.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Ntundu interjected.
His Excellency the President: Do not contact Dr Gwembe because he will confuse you.
Laughter
Mr Ntundu: Contact me also!
His Excellency the President: I know but, for this one, no. We will contact you when we finish working on the Bottom Road.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, we have been struggling for the last fifty years in the agricultural sector. However, we have done very well and our people have answered the call but, to date, the many goats in the Southern Province have no market. I urge the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock to look for the market because this will, at least, provide food for some people. It takes very little to breed goats. You can find sheep in Chama, but they are very complicated.
Mr Speaker, as regards the complaints about the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), the earlier the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock looks for a Director-General, the better. People are complaining that we are not buying maize. We do not want maize to rot again. The rains are just around the corner.
Hon. Opposition Members: They are not paying!
His Excellency the President: He has not paid?
Hon. Opposition Members: No!
His Excellency the President: Can you hear them complaining that you have not paid them.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: They will see you outside if you do not pay.
Laughter
Mr Muntanga: Inside here!
His Excellency the President: It is an offence inside the House. Mr Speaker will unleash the Sergeant-at-Arms to sort you out, but you might succeed outside.
Mr Speaker, we are thinking of starting the irrigation system of farming in areas which are cheaper to deal with. We have subsistence farming to improve before we move to these complicated things.
Sir, we have to spend more time on the small-scale farmers, subsistence farmers, and especially, for the inputs. They are complaining that we are not distributing it adequately. We should move and use the hon. Members of Parliament on my left to assist us when distributing. They are Members of Parliament until 2016. So, you use them. They can go with your party cadres to distribute the inputs.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: If you cannot provide them with employment, why did they come to Parliament? Let us utilise every hon. Member of Parliament. If they do not want to work with us, then you can tell the people in their constituencies that you asked their hon. Member of Parliament, but he did not want to assist.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Ntundu: Aah!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: I remember, when I was in this House, we had some hon. Members who behaved like this hon. Member for Gwembe.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, I have been told that, this year, the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock will purchase 1 million metric tonnes of grain in order to safeguard the National Food Security. I congratulate you, hon. Minister. That is, after you have bought the grain.
Interruptions
Laughter
His Excellency the President: That is why I am saying ‘after he has bought the grain’. Collecting without paying is not buying, but you can help him. He is your relative.
Mr Speaker, the Government will encourage the private sector in this field as you saw on television. The hon. Ministers of Agriculture and Livestock and Finance went to Mpongwe and Mpika to inspect the private sector. So, if there is a private sector, we will definitely work as a team to see how far we can go.
Sir, our Government is addressing the depletion of the fish stock. We have a big problem of shortage of fish in all the rivers. The hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock and his Deputy, Hon. Kazabu, should not concentrate on animals only. Let us also assist in this area. The people from the Ministry of Health tell us to eat fish, but, if there is no fish in the rivers, how, then, can we eat fish? I, therefore, urge the hon. Minister to ensure that we work as a team.
Mr Speaker, I would like to advise Madam Tourism, Hon. Masebo, that when she starts the farming parks, she can use them for tourism. Under the arrangement, there will be farming parks around the country. The Government will acquire land, service it and lease it to both local and foreign investors to set up fish farms. I would prefer that we encourage and train our local people because you do not need foreign expertise in growing fish. All we need is the political will to help people because, once you dig ponds, and put fish in them, the people will look after the fish. At the moment, our people cannot survive. We, therefore, need to assist them.
Sir, I would like to appeal to all hon. Ministers, minus the hon. Minister of ‘Falling Affairs’ …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: That is what we used to call Professor Goma in this House. He used to be our Minister of Foreign Affairs, but I used to call him Minister of Falling Affairs.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: All of us need to move on with decentralisation because, once we do this, people and the hon. Representatives, regardless of which political party they come from, will know which office to go to. Let us work hand-in-hand with constituency offices. If we work hand-in-hand with them, these hon. Members of Parliament can be employed without being paid because they will not vote for you, but will do the job for you. All you need to have is sweet talk. Sweet talk them, especially this Member of Parliament for Gwembe. He will go round using a Government loan. He can even use a bicycle. I know him. He is a very hardworking young man.
Mr Speaker, there is another problem that we have which I would like this House to assist in solving. We want a Public Service that is accountable to the people.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: This is because, at the moment, the Public Service is not accountable to the people. It is accountable to itself. We want the Public Service, starting from the District Commissioner’s Office, to recognise the Office the Member of Parliament in a particular constituency.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: When I was District Governor for Lusaka, I included the vocal Opposition Members on my development committee. I preferred the vocal ones because I could ‘sort them out’ on the Committee. If we can take all the Opposition and put them on the development committees, then, we are agreeing or administering as a team. There is no barrier because all of us, regardless of our political parties, are hon. Members of Parliament. The job of a Member of Parliament is to be a spokesperson for a particular constituency. You are the spokesperson for the chiefs, village headmen, witchdoctors …
Laughter
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: How can you laugh about representing the witchdoctors? They are also voters. When witchdoctors tell people to go and vote, they will because they are scared that they will be bewitched.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Therefore, you have to represent them.
The Public Service must be answerable to somebody and encompass everybody. Do not say it is a PF Government because the Government has a duty to the people in the country. For those areas where you do not have a PF Member of Parliament, and if you are in the Public Service, utilise the hon. Member of Parliament who is there so that the service can reach the people.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: I would like to urge the hon. Members not to go in their hats the way they have come here because, when you go to the village in that kind of hat, the people will run away.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: You should go into the village dressed like Hon. Dorothy Kazunga. Yesterday, I saw her in a black hat because she was mourning her sister, the late Mrs Betty Kaunda. However, some of those Vera Chiluba hats you have brought here, …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, we all agree that, at the moment – and this is my appeal to hon. Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health – we have very low social protection services. The hon. Minister has to work very hard. You should work with all hon. Members who are here.
Mr Ntundu: He is a good Minister. The only one!
His Excellency the President: He is the only good Minister? What about Hon. Dr Guy Scott?
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: What about Hon. G. B. Mwamba?
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, in order to improve the welfare of people with disabilities – because we have people with disabilities – I am very pleased to tell you that this party accommodates people with disabilities. Where is the hon. Member of Parliament for Kawambwa?
Mr Chilangwa rose.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, there is no barrier. We have to work as a team because these people have certain qualities which people who are able do not have. Let us accommodate them. Let us rehabilitate the schools for the blind and bring back the functions which the blind people were performing. This is because, wherever the hon. Members are, there are these difficulties. As you face these difficulties, knock on the doors of the Government to assist you to simplify this exercise.
Sir, some of the disabled people are our relatives and we do not even want to talk to them. If we cannot talk to them, you can utilise the Government so that it assists in welcoming them. It should not be like it was when I was in prison. Ninety-eight per cent of people in prisons were illiterate and could not afford a lawyer. Only 2 per cent were educated beyond Grade 7.
I would, therefore, advise that we assist because, today, the legal system in Zambia is very expensive. Let us help these underprivileged people in our areas.
Mr Speaker, we should be concerned about the high levels of unemployment because it creates crime. When people are unemployed, they commit all sorts of crime to make up for the void. This makes the job of the police very difficult. You cannot attract people to invest in your country when you have high levels of crime. So, please, let us work as a team in trying to empower the youths.
We are very grateful to Hon. Kambwili, and I am told by the hon. Member of Parliament for Gwembe that he is another good Minister.
Mr Ntundu: Yes!
His Excellency the President: So, you see, you can hear from the hon. Member of Parliament for Gwembe.
Mr Ntundu: Even His Honour the Vice-President!
His Excellency the President: Even His Honour the Vice-President.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: What about Hon. Lubinda?
Hon. Opposition: Aah!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We have Hon. Shamenda.
In the past, we had a labour exchange. Currently, we do not have it. Can you, please, start creating the labour exchange and liaise with the people who can employ. This is because some of these hon. Members of Parliament have little tuntembas, but do not know where to find manpower. If established all over the country, this labour exchange could be a source of employment. We should enhance the Labour Department so that it can be as it used to be.
Mr Speaker, as regards hon. Ministers, there are so many administrative barriers in their ministries. We should iron them out and allow people to have access to your ministries. It is much easier to get to hell than to your ministries.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Can the hon. Ministers make it easier to get to their ministries than to get to hell. That is why those who allow access, like Hon. Kambwili, has been voted number one in the House. This is also because he announced that he had money for the youths, and the hon. Members of the Opposition, who have many youths, are saying that he is a good Minister.
Laughter
Interruptions{mospagebreak}
His Excellency the President: They are also saying that Hon. Yamfwa Mukanga is also very good.
Hon. Opposition Members: He is trying!
His Excellency the President: They are saying that he is just trying. They do not like him because he is the Government Chief Whip. When he stops being Government Chief Whip, they will like him.
Mr Speaker, the approved projects, as of 1st June, 2012, was above US$4.7 billion. This is a reflection of the confidence in the Zambian economy and attractiveness of our investment climate.
Sir, I would like to urge Dr Kasonde to look after our hon. Minister of Finance. He has started developing High Blood Pressure because of trying to improve the economy of this country. Please, work together with Dr Katema. If he becomes stable and, once the economy starts growing, life will become completely different.
Dr E. Lungu indicated dissent.
His Excellency the President: Who is that one shaking his head? Dr Effron?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Who is the lady next to Dr Effron?
Hon. Members: The Member of Parliament for Lukashya!
His Excellency the President: Is she comfortable with that thing called Effron?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: In this regard, our Government will enhance investment promotions and the implementation of a public-private partnership (PPP) by merging the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the PPP Unit to establish an Industrial Development Commission in line with our manifesto.
The new entity shall, among other things, promote investment, industrial development and deepen reforms of State-owned enterprises.
Mr Speaker, there are some quasi-parastatal organisations that are not functioning. We will knock on your doors to ask you to assist us to revamp them. We know where you are and your professional qualities. When we call you to come and assist, please, the earlier you come, the better.
Sir, this country has minerals everywhere. I am very disappointed because the minerals in Kalomo – you remember, we can only get amethyst in Kalomo. We have to move to the Southern Province, Kalomo and Siavonga. Boys have now stopped killing birds with amethyst and malachite. Therefore, I urge the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development to move quickly. We should take all the other people in this House to assist us understand what is going on.
Mr Speaker, this Government will continue, energetically, to take steps to accelerate growth, through building infrastructure, such as roads, rail, airports, border facilities and power stations.
Sir, in my address, last year, I committed this Government to embarking on robust road construction and rehabilitation programmes. We must admit that, without former President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, there would be no roads. If you want to go to Livingstone, you are moving on Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s road. If you are going to Nakonde, you are moving on Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s road. If you are going to Nchelenge, it is the same thing.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: Even the rats in Chipata are moving on Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s roads.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, we have to continue where he left off. It is a pity the MMD Government, in which I served and which was in power for twenty years – but had its own internal problems – did not continue where Dr Kenneth Kaunda left off. However, with Hon. Dr Brian Chituwo as Vice-President of the party, he should be able to take a different route. This is because, as Vice-President, he is the only person in that party who understands the problems of Zambia. The other two do not.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: They are Dr Kaingu and Dr Nevers Mumba.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Where is Hon. Reverend Sekwila?
Mr Ntundu: From where?
His Excellency the President: From Livingstone.
Mr Ntundu: Gong’a MP!
His Excellency the President: He is not a gong’a. It is you who is gong’a.
You have to work with the hon. Minister of Tourism and Arts for a very important event next year. You must be a lucky Member of Parliament. You have just been elected and you have a big event coming up next year. All of us, when we were Members of Parliament, those were the things we fought for. So, you have to work hard, together with all constituencies in the Southern Province, to help your people, because the benefits which will come from that conference will go a long way.
Sir, whilst I congratulate the hon. Member of Parliament for Livingstone, I would like to inform the hon. Member of Parliament for Gwembe that we were not very impressed with the railway system. We have decided to alter the previous arrangement. The Government has taken over the railway system. We would like to integrate it because there is the Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA). Why should we have two railway systems in one country?
Mr Speaker, if I remember, when I was a young man, people used to come to achitima (train). They used to bring chibwantu (local drink) kuchitima (train), chibbanzi (rock buns) chilumide nyama (meat pie) …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: … and chibbanzi chilumide Colgate (cream doughnut). They would all be brought to the chitima. They took animals to abattoirs using the train. Therefore, we want to bring back what that train used to be then and do away with what it is at the moment.
I advise the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications to, please, prepare a ministerial statement on this matter. Mr Speaker will give you permission so that hon. Members of Parliament can ask you questions. Through these questions, you will learn something because some of these hon. Members of Parliament are more experienced with the railway system than you can ever be. For example, we have Hon. Lt.-General Shikapwasha, who is a silent burner …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Hon. Lt.-General Shikapwasha was introduced to me by my late brother. They were together in the Air Force. I must apologise for introducing him to politics. He was a good soldier.
Mr Speaker, this Government needs the support of hon. Members to improve the communication system. At the moment, we have three networks, but one of them is over-subscribed. We also need land communications. We want telephones all over the country, but we have to move as a team, and work on improving the communication system.
Why should only the people in Lusaka have access to telephones and not the people in my village? They must also have access to telephones. We have ladies here who buy wigs, but cannot communicate with their villages on the phone. This is especially so for these ladies from the Eastern Province, where the network goes only up to Nyimba and, from there, there is no communication. Therefore, please, let us work as a team, hon. Members, for us to improve communication in this part of the world.
Mr Speaker, we are also prospecting for oil. We want to go back. Sometime back, we were told that people were exploring for oil in Chama. There is plenty of oil in Zambia, but we have not invested in exploration. So, hon. Members should assist us in their areas where they think we can find some mineral deposits. Prevail on the relevant ministry to carry out some exploration works because people do not blame the Government only for the unemployment which is in your constituencies. They also blame you as their Member of Parliament. They say that this Member of Parliament is useless. Why are the people unemployed? Even when you blame the Government that there is no communication in Gwembe, and if you only speak to five people, the rest of the constituency will not hear. So, we are very happy, but we have to improve in this sector.
Mr Ntundu: There is no televison!
His Excellency the President: Have you seen? Even the hon. Member for Gwembe is complaining. The hon. Minister of Justice, the hon. Member is complaining that there is no television in Gwembe. Why? Fifty years of Independence and there is no television or mobile phone or tower in Gwembe. Can you, please, help him before he bewitches you.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, we are constructing fuel depots in Solwezi and Mongu. If we can construct depots in Mongu, Solwezi and other areas, where we can store the fuel, it will go a long way in addressing shortages of fuel.
Sir, I regret to note that the country continues to experience load-shedding. This has disrupted many economic activities and people’s normal way of life. I would like to urge the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development to work on that. Almost fifty years of Independence, why should people be subjected to …
Mr Ntundu interjected.
His Excellency the President: Very good. I think, this hon. Member for Gwembe needs to be an hon. Minister in ZESCO.
Laughter
Mr Ntundu: I will be Minister in the United Party for National Development (UPND).
His Excellency the President: But while you wait for the UPND to come into power, you will still be experiencing load-shedding.
Mr Ntundu: I will sort it out in 2016.
His Excellency the President: Twenty Sixteen is very far. You might not even come back.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, young man, be knowledgeable like Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, because if he does not come back, as hon. Member of Parliament, we will hire him as a lawyer and he will still be surviving better than a Member of Parliament.
Mr Ntundu: I will be a consultant.
His Excellency the President: Consultant in what?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: He can only be consultant in animal husbandry.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We have discouraged some very expensive source of energy – solar. It could be very expensive and our people cannot afford it. If we took solar energy to industries, the products from there would be very expensive. Therefore, we are still grateful to the hon. Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central, Mr Nkombo, because we would not have milk, but we are still surviving on the Mazabuka milk. We thank you very much, Sir. Keep it up.
When we take proper communication facilities to Gwembe, we shall be getting milk from there since we have a consultant there.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Regarding the land reforms, the hon. Ministers will come up with a ministerial statement to the House. I would like to advise hon. Ministers that instead of people waiting to hear from them, they should bring ministerial statements to the House and, then, people will cross-examine them.
The only person whom we have to descend upon is this woman who looks like a tourist attraction, Mrs Masebo. She has to work extremely hard to have local and international tourism because, in Zambia, as I said earlier, all its parts are tourist attractions.
This country has the deepest falls in the world, but many people do not know that. This is the Kalambo Falls, but it has not been advertised, apart from the days when Mr Sikota Wina was Minister of Tourism. At the moment, nobody knows that the Kalombo Falls exists.
Mr Speaker, as hon. Members, we should work as a team to make sure that the conference which we will host next year in the Southern Province is a success because it will attract many people. If we are careful, we can benefit a great deal. Let individuals produce mats which they will sell to the tourists who will come. They will need them.
Sir, last year, I promised that we were going to adhere to professionalism. It is not easy, but we are working on it. We are retiring people in an effort to build professionalism. We want people to be as professional as Hon. Limata, Member of Parliament for Luampa.
Laughter
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
His Excellency the President: Mr Speaker, I have not heard anything about the late Mrs Betty Kaunda’s funeral but, from the information I had yesterday, I think that the burial will take place on Sunday, but we do not know yet where it will be.
Ms Lubezhi interjected.
His Excellency the President: There is some young lady in red there talking; a young communist lady. Who is she?
Hon. UPND Members: The one who replaced Hon. Major Chizhyuka.
His Excellency the President: Is she the one who bewitched Major Chizhyuka?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: How do you expect Major Chizhyuka to survive with such a beautiful lady?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Where is the lady who replaced Milupi?
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: I have this experience. You see, he knew very well that if he did not accommodate her and she stood against him, she was going to knock him out. You do not know these ladies. Now, she is my hon. Member of Parliament. Congratulations, madam, for knocking him down. You are a giant killer
Mr Speaker, last year, we committed ourselves to amending the Anti-Corruption Commission Act in order to introduce stiffer penalties for corruption offences and reinstate the abuse of office clause.
We also committed ourselves to investigating any acts of corruption and prosecuting culprits within the due process of the law. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs, who is a lawyer by profession, is working very hard on this issue. At the resumption of the sitting of the House, it will be flooded with legislation to try and fulfill what we promised it.
We are glad to inform the House that our Government has already, with the support of this august House, reinstated the Abuse of Office Clause, and the new Anti-Corruption Act No. 13 of 2012 has since been enacted. A number of investigations into corrupt practices have also been successfully concluded. Those found wanting have had their cases brought before the courts of law. We only bounced on the Gwembe Member of Parliament because he is a very innocent person.
Sir, in our effort to deepen our democracy and promote good governance, our administration is promulgating and implementing an all-inclusive policy. In this regard, we have endeavoured to appoint into Government ministerial positions, hon. Members from the Opposition.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Opposition Members: Poaching!
His Excellency the President: Poaching is allowed.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: Poaching has not started in Zambia. It started where Parliamentary democracy started. If you have the quality which I do not have in the PF, why should I leave you out?
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Hammer!
His Excellency the President: You see, you have certain qualities which I might not have in my party. So, I have to use those qualities to the advantage of the country.
Mr V. Mwale: Like Masumba!
Laughter
His Excellency the President: You brought Masumba to me. Is it me who brought him?
Laughter
His Excellency the President: It is you who brought him.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: You also brought Dr Chikusu.
Dr Brian Chituwo and I worked with Dr Chikusu. He is a very efficient young man. However, under these trying difficulties, you do not expect somebody to be 100 per cent clean. It is only when the law catches up with you that you are in trouble. When the law will catch up with this Gwembe man, …
Laughter
His Excellency the President: … but he is too clever. He always evades the law.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: We are issuing broadcasting licences. The hon. Ministers of Finance and Information and Broadcasting are working extremely hard to see this exercise complete. However, regarding these licences, I must defend my hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting. If the people abuse the licences, we will revoke them in the same way we gave them out. The way we will give you the licence is the same way we will retrieve it from you.
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: That is freedom, I agree. I also want freedom of expression just as much as you do. So, if you over-express yourself, we do express on you.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: The late Speaker, Hon. Nabulyato, once told us in this House that having too many rights can be like having too much of everything. You can get constipated. Having too many rights is always dangerous. You should ask Dr Kasonde. If you over-eat good food, you will get constipated, and if you go to the pharmacy and there is no medicine, then, you are in trouble.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: So, in all our programmes, our aim is to protect Zambia, not this Government. We are protecting all of you. If somebody attacks my hon. Member of Parliament, regardless of where he comes from, it is my duty to protect that Member of Parliament, by all means. That is democracy. Why should rights only be for the wrong people, but not you the right people?
Interruptions
Mr Ntundu: What about permits!
His Excellency the President: Permits? Police and you.
Laughter{mospagebreak}
His Excellency the President: Ask the people, who are learned, such as Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, Hon. Dr Chenda, Hon. Dr Lungu and Hon. Kabimba about the Public Order Act. It is not a United National Independence Party (UNIP), MMD or PF Act. It is an Act which we inherited and it is for your own protection because you have relatives in Kanyama Compound. It is like a person who steals slippers on the train. When the train overturns, it is not only Mr Sata’s relative who is going to die.
Mr Ntundu interjected.
His Excellency the President: This is why I am saying that you should knock on the doors of these hon. Ministers. Do not isolate yourselves. As hon. Members, when you are out there, you can shout slogans but, in this House, you are supposed to represent people. Knock on their doors, including mine, because you and I are supposed to represent the people of Zambia.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: You are more important than the people who have never been councillors. Some people have never been councillors or Members of Parliament. I was a councillor, Member of Parliament and Minister of State and full Cabinet Minister. Therefore, I have occupied all the Benches in this House. Tell those who have never been councillors that I was even District Governor.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: I worked with some of the people who are on that Bench (pointing at the Opposition) with you and I know their capacity better than you will ever know them.
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: I am glad that the Gwembe man has not said that we promised people that we would work within ninety days, but then again, he did not hear because there is no radio reception in Gwembe.
Laughter
His Excellency the President: The only person who has made noise is Kalusa, but he is now saying that old women must rise and go to him. How can he plan to gang-rape somebody? That is very unprofessional. We shall hire Hon. Jack Mwiimbu to prosecute him.
Mr Speaker, in this House, today, it is the beginning of yet another beginning. Zambia, today, is known all over the world because of this House. I would urge hon. Members in this House not to hesitate to speak against the Government. Unless you speak against us, we will not know where we are going wrong.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: If you speak against us, be factual. This House wants you to be factual, not to be like Kadansa.
Interruptions
His Excellency the President: So, the point is that, in everything, we are trying to protect your own relatives, not you. As they say in Economics, all things being equal, you, hon. Members who are here – and I do not see anything wrong with us – must tell some of your leaders not to incite violence. When they propose violence, all the people, including you, will be affected. Once you incite or propose violence, it is the innocent hon. Members of Parliament in this House, who have a wide range of ideas on the development of this country, who are affected.
Mr Speaker, I am very grateful that you gave me the chance to give my address to this House, and I would like to now declare this House open.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President: At least, where I am now, this hon. Member of Parliament for Gwembe cannot raise a point of order on me. The Standing Orders do not allow him.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
His Excellency the President left the Assembly Chamber.
Mr Speaker took the Chair.
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MOTIONS
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
The Vice-President (Dr Scott): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that, at its rising today, the House do adjourn until Tuesday, 25th September, 2012.
Sir, may I begin by expressing, on behalf of the House, without mentioning individuals, except for Hon. Muntanga who did not get enough coverage, …
Laughter
The Vice-President: … and, indeed, on my own behalf, sincere thanks to the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President: … for the remarkable Speech he has just given us.
Laughter
Hon. Opposition Members: Which Speech!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order! Order!
The Vice-President: There are very few, indeed, if there are any of us in this House who can combine seriousness with humour in the way that our leader does.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
The Vice-President: It is not a negative. It is a positive feature of leadership.
Hon. Opposition Members: Zero!
The Vice-President: I consider that the President deserves our congratulations …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President: … from all the three sides of this House.
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
The Vice-President: The President took time to sketch the path of socio-economic transformation …
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
The Vice-President: … that we, as a nation, should traverse over the next few years. In so doing, His Excellency has raised very important issues …
Laughter
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
The Vice-President: … which we, in this House, will carefully, …
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order! Order!
The Vice-President: … if we are serious, analyse and debate over the coming two or three weeks.
Hon. Opposition Members: Which one!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
Hon. Government Members: Iwe!
The Vice-President: For example, His Excellency the President touched on a number of critical areas, including both public and private financial sector issues which were taken up in very considerable detail, actually.
Hon. Opposition Members: No!
Interruptions
The Vice-President: The agricultural sector …
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Mr Speaker: Order!
You will have an opportunity to debate the President’s Speech in due course. Please, for the time being, give an opportunity to His Honour the Vice-President to move his Motion.
Proceed, please.
The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your protection although as a graduate of the Sata Academy of Political Science, …
Laughter
The Vice-President: … I am fairly well able to voice over any of this sort of kerfuffle coming from the Opposition.
Sir, tourism, which had problems of unemployment, which have not gone away, but which our predecessors happily ignored, was raised again. Rural electrification …
Interruptions
The Vice-President: I am just giving examples of the issues that I happened to note down as he went through his Speech. The Speech, itself, will be distributed to all hon. Members and you may go through it in detail.
Mr Speaker, the President mentioned health issues, road safety, corruption and the need for a Public Service that serves and is easier to get to than hell, if not more difficult than Heaven.
Interruptions
The Vice-President: That you heard, yes, and you will get it.
Laughter
The Vice-President: Sir, he also referred to people with disabilities, and telecommunications. We know that one of the great cries in the rural areas of this country is the need to have a network. People want to communicate. They want to be part of the nation. They do not want to be isolated figures or isolated individuals out in the bush.
Mr Speaker, the President also talked about the importance of land reforms, which was only signaled as having been telegraphed by the President. I think we can expect some action on that this year.
Sir, considering the importance of the matters raised in the Speech and the importance of the Opposition finding a few jokes to keep the balance of the debate, I am of the view that the House should adjourn now so that hon. Members are accorded ample time to study the Speech and reflect on the issues raised.
In this way, hon. Members will be adequately prepared to make constructive contributions during the debate on the Motion of Thanks which will start on Tuesday, 25th September, 2012.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, and Hon. Muntanga supports me.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!
Mr Chungu (Luanshya): Mr Speaker, allow me to put on record my profound gratitude for this rare opportunity accorded to me to speak on this important Motion moved by His Honour the Vice-President on the occasion of the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.
Mr Speaker, I agree with His Honour the Vice-President that hon. Members need time to carefully study and digest the important message in the speech, which is the second address to this House by His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.
Sir, the adjournment is necessary because most of the issues that have been raised in the President’s Speech are related to the many concerns and problems prevailing in our country. Further, hon. Members would need time to critically analyse the Speech and be able to raise particular challenges and make proposals for the improvement of the welfare of our nation.
Mr Speaker, the people are eagerly waiting to see how the Government intends to proceed in addressing the numerous challenges affecting them countrywide. It is, therefore, necessary that hon. Members are given ample time to carefully study and understand the issues contained in His Excellency the President’s Speech to this august House.
Sir, adjourning today will enable us to come back, next week, fully prepared to meaningfully contribute to the debate on various developmental issues that have been outlined in the address.
Mr Speaker, in this regard, I fully support the Motion and urge all my colleagues to do the same.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Quality!
The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I wish to thank the House for its overwhelming support of my Motion.
I thank you, Sir.
Question put and agreed to.
__________
ADJOURNMENT
The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Question put and agreed to.
__________
The House adjourned at 1228 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 25th September, 2012.
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