Wednesday, 20th July, 2022

Printer Friendly and PDF

       Wednesday, 20th July, 2022

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

RULING BY MADAM SPEAKER

RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY HON. J. J. MWIIMBU, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MONZE CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY AGAINST HON. B. M. MUNDUBILE, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MPOROKOSO CONSTITUENCY ON WHETHER HON. B. M. MUNDUBILE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, WAS IN ORDER TO SUGGEST THAT HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT, MR HAKAINDE HICHILEMA AWARDED CONTRACTS TO HIS FRIENDS WITHOUT PROVIDING EVIDENCE

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members will recall that on Friday, 8th July, 2022, when the House was considering Questions for Oral Answer No. 355 and Mr K. Chewe, Member of Parliament for Lubansenshi Constituency was debating, Hon. J. J. Mwiimbu, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, raised a point of order.

In his point of order, Hon. J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, inquired whether Hon. B M. Mundubile, Leader of Opposition and Member of Parliament for Mporokoso Constituency was in order to suggest that His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, awarded contracts to his friends without providing evidence.

Hon. Members, in my immediate response, I reserved my ruling in order to study the matter. I have since studied the matter and will now render my ruling.

Hon. Members, the point of order raises the issue of an hon. Member’s duty to ensure that the information he/she provides to the House when debating is factual and verifiable. Hon Members may wish to note that Members’ freedom of speech and debate in the House is recognised and protected by the Constitution, Cap 1 of the Laws of Zambia and the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act, Cap. 12 of the Laws of Zambia.

However, although the Constitution and the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act guarantee hon. Members freedom of speech and debate in the Assembly, such freedom is subject to the rules of the House. One such rule requires that the information a Member provides to the House, is factual, verifiable and substantiated. In this regard, Standing Order 65 (1) (b) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021 provides that:

“65. (1) A member who is debating shall –

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

Further, Chapter 3 of the National Assembly Members’ Handbook 2006 on “Rules of Debate,” states as follows:

“Members must not allege specific matters of fact as being true unless they are able to substantiate them.”

Hon. Members, I had recourse to the verbatim record of the parliamentary proceedings for Friday, 8th July, 2022 during Her Honour the Vice-President’s Question Time, in order to determine whether the alleged statement was made by Hon. B. M. Mundubile, MP.

Hon. Members, the verbatim record reveals that Hon. B. M. Mundubile, MP, made the following statement:

“Madam Speaker, Zambians are concerned about the manner in which the President has started awarding contracts to his friends using the single-sourcing mode or procurement, a practice he has previously condemned, labeling it ‘corruption’ or ‘abuse of office’.

Madam Speaker, a case in point is the recent engagement of Grant Thornton, a company in which the President has interests, and five other firms to audit domestic debt, an assignment that the Office of the Auditor-General could have easily undertaken. This is in addition to the earlier award to his friend of a contract to supply fertiliser worth US$50 million. Further, there is the secondment of Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) Zambia and Mr Kazilimani, also his friend, as agents of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Plc. Finally, there is a US$100 million contract to construct health facilities in three provinces, namely the Western Province, the North-Western Province and the Southern Province, under the Ministry of Health whose procurement was shrouded in secrecy.”

Hon. Members, the foregoing excerpt clearly shows that Hon. B. M. Mundubile, MP, in his question to Her Honour the Vice-President on Friday, 8th July, 2022, alleged that the Republican President had awarded contracts to his friends and gave examples of the said contracts. However, Hon. B. M. Mundubile, MP, did not lay any evidence on the Table of the House to verify and substantiate his allegation. As a result, his statement contradicted the rules of debate as provided in the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021 and the National Assembly Members’ Handbook 2006 requiring him to ensure that the information he presents on the Floor of the House is factual, verifiable and substantiated. In that regard, Hon. Mundubile, MP, was out of order.

Hon. Members, let me take this opportunity to apprise the House that, in the recent past, I have noticed, with concern, hon. Members making unverified and unsubstantiated statements on the Floor of the House. This is regrettable, given that the debates in the House are widely followed nationally through the radio, television, and on the internet. It is, therefore, important that hon. Members should ensure that the information they submit to the House is factual, verifiable and substantiated in order to avoid misleading the House and the public at large.

I thank you.

MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

MR KATAKWE, HON. MEMBER FOR SOLWEZI EAST, ON DR MUSOKOTWANE, THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr Katakwe: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this chance to rise on a matter of public importance on the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, on this day, 20th July, 2022.

Madam Speaker, I have a matter here which states that:

“PF Cartel at ZamStats plans to discredit the New Dawn Government through the Census recruitment.

The Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) is under siege by a Patriotic Front (PF) cartel left by former Permanent Secretary (PS) Chabala. Even if Chabala and his PF are out of power, the cartel…

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Katakwe: …he made is still running ZamStats. The New Dawn Government has spent colossal amounts of money to fund the census, but this cartel is busy plundering the money through exaggerated procurement. As if this is not enough, the head of the cartel and leader of ZamStats, Mr Musepa convinced the Government to permit him to recruit census staff via online platforms. The Government gave a go-ahead, maybe, not knowing what Mr Musepa and his cartel were up to.

Online recruitment is a scam and this cartel contracted a private company to run an online recruitment with a plan of getting kick backs. The company is the one behind this unpopular and ruthless online recruitment line with a *885# code for recruitment. Under normal circumstances, the deductions are actually being made from the monies one has to have in his mobile money as opposed to the deduction from the account.”

Mr Kapyanga: Standing Order No?

Mr Katakwe: Madam Speaker, there are names here and their numbers, which I shall lay on the Table:

      (a)    Mr Musepa, Statistician General–0977773321;

      (b)    Mr Frank Kakungu –Census Manager–096.7907362;

      (c)    Mr Chola Nakazwe–Deputy Census Manager;

      (d)   Mr Joseph Tembo–Assistant Director in-charge of Census Logistics;

      (e)  Mr Chitalu–Senior Research Officer–0971748606;

      (f)   Ms Jocyline Mawandi–Head of Procurement; and

      (g)   Stella Zulu–Head of Administration.

Madam Speaker, these people are actually engaged in this online recruitment. For instance, the 50,000 applications that have gone through are charged K5.80 giving about K290,000, and for the four times trials not going through, the money deducted is coming to almost K2 million to be raised.

Madam Speaker, the following are the questions the public is asking:

      (a)   is this making the New Dawn Government popular;

      (b)   when did the Government start charging people for them to get a job;

      (c)   how is this money going to be used and who is the beneficiary; and

      (d)   are people whose money has been deducted without their application going through going to be refunded?

Madam Speaker, this matter concludes that the PF cadres running ZamStats and the census are actually behind this cartel as we saw in the recent recruitment of teachers and those left out resorting to committing suicide.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning able to assure this nation that the questions I have read here are actually true or not? If so, is this cartel going to assure the nation that the recruitment process is going to be credible and equitably distributed across this country?

Madam Speaker, this is a matter of life and death because we have seen people already committing suicide. This is important, especially to our youths who are waiting to be recruited to do the census.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious ruling, so that the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning can provide clear guidelines about this PF cartel, for we know and it is in public domain that, indeed, our colleagues made sure that it was so clear in their manifesto…

Rev: Katuta: Now you are debating.

Mr Katakwe: …that those …

Madam Speaker: Order hon. Member for Solwezi East!

Mr Katakwe: …who held such positions are uncompromisingly PF cadres.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Order, order!

Hon. Member please, do not debate.

Hon. Member for Solwezi East, you have made some serious allegations, but I have just delivered a ruling that issues that are presented before this honorable House should be factual, verifiable and substantiated. You have not provided any evidence before this honorable House to substantiate what you are saying.

In addition, the issue you have raised does not qualify to be raised under Standing Order 134.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: You can explore other ways. Of course, if it is true, then it must be worrying, but please verify and find other means and ways of raising the issue. You can also verify with the relevant institutions before you bring the matter before the House.

I thank you.

MR KAFWAYA, HON. MEMBER FOR LUNTE, ON MR MTOLO, THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, ON FERTILIZER PROCUREMENT

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for according me this opportunity to raise a matter of urgent public importance–

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Can we be silent. I cannot hear what is being said.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I was just thanking you for giving me this opportunity to raise a matter of urgent public importance in line with Standing Orders 134. This matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Agriculture, and it specifically relates to the procurement of fertiliser, which is earmarked to be distributed across the country.

Madam Speaker, if as a nation, we fail to produce enough food, it is going to be disastrous to the nation in the subsequent period. You may recall that when you were seated in that Chair, the hon. Minister of Agriculture delivered a ministerial statement to the nation through this House, in which he indicated that the tender for the procurement of fertiliser had just closed. It is from there that I draw this serious problem for the nation. If the tender closed just a few days ago, as the hon. Minister highlighted in his ministerial statement, then the process that is to follow is a long one. There has to be evaluation. After evaluation, there is going to be a notice of award. Thereafter, there will be the award of the contract. After this award, would-be beneficiaries will then begin making financial arrangements before they can place an order from the source.

Madam Speaker, I considered sea transport to bring fertiliser into Zambia. In fact, sea transport to bring the commodity to the nearest port, which would be Beira, Porto do Lobito, or Dar es salaam. Then I considered international transport from any of these ports, including Durban and Cape Town, into various deports. I also considered local transportation into our various constituencies. So, my honest estimation is that we are talking about not less than four months. If that is the case, four months from now is deep into the farming season because that would be deep into the rainy season.

Madam Speaker, in your ruling just now, you made reference to an alleged procurement of health facilities worth US$100 million, which the country is meant to understand that it followed a process other than what I have highlighted.

Madam Speaker, if the hon. Minister does not follow a process different from what is established in the procurement process, I am seeing a very serious problem for our country. In view of this calamity, I would like you to direct the hon. Minister of Agriculture to come and inform the nation about the process the Government will follow in order to reduce the time because a minimum of four months will cause a problem for this country.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious direction on the matter.

Madam Speaker: Just an appeal to hon. Members, as you raise your matters of urgent public importance, please go to the point. Do not debate because we are losing time. We have a lot of work before us. So, hon. Member for Lunte, the issue that you have raised is, of course, very important. The hon. Minister of Agriculture has, on several occasions, on the Floor of this House, talked about the distribution of farming inputs such fertiliser and other things. In your own statement, you have said fertiliser will be distributed across the nation. Really, when you look at Standing Orders 135, you will see that it says, “It does not relate to the general state of affairs.” If the fertiliser you are talking about relates to the whole country, then how can it be raised as a matter of urgent public importance?

Of course, the issues you have raised are very important and the people would want to know whether they are getting farming inputs on time? Are they getting fertiliser on time? Definitely, it cannot be raised as a matter of urgent public importance. I am sure being an old hon. Member of the House, you have other means and ways through which you can raise that matter with the hon. Minister of Agriculture before you come to raise it in the House.

I thank you.

MR MWILA, HON. MEMBER FOR MUFULIRA, ON MR MWIIMBU, HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, ON MOBS ATTACKING AMB. MALANJI AT BULANGILILO CLINIC

Mr Mwila (Mufulira): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity to rise on this very important matter of urgent public importance pursuant to Standing Order No.134. The matter I wish to raise is directed at the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, with me here is a copy of today’s edition of The Daily Nation newspaper whose headline reads: “Malanji attacked as he handed over donated furniture at Bulangililo Clinic.”

Madam Speaker, this headline speaks about an event that happened yesterday in Bulangililo and it is referring to Malanji, who is one of your Members, Hon. Joseph Malanji, Member of Parliament for Kwacha Constituency. While carrying out his parliamentary duties in his constituency, at Bulangililo Clinic, a mob of United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres–

Interruptions

Mr Mwila: Madam Speaker, a mob of UPND cadres arrived at the event and caused havoc and mayhem.

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

Madam Speaker: Order! A point of order is being raised.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order hon. Members!

Let us hear what the point order is all about. Proceed, hon. Member.

Mr Kambita: Thank you very much Madam Speaker, for allowing me to raise this very serious point of order. It seems it has now become a habit for our hon. Colleagues on your left hand side to simply come up with insinuations on the Floor of the House. Our rules are very clear.  According to Standing Order No.65, –

Interruptions

Mr Chitotela rose.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Pambashe, I have not requested you to stand up. You cannot stand when I have not called upon you. I have not recognized you. Please take your seat.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Can we have some order in the House, please!

Mr Kambita: Madam Speaker, Standing Order No.65 is very clear and instructive on how hon. Members can push matters on the Floor of the House. Is the hon. Member who was just about to start issuing alarming statements in order to cite United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres without any evidence which he can lay on the Table?

Interruptions

Mr Kambita: Madam Speaker, is he in order to be allowed to go on that trajectory? I need your serious ruling to stop those insinuations.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, that is my role as presiding officer. The hon. Member was still raising his matter of urgent public importance and I was going to make the appropriate ruling upon him finishing, depending on what the hon. Member is talking about. May the hon. Member for Mufulira proceed, but please as you raise your matter, ensure that the information that you are going to release or to refer to is verifiable.

Mr Mwila: Madam Speaker, thank you for your protection. With your leave, I will lay this newspaper on the Table, which contains the matter that I’m raising. In this newspaper, Madam Speaker, you will find that UPND cadres arrived at the event and caused havoc and mayhem. Madam Speaker, as you will see from this newspaper article, there was bloodshed which the patients who were waiting to be attended to suffered at the hands of the cadres who arrived to disrupt the event that was happening in Kwacha Constituency.

Madam Speaker, as we speak, the life of one of your hon. Members is in danger as he is performing his functions in the constituency. A week from now, Parliament will be rising and all of us will go back to our respective constituencies. With what happened yesterday, where the life of an hon. Member of Parliament is at risk, I am sure you would not like to see us back in crutches or plaster of paris.

Madam Speaker, the UPND, since coming into power, has highlighted, as one of the achievements, ending violence by cadres. However, what happened yesterday is contrary to what the Government has been talking about in terms of ending violence. The lives of our hon. Members are at risk and so are the lives of the people who are associating with your hon. Members when they are carrying out their functions in their constituencies.

Madam Speaker, I seek your ruling on whether the hon. Minister of Home Affairs is in order to remain quiet when the lives of the hon. Members of Parliament are at risk from unruly and violent cadres out there in the communities?

Madam Speaker, as you give your guidance, I seek leave to lay this newspaper on the Table.

Mr Kambita laid the paper on the Table.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised, although I thought I would render my ruling first. You can proceed hon. Minister.

Mr Mposha: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on a serious point of order regarding the allegations that are being made. The last time I checked, the Patriotic Front (PF) had no membership cards for its members. When we formed Government, we found that–

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Minister! Maybe, now you are pre-empting. Let me just make a ruling.

Mr Mposha: Thank you for the guidance, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: order!

Let us make some progress. The hon. Member for Mufulira has raised a matter of urgent public importance as contained in today’s Daily Nation newspaper where he is saying according to the newspaper, some people were attacked and there was some bloodshed. There are some allegations that these are United Party for National Development (UPND) members. Under the circumstances, and because of the allegations that have been made, I would direct that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs comes back to this House with a statement to find out whether these activities actually happened and who was behind them, so that the public is not mislead. The hon. Minister can come back to the House on Thursday, next week, with a ministerial statement on the matter.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Minister, maybe, now you are pre-empting. Let me just make a ruling.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mposha: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Order, order! Let us make some progress.

The hon. Member for Mufulira has raised a matter of urgent public importance as contained in today’s Daily Nation newspaper. He is saying according to the newspaper, some people were attacked and there was some blood. There are some allegations that these are United Party for National Development (UPND) members. Under the circumstances, and because of the allegations that have been made, I will direct that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security comes back to this House with a statement on whether these activities actually happened and who was behind them so that the public is not misled.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: So, the hon. Minister can come back to the House on Thursday, next week, with a ministerial statement on the matter.

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR MPIKA, ON HON. MASEBO, HON. MINISTER OF HEALTH, ON THE OUTBREAK OF LEPTOSPIROSIS DISEASE IN TANZANIA

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the people of Mpika an opportunity to raise a matter of urgent public importance pursuant to Standing Order No. 34.

Madam, on 18th July, 2022, authorities in Tanzania confirmed the outbreak of a disease called leptospirosis whose symptoms are high fever, bleeding, muscle pain and vomiting. Tanzania is our neighbouring country, and we have our economic artery, which is the Great North Road, passing through my constituency in Muchinga Province. The people of Mpika are on firm ground to be worried about this news because they know that very soon, this disease may, God forbid, enter our country.

Madam Speaker, this matter of urgent public importance is therefore directed at the hon. Minister of Health to seek clarity on how prepared the Government is for this looming pandemic as we are dealing with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

I seek your guidance, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Again, this is a matter whereby hon. Members go and get unreliable information maybe, from social media. There is no information that you have brought before this honourable House to show that, indeed, the information you have brought is factual, verifiable and can be substantiated. I have appealed to hon. Members that when we are raising matters or bringing anything before this honourable House, let us make sure that the facts are verifiable, substantiated and verifiable.

So, in that report that the hon. Member for Mpika is talking about, he has not even referred to what media or medium it is contained in. So, that matter of urgent public importance which the hon. Member for Mpika is raising cannot be upheld because it is not factual or verifiable and cannot be substantiated. In the event that the hon. Member is concerned, this is a matter he can check with the Ministry of Health to confirm and verify whether it is factual or not before it can be brought before this honourable House if the Ministry of Health fails to discharge its responsibility in that regard. So, that matter is not admitted.

Do we still have any more or can we make progress? Hon. Member for Pambashe.

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, I wish to apologise to you for standing while you were speaking. As a senior Member, I sincerely apologise for that behaviour.

Madam Speaker, I rise on a serious point of procedure relating to the rules of this House. According to Standing Order No. 132(2), a Member shall not raise a point of order on another point of order.

Therefore, is the hon. Member of Parliament for Zambezi East, who has been in this House for one term and a year, and the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation in order to raise a point of order on a point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament for –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order hon. Members!

If you are going to debate then what is my role? You are rendering me redundant. Am I now redundant? Hon. Member proceed. Are you done?

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, there are issues lined up on Standing Order 132(2) that Members should not rise on points of order, but I have seen that of late, points of order are being raised even when hon. Ministers are giving ministerial statements. Another point is hon. Members rising on points of order when a Member of Parliament is asking you a point of public importance which qualifies or is classified as a matter of public importance if you check Article 134 under points of order.

Madam, is the hon. Member of Parliament for Zambezi East and the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation in order to have risen inappropriately at that juncture? I seek your guidance.

Madam Speaker: I thank you very much for the apology. It is accepted.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: With regard to the two hon. Members you referred to, including the hon. Minister, I guided them that it was not proper for them to raise points of order. Now, I do not know whether it is you who is out of order.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Let us make progress. I think we have exercised our vocal cords. Now we can go to serious business.

_______

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

THE ERRATIC WATER SUPPLY IN MPIKA DISTRICT OF MUCHINGA PROVINCE

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, I rise to issue a ministerial statement resulting from the directive that was given by Madam First Deputy Speaker on Thursday, 14th July, 2022, following a matter of urgent public importance raised by Hon. Francis Kapyanga, Member of Parliament for Mpika Parliamentary Constituency.

Madam, from the ontset, I wish to thank you most sincerely for according me this opportunity to render a ministerial statement on the reported erratic water supply in Mpika District of Muchinga Province.

Madam Speaker, in his submission, Hon. Kapyanga informed the House that Mpika District had been without water for the past one month. This august House may wish to note that Mpika District has two water sources, namely Mwamfushi Stream which supplies water to Trench Town, Boma and Casanova and Malashi also known as Chisowa Spring which supplies water to Kamwanya, Chitulika and Tazara Township. The combined design capacity of these two water sources is 5,700m3. This translates into 5.7 million litres per day. The two water sources complement each other in terms of water supply for over 45,000 people of Mpika District.

The two water sources supply 5.7 million litres of water per day at seventeen slated hours to 45,000 people in the urban and peri-urban areas of Mpika District against the total water demand of 15,300m3 per day.

Madam Speaker, in order to improve water supply to some parts of Mpika, on 14th June, 2022, Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company had scheduled maintenance programmes. In this regard, the water utility company made a public announcement through the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) that there would be disruption of water supply to some parts of Mpika. It was during this maintenance that water supply to Trench Town, Casanova and Boma areas was disrupted for three days. The water supply to these areas has since been restored.

In addition, on 15th June, 2022, the raw water pump set at Chisowa also known as Malashi Intake Pump Station experienced a mechanical failure on the internal components of the pumps being the four stainless-steel sleeves, one stainless-steel shaft and two tampered roller bearings affecting water supply to Kamwanya peri-unban area of Mpika District. As of 17th July, 2022, the situation had been resolved and water supply was restored to normal.

Madam Speaker, during the said period from 15th June to 17th July, 2022, when parts of Mpika experienced water supply interruption, the following interventions were made for this area:

       (a)   on 20th June, 2022, the commercial utility provided for 10,000 litre capacity water bowser to cushion the

              impact of no water supply to the affected areas of Mpika District; and

      (b)   on 24th June 2022, the commercial utility completed the inter-connection of the two water networks

            between Mwanfushi stream and Chisowa spring to ration the water supply to the affected parts of Mpika

            until 17th July, 2022.

Madam Speaker on 10th July, 2022, the commercial utility experienced yet another problem, but this time, it was to do with a pipe burst on the 350 millimetre asbestos rising main pipe from Malashi to TAZARA township which was resolved within a period of 27 hours. This august House may wish to note that this has since been resolved and the water supply is back to normal.

Madam Speaker, let me place on record that the New Dawn Government under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambian, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, places high premium on universal access to clean and safe water due to the critical role that water plays in sustaining human life as well as enhancing human and social development. The prioritisation of water and sanitation by the New Dawn Government is in line with the Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6, which seeks to ensure universal access to clean and safe water and adequate sanitation services.

Madam Speaker, this august House may wish to note that in order to effectively and sustainably meet the water demands for the people of Mpika, the New Dawn Administration is implementing a water supply and sanitation project co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Republic of Zambia dubbed Integrated Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project between Mpika town and Nakonde town. The project aims to improve access to water supply, quality of water and sanitation services to about 90,000 people of Mpika.

Madam Speaker, once completed, the project will provide an additional 9,600m3 of water per day to augment the current water production and meet water demand. The project will also cover for the construction f a mechanical workshop which will help to reduce the down time and ensure that Chambeshi Water and Sanitarian Company has critical spares in stock. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, allow me to assure the good people of Mpika that that water supply which was interrupted has since been fully restored.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, thank the hon. Member for Matero, the hon. Member for Munali and the hon. Minister for Water Development and Sanitation.

Madam, what is the estimated cost of the long term intervention to supply water in Mpika District that the hon. Minister has stated on the Floor of the House?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I also thank the hon. Member for Bwacha for the question. The Integrated Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project is not just being undertaken in one area; Mpika and Nakonde, but it also covers other districts and the total cost of this project is US$150 million.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mwila (Mufulira): Madam Speaker, at about the same time that the people of Mpika were facing water shortages, in Mufulira Constituency, we spent the entire long weekend without water. The hon. Minister has quite ably explained the causes of the shortage, which are similar to the causes in Mufulira; pipes were bursting. The hon. Minister has also explained the measures being taken such as the project he has just talked about, which is happening not just in Mpika but also in other towns.

Madam Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of the hon. Minister that the frustration that people are having, not just in Mpika but across the country where water utility companies are providing the services, are because of the time that it is taking for these projects to be completed. The only assurance we give our people is that they should wait and that the pipes will be laid. What is the Government doing to ensure that projects such as the one in Mpika are expedited because people are getting frustrated with the length of time that the projects are taking to be completed?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member and sympathise with the people on the frustrations. This is why when some of us hear hon. Members on your left saying that they brought massive development, we are left to wonder, ...

Mr Nkombo: We are left at sea.

Mr Mposha: ... which people they are speaking to because most of these pipes which are said to be bursting are doing so because they have outlived their usefulness. There has been low level investment in the water sector. Now, what are we doing as the New Dawn Government? First of all, after seeing, and based on what we promised the people of Zambia during our campaigns, which is that we were going to increase funding to the water sector, this has been done. Under the 2022 Budget, which we approved right here in the House, we have increased the budgetary allocation to the sector by 9 per cent. Further, we are encouraging hon. Members of Parliament to work with our ministry to ensure that areas in various constituencies where there are critical challenges of water, the various hon. Members of Parliament through their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committees should work with us to ensure that part of the CDF is appropriated to the water sector as well as sanitation services.

Madam Speaker, this Government is coming up with various interventions to ensure that the dilapidated infrastructure is renovated. Recently, His Excellency, the President, in fact, on Saturday, 16th July, on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit, did launch the Zambia Water Investment Programme where we are hoping that between 2022 and 2030, we can work with the continental water investment programme to try and tap some resources to bring into the water sector. So, there are various interventions that we are undertaking. There are a number of projects which we are financing to ensure that we undertake some repairs to replace some old pipes which are rupturing or bursting because they have outlined their usefulness.

So, I assure the hon. Member of Parliament that we are working in various districts, including Mufulira, to bring up interventions to repair the old pipes and also extend the network so that those areas which have come up, most of which were unplanned residential settlements, are also serviced and begin to receive not only water but also sanitation services.

I thank you, Madam.

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, also let me thank you –

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, my point of order is based on Standing Order No. 65. I shared here that when I was a Minister, I was informed by the then Secretary to Cabinet that what you say on the Floor of the House would be considered as Government assurance.

Madam Speaker, Standing Order No. 65 is clear that when an hon. Member tenders discourse on the Floor of the House, it must be verifiable. The hon. Minister, when responding to a very fair question, decided to start worrying about what the hon. PF Members mean when they say they left massive development.

Madam Speaker, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government just finished the largely boycotted AU summit in an ultra-modern ...

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, order, order!

Mr Kafwaya: ... facility.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, as we debate and ask questions, and even when we raise points of order, they must be related to the issue that is being discussed on the Floor of the House. Let us not start fishing and looking for issues to bring when they are not being discussed on the Floor. The hon. Member for Lunte is definitely out of order.

The hon. Member for Mpika may proceed.

Laughter

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Hon. Minister, thank you so much for affirming the Government’s position that you will complete the small towns water project which was commissioned in 2020 by the previous regime, which is also in Mpika. Hon. Minster, there is a part where you have not been well-informed, which is the issue of erratic water supply. It still exists in Mpika. I have just been informed by a Mr Kampamba from Chitulika that they have not had water for one month, and that is the case even in Casanova, Chisanga and Malasha. Also, Diki and Mutengo do not have water. Hon. Minister, to enhance the efficiently of Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company Ltd, does the Government have plans to create a water company specifically for Muchinga Province since now Muchinga is a province? We cannot continue depending on Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company Ltd whose headquarters is in Kasama. We need our own water company which will be very efficient and supply water to our people on time.

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, the decision to create another utility company is based on or will be based on a proper feasibility study to see whether such a company will be viable based on the number of clients who are connected to the system. Now, we all know that Muchinga is a new province, and should there be need and that need is verified based on the existing number of connections to water supply and sanitation services, then that call to create another utility company to be based specifically for Muchinga will be justified. For now, we have opened an office which is overseeing the operations in Muchinga Province under Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company Ltd run by a manager. So, we have a regional office for Muchinga.

This week, Madam Speaker, I will be unveiling the board of directors for Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company and Luapula Water and Sewerage Company. After that, we shall see if we can undertake a feasibility study to ascertain whether truly we can establish an independent utility company to service Muchinga. For now, Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company Ltd will continue to operate at the status quo.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, I do appreciate the responses coming from the hon. Minister. I will start by reminding him that the ministry he is heading now was a mere portfolio function under the ministry responsible for local government. He found it as a stand-alone because of the realisation by the Government then that this sector needed to be prioritised. That is how much work we did, and the massive projects that this Government has taken over speak to that. There is a lot that has been done, but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned a number of areas in Mpika that were affected, such as Kamwanya, TAZARA, Chitulika and Trench Town. These are the largest communities of Mpika and two days of not having water is a very big challenge. We appreciate that the Government is looking at carrying out an assessment of whether or not Muchinga should have a stand-alone utility company. Of course, we have heard the hon. Minister talk about the new project coming up. In the meantime, what measures are you, as Government, putting in place to react to a challenge such as this one? One water browser is not enough to service these communities. What are you doing to mitigate the negative impact of the shortage of water in these areas during the time of breakdowns and pipe bursts?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I also want to thank Hon. Kampyongo for that question. For now, we have a water bowser under Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company. As much as it is not enough, I should say that other utility companies do not even have a single water bowser. So, for Chambeshi water Supply and Sanitation Company, we are fortunate that we actually have a water bowser which is able to be positioned as and when there is a water crisis.

Madam, further to that, we are pushing in resources to try and speed up the completion of the many projects that had stalled, including in Mpika itself. I know there is a massive project, which the hon. Member of Parliament alluded to. There are quite a number of projects dotted around the country, but these are projects which had stalled for a long time and they are going to cost this Government a lot of money to bring them back on course because most of them have been vandalized. So, it was one thing to initiate these projects, then along the way, fail to finance them, along the way default and then create a stalemate on these projects. So, what we are trying to do Madam Speaker, is to push. I want to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, that for the first time in a long time, this sector is receiving financing timely and this money is going on the ground to ensure that the water projects that has stalled for a long time can be completed and this can create a relief to our people including our good people of Mpika.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, following the commercialisation of water supply and sanitation service provision, you will agree that rural populations like Mpika, and over and beyond Mpika, for those of us who twin with Mpika Constituency, rural populations have often lagged behind when it comes to social amenities such as water. This is partly because taking such services to rural areas is deemed unsustainable because of the perceived low ability to pay for services and that the prices for these services are not commercially viable.

Madam, in rolling out sustainable development goals (SDGs) for water supply and sanitation coverage, what is Government’s master plan for rural areas, more so, specifically for islands in rural areas where you cannot take your rig to sink a borehole or drill a borehole? What is the Government’s strategy in rural areas such as Kate in Kanchibiya with a population of over 7,000 residents?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanchibiya for that good question. It is true that in providing services such as water supply, the rural communities have in the past been left out. However, the Government, in rolling out projects which will ensure that such services are provided, is not only concentrating on the urban setup, but also the peri-urban as well as the rural set-ups.

Madam Speaker, in the 2022 Budget, under my sector, we are going to provide for nine water reticulation systems in various provinces. I want to allay the fears expressed by the hon. Member of Parliament that there could be certain areas of Zambia where we cannot take our rigs. What we do as a ministry is that after allocating the boreholes to be drilled in various part of the country, we do sub-contract. As I am speaking right now, we are at a stage where the tenders are being evaluated in terms of the people we are going to contract to go out in various provinces in rural areas to go and drill the boreholes. I assure the hon. Member that there will be no areas we will fail to go to and drill boreholes. We shall go in the various rural areas to drill the boreholes, but also we shall allocate water reticulation systems in various parts of the country. I hope that come 2023, we will be able to increase the number of water reticulation systems so that we can cover more and more rural areas preferably the chiefdoms where people are settled in one area.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister indicated that the New Dawn Government had increased funding to this sector in the 2022 Budget. If that was the case, why is it that the people of Mpika still do not have enough water by having more water bowsers since the hon. Minister said there has been an increase? The hon. Minister is aware that even in Chienge, we have not gotten even one borehole from the time I brought this issue on the Floor of the House. So, where is this money, which was allocated and what has it been used for?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Member for Chienge for that good question. When I saw her rise, I thought she would be reporting to you on her promise. She had invited me on a fact-finding mission to Chienge Constituency and that trip has not come to fruition. So, I thought that she would be speaking to that.

Laughter

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, like I reported, we have had an increased budgetary allocation in the 2022 funding and this has seen an increase in the number of boreholes we are going to sink in the various localities or constituencies, but also the nine water reticulation systems I alluded to.

Madam Speaker, the money was not meant for procuring water bowsers, but to service the sector as a whole in terms of drilling boreholes, setting up reticulation systems, repairing, maintaining and constructing water harvesting infrastructure such as dams. So, I assure the hon. Member for Chienge that once the evaluation of the tenders is completed and contracts are issued, we will have contractors go into the various parts of the country to start drilling these boreholes. I appeal to the hon. Members of Parliament to ensure that they work with their councils, councilors, council secretaries and town clerks to ensure that they site right places where boreholes will be sunk. That is important because oftentimes, our ministry sends a contractor and then what delays us will be the local fights where the hon. Member would say ‘I want the borehole to be at this site’ and then the councilors and communities also suggest another site.

Madam Speaker, so I want to take this opportunity to just appeal to the hon. Members of Parliament to work with their council officials, the councilors to ensure that as we speak, they should identify areas where these boreholes will be sunk.

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: I am sure the subject has been adequately debated as I can see people are now taking selfies. So, we make progress.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

UNSTABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AT LUMEZI MISSION HOSPITAL

377. Mr Munir Zulu (Lumezi) asked the Minister of Energy:

      (a)   whether the Government is aware that the erratic and unstable electricity supply at Lumezi Mission  

             Hospital, in the last three weeks, has resulted in lives being lost and bodies decomposing; and

     (b)  if so, what urgent measures are being taken to stabilise electricity supply to avert further loss of life and

           decomposing of bodies.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Kapala): Madam Speaker, we have not received any report that erratic electricity supply at Lumezi Mission Hospital has resulted in the loss of lives and bodies decomposing. However, I wish to indicate that the Government has been made aware of the erratic and unstable electricity supply at Lumezi Mission Hospital.

The hospital is supplied by Malawi’s electricity utility company known as Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM). The supply is unstable because of load shedding in that country.

Madam, in order to enhance security of supply to the hospital, ZESCO Limited has engaged the hospital to ensure that the standby generator installed at the hospital is available for use during times when the hospital experiences grid supply interruption. This measure will reduce the impact of erratic and unstable electricity on the operations of the hospital. As a long term measure, ZESCO Limited has initiated works to connect this part of the country to the national grid. In this regard, a 132 kV transmission line from Chipata to Chama through Lundazi has been constructed.

Madam Speaker, the next phase is to set up distribution infrastructure by way of construction a 132/33 kV substation at Lundazi. The works on the construction of the substation were initiated this month, July, 2022. It is anticipated that the project will be completed by end of March, 2023. This substation will make it possible to supply stable electricity to the mission hospital.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Lusambo (Kabushi): Madam Speaker, we have discussed this issue of power cuts in Lundazi and Chama in this august House and it seems the New Dawn Government has no solution for the people of Chama and Lundazi.

Madam Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government attended to the distribution power lines and so, only one component is needed. The people of Kabulonga, Chama and Lundazi are all human beings.

Madam Speaker, why has the New Dawn Government neglected the people of Chama and Lundazi?

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, as we debate, let us not bring in emotional issues. We do not want to degenerate into some question and answer which are not in good standing in the House. The hon. Minister of Energy may proceed.

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I wish to, again, read the statement which I read earlier on. As a long term measure, ZESCO Limited has initiated works to connect this part of the country to the national grid. That is what we are working on. At the moment, the hospital has got a generator, and ZESCO Limited is encouraging the hospital to fill up the generator so that it can counter the erratic supply of electricity at the hospital.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker, thank you for permitting the good people of Lumezi to ask a follow up question. The hon. Minister has talked of the generator at the hospital like the question interrogated. Now, the hon. Minister knows that there are young in Lumezi who are equally benefitting economically from electricity. When we do not have electricity, the youths cannot weld and the young ladies cannot run their saloons. What remedies does the hon. Minister have for those who earn a living out of having electricity? We know that if there is no electricity, then the young people and our women in Lumezi are vulnerable to so many elicit things.

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, by the way, the new substation will be built in-house using local resources. So, the people of Lumezi will take part in this construction, and once this substation is constructed, and is up and running, it will provide electricity to the surrounding areas. Currently, yes, there is this shortage, but I assure you that within a year, we should be able to have power all over Lumezi.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, indeed, this should not be allowed to happen when we are boasting about surplus power as a country, as we heard from the managing director in Dakar that we now have got access and, therefore, it should not be a problem for our people to depend on power coming from Malawi now.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has said ZESCO Limited has encouraged the mission hospital to ensure that the generator set –

Interruptions

Mr Kampyongo: There is only one presiding officer. This is the problem we have with new learners, you do not learn.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order! Order!

I was wondering why the hon. PF Whip was giving me his back.

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: It is because the hon. Minister is near here, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: No, speak through the Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister knows that the revenue for the mission hospitals is so limited and it must even be difficult for them to raise funds to buy diesel, whose price has also increased.

Madam Speaker, is there anything the hon. Minister –

Hon. UPND Members: Address the chair.

Mr Kampyongo: You new ones should learn when we are doing business.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order! Order!

Hon. Members, if we are going to proceed in that manner, I will proceed to the next item. So, please, let us bear in mind not to misconduct ourselves.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, what is the hon. Minister doing to help this mission hospital to ensure that it is able to get diesel, as he is waiting for this long term solution? This is because there is the issue of bodies decomposing, which he is not aware of, but he is aware of the erratic power supply. It is one and the same thing. Where there is erratic power supply, it means the mortuary equipment cannot function. Is there anything the hon. Minister can do to cushion the mission by providing diesel to help run the generator set, which then helps the hospital to function fully?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, we appreciate that the prices of petroleum products have gone up. I will be engaging my counterpart, the hon. Minister of Health, to see how we can help the mission hospital as soon as possible.

I thank you, Madam.

KALABO/SIKONGO ROAD CONSTRUCTION

378. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

       (a)   why the construction of the Kalabo/Sikongo Road has stalled;

      (b)   when the project will resume;

      (c)   what the cost of the outstanding works is; and

     (d)    what the timeframe for the completion of the project is.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Infrastructure Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, I apologise for delaying, but this has nothing to do with being new, as Hon. Kampyongo was implying. I have always been here, even before him.

Laughter

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the construction of the Kalabo/Sikongo Road has stalled owing to the termination of the contract due to funding challenges.

Madam, the project will resume once resources for the required works have been mobilised.

The cost of the terminated contract was K959,182,051.33, Value Added Tax (VAT) inclusive. The cost of the outstanding work will be determined once the new contractor is procured.

Madam Speaker, the project timeframe is estimated at twenty-four months from the date of commencement.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, the purported construction of the Kalabo/Sikongo Road had caused misery to the people, owing to the fact that the designing of the road had affected some fields. So, there were matters of compensation. Now that the project was terminated, what is the position of those clients who need to be compensated for the loss of the crop which was destroyed during the initial phase of the construction of the road?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the follow-up question. Perhaps it will be opportune for me to give more details on this particular project for the sake of the hon. Member and also his constituents in Kalabo and Sikongo, so that they understand exactly what happened.

Madam Speaker, the contractor awarded for the previous works was Messrs. Stefanutti Stocks in joint venture with Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The construction of the road was financed jointly by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ). So, it was those Middle Eastern funding agencies in co-operation with GRZ.

The scope of the works included upgrading to bituminous standard, that is asphalt surfaced, of the 85 km of the Kalabo/Sikongo Road and construction of a bridge across the Lueti River. The contractor achieved overall physical progress of 18 per cent at the time of contract termination on 19th August, 2019. The reason we had difficulties with this funding was that the Zambian Government was supposed to put in the counterpart funds, but failed. So, eventually, this contract came to an end and those funders that I read out disappeared.

However, for the people of Kalabo and Sikongo, this particular road is part of the Kalabo/Sikongo/Angola Border Gate Road, which is now part of the public-private partnership (PPP) concession agreement under the Western Trade Facilitation Routes, inclusive of resettlement schemes and border facilities. This is the ARIISE Project. In fact, this new project starts at a place called Tapo, which is where the barotse plain ends. The hon. Member will agree here that the road that was done by (CCC) from Tapo is in bad condition. So, this new project starts from Tapo to Kalabo, Kalabo to Sikongo and it goes further to the Angolan boarder so that there can be an interconnect between our two countries for our people to trade. The concession agreement for the ARIISE Project was signed with the concessionaire on 10th August, 2021. The commencement of works awaits attainment of financial closure by the concessionaire and we are pressing that they reach this. So, we expect that by the end of the year, they would have done that.

Madam Speaker, as regards the question of compensation for those whose fields were intercepted by the new route for the road, I think this is a matter between the owners of those fields and whoever the contractor is. In this particular case, if it proceeds by way of a concession, it will be a matter between themselves and the concessionaire. Always, when we have matters like these, there are discussions that are held and certain compensation is undertaken, but that is within the law. So, I urge the hon. Member for Kalabo to watch out for this and sensitise his constituents who were affected to be able to engage with the concessionaire or the contractor. However, I am sure that in the original contract of Stefanutti Stocks Construction Company there were some elements of compensation that was reached with owners of the fields.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has informed the public through this august House that the works on the Kalabo/Sikongo Road will be done through a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement which was signed in August, 2021.

Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the Minister in charge of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development if he can be kind enough to come back to this House with details of the terms and conditions of this agreement that has been referred to, which was signed in August.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, yes, indeed, this concession was signed on 10th August, 2021 by the ‘late Government ...

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: ... I mean the previous Government. It was a slip of the tongue. We have details of the concession. I do not know whether it would serve anybody to bring details of the concession. I think what is happening now is to pressurise to have them reach financial closure. When that happens, we will then be able to come to the House and give details of this concession because every concession that we sign is right and proper that we bring it to the House for the information of the House.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Simushi (Sikongo): Madam Speaker, the people of Sikongo have suffered for a long time due the absence of this important road. Unfortunately, the suffering was deliberate and due to the previous administration. This road is very important to the development of Sikongo and the entire Zambia.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Can you please ask your supplementary question.

Mr Simushi: Madam Speaker, my question is: what assurance is this New Dawn Government giving to the people of Sikongo that this time around they will receive the much needed road.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the focus of the New Dawn Administration under the able leadership of His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, is economic development and to grow the economy through the facilitation of trade with our neighbours, which is part of the key components of what we want to do for this country. We want to grow this economy. In order to do that, we have to have communication with our neighbours.

Madam, out of the eight neighbours that we have around Zambia, the border with Angola is the second longest at about 1030km second only to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border with Zambia which is 1900km. Unfortunately, out of all these neighbours, Angola is the only one that Zambia does not have road linkage with. Therefore, it is a priority for the New Dawn Government to ensure that we have road linkage between Zambia and Angola. This particular one is one of those sites that have been identified, like we have identified Jimbe in the North-Western Province and also Shangombo in the Western Province. So, the assurance that we can give to the people of Sikongo is that this road is a priority and as soon as we are able to reach conclusion, financial closure with these ARIISE, work will start on that one.

I thank you, Madam.

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his comprehensive response.

Madam Speaker, the Kalabo/Sikongo Road is not only a game changer for Kalabo/Sikongo. It is actually one of the game changer roads for the entire Western Province because with it, we will open the trade hub with Angola. However, the current Public-Private Partnership Act provides for nine months financial closure. In this regard, how long have you taken now to establish financial closure with the concessionaire?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Nalolo is right. The road is going to be a game changer. We have identified that Angola is a huge market. Most of the food is from Brazil, South America. The Western Province and the other parts of Zambian can fill in that gap. In terms of the need to reach a financial closure, yes he is right the Public-Private Partnership Act provides for nine months and we have just finished the nine months. However, the same Public-Private Partnership Act provides for an extension of six months. So, we are in that extension of six months.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

_______

MOTIONS

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, WATER DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

Mr Kangombe (Sesheke Central): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Management of Safe Sanitation Services in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Zambia from 2017 to 2020, for the First Session of the Thirteen National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022.

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Katotobwe (Luapula): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Kangombe: Madam Speaker, permission to remove my facemask as I speak.

Madam Speaker: No, unfortunately, it cannot happen. The hon. Minister of Health advised against us removing our masks.

Laughter

Mr Kangombe: Madam Speaker, in line with Standing Orders No. 197 and 198 of the National Assembly Standing Orders, 2021, your Committee interrogated the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Management of Safe Sanitation Services in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Zambia, for the period 2017 to 2020.

Madam Speaker, I am confident that hon. Members have had occasion to apprise themselves with the contents of this report. I, will, therefore, merely highlight salient issues contained therein.

Madam Speaker, your Committee invited various stakeholders to provide both oral and written submissions to provide some insight on the findings of the Performance Audit Report.

Madam Speaker, let me state from the ontset that sanitation is a human right and access to safely managed sanitation services is critical to public health. Therefore, continued lack of access to sanitation services poses a health challenge to the population. Zambia has been particularly vulnerable to repeated cholera outbreaks partly due to low sanitation coverage.

Madam Speaker, your Committee agrees with the Auditor-General's finding that funds appropriated for sanitation services are far below what is required to develop sanitation infrastructure and increase access to safe sanitation services for the whole country. In this regard, your Committee strongly urges the Government to increase budgetary allocation towards the sanitation sub sector.

Related to the matter of low investments towards sanitation, Madam Speaker, is the appalling fact that while the Government is grappling with how to fund sanitation projects, there is, currently, sanitation infrastructure that has been abandoned in Chirundu. What is even of great concern is the fact that at the time of the audit, the cause of the abandonment could not be ascertained. Not even the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation could provide a reason as to why the infrastructure has been abandoned. Your Committee finds this demoralising given that the cost of installing or repairing such infrastructure is very high.

In light of the foregoing, your Committee urges the Government to urgently undertake an assessment of the abandoned infrastructure to ascertain the cost of rehabilitating it and ensure that it is rehabilitated if need be, so that it can be used for its intended purpose.

Madam Speaker, another observation that your Committee makes hinges on the Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 22 of 1997, which governs matters of water supply and sanitation. Notably, the Act does not provide clear guidance on the implementation of sanitation projects, nor does it provide direction on how to fund the water supply and sanitation subsector. These gaps render the Act inadequate to cure the emerging challenges of the water supply and sanitation sub-sector. In this regard, your Committee strongly urges the Government to review the Act to, inter alia, ensure that matters of regulating sanitation activities are boldly pronounced.

Further, Madam Speaker, your Committee observes that there is no legal framework or standards to inform the implementation of on-site sanitation. In this regard, your Committee recommends that the Government should speed up the promulgation of a Statutory Instrument on on-site sanitation. Your Committee further urges the Government to hasten the process of finalising the development of standards on on-site sanitation.

Madam Speaker, you may wish to recall that during this Meeting of the House, your Committee presented a report on a study it undertook on Water Resources Management in Zambia in which one of the major findings, which is also reflected in the Auditor-General's Report, is failure by commercial utilities to acquire title deeds for their properties. This means that commercial utilities do not have legal rights to their properties, resulting in rampant encroachments and vandalism of water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

In light of the foregoing, your Committee strongly urges the Government to take an inventory of all the properties belonging to all the utility companies in order to establish those that are not on title. Your Committee further recommends that the Government should work out modalities of how to expedite the process of acquiring title deeds for all commercial utilities that are not yet on title.

In conclusion, your Committee is grateful to you, Madam Speaker, and the Clerk of the National Assembly for the guidance and support rendered to it during the consideration of the report. Your Committee also greatly appreciates the input of the witnesses it interacted with during its deliberation.

Madam, with these remarks, I urge all hon. Members to support the report of your Committee.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Katotobwe: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion to adopt the Report of the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism vis-à-vis the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General of Zambia, in relation with the Management of Safe Sanitation Services in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Zambia, spanning from a period of 2017 to 2020.

Madam Speaker, firstly, allow me to thank our chairperson for having ably moved the Motion. I also extend gratitude to hon. Members of your Committee, the secretariat, the Office of the Auditor-General and his officials and all stakeholders who made valuable submissions to your Committee.

Madam Speaker, inadequate access to safe sanitation services causes contamination of both surface and underground fresh water sources. This contamination of both surface and underground water sources results in outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhoea, to mention but a few. Reactive responses to contain such outbreaks are costly, yet proactive interventions will save the Government both financial resources and human lives.

Madam, audits on the funds allocated to sanitation and infrastructure are welcome because they curb anomalies and abuse of resources. The methodology of the audit involving both qualitative and quantitative analysis among others, and the objectivity and completeness of this audit are important for the purpose of protecting financial resources and fairness to officials tasked with the allocation and utilisation of these funds.

However, your Committee noted with dismay that less than 1 per cent by value of the sanitation infrastructure development was undertaken by local Zambians. The same less than 1 per cent participation by local Zambians is where all the audit queries are. This means that the 99 per cent recipients of sanitation infrastructure development in Zambia had no queries while the 1 per cent recipients had all the audit queries.

Madam, in this year’s Yellow Book, the Government has allocated K5.1 billion towards the Lusaka Sanitation Programme, which is US$300 million. Going by this trend where the local participants are only able to access 1 per cent, this will mean of the K5.1 billion in this year’s Yellow Book, local participation will be limited to a maximum of K50 million while foreign participation will access over K5 billion and yet all the audit queries will be on the K50 million where there are local recipients only while there will be no audit query on the over K5 billion received by foreign firms.

Madam Speaker, the message this sends is that Government institutions and Government officials must award 100 per cent sanitation infrastructure to foreign firms only to avoid audit queries. This is an obliteration of local capacity.

Madam, misappropriation of funds must not be entertained whether it is by local or foreign entities. The Auditor-General and audit reports must be encouraged to reflect, in this respect, the 1 per cent to 99 per cent ratio in audit queries in the interest of this country.

Madam Speaker, in this millennium, with such tendencies and practices, how do we honestly expect to grow our national economy and how do we create jobs for our youth when we are busy growing economies for our foreign colleagues? The repercussion of this 1 per cent participation is the destruction of local capacity which compromises the maintenance and sustainable management of this expensive investment in sanitation infrastructure and services, which, in the final analysis, raises questions of whether there was prudent allocation and utilisation of funds in view of no long-term maintenance plan involving local participation.

Madam, Government institutions should not become key foundations upon which systems of felonies are built. Being reticent as politicians of this generation will consign us to fate. The plague of felonious tendencies bent toward impunities and injustice has the potential to consume all of us, including future generations.

Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to end by stating that the planet’s integrity by all institutions must be the building block of a fair society.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutale (Chitambo): Madam Speaker, I am very grateful to have this opportunity to add a word or a voice to the debate on this very important report. Allow me to thank the mover of this Motion, hon. Kang’ombe, for the way he has moved the Motion and also the seconder. I will take the words of the seconder as mine as well.

Madam Speaker, sanitation is one fundamental pillar of the wellbeing of human beings. Allow meto also note that your Committee did a very good job in that it has highlighted almost all our expectations in its report.

Madam, the report is saying out of the 116 districts that we have in this country, only twenty-eight have got sewerage network connection leaving almost eighty-eight districts without network connection. This is a worrisome report and I hope the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation will take it very seriously and act expeditiously to ensure that the remaining districts can have a sewerage network connection.

Madam Speaker, the reason some of the districts do not have these connections is the growing population. The hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development should also take interest in this. The report says when the local authorities are allocating plots, they do not look at the sanitation situation in those areas. It is very rare that they compare notes with other ministries like the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation to find out how the new developments will interconnect with the existing ones.

Madam, to have eighty-eight districts without connection to water and sewerage, one wonders how haphazardly this country is built and where we are going.

Mr Nkombo interjected.

Mr Mutale: The hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development who knows very well how serious sanitation is should be the first to acknowledge this report and he should be the first not to wonder but to come and respond in a manner that will be beneficial to this House.

Madam Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government acknowledged the importance of sanitation. It begun –

Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, this point of order is pursuant to our Standing Order that does not permit us to discuses one another in the manner that the hon. Member of Parliament for Chitambo is doing. I am busy, as you can see, with a lot of correspondence from my office,...

Mr Kampyongo: Which is not allowed in here?

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: ...and then he decides to bring me into his debate to say I should be the first one to respond to his debate and goes further to say the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, as if there was any PF Government, any time, in the history of this land. We have only had the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) and not PF Government.

Is he, therefore, in order to bring me into his debate and start dreaming about a Government that never existed in the history of this country?

I seek you ruling, Madam.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order! I am sure when the hon. Member for Chitambo said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, it was a slip to the tongue.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Of course, there is only the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ). So, hon. Member for Chitambo, as you debate, please do not debate other hon. Members. You may proceed.

Mr Mutale: Madam Speaker, I am very grateful for that guidance. Provided they stop debating while seated, I will refrain from talking about them.

Madam Speaker, I was talking about the PF as a party which was in Government, and that it saw the importance of sanitation and took time to go and find funds for these programmes. At that time, we ensured that we looked at the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project, the Kafulafuta Water Supply Project and the Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project under the Millennium Challenge Account.

Madam Speaker, these projects might not have been finished at the time the PF left Government. I sincerely urge the hon. Minister to ensure that these projects are completed so that our people can benefit from them.

Madam Speaker, let me not also forget the Kaputa project. I talk about this project because it is in the rural part of Zambia. It is one project which has been finished. I am happy that the current Vice-President went and commissioned it and she was very happy to commission a project which was undertaken by a Zambian contractor.

Madam Speaker, your Committee’s report speaks to the research. It says very little is being done in terms of research to enhance the sanitation infrastructure and other interventions. This one is also a very worrisome statement which we must take very seriously because without research, we cannot plan and come up with new ideas on how to manage sanitation.

Madam Speaker, I am aware that proper sanitation ensures that diseases such as cholera, typhoid and many more are prevented. If we improve sanitation in this country, the Government will stop spending a lot of money on water borne disease.

Madam Speaker, with these few words and looking at my time, I also want to thank the Office of the Auditor-General for taking an initiative to tackle and audit the sanitation issues of our country.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity on behalf of Chama North to debate the Report on Energy, Water Development and Tourism.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I want to thank Hon. Kangombe, the mover of the Motion and Hon. Katotowe for seconding it.

Hon. Member: It is Katotobwe.

Laughter

Mr Mtayachalo: Katotobwe.

Laughter

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, this report is well detailed. May I also take this opportunity to thank the former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and the then Patriotic Front (PF) Government for having created a stand-alone ministry. Previously, the Department of Water was under the Ministry of Energy, and so, the creation of this stand-alone ministry will enable the country to deal with a number of challenges in the water sub-sector. I also want to thank the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema for having maintained this particular ministry. I think that is a step in the right direction.

Madam Speaker, as your Committee has stated, the water sub-sector faces enormous challenges, especially regarding the insufficient budgetary allocation. If we interrogate the 2022 National Budget, we will see that K2.3 billion was allocated towards water and sanitation as opposed to 2021 when it was K2.1 billion. To me, that is a minimal increment and I want to urge this august House that we must increase the budgetary allocation to water and sanitation in order to meet Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 on Access to Clean Water and Sanitation.

Madam Speaker, however, in the last ten years, we have witnessed political will in trying revolutionarise the water sub-sector in this country as evidenced by a number of projects which were undertaken to improve the accessibility to water. The US$300 million Lusaka Water Project is one of the shining examples.

Madam Speaker, the commercial utilities in this country face enormous challenges because despite being independent for fifty-eight years, the majority of our people in urban and peri-urban areas do not have access to safe water and sanitation, which is not a success story to write home about.

Furthermore, your Committee has also highlighted that 75 per cent of the districts in Zambia do not have sewer network treatment plants. In a nutshell, the infrastructure is old and dilapidated. I think that should be a source of major concern, especially that the population has been increasing. So, we must be able to invest more resources in that water sub-sector if we have to meet the ever increasing demand of water and sanitation services.

Madam Speaker, Kafue River is the main source of water for Lusaka and the Copperbelt. Unfortunately, Kafue Wetlands is an ecosystem with high biological productivity which is in danger of extinction because of insufficient flow of water in the wetlands. This should be a source of grave concern. The Government must take proactive measures to ensure that the Kafue Wetland is not greatly affected because it is also the source of hydropower generation in this country. So, this is a very critical matter which we need to address as quickly as possible.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I think there is a need, as your Committee has highlighted, to urgently review the Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 28 of 1997, so that it can holistically respond to these water challenges in the country. We need also to provide green incentives to attract the private sector.

Madam Speaker: Order! When you said in conclusion, I thought you were concluding.

Laughter

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was almost concluding my debate.

Madam Speaker, I also agree with the observation made by your Committee that there is a need to strengthen the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) so that it can monitor the operations of water utilities.

Madam Speaker, I also want to appeal to the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation to engage the hon. Minister of Energy because I know that water utilities have been facing huge challenges in terms of high electricity bills. So, it is my prayer that the two ministries must come together and ensure that water utilities pay reasonable tariffs to ZESCO Limited.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation should also ensure that government departments promptly meet their financial obligations to commercial utilities because non-payment of bills is what has killed most of these water utilities.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for allowing me, the voice of Chienge, to be heard on this very important Motion which has been ably moved by Hon. Kangombe and seconded by Hon. Katotobwe.

Madam Speaker, we have always thought of water, but we do not even look at the causes of diseases like cholera and typhoid. What are the causes of these diseases? It is because of poor management of sanitation in our country. The worst thing is that when successive Governments talk about water and sanitation, they all concentrate on water. Indeed, every Zambian has the right to access clean and safe water. What we forget is the issue of sanitation.

Let me talk about toilets, Madam Speaker. We have not been encouraging our Zambians how important it is to use the toilet. We can have water, but do we really know how to use water in schools and other public places? You will find that we have toilets in some public places which do not have proper connectivity to water. So, I have been wondering how the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with the help of environmental health scientists can help the people of Zambia to make sure that we use toilets properly. It may sound a bit rude but the truth of the matter is that we have not taken much interest in how we should be using toilets even in homes.

Madam Speaker, I have noticed that most schools lack water and this has contributed to many pupils not even understanding why hand washing is important after using a facility like a toilet. I think it would be prudent that every Government takes this concern seriously. Even in the curriculum we should emphasise the importance of having clean water, a clean environment and also proper sanitation in terms of usage of toilets.

Madam Speaker, thousands of people are dying and have died in Chienge and other parts of this country because of lack of proper sanitation. We have seen that only cities are privileged to have sewer ponds like the ones in Chamba Valley. The people who are in Chienge also want to have proper toilets. I have seen homes coming up in Chienge with toilets inside because people are trying to be modern, but we do not have those trucks which, I do not know what they call them, extract sewer waste.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I support this report. I emphasise that the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation together with the local government and the Ministry of Health should take keen interest to see to it that we start introducing public toilets on the highways. We have seen that busses stop anywhere, anyhow and things happen there and it is like it is nobody’s business and it is business as usual. This has contributed to people living in these areas having diseases. We normally say that people in such areas suffer from cholera more. Years back, Kapiri Mposhi had the highest record in terms of cholera patients and deaths as well.

So, I think it is very important that these three ministries work together to see to it that there is proper sanitation in our country and also proper management of clean water. I have heard of people talking about Nakonde. The predecessor to the current hon. Member of Parliament for Nakonde complained about the kind of water that people drink in Nakonde. When you come to Ndola where I grew up, in Lubuto, the water still smells bad, but we have Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company Ltd and other water management institutions which are failing to give Zambians proper, clean and safe water.

Madam Speaker, I think the best way to go is maybe, change the laws and the Acts that have to do with these institutions. These institutions are there, but they are not helping Zambians to get what they deserve. It is the right of Zambians to get clean water and proper sanitation in public places as well as in their homes.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity given to the people of Mbabala Constituency to debate this very important Report of the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism performance audit.

Madam Speaker, we have noted the issues raised by your Committee on abandoned infrastructure, water services and poor sanitation services, including poor connectivity for peri-urban or urban areas in terms of sewer systems as well as the disjoint on policies and the fact that 1997 Act needs to be revised. Furthermore, the issues of disposal of waste, which has sometimes, been disposed into our rivers that we from the rural areas cherish so much because these are the rivers from where we draw our drinking water in a number of instances. Therefore, such kind of pollution to the rivers exposes us and, indeed, calls for accountability by those who expose our lives.

Madam Speaker, as a parliamentarian from a rural area, I would like us to fall back for the rural areas side on no more open defecation. I remember a few years ago, in one of the chiefdoms, Chief Macha was awarded by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as champion for no more open defecation under one of these sanitation programmes. It is those lessons learnt from such programmes that should be taken forward in tandem with such reports to ensure that the best practises that were achieved during that sanitation programme are taken forward for the rural areas and other areas that need to improve their sanitation. Sanitation remains a big challenge in most of our facilities.

Madam Speaker, water and sanitation is a gender issue, which affects our girls and mothers in that they take a lot of time looking for water. In my constituency, every day, I receive challenges of water and sanitation. It is just the other day when I received a video from Ngonga Ward showing how bad the water, which people are drawing from the streams is. As such, we are elated when we see that our New Dawn Government through the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation is funding the water services efficiently and consistently. That is something which was not there in the past.

Madam Speaker, such is the practice we want to see going forward which is going to continue the innovation to ensure that our rural people and other stakeholders enjoy quality lives. Water and sanitation is also a disability issue in that we need persons with disabilities to have easy access to water points and sanitation services.

Madam Speaker, imagine not having wheelchair and having to use your hands to crawl into our public toilets that are poorly maintained and the like. Such are the challenges persons with disabilities face, which challenges we need to take care of and ensure that water and sanitation services are affordable, available, clean and accessible to all. I, therefore, commend onsite treatment of water and especially sanitation services. That is where we are talking about treatment of various pit latrines as well as innovation and technologies. For instance, a few years ago, we had Toilet Yanga by some company in Lusaka that was doing seats and pots for latrines which needs to be marketed and commercialised and taken into rural areas so that we can have proper toilets for everybody as opposed to the using the bush and other good measures which are not good.

Madam Speaker, I am also calling for continued and consistent designs that include solar and other flushable water systems going forward. Never, in this country, should we have designs of schools, teachers’ houses, nurses’ houses, public courts, clinics and all the public facilities designed without flushable toilets. This should be included in their plans so that we can raise the bar and ensure that our people who are serving in rural areas can still enjoy their lives even when they are areas like Mbabala, Chilayatambo, Mang’uza or Kabanza.

Madam Speaker, there is a need to seriously address the compliance aspects, which have been raised in the report including the putting up of shoddy infrastructure by some contractors. Such contractors need to be brought to book. This is because these are funds which are lost and we need to ensure that we get quality for our money as a country. I have spoken on this subject before and it is important to note that poor workmanship is actually theft from the people of Zambia. As such, where the report has highlighted such poor workmanship, I urge the Auditor-General to ensure that these are brought to book.

Madam Speaker, I also want to rally behind the point on research and development. It is important and many of these things we have spoken about such as flushable and running water in all public places, rural areas using solar based technologies and others including onsite treatment and the like will all fall back on research and development. In my constituency, we have a young man, Markford Moono, who has just innovated energy from human faecal matter and the like.

Madam Speaker, such technologies, if taken to scale, can contribute and improve the quality of life in our rural areas such as in Muyanda, where he comes from, Haamonde area and the like.

Madam Speaker, with these remarks, I support the report and I thank you.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to respond to the Motion. Let me begin by joining the other hon. Members who spoke before me in congratulating and thanking the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism on the job well done and on its well articulated report to this House. In particular, I thank the mover of the Motion, Hon. Kangombe, Member for Sesheke Central and the seconder, Hon. Katotobwe, Member for Luapula.

Madam Speaker, let me also thank other hon. Members of Parliament who debated the Motion among them Hon. Remember Mutale, Member for Chitambo, Hon. Mtayachalo for Chama North, Hon. Rev. Given Katuta for Chienge and Hon. Munsanje for Mbabala Constituency.

Madam Speaker, arising from your Committee’s observations and recommendations, may, I also take this opportunity to briefly update this august House on some of the issues raised in the report or your Committee.

Madam Speaker, regarding the issue of non-expansion and creation of the network connection on existing and newly developed areas, the ministry acknowledges your Committee’s observations. My ministry is implementing a number of interventions which include the Integrated Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Luapula Province, Muchinga Province, the Northern Province and the Western Province at a total cost of US$150 million. The Government is also implementing the Lusaka Sanitation Project which is aimed at expanding the sewer network connectivity around Lusaka.

Madam Speaker, these projects are expected to result in the expansion of sewer networks in existing and new development areas.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government, under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, remains committed to ensuring that the expansion of the sewer network is undertaken in all urban, peri-urban and rural areas across the country. In an effort to ensure universal access to sanitation services, my Government will endeavour to work with various co-operating partners and explore other financing avenues such as public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Madam Speaker, with regards to low access to onsite sanitation services, the House may wish to note that the ministry through the Lusaka Sanitation Project and Transforming Rural Livelihoods, Water Supply and Sanitation Project is constructing onsite sanitation facilities in Lusaka City and in all districts in the Western Province. This is aimed at improving access to improved onsite sanitation services.

The House may also wish to note that commercial water utility companies have for a long time been providing water and sewerage services in urban and peri-urban areas. This state of affairs is changing as the ministry is putting in place various measures that include amending operating licenses for all commercial utilities to include onsite sanitation. Further, the ministry is developing onsite sanitation faecal sludge management regulatory framework to protect ground water from contamination and public health.

Madam Speaker, with respect to co-ordination among stakeholders, the ministry has developed, and is now implementing the sector co-ordination framework which has led to the creation of technical working groups consisting of key stakeholders for various activities relating to sanitation service provision, adopted the city-wide inclusive sanitation concept, which encourages integrated planning with all key stakeholders and is collaborating with other stakeholders like the local authorities, the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and communities to provide sanitation services as this is a multi-faceted matter.

The ministry has also embarked on awareness raising on sanitation services, including sensitisation of communities through water watch groups on the dangers of vandalism of sanitation infrastructure. The ministry directed all water utility companies to fence sanitation facilities and obtain title deeds to secure them.

Madam Speaker, with regard to research on sanitation services, to a large extent, much of the available information is on offsite sanitation as compared to onsite sanitation. The ministry through National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) has been facilitating Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping in commercial utilities for both onsite and offsite sanitation. This will ensure that the information on onsite sanitation is equally available to inform decision making, policy and planning.

Madam Speaker, my ministry is also aware of some abandoned projects such as the sanitation infrastructure in Chirundu District and the subsequent sanitation challenges that the district is facing. The ministry has prioritised the completion of ongoing and stalled sanitation projects throughout the country.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, the ministry values the observations and recommendations of your Committee with respect to the performance audit on the management of safe sanitation services in urban and peri-urban areas in Zambia and will, therefore, ensure that it takes them into account in improving the provision of safe sanitation services in the country, in line with the Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6, which seeks to ensure universal access to clean and safe water and adequate sanitation services for all.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kangombe: Madam Speaker, thank you so much, once again, and I am also very thankful to the hon. Members who have ably debated the report. I must make mention, borrowing the words of my vice-chair, Hon. Chanda Katotobwe, that it is imperative for this Government to ensure that we have a deliberate policy when it comes to awarding tenders by giving special treatment to the local contractors.

Madam Speaker, this is important due to the fact that whatever that is accrued remains in the country and I strongly believe that no one will shoot him or her in the foot. Let us ensure that we build capacity locally, which in turn,  will help grow the economy of this country. Let us have a deliberate policy to empower our own contractors or engineers. Year in and year out, universities are offloading quite a big number of graduates who can ably undertake these jobs.

Madam Speaker, I must make mention again that when you look at highly populated towns, in particular Lusaka and the mining towns, you will find that the underground water is highly populated. This is basically because of the lack of sanitation that, unfortunately, has been pronounced highly in the Auditor-General’s report.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank all hon. Members as well as our clerk, Madam Sharon, whom, even when we have been so stubborn, has been trying to galvanise and get very important information that your House as well as your report so much needed, she ably guided us. I want to thank all my hon. Colleagues, the hon. Members in the Committee, as well as all the witnesses who came forward and provided the information that we so much needed.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, WORKS AND SUPPLY ON THE FOLLOW-UP PERFORMANCE AUDIT REPORT ON THE GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO REDUCE ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply on the Follow-Up Performance Audit Report on the Government Measures to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents, for the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 14th July, 2022.

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Ms Lungu (Chawama): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders No. 198 (g), of the National Assembly Standing Orders, 2021, the National Assembly is mandated to consider audit reports referred to it by the Speaker or a resolution of the House. In this regard, your Committee was tasked to consider the follow-up Report on the Performance Audit on Government Measures to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents in Zambia that was referred to it by the House.

Madam, the background to the inquiry was based on the previous Committee’s deliberation on a Performance Audit Report on Government Measures to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents in 2015 and specific recommendations made based on the findings.

Madam Speaker, the performance audit in 2016 was motivated by the increased number of road traffic accidents in Zambia which was ranked as the second leading cause of deaths for people aged between five and twenty years. The cause of accidents was attributed to a number of deficiencies such as poor road markings and signage, lack of speed zoning, traffic conflict and poor traffic calming features, among others. It was against this backdrop that the Auditor-General’s Office found it prudent to conduct a follow-up audit so as to establish the extent to which recommendations by the Auditor-General and your Committee have been implemented by respective agencies to reduce road traffic accidents.  The follow-up audit covered the period 2016 to 2020. Institutions engaged include the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Zambia Police Service (ZP).

Madam Speaker, in order to interrogate the issues raised in the follow-up audit reports, your Committee sought both written and oral submissions from relevant stakeholders. The House may wish to note that most stakeholders who appeared before your Committee expressed concern at the manner in which the recommendations made both by the Committee and the Auditor-General were being implemented.

Madam Speaker, your Committee bemoans the absence of an accident information system and finds it unacceptable that in this era of modern technology, RTSA and ZP still rely on manually recorded and generated accident data when the number of road users is ever increasing. Your Committeee observes that this is a serious bottleneck which presents a challenge in the management of accident information as it limits the capturing, generating or processing of information out of the system. The manual recording method also raises issues of credibility and reliability of the generated information.

Madam Speaker, your Committee implores the Government, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that accident data capturing is automated and RTSA and ZP develop a systems interface to ensure real time online capturing of accident information. The software will also allow for a broader range of the type of information capture, generation and processing of different types of statistics in a faster and much more efficient manner. This will enhance decision-making based on credible and accurate statistics.

Madam Speaker, another issue of concern to your Committee is the road traffic and safety agency’s failure to carry out any comprehensive evaluation of road safety interventions that have been implemented in order to assess their effectiveness and impact. Your Committee was taken aback to learn that the planning, research and development department, which is responsible for monitoring and evaluation, is critically understaffed making it difficult for the three officers in the department to operative effectively. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government should urgently equip the planning, research and development department at RTSA with adequate staff. It should also invest in a robust monitoring and evaluation system that will help track the institution’s road safety activities and their effectiveness. This will assist in streamlining and re-orienting interventions as and when need arises.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, allow me to express your Committee’s deep appreciation to all stakeholders who tendered both oral and written submissions before it. Lastly, your Committee also appreciates your guidance and the services rendered to it by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly during its deliberations.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Ms Lungu: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise to second the Motion ably presented by the chairperson of the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply on the Follow-Up Performance Audit Report on the Government Measures to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents in Zambia for the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly laid on the Table of the House on the 14th July.

Madam Speaker, in seconding the Motion, I want to highlight a few points. The first point being that the stakeholders highlighted the bad state of the roads, especially where traffic inspections were being conducted and also where the toll plazas are. Just before the toll plaza, if we take for instance the Katuba Toll Plaza, the road is in a deplorable state. So, the proposal was that with the toll fees that are being collected for these toll plazas, a good portion of it should remain in that locality so that the roads can be well maintained.

Madam Speaker, the second point that I wish to bring out is that your Committee noted that there was lack of involvement of local contractors. With this, the National Council for Construction (NCC) has developed tailor made courses and that it will go in all constituencies to build capacity as well as to train our local contractors on the bidding process. The NCC is in the process of training local contractors and Constituency Development Committees (CDCs) regarding the preparations of bidding documents, projects and contracts management. So far, it has trained the provincial centres.

Madam Speaker, the last observation that your Committee made was that the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) did not conduct trainings. We thought that to prevent accidents from happening as much as they do, RTSA should go into the localities and train the road users as well as drivers on safety measures. Since traffic accidents happen mostly where there are marketers, it can involve them and the people who sale by the road side to take safety precautions so that these accidents do not take place as much as they do.

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I wish to second the Motion.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to make a few contributions to the debate on this Motion ably moved by the chairperson and seconded by, I suppose, the vice-chairperson of this very important Committee on the audit that was carried out to check on the measures the Government has put in place to curb one of the major factors contributing to the loss of lives on our roads.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate that your Committee undertook physical tours on some of our trunk roads. I would have loved it to also visit one of the roads, which is the gateway to East Africa; the Great North Road, in particular, the stretch between Serenje and Chinsali. Indeed, the issues raised in your Committee’s report require urgent attention. The road I am referring to, the Great North Road, is a very important road for us in terms of receiving imports that are carried mostly by trucks. Mainly, other than the Port of Beira, Dar es Salaam still remains one of the major ports that we use for finished products. However, the road is in a deplorable state. I think the proposal being made here by your Committee to engage local contractors to help in patching potholes may not even suffice. What we see normally, are children who pile soil in potholes, which later on becomes even dangerous for them just to make a few coins.

Madam Speaker, if you look at the road I am talking about, you will see that its importance cannot be underestimated. We tried to start dealing with the stretch, which was so bad, between Nakonde and Chinsali so that we could further work on it in phases. So, it is important that the Government takes up this matter so that the lives that are being lost on a daily basis on that road can be saved. Those of us who are using that road have to make sure that we move during the day because now the situation has worsened. I hope the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development who has been on that stretch appreciates this challenge so that this road, especially those patches which are extremely bad, can be worked on.

Madam, truck drivers who come from Tanzania also need to be checked. Sometime the Road Transports and Safety Agency (RTSA) does not pay attention. It focuses on drinking and driving, but these fellows are also on some substances they eat which make them think they are still strong, but they just cease on the road. The next thing you see are trucks falling in different portions of the road.

Mr Sing’ombe: They eat kola!

Mr Kampyongo: Yaa! It is bulyobulyo. This Colleague of mine knows. These chaps have been abusing that very bad substance.

Mr Mutale: How did you know?

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the other matter is bush clearing. When grass along most of our roads grows, motorists’ visibility becomes impaired, especially in the night. So, the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development working with his provincial structures should see how routine maintenance can be conducted. Getting locals with slashers and a few basic equipment should not be such a challenge to ensure that the roads are cleared and visibility is improved.

Madam Speaker, I am a bit concerned with the issue the report has highlighted; the manual gathering of information. It is important that in this technological age, both RTSA and the Zambia Police Service are capacitated with tools by the Ministry of Technology and Science to help them gather information so that the designing of appropriate measures to deal with issues of road traffic accidents are made according to the accurate information that is being generated. You cannot expect people covering so many volumes of vehicles to depend on manual systems in gathering information regarding road traffic accidents.

Madam, I have lamented before, and I will still talk about the damage to the roads on portions where checkpoints and roadblocks are mounted. The Government has done well, especially on toll gates. The re-engineering of portions at toll gates has helped in cushioning the damage of the road. You may have seen the damage caused to portions of the road where heavy trucks stop. The hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development must know that police have a mandate to mount roadblocks and checkpoints, but there must be some collaboration. The portions where they mount checkpoints and roadblocks must be designed with reinforcements so that the damage seen on such portions can be avoided because the cost of repay falls back on the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. So, it is important that ministries work together in ensuring that this is avoided.

Madam Speaker, there are road traffic accidents even in urban areas where we have seen young people who just know how to move vehicles. Driving and moving a vehicle are two different exercises. We have see young ones getting excited on the road. They speed and do not care what happens to the other motorists. So, I think there is a need to intensify enforcement on safety measures on our roads, who should be on the road, and what qualifies someone to drive on the road? These are key interventions that must be enforced.

Yes, even we parents sometimes think we love our children by allowing them to drive before they become drivers. It is very important that we only allow our children to get on the road when they are competent enough to protect themselves and other road users. Otherwise, we shall continue to lose lives that can be preserved.

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I support the adoption of the report.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the good people of Chinsali an opportunity to make a few comments on this very important topic that is on the Floor of the House, which is on interventions that the Government has made in reducing accidents.

Madam Speaker, I want to start by talking about the issue of the improper erection of billboards. This one issue has contributed towards rampant accidents that have been happening. When you go around Lusaka, you will see that there are billboards that are erected in areas where they are not supposed to be. These billboards are put in areas where they obstruct drivers from seeing other vehicles and if a driver is not careful and not patient when trying to join another road, he/she can easily cause an accident. Therefore, there is a need for the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) together with the Road Development Agency (RDA) and local authorities, like in this case, the Lusaka City Council (LCC), to work together so that all billboards that have been erected by outdoor media companies in inappropriate areas are removed and put where they are supposed to be. This is to help reduce the number of accidents.

Madam, according to your Committee’s report, accidents have been the second leading cause of death, especially in young ones ranging from five to twenty years of age. We have a responsibility as leaders to protect the lives of the young ones because in Bemba they say imiti ikula e mpanga, meaning the young people of today are tomorrow’s leaders. How can we do this? It is very simple.

Mr Mpundu: Ah! Yabufi iyo!

Laughter

Mr Mukosa: It is an interpretation.

Laughter

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, we need to intervene in this matter. What can we do? Let me give an example. The hon. Member for Shiwang’andu was talking about the road from Serenje to Chinsali. The road is in a very bad state. Some of these accidents that we have been seeing have been as a result of the bad state of the roads. This is one of them.

Madam, the road from Mpika going to Kasama is in a very bad state with a lot of potholes. Look at the Chinsali/Mwililansoro Road, the Chinsali/Samfwa Road and Mbesuma/Kafwimbi Road. These are roads that are in a very bad state.

Madam Speaker, another road that is in a very bad state is the road from Solwezi to Mwinilunga. How can we reduce accidents if we leave roads like the one from Solwezi to Mwinilunga in their current state? There are a lot of potholes and the chances of drivers who want to move fast, if they do not have the patience to slow down, having accidents are very high.

Madam, let us look at another road which comes from Kazungula going to Sesheke. It is also in a very bad state. We need to find resources. The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning and the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development need to quickly find resources so that we work on these key roads. For example, the one from Sesheke to Kazungula, the road from Solwezi to Mwinilunga and the road from Serenje to Chinsali. We need to work on these roads so that accidents reduce.

Madam Speaker, your Committee’s report is suggesting that RTSA and the police are coming up with a system that will help to track repeat offenders. Some of these offenders are having accidents because of frequent use of the roads and also because the roads are bad. So, even if we penalise them it is not because they want to cause accidents, it is because the roads are bad. If we give the hon. Minister two years to work on the road and he does not do that, we must also charge him as we are charging the offenders and being made to pay admission of guilt fine. That way, he will attach some seriousness towards the rehabilitation of these very important roads.

Madam Speaker, the other issue is lack of effective enforcement on the part of those who are tasked with the mandate to ensure that they monitor what is happening on these roads. When you go into town, you are going to find that buses park anywhere they see a person. That is very inconveniencing to other road users. If we continue at this rate, then accidents are not going to reduce.

Madam Speaker, there are also times when we have police who mount road blocks. They see that some trucks are overloaded and should not be on the road, but because of corruption, you find that a road user corrupts an officer and he is allowed to pass, thereby subjecting the other road users to risks. If, for example, an overloaded truck fails to brake, it can end up killing a

person who is driving properly and has not made any mistake on the road.

Madam, the issue of updating the accident records manually should not be tolerated in this time and era. The importance of using an automated system cannot be belaboured. I do not understand why we can be using a manual system when we have our hon. Minister of Technology and Science and SMART Zambia Institute. What is SMART Zambia Institute doing if it cannot come up with a system for updating accident records? We do not need to pay a lot of money. We have experts at SMART Zambia Institute. Even in Government, we have software developers and information technology experts who can help us with developing a system that can be used by RTSA and the police to update accident records.

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I support the report.

I thank you, Madam.

Mr Munir Zulu (Lumezi): Thank you kind Madam Speaker, for permitting the good people of Lumezi to make their submissions on your report.

Madam, from the onset, permit me to mention that this is one of the few reports that has brought in three or four different ministries. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, the Ministry of Technology and Science, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development are all affected.

Madam Speaker, the people of Lumezi would have appreciatedit if this particular Committee would have at least taken the time to move in the night. As much as we have laws that prohibit heavy vehicles from moving at night, when we go to toll gates dotted around the country we will still find that trucks move at night, flashing lights at oncoming vehicles. Those lights have equally contributed to many accidents.

Madam, had this Committee been given a chance to tour the roads at night, it would have recommended to this House that the Ministry of Transport and Logistics partners with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to put check points at each and every toll gate so that no trucks should move beyond 2100 hours. You find that the guys managing the toll gates will tell you that their job is to collect revenue and not to impound vehicles regardless of the time. So, there is a conflict of the law and then we apportion the blame on the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development for everything that is being done wrong on the road when there are others who equally have a role to play.

Madam Speaker, your Committee has not paid particular attention to the lawlessness of mini-bus drivers. Mini-bus drivers enjoy immunity in this country to park anywhere and anyhow. They will park at a T-junction to block those who intend to join any other road and when an accident is caused, we blame the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, yet the Ministry of Transport and Logistics is protected because its men are not enforcing the law.

Madam, I know there is a Bill that is coming to Parliament that is bringing the demerit point system. The demerit point system will not be a solution –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, you are not supposed to bring in other matters which are still pending. You are diverting. Stick to the report.

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker, thank you for your guidance. We have heard that the Government has got an absence of an accident information system (AIS), such that the Zambia Police is recording these accidents manually.

Madam Speaker, we should realise that we are even lucky that we have got certain areas where there is the presence of the Zambia Police and they can record accidents manually. In Lumezi in Chief Mwanya’s area, we do not even have the Zambia Police. So, we cannot completely ignore the manual report because I do not know when the good people of Lumezi will even have the privilege of having the presence of the Zambia Police who can record accidents of people whose vehicles are being bashed by animals. These are accidents as well, but they are not recorded as road and transport sector accidents.

Hon. Member interjected.

Mr Munir Zulu: Of course!

Madam Speaker, this is one of the few reports that have really spoken to my mind. I have taken a lot of time to consume it and accept the submissions only that your Committee did not have sufficient time to bring all the challenges that the road sector is facing.

I would like to thank Hon. Mubika Mubika as I support this Motion. I hope the line ministries that are conflicted will take note of the many challenges that this road sector is facing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to make a submission on this important Motion before this august House.

Madam Speaker, looking at the Auditor-General’s report, a few things caught my attention. One of which is the road signage. The report states that there is no road signage on most of these trunk roads. However, the question that we have to ask is who is responsible for putting up such signs on our trunk roads? By law, the Road Development Agency (RDA) is responsible for that.

Madam Speaker, RDA tries to put up signage on our trunk roads, but there is a lot of vandalism. When some people see the road signage, they translate it into cash. When you pass through that road the following day, you will not find the road signs.

Hon. Member: Scrap!

Mr Chala: Yes!

So, how can we solve this problem because the people who are involved in vandalism and selling the road signage do not understand the importance of those road signs? Probably, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics can work together and find an alternative way of putting up road signs. In my view, I would suggest to the hon. Ministers responsible that RDA should be putting up concrete signs so that once it is constructed, the writing or signage is done on top, it will not be seen as something that can be translated into cash because people will not tamper with it. Otherwise, the material being used currently cannot last because people in those localities cannot just sit by and look at it without vandalising it because they do not understand and appreciate the importance of road signage.

Madam Speaker, the other issue which has already been talked about is vegetation control.  I will not talk much about it, but just to say that vegetation control is important on our roads. It makes it impossible for truck drivers to see clearly what is ahead of them. There are also some trucks which transport inflammable liquids like tanker trucks. If there is no vegetation control, these trucks can catch fire because of the nature of what they carry.

Madam Speaker, the other point is on potholes. It is true that most of these accidents are caused by potholes. When most trucks hit a pothole, the driver loses control. When a small car hits a pothole, it will have a tyre burst. Who is responsible for this? We should be blamed.

Madam Speaker, the law has given that authority to the RDA to ensure that all road furniture is taken care of by this institution. The problem with this institution; RDA is its structure. It is like an umbrella. The hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development should take keen interest and look at the structure because RDA is only found in provincial or regional areas. It is not found in all the districts of our country. How then does it maintain potholes? It is lacking units which should be inspecting road potholes. There should be road inspectors, but they are not there. You will not find district engineers in all our districts of our country. They are only found in provinces.

Madam Speaker, if the engineers who should take care of road furniture in our districts cannot be employed, then the Government should consider employing technicians. These are people who do the actual job on the ground. They can be posted to selected districts to take care of the road infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, I will give you an example of technicians in Solwezi and then you have a pothole on a road in Mwiniluga, what happens? They have to travel from Solwezi to Mwiniluga just to go and maintain or patch that pothole. It is very costly. So, the ministry must look into that and ensure that selected districts have such people who can be taking care of road infrastructure. I support the Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for this opportunity. In supporting this report, I would like to add a few words or comments. I think the hon. Member touched on road furniture, which I think I will not touch because he ably debated it.

Madam Speaker, I think it is costly for this country, Zambia, to have a provincial engineer sitting at a provincial level and then we do not have people working at the district level. You will agree with me that some provinces like Luapula, the North-Western, the Eastern and the Western are funny in nature when it comes to moving from provincial headquarters to other areas.

Madam Speaker, I agree with the report that we need to engage local contractors and build capacity for them so that they can start identifying bad spots or portions on our roads. It is pointless for a provincial engineer to drive from Chipata to Nyimba, which is the same distance as Nyimba to Lusaka, just to go and mend a pothole. It is important for the Government and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to come up with a system of engaging local contractors. These people can be given a framework contract so that whenever there is a pothole, they report to the provincial engineer and see to it that they work on it. It is going to be cheaper for them, even cheaper than stationing an engineer permanently at the district level because we are going to empower local companies.

Madam Speaker, you will agree with me that today, we have moved some responsibilities from Lusaka and pushed them to the Constituency Development Fund committees in the constituencies. Local contractors should not just be waiting for the CDF projects to come, but they can also do extra jobs which have to do with road maintenance.

Madam Speaker, I am very disappointed here, and I think everyone here is too, unless they want to pretend. There is no sense in engaging a Lusaka-based contractor to go and do vegetarian control in ...

Interruptions

Mr Menyani Zulu: ... vegetation control ...

Laughter

Mr Menyani Zulu: ... in Chavuma. That does not make sense. Take a practical example. People from Lusaka are the ones who go as far as Mpulungu to go and do the vegetarian, ...

Laughter

Mr Menyani Zulu: ... the vegetation control.

So, Madam Speaker, you will agree with me that a good number of companies in Lusaka have taken advantage of people in the rural areas. A few of us here own companies and these are the ones we use. We have taken control of the Road Development Agency (RDA). At the end of the day, the people in the local areas are not benefiting from any simple contract. Can somebody from here tell me why we are going to engage a big contractor to go and do road maintenance in some areas?

On road revenue, Madam Speaker, there are districts in this country which are housing toll gates, but when you go to their townships, you will find that there is not even a single tarmac. Let me take a very practical example of my constituency, Nyimba. We have a toll gate. We do not share that toll gate with any district, but we do not have a single tarmac in the district. Vehicle owners in the district are busy paying toll fees everyday going into Petauke because business is between Nyimba and Petauke. People pay every day, but they do not see the benefit of paying those K20. Yes, we use a trunk road, but what of the areas where we live? There is no single tarmac.

I agree with the report on leaving a portion of money for districts. I challenge the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to see to it that a certain amount of money is given to our districts so that they can also benefit. It is not just about my district. Let us talk of Chongwe, let us talk of Katete, let us talk of Ndola. When you enter Ndola, you would think you are entering Sobibo. There is no good road network, but this is a district basically which has a toll gate at the entrance and another toll gate at the exit, yet the road network is so bad. So, my appeal is to see to it that we start organising ourselves. At least, a certain percentage of money should be left to districts so that the roads can be maintained.

Madam Speaker, we usually praise ourselves that we have got the capacity to empower local contractors and we are going to help them. It is important that we start doing that now. We have done so much talking and I think it is now time to start working. It is time to start empowering the so-called local contractors, unless you are so obsessed with the control of things from Lusaka. .

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Thank you. Probably the hon. Member has been told to convert to vegetarianism.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutale: Madam Speaker, allow me to thank the mover of the Motion and also the seconder of the Motion for the manner in which they moved the Motion.

Madam Speaker, it is good that this very important Motion has come on the Floor of the House as it will enable hon. Members to comment on the accidents in this country. Your Committee’s report speaks to issues to do with planning and research. It has been discovered that this part of the ministry does not receive sufficient funds to enable officers to do research and planning. It is because of such things that this country is seeing many accidents. Everything nowadays has to do with technology. Technology is moving, but it appears we are not moving with technology because without researching and planning, we cannot go anywhere as a country. So, I urge the hon. Minister to seriously consider including funding for this area in the Budget. I will vouch for him and I will be one of those who shall vote for that budget line when it comes to passing the Budget if monies will be allocated more to the research and planning department of the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the Road Development Agency (RDA) so to say.

Madam Speaker, RTSA and the police have got a duty to engage the public in so many instances. We have seen that RTSA and the police rarely engage the public to sensitise them on good and healthy driving techniques and skills. Most of the times, when we see RTSA officers and the police on the road, they are impounding vehicles. The appetite to impound vehicles is very high as opposed to that of educating our people on the good practices on the roads. I implore the hon. Minister to encourage our officers both from RTSA and the police to engage the public more than impounding vehicles so that each time people are reminded on the good behaviours needed on the road.

Madam Speaker, the other thing I want to talk about is speed humps. You will discover that most of the speed humps on our roads, especially on highways, are not painted and reflective.

Mr Kampyongo: Kutolokapofye.

Mr Mutale: You find that a vehicle at high speed bumps into a speed hump and overturns. Most speed humps were painted, but because of the compromised quality of the paints that are being used by our contractors, the paint is brushed off within a period of six months or less. So, my encouragement to the hon. Minister is that when the Government is selecting contractors to do the road markings, it should ensure that the paints being used last us some time before we re-engage them to paint the roads.

Madam Speaker, let me now talk about the responses to accidents on the roads. You would find that an accident has happened maybe, between Kabwe and Lusaka, and it takes the police a lot of time to get to the scene. Our colleagues in most countries have moved on. They have vehicles which are specifically stationed to respond to emergencies such as ambulances, tow trucks and fire engines just to save lives. In our situation, we only act as and when this happens.

Madam Speaker, let me also hasten to say that at least something is being done. I have seen a tow truck which parks somewhere along the Great North Road. It would be nicer if we could have more tow trucks on every highway so that our people are saved from accidents.

Madam Speaker, similarly, the people of Chitambo would wish to see that ambulances are procured for emergency matters. This is because when accidents happen, passerby who might not even know how to attend to an injured person are the ones who help accident victims. It is the wish of the people of Chitambo to see that nurses with well equipped ambulances are put on alert to help our people should accidents occur, especially that RTSA has identified accident-prone areas.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I thank you.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to debate this very important report. I thank the mover of the Motion, Hon. Mubika and the seconder of the Motion.

Madam Speaker, allow me to debate passionately on this important report knowing that I just lost my immediate elder sister in a road traffic accident on 1st July. I have come to understand why we have been having road traffic accidents in our country.

Madam Speaker, allow me talk about the kind of roads we have in Zambia. The roads are so narrow. They were designed in the United National Independence Party (UNIP) era.

Madam Speaker, by now, we should have a dual carriageway from Lusaka to the Copperbelt, and from Kapiri Mposhi to Nakonde, but we seem to be taking this lightly. I am also one of the survivors of an accident at Kapiri Mposhi. We have a challenge of big trucks in Kapiri Mposhi. We have a weighbridge on the Great North Road at the Kapiri Mposhi turn off. I will call it the Copperbelt Road. The place is always parked and there is no space left for other motorists to pass.

Madam Speaker, I urge the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Urban Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security to come together and find a solution to the highways that I am talking about. These are highways where we have had high numbers of fatalities.

Madam Speaker, we have the so-called toll gates, which the people of Zambia, including the Government do not understand the use of the money collected from there. To them, it is money to go in Control – I do not know what they call that horrible account– Control 99.

Laughter

Rev. Katuta: The money collected from the toll fees should not go into that account. That money is meant to maintain or improve the roads and expand our road network. However, it is unfortunate that money from toll gates, from the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the Zambia Police Service Traffic Department (ZPSTD) keeps going into this Control 99 instead of being put to where it is supposed to and used for what it is meant. Money is going to pay retirees, maybe, or whoever, including civil servants and the 30,000 recruited teachers, which I thank the Government for because it has done well. However, this money –

Hon. Member: Question!

Rev. Katuta: Do not question me if you have not lost someone on the road.

Madam, instead of working on the roads, the monies being collected are channelled to other things. Whatever is collected at the tollgates, the ZPSTD and RTSA should be meant for rehabilitation or renovations to make improvements to our national roads.

Madam Speaker, this is the only country where we do not have furniture on the highways. This is the only country where we do not have Save Our Souls (SOSs) on the highways. If you have an accident, it will take the grace of God for somebody to know that you have an accident.

Madam Speaker, last night, between Nkumbi and somewhere near the bridge, there was a ftal road accident. There was a big truck which closed the road. There was no way people could communicate with either the ZPSTD or RTSA. These are some of the things that we should, as Government, look into, though we have been told that some hon. Members of Parliament are not Government officials by some hon. Ministers. However, I want to say, for those who claim to be in Government that this money should be put to good use in our country in order to help our people who are dying on the roads on a daily basis.

Madam Speaker, I have had a look and compared the instructions in the Zambian Highway Code, which is given to the learners, with the book that I used as a learner in South Africa. My observation is that we do not have proper instructions. That is why some cannot even drive in other foreign countries because when you look at the learner’s book itself, you will see that it is not detailed. It cannot make someone drive on international roads. It is by the grace of God that our truckers go to drive in other countries. It is important that the Ministry of Transport and Logistics looks at this Highway Code or book by RTSA and change the instructions to make drivers understand the road signs and rules on the road.

Madam Speaker, I also want to mention to this House that we should not only focus on peri-urban or urban roads, but also think of the Kashikishi/Chienge Road, which is so economic. This road is so bad and we have lost lives. We have lost many lives of foreign truck drivers, who even give lifts to our people when they are going to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Madam Speaker, may I beg the Ministry of Transport and Logistics to look at the statutory instrument which was done in the previous session of the National Assembly, the Twelfth Session. As the other hon. Member of Parliament alluded to, around 0100 or 0200 hours at night, you meet big trucks. Moreover, buses still move at night when they are not supposed to move at night. They come to Lusaka and the following morning, they will load and carry people while the driver is dozing. This results in some of the accidents we are seeing on the road. May I ask the ministry to please take this advice that I am giving that it is about time the Executive sat down and channelled some of the monies from toll gates and the traffic department to another account so that our roads can be properly maintained.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, I promise that I will be very brief because I want to be precise as to what is happening mostly in the rural areas. I wish my hon. Colleague from the Western Province, who is the mover of the Motion, had also included accidents that happen on water.

Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the former hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Kampyongo, for now agreeing with some of us that the roadblocks which they had allowed in that manner actually damaged our roads. We have heard that the bad roads are a source of accidents. One place that I can mention is Mazabuka, where we had traffic officers standing or maybe, mounting roadblocks. If you go there today, you will find that the road is very bad. After they have damaged the road, they have now left probably for other areas. When you look at the money that they collect through these offences, you will see that it cannot even be enough to repair the roads that they are damaging.

Secondly, Madam Speaker, I want to also state that one of the causes of accidents, especially in the rural areas, is the modern usage of headphones on our roads. We have seen this situation with most of our youths on motorbikes. As you may know, the latest motorbikes now come with a lot of accessories like music on them. I think this is also contributing to the accidents, especially in the rural areas. We also have a situation whereby most of our youths ride bicycles while putting on headphones and this has contributed to a lot of road accidents.

Another point, Madam Speaker, is the situation whereby police officers who are supposed to probably man the main roads have left the urban areas because people in urban areas have more information on road offences. The police officers have now targeted the people in the rural areas. If you go to Choma now, you will find police officers conducting roadblocks at a place called Sibanyati, which is almost about 30 km away from town. If you go on the Kalomo/Dundumwezi Road, you will find that it has become a lucrative road now because the police officers no longer man the roads around the urban areas. They go to the rural areas where people are less informed.

Madam Speaker, I think this is very unfortunate. We would like to see probably a rural road policy. When you go to the rural areas, we have single sourced and we have very bad roads. Hence, there is very little transport which would assist the people in the rural areas. In a nutshell, what I am saying is that we see the police officers actually disturbing most of our rural areas by mounting roadblocks.

Madam Speaker, when some of us were growing up in the mid-1960’s to 1970’s –

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Rev. Katuta: Ati bututu.

Mr Sing’ombe: I am not your age mate, by the way.

So, in those days, Madam Speaker, what we used to see was different, but today on the rail crossing, we have a lot of accidents happening –

Mr Chilangwa: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Dundumwezi!

There is a point of order being sort by the hon. Member for Kawambwa. What is the point of order?

Mr Chilangwa: Madam Speaker, our Standing Orders 65 is very clear that we must be factual or that the information that we provide on Floor of this House must be factual. Is the hon. Member on the Floor of this House in order to insinuate that in the early 1960’s and 1970’s is when he was growing up? Information is there and available and, lo and behold, he was born in the 1980’s.

Laughter

Mr Chilangwa: Is he in order to insinuate as he has?

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order! Order!

The hon. Member for Dundumwezi is out of order for impersonating older people.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Madam Speaker: May the hon. Member proceed.

Mr Sing’ombe: I was very much around the time I have mentioned, Madam Speaker. However, for the sake of progress, I will adhere to your guidance.

I was saying in the mid-1960’s and 1970’s – that is what I said and I was there. What we used to see was a situation whereby railway crossings had robots. What has happened? We have seen a lot of accidents happening on such points. When we came to the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government produced a situation whereby when the train is about to pass, we used to see a person standing by a railway crossing with red cloth to give a signal to motorists that a train is about to cross. We no longer see them. How many people have we lost out of that kind of negligence, which was perpetrated by our hon. Colleagues?

Mr B. Mpundu interjected.

Mr Sing’ombe: I want to ask the hon. Minister of Transport and Logistics to ensure that such things are brought back. Can we have robots or traffic lights on railway crossing.

Madam Speaker, I also want to know what is going on with this business of second hand tyres. Who monitors them to ensure that only good tyres are sold to the general public? Most of the time, you discover that an accident was as a result of a tyre burst. What is happening? It is because we have allowed a business whereby people bring in second hand tyres and start selling at will because there is no one who is monitoring. So, we would want to see a situation whereby those who are trading in second hand tyres are monitored to reduce accidents on our roads.

Madam Speaker, I also want to talk about roads in the Southern Province, where we have a lot of livestock. There is a bad habit of throwing leftovers by motorists. It can be either people in the buses or those driving private cars. In the evening, we see a lot of livestock like dogs coming to our public roads. Can imagine cruising at 100 km per hour and then you just see a dog crossing the road. It is so dangerous that in some cases, we have lost lives. So, there is a need to ensure that people start practicing good behaviour of not throwing leftovers on public roads, especially those who are using buses.

Madam Speaker, thank you so much.

Madam Speaker: I was just wondering whether a dog is also livestock in the Southern Province.

Laughter

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to add my voice to this very important Motion on Measures the Government is implementing to help reduce road traffic accidents in the country.

Allow me also to thank your Committee for extensive consultations and deliberations on this very important subject. My gratitude goes to the stakeholders who spared their time to give input to the matter. Furthermore, my thanks go to the mover of the Motion, hon. Member for Shangombo, Hon. Mubika Mubika and of course, the seconder, Member for Chawama, Hon. Tasila Lungu Mwansa, and the many hon. Members who participated starting with the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, hon. Member for Chinsali, hon. Member for Lumezi, hon. Member for Chipili, hon. Member for Chitambo, hon. Member for Chienge and finally, hon. Member for Dundumwezi.

Madam Speaker, allow me to address some of the recommendations made by your Committee.

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill

Madam Speaker, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill No. 8 of 2022 was presented to this august House on 7th July, 2022 and it stands referred to your Committee on Transport Works and Supply for further stakeholder consultations. It is my sincere hope that this House will support its enactment as the Bill has progressive measures that will help enhance the country’s road safety profile and service delivery to the Zambian people.

Utilisation of Toll Fees in Local Areas

Madam Speaker, your Committee’s recommendations are well noted. However, the intention of Government when introducing toll fees was to raise revenues for the construction and rehabilitation of roads. Currently, not all roads have toll gates were such resources can be drawn for maintenance purposes. Therefore, the Government is using the resources collected from all toll gates to maintain all roads countrywide. Funds from tolling are not adequate to address all the requirements for roads in the whole country. We take note of your Committee’s and the community’s concerns of roads near toll gates. I appeal to our road users to safeguard Government investments in the roads. Damage to roads through overloaded vehicles, damage to roads signs through vandalisms and encroachment on road reserves also increases chances of road traffic accidents.

Road Traffic Accidents

Madam Speaker, the Government will enhance enforcement activities, especially where the occurrence of road traffic accidents is more prevalent. In collaboration with the Zambia Police Service (ZPS), the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) will intensify the monitoring of speed limits on public roads. The Government will also endeavour to construct road infrastructure that takes into consideration all road users including pedestrians, school going children, cyclists as well as the disabled.

Evaluation of Road Safety Measures

Madam Speaker, the Government notes the recommendations of your Committee that it undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of road safety interventions being implemented. This House is requested to note that the Government through RTSA will embark on an evaluation exercise in order to help streamline and re-orient interventions as guided by your Committee.

Implementation of Accident Information System

Madam Speaker, the Government notes with regret the lack of an automated accident information system to record and generate accident data. However, Safe City Project under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security shall include the module for road traffic crash data collection and analysis which will help address the data gaps that currently exist.

Madam Speaker, the Government remains committed to continuing to ensure that road traffic accidents in Zambia are reduced. It will continue to invest in improved transport infrastructure for all road users and the implementation of collaborative measures and efforts among implementing agencies that include the RTSA and the Zambian Police Service to help reduce road traffic accidents.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Dundumwezi wants to confuse me.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the hon. Members of Parliament from both your right and your left, and the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development for their contribution.

Madam Speaker, I urge the Government to find money quickly and fund the Ministry of Transport and Logistics to enable it to recruit more road safety inspectors so that we can save lives on our roads.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ECONOMY, TRADE AND LABOUR MATTERS

(Debate resumed)

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, yesterday, having thanked you for the opportunity to debate and proceeded with the Motion, I also took time to talk about what the mover of the Motion, the seconder and other hon. Members contributed on.

Madam Speaker, before the House adjourned, I was at the point where I was indicating and reacting to the sentiment, which was passed by the hon. Member for Lumezi. I was saying the Government had a lot to do on the yards, which have been created. It is important for hon. Members in the House to know that there are eight yards that have been done. Of the eight yards, one is in Kasama, and I am happy to report that the one in Kasama is operational, though not fully.

Out of the twenty-five expected institutions, eleven are working. There is one in Chipata, one in Lusaka and one in the Western Province. Others are in Solwezi, Mansa, Ndola and Kitwe.

Madam Speaker, the one which is of concern is the one in Solwezi where we are experiencing a lot of vandalism, but the others are all going to be advertised so that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can go and start operating from these designated places where they would have benefit.

Madam, let me now go to some of the pertinent issues that were raised in the report which need some discussion, such as issues on the policy for the SMEs. The ministry is revising the policy. Once it is done, it is hoped that it will facilitate the overall strategic direction in the SME space.

Madam Speaker, currently, the ministry’s staff is in all ten provinces undertaking consultations with key stakeholders on the SME policy. At this stage, it is important for hon. Members to know that if there are issues which they would like to contribute on, this is the time to do it.

Madam, I will move to the second issue, which is strengthening the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC). The CEEC is now a statutory body under the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development. This is a very important factor which hon. Members should know about and inform the youth and women that this is where to go if they want to get loans.

Madam Speaker, it is important that hon. Members know through you that the New Dawn Government is putting a lot of emphasis on this. For example, in the past years, the CEEC was limping in terms of funding. In 2021, the Budget was K41 million whereas this year, it has increased to K350 million.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: Thanks to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, in the first quarter K91.7 million was released and is available. In the second quarter, K87.7 million was released, giving a total fund availability of K179.4 million.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: So, when the incumbent hon. Minister is here and sits there talking about cooperatives, youth and women empowerment, he is not making empty promises. He has been given K179 million, so far, of the K350 million. Let us inform our youth and women to take advantage and access these funds.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Quality!

Mr Sing’ombe: Mulekutika?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, furthermore, it is important for your House to note that the Government is seriously working on making sure that the CEEC is fully operational. In this regard, a new board and top management have been put in place while other senior members are still being employed. This is a sign that the Government is making sure that CEEC does indeed have its rightful place.

Madam, K350 million is not sufficient funds to cover the country. What the CEEC has done is to talk with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and banks. In response, some banks have managed to create guarantee fund accounts, meaning that these are funds that are available with some security provided or ring fenced by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. The following banks are in the process of going to give out funds.

       (a)        Absa Bank Zambia PLC;

       (b)        Indo Zambia Bank;

       (c)        Zanaco; and

       (d)        Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB).

Madam Speaker, it is an undeniable fact that once the recommendations of your Committee, which were very well done, are taken care of, the SME space within the country will greatly improve. Therefore, I am left with no option but to support, most sincerely, the proposals that have been put by your Committee.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, in winding-up this debate, I wish to thank the hon. Members who took time to debate this Motion both from your right and left. I particularly wish to take note of the submission made by the hon. Minister who spoke on behalf of the hon. Minster of Small and Medium Enterprise Development.

Madam Speaker, let me just make an emphasise that the pivotal role that small and medium entrepreneurs play cannot be underestimated both in regards to employment creation as well as the contribution of the small players to the national economy. Therefore, we must be putting our heads together to ensure that we grow this sector. Your Committee takes note of the intervention that the Government employed in efforts to try and build up these small and medium entrepreneurs.

Madam Speaker, the last emphasis I want to place on record towards the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development is to do with the eight industrial yards as reported in the report. I know the hon. Minister is acting, but your Committee wants to place on record that the ministry must ensure that these industrial yards are functional. It is aware that the fund that was got as a loan from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to a tune of US$30 million was divided into two, namely, for the construction of those industrial yards as well as provision of seed capital for those who would have occupied these industrial yards. To date, the status quo in regards to the seed funds are not clear even from the submissions that came from all the ministries involved. So, I urge the hon. Minister to take keen interest in this issue and bring it to a logical conclusion.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of your Committee, I thank all the hon. Members.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

ADJOURNMENT

The Acting Leader of Government Business in the House and Minister of Defence (Mr Lufuma): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1900 hours until 1430 hours on Thursday, 21st July, 2022.

____________