Thursday, 15^th September, 2022

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

Madam Speaker: I have received communication to the effect that in the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is still attending to other Government business, the Minister of Defence, Hon. Ambrose L. Lufuma, will continue to act as Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Thursday, 15^th September, 2022, until further notice.

Hon. Lufuma was not in the Assembly Chamber.

Madam Speaker: I am sure he will join us soon.

COMPOSITION OF STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEES

Madam Speaker: In accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution of Zambia, Cap 1 of the Laws of Zambia, and Standing Order 165 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021, the Standing Orders Committee has appointed Members of Parliament to various Standing Committees for the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly as follows:

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES

Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services (10)

Dr C. K. Kalila, MP

Mrs M. Nakaponda, MP

Mr L. Chibombwe, MP

Mr L. Mwene, MP

Mr M. Sampa, MP

Mr P. Chala, MP

Mr M. Chinkuli, MP

Mr J. S. Munsanje, MP

Mr H. Mabeta, MP

Dr A. D. Mwanza

Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights, and Governance (10)

Ms T. E. Lungu, MP

Mr C. Miyutu, MP

Mr G. K. Chisanga, MP

Mr J. E. Banda, MP

Mr L. Hamwaata, MP

Mr A. M. Kasandwe, MP

Mr C. Andeleki, MP

Mr E. Sing’ombe, MP

Mr M. Chinkuli, MP

Mr M. F. Fube, MP

Committee on Local Government Accounts (10)

Mr M. K. Tembo, MP

Rev. G. Katuta, MP

Dr C. Chilufya, MP

Mr K. Kampampi, MP

Mr D. Mulunda, MP

Mr W. Kolala, MP

Mr M. Nyambose, MP

Mr L. Simumba, MP

Mr M. Mutelo, MP

Mr H. S. K. Kamboni, MP

Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs (10)

Mr N. Samakayi, MP

Mr T. S. Simuzingili, MP

Mr L. Mwene, MP

Mr T. E. Mutinta, MP

Mr C. Shakafuswa, MP

Mr S. Mwale, MP

Mrs M. Mabonga, MP

Mr K. Siachisumo, MP

Mr R. M. Mutale, MP

Mr Menyani Zulu, MP

Committee on National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters (10)

Mr B. Mpundu, MP

Mr R. K. Chitotela, MP

Mr M. Kafwaya, MP

Mr N. Simutowe, MP

Mr G. S. Sialubalo, MP

Ms S. K. Sefulo, MP

Mr D. Chisopa, MP

Mr D. M. Mabumba, MP

Mr E. Kamondo, MP

Mr M. Mubika, MP

Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs (10)

Mr C. Mpundu, MP

Ms S. Mwamba, MP

Mr L. J. Simbao, MP

Brig-Gen. S. M. Sitwala, MP

Mr M. Malambo, MP

Mr S. Hlazo, MP

Mr S. C. Chanda, MP

Mr P. Twasa, MP

Mr C. Chibuye, MP

Mr W. Mulaliki, MP

Committee on Parastatal Bodies (10)

Mr M. B. Anakoka, MP

Mr B. Kambita, MP

Ms J. Nyemba, MP

Mr A. M. Kasandwe, MP

Mr V. P. Musumali, MP

Mr S. Kampyongo, MP

Mr J. Chibuye, MP

Mr R. M. Chabinga, MP

Mr H. Mapani, MP

Ms M. C. Mazoka, MP

Committee on Cabinet Affairs (10)

Mr O. M. Amutike, MP

Ms E. Munashabantu, MP

Mr D. Mulunda, MP

Mr C. Shakafuswa, MP

Mr A. Lubusha, MP

Mr K. M. Mandandi, MP

Dr C. K. Kalila, MP

Rev. G. Katuta, MP

Mr C. Mpundu, MP

Mr Elias M. Musonda, MP

Committee on Transport, Works and Supply(10)

Mr N. Samakayi, MP

Mr M. Simushi, MP

Mr F. R. Kapyanga, MP

Dr K. T. Chewe, MP

Mr J. S. Munsanje, MP

Mr G. S. Sialubalo, MP

Mr M. Mubika, MP

Ms T. E. Lungu, MP

Mr S. C. Chanda, MP

Mr Emmanuel M. Musonda, MP

Committee on National Guidance and Gender Matters (9)

Mrs M. C. Chonya, MP

Mr E. Banda, MP

Mr J. Mulebwa, MP

Ms B. Nyirenda, MP

Mr M. Lungu, MP

Mr S. Mwale, MP

Mr A. Katakwe, MP

Mr H. S. K. Kamboni, MP

Mrs J. Sabao, MP

There is a vacancy there pending the results of the elections in Kabushi and Kwacha.

Committee on Sport, Youth and Child Matters (10)

Mr C. Miyutu, MP

Mrs C. P. Halwiindi, MP

Mr E. Sing’ombe, MP

Mr P. Kalobo, MP

Mr G. K. Kandafula, MP

Mr S. Mushanga, MP

Mr M. Mutelo, MP

Mr A. Banda, MP

Mr M. J. Z. Katambo, MP

Mr G. Mwila, MP

I have now completed announcing the composition of all the committees. If any hon. Member finds that they do not belong to any committee, he/she should inform the Office of the Clerk, accordingly.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

MR J. E BANDA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PETAUKE CENTRAL, ON THE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, MRS D. MWAMBA, ON PARTICULAR GENDERS PRETENDING TO BE DIFFERENT GENDERS

Mr J. E. Banda (Petauke): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving the good people of Petauke this opportunity to raise a matter of urgent public importance directed at the hon. Minister in charge of the ministry responsible for gender matters.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member of Parliament for Petauke, can you be more specific; we do not have a ministry under that name?

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, it is the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.

Madam Speaker, our country has been attacked by a bad spirit.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, can we settle down and have some order. Can we have some order, please? I do not want to be forced to start using Standing Orders to single out certain hon. Members who will not be compliant. So, please, can we observe decorum? I have been a bit lenient because we have just come back and have not met in a long time and so, we tend to talk and chat, but business of the House takes precedence. Let us, therefore, be compliant.

The hon. Member for Petauke may continue.

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, there is a spirit, a bad one, which has attacked our nation; our Christian values and our cultural values.

Recently, we have seen certain genders pretending to be different genders. For example, we have seen many men pretending to be and dressing up like women. So, we have seen a number of women – recently, there was a function called the ‘Lusaka July’ where we witnessed many men showcasting their styles for women.

Hon. Member: Showcasting.

Laughter

Mr J. E. Banda: Why do you want to disturb me?

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, if you want to joke over this issue, we can go to the next item. I can do away with this matter of urgent public importance because it appears like it is not important any more. If we are going to make fun of the whole process, maybe we should go to other important issues. This is my final warning.

The hon. Member for Petauke Central may proceed.

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, I thank you for your guidance. I am sure they just want to disturb me.

Madam Speaker, there was a function called the ‘Lusaka July’ where many men where showcasing their bodies as though they were women. The whole country is looking up to us here to protect Christian values and our culture.

Madam Speaker, many garden boys and bar tenders are living in fear. School going children are learning in fear. We saw an incidence at a school in Chongwe where young boys were sodomised. In Chililabombwe a bar tender was sodomised and so was another garden boy in Lilayi. Madam Speaker, one of the pupils who were sodomised in Chongwe even attempted to commit suicide.

Madam Speaker, I am asking for your guidance, through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, so that it can help the country to protect its values.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Petauke, the matter that you have raised is important, but it does not meet the criteria under Standing Order 134 and 135. My advice to you is: Please, put in an urgent question which will be directed at the hon. Minister who will be able to answer it.

Thank you

MR B. MPUNDU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NKANA, ON THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, MR MWIIMBU, FOR THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN AGAINST SODOMY

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, my matter of urgent public importance was in the same line, except I wanted to draw in the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, just like you have ruled, I was of the different view that with the incidences happening, particularly of sodomy, our children are living in fear. We, as parents, do not even know what to do with our children because they are not safe in our homes, in schools and in communities.

Madam Speaker, I do not know if you are aware of the many incidences that have been reported of young children, as young as six years old, who are being sodomised both in the communities and in schools. I do not know whether this august House still feels that this is not a matter that requires that we act urgently. Otherwise, it was in similar vein.

I wanted to draw in the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security because our role, as Parliament, is to enact laws and the role of the Central Government is to enforce those laws. Particularly, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, under whose mandate falls all these security wings, should have been assuring the nation of protecting the lives of these young children.

Madam Speaker, today, I do not even know where to take our boys. Do we take them to boarding schools, day schools or leave them in the community? They are not safe anywhere.

Madam Speaker, I think, in all fairness, the public is looking up to this institution for protection. If you open any media station today, the story is about the sodomy that is going on. We have pretended for a very long time. We have been quiet. In fact, the quietness is deafening. One would have thought that maybe we should act through the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security. We are looking for protection. Should we be carrying our children for work or we can be assured by the hon. Minister of Home Affairs Internal Security that the security wings under his responsibility are going to protect our young boys who are being sodomised from the age of six years?

Madam Speaker, I thought that your indulgence was highly sought on this matter.

I thank you.

MR T. CHEWE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LUBANSENSHI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HEALTH, MRS MASEBO, ON THE SHORTAGE OF AMBULANCES

Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Chewe: Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving the good people of Lubansenshi Constituency this great opportunity.

Madam Speaker, I am rising on Standing Order 134. Last session, I brought the issue of the shortage of ambulances in our hospitals, and we were assured that the Government would look into this matter and that plans to procure ambulances across the country were underway.

Madam Speaker, last week, I was in my constituency where three women died because of the lack of an ambulance service at the Luwingu Hospital. I was so touched to see pregnant mothers die like that when the Government is absolutely responsible to ensure that no one loses their life in that fashion.

Madam Speaker, I am now directing this question at the hon. Minister of Health because, in the last session, we were assured that these issues would not happen, but here we are today; we keep losing our brothers and sisters. In this case, we have lost our mothers. When is the hon. Minister of Health going to come to this honourable House and say that the Luwingu Hospital has now been given an ambulance?

Madam Speaker, I am also trying to put on record this issue of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Some people say that we can use the CDF. I would like to point out that the CDF cannot take over the responsibilities that should be performed by the Central Government. It is for this reason that I am requesting the hon. Minister of Health to come to this honourable House and tell us when the Luwingu Hospital is going to have an ambulance or ambulances so that we can serve our good people in Lubansenshi and prevent a further loss of lives.

I seek your guidance on this matter, Madam Speaker.

MR CHITOTELA, HON. MEMBER FOR PAMBASHE, ON the HON. MINISTER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, MS MWAMBA, ON PURCHASE OF MOTORBIKES

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): On a matter of urgent pubic importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence as I bring up a matter of urgent public importance relating to the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services. The nation, during our recess, was awash with an issue that required public clarification. Under admissibility of a matter, Standing Order 135 says:

“(1) A matter shall be considered urgent and of public importance if-

1. it is a case of recent occurrence;
2.  it does not relate to a general state of affairs;
3.  it involves the administrative or ministerial responsibility of Government;”

This is where I anchor my statement. Zambia was brought to a halt on the issue of a motorcycle costing K130,000 procured by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services. The nation received contradictory statements from the Government through a director in the Ministry of Information and Media. There was a serious public outcry on the matter as people wanted to know what really happened.

Madam, once procured, those motorbikes are going to enhance and advance the delivery of social services by the Government to the most marginalised people in society. Therefore, I seek your indulgence on whether it is appropriate for the ministry responsible for community development not to update the Zambian people, through you and this august House, on what really transpired and where we are in terms of the procurement of the motorcycles at a whooping price of K130,000 each.

I seek your guidance, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you. Let me start with the concern raised by the hon. Member for Nkana and, maybe, go back to the other one raised by the hon. Member for Petauke Central. The two hon. Members raised different issues and I think the issues require immediate attention.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: We have recently enacted the Children’s Code Bill, and we need to protect the rights of children. There is a lot of risk to our children going to school and living in communities. I listened to an audio one time where a parent was complaining about this same situation.

I apologise to the hon. Member for Petauke Central. Maybe, I commented sooner rather than later.

The issues that have been raised touch on the lives of children and, if nothing is done, could result even in death because children who are abused and harassed in this manner tend to withdraw and can even end up committing suicide. So, in that regard, I will direct the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services, as I believe this matter falls directly under her ministry, to come back to this House next week on Thursday to deliver a ministerial statement on the same.

So, the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services is directed accordingly.

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: When it comes to the matter raised by the hon. Member for Lubansenshi, the issue of ambulances is the outcry of all hon. Members of Parliament. They have no ambulances. The hon. Minister of Health has previously been before this honourable House to deliver ministerial statements concerning the issue of ambulances and made certain assurances. Since assurances were made, I believe the hon. Member for Lubansenshi can follow up on those Government assurances that were made so that, through him, the other hon. Members of Parliament can benefit from the response that he will get.

The other option is to file in an urgent question. As this is a new session, we can even ask questions which we dealt with previously. So, I believe it is better to either file in an urgent question or follow it up with the Committee on Government Assurances. Whereas it is important, it does not meet the criteria demanded by Standing Order 134 and 135. There is no catastrophe that will result if, today or tomorrow, a ministerial statement is not delivered. The idea of bringing issues before this honourable House is so that solutions can be found and those matters that require urgent attention can be attended to immediately.

The hon. Member for Pambashe has talked about motorbikes and specifically referred to the criteria under Standing Order 135(c). My guidance to the hon. Member for Pambashe is that the criteria stated in Standing Order 135 from (a), (b), (c), (d) up to (e) should be met for a matter to qualify to be raised as a matter of urgent public importance.

I understand and agree that the issue of motorbikes is a concern for the people of Zambia because they want to get services at a reasonable price. Therefore, it calls for the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services to offer an explanation on what actually transpired. However, that explanation cannot be raised under Standing Order 134. I will, therefore, guide the hon. Member for Pambashe to file in an urgent question and then the hon. Minister can still come to this honourable House and provide answers to those questions.

Thank you.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

OUTBREAK OF CBPP IN KALABO

14. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock:

1. whether the Government is aware of the outbreak of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Kalabo District;
2. if so, what urgent measures are being taken to contain the disease; and
3. what long term measures are being taken to eradicate the disease, countrywide.

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Chikote): Madam Speaker, the Government is aware of the outbreak of the Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Kalabo District of the Western Province.

Madam Speaker, I wish, therefore, to confirm the outbreak of the disease in Kalabo District and to inform this august House that between January and June 2022, Kalabo District recorded 434 cases of CBPP, and 267 cattle died of the disease.

Madam Speaker, in response to the outbreak, the Government took the following urgent measures to contain the disease in the district:

Sensitisation of Farmers and all Stakeholders

My ministry has been working with local leadership to sensitise local communities on the outbreak of the disease. Other stakeholders in my ministry are working with all hon. Members of Parliament from the Western Province. We are also using local radio stations and engaging the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) to sensitise our farmers on the outbreak. 

Removal of Positive Herds

This is being done to ensure the source of infection in the outbreak area is removed. If the infected cattle are not removed, the disease will not be controlled and there is a high risk that it can spread to the rest of the provinces and beyond. So far, 398 in-contact cattle were slaughtered through abattoirs in Mongu and Limulunga districts.

Movement Controls

My ministry has intensified movement controls through mobile patrols to curb illegal movement of animals. Further, my ministry is facilitating the reactivation of the CBPP community task forces which were formed in 2020 to assist animal movement, control and participation in disease control measures.

Branding of Cattle for Identification and Traceability

This is where cattle is branded with specific brand marks for particular areas that are differentiated based on disease risk. This helps in identifying cattle according to the source and the risk it poses in the transmission of the CBPP. So far, about 37,500 cattle have been branded with the zonal brand mark for Kalabo, which is A3A.

Surveillance

Surveillance has been intensified to make sure that any disease spread is quickly detected and removed as quickly as possible.

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that there has been an upsurge of CBPP cases in the Western Province, the North-Western Province and the Central Province. The disease has been reported in nineteen districts, thirteen being in the Western Province and six in the North-Western Province. Our reports indicate that there have been a total of 1,466 CBPP cases from January to date, and 742 cattle have died of the disease.

Madam Speaker, this puts the entire cattle population of the Western Province and other provinces at immediate risk. The spread of the disease has been exacerbated by illegal movement of animals from infected areas in a bid to find market or trying to run away from infections.

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that these cases are coming on the backdrop of vaccinations that were conducted in 2021, where cattle in the whole province were vaccinated. Despite these vaccinations, the disease is clearly on an upswing. This shows the ineffectiveness of relying on vaccinations alone as the major CBPP control tool.

Madam Speaker, to ensure the country eradicates the disease in the long run, the New Dawn Administration has developed a CBPP control strategy which is currently under consideration by Cabinet. The strategy, once approved, will provide a comprehensive long term solution to eradicating the CBPP in the country. Further, my ministry is in the process of undertaking legislative and policy reforms that will help strengthen the implementation of this strategy. I, therefore, call upon all hon. Members of this august House to support these reforms when they come to this House for consideration.

In addition to the interventions in the CBPP control strategy, my ministry will continue to address the long term impact of the disease through the following measures:

Test and Slaughter

CBPP is a herd disease; meaning that if one animal is infected in a herd the whole herd is affected, including those that are not showing signs at that time. It is for this reason that we are encouraging farmers to filter, remove and slaughter herds where the disease has been detected. The House may wish to note that failure to do this will make the disease be sustained and will continue causing mortalities to cattle in the area and the probability of spreading to other districts or, indeed, provinces is high.

Madam Speaker, we are, therefore, encouraging farmers to take their infected herds to abattoirs near their localities so that they can salvage some financial value from these animals. The CBPP is not zoonotic, meaning that it cannot be spread from animals to humans. It mainly affects lungs, which are removed at meat inspections.

My ministry has negotiated with all abattoirs to buy off these carcasses at prevailing market prices and pay farmers expeditiously.

Enhancing Diagnostic Capacities of Laboratories in Provinces to Facilitate Early Detection of the Infection

Herd monitoring and clinical examination are being enhanced in all districts in order to quickly detect the disease. Abattoir surveillance, through meat inspection, is also being enhanced at all slaughter facilities in order to identify diseased cattle and facilitate trace-back to the source.

Enhancing Stakeholder Sensitisation

My ministry will continue with the public sensitisation on the disease through community radios, farmers/stakeholders meetings and extension messages through brochures and leaflets. In many areas, the use of community CBPP task forces, where they have been established, has also greatly assisted in community awareness. We are also engaging local leadership like the hon. Member who asked the question and other hon. Members of Parliament in the affected areas. We are also engaging councillors and other political leaders to sensitise farmers in their constituencies on the disease and to follow prescribed procedures in cattle movement and trade of livestock.

Madam Speaker, it is my earnest appeal to the hon. Members to work closely with the New Dawn Administration in sensitising members of their constituencies on the CBPP.

Strengthening Animal Identification and Traceability

The ministry has developed a robust animal identification and traceability system that will help in disease control and public health. This system, which is due for implementation from 2023, will ensure that animals are identified at individual level unlike the current branding system where animals are identified at herd level. This system will be mandatory for all livestock farmers without exception and this will be enforceable through the Animal Identification and Traceability Bill, which I intend to bring to this august House.

Improving Staffing Levels to Strengthen Service Delivery

The ministry has recognised the deficit in staff levels at all levels of structures. To assist in curbing this problem, the ministry has requested for Treasury authority to employ staff, especially in critical areas on the ground. I am happy to inform this House that authority has been granted to employ 475 staff, most of whom will be extension staff for animal health, fisheries and livestock production.

Construction of a Cordon Line to Ensure Incursions from Infected Countries are Prevented

The ministry intends to re-establish the cordon line in 2023. This is to ensure that the country is protected from the incursion of disease from neighbouring countries.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, the responses given by the hon. Minister are quite audible and understandable. On the issue of the vaccination in 2021, which the hon. Minister indicated was not very effective, is he aware that the Lukona Zone, which borders Nalolo, was not captured?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I am very much aware that there are certain places where vaccination was not conducted. However, the point I was trying to drive is that CBPP has no effective vaccine that can protect our animals. So, that is the point. I am aware that certain places were not captured during the 2021 vaccination.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for according me an opportunity to ask a follow-up question on this very important subject. I know that the outbreak of this disease is prevalent in Kalabo. However, when the hon. Minister was answering the question posed by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo Central, he stated that the outbreak of the disease is also prevalent in the North-Western Province and the Central Province.

Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, I would like the hon. Minister to indicate, especially to farmers in the Central Province, which has eleven districts, where the outbreak is prevalent so that farmers in those districts could start taking precautionary measures?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that question. In the Central Province, we have CBPP cases in Chibombo District, where almost fifty-two farms have been affected. Our staff is on the ground putting in place interventions to make sure that the disease does not spread to the entire province. So, the hon. Member can be assured that we are on top of things in the Central Province. In particular, Chisamba and Chibombo are the areas where we have identified farms that are positive.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, one of the reasons we look for best practices is to ensure that we are not doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. Botswana was faced with the problem of the Contagious Bovine Pleural Pneumonia (CBPP) in 1996. Botswana went with a very pragmatic approach, stumping out 320,000 animals and compensating the farmers. Of course, different compensation options were provided for the farmers. Two years later, in 1998, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) declared Botswana CBPP free.

Madam Speaker, what lessons or best practices is the Government drawing from countries within the region, like Botswana, which has done very well in terms of livestock production and managed to penetrate the European market? Otherwise, failure to learn from best practices, the whole idea of the country maximising on the regional and continental markets will just become a song which we will sing from one generation to the other.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, indeed, what the hon. Member for Kanchibiya has said is true and there are good lessons that we can learn from Botswana. For his information, as I talk right now, we have already sent our staff to go and benchmark and understand what other measures were put in place to make sure that the said country became free from the CBPP.

Madam Speaker, as I was just trying to highlight the long term measures, I mentioned that one of the strategies Botswana used was the ‘test and slaughter’. At the same time, our friends had to find resources to restock those areas they depopulated because of infected animals. So, these are the programmes we are looking at. I have also mentioned that other issues are being considered by Cabinet. At an appropriate time, we will come and give hope to hon. Members of Parliament to feed into our farmers in the country. We are on course in this direction.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, the first onset or emergence of the CBPP in Kalabo was during the United National Independence Party (UNIP) era and the Government came up with the same plan which the hon. Minister is calling the ‘test and slaughter’. Animals were slaughtered and the carcasses were sold. What resulted from that was poverty. So, out of test and slaughter comes poverty.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Kanchibiya gave a reference of Botswana, where the Government acted with one heart to save its people. It surrendered the resources into the hands of the people by compensating them, which former Governments in Zambia never did and brought poverty into villages.

Madam Speaker, my question now is: We stay with animals in the Western Province; that is our livelihood. We are not against the issue of test and slaughter; we are for it. However, what measures are being put in place soon to make sure that we do not fall into the same pit of poverty where we could have no animals? What prudent and practical measure has the Government put in place to compensate the poverty that is about to befall our communities?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I explained how we are going to control the disease in that area. The hon. Member clearly said that livestock is their industry in the Western Province. Being a listening Government, the first thing we are doing is to make sure that we put up measures to eradicate the disease.

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Chikote: That is the measure the Government has decided to put up in the Western Province in order to bring back the livestock sector to the way it used to be in the past.

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Chikote: This is a listening Government. We know that we are not going to leave the Western Province, or other areas where we are going to conduct the ‘test and slaughter’, just like that.

Madam Speaker, you heard the hon. Member of Kanchibiya ask what lessons we learnt from Botswana on how it controlled the CBPP. That is a question of resources. We are going to look for resources to help and support our farmers. That is the programme which the Government has.

Madam Speaker, this is a listening Government. We are just putting up measures to control the disease and, thereafter, will look for resources to see how we can carry out the restocking programme that we have been mentioning in this House. There is a restocking programme. It is a vision of the New Dawn Administration. I want to assure hon. Members that going forward, the issue is to make sure that we eradicate the disease, which is very dangerous for our livestock not only in Kalabo, but also across the country. I want to assure the hon. Member that this Government is working around the clock to find resources to help our farmers.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Madam Speaker, as the hon. Minister explained, in answer to the question that was raised by the hon. Member for Kalabo Central, I followed his explanation. What came out very clearly from the explanation was the challenge that we seem to have in terms of human resource to support the programmes that the Government has put in place, especially the immunisation that was planned, which the hon. Member lamented did not cover some areas.

Madam Speaker, this is very similar to what transpired in parts of the North-Western Province, especially that my constituency borders the Western Province. There are two constituencies that border the Western Province. The situation is the same; there is no staff.

Madam Speaker, what did not come out very clearly, and is of concern to most of us as Members of Parliament, is the strategy that the New Dawn Administration has in dealing with both prevention of the disease in the absence of human resource that is domiciled in those areas affected and how it will actually roll out the whole programme which we will all understand.

Does the Government have any strategy that it would probably come to this House to explain to hon. Members so that we are on the same page and know what the New Dawn Administration is planning to do in dealing with the problem in Kalabo.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I explained here that the New Dawn Administration has a strategy to make sure that diseases are brought under control. In my submission, I clearly stated that we have been granted treasury authority to recruit extension officers. That is what I said.

I said that we are going to recruit 475 extension service officers who are going to help us roll out these programmes. As we speak, the few staff that we have is in the fields, especially in the areas where we have already identified as affected. Our staff is already there despite the fact that it is not enough. We have put up programmes that those few staff are doing right up now. To support that, I have assured the House that the ministry is going to recruit extension officers totalling 475. I think that is an indication that going forward, this ministry will not be the same because we are just laying the foundation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. P.F Member: Ah, apo mwa tampila.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, I listened to the hon. Minister talk about a strategy. I think we are all interested to know how to curb this disease. Up until the time the ministry will be employing the 475 workers, what will be happening to livestock? We would like to know exactly the immediate measures that the ministry is going to take. He spoke about the ‘test and slaughter’ method; so who is doing it currently since his ministry is under staffed? We would like to know the immediate measures the ministry is taking.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, at the expense of repeating myself, I will give a practical example of the Central Province, particularly Chisamba and Chibombo. I said the little human resource that we have at the table has been assigned to respond to these challenges. That is what I said. So, even if we have very few staff at the moment, we are planning on how to use the few staff to respond to the challenges the country is facing. We will not wait until we recruit the 475. Currently, we have allowed the staff that we have to do the work. At the same time, we are encouraging our community task force committees to also come on board. The other intervention that we have put in place is to intensify control of movement of cattle in this country. We have put check points in certain strategic areas to make sure that the movement of animals is seriously controlled. Those are the measures that we have put in place currently.

I thank you, Madam Speaker

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, allow me to first of all thank the hon. Minister and the New Dawn Administration who have managed to ensure that districts are able to issue brand marks, which was not there in the past. People had to travel all the way from Kalabo to Lusaka to come and pay a K2 for a brand mark.

Madam Speaker, I want to know whether there is a deliberate policy to ensure that animals that have been tested and found positive are quarantined. Right now, in the Western Province, we have what we call ‘communal grazing’. What is the Government doing to ensure that animals that have been found positive are quarantined at identification and slaughtered?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, indeed, when a herd is identified as positive, our staff provides procedures and guidance on how to manage it. That is why it is not taking time. At the time we discover that a herd is positive, we quickly put in place measures to make sure that we facilitate the slaughter for our farmers so that the disease does not spread to other animals. So, that is the best we are doing. We are making sure that immediately our officers identify the positive herds, they help our farmers to understand.

Madam Speaker, this is also an issue of sensitisation. That is why I have said we are helping each other to make sure that this disease is brought under control. Some of the things people do are done due to a lack of information. So, we are doing our best to make sure that people are given the right information and that the movement of positive herds is controlled by our staff.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister mentioned having instructed –

Interruptions

Mr J. Chibuye: I hope the hon. Minister is listening.

Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister said that abattoirs had been instructed to buy some of the affected animals so that farmers can salvage some monetary value. In the event that the market got saturated and farmers were likely to face loss, will there be other measures taken to help them salvage some monetary value by way of encouraging them to start insuring their livestock?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, indeed, there is a possibility of our market being saturated with many carcases, the reason the hon. Member heard me say we are making sure that before the exercise, we negotiate with the off-takers to facilitate the purchases and make sure that farmers do not run into losses. That is why we are on top of things. We are making sure that everything is set.

Madam Speaker, like the hon. Member mentioned, the ministry is also encouraging our farmers to start venturing into insuring their livestock. Encouraging farmers to ensure their livestock is one of the measures that we are taking. That is also one way of protecting a famer from making serious losses.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I do sympathise with the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo Central and all the farmers whose animals have been affected by this highly Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). 

Madam Speaker, in the hon. Minister’s response regarding the issue of compensation and how to help farmers who are losing animals from this disease, he indicated that the Government is conducting a restocking exercise. I believe the restocking exercise has been going on for some time now, and is an exercise that is being implemented in all districts in Zambia.

I would like to find out whether the Government is making a deliberate effort to ensure that districts like Kalabo, which have been affected by CBPP, are given priority in this restocking exercise. I also would like to know whether we have sufficient money remaining on the budget for the restocking exercise.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member is very correct about the programmes the Government put in place in terms of compensation. Indeed, we are very much alive to the fact that there are areas that are being affected. During this exercise of test and slaughter, as a ministry, we are keeping the data for all the places where we are doing the test and slaughter exercise. So, that will help us in the event that the Government finds enough resources. We will be able to give them first priority in terms of restocking.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Malambo (Magoye): Madam Speaker, most of us farmers purely depend on animals for Draft Animal Power (DAP). How long can a farmer take to reintroduce animals after they have been slaughtered in a particular area?

Madam Speaker: The Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, I hope you got the question.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I did not get the question clearly.

Madam Speaker: Neither did I. The hon. Member can repeat the question.

Mr Malambo: How long should it take a farmer to reintroduce animals in an area once some are slaughtered since most of us depend on animals for many activities that we do as farmers?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the first thing is that our staff or experts will definitely guide by saying this area is now clean. That is when farmers can do the restocking. That depends on how that area responds to the procedures and the way the activity is being undertaken in that area. So, it just depends on the response from the farmers. However, on average, if everything is done to perfection, I am sure it may be less than two weeks.

Mr Mandandi (Sioma): Madam Speaker, when we talk of cattle, what comes to our minds in the Western Province is wealth. When the hon. Minister talks about slaughtering cattle, we are really injured. I stand to be corrected, but I want to believe that the Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) has been in existence in our area for over 100 years or maybe eighty years. Over the years, the only solution that the Government has brought to our doorsteps is to kill our animals. We have had situations of human pandemics such the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but we have never heard issues of people being quarantined so that they can be killed.

Laughter

Mr Mandandi: Researchers in the field of human medicines have done a commendable job to find cures for these diseases. Why is it so difficult for researchers in the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to do research and come up with medicine for the CBPP? Does the hon. Minister not think that they are trying to use this as a cash-making venture?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for that follow-up question. The CBPP has no vaccine. Whether we take three hours debating on this matter, the fact is that it has no vaccine to protect our animals. Researchers have not yet recommended to us a vaccine which can help our animals. The only measure that we can take to protect our animals is to remove the positive herds. That is the measure which is recognised.

Madam Speaker, I am sure you heard from the hon. Member from Kanchibiya about Botswana. It has a very big manufacturing plant for vaccines, but it never used any vaccine to eradicate this disease. All it did was to test and slaughter. That is the only method we can use to help and protect our country so that we can even qualify to start competing in terms of marketing.

Madam Speaker, as I speak, there is no vaccine and researchers have not come on board to tell us exactly what vaccine can help our animals. The best way we can prevent infection against the disease for our animals is to test and slaughter.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: I think we have interrogated the subject enough. I gave it enough time because it is a matter of interest, even to me. We can make progress.

CONSTRUCTION OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES IN CHIFUNABULI

15. Ms Nyemba (Chifunabuli): asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development

1. when the construction of district administrative offices in Chifunabuli District will commence;
2. what the cause of the delay in commencing is:

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, the construction of the district administrative office block in Chifunabuli District will commence once funds for the project are made available.

Madam Speaker, the cause of the delay in commencing the project is inadequate budget allocation to infrastructure projects.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Chifunabuli, do you have any supplementary questions?

Ms Nyemba: Madam Speaker, I do not have any supplementary question.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the two responses. The spending cycle for this year is almost ending by December 31, 2022. In the hon. Minister’s first response, he indicated that construction would commence once resources were available. Now, looking at the period of time remaining before the end of the year, when is the treasury likely to make these resources available so that the offices could be constructed, especially that there is also help that has come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Bwacha for that follow-up question. I think his question is when funds are going to be made available. Chifunabuli is a new district which requires a new district administrative centre or office block. If you look at the new districts that were created, you will find that a number of them, and I think hon. Members of Parliament can attest to that, still do not have administrative offices; and still do not have houses and other amenities. The reason for that is the shortage of funds.

Madam Speaker, the budgets that we have had over the years, not only in 2022, which is the current year in which we are operating, but also in previous years, have been inadequate to cover all the necessary expenditures let alone this extra burden that was pressed upon the budget in terms of new infrastructure projects that were created or made necessary by the pronouncements of those in the Government. Just so that the country, through this house, is aware of the predicament in which we are in terms of balancing books, hon. Members of the House are aware that the total budget for 2022, if you disregard the supplementary that we passed recently, was in the order of K172 billion.

Madam Speaker, out of that, K98.9 billion was locally generated resources. About K22 billion, was to be raised from Government instruments; Treasury Bills and Government Bonds, and the rest, about K45 billion, was to be sourced from external sources. That total of K98.9 billion of locally generated reserves, if hon. Members look at their yellow books on the expenditure side, was barely enough to cover two line items only, and that was debt servicing and public sector emoluments, that is all.

Madam Speaker, this demonstrates the precarious situation in which the country finds itself and hence the direction which the New Dawn Administration has taken to deal with the fundamentals that caused the shortage of resources, and that is debt. We have to get on top of debt. To get on top of debt, because substantial amounts of that debt came from commercial sources rather than bilateral or multilateral, it is necessary to have institutions behind the Government that are trusted by our lenders. That is why a lot of time was spent discussing and finalising the deal with the IMF. So, that opened the door now to substantive discussions with lenders and, ultimately, this New Dawn Administration will resolve the issue of debt.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member referred to the amount that has been obtained from the IMF, the US$1.3 billion over a thirty-eight-month period, and asked whether that sort of money cannot be allocated to the construction of this administrative block.

Madam, that money has been allocated to two functions within the Budget, that is, Budget Support and also to beef up our reserves. That is all. In terms of this project and any other project that has been underfunded in the past, our saving grace is that once these discussions are concluded with lenders to restructure or refinance, where possible, and cut down interest repayments on this debt, it will release resources in the Treasury that will allow us to spend money on these projects and other infrastructural projects. That is the direction in which the Government of President Hakainde Hichilema is focusing its endeavours to ensure that it gets on top of these matters.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: With that expanded answer, and since the hon. Member for Chifunabuli is satisfied, can we make progress?

REHABILITATION OF MUSORO ROAD IN KASENENGWA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

16. Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North) (on behalf of Mr Twasa (Kasenengwa)) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

(a)        why the rehabilitation of Musoro Road in Kasenengwa Parliamentary Constituency has stalled;

(b)        when the project will resume;

(c)        what the cost of the project is;

(d)        who the contractor is; and

(e)        how much money was paid to the contractor, as of February, 2022.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, the works have stalled due to the non-availability of funds as the contractor, Norwood Enterprises Ltd, has not been paid for part of the works that have already been certified, for reasons that are known by everyone by now in this House.

Madam Speaker, the project will resume as soon as the Government secures new funds to finance the remaining works.

Madam, the total cost of the project was K99,936,367.13.

Madam, as I said earlier on, the contractor for this project is Messrs Norwood Enterprises Ltd. So far, it has been paid K23,062,514.06 as of February 2022.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, how much is the contractor currently owed for the works that have been certified, but not paid for?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I am afraid to say that this was not part of the question, but I can quickly check for the hon. Member before the end of the day and give him the amount suffice it for me to mention that this K23 million was a down payment, as a matter of fact.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, since the hon. Minister says that the project will not be completed until funds are made available, and we are just going into 2023, will he consider the same road under the 2023 Budget?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the people of Musoro extremely deserve and the connectivity of this road brings people from the furthest point of Musoro into Chipata. Therefore, it must go without any doubt that the Musoro Road is definitely in our ten-year road sector programme.

Madam, the situation as it stands –how I pray that hon. Members would accept what we have said in many ways, more ways than one – is that the reason these roads were left unattended was that their party, while in the Government, over procured these roads when it knew there was no money to pay contractors. The answer, again, is that they were favouring friends, like-minded people. They were giving them these contracts away from Treasury authority. I said that yesterday. So, I will not be tired to say the same thing. Perhaps, at one point, there will be acceptance of the fact that people did not follow financial regulations that govern the budgeting process.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Madam Speaker, may I know whether, when this contract resumes, he will give it to the same contractor or re-advertise it?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, just yesterday, I indicated that 148 contracts have been submitted to the Attorney-General’s office for advice with a view to discontinue them because they were irregularly awarded. I am not sure whether this particular contractor is one among those 148. However, if that information is sought, I can easily find out whether this contract is still running or is one of those that expired.

I thank you, Madam.

Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa): Madam Speaker, has the hon. Minister done an assessment to evaluate some of these contracts considering that they were priced highly? Has he looked to see how he can do variations or rescope some of them to ensure that they are at market value?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, although this is outside the scope of the question, I have the answer. We have categorised those contracts. Those that have performed below 10 per cent are out rightly recommended for discontinuation or termination because the bulk of those comprise those that were very intimate with the Patriotic Front (PF) party. Most of them did not do the work.

There are some who we call the ‘yellow region’ who have worked up to 34 per cent. We are in the process of calling them to negotiate with them if we could vary these contracts in terms of the cost per km.

There is, then, the ‘grey zone’; those who have come between 50 to 75 per cent. We are also trying to negotiate for the rescoping of the cost of a km.

There are those in the ‘green’ who have done up to 95 per cent, the good people. We are also talking to them to see if we can conclude these contracts by coming down to the actual market price of building a gravel road at x amount per km. So, we are firmly on this.

Madam Speaker, the trouble that we are having is that these contractors are not responding to us. We are short of calling them ghost contractors because we have called them over and over again. My suspicion is that they were fronts. The actual people behind the corporate veil are not coming because they are known people, but we do know who they are because –

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: Let me explain.

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: Let me just be clear to you because we have gone to the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) to see who was pushing for payments for these particular contracts and they are politicians from the Patriotic Front (PF)

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: ...and if you dare me mention their names or if you ask me now, I can easily go ahead, but we have always said we are gentlemen about this matter.

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: Calm down.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Nkombo: Calm down.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, we cannot debate ourselves. So, please, do not mention names.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I get your point and I stand guided, but they are in here.

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the rules of this august House are very clear and the hon. Minister on the Floor knows that Standing Order 65 requires that when we bring matters on the Floor of this august House, we must bring them factual and verifiable. Whilst there is no crime for anyone to be in the construction industry be they a politician or a business person, it is now becoming a concern that every time the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development is dealing with these matters pertaining to roads, he repeatedly cites hon. Members on your left hand side of bracketly –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, can we have some order. Listen to the point of order.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to continue making these bracket allegations on the hon. Members on your left hand side when he has a platform that is provided, through you, where he can avail that information which he has continued to bring on the Floor of this august House?

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious guidance so that this matter can be settled.

Madam Speaker: As I guided earlier, we are not supposed to debate ourselves here. So, if the hon. Minister has got the details of who did what, I am sure there are other agencies which can deal with those matters. We will learn in the press that a particular person has been arrested; maybe that is what we should wait for.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: I have guided the hon. Minister that he should not state the names.

Hon. Chilangwa interjected.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Chilangwa, no, no, no. I am sure you were not here when I warned hon. Members that this idea of debating from your seat, using vernacular and threatening others is not welcome. I am warning you that if you repeat, you will be serving a few days out of this House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! 

Madam Speaker: Can we make progress.

CONSTRUCTION OF TOWNSHIP ROADS IN KALOMO DISTRICT

17. Mr Kamboni (Kalomo Central) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

1. when the construction of township roads in Kalomo District will commence; and
2. what the cause of the delay in commencing the project is.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the ministry has not yet set a time line or timeframe for the commencement of the construction of township roads in Kalomo District. This august House may be aware that due to limited resources, the Government is streamlining the road sector commitments in the effort to reduce the debt to sustainable levels as a result of what used to happen in the past, where the Government over contracted roads, and we are seating on a huge debt mountain.

Madam Speaker, where as the budget for three years was K900 million, the Government of Patriotic Front (PF) procured roads up to K13 billion, leaving a balance of K12.1 billion, which we do not know where to find up to this moment. This is the reason we have slowed down on this particular activity, suffice it for me to also mention that most of those projects, including the ones in the constituency that I represent, Mazabuka, were stopped upon the Government’s own realisation, these ones here (pointing at the PF hon. Members) ...

Interruptions

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: ... that they had over contracted.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Minister, let us not point fingers. As I directed earlier on, let us not debate ourselves. If there was any wrong doing, we know who to report all these matters to. Please, let us stick to facts and not be confrontational.

May the hon. Minister continue.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the former Government initiated the stoppage of every project that was below 80 per cent as a result of its own realisation that it had over procured contracts everywhere; in the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the ministry responsible for infrastructure development. Thus, at one point, it realised that it had stifled the economy to a point where we all could not breathe. So, it stopped all the projects that were below 80 per cent in order to deal with the debt burden that it had created for us.

Madam Speaker, when we demolish this debt mountain that was left by the Patriotic Front (PF), we then can go back and work within the appropriated monies in the budget that this House, now with the majority of people who respect budgeting, appropriates. We are going to go back and deal with each district and try to make township roads that will be of bituminous standard without stifling the economy.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kamboni: Madam Speaker, it is just a request that whenever the money will be available, may Kalomo be considered first.

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister considering budgeting for the good people of Kalomo in 2023 bearing in mind the explanation given by the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development that the Government had succeeded in debt restructuring after acquiring money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that next year, we may have a relief?

Madam Speaker, bearing in mind, also, that I stand as the former hon. Minister responsible for infrastructure development, I see contractors (pointing at the UPND hon. Members) there and there.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Pambashe is doing exactly what ...

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, I was joking. I was just joking.

Madam Speaker: Okay. The hon. Member for Pambashe says it was on a light note. May the hon. Member for Pambashe continue without pointing any accusing fingers?

Interruptions

Mr Chitotela: Thank you, Madam. I noticed the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development looking very annoyed, so I wanted to lighten the moment.

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: Bearing in mind that the good people of Kalomo require bituminous roads, is the hon. Minister considering factoring them into the 2023 Budget? Considering, also, the clear explanation we had from the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development that we managed to restructure debt and it is at a sustainable level and that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given us that money which will basically deal with Budget support, which is mainly the balance of payment and the balance of trade, do we see Kalomo, the first capital city of Zambia, being considered next year for the upgrade of its roads to bituminous standard?

Eng. Milupi: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, as you know, I do not often rise on points of order. My explanation was very, very clear that the stages where we have been –

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister may state what breach has been committed.

Hon. Opposition Members: Nothing.

Hon. Government Members: Standing Order 65.

Eng. Milupi: Standing Order 65 says that matters we present before this House should be accurate and verifiable.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: May the hon. Minister continue.

Eng. Milupi: Thank you, hon. Colleagues.

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: My explanation was very clear. I have taken the House through the various stages where we are. The first one was to get the deal with the IMF that would now open the door to discussions with our creditors. I said that this Government is now in the process of holding discussions with our creditors.

Therefore, Madam Speaker, is the hon. Member for Pambashe in order to state here that I said that we have restructured the debt, when I said that we are still in the process of discussing with creditors and that when that is completed, that is when we shall see light at the end of the tunnel?

Is he in order, Madam Speaker?

Madam Speaker: Thank you. To the extent that the hon. Member for Pambashe said the restructuring of the debt has been completed, he was out of order. However, the hon. Member for Pambashe was basically asking whether the construction of roads for the people of Kalomo will be added in the 2023 Budget. I think, basically, that was his question. The rest of the issues, I think, as he said, were on a light note.

May the hon. Minister answer the question from the hon. Member for Pambashe.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, firstly, also on a light note, the hon. Member for Pambashe knows very well that I am not capable of an emotion called anger; it is for lesser men.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: Madam, he also touched on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and I have a feeling I understood where he was coming from.

Madam Speaker, the achievements that this Government, the New Dawn Government, has made over the period of one year being in office, which include the employment of over 34,000 teachers and 11,000 nurses did not happen in a vacuum. He referred to the IMF US$1.3 billion, which is, by the way, a Zambian programme that we negotiated with the IMF. This money was not for the purpose of building township roads in Kalomo. Despite the fact that Kalomo township roads are much of a priority as the entire country, I am afraid they are not in the 2023 Budget.

I thank you, Madam.

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Madam Speaker, I heard the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, yesterday and today, give a report on the scandals which happened in his ministry. I would say they could have sunk that ministry due to debts or over-contracting. What measures has he put in place to ensure that this does not happen, going forward?

Madam Speaker: You are trying to expand the question now, but since we are all concerned about this issue of debt and how to manage it, I will allow the hon. Minister to answer.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, when the Head of State, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, came here, one of the things he said was that never again shall Zambia find itself in the situation as we found it. That situation, honourable brother and friend, includes disrespect for the appropriation law. The reason we found ourselves in this malaise, I have said it over and over again, is failure to respect the law.

To tell you the truth, Madam Speaker, if we had to follow the law to the letter, the ministers of finance in the past, together with their Treasury secretaries, would have been locked up by now, or maybe enjoying bail, for allowing expenditure –

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: Excuse me. An Appropriation Bill, once done here, after we debate the Budget, as we will be doing in the next few weeks, is made law and is taken to State House by the Hon. Speaker for the President to assent to it. Anybody who abrogates law is faced with the consequence that dictates the penalty of that law, which includes arrest.

Mr Kafwaya: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Are you familiar with the tools that we are using? There is an icon to indicate when you want to raise a point of order. Okay, I have seen it now. The hon. Member for Lunte wants to raise a point of order. What is the point of order?

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker the point of order I intend to raise is based on Standing Order 65 which demands that an hon. Member tendering discourse must tender which is truthful and verifiable.

Madam Speaker, I have sat here listening to the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development tendering his discourse where he is marrying road contracts in his ministry with the Appropriation Act or Appropriation law. The Appropriation law is only valid for twelve months, but contracts signed can run for five years, ten years or three years. Can the hon. Minister indicate that all those roads in his ministry were contracted for twelve months and which twelve months? Is he in order to mislead both the House and the nation that contracts entered into only relate to twelve months covering the period of an Appropriation Act?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: What I was hearing was that the hon. Minister was referring to the approval process of the budget, that once the Budget has been approved, there is an Appropriation Act that is passed, which touches on the funds that have been allocated, which have to be used for that period. That was my understanding. So, I do not see where the misleading of the House comes from. Maybe the hon. Minister can just explain what he is saying.

Mr Nkombo: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Just last week, in order to crystallise my point, the President launched the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), which will run for five years as it has been in the past, alright. We have also the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which must speak to a plan like the 8NDP, which runs for three years, plus or minus.

We then have an annual budget that my hon. Colleague and friend is talking about. All these documents must speak to each other positively. So, if in a budgetary year, you decide to put inflated figures, more than that of the MTEF or the 8NDP, already you are on a trajectory to breaking the law.

Madam Speaker, the point I am speaking to now is that the former ruling party, which you refuse for me to mention by name, spent more than what we budgeted for. It is an offence to spend more money than what is appropriated in the budget. That is why I said, in a normal situation, where people wanted to follow the law to the letter, all controlling officers, Treasury secretaries and hon. Ministers of Finance who knew the budgetary figures and served under this particular Government you refuse me to mention would have been arrested put on bond to go and defend themselves at the courts of law for deciding to make a law called Appropriation Act just in order to break it. That is what I was trying to refer to.

Hon. PF Member: Question!

Mr Nkombo: The questions can come and answers will be provided.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Pambashe, we cannot have another point of order. We have just – so we can make progress. The next question by the hon. Member for Solwezi East

Mr Kambita: Madam Speaker, –

Interruptions 

Madam Speaker: I am also surprised. Who is the hon. Member for Solwezi East? We have the hon. Member for Solwezi East on Zoom. He mentioned the question number. So, maybe problems of connectivity, we go straight to the hon. Minister of Health.

Mrs Masebo rose.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, I had mentioned earlier on –.

May the hon. Minister resume her seat.

Hon. Members, we are all dignified people here. The comments that you are making are reaching me here. How can you refer to somebody as Anti-retrovirals (ARVs)? Hon. Member for Mkushi South, can you leave the House for today and today’s sitting will not be considered as a sitting.

Hon. UPND Members: Shame!

Mr Chisopa walked out of the Assembly Chamber.

Mr Nkombo: He is a road contractor that one.

Hon. UPND Member: Do not pay him.

Madam Speaker: Actually the comment was ama ARVs na yapwa, fyonse tafilebomba. Anyway, he has gone out. I do not want to make comments on that. We should learn what comments to make. When you are making comments there, I can hear them, whether in Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga or whatever. I can hear them

Hon. Member: Or Lozi.

Madam Speaker: Lozi is easy. Even Mbunda and Luvale, I can hear. So, please, let us behave ourselves.

Hon. Minister of Health, you may continue.

NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND RESEARCH IN ZAMBIA

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

1. whether the Government has any plans to set up a hub for nuclear medicine and research in Zambia;
2. if so, what the plans are;
3. when the plans will be implemented;
4. whether the Government has any plans to open wings for nuclear medicine at university teaching hospitals, countrywide; and
5. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

The Minister of Health (Mrs Masebo): Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to set up a hub for nuclear medicine and research in Zambia.

Madam Speaker, the Government has signed an engineering procurement and construction contract with the Russian Government to construct the Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) in Chongwe District of Lusaka Province.

The CNST will, among others, host a national nuclear medicine centre for diagnosis and treatment of diseases using nuclear techniques.

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that the Government intends to construct the CNST in a phased approach starting with the construction of a multi-purpose Gamma irradiator that will be used for the sterilisation of medical products and food preservation.

The second phase will be to construct a national nuclear medicine centre where radioisotopes will be produced using a 30 mega electron volts cyclotron to be used for diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions.

The House may also wish to note that currently all radioisotopes used in Zambia are imported at a huge cost to the Government.

Madam Speaker, the third phase will consist of the construction of a 10 MW research reactor for the production of radioisotopes for both industrial and medical applications. The research reactor will also be used for the training of nuclear specialists.

Madam Speaker, the plans to construct a national nuclear medicine centre will be implemented as soon as requisite funds are made available for this purpose.

Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to expand the nuclear medicine services to other parts of the county. The planned places include the Livingstone Central Hospital in the Southern Province and the Ndola Teaching Hospital on the Copperbelt and, thereafter, other provincial centres will follow.

The UTH already has a nuclear medicine department which has been in operation for more than twenty years.

Madam Speaker, for question in part (e), on the opening of wings of nuclear medicine at university teaching hospitals countrywide will be implemented as soon as funds are made available by the Treasury for site construction and procurement of equipment.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to ask a follow-up question on a point of clarification. Is the hon. Minister aware that twelve students were actually sent to Russia to train for the earmarked nuclear medicine facility. In her response, we have heard that the Government has very good plans to put up a nuclear medicine facility. However, we have not gotten the timeframe within which this will be completed and brought to use. Of course, for obvious reasons, this is all dependent on the fiscal space.

Now, what I want to know categorically is: What would happen to those twelve, who are currently training in Russia and are almost completing their training, when they come back here? Are we going to utilise this human resource in some other activity or will just leave them to waste like that, granted that the nuclear medicine facility may not be opened in the near future?

Mrs Masebo: Madam Speaker, in my response to part (d) of the question, I did state that the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs) already have a nuclear medical department which has been operational for more than twenty years. You will agree with me that generally, we have a shortage of health workers in most of our hospitals. So, there can be no time that we can have those trained specialists coming to sit. They will definitely be fused in even at UTHs at our cancer hospital.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, I want to find out whether the hon. Minister has taken stock of qualified nuclear experts that we have in the country, excluding those who are being trained. Further, are there plans to import nuclear experts who are going to work in those facilities that the Government intends to open up?

Mrs Masebo: Madam Speaker, I would not want to mislead the House. I do not have the numbers off cuff, suffice it for me to say that the ones we have are not enough even for the nuclear hospital that we have currently.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munir Zulu (Lumezi): Madam Speaker, thank you for permitting us, the most marginalised people, to ask the hon. Minister of Health a question.

Laughter

Mr Munir Zulu: The hon. Minister has said that after the Livingstone Central Hospital, and when funds are available, this programme will be extended to the rest of the country. Now, she knows very well that in some places of this country, we do not even have hospitals. Is this nuclear expansion going to supersede –

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised. Hon. Member for Mwembezhi, there are icons which you can click on when you want to raise a point of order. What is the point of order?

Mr Jamba: Madam Speaker, I am standing pursuant to Standing Order 65, which states that information given here must be verifiable.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Lumezi has constantly, whenever he stands here, said ‘We, the marginalised’. Is he in order to say he is marginalised when he has been given a seat there; he has also been given gadgets there; he has a parliamentary salary and an allowance; he has been given a vehicle; actually has a room at the Members Motel; and has also been given the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of K25.7 million –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mwembezhi, what breach has been occasioned?

Mr Jamba: Madam Speaker, he is misleading the House without factual information.

Madam Speaker: Which Standing Order?

Mr Jamba: Is he in order to say that he is marginalised without producing documents to prove how he is being marginalised? Is he in order to, every now and then, be bringing such a wrong impression on the State?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lumezi, as you debate, please, avoid using words like ‘marginalised’, unless you said it on a light note. However, if you have any concerns about being marginalised, in accordance with our Standing Orders, then maybe you can show proof that you are being marginalised. Otherwise, hon. Member for Lumezi, to the extent that you said that you are marginalised, you were out of order.

I hope the hon. Member for Lumezi is not saying the people of Lumezi are marginalised or is it only him who is marginalised? Whatever it is, hon. Member, can you withdraw the word ‘marginalised’.

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker, permit me to withdraw the words ‘the most marginalised people’, but replace them with ‘the least privileged people of Lumezi,’ where there is no hospital built when others have.

Madam Speaker, we are concerned that the hon. Minister, in her submission, says that after the Livingstone Central Hospital, she intends to expand the nuclear solutions to other departments across the country. Now, my question to the hon. Minister is: Which one is she prioritising? Is it the building of hospitals or the expansion of this nuclear energy?

When the hon. Minister was asked about a hospital, her response was, ‘When resources are available.’ When she was asked about nuclear solutions, she also said, ‘When resources are available.’ So, which one is she going to put as a priority?

Mrs Masebo: Madam Speaker, I think, on the first part of his question, to do with the fact that there is no hospital in his constituency or district; I can just advise that it is the Government’s desire to ensure that all districts of Zambia have hospitals or health posts. The ministry is well positioned to work with every hon. Member of Parliament, both on your right and left, to deliver better health services to our people because, at the end of the day, every Zambian deserves a hospital.

Madam Speaker, having said that, the identification of Livingstone and the Copperbelt is a matter that was decided on a long time ago. I think that every time we talk about decentralisation or the decentralising of issues of cancer treatment, we talk about Livingstone and the Copperbelt. There are reasons for that. For Livingstone, I want to believe that one of the reasons is that it is a tourist capital. Therefore, there has been a desire to ensure that, if we are going to have tourists there, we must have state-of-the-art health service delivery in that place. As for the Copperbelt, obviously, there are issues of population. In trying to meet as many people as possible, we are trying to ensure that where we have huge populations, we provide that service and, after that, roll it out.

Madam Speaker, I did say in my earlier answer that the issue of resources applies even to Livingstone and the Copperbelt. Thereafter, even for the other seven provinces, because Lusaka is already covered by a hospital, we would, again, need to make sure that they are budgeted for. So, take heart and do not feel that we are selective. We are not going to marginalise anybody. It is not our desire.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

BILLS

FIRST READING

THE ZAMBIA QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY BILL, 2022

The Minister of Defence (Mr Lufuma) (on behalf of the Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Qualifications Authority Bill, 2022. The objects of the Bill are to:

1. continue the existence of the Zambia Qualifications Authority and re-define its functions;
2. provide for the development and implementation of a National Qualifications framework;
3. provide for registration of qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework;
4. provide for verification and evaluation of qualifications;
5. constitute the board and re-define its functions;
6. provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Education, Science and Technology. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Friday, 14^th October, 2022. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA INSTITUTE OF SECRETARIES BILL, 2022

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Institute of Secretaries Bill, 2022. The objects of the Bill are to:

1. continue the existence of the Professional Secretaries Association of Zambia and re-name it as Zambia Institute of Secretaries and re-define its functions;
2. provide for the registration of professional secretaries;
3. regulate professional secretaries’ conduct;
4. constitute the Council of the Institute and provide for its functions; and
5. provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Cabinet Affairs. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House on Friday, 14^th October, 2022. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE ZAMBIA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY BILL, 2022

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Mubanga) (on behalf of Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Mulenga)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Development Agency Bill, 2022. The objects of the Bill are to:

1. continue the existence of the Zambia Development Agency and redefine its functions;

1. re-constitute the Board of the Agency and provide for its functions;
2. repeal and replace the Zambia Development Agency Act No. 2 of 2006; and
3. provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on National Economy Trade and labour matters. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Friday, 14^th October, 2022. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE INVESTMENT, TRADE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BILL, 2022

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Investment, Trade and Business Development Bill, 2022. The objects of this Bill are to:

1. foster economic growth and development by promoting trade, business development and investment in the Republic through an efficient, effective and coordinated private sector led economic development strategy;
2. promote economic diversification through the growth of exports;
3. promote, facilitate, protect and monitor domestic and foreign direct investment;
4. promote investment through joint ventures and partnerships between local and foreign investors;
5. facilitate the development of industrial infrastructure and commercial services;
6. promote research on matters related to industrial development;
7. facilitate the protection of infant industries; and
8. provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Friday, 14th October, 2022. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

Mr Nkulukusa (Katuba): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me and the people of Katuba an opportunity to comment on and debate the President’s Address. First of all, I want to put on record that the address inspired many young people and brought about hope that there is still an opportunity for an economy that is going to rebound, create jobs and bring about transformation.

Madam Speaker, I want to look at page 9 of the speech, which is the hallmark of what the President addressed in this House. Page 9 of the speech highlights four pillars that the President referred to as the drivers of the economy under the theme “Socio-Economic Transformation and Job Creation.”

Madam Speaker, out of the four pillars, I want to comment on one, and also quickly look at what the President called the enablers of the economy and how the trajectory of transforming Zambia into a middle-income economy is going to be actualised if we remain consistent and, of course, focused on pushing the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).

Madam Speaker, the four pillars that the President highlighted included agriculture, mining manufacturing and tourism. I want to dwell on the issue of tourism. It was gratifying to see that the President had indicated the rebounding nature of the tourism sector after suffering three years of decline because of many factors that included the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Madam Speaker, the rebounding of the tourism sector gives hope to many because the sector does not only contribute to the growth of the economy, but is also a double sword that looks at foreign exchange in terms of money that comes in through tourists as well as the redistribution of national wealth as many domestic tourists travel to various destinations that are really under low income brackets.

What was very encouraging, Madam Speaker, was to see the strategy that the country wants to embark on, which is to target more meetings and conferences.  This subsector of the economy is, today, the main game changer in many tourist destinations all over the country.

Madam Speaker, if we look at the meetings, incentives, conventions and events sector, which in the tourism sector is referred to as the MICE sector in short, it is a sector that brings many business people into a country. These business people are believed to have a lot of disposable income and leave higher financial footprint.

Madam Speaker, this sector, however, needs a lot of accessibility and the access to a country becomes very critical. I will give an example of Rwanda, which now is the leading MICE destination in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda is now beating South Africa because of how it has invested so much in its accessibility. I was happy when the President talked about us continuing to debate the issue of having a national airline that is responsive and that can make the country more accessible by all those that want to travel for meetings.

Madam Speaker, we have invested a lot, so far, in the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC). If we look at the Kenneth Kaunda Wing, it will need us to host many meetings for it to make economic sense and give value for money. Therefore, it was very good and pleasing to hear the President talk about how we can improve and continue to consider to cut costs on airlines so that we become more accessible.

Madam Speaker, to become a MICE destination, you must be able to crop all the people in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the region to bring them to your destination. South Africa was the biggest destination, but we can see how Rwanda, by investing in being more accessible, has now overtaken the region to become the biggest MICE destination, even beating Addis Abba which has a lot of accessibility through its national airline.

Madam Speaker, may I now move to look at what the President called the ‘enablers’. One of the enablers that he talked about was the investment in the Information Communication Technology (ICT), as we rebound the economy. The President called it the ‘digitalisation of the economy.’ Indeed, the digitalisation of the economy is one of the biggest enablers of every sector of the economy.

Madam, if we look at issues of corruption, digitalisation of most of the things will fight corruption because everything will be on the web, in the digital space. As we continue to plan in tourism, agriculture and mining, we need to use the digital space that can create opportunities for us to do business better and increase the speed of doing business, and create the competitive nature of this country in those areas.

Madam Speaker, what we now need to see is how we can realise, through this socioeconomic transformation, the Vision 2030, which is a middle-income economy, of course, which was crafted some time back. We have had some lost years in between and, maybe, we may even need to push it a bit further so that we can look at the 8NDP and push the agenda of how we can achieve the Vision 2030.

Madam Speaker, the Vision 2030 is going to be achieved with consented effort, good planning and ensuring that we get value for money from whatever we have put our resources on. We can only do that if we ensure that we use the digital space because it has the power to transform the economy and change the way we do business and increase our competitive capabilities so that we can create more wealth and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I agree and submit that the address was really inspirational and gives hope for the future.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to comment on the President’s speech.

Madam Speaker, what I imagined the President would do was, firstly, to open this session. Secondly, direct sector players, particularly hon. Ministers, on what he expects in the next twelve months and, thirdly, talk about topical issues which have been happening in our country. As to whether the President addressed all those three issues is a matter of conclusion by those who heard him and those who read his speech.

Madam, on page 1, the President said:

“We acknowledge the support given to our leadership by the Zambian people during our successful first year in office.”

If the President just said ‘in our first year in office’, I would have picked no issues. The fact that he said it was ‘a successful year’, aroused me because I thought about three –

Hon. Government Members: Aroused?

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, let us –

Mr Kafwaya: My feelings were aroused –

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Lunte, Order!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, let us allow the hon. Member to debate. If you have any concern or issue that you want to raise, arising from his debate, we have provided notebooks. Take a note and either rebut that point or agree with him. Debating while we are seated is not going to help. The hon. Member is debating according to what he understands. So, let us allow him to debate.

May the hon. Member for Lunte continue.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, the mention of a first successful year aroused me and, immediately, I thought about the over 300 houses in Chingola which were demolished by the Government; the confusion at the Black Mountain which the Government has created; and the mobile money booths which have been destroyed by the Government.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: I thought that was not success. It was actually failure. So, the choice of words there was inappropriate according to me because, when you consider how those people are suffering by the actions of the Government, you cannot say it was a successful one year in office.

Madam, on page 3, the President said:

“It is for this reason that we have prioritised fiscal discipline, through enhanced transparency and accountability, …”

I was very concerned about the use of the words ‘transparency and accountability’ and I still am. Here is why: Madam Speaker, consider what is happening even on the issue of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package. It had to take the IMF itself to release some of the conditions for members of the public to become aware of what is contained therein. How then can you select words such as transparency?

Madam Speaker, who knows what is contained in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning the establishment of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and yet we are talking about transparency? The issue is that there is no transparency. Here is what I would have expected: I would have expected the President to say, under this transparency issue, here are the laws and policies which we have introduced in the past twelve months and the structural adjustments we have made to institutions to show that we are serious about the issue of transparency.

Madam Speaker, transparency was not the only issue, he also talked about accountability. There too, I have serious problems. Just yesterday, we were talking across the Floor with an hon. Minister who is presiding over confusion of the highest order in terms of procurement of fertiliser. That cannot be accountability.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order based on Standing Order 206 of our Standing Orders, 2021:

“(1)      The official dress for a male Member shall be –

1.  formal executive suit, or a pair of long trousers, a shirt, a neck tie and jacket;
2. a toga;
3. a decent traditional attire such as siziba; or

(d)       a safari suit, with long or short sleeves and a scarf or a neck tie.”

As I make my point of order, may I please request that the hon. Member debating on the Floor be upstanding, through you, so that we can see the suit –

Laughter

Madam Speaker: No, hon. Minister, just raise your point of order. Those other matters –

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, is he in order to come to this House in khaki trousers, a psychedelic shirt and a jacket, against Standing Order 206?

I seek your ruling.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Now, I have to find out whether the hon. Member is properly attired.

Mr Mundubile: He is okay. I approved.

Mr Kafwaya rose.

Madam Speaker: The combination, okay. He looks okay.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member can proceed.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, forcing underage children to drink Kachasu is not accountability

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Lunte, let us remain relevant. I have not seen Kachasu in this speech.

You may proceed.

Laughter

Mr Kafwaya: Buying a motorbike for K131,000 is certainly not accountability. This is what the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government is doing.

Madam Speaker, on page 37, the President said:

“To improve the governance environment, the Government is resolved to implementing decentralisation by devolving public service delivery to the local authorities, as well as empowering our communities –

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

Madam Speaker: Order!

I am sorry, hon. Member for Lunte, I do not want to interrupt you, but there is an indication for a request to raise a point of order by the hon. Member for Chienge. What is the point of order?

A point of order is raised.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, I will not take much of your time and I am sorry for disturbing the flow of thought of the hon. Member for Lunte.

Madam, is the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development in order to fail to announce on the Floor of the House that he is an interested party? He sells men’s suits and has not just told his hon. Colleague to go and get a suit.

Laughter

Rev. Katuta: He sells suits. He was trying to use the Floor of the House. Is he in order?

Laughter

Madam Speaker: The rules are that there can never be a point order on another point of order. Please, let us not use the Floor of the House for marketing. However, I think the hon. Member for Lunte has taken note.

Laughter

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I have just been reminded; my thoughts went away a bit. I had just begun to talk about the confusion in the procurement of fertiliser.

Madam Speaker, we have talked about this issue several times, and the President is aware. The President cannot call that accountability. It is impossible for anyone to call that accountability. A contract was just cancelled. Let me not waste time on that issue because that is a matter for another time.

Madam Speaker, the President, on page 37, is talking about improving the governance environment. The measures that he establishes are meant to improve internal control environment. The President was completely elsewhere. He cannot be talking about the governance environment by the use of control activities. Therefore, it is my proposal to the United Party for National (UPND) Government to guide the President. When you want to project a concept, use the tools which support that concept. Internal controls and governance controls are very different. What I expected was for the President to talk about leadership, its acquisition and its maintenance. He should have talked about diversity in leadership; the legal frameworks; and policy frameworks surrounding the improvements that he has made.

Madam Speaker, what was even more important for me is that I noted that the President begun his address by saying, “We are privileged” and ended it by saying, “it is now my honour and privilege.” He should choose between ‘we’ and ‘I’. Throughout the text, he needs to be consistent. This is because the moment he says, ‘I’, he is able to direct the hon. Ministers, but if he says, ‘we’, then they are included. So, who is being directed in this address?

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, let me just give guidance. As we debate, we are all guided by our Standing Orders. What we are supposed to debate is the content of the speech, the impact and the policies in the speech. When we start making references which impute on improper motives by the President, it is not allowed by our Standing Orders. In this regard, I will refer hon. Members to Standing Order 65 (2), Content of Speech:

“A member who is debating shall not –

1. impute any improper motives to the President, Vice-President or any other member.”

So, if the manner in which you are debating is to impute any improper motive on the President, I think you are going on the wrong track. So, let us debate issues.

You may proceed.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, in the first sentence, the President said, “We are delighted” and on page 48, he said, “it is now my honour.” It is properly in his speech and he mentioned these words. Therefore, I was just trying to demonstrate that there is inconsistency in the choice of the grouping. The President could have chosen one and been consistent throughout in order to give directives properly to his team members.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mrs Sabao (Chikankata): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Chikankata an opportunity to contribute to this very important debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Speech presented by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on 9^th September, 2022.

Madam Speaker, I will focus my debate on page 9 of the speech under the four strategic development areas of the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). I will mainly focus on economic transformation and job creation. I will then narrow it down to agriculture because I come from a rural constituency that is dominated by agricultural activities.

Madam Speaker, before I proceed with my debate, I would like –

Mr Munir Zulu: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker, permit me to rise on Standing Order 206 (2) (a) and (b)

“(a)     a formal dress, formal executive suit either with a skirt below the knee or a pair of trousers; or

1. a decent traditional attire such as a formal 'Chitenge' outfit with long or short sleeves, Musisi.”

Madam Speaker, I had the rare privilege to consult my elder brother and friend, Hon. Amutike. The hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwe Central together with the Hon. Member of Parliament for Mapatizya, their skirts are way below their knees.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious ruling.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: So, hon. Member for Lumezi, you want their skirts to be above the knees?

Laughter

Mrs Munashabantu: (pointing at Mr Munir Zulu) at your peril because you came to see the legs.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member for Lumezi is out of order.

Hon. Member for Chikankata, proceed.

Interruptions

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, before I proceed with my debate, I would like to tender my gratitude to the New Dawn Government, under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for giving the people of Chikankata six bags of fertiliser each during the last farming season.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, our people used to receive two bags of fertiliser each, which was a mockery for the people of Chikankata who depend on agriculture. I thank the New Dawn Government for that.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, in the speech, the President mentioned irrigation mechanisation. Zambia has 40 per cent of the fresh waters in Africa and most of the provinces in Zambia have water bodies with fresh waters. In Chikankata, there is the Kafue River, and this is the district that supplies power to this country, meaning that the district already has the main resource for irrigation, which is water and power. The only thing lacking is the equipment for irrigation. However, with the pronouncement made by His Excellency, the people of Chikankata are very happy that the President understands agriculture. He knows that when irrigation is brought to this country, the people of Chikankata will also benefit.

Madam Speaker, during the past regime, the only thing we were lacking as a country was political will. As a country, we have all the factors of production for us to concentrate on in the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector can bring development to this country. This is a sector that can create the much needed jobs and reduce poverty at household level. 

Madam Speaker, looking at the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in Chikankata, if we introduced irrigation, there would be mass production at household level. At commercial level, we would have mass production, meaning that as a country, we would be able to export. Using our own local resources, we will add value to the products that we are going to get from agriculture. The country would have more resources to develop.

Madam Speaker, the other point the President mentioned was extension services. As an agricultural area, Chikankata has had many challenges because of a lack of extension services. Most of our officers in Chikankata do not have transport to go out in the villages to help our villagers with how to care for their crops and livestock. With the pronouncement made by His Excellency, the people of Chikankata are happy that the future is bright because, with extension services, our people will know what type of soil they have in their areas. When you know the soil, you will be advised what type of crop to plant, where and when.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Our people will be advised on what type of fertiliser to use on their crops. Our people will have the information on what pesticides to use for them to manage their crops. In the recent past, we have had a challenge because we did not have information. I will give you a practical example of what happens in Chikankata. We have fourteen camps, but only four houses for our officers, meaning the other ten do not have accommodation.

Madam, we do not have transport, and it has been a challenge for our officers to go out there and educate the masses on how to take care of their crop and livestock, hence our livestock has been dying. In Chikankata, and the Southern Province in general, our main lifestyle is agriculture, which is crops and livestock, but because of a lack of information, we have been failing to know which crop to plant and where and when. We have been failing to take care of our animals.

Madam Speaker, currently, the Southern Province, and Chikankata in particular, is poor when we have all the resources given to us by God, which are land, water, knowledge and manpower. However, we do not have the equipment for us to cultivate the right products. With the pronouncement made by His Excellency, we realise that Zambia is headed for a better future for everyone because the agricultural sector will be able to bring resources that will develop this country.

Madam Speaker, for your information, had Chikankata been developed and given the needed resources for it to improve its agriculture, it would have been a better place for everyone. Chikankata would have been developed and it would have been a goldmine for Zambia. It would have been better than Mwinilunga, where the Kasenseli Goldmine is.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Chikankata would be the best in this country.

Madam Speaker, the President’s Speech speaks for the people of Chikankata and for the Zambian people in general. What we need is to support the President’s Speech. This is not a political speech, but a development speech, hence I urge all hon. Members of this august House not to politicise, but support it.

The President put his position clearly. We as hon. Members of Parliament have the position to influence the implementation of his speech. We are doing this not for ourselves or for political mileage, but for Zambians and the development of this country. Let us do the best so that even the people who will come after us, the next generation, will know that there was a team of leaders that had love for this country unlike just politicking for votes.

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I urge fellow hon. Members of Parliament to support the President’s Speech for the betterment of Zambians.

I thank you, Madam.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulunda (Siavonga): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a few comments on the President’s Address to this House and the nation.

Madam Speaker, I want to start my debate from page 11, where the President indicated that we are walking the talk. Everyone should agree with that statement from the President that, indeed, he is walking the talk.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulunda: I want to give the reasons I am saying the President brought that statement. Look at the campaign messages that the President gave to the nation. He told the nation that he was going to make it possible for our children to go to school for free. He said that he was going to make it possible to increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million to K25.7 million. He said he was going to create employment.

I know that from the previous regime, those were songs that were sung that never came to pass; that it was going to create employment. The President said that we are walking the talk and he created employment. He employed teachers, nurses, doctors and other health workers and increased the CDF. This is why the House is quiet. What are we going to talk about? In the previous session, during the Patriotic Front (PF) regime, we were making a lot of noise on our side because we felt that development was one-sided.

Hon. Government Member: One Zambia, One Side.

Mr Mulunda: It was One Zambia, One Side, but now, it is One Zambia, One Nation. There were those things and that is why we were making a lot of noise. This time, who is going to talk? their children, their nieces,  their relatives and everybody are employed. When it comes to the CDF, everybody has it. Even if they talk here, their people down there in their constituencies are jubilating and rejoicing. They are excited because they have received the monies and they have received the development which they have been yearning for.

Madam Speaker, we heard one teacher actually mention that, “I got employed without ka sumfing.”

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulunda: This means that before, one could not find employment. One could not get into the Government. One could not get employed without ka sumfing.

Laughter

Mr Mulunda: Now, we have everything moving in the direction that everybody desires. Today, we feel there is fresh air. At the expense of debating my hon. Colleagues, Hon. Kafwaya,  is a free man today. We used to have cadres who used to move here and there. He was an hon. Minister at that time –

Mr Kafwaya rose.

Madam Speaker: Order, order!

Hon. Member, do not mention other hon. Members, just debate.

Mr Mulunda: I withdraw that, Hon. Speaker. What I wanted to say is that those people, when they were at the helm, we used to see a lot of confusion. On these roads, they could park in the middle of the road and tell everybody to turn and we could turn. We could not do anything. Can you see that today?

Hon. Government Members: No!

Mr Mulunda: It is not there. Why? It is because there is order. There is political will. There is somebody on that steering wheel because a vehicle cannot be on autopilot. There is somebody to control it. He said that if you continue with cadrerism, then you are alone. Whatever you do, you are alone.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the CDF and how it has helped our constituencies and how it has touched the lives of the people. Today, when you go to every constituency, you will find women, youths and everybody applying for the funds and they are able to access those funds easily. What else are we looking for? There is complete political will.

Madam, when people were aiming to change the Government, this is one of the things that they were looking for. They really wanted to see that when you walk into an institution, you are recognised. When you walk into an institution, people will not look at your name or your region, but look at the thing that you are looking for. If you are looking for employment, do you have the requisite qualifications? If you do, then you get employed. Very soon, when the Zambia Army and the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) and the police employ, I do not know who will be talking then because all of us, money would have come to our places. Money would have come into our homes.

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the International Monetary Fund (IMF). One of the hon. Colleagues, I have been restrained from mentioning names, but somebody from your left was saying you are not exporting, you are not doing anything, but the exchange rate is coming down. We who grew up in the villages, there used to be a tradition that if you want to marry somebody, if you want to marry because you have seen a lady, elders would tell you, “Do not go to that house.” Even the IMF had reasons it could not give the past regime the package.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulunda: It had a reason. You cannot go into that home. You can only go to this home because there is prudence in this house.

Hon. Government Members: Correct!

Mr Mulunda: Madam Speaker, global confidence came back to Zambia and we have seen all investors trekking to Zambia. We have seen the exchange rate going down. Everybody was hiding their monies. In Tonga, we say, amu jate ma bege.

Hon. Member: Meaning?

Mr Mulunda: It means, hold your bags of money.

Hon. Members: Otherwise?

Mr Mulunda: Otherwise, it will be stolen.

So now, when investors see that there is peace in the country and they are able to do whatever they want to do, why should they panic and hold on to their bags? They will leave them. The peace that has come in country has made the world have confidence that Zambia is the next destination and investors can invest their money because there is prudence, peace and no cadrerism. There is no more kamugodi somewhere ku Soweto.

Hon. Member: Meaning?

Mr Mulunda: That place where they used to torture our people. The torture chamber is no longer there. When investors saw that, you saw everything get stabilised. Indeed, things were rough when this Government took over. Things were very rough and the Government did extract ordinary things in order to control the economy and bring it to where it is today. Many people said we would not manage, but here we are. In 2024, we will just be reporting here, chat and go back because there will be nothing to debate. Everything will be alright at that time and our hon. Colleagues will believe. Even during campaigns, they were told that this is what was going to happen, but they never believed. Once more, they will believe.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Banda (Muchinga): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the people of Muchinga an opportunity to debate the President’s Speech.

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, though still valid, my point of order was meant to be raised contemporaneously on the hon. Member for Siavonga, who lamented here about the issue of cadrerism.

Madam Speaker, Standing Order 65 (a) states that matters we bring on the Floor should be factual and verifiable. Just this afternoon, as he was on the Floor, we received gruesome pictures of your own hon. Member of Parliament for Feira, who has been brutally attacked by the hon. Member’s party colleagues –

Hon. UPND Members: No!

Mr Mutale: Mule kana.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, was the hon. Member in order? I wanted to take advantage of his lamentations to bring to his attention that an hon. Member, as I speak to you, has been attacked and we have received gruesome pictures courtesy of electronic platforms. Was he in order to praise himself and his party in that fashion?

I seek your serious guidance

Madam Speaker: From my understanding, the hon. Member was debating the policy as articulated in the President’s Speech. I was here when the President said that if there is a cadre, the cadre will be on his own. So, if there is anybody who has attacked any hon. Member for Feira, they will face the law on their own because –

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: So, we are discussing policy statements here. May the Hon. Member for Muchinga proceed.

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, I was just saying thank you for giving the good people of Muchinga an opportunity to debate the President’s Speech that was delivered on 9^th September, 2022.

Madam Speaker, let me start by mentioning something that the President talked about regarding the Zambian economy. Firstly, allow me to disagree with my brother who debated two days ago, who mentioned that the gain of the kwacha against the major foreign currencies might be artificial.

Madam Speaker, the people of Muchinga are saying that the good policies put in place by the New Dawn Government have led to the gain of the Zambian kwacha against the United States of America (USA) dollar.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, it is on record that when a country is peaceful and has good policies, investors will have confidence to invest in that country. This is what is happening to Zambia at the moment.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E Banda: Many people are ready to come and invest in Zambia because the New Dawn Government has put in place measures that are there to safeguard their investments, and this has led to the kwacha gains. As the kwacha grows we have seen prices of commodities going down and this is not a secret.

Madam Speaker, if you go into Shoprite and other supermarkets, you will see that prices of things now have started going down. This is good for the country. I want to believe that every patriotic Zambia should support what the President said regarding the economy. We do not need to politic just for the sake of politicking because things are there for everyone to see.

Madam Speaker, I also want to talk on the mining. The President talked about it as something that can bring wealth to Zambia and to many Zambians.

Madam Speaker, currently, there are many illegal mining activities, especially in my district, Serenje. This is because of the bad mining laws. Big companies are given exploration licences, but do not do any exploration for years, but are allowed to renew such licences and are not ready to give mining consents to local people. This has led the local people to resort to illegal mining.

Madam Speaker, illegal mining is taking away Government revenue. When people do illegal mining, no one pays revenue to the Government and no one goes to chiefs to get consent. As a result, chiefs also do not benefit anything from their resources.

Madam Speaker, it is for this reason the people of Serenje are asking that mining laws be considered so as to be in line with what the President said; that mining should benefit the Zambian people. We should look at this seriously. It will bring a lot of wealth to our people and sanity in the mining industry. This time, there is no safety and people are dying in these areas where they are doing illegal mining because safety is not being taken into consideration.

Madam Speaker, there should be a deliberate policy that if a company is given an exploration license, and after four years, it has not done any exploration in that particular area, the license should not be renewed. However, we have seen a situation where companies get exploration licenses and keep on renewing them even when they are not doing anything thereby not giving a chance to those who can do simple mining such as artisanal mining activities.

Madam Speaker, I also want to mention that in the past, we saw a situation where people would just wake up and start insulting the President without regard to the importance of that office. I want to say, I heard the President talk about coming up with a law that will protect the Office of the President.

I want to call upon all Zambians and Parliamentarians who mean well for Zambia to support that law. It cannot be a country where a person can just wake up and start to insult and we go out laughing just like that. People are laughing at us Zambians. Even those on the left today might one day be on the right. If they do not come up to support a good law that protects the Office of the President, then we are not a country that we can be proud of.

Madam Speaker, I also want to mention that the free education policy –

Madam Speaker: Order!   

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order in line with Standing Order 65, which says that an hon. Member who is debating shall ensure that the information he or she provides to the House is factual and verifiable.

The hon. Member on the Floor is saying that the President said that the Government is going to come up with laws that protect the Office of the President. In actual sense, the President said that the Government will come up with laws that repeal what exists at the moment. Therefore, is the hon. Member in order to mislead this House and the people who are watching and listening?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: What I understand is that in the President’s Speech, there was a reference to the repeal and replacement of the law on defamation. So, whether it is to protect the President or not, is the hon. Member for Muchinga’s interpretation because the President did not give details of how this repeal is going to be effected. Therefore, that is the hon. Member’s understanding of that statement. In this case, the hon. Member is in order and may proceed.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, English is not our mother tongue. We just learn it. Probably, blue in my eyes might be white in somebody else’s. I understood it like that, Madam Speaker, thank you.

Madam Speaker, I also want to say that the Free Education Policy is not a joke. Some of us have constituencies in the valley, where pupils had never seen the walls of a classroom. This time around, with the good policies of the New Dawn Government, we have all the pupils in school. Even those parents who could not pay for them are now leveraged to have their pupils in school because the Government is paying for them.

Madam Speaker, this cannot go unappreciated by the good people of Muchinga.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, being a rural constituency, Muchinga also hopes to benefit a lot from the rural road works that the President talked about. Muchinga has been in existence for some time, but the roads are quite bad. We hear that in some districts, there was massive development in the past. We never saw that in areas like Muchinga. This time around, however, I can mention here that things are happening.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, allow me to donate a few seconds that I still have to debate to the next debater.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much for yielding forty-five seconds.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to contribute to debate on the President’s Speech, which was delivered on Friday last week. The people of Kaumbwe Constituency send their greetings to the House and also make an invitation for the Kutila Nsembe Ceremony that is going to take place this Saturday at the palace.

Hon. Members: Which palace?

Dr Mwanza: It is at Mwanjabantu Palace, right in the middle of Kaumbwe Constituency. I am inviting everyone so that they go and hear and see how the Nsengas do it, after the President’s Speech.

Madam Speaker, I will begin by giving a eulogy of Kaumbwe Constituency. I am presiding over a constituency which is the least developed in the country. Out of 156 constituencies, Kaumbwe Constituency is number 156. It is the least developed. This is obviously evidenced in the report from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning on the sub-sector analysis. Kaumbwe is standing at 94.9 per cent poverty level.

Madam Speaker, this is a constituency which borders Mozambique with, at least, 150 km of an informal border. There is no government boarding secondary school. The constituency has more than 60,000 people and there is no piped water. There is no border post. We access merchandise from Petauke, which is about 70 km away.

Madam Speaker, we want to thank the Government for giving us the first mini hospital.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: We are looking forward to its being operational.

Madam Speaker, when you talk about transport network, access between communities, it is almost inaccessible. There is no communication between communities.

Madam Speaker, coming from this background and listening to the President’s Speech which was delivered in this House on Friday, we the people of Kaumbwe Constituency looked and analysed the President’s Speech very carefully with anxiety. The anxiety comes in due to the fact that the speech brought a lot of hope for the people of Kaumbwe Constituency.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: This hope is envisaged from the following: Firstly, it is stated on page 3 that in the first year, the New Dawn Government prioritised the implementation of socioeconomic interventions aimed at stabilising, repairing and reviving our economy. From this priority, the results are already stated in the document, such as efforts on inflation and national reserves. This shows that the results are consistent –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, can we listen to the debate quietly.

Dr Mwanza: Madam Speaker, it shows that the results are consistent with the priorities set for the past one year. For the following year, which is this year, it is stated that the New Dawn Government is to tackle the debt crisis.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: This is in terms of restructuring the debt and reviving hope for this economy to go back to its trails.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: The measures that are outlined in the restructuring of the debt are in the document and are very clear.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: For example, there is the deal that is sealed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). There is also the opening up of a nickel mine and many more other foreign investments in the country. This, of course, comes with a bit more hardship on the Zambian people because we expect that, to do debt restructuring, we need to tighten our belts in terms of the living standards. What is expected of hon. Members of Parliament and leaders is to support the Government’s programmes ...

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: ... as anchored on the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). We have looked at the four pillars, which are agriculture, mining, tourism and industrialisation.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: As the people of Kaumbwe Constituency, we are just looking at those opportunities that are set on the four pillars.

Madam Speaker, I will go to agriculture. Our livelihood depends on agriculture and the Government has said forthwith in the document, through the President’s Speech, that there is almost 1 million farmers who will benefit from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: Madam Speaker, our appeal, as Kaumbwe Constituency people, is for the revival of the economy of Kaumbwe so that we can contribute to the national basket. We appeal to the Government to strengthen agricultural policies in our constituency by setting up farm blocks. We have plenty of land and very hard working people. Unfortunately, the soils need fertilisers.

Madam Speaker, let me go further. It is sad that currently, our constituency is unable to appreciate the Government’s efforts in terms of free education because we have no government boarding secondary school. Even when we did the allocation of grants, only seventy pupils met the criterion. That means, out of the K4.8 million allocated for grants, we can only use K300,000 or K400,000, hence, the answer through the President’s Speech is anchored, also, on the Constituency Development fund (CDF) which has been increased from K1.6 million to K25.7 million.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: The people of Kaumbwe Constituency are thankful to the New Dawn Government because this is a game changer for our rural constituency.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Mwanza: We have already prioritised our people’s need to access free education by building government boarding secondary schools.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. Member’s time expired

Dr Mwanza: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Xiexie ni meaning thank you.

Madam Speaker: As the hon. Dr. Eng. was propounding on the speech there was an indication for a request point of order to be raised by the hon. Member for Lumezi. What is the point of order?

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker I thank you sincerely for permitting to rise on this point of order, Standing Order 65 (b) to be precise.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member has just told the House that we should tighten our belts without bringing verified information on the Floor of the House. How are we going to tighten our belts? Is hunger looming? What is it that we are tightening? Was he in order to tell the House that we should tighten our belts? If he is in order, was it under the theme of uberimai fidei. I seek you serious ruling.  

Madam Speaker: I did not understand the last words that you used?

Mr Munir Zulu: I mentioned 65 (b) because you have now taught me to memories your standing orders. So, 65 (1) (b) to be precise:

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

He has told the House that we should tighten our belts. Is he being factual that we should tighten our belts? If so, I used a word uberimae fidei, meaning in utmost good faith. I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Kaumbwe is discussing the President’s Speech. In this speech there is a necessity for people to look after the resources. So, if one is looking after the resources means, for the economy to succeed, we have to tighten our belts. So, in that context, I find nothing wrong with the hon. Member saying we should tighten our belts.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: (Nalikwanda): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me time to debate on the President’s Speech. My debate will revolve on the education and health sectors.

Madam Speaker, I like the way the United Party for National Development (UPND) is running the education sector. It is a rational way of doing things. The President stated that at the end of the year 2023, no child shall sit on the Floor that is very good.

Madam Speaker, firstly, when the New Dawn Government came into power, there were many pupils who were not in school for the reason that parents were not able to pay school fees. Secondly, many pupils were not able to write theirs exams because examination fees were too high. The New Dawn Government came in and waived all those fees. That was the first step.

The second step was, the Government sat down and said, how are the literacy levels in the country? Even those who were able to pay schools fees did not have teachers to teach them. The teacher/pupil ratio was very high and teachers were not even concentrating. The Government came in and said, “We are going to employ teachers.” Just recently, we employed 34,000 and all them have been posted to their respective schools.

Hon. UPND Member: Prior to that, I heard one hon. Member say children were drinking Kachasu. I agree with him because the previous Government was charging pupils fees that their parents were not able to pay. So, these pupils were in villages drinking Kachasu and Seven Days. So, I agree with him. For now, there is no pupil who is in the village drinking Kachasu because all are in school all the time.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukosa: What is Kachasu?

Mr Simunji: Madam Speaker, Kachasu is a local beer which is brewed everywhere in the country …

Hon. UPND Member: Do not even answer him.

Mr Simunji: I am very sure even my hon. Colleague knows what I am talking about. In fact, even I drink it.

Laughter

Mr Simunji: Madam Speaker, thirdly, all these policies are being supplemented by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The President stated that in the year 2023, we all have to buy desks for our pupils.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: We have been given K25.7 million and all hon. Members are supposed to buy desks for pupils. In addition, the Government will come in and buy more desks. This is a rational way of doing things in the Government.

Madam Speaker, in the second part, I just want to say thank you to the New Dawn Government. Since 1964 when we got independence, Nalikwanda Constituency has never had a hospital. Immediately the new Government came in, I was granted a hospital and construction has already started.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: Let us roll back. Our hon. Colleagues on your left talked about 650 health posts. This was a loan from the Indian Government. Eighty seven of those have not been constructed and Nalikwanda was only allocated one. How were they distributed? Everyone knows that Nalikwanda is a vast constituency. If you give one health post to Nalikwanda, then what are you doing?

Madam Speaker, they got another loan from the United Kingdom (UK) Government for doing mini hospitals, but it was at the mercy of each hon. Minister who was at the Ministry of Health to distribute these mini hospitals. I was told some constituencies were having three or four hospitals. Nalikwanda had zero until the new Government came in.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: Madam Speaker, my appeal to the Government on the health posts and mini hospitals which are going to be constructed, is that let people sit down and distribute these them fairly. Let us look at areas which never benefited. We should not take these mini hospitals to areas which already benefited.

Madam Speaker, the way these people were running the Government was that when borrowing money, it was One Zambia One Nation, when paying, it was also One Zambia in Nation and when distributing it was one Zambia two nations.

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: Some areas were not benefiting at all. Some of those people are there on your left and they know themselves. They cannot even ague with me.

Madam Speaker, let me get to the third matter. We have been given support by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is very good. Last year, when I was doing my maiden speech here, I almost cried. Instead of our hon. Colleagues on the left going to the IMF and the World Bank to borrow money for investment, they went to commercial banks to get kaloba.

Mr Tayengwa: Meaning?

Mr Simunji: People were crying that, “Please, do not go there.”

Hon. Government Member: Cry as well!

Mr Simunji: No, I will not cry.

Madam Speaker: What does ‘Kaloba’ mean, hon. Member?

Hon. Government Member: Black market!

Mr Simunji: Black market.

Laughter

Mr Simunji: Madam Speaker, with the New Dawn Government, we now have good will from the World Bank and the IMF. Just by aligning ourselves with the World Bank and IMF, you have seen what has come up. A lot of foreign currency has come into the country.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Simunji: Everyone, even from the other side can see the results. Our exchange rate has strengthened and our import cover is now at 3.9, which they left at 1.9. Madam, these people should appreciate what the new Government is doing.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, may I say thank you very much for giving me time.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Order!

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1822 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 16^thSeptember, 2022.

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