Tuesday, 28^th February, 2023

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

MR MUTALE, HON. MEMBER FOR CHITAMBO, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HEALTH, MRS MASEBO, AND HON. MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT, MR KABUSWE, ON A STRANGE DISEASE IN CHITAMBO AND SERENJE

Mr Mutale (Chitambo): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Mutale: Madam Speaker, this matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Health and hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development.

Madam Speaker, I was in Chitambo and Serenje and witnessed, with my own eyes, a strange disease that is affecting our people there whereby, they are shaking and looking as if they are insane. When I ask the general public, they are saying that this disease is emanating from the pollution of a mine and affecting people working at the smelters in the area.

Madam Speaker, this problem has caused panic in the community, and I am very well informed that it has been brought to the attention of the concerned hon. Ministers and other authorities.

Madam Speaker, my bringing this matter to your office is because the hon. Minister of Health and hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development have kept quiet on this matter. As a concerned Member of Parliament, whom the people are complaining to, I thought it would be wise for me to bring this matter to the attention of the nation and yourself for further guidance.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MR KAFWAYA, HON. MEMBER FOR LUNTE, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING, DR MUSOKOTWANE, ON FUNDS NOT BEING RELEASED TO THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SPORT AND ARTS

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

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

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, thank you so much for according me this opportunity to rise on a matter of urgent public importance which I direct at the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Madam Speaker, let me just remind you that last Friday, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, invited me to work with him on matters of accounting and I accepted that invitation there and then. As a patriotic Zambian, I can assure you that I will be as patriotic and honest as I possibly can be in assisting His Excellency the President in that particular area of accounting.

Madam Speaker, let me now come to the issue. When the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Arts, Mr Chileshe, was advising federations, he indicated that they should only travel when funding is available. He said:

“We have had floods in some parts of the country like the Southern Province and other areas. Part of the resources has been diverted to the urgencies and, as a result, many ministries have been affected. We have the unforeseen circumstances which require quick interventions and the Government has to act immediately.”

Madam Speaker, this is February, the second month in the implementation of the National Budget for 2023. We have ten more months to go. Floods in the Southern Province and other parts and emergencies were adequately provided for under the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU); if that budget has been depleted, under the Contingency Fund.

Madam Speaker, already, in the second month, we are having a situation where the Ministry of Finance and National Planning has to reallocate money meant for ministries as has been confirmed by the PS in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts.

Madam Speaker, I am wondering whether the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government has already exhausted the budget for the DMMU and the Contingency Fund for it to start failing to fund the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts adequately so as to respond to issues such as the one the PS was trying to address.

Madam Speaker, I am very concerned that we are too soon in the budget implementation and that –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lunte, just raise your matter of urgent public importance. Do not debate.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, this is the rainy season and during this season is when I expect the bulk of money meant for emergencies to be provided. It is my expectation that the DMMU should still have sufficient money and the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and other ministries should not be affected in the manner that they are being affected to ignite a complaint from a PS.

Madam Speaker, based on that, I seek your further direction on the matter.

MR CHEWE, HON. MEMBER FOR LUBANSENSHI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, MR. MWIIMBU, ON THE DEATH OF A STUDENT AND LEVY MWANAWASA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

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 raise my matter of urgent public importance in accordance with Standing Order 134 directed at the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, there is a student at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University who died. It has been alleged that he was attacked by six criminals over the weekend. The University of Zambia (UNZA) students together with students from the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University gathered at the UNZA campus to offer a solidarity match in respect of the student who was allegedly stabbed by criminals.

Madam Speaker, I bring to your attention and the nation whether it is in order for the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to keep quiet without informing the people of Zambia about the safety of students or our children who are in these higher learning institutions.

I seek your guidance, Madam Speaker.

MR CHARLES MULENGA, HON. MEMBER FOR KWACHA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ENG. MILUPI, ON DILAPIDATED BRIDGE IN KWACHA CONSTITUENCY

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, thank you and fraternal greetings from the people of Kwacha Constituency.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, the matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.

Madam Speaker, in Kitwe, Kwacha Constituency in particular, there is a bridge which is called Bulangililo Waterworks Bridge. This bridge was constructed in the colonial period and it has outlived its lifespan. We have been told by engineers that right now, it has developed serious cracks, which may pose a danger to people who are crossing. This is a bridge that connects areas like Mupundu, New Kitwe, Kafue Park, Industrial Park, and it is also a gateway to Mufulira. This bridge is used mostly by farmers to ferry farming products from these areas that I have stated –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members! Order!

Hon. Members, please, let us listen quietly because if you are going to debate whilst seated or make noise, I will not be able to follow what the matter is. You also need to follow what the matter is. So, let us listen attentively.

May the hon. Member continue.

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, this bridge is actually a gateway for people, farmers especially, including a company that produces mineral water called Vital Mineral Water, which is transported across this same bridge to Kitwe and also, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Madam Speaker, on 16^th February, 2023, a man jumped off from this same bridge because it does not have protective rail bars. A lot of deaths have occurred on this bridge. Therefore, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development what immediate measures are being put in place to ensure that this bridge is either repaired or there is a new bridge that may be constructed so that we can avert further deaths across this bridge.

I seek your intervention, Madam Speaker.

MR KASANDWE, HON. MEMBER FOR BANGWEULU, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MR MTOLO, ON TRUCKS CARRYING MEALIE MEAL AND MAIZE BEING IMPOUNDED AT NKUMBI

Mr Kasandwe (Bangweulu): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Kasandwe: Madam Speaker, my matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Agriculture. The matter concerns the trucks that are transporting mealie meal and maize to parts of the Central Province, Muchinga Province, Northern Province and Luapula Province. As of Friday last week, trucks that are destined to transport these goods towards the directions I have mentioned are not allowed to pass through Nkumbi.

Madam Speaker, I have personally spoken to the Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers at Nkumbi, trying to find out why they are stopping or impounding these trucks carrying maize and mealie meal. All they could say is that they are following instructions from somewhere. Yesterday, I took an initiative to visit the operations services at ZNS headquarters to inquire why this is the case and I was equally not given a reasonable answer. The gentleman I found told me that the in-charge was not around and they would get back to me. As of this morning, I was trying to get in touch and his phone went unanswered.

Madam Speaker, this impounding of trucks carrying mealie meal and maize will create an artificial shortage of mealie meal in the Northern circuit, hence resulting in the increment of the price of mealie meal. This morning when I checked with outlets in Samfya through my office, I was told that mealie meal is fetching at K225 because there is low supply into the district.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, at the same place where these trucks have been marooned, there is no water and sanitation facilities at all. We are aware that we are in the rainy season and diseases like cholera or dysentery may arise. The impounding of trucks also contributes to the cost of transportation on the part of businessmen. Their businesses have been disturbed. However, my main concern is the looming artificial shortage that, whoever has instructed these officers to be impounding trucks, is creating.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious guidance. May this Government tell us and the public if it has banned the movement of mealie meal and maize.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MR EMMANUEL M. MUSONDA, HON. MEMBER FOR LUPOSOSHI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HEALTH, MRS MASEBO, ON DOCTORS THREATENING TO GO ON STRIKE

Mr Musonda (Lupososhi): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Musonda: Madam Speaker, my matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Health. The Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) has resolved to go on strike effective 1^st March, 2023, which is tomorrow. This means that doctors will only be attending to emergencies and this is due to non-salary increment which was awarded to all Government workers to the exclusion of doctors.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Health in order to be quiet when doctors will be going on strike tomorrow? Cholera is looming countrywide and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and malaria cases are on the increase.

Madam Speaker, I need your serious intervention.

MR KAMPYONGO, HON. MEMBER FOR SHIWANG’ANDU, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, MR MWIIMBU, ON SECURITY CONCERN IN THE SADC REGION

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the matter of urgent public importance I am rising is directed at the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I am raising this matter knowing fully well that Zambia will for the second time, soon assume the Chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

Madam Speaker, there is an immigration matter posing to be a security threat to the SADC region. Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Republic of South Africa declined entry to twenty-two Afghans who came from Zimbabwe, where they were hosted as tourists on tourist visas. They tried to cross into South Africa through the Beit Bridge, but they were detained and declined entry. However, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) forced the South African Government to accept those nationals, but the minister responsible for home affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, put his foot down that he would not put the South African people at risk, because it is believed that those people are being pursued by the Talibans where they come from. They had gone to Pakistan where they were pursued until they crossed into Africa.

Madam Speaker, the unfortunate part is that the information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South African is that the twenty-two nationals arrived in Lusaka on 19^th February aboard Emirates Airlines.

Madam Speaker, this is a very serious matter and we would like the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to comfort the Zambian citizens because if South Africa which has robust security infrastructure can be scared to host those individuals, I do not know how Zambia can be comfortable to host them without an established status.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious guidance.

Madam Speaker: The last one will be raised by the hon. Member for Chienge.

REV. KATUTA, HON. MEMBER FOR CHIENGE, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF DEFENCE, MR LUFUMA, ON THE ZNS, THE ZAMBIA AIR FORCE AND OTHER DEFENCE TRUCK DRIVERS HARASSING THE PEOPLE OF CHIENGE

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, my matter of urgent public importance is directed at the hon. Minister of Defence.

Madam Speaker, trucks for the Zambia National Service (ZNS), the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) and other defence forces are ferrying maize from Chienge to Nchelenge. It has become a norm for the drivers to harass the people of Chienge. In Chienge, most people use motorbikes, and on Friday, a biker was beaten to pulp. At 0900 hours on Friday, there was a truck at Chitupi Village which came from Kapako. However, a young man, a biker, was beaten by the driver of the ZNS truck, which was ferrying maize from Kapako to Nchelenge. As if that was not enough, he ran over the motorbike of the young man which was packed on the side of the road.

 

Madam Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the hon. Minister of Defence because this almost happened to me when I was driving at night as I was entering Chienge. Those who drive the ZNS and other defence forces trucks are rough on the road. At one time, they beat up the people at Kanwa Village including the headman, and accused them of sabotaging the bridge, yet the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development is aware that we have been asking the Government to fix the bridge. They have become a source of danger to the people of Chienge.

Madam Speaker, the people who are supposed to protect the people of Chienge should do the right thing. I have pictures of the incident which happened last week on Friday at 0900 hours, but unfortunately, I did not bring them to your office. The people of Chienge need to be protected and not to be abused by the people who are collecting the maize.

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence on this matter.

Madam Speaker: Let me address these matters of urgent public importance that have been raised by various hon. Members. I will start with the one raised by the hon. Member for Chitambo, which is directed at the hon. Minister of Health and the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development. Both hon. Ministers are not here, unless there are Acting hon. Ministers. So, we cannot get any immediate reaction. Maybe, the best the hon. Member for Chitambo can do is file in a question, which then can be addressed by the hon. Ministers when they are here.

The matter that the hon. Member for Lunte raised was directed at the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning regarding the complaint of the Permanent Secretary (PS) at the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts that the budget has been depleted because of the floods. The hon. Member wants the hon. Minister to react to that and assure the people that the budget cannot be depleted within two months when we have ten months to go before the end of the year.

Hon. Member for Lunte, please, file in a question so that the hon. Minister can address that issue. Floods are affecting everyone and every budget has to be revisited because of this. So, the hon. Minister will have enough time to address that issue when you file in a question.

The hon. Member for Lubansenshi raised a matter of urgent public importance directed at the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security concerning a student from Levy Mwanawasa Medical University who was attacked and killed. He wants to know why the hon. Minister is quiet and has not said anything, and what his view is.

Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, do you have any comment on that?

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security (Mr Mwiimbu):Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to pass my condolences to the family of the bereaved student who died in circumstances that are not acceptable.

Madam Speaker, I want to inform this House that this matter is under investigation. I am not in a position to inform the House pertaining to the circumstances that led to his death. The only thing which I can state categorically is the fact that the students from the University of Zambia (UNZA) matched in solidarity with their colleagues at Levy Patrick Mwanawasa Medical University, something which would not have been allowed in the past regime. Tear gas would have been the order of the day during that incident. I just want to say that the students matched without any obstruction from the Zambia Police Service. I thank the police for the services rendered to the students of not obstructing them.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the matter is still under investigations, and it is better that we leave it as such so that we do not prejudice the investigations. However, the underlying question is the rising crime, which the hon. Members would like the hon. Minister to address.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Madam Speaker: Let us make progress.

The hon. Member for Kwacha directed his matter of urgent public importance at the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development regarding a bridge in Bulangililo called Bulangililo Waterworks Bridge, which is in a state of disrepair. The bridge is posing to be a risk to the welfare of the public and there has been some deaths, because there is no protective railing on the bridge. The hon. Minister is here.

Is there anything that you can say on this concern, hon. Minister?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, as a Kitwe resident myself, I know the spot the hon. Member is talking about in Bulangililo Township across the Kafue River. Obviously, the ministry does not have eyes everywhere. We rely on hon. Members of Parliament to engage with us when there are spots like that so that we can direct resources to attend to them.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Kwacha Constituency needs to engage the ministry. He has no reason to fear coming to our offices, unlike our hon. Colleagues in the opposition that might be accused of wanting to defect to the ruling party. He is on our side so he should feel comfortable approaching the ministry so that we attend to the problem.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: So, hon. Member, you are advised to visit the office of the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.

When you observe that there is a challenge in your constituency, please do not sit back and wait to raise a matter of urgent public importance on the floor of the House. Take it upon yourself; be proactive, and approach the respective hon. Minister to address your concerns.

We move to the next issue from the Hon. Member for Bangweulu Constituency concerning the trucks transporting maize and mealie-meal not being allowed to go through Nkumbi, and that they are being impounded. The member is concerned that it will result in a shortage of mealie-meal and many other things. He further said that there are no sanitary facilities where the trucks park          , posing a danger of an outbreak of cholera and other diseases that may break out due to the effects of the rainy season.

Hon. Member for Bangweulu Parliamentary Constituency, the hon. Minister of Agriculture is not in the House. I advise that you submit a question that can be addressed when he is in the House.

We move to the next issue raised by the hon. Member for Lupososhi who directed his issue to the Hon. Minister of Health, concerning the resident doctors that have resolved to go on a strike, starting tomorrow because they have not benefitted from the salary increment for civil servants that was announced. I think that is also a matter you can submit as a question to the hon. Minister of Health to address it adequately.

The hon. Member for Shiwang’andu raised a question concerning twenty-two Afghan nationals who came into the country through the Emirates Airline. They were hosted in Zambia, but later blocked from proceeding to South Africa because of certain reservations that the South African Government had at the time at the time the Afghans were trying to enter South Africa.

Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, what is the status of that matter?

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security (Mr Mwiimbu): Madam Speaker, let me state that Zambia is a very responsible member of the United Nations (UN). We have obligations to the international community and we have signed international treaties.

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order has been raised by hon. Member of Parliament for Lunte Constituency. Who is it directed to?

Mr Kafwaya points at Mr Mwiimbu.

Mr Kafwaya: At the same hon. Minister.

Laughter

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, the point of order is based on Standing Order no. 136. In line with the stated standing order, when you give a directive, what follows is clear. The hon. Minister who has been directed to issue a statement will do so and hon. Members will follow up with questions concerning that subject.

Today, Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu raised a matter of urgent public importance, on which you directed the hon. Minister to comment. So, the hon. Minister is supposed to duly tender his ministerial statement on the matter. However, hon. Members have not been allowed to ask him follow-up questions on account of –

Interruptions

Mr Kafwaya: Let me complete my point of order. I am on the Floor.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Let us make progress.

Mr Kafwaya: Absolutely.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Lunte!

The hon. Minister had just started talking about the issue raised. He had not even finished giving an explanation. So, how could hon. Members start asking questions?

Hon. UPND Member: How? Iwe!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: The earlier response was that there are investigations that are still ongoing so we should not jeopardise the process.

Mr Kafwaya indicated dissent.

Madam Speaker: No, I have already ruled on that issue. Please, do not attempt to disrupt the proceedings of the House.

May the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security continue.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I am shocked at the questions being posed by my learned hon. Colleague. Sorry, not learned but educated.

Hon UPND Member: He is independent.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I was explaining that Zambia is a member of the UN and is party to a number of international instruments that protect the rights of individuals who seek asylum. Zambia, under these obligations, is considering applications for asylum by those individuals whom it is alleged are being sold by the Afghan authorities. The individuals in question are in transit to South Africa. However, that country has not finalised consideration of their applications for asylum, hence the request to stay a while longer in Zambia as they wait for their plight to be considered in South Africa.

Hon. PF Member: For how long?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, we a responsibility as a nation to grant them that request.

Madam Speaker: Order!

I will allow five follow-up questions on the matter raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, we agree that Zambia is a member of the United Nations (UN) and party to so many conventions. However, this is a very unique matter. We all know that the United States of America (USA) Government occupied Afghanistan for a while, and when they pulled their troops out, arrangements were made on how they were going to evacuate all those that had cooperated with the US Government so that they would not be at risk of any Taliban attacks, and they conducted the evacuations.

Madam Speaker, the twenty-two asylum seekers moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan where they were pursued and there were casualties that were recorded in that pursuit. They went to Zimbabwe and stayed there on thirty days visitors permit. Then they attempted to enter South Africa.

The hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Madam Speaker, was in the media throughout last week justifying why South Africa could not allow the twenty-two asylum seekers to enter that country and explaining why they did not move straight from Pakistan to the USA. Why should we start risking our people here in Zambia…

Hon. Opposition Members: hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: … because of conventions we are party to as members of the UN. That is not justifiable. What law and what status has the Government accorded the twenty-two asylum seekers you are hosting at the expense of the people of Zambia?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, there is no risk, whatsoever, being posed to the people of Zambia. We, as a responsible government, conduct background checks on applicants who apply to stay in Zambia either as refugees or any other status. We have a responsibility to check. My hon. Colleague on the left and former hon. Minister of Home Affairs did consider a number of individuals, some of whom are now considered inimical to the interests of this country.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, picking the responses from the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, I am interested to find out, and I am sure members of the public who are following this very important conversation would want to know too, whether we have the names of these twenty-two people. Do we have the record of who they are and which organisation they represent? Do we have facts and details that could be provided today through an update to the public because this is not a conversation for 156 hon. Member of Parliament?

Madam Speaker, personally, I am very curious to know which people we are discussing and who they are. Where are they coming from and what issues are we discussing around these twenty-two people? I think it is important for the hon. Minister to answer those questions. If he does not have that information, tomorrow is another day. He can come back and give us facts. This is because I am now very curious and I think the residents of Kamfinsa are equally curious to know who these twenty-two people are and what the issues are. This issue that has been raised is very important and obviously, the hon. Minster can respond to it. I would like that satisfaction to be provided.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I will not be an irresponsible Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security who will come to this House and start disclosing details of people who are seeking refuge in this country. If they are seeking refuge, then they are running away from danger. If they are running away from danger, it is incumbent upon me not to expose them. I will not do that.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Madam Speaker, as we sit here today and deliberate on this issue, what is the legal status of these people? What are they? What legal status has the ministry given? What has informed the ministry to give them that legal status?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, they are seeking refuge and all those who are seeking refuge in this country follow procedures. Those procedures are being considered by my ministry.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order pursuant to Standing Order65.

Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege to serve in the office my hon. colleague is serving. As such, I know the procedures that are followed when someone is seeking asylum. I gave a genesis. There is no way people can be pedestrians in seeking asylum. I did mention that from Pakistan, these people went to Zimbabwe –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Shiwang’andu!

Is that a point of order or you are –

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to mislead us and the whole nation by saying these people are seeking asylum from his office in Zambia when in actual fact, as he stated earlier on, they are trying to chance and see what South Africa will do in the court process that it has started? There is no such provision. Is he in order to mislead us here by saying these people have come to seek asylum here? We know the conventions that govern asylum seeking, we understand. So, is the hon. Minister in order to mislead us and the nation that these people are now seeking asylum from his office?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, the person who is in charge of this matter that is under consideration is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security. He is the one who can give us the details of what is happening.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

I do not know whether the hon. Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu has more details than what the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security has.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Let us listen to the official position. We are not aware of those other positions because the information is not coming from an official person representing the Government. The person representing the Government in this House is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, these twenty-two Afghan nationals are alleged to have been workers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) when the United Stated of America (USA) had an operation in Afghanistan.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mpika, do you have information to support that allegation?

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, as I said, they are alleged to have been, –

Madam Speaker: No. We do not want to escalate and alarm the nation.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, as we ask questions surrounding this matter, it is not our duty to alarm the nation. The nation is listening to what we are saying here. So, let us ask responsible questions which will not alarm the nation. Hon. Member for Mpika, ask a responsible question.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I wanted to take advantage of the hon. Minister’s presence during this question for him to just clear the fears of the people out there, but I appreciate your guidance.

Madam Speaker, may the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security tell the nation if the coming of these people into our nation will not anger the Taliban, who are the rulers in Afghanistan? These people are being pursued by the Taliban.

Madam Speaker: That question is an assumption. We do not debate assumptions here. We debate facts.

Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama): Madam Speaker, looking at the questions being asked by the hon. Members, it is like they have more intel than the ministry? It is like there is inside information that is leaking to people who are not supposed to receive this information.

Madam Speaker, what is the hon. Minister doing or going to do to ensure that information is kept within the ministry other than the way it is now? It is like the ministry does not have the grip. So, what is the ministry doing to ensure that the system is cleaned of these who would leak information to the people who are not supposed to receive it?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, what I have stated on the Floor of this House is factual and correct. I am aware that my hon. Colleagues are relaying on social media and other information that is not verifiable. I will not hold anyone in my ministry responsible for the rumour mongering that is coming from my hon. Colleagues.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Can we make progress.

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, please, let us not make this as a –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: No, I have already closed. I gave five people to – We have other business, Hon. Member. I have been very accommodative.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: No, this is not the time to respond to rumour mongering. If –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, the PF Whip, really, is that the behaviour which we expect from a Whip? It is not acceptable.

Mr Kampyongo rose.

Madam Speaker: No, hon. Member. Please, resume your seat. Can we make progress.

The hon. Member for Chienge directed one at the hon. Minister of Defence, concerning trucks that are ferrying maize from Chienge by the Zambia National Service (ZNS), Zambia Air Force (ZAF) and the Zambia Army, which are terrorising people on the streets. Hon. Member for Chienge, please, put in a question to the hon. Minister of Defence.

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

SUPPLY OF SUB-STANDARD D COMPOUND AND UREA FERTILISER

171. Mr Fube (Chilubi) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

(a)        whether the Government is aware that the United Capital Fertiliser Company and the Export Trading Group (ETG) supplied sub-standard D Compound and Urea fertilizers, respectively, to the following areas in the Northern Province and Luapula Province:

1. Samfya;
2. Lunga;
3. Lubansenshi; and

(iv)       Chilubi;

(b)        if so, what urgent measures are being taken to ensure that the farmers do not lose their crop and avert hunger in the affected areas; and

(c)        whether the fertilisers were certified prior to importation.

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Mulenga) (on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo)): Madam Speaker, the Government contracted the United Capital Fertilisers and Export Trading Group to supply D Compound and Urea fertilisers in the above mentioned Districts in Luapula Province and the Northern Province. The fertilisers supplied by the two companies were of high quality and met the standards as certified by the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI).

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member may wish to note that ETG is a highly reputable firm, providing fertilisers in many parts of the word, and has been operating in the country for over ten years while United Capital Fertilisers is a local manufacturer with a state-of-the-art plant and laboratory, which it uses for quality assurance. Both companies supplied fertilisers to more than the five mentioned districts. The crop failure that may have been observed is not as a result of poor quality fertiliser, but could be attributed to many factors.

Madam Speaker, it is important to note that Luapula Province and the Northern Province fall under Region Three, which receives above-normal rainfall. Therefore, the application of fertilisers should be properly timed as it may be affected by moisture levels in the soil. Too much rainfall may lead to leaching and the washing away of fertiliser and other soil nutrients which are necessary for the healthy development of the crops.

Madam Speaker, it is in this light that the Ministry of Agriculture has been recommending the application of fertilisers, especially Urea, in a phased manner (splitting application) to maintain the nutrients which usually get washed away with excessive rainfall.

Madam Speaker, the Government, in recognition of the climate change that may lead to crop failure, has included the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) beneficiaries under the Agricultural Weather Index Insurance. Therefore, all the affected farmers who suffered loss due to leaching will be considered for pay-outs by insurance.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through ZARI, has been monitoring the quality of fertilisers imported into the country for FISP at various ports of entry. In addition, ZARI has been testing and monitoring the fertiliser that was supplied to all districts in the country, including the affected ones; Samfya, Lunga, Lubansenshi and Chilubi. Further, the laboratory analysis conducted by experts from ZARI indicates that the fertiliser conformed to the standards and met all the requirements for quality fertilisers in Zambia.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister indicated that all the fertilisers were subjected to testing or certification. He ruled out climatic conditions as he stated that the areas mentioned fall under the Agro-ecological Zone III, which, among other things, receives enough rainfall. He attributed the problem to leaching.

Madam Speaker, I wish to find out from the hon. Minister whether the fertiliser in the bag labelled Lico Fertiliser was also subjected to that particular certification. In as far as ETG has been distributing fertiliser in that particular region, Lico has not been one of those that have been distributed in the last ten years. May I know whether the fertiliser, in the bag labelled Lico, which is granulated D compound, is one of those that were subjected to testing?

Mr Mulenga: Madam Speaker, let me make one clarification, given the statement by the hon. Member that we have ruled out climate change. In my statement, I was very clear that the region receives heavy rainfall. So, it is not ruling out, but admitting that heavy rainfall could wash away the fertiliser. In response to the question raised by the hon. Member, indeed, all the fertilisers that are imported into the country are subjected to testing by ZARI. This Agency has been around for a very long time.

Madam Speaker, just to give comfort to the hon. Member, our Government has gone an extra mile not only in testing the quality of fertilisers, but also in using the Zambia Metrology Agency to test the weight of each bag of fertiliser.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, in his response, the Acting hon. Minister of Agriculture, informed the country that insurance covers any such effects, assuming that there are such effects in that region. Is the hon. Minister in a position to indicate to this House and the public the value of the insurance that covers such circumstances?

Mr Chipoka Mulenga: Madam Speaker, before I answer the question the hon. Member has ably asked, let me state, categorically, that it will be very important for hon. Members of the House, when they raise concerns, to do so with scientific proof that they are coming up because of fertiliser quality or other things, as opposed to speculating. However, the Government, as we announced, will carry out due diligence of what is happening and then give an announcement whether, indeed, they qualify for that insurance compensation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, I am following the responses that are coming from the acting hon. Minister of Agriculture. The insurance that hon. Members were referring to is the insurance that was part of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), which was meant to deal with eventualities during a farming season.

Madam Speaker, since he has ruled out the quality of fertiliser as being the reason for crop failure in these areas that were cited in the question, has the ministry dispatched technical staff to go and ascertain the reasons there is that situation? The hon. Minister has just given a catalogue of reasons that could be the cause of the crop failure. Now that this crop failure might culminate into food insecurity, has the ministry dispatched a team of experts to go and ascertain the specific cause of that crop failure before ruling out the quality of fertiliser?

Mr Chipoka Mulenga: Madam Speaker, it is the more reason we had to add this response to the question regarding the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and its insurance. The ministry has sent staff to go to the respective areas and ascertain the cause of this crop failure that the hon. Member raised. At the right time, the hon. Minister of Agriculture will inform the House on the findings.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, we have heard what transpired in the constituency of our hon. Colleague, which is crop failure. I want to believe that soils differ; they are not uniform throughout the country. Some soils lack certain types of nutrients. What I have seen is that when we order fertiliser, we order uniform fertiliser for soils with different nutrients. Maybe, we have do not check which soils accept what kind of fertiliser. Going forward, in order not to expect the same scenario again, is the ministry taking the route of testing soils before assigning types of fertilisers to different places in Zambia?

Mr Chipoka Mulenga: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member’s concerns are very valid. For a very long time, we have applied the same kind of fertiliser to the general composition of soil. The New Dawn Government has gone an extra mile to start recruiting farming extension officers, who will not only be sampling soil but also, be advising farmers on what to plant in whichever region at whatever time, so that we can overcome such challenges that our farmers year in year out, have continued to face. So, to answer the question quickly, indeed, the Government is employing farming extension officers to overcome such challenges.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, I want to ride on the question that came from the hon. Member for Kabwe Central. Since the hon. Minister did indicate that it could have been the interaction of the fertiliser with the soil that caused the crop failure, I think it is very important that we venture into what is scientific, as he said. One of the factors that is attributed to agro-ecological zone three is that the soil is acidic. The region has good rainfall but the soil is acidic. If the soil is acidic, would the hon. Minister confirm that the Lico D Compound Fertiliser failed to interact with the acidic soil, which led to crop failure?

Mr Chipoka Mulenga: Madam Speaker, as you guided earlier when there were matters of urgent public importance, we do not respond to assumptions. The hon. Member rose to assume that the soil was acidic.

Madam Speaker, with your guidance, am I allowed to respond to a question based on assumptions?

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: No. We do not speculate here.

Mr Fube interjected.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Chilubi, actually, what you should have done, if you really wanted to raise this matter, was to have some information to support what you are saying. I had guided when we met that you should have some information to support what you are saying. Right now, you are just speculating.

Mr Fube: I am not speculating.

Madam Speaker: You have not submitted any scientific report or analysis to support what you are saying. That is where the problem is.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister indicated that the reason for crop failure could be that Luapula Province and the Northern Province are in the Congo Basin where there is heavy rainfall. He also said that maybe, it was the time that the farmers applied this fertiliser that caused crop failure. This has never happened. Looking at what the hon. Minister has said, that it could be the period of application of this fertiliser, I take it that it was because the fertiliser was delivered to these people late. Could it be the reason this has happened? This is the first time it is happening.

Madam Speaker: From what I am hearing, that question is speculative. This question would have been dealt with thoroughly, if we had information to support what the hon. Members are alleging. Otherwise, it is very difficult. We will just be speculating.

Let us make progress. The next question is from the hon. Member for Petauke Central.

Mr J. E. Banda (Petauke Central): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the good people of Petauke Central an opportunity to ask a follow-up question to the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, we are on the next question and you are the one to ask. What number is the question?

Mr J. E. Banda: No. It is a follow-up question.

Madam Speaker: Are you with us or you are still at Mtenguleni?

Laughter

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, my questions concerns the Ministry of Agriculture. That is the question.

Madam Speaker: No. What question are you asking? What is the number of the question?

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the good people of Petauke this opportunity to ask a question to the hon. Minister. I apologise. I had also indicated to ask a follow-up question on the previous question.

Madam Speaker: Okay. Hon. Member, you have the Order Paper with you. What question number are you asking?

WATER CRISIS IN NYIKA WARD IN PETAUKE PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY 

172. Mr J. E. Banda (Petauke Central) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation what urgent measures the Government is taking to resolve the water crisis in Nyika Ward in Petauke Central Parliamentary Constituency to avert waterborne diseases and loss of life.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, we are back from the Nc’wala Ceremony. I convey greetings from the Ngoni people.

Madam Speaker, the Government is undertaking the following measures to resolve the water crisis in Nyika Ward of Petauke Central Constituency in the Eastern Province:

1. under the capital component of the Local Government Equalisation Grant, a mechanised borehole has been drilled at the show grounds market to supply water to the market and the surrounding community;
2. under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the Government approved the establishment of a mini water scheme in Tasala Compound that is currently under procurement. The water scheme is expected to be operational by the end of June 2023;
3. under the CDF, four boreholes have been rehabilitated in Nyika Ward to further increase the supply of clean and safe drinking water to the residents; and
4. the Eastern Water and Sanitation Company is actively involved in the unblocking of water supply lines blocked with calcium in order to ensure continued supply of water to the residents in Nyika Ward.

Madam Speaker, I would like to inform members of this august House that the Eastern Water and Sanitation Company has put in place water quality surveillance measures in Nyika Ward and it conducted water sampling and testing in order to avert a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases and loss of life.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, the Government is in the process of undertaking a feasibility study to improve the existing water supply system by migrating from the current ground water source to surface water supply from the dam we have identified in Petauke Central called Lusowe Dam.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the good people of Petauke this opportunity to ask the hon. Minister a follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, I am sure the hon. Minister is aware that water is life and Petauke is amongst the districts affected by cholera. As I am speaking, there is an outbreak of diarrhoea and cholera, and we do not have water. There is water in the area as the hon. Minister mentioned because we made an effort to provide the water using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). However, we submitted a budget to the ministry, but the hon. Minister has been quiet since last year. The good people of Nyika have been suffering because of the challenge of water. I know if it was an area for rich people, the hon. Minister would have responded. Since they are poor people, the hon. Minister does not want to respond and provide a solution. He should go to Tasala 1 Compound, and he did not mention anything about it. I am inviting him to come to –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Petauke Central, ask your supplementary question. It is not time for debating. This is not a Motion. You asked a question, so ask supplementary questions. Do not debate. Proceed.

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, before I continue, I ask all of us here to keep Zambia clean so that we prevent cholera because it is one of the issues here. My question is: Will the hon. Minister provide a solution for the poor people in Petauke Central Constituency?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, thank you for guiding the hon. Member of Parliament for Petauke Central.

Madam Speaker, it is the Government’s responsibility to supply safe and clean water to both classes of people, the poor and the rich. The Government is not here only for the upper-class people. I assure the hon. Member of Parliament that the measures I already highlighted have been put in place to ensure that the people of Nyika Ward, including those in the area he mentioned, Tasala Ward, receive adequate water and also consume clean and safe water.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the intervention measures the ministry is putting in place for the people in Nyika Ward in Petauke Central.

Madam Speaker, since the procurement process is being done, how much has been set aside to procure water facilities for the people of Nyika and how long will it take?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Bwana Mkubwa for that question.

Madam Speaker, I will have to check the cost and I will liaise with my colleague. I do not have the figures at the moment.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. E. Banda: Madam Speaker, can the hon. Minister tell the good people of Petauke in Nyika Ward when they will have water, especially the poor ones? They do not have water and some of them did not even bath. So, can the hon. Minister tell us when we are going to bath and have clean water to drink?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Petauke Central for the question. If he was attentive, I went through the series of interventions we have put in place and I mentioned the timeframes for some of them. For one intervention, I said that some of the works will be completed in June, and some of the long-term measures will be implemented within the course of 2023.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Daka (Msanzala): Madam Speaker, what scientific effect does calcium have on the people of Petauke Central?

Mr Mposha: Madam Speaker, I thank my brother for that question.

Madam Speaker, I do not know of any known scientific effect calcium has on the people except that as it builds up, it blocks the proper passage of water. So, instead of people receiving the targeted amount of water, the water fails to flow. This is very prominent in Petauke Central and that is why I said that in the long term, we will migrate from depending on the current ground water source and water will be supplied through a distance of 12 km at a dam called Lusowe, and this will be the surface water source. We put those measures in place having undertaken a feasibility study. So, we will deal with the problem of calcium because at the water source, there will not be calcium.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

STALLED CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES IN MALOLE PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

173. Mr Kalimi (Malole) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

1. why the construction of the following bridges in Malole Parliamentary Constituency have stalled:

1. Mbesuma, on Kasama/Isoka road; and
2. Kabisha in Kabisha Ward;
3. when each project will resume; and
4. what the time frame for the completion of each project is.

The Minster of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, construction of Mbesuma Bridge along Kasama/Isoka Road and Kabisha Bridge in Kabisha Ward in Malole Parliamentary Constituency have stalled due to funding challenges.

Madam Speaker, the works on the two crossing points will resume once funds for the required works have been secured.

Madam Speaker, the timeframe for completion of the construction of the Mbesuma Bridge is eighteen months from the date of resuming while that for the completion of the construction of the Kabisha Bridge is six months from the date of commencement of the project, subject to availability of funds.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kalimi: Madam Speaker, I know that the hon. Minister has answered the question about the Mbesuma Road but there is also the Kabisha Bridge. I know that the hon. Minister will come back to this matter. The hon. Minister should not be casual when answering the questions. He should remember that when he was a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he crossed that point in a canoe. A matter he confirmed to me. Is the hon. Minister sure of his answer by saying that when funds will be available? When are the funds going to be available? This is a project which he inspected when he was Chairperson of PAC many years ago and he crossed that point of using a canoe. That is an economic road. Are we just going to be saying when funds are available when he crossed the road at that point using a canoe? Can he assure the people of Mbesuma, Malole and Zambians at large. That is an economic road connecting the Northern Province and Muchinga Province. Agriculture is key in the Northern Province. Are we supposed to continue crossing that river using a canoe like the hon. Minister did several years ago? The hon. Minister should not be casual. Let him assure the nation.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister has crossed the river with a canoe six times.

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I think I should thank the hon. Minister, oh the – One day, maybe after twenty years, he will be Minister. I still thank him for the follow-up question and the passion with which he has asked that question.

Madam Speaker, I will use the answer to illustrate some of the wrong things that happen in our country especially where public resources are misapplied on projects. Usually, the people who suffer when public monies are misapplied on projects are citizens who were meant to benefit from the projects.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Malole is absolutely right. In 2007, when I was a Member of this House and the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I led the then PAC to inspect this bridge. Seventy-five per cent of the budgeted money for the completion of that bridge had been paid. We pitched up after about 200 kilometres, and Hon. Kalima was part of the Committee. We arrived onsite and the pontoon was not working on that day. That was why we crossed the river using a canoe. Since I was the only expert at paddling canoes in the Committee, …

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: … I was the one who was paddled.

Madam Speaker, the site where seventy-five per cent of the money on the project had already been certified by the then consultant as having been completed, we noticed that there was not even a pillar constructed on the bridge. The only sign that something had happened were two small piles of river sand, which were not even professionally delivered. It seemed that somebody had just picked the sand from the river. Just two small piles of river sand were there. That was all. The inspection of the bridge was in 2007. That was not under the reign of the immediate past ruling party but the one before that.

So, Madam Speaker, you will notice that when public resources are abused, the people of the area where the resources were to be used suffer. In this case Kasama, where the road would have provided a shorter route into Isoka, Nakonde and Chinsali rather than going back to Mpika. I think many kilometres would have been cut. The people in the area did not benefit from that project.

Madam Speaker, therefore, the hon. Member is entitled to be passionate about this question because sixteen years later, 2007 to 2023, we are still talking about the same crossing point. The contract for the Mbesuma Bridge along Kasama/Isoka Road in Malole Parliamentary Constituency, this time around, was awarded to Messrs China Railway Seventh Group Company Limited at a contract sum of K84,185,816.99.

Madam Speaker, works on the project have stalled since January, 2020 with overall physical progress, this time, at thirty-five per cent. So far, K27,746,137.81 has been certified for works undertaken on the project out of which K10,676,857.86 has been paid to the contractor.

Madam Speaker, the Road Development Agency (RDA) submitted a request for funds amounting to K3,939,930.18 in April, 2018 to construct the Kabisha Bridge through the Force Account. The Agency received partial funding in 2018 amounting to K1,208,578.00 which enabled the construction of the reinforced concrete bases for the proposed structure. If you go on site, you will find these concrete bases.

Madam Speaker, the works have stalled after exhaustion of the released funds with progress at twenty-five per cent and continuation of the same awaits the receipt of more funds.

Madam Speaker, an assurance to the hon. Member is that the New Dawn Administration is committed to complete each and every project that has been started using public resources because the projects, wherever they are, were meant to serve the citizens. However, the perennial reason of the lack of funds that we keep bringing to the House will continue until such a time when we are able to reposition this economy so that we are able to not only use our funds but also borrow to fund projects responsibly.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, considering that this project was awarded months before the beginning of 2020, it is obvious that the contract would expire some time in 2021.Has this contract not expired or the contractor applied for a renewal while we are waiting for the funds to be available?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I think, this is almost without expectation, all hon. Members of Parliament in this House, representing constituencies, have projects that were uncompleted. These are the issues that my hon. Colleague, the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development keeps talking about. In order to tidy up our books, we are reviewing some contracts like this one. Not so that we can cancel the projects, but the contracts so that we can start afresh and award the contracts when resources are available. I have said that the projects will not be cancelled. So, these are funded projects and our contractors are paid as and when they produce certified certificates.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kalimi (Malole): Madam Speaker, I appreciate the answer which the hon. Minister has given and him explaining the difficulties we are having.

Madam Speaker, if it were allowed, I would have shown you the picture of the bridge in Kabisha today. I have shown the picture to the hon. Minister.

Mr Kalimi handed his phone to the hon. Minister.

Laughter

Mr Kalimi: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister can go ahead and see.

Laughter

Mr Kalimi: Madam Speaker, that is Kabisha Bridge in Makasa, as we are talking. We are heaping sacks of sand on the bridge so that we can cross over. The hon. Minister should look at those pictures. When we ask for a bridge, we are always told that it will be done when funds are available. Makasa has been cut off completely. We decided to use the money meant for disasters from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) just to mend the bridge, but even that has not happened. This is not considered a disaster despite people not being able to go across this bridge. We should not politicise this issue because we are talking about people’s lives. Changala Chiefdom is completely cut off. Forget the Mbesuma Road. Let us talk about Kabisha. To date, there is nothing there.

Madam Speaker, what measures is the Government putting in place, even just temporary ones, to make the road passable? We had fertiliser distribution. How were those people accessing fertiliser? Now, we are going towards harvesting. That being a pro agriculture area, how are people going to harvest their crop? Prosperity will judge us. What are we going to do?

Mr Amutike: What did the Patriotic Front (PF) do?

Mr Kalimi: Shut up!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Malole, it is posterity not prosperity.

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, if we induce politics in some of these matters, we become emotional. There is no politics in my answer. I am disappointed that from 2007 Mbesuma Bridge has been a subject in this House. It has been a subject of the Auditor-General’s reports, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and it still continues, sixteen years later.

Madam Speaker, with respect to Kabisha Bridge, I have seen the pictures. He had shown me the pictures before he asked the question. This has been outstanding since April, 2018. The figures I gave as to how much money was allocated to do it under Force Account, which means in-house account, has been stated. From 2018, the work has not been completed. We are looking at all these things to ensure that when we have resources, all of them get done. Time and again, I have stated, on the Floor of this House that where we have a situation where a community is cut off, or is likely to be cut off, then we are in a position either through the ministry or the Office of the Vice-President to allocate resources. If he hon. Member of Parliament is saying that this year, this particular point which he is showing me has gotten worse, therefore, cutting off people in Makasa area, let him approach the ministry. We will send the regional manager there, just like we will do for the other sites where there are matters like that, for example in Kwacha, to go and carryout a quick assessment.

Madam Speaker, a number of hon. Members of Parliament here have used the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to construct some small bridges on small crossing points. If I look at the picture there, I see that that is a potential site for the use of CDF.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF OIL PIPELINE BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND ANGOLA

174. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Energy:

1. when construction of an oil pipeline between Zambia and Angola will commence;
2. what the estimated cost of the project is; and
3. where the oil refinery plant will be situated.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Kapala): Madam Speaker, the construction of the oil pipeline between Zambia and Angola will commence as soon as the feasibility study is conducted and financial closure is reached. The pipeline will transport finished petroleum products from the Lobito Refinery to the Lusaka area.

Madam Speaker, upon completion of the feasibility study and assuming that the findings of the study indicate that the project is viable, construction works shall begin and these are expected to take between three to four years. The delay to conduct feasibility studies and reach financial closure has been caused due to the prolonged negotiations between Sonangol from Angola and Basali Ba Liseli Resources from Zambia. The two parties have failed to agree on a shareholding structure for the project.

Madam Speaker, on my recent trip to Angola, we agreed to restructure the project with my counterpart from Angola to expedite the implementation of the project. A team from both Angola and Zambia is currently looking at a new project structure that will execute the Angola-Zambia Petroleum Pipeline Project.

Madam Speaker, a desktop review has estimated the project to cost at least US$5 billion. However, the actual cost will be determined upon completion of the feasibility study.

Madam, the oil refinery plant will be situated in Lobito-Angola.

Madam Speaker, let me give some additional information for the benefit of the hon. Member of Parliament.

Madam Speaker, the construction of the new Lobito Refinery shall result in the production of 200,000 barrels of petroleum products per day and is expected to be completed in 2026.

Madam Speaker, based on a recently developed feasibility study done by McKinsey & Company, the total cost of the refinery will be $4.1 billion. The Lobito Refinery Project currently sits on a land size of about 4,000 hectares, which has seen an investment of about $1 billion sunken cost by Sonangol. The following works have been executed at the Lobito Refinery site: 

1. 12 km of road was constructed to reroute the existing road that connects Lobito to Hanha village, which stands at 100 per cent;
2. 11 per cent of the 24 km of pipeline right-of-way for the transportation of water from the Biopio Dam, including the preparation of the pump station area, has been done;
3.  terracing the area for the construction of the refinery, utilities and tank farm stands at 87 per cent;
4.  internal access roads, including a heavy haul road for the transportation of heavy refinery equipment is complete;
5. the marine terminal for the offloading of refinery equipment as well as offloading and loading of crude and refined products is complete;
6. dredging of Lobito Bay to 15m depth on low tide is already done; and
7. the engineering and equipment design stands at 100 per cent;

Madam Speaker, lastly, it should be noted that the Government is considering investing in the Lobito Refinery with a proposed 15 per cent shareholding.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, I followed the response from the hon. Minister. These discussions started a long time ago. Initial discussions were centred on modernising Indeni Petroleum Refinery so that we could get a cracker and start a pipeline to move crude oil and benefit more through job creation and the by-products that come out of the value chain.

Madam Speaker, could the hon. Minister confirm whether the Government’s policy will be to depend on finished products? The hon. Minister said the refinery will be in Lobito were it is proposing to have a 15 per cent interest.

Madam Speaker, if, indeed, it is true that we are going to depend on finished products, how predictable is our economy going to be, in the long run, because finished products are unpredictable where price adjustments are concerned?

Madam Speaker, could the hon. Minister share with us what the policy in the fuel sub-sector is going to be. The whole reason we had Indeni Petroleum Refinery was for us to buy crude oil in bulk so that by the time we are refining it, at least, prices for finished products could be stable. We had by-products such as heavy fuels for the mines and for Ndola Energy, where we were generating 120 MW as benefits of refining crude oil. Could we have a clear-cut policy for the fuel sub-sector?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I think that question is a bit mixed-up. The hon. Member is mixing Indeni Petroleum Refinery and the Angola-Zambia Pipeline. The promoters of this pipeline did not take into consideration the operations of Indeni Petroleum Refinery. It is a stand-alone project. It is not and will never be connected to the operations of Indeni Petroleum Refinery.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo: The policy!

Madam Speaker: There was the issue of the policy. The hon. Member for Shiwang’andu wanted to know the Government’s policy in the petroleum sub-sector. What is the Government’s policy?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I concentrated on the question that was posed by the hon. Member for Kalabo Central. However, we can issue a policy statement regarding the petroleum sub-sector.

Madam Speaker, we have been offered a 15 per cent stake in the Angolan refinery. The Indeni Petroleum Refinery position is totally different from what we are trying to invest in. As the hon. Member mentioned, Indeni Petroleum Refinery needs a hydrocracker. The cost of the hydrocracker was estimated at US$ 300 million.

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity and inform the nation that up to now, we are still grappling with the debt that we found which, as at September last year, was over US$600 million. So, we need to find money to clear that debt so that we can start investing our resources into other meaningful developments.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, there was an article in one of the newspapers, it should be the News Diggers and not the Daily Nation. There was a story of a shareholder withdrawing from this Lobito Oil Project. Could the hon. Minister kindly confirm or clear the air that no shareholder has withdrawn from this project?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I did mention that the promoters called Basali Ba Liseli Resources (Pty) Ltd, from Zambia, could not reach an agreement with the other promoter, which is Sonangol of Angola. As a result, Basali Ba Liseli Resources (Pty) Ltd decided to go for the second option, which was the Namibia/Zambia Pipeline.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Madam Speaker, the project sounds very viable, considering the challenges the country is currently confronting in the petroleum sector. What is the Government doing to aid these negotiations to speed up the feasibility study to actualise this project so that the economic benefits can start accruing to the people of Zambia?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, Sonangol has preferred to go into negotiations with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Sonangol is a Government entity. Therefore, it preferred to work with the IDC, which is a Zambian entity. So, negotiations will soon be entered into and progress will be made.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Kalabo Central is not asking another question. Maybe the neighbour, the hon. Member for Sinazongwe, will help.

Mr Sialubalo (Sinazongwe): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that the refinery will be set up in Angola. I want to find out whether the agreement that has been signed or is intended to be signed will just be for pure petrol and diesel or he will go even for the comingled by-products. If the pipeline will just be getting purified fuel, what mode of transport is going to be used to move by-products such bitumen, kerosene, Hydrogentungstate (HO4) and so on and so forth since there is no connection or proper road network between Zambia and Angola. Will the Government come up with a separate pipeline to courier them?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, it will be a multi-purpose pipeline which will be able to transport gas. It will not only be one but three or four pipelines on the same channel. So, everything will be ferried by pipeline to Lusaka, Kafue or Chisamba.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, I have followed the responses by the hon. Minister of Energy with regard to the pipeline. One of the issues the hon. Minister highlighted is that not until the feasibility study is done, will all the other processes take place.

Madam Speaker, if there is no feasibility study, it means that no decision has been made to proceed. So, I wanted to find out from the hon. Minister, maybe in very categorical terms. Is this discussion even worth having if there are challenges around the feasibility study and the promoter who has pulled out? Is the construction of a pipeline going to be done or not?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, it is not a question of whether it will happen. Zambia is interested in ensuring that it gets several sources of petroleum products. Some of the products would be coming from Tanzania, Angola and Namibia. So, this is one of the projects that the Government is pushing to ensure that it is actualised.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister alluded to the fact that the promoter of the project, Basali Ba Liseli Resources Limited, has difficulties agreeing to the terms of the business deal in terms of the Angolan Government’s 15 per cent shareholding.

Madam Speaker, since the feasibility is study underway, I think that it is prudent enough that the pipeline should terminate at Ndola Refinery. This is because the refinery has become an oil marketing company where we receive finished products through the Tanzania Zambia Mafuta Pipelines Limited (TAZAMA) and distribute them to all parts of the country.

Madam Speaker, why is the Government proposing that the oil pipeline terminates in Lusaka?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I do not want to sound rude, but my fellow Chinese-trained engineer should understand that we cannot construct two refineries for the same product. This project will have a refinery in Angola that will bring the products into Zambia. So, there will be no need for the same pipeline to flow to another refinery in Ndola.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES FOR CHIEFS IN CHAMA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

175. Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

1. whether the Government had any plans to procure motor vehicles for Chiefs in Chama North Parliamentary Constituency; and
2. if so, when the plans would be implemented.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to procure motor vehicles for chiefs in Chama Parliamentary Constituency due to budgetary constraints.

Madam Speaker, in respect of the answer given in (a), (b) falls off.

Madam Speaker, I wish to give more details about the Government’s position. Currently, there is consideration to procure one vehicle for Chief Kambombo who suffered severe body injury, as an exceptional case. The plans have advanced and that is the only consideration because of his unforeseen circumstances.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, is there any budgetary allocation for chiefs’ motor vehicles in the 2023 National Budget?

Hon. UPND Member: Question!

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

You asked a question on motorbikes and I do not know why you are jumping to that. The question about motor vehicles is an exceptional consideration. So, let us not go in that direction. Like I said, I have not seen any indication for supplementary questions. Let us make progress.

_______

BILLS

FIRST READING

THE NATIONAL PENSIONS SCHEME (Amendment) BILL, 2023

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Ms Tambatamba): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National Pension Scheme (Amendment) Bill, N.A.B, No. 1 of 2023. The object of the Bill is to amend the National Pension Scheme Act, 1996, so as to:

1. allow members to access a pre-retirement benefit; and
2. 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 Wednesday, 22^nd March, 2023.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES BILL, 2022

The Minister of Labour and Social Services (Ms Tambatamba) (on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mrs Masebo)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Controlled Substances Bill, 2022.The objects of the Bill are to–

1. provide for the granting of a licence to deal in, manufacture, import and export a controlled substance;
2. regulate the use, dispensing, manufacture, wholesale, transfer, supply, sell, distribution and possession of a controlled substance for medicinal, scientific and research purposes;
3. provide for procedures and criteria for classification of controlled substances;
4. provide for the functions of the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority relating to controlled substances;
5. repeal and replace the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1967; and
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 Health, Community Development and Social Services. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 22^nd March, 2023. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA BILL, 2023.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Examinations Council of Zambia Bill, 2023. The objects of the Bill are to –

1. provide for the accreditation of examination centres;
2. provide for the administration of examinations;
3. continue the existence of the Examinations Council of Zambia and redefine its functions;
4. constitute the Board of the Examinations Council of Zambia and provide for its functions;
5. repeal and replace the Examinations Council of Zambia Act,1983; and
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 Wednesday, 22^ndMarch, 2023. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the committee.

THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION BILL, 2023

The Minister of Energy (Mr Kapala): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Rural Electrification Bill, 2023. The objects of the Bill are to –

1. promote and enhance rural electrification;
2. continue the existence of the Rural Electrification Authority and redefine its functions;
3. constitute the Board of the Authority and provide for its functions;
4. continue the existence of the Rural Electrification Fund;
5. repeal and replace the Rural Electrification Act, 2003; and
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 Energy, Water Development and Tourism. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 22^nd March, 2023. 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

Ms Munashabantu (Mapatizya): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the thanks of this Assembly be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in His Excellency the President’s Address.

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Ms Munashabantu: Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking you for according me this rare honour and privilege of moving the Motion of Thanks to the speech by Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, on the progress made in the application of national Values and principles, delivered on Friday, 24^thFebruary, 2023.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, I would like to mention that the President’s Speech was very inspiring as it touched on many pertinent issues affecting our constituents on a daily basis. In this regard, allow me to comment on some of the key issues raised in the President’s Speech.

Morality and Ethics

Madam Speaker, under national values and principles, the President brought to the fore matters of alcohol and substance abuse, which are destroying people’s lives, especially the youths in our communities. Evidence has shown that there is a direct link between excess alcohol consumption and loss of health. Further, alcohol abuse has been found to be one of the three major risk factors contributing to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections and Gender Based Violence (GBV). It is, therefore, important that the programmes that are designed to prevent HIV infections and GBV also incorporate interventions to fight alcohol abuse. To this effect, I was encouraged to hear that the Government had put in place measures to address alcohol abuse through the intensified implementation of the National Alcohol Policy. I was also elated to learn that the Government is curbing access to alcohol and other substances by vigorously pursuing suppliers of such substances, especially illicit drugs.

Madam Speaker, as part of the efforts to build a morally upright and ethical society, the President highlighted the need to address the problem of child marriages and teenage pregnancies. Being a mother myself, the issue is very close to my heart because I know its long lasting devastating impact on girls and woman in our society. This includes the high rate of school drop outs for girls, which negatively affects their social economic status. For this reason, I applaud the New Dawn Government for introducing free education in all public primary schools, which is complimentary to the re-entry policy for girls who fall pregnant. I am also thrilled that the Government has actualised its commitment to providing quality and inclusive skills training for the young people. These decisions are beginning to bear fruits as we are witnessing a high number of school drop outs, especially girls, going back to schools and staying away from vices that result in teen pregnancy and subsequent child marriages. The skills training programme is enabling young people to get empowered with social economic skills that are enhancing their welfare.

Madam Speaker, I commend the President for acknowledging the dangers of misusing social media. The President noted that the misuse of social media had the potential to harm society and destroy individual character, especially if the safeguard to privacy and ethical concerns were compromised. In this regard, I join the President in calling upon all citizens to desist from using social media to promote hurt and divisive sentiments.

Democracy and Constitutionalism

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government has consistently declared that it shall govern the country using the rule of law. This has been demonstrated by bringing cadreism and political violence under control. As a result, elections are now being held in a peaceful manner as was demonstrated by the by-elections held in 2022. Further, the ongoing process of repealing and replacing the Public Order Act is another commendable step taken by the Government to enhance the rule of law and democracy. In the same vein, I also applaud the Government for enhancing the freedom of speech through the removal from our statutes, the provision that criminalises defamation of the President.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Ms Munashabantu: Mr Speaker, before the business was suspended, I was about to mention my third point which is Human Dignity, Equity, Social justice, Equality and Non-discrimination

Mr Speaker, it goes without saying that the New Dawn Government is a great respecter of human rights, as has been demonstrated through the abolishment of the death penalty. Hon. Member would agree with me that the death penalty violates the right to life and undermines human dignity, which every human being is entitled to. Therefore, the act of abolishing the death penalty will go along way in promoting human dignity and social justice in our society.

Mr Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not mention how the enhanced Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is helping to foster human dignity, equity and social justice in our society. Since its unprecedented increase in 2022,it is changing lives in the communities. The results are there for everyone to see. For instance, the CDF community projects with a human face have started being implemented with vulnerable children in boarding schools having their fees paid, and vulnerable youths being sponsored for skills development training. These actions have far-reaching benefits in improving the welfare of our communities and the nation as a whole.

Good Governance and Integrity

Mr Speaker, it is gratifying to note that in the quest to foster good governance and integrity, the Government has intensified the fight against corruption and financial crimes in service delivery. The establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Court is a case in point. Further the increased use of digital tools in cutting red-tape, reducing discretion and limiting human interaction will ultimately help to reduce corruption.

Mr Speaker, I therefore, welcome the Government’s efforts toward the digital transformation. In addition, I commend the Government for decentralising the human resources management system in the public service to the provincial and district levels, as was seen in the 2022 recruitment of more than 40, 000 public service employees.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, allow me to urge my fellow hon. Members to take a lead in entrenching the national values and principles in our society as articulated by the President. The onus is on us to build a nation with morally upright and united citizens with a shared heritage.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I beg to move.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Mumba: Now, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving the people of Kantanshi an opportunity to add a voice to the motion on the floor of the House. As I rise to second the motion, let me thank the mover, the hon. Member for Mapatizya, for highlighting a number of important points. Before I go into my thoughts and contributions, on behalf of the people of Kantanshi, let me thank the Government for finally signing the contract for the Lusaka/Ndola dual carriageway.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Mr Speaker, I think that, in itself, is a clear demonstration that as a country, we are moving in the right direction in as far as infrastructure, which in the last eighteen months has not been very clear.

Mr Speaker, the President did mention a very important point on the floor of the House. He said that it is a floor for the exchange of ideas for the development of our communities, and in this case, our constituencies. Therefore, when he lays a speech as he did, the important point is for us to expand on some of the points that he raised.

Mr Speaker, I will quickly talk about education which he talked about as being free, but there are certain costs within the education sector that are hampering some of the results that he mentioned that will benefit our children, particularly a girl child.

Mr Speaker, he did mention that now we have a number of children going into school because of the user fees and examination fees have been abolished. However, there are fees that hon. Members have been incurring. For example, if a child fails his Grade 9 examinations, repeats the following year and then tries to combine the two statements of results that he acquired, he has to pay K650 for him to be given a place in the following grade. So, that does not amount to free education.

Mr Speaker, if we look at a Grade 9 external pupil who will be writing examinations, he/she is subjected to paying K25 per paper. If a child has completed his Grade 12 and the results are not good, and he/she decides to re-sit one or three papers so that he/she can become competitive and get into college, it is good. The president was talking about such opportunities the free education provides for the country to become better, education wise. Re-sitting a paper is about K120 and participation fee of K75. Unfortunately, hon. Members of Parliament know that they are the ones who are approached. I urge the hon. Minister of Education to go back and relook the cost of re-sitting a paper and that of participation fee, especially that he is bringing a bill on the Examinations Council of Zambia so that we can actually feel the freedom that is being talked about in as far as free education is concerned.

Mr Speaker, I will also talk about issues in marriages. The President talked about upholding marriages, but you cannot uphold a marriage if you are not able to provide for your family. One of the things that are happening in Kantanshi is that my young people, miners who have lost jobs, cannot afford to look after their families. If they cannot afford to look after their families, definitely, marriages are breaking down. While the President was lamenting the need to uphold our values, the Government also needs to move faster and start dealing with the issues that we are having that are inhibiting people and inhibiting job creation. We have 7 million young people looking for jobs. We need to move away from doing things traditionally or the way we always do them. It is not the Government’s responsibility to be creating jobs such as 40,000 teaching jobs and 40,000 nursing jobs. It is the job of the private sector.

Mr Speaker, we have the mining sector, which is the backbone of our economy. We are still talking about minerals moving from one province to the other through smuggling or whatever you want to call it, yet people are looking for jobs and the Government is looking for resources. I think it is important that we go back to the drawing board.

Mr Speaker, I will also add one of the important things that the President talked about and that is goods that are produced locally. We are supposed to know which manufacturers we can support so that the cost of our goods that are essential in our homes are cheaper. How do we have expensive goods that we are producing locally and those that we import are even cheaper? There must be something wrong with our taxation system.

Mr Speaker, as regards taxation, the President talked about the need for us as Zambians to be tax-compliant. I expected him to go further and outline clearly how he is expecting corporate entities, especially mines, which are the backbone of our economy, to start paying their fair share of taxes. Go to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) today and see the amount of money that is being paid through Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds. How much are the mines paying in terms of corporate tax? This tax is supposed to support our Treasury so that when we have high cost of living, we can have cheaper taxes and have more money to spend in the economy. However, it is the other way around; the mining firms are having a field day. So, we need to review that. The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development needs to take its space and do it immediately and correctly.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Mr Speaker, I will move to human dignity. There is this huge emphasis on only empowering youths. We cannot be a country of traders. Others have aspirations in the particular fields that they trained in. This person wants to be a nurse and that person wants to be a doctor. They want to remain that way. So, there is a need for us to move away from empowering people by giving them money, which is what we have been doing.

Mr Speaker, as a member of your Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I can say that there is no loan under the empowerment of youths that has ever performed well. So, why do we not move some of this money from empowerment programmes and put it into apprenticeship programmes so that there is money for young people to gain experience? When you have 50,000 people applying for loans but you can give only 5,000, you induce corruption. Corruption becomes inevitable. However, if you got the same resources and got 100,000 people and moved K300 million or even K50 million from empowerment programmes to people’s wages, the money would spread back into the economy. Two things would happen: people would be earning money as well as gaining experience in readiness for a growing economy. So, the United Party for National Development (UPND) has to change and respond to what is currently happening on the ground.

Mr Speaker, I will end with the issue of climate change. In Kamwala, all the houses are flooded. Who is speaking for the people there? Yet here we have the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment. Where is the climate change fund so that we can go and pump out that water which is making people not to stay in their houses? When that is done, they can live decently. We need the UPND to up its game. It does have the opportunity and the command because it won elections genuinely. Some of us who believe in hard work and in working for the people will continue to work with it. We will also continue to challenge it on ideas as espoused by the President.

Mr Speaker, I second the Motion and I thank you.

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to debate the President’s Speech, which is the Motion on the Floor of this House today.

Mr Speaker, I am very humbled by what was said by the President and his consistency on the issue of unity, love and hard work. Whenever he has come here, he has preached love. I want to believe that we can only progress when we love each other. The President went on to talk about unity. We can only meet obligations when we are united. Similarly, we can only achieve what we want through hard work.

Mr Speaker, allow me to look at the Public Order Act which the President talked about when he was here. This is an instrument which we all know was enacted during the colonial era. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we have a President now who, as leader of opposition, continued to preach about the repealing of the Public Order Act. That is almost coming to fruition.

Mr Speaker, the Public Order Act was purely enacted to eliminate those who were perceived to be liberators or fighters of the colonial leaders during that time. This Act eliminated those who were fighting for independence during that time because the colonial masters never wanted them to meet their intended goals. This Act was abused.

Mr Speaker, we have had amendments passed to ensure that the Public Order Act is lined with the tenets of good governance that we have been preaching about. Unfortunately, the previous regimes had no time to respect this Public Order Act. I remember very well how, during the previous regime, we were invited to lodge submissions to amend the same Act. We were invited to make submissions on what we felt this Public Order Act was supposed to look like. Unfortunately, those submissions were not respected in that they were not adhered to. Again, in 2017 or 2018, the same appeal was made to citizens to make submissions towards the amendment of the same Public Order Act. Unfortunately, they were not adhered to as well. Now, our current Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has maintained the same stamina he had when he was a leader of opposition. Now we are seeing advances towards achieving what we have been longing for, for quite some time.

Mr Speaker, this Public Order Act will give the people of Zambia the liberties or freedoms to associate and assemble so that they can share their views with the supporters of their political parties. Citizens will agree with me that this Public Order Act was abused before. Only those who were perceived to be affiliates of the people or party in power were allowed to enjoy these rights to capacity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani: Now, we are ensuring that the citizens of this country, regardless of ethnicity, geography or political affiliation, enjoy the same liberties or powers. This is what we have been crying for, for quite some time.

Mr Speaker, the Public Order Act, once enacted evenly, the way things are now and with its contents, the citizens of this country will be allowed to freely associate or to speak to their associates. The political atmosphere or political strings will be exercised by everyone normally or reasonably.

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about decentralisation, which is purely taking power to the people so that they can make decisions, on their own. This is one of the tenets that have always been just talked about without realisation.

Madam Speaker, we are happy that with able leadership, the people of Zambia can now see the fruits of good governance through decentralisation. The people in our constituencies and districts are now able to make decisions on their own on what they feel should be done. This has been something that we have been looking for, for quite some time.

Mr Speaker, I now want to believe that the actual tenets of good governance will give stamina to what people call a democratic State. In the event of the lack of those tenets, the country would have remained the way it was before.

Mr Speaker, speaking for the people of Namwala, I think we are humbled, having gone through the speech which the President gave, what the tenets actually represent, and that they are being actualised.

Mr Speaker, it has been the need of the citizens of this country for the Government to ensure that they, across the country and tribal lines, are allowed to make decisions on what they feel should be done in their respective constituencies; associate, assemble and share ideas on how they feel they should be governed.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I submit.

Mr Andeleki: Mr Speaker, I have withdrawn.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing the voice of Chienge to be heard on this important Motion of Thanks on the address that the President gave on Friday.

Mr Speaker, I must say I was unable to attend physically because I was not well. However, I followed from my house. I listened carefully when the President addressed this great nation of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I listened to the speech and read it. I must admit that whoever was the author of the speech had put his or her mind to it. It was a well written speech.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Rev. Katuta: However, the reader of the speech kept on veering off it and I got so worried because that was the Head of State. I do not expect the Head of State to come and address the nation to settle scores with the former regime.

Mr Speaker, I am one of those who suffered at the hands of the former regime, but I cannot be using that time and again when I am given an opportunity to address the nation. The Head of State is just that. He is no longer the head of a political party. He is the father of the nation. My appeal to him is that: Mr President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, when given an opportunity, address the nation, do not settle scores. As far as we are concerned, he comes to address the nation on the progress made on the application of national values and principles.

Mr Speaker, we are talking about values and principles, but here we are; if you listen to the language that even some of our hon. Colleagues use, like, “You did this and you did that” how do you expect the nation to heal? The nation needs to heal and move forward. We need to be united. If the Head of State is the one leading in reminding the nation about the same things all the time, we will not heal anyone. As a Christian nation, we have the bible and it says: “There is a blessing when brothers live in unity. Their God pours blessings on them.” As long as we keep on pulling each other into different directions, we are not going to prosper in this nation.

Mr Speaker, as I listened to the President talk about patriotism, I was really surprised. As I said, the speech was good, but each time, he veered off it, and that really worried the people of Chienge. Even in Chienge, we had our own challenges. Imagine, as the leader of Chienge, I keep on reminding the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) about what they did to me, ...

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

Rev. Katuta: ... what will I be saying to the people of Chienge?

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nanjuwa: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order pursuant to Standing Order 65. I want to be made to understand how the hon. Member of Parliament is debating. Is she debating the speech of the President or the President? I need a serious ruling.

Mr Speaker: Order!

I think there is a clear distinction between the presidency and the President. The presidency is an institution and the President is a person. So, the hon. Member went off her way by talking directly about the President. So, let us desist being personal in our debates. Let us ensure that we restrict ourselves to the speech that was presented on the Floor.

May the hon. Member continue.

Rev. Katuta: Mr Speaker, when the Head of State was addressing the nation, he kept on referring to how he was ill-treated. This is what we are debating now. We should not take this lightly. When you go on facebook (Meta), this is the same language which is coming from there. It is also the same language here on the Floor of the House. We need to change the way we speak, if we are to be patriotic and unit this nation. There is one Zambia one nation which the President spoke about. He was the one reading to the nation. So, who should I refer to?

Mr Speaker, we need to be sincere on what is wrong. If I were to be rebuked in love, I would accept.

Mr Speaker, we need the President, when he is given the chance to address the nation, to speak about national issues. You know what happened in the Eastern Province recently when there was that issue of the Anglican Church. We need to unite, as a nation; it is very important. We are talking about one Zambia one nation. Who is going to carry this flag of the one Zambia one nation when, each time we talk, we start to talk about what happened? Who does not know what happened? Who did not risk? When you want to get to a higher office, especially of a king or a President, you expect persecution. There is a programme called “The Lion King.” It is very simple; no one has ever ascended to that seat without being persecuted. When you are going there; you should be ready.

Mr Speaker, I just want to correct something that somebody was trying – I am talking about patriotism here. We have to be patriotic about our country. If my colleagues on your right side will keep on questioning, let it be so. We will go on like this; running in different directions. However, the truth of the matter is that our President should address us, as a nation, and not the things that happened between him and the Patriotic Front (PF). There is always campaign time, he can say that on any other day, but not when given an opportunity as he was. We needed to know the progress that has been made on the application of the national values and principles in our nation. It is very simple. We have to know what has been done and achieved. That is what is important. Yes, he spoke about –

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member.

Now, you are contradicting yourself. The only way the President can put a measure on what has been achieved …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: … as regards to values and principles, is to compare the current situation …

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: … with statistics of the past.

Interruptions

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: When the President does that, he can ascertain whether the country is making progress.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: If he does not refer to the past in relation to values and principles, it will be difficult for him to know whether the country is making progress.

Hon. PF Members: Question, Chair!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: You may continue, hon. Member.

Rev. Katuta: Mr Speaker, if you say that the President should refer to the past whenever he comes address the nation, ...

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

Rev. Katuta: ... for how long is he going to do that? If that is the case, then, there is no need for forgiveness in this land. It will be better we move on as enemies. There is no way a leader can be reminding the people who offended him. 

Mr Speaker, hear me very well. It is very important that we help the Head of State to realise that he is the Head of the Nation, no matter how injured he is. In 2021, Her Honour the Vice-President was beaten in Chienge but she still talks to the people who did that to her. I am talking about the leader showing true patriotism for the unity of purpose.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Rev. Katuta: We should show the nation that we are different.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Rev. Katuta: That is what I am trying to say here. We are talking about patriotism. If we are going to continue like this, let it be so. However, for me, and I know the President is watching or listening to this debate and I want him to take a leaf from what I am saying. He is the Head of everyone in Zambia and not the United Party for National Development (UPND). So, if he wants to settle the scores for whatever happened, he should not use the opportunity that is given to him to address the nation.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the good people of Kabwata an opportunity to contribute to the Motion that is on the Floor.

Mr Speaker, the speech that was read by the President, actually unveiled a number of issues, namely morality and ethics; patriotism and national unity; democracy and constitutionalism; human rights and equity; and social justice and good governance.

Mr Speaker, allow me to first of all, correct the notion that has been highlighted on the Floor of the House by the seconder of the Motion. When one does not live in a certain society, he or she will end up giving false information about that particular area, like what the hon. Member for Kantanshi has done.

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

Mr Tayengwa: Mr Speaker, let me give the exact position of the flooding in Kabwata Constituency, which is my constituency.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, we do not debate ourselves in here. So, concentrate on the Presidential Speech.

Mr Tayengwa: Well-guided, Mr Speaker, but I just wanted to highlight the causes of the flooding in Kabwata Constituency.

Mr Speaker, in the past, we have had a challenge with the issue of development.  If we asked the city planners who were there in the past, they would tell us that for the past three or four years, we have suffered a lot of injustice in Lusaka City.

Mr Speaker, in Kamwala South or Kabwata Constituency in particular, the reason we got affected with floods in that area is not because of climate change per se. It is because of the people who used to dump garbage in drainages. Therefore, there is need for us to come up with mindset change programmes so that we can try and educate our people on how garbage should be disposed of.

Mr Speaker, flooding in Kabwata Constituency was also caused by poor planning. You will find that most of those drainages are blocked by people who built their houses on illegal plots. So, those are some of the contributing factors that made flooding to worsen in Kabwata Constituency.

Mr Speaker, I also want to bring certain things to your attention. The President did highlight the issue of education and emphasised that there was need for –

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

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

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, our Standing Orders are very clear. When one is debating, he or she ought not to read. Is the hon. Member for Kabwata in order to be reading?

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Mung’andu: Referring to notes and reading are two different things. He is actually reading line by line. It is like someone has prepared that speech for him. Is he in order?

I seek your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I did not see him read but if he was, then he is out of order. However, if he was not reading, then it is something else.

Laughter

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: We are not encouraged to read when debating hon. Members.

You can continue with your debate.

Mr Tayengwa: Mr Speaker, I know that my hon. Colleague is good at raising points of order. I am not reading but stating facts. The President did emphasise the issue of education. For instance, if you look at the challenges that we are facing in our constituencies, the issue of education is number one. Education has been centred on people graduating and thereafter, looking for jobs. The President did actually emphasise that there is need for us to introduce a new curriculum on entrepreneurship in our schools.

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about providing quality education. The only way we can provide quality education is by us, hon. Members of Parliament, understanding the values and principles that the Head of State spoke about.

Mr Speaker, the issue of children sitting on the Floor is something that each and every hon. Member of Parliament should put into consideration. We need to change the set up of our education standards so that we improve the free education that was given to us by the New Dawn Government.

Mr Speaker, allow me also to raise the issue of alcohol abuse. With regard to the number of children that have been abusing alcohol, the Head of State indicated that there was a good number of people, a thousand or so, who have been reformed.  In 2019, there was an Act that was passed here to do with Mental Health but this Act has not been actualised. Therefore, there is need that the Mental Health Committee is put in place to help the people who are suffering from mental health. Those people can be helped through this Act.

Mr Speaker, the other thing which I wanted to relate to in the speech is the issue of tribalism. The Head of State did speak to tribalism and ethnicism. The main sources of conflict in Africa are tribalism, land or religion. I will specifically dwell on the issue of tribalism. In the past, we saw how appointments were done.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Tayengwa: We could see that one region was favoured more than other regions. It was like Zambia was only designed for a certain region. This is not how things should have been.

Mr Speaker, tribalism is a major cause of – If we check, mostly, the people who perpetrate tribalism are the educated ones and they are found in this House.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Tayengwa: That is the reason tribalism should never ever be encouraged. The President did actually say that he was one of those who were abused because of the issue of tribe.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

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

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order, a point of order is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order pursuant to Standing Order No. 65. This House has got rules and you earlier guided that we do not debate ourselves. Is the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwata in order to insinuate in his debate that people who are perpetrating tribalism are here …

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

Mr Kampyongo: … when he cannot verify his facts? His debate is trying to divide this august House.

Hon. UPND Members: No!

Mr Kampyongo: Is he in order to continue on that trajectory? This is the National Assembly. When we gather here, we represent the people across the nation.

I seek your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, desist from referring to this House as you are debating as doing that will put this House into dispute. We are not allowed to debate ourselves. So, the hon. Member was out of order.

May the hon. Member continue.

Mr Tayengwa: Mr Speaker, well guided, but the truth of the matter is that tribalism is what has destroyed this nation. If you look at the way people were being appointed, they were actually appointed on tribal lines. There is no way we would continue on that trajectory and that is why our dear President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, came here and gave us a list of things that we should follow when it comes to national values. If we are not careful and we continue thriving on tribal lines, we will destroy this nation such that we will not have a nation to talk about.

Mr Speaker, I am remaining with a few minutes. I thank you for giving the good people of Kabwata an opportunity to debate.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, your points were very good. Zambians at large know that in the recent past, there has been a lot of equity as regards the distribution of opportunities.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Chonya (Kafue): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving the people of Kafue this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the state of the nation address, which was delivered by His Excellency the President last Friday.

Mr Speaker, I must indicate that I am serving this Parliament for the seventh year now, and the speech I am holding is light because the previous speeches had many texts. Small as the speech is, it is actually, for lack of a better word, pregnant with a lot developmental progress that has been registered by the New Dawn Government.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Chonya: There are statistics and evidence showing how much progress we have made in many areas such as the sinking of boreholes, empowering of youths with skills and putting up of infrastructure, all that confirming that the New Dawn Government is indeed placing a lot of value and premium on development. That is a very good trajectory, and I encourage the people in the driving seat to continue on that path.

Mr Speaker, the President spoke like a statesman, which he is, when delivering his speech. Personally, I was inspired by what he said. The speech resonated very well with the report on the Pan African Parliament our colleagues presented a few days ago on the Floor of the House, on the common national values that we must have at home and also being encouraged on the African continent. Many issues were discussed, and education continues to come out prominently as one of the things the Government values. The President talked about how free education has made it possible for many children to now access education. In Kafue, we have seen this, and we have responded by putting up infrastructure using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).In Kafue, not long ago, almost every week we were commissioning classroom blocks, something that we did not experience in the past. Indeed, thisGovernment is reformist and development oriented, and that is something that no one can take away from it.

Mr Speaker, the aspect of unity was talked about, even by people who spoke this afternoon. The President really emphasised the aspect of unity and peace not only at family level, but also at the national level. Indeed, it is important that as a nation, we continue maintaining peace. I know that my colleague from Kabwata was guided, but sometimes, the things I hear when I am seated here are not encouraging. However, we, the leaders, must be in the forefront in building national unity. We must realise that when we are making commentaries, even when we are whispering, the people out there hear those things on the radio. One day, I almost raised a point of order because of what I had heard when I was listening to the radio whilst I was coming to this House. So, people must be careful. We must call a spade a spade, and only then shall we find a solution.

Mr Speaker, I am running out of time, but I also appreciate the President’s message on equity. The President talked about non-discrimination and the Government’s commitment on equity. I will ride on the beautiful debate of the hon. Member for Kabwe Central, who talked about the need for gender equity and representation of women at all levels of governance.

Mr Speaker, the President is leading a reformist Government. We are seeing many things that were not done in the past being done. The death sentence was lifted, and our friends who are incarcerated are now being cared for, and I can give many examples. I have a lot of hope that, indeed, the President will ensure that women are represented at various levels in the Civil Service, civil society, private sector, and in Parliament, where we only have 15 per cent of women. So, we hope when it comes to issues of constitutionalism and democracy, as a House, we shall help the President move that agenda and come up with electoral reforms that will ensure that women no longer get a raw deal as the case has been. Otherwise, we shall not be walking the talk.

Mr Speaker, the Children’s Code Bill has come into play, and the House passed a number of Bills and laws, and this shows dedication on the part of the Government. So, when it comes to the issue of women, this important area should not be left out. If we talk about development without the full participation of women, then that development will not take us anywhere. Women, who are a majority, contribute a lot and have a lot to offer to the developmental agenda of this nation.

Mr Speaker, finally, the aspect of sustainability development in the context of climate change was talked about, and what we experienced lately, is a wakeup call of why we should care for our environment for the benefit of the future generations. When we resumed Parliament last week, my colleagues and I were not in the House because we had gone on a mission where this issue was brought to the fore. What came out of that engagement is that hon. Members of Parliament, not only in Zambia, but also across the region are not being proactively involved.

They are not engaging sufficiently in issues of climate change. So, we were challenged to bring back home that message that as Parliaments, we must find our space in playing a role in ensuring that we are doing enough to address the issue of climate change. Otherwise, the people whoare moving this agenda will move on, yet we have a very important role to hold them to account and ensure that as a country, we are also doing what we are supposed to do in responding and mitigating climate change.

With those few remarks, I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, indeed, according to the Republican Constitution, His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, addressed the House last Friday. I will be very objective in my debate to his speech. I will start with the issue of corruption. The President indicated that he would fight corruption by looking at the past and the present, and the two would form the basis for his action in the future. That is very welcome. For me, the President had set a tone, not only by his speech, but also by his actions. This is what the country needs. He demonstrated and he referred to the dismissal of the five District Commissioners (DCs) and one Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS). This is what the country has been missing for years.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Now you are talking.

Mr Mung’andu: I think, as citizens, we should be able to support such manoeuvres. I can assure the President that we will continue playing our oversight role objectively, not only on him, but also on the Executive. The move that he made gives us hope. All the civil servants in the country are employed in the name of the President. So, we cannot have a situation where people who are acting in the name of the President disadvantage citizens whilst Government machinery is watching. I urge him to go further. We should not see the DPS seen as a sacrificial lamb. Looking at the magnitude of the accusations he is facing, I believe he cannot act alone.

Hon. Government Member: Question!

Mr Mung’andu: It is a reality. Mr President, go further. Who else was involved? If the President does not do so, we will expose him. The fight that he is heading might not take him anywhere. Let no one be a sacrificial lamb. He has our support.

Mr Speaker, we, should also not be crying foul when we are approached by the security agencies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Mung’andu: If they come to me and I am innocent, I will explain. They will just be wasting their time.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mung’andu: If anything, that is the basis for me to even come and make more money in future because I will sue them.

Mr Speaker, when you look at the President’s Speech, he said that all the 156 constituencies received the allocation in full.

Hon. Government Members: Correct!

Mr Mung’andu: However, that is not the situation.

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Mr Mung’andu: Stop misleading our President. Let me repeat this. Stop misleading the President.

Mr Speaker, I will give an example of Chama. I am a Member of Parliament for Chama South. My hon. Colleague, the hon. Member of Parliament for Chama North, can agree with me that we have not received the money in full. We only received K17 million out K25.7 million. I know there are many constituencies in a similar situation. Unless you are saying the Government is discriminatory. It is only giving full amounts to constituencies that are represented by those from the ruling party who are saying “ah!”

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Interruptions

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, I am addressing the speech that His Excellency gave on the Floor of this House. Let me tell President Hakainde Hichilema that he should make a follow-up. The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning might have released the money in full to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, but the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has not released the money in full to some constituencies. These are facts.

Mr Speaker, the other thing I would want the President to look at is this. He mentioned that 56,341 houses were connected to the national electricity grid, either through the off grid system or indeed the national grid. However, here is a challenge, Mr President. The Government has just increased connection fees beyond the reach of many of our people. If there is a sector that needed subsidies, it is this sector. When you look at economic subsidies, they are in two parts. There is the production side of subsidies and the consumption side. That is a study on its own. It is very important to look at certain areas. My Colleague, the hon. Member for Kantanshi just mentioned the cost of production. Can we industrialise with the high cost of production? What other sectors of our economy that will need subsidising has the Government prioritised because of their multiplier effect where economic recovery and economic resilience is concerned? That is so important. Have we looked at that?

Mr Speaker, when you look at the percentage of people who have access to electricity, you will realise that it is low, but we are talking about the green economy. One of the factors that contribute to carbon release is the change of technological use in agriculture. Are we going to discourage it, including charcoal burning, with the high connection fees? Are we going to ensure that the percentage of access to electricity is increased because even in urban areas, only 60 per cent have access to electricity? It is even worse in rural constituencies. It should be two to four per cent of the people in rural constituencies who have access to electricity. Are these people going to afford the connection fees that ZESCO Limited is charging? Probably, the answer is ‘no’. These are areas the Government needs to re-look. I urge the President and his Government to consider looking into that issue.

Mr Speaker, the final point is a constitutional matter. It is the issue of inclusivity, where ethnicity and regional balance are concerned. That is a constitutional matter. We are watching all the appointments the President is making and we will judge him.

Mr Sing’ombe: Do you want to be appointed?

Mr Mung’andu: I have said it is a constitutional matter because the President has to look at the diversity of the country. We know there are people who suffered for the United Party for National Development (UPND). They need to be rewarded, but a reward can come in so many forms.

Colleagues, not all of you can be hon. Ministers. We have seen those that are very angry for not being appointed.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Mung’andu: There are so many ways of rewarding someone. The Government is so big.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, why should we keep reminding each other that we do not debate ourselves? Why can you not restrict yourself to the President’s Speech? Why should you go into the nitty-gritty of taking about appointments? Are you the one who wants to be appointed?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, I am debating the President’s Speech. If he feels I can contribute and appoints me, who am I not to accept?

Laughter

Mr Jamba: Natwikala kale!

Mr Mung’andu: I am urging my Colleagues that rewards can come in so many forms. Let us allow the President to follow the Constitution in appointments. It is very important. That is what will bring the unity of this country.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Speaker, I thank you for pinpointing the voice of Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency to comment on the President’s Speech which was delivered to this House last week, Friday.

Mr Speaker, I happen to be the secretary-general of the African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Zambian Chapter. The President said that he would fight the past, present and future corruption. Hunting concessions in Lumezi District were cancelled by the Ministry of Tourism and Arts. However, a court judgment later proved that, indeed, the ministry had abused the law in how it cancelled the concessions. I had hoped that the President would use that matter as the best message to the Zambian people to demonstrate his fight against corruption. To date, the people in Lumezi District do not know whether they will hunt this year, yet there is a court judgment, which the President did not speak about.

Mr Speaker, the President was quick to mention that he had fired officers, whom he had appointed, over the illegal mining of Sugilite. I know we are expecting a statement this week on the Floor of the House on the same matter. We hope it will give hon. Members all the answers to the rumours and questions we are hearing on the streets.

Mr Speaker, equally, the President briefly spoke about having interactive discussions with hon. Members; an allocated session in the House where we can talk about various issues. I agree, and maybe, we should push for the enactment of laws that would allow the President, at least once a month, to answer questions directly from the hon. Members of Parliament like it happens in other jurisdictions. This is because he addresses us the hon. Members yet we cannot ask him questions. It is like a normal lecture. Let us evolve. The current scenario is where he talks to hon. Members and we just listen without asking follow up questions. Here we are now discussing the contents of the speech, yet no one in the House will be able to respond to what hon. Members intend to magnify out of his speech.

Mr Speaker, the President also touched on the Public Order Act. There is a landmark case; the Christine Mulundika and Six Others, is a point of reference. I see no reason why all previous Governments have been talking about the Public Order Act. In its current form, the Public Order Act is okay. The problem is the political will of those that wield executive functions. The Act is instructive, for example, it states that we shall notify the police of our intention to assemble, and not necessarily to obtain permission. So, I do not know who wants the Zambian people to believe that giving notice is as good as seeking authority from the Zambia Police. It is the Executive arm of the Government that has been abrogating the law with impunity when it comes to the Act because there is a landmark case we can refer to. I know Hon. Mwiimbu has read that case and he has used it on so many cases.

Mr Speaker, people have talked about the issue of tribalism and will continue to do so. There is no harm in working with people one is comfortable with. That is the nature of man. If the President or any other person is comfortable working with Tumbukas only, let it be so. The primary objective is that, first of all, do they have the capacity to deliver? If not, let us not call it tribalism. It is the incompetence of those we call the appointing authority, and not tribalism. If people have the capacity to deliver, and you have twenty-one Cabinet Ministers that are all Tumbukas, Chewas or Ngonis, but have the capacity to deliver, let them do the work. Why should it be tribalism? The question is: Do they have the capacity?

UPND Member: Question!

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Speaker, let me now come to the issue of enhanced Constituency Development Funds (CDF). We are given money, which is kept in the bank for a year, and then we are asked to come up with projects we would like to undertake in the constituencies. The Attorney-General’s Office is in Lusaka, but the money for Lumezi Constituency is sitting in a bank account in Lundazi for a year. I think we should have been asked to first come up with plans and then be given money, not what is obtaining regarding the CDF.

Mr Speaker, as regards free education, one would ask what is good about it. The ministry in Lusaka asks us to take children to trade schools because as parents, we cannot afford to sponsor them. However, the students, such as those at Chipata Trades Training Institute, have difficulties finding food. So, hon. Members of Parliament send money to sponsor students from their own pockets. I agree with the President when he says that hon. Members are asking for an increment. This is because that money goes towards sorting out the needs of the student populace in different constituencies.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Speaker, let me come to constitutionalism. I am aware of a situation where some Muslims have not been allowed to register their organisations. The Registrar of Societies refers them another similar organisation to consult on the processes as if that organisation is now the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security operating under the Registrar of Societies. There is a group being denied registration by the ministry as if they are not Zambians. So, some of these things are a deliberate ploy by the Executive arm of the Government and then they blame it on constitutionalism.

Mr Speaker, the Constitution is sick on the Public Order Act, on the right to assemble and the right to association. However, it is the people who occupy government offices that deliberately create situations and then put the blame on the Constitution.

Mr Speaker, I wish the President had addressed the issue of delimitation in detail. We cannot have smaller constituencies, where some hon. Members win with 4,000 registered voters, getting the same CDF allocation as hon. Members who have 53,000 voters such as Lumezi. Constituencies whose area size is 72,000m²are given the same amount of money as areas like Kabwata Parliamentary Constituency which is less than 1,000 Km².

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

UPND Member: Apo wa kamba!

Laughter

Mr Munir Zulu: We should have a deliberate policy to differentiate men from boys because in this House we sit as though we have the same problems.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

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ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at 1808 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 1^st March, 2023.

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