RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED ON FRIDAY, 24TH MARCH, 2023, BY MRS K S MULENGA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KALULUSHI CONSTITUENCY AGAINST MR L MWENE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MANGANGO CONSTITUENCY, FOR ALLEGING THAT THE HOUSE WAS HARBOURING THIEVES

 

Hon Members, the House will recall that on Friday, 24th March, 2023, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 230 and Mr L Lubozha, Member of Parliament for Chifubu Constituency, was asking a follow up question, Ms K S Mulenga, Member of Parliament for Kalulushi Constituency, raised a Point of Order. 

 

In the Point of Order, Ms K S Mulenga, MP, asked whether Mr L Mwene, Member of Parliament for Mangango Constituency, was in order to allege that there were thieves in the House.  The Point of Order was based on a running comment made by Mr L Mweene, MP, in response to a statement made by Mr L Lubozha, Member of Parliament for Chifubu Constituency in his follow up question.  In the question, Mr L Lubozha, MP asked why the Government was taking long to prosecute persons who had misappropriated funds meant for the completion of the Civic Centre in Mwansabombwe District which had stalled. 

 

In his immediate response to the Point of Order, the Hon Mr Second Deputy Speaker reserved his ruling to study the matter. I have since studied the matter and will now render my ruling.

 

Hon Members, a review of the verbatim record of the proceedings of Friday, 24th March, 2023, revealed that Ms K S Mulenga, MP, in raising her Point of Order, did not cite the Standing Order that had been breached by Mr L Mwene, MP, as required by Standing Order 131 (3) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021. On that basis, the Point of Order is not admissible. 

 

Hon Members, I wish to remind Hon Members to clearly cite the rule, law, privilege, practice or procedure breached whenever they raise a Point of Order. I also wish to seize this opportunity to inform this House that I have noticed, with dismay, the trend of Members making running commentaries in contravention of Standing Order 204 (2) (h) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021.  In that regard, I urge Hon Members to desist from this practice which tends to disturb the member on the Floor and disrupt the smooth flow of the business of the House. 

 

I THANK YOU.