Ruling by Hon Madam Speaker - On a Point of Order raised on 23rd March, 2023, by Mr S Kampyongo, MP for Shiwang'andu against Hon Dr S Musokotwane, for alleging that the 2022 Budget Speech superseded the credibility of all Budgets since independence

RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED ON THURSDAY, 23RD MARCH, 2023, BY MR S KAMPYONGO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SHIWANG’ANDU CONSTITUENCY AGAINST HON DR S MUSOKOTWANE, MP, MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING FOR ALLEGING THAT THE 2022 BUDGET SPEECH SUPERCEDED THE CREDIBILITY OF ALL BUDGETS SINCE INDEPENDENCE

Hon Members, the House will recall that on Thursday, 23rd March, 2023, the House was considering the Motion to adopt the Report of the Planning and Budgeting Committee on the Review of the Third and Fourth Quarter Performance of the 2022 Budget for Selected Ministries and Provinces. The House will further recall that when Hon Dr S Musokotwane, MP, Minister of Finance and National Planning was responding to issues raised on the Report by Members, Mr S Kampyongo, Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu Constituency, raised a Point of Order against Hon Dr S Musokotwane, MP, based on Standing Order 65 (1) (b).

In his Point of Order, Mr S Kampyongo, MP, enquired whether Hon Dr S Musokotwane, MP, was in order to ignore the Report and claim that since independence, the only budget with credibility was the 2022 budget, thus, suggesting that budgets that he, himself, had presented to the House when he was Minister of Finance under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy lacked credibility. 

Hon Members, in her immediate response, the Hon Madam First Deputy Speaker, reserved her ruling. I have since studied the matter and will now render my ruling. 

Hon Members, Mr S Kampyongo, MP’s Point of Order was premised on Standing Order 65 (1) (b) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021. Standing Order 65 on content of speech provides as follows:
 “65.  (1) A member who is debating shall- 
(b) ensure that the information he or she provides to the House is factual and verifiable.”

Hon Members, in investigating the matter, I had recourse to the verbatim record of the proceedings of Thursday, 23rd March, 2023. The verbatim record revealed that the Hon Minister stated as follows:
“….I have to be frank and tell you that for the first time since independence, the credibility of the 2022 Budget tops the list.”
It is clear from the foregoing statement that the Hon Minister neither ignored the Report nor discredited the other budgets that had passed through this House, since independence, as alleged by Mr S Kampyongo, MP.  Rather, the Hon Minister merely stated that the 2022 budget topped the list or in other words was the most credible.  This did not in any way mean previous budgets had not been credible.

Hon Members, in view of the foregoing, Hon Dr S Musokotwane, MP, was not out of order.

I THANK YOU

Ruling Date: 
Friday, March 31, 2023