Thursday, 13th July, 2023

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    Thursday, 13th July, 2023

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

MR MUBIKA, HON. MEMBER FOR SHANGOMBO, ON THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS NALUMANGO, ON HUMAN/ANIMAL CONFLICTS IN SHANGOMBO DUE TO A LACK OF FOOD

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, this is my maiden matter of urgent public importance.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, this matter is directed at Her Honour the Vice-President and hon. Minister of Tourism.

Madam Speaker, as I speak, I have lost appetite because of the happenings in my district, which is Shangombo. Elephants have moved from Angola, Sioma and other parts of this country into Shangombo.

Laughter

Mr Mubika: There are about four wards now where schools have even been closed. As I am speaking, a four year old girl is just waiting to be taken into the theater in Lewanika General Hospital to have both legs cut-off because of elephants.

Madam Speaker, I have been reporting on the sidelines, but there has no action that has taken. People are going into the bush to look for food because of the drought that we experienced this year. There is not enough relief food for the people. As a result, the elephants are causing nightmares for my people.

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence on this matter on Her Honour the Vice-President and the hon. Minister of Tourism regarding the distribution of relief food to the people of Shangombo before many lives are lost.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you hon. Member for Shangombo.

This issue of animal/human conflict, I think we have dealt with it several times in this House. However, it appears we are finding challenges, as a country, on how we can live in harmony with our animals.

Let us me just give the experience of where we went, Ngorongoro in Arusha, Tanzania. That area has been declared a conservation area where animals and human beings are living in harmony with each other. I saw cattle grazing together with zebras, wildebeest and lions. When we asked a young boy whether he had seen a lion, he said, “Yes, I have seen a lion before.” When we asked if he was not scared of the lion, he said, “No, I am not scared”. So, they have learnt to live in harmony with each other.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Maybe we need a benchmarking trip. However, the difference that I have seen is that in Ngorongoro, there is enough grass. When I asked, they told me that elephants – because I was interested to know how they live in harmony with human beings – eat pumpkins and maize, but, somehow, they manage to live with each other. So, I do not know what measures can be taken by the Government to ensure that we also live in harmony with each other and can benefit from the tourism that will encourage people to come into the country.

Since there is an outcry that we need to find means and ways, Her Honour the Vice-President, or maybe we leave it to the hon. Minister of Tourism to come to the House later. We will give him a week, so that he has enough time to do some research. He can come and give us a statement on the elephants. I saw a video of a number of elephants. Those were maybe 800 or more elephants crossing into Sioma. So, they really pose a risk and I think it is something that needs to be addressed.

So, hon. Minister of Tourism, please come back to the House next week on Friday to give a ministerial statement on the matter. Maybe also come up with suggestions on how humans can live in harmony with animals.

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR MPIKA, ON THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS NALUMANGO, ON HUNGER IN NABWALYA CHIOMBO CHIEFDOM

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, on a matter of urgent public importance.

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

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to raise this matter of urgent public importance, pursuant to Standing Order No. 134, directed at Her Honour the Vice-President.

Madam Speaker, in Mpika, there is a chiefdom called Nabwalya Chiombo, which has a population of about 21,000 people. As I speak, the people of Nabwalya Chiombo are sleeping on empty stomachs. There is literary no food and there is no road which can enable them to travel to Mpika to buy food even if they had money. This entails that they will depend on the Government’s intervention is as far as distribution of relief food is concerned. Therefore, I direct this matter at Her Honour the Vice-President to see to it that the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) moves in to distribute relief food.

Madam Speaker, I beseech you that as people go for a benchmarking tour in Arusha, I be part of them.

Madam Speaker, I thank you so much.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: That was just a comment. I have no means of controlling who goes, unless you are on the Comittee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism.

Thank you, hon. Member for Mpika. These are the issues that, when they are raised, we always advise that, please, do engage Her Honour the Vice-President. She is there and the office is there. Have you taken the trouble to go and visit the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) office to make presentations so that you do not allow the members of your constituency to go hungry? If you wait until you come here and raise a matter of urgent public importance, it will take a few days before a ministerial statement is made. Even if a ministerial statement is made, there is no change that will happen. So, please, as a responsible hon. Member of Parliament, which you are, do engage Her Honour the Vice-President’s office to see how you can be helped.

Furthermore, people are encouraged to go out there and plough even 2, 3 or 4 acres. Like me, I am a little farmer in my own way. So, let us do that.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

PLANS TO IMPLEMENT YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN TIMBER PROCESSING IN LUBANSENSHI CONSTITUENCY

371. Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi) asked the Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts:

  1. whether the Government has any plans to implement youth empowerment programmes in timber processing in Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency;
  2. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and
  3. how many youths are earmarked for empowerment in 2023.

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu): Madam Speaker, the hon. Member may wish to note that the Government has plans to implement youth empowerment programmes in Lubansenshi Constituency targeting all sectors of the economy, including timber processing, while taking into consideration the comparative advantage of the constituency.

Madam Speaker, the implementation of youth empowerment programmes is not a one-off activity, but an ongoing process based on the number of applications received and approved.

Madam Speaker, as noted in response to part (b) of the question, youth empowerment programmes are demand-driven. Hence, the number of youths to be empowered from Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency may vary according to the number of applications received.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chewe: Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to ask a follow-up question to the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts.

Madam Speaker, it is really good to note that the hon. Minister is thinking about the good people of Lubansenshi, especially the youth, by putting up such kinds of measures. Among those youth that we are talking about, there are those who do not even have, for instance, a Grade 12 certificate. However, the ministry needs some documentation for the youth to access even things like concession licences and everything else.

Madam Speaker, I would like to find out what measures the ministry is putting in place to ensure that each and every youth in the constituency is taken care of.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, it will interest you to know that these are the same questions that I was answering yesterday. They are more likely the same questions, but I believe these are questions that maybe came very early in 2022.

Madam Speaker, the answer to the hon. Member is that firstly, we want to dispel the issue of having a Grade 12 certificate when acquiring the empowerment funds. That is not the true reflection of what is obtaining. What is obtaining is that whether someone has qualifications or not, the empowerment programmes have been tailored to suit every sector and individual.

Madam Speaker, we have more than thirteen empowerment programmes and I believe that one of them is the timber empowerment programme or the timber value chain, we may call it. Now that we are talking about timber, I want to encourage the hon. Member for Lubansenshi to also encourage his constituents to apply for those empowerment programmes. We have grants there and it is not only the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts that is offering empowerment programmes. That is what I said even yesterday. The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development are also doing the same. Almost every ministry is offering out some empowerment programme.

Madam Speaker, I, therefore, want to encourage the hon. Member that when he gets to the constituency, he should encourage those individuals so that they benefit. Otherwise, as I said, it is demand driven. It will not be possible for a Minister to go into Lubansenshi, organise youths and then tell them that these are the empowerment programmes that I have available. For the sake of information, yes, but I think hon. Members of Parliament should play a critical role in sensitising their constituents so that they can also apply for the empowerment programmes.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. E. Banda (Petauke Central): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me, on behalf of the good people of Petauke Central, this opportunity to ask a supplementary question to the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts.

 

Madam Speaker, in Lubansenshi, there are many youths and then those youths – I will be repeating because I want them to be reconsidered. The percentage of the educated youth is only 30 per cent, according to research, and 70 per cent the uneducated ones.

Laughter

Mr J. E. Banda: The empowerment component, for example, under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is only 20 per cent and only covers maybe one cooperative per ward when there are some constituencies with twenty wards. Now, when you divide that K750,000 for grants by twenty, you find that there is no business for which you can use that money because it is very little. Maybe that is why we are asking the hon. Minister to come in so that he can work hand-in-hand with all hon. Members of Parliament, if, indeed, he is a youth.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: What is the supplementary question, hon. Member? Do not debate.

Mr J. E. Banda: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Well guided.

Madam Speaker, I believe the hon. Minister heading the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts is also a youth.

Laughter

Mr J. E. Banda: So, when is he going to spearhead and make sure that all the youth in Lubansenshi benefit by getting timber processing licences as soon as possible so that they can put food on their tables?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, even yesterday, I dispelled that research. That research is unfounded.

Laughter

Mr Nkandu: Maybe, for his sake, let me give the hon. Member some information.

Madam Speaker, when it comes to poverty, rural constituencies are sharing 14.5 per cent poverty levels. For urban areas, it is 12.5 per cent.

Mr B. Mpundu interjected.

Mr Nkandu: No, I am just giving him information so that he includes it in his research.

Laughter

Mr Nkandu: Otherwise, he is misleading the nation.

Madam Speaker, I did not talk about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). I was answering the question from the hon. Member for Lubansenshi who asked what the ministry is doing. I just referred to the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development because we have many avenues and platforms that could be tapped into by young people in respective constituencies. So, by mentioning that ministry, I was giving an example of another platform that the youths can tap into. Obviously, I should, also, now mention the CDF because there are loans and youth empowerment programmes under it. So, hon. Members could also tap into those platforms, especially when we are talking about timber processing.

Madam Speaker, I understand that on the Copperbelt, we gave about thirty-one co-operatives wood-mizers. So, that was why I encouraged the hon. Member for Lubansenshi to take a clear step of sensitising his constituents, so that they can also apply for the wood-mizers and participate in the timber value chain.

Madam Speaker, let me also emphasise the fact that applications, obviously, are demand driven. When the youths apply, we will consider them. If they do not apply, I am afraid the ministry may not go to Lubansenshi and give out wood-misers without submitted applications because those are given as loans. We should not tell someone in Lubansenshi to apply, but I think the hon. Member should play a role.

Mr Mposha: Te sangwapo!

Mr Nkandu: It is not something that we are just giving out for the sake of it. In fact, we are even doing it better because we have not started knowing that in two months’ time, we will be getting into an election. We were just elected when we started rolling out these empowerment programmes.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chewe: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am happy that the hon. Minister has talked about sensitisation. Unfortunately, Lubansenshi Constituency has not had the presence of his ministry on the ground, but the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises. The staffing level is still a big challenge looking at the number of people across the constituency. We are talking about thirteen wards. If the ministry is not ready to undertake sensitisation and the hon. Minister wants to refer it to me, as the hon. Member, to do it, my question is: How does hon. Minister intend to help me, as his fellow hon. Member of Parliament go around the constituency to educate the people about the availability of opportunities within his ministry so that they can be able to adapt if in his capacity, as hon. Minister, and the ministry are not involved? How do they intend to support my work so that youths in my constituency can appreciate the opportunities that are in the ministry?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, when I encourage hon. Members to sensitise their constituents, I am not saying that we overload them. In fact, we are, I want to repeat, doing a favour for the hon. Member because if we have so many youths in his constituency that can apply, then credit may also go to him. However, if he is busy, I would not overload him. In fact, I am surprised that he is saying that the ministry is not conducting sensitisation. I went to Lubansenshi where I interacted with a large crowd. I also went through all the empowerment programmes that the ministry is undertaking. So, this is not a new thing. However, I think that was not enough.

Madam Speaker, I should also indicate to this House that I am usually on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Radio 1 every Sunday at 0605 hours talking about the empowerment programmes. I believe Lubansenshi is a beneficiary of those programmes on Radio 1 because I have been receiving calls from that constituency asking about some of the empowerment programmes. So, that is also sensitisation. We are usually on television and radio stations sensitising young people on how they can access these empowerment programmes.

Apart from that, Madam Speaker, let me take advantage of this opportunity to also indicate to those that listen to us or hon. Members that if they want their constituents also to participate, they can visit our website, www.gov.zm or www.nydc.gov.zm. When they visit these websites, they will find the ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and what programmes under it. Even application forms are there. So, they should not even go to the headquarters or provincial administrations.

Madam Speaker, I want to also take advantage of this platform to say that this is why we recruited interns, and I am positive that on 1st August, they will start working. Now, the ministry has taken advantage of the internship programme to also have, at least, two per district, those that will be dealing with youth, sports and arts matters. So, I believe that our presence will be felt after the interns start working.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Listening to the questions and answers, I think we need to move. Next question asked by the hon. Member for Mufumbwe.

PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A MODERN MARKET AND BUS STATION IN MUFUMBWE

372. Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

  1. whether the Government has any plans to construct a modern market and a bus station in Mufumbwe Parliamentary Constituency; and
  2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, the Government, indeed, has plans to construct a market and bus station in Mufumbwe District under the 2023/2024 Annual Budget, subject to availability of funds.

Madam Speaker, the plan will be implemented, as I said earlier on, under the 2023/2024 Annual Work Plan, when funds are made available.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kamondo: Madam Speaker, Mufumbwe Council received a communication stating that the ministry was going to construct a modern bus station. Is it the same one that will be constructed next year or a different one?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I can confirm that it is one and the same bus station.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

COMPLETION OF WATER RETICULATION PROJECT IN CHINSALI DISTRICT

373. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation:

  1. when the water reticulation project in Chinsali District will be completed;
  2. when the project commenced;
  3. when the contractor was last paid;
  4. what the outstanding balance was, as of September, 2022; and
  5. when the outstanding balance will be paid.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, the construction and rehabilitation of the Water Supply Systems Projects in Chinsali District was completed on 31st October, 2022. The project was commissioned on 4th April, 2023.

Madam Speaker, the project commenced in April, 2013.

Madam Speaker, the contractor was last paid on 31st March, 2022.

Madam Speaker, the contractor has fully been paid all the outstanding Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) owed. The retention amounting to K1,290,268.31 will be paid after the defects liability period of 30th October, 2023, elapses.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: I thought the hon. Member for Chinsali would say “Thank you.”

Laughter

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, thank you. Sadly, the hon. Minister, when he went to commission the project, left me behind, the owner of the constituency. So, the hon. Minister should not repeat that.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: It is important to always engage.

Laughter

Mr Mukumbi (Solwezi West): Madam Speaker, greetings to the people of Kalumbila.

CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN KALUMBILA DISTRICT

374. Mr Mukumbi asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security:

  1. when the Government will construct the following infrastructure in Kalumbila District:
  1. a police station;
  2. staff houses for the police officers;
  3. a national registration office; and
  4. police posts in all the chiefdoms in the District; and
  1. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

You know, when someone is so big you expect to see him/her easily, but I did not even see that the hon. Minister was there. So, even a big person can hide.

Laughter

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security (Mr Mwiimbu): Madam Speaker, I would like to apologise that I delayed to start answering the question.

Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to construct a Grade B police station in Kalumbila District. In the interim, to maintain law and order, –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, there is too much talking. Let us follow the questions and listen to the answers.

Mr Mwiimbu: In the interim, to maintain law and order, the district is being served by three police stations at Grade C level, namely Matanda Police Station, Maheba Police Station and Kalumbila Police Station

The Government has plans to construct staff houses for the police officers in Kalumbila District in the next phase of the Housing Project Programme. This will run alongside the construction of the police stations.

Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to construct national registration offices in the district.

Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to construct police posts in all the chiefdoms in the district to bring the services closer to the people.

Madam Speaker, the plans will be implemented when funds are made available.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukumbi: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the council has given the ministry a very big parcel of land within the civic centre area and people have begun to encroach on it? When is the ministry taking possession of this site so that it can protect it?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, as I did indicate, we have plans to construct police stations in the sites that have been mentioned. I also wish to inform the hon. Member of Parliament and the people of Solwezi West Constituency that considering that Kalumbila District is new, there is a commitment on the part of the Government to construct a District Police Headquarters in Kalumbila.

Ms Sefulo: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I am also aware of the encroachments which are taking place on the land that was allocated by the council to construct police infrastructure. Measures are being taken. I was in Kalumbila in the last month to check on infrastructure. I am committed, and can assure the hon. Member that we will do everything possible to meet our commitments to the people of Kalumbila.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister may be aware that Kalumbila, like any other district in the North-Western Province, was left out in the construction of staff houses for the police. The staff houses that are going to be constructed in Kalumbila, are they going to be the same as what we are seeing in other police camps, the ones that were constructed recently.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, yes, I can confirm. I just wish to state that the North-Western Province and the Western Province were left out of the first phase. Once we are authorised to commence this exercise, we shall ensure that the infrastructure in the North-Western Province and the Western Province for the police service is enhanced. We will construct the requisite houses, similar to the ones that have been constructed in other places.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, the people of Solwezi East are excited to hear the assurance given to the people of Solwezi West.

Madam Speaker, we know that Kalumbila is a new hub for the new copperbelt and funds are generated from there through the mining activities. The hon. Minister has stated that when funds are available, the Government will consider the construction. When exactly are funds going to be available, when they are generated in the North-Western Province?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I want to inform the hon. Member Parliament for Solwezi East that the monies that are generated from the North-Western Province are all for the nation and put in Control 99. Through the budgeting process, money is allocated to various districts and constituencies, like any other money that belongs to the Government.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, yesterday, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning was on the Floor of this House advising the nation on how funds that are collected nationally are shared. In the same vein, whatever money is generated from the North-Western Province will be shared nationally, but, obviously, taking into account the activities in the North-Western Province, in particular, Kalumbila District, certain measures have been taken to ensure that there is law and order. This Government, through the First Quantum Minerals (FQM) Limited, has built facilities for the police. The company has given beautiful houses to the Zambia Police Service, houses that may not be available in other jurisdictions. I would like to thank First Quantum Minerals for that gesture. That is arising from the mining activities that are taking place in the North-Western Province.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you. It is a constituency-based question, but I see that the hon. Member for Mandevu wants to ask a question.

Mr Shakafuswa (Mandevu): Madam Speaker, some of us have worn the police uniform before. So, when we hear issues to do with the police, we also get encouraged to support the men and women in uniform.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, the pronouncement that the Government has intentions to construct police housing units is not only motivating, but encouraging to the officers in Kalumbila. The people, especially the police officers, would like to know how many housing units the ministry will construct in total.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleague, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mandevu, not to abandon the good role he has been playing in ensuring that there is law and order, by adorning police uniform. I urge him to continue with that noble gesture.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I am not in a position to indicate the number of houses that are going to be built in Kalumbila, but I can assure the hon. Member that even as the situation is in Kalumbila, the number of houses that is given to the Zambia Police Service is more than enough. What is obtaining on the ground in Kalumbila is that there is a shortage of manpower, which we are going to address as we make certain adjustments.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Simushi reclined in his seat.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

May the hon. Member for Sikongo sit properly.

Laughter

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I am grateful to the hon. Minister for the responses he has proved. It is appreciated that the Government has intentions to build that entire infrastructure in Kalumbila. We also appreciate the gesture by the First Quantum Minerals Limited.

Madam Speaker, considering that Kalumbila Council is one of the richest councils that we have in the country, and we do not have the resources to commence the construction of police posts in all chiefdoms, is it possible that maybe, through the ministry, there can be an engagement with the council where, if it has some surplus cash, it can build some police posts in all the chiefdoms which it can handover to the police so that security is enhanced in Kalumbila? That is considering the mining activities that are in the area.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I would like to state that there is no council in the country that can have surplus cash. It is not possible. Most of the councils in Zambia are struggling and are surviving on funding from the Central Government. So, I would not want to talk about surplus funding. What I would urge my colleagues in the mining areas to do is engage the mining houses to assist, through co-operate social responsibility, to provide certain infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chewe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the responses that he has provided. Kalumbila District, indeed, needs new houses for our men and women in uniform, but if we look at the current status of these houses in Kalumbila and other districts countrywide, we find that most of them are in a dilapidated state. Does the ministry have plans to carry out rehabilitation works as it awaits the construction of new houses in Kalumbila District?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, the houses in Kalumbila do not require rehabilitation. These are modern houses that are appreciated by every police man or woman serving in Kalumbila. They are the envy of the police fraternity. The FQM has provided the best, similar houses to the ones that they have given to their members of staff.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you. The last question –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon Member for Solwezi West, is it your second question? It will be the third time, and you are supposed to only ask twice.

Mr Mukumbi: Madam Speaker, it is the second.

Madam Speaker: While I am still confirming whether it is the second or third question, I will allow the hon. Member for Kafulafuta to ask a question.

Mr Mulebwa (Kafulafuta): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me a chance to ask a question to the hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, I was wondering if the hon. Minister could furnish us with some information as to how the First Quantum Minerals (FQM) Limited decided to build those housing units. I am asking this question wishing to know whether there is some law or something else, and if it is some law it can be extended to other investors that come to invest in Zambia. Would the hon. Minister be in a position to help us understand how the FQM arrived at building these housing units?

Madam Speaker: Although that appears to be a completely new question, I do not know if the hon. Minister can attempt to answer.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I want to state that the FQM is one of the few companies currently operating in the country that are very good at corporate social responsibility. They have not just built police houses, but also built schools, clinics, markets, and other infrastructure which members of the public are using in Kalumbila. There is no model law. It is just a matter of good corporate social responsibility on the part of the FQM.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukumbi: Madam Speaker, we want to appreciate Kalumbila Mine for what it has done. It has built quite a number of houses for the police and a police post. However, the police at Mutanda have taken over the camp that used to be for the roads department which was built in the 60s and those houses are in a deplorable state. Does the ministry have any plans, as we wait for funding to build new houses, to, at least, rehabilitate those ones at Mutanda so that we can protect the lives of our men in uniform?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I would like to appreciate the question that has been raised by my brother and I wish I inform him that I will follow-up on the matter and see what measures we can take.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

CONSIDERATION OF THE REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY REFORMS AND MODERNISATION COMMITTEE

Hon. Members, before we move to the next item, let me provide guidance. Article 89(2) of the Constitution of Zambia states as follows:

“The National Assembly or a Parliamentary Committee shall not exclude the public or the media from its sittings, unless there are justifiable reasons for the exclusion and the Speaker informs the public or media of the reasons.”

Hon. Members, the Parliamentary Reforms and Modernisation Committee is classified under the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021, as a House-Keeping Committee. In this regard, Standing Order No. 191 (1) states as follows:

“191 (1) There is established the Parliamentary Reforms and Modernisation Committee, as a House Keeping Committee, comprising the Second Deputy Speaker, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and six other members appointed by the Standing Orders Committee.”

Hon. Members, the Parliamentary Reforms and Modernisation Committee deals with in-house matters hinging on the powers, privileges, procedures and practices, organisation and facilities of the Assembly. For this reason, the debate on the report of the Committee is held in camera.

It is in view of the foregoing that I direct that all members of the public and the media leave the House. I further direct that broadcasting of the proceedings on Parliament radio, television and social media be suspended during the debate on the report.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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MOTIONS

REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY REFORMS AND MODERNISATION COMMITTEE

(Debate ensued)

Question put and agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at1838 hours until 1430 hours on Friday, 14thJuly, 2023.

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