RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED ON 12TH JULY, 2023 BY MR M MUTELO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MITETE CONSTITUENCY, AGAINST MR K MUKOSA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR CHINSALI CONSTITUENCY FOR ALLEGEDLY USING UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE TOWARDS HON R P MTOLO, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

Hon Members will recall that on Wednesday, 12thJuly, 2023, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 368, and Hon F Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, was responding to a follow-up question, Mr M Mutelo, Member of Parliament for Mitete Constituency, raised a point of order. The Point of Order was based on Standing Order 66 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021 which prohibits members from using unparliamentary language in the House. 

In his Point of Order, Mr M Mutelo, MP, inquired whether Mr K Mukosa, Member of Parliament for Chinsali Constituency, was in order to use unparliamentary language in the House against Hon R P Mtolo, Minister of Agriculture.

Hon Members, in his immediate response, the Hon Mr Second Deputy Speaker reserved his ruling in order to enable him study the matter comprehensively.  I have studied the matter and will now render my ruling. 

Hon Members, our rules on etiquette prohibit the use of insulting language against one another. Standing Order 66 (2) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021 provides as follows:

“66. (2) A Member who is debating shall not use unparliamentary language in the House.”

Additionally, Standing Order 66 (1) defines unparliamentary language as follows:

“66 (1) unparliamentary language refers to the use of offensive, provocative, insulting, threatening or obscene language in the House.”

Hon Members, in line with parliamentary practice and procedure and in accordance with the rules of natural justice, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, wrote to Mr K Mukosa, MP, requesting him to state his side of the story. In his response, he denied having used unparliamentary language and further stated that he merely mispronounced the first name of Hon R P Mtolo, Minister of Agriculture. He further added that with my guidance, he was able to correct the mistake and pronounce the name properly and that I made a light moment of the mistake which he made without intention to spite the Honorable Minister.

Hon Members, in investigating the matter, I had recourse to the relevant verbatim record of the material day. The record revealed that Mr K Mukosa, MP, uttered an obscene and insulting word against Hon R P Mtolo, Minister of Agriculture. He, therefore, breached Standing Order 66 and was out of order.

Hon Members, I find it extremely regrettable that an hon Member can utter such unpalatable language against a fellow member and right on the Floor of the House. I wish to seize this opportunity to remind Hon Members that this is an august House. I, therefore, expect Members to behave in a manner that extols its dignity and integrity. Uttering insults and obscenities against a fellow member is not only abusive and demeaning to that member, but also undermines the dignity and respect due to the House as a whole. As I keep reminding the House, our proceedings are carried live both on Parliament radio and television and streamed on the National Assembly’s official Facebook page. Therefore, such conduct, if left unbridled, will erode the public respect and confidence due to the National Assembly.  As the custodian of the rules of the House, I will not allow any Member to bring this House into ridicule and disrepute. 

I recognise the fact that Mr K Mukosa, MP, is a first offender. I have, therefore, decided to exercise leniency and merely caution him.  However, a repeat of such conduct or, indeed, any other breach of the rules of the House, in future, will attract a stiffer penalty. I further direct that the obscene and insulting word be expunged from the record of the Parliamentary Debates of Wednesday, 12th July, 2023.
I thank you.