Thursday, 14^th December, 2023

The House met at 0900 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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Madam Speaker: We do not have a quorum. Can you, please, ring the bells.

Hon. Member for Mwembezhi, you are the Acting Government Chief Whip. Can you ensure that we have a quorum.

Hon. Leader of the Opposition, where are your members? Where is your Party Whip? We need to start business so that we can finish early.

The bells were rung.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, just for purposes of guidance. We have our Standing Orders. We still do not have a quorum even though we have rung the bells for seven minutes. I will read Standing Order No. 222, for the avoidance of doubt. It states as follows:

“222.      Quorum at commencement of sitting

1. In accordance with Article 77(4) of the Constitution, the quorum of the Assembly shall be one-third of all the members of the Assembly.

1. The Speaker shall take the Chair at the time appointed for the Sitting of the House.

1. If there is no quorum at the appointed sitting time, immediately after the prayer, the Speaker shall order for the bells to be rung for seven minutes.

(4)     After the bells have rung for seven minutes and there is still no quorum, the Speaker shall after twenty-three minutes adjourn the House to the next sitting day.”

So, if there is no quorum by 0930 hours, unfortunately, I will have to adjourn the House. Please, hon. Members, can we ensure that we have all the hon. Members in the House before that.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Even if we do not have a quorum, we still have to maintain the discipline and decorum of the House. Let us avoid leaving the House because we will reduce the quorum further.

We now have a quorum. I understand that we worked very late yesterday, but that is not an excuse.

Let us get back to business.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

POSTPONEMENT OF HEALTH EXPOSITION

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that the BF Suma Zambia Limited Health Exposition that was earlier scheduled to take place from Tuesday, 12^th, to Thursday, 14^th, December, 2023, has been postponed. This is due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the company. However, the exhibition will take place on a date to be announced later. The inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.

I thank you.

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RULING BY MADAM SPEAKER

COMPLAINT BY MR M. ANAKOKA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LUENA CONSTITUENCY, AGAINST MR L. SIMUMBA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NAKONDE CONSTITUENCY, FOR USING A SMALL PACKET OF WHITE SUBSTANCE AS AN EXHIBIT WHILE DEBATING ON THURSDAY, 14^TH SEPTEMBER, 2023

Madam Speaker: I order you, Mr L. Simumba, MP, to stand in your seat.

Mr Simumba rose.

Madam Speaker: Hon Members, on Friday, 15^th September, 2023, my office received a letter of complaint from Mr M. Anakoka, hon. Member of Parliament for Luena Constituency. The complaint related to the conduct by Mr L. Simumba, hon. Member of Parliament for Nakonde Constituency, for taking an unauthorised substance into the Assembly Chamber on Thursday, 14^th September, 2023.

In the letter, Mr M. Anakoka, MP, stated that while the House was considering the Motion of Thanks on His Excellency the President’s Address to the National Assembly, Mr L. Simumba, MP, while debating, displayed a small packet of white substance whose chemical composition could not immediately be ascertained. He further alleged that the white substance posed a serious health risk to the hon. Members of Parliament and the National Assembly staff. The complaint was premised on Orders 202 to 205 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021, which relate to an hon. Member upholding the dignity and decorum of the House. I have studied the matter and will now render my ruling.

Hon. Members, in studying the matter, I had occasion to review the relevant Parliament Television footage and the verbatim record of the proceedings of the material day. The investigation clearly revealed that Mr L. Simumba, MP, while debating, did attempt to use a small packet containing a white substance to substantiate a claim he was making. Secondly, the Hon. Madam First Deputy Speaker immediately guided that it was not allowed to use such an item during debate in the House. Further, a perusal of the verbatim record of the proceedings of Thursday, 14^th September, 2023, revealed that Mr L. Simumba, MP, displayed a plastic containing a white substance in the House.

Hon. Members, the complaint by Mr M. Anakoka, MP, raises the following issues:

1. the duty of an hon. Member to ensure that his/her conduct upholds the dignity, integrity and decorum of the House; and

1. the duty of an hon. Member to not display exhibits in the House.

The Duty of an hon. Member to Ensure that his/her Conduct Upholds Dignity, Integrity and Decorum of the House

Standing Order No. 203(1) and (2) is instructive on this matter and provides as follows:

“(1)     A member shall at all times conduct himself or herself in a manner that upholds the dignity, integrity and decorum of the House; and

(2)     A member shall not act in a manner that brings the House or other members generally into disrepute.”

Further, Standing Order 204(1) provides as follows:

“(1)    Parliamentary decorum and etiquette refers to an essential standard of behaviour that a member must observe in the House in order to maintain the dignity and decency of the House.”

The Duty of an hon. Member to not Display Exhibits in the House

Rule 12 of Chapter Five of the National Assembly Members’ Handbook, 2006, prohibits hon. Members from displaying exhibits in the House.

Hon Members, in line with Parliamentary Practice and Procedure, and in accordance with the rules of natural justice, on 13^th October, 2023, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly wrote to Mr L. Simumba, MP, requesting him to state his side of the story on the matter. In his response, Mr L. Simumba, MP, explained that it was public knowledge that in the run up to the General Elections held on 12^th August, 2021, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, then Presidential candidate of the United Party for National Development (UPND), used small sachets of mealie meal and cooking oil as exhibits when addressing various rallies. He stated that the small sachets of mealie meal, affectionately called pamela, were used to demonstrate how the Patriotic Front (PF) party, which was the party in Government at the time, was causing massive hunger in the country.

Mr L. Simumba, MP, added that he elected to adopt the same style when debating in order to substantiate his claim that life had become unbearable under the UPND Government, contrary to the campaign promises. Finally, Mr L. Simumba, MP, stated that the complaint against him was meant to distress him and impair his thought process so that he failed to debate in the House. He, therefore, urged the Rt. Hon. Madam Speaker to dismiss the complaint for being contemptuous, and order Mr M. Anakoka, MP, to apologise to him for violating his rights and privileges as an hon. Member of Parliament.

Hon. Members, the Standing Orders are instructive on Parliamentary decorum and etiquette to be observed by hon. Members in the House. Further, Parliamentary practice and procedures expressly forbid hon. Members from producing exhibits during debate or making demonstrations in the House.

Mr Simumba looked down.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Simumba, I am addressing you.

According to the relevant video footage, Mr L. Simumba, MP, clearly attempted to use a small sachet of mealie meal as an exhibit during his debate. Further, from the response received from Mr L. Simumba, MP, it is clear that, by his own admission, he displayed a small sachet of mealie meal as he attempted to use it as an exhibit in his debate. In addition, it was unfortunate that Mr L. Simumba, MP, would compare what was allegedly done at a political rally with what he did in this august House. Notwithstanding the justification advanced by Mr L. Simumba, MP, his conduct was clearly contrary to the Parliamentary etiquette and decorum set out in the Standing Orders and Members’ Handbook. The conduct fell below the conduct and decorum expected of an hon. Member in the House.

In view of the foregoing, I find that Mr L. Simumba, MP, by his conduct, breached Parliamentary privilege, etiquette and decorum. However, in deciding on the appropriate punishment to mete out to him, I took cognisance of the fact that Mr L. Simumba, MP, at the time, was a first offender and was a relatively new hon. Member in the House. Therefore, I have decided to exercise leniency and elected to admonish him in accordance with Section 28(1)(b) of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act.

I now turn to address you, Mr L. Simumba, MP.

Mr L. Simumba, MP, your conduct of displaying a small sachet of mealie meal as an exhibit during your debate is a breach of Parliamentary privilege, decorum and etiquette of the House. The House is, in this regard, extremely displeased with your conduct. It is expected that in future, you will abide by the rules of this House and avoid such conduct. A repetition of such conduct in the future will attract a stiffer penalty.

I now order you to render your apology to the House before you resume your seat.

I thank you.

Mr Simumba (Nakonde): Madam Speaker, I, Luka Simumba, do unreservedly apologise to this august House for displaying a pamela as an exhibit during my debate.

Madam Speaker, I have since reflected on my conduct, which amounts to a breach of Parliamentary decorum, dignity and etiquette. I wish to assure you and this august House that from now on, I shall desist from such conduct.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR A. KATAKWE, HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SOLWEZI EAST CONSTITUENCY, AGAINST MR J. E. BANDA, HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PETAUKE CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY, FOR EXHIBITING DISORDERLY CONDUCT ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE AND SHOWING DISRESPECT TO THE PRESIDING OFFICERS

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, you may have noticed that the hon. Member for Petauke Central Constituency is not in the House, but I have decided to render the ruling so that we reduce on the number of rulings that are still pending. I am sure, he will hear about this ruling or he will be notified.

Hon. Members will recall that on Friday, 13^th October, 2023, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 99 and Hon. C. Milupi, the Acting Minister of Health, was on the Floor, Mr A. Katakwe, the hon. Member of Parliament for Solwezi East Constituency, raised a point of order against Mr J. E. Banda, the hon. Member of Parliament for Petauke Central Constituency. In his point of order, Mr A. Katakwe, MP, enquired whether Mr J. E. Banda, MP, then Whip for the Independent hon. Members of Parliament, was in order to conduct himself in a disorderly manner in light of his position as Independent Whip. The point of order was premised on Standing Order No. 49 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021. In my immediate response, I reserved my ruling to enable me to study the matter. I have since studied the matter, and will now render my ruling.

Hon. Members, the background to this matter is that on the material date, when the House was considering the Vice-President’s Question Time, Mr J. E. Banda, MP, rose from his seat and went to sit next to Mr E. M. Musonda, the hon. Member of Parliament for Lupososhi Constituency. Subsequently, I ordered Mr J. E. Banda, MP, to return to his seat because he had been walking about, greeting people and giving his back to the Presiding Officer. While walking to his seat, he pointed at the hon. Members on the right and continued walking slowly to his seat. At that point, I ordered Mr J. E. Banda, MP, to leave the House. However, instead of quickly leaving the House, Mr J. E. Banda, MP, continued to walk slowly while greeting hon. Members near him as I asked him to move quickly. Mr J. E. Banda, MP, ignored the order, which prompted me to request the Sergeant-At-Arms to escort him out of the House. Mr J. E. Banda, MP, was then escorted out of the House by the hon. Members of Parliament who were near him. It was against this background that Mr A. Katakwe, MP, anchored his point of order.

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 J. E. Banda, MP, requesting him to state his side of the story regarding the point of order.

In his response, Mr J. E. Banda, MP, stated that despite the allegation that he had exhibited disorderly conduct on the Floor of the House and showed disrespect to the Presiding Officer, the letter did not disclose what amounted to disorderly conduct and showing disrespect to the Presiding Officer. Further, he alleged that he had already been punished for his conduct on the material date by being sent out of the House. He, therefore, requested that he be furnished with sufficient details to enable him to respond.

Hon. Members, the point of order raised by Mr A. Katakwe, MP, raises the following issues:

1. an hon. Member exhibiting disorderly conduct on the Floor of the House and showing disrespect to a Presiding Officer; and
2. the failure to assist the Presiding Officer in maintaining order and discipline in the House.

I will proceed to deal with the two issues seriatim.

An hon. Member Exhibiting Disorderly Conduct on the Floor of the House and Showing Disrespect to a Presiding Officer

Hon. Members, Section 19 of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap 12 of the Laws of Zambia, is instructive in this regard. Section 19(d) and (e) provides as follows:

“19. Any person shall be guilty of an offence who –

1. shows disrespect in speech or manner towards the Speaker; or

1. commits any other act of intentional disrespect to or with reference to the proceedings of the Assembly or of a Committee of the Assembly or to any person presiding at such proceedings.”

Further, Standing Order No. 205(a)(i) and (j) provides as follows:

“A member commits an act of gross disorderly conduct if the member –

1. defies a ruling or direction of a presiding officer;

1. acts in any other way to the serious detriment of the dignity or orderly procedure of the House; or

(j)      commits an act that, in the opinion of the Speaker, constitutes gross disorderly conduct.”

Additionally, eminent authors on Parliamentary practice and procedure, M. N. Kaul and S. L. Shakdher, in their book entitled Practice and Procedure of Parliament, Seventh Edition (New Delhi, Lok Sabha, 2016), on page 303, state as follows:

“Disobedience to the orders of the House, whether such orders are of general application or require a particular individual to do or abstain from doing a particular act, is contempt of the House. Examples of contempt are neglecting or refusing to withdraw from the House when directed to do so.”

From the foregoing authorities, it is clear that an hon. Member who defies a ruling or direction of a Presiding Officer commits an act of gross disorderly conduct.

Hon. Members, I had recourse to the verbatim record and the Parliament Television footage of the proceedings of Friday, 13^th October, 2023, which confirms that Mr J. E. Banda, MP, disobeyed my order when I directed him to leave the House. He then had to be escorted out of the House by the hon. Members near him after I ordered the Sergeant-At-Arms to escort him out of the House. The alleged act of defiance by Mr J. E. Banda, MP, was to the serious detriment of the dignity and orderly conduct of the Business of the House. The conduct, therefore, flies in the teeth of Standing Order 205(a), (i) and (j) of the Standing Orders. However, it is imperative to note that I had already imposed a punishment on Mr J. E. Banda, MP, for exhibiting gross disorderly conduct and breaching Parliamentary etiquette on the Floor of the House. The punishment imposed was sending him out of the House for one Sitting day. This was anchored on Standing Order 204(3), which provides as follows:

“A member who breaches a rule of etiquette may be sent out of the House for one sitting day.”

In view of the foregoing, I am constrained from imposing further punishment on Mr J. E. Banda, MP, for the same offence.

The Failure to Assist the Presiding Officer in Maintaining Order and Discipline in the House

Hon. Members, Standing Order 49(e) provides as follows:

“The duties of a Party Whip or Whip includes –

(e)     assisting the presiding officers to maintain discipline in the House.”

Further, the erstwhile Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dr Patrick Matibini, MP, had occasion to consider a similar matter in the case of Mr S. Kampyongo versus Hon. G. G Nkombo, and Hon. G. G Nkombo versus Mr F. Sikazwe (National Assembly Parliamentary Debates of Tuesday, 28^th March, 2017). This matter was in relation to Hon. G. G. Nkombo, MP’s disrespectful conduct towards the Hon. Mr Speaker. In addressing Hon. G. G. Nkombo, MP, Hon. Dr Patrick Matibini, MP, stated as follows:

“Mr Nkombo, as a long-serving Member of this House, a whip of the UPND and member of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, your conduct in the House and outside ought to be exemplary and beyond reproach.  If you feel strongly about certain issues, including the need to challenge the Chair, there are procedures that the rules of this House prescribe. It is, therefore, unacceptable for you as a whip of your political party to champion a behaviour that borders on breach of parliamentary etiquette and decorum of the House.”

Therefore, Mr J. E. Banda, MP’s conduct was a clear violation of Standing Order 49(e) because instead of assisting in maintaining order and discipline, he participated in creating disorder in the House. As a Whip in the House, he was required to be beyond reproach to enable him effectively assist presiding officers in maintaining discipline in the House as stated in the Kampyongo case cited above.

Hon. Members, you may recall that at the time of the breach, Mr J. E. Banda, MP, was the Whip of the Independent hon. Members in the House. However, following the withdrawal of several Independent hon. Members from the leadership of Mr J. E. Banda, MP, as Whip of the Independent Members, he is no longer a Whip for the Independent hon. Members in the House.

Hon. Members, despite this turn of events, I wish to address Mr J. E. Banda, MP, with regard to his conduct in the House.

Mr J. E. Banda, MP, as an hon. Member and former Whip in this House, your conduct in the House ought to be exemplary and beyond reproach. It is, therefore, unacceptable for you to perpetrate behaviour that borders on breach of Parliamentary etiquette and decorum of the House. If you continue on this path, it will be difficult for you to effectively represent the people of Petauke Central Constituency in the House. It is my sincere hope that you will consider my counsel and reflect seriously on your responsibilities to this House as an hon. Member of Parliament.

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MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

HON. CHIBUYE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MKUSHI NORTH, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MR MTOLO, REGARDING THE LOANS BEING GIVEN TO FARMERS

Mr C. Chibuye (Mkushi North): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for according me the chance to raise this matter of urgent public importance directed to the hon. Minister of Agriculture, although I cannot see him in the House. I believe that there is an Acting hon. Minister. If not, then, my matter is directed to the Leader of Government Business in the House.

Madam Speaker, I know that the issue concerning the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) has been raised from time to time, but my matter concerns the loans that are being given as an alternative to the farmers who did not benefit from the programme.

Madam Speaker, you may recall that the hon. Minister had told this House that there would be no limitation as regards the loans that the Government would be giving. However, my matter concerns what is prevailing in Mkushi North, Mkushi South, Chitambo and Serenje constituencies. There has been a directive that only a specific number of farmers will get the loans. In Mkushi North Constituency, for instance, only 265 farmers will be given loans. There are thirty-five camps, which translates into eighty-six to eighty farmers per camp, while in Serenje, 375 farmers will be given loans. However, the hon. Minister had told us that there was no limit as to how many farmers were supposed to get the loans.

Madam Speaker, the farmers are panicking. As you know, farming is time-bound, and time is running out. Even the farmers who are supposed to get the loans have not yet processed the documentation.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious indulgence on this matter.

Madam Speaker: I do not know whether the hon. Member for Mkushi North has been following the proceedings of the House for this week. On Tuesday, a similar matter was raised, and I inquired from the Acting hon. Minister of Agriculture over the workshop that was supposed to be organised. After consultations between him and the Clerk’s Office, a workshop has been scheduled for tomorrow at 1400 hours. So, hon. Members, if you attend that workshop, you will be able to ask questions on how the credit window is going to be applied.

As the hon. Member rightly stated, agriculture is time-bound. The rainy season is here and members of the public want to benefit from the credit window and start planting. So, I urge you, hon. Members, to attend the workshop tomorrow at 1400 hours before you go to your various constituencies so that you can go and encourage the farmers to take advantage of the credit window. I think, there will be announcement to that effect.

HON. TWASA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KASENENGWA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MR MTOLO, ON THE DELIVERY OF FERTILISER

Mr Twasa (Kasenengwa): On a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr Twasa: Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to raise a matter of urgent public importance directed to the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

Madam Speaker, almost four weeks ago, I raised a matter in which farmers in Kasenengwa were up in arms with the District Agricultural Co-ordinator (DACO) over undelivered fertiliser. A week later, the hon. Minister of Agriculture issued a statement to the effect that fertiliser had been procured and would be delivered within fourteen days, but this is week four. When farmers got that information, they were very excited. However, it is quiet; we do not know what is happening. At the weekend, I was in my constituency. I was summoned to explain these issues to the people in my constituency. I almost cancelled that meeting, but the people insisted that the meeting be held. The meeting was supposed to be held at 0900 hours, but it was held at 1400 hours. It was not properly done because the police were unleashed on me due to the fact that I wanted to explain what the hon. Minister had told us.

Madam Speaker, we need to know whether this is another sweet nothing like it has always been or fertiliser is, indeed, being delivered as was promised almost four weeks ago?

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence.

Madam Speaker: I do not know how many times we are going to discuss the issue of fertiliser.

The Acting hon. Minister, did you unleash the police on the hon. Member of Kasenengwa for inquiring on the delivery of fertiliser? Can you shed some light.

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Chikote) (on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, we have talked about the issue of agricultural inputs on the Floor of this House on several occasions. However, in this situation, the hon. Member was given information by the substantive hon. Minister. I think, these are very serious matters. We do not have to wait to come to Parliament and ask questions. The hon. Member can just walk to the office, get the right information and understand the stage at which the ministry is with regard to the challenge that is being faced in his constituency. I, therefore, request the hon. Member to engage the substantive hon. Minister on Monday.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chitotela indicated.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Pambashe, do you want to ask a question? We do not want to derail this.

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): Madam Speaker, the Acting hon. Minister has said that when we have challenges, we must face the hon. Minister, and he has referred to the hon. Member for Kasenengwa.

Madam Speaker, you directed the hon. Minister to give us letters empowering us to check, on behalf of the Executive, what is happening concerning the distribution of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in various constituencies, and we took up that responsibility. However, the resistance and failure of the Executive to implement the instructions it gave to the hon. Members of Parliament has compelled the hon. Member for Kasenengwa to state that we were given authority to represent the Executive in various constituencies, but when we go on the ground, the opposite is happening. What is the hon. Minister going to do to make sure that the circular that he gave to the hon. Members of Parliament is followed by his officials across the country?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, if I recall very well, the substantive hon. Minister encouraged hon. Members of Parliament, through the letters that they were given, to quickly inform him upon discovering that what the officers were doing was not within the confines of the law. That is what he told us. So, the hon. Member, who has worked very well in his constituency and has discovered this challenge, should inform the hon. Minister. I do not know whether the hon. Minister was given the feedback. So, as the hon. Members execute their duties, I encourage them to inform the hon. Minister about the challenges they come across and the officers doing things wrongly.

Madam Speaker, you asked me whether we released police officers on the hon. Member. That was not brought to our attention.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Twasa: Madam Speaker, at one point, I raised an issue concerning the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme and I was advised to see the hon. Minister. When I went to her office, she directed me to the proper person to see. After that, things started going well. I did not inform this House even when I had a challenge because things were being done properly. Even when I report to my constituents, I know where we are. In the case of agricultural inputs, it is very difficult to tell the people in the constituency where we are because nothing is fulfilled. They will think one is telling lies. It is for this reason that we bring matters to the Floor of this House so that when we tell the people in the constituencies that we engaged the hon. Minister, they will say that yes, they saw us and what we are saying is true. They will understand that we brought up the matter, but nothing is being done. For as long as matters will not be attended to, we will not stop addressing them on the Floor. That I can assure the hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, my question is: Are we going to get these inputs or not? The people in Kasenengwa want to know. Someone right now is taking a video clip of me and the hon. Minister responding so that when a response is given, I will say that I am not going to answer, but instead show the video clip of the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Twasa: Stop unleashing the police on me. I am simply doing what you sent me to do in the constituency.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Kasenengwa!

Let us not turn this into a battlefield.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to assure the hon. Member that the responsibility of the Government is to look into the affairs of its citizens. There is no way we can unleash police officers on the hon. Member when he is executing duties that are going to help the people. However, I cannot respond to the issue of the police. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security understands how his officers operate. I believe that the priority of this Government is to deliver services to the people.

Madam Speaker, let me come to the issue that is affecting the people in the hon. Member’s constituency. Since he has stated that on the issue of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT), he was guided on how to go about it, let us engage so that we find a solution to the problem that is affecting the people. We need to understand what is happening in his constituency regarding farming inputs. So, I am ready to engage with him. I can instruct the experts to unlock the challenge that he is facing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, when Hon. Twasa raised this matter on the Floor of this House, you indicated that there has been concerns on the issue of fertiliser. Indeed, there have been concerns from hon. Members on both the right and the left on the distribution of fertiliser under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2023/2024 Farming Season.

Madam Speaker, there are many ministries in the Republic of Zambia but, this time around, the questions that are being asked on the Floor of this House are directed to the Ministry of Agriculture. Why does the hon. Minister think concerns on the distribution of fertiliser and seeds for the 2023/2024 Farming Season have continued been raised day in and day out? What should we, hon. Members, do apart from what the hon. Minister has explained, as we go back to our constituencies tomorrow?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Administration is committed to making sure that agriculture becomes a priority if we are to see this country move forward. Therefore, that is the reason we have called for the workshop. Before hon. Members of Parliament go to their constituencies, they must be given the right information so that they understand. We are going to attend tomorrow’s workshop to make sure that all the challenges are discussed and we agree on the way forward. Our responsibility is to provide solutions to the people.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The last hon. Member to ask a question on this issue will be the hon. Member for Chama North.

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North): Madam Speaker, the people of Kasenengwa contribute a lot to the food basket of this country. So, fertiliser not being distributed is a source of great concern. There is a Permanent Secretary (PS) and other officers in the ministry. Why does the Acting hon. Minister not get the correct information from the PS so that as the hon. Member of Parliament goes to the constituency tomorrow, he goes with a proper answer?

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I earlier indicated that there is going to be a workshop tomorrow. So, you can ask all those questions. As an observer, I believe, the idea of coming to this House is to find solutions for the constituents, not just raising an issue then somebody, as the hon. Member for Kasenengwa said, takes a video clip of the question and answer; that does not solve the issue. As hon. Members, I encourage us to engage so that we get results. The people need fertiliser. So, I hope, during the workshop that will be held tomorrow, we will be able to address this issue.

We can make progress.

HON. KAMPYONGO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SHIWANG’ANDU, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT, MR KABUSWE, ON ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES IN MPIKA

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

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Ema Whip aya!

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

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the matter of urgent public importance I am about to raise is directed to the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development.

Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to start by sympathising with you for the agony our colleagues in the Executive are pressing on you. Starting the Business of the House late because of failure to form a quorum is abdicating our responsibilities as leaders. Therefore, our colleagues should not steam in this fashion. They need to up their game and ensure that your work is not made difficult.

Madam Speaker, I come back to this august House, like my colleagues, with no hard feelings, but a commitment to serving the people of the Republic of Zambia. We shall provide experienced leadership even from the nakuzingwa.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

I know, hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, you were not around but, at this stage, we are attending to matters of urgent public importance, and I do not know how those issues are arising. I know, you want to make opening remarks but, please, we have to observe time. We have a lot of business on the Order Paper.

You may raise your matter.

Mr Kampyongo: Well guided, Madam Speaker. We shall deal with our organised confusion very soon.

Madam Speaker, the matter I am raising and directing to the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development is that we were informed, about two weeks ago, that the people who had been conducting mining activities in Mpika had been removed and that the area where the mining activities were being conducted was going to be protected by the State. We have information to the effect that well-known cadres from the Ruling Party are still on the ground conducting illegal mining activities. Further, His Royal Highness Chief Mukwikile of Shiwang’andu Constituency has also raised serious concerns and complaints to the effect that there are people who have issued some concession licences under his chiefdom, and that has left many people in the district displaced. I am sure, the hon. Minister is attending to the calamity happening on the Copperbelt. It will not be long before we hear of another one in the area I am talking about.

Madam Speaker, I, therefore, raise this matter of urgent public importance to avoid recording deaths such as those we have recorded in Chingola on the Copperbelt.

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence on this matter.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, I am sure, nobody ever looks forward to a calamity. Losing even one life is not good.

The hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development is not here. I suggest that you file in a question then he will be able to address it.

As regards the issue of the quorum that you raised, I know that you were not around but, yesterday, we worked from 0900 hours until about 2200 hours. So, it is understandable that hon. Members had to pass through one or two places to do one or two things. However, we have a quorum. That did not raise any challenges for me, at least, for today.

Let us make progress.

_______

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHIKANKATA/KASAMU ROAD

163. Mrs Sabao (Chikankata) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

1. when construction of the Chikankata/Kasamu Road in Chikankata District will commence;

1. what the cause of the delay in commencing the project is;

1. what the cost of the project is; and

1. how many kilometres of the road will be covered under the project.

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, by leave of this House, I seek to withdraw the question, as it has been overtaken by events. The contractor has moved on site.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Leave to withdraw Question 163 granted. The question is, therefore, withdrawn.

Question put and agreed to. Leave granted.

Question, by leave, accordingly withdrawn.

_________

MOTION

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, WORKS AND SUPPLY

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order No.197(n), the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply was tasked to consider the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agreement –

Madam Speaker: Just move the Motion first.

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, sorry, I am too much in a hurry to go to the village.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply on the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation Agreement for the Third Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 13^thDecember, 2023.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member is anxious to go home, especially now that the mangoes in Mongu are ripe. I am sure, he is looking forward.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order No. 197, the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply was tasked to consider the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency Agreement. In order to acquaint itself with the ramifications of the agreement, your Committee sought both written and oral submissions from various stakeholders.

Madam Speaker, I wish to put it on record that the Committee is in support of the agreement. I further wish to state that the stakeholders who interacted with your Committee are also in support of it.

Madam Speaker, after considering the agreement, your Committee has made some observations. Allow me to highlight the observations and recommendations made with a view to improving the implementation of the agreement. I am aware that hon. Members of this august House have had time to read the report. Therefore, allow me to highlight only a few of your Committee’s recommendations.

Madam Speaker, your Committee observes that the agreement does not indicate explicitly how the local people in the three member countries will participate in the corridor project. In view of that, your Committee recommends that the agreement clearly states the percentage of local companies’ participation in the corridor project. Your Committee further urges the Government to ensure that the prescribed percentage is strictly adhered to by all member States. That will promote enhanced skills transfer and development.

Madam Speaker, your Committee also notes that the agreement does not expressly provide for proportions for country representation for key employees of the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation Agency. Your Committee is of the view that this can become a source of conflict when one country appears to have more decision-making privileges. Your Committee, therefore, urges the Government to ensure that the constitution of the governing organs and structures clearly provides for proportional representation of member countries in all the organs of the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation Agency and that the constitution be binding on member countries.

Madam Speaker, your Committee also observes that when the agreement comes into effect, there will be an influx of people traversing the corridor. This is likely to increase the spread of diseases. In this regard, your Committee recommends that the Government, in collaboration with other member States, sets up screening health facilities alongside the corridor infrastructure in order to prevent the rapid spread of infectious diseases.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, permit me to express my sincere gratitude to you and the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly for the support given to your Committee during its deliberations. Gratitude also goes to all the stakeholders who tendered both written and oral submissions before your Committee.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr J. Chibuye: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, thank you very much for according me the opportunity to second the Motion that has been ably moved by the chairperson of the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply to adopt the report on the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation Agreement. Allow me to just zero in on three salient issues that the chairperson has not touched on concerning the same agreement.

Madam Speaker, from the word go, your Committee had engagements with various stakeholders, and some of them clearly supported this agreement between the countries. However, let me make mention that the stakeholders talked about minimising roadblocks. It was observed that there are too many roadblocks in various countries and that the roadblocks negatively affect the flow of traffic and trade. This contributes to congestion and, in other cases, delay in delivery of goods in transit. Another concern that was highlighted is that apart from roadblocks, traffic delay resulting in undesirable traffic congestion delays the goods from reaching their various destinations.

Madam Speaker, the other issue that the stakeholders mentioned is that it would result in a loss if perishable goods were not moved adequately, prudently and in a speedy manner; if some checkpoints were not removed. The stakeholders and your Committee were cognisant of the fact that we need checkpoints, but the checkpoints must be necessary and should not affect the flow of traffic and trading of goods. In view of this, it was highly recommended that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security finds a balance between providing security along the corridor and expediting the facilitation of trade flows. This clearly came out, and your Committee agreed with that suggestion.

Madam Speaker, the second issue that I want to talk about is the creation of cold chain facilities. Many stakeholders came out clearly in saying that it was going to be difficult to transport perishables, especially agro-products, if we did not have cold chain facilities along the corridor that will actually facilitate the storage of perishables. If we do not have cold chain facilities along the corridor, losses are likely to be incurred in an event of any transporter facing challenges, either the truck breaking down or other unforeseen eventualities. As such, it was highly recommended that cold chain facilities be included along this corridor.

Madam Speaker, the other issue that I want to talk about is the sensitisation of human resource. When the corridor is fully operational, there will be a need to enhance awareness among staff involved its operations regarding their crucial role in ensuring the efficient and effective movement of goods and people. That was clearly tabulated and highlighted to avoid confusion and unnecessary delays.

Madam Speaker, in addition to providing capacity building programmes to maintain high standards of service delivery, your Committee heard that there will be a need to ensure continuous improvements in the handling of goods along the corridor in line with changing regional and international trends for efficiency and good order.

Madam Speaker, these are some of the concerns that were observed by the stakeholders whom we engaged with.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I second the Motion.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on this very important report.

Madam Speaker, Zambia is a landlocked country, but we now want to transform it into a land-linked country. The Government has set a very high target in mining of producing 3 million metric tonnes of copper. In agriculture, I think, our target is to produce 10 million metric tonnes of maize. All these ambitious programmes need railway transport in order to reduce the cost of doing business, as well as export to international markets. Currently, our railway sector is limping. We were just told that there is a programme to revive the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Railway Line in the next few months. Therefore, the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation Agreement could not have come at a better time than now. In view of the stakeholders and your Committee’s concerns and submissions, there is a need to ratify this trade corridor agreement.

Madam Speaker, Zambia stands to benefit because we will have access to the port of Lobito in Angola. We will also have access to the ports of Dar-es-Salaam, Durban, Beira and Nacala. Currently, we only have access to the port in Dar-es-Salaam, through the TAZARA Railway Line, which is limping in terms of rail transportation.

Madam Speaker, the Lobito Corridor links Angola to the Atlantic Ocean through the Lobito Port. Zambia stands to benefit because through the corridor, we expect economic value. There will be road development, and imports and exports will be assessible through the Lobito Port. Further, we will have a wider choice of export routes. The export route to Lobito is shorter, and it links the mining towns in the North-Western Province and the Copperbelt Province. Therefore, it will be convenient for exporting the metals.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about how convenient the corridor is. Benguela Railway in Angola emanates from Lobito Port and cuts across Angola up to its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project seeks to connect the dead end in the DRC through Katanga Province to Kolwezi then Lubumbashi and from there to the train station in Chingola. Further, since there is an alternative route before the border with the DRC, the railway line can be connected directly from Jimbe in the North-Western Province to Kansanshi Mine and Chingola. When the project is completed, there will be a railway from the Lobito Port to the port of Dar-es-Salaam, and it will be connected to the TAZARA railway through Kapiri Mposhi and Ndola. So, Zambia will have a wider choice of ports and will be able to export its products through Dar-es-Salaam or Walvis Bay.

Madam Speaker, stakeholders were concerned about the security challenges in the DRC because the railway line is going to pass through Kolwezi, Katanga Province and Lubumbashi until either Sakania Border in Ndola or the train station in Chingola. The security concerns can be sorted out through the formation of a security wing for all the three countries, that is, Zambia, Angola and DRC, and there will also be a need to harmonise the laws concerning transportation. However, the concerns are not going to impede us from ratifying this very important agreement.

Madam Speaker, the Government has struck a deal with its co-operating partners through a public-private partnership (PPP) involving the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU), who are interested in developing this important corridor. The PPP for the Lobito Corridor is going to stimulate growth through the transportation of our products to the international market.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I support the report, which could not have come at a better time than now, when Zambia’s target is to transport 3 million tonnes of copper to the international market.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Amutike (Mongu Central): Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Mongu Central, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank the New Dawn Government for investing in road and railway infrastructure, and I recognise the fact that the road and rail sectors are the heartbeat of any economic activities. I note that the rail and road infrastructure will be passing through the Western Province and the North-Western Province. It is my hope that this will spur economic activities in those areas, as we recognise that these are two of the most impoverished provinces in Zambia.

Madam Speaker, as I support this Motion, I urge the Government to not only transport unfinished goods through the corridor, continuing the exploitation of our minerals and goods from Zambia, but that the goods that will be transported through the railway or road are processed here, in Zambia, and are just shipped across because when investors put railways and roads, usually, it is for their own benefit. We want to make sure that whatever is carried on the roads and railways is processed here. There are processing plants here. Let processed goods from copper be shipped to China. People should not just come here to get our goods and minerals, continuing the exploitation of our God-given resources.

Madam Speaker, I also urge the Government to consider making Portuguese an optional subject in some of our schools. Despite Angola being close to us, there is very little economic activity between Zambia and Angola simply because of the language barrier. I am sure, it is the same thing with the DRC. These are basic things that we can do to encourage economic activities with our neighbouring countries that do not speak the same language as us. We were in Angola two or three months ago, and it was very difficult to communicate. Communication is key in any trade agreement or relationship for that matter. So, I urge the Government to introduce certain languages in schools, especially in provinces near the neighbouring countries.

Madam Speaker, I realise that trade agreements can be very complex at times because what you do in your country needs to happen in the other country so that there can be smooth trade. If you put a port facility in one country, let it be on the other side as well, or let it be a one-stop service, like it has happened at Kazungula so that trade and the movement of people and trucks can be very easy.

Madam Speaker, I just wanted to highlight some of the things that need to be done in order to ensure that the corridor agreement becomes successful.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima) (on behalf of the Minister of Transport and Logistics (Mr Tayali)): Madam Speaker, I am very grateful to the two hon. Members who have supported this Motion.

Madam Speaker, Zambia is utilising its dividend for being part of the liberation struggle for the Southern African region and a beacon of peace. This, coupled with its location in the centre of Southern and Central Africa, makes it the perfect place to be a hub for transport and logistics in the region. In order for the region to be facilitated, Zambia needs to join hands with other countries to develop its infrastructure and systems in order to enhance its people’s involvement in regional international trade. Our collective aim should be to, firstly, trade with our neighbours and then graduate to trade with other continents. That is why it is very critical to ratify this agreement.

Madam Speaker, the ratification of this agreement will guarantee the promotion and facilitation of infrastructure development, transit transport co-operation and cross-border trade among the three countries contracting services, an increase in small and medium enterprise (SME) productivity, and competitiveness and strengthened partnerships and relations among the governments of member States and a developed mechanism and platform where the State parties can co-ordinate joint corridor development activities. The House may further wish to note that Zambia has the fewest connection points with Angola and that the infrastructure in both countries is in a poor condition. The agreement will enhance connectivity with Angola.

Madam Speaker, we have noted the stakeholders’ concerns and recommendations. We will resolve these concerns as we develop and utilise the corridor, and we are largely in agreement with the recommendations. We have also noted your Committee’s concerns and recommendations. We are also largely in agreement with the recommendations.

Madam Speaker, the conclusion of the report indicates that this is a non-controversial matter that requires the support of this House.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all the hon. Members of Parliament who have supported this very good report. I know, even the hon. Member of Parliament for Nkana has supported it quietly.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

(Consideration resumed)

VOTE 88 – (Muchinga Province – K103,971,515), VOTE 90 – (Lusaka Province – K151,268,785), VOTE 91 – (Copperbelt Province – K130,033,228), VOTE 92 – (Central Province – K127,810,805), VOTE 93 – (Northern Province – K121,118,903), VOTE 94 – (Western Province – K139,211,882), VOTE 95 – (Eastern Province – K131,518,988), VOTE 96 – (Luapula Province – K125,413,852), VOTE 97 – (North-Western Province – K120,917,790) and VOTE 98 – (Southern Province – K137,321,294)

The Chairperson: Hon. Members, you will recall that the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House already presented a combined policy statement for the provinces yesterday. Therefore, we will now go straight into debating Vote 91, Office of the President, Copperbelt Province.

Like I mentioned yesterday, we will consider gender, political parties and the map of the province so that we get hon. Members from across the province.

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Madam Chairperson, the Copperbelt Province is important in our country because that is where most mining and commercial activities happen.

Madam Chairperson, firstly, I will talk about the roads in the province. The province did not receive the best share of what it deserved where we are coming from. However, with the coming in of the New Dawn Administration, the province is being regarded in terms of road infrastructure. We have seen the construction of the Chingola/Chililabombwe/Kasumbalesa Road, which is one economic road that was neglected where we are coming from. Therefore, we shall see a smooth passage of our goods and our people to Kasumbalesa and into our country. I thank the New Dawn Administration for realising the importance of this province. Further, the province has received another share of road infrastructure development, that is, the construction of the Lusaka/Ndola Dual Carriageway, which covers the Luanshya/Masangano Road, and the contractor is on site. The people of the Copperbelt are grateful for the infrastructure that is being developed in the province.

Madam Chairperson, still on the road network, we have also benefited from the Ndola/Mufulira Road Project, which will include the construction of Sakania Border Post in my constituency, Chifubu. I urge the Provincial Administration to also lobby for the rehabilitation of the township roads in the province, which are in a bad state. There is a need to have township roads in Luanshya, Ndola, Kitwe, Mufulira and Chingola. It is my wish that the regard that was shown to the inter-mine roads will also be shown to the roads in the province, which are in a bad state, particularly the township roads.

Madam Chairperson, I also want to talk about mining, which is the mainstay of the Copperbelt Province. Most mines were closed because the investors were paralysed, and the economy of the province went down. I appreciate His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for revamping the mines on the Copperbelt. We have heard about the negotiation between the Government and the previous investor, and money will be pumped into Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to revitalise the mines. I know, that will have a spiral effect because other industries depend on the mine. Those who were not paid will now be paid as the investor moves on site. A pronouncement has been made to the effect that the investor will move on site, but we want to see him quickly do that so that we can start seeing the operationalisation of the mine and revitalisation of mining activities on the Copperbelt.

Madam Chairperson, still on the issue of mines, I urge the Provincial Administration to look at the dump sites in the mines in Luanshya, Mufulira, Kitwe and Chililabombwe, which should be revived. Let them be given to our –

The Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1040 hours until 1100 hours.

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

Mr Lubozha: Madam Chairperson, before business was suspended, I was talking about dump sites.

Madam Chairperson, there are many dump sites in Luanshya, Mufulira and Chingola. Apart from the Black Mountain that was given out, we want those dump sites to be given to the people on the Copperbelt. Let the concept change from the way it was done with the Black Mountain, whereby the consortium that was given the opportunity to handle the mountain sold it with its raw materials. We want value addition so that we create employment for the youths and amplify the economic activities on the Copperbelt. Apart from that –

The Chairperson: Order!

Staff from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, the timer is not working. Can you, please, rectify the problem.

Hon. Member, you may continue.

Mr Lubozha: Madam Chairperson, I also urge the Provincial Administration to advise the mining companies on the Copperbelt to engage in corporate social responsibility activities, such as sponsoring sports activities, as was the case in the past when, as a country, we ran the mines. Many sports activities were being sponsored by the mines, particularly football. In Luanshya, we had Stylish Roan United. In Kitwe, we had aba red, Nkana Red Devils, Mighty Mufulira Wanders and Brave Nchanga Rangers. All these clubs were there to keep our youths active but, today, with the coming in of investors, all the sports activities have died out. Can we amplify on this so that the province can go back to where it was; in the economic champion’s league.

Madam Chairperson, I also want to talk about the forests on the Copperbelt. There is shrinking space for development in the province. Most of the mining towns in the province are surrounded by forests. So, there is no room for expansion. My humble appeal is that the Provincial Administration asks the Government to degazette some of the forests so that we can create space for development. We struggled to find space to build the cancer clinic, and it is built inside the forest. If we created space for mining activities, we can also expand our economic activities in the province. Degazetting some forests will enable the people in the province to have housing units. The forests, to a certain extent –

The Chairperson: You can wind up, hon. Member. You only have less than a minute.

Mr Lubozha: Madam Chairperson, I want to inform the Provincial Administration that we have challenges as hon. Members of Parliament on the Copperbelt. Right now, there is a lot of money in councils because …

The Chairperson: Please, wind up. Your time is up.

Mr Lubozha: … of the inertia of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Councils are not speeding up their activities or paying contractors on time. So, there is a need for councils to up their game so that hon. Members of Parliament in various constituencies can utilise the money.

Madam Chairperson, with those few remarks, I support Vote 91, which is for the Copperbelt Province.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: The Clerks-at-the-Table are keeping track of the time manually. So, we will move to the next hon. Member, Mr Mwila.

Mr Mwila (Mufulira): Madam Chairperson, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Vote. Of course, we, the people of Mufulira, support the budgetary allocation to the Copperbelt Provincial Administration.

Madam Chairperson, I looked at the mandate of the Provincial Administration in terms of administering the province and its connection to the Central Government. The mandate is to provide administrative, secretariat and effective co-ordination and implementation of national programmes. Further, the Copperbelt Provincial Administration’s strategy for 2024, as stated in the policy statement, is to enhance investment in the province, and the hon. Minister highlighted the priority sectors. I was just surprised that the priority sectors are agriculture, tourism and infrastructure. The Copperbelt is called that because of copper and mining activities. So, I am worried because mining has been excluded.

Madam Chairperson, out of the ten towns on the Copperbelt, seven are mining towns and the people in those towns depend on mining. Seventy (70) per cent of the people in the province depend on mining. We are seeing high levels of poverty and destitution in the province because the mining sector has been limping. So, I expected mining to be among the priority sectors. Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) is in Kitwe and Mufulira, and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) is in Chingola. In Chililabombwe and Luanshya, there are also mining activities. So, we cannot relegate the mining sector to not being among the priority sectors. I advise the Provincial Administration to relook at this and see the activities that the mining companies in the province are engaged in. Everything that goes on in the province is connected to mining. Someone is either employed by a mining company or is a contractor or a supplier to the mining sector. However, the mines are limping, and that is why we are seeing a lot of suffering in the province; there is no income. Life on the Copperbelt is about having money in the pocket at the end of the day. People have to meet their daily needs. They have to pay rent and buy food. All they need is income generation. So, we need to prioritise the activities in the mining sector.

Madam Chairperson, let me move to agriculture. I was happy to see in the Yellow Book what the Provincial Administration intends to do in terms of agriculture. What we are seeing now, as far as agriculture is concerned in the province, could be better. The problem that hinders investment in agriculture, especially for small-scale farmers, is a lack of title deeds. Many people in the province own farms, but they lack title deeds. They would like to have title deeds so that they can invest even more. Some small-scale farmers would farm on a certain land for many years, but the next thing they saw were people coming with title deeds in their hands and telling them that they had bought the land, displacing people who had been on that land for twenty or thirty years.

Madam Chairperson, I urge the Provincial Administration to develop a fast-track programme to ensure that all peasant and small-scale farmers are given title deeds. It is very expensive for an individual to hire a surveyor to survey the land, get survey diagrams and push for a title deed. We are talking about people who are struggling with their day-to-day needs. So, let us come up with a programme that will make the acquisition of title deeds cheaper. In view of the fact that people are getting loans for agricultural inputs, one can only be sure of what one wants to do if one has security for the land one is taking the farming inputs to. So, a title deed is very important. People get displaced even after being on a certain land for many years because of not having title deeds. However, the process of getting a title deed is expensive. So, I urge the Provincial Administration to come up with a fast-track programme so people can acquire title deeds for their farmlands. People should not be subjected to paying K15,000 for surveying. That just hinders the process of getting a title deed, and people will continue to live in destitution. We need to improve agriculture in the province, and people, firstly, need to have security for their land.

Madam Chairperson, the next thing I want to talk about is the water crisis on the Copperbelt, especially from Ndola all the way to Chililabombwe. The majority of the people depend on water supplied by water utility companies. However, the problem is that the infrastructure is more than fifty years old and unable to supply clean water to households. The quality of water that is supplied is not good. Customers are overwhelmed with bills for water that they do not see going into their homes, and they keep receiving bills day in and day out.

Madam Chairperson, I remember that when we just came to Parliament, there was a Motion that was moved urging the cancellation of water bills for the people who do not receive water, yet keep being billed. That Motion was defeated, but the problem is still there. The Provincial Administration should help the people to deal with huge water bills. People have no problem paying for water that they receive, but they have a very big problem paying for water that they do not see. Water is only supplied to households for two hours out of twenty-four hours in a day, yet the bills keep on rising. We need to assist our people by ensuring that all bills that relate to water that has not been supplied are cancelled. Let the people start on a clean slate, and they will support the water utility companies. However, as of now, the people of the Copperbelt are yearning for the supply of clean water for twenty-four hours, seven days a week.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member, you can wind up. You have less than a minute.

Mr Mwila: Madam Chairperson, let me not waste the few seconds. I can leave them to my colleague. I urge the Provincial Administration to look at these areas that I have discussed so that we can enhance the quality of life on the Copperbelt.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Chairperson, the role that the Copperbelt has played in building Zambia cannot be overemphasised. However, the people in the province have gone through a very tough time owing to the challenges in the mining sector. I think that it is time we considered taking care of that province that has been feeding this country. We sit to appropriate funds for the Provincial Administration, which is simply there to provide leadership. We can all agree that the funding of development at the district level still comes from the main ministries. So, the Provincial Administration is basically there to provide leadership.

Madam Chairperson, I have served in the district leadership, and I remember how at some point, we struggled to have resources to manage the activities in the district. We fought so hard, I think, Hon. Siachisumo agrees with me, to have the little resources that our friends found in the district account.

Madam Chairperson, the role of the hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province is to ensure that his officers, starting from the Provincial Administration going down to the districts, up their game in making sure that developmental programmes are implemented without delay. Here, we sit, talk and complain about the problems of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). It is acceptable for us to complain that we do not have resources, but not even when we have resources. The enhanced CDF is one tool we can use to take a little development to places that are yearning for development. However, we have been found wanting just on the aspect of failure to provide leadership. I would love for the team from the Provincial Administration and the Local Government Officer to have a scorecard for the CDF for each constituency. Where are the projects that ba Nkana submitted for implementation under the CDF? How far has the Town Clerk gone in ensuring that this project or that project is implemented?

Madam Chairperson, there are five projects in my constituency that have not been started, two years down the line. What is the justification for not starting building a clinic? I am supposed to build a clinic in Kandabwe, but two years down the line, even when resources are there, that has not yet been done. We are supposed to build a clinic in Luyando, but two years down the line, nothing is happening. We are supposed to carry out road works in Mindolo and Buchi, but two years down the line, nothing has happened. There is no justification it should take us two years to implement Government programmes when resources are available. What does it tell you? It is failure in leadership. That is why I urge ba hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province to continue supervising his subordinates, who are busy galvanising and positioning themselves to take over constituencies. They have forgotten their core responsibility of ensuring that the Government implements its projects. There is no justification whatsoever. That is why when I talk about the need for the Copperbelt to be fed today, I am talking about developmental deficiencies.

Madam Chairperson, the road infrastructure on the Copperbelt is terrible. Like I said yesterday, it is very easy to make gravel roads in rural constituencies. However, if you make a gravel road in my community in Parklands, that is a recipe for insults. That is a busy community where you cannot make a gravel road. The dust emissions will subject you to insults. So, the Government needs to embark on a programme of making township roads because we may not manage to use the CDF to make such roads in our communities.

Madam Chairperson, the biggest problem today in Kitwe is water and sanitation. The hon. Minister is aware that in places like Buchi, there is a problem of sanitation. I know that the Government found money, which it called emergency funds, and quickly attended to the sanitation problem in Kwacha. However, I want to report that the problem in Kwacha is very recent. The problem of sanitation in Buchi has been there for many years. How I wish the Government could use the same speed at which it attended to the problem in Kwacha to also attend to the problem in Buchi. Otherwise, it risks being seen to be considering constituencies where it has hon. Members of Parliament and neglecting those where it has no hon. Members of Parliament.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Chairperson, water is life. The hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province is aware of the problem of water in Mindolo because I have been lamenting about it for some time now. Nkana Water and Sewerage Company gave me a quotation for K42 million, but it will take me three years to acquire that money from the CDF. Ba hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province should not leave it to me to continue lobbying on behalf of the people of Kitwe. He should lobby for them. That is why we are appropriating this money. He sits with the President and the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning in Cabinet meetings. So, he should help us to push for money because the people of Kitwe, in particular Nkana, enabled him to be a Minister today.

Madam Chairperson, the mining sector has gone through a very rough patch. Of course, we recognise the efforts being made. The Government has addressed the issue of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) by Vedanta Resources Limited coming back, but there are still many questions that have not been answered. The Government has taken a laissez-faire approach to attending to issues that are being raised by members of the public with regard to the agreements it is signing. Today, there are reports that in the agreements between the Government and Vedanta Resources Limited, there are many grey areas. When such reports are being promulgated in the public, the Government should respond so that we know the correct position because we are being left to speculate. The mind feeds on what it hears and what it sees. So –

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

You have less than a minute.

Mr B. Mpundu: Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Madam Chairperson, it was announced that Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has found a prospective investor. There is already trouble in Kitwe because of a report that the mine has already started employing, and it is being alleged that this is secretly being done. The hon. Minister should do the right thing because people are looking up to him to provide leadership.

Madam Chairperson, as I reluctantly support this allocation to the Copperbelt Province, I advise the hon. Minister that we need his leadership. He should go to the district administration and see how his officers are performing. As I speak, there is a problem at Chisokone Market between the district administration and the marketeers. So, the hon. Minister should go to Kitwe and address that problem. Otherwise, it is putting him in bad light with the marketeers.

The Chairperson: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Mr Matambo rose.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear! Ema Minister aya!

Laughter

The Minister for Copperbelt Province (Mr Matambo): Madam Chairperson, before I respond, I want to give a word of encouragement to the people of the Copperbelt because of the tragedy at Kasenseli Mine. I assure them that a storm is not permanent, and it will pass. I also want to pass my condolences to the families of our eleven brothers whom we buried after retrieving them from the site. I encourage the families that fear is a bad spirit. We should not be taken over by fear. God never gave us the spirit of fear, but that of love, power and a sound mind. We will move to where the Lord has arranged for us to go.

Madam Chairperson, let me take this opportunity to thank all the hon. Members of Parliament who have debated in this august House in support of the 2024 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Office of the President, Copperbelt Province.

Madam Chairperson, let me try to respond to some of the issues that have been raised by the Member for Nkana, Hon. Binwell Mpundu; the Member for Mufulira, Hon. Mwila; and the Member for Chifubu, Hon. Lubozha.

Madam Chairperson, I refute the allegations by Hon. B. Mpundu that Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has started employing; the situation is not like that. We just announced our equity partner. What is remaining now is the signing ceremony, which I propose should be held on the Copperbelt Province. Thereafter, we will start dealing with other issues. We are always methodical. We are not employing. As regards Vendetta Resources Limited, the signing was done. What is remaining now is to finish the court process of removing the liquidator and putting in place a board. We are also methodical on that, and we will definitely do the right thing.

Madam Chairperson, Hon. B. Mpundu talked about water and sanitation. It is important to take a walk into the past. I would have loved it if my brother had given us the reason this issue was a problem for eleven years when our colleagues were in office. He should have started from there. They did not provide water to the people in Kitwe, and that is what we are trying to do. However, let me announce that Nkana Water and Sewerage Company is busy trying to fix that problem. Our colleagues failed to find money in ten years, but His Excellency the President and the team have found the money and are busy trying to fix the problem of water in Kitwe. Besides that, my brother knows that for the past two months, I literally worked from Kitwe, and I worked with hon. Members like the hon. Member for Wusakile. I was on the ground checking on the issue of water, and I told the President of the Republic of Zambia about it. As we wait for Nkana Water and Sewerage Company to fix that problem, I want to announce that His Excellency the President of Republic of Zambia has donated twenty boreholes to alleviate the problem of water in Kitwe.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, next week, I will sit down with the hon. Members of Parliament from the five constituencies to choose which places we are going to drill the boreholes in.

Madam Chairperson, if one saw the roads on the Copperbelt, one would think that there was war there. I wanted the hon. Member to tell us why the country was kept in that manner. In the ten years that our colleagues were in power, the so-called Chibuluma Road was like – I do not know. Let us compare and contrast these issues. The contractor is on site, making a concrete road from the robots that are after the bridge all the way to Kitwe Teaching Hospital. I have a letter on my table to the effect that the Road Development Agency (RDA) has decided to work on 300 km in selected towns like Kitwe, Mufulira, Ndola and Chingola. So, in short, I am saying that we will work on the township roads, which our colleagues failed to work on in ten years.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, still on the issue of the road network, two years down the line, the contractor is on site, working on the Lusaka/Ndola Road, which is an economic road. The same contractor will work on the Masangano/Fisenge Road. One takes one hour to go to Luanshya from Ndola, instead of fifteen minutes. The same contractor will work on the road from Chisenge to Luanshya. Hon. Members will remember that two years ago, someone went to plant a stem at the town centre. We have worked on almost 99 per cent of the township roads in the town centre, and Luanshya has a different face. That is what this Government is doing.

Madam Chairperson, the contractor is on site, working on the long-awaited Mufulira Road. The previous Government got K300 million without doing anything. The Chingola/Kasumbalesa Road is at 99.99 per cent. The Mpongwe/Machiya Road is on the cards, and we will work it. We will also work on the Mukutuma/Lumpuma Road in Lufwanyama. In short, we will work on the entire road network on the Copperbelt, which was not done in ten years.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear! Tell them!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, I agree with the hon. Member on the rate at which councils have been doing their work. I am the only Minister who has summoned Councillors, Town Clerks, District Commissioners (DCs) and Mayors twice. The only thing that I did not do was have a meeting with my fellow hon. Members of Parliament. I have had meetings with those people to find out why councils have been doing their work at a snail’s pace, and there are already targets. We will have the final meeting in the next one week, and that will be the third meeting. Let me say that there must be a certain disease in councils that was left by the previous Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, I am beginning to believe that there is insubordination. Those who do not believe in the vision of His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema are making it impossible for us to move at the pace at which we are supposed to move, but that will be sorted out.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, councils have to work according to the vision of His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema and the New Dawn Administration. For the last meeting, I will call all hon. Members of Parliament from the Copperbelt so that we can sit together, compare notes and see where the problem is. I will send an invitation to Hon. Binwell Mpundu so that he attends that meeting. I am sure that we will sort out the problem together.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, Hon. Mwila talked about title deeds, and I agree with him 100 per cent. We will try to move in that direction and push to have title deeds. We are on the same page with him on that.

Madam Chairperson, I think, Hon. Mwila also talked about Vendetta Resources Limited, which I have talked about, but I want to compare and contrast the mining sector. We are coming from an era in which the Copperbelt was completely dead. More than 30,000 jobs were lost. Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) and MCM were on their knees. Chambeshi Metals Plc was closed and there was no hope for Luanshya Copper Mines, Shaft 28.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, Vendetta Resources Limited has been unlocked in two years, with US$1 billion having been injected in the mine and US$250 million yet to be paid to the contractors and suppliers, and the workers will be paid a one-off payment of K2.5 million. In two years, MCM has been unlocked, an equity partner was found, the signing ceremony is on the way and more jobs will be created. US$1.3 billion has been injected in Luanshya Copper Mine, Shaft 28. Right now, the mine is operational and more jobs will be created. US$150 million has been injected in Mingomba Mine, and the mine is operating right now. Compare and contrast.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The hon. Minister’s time expired.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Minister!

Your time is up.

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, Hon. Lubozha talked about the dump sites. The dump sites belong to other people. We are negotiating and, shortly, we will give them to the youths. We do not want to grab them. So, we are negotiating.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, let me talk about the 2024 budget for the province.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province!

Your time is up. May you wind up.

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, the 2024 budget for the Copperbelt Province is K130,033,228, with K97,910,516 for personal emoluments and K32,100,000 for non-personal emoluments, of which K4,600,000 has been allocated to programmes. The 2024 provincial budget will be implemented based on five broad programmes.

Madam Chairperson, K26,051,557 has been allocated to facilitate the provision of equitable social protection, …

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Matambo: … natural resources management, economic development, local government services, management and support services as well as issues to do with infrastructure.

Madam Chairperson, after all is said and done, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema has a special place for the people of the Copperbelt in his heart. He promised them that he would fix the Copperbelt and, for sure, he is fixing the province, looking at the infrastructure being developed and the mining issues being sorted out. After five years, his works will speak. He will win with a landslide victory on the Copperbelt and he will finish his term.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson: Thank you, hon. Minister.

Mr Matambo: Madam Chairperson, thank you very much. May God bless you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Ms Sefulo: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Is it very urgent?

Ms Sefulo: Yes, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Ms Sefulo: Madam Chairperson, I rise on a very serious point of order. It is rare for me to raise points of order, but I have been compelled to raise a point of order on the hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Minister said that he was comparing and contrasting. The hon. Member of Parliament for Nkana, who is a former District Commissioner (DC) for Kitwe, mentioned that it will take three years in the current regime to raise K42 million. Is the hon. Minister in order to not have mentioned that under the Patriotic Front (PF) regime, it would have taken twenty-seven years for him to raise that K42 million?

Madam Chairperson, I seek your serious ruling.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

That point of order is not admissible. You did not cite what rule the hon. Minister has breached.

Let us make progress.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Madam Chairperson, this time, I will not speak only for the people of Kalabo Central, but for the whole of the Western Province. However, I ask the people of the Western Province to give me a second to thank the hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province. What he stated has delighted me. Despite not being a Member of Parliament from the Copperbelt Province, I have hope that the Copperbelt will come back to life.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Madam Chairperson, the Western Province is full of resources. You know, when you represent others, you have experience. So, I have many experiences of that place. The people of the Western Province, in 2021, voted resoundingly for the United Party for National Development (UPND), and it was not a futile action, but for a reason. In this regard, the construction of the Kafue Hook Bridge has been completed. There was a temporary bridge for a long time. I did not want to mention this, but the former Government exposed us to that temporary bridge, which was there for many years. However, after voting for the New Dawn Government, there is now a permanent bridge.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: So, I thank the New Dawn Government for completing the construction of that bridge.

Madam Chairperson, the road to Limulunga, which leads to the palace, used to be very dusty when the current President was accused of treason, and we would swallow the dust and cough. However, today, we are able to drive from Mongu up to the last part – Hon. Anakoka, what is that place called?

Mr Anakoka: Jauteni.

Mr Miyutu: Yes, Jauteni, which is the last part of the road that leads to the palace, and I compliment the UPND Government for that. There is no more dust. We are waiting for the signing of the contract for the construction of the Tateyoyo/Katunda Turnoff stretch.

Madam Chairperson, I tell the people in Kalabo that only a few people will go to the holy place.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Madam Chairperson, I have not mentioned any place. So, I cannot be accused of anything. I just said that there is a “holy place”. You need to love others. Shalom Bus and other buses had stopped going to Mongu because the road was very dusty. Vehicles would break down at Tateyoyo and it used to take us two hours to get to Kaoma.

Mr Mutale: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Let us avoid raising points of order so that we finish on time.

A point of order is raised.

Mr Mutale: Madam Chairperson, Standing Order No. 65 clearly states that we must be very factual.

Madam Chairperson, the people out there who are listening would like to know what the hon. Member was referring to when he mentioned that place, which is very hot. May the hon. Member clarify what that place is. We are also interested to know. Is he in order to refer to a place without a name?

Madam Chairperson, I seek your serious ruling.

Laughter

The Chairperson: Hon. Member on the Floor, be factual. People would like to understand whether that place you mentioned is dangerous or not. Does that place have a name? Please, be specific so that we move at the same pace.

You may continue.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Chairperson, to avoid any dispute, there is a place that is called the holy place, and that is clearly stated in a certain book. It is a place where holy people go and live in form of spirits. If the hon. Member needs a lecture, I can give him one.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member, just answer and proceed. We are behind time.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Chairperson, before my time ends, I would like to say that the people of the Western Province are crying over the Kazungula/Sesheke Road. It needs to be brought back to life and upgraded to bituminous standard. I know that gravel was put on the road, but since the rainy season is about to start, that gravel will soon be washed away. So, it will go back to its bad state. The people of Mulobezi and Mwandi are also crying over the Simungoma/Luampa Road. Works on the Kasempa Road, being undertaken through the public-private partnership (PPP) model, need to be expedited. There is also a need to work on the Kalabo/Sikongo Road so that it joins Zambia to Angola, which is a potential market. So, we are eagerly waiting for that road to be upgraded to bituminous standard. The Katunda/Lukulu/Watopa/Mumbezhi Road has never been tarred before. This is a good time for the New Dawn Government to prove itself by placing bitumen on that road, which has been the cry of the people for a long time.

Madam Chairperson, there is a need for a bridge on the Zambezi River to connect Lukulu to Mitete. Currently, a pontoon is being used, but it easily breaks down and is in a constant need of fuel.

Madam Chairperson, there is a need to enhance communication in villages. The common mobile service provider in the Western Province is Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL) Limited, but there is still a problem of network connectivity in many areas. So, there is a need to construct communication towers in most rural areas where there is no network.

Madam Chairperson, finally, I would like to say that the people responsible for approving Constituency Development Fund (CDF projects need to act. They should know that we are here for development. There is money in the accounts, but it takes time for projects to be approved. I always tell the people who do not approve projects on time that they are against what the Head of State stated. When projects are not approved, the Member of Parliament is blamed because the people in the villages do not know the Council Secretary and the Planner. They only know the Councillor and the Member of Parliament. So, I earnestly urge the people in charge to approve projects so that people can receive services. We have cried. We should be heard.

Madam Chairperson, with those few words, let me conclude by saying that I wholeheartedly support the Vote for the Western Province. I wish the people of the Western Province a happy and prosperous festive period.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr Mwene (Mangango): Madam Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the good people of Mangango, to contribute to the debate on the Vote for the Western Province.

Madam Chairperson, I would like to advise the Provincial hon. Minister to work collaboratively with the other hon. Ministers to speed up all developmental activities in the Western Province. For example, he can work with the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development so that the exploration of minerals is carried out in the Western Province, and that can be of great help to the people. We cannot say that there is no single mineral in the province. The minerals are there, but there has not been any exploration that has been carried out. So, the Provincial hon. Minister should work closely with the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development so that we can create jobs for the people in the province.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Minister should also work very closely with the hon. Minister of Energy, whom I can see is listening to me very well. Angola is very near and there is oil there. So, the Provincial hon. Minister should collaborate with the hon. Minister of Energy so that oil can pass through the Western Province. When that is done, the cost of living would go down because the price of fuel would reduce, and we could even establish a good refinery in the Western Province. That can create employment for our people. There is a lot of land in the Western Province for such kind of infrastructure development.

Madam Chairperson, the other issue that I would like to talk about concerns civil servants not politicking. We do not want politicking in public offices. Civil servants should just do their job, not joining politics as has been noticed in various offices in the Western Province. So, the Provincial Administration should make sure that public officers are not politicking. There are others who may be associated with certain political parties here and there, hence they are delaying developmental activities and approval of projects, and this and that. We do not need that. If such has been noticed, the hon. Minister should take action as our administrator at the provincial level.

Madam Chairperson, I know that my brother has talked about the bridge on the Zambezi River. I also want to talk about the bridge that is supposed to be at Watopa, where the Western Province and the North-Western Province connect. We need to work collaboratively with my elder brother, the hon. Minister for North-Western Province. That bridge is very important because there is a pontoon on the Zambezi River in Lukulu and on the other side. So, if we connected the two areas with a bridge, we would smoothen the movement of people to and from the North-Western Province and the Western Province. We, the people of the Western Province, feel that this is important to us, and I believe even to our brothers and sisters in the North-Western Province who want to move to the Western Province.

Madam Chairperson, there has been a few tribal differences in the Western Province. The Provincial Administration should unify all of us regardless of our tribes or where we come from. In the Western Province, you find tribes such as the Mbunda, Luvale, Lozi, Chokwe, Luchazi and Lunda living together. If we start looking at one another on tribal lines, then, we shall miss it. So, the Provincial Administration should bring us together so that we become a solid ‘One Zambia One Nation’. Should we look at one another on tribal lines, we shall be divided and no development will ever be achieved. We shall just be talking about one another on tribal lines, which is not needed. I know, this has caused problems. In Rwanda, there were differences between the Hutu and the Tutsi. We have already seen an example in Africa of tribal differences. So, I urge the Provincial Administration to bring us together and to unify us.

Madam Chairperson, we, in the Western Province, are one people. The first village is for a Lozi, the second for a Luvale, the third one for a Kwangwa, the fourth for a Nkoya, the fifth for a Lunda and so on and so forth, and that is how we have lived and produced our children. We have intermarried among ourselves. So, seeing some people fight, like I saw in Kaoma, is not necessary because we are one. Like I said, the Provincial hon. Minister must unify us and bring us together, as that is the only way we can develop. I know that he has the capacity to do that, and he has done that before. If possible, even in public offices, the hon. Minister should balance up the positions. If a particular tribe has taken up a certain position, another tribe should take up the next position. For example, if the chairperson is Kwangwa, the vice-chairpersons can be Luvale or Mbunda. That is going to unify and consolidate our living in the Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, with those few remarks, I support the budget for the Western Province because it is the one that will take development to our land.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Madam Chairperson, for the last twenty years, the Western Province and Luapula Province have been swapping places in being the poorest provinces in this country. Numbers do not lie. Based on the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), today, the Western Province records poverty levels between 84 per cent and 89 per cent. This province was the richest at Independence, with over £78 .5 million in the Barotseland Treasury.

Hon. Member: Taken!

Mr Wamunyima: Taken to what was then Northern Rhodesia to form Zambia.

Madam Chairperson, from the outset, I would like to say that I support this budget, but I will quickly say that successive Governments have promised us since Independence, but none have delivered. Had Governments been delivering in the Western Province, we would not complain about being one of the poorest provinces. So, I say to the New Dawn Government, through the Provincial hon. Minister, that the people of the Western Province want development.

Madam Chairperson, we do not want the Sesheke/Kazungula Road to be a gravel road. We want it to be a bituminous-standard road. That is the only road that links the Western Province to Europe via Walvis Bay. So, we will not accept a gravel road there. We are the only province being told that a gravel road is good. We need a bituminous road. We need the Sikongo/Angola Road to be worked on to connect the Western Province to Angola. The Sioma/Shangombo Road also needs to be worked on.

Madam Chairperson, there is a need to construct artificial dams in Sioma Ngwezi National Park to stop human/animal conflicts. Elephants are following water in people’s villages. A herd of over 800 elephants is wondering around Sioma, Shangombo and Nalolo. So, the issue of human/animal conflict needs to be addressed by addressing climate issues in the Western Province. Even service delivery and development must be climate smart. Infrastructure is being blown off because there are many plains. We need infrastructure that is climate resilient. Therefore, the people in the Buildings Department in the Western Province must begin thinking of how they can make infrastructure climate resilient.

Madam Chairperson, many districts in the Western Province were created under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, but there is still incomplete infrastructure in those districts. Mitete Civic Centre, Mitete Boarding School and Nalolo Boarding School are incomplete. In last year’s Budget, and this is directed to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, there was a commitment to complete all stalled hospitals, yet Nalolo District Hospital is still not complete. So, we need to look at that. Mitete is the poorest district in the Western Province, and in some areas, you cannot use your cellular phone. How can you be in Zambia and not use your cellular phone? We need to have communication towers, and it is a matter of urgency.

Madam Chairperson, we were told about Kalumwange Farming Block, but we do not know if it has been operationalised. By and large, the roads in the Western Province and outside the province are in a bad state. The Kasempa/Kaoma Road and the Lukulu/Katunda Road are in a bad state. So, we do not know what has been wrong all these years for the province to be completely disconnected. We need to address that. The only time we will sing praises to the New Dawn Government is when these roads are worked on. We also need complete office infrastructure in the new districts that were created at the speed of lightning. Limulunga is a new district, and the infrastructure there is not complete.

Madam Chairperson, we need to address the issue of hunger. Currently, there is extreme hunger in the province. The rainfall was inadequate last year, and we are struggling to get relief maize. So, we need to address this issue. Based on the ZamStats records, the province records 78 per cent levels of extreme hunger. Therefore, we would like the Provincial Administration to put up a strong case against the province’s not being prioritised in receiving relief food. Why are we not being prioritised in receiving relief food? There is tala, kunani tala. Balila tala, meaning there is hunger and people are crying about hunger.

Madam Chairperson, I commend the Government for its intention to work on the stretch of road between Tateyoyo and Katunda. That is a good landmark, and we hope that the road will not be patched, but rather made into one of bituminous standard.

Madam Chairperson, the agricultural approach in the province needs to change. We need to prioritise rice and cassava farming, not just growing maize. Even the distribution of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) must be well thought out. Before the Government delivers fertiliser there, it must consider the scientific status of the soil, which is sandy. Therefore, we need biodegradable fertiliser. If the Government just sends ordinary fertiliser to the province, I assure it that it will be going out to Angola and sold through border points. If we receive fertiliser which is destructive to the soil – We need to promote rice processing.

Madam Chairperson, we are told that from Angola, the Government wants to construct a pipeline for oil up to Lusaka. We want the refinery to be in the Western Province, not just a pipeline passing through the province, leaving no jobs. If there is no electricity there, the Government should electrify the area.

Madam Chairperson, the Mulobezi Railway Line needs to be upgraded. We cannot rely on road transport when the roads are in a bad state. So, all these factors need to be seriously considered. The issue concerning taking a better breed of cattle to the province is urgent. We have the pasture and water. Let us address all the factors that are stopping us from enhancing –

Madam Chairperson, there is a lot that can be said about the Western Province. Suffice it for me to say that we look forward to the New Dawn Government changing the narrative of the province being one of the poorest in this country. We want the province to have factories that are going to add value to rice and cassava. Sioma Ngwezi National Park needs to be an icon of tourism. Sioma Falls is one of the most beautiful in this country, but for one to get there, it is a hustle.

Madam Chairperson, with those few remarks, I would like to support this budget.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

The Minister for Western Province (Mr Mbangweta): Madam Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity to respond to the three colleagues who volunteered to speak on behalf of the fraternity and supported Vote 94, that is, Hon. Miyutu, Hon. Mwene and Hon. Wamunyima.

Madam Chairperson, when we were in the Opposition, we used to say that we would fix all the ills of this country, and this Government is fixing all the ills of the past. On behalf of the province, I would like to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning because since we came into power, we have seen that the budget for the province and, indeed, for all the provinces has been going up, including for this year. Also, what is appropriated here is received in the provinces, including ours. That shows capacity and the difference between performance and incompetence. I would also like to thank the line ministries for the efforts they made in the province, just as they do in other provinces.

Madam Chairperson, let me come to the specific issues that have been raised, and I will start with the issues that Hon. Miyutu raised.

Madam Chairperson, we appreciate that Hon. Miyutu has given the Government a pat on the back for completing some projects. When we were in the Opposition, we used to say that the first project we would work on is the Kafue Hook Bridge because that is the gateway to the Western Province. What other people failed to do in more than eight years, this Government has done in fifteen months.

Madam Chairperson, Limulunga Road has been worked on. This Government put aside money to repair Nakatindi Road, which is the stretch from Livingstone to Sesheke. It used to take seven hours to go to Livingstone but, now, it takes two hours. That is a difference of five hours because of this Government having worked on the road. We are also in the process of finding funding to upgrade the road to bituminous standard. So, we will not be talking about the road because we know that work has already been done and is being done. You do not hear people talk about it because we are almost back to the old system.

Madam Chairperson, Hon. Miyutu also talked about the road from Kasempa to Luampa to Simungoma. There have been expressions of interest that were made to which the Government has responded, and the idea is to work on that road via the public-private partnership (PPP) model. So, all things being equal, we will see how that road will be. This Government is committed to working on the Sikongo/Stilu Road, and our partners from the other side will bring the road to our side. So, we are in the process of looking for funding to work on our part of the road.

Madam Chairperson, the stretch from Tateyoyo to Katunda is in my constituency, and we are, obviously, fixing everything. All the hon. Members pass through that road. Do they need to be reminded every day? I am now addressing colleagues who keep on talking like the hon. Members of Parliament from that part of the country do not know where they come from. I am using this platform to communicate to them that that is where we live and where we come from. We probably use that road much more frequently than others, but we are listening and are putting things in place.

Madam Chairperson, when we were in the Opposition, we used to say that our Government would not be a government that makes promises easily or falsely, if you like. We make promises because we intend to fulfil them, bearing in mind that we are here for service, not for self-aggrandisement.

Madam Chairperson, coming to Hon. Wamunyima’s comments, it is true that this Government has operationalised the Kalumwange Farming Block, and we are going to up-scale the activities next year. However, the success of that programme depends on us, the locals. This Government is now saying that we should move away from complaining about hunger when there is land. In terms of where we are on the Kalumwange Farming Block, it required a lot of nimble-footed people to do that. Obviously, the local people in the Western Province also need to reflect on the way they embrace development.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Member talked about rice. Yes, we used to say that we would bring knowledge, skills and technology, but maintain the same land holdings, and that is what we have done. We have found a partner to do all that, but the extent to which rice growing or productivity will reach the required standard is dependent upon the local people, not the Government, because the Government has done its part.

Madam Chairperson, the other issue that was raised relates to the districts that were created. The districts are nine, but when it came to putting up infrastructure, our colleagues turned their backs on us. However, this Government has started working on the projects that our colleagues should have finished. It has taken time because in almost all the new places, we found that there was a lot of money that was owed and the contractors had run away. So, we, firstly, had to pay them and then allow them to come back. At the moment, there are contractors in five districts. In the other four, we are still trying to resolve some issues.

Madam Chairperson, going forward into the new year, we intend to complete the incomplete buildings, including the hospitals. Works on the twenty-two secondary schools will now start in earnest. However, on some of the secondary schools that were mentioned, like Libonda, work has actually started in earnest. Some of the buildings have been completed.

Madam Chairperson, I can say that the people of the Western Province are very happy now because even the Social Cash Transfer (SCT), which we found at K77, is now at K156 in two years. One is tempted to ask how the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services achieved this. That is what we want to see, and some of these things are softer. They are not visible to the eye, but they are very important. The same thing goes for the vaccination of all cattle in the Western Province against contagious bovine pleuro pneumonia (CBPP). The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has vaccinated the first lot. When we vaccinate the next lot, we can then talk about cattle restocking. How many other Governments have done that since Independence? It is probably none. We are also putting back the cordon lines, and cordon guards are being recruited. All these issues are being addressed. That is why we would say “Bally will fix it”. For the Western Province, he has truly fixed all the ills of the past. What he requires is just support. The rest is up to us, as the people from there and the local government. However, we are now happy that the taxes are working for us.

Madam Chairperson, with those few words, allow me to sit down. I thank my hon. Colleagues for supporting this Vote. I also thank the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, for having presented such a good statement on behalf of the ten provinces of this country.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: By prior arrangement, we are going to skip the Eastern Province and come back to it later. So, we move to Vote 96, Office of the President, Luapula Province.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Chairperson, thank you very much for allowing me to add my voice, on behalf of the good people of Luapula Province, icalo ca busaka, where we have much water.

The Chairperson: What does “icalo ca busaka” mean?

Rev. Katuta: It means a place where people know how to bathe and look smart.

Laughter

Rev. Katuta: I think, I look beautiful.

Madam Chairperson, I stand here to voice out my comments on Luapula Province. Firstly, I would like to speak about the administration of the province. At the moment, it is just as good as not having leadership at the provincial level.

Mr Mbao: Question!

Rev. Katuta: The leadership that we have at the Provincial Administration does not even know the far ends of Chienge, Milenge, Chifunabuli and Pambashe, which is very sad. If it was not so, we would have heard Luapula being heard on the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) and other platforms.

Mr Mbao: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Chairperson, we have had challenges that cannot be left to only the hon. Members of Parliament to address. The Provincial Administration should be the eyes on behalf of the Central Government and inform the Government about the problems –

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

There is an indication for a point of order. However, I would like to advise hon. Members –

Mr B. Mpundu interjected.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

I think, we should allow the hon. Minister who is going to respond to, maybe, take care of everything that will be said, for the sake of progress.

A point of order is raised.

Mr Mbao: Madam Chairperson, thank you very much and –

Mr B. Mpundu: Minister for buka fish!

Mr Mbao: Take your time.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member for Nkana, please, let us have order.

Mr Mbao: Madam Chairperson, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No. 65. The hon. Member on the Floor, the Member for Chienge, is insinuating that the current leadership in Luapula Province is incompetent. She claims that it does not know what Luapula is and does not even know what it is doing. I have followed her debate.

Madam Chairperson, is she in order to mislead the House? First of all, she has misled herself and is misleading the people of Luapula Province by stating that they do not have leadership in the province, yet there are competent people who are ensuring that things are going very well in the province. We were going to be happy if she had brought any form of evidence to show that things are not moving in Luapula Province because of a lack of leadership.

Madam Chairperson, I seek your ruling on this matter.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member for Chienge, I think, we all know that there is leadership in each province, including the Provincial hon. Minister, who is going to respond. The fact is that the leadership is there.

Interruptions

Madam Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Hon. Member, be factual and state things as they are, instead of telling the whole nation that there is no leadership in Luapula Province. So, you were out of order. Continue with your debate, but be more factual.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Chairperson, leadership is seen. It is not about occupying the office.

Madam Chairperson, my 4 x 4 vehicle got stuck. The road from Kashikishi to the Boma offices is in a bad state, but I have not heard any statement from the so-called Provincial Administration for Luapula. The truth of the matter is that our administration does not seem to know what it is supposed to do. It is a fact.

Madam Chairperson, the previous Government signed a contract regarding water reticulation in Nchelenge and Chienge.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member on the Floor!

You were guided. Just follow the guidance. I think, we are all interested in knowing what is happening in Luapula and if there are challenges so that when the hon. Minister responds, he will tell us the position. I am sure, the hon. Minister is listening and noting down the challenges being raised. So, be factual as guided.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Chairperson, I am a Member of Parliament for Chienge.

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge! I am still talking.

I just want to remind all hon. Members who are yet to debate that we are still debating what is contained in the Budget. Are we left out or are we there? What is not working? Where are we left out in the Budget? Let us link whatever we are talking about to the Budget for next year.

Mr Munir Zulu: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member for Lumezi, is your point of order on the hon. Member debating?

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Chairperson, I am worried. You guided, quite alright, that the Vote for the Eastern Province, with prior notice, will be debated later, yet the Provincial hon. Minister for Eastern Province is addressing a press briefing about Umodzi Kumawa and Parliament has agreed to trivialise the Vote for the Eastern Province just to allow him to have a press briefing. How?

Laughter

Mr Munir Zulu: He is addressing the issue of Umodzi Kumawa on a WhatsApp group at the expense of the Business of the House. Even if there is favouritism or even if he wants to be seen to be a good boy, no.

The Chairperson: Hon. Member for Lumezi, we are not favouring anybody. The Standing Orders provide for certain items on the Order Paper to be shifted. The hon. Minister notified us; that is the prior arrangement that I am talking about. So, we are in order to proceed in that way. Had there not been any prior arrangement, then, we would have said a breach has been committed. So, the House is on course, and we can make progress.

Hon. Member for Chienge, you may continue.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Chairperson, I am a proud representative of the good people of Chienge in Luapula.

Madam Chairperson, I was talking about water reticulation. There was a contract, and a contractor was paid money to work on the water system in Nchelenge and Chienge. However, the water reticulation and sanitation system in Luapula is nothing to talk about. I do not expect any one to say that it was because of the previous Government. The current Government needs to do what was not done. In Chienge, there is no running water on taps, but the Provincial Administration has not done anything about it.

Madam Chairperson, it is disappointing to hear that there is a new contractor for the same project that the previous Government paid money for and a contractor was on site. A new contractor is now doing due diligence and carrying out scoping works. What kind of wastage of resources of the nation is this? That project will not be done overnight. It means that for another few years, the people of Chienge and Nchelenge are not going to have clean water, and there are no flushable toilets in Chienge. The Provincial Administration should have stated what it is doing. However, this Government cancelled the previous contract. Instead of going the so-called forward, we are going backwards. We need clean water in Chienge, Nchelenge, Mambilima and Mwense.

Madam Chairperson, there are minerals in Luapula. If you look at the co-ordinates, the foreigners are occupying that land, but it must be given back to the people of Luapula. Most of us are educated and there are business people. So, we can carry out exploration. We do not want to see an investor being brought from outside to carry out exploration. How are we, the people of Luapula, going to get rid of the poverty of mind if the Government keeps on bringing investors from outside the country to carry out exploration, yet we, in Luapula, can do that?

Madam Chairperson, I also want to talk about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Most hon. Members of Parliament from Luapula are not from the Ruling Party. We are now being told to kneel before the Permanent Secretary (PS) in order for us to have CDF projects commissioned or handed over to the people of Chienge. Is that not degrading the office of the Member of Parliament? Is it right to tell an hon. Member of Parliament to kneel before a District Commissioner (DC)? That is wrong. We need to be treated equally. The people of Luapula chose us to be leaders because they had trust in us. We expect the Government to not be discriminatory in whatever decision it makes. We need to be respected, as hon. Members of Parliament. We are the ones who were elected to represent the people of Luapula.

Madam Chairperson, I do not have much to say. However, some people were asking for evidence. My vehicle got stuck in Mwense and the whole diesel exhaust fluid was in a ditch. If we have –

Ms Sefulo interjected.

Rev. Katuta: Can you tell this woman to shut up.

Madam Chairperson, if we have an administration –

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Member for Chienge!

The phrase “shut up” is unparliamentary. I am sure, it is not part of your debate, is it? I doubt so. So, avoid unparliamentary words as you debate. Just stick to the debate. Do not take note of people who are debating while seated. You are debating through me.

You may continue.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Chairperson, I believe, there is decorum and etiquette, and somebody should not debate while seated.

Madam Chairperson, in Luapula Province, we want to see development, not to be told that we have poverty of the mind. We want our sugilite to start working for us. We do not want to hear that trucks have been intercepted somewhere. We want to see what belongs to the people of Luapula be used to the full extent so that we can come out of poverty. I urge the Provincial Administration in Luapula to drive to the far ends of Chienge to see how the people are suffering.

Madam Chairperson, a patient died in an ambulance. In view of the bad state of the road, the ambulance got stuck. The Road Development Agency (RDA) has been unable to patch up the roads. We have been appealing to this Government that the Zambia National Service (ZNS) helps us. There are no people in Chienge who can help that family to sue for K5 million. How does that family come to Lusaka, since it is poor? So, I am asking the Provincial Administration to visit all the corners of Luapula.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr Chibombwe (Bahati): Madam Chairperson, from the outset, let me state that I support this budget.

Madam Chairperson, allow me to highlight some of the challenges that we are facing in the province. In the 2022/2023 Farming Season, Luapula Province was ranked number three by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in terms of maize production. The problem is that we are receiving very little support, in terms of inputs, under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) from the Government. Can you imagine, out of 249,000 farmers who applied to be on FISP, only 64,000 benefited. We are among the least supported province in terms of FISP beneficiaries. Despite the province having good soils and a very good rainfall pattern, in terms of inputs, we are neglected.

Madam Chairperson, the other major challenge we are facing in the province, almost on a daily basis, is the erratic supply of electricity. In Mansa District, we do not have electricity on a daily basis for ten to twelve hours. That is not only affecting business houses, but also water supply in the province. It is also affecting voice and data communication. The hon. Minister of Technology and Science is not in the House. I wanted to appeal to him to look into that.

Madam Chairperson, there is erratic supply of electricity and low voltage in the province because the province has long 33 kV overhead lines. There is a need to extend the 66 kV line from Mansa to Chief Mibenge’s area, somewhere near Musaila, so that we connect districts like Samfya, Milenge, Chembe, Chifunabuli and Chilubi to a new sub-station that we will construct at Musaila. The hon. Minister for Luapula Province should appeal to the hon. Minister of Energy to do that. We also need to extend the line from Mbereshi to Nchelenge so that we cure the low voltage and erratic power supply in Chienge, Nchelenge, Kawambwa and Chipili. I know that the ministry wants to put a line from Pensulo to Mansa, but that is not going to cure the problems we are facing today in Mansa District. What is going to cure those problems is expanding the 66 kV backbone lines.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Minister of Energy announced on the Floor of this House that there was in excess of US$6 billion in terms of investments for hydro power generation. I appeal to the hon. Minister for Luapula Province to urge his counterpart to bring that US$6 billion to Luapula because that is a region where we have a lot of water and so much potential for hydro power generation. The ministry should not take it to the southern part of Zambia because that part is prone to drought.

Madam Chairperson, since I am talking about electricity in Luapula Province, allow me to comment on the projects that the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is undertaking in the province. There are a number of projects being undertaken by REA in the province, but what I have noted is that REA, in most cases, just connects schools and clinics, forgetting the local communities. I am appealing to the hon. Minister to ensure that each time REA is in an area, it connects local communities and grass-thatched houses. Right now, REA is in an area called Kansase in Bahati Constituency, and I want it to connect the local communities without leaving out the grass-thatched houses. In this country, it is only in Mwense and, I think, one district in the North-Western Province, where grass-thatched houses are connected. In most cases, they are left out. There are many grass-thatched houses in Luapula, and REA should be connecting them to the national grid.

Madam Chairperson, I know that there is one elephant in the room that we are not addressing, and that is with regard to Zesco Limited connection fees. However, I think, this is a subject for another day, and I will discuss it with the hon. Minister of Energy.

Madam Chairperson, with those few remarks, I support the budget.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): Madam Chairperson, I want my brothers and sisters who come from Luapula to hear. I want to do a synopsis of Luapula Province. When my brother, the hon. Minister for Luapula Province responds, he will want to compare and contrast.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Members of Parliament from Luapula have raised various concerns. I want to state the things that the hon. Minister found and cancelled. He must explain why he cancelled them. He found a contractor on site, working on the Musaila/Lubwe Road, but he cancelled that project. Today, the people of Chifunabuli cannot access Kasaba. So, we want to know why he cancelled the project. The Kawambwa/Mporokoso Road project was a contractor-financed project and earthworks were done on 44 km and 6 km, but he cancelled the project, and I want him to tell us why he did that.

Hon. Government Members: Corruption!

Mr Chitotela: The Nchelenge/Kashikishi Road –

Hon. Government Members: Corruption!

Mr Chitotela: Do not be funny. I was Minister. The hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo Central was boasting about the Mongu/Limulunga Road. It is me who signed the agreement with the contractor. Why did the Government not cancel that contract with Aviation Industrial Corporation of China (AVIC) International? It is me who gave AVIC International the contract.

The Chairperson: Hon. Chitotela, please, do not ask questions. Just debate.

Mr Chitotela: Madam Chairperson, I want the hon. Minister to tell us why he cancelled the Kasaba/Lubwe Road Project. I want him to tell us why he cancelled all the road projects in Luapula Province. Why did he cancel everything? I want him to tell us why he scaled down the water projects in Luapula Province?

Hon. Government Members: Corruption!

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

You are not the hon. Minister for Luapula Province. I am sure –

Mr Chitotela: There was a contractor –

The Chairperson: Just hold on, hon. Member.

Please, let us not do the work for the hon. Minister for Luapula Province. I am sure, he is going to answer.

You may continue, hon. Member.

Mr Chitotela: Madam Chairperson, a contractor by the name of Unik Construction Engineering Limited was working on the Kawambwa/Mushota/Luwingu Road and was also going to work on the Monze/Niko Road at K375 million. Today, the same road project has been re-advertised and awarded to a contractor at K970 million.

Hon. PF Members: Ah!

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Chitotela: The hon. Member of Parliament is here; he can confirm that.

The Chairperson: Just debate, Hon. Chitotela.

Mr Chitotela: So, when we are talking, we need to be real.

Madam Chairperson, the people of Luapula Province are not against the mining of sugilite, but are against individuals benefiting from the mining of sugilite. We want the Government to take charge of mining sugilite. We want Luapula Province to benefit. We want the hon. Minister to tell us where those two trucks with sugilite that were impounded in Mansa are. We want the Government to mine sugilite for the benefit of the people of Luapula and the people of Zambia in general. We do not want individuals to benefit.

Madam Chairperson, in Luapula we say mpopmbo wibilima. Ababilima tabaya; umuswema ukukosa ifupa kulamba inshila. Ba shikulu ba Chitotela belelanda ati umwana ashilafwa atila kumbo balalya.

Laughter

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Hon. Chitotela, can you, please, translate all the things that you have said in vernacular.

Mr Chitotela: I will, Madam Chairperson.

When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do. When you go to a foreign land, you need to humble yourself and not show that you are more intelligent than the people you have found. You cannot be the only one causing problems with everybody.

Mr Chitotela put his hands in his pocket.

Madam Chairperson, we want to know why the convention centre –

Mr Chaatila: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Order, Hon. Chitotela!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Chaatila: Madam Chairperson, I rise on a point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament who is on the Floor pursuant to Standing Order No. 203(1), on the conduct of hon. Members.

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Member of Parliament for Pambashe has been guided several times in this House that when he is debating, he is not supposed to put his hands in his pockets. The arrogance of the hon. Member of disobeying the advice you have given him so many times is becoming a concern. Is he in order to continue debating with his hand in his pocket?

Madam Chairperson, I seek your serious ruling.

The Chairperson: I advise the hon. Member to remove his hand from his pocket and to continue debating.

Mr Chitotela: I apologise, Madam Chairperson. I did not even realise that I had put my hand in the pocket.

Madam Chairperson, I was asking the hon. Minister to tell the people of Luapula and Samfya what has happened to the convention centre. I remember that when I was Minister, a convention centre was supposed to be built in Luapula Province, but because of the conditions that we agreed upon with the funders, we said that it be built in Lusaka. The Workers Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB) agreed to build a convention centre in Samfya and the construction works began, but the contract has been cancelled. The people of Samfya want answers.

Mr Chaatila: Question!

Mr Chitotela: Do not question everything. You need to listen to the voice of reason. People are crying and complaining. I need to tell the hon. Minister the concerns of the people of Luapula Province. We want to know why all the contracts in Luapula Province have been cancelled.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Chitotela: Okay, that is fine. You shall respond to them.

Madam Chairperson, I want to emphasise –

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, I rise on a very serious point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament for Pambashe. Is he in order to mislead himself and the nation by saying that all contracts in Luapula have been cancelled when in fact, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has been completing a hospital project in Kawambwa because it did not cancel the contract? Is he in order to allege that that contract was cancelled and to say that all the contracts were cancelled when projects are being completed?

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

The fact that the project is being implemented and its contract was not cancelled means that Hon. Chitotela was not right to say that all the contracts were cancelled. So, for that, he was out of order. Maybe, he should have said that some of the contracts were cancelled, since some of the contracts are running or are still in place. Let us mind the way we use the words ‘all’ or ‘some’.

You may continue, hon. Member.

Mr Chitotela: Madam Chairperson, the majority of them were cancelled. I know that Kawambwa, Mwansabombwe and Nchelenge district hospitals are being completed. However, the contracts for road infrastructure and the convention centre have all been cancelled.

Madam Chairperson, we began restocking wildlife in Luapula Province in order to promote tourism. We do not know why the Lusenga Plains National Park Restocking Project has been halted. Further, the Kawambwa Scheme Project has been halted. The Mununshi Banana Scheme has been neglected. For the past twenty-four months, workers at Kawambwa Tea Industries have not been paid. We are concerned, and we want the hon. Minister to tell us why it has taken this long for the projects to be implemented. Before we left the Government, we had agreed that the Mansa/Kashikishi Road would be worked. To date, that project has not taken off. As the hon. Minister responds, we want him to tell us what he is doing. We also want Hon. Kapala to tell the people of Luapula what he is doing in terms of energy.

Interruptions

Mr Chitotela: Do not confuse the hon. Minister. We want him to respond to the people of Luapula, who are listening.

Madam Chairperson, the Kalungwishi Power Project has been on the cards, and I remember that even His Excellency the President referred to it. We thought that the hon. Minister for Luapula Province was going to implement that project, but to date, it has not taken off. Not even a feasibility study has been done. So, we want the hon. Minister to respond to that.

Mr Kapala sat next to Mr Simutowe.

Mr Chitotela: Ba Kapala, come and sit here.

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: You are confusing the hon. Minister.

The Chairperson: Hon. Chitotela, just continue debating. Are you done?

Mr Chitotela: No, Madam Chairperson.

Madam Chairperson, as the people of Luapula Province, we want to benefit from the national cake so that the poverty of the mind can slowly go. We want to sit on the same discussion table with the kings and the queens; our friends who do not have poverty of the mind, so that we can learn something from them.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Jamba: On a point of order, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Are you done, Hon. Chitotela?

Mr Chitotela: Madam Chairperson, when wasanga imbwili nailokwa ati natola inshimba, no.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

The Chairperson: Hon. Chitotela, can you, please, translate that. Maybe, you are insulting us.

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: Madam Chairperson, the interpretation is that there was a child who went in the bush and found a Leopard soaked by rain, and he thought that he could eat it, but when he touched it, it taught him a lesson.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson: Hon. Member for Mwembezhi, do you still want to raise a point of order?

Mr Jamba was inaudible.

The Minister of Luapula Province (Mr Simutowe): Madam Chairperson, let me respond to the hon. Members who have debated, and I will start with the hon. Member for Chienge.

Madam Chairperson, there is leadership in Luapula Province, although we are not the first ones to occupy those offices. The people who were there failed to address some of the issues in that province.

Madam Chairperson, the second issue that I want to respond to concerns the water challenge, and that is being looked at. This Government that the people of Zambia ushered into office is a very sober one …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simutowe: … under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia.

Madam Chairperson, I think, let me respond through a policy statement.

Madam Chairperson, I wish to thank you for according me the chance to present the 2024 estimates of revenue and expenditure for Vote 96, Luapula Province. May I also express gratitude to the Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for giving me the opportunity to serve as Minister for Luapula Province. Further, allow me to acknowledge fellow hon. Cabinet Ministers and hon. Members of Parliament present.

Madam Chairperson, agriculture remains the bedrock of our economic transformation and job creation agenda.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Simutowe: Madam Chairperson, for the 2023/2024 Farming Season, the province is at 100 per cent in terms of delivery and redeeming of farming inputs.

Madam Chairperson, allow me to thank the New Dawn Administration for availing resources for the development of the Luena Farming Block in Kawambwa District in a timely manner, dredging canals in Lunga District, constructing an aquaculture park in Samfya District and entering into a public-private partnership (PPP) with Groupe European De Development (European Development Group) (GED) Africa for the upgrading of the Mwenda/Kasomeno Road to bituminous standard and other related infrastructure projects.

Madam Chairperson, the New Dawn Administration has completed the construction of nineteen mini-hospitals across the province and the facilities are operational.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simutowe: Further, the province has been supported in the construction of five district hospitals, two of which are already completed in Nchelenge and Mwansabombwe. Those will soon be commissioned. The remaining three district hospitals in Milenge, Mwense and Kawambwa are at over 80 per cent.

Madam Chairperson, the province has also benefited from high-value water and sanitation projects in three districts, namely Samfya, Mansa and Mwense, and the projects are about to be commissioned.

Madam Chairperson, the 2024 estimates of revenue and expenditure for Luapula Province are K125 million, compared with K107 million in the 2023 Budget. This represents an increase of about 17 per cent. As a province, we thank the New Dawn Administration for this support.

Madam Chairperson, in conclusion, I wish to urge the hon. Members of this august House to support Vote 96, Luapula Province.

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson Order, hon. Members!

We now move to the Vote for the North-Western Province.

Mr Mukumbi (Solwezi West): Madam Chairperson, I thank you for the opportunity. From the outset, I would like to state that I support Vote 97, North-Western Province.

Madam Chairperson, I note that in 2022, the province received more than K80 million, in 2023, K102 million and in 2024, the budget we are discussing today, K120 million. Therefore, we note the funding progression for this province.

Madam Chairperson, the North-Western Province is the new Copperbelt region of Zambia.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1255 hours until 1430 hours.

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON in the

 Chair]

The Deputy Chairperson: When business was suspended, the Committee of Supply was considering Votes 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, and 98, and the hon. Member for Solwezi West was debating. Before the hon. Member continues, I have an announcement to make.

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON

MEETING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that the Ministry of Agriculture has organised an induction meeting on the Comprehensive Agricultural Transformation Support Programme (CATSP) for all hon. Members of Parliament to be held tomorrow, Friday, 15^th December, 2023, from 1400 hours to 1700 hours in the Assembly Chamber. The main objective of the meeting is to sensitise hon. Members of Parliament on CATSP, which is aimed at improving the current policy and institutional framework for the agricultural sector and addressing key challenges in order to enable the sector to produce results that will change the agricultural landscape.

All hon. Members are encouraged to attend that important meeting.

I thank you.

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The Deputy Chairperson: May the hon. Member who was on the Floor continue.

Mr Mukumbi: Mr Chairperson, the North-Western Province is the new Copperbelt region of Zambia. This province hosts three of the five big mines in Zambia. It is common knowledge that the mining sector, in 2022, contributed about 12 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). In the same year, the mining industry produced about 760,000 metric tonnes of copper, of which 509,846 metric tonnes were produced from the three mines, that is, Lumwana, Kalumbila in Sentinel and Kansanshi, meaning that the other mines only produced about 250,000 metric tonnes.

Mr Chairperson, there has been a pronouncement from the Government on upping production from the current 800,000 metric tonnes to about 3 million metric tonnes. That now calls for serious investment in the province. There are mines in the province that have been dormant for quite a long time, and the people of that province have demanded that the Government quickly reopens Kalengwa Mine, which was functional during the Kaunda times.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukumbi: The mine has pure-grade copper but, due to politics, it is now non-functional. There have been many court issues, and we need to resolve those issues so that we can provide employment for the people in Mufumbwe. Jifumpa and Kamatete mines are in Kasempa, and we need to streamline them so that they also begin to contribute to the national cake. Kasenseli Mine and another gold mine called Katokamema are in Kasempa. There is just looting going on there. Those mines need to come on board so that we can have more foreign exchange (FOREX). If those are functional, definitely, we are going to create employment for our people.

Mr Chairperson, we are happy that there are expansion projects being undertaken in Kalumbila, Lumwana and Kansanshi, and that has created employment for our people. The Government’s call for increased production has its own challenges. We anticipate that all the parameters that support mining will increase. We are going to have more drivers and more people working, but those people will need infrastructure. So, we need to look at those things with speed. From 2010 to 2020, the population of the province grew by 74.7 per cent. One can only imagine what will happen in the next ten years. If the province, again, grows by 74 per cent, there will be about 2 million people in that region, but do we have infrastructure to accommodate all those people? The answer is no.

Mr Chairperson, the people in that region want one referral hospital to be domiciled in Solwezi. The Government was already given land, and the ground-breaking ceremony was already held. The Government needs to quicken its pace so that the hospital is built as soon as possible. That will respond to the growth in population that we anticipate as we up production in the mines.

Mr Chairperson, there is a need to have border patrols as soon as possible in the North-Western Province. The border is too porous. The Government needs to build many police posts in border areas. There is one big stretch leading to Angola and another one leading to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which are open to anyone. That has to be looked at quickly.

Mr Chairperson, we are happy that the Government has started building the police headquarters in Solwezi, which were abandoned during the Patriotic Front (PF) time. We are aware that the contractor is now on site, but he should quicken the pace so that our men and women in uniform can have decent office facilities. We also need to build houses for them.

Mr Chairperson, irrigation schemes should be set up in that part of the region, where there are many rivers. There are big rivers in Zambezi, Chavuma, Solwezi and Kabompo. In some areas in Kabompo, there are rivers with a depth of about 80 m. So, there is no need of having a dam in Kabompo. We only need to set up schemes so that we begin producing food for this country.

Mr Chairperson, we need to develop the central business district (CBD) in Mushindamo. We know that a concession agreement for a public-private partnership (PPP) project in Kalumbila has been signed. We need to quicken the pace of the projects in the two new districts, Mushindamo and Kalumbila, so that the districts can have well-defined CDBs.

Mr Chairperson, there are semi-precious stones dotted all over the province. The ministry responsible for minerals should quicken the pace at which it is issuing artisanal mining licences so that employment can be created for our people and we can bring in the much-needed FOREX.

Mr Chairperson, agricultural mechanisation is key in the North-Western Province. We have very good land, in short, fertile soils and good rainfall, and every day, we see people move in that direction. Let us have a deliberate policy to encourage mechanisation in that area so that our people can begin to grow crops at the commercial level.

Mr Chairperson, on the issue of electricity, we need to drop the power line –

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Mr Musumali (Zambezi West): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the people of Zambezi West, to contribute to the debate on Vote 97, North-Western Province, being discussed on the Floor of this House.

Mr Chairperson, allow me, in the first instance, to convey my deepest condolences to the victims of the Lusaka-Zambezi-Chavuma bound bus that overturned at Chibombo this morning. I am reliably informed that we have lost one person and that thirty-three people have been rushed to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Liteta Hospital.

Mr Chairperson, the North-Western Province has been a cinderella for a long time but, now, it has become the head cornerstone of the entire country. I say so because all economic activities, as has been explained by my colleague, Hon. Mukumbi, happen in the North-Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, I was privileged to contribute to the debate on the Vote for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, and K135,720,520 has been allocated to public infrastructure development. In addition, K92,890,632 will go towards the maintenance of public infrastructure. Last, but not least, K4,890,848 will go towards the maintenance of public property. As a province, we have been allocated K120,917,790. We are very grateful because there has been a gradual increment, as already stated by the previous debater.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to offer our gratitude and appreciation, as a province, to the New Dawn Government, my Government, the people’s Government, our Government, for what it has so far done in the North-Western Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Musumali: Mr Chairperson, a concession agreement has already been signed for the Lumwana/Kambimba Road. As hon. Members are aware, that is an economic road that connects Zambia to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Further, a concession agreement is about to be signed for the Solwezi/Kipushi Road in Mushindamo District. However, I urge the Provincial Administration and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to work on the other roads that are in a deplorable state.

Mr Chairperson, the Mutanda/Mwinilunga/Ikeleng’i/Jimbe Road, which will connect the Lobito Corridor to the Atlantic Ocean, will not only be an alternative route for our exports, but it will also add value and shorten the long distances for our exports. The Solwezi/Kasempa/Kaoma/Sesheke/Katima Mulilo Road will also lead to the Atlantic Ocean and Walvis Bay in Namibia. The Kasempa/Mumbwa Road will connect the province to Central Province. The M8 Road from Mutanda to Zambezi to Chavuma is in a deplorable state. The Rainbow Road connecting Mize Royal Palace to Miyembe, Chinyamalitapi, Tungovu, Nyatanda and Chavuma has been included in Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). We are cognisant of the fact that the 8NDP will come to an end in 2026. The feeder roads in the province also need to be worked on in order to transport both soft and hard commodities. Soft commodities are agricultural produce while hard commodities are the mined ones.

Mr Mukumbi: Hear, hear!

Mr Musumali: Mr Chairperson, I will be doing a disservice to myself and the people of Zambezi West if I do not talk about the bridges. We need bridges in the province. The Watopa Bridge on Kabompo River needs to be worked on, and we need a bridge on the Zambezi River to connect the east to the west. We also need a bridge in Chavuma to get connected to the west, and a bridge at Lunguvu. The era of bridges is long gone.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to offer my gratitude to the Zambia Army Commander for putting up Acrow bridges in Zambezi West Constituency. As I speak, panels for the bridge to be put up in Muyembe are on their way. This has only been possible with the intervention of the New Dawn Government. It was not possible during the previous Governments. May I take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President of this Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on what he is doing for the people of the North-Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, due to constraint of time, I support this Vote, but I wish that the Provincial Administration could do more in uniting –

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the chance to debate on behalf of the people of Mufumbwe as well as the people of the North-Western Province at large.

Mr Chairperson, indeed, I appreciate the contributions that have been made by my fellow hon. Members of Parliament from the North-Western Province, and I adopt them as my own.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Members of Parliament talked about hospitals in the North-Western Province. You have heard, many times, hon. Members of Parliament lament about hospitals. The hospitals in the province were built during the colonial days, and most of their roofs are being blown off. We were very happy when the hon. Minister of Health went to the North-Western Province, and the foundation stone for construction of a teaching hospital was laid on 12^th May last year. I would like to remind our able Government that the people of the North-Western Province need that hospital like yesterday. They were very happy that a stone was laid and were expectant, and they asked me to ask on their behalf what is delaying the construction of that university teaching hospital. For the information of hon. Members, there are no referral hospitals in Mufumbwe or the North-Western Province, and we depend on mission hospitals. So, I ask this Government to expedite the process of building that hospital.

Mr Chairperson, the North-Western Province is the only province that has a few hon. Members of Parliament or constituencies. It is high time that we joined hands and amended the Constitution so that there can be more constituencies in this country as well as in the North-Western Province. Let us work together and amend the Constitution so that at the end of the day, we represent our people very well.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kamondo: Mr Chairperson, let me also talk about what the New Dawn Administration has done in the North-Western Province, in particular Mufumbwe. I appreciate the Provincial Minister, Hon. Robert Lihefu, who was recently appointed. Through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), we have managed to buy earth-moving equipment in Mufumbwe to enable us to build feeder roads to ease the delivery of farm products to the main towns. For that, we appreciate this Government.

Mr Chairperson, township road projects were started in Mufumbwe and other districts. We know that some money has been allocated to those projects through the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development, but we want to know what we will receive. Are we not going to receive something? My fellow hon. Members talked about the other roads in the province. However, since the province is vast, how do you expect K1 million to be used to mend potholes from Muntanda to Chavuma, which is a stretch of about 600 km? What is K1 million going to do? I think, we should do better. Due to a lack of maintaining the roads, nothing has worked out.

Mr Chairperson, all the hospitals in the North-Western Province need to be rehabilitated like yesterday. If that is not done, it is not going to be okay

Mr Chairperson, we appreciate the Ministry of Education for opening the boarding secondary school in Mufumbwe but, unfortunately, to date, the boarding facility is not functional. We took the initiative of putting up the boarding facility to ensure that the girl child is protected. The constituency being vast, I cover about 600 km from point A to the last point. Imagine not having boarding facilities. What do you expect? Do you expect us to produce a doctor or a Speaker? That is impossible. The most disadvantaged children are the girl children. So, I urge the Government to expedite the building of boarding facilities so that come January next year, we can provide that service to the girls.

Mr Chairperson, I also want to talk about the secondary schools that were supposed to be built. Indeed, we appreciate the intended project of building secondary schools in Mufumbwe by the Word Bank. However, to date, nothing has started. I know that the able hon. Minister of Education is listening. We want to see those schools like yesterday because, as I have already said, we have a challenge. Girl children are not going to school because of the vastness of the constituency and the distances that they cover. That is the big problem that we have.

Mr Chairperson, my colleagues spoke about the mines. Indeed, there is the issue of exploration. Yes, we have low-hanging fruit in Mufumbwe, which are Kalengwa Copper Mine, Jifumpa Mine and others. However, there is a need to explore more areas, such as Zambezi. How can there be oil in Angola, but no oil in the North-Western Province? I do not think that is possible.

Mr Chairperson, I urge this Government, going forward, when it makes an assurance, to ensure that there is money to actualise that assurance. There are assurances in the North-Western Province that are still pending. For example, a hydropower station was supposed to be constructed in Kalumbila. Almost 25 per cent of works were done, but those works have been abandoned. Another assurance that was made on the Floor of this House is the construction of a university in the North-Western Province. We were marginalised. We do not know what to do. The North-Western Province is the only province where there is no university. How do you expect us to compete with other provinces? I urge this Government to actualise the University College of Mathematics and Science that we were promised would be constructed in Kabompo in the North-Western Province because we have waited for too long, and this is the only time that we can have it.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

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

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Chairperson, Standing Order No. 65 is very clear and instructive. The information that is provided, not only to this House, but also to the members of the public who are watching us, should be factual and verifiable. Is the hon. Member who is just from debating in order to state that the North-Western Province is the only province without a university when he knows that there is no university in the Eastern Province where I come from?

Mr Michelo: Southern Province!

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Chairperson, even in the Southern Province, where there are the best high schools, there is no university. The people of Mufumbwe will believe that there is no university only in the North-Western Province, yet there are many provinces where there are no universities. There is no university even in kwahae, the Western Province. Is the hon. Member in order to mislead the public in such a manner?

I seek your serious ruling, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Member, you have debated your point of order sufficiently. Thus, my hands are tied to make any ruling.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Minister for North-Western Province, you may respond.

The Minister for North-Western Province (Mr Lihefu): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to respond.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to thank the hon. Members who have debated, with passion, Vote 97, North-Western Province, that is, Hon. Prince Mukumbi, Hon. Elliot Kamondo and Hon. Vumango Musumali. I also thank those who debated in silence for supporting the 2024 estimates of revenue and expenditure for Vote 97, Office of the President, North-Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to acknowledge the unity and teamwork that hon. Members of the province have shown to the Provincial Administration through the Minister. I encourage them to continue on the same path for our province to develop. I also encourage them to continue attending Provincial Development Co-ordinating Committee (PDCC) meetings because that is where we can discuss issues that affect the province.

Mr Chairperson, the Member for Solwezi West, Hon. Prince Mukumbi, stated that the North-Western Province is the new Copperbelt because of the resources that it contributes to the National Treasury. Let me assure the hon. Members of the province that this Government, under the leadership of His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, is going to do everything methodically to address the challenge the province is facing in terms of road and building infrastructure.

Mr Chairperson, the province was neglected. When we formed the Government, we found the road and building infrastructure in a bad state. However, the New Dawn Government has started releasing money for the maintenance of our infrastructure. As hon. Members stated, this Government, through the Zambia National Service (ZNS), rehabilitated the road from Mutanda to Ikeleng’i via Jimbe, on which people were driving twelve hours, over a distance that was supposed to be driven on in only three hours, but we now drive for six hours. Not only that, let me assure the hon. Members and the people of the province that this Government is going to upgrade that road to bituminous standard, and it knows what the people did for it.

Mr Chairperson, the Chavuma/Mutanda Road was in a bad state but, currently – Let me correct the hon. Member for Mufumbwe that it is not just K1 million that was allocated for the rehabilitation of the road. We were given more than K4 million to rehabilitate the road from Mutanda to Chavuma. The Road Development Agency (RDA) is now approaching Kasempa Turnoff, though the money arrived late.

Mr Chairperson, this Government, under the leadership of His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, prioritised unlocking the mining sector in the province. As you are aware, the economy of this country is copper-driven. On behalf of the people of the province, let me thank His Excellency the President for unlocking this sector in the province, and the province should get its share, for sure.

Mr Chairperson, Her Honour the Vice-President went for the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the teaching hospital. We have been engaging with my counterpart, the hon. Minister of Health, and something will soon be done because the Government is aware that the population of the province, every day, increases and, because of that, the referral hospital is small.

Mr Chairperson, let me come to the issue of Kalengwa Copper Mine and Kasenseli Gold Mine. Let me assure the hon. Members and the people of the North-Western Province that the court case concerning Kasenseli Gold Mine has been done away with and, at the moment, things are progressing well, and they will soon see the mine open so that the province can contribute heavily to the National Treasury. This Government will not forget what the people of the province have done for it. We are on top of things.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member for Mufumbwe talked about the delimitation of our constituencies, but let me leave that issue in the hands of hon. Members of this House, who have the power to amend the Constitution so that we can be able to delimit our constituencies. Kasempa and Mwinilunga are like a province. I had an opportunity to go to Nyimba, and it is like a country, as well as Mufumbwe. So, let us work as a team. Let us put our hands together and see how we can amend the Constitution so that the money that will be reaching our constituencies is adequate.

Mr Chairperson, as I conclude, let me, once again, thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for creating a conducive environment in which we have seen the signing of the concession agreement to construct roads, such as the Lumwana/Kambimba Road. That road will decongest Kasumbalesa Border and other border facilities. We have also seen the signing of the agreement to develop the Lobito Corridor. Finally, I thank the hon. Members for their passion for the province.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on Vote 98, Office of the President, Southern Province.

Mr Chairperson, the Southern Province has been allocated K137 million, which is very good. I think, this is something that has never happened before in the history of this country. In the last ten years, the province was the most neglected in this country. Our children, brothers, sisters, aunties and nephews were even removed from where they were working. It is like we are now starting afresh, which is very bad for the country. However, we, in the United Party for National Development (UPND), are not going to move in the same path that the Patriotic Front (PF) used. We are normal human beings and we are trying to unite this country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Michelo: Mr Chairperson, the province was severely neglected, especially the roads. A number of roads need to be worked on. I thank the Government, through the Road Development Agency (RDA), for building ten roads in Magoye Constituency, and that is very good. Even if we are not seeing that in some constituencies, as long as one of the constituencies has received such massive development, we thank the Government for that. I also thank the Government for awarding a contract to the contractor who is going to work on the Monze/Niko Road. Can you imagine that a road that brought Independence to this country was neglected. This is the only time that road is going to be worked on.

Mr Chairperson, we also thank the hon. Minister for Southern Province for his hard work. We urge him to continue working extra hard, and we thank him for bringing us together.

Mr Chairperson, let me talk about dams. The Southern Province is one of the provinces that experience drought. We are asking that many big dams be constructed in the province so that in times like we have had recently, farmers can irrigate their crops. Further, we need more dip tanks in the province in areas where there are a number of animals, especially in Monze, Namwala, Kalomo, Choma and Mazabuka.

Mr Chairperson, I think, it is also important to establish a leather factory in the Southern Province. We should not just allow the skins of animals to be exported without being treated here, in this country. We also need to establish a beef factory. We must start making canned beef and even processing milk because we produce both in the province. So, we need to establish factories.

Mr Chairperson, I think, it is very important to replicate what is being done on the much-talked- about Lusaka/Ndola Dual Carriageway. Our Provincial hon. Minister should lobby in the Cabinet for the construction of a dual carriageway from Lusaka to Kazungula so that we can allow for the smooth movement of vehicles.

Mr Chairperson, the other issue I want to share with the hon. Minister concerns gypsum mining in Bweengwa Constituency. I think, the people mining this mineral are not doing very well. I am inviting the hon. Minister to come to Bweengwa so that we see how best we can work with those people. It is like they think that we are still in the previous regime, in which things were just done haphazardly. So, the hon. Minister needs to come to Bweengwa as soon as possible.

Mr Chairperson, I request the hon. Minister to lobby for a mechanised water system in some areas like Bweengwa Central. The population in the area is growing and we need a mechanised water system as soon as possible.

Mr Chairperson, coming to the issue of electricity, most schools, especially primary schools, in the province are not electrified. I request the hon. Minister, in collaboration with the hon. Minister of Energy, to electrify all the schools in these modern times. This is important. Electricity is produced within the province, but most of the schools are not electrified.

Mr Chairperson, in Monze District, there is no general hospital. We are asking the Provincial Administration to construct a Government hospital in the district. The only hospital we depend on is a mission hospital run by the Catholics. So, we are asking the Provincial Administration to look into that issue. We also request the Government to construct a boarding high school in Monze Central. All the high schools in Monze Central are run by the Catholics.

Mr Chairperson, the other issue that I would like the hon. Minister to help us with is agricultural shows. We must revive agricultural shows so that we can allow the young; the children and youths, to start competing in heifer and bull management, for instance. It is very important for the young to be kept busy all the time.

Mr Chairperson, I also want the hon. Minister to tackle the issue of the construction of a university. There is no university in the Southern Province, and one can be constructed in Choma District, which is centrally located. There are universities in some provinces, and we have heard about Paul Mushindo University and other universities, which is very good. So, there is a need to have a university in the province.

Mr Chairperson, it is important that an airport is constructed in Choma. It is also important that we construct commercial dams in Munenga and Konkola so that the farmers, especially small-scale farmers, can start irrigating.

Mr Chairperson, this Government is doing very well. In yester-years, it was difficult to have development even if we came up with a Budget. The Budget would just be approved here, but there was no money which was released under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. We were just passing Budgets. When we passed a Budget, we could see some people even salivating and saying ‘Money has come. Now, we just want to eat’. Otherwise, development was not there in the whole country. Right now, all the 156 constituencies in this country have become construction sites. This is very good, and I am sure, even members of the Opposition, especially the PF, are happy because they know that they were doing completely nothing. The New Dawn Government is working extra hard under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulunda (Siavonga): Mr Chairperson, I adopt the debate of my colleague, Hon. Kasauta Michelo, as my own.

Mr Chairperson, to start with, the Southern Province was, indeed, neglected by the previous regime of the Patriotic Front (PF). Most roads in the province, and I have in mind the Bottom Road, Mapatizya Road, Monze/Niko Road, Dundumwezi/Kalomo Road, Itezhi-Tezhi/Dundumwezi Road and Chikankata/Mazabuka Road, were not worked on.

Mr Chairperson, the PF Government worked on the Bottom Road, which is an economical road, in two separate versions. When one drives for 60 km on that road, one finds something that resembles a tarred road. Thereafter, one will find something that one cannot even describe, despite there being engineers in the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Government who were supposed to inspect the road works. However, I am happy to inform this wonderful House that the listening, hardworking, organised, and methodical Government has now started working on the Mamba/Batoka Road, Chikankata Road, Monze/Niko Road and the Dundumwezi/Itezhi-Tezhi Road.

Mr Chairperson, in my constituency, Siavonga, the PF had started constructing eleven dip tanks, but none of them were completed. You can see how irresponsible that Government was. The reason it did not complete the dip tanks is very simple; it decided to give the contract to a contractor who –

Mr Kapyanga: On a point of order, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for the opportunity to raise a point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament for Siavonga, pursuant to Standing Order No. 65.

Mr Chairperson, we are compelled to provide evidence whenever an allegation is being made. The hon. Member of Parliament is alleging that the previous regime neglected the Southern Province. That is a very divisive statement because the Kazungula Bridge and Request Muntanga Hospital are not in the Eastern Province. The milling plant in Choma is not in the Eastern Province. Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport is not in Muchinga Province. The modern bus station is not in Muchinga Province; it is in the Southern Province.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

You are now debating.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for your guidance.

Mr Chairperson, is the hon. Member, therefore, in order to mislead the nation, the whole House and himself by stating that the previous regime neglected the Southern Province? I know the amount of hate that he has for the Patriotic Front (PF), but it should not go to the length of –

The Deputy Chairperson: Order, hon. Member!

May you resume your seat.

If it is a point of order, indicate what has been breached. You have stated areas where you feel development was taken, but you do not know which part of the Southern Province the hon. Member comes from. Maybe, the area that he comes from was neglected.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order, hon. Members!

I am guiding. The hon. Member, being a resident of the Southern Province, is stating what he saw.

Hon. Member, you may continue.

Mr Mulunda: Mr Chairperson, at times, I get surprised. The hon. Member who is alleging that I hate them called us cockroaches. Who hates the other?

Mr Chairperson, I said that the PF Government had started constructing eleven dip tanks in Siavonga, but they were not completed. Is that a lie? Let him go and see them. That was negligence of duty by the PF Government. Which Government does he want me to point at? I do not want to argue with him. However, this Government will continue constructing the dip tanks because it is methodical, organised and prudent in the way it does things.

Mr Chairperson, a dual carriageway is being constructed from Lusaka to Ndola. We are yawning for the same because we feel that the route from Lusaka to Livingstone is an economic one. There are four countries in the southern part of Africa that are serviced, and I feel that the same can be done to Zambia. Roads such as the Gwembe/Chisekesi Road also need to be worked. When I was a member of the Committee on Government Assurances lead by Hon. Kamondo, I think, in 2018, we went to see the road, and the PF Government promised that it would work on it, but nothing was done. I urge the hon. Minister to attend to such roads. I will be happy to see this Government work on the road because it is a listening Government.

Mr Chairperson, the PF Government attempted to work on the Itezhi-Tezhi/Mongu Junction Road. In the course of doing so, everything disappeared in thin air. That is a fact that anyone can verify. I am happy that the Government responded to the request to work on the Dundumwezi/Itezhi-Tezhi Road, and the Zambia National Service (ZNS) is on site working on it.

Mr Chairperson, we need a bridge across the Kafue River between Namwala and Itezhi-Tezhi. Further, I feel that the Daniel Munkombwe Toll Plaza was wrongly placed by the PF Government. There are many trucks that carry coal from Maamba Coal Mine and they are destroying our roads, but they are not taxed. No payment goes towards that road because the trucks come straight to Lusaka. So, I feel that there should be a toll plaza between Batoka and Pemba or on the Batoka/Maamba Road, and that is one thing that we are yawning for.

Mr Chairperson, there is no electricity in some schools in the province. We need electricity in one of the secondary schools in Sinazongwe. Most of the power comes from the Kariba North Hydro Power Station and Batoka Power Station, but power just flies over our heads. I want the hon. Minister to look at this issue. We want our people to benefit from this electricity. We should also benefit through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). Our appeal to the hon. Minister is that we need to benefit from the electricity that is produced in our province. Further, in the valley area, there is a lot of sunshine, and solar power would do well for us. We are also yawning for such developments.

Mr Chairperson, we, hon. Members of Parliament from the valley, from Feira to Mapatizya, are concerned. Hunger is looming, and we are threatened with severe hunger. So, we want the hon. Minister to look at the issue of severe hunger that is looming in the valley.

Mr Chairperson, the other issue I want to talk about is the performance of the Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWASCO). In my constituency, Siavonga, I feel, that company has not performed to the expectation of its clients. The water body, in Siavonga, is a stone’s throw away, but the company is unable to supply water accordingly. So, the water reticulation in the province is pathetic. I would like the hon. Minister to take keen interest in the management of that utility company, especially the Siavonga Branch.

Mr Chairperson, the two things that are cardinal in the province are dip tanks and dams. Our animals are dying. We want the dip tanks and dams to be as close as the clinics are because we depend on animals. We want our animals to be serviced, just like we are serviced by the clinics. The dip tanks and dams are supposed to be visible everywhere we go.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Kamboni (Kalomo Central): Mr Chairperson, I want to put it clearly that I am contributing to the debate on the Vote for the Southern Province so that I am not mistaken.

Mr Chairperson, the people of the Southern Province are very hardworking. They burn their fingers to feed the nation, and they produce maize, meat and many crops. Any leadership should be happy to have such people.

Mr Chairperson, let me talk about irrigation. Zambia produces about 3 million metric tonnes of maize through rainfall and, through irrigation, it produces literally nothing. Our neighbours need maize. If we invested in irrigation in the Southern Province, the shortage of maize would be a story of yesterday. We need to empower the people in the province. We need to find the money so that they can irrigate. South Africa produces 3.2 million tonnes of maize through irrigation. We are not producing much through irrigation because we have not invested in it. So, we need to invest in agriculture.

Mr Chairperson, the people of the Southern Province are farmers by nature. What they lack is capital. If we built commercial dams and gave them irrigation equipment like the one we are trying to put up in farming blocks, the results would show. If we gave them K300 million, the results would show, and the price of mealie meal and maize would go down. So, there is a need to find money for those people so that they can improve their farming techniques. They still use old methods of farming. If we did that, we would feed the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and give them enough maize. We would also be able to export maize to Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. I think, we need to look at what I have said.

Mr Chairperson, we also have to look at mining. Lithium was discovered in Mapatizya, but the Government is silent about it. We need to start mining lithium because the Government needs money. We need revenue, and that is why we are here. We need to be updated, and the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development must take charge. We need that mineral to be mined so that the province and the country at large can benefit from the resource.

Mr Chairperson, the headquarters for the Southern Province were shifted to Choma, but there is no airport there. People believe that travelling by air is very expensive; no, it is not. If one drove to Kitwe or Chingola, one would spend more money than if one went by air. Sometimes, one spends K900 or K1,500 to drive to Kitwe or Ndola. We need an airport in Choma, which is the headquarters of the Southern Province, so that if there is an emergency, one can quickly go and come back, even in case of illness. However, nobody is talking about this. There is no plan for an airport and university for the province. We need that infrastructure as soon as yesterday.

Mr Chairperson, there are also a number of projects that are not yet completed in the province. The construction of Makomba Secondary School in Pemba started in 2014, and the school needs to be completed. There is no doubt about it. It is the same thing with Sinazongwe Day School. It was abandoned in the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) era. Even snakes have now abandoned it. We need to complete it.

Mr Chairperson, Kalomo is number one in maize production. However, maize is ferried all the way from Kalomo and milled in Lusaka. Why can we not have a milling plant in Kalomo and add value to the maize right there? What you will be carrying after that will have more value than carrying maize. We have continued with the old system without thinking of changing it. Places like Kalomo need milling plants so that instead of carrying the maize all the way to Lusaka or wherever, you can carry a finished product. You can also make cornflakes from maize in Kalomo.

Mr Chairperson, tomato is going to waste. So, there is a need to establish a factory for tomato sauce. Many tomatoes are produced in Nazilongo. However, many products, which other countries do not see, go to waste. Botswana imports tomatoes from South Africa because it does not grow tomatoes, but at Soweto Market, people throw away tomatoes. I think, let us have strategic industries to ensure that whatever is produced is put to proper use. We can be exporting the products from the raw materials.

Mr Chairperson, there are many livestock farmers in the province, and the population of cattle and goats is huge. Why can we not establish a factory in the province for producing canned beef? That will create employment and we can also export the beef. We also need clean areas or clean zones. Botswana, Namibia and South Africa export their meat to Europe. They have a quarter, and so does Swaziland. We cannot have a quarter simply because we do not have clean zones. If we had clean zones, we would be able to export our meat, which is very tasty, to Europe and the country would get revenue. That is what we are here for. We are here, looking at the Budget. So, we should find money and know where to spend it. If the livestock industry were given priority, then, we would make the money which we need in the country.

Mr Chairperson, if we are not careful, the same people who are telling us how to price our commodities, who do not want us to develop, will be the ones telling us what to do. That is a dangerous path. We need to design our own economic path, have control and call the shots. If we let the same people who buy from us to determine what we should do, then, our ending is determined.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister of Fisheries and Livestock talked about laboratories. However, the laboratory in the province is not yet functional. You have to bring a blood sample of a cow all the way to Lusaka and a further 30 km to have it analysed. Why can the laboratory in the province be functional, because the main activity in the province is cattle rearing? We want that laboratory to be completed next year so that we can begin to use it. Let us put money where we will get value for it.

Mr Chairperson, I must indicate that I gave the hon. Minister of Education homework on the university; that this year, he should tell us that there is a plot for a university. I am still waiting for him to say so.

Mr Chairperson, with those few words, thank you very much for allowing me to debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for Southern Province (Mr Nanjuwa): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for allowing me to represent the people of the Southern Province today in the House.

Mr Chairperson, I appreciate my hon. Colleagues for their contribution to the debate on our budget line. The issues that have been raised are very correct. The Southern Province has been neglected in the past, and the people there were even denied inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). So, this is a situation that we need to correct as we work together with the Provincial Administration, hon. Members and traditional leaders to support and improve the livelihood of the people in the province.

Mr Chairperson, we are grateful for the budgetary allocation to our province. Hon. Members have raised the issue of the road network. Yes, the road network in the province is not good. We, as the Provincial Administration, are alive to this fact, and we are working very hard in collaboration with the relevant ministries so that we can improve it. Suffice it for me to say that a number of road projects have been initiated. The contractor is on site, working on the Monze/Niko Road and, soon, the contractor for the Batoka/Maamba Road will be on site. Many other roads are being worked on. We also managed, together with the Provincial Administration or the Western Province, to carry out remedial works on the Livingstone/Sesheke Road, where motorists would spend seven hours but, now, they spend two hours. We really thank the New Dawn Government for giving us this attention.

Mr Chairperson, the Southern Province contributes highly in the agriculture sector, and is among the top three provinces in the country. I agree with my colleagues that we really need to work hard. The province leads in the population of livestock, but we will not allow the livestock to be slaughtered. We need to start value addition processes. We need to start producing and processing meat, as Hon. Kamboni stated. We need to start producing canned beef in the province. However, we can only do that if we work together and attract more investment into the province. Both local and foreign investment should go to our province so that we can contribute more to the gross domestic product (GDP). This calls for unity of purpose among us.

Mr Chairperson, I thank my colleagues for the warm welcome to the province and the support that they have given me. I assure them that the Provincial Administration will continue supporting the works in the province.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nanjuwa: Mr Chairperson, I am aware of most of the things that the hon. Members talked about. I am aware of what transpired concerning the Itezhi-Tezhi Road. A contract was awarded and money was paid to a known contractor, and we will soon approach that contractor.

Mr Chairperson, the province was allocated twenty-eight dams. However, we have asked the Government to reduce the number of the dams because they were small. We want big dams so that the people can start engaging in irrigation. So, we are speaking the same language. We share the same vision, and that is why the meeting that we will have tomorrow is very important. We need to agree on the way forward as a province. We need to move as a unity for development.

Mr Chairperson, this year, the Provincial Administration achieved a number of things through the co-operation of the hon. Members in the province. We are aware that the mining sector in the province has potential. We will continue working on the trajectory of ensuring that mining activities begin in Zimba, Kalomo, Sinazongwe, Choma and Monze districts, and other areas in the valley. To that effect, we formalised many co-operatives that were involved in illegal mining in some areas so that they can be legalised and work in collaboration with those who will be given mining licences in the area. That way, our people can also benefit from the mineral resources. Thirty-five mining co-operatives were organised.

Mr Chairperson, as I mentioned, the roads in the province are being worked on, and those include the Monze/Niko Road and Batoka/Mamba Road. As for the Mazabuka/Monze Road, the contractor will be on site immediately after the rainy season. I agree with the hon. Members concerning having a dual carriageway. As the Provincial Administration, we are lobbying the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development so that the road can be expanded into a dual carriageway. When that is achieved, all the township roads from Chikankata, Mazabuka through to Kazungula will be attended to. That is going to improve the face of the province.

Mr Chairperson, I thank the Government, through the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, for the allocation in the 2024 Budget for the construction of an airport in Choma. I agree with the hon. Members that Choma District needs to be uplifted to the standard of a provincial capital. The previous regime started projects there, but abandoned them. However, we will complete all those projects so that Choma reaches the standard of a provincial headquarters.

Mr Chairperson, I congratulate the Government on sending inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) on time to the people of the Southern Province. As a province, in terms of redeeming, we stand over 96 per cent. So, we are ready to plant, and we expect a greater yield. We have also continued sensitising the people in the province on how they can become more productive in terms of agricultural output.

Mr Chairperson, in conclusion, I thank all hon. Members of Parliament from the Southern Province for supporting the Vote for the Provincial Administration. If we continue supporting one another and communicating, we can change the face of the province.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose (Chasefu): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the special people of Chasefu, to add my voice on the debate on Vote 95, which is for the Eastern Province.

Mr Chairperson, I want to begin by thanking the hon. Minister for Eastern Province for providing wise leadership in the province together with his administration.

Mr Chairperson, the Eastern Province is an agricultural hub for this country, and there is a need for good roads for the quick delivery of farming inputs.

Mr Chairperson, I will start with the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). I thank the Government for sending the fertiliser to the Eastern Province on time. However, the province being a farming hub, my appeal is that the hon. Minister lobbies for increased allocation to FISP in the next Budget because the number of beneficiaries in the province has been the same since before I came to this House.

Mr Chairperson, I also appeal to the hon. Minister to look into the issue of electricity. There is a challenge of electricity in the province. Mostly, electricity is imported from Malawi. I know that the Government is working very hard to ensure that we are connected to the main grid. However, I have heard the hon. Minister of Energy, many times, talk about mini-grids. The hon. Minister for Eastern Province should lobby that the province is given a bigger share.

Mr Chairperson, I wholeheartedly support the budget for 2024, which has increased to K131 million from K102 million. We are lucky that we are under the New Dawn Administration. The Eastern Province was one of the neglected provinces. Since the coming in of the New Dawn Administration, we have seen change.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: Mr Chairperson, the change I am talking about is real. Our children would sit on the floor, but because of the enhanced Constituency Development Fund (CDF), they now sit on desks, fifty-nine years after Independence.

Mr Chairperson, I thank the people of this country for voting for this Government. We bought equipment, and we can work on the roads.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: Mr Chairperson, the Eastern Province was neglected. Roads are very important in the province. I will be waiting for the Budget to be approved so that the Chipata/Lundazi Road, which has been factored into the 2024 Budget, is worked on. The people who were in leadership also neglected the famous Lundazi/Chama Road. The road was supposed to be worked on to connect Chama to Nakonde for ease movement, but it was downgraded. When the Chipata/Lundazi Road is worked on, it will take us one hour thirty minutes instead of four hours instead to get to Chipata, and that will be a big achievement. The Government also wants to work on the Katete/Chanida Road. We are seeing all this because of the New Dawn Administration.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: These things are happening, and we are receiving a fair share.

Mr Chairperson, the allocation to the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme has increased. The poverty levels in the province are high, but since the allocation to the programme has increased, our poor mothers and vulnerable citizens will have a bigger share, and can use the money for agriculture. I am seeing good things happening.

Mr Chairperson, there is no university in the province, but our colleagues would say that they had taken development to all parts of the country. I do not know which country we belonged to at that time.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: My appeal is that the hon. Minister lobbies for the construction of a university in the province. It is not wrong when people say that the wise come from the east. We should enhance that wisdom by having a university in the province so that people can contribute to the development of this country.

Mr Chairperson, I will be failing in my duty if I do not thank this Government for doing many things through the CDF such as providing vehicles for the police. However, in Chasefu, there are no Government offices. If you saw the office the District Commissioner (DC) is using, you would wonder why our colleagues would say that they have developed this country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hammer, hammer!

Mr Nyambose: Mr Chairperson, this Government has been wise since it came to power. So, the hon. Minister should lobby that it builds an administration block in the province. Chasefu Boarding Secondary School was abandoned at 80 per cent, and I took the hon. Minister of Education to the school. Further, Sinda Secondary School was abandoned. Where were our colleagues taking money while neglecting the people of the Eastern Province? I heard some people say that we are marginalised. We are not marginalised now. We are being considered. We were marginalised before.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: Mr Chairperson, that is the reality. The hon. Members of Parliament from the province can attest to that. We are seeing good leadership through the hon. Minister and his administration. We want more. The Government should consider us, the people of the Eastern Province, because we were marginalised. We want favour now.

Mr Chairperson, the number of FISP beneficiaries has increased, and secondary schools are being constructed. The CDF is performing wonders, and even in the next Budget, the Government should increase it so that we can have better health care and schools in Chasefu. Our children now belong to this country because they no longer sit on the floor. It is not normal to think that only children in Lusaka should sit on desks. It is not being a mushanina whatever; it is the reality.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyambose: We should not be ashamed to say the truth.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr J. Daka (Chadiza): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for the opportunity to debate.

Mr Chairperson, I adopt the debate of Hon. Nyambose on agriculture as my own. So, I will not say much on that because he has said it all. Let me talk about infrastructure.

Mr Chairperson, the infrastructure in the Eastern Province was, indeed, neglected, and I will start with the Chipata/Chadiza Road. Under the leadership of the late President, Mr Michael Sata, may his soul rest in peace, works on the Chipata/Chadiza Road commenced. After his demise, the road was abandoned and downgraded and, because of that, the people kicked the Government that neglected the road out of power.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr J. Daka: Mr Chairperson, the people of Chadiza were not happy, and what made the previous Government to be kicked out of power is the Chipata/Chadiza Road. President Michael Sata started working on the road, but when our colleagues took over power, they neglected it, yet they want us to be happy. My appeal is that the New Dawn Government does not make the same mistake, but works on it at all costs. We are happy that the road has been captured in next year’s Budget, and we appreciate that. However, the section between Lundazi and Chama is bad, and was neglected and downgraded by the previous Government. We are not going to hide our disappointment. My appeal, again, is that the New Dawn Government considers working on the roads from Lundazi to Chama and Chama to Matumbo. The people in that region want that infrastructure. So, the Government should work on the roads.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister knows what is happening on the Chipata/Mfuwe Road. The Road Development Agency (RDA) is carrying out remedial works on the road, but that is not enough. Merely patching the potholes is not enough because immediately after the rainy season, those potholes are going to open up. We need a more informed intervention rather than pothole patching. Seventy (70) per cent of the Budget will go to personnel emoluments, but the Provincial Administration should push for the agenda of development for our province.

Mr Chairperson, Vubwi Road, just like the Chipata/Chadiza Road, was also abandoned, but people claim that they took development to our constituencies. It is a lie. I took the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to those roads that were abandoned. It is a fact that the people of those regions are annoyed. They are not going to take things lightly, this time around. We want the roads to be worked on. We are happy that a concession agreement was signed for the Katete/Chanida Road, but there is no activity and it has been quiet. There is a problem. It is not about the concessionaire, but there is an artificial problem that has emerged. The hon. Minister should go on the ground and find out what the problem is. There has been no activity in the past two months. We want to see dust on the road because a concession agreement was signed already.

Mr Chairperson, let me now talk about my constituency, where there is a serious challenge of   water. The Government engaged a contractor to drill boreholes in the constituency, but he failed to execute the works. However, we have heard that the same contractor who failed to execute the work has been re-engaged. On what basis? The contractor failed to execute works during the Patriotic Front (PF) regime, but the Government renewed his contract under questionable circumstances. Again, he failed to work when the New Dawn Government contracted him, but we hear that he used the backdoor to have the contract of drilling boreholes renewed. The hon. Minister should follow up this issue, now that the province has been funded, to ensure that we bring people who are credible to deliver development in our constituencies. We will not allow mediocre kind of contractors any more. Can we have real people to do the work.

Mr Chairperson, when it comes to electricity, Chadiza Constituency is receiving a raw deal. There are no activities from the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) in my constituency. I urge the hon. Minister to push his colleagues so that we can also benefit in terms of electricity.

Mr Chairperson, I know what the Government is doing regarding crossing points. I will not dwell much on that, but let me talk about the communication towers that are in the Boma. When one goes beyond the hill, one is cut off and cannot communicate. What is the problem? We need more towers in Chadiza. The hon. Minister should push for the installation of communication towers so that our people can benefit as well.

Mr Chairperson, as I conclude, I wish to state that the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in the area is non-functional and is just there by name. ZANIS officers do not have equipment, cameras and transport. How do we expect our people to be communicated to? Information dissemination is key. You know that most of our people are ignorant and, as such, ZANIS officers need to be versatile and robust, and disseminate information to all.

Mr Chairperson, with those few remarks, I support the budget, and I thank you.

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Mr Chairperson, we need to look at our province with a critical eye because it has been neglected. The House will agree with me that in terms of road infrastructure in the province, we can only talk about the Great East Road. Apart from that, there is nothing. My plea to the party in the Government is that it listens to the cry of the people of the Eastern Province, who have been neglected for some time now, and I can see that it is moving.

Mr Chairperson, the Provincial Administration in the Eastern Province needs support from the Frontbench. I will talk about the Frontbench, not about the hon. Minister for Eastern Province, because he is hardworking, although he is not supported. The hon. Minister of Technology and Science is under pressure with regards to communication towers. He has been promising the people of the Eastern Province communication towers for the last two years, but the people have not seen any contractor move on site. He needs to report to the people in the Province, and the Executive needs to help him. That is what we want.

Mr Chairperson, there is no equipment in our district hospital. I would like to inform the hon. Minister of Health that the people in the province need equipment. The other year, Kabu Hospital received a new computed tomography (CT) Scan. I hope, St. Francis Hospital in Katete can also have such a facility because it is a referral hospital.

Mr Chairperson, let me talk about the electricity situation in the province. Apart from Chipata, the electricity situation in Lundazi, Chama, Petauke, Nyimba and Kaumbwe is a nightmare. The hon. Minister of Energy needs to see to it that we are also given enough power so that our industries can also flourish.

Mr Chairperson, we need dams in the province. In this country, the Eastern Province has the largest number of cattle. I know that some people will say that it is the Southern Province, but it depends on an individual. For instance, Hon. Kasauta Michelo may have 10,000 animals, but another person might have zero. However, every household in the province has cattle, but there are no dip tanks. Dip tanks are supposed to be constructed in the province so that the province can start moving at the rate that other provinces are moving. In addition, the province is very dry. So, we need dams in the province, and that is not negotiable. In fact, we are demanding dams in the province.

Mr Munir Zulu: On a point of order, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order, hon. Member for Nyimba!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for permitting the voice of Lumezi to raise a very serious point of order pursuant to Standing Order No. 202.

Mr Chairperson, I am aware that certain Standing Orders were suspended, but Standing Order No. 202 is not among them. I apologise to the hon. Member for Nyimba for interrupting his line of thought.

Mr Chairperson, we were suspended for thirty days. The voice of Lumezi was blocked for thirty days. In 1991, the Zambian people voted for the Movement of the Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

The Deputy Chairperson: What rule has been breached?

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Chairperson, my privilege to speak for the people of Lumezi has been breached, and I seek your serious ruling.

The Deputy Chairperson: Who has breached it?

Laughter

Mr Munir Zulu: Mr Chairperson, with your permission, let me refer you to Standing Order No. 202, read together with Standing Order No. 207, on contempt of the House. I do not want to cite the constitutional provisions, as our ‘Bible’ in the House is sufficient.

I seek your serious ruling, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Member, I am failing to get what you are trying to say because if something has been breached, you state what has been breached.

Mr Munir Zulu:  Mr Chairperson, the way hon. Members are being picked to rubber stamp the Budget is worrisome.

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Mr Munir Zulu: I am from the Eastern Province, and I am proud to be an Easterner. There is no way I, a representative of the people of Lumezi, will be stopped from contributing to the debate on this Budget.

The Deputy Chairperson: Is Lumezi the only constituency in the Eastern Province?

Mr Munir Zulu: Even Luangeni is part of the Eastern bloc, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: May you resume your seat, hon. Member.

The hon. Members you see are here to do very serious business. None of them is a joker.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: May the hon. Member on the Floor continue.

Mr Menyani Zulu: Mr Chairperson, the issue of roads is close to our heart as a province. The feeder roads in the province are in a bad state, and we need them to be attended to. This is something that we need to work as soon as possible. Hon. Members will agree with me that the road leading to Petauke is in a very bad state. That road covers Petauke, Lusangazi and Mambwe constituencies. So, we need to work on it for easy movement. Furthermore, the roads in Nyimba are in a bad state. The stretch of 35 km from Munsima to Kaumbwe is in a bad state. The road covers two constituencies, and people will appreciate when the Government works on it.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to address the hon. Minister who is responsible for the budget lines for the projects in the province. The hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development should do the needful because that is the reason the people of Zambia gave him the privilege to serve as Minister. I also wish to inform the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) and the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House that there is hunger in the valleys of the Eastern Province. This is not of the people’s making, but due to human/animal conflicts, and the Government is not helping those people. We need to move in and assist those people. The Government is putting our Provincial Administration under pressure due to its failure to give it enough food to distribute. The Provincial Administration is under pressure to see to it that no death is recorded due to hunger. Last week, I was in the valley. The situation is bad. People are surviving on wild fruits and roots, which are called misepo in my language, and that is not helping matters. The Government has the capacity to work, and it must start working now.

Mr Chairperson, I thank hon. Ministers when they do the right thing. I thank the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development because in the past fifteen years, the construction of the civic centre had stalled but, today, there is a contractor working on the project. I also thank the hon. Minister of Justice because there are people working on the court building, but they are very slow. If the Government is not paying them, it should pay them so that come next year, we will say that since the United Party for National Development (UPND) came into power, all projects have been completed.

Mr Chairperson, let me not forget to thank the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security. The construction of the national registration office started fifteen years ago. Thank God the office is almost complete. That is what we want to be seeing. However, we are still waiting for the Ministry of Health to finish constructing the hospital. The hon. Minister of Health should not be among the Ministers who failed to spearhead the finishing of that hospital. I know, she is not a failure. So, I expect the ministry to move in next year and complete that hospital. If the ministry fails to do that, the other year, we will say that she is also a failure. I do not want to grade her like that because I know that she is capable of doing her job.

Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for this opportunity.

The Minister for Eastern Province (Mr P. Phiri): Mr Chairperson, let me, first of all, sincerely appreciate the hon. Members who have ably contributed to the debate on Vote 95, which is for the Eastern Province. Let me also appreciate the hon. Members from the Eastern Province who have not debated. I know, each province was given three hon. Members to debate.

Mr Chairperson, most of the issues that the hon. Members have raised are cross-cutting. Let me appreciate my dear brother, Hon. Nyambose, the Member for Chasefu, for debating very passionately and for the pertinent issues that he has raised. Let me also appreciate Hon. Eng. Jonathan Daka for his debate. He is very passionate about Chadiza, which was neglected by the previous regime. Allow me to also appreciate Hon. Menyani Zulu, the Member of Parliament for Nyimba, for his debate.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to respond to the issues that the hon. Members have raised. The hon. Member for Chasefu talked about agriculture. Indeed, the Eastern Province is our food basket. With regard to the hon. Member’s request, I am aware that the New Dawn Government has responded to the issue of increased packs through the credit window. So, those who are not covered under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) can get fertiliser through the credit window.

Mr Chairperson, I urge all the hon. Members of Parliament from the Eastern Province to sensitise our communities, the people whom we represent, that the credit window is real. I have been receiving calls and, even today, some people in some areas called me pertaining to letters that are supposed to be signed by either their Royal Highnesses or certain institutions to authenticate whether someone comes from Chasefu or Lundazi. So, I urge hon. Members to tell members of the communities who are applying for loans under the credit window that even headteachers can sign those letters, because there is a rumour that there are some leaders who are charging the farmers.

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Nyambose raised the issue of electricity in the province. I am happy to indicate that as we speak, a sub-station is under construction in Lundazi. For the past seven years under the rule of the Patriotic Front (PF), we relied on Malawi but, now, the New Dawn Government has come on board and is doing everything possible to ensure that there is adequate electricity in the Eastern Province. The hon. Member also talked about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Indeed, the CDF is the flagship development programme in our area.

Mr Chairperson, I assure you that the Eastern Province was neglected by the previous Government but, today, you will see some hon. Members crying foul. For example, when I go to commission projects implemented using the CDF, some hon. Members ask why I am commissioning projects without them. So, things are happening under the New Dawn Government. Pupils now sit on desks. Classrooms are being constructed by the New Dawn Government through the CDF. There are many more things that we are seeing. We have seen nearly every council procure earth-moving equipment. We cannot rely on the Central Government to construct even a 1 km road. It is not practical. The reason this Government increased the CDF is to help to address small challenges as we wait for it to construct major roads.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member for Nyimba talked about the need to construct a university in the Eastern Province. I raised this issue with His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, when we were attending one of the traditional ceremonies. We are concerned, and we will keep pushing the Government to construct universities in the Eastern Province and other provinces.

Interruptions

Mr P. Phiri: Do not ask questions.

Mr Chairperson, the construction of many schools stalled. Most schools, such as Chasefu Boarding School in Sinda and a school in Vubwi, are at 80 per cent. I visited those schools that were abandoned. The construction of some of them was initiated by the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) but, to date, they have not been completed. However, let me assure the hon. Members from the Eastern Province that this Government, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, and the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development will not leave out those institutions. I believe that next year, some of those schools will be completed.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: Mr Chairperson, Hon. Jonathan Daka also raised many issues. I am happy to say that the Chipata/Chadiza Road, which was used as a bait for elections, will be worked on. What used to happen in Chadiza when it was time for elections was that you could see machines on site but, after just voting, those machines would disappear in thin air. I am here to mention that the Chipata/Chadiza Road has now been taken care of under the 2024 Budget. So, the road that Hon. Daka talked about, including the Chipata/Lundazi Road, will be taken care of under the 2024 Budget.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member also talked about the Chipata/Mfuwe Road. I actually use that road when I am going to my constituency. Of course, what the Road Development Agency (RDA) is doing is a stop-gap measure. We cannot leave the road in the state it is, and when the Government find resources, it will be redone. It is an economic road. That is where tourism is. I know, Hon. Sikumba knows what is happening. The South Luangwa National Park is the most well-stocked national park in Africa, not only here, in Zambia. So, that road needs urgent attention.

Mr Chairperson, on communication towers, I have been talking to Hon. Mutati, our able Minister of Technology and Science, and he has assured me that come 2024, he is going to make sure that the towers are installed in all the areas that we have submitted to him, especially in Chadiza. Even in my constituency, we have the same problem, but we have been assured by his ministry that the towers will be erected in those areas.

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Menyani Zulu raised many issues, and he referred to many hon. Ministers, like the hon. Minister of Technology and Science and the hon. Minister of Justice. He also talked about the lack of equipment in hospitals. I have been in touch with Hon. Masebo, the Minister of Health. We have been talking about the lack of equipment in district hospitals. She is hardworking, and I have been assured that the hospitals will be equipped in 2024.

Mr Chairperson, I think, I have responded to many things that were said.

Hon. Government Member interjected.

Mr P. Phiri: Do not worry about time.

Mr Chairperson, let me assure the Member for Chama North, Hon. Mtayachalo. There are so many things that he has been crying about, especially the construction of the Chama/Matumbo Road and the road from Lundazi to Chama. I know that he is aware that this Government is upgrading the road from Lundazi to Chama into a motorable state unlike the way it was.

Mr Chairperson, with those few remarks, on behalf of the wise people of the Eastern Province, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mwiimbu): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the opportunity to wind up the debate on all the provinces of the Republic of Zambia.

Mr Chairperson, I appreciate all the issues that have been raised by thirty hon. Members of Parliament, representing the respective provinces. I would like to assure my hon. Colleagues that the Government of President Hakainde Hichilema will address the pertinent issues that have been raised, obviously, taking into account the financial constraints we are facing currently.

Mr Chairperson, I am aware that my colleagues raised a number of issues as they were debating, and I would like to comment on some of them.

Mr Chairperson, I will start with the issues that were raised by the Member of Parliament for Pambashe, Hon. Chitotela, although he is not in the House. He alleged that this Government has cancelled all the contracts in Luapula Province. I would like to state, without any fear of contradiction, that we have not cancelled all the contracts in Luapula Province. Of course, certain contracts in the province were cancelled just like in any other province, taking into account financial constraints in certain situations and, in a number of situations, contracts were dubiously awarded. Those who were given contracts were supplying air. They were not providing the requisite services to the people of those respective areas, hence the cancellation.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member also alleged that we cancelled the contract for the construction of a convention centre in Samfya, but that project has not been cancelled per se. All that has been done is to put it in abeyance to ensure that a detailed report is given to the institution. There was no actuarial report when a contract for the construction of the convention centre was awarded. Hon. Members are aware that the funds were supposed to come from the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB). We cannot, without any actuarial report being prepared, undertake such a venture because the rights of workers in the country will be affected. Once a detailed report is submitted and it is satisfactory, we will actualise that convention centre in Samfya.

Mr Chairperson, I also want to respond to the issues that were raised by the hon. Members from Muchinga Province. They indicated that nothing was happening with regards to road rehabilitation and construction. I want to state that currently, the Government is working on the Isoka/Nakonde Road. The road is almost complete, at 95 per cent. The Isoka/Chinsali Road is almost complete. Under the New Dawn Administration, we are doing something everywhere and in every part of the country.

Mr Chairperson, I also want to state that the Votes for the provinces are not intended to address all the issues that affect our people. Hon. Members will note that in all the ministries, we are making provisions for services to be provided for in the country. All the ministries have allocations for services to be provided in provinces, districts and constituencies. For example, in the budget for the Ministry of Education, there is a budget line for the construction of schools throughout the country. The Ministry of Health also has such a budget line, and even in the budget for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, there is a budget line for the rehabilitation and construction of roads. Capital projects are not under the Votes for the provinces. So, hon. Members should not take it that the Government has neglected them. They should check the Votes for specific ministries, and they will realise that there are provisions for capital projects.

Mr Chairperson, I have noted, with interest, that all hon. Members of Parliament from all the provinces have lamented a lack of development. A number of hon. Members said that they were neglected in the past. The question that begs an answer is: Who neglected them?

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu: Who was in charge during the period they were neglected?

Mr Chairperson, on the Floor of this House, we were being told by certain hon. Members who were holding high positions in the Patriotic Front (PF) that Luapula Province was heaven on earth. Fortunately, the people of Chipili punished that particular hon. Member by not voting for him because there was nothing that was happening on the ground. Luapula is like any other province; there is no development.

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Hon. UPND Members: Aha!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, the Eastern Province was one of the most neglected provinces in this country. There is no road worth mentioning that was worked on during the reign of the PF in the province. There is no project that people can be proud of, apart from a hospital in Petauke. That is what transpired. I agree with what hon. Members have been saying; it is not me. I agree also with the people. I adopt the views of our womenfolk, who are prudent in management. They will tell you that if your husband is abusive, dump him and never go back to him.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, I am appealing to the people of Zambia to not go back to somebody who abused and neglected them. What would be the point? Do they want to continue being neglected and abused? I have no doubt in my mind that the people of the Eastern Province, arising from the comments, will not go back to suffering and neglect. The same arises in every province. It is not me who has spoken; I just listened, and I agree with the hon. Members. They are the ones who said that they were neglected. They should not go back to neglect and abuse.

Mr Chairperson, with those few remarks, I would like to thank my hon. Colleagues who supported this budget, and they will no longer be neglected and abused.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson read the individual Votes.

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Hon. UPND Members: Ah!

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Kampyongo, do you have a question after I have passed some of the Votes?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, I rise on a serious point of order pursuant to Standing Order No. 65.

The Deputy Chairperson: Alright. I thought that it was a question.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, the procedure of this august House, when we are considering Budget estimates, is clear. When the Acting hon. Leader of Government Business in the House was reacting to the debates of the hon. Members, he should have referred to the figures because –

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Member, may I guide you before you go any further.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, –

The Deputy Chairperson: This was general debate. We are now going into individual –

Mr Kampyongo: That is what I am saying, Mr Chairperson. The Budget estimates we are considering are for 2024. The Acting hon. Leader of Government Business in the House spent time lamenting about perceived neglect of certain constituencies, which he cannot even verify. By countering that, we expected him to say that in the Yellow Book, so much money has been allocated to the Chipata/Chadiza Road, which was neglected and will be worked on, rather than just lament.

Mr Chairperson, was he in order to avoid speaking to the estimates and concentrate on lamentations, which will not get them votes, because what is obtaining on the ground is clear? Those hon. Members who were lamenting are looking for solutions from the Yellow Book. Was he in order to take that trajectory?

Mr Chairperson, I saw that you were enjoying the debate, but I seek your serious guidance.

The Deputy Chairperson: The Acting hon. Leader of Government Business in the House was not out of order. He was merely responding to the concerns that were raised by the hon. Members. This shows that he was attentively listening to the hon. Members’ debate, because he addressed the concerns they raised. So, he was not out of order.

Let us make progress.

VOTE 88 ordered to stand part of Estimates.

VOTE 90 – (Office of the President – Lusaka Province – K151,268,785)

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, it is very interesting how this Budget is being scrutinised, and I can see that people have opted to just ignore what they are supposed to do.

Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Programme 6102, Sub-Programme 05 – Liabilities – nil and Sub-Programme 01 – Outstanding Bills – nil. Why are there no allocations for these programmes in this year’s Budget?

The Minister for Lusaka Province (Mrs Mulyata): I did not hear the page number, Mr Chairperson.

The Deputy Chairperson: May you repeat your question, hon. Member.

Mr Kampyongo: I thought so, because I have seen the laissez-faire attitude.

Hon. UPND Members: Ah! Question!

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, I draw the attention of the Provincial hon. Minister to Programme 6102, Natural Resource Management –

Hon. UPND Members: Page!

Mr Kampyongo: How many chairpersons do we have, Mr Chairperson?

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Member, firstly, indicate the page number.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on page 743 of the Yellow Book, Programme 6102, Sub-Programme 05 – Liabilities – nil and Sub-Programme 01 – Outstanding Bills – nil. Why are there no allocations for these programmes?

Tulefunda incito, baiche.

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Chairperson, there are no outstanding Bills. All the Bills were cleared in 2023.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

VOTE 90 ordered to stand part of Estimates.

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

Vote 91 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 92 – (Office of the President – Central Province – K127,810,805)

The Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane): Mr Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment on page 781, Table 5: Programme Budget Allocation by Sub-Programme:

1. Under Programme 6103: Economic Development, Sub-Programme 5007: Public Infrastructure Maintenance, by deletion of K4,001,916 and the substitution therefor of K1,001,916; and

1. Under Programme 6103: Economic Development, Sub-Programme 5009: Public Infrastructure Development, by the deletion of K135,055 and the substitution therefor of K3,135,005.

Amendment agreed to. Vote amended accordingly.

Vote 92, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Votes 93, 94, 95, 96, 96, 97 and 98 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 99 – (Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure – K44,724,042,331)

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Chairperson, allow me to start by thanking you for the opportunity to present the policy statement on the 2024 estimates of expenditure for the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Vote 99, Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure.

Mr Chairperson, one of the mandates of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning is effective resource mobilisation and allocation of resources to foster sustainable economic growth and development. In this vein, the Government of Zambia borrows funds both domestically and externally as part of its resource mobilisation efforts. Those funds, once borrowed, require payments to be made in terms of interest and principal amounts. As such, Vote 99, Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure, is dedicated to payment of all debt obligations of the Republic, which constitutes both external and domestic debt. Further, as stipulated in the Constitution of Zambia, the payment of debts is a charge on the Consolidated Fund. In addition to debt payment, Vote 99 also accommodates centralised provisions for yet-to-be allocated expenditure items, such as contingencies, recruitments, public service pay policy and related emoluments.

Mr Chairperson, in 2023, Vote 99 was allocated K55 billion. Of that amount, K18 billion was allocated to external debt obligations for principal interest and other debt-related charges pending the conclusion of the restructuring exercise. Thirty point five (K30.5) billion kwacha was allocated for domestic debt service and interest payments, of which K21.9 billion was for interest payments on Government bonds, almost K8 billion for interest payments on Treasury Bills and K624 million for payment of debt obligations to commercial banks. As of 30^th November, 2023, interest payments on Government Bonds and Treasury Bills had been paid in the sum of K19.8 billion and K5.8 million, respectively, while debt obligations to commercial banks have been paid in the sum of K651.3 billion.

Mr Chairperson, K300 million was set aside for contingencies under this Vote to cover unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure. To this effect, items covered under this Vote include emergency response operations; releases to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU); policing of by-elections in Lupososhi, Nchelenge and Chililabombwe; emergency works at Chunga landfield in Lusaka; and support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.

Mr Chairperson, K3.8 billion was set aside for payroll considerations, such as the recruitment of Public Service workers, including teachers and health personnel. With regard to the undertaking in the 2023 National Budget, I wish to indicate that we have remained within the ambits of the allocation approved by Parliament.

Mr Chairperson, going forward, I want to repeat the Government’s commitment of managing the country’s debt prudently and sustainably by ensuring that Zambia remains current on its debt obligations, subject to our debt restructuring process, and that all future borrowing is considered in line with our debt suitability framework. Further, as the Government, we will continue to adhere to oversight by the hon. Members of this House in line with the provisions of the Public Debt Management Act.

Mr Chairperson, we will continue with our established practice of keeping Zambian citizens and other stakeholders informed on debt management issues. This includes publication of strategic debt-related documents, such as the debt sustainability analysis.

Mr Chairperson, in the 2024 Budget, K44,724,042,331 has been budgeted for under Vote 99. The main categories under this Vote are External Debt Service, Domestic Debt Service, Contingency, Centralised Recruitment, Public Service Pay Policy and other payroll-related considerations. In this regard, K6,011,715,419 has been allocated to External Debt Service for principal loan repayments and interest, and other debt-related charges to external creditors. The 2024 allocation to external debt service has decreased by 67 per cent from 2023 amount because of the efforts made to restructure Zambia’s debt portfolio, coupled with continued implementation of a debt service standstill. Thirty-two billion, nine hundred and five million, five hundred and fifty thousand, two hundred and sixty-two kwacha (K32,905,550,262) has been allocated to the Domestic Debt Service Sub-Programme to cover interest cost on Treasury Bills, Government Bonds and other domestic financial instruments. The 2024 allocation to Domestic Debt Service has increased by 7.78 per cent in line with the annual borrowing plan.

Mr Chairperson, Centralised Recruitment has been allocated K855,701,570 to facilitate the recruitment of approximately 10,400 frontline personnel across the Civil Service, with priority given to the education and health sectors. These recruitments are critical to improving Public Service delivery. Further, a provision of K4,411,555,169 has been set aside to cover the other payroll considerations for the public sector, including improvement of public pay. Furthermore, a provision of K150 million has been set aside to cover other emoluments. Finally, K389,519,911 has been allocated to the Contingency Vote to cover any unforeseen circumstances.

Mr Chairperson, as I indicated in the 2024 Budget Speech, as part of our debt management strategy, the Government remains committed to contracting only concessional loans in our efforts to attain debt sustainability. Further, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported programme going well, Zambia continues to engage with its creditors to conclude the Debt Restructuring Programme. In addition, with the success of the debt restructuring process, we will see the creation of much-needed fiscal space to actualise our development outcomes as set out in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). Further, both local and foreign investments in Zambia will increase if investors have confidence in the country’s economic prospects.

Mr Chairperson, with those remarks, I now recommend that Vote 99 be considered for approval by this august House.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Mr Chairperson, I would like to sincerely thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on Vote 99, Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for the comprehensive policy statement which he has delivered. In my opinion, the policy statement contains everything that we needed to hear. If hon. Members were listening attentively, they would have done well to pick many important salient points that are contained in that submission. However, allow me to debate the same because it will help to break that submission by the hon. Minister into smaller, understandable units for both the masses out there who are listening to us and hon. Members in this House who are affected by this Budget line.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister has announced a budget of K44,724,042,331 for next year under this Budget line, and it is intended to cover expenditure which will be charged on the Consolidated Fund, and that is the reason we have to approve it as part of the Budget.

Mr Chairperson, external and domestic debt servicing includes the principal amounts and the finance costs which, in a layman’s language, is the interest. It will also include contingency. We do have contingencies. There have been many times when we have had calamities in our constituencies, and usually the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) budget has not been sufficient to cover such. It is this Vote that covers such eventualities.

Mr Chairperson, on centralised recruitment, there is a plan to recruit more Public Service workers to improve service delivery to the public, and this is where it is going to be financed from. There is also the Public Service Pay Policy, which caters for all the adjustments we make in terms of promotions. We have heard teachers, nurses and other Public Service workers who have improved their qualifications complain. They need to be promoted to certain positions. Now, if they are promoted, where will the money to pay them a pay higher than what they were getting come from? It is this Vote that caters for such expenses. That is why it is very important, and I fully support it. Of course, other payroll-related services will also be catered for by this Vote.

Mr Chairperson, of particular interest is the external debt allocation. I notice that the trend is that this Vote has been receiving lower allocations for the past three years, for obvious reasons. There have been efforts made by the hon. Minister, the President and many staff to negotiate our debt and to have it restructured, and it is from these efforts that have been made that you see that the external debt service amount is now on the decrease. Of course, the non-multilateral lenders negotiations are still at a standoff until we reach an agreement. Therefore, the allocation towards that has been reduced.

Mr Chairperson, allow me also to comment on the amount allocated for the centralised recruitment of 10,400 frontline workers. It is expected that 10,400 frontline workers will be recruited next year, and K855,701,570 has been allocated towards that. This is walking the talk because this is contained in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), and is meant to improve service delivery in the Public Service. I can see that the target is in the education and the health sectors where we lack adequate human resource. Many young people are already trained. Frontline workers who need to service the institutions that we are building need to be recruited. So, there is a correlation between the classroom blocks being constructed using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the teachers to go and teach the children so that we improve the standard of education. It is not too long ago that I saw the curriculum being revised. For us to benefit from all those efforts, we need quality education. So, there is a relationship between all these efforts.

Mr Chairperson, I would like to comment a little on the debt management strategy. I heard the hon. Minister mention it. This is also contained in our 8NDP. For us to have sustainable debt, our strategy should be to not go for expensive loans, the kaloba kind of borrowing that the previous regime engaged in. If we are to borrow externally, we should only focus on concessional loans. That is a very good strategy, and I commend the hon. Minister for it, as it can also be traced in the 8NDP. This goes to show how organised the New Dawn Administration is in terms of planning for this country.

Mr Chairperson, I also want to comment a little on the fiscal space. All the efforts that are being made to ensure that we do not pay too much debt, year after year, as there was reckless borrowing in the previous regime, are to create the fiscal space which we are crying for. I have heard cries from the Opposition, including from hon. Members on the right. Every hon. Member wants this and that to be done in his/her constituency. In Lunda, we say, akinsambila nikutala kuung’a enokandawandikili. You first check the amount of mealie meal that you have before you put water on the fire. So, we have to be careful, and that is why we need to be prudent. We cannot borrow anyhow. We need to focus on concessional loans for now because of the problems that we have amidst us. So, to create that fiscal space which will enable us to finance everything on our wish list, these efforts have to be made, and we need to embrace them. So, we need to support this ministry in achieving that.

Mr Chairperson, how are we supporting the ministry. We recently passed the Debt Management Act No. 15 of 2022, which guides borrowing. Not too long ago, a borrowing plan was brought to this House, which we had an opportunity to scrutinise. Therefore, the hon. Minister is given the mandate of what he should borrow and what he should not borrow. This is how an organised Government operates.

Mr Chairperson, I would like to end by saying that the increased local and foreign investment that is envisaged can only come with a trusted Government prudently managing its resources.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Vote. I will not take much time, as I just want to sincerely appreciate the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for sticking to his word. This is the third Budget that he has presented.

Mr Chairperson, this Vote is for constitutional and statutory expenditure. From the outset, I want to state that under the leadership of the United Party for National Development (UPND), we have seen Budget credibility. Funds for all the Votes of expenditure are being released on time, and Hon. Kambita also mentioned this.

Mr Chairperson, we heard the debates of the hon. Members who contributed to the debate on the votes for the provinces. It is a constitutional requirement, for example, that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is released to the constituencies on time. However, despite its being a constitutional requirement for the Executive to release funds on time, in the past, funds were not being released. However, this year, we saw all the monies under the CDF being given out. We, as hon. Members of Parliament, are happy because a lot of work has been done in our constituencies using those funds. We have seen a lot of development. There was no clean drinking water in our constituencies but, this time around, there are many boreholes, especially in rural areas. So, this is very important, and I encourage the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to continue releasing the funds as and when they are required. All the funds in the ministries have been released 100 per cent. So, I wonder when I hear some of my colleagues from the Opposition lament that nothing is happening in their constituencies, because funds are being released to the districts and provinces as allocated. So, hearing such kind of lamentations, which portray a situation in which nothing is happening, is very sad. So, we who are well-meaning, support this Vote.

Mr Chairperson, as you can see, a few of my colleagues from the Patriotic Front (PF) are not here. Maybe, there are just three or four. This is an indication that they are not serious with work. The Budget is a very important tool for every hon. Member of Parliament in terms of development. Hon. Members of Parliament from the left are not in the House at this moment, yet they want to paint the UPND black, thereby doing a disservice to their constituents. This must not happen, going forward, if they are really serious about representing the people who brought them to this House.

Mr Chairperson, I want to indicate that we have seen an increment in this Budget, and this had never happened before. As this is an expenditure Vote, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), which is charged with the responsibility of collecting funds, needs to be supported. We need to ensure that it is given what it needs so that it can collect the funds and we are able to spend as required.

Mr Chairperson, having said those few words, allow me to, again, thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for the work he has been doing. From this Budget, I expect roads, such as the Monze/Chivuna and Magoye/Chivuna roads, to be worked on. I also expect Kaumba Secondary School to be completed.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Chairperson, I thank the debaters of this Vote, namely Hon. Kambita and Hon. Chaatila. I also thank the whole House for overwhelmingly supporting this Vote.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Vote 99 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

_______

HOUSE RESUMED

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

The Estimates of Expenditure (Including Capital and Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure) for the year 1^st January, 2024, to 31^st December, 2024, were reported to the House as having passed through Committee with amendments.

Report adopted and Madam Speaker appointed the Minister of Finance and National Planning a committee of one to bring the necessary Bill to give effect to the resolution of the Committee of Supply.

_______

BILL

FIRST READING

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2023

The following Bill was read the first time:

The Appropriation Bill, 2023

Second Reading now.

SECOND READING

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2023

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

Madam Speaker, the Bill before this House is a culmination of the assignment that started with the presentation of the 2024 Budget on Friday, 29^th September, 2023.

Madam Speaker, I wish to express my gratitude to you, the Chairperson of the Committees, Her Honour the Vice-President, leaders of all political groupings, hon. Members of Parliament and Management of the House for the role that each has played in our reaching the conclusion of the 2024 Budget. I also wish to thank our co-operating partners whose continued support is making a difference in the lives of Zambians.

Madam Speaker, from the time the 2024 Budget was laid before this august House, the proposed spending programmes, revenues and financing measures for the 2024 Financial Year have been debated in this Chamber and various Committees at great length by hon. Members. I am deeply grateful and thankful to the hon. Members for the insightful debates and constructive comments made as they considered the Budget proposals. The debates, and the comments and suggestions made have added value to the 2024 spending, revenue and financing proposals. The Government will take all the comments on board as it implements the 2024 Budget, as well as in future Budgets, to advance the agenda of unlocking the economic potential of our nation. By implementing the spending programmes and revenue measures in the 2024 Budget, the economy will become more diversified and resilient, jobs and productive income-earning opportunities will be created, poverty will be reduced and the vulnerable will be protected.

Madam Speaker, as I present the 2024 Appropriation Bill before this House for approval, I remind hon. Members that the Bill contains the policy direction of the New Dawn Government. This policy direction is predicated on well-designed and practical measures to transform the Zambian economy through implementing the Comprehensive Agricultural Transformation Support Programme (CATSP), reviving the mines on the Copperbelt and increasing domestic and international tourism activities to above the pre-Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) levels.

Madam Speaker, as we go back to our constituencies, once again, I thank all hon. Members, and I want to say that this Government is pushing very hard. You have heard how my colleagues complained about the previous administrations, and the specific words that were used are ‘ignored’ and ‘neglected’ them. This is what we have been hearing. We heard that a kilometre of road would be tarred for the purpose of winning a by-election and, immediately the by-election was won, machines would be demobilised.

Mr Mabeta: Correct!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, it has taken two to three years for this Administration to demonstrate that it means what it says. When it says that it will release so much money for roads, that money is released.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, contrary to what people used to think, when this Administration says it will hire so many teachers, that does not end as an empty promise. The teachers get hired and they get paid. When this Administration says it will send money to rural areas so that our children sit on desks, classrooms and clinics are constructed and boreholes are drilled, the money is sent. So, I want to tell the nation that under this Administration, the great people of this country are in good hands.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, we are delivering what we promised.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Any further debate?

Hon. Member for Mkaika, are you okay?

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Maybe, you are not feeling well.

Mr Phiri: I am fine, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, may you wind up debate.

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the whole House for the overwhelming support.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to and the Bill read a second time.

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House.

Committee Stage now.

________

HOUSE IN COMMITTTEE

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2023

Clauses 1 and 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seven, Eighth and Ninth schedules ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

_______

HOUSE RESUMED

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

The Appropriation Bill, 2023, was reported to the House as having passed through Committee without amendments.

Third Reading now.

THIRD READING

The following Bill was read the third time and passed:

The Appropriation Bill, 2023

_______

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and Acting Leader of Government Business (Mr Mwiimbu): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn until tomorrow.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1758 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 15^th December, 2023.

____________