Thursday, 31st October, 2024

Thursday, 31^stOctober, 2024

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER

PRESENCE OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM LAKE ROAD PTA SCHOOL

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of pupils and teachers from Lake Road PTA School, Lusaka District.

On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I warmly welcome our visitors into our midst.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

PRESENCE OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM MUTENDERE SECONDARY SCHOOL

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of pupils and teachers from Mutendere Secondary School, Kafue District.

On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I warmly welcome our visitors into our midst.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MS NAKAPONDA, THE HON. MEMBER FOR ISOKA, ON ENG. MILUPI, THE HON. MINISTER OF INFRUSTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ON THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY-FUNDED ISOKA/MBESUMA ROAD

Ms Nakaponda (Isoka): Madam Speaker, my Urgent Matter Without Notice is directed at the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. He is even looking at me, admiring me –

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You may continue, hon. Member.

Ms Nakaponda: Madam Speaker, last time, the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development stood on the Floor of this august House and told the nation that the Road Development Agency (RDA) had been funded to construct the Isoka/Mbesuma/Kasama Road. Alas, to date, nothing has been done. There have been accidents on that road and students cannot use the road because the bridge on it has not been reconstructed. What is the hon. Minister’s take? What is he going to tell the nation concerning the construction of the Isoka/Mbesuma/Kasama Road? The people of Isoka and Zambia at large want to hear from him.

Hon. Opposition Members: Quality!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you so much, hon. Member for Isoka. Since that matter was already brought to the Floor of the House and an assurance was given by the hon. Minister, I think that what must happen now is a follow-up with the hon. Minister. You just have to find another platform to make that follow-up, since an assurance was already given on the Floor of this House.

Ms Nakaponda: I will file in a question.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You can. Maybe, file in a question and it will find its way to the Floor of the House.

MR CHALA, THE HON. MEMBER FOR CHIPILI, ON DR. MUSOKOTWANE, THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING, ON ZESCO LIMITED NOT PROVIDING POWER

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, my Urgent Matter Without Notice is directed at the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You may continue, hon. Member.

Mr Chala: Madam Speaker, your hon. Members are sleeping in darkness.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: They are what?

Mr Chala: There is no power.

Hon. Opposition Members: Sleeping in darkness at the motel.

Mr B. Mpundu: Security is compromised.

Mr Chala: There is no power.

Mr B. Mpundu: Eh!

Mr Chala: What is so difficult about the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning organising money on behalf of ZESCO Limited, to get loans from local commercial banks and other lending institutions to help the Zambian people, and assure them that the loans are meant for ZESCO Limited to import power because the market is available and so, within ninety days, ZESCO Limited will start paying back the loans? What is so difficult about that?

Hon. PF Members: Yes!

Mr Chala: Madam Speaker, the Constitution is very instructive. The executive authority that the hon. Minister has is derived from the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Chala: Madam Speaker, he must exercise that authority in a manner that is compatible with the principles of social justice so that the people of Zambia can benefit, and so that he uplifts their well-being. What is so difficult about him thinking in those lines? The people of Zambia are looking up to him. Help your people.

Madam Speaker, I need your serious indulgence.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr B. Mpundu: Nokusamba, tatusambile!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chipili, please, next time, do not debate your Urgent Matter Without Notice. The matter is supposed to be raised within two minutes, but you went on debating.

Hon. Member, this matter is not admissible because the Government is already aware and is handling the matter. In fact, about two weeks ago, we had a Ministerial Statement from the hon. Minister of Energy. He gave us the position of the ministry and the areas that were being load-shed. So, if you are not satisfied, find another platform to address the matter. Otherwise, the Government is already aware about the matter and it is handling it.

MR MUBIKA, THE HON. MEMBER FOR SHANGOMBO, ON MR NKOMBO, THE HON. MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNEMNT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, ON NON-PAYMENT OF BENEFICIARIES OF THE CASH FOR WORK PROGRAMME IN SHANGOMBO

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, the Government introduced a very good programme, the Cash for Work programme, in order to alleviate poverty in rural areas. Today, the council offices in Shangombo are surrounded and council officers have locked their offices. From the video I have just seen online, I am scared that we might lose lives because of the way people are reacting.

Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning and the council whether someone is trying to de-campaign the Government by not giving people the money that they worked for. As I speak, the police have moved in to control the situation. We might end up losing lives today.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shangombo, what is the actual problem? Is it the lack of money to pay people? What is it?

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, people have not been paid for the past two months, and the council is not giving them information on the money.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I will ask the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to come back to the House with more information on that. Tomorrow is too early. Can I give you Tuesday, hon. Minister?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: No. Our Standing Orders do not permit hon. Ministers to bring information to the House immediately.

Mr Nkombo indicated assent.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I can ask the hon. Minister to come to the House tomorrow with information on that issue. So, the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development will come back to this House tomorrow to tell the nation what is happening and how soon the money will be paid to the people of Shangombo.

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MINING SECTOR

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Kabuswe): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement on the latest developments in the mining sector.

Madam Speaker, the mining industry in Zambia has continued to play a central role in bolstering the country’s socio-economic development. This is evidenced by the sector’s contribution to the country, which includes the gross domestic product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings.

Madam Speaker, the mining sector in Zambia is undergoing a significant transformation, which is driven by a series of policy reforms, strategic investments, and exploration activities. This is aimed at harnessing the country’s vast mineral resource endowments. These efforts are a clear testament of the Government’s commitment to reinvigorating the sector and ensuring that it continues to play a pivotal role in fostering economic prosperity. It is for this reason that the Government under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has prioritised the implementation of various interventions, as indicated.

Madam Speaker, under mining sector investments, the programmes we have are as listed below.

Re-capitalisation of Mopani Copper Mines (PLC)

Madam Speaker, following the unveiling of International Resource Holdings (IRH) as a strategic partner for Mopani Copper Mines PLC, IRH Has re-capitalised the mine by investing about US$1.1 billion and settling the debt owed to suppliers and contractors by Mopani Copper Mines PLC. So far, Mopani Copper Mines PLC has made very significant improvements, such as emerging as the country’s first technologically advanced underground mine and increasing employment opportunities from 10,765 employees to 12,684 employees as at October 2024. For the first time in the history of Zambian mining, because of enhanced technology at Mopani Copper Mines PLC, a person is able to make a call from underground, that is, 2 m under the earth. We did that two days ago. Those applications will be on the President’s phone, my phone, and everyone else. This will enable people to check in real time what is happening at Mopani Copper Mines PLC.

Madam Speaker, because of new technologies brought to the mine, Mopani Copper Mines PLC has increased the copper grade in production from 1.68 per cent to 2.21 per cent and ore production from 2.2 million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes. This is leading to the achievement of the vision of President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government of production of 3 million tonnes of copper per year.

Re-launch of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)

Madam Speaker, following the agreement between the Government and Vedanta Resources to settle the dispute between the two parties ex curia, on 21^st August, 2024, the Government officially handed over the mine to Vedanta Resources. The handover has demonstrated the Government’s commitment to resolving the court disputes amicably for the benefit of both parties and, indeed, the people of Zambia. Vedanta Resources is expected to invest about US$1.3 billion and create over 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Dewatering of Shaft No. 28

Madam Speaker, the Government commissioned the dewatering of the flooded Shaft No. 28 at CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines PLC, a mine that was dead for twenty-three years. It is envisaged that US$500 million will be invested and 3,000 jobs will be created in the town of Luanshya.

Commissioning of Kitumba Mining Project

Madam Speaker, on 17^th August, 2024,His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia commissioned Kitumba Mining Project in Mumbwa District, Central Province. The investment is at a cost of US$600 million and is expected to generate over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs. The mine will certainly enhance employment opportunities across various sectors, thus contribute to stimulating national development.

Investment of US$300 million in Lubambe Copper Mine

Madam Speaker, following JCHX Mining acquiring a stake in Lubambe Copper Mine, JCHX Mining is committed to investing about US$300 million in the mine. This is aimed at reviving the mine and extending its operational life. Without uncertainty, this development will positively impact the local economy on the Copperbelt by providing employment and business opportunities to the people and businesses on the Copperbelt.

Mingomba Mining Project

Madam Speaker, the Government commissioned the Mingomba Mining Project in Chililabombwe, Copperbelt Province. About US$2 billion is expected to be invested in the project, and over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created in the development phase, but when shaft sinking begins, 10,000 jobs will be created. This development will bolster economic activities on the Copperbelt and generally improve the livelihoods of our people.

Lumwana Mine Super Pit Expansion Project

Madam Speaker, in an effort to expand its operations and ultimately ramp up copper production, Lumwana Mine embarked on the development of the Lumwana Mine Super Pit Expansion Project at a cost of US$2billion. The development of the project has advanced, with the first production scheduled for 2028. Once operational, the Super Pit Expansion Project is expected to produce about 240,000 tonnes of copper annually over a period of thirty years. The project will have a positive impact on the local and national economy through jobs and business opportunities that will be created arising from this development.

First Quantum Minerals (FQM)

Madam Speaker, FQM made investments towards its commitment of investing US$1.25 billion over a period of four years in expansion projects through the S3 Expansion Project and the nickel project. Significant investment has been actualised, with the S3 Expansion Project earmarked for completion next year, which will improve the grade of copper and at the same time contribute to increasing job opportunities. As for the nickel project, production has already commenced and it is currently one of the top global nickel mines, with jobs standing around 1,000.

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to recall that in October 2021, the Government suspended operations at Kasenseli Gold Mine due to safety and administrative concerns that needed to be addressed. I am glad to inform the House that the Government has made strides in resolving the challenges that led to the suspension of operations at the mine. As such, I wish to inform the House and the nation at large that operations at Kasenseli Gold Mine are expected to resume in November 2024.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam speaker, as regards policy, legislative and institutional reforms, the Government is in the process of enacting the Minerals Regulation Commission legislation, the Geological and Minerals Development legislation and the Statutory Instrument on Local Content.

Mr Kabuswe drank water.

Hon. Members: Order!

Minerals Regulation Commission

Madam Speaker, the Government embarked on the process of establishing the Minerals Regulation Commission aimed at transferring the regulatory functions of the ministry to the commission while the ministry will be handling policy related matters. The commission will have a presence in all the mining areas of the country, thus enhancing the regulation of the mining industry further. It is expected to increase revenue generation for the Treasury and ultimately contribute to national development. The Minerals Regulation Commission legal framework is undergoing parliamentary process.

Geological and Minerals Development Legislation

Madam Speaker, the Geological and Minerals Development legal framework, among others, seeks to provide for geological survey, mapping and exploration activities and the establishment of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Fund. The legal framework is yet to be presented in Parliament.

Local Content Regulations

Madam Speaker, the Government has developed draft local content regulations for the mining sector, which seek to enhance the participation of Zambians across the mining value chain. This will be undertaken by ensuring that mining firms reserve a specific percentage of contracts for Zambian contractors and suppliers. So far, stakeholder consultations on the draft legal framework have been undertaken and the finalisation of the regulations is currently underway.

Establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)

Madam Speaker, the Government is in the process of establishing a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called the Zambia Minerals Investment Corporation. This will enable the Government to own and run mines through joint ventures with local and foreign investors, facilitating and ensuring value addition and beneficiation as well as guaranteeing increased benefits for the people of Zambia. Under this aspect of ongoing sector strategies and programmes, the following are being undertaken:

Formalisation of Artisanal and Small- Scale Mines

Madam Speaker, the Government has been making strides in ensuring that the artisanal and small-scale mining subsector is re-organised. Among the interventions undertaken is the formation of mining co-operatives across various parts of the country where illegal mining and trading activities have been taking place. In addition, the ministry has undertaken capacity building programmes for the miners in basic mining methods, skills, health, safety and environmental protection. So far, a total of 514 artisanal and small-scale licences have been issued. Out of the 514 licences, 333 are for gold mining while 181 are for other minerals such as manganese and copper.

Establishment of Gold Marketing Centres

Madam Speaker, in an effort to curb illegal gold mining and trading activities, the Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, is constructing gold marketing centres in areas with significant gold mining activities. The construction of the first two centres has so far commenced in Mumbwa and Rufunsa districts. The centres are expected to be completed by end of 2024. To support the operationalisation of the centres, the Government has procured various equipment to enhance the operations at the centres. The Government has also appointed Zambia Gold Company Limited as a gold aggregator to be buying gold from formalised gold mining co-operatives. The company is in the process of setting camp in Rufunsa and Mumbwa before the end of 2024.

Madam Speaker, other developments in the sector include the launch of the countrywide High-Resolution Aerial Geophysical Survey. On 14^th August, 2024, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, launched the countrywide High-Resolution Aerial Geophysical Survey. The survey will support new and ongoing mineral resource exploration and development projects by unlocking investment in the mining sector through the generation of reliable and up to date geological information. The geological information generated will also be key in actualising the attainment of 3 million tonnes of copper production by 2031 and the exploitation of critical minerals in light of the green energy transition. The initial target areas for the survey are the Western Province and the North-Western Province, after which the survey will be extended to other provinces. Preliminary geological data for the areas flown over so far has been obtained. The areas include Chavuma, Zambezi, Lukulu and Kalabo districts.

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Ivanhoe Mines Limited

Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ivanhoe Mines Limited on 26^th August, 2024. The MoU relates to the exploration and production of copper. Ivanhoe Mines Limited is a leading, diversified Canadian mining company focused on discovering, developing and producing the critical resources essential for a low carbon future.

Mr Kabuswe drank water.

Hon. Members: Order!

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)

Madam Speaker, in line with undertaking the countrywide High-Resolution Aerial Geophysical Survey, the Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK). This strategic partnership will ensure that there is quality control and assurance of the data that will be generated during the aerial geophysical survey, resulting in quality and reliable geological information.

Madam Speaker, other developments that have taken place include the development of the 3 Million Tonnes Copper Production Strategy to actualise the attainment of the said strategy by 2031 and the National Critical Minerals Strategy to promote investment in the mineral value chain. The 3 Million Tonnes Copper Production Strategy clearly spells out the measures that the Government will implement in collaboration with key stakeholders to achieve the target. In addition, the National Critical Minerals Strategy highlights the Government’s strategic focus and objectives for exploiting the country’s critical minerals.

Madam Speaker, I wish to reiterate that the Government is committed and keen to reforming the mining sector in order to improve the country’s socio-economic development. As such, mining being Zambia’s major economic activity is critical to driving the economic recovery agenda for the country. Therefore, the Government has prioritised the implementation of mining related interventions in order to harness as much benefits as possible from the exploitation of the country’s mineral resources.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement presented by the hon. Minister.

Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the detailed Ministerial Statement. Indeed, this country is a leading copper producer. For us to attain the 3million tonnes copper production target, we need a motivated workforce. I am alive to the fact that the new owner of Mopani Copper Mines PLC, International Resources Holding (IRH), has been replacing Zambian workers, especially at senior managerial level, with foreign workers. That has brought discontent among the workforce at Mopani Copper Mines PLC. Why has the Government allowed that situation, which works against Zambianisation? More importantly, this country has many trained people in the field of mining engineering.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the first thing I will say is that you need to understand that International Resources Holding (IRH) owns 51 per cent of Mopani Copper Mines PLC and we own 49 per cent. That is the first point. That means IRH ought to have its people inside the company as well. When I look at the numbers today, I see that they do not correlate with what he has said. I know, he is a former labour leader so, I want him to go and check. The ratio stands at 1 per cent expatriates today.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has given a comprehensive report of what is happening in the mining sector. He has also highlighted what is supposed to happen at each mine. In the first Budget Speech by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, a target of 3 million tonnes copper production was pronounced in 2021. The plan was that in the tenth year, we should start producing 3 million metric tonnes of copper. I am sure that both the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development have the figures on copper production. Last year, we managed to produce only 680,000 metric tonnes of copper, meaning that we did not even achieve the 700,000 metric tonnes target.

Madam Speaker, have all the mines that the hon. Minister has mentioned, that is, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mopani Copper Mines PLC, First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and Mingomba Mine, been given targets to achieve? Has he had a conversation with the mining sector to confirm that certain mines will be able to produce specific tonnes of copper? We might pronounce a figure of 3 million metric tonnes of copper production yet we cannot get to 1 million metric tonnes. Do we have targets for each mine, and have the mines agreed that they can get that amount of copper out of the ground?

Interruptions

Mr B. Mpundu: Ba Nkandu tekanyeni. Ba Nkandu muletekanya.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Chisopa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, I followed the question that the hon. Member for Chama North asked the hon. Minister. The question was: why is Mopani Copper Mines PLC replacing Zambians with expatriates? The hon. Minister has given the ratio. Is he confirming that indeed, the mine is replacing Zambians?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Mkushi South, we are still asking the hon. Minister questions. So, you should have also indicated to ask the hon. Minister that question that you have just raised. For me, the hon. Minister was still going to answer you. Instead of raising a point of order, you should have raised a question. So, please, find time to indicate to ask your question. We still have twenty-five minutes.

The hon. Minister may continue.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that very important question. If he followed my speech, at the end, I said that we have what we are calling the National 3 Million Metric Tonnes Copper Production Strategy and the Critical Minerals Strategy. The National 3 Million Metric Tonnes Copper Production Strategy tabulates what we will get from each mine, and we have had conversations on that. If he has been following the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, he knows that there was a launch of the Critical Minerals Strategy and the National 3 Million Metric Tonnes Copper Production Strategy. We invited everyone but he ignored it. We invited even hon. Members of Parliament. We launched the Critical Minerals Strategy and the National 3 Million Metric Tonnes Copper Production Strategy, which shows where we will get the figures. If the hon. Madam Speaker allows, I will come and present the strategies before the House so that hon. Members can see where we will get what. We know what we will get from each mine. In fact, two days ago, First Quantum Minerals (FQM) announced that it has increased production by 13 per cent.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: You heard.

Madam Speaker, I was talking about Mopani Copper Mines PLC. It has increased production by 37 per cent from the time it started mining six months ago. This is a smart Government. I have been in Zambia for quite a bit, and I have never seen a Government set a target for production. This is the first time that the Government has done that, and it is because of President Hakainde Hichilema, who is a visionary. We said that we will work towards achieving the 3 million metric tonnes copper production. Even if we do not reach the target, if we reach 2 million metric tonnes production, a person from a mining area like the hon. Member for Mufulira will tell you that 2 million metric tonnes production will show activity in the economy. So, always set targets. You may not meet the target, but you will have moved towards it. That is how smart people work.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Mkushi South said that I did not answer the question by Hon. Mtayachalo. I did. Always look at ratios and ask: Is this replacement? Those people own 51 per cent so it is only fair that they also bring their own people to be part of the team. Look at the ratio of 1 per cent. We are not shy to say that they have brought their own people because they have every right to do so; they own 51 per cent shares in the mine. The ratio stands at 1 per cent in relation to Zambians working in the mine.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister, you are free to bring any additional information through a Ministerial Statement at any time, for the sake of informing the hon. Members and the people out there about whatever information you have for them.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, – ba Mposha, mulebachita distract naimwe.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Roan, ask that question through me.

Mr J. Chibuye: Sorry, Madam Speaker. I wanted the hon. Minister to pay attention to my question. Apologies for that, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister covered the mining activities in Zambia. As Luanshya District and Roan Constituency in particular, we appreciate your ministry for resuscitating Shaft No. 28. We, in Luanshya, are celebrating because mining activities will now start at Shaft No. 28. is he able to tell the people of Roan Constituency how much copper ore is at Shaft No. 28, and how long the mine will run? He has mentioned that information about the other mining companies.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, yes, indeed, Luanshya is poised to become one of the most active mining towns, as it used to be. Shaft No. 28 has several levels. As you may know, this mine got flooded about twenty-three years ago. In terms of knowing the figures, that will probably happen after dewatering is done. Dewatering is taking place before work can begin on each level accordingly. So, I will be able to give the figures maybe after I have had a one-on-one discussion with CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines to see what they are looking at or what their feasibility study is telling them.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Banda (Muchinga): Madam Speaker, I took interest in the topic when the hon. Minister mentioned illegal mining. Big companies are given huge chunks of land under exploration licences. After four years, they are allowed to renew the licences even after they do nothing in the first four years. This is the cause of illegal mining. What is the ministry doing to make sure that areas under exploration are allocated to other companies that are interested in exploration after the licences expire? Renewal of licences has caused increased illegal mining activities. The locals know where the deposits are, but the people who get the exploration licences do not. So, they just hold on to the land, and then the locals are forced to go and start illegal mining.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, when you apply for an exploration licence, at renewal, you have to give away 50 per cent of the area that was covered by the licence. That is how it works. Nobody carries the whole lot throughout until they finish their exploration activities. We have given timeframes because people can use licences for speculative purposes. The law stipulates that if you renew an exploration licence, 50 per cent of the area that was covered by the licence should be dropped. That is the law and we do not compromise on that. In terms of illegal activities on a particular tenement, the law also stipulates that the owner of the licence is mandated or required to make sure that there are no illegal activities happening. If they are there, the licence holder may be sanctioned or the licence may be cancelled.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, I really admire the hon. Minister’s admiration of the smartness of the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Madam Speaker, 51 per cent shares of Mopani Copper Mines PLC were given away to International Resources Holding (IRH) by the UPND Government. Now, those shares were owned by the Zambian people. What I know is that when you sell shares, there are three options. You can sell them at a premium, you can sell them at par or you can sell them at a discount. Through all those options, you will receive money. In other words, the Zambian people should have received money for the 51 per cent shares that the Government gave away to IRH. How much money did the Zambian people receive as a result of the Government giving away 51 per cent shares? Do not tell me about the US$1.1 billion investment because those people are investing in their own company, which the Government has already given them.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, this question came on the Floor of the House and it was extensively dealt with. However, I will say this: The Attorney-General of Zambia gave a comprehensive statement on the transaction between Mopani Copper Mines PLC and IRH. So, the hon. Member will do well to read.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Mr Kafwaya stood.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, resume your seat.

Do you want to raise a point of order?

Mr Kafwaya resumed his seat.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, situations like this one are, sometimes, created because of the way we ask questions. Hon. Minister, as you take the next question, please, try to answer the question from the hon. Member for Lunte. You can summarise the answer. I know, you told him to go and read, but I think that you can summarise one or two statements and inform the House and the people out there. So, hon. Minister, as you take the next question, please, attend to the question by the hon. Member for Lunte.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, I would have loved the hon. Minister to have shed more light on Kalengwa Mine. I understand that the aerial survey that is being done will benefit Zambia a lot, but I want him to amplify the benefits of the survey to a common person in Chawama, Jack, Chipulukusu and those who are in rural areas because most of them are just seeing aeroplanes flying around. I want the hon. Minister to amplify the benefits of the aerial survey to a local person.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that very important question. I want to talk a little about the mine he has mentioned. We are going to open Kalengwa Mine in November. I think that His Excellency the President announced that to the country. As we open Kasenseli Gold Mine, we are also going to open Kalengwa Mine. I know that the hon. Member is very happy about that.

Madam Speaker, when we came up with the vision of the 3 million metric tonnes copper production target, we looked at various ways in which we are going to reach that target, one of which was mineral mapping. So, we had to engage a company called Excalibur Exploration Inc. to conduct High-Resolution Geophysical Survey for the whole country. That will tell us what Zambia is sitting on, rather than planning without knowing what we have. In fact, the kind of technology that Excalibur Exploration Inc. is using is going to do some economic calculations and tell us the economic value of the particular tenements that are going to be discovered, which means that when negotiating, we will be negotiating from the position of knowledge and strength, because we would have known what the whole country is sitting on in terms of mineral value.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Okay. What about the request I made for the hon. Member for Lunte?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I did not get you clearly.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Okay. In fact, the request came from me. I asked whether it is possible for you to summarise the feedback for the hon. Member for Lunte. You had instructed him to go and read so that he gets the answer himself.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, you can permit me to bring a Ministerial Statement just on that transaction.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, before I ask my question, allow me to join my hon. Colleagues in thanking Hon. Elvis Nkandua katuntulu, my father, for scoring victory in the Kawambwa Council Chairperson elections.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, following the successful attraction of investors to invest in many mines across the country, such as Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mopani Copper Mines PLC, Shaft No. 28 and other mines within the country, does the Government have plans to re-introduce Mineral Royalty Tax so that the country can fully benefit from the God-given resource, which is copper.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, Mineral Royalty Tax is still there. So, I do not know which one specifically he is referring to. Zambia does collect Mineral Royalty Tax from mines, except it has been made deductible for purposes of Income Tax.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government for re-organising Mopani Copper Mines PLC. I also thank the hon. Minister for the investment profile he has highlighted to us. It is very clear that mining is the backbone of our economy. Now that the Government has sorted out most of the mining investment issues, when is the Government going to resolve the issue of casual workers in the mining sector? Right now, there are miners who are working under contractors, not necessarily in mainline mining. I am aware that they are severely underpaid. I think that they are getting as low as K1,500 with no clear conditions of service. When will the Government seriously tackle that problem so that those miners also draw the benefits that their colleagues are drawing?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, after taking back the mines to productivity, what follows are benefits to the local people, the workers, suppliers and contractors. That is why the Government is working round the clock on the issue of local content. We are engaging mining companies, and I am in consultations with the hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security to look at the conditions of service for contract workers because that is where that issue is rampant. As late as yesterday when Mopani Copper Mines PLC was presenting its report, I engaged the company. I said that we should not just look at how well the mine is doing but also look at whether the people the mine has contracted are keeping their workers well. That discussion is very active. We have to make sure that as we resuscitate the mines, even our people, especially employees, benefit.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister stated the interventions to harness the benefits from the mineral resources in the country. The hon. Minister will recall that not too long ago, he brought to the House the Mines and Minerals Development (Amendment) Act. There was a heated debate on the Floor of the House, especially on clauses that relate to local content. When will that Act come back to this House with the contentious clauses amended, so that people out there, especially suppliers and local contractors, can have hope of benefiting from minerals?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, if he followed my speech, I said that the local content regulations are very advanced. We have almost reached finality so that we introduce a statutory instrument. Also, the Geological Survey Bill, which houses the local content regulations, will be presented to the House during this meeting. The matters that the hon. Member has raised will be dealt with in those Bills that will be presented.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development for that elaborate statement. My question is in relation to the equity partner at Mopani Copper Mines PLC. I would like to appeal to the hon. Minister to replace International Resources Holding (IRH) with Delta Mining Limited because the hon. Minister and I know that the equity partner is not IRH but Delta Mining Limited. How much has Delta Mining Limited brought in into Mopani Copper Mines PLC?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I do not have an updated figure, but I will look for it and pass it to him. The first amount that came externally dealt with the debt to Glencore, which was US$398 million. It was paid to Glencore. That was the first amount that came externally. The second amount was about US$200 million for the payment of suppliers and contractors. That money was paid to all suppliers and contractors of Mopani Copper Mines PLC.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: So far, those are the figures I know. Also, equipment is now flowing into Mopani Copper Mines PLC, and it is well above US$500 million.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Samakayi (Mwinilunga): Madam Speaker, first of all, I thank the hon. Minister for the elaborate statement that has made the people of Mwinilunga very happy. How many licences is the ministry going to give to co-operatives in Mwinilunga when the Government re-opens Kasenseli Gold Mine?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member and applaud him for his patience as he waited for the re-opening of Kasenseli Gold Mine and Kalengwa Mine. This has come to fruition.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: HH wachabe.

The number will depend on how many will apply and the availability of licences around that area.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Tembo (Feira): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister talked too much about International Resources Holding (IRH) pumping in US$1 billion, Vendetta Resources investing US$1.3 billion, Mingomba Mining Limited investing US$2 billion, and US$500 million. If this kind of money had landed in the country, we would not be where we are today.

Rev. Katuta: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Tembo: Even the United States (US) Dollar –

Interruptions

Mr E. Tembo: Hon. Minister, give me a chance. Hold on.

Madam Speaker, just yesterday or the other day, we were discussing the national Annual Borrowing Plan. The hon. Minister has failed to explain …

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr E. Tembo: … how all these things should have been a replacement for borrowing.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr E. Tembo: That is what I expected.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Feira, what is your question on the Ministerial Statement presented today?

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, I am linking the statement to the problems of this country, particularly debt.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, I also took a leaf from Chief Mpezeni Nkhosiya ma Nkhosi, who advised our hon. Ministers –

Mr Mposha: Ah!

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr E. Tembo: Visilili muleke.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr E. Tembo: We are talking too much but there is no action.

Madam Speaker, the issue of tax has already been alluded to. Can the hon. Minister tell us how he is going to use this investment instead of bringing annual borrowing plans? We are tired of talking.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member, but I also sympathise with him. There is news going around Zambia that there is a big refrigerator coming to Kansanshi Mine. It has become a wonder as it is moving. That is the investment. When we say billions are being invested, that is what we talking about.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, when we were launching the Super Pit at Lumwana Mine, there were two huge machines. That is investment. First you invest, then you eat. The problem is that we are coming from “Ubomba mwibala, alya mwibala.”

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, our focus is to invest first. The billions we are talking about, just sinking the shaft at Mingomba Mine will chew over US$500 million. So, these are the monies I am talking about. We hear Hon. Dr Musokotwane talk about investment. That money is used to buy equipment, pay workers and mine development until we begin to produce. This is because the minerals that we are endowed with require us to develop the mines before we access the minerals. For us to access the minerals, we have to invest. That is what happens. When you invest, you mine and then go and sell. Thereafter, profits will come. Then, Hon. Dr Musokotwane will get taxes and Zambian suppliers and contractors will be part of Mopani Copper Mines PLC or Konkola Copper Mines (KCM). That is the way it works.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Nomba nga mwaleteka ichalo, ifi tamwaishibe.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister, explain the meaning of what you have just said.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, it means that they were running a country yet they did not understand this. That is why the country collapsed.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Chibuye (Mkushi North): Madam Speaker, –

Rev. Katuta: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Awe!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chienge, when you indicate once, I am able to get you. You do not need to repeat the same statements or the same words over and over. What is your point of order?

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, thank you so much. I am enjoying the preaching in this House.

Madam Speaker, I rise on a very important point. As you can see, I am not from the Ruling Party. The hon. Minister has been speaking and I have enjoyed his preaching. Now, I have a challenge on the role of the Leader of Opposition in the House. Is the Leader of Opposition or whomever is the Whip in order to not do his or her job in the House? The Frontbench is always empty. I need your serious indulgence because the role of the Leader of Opposition, according to Standing Order No. 204, is very important in the House. Hon. Members are doing whatever they are doing because there is no leader.

I need your serious indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Would you please state what order has been breached?

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, it is – what do you call this?

Mr Sin’gombe: Question!

Rev. Katuta: Standing Order No. 201.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Presiding in Housekeeping Committees.

Laughter

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

The Standing Order cited is incorrect. However, hon. Member, that is more of an administrative matter. So, it can be forwarded to the Clerks-at-the-Table. It is an administrative matter. The Patriotic Front (PF) Whip was here and the Government Chief Whip is there.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Government Chief Whip is there. So, liaise with him. If there is something that is not going on well, he is there.

The hon. Member for Mkushi North may continue with the last question.

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, I followed the hon. Minister’s statement. I expected him to talk about Kashime Mine, but he did not. On 24^th March, 2023, the hon. Minister stood on the Floor of this House and assured us that in December2023, that mine would be operational. However, to date, nothing has happened there. What is the status of Kashime Mine?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I feel the hon. Member’s pain. I feel the same pain. We are done with everything that we were supposed to do for the mine to be operational. I can tell him that the interest from various investors is unbelievable. Alas, there is the issue of what is called the North Swaka Trust fighting the opening of that mine because of environmental issues. So, we need to strike a balance. That is where the challenge is. I have been in touch with the hon. Minister of Green Economy and Environment, and we have been talking about how we can have access to that site. So, the Government has done its part, but environmental issues have come into play and they are delaying things. We want to open that mine like yesterday because we need it to add to the 3 million tonnes copper production target.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. Members, we have to make progress. The hon. Minister has promised to come back to this House with other Ministerial Statements that we can utilise in the near future.

_______

BILLS

FIRST READINGS

THE JUDICIARY ADMINISTRATION (Amendment) BILL, 2024

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation (Mr Haimbe, SC) (on behalf of the Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Judiciary Administration (Amendment) Bill No. 16 of 2024. The object of this Bill is to amend the Judiciary Administration Act, 2016, so as to delete the power of the Judicial Service Commission to make regulations relating to training courses in the Judicial Service.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights and Governance. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 27^th November, 2024. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE PENAL CODE (Amendment) BILL, 2024

Mr Haimbe, SC: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill No.17 of 2024. The object of this Bill is to amend the Penal Code so as to:

strengthen the law on the offence of expressing or showing hatred, ridicule or contempt for a person or group of persons;

provide for the offence of stealing medicine, allied substances, medical supplies, medical equipment, critical information infrastructure and electronic communications apparatus;

re-define the word “vandalise”;

revise the penalties relating to vandalism;

make the possession, conveyance and receipt of vandalised property or material an offence; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

GREEN ECONOMY AND CLIMATE CHANGE BILL, 2024

The Minister of Green Economy and Environment (Mr Mposha): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Green Economy and Climate Change Bill No. 18 of 2024.The objects of this Bill are to:

provide for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction;

provide for climate change mitigation, low emission development, green economy and related actions;

regulate carbon markets;

provide for environmental and social safeguards in climate change actions;

establish the Climate Change Fund;

domesticate the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Friday, 29^th November, 2024. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE PLANT HEALTH BILL, 2024

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi) on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Plant Health Bill No. 20 of 2024. The objects of the Bill are to:

protect plant resources;

provide the functions of the plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service Department;

provide for the registration of pest controllers and plant related structures;

regulate imports and exports to prevent the introduction or spread of a pest;

give effect to the International Plant Protection Convention established in 1952;

repeal the Plant Pests and Diseases Act, 1958; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill by Friday, 29^th November, 2024. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES SUPERANNUATION FUND (Amendment) BILL, 2024

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (Amendment) Bill No. 21 of 2024. The object of this Bill is to amend the Local Authorities Superannuation Fund Act so as to:

revise the accrual rate of a retirement benefit;

revise the commutation factors; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the joint committee of the Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs and the Committee on Local Government Accounts. The joint committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Tuesday, 26^th November, 2024. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

CONSTRUCTION OF THE OLD MKUSHI BRIDGE IN MKUSHI SOUTH CONSTITUENCY

73. Mr Chisopa (Mkushi South) asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

when the construction of the Old Mkushi Bridge in Mkushi South Parliamentary Constituency will be completed; and

what the cause of the delay in completing the project is.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, the construction of the Old Mkushi Bridge in Mkushi South Parliamentary Constituency will be completed once the outsourced Bailey bridge components are delivered to the site.

Madam Speaker, the delay was due to missing of some Bailey Bridge components that are critical in bridge construction. However, the Road Development Agency (RDA) has since sourced the missing components from outside the country.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, the bridge was funded three years ago. I have been in touch with both the chief executive officer (CEO) who was fired and the current one. I have also been in touch with Mr Kapinda, who is in charge of bridges. I have also been in touch with Mr Chama, in charge of Central Province. The issue of outsourcing the components has been on the table for the past two years or more. When exactly are the key components for the bridge going to be delivered? Everything else is there. It is just the keys, locks and pins that are not there. Now, we have reached a stage where we are losing lives. Children are supposed to be using the same bridge. Farmers have not been able to cross the bridge after an accident. They are using oxcarts or carrying the fertiliser on their heads. Can he ensure that the bridge is dealt with the urgency it requires? We had to use the Force Account to fund the bridge because it is needed urgently.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the follow-up question. First of all, the mentioning of three years has certain connotations because the New Dawn Government came in three years ago. Let me make it very clear that Mkushi Bridge, which is located in Luano District, collapsed in August 2019 due to heavy vehicles using it. The construction of the new bridge is being undertaken by the Road Development Agency (RDA) using the Force Account. The hon. Member is aware of that as he has mentioned it himself. The works are estimated to cost about K7.12 million. So far, overall progress is 71 per cent. As I said, the works commenced in 2019, but stalled in 2021 due to the lack of funding. In December 2022, K4,600,000 was released for completion of the works. Some Bailey bridge components were outsourced from China in September 2024 and will be delivered in November 2024. The works will resume once the components have been delivered. I do not think that I can make it any clearer than I have done. The Government is concerned with the state of this bridge and every measure is being taken to ensure that the work on it is completed.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, it is undisputable that officers told the hon. Minister that procurement and purchasing of the components was done in September. Please, let them be honest. I have been engaging the officers in his ministry for the past one year. I have also engaged the hon. Minister himself. He was informed that we are lacking the key components, but procurement was done a long time ago. That is what the officers said. When exactly are the components coming? Last month, I was told that the components would arrive on 24^th October but that never happened. Who is telling the truth between the hon. Minister and the officers?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, what the hon. Member for Mkushi South has said has a serious implication. Apparently, he is saying that the officers of the Government are telling him the truth and then telling the hon. Minister things that are not true. Let me go back to the question he asked: when is the bridge going to be completed? First of all, the hon. Member must consider what I have just said. If there is anybody in the ministry who is giving him information that is not being given to the officers of the Government, that is unfortunate, and I will investigate to find out if we still have moles in the Government. We will know what to do with those. However, to answer his question, I have made it very clear that the parts will be delivered in November and as soon as they come, work will proceed to complete the works on that particular bridge.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisopa: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, my point of order is pursuant to Standing Order No. 71. When I engaged the hon. Minister, he referred me to the officers in the ministry. He asked me to be following up with the chief executive officer (CEO). When the CEO resigned, I had to follow-up and find the people in charge of bridges. Today, he wants to start bringing in issues of moles, when he himself told me to follow-up with the officers in the ministry.

Madam Speaker, is he in order to start threatening and accusing an hon. Member of Parliament of serious implications? I am trying to get clarification from him.

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Mkushi South, there is only one issue that you have brought out. You have said that the officers informed you. You gave this question to the ministry and the hon. Minister has come back to the House with a response. The response is for the House and the people out there. What is coming from the hon. Minister is correct because he is the one in charge of the ministry. If there is somebody you consulted within the ministry, who did not give you accurate information, this is the right time to get the correct answer because the hon. Minister has come to face this House and the people out there to give the correct information. I think, that is his way of working. He is going to investigate what you said because he does not believe in what some of the officers told you. He has the answer, which he has brought to this House. How he is going to handle those informants is up to the ministry. We have no control.

ALLOCATION OF GRANTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS COUNTRYWIDE

74. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Education:

what criteria are used in the allocation of grants to public schools countrywide; and

what measures are being taken to ensure that the funds are utilised prudently.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, the Government allocates grants to public schools using a structured framework known as the Grant Allocation School Hub. This automated system considers several key factors, including the number of enrolled learners, each school's unique needs, geographic location with special attention to rural and underserved areas, and operational requirements for each educational level. These allocations align with the national educational priorities outlined in the National Education Policy and the Annual Education Sector Plan, with a strong focus on equitable access to quality education for all.

Madam Speaker, to ensure the prudent use of allocated funds, the Ministry of Education has implemented comprehensive monitoring and accountability mechanisms. These measures include regular audits, financial reporting, and adherence to established grant utilisation guidelines to maintain transparency. Schools must also follow strict procurement standards for goods and services, minimising misallocation and ensuring that funds directly support educational outcomes.

Further, each school is required to establish a finance committee chaired by a community member and supported by a vice-chairperson from the community, promoting local oversight and accountability. To strengthen financial management, the ministry conducts capacity building programmes for teachers handling school finances, especially in institutions lacking qualified accountants. For example, over 30,000 teachers have received financial management training since the introduction of free education. Additionally, the ministry is actively recruiting qualified accountants in schools, aiming to eventually replace teachers handling finances and enhancing consistent, professional oversight.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, let me seek guidance from the hon. Minister. I have observed that secondary schools located in rural areas receive low amounts. For example, in 2024, Kalabo Secondary School received the least amount. What necessitated the Government to allocate a small amount to a school that caters to all students in Kalabo District? The school received the lowest amount in the province.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I do not want to say something that is not right because I have not checked how much Kalabo Secondary School received and how much other schools received.

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: He has to support that.

Madam Speaker, I talked about the criteria. I mentioned several. We really need to go and check the Kalabo issue.

Mr Miyutu indicated assent.

Mr Syakalima: Okay.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Madam Speaker, who is the accounting officer in a school when it comes to the management of the grant? I have been to some schools in my constituency and I found that the accounting officer is a person other than the headmaster or the deputy headmaster. Also, what is the level of participation by the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in the management of the funds?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you. It is one question per hon. Member.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I said that schools are mandated to form finance committees consisting of a chairperson and vice-chairperson from the community. The headteachers or deputy headteachers are secretaries of the committee while procurement officers, accountants and others are committee members. I think, there are revised guidelines that schools have. The hon. Member can go and check any school in Lukashya and he will find that there are strict guidelines.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Twasa (Kasenengwa): Madam Speaker, what audit mechanisms have been put in place, considering that the offices of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) have never been beefed up with accounting officers, yet all schools fall under DEBS? The office receives public funds that are supposed to be audited. What mechanisms have been put in place to make sure that the grants in various schools are put to good use?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, earlier, I said that most schools do not have accountants. Now, we are in the process of engaging accountants. However, teachers who have been trained in accounting are helping. Eventually, we will have stand-alone accounts departments in schools.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, I would like to get a word from the hon. Minister so that teachers can get it from him. I have attended meetings in schools where parents have expressed dissatisfaction that school administrations do not give them the real mandate of monitoring or asking questions about the expenditure of the grant. Schools tell parents that they do not have that right or mandate. What is the hon. Minister’s comment over such remarks?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think, I said that the finance committee consists of a chairperson from the community. So, the community must be proactive. The hon. Member should go and tell community members what they are supposed to do since I have explained to him. The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the finance committee are supposed to come from the community. So, how do they ask somebody who is a secretary of the committee? The headteacher or the deputy headteacher is supposed to be the secretary. The chairperson should be from the community surrounding the school. Now that the hon. Member is armed with this information, he should run to Kalabo and tell them.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The last hon. Member to ask a question is the hon. Member for Chienge.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, I hear that schools do not have accountants. However, we have bursars. Can we not use them as accountants? When employing–

Interruptions

Rev. Katuta: Ama bursars. I think, if you went to a boarding school, you had one.

Madam Speaker, why can we not train them to be like accountants to account for the grants?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think, it is different from the schools that do not have bursars. I need to check whether we need accountants where there are bursars. If there is a bursar, there must be staff. You realise that many primary schools do not have bursars. I think that is where the difference is. If there is a bursar, there is an accounting department within the school. So, obviously the bursar should be able to do the accounts with the people around or the clerks. At least, the school I went to had a bursar and accounting staff.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

FUNDS FOR PHASE II OF NKANA WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT

75. Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation:

how much money the Government released towards Phase II of the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Project (NWSSP) as of April 2024, in the following districts:

Kalulushi; and

Kitwe;

what the scope of works to be covered in Kamfinsa Parliamentary Constituency from the released funds, is;

when the remaining funds will be released for the completion of the project; and

when the project will be completed.

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Mubanga) (on behalf of the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Eng. Nzovu): Madam Speaker, as of April 2024, the Government of the Republic of Zambia had released a total of US$22.8 million for the implementation of Phase II of the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Project (NWSSP). This includes:

US$4.7 million for Kalulushi District; and

US$18 million for Kitwe District.

Madam Speaker, the amount is part of the total re-scoped work budgeted for US$59.9 million. The scope of works to be covered in Kamfinsa Constituency from the released funds is as follows:

expansion of storage facilities at Ndeke Water Distribution Centre (NWDC) covering:

construction of a new 12 ml ground tank;

construction of a new 1 ml elevated tank; and

construction of a new pump house.

Madam Speaker, the remaining project funds will be released according to the projected works as follows:

Year Amount in US$

June 2024 to December 2024 19.5 million

2025 11.9 million

2026 5.9 million

Madam Speaker, the total balance to be disbursed is US$37.5 million.

Madam Speaker, to date, the Government has disbursed US$22.7 million and US$22.5 million was paid to the contractor. The balance of the funds from the Government is US$244,000. The total amount yet to be disbursed by the Government is US$37.1million.

Madam Speaker, the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Project Phase II is expected to be completed by26^thMay, 2026.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, the Acting hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation has informed this august House that funds have been released for the re-scoped project. One of my questions is related to the scope of works that will be done to ensure that we have water in Kamfinsa Constituency. You may be aware that in the last three years, the major issue I have raised before this august House is the lack of water. I hear that steps are being taken to address the issue, but my question relates to the money that has been made available for the water tank to be installed, as the hon. Minister has reported. Will it provide water to the constituency? The challenge I have is, works may have started, but that is not a solution that will provide water in the constituency. So, I want the hon. Minister to assure the people of Ndeke, Mulenga and Zamtan that the works that the hon. Minister referred to will provide water. So much is happening, but we are not sure if those works are for the constituency.

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, I gave figures and mentioned that re-scoping of the works has been done. There are so many activities happening in the hon. Member’s constituency, and I am assuring the people of Kamfinsa that what they are looking for in terms of water supply will be done because we are working on it.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, does the ministry conduct periodic checks to assess what is on the ground and ensure that the works being done correlate with the money that has been released? Speaking for Kamfinsa, which is a neighbouring constituency, there are many challenges of water supply there. Many people move around in search of water. So far, money has been released but very little has been done. Does the ministry undertake regular checks to see whether the works being done correlate with the money that the Government is releasing?

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, we have officers in Kitwe following up this project. If the hon. Member of Parliament for Kwacha has identified gaps, he should report them to the ministry so that we make a follow-up.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister is aware that Kamfinsa Constituency has four wards. The project he has referred to, which is the Ndeke Distribution Centre, is basically about water storage. When you store water, it has to be distributed to the community. The hon. Minister has not mentioned that the project will go a step further to provide a new water network. We can have a tank at Ndeke Distribution Centre, but if we do not have a proper network to feed water to the constituency, it will be impossible for our people to get the water. My second follow-up question is: does the scope of works include replacing the old water network to cover Kamfinsa Constituency.

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, the Government cannot put up the 12 ml ground tank and 1 ml litre elevated tank without providing the network to distribute the water. So, the Government is aware of that and is working on it.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa): Madam Speaker, what steps have been taken to provide water before the project is completed so that people can have access to water?

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, the Government is concerned about the water supply situation throughout the country. The people of Kamfinsa should know that if they are not able to get water because of a technical issue, they should inform our officers in Kitwe so that we are aware of the challenges they are going through and then we will attend to them.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

CONSOLIDATION OF PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION

76. Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama) asked the Minister of Justice:

whether the Government has any plans to consolidate all the parts of the Constitution into a single document;

if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation (Mr Haimbe, SC) (on behalf of the Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune)): Madam Speaker, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Justice, has in accordance with the Laws of Zambia (Revised Edition) Act No. 9 of 1968and the Acts of Parliament Act Chapter 3 of the Laws of Zambia, updated and consolidated into a single document all the amendments to the Constitution Chapter 1 of the Laws of Zambia. Furthermore, the update and consolidation has been done to all the twenty-six volumes of the Laws of Zambia and submitted to LexisNexis (Pty) Limited, a publishing company based in South Africa, which was awarded the contract for typesetting, printing and publication of the revised edition of the Laws of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, the plan to update and consolidate the twenty-six volumes of the Laws of Zambia, which include the Constitution, has already been implemented, as earlier indicated. The publishing company is currently printing and publishing the updated and consolidated version of the revised edition of the Laws of Zambia, and that exercise is expected to be completed by December this year.

Madam Speaker, accordingly, part (c) of the question falls off.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has just stated that a South African Company was awarded the contract to print the consolidated document. Do we not have credible companies in Zambia that can undertake such a mandate?

Mr Haimbe, SC: Madam Speaker, quite certainly, there must be credible companies in Zambia, but the hon. Member should note that an exercise of this nature is undertaken under the procurement laws, which provide, in this instance, that an international open tender be issued. Therefore, our companies are expected to compete and, the best company from an international perspective won the tender. It was a transparent process and I am sure that local companies will continue to compete.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chinkuli: Madam Speaker, for the sake of clarity, maybe others may not know exactly what is happening, we are talking about consolidating the parts of the Constitution. That means bringing all the fragmented pieces of the Constitution into a single document. Bearing in mind that Zambia is among countries with a written constitution, which is concrete in the sense that it is codified in one document –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Kanyama, are you answering your own question?

Laughter

Mr Chinkuli: No, Madam Speaker. I am trying to ask a question.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Okay. You are supposed to ask the hon. Minister of Justice.

You may go ahead, hon. Member.

Mr Chinkuli: Madam Speaker, some circles asked me what it was so I was just trying to amplify what has brought us to where we are. Nevertheless, I thank the hon. Minister for the response. What caused the delay to put the document together? Bear in mind that we have a written Constitution that is codified. It should be a single document containing the fundamental laws of the country.

Mr Haimbe, SC: Madam Speaker, I think, the hon. Member has asked a historical question. Nonetheless, the fact that we are consolidating it does not, in any way, entail that the document is not written. It is just that it is written in various pieces, if I may use a loose term. Amendments have taken place since the Constitution was first promulgated. Nonetheless, it remains one Constitution with amendments. So, all that is being done now is reducing the need for cross-referencing by looking at amendment a versus amendment b, c and so on and putting them in one text. Perhaps, in the past, there has been no will to do this. Again, taking this important step demonstrates the New Dawn Government’s intention to do things differently.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chisanga: Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the hon. Minister whether he can share with the House and by extension the nation, when the tender for the consolidation of the document was issued and how many Zambian companies participated in the tender.

Mr Haimbe, SC: Madam Speaker, unfortunately, that information is not on my fingertips because that was not the essence of the question before the House. I am sure, if the hon. Member visited the Ministry of Justice, he would find the information readily available. However, I am aware that this exercise was done during my tenure as Minister of Justice. I think, it must have been immediately upon attaining office sometime in 2021 and 2022. A public tender was floated in national newspapers and international platforms as required. I am happy to give further information. The selection criteria were as required under the procurement laws and I recall a good number of companies, both local and international, bidding for the work. Some joint ventures bid for this but they did not succeed. I must mention that LexisNexis Pty Limited, as the hon. Member for Lukashya would know, is a renowned international entity in all spheres of legal documentation, including the production of law reports. Those reports are being produced for the Republic of Zambia by LexisNexis Pty Limited as we speak, under the auspices of the Judiciary. That contract was awarded many years ago. So, if there is any need for clarification in that regard, I am sure that answer will help.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Madam Speaker, since the hon. Minister indicated in his submission that the contract to print the document was given to a South African company, may I know the cost of the contract?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you. I do not know if the hon. Minister of Justice has that answer on his fingertips.

Mr Haimbe, SC: Madam Speaker, no. Again, that was not the essence of the question on the Floor of the House. If the hon. Member truly intends to have that information, he should either go to the Ministry of Justice or file in a separate question because that is really outside the realm of what was asked.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

ELECTRIFICATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN NYIMBA

77. Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba) asked the Minister of Energy when the following infrastructure in Nyimba Parliamentary Constituency will be electrified:

Hofmeyer RCZ Mission;

Hofmeyer Clinic;

Chiweza Primary School;

Mombe Primary School;

Hofmeyer Secondary School;

Mukapela Clinic;

Chimpanji Clinic;

Kanyena Primary School; and

Nsangano Primary School

The Minister of Energy (Mr Chikote): Madam Speaker, according to the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP), the structures that have been mentioned are scheduled for electrification in 2029. The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) will send a team of engineers to conduct a feasibility study to establish the cost of electrifying the above-mentioned infrastructure before the actual year of implementation. The subsequent electrification of the infrastructure will be subject to availability of funds.

Madam Speaker, in order to address the lack of electricity in Nyimba Parliamentary Constituency, under the 2024 REA workplan and budget, REA is currently implementing a 15 kW peak solar mini grid project at Chiweza Primary School to supply power to the school and the surrounding community. The scope of the project includes construction of a total medium voltage network of 3,000 m with a total number of sixty connections. The total cost of the project is estimated at K2.3 million and is expected to be completed by April 2025.

Madam Speaker, additionally, Mukapela Clinic, Chimpanji Clinic, Kanyena Primary School and Nsangano Primary School that were not captured in the current REMP will be included in the revised masterplan that will be finalised and published by 31^st December, 2024. To this end, it is worth noting that the revised REA masterplan takes care of all infrastructure, including infrastructure built after the publication of the REA masterplan in 2008.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, I am a sad and happy person at the same time. I am sad that a good number of pronouncements about Nyimba regarding electricity have never been fulfilled. The hon. Minister of Energy then promised the people of Nyimba that Kacholola would be connected to electricity by December 2023, but 2024 is about to end and nothing has happened. The current hon. Minister has told us about Chiweza Primary School, which is a good story for the people of Nyimba. Nyimba is not a small place, it is bigger than some constituencies. Is the hon. Minister sure that the Government will implement the solar mini grid project at Chiweza Primary School this year? I would like him to promise the people of Nyimba and the Zambian people at large on the Floor of this House.

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, indeed, the solar mini grid that I have just mentioned will provide 15 kW peak solar system. The contractor is working on site and the Government is committed to handing over the project by April 2025 so that people can start enjoying the services.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, with regard to Kanyena Primary School, Mkopeka Clinic and Chimpanji Village, the good part is that the hon. Minister has a constituency. So, when such a question comes to him, he is hit both constituency-wise and nation-wise. Hon. Members have been contributing K1 million from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for electricity projects. ZESCO Limited gave the people of Nyimba a quotation of K1.8 million to electrify Mkopeka Clinic. Is the hon. Minister in a position to tell the people of Nyimba what plans the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and the ministry have regarding the money that we have been contributing to help some small projects within our constituencies?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the contributions that hon. Members of Parliament give from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) help REA to facilitate technical works so that major projects can be executed. One million kwacha cannot be used to execute a huge project that requires a lot of money. The K1 million that is contributed is used to help REA expedite technical works.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, in his question, the hon. Member of Parliament for Nyimba listed nine facilities that he wants the Government to electrify. From the hon. Minister’s response, only one facility will be provided with electricity. Is the hon. Minister able to give an assurance to the people of Nyimba when the remaining eight facilities will be provided with electricity?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Kamfinsa for that kind support to the hon. Member for Nyimba. In my response, I said that the masterplan for REA indicates that the eight places will be covered by 2029. That is what the Government has put in its plan.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MINING LICENCESISSUED IN LUANGWA DISTRICT

78. Mr E. Tembo (Feira) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

how many licences under the following categories were issued in Luangwa District as of April 2024:

large-scale mining;

small-scale mining;

artisanal mining; and

exploration; and

how many licences in each category at (a) were:

operational as of May 2024; and

issued to Zambian-led companies.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Kabuswe): Madam Speaker, the following are the categories of licences issued in Luangwa District as of April 2024:

Type of Licence Total

Large-scale mining licence 2

Small-scale mining licence 0

Artisanal mining licence 0

Large-scale exploration licence 27

Total 29

Madam Speaker, for part (b), the response is as follows:

Type of licence Total

Large-scale mining licence 1

Small-scale mining licence 0

Artisanal mining licence 0

Large-scale exploration licence 13

Total 14

Madam Speaker, artisanal mining licences are wholly owned by Zambians while it is mandatory that Zambians should be part of the small-scale mining licences. Therefore, for the period under consideration, there were no Zambian-led mining companies in Luangwa District.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned that zero licences were given under artisanal mining. Could it be that the owners of exploration licences are failing to give our local people consent to apply for artisanal mining licences?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, a person with an exploration licence is not mandated to give consent to artisanal miners. It is not a requirement. However, if an artisanal miner wants to apply, he or she must first and foremost go to the owner of the exploration licence. The owner of the exploration licence must give reasons for not allowing people with artisanal licences on his or her tenement. For example, you cannot go to Kitumba Mine, where copper is mined, to get an artisanal licence to mine copper. That is confusion. If that were the case, people would budge into all mines. If the owner of an exploration licence feels like allowing artisanal miners on his or her tenement, he or she can give consent. However, if he or she refuses to give consent unreasonably, the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development has power to give consent on a particular tenement. That is the law.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister able to mention the two companies that were awarded large-scale mining licences?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, it is not easy to know the names of the companies because licences are given in thousands. If the question were about specific companies, I would have come with the information. It is easy to find information on the names of licences in the database. If, today, the hon. Member went to the Mining Cadastre Portal and keyed in Luangwa, he would find the specific names of the companies that have licences there.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1641 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Twasa: Madam Speaker, does the ministry have plans to go to the places where there seems to be a lot of small-scale mining activity to sensitise, train or encourage people to take part in mining in a safe way? There is a lot of illegal mining. Surprisingly, it has become normal to have illegal miners. Even when accidents happen and illegal miners die, we report them so casually. We do not treat illegal mining as a very serious issue. Does the ministry have plans of going round and sensitising people so that they can participate in mining activities properly and legally?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the question initially asked was constituency-specific, but I will endeavour to answer the hon. Member. If he followed my ministerial statement, I clearly said that the ministry is giving out artisanal licences to Zambians. These licences are exclusive to Zambians. So far, we have given out 514 licences. We are also conducting sensitisation across the country. As we speak, the Zambia National Service (ZNS) is in various parts of the country including the Copperbelt, Kasempa and Mumbwa preventing illegal mining. This Government is on record saying that we are very serious about stamping out illegal mining, which is an issue that has been entrenched. We need to deal with it head-on. As a ministry, we are sensitising people and teaching them safe mining, as I stated in the Ministerial Statement.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, let us be focused on the question that is on the Floor.

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister why the issuance of artisanal licences and small-scale mining licences in Luangwa District is low. I ask this because I am aware that a number of people applied for these licences but they have not been given.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the reason we embarked on the High-Resolution Geophysical Survey is basically to understand every area in Zambia and what we are sitting on. Preliminary results from some areas show that we are endowed with many minerals. Luangwa in particular should have something. When we finish mapping that area, mining activity will increase because resources will have been mapped, and it will be easy for people to make targeted applications. Right now, people are applying for licences when they suspect existence of minerals. However, when we finish mapping within the coming twenty-four months, that will not be the case. We will not wait for the twenty-four months to finish. An area will be mapped and if there is something interesting there, a report will be written so that the Government can expose that area to the people for targeted applications. Now, applications are done anyhow and then people drill and find nothing. When mapping is done, applications will be targeted. I understand the concern of the hon. Member for Feira, but he should rest assured that the Government is working out systems for areas riddled with mining activities.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Sabao(Chikankata): Madam Speaker, I appreciate the hon. Minister for giving young people artisanal licences. However, I would like to know the measures that the ministry is putting in place to ensure safety for young people in mining.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the question from the hon. Member is very similar to the question that the hon. Member for Kasenengwa asked. The issue is formalising mining, which we are doing. Our officers are going to miners to teach them safe mining. We need to capacitate the ministry to do this work. Right now, the ministry does not have enough capacity. That is why we are pushing for the Minerals Regulation Commission to be in force because it will help the ministry to be capacitated. We have very few officers and as such, sometimes we are constrained. The Minerals Regulation Commission will help us because it will be making its own resources and employ more people. We need to be present everywhere in the country. Currently, the ministry cannot be everywhere in the country because of capacity issues. The incoming commission will address such matters so that our miners can mine safely.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Madam Speaker, first of all, allow me to congratulate the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Hon. Paul Kabuswe, for the progress and transformation at Mopani Copper Mines PLC. While I was on tea break, I received calls from miners. They asked me to say thank you to the hon. Minister on their behalf because even this month, October, they have qualified for their second production bonus.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mabeta: Hon. Minister, well done! Efibomba abaume ifi!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mabeta: That means ‘This is how real men work.’ People were taking away jobs in the past, but now we are creating new jobs at Mopani Copper Mines PLC. Well done, hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, one of the challenges that small-scale miners have is determining the value of the asset they have. An exploration programme costs not less than US$100 million to determine the value of the mineral one has. Is the hon. Minister assuring Zambians that after two years when the mapping is done, small-scale miners will have information on the value of their assets and be able to find partners?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the kudos, but I must say that the owner of the kudos is the vision carrier. We are basically implementing the vision of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and President Hakainde Hichilema. He is a visionary leader, indeed. The reason this visionary leader allowed mapping, which is a very expensive undertaking, is exactly what the hon. Member has said.

Madam Speaker, the Government is getting ready to form a special purpose vehicle, but we also encourage Zambians to form consortiums. There are many mining gurus who are still alive in Zambia, like Mr Shamutete, Mr Mutati and several others. They can form a consortium and benefit from the mapping of the minerals. As the New Dawn Government, we encourage more Zambians to participate in mining. That is why this year, for the first time in the history of Zambia, we had a mining insaka, and it will be held every year. This year, we had a very successful mining insaka, which was attended by mining gurus like Dr Sixtus Mulenga, who owns a mine called Musamu Resources Limited in Luapula Province. Mining gurus are now coming together so when the mapping is done, the Government will avail information even to artisanal miners because we do not want them to end up as artisanal miners. They should form consortiums. They can start as artisanal miners, become junior miners, then own medium-scale mines and finally own large-scale mines. As Zambians, we have been encouraged by President Hichilema to begin to think outside the box. We can own companies like Mopani Copper Mines PLC or Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in the world after mapping is done. According to preliminary reports, the results look very promising even for people from Mitete. The hon. Member for Mitete asked me why I did not mention Mitete when the planes carrying out the mapping are also flying in Mitete. People are saying that the planes are dropping lions.

Laughter

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I can assure the hon. Member for Mitete that even in areas in the Western Province that we did not think could have minerals because there is too much sand, we are conducting High-Resolution Geophysical Surveying going as low as 100 m down so that we can really understand what we have, as a country. Preliminary reports show that the Western Province and the North-Western Province are looking very good in terms of minerals available to the Zambian people. I appeal to the Zambian people to begin to prepare to own big mines. We can form consortiums and go to capital markets to find money to own mines. That is something that is feasible. We have one example; Dr Sixtus Mulenga owns Musamu Resources Limited, which is a large-scale manganese mine in Luapula Province. So, that is the assurance I can give the hon. Member. Really, after the geophysical survey, Zambia will not be the same.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you. My apologies to the hon. Member for Solwezi East and the hon. Member for Nyimba. We have to catch up, so, we will move to the next question.

CONSTRUCTION OF A BUS TERMINUS IN KITWE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

79. Mr Charles Mulenga asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

(a) whether the Government has any plans to construct a bus terminus in the Kitwe Central Business District;

(b) if so, when the plans will be implemented;

(c) what the estimated cost of the project is; and

(d) if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to construct a bus terminus in the Kitwe Central Business District (CBD) subject to availability of funds.

Madam Speaker, the plans will be implemented when funds are made available. The cost of the project will be determined only when the designs of the bus terminus are completed.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for his honest response. Now, if the hon. Minister came to visit Kitwe, the central business district (CBD) in particular, he would think the town is a huge garage …

Laughter

Mr Charles Mulenga: … because all the crossing points or junctions have taxi ranks or bus stations. Of course, the place is an eyesore. If we need to seriously develop the area, we have to start with infrastructure development such as the bus terminus in the CBD.

Madam Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister indicated that the ministry has plans to construct a bus terminus only when funds are available. To reduce the burden on the Government, looking at the huge responsibilities against the limited resource envelope, why can the ministry not undertake a public-private partnership (PPP) model similar to what is being done in the road sector? The transport business is very lucrative. Look at Intercity Bus Station in Lusaka, it has attracted huge investment. Why can the ministry not undertake a PPP model? We have a very huge place called Chisokone Market that we can utilise to put up modern infrastructure. The bus terminus can be on the ground and the upper decks can cater for shops and other requirements.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, please, wind up your question.

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, why can the Government not use the PPP model for the bus terminus like it has done in the road sector?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the public-private partnership (PPP) model that the hon. Member referred to is the preferred development model for the United Party for National Development (UPND) New Dawn Government. I can give him endless examples of the PPP projects that we have embarked on, as a Government, in the last three years, not excluding Kitwe and all the cities currently under pressure in the area of interconnections and transport networks vis-à-vis intercity bus stations.

Madam Speaker, the PPP model needs willing participants. We may desire to use the PPP model in Kitwe, but someone has to show interest to invest. At policy level, we have made it abundantly clear that we have embraced that model and that we wish to run with it. However, we have also been very cautious about over-committing the country as the case was in the past, when PPP contracts were signed to last as long as sixty-five years, such as in the case of Luburma Market in Lusaka. So, we are very careful on how to proceed, lest we mortgage our country. In short, even the PPP model requires funds. If the hon. Member knows anybody interested with a bankable document, who can assist us to construct an ultra-modern intercity bus station in Kitwe, we would be more than willing to know that person. He or she would be pushing an open door.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, we have beautiful intercity bus stations in Livingstone and Kalomo. Why can the Government not standardise bus termini in all the provincial headquarters so that people in other parts of the country do not feel like things are only happening on one side of the country?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the intercity bus station in Livingstone was borne out of Zambia hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The Government then was responding to the hosting of the UNWTO. So, the Government at that time deliberately decided to focus on Livingstone and construct the intercity bus station, but it did not open until after we took office. It was a white elephant because the previous Government never completed it. The UNWTO meeting finished but the target had not been met. We came in and completed the project as per the pronouncements by our leader, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, who said that we should complete all projects that were began by the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and the Patriotic Front (PF)and not segregate any project.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member also referred to the bus terminus in Kalomo. I submit to her that Mazabuka, which I am privileged to represent as Member of Parliament, has a similar type of intercity bus station. As I speak, people are busy constructing intercity bus stations in the Eastern Province. The programme to construct the intercity bus stations is sponsored by KfW Development Bank, a partner from the Federal Republic of Germany that we work with. So, if KfW Development Bank wishes to extend that courtesy to other towns, we can only co-operate, but we cannot dictate the locations of the bus stations to be constructed, because KfW Development Bank determines which areas or jurisdictions it would like to leave its footprints in.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Madam Speaker, it is good news that the Government has plans to construct an intercity bus terminus in Kitwe. Has the Government identified the place where the bus terminus will be constructed? Will it be at the former Kitwe Main Bus Station (KMB)?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, let me give a little bit of background. When we took office in 2021, we found a contract that had been signed between Kitwe City Council (KCC) and a company whose name I withhold. The company was supposed to construct an intercity bus station in Kitwe at a private piece of land using the PPP model. Unfortunately, the company had challenges securing a loan with the Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco) for the project. Consequently, the project fizzled. It died. The country that we live in has a preponderance of resisting good things. We would be happy to set up the intercity bus station at Kitwe Main Bus Station (KMB) because it is central and ideal. There is a place around Garneton or Sabina. It is a forest, but the hon. Minister for the Copperbelt can correct me if I am wrong. There was a proposal to put the intercity business station there. Discussions had gone very far into actualising this. That is the idea that we found when we took office. However, I think, we would create pressure for people coming from Lusaka going to Chamboli or Nkana East because that area is far. We would have to put up another bus station because it would be illogical to take people all the way past Garneton because they would have to come back. So, we will cross the bridge when we get there. We will consult with all the stakeholders on where the best place for the intercity bus station should be.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Chifubu will recall that the Government embarked on a project called Munyaule Market that our erstwhile brothers left. It was a brilliant idea that was difficult to execute because the leaders then were scared of the people they were leading. When we took office, we engaged all the traders at Munyaule Market. After a protracted eight months to one year of discussion, we were satisfied that we had reached 90 per cent buy-in from those who were working at Munyaule Market. Unfortunately, we had to take over the place for public good despite the 10 per cent who resisted. When we did that, I recall very well how people, some in this House, went to a mountaintop and said that we were heartless people, because we razed a market that was a breeding ground for cholera. However, we managed to do it. I am glad to report to this House that works at Munyaule Market, which is going to house over 1,200 shops, are underway. Similarly, we have to talk to the people at KMB and ask them to see the sense in being inconvenienced for the period that it will require to establish an ultra-modern bus station, but we will cross the bridge when we get there.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, it is good that the hon. Minister has plans to construct bus termini. The Government should be building intercity bus stations in areas like Nyimba, where the council has very limited resources to construct a bus terminus. I speak from experience as a former councillor in Ndola. Looking at the revenue that comes from bus stations, would it not be prudent for the Government to encourage local authorities in cities to prudently collect resources from bus stations and utilise them? Local authorities can also speak to banks about financing so that the Central Government can concentrate on building infrastructure in areas like Nyimba. Cities like Kitwe and Ndola know how to collect revenue. If they do not know, they can ask people from professional bodies like the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) to help them on how to collect revenue and invest in infrastructure. Then, the Government can give resources to areas like Nyimba to build infrastructure. Is it possible for the Government to have seminars for council secretaries and council management in big cities on how cities can stand on their own and construct such infrastructure?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the House that we are coming from a very difficult past regarding this area. On the collection of levies in public areas such as markets and bus stations, you do not need to be told, but you can be reminded that at the time we took office, some councils were sharing revenue with political party members. That does not happen anymore. You can search high and low but you will not find that happening, because we have a leader who made a pronouncement at the point he took office. His pronouncement was very clear and reverberated to the whole nation. He said that there shall be no permission for cadres to harass travellers and traders. He was also clear that this was not to insinuate that people cannot operate in markets. There are places like Kamugodi. I am sure, you do not need to be told that that was the headquarters of thuggery in markets and bus stations. That is no more. It is a thing of the past. We do not have that any more. That required strong political will from our leader, and it was up to us his disciples to sing the chorus of the song that he started. There is no contest or contradiction to what I am saying. Things were bad. We are coming from a very difficult past, where certain councils went sixteen months without paying their employees because money was being shared, to be clear, by Patriotic Front (PF) members. Let us call a spade a spade and not a large spoon. The party that was in Government then institutionalised the issue of political cadres. Pronouncements were made at the pinnacle of the leadership. The PF leaders shamelessly held meetings that were publicised, where they said, when there is allocation of land, if there are 500 plots, put aside 200 for party members. It became the pig, that is, the Party and its Government. All those things were reversed at a very high level. I am glad to inform the hon. Member of Parliament for Nyimba that today, there is no council that is behind with salaries.

Mr Chisopa: Tafyakapwe.

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I also wish to state that the hon. Member of Parliament who is heckling comes from a council that has just benefited from the revitalisation of mines on the Copperbelt. Today, Kitwe City Council (KCC) stands as the richest council because a mine that had died has been resuscitated by Mr Hakainde Hichilema. There was a directive that all the retirees of the council should be paid, and that has happened. So, we are on the way to success. We are very hopeful that some councils, such as Nyimba Town Council, are going to be supported by big councils such as Lusaka City Council (LCC) in all areas, not just in levies but also property rates, so that we can have revenue to provide services to our people. So, Nyimba is going to be worked on as we go along.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the KfW Development Bank is the major funder. I do not know whether it is single-handedly funding projects or working with the Government to construct markets and bus stations countrywide. Can the hon. Minister share with the House how long the programme with KfW Development Bank is going to take? When did it start and when is it going to end? How much investment is KfW Development Bank from the German Government going to put in the programme?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I do not recall saying that KfW Development Bank is now responsible for building bus stations countrywide. I just want to put that on record. I said, KfW Development Bank is our partner. The Federal Republic of Germany, where the KfW Development Bank is domiciled, has been giving us support not only in infrastructure like markets but also in capacity building. One hon. Colleague had a concern about training council secretaries. Sufficient support has been given to build capacity at Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute (CLGTI) to assist our officials to improve their credentials so that they can serve the public better. KfW Development Bank is a partner. I said that as I speak, programmes are going on in the Eastern Province, not in the whole country. That is what I said in my immediate past response. We are at the behest of KfW Development Bank. So, I cannot give a programme of how KfW Development Bank will work in the next ten years because I do not have it. However, the hon. Member himself, being a friend of mine, can come to the office so that we sit down and educate each other. I have given an open invitation to all of hon. Members of Parliament with concerns about the development agenda of the ministry in their constituencies to come to my office so that we can sit together and speak about how we can best serve our people. Hon. Members are even welcome to assist us draw a programme. However, for now, I can only leave an open invitation to my office. As the President said, we are one Government. Hon. Members who are opposing and we who are privileged to run the State affairs are one Government. Hon. Members will ignore to come to our offices at their own peril.

Madam Speaker, as I terminate my answer, when we in the Government used to sit on the other side, hon. Ministers seldom gave blanket invitations to visit their offices so that we could discuss how to serve our people. The doors in most ministries were closed. The moment people in ministries heard “aisa waku United Party for National Development (UPND),” meaning “abwela waku UPND” or “a UPND member has come,” they would tell you that the hon. Minister was not available.

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: I can give you examples.

Madam Speaker, I can tell you that in my time as Member of Parliament, I only went to the office of the hon. Minister of Local Government, Hon. Vincent Mwale and Hon. Bwalya Ng’andu’s office. For the rest, their doors were shut. We are different.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MEASURES TO EXPLOIT MINERALS IN MKUSHI

80. Mr C. Chibuye (Mkushi North) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

what other minerals, apart from manganese, are found in Mkushi District;

what measures are being taken to exploit the minerals at (a) in order to widen the economic base of the district; and

when mining activities for the other minerals are expected to commence.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, Mkushi has copper, gold, iron and gemstones such as tourmaline. The Government has issued licences to various institutions that are exploring for these minerals.

Madam Speaker, regarding the areas within the district that are currently undergoing exploration, once a mineable or economic mineral resource is found, mining will commence.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, I want to find out what the ministry is doing about existing minerals in Mkushi, like manganese. What is the ministry doing to formalise the operations of existing mines such as Sako Mine? I am seeing a lot of illegal mining taking place, but that area has potential to give our people maximum benefits economically. What is the ministry doing about the existing minerals that can benefit the people of Mkushi?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the Govenrment wants to formalise mining in every place. Remember, in the previous question, I talked about issues of capacity challenging us. However, we are trying as much as possible to formalise mining in all areas including Mkushi. Like I said, we have given out several licences to artisanal miners in the country, including Mkushi, as a way of formalising their work. I know, at the time we took over, Mkushi had rampant illegal mining. As Government, we have tried to give more people licences. Illegal mining is not something we can easily cure, but we are working towards curing the problem of illegalities around Mkushi.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has only talked about copper, but I have seen other minerals like gold around Mkushi. Why has he not mentioned gold in his responses?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I am sure that he did.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, you are right, I mentioned it. I mentioned not only copper but also manganese. Mkushi is known for having a lot of manganese. Generally, what will help is what we are doing now; mapping the country. Remember, I used to sing about it when we were just voted into power. I said that we were going to map the country. That is the solution. We cannot just be doing bamba zonke mining here and there without knowing what we have. We will know what minerals we have after mapping. Then, mining will be methodical, systematic and targeted, not the way we have been doing it in the past.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chala: Madam Speaker, my question has been tackled through the question that the hon. Member has asked, but I still want to find out whether the ministry undertakes analysis on some minerals to know what is in the ore. Mostly, ore is tested for copper only when it could have gold and other minerals.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for asking a very important question. I want to assure him that this Government has taken the issue of mineral content analysis very seriously. It is one of the reasons that the Minerals Regulation Commission is coming into effect. I know, we have been doing that in the past, but sometimes as a nation, we are short-changed. We are taking the matter of mineral analysis very important because we know that Zambia is known for having a lot of copper, and copper is the future because it is a critical mineral. We have a booklet on the Critical Mineral Strategy that hon. Members can look at. Critical minerals include copper, manganese, lithium, nickel, etcetera. There is a strategy on how we are going to deal with these critical minerals so that Zambia does not just focus on copper while other minerals are mined and we are not aware of the activities happening. That is very important. We are now working together with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and other line ministries to make sure that we do not just look at copper but also analyse mineral content in every mineral that we want to export.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mulebwa (Kafulafuta): Madam Speaker, when it comes to the mining business, I must confess that every time I hear about giving co-operatives or individuals mining licences, I shudder because we are not the last people to be in Zambia. We have children and our children’s children. I keep thinking about the future and what we will leave for generations to come. I want to know the prudence of disengaging the Government from actual mining. If the Government does not have money, it can find partners to work with, instead of giving licences to co-operatives and individuals. I would like the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development to give me reasons we cannot preserve minerals. If we know that we do not have money, we are better off leaving the resources to our children yet to come. Are we in a serious hurry to mine everything that Zambia has? I want the hon. Minister to give me the wisdom of giving mining licences to co-operatives or individuals at the expense of the Government, the owner of the minerals, engaging with private partners to run mines.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The question seems to be outside the question on the Floor regarding what other minerals are found in Mkushi District. I do not know whether the hon. Minister has an answer for that question.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that question and his concern. The copper that Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has, even without further exploration, our children will die or become old before it finishes. That is the assurance I can give the hon. Member. The same goes for Mopani Copper Mines PLC. None of us will be alive by the time those minerals will be exhausted. I told you about the mapping today. I do not even know what to say on what we are going to discover after the mapping. We should not be afraid to exploit our resources to develop this country. Our friends in the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have exploited their wealth for their countries. They have made so much money, and because of their prudence in managing their resources, they are now investing all over the world. Even us, with the minerals that we are endowed with, can do that. Giving artisanal miners licences has one big advantage, which is capacitating ourselves. Mining is not a poor man’s business. Most of the people who conduct mining exploration are already rich; you heard the hon. Member for Kankoyo. If I invest US$100 million in a mine, I am a rich man. What we need to do is create capacity within ourselves. The only thing we need to do is make sure that a business mind is inculcated in our people so that we do not mine from the pit to the pot. That has been our practice. We always mine from the pit to the pot. You heard President Hakainde Hichilema’s message today, which is that let us do investment expenditure. That is what we have been lacking. Even the small-scale miners, who we call jerabos, would have big mines if they were prudent and invested all the money they make. We would have had many Jerabos who are gurus in mining. However, what used to happen is, they would mine from the dumps and then kula skida nama motoka mu Kitwe.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Meaning?

Mr Kabuswe: It means skidding with their vehicles, …

Laugher

Mr Kabuswe: ... going to grab women. Ukupasa ama kitchen party. Nobuteko ukubusenda kwati tebuteko. It means that they even lost respect for the Government. That is why we have their remnants telling the Government that they have people to take on the Government. That is the spirit from the past. That is where we are losing it.

Madam Speaker, as a people, we must not be afraid to mine our resources. However, let us have a mind of investing. Let us have the mind to form consortiums or big conglomerates. If one Jerabo makes K10,000 and another one makes K5,000, they can put their monies together and go to a financier to ask for K50,000 so that they can invest in a big mine. As Zambians, we need to start thinking outside the box, which is why the President keeps on saying that we need investment expenditure. For example, when the President raised the issue of buying a tractor, people laughed and said he wanted them to be buying tractors instead of cars. When you buy a tractor and start cultivating, the next thing you are going to buy is a Mercedes Benz while looking at your tractor. That is the mindset change that we need. Probably, we need our people to be told the business side of things. Even those who are working on mine dumps can learn the business side of things so that when they make money, they can invest. Many co-operatives that made money from the Black Mountain even in a structured way are broke because they had consumption expenditure. So, what we need is investment expenditure, where you take what you can eat and then invest the rest so that you continuously reap from there.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, we have a lot of minerals in Zambia that will outlive all of us here, including our great grandchildren. However, how we exploit them and invest is important. We should not be afraid to mine them. By the way, do you know why minerals are called critical minerals? It is because in future, there will be a shortage of minerals. We have not been exploring so all the minerals are in the ground. We need to conduct more explorations. We are late as a planet. People are saying copper is a critical mineral. The price of copper is going up not because there is no copper but because it is in the ground. We have not done the science of mining. We have to map and then drill to find the copper. We should not be afraid to give licences. Let us teach our people investment expenditure because that will help us.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS IN PEMBA DISTRICT

81. Mr Hamwaata (Pemba) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation:

whether the Government has any plans to construct dams in the following areas of Pemba District:

Bweliyale in Yotam Muleya Ward;

Haboombe in Kauba Ward;

Cheelo in Muzoka Ward;

Chibidze in Maambo Ward;

Mulamfu in Nachibanga Ward;

Kaanza in Kasiya Ward; and

Vwulamino in Kasiya Ward;

if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Mubanga) (on behalf of(The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation(Eng. Nzovu)): Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to construct new dams in the mentioned areas of Pemba Constituency. The Government, through the ministry, undertook a programme to construct small dams across the country with the aim of controlling water resources to ensure the availability of the resource for socio-economic development. In Pemba District, ten potential sites were identified, which include Chinga and Mulamfu in Nachibanga Ward, Cheelo and Kanatela in Hamaundu Ward, Lutambo in Maamba Ward, and Kaanza and Sibusenga in Kasiya Ward, among others. This programme is ongoing, and the ministry will continue to identify new sites for dams as needed.

Madam Speaker, these plans will be implemented in the constituency as and when funds are available to carry out detailed topographical surveys, generate engineering design drawings and prepare the Bill of Quantities (BoQ). Funds will also be required for the actual construction of dams in the respective areas.

Madam Speaker, you may wish to note that the ministry is currently constructing two dams in Pemba Constituency, namely Hajamba Dam at a total cost of K10,579,596.72 in Kauba Ward and Chibwentolo Dam at a total cost of K10,309,406.27 in Nachibanga Ward, with progress at 59 per cent and 55 per cent respectively. Both dams are expected to be completed by December 2024.

Madam Speaker, as mentioned earlier, the Government has plans to construct dams in the specified wards of Pemba Constituency.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Hamwaata: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that answer. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the New Dawn Government for the construction of two dams, which are Chibwentolo and Hajamba. However, the contractors seem to be very slow in executing their work. I expected them to complete the works in October 2024. Unfortunately, they are still far from completing the works. The hon. Minister has indicated that sites have been identified for the construction of more dams to support our people and our animals. My question is: Are the dams that the Government intends to construct commercial to support irrigation?

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, the dams being constructed are small, but the water in there will be able to support irrigation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, the eastern part of Pemba Constituency is quite mountainous. In some places, you cannot drive a rig to go and drill a borehole. The area requires the small dams that the hon. Minister has itemised for people to harvest water. I want to know how much it would cost to construct the small dams in the eastern side of Pemba Constituency if money were available.

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, it is very difficult to estimate the cost now, but I have the figures for the dams being constructed. One costs K10,579,596.72 and another one costs K10,309,406.27. So, even the other dams that will be constructed will be in that range.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that the construction of dams is an ongoing project. By his admission, no work has started on all the dams. The Government wants to tie everything to programmes such as the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), which will end in 2026 and the Vision 2030. If the hon. Minister is not specific on the timeframe for the end of the projects, is he not going against the provisions of the 8NDP and the Vision 2030? If we finished the projects, our milestones would be achieved. Could the hon. Minister be specific on when the projects will be completed.

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, our country is experiencing some challenges. This year, we have gone through drought, and so, most of our funds were taken to programmes to feed the nation. Of course, water is also very important. That is why I said that we will gather some funds to carry out surveys and make engineering designs to come up with BoQs. We will look at the projects and see whether we can get funds from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to construct the dams. It is very important to give our people water. So, I will get back to the hon. Member for Moomba.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabeta: Madam Speaker, I spent my childhood in the eastern part of Pemba, which is not only a hilly place but also a valley. We struggled to find water from the time I was there in 1992 to 1996. There was drought in 1992. Looking at the drought we experienced this year, I can only imagine what the people in those villages are going through. I want to make an appeal to the hon. Minister; let him kindly expedite the works on the dams. Life there has been very hard. I am speaking from experience.

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, water is life. Definitely, as a ministry, we have to give our people water. That is why the ministry has the task to give water to our people throughout the country.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Hamwaata: Madam Speaker, the areas that the hon. Minister has identified seriously need water. However, based on his response, it may take a bit of time for the ministry to have the resources to construct the dams. Are there short-term interventions that can be employed in 2025 to give the people water?

Mr Mubanga: Madam Speaker, I said that water is life. Through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the hon. Member of Parliament for Pemba can see what he can do for the people.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AGAINST FEMALE STUDENTS

82. Mr Allen Banda (Chimwemwe) asked the Minister of Education what measures are being taken to address the escalating cases of sexual harassment against female students perpetuated by male lecturers in colleges and universities, countrywide.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, to address the rising cases of sexual harassment in higher education institutions, the following strengthened measures have been implemented in public colleges of education to ensure safe learning environments for female students:

Mandatory Induction and Orientation

Madam Speaker, at the start of each academic year, all public colleges conduct orientation sessions for new students, inviting key stakeholders such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Victim Support Unit (VSU), health and human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and ministries. These sessions provide essential information on the right reporting channels and resources available for students facing harassment.

Focused Sex Education and Life Skills Training

Madam Speaker, the orientation also includes workshops focused on building female student circle social skills, such as assertiveness, self-confidence and communication. These sessions empower female students with the confidence to assert boundaries, including their right to refuse unwanted advances and report harassment.

Reinforcement of Service Terms and Codes

Madam Speaker, regular reminders of the terms and conditions of service of public employees and disciplinary codes are shared with both staff and students. This emphasises accountability and the repercussions of violating professional boundaries.

Enhanced Counselling and Support Systems

Madam Speaker, colleges have strengthened counselling and guidance units that work with local ministries and support services. These units provide a confidential and accessible space for students to report incidents and seek assistance, ensuring students feel safe to come forward.

Staff and Student Briefings

Madam Speaker, regular assemblies and staff meetings address issues of sexual misconduct and advise students on the importance of academic integrity. Female students are encouraged to rely on their efforts and abilities rather than on undue favours, promoting a culture of hard work.

Active Disciplinary Committees

Madam Speaker, each college has a disciplinary committee under the vice-principal’s office, prioritising protection and support for students who report harassment. This reduces the risk of retaliation and supports victims throughout the reporting process.

Presence of Matrons

Madam Speaker, matrons are present in colleges providing round-the-clock support to female students. They play an essential role in monitoring the welfare of female students and providing immediate assistance and counselling when cases of harassment are reported.

Student Leadership Involvement

Madam Speaker, student leaders are encouraged to act as points of contact for peers facing harassment. This empowers students to report incidents in a way that feels safe, knowing that they have the support of their leaders.

Targeted Support for Vulnerable Students

Madam Speaker, recognising that financial difficulties and academic struggles are contributing factors, public colleges offer financial aid options. Vulnerable students may work in service roles during holidays to offset tuition fees. Additionally, colleges encourage the formation of study groups for academic support, which can reduce vulnerability to harassment.

Madam Speaker, these measures collectively foster a supportive, transparent and protective environment, ensuring that female students feel empowered, informed and supported throughout their academic journey.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Allen Banda: Madam Speaker, we are talking about female students. There are lecturers who are professional and so their reputation needs to be protected. Not all lecturers find themselves in such incidents. What measures or plans does the ministry have to ensure that the reputation of those lecturers who are professional is protected?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, well, it depends on how a case is weighed. Sometimes, lecturers become victims as well. I think that codes of conduct and ethics can provide support. So, it is how an institution weighs the case of a person who reports another person.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The last question will be from the hon. Member for Kanchibiya.

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, are there teachers who have been discharged from the teaching service on account of sexual harassment?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, yes, of course, there are people who have been discharged because of the same. Like I said, when I answered the question from Hon. Allen Banda, cases are weighed, and some people have been dismissed. When I saw the question, I said to myself, this is a moral question. If you are a lecturer or a teacher, there is what we call ethical living. You have to protect your students or pupils because they become your clients. So, you must know how to protect a client. Clients are not only for lawyers; even the ones we teach are called clients. There is an extent to which we can deal with them in counselling. How long can one engage students after they have left school? In counselling, we have about ten years. So, there are ethical issues in teaching and in many other professions. Yes, some people have been discharged because of that, but others have not been found guilty even when they were pointed at. Sometimes, when a student fails, they might say that it was because they were harassed. We have seen such cases. So, I appeal to all professionals to be mindful of such and to live ethical lives, as long as they are in a college, university, secondary school, primary school or early childhood centre.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

PLANS TO RE-CAPITALISE ZAMBIA RAILWAYS LIMITED

83. Mr Kolala (Lufubu) asked the Minister of Transport and Logistics:

(a) whether the Government has any plans to re-capitalise Zambia Railways Limited;

(b) if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

(c) if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi) on behalf of the Minister of Transport and Logistics (Mr Tayali)): Madam Speaker, my Government has plans to re-capitalise Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) by acquiring new rolling stock and rehabilitating the railway infrastructure to attain average train speeds of 80 km per hour and 100 km per hour for freight and passenger trains respectively.

Madam Speaker, the plans to re-capitalise ZRL will be implemented once the Government’s discussion with prospective strategic partners or multilateral development institutions are concluded. In the interim, the Government has continued to allocate funds annually to ZRL to attend to critical areas on the railway network under the Government Railway Improvement Project (GRIP). So far, the Government has released the following funds:

K25.06 million was released in 2022 for the repair works on Bombwe Bridge on the Mulobezi Railway line and some maintenance works on the mainline;

K30 million was released in 2023 to continue with the intervention of repairing critical areas of the line;

K25 million has been allocated in the 2024 Budget for repair works on the railway network; and

K100 million has been allocated to ZRL in the 2025 Budget for the rehabilitation of Mulobezi Railway network.

Madam Speaker, as stated in (b), the Government has plans to re-capitalise ZRL.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kolala: Madam Speaker, what stage have the discussions with the strategic partners reached?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the total cost required to re-capitalise ZRL is estimated at US$2.19 billion and includes the following scope of works:

rehabilitation of the entire railway network, which is 1,292 km;

installation of a new and appropriate signalling system; and

procurement of new rolling stock, that is, wagons and locomotives.

Madam Speaker, in the short term, ZRL requires an estimated US$200 million to stabilise operations before commencement of any major rehabilitation projects. The scope of work includes:

procurement of new locomotives in a phased approach;

procurement of pre-owned or brand-new wagons; and

procurement of workshop equipment.

Madam Speaker, from the time that the New Dawn Government came into office in August 2021, we have been engaging with prospective partners, including looking at offers to rehabilitate the railway line from Livingstone all the way to Chingola and Chililabombwe. The hon. Member has asked what level the engagement with partners has reached. It is difficult to answer that because we have been engaging partners since 2021. The issue here is cost. Further, we have looked at the possibility of using the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Madam Speaker, I think, the main issue here is; what the Government plans are in terms of the railway systems in Zambia. You have heard of the Lobito Corridor, which seeks to join Chingola to the North-Western Province and Angola. That project is progressing very well. You have heard of the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that have been signed with the Chinese for the total rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)for about US$1 billion. You have heard the President talk about the need to connect the Lobito Railway Line to TAZARA so that people can move from the Indian Coast all the way to the Atlantic Coast. In order for that to happen, we have to have connections between Copperbelt and Kapiri Mposhi, to start with. So, we are working on that. Further, work has to be done between Kapiri Mposhi and Livingstone. There are also plans to connect the railway line from Livingstone to Kazungula. We are already in discussions with Botswana because Botswana is carrying out work on its side; I think it is the Trans-Kalahari Corridor expansion. We should connect our railway line all the way to ports in neighbouring countries. There are plans to extend the railway line from Kazungula. The issue with Kazungula is that the bridge that was constructed already has a rail spur across it. So, there will be no need to construct a separate bridge. Further, we have talked about the Walvis Bay Corridor not just in terms of a road but also a railway line. We can extend the line all the way to Sesheke and Katima Mulilo. Engagement is a continuous process. Until we pen signatures onto pieces of paper, we cannot say that we have reached the conclusion. In addition, we are working on the Nacala Corridor and the Lion’s Den to Kafue Railway Spur. All these are railway systems that we want to work on as a Government.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kolala: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has given very good information and hope to the people of Zambia, especially the workers at Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL). Does the Government have a timeframe to begin the works?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, we want to conclude the engagements as quickly as possible. It is in the interest of Zambia, as a country, and this Government to ensure that the railway lines and systems are rehabilitated because that will remove pressure from our road network so that most of the cargo can be moved by the railway transport system.

Madam Speaker, when you are engaging with partners or investors to attract them to be part of a public-private partnership (PPP), it is difficult to give a timeframe. Until someone has signed off something, it is difficult to say that something will be concluded within six months, for example, because you depend on responses from other people. What is important is that the Government has started the process of engaging with participating partners, including financiers.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The owner of the question is satisfied.

CONSTRUCTION OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OFFICES IN KANCHIBIYA DISTRICT

84. Mr Chanda asked the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development:

when construction of the District Administration offices in Kanchibiya District will commence;

what the estimated cost of the project is;

what the estimated timeframe for the completion of the project is; and

what the short-term plans for office space for operations of essential Government services are.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the construction of the District Administration Offices in Kanchibiya is part of Phase II of the New District Project, which is scheduled to commence upon the completion of the ongoing projects initiated in 2014 under Phase I.

Madam Speaker, the estimated cost of the works based on the prevailing market rates and prices is K13.5million. The estimated timeframe for completion of the project from the time a contractor is procured is twelve months.

Madam Speaker, for the time being, respective departments should utilise the existing infrastructure within the district for office accommodation. Furthermore, the District Administration is expected to allocate resources in the 2025 Budget and in subsequent years for office accommodation, until such time when funding is secured for the construction of administration offices and related support facilities.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chanda: Madam Speaker, I hold the hon. Minister as a man of his word. Speaking on behalf of the people of Kanchibiya, I came here and made certain requests that his ministry has delivered. So, I am ever grateful.

Madam Speaker, Government offices are very crucial for newly-created districts such as ours. They also enhance service delivery. We are doing what we can with the expanded scope of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), but we can only do so much. There is a need for us to have Government presence in real terms. What can the people of Kanchibiya expect from the Government between now and the end of 2025 in that regard?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, firstly, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanchibiya for his very kind comments on what the Government is doing to provide services to the people of Zambia. Secondly, I do sympathise with him in terms of lack of completion of these facilities. It is not comforting, but I go around our country regularly and come across those things. Incomplete administration facilities are throughout the new districts that were created. Not long ago, I was in Manyinga. I can assure you, it would probably not be appropriate to describe the place where I met the District Commissioner (DC). It was very basic. In other places, administration offices are very far from the district headquarters where they ought to be. We are committed to completing these facilities. Where these facilities have been completed, I have had the privilege of commissioning them. In terms of the offices in Kanchibiya, I think that we should just continue to liaise to see what we can do to push some of the works that need to be done. That is the commitment I can pledge to the hon. Member.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mwambazi: Madam Speaker, there are many district administration offices and low-cost houses dotted around the country that are not complete. Has the ministry come up with a road map on how to ensure that some of those structures that were abandoned at slab level, window level or various levels are completed? I saw such structures in Chikankata, Siavonga and other places. Does the ministry have a road map to complete some of these much-needed district administration offices in places like Kanchibiya?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, one of the problems we had with facilities in the new districts is, a pronouncement was made to establish new districts and construct administration headquarters all over, which was very good, but it was not backed by resources in the country. That is why we are struggling. As the New Dawn Government, we have not reversed that pronouncement. We have taken the attitude that the pronouncement must be left in place, and we should do what we can to complete the works that can be completed.

Madam Speaker, Phase I for the whole country was for the construction of infrastructure in the thirty-three newly-created districts in various parts of the country. The infrastructure includes district administration blocks, civic centres, two high-cost houses, police stations and ten staff houses, post offices, ten medium-cost houses and ten low-cost houses. Phase I for the thirty-three districts is scheduled for completion in 2026, of course, subject to the availability of funds. In fact, our Committees are discussing the Budget. When it is approved, some resources that have been allocated will go to that phase. However, I think that it will take us a bit of time to complete Phases I and II.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

_______

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1839 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 1^stNovember, 2024.

____________

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