Thursday, 26^th September, 2024

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

HON. MEMBERS AND STAFF FROM THE GHANAIAN PARLIAMENT

Madam Speaker: I wish to acquaint the House with the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the following hon. Members and staff from the Parliament of Ghana:

Hon. Moses Anim, MP, Leader of Delegation;

Hon. Della Sowah, MP;

Hon. Eric Afful, MP; and

Mrs Rosemary Arthur Sarkodie, Assistant Deputy Clerk.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I wish to receive our distinguished guests and warmly welcome them into our midst.

I thank you.

VISITORS FROM EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of visitors from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) Zambia office of Lusaka District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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

I thank you.

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of pupils and teachers from Lusaka International Community School (LICS) of Lusaka District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisanga: Mwana ma yadi.

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

I thank you.

VISITORS FROM LUNDAZI PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of visitors from Lundazi Parliamentary Constituency.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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

I thank you.

Madam Speaker: The CDF (Constituency Development Fund) is working.

Laughter

TRAINING WORKSHOP ON SECTOR BUDGET ANALYSIS

Madam Speaker: I wish to inform the House that the National Assembly of Zambia will hold a one-day training workshop on sector budget analysis for all hon. Members. The meeting will take place on Monday, 30^th September, 2024, at 0930 hours, at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel.

Hon. Members are requested to be punctual for this important meeting.

I thank you.

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR MPIKA, ON THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS NALUMANGO, ON THE ZAMBIAN CONSTITUTION

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to raise an urgent matter without notice.

Madam Speaker, the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia confers rights and liberties on the Zambian people, as enshrined in its pre-amble. Court precincts are sacred areas that the public is free to access. However, what we witnessed this morning was strange. There were more than 2,000 police officers, …

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kapyanga: … deployed at the Supreme Court grounds. Some of us who went there peacefully to attend to court matters were brutally sent away and, in the process, a policewoman almost pulled my manhood as I was trying to –

Interruptions

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, Hon. Mabonga, Hon. Simumba and others were also harassed in the same fashion.

Madam Speaker, I direct this matter to Her Honour the Vice-President. Has the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia been suspended and, in the midst of that, do the rights and liberties of our people have to be trumped on?

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Member for Mpika.

Hon. Member, what you have said about what transpired at the High Court or Supreme Court premises is a matter within the purview of the people who are in charge of maintaining order and security in our country. You can file in a question, which can come to the Floor later if you want that matter to be addressed. However, I think that the matter does not qualify to be addressed by me as an urgent matter without notice. We do not know the reasons the police officers were deployed; whether it was to maintain peace and order or for another purpose. It would be difficult for us to say.

MR CHISANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR LUKASHYA, ON MR CHIKOTE, HON. MINISTER OF ENERGY, ON PEOPLE SIPHONING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM WAGONS ON THE COPPERBELT

Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to also raise an urgent matter without notice, which I am addressing to the hon. Minister of Energy.

Madam Speaker, there is a growing trend on the Copperbelt Province, somewhere in Bwana Mkubwa area, of citizens running after moving railway wagons to siphon petroleum products. If you look at the ugly scenes in the videos, you will see children as young as thirteen years old jumping onto the wagons to collect fuel in plastic containers and passing them on to their friends. If the trend is not checked, it may lead to accidents or deliberate fires, which can lead to loss of lives, damage to property and disruption of the supply of petroleum in the country.

Madam Speaker, I rise to ask you to direct the hon. Minister of Energy to present a statement in the House to assure the nation that the Government is going to take steps to ensure that the hideous crimes are put in check to prevent loss of lives, damage to property and disruption of petroleum supply in the nation.

Madam Speaker: Thank you, hon. Member for Lukashya.

Hon. Member, as you may be aware, today is the last day of the Sitting because hon. Members will be working in Committees. You can file in a question which can be addressed at a later time. When an urgent matter without notice is raised, the hon. Minister is supposed to come to the House within twenty-four hours to issue a ministerial statement. However, since we will be suspending the Business of the House, that will not be possible in this case. I think the matter ties into maintaining law and order.

If the police are deployed, then, the people may ask if we have suspended the Constitution. That is just by the way. I am just commenting. We need to find a balance in terms of maintaining law and order to prevent criminality and to also protect our people.

MS NYIRENDA, HON. MEMBER FOR LUNDAZI, ON MR MPOSHA, HON. MINISTER OF GREEN ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT, ON A TABLET THAT IS KILLING PEOPLE IN LUNDAZI

Ms Nyirenda: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I want to appreciate you for receiving our people from Lundazi.

Madam Speaker, I want to raise an urgent matter without notice directed to the hon. Minister of Green Economy and Environment. The matter has been an issue that we have suffered with in Lundazi, especially during the time that I was on holiday there. Just this morning, someone was buried in my constituency. There is a tablet made from aluminium phosphide that is used in the preservation of maize so that it does not attract stalk borers and develop other infections. The tablet is being used by some people in my constituency for something else. So far, ten people have died. Some people consume that tablet and within hours, they die. Three teachers have died in the same manner. Further, pupils can access it over the counter. The tablet only costs K2, it is readily available and can be bought by any child who may differ with his or her parents. The continuous selling of the tablet over the counter has finished people. The situation is worrying because one of the teachers whom we buried committed suicide in Petauke although he was from Lundazi.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Green Economy and Environment, who is in charge of poisonous substances under the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), in order to not deal with or make the tablet expensive so that it cannot easily be accessed by the people?

Madam Speaker, I need your intervention before all our people die in Lundazi and other places.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

As I earlier guided the hon. Member for Lukashya, when an hon. Minister is directed to issue a ministerial statement, he or she has to do so within twenty-four hours, which will not be possible at present because we will be suspend business and hon. Members will be working in Committees. I know that it is a matter that everybody needs to be involved in, in terms of counselling. You can file in a question so that the hon. Minister of Green Economy and Environment can come to the House and tackle it. I think that we need to conduct more counselling programmes in our communities concerning suicide and the misuse of drugs, such as the one you have talked about, the cough mixture people drink and so on and so forth.

We call upon everyone, including the hon. Members of Parliament, to get involved.

Hon. Member, I am glad that the people from your constituency are here, in the House, listening. It is incumbent on them, as leaders, to do the needful when they go back to the constituency.

I thank you.

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

THE WATER SUPPLY SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Eng. Nzovu): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you most sincerely for giving me this opportunity to render a ministerial statement on the water supply situation in the country. My statement will focus on the following:

1. the state of water supply in the country;

1. water supply challenges in Kaoma, Katete, Solwezi, Kasempa and Lusaka districts; and

1. mitigation measures the Government has put in place to minimise the impact.

Madam Speaker, as we are all aware, the country has experienced the worst drought in recorded history prompting His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema to declare it a national disaster and emergency. You will recall that a few months ago, on the Floor of the House, I mentioned that the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) had estimated that Zambia’s average annual precipitation was at 1,020 mm. However, the average annual precipitation during the 2023/2024 Rainy Season was only 490 mm due to the drought, and it was the lowest precipitation received in the last 100 years, which clearly demonstrates the critical shortage of water resources that the country is experiencing.

Madam Speaker, the severe drought has had a dual effect on the water supply in the country. Firstly, the drying up of surface water resources and dwindling levels of groundwater in some parts of the country have resulted in low abstraction and subsequent reduced water production at the water utilities. Some water sources, such as the Katete Dam in Katete, Likwele Dam in Pemba, Lufupa River in Kasempa and Mwambashi Dam in Kalulushi, have completely dried up while water levels in the Kafue River and Solwezi River as well as in boreholes in most parts of the country have drastically reduced.

Secondly, Madam Speaker, the water utilities have not been spared from the load management that is being implemented by ZESCO Limited, in which power supply has been reduced to a maximum of three hours in most parts of the country. However, some big water plants such as the Iolanda Water Treatment Plant in Lusaka, Kafubu Water Treatment Plant in Ndola and Nkana East Water Treatment Plant in Kitwe have been given dedicated power lines by ZESCO Limited with a favourable load management schedule. Boreholes and booster stations are being provided with a maximum of three hours of power supply per day, which is usually inconsistent and unstable.

Madam Speaker, the drying up of water sources and extensive load-shedding has resulted in the erratic and reduced hours of water supply in many parts of the country. The hours of water supply have reduced to an average of ten hours for most areas with some areas having no water at all. You may wish to note that reduced water supply has further led to decreased revenue for water utilities resulting in losses of an average of K1.5 million per month due to reduced sales. The loss, coupled with extremely low tariffs of an average of K7.9 per cubic metre against an average unit cost of recovery of K13.9 has had a devastating impact on the water utilities’ ability to cover their operations and maintenance costs. Hence, making it difficult to sustain service delivery.

Madam Speaker, in terms of specifics, Kaoma has experienced a drop in water supply hours, which have been worsened by the long hours of load management. The district receives only about two hours of power supply in a day resulting in erratic to no water supply, as water is pumped directly into the distribution network. My ministry is working to ensure that the water storage tanks constructed under the ongoing Integrated Small Town’s Water Supply and Sanitation Project are commissioned to allow for supply by gravity. This is one of the mitigation measures. Further, my ministry will ensure that the completed boreholes under the same project are handed over to the Western Water and Sanitation Company (WWSC) to boost water production. The ministry has also engaged ZESCO Limited to provide a dedicated line to Mulamba Water Treatment Plant to alleviate the load-shedding challenge. We ask the good people of Kaoma to be patient with us as we work to resolve the water problem.

Madam Speaker, Katete District has been experiencing erratic to no water supply because the Katete Dam, which is the only source of water for the district, has dried up. The water levels in the dam started dropping as early as April 2024 and by August 2024 they had drastically reduced below the intake point, therefore, making it impossible for the Eastern Water Supply and Sanitation Company (EWSSC) to abstract sufficient quantities of water for supply. The water is not able to flow by gravity to the treatment plant as designed. So, the water utility is using a portable pump to lift water from the collection channel to the plant to serve as a temporary measure. The measure can only accommodate a supply of three hours of water per day, twice a week. To address the challenge, my ministry is drilling six commercial boreholes in Katete and, so far, one has been drilled and equipped. It is expected that the project will be completed by the second week of October 2024 after which supply is expected to improve to about twelve hours of supply daily. We can only ask the people of Katete to be patient with us.

Madam Speaker, with regard to Solwezi District and Kasempa District, the Lufupa River in Kasempa District has dried up, while the water level in the Solwezi River, in Solwezi District, has reduced to alarming levels, and that has resulted in reduced water production and subsequent erratic to no water supply in the two districts. Among the areas affected in Solwezi are low-density, urban, Messenger, Kizomba, Kyawama, Magrade, Kamisala Township and Kandundu. Additionally, Solwezi has been severely affected by the power load management, particularly, at Kifubwa Plant, which receives only four hours of power supply. To address the challenges, my ministry, through the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA), is working on widening the intake point and also clearing the Lufupa River course upstream. My ministry is also working with the North-Western Water Supply and Sanitation Company (NWWSSC) to construct a weir on the Solwezi River. Further, the ministry is working on drilling two commercial boreholes in each of the districts to supplement production. To mitigate the power challenge in Solwezi, my ministry is procuring a generator. We, therefore, request the good people of Solwezi and Kasempa to be a bit patient with us as we resolve the water supply challenges. 

Madam Speaker, most parts of Lusaka District have been experiencing erratic water supply, particularly, areas supplied by boreholes, such as Bauleni, Chazanga, Avondale, Chainda, Kabanana, Ndeke, Kwamwena, Vorna Valley, Chalala and parts of Kamwala South, as a result of the power load management, which runs over eighteen hours a day. The Lusaka Water and Sanitation Company (LWSC) has embarked on a process of interconnecting some of the affected areas to surface water sources to improve supply. Further, the water utility has sourced generators, which are being used to supply water to Kwamwena, Ndeke and Vorna Valley. Further, the utility has been providing water using water bowsers to areas such as Chainda and Bauleni.

Madam Speaker, since February 2024, the Government, under the leadership of His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has initiated mitigation measures to ensure that the impact of the drought that the country experienced during the 2023/2024 Rainy Season is minimised. The ministry has, therefore, put in place several measures. In terms of water resource management interventions, the ministry, through WARMA, has intensified compliance enforcement to safeguard water resources from illegal and undesirable human-related activities. As of 6^th August, 2024, WARMA had issued ninety-nine stop-orders related to various illegalities. Further, WARMA also issued sixteen penalties for various offences. In addition, a total of 145 commercial water users, comprising of eighty-five surface water and sixty groundwater users, were inspected. Specifically, WARMA carried out enforcement and sensitisation programmes on the Chibefwe and Nkolonga rivers with respect to encroachment by unpermitted small-scale water users on water sources and undesirable water use in Mkushi District. My ministry will intensify regulation, compliance and enforcement of the relevant laws to curb illegal activities, such as encroachment of water resources, illegal water use, pollution of water resources and other vices that negatively affect our water resources.

Madam Speaker, as I indicated to this august House during my last ministerial statement, my ministry, through WARMA, will not hesitate to apply the powers under Statutory Instrument (SI) No.1 of 2000 to destroy without any compensation any unlawful works, crops or structures that have encroached on water resources. It is worth noting that under Section 172 of the Water Resources Management Act No. 21 of 2011, offenders can be fined up to K200,000 or imprisoned for a maximum of five years.

Madam Speaker, to address the issue of drying water sources and reduced water levels, my ministry will drill 100 commercial boreholes before the end of the year in areas most affected by the drought to supplement water production. I wish to indicate that some boreholes have already been drilled in Pemba. In Katete, which had its reservoirs completely dried up, drilling is currently going on. Further, my ministry will construct 428 rural piped water supply systems equipped with solar and 270 existing boreholes will be rehabilitated and equipped with solar pumps, storage tanks and water reticulation systems. The procurement process for the measures outlined is ongoing. Further, my ministry is constructing sixteen dams, which will be completed by December 2024. An additional twelve dams will be constructed in 2025. The ministry has also carried out routine maintenance works on seventy-nine dams, which are ready for the 2024/2025 Rainy Season.

Madam Speaker, 680 dams will undergo maintenance by December 2024. Maintenance is being done under public works using local communities, hence, creating employment for our people. Furthermore, the ministry is carrying out major rehabilitation works on six dams, which will be completed by December 2024. Procurement for an additional fourteen dams earmarked for rehabilitation in 2025 is underway. The ministry has also earmarked the construction of sixty watering points; forty-five for livestock and fifteen for wildlife, by December 2024. The process of procuring drillers to drill boreholes for those facilities will be completed soon. The measures will support agriculture as well as domestic and industrial water use.

Madam Speaker, there are other projects that will significantly contribute towards mitigating the impact of the drought such as the US$450 million Kafulafuta Water Supply System Project under the Kafubu Water and Sanitation Company (KWSC), which is almost complete and is expected to be commissioned by the end of October 2024. The project will improve water supply to areas in Ndola, Luanshya, Masaiti and Mpongwe districts benefiting over 1 million people. The other project is the US$150 million Integrated Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project covering Muchinga Province and the Northern Province under the Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company, and Luapula Province and the Western Province under the Luapula Water and Sanitation Company and the Western Water and Sanitation Company, respectively. My ministry has been working on unlocking all the challenges with regard to the contracts to ensure that the projects are expeditiously completed and, therefore, contribute to the mitigation measures that the Government has put in place. Once completed, the projects will have a huge impact on water supply for the people in the four provinces. You may wish to note that the projects stalled for over two years due to, among others, a lack of funding because of the crippling debt burden, which led to the non-payment of contractual obligations.

Madam Speaker, to address the extensive power load management situation, my ministry is providing alternative sources of energy for some of the critical installations. For example, a generator will soon be procured for Solwezi District, which is badly affected by load management. The engagements with the Ministry of Energy, through ZESCO Limited, have also continued and, where possible, dedicated power lines have been provided to enable water utilities to supply, at least, a minimum quantity of water. My ministry has also ensured that where pumps are being replaced or new ones installed, they will be powered by solar.

Madam Speaker, in the medium to long term, my ministry will embark on the installation of solar power systems at all the water and sanitation facilities. In that regard, my ministry is implementing the €118.1 million Nexus Energy and Water Programme for Zambia (NEWZA) from April 2024 to April 2028. The initiative is supported by the European Union (EU), Germany and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and it will benefit five water utilities, namely Lukanga Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LgWSC), Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWSC), Nkana water and Sewerage Company (NWSC), Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited (EWSC), and Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company (ChWSC), by leveraging on solar energy for their water generation plants. Further, the ministry played an active role in the just-concluded Government-to-Government negotiation between Zambia and Germany, which culminated in a pledge of €108 million to support Zambia's developmental agenda and drought response over the next two years. Specifically, €26 million is directed towards addressing the drought challenges in sectors such as water.

Madam Speaker, to reduce water losses, the ministry intends to undertake a number of measures that will include the rehabilitation of the water distribution systems and treatment plants, and procurement of water meters. Therefore, the ministry is appealing to hon. Members to fund water supply and sanitation projects using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The ministry is ready to design and supervise the construction of water schemes, dams and weirs as well as sanitation facilities like waterborne toilets. The projects can significantly contribute to water and food security in our constituencies. The proposal is that each constituency allocates a mere 15 per cent of its CDF to water and sanitation projects. As we are in a state of emergency, there is no need to keep funds while our people are water and food insecure.

Madam Speaker, the ministry requires a collective effort from all the sectors of society to effectively respond to the emergency. To that effect, I wish to take this opportunity to launch a nationwide campaign, which my ministry will undertake through the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), to sensitise the nation on sustainable water use and practices. The campaign will be carried out on various radio and television stations and also social media platforms with support from co-operating partners. I invite all hon. Members to engage fully. Further, the EU has launched the game changers campaign under my ministry to highlight EU-financed projects through the two flagship global gateway projects, that is, NEWZA and the Accelerate Water and Agricultural Resources Efficiency (AWARE 2.0), which will focus on sharing impactful stories and achievements in the water supply and water resources management sectors. The campaign will further highlight the impact of the drought and its intersection with water, energy, finance, society and culture. The campaign will be launched on 24^th October, 2024, which is the International Day of Climate Action.

Madam Speaker, I urge all the citizens to co-operate in adhering to the measures that are being put in place; to practice water conservation and support the initiatives that are aimed at ensuring sustainable water supply. The ministry is committed to overcoming the challenge and ensuring that every citizen has access to clean, safe and reliable water by working tirelessly to address the immediate needs, and the short-term, medium-term and long-term requirements needed to build a resilient water supply system for the future.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much for that elaborate statement.

Hon. Members, you are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the ministerial statement that has been issued by the hon. Minister.

Mr C. Chibuye (Mkushi North): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate statement. Indeed, it was a mouthful.

Madam Speaker, we have many challenges related to water, as the hon. Minister has indicated in his statement, and Mkushi has not been spared. Lukanga Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LgWSC) has issues. My concern is: Are the utility companies in Zambia doing the job that they were created for? The LgWSC has completely failed the people of Mkushi. It is not doing anything to ensure that our people have enough water. It has not improved its water distribution network, it has not improved –

Mr Chaatila: Interjected.

Mr C. Chibuye: Just keep quiet.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mkushi North!

Get to the question. We have many indications.

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, the problem is that these people –

Madam Speaker: Do not debate, hon. Member. Just ask the question.

Mr C. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, LgWSC has not been providing water. Mkushi has had no water for the past three months. The question is: Are the utility companies helping the people of Zambia, in particular, LgWSC in Mkushi?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I must admit that we have had challenges at many of our commercial water utilities and we are taking steps to ensure that they deliver on their mandate. It has been a challenge, first of all, repairing the old infrastructure, increasing the distribution system and now just getting the raw water because the sources are drying up. Maintenance has also been a challenge, as I mentioned in my statement, because the costs keep rising, yet matching the tariffs, which enable the water utilities to raise revenue and invest it back into the companies, has been a big challenge. There is a myriad of challenges that we need to resolve around the water utilities. We, as the Government, will do everything possible to ensure that they deliver on their mandate. We can only ask hon. Members for close co-operation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, looking at the statement that the hon. Minister has provided, I see that it has highlighted many challenges in water supply. I think that the hon. Minister’s leadership will be cardinal in the situation. What assurance is he giving the Zambian people and his hon. Colleagues in the House about providing leadership, especially in terms of stakeholder collaboration and engagement in resolving some of the issues connected to ZESCO Limited and water supply, for example, and other lateral issues that may be impacting water supply?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I opened up the book on the challenges being experienced for us to completely understand the extent of the problem that we are dealing with. I also offered many solutions in the statement. So, working together, I believe that the solutions will help us mitigate the suffering of our people.

Madam Speaker, I want to inform the hon. Member that next week, we will call for a water forum at which all the players in the sector will come together and interrogate the various measures that we are putting in place. Further, I want to assure the hon. Member that we have the right leadership in place. Under one of the measures that we have put in place, in particular, the completion of the Integrated Small Towns Water and Sanitation Project as well as the big project in Kafulafuta, we have brought back the contractors who had left the sites. We have resolved many contractual issues that were outstanding the past two years. We will be commissioning many of those projects by December 2024, and that will bring on board in excess of 2 million of our people on the Copperbelt Province, Muchinga Province, Luapula Province and the Western Province.  We, as the Government, believe that it is only because there is proper leadership, obviously, that the projects will be completed and they will speak to ensuring that the mitigation measures we are putting in place help our people who are extremely water-stressed.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Allen Banda (Chimwemwe): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the fact that a dedicated power line has been given to Nkana Water and Sanitation Company (NWSC) and I understand the fact that the hon. Minister has said that we should reserve 30 per cent of our Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation. Unfortunately, that cannot work out in 2025 because we have already identified projects to embark on, which are mostly set towards the procurement of desks and building classroom blocks.

Madam Speaker, Chimwemwe had a water supply crisis long before load-shedding came into effect. We, as a constituency, have engaged the hon. Minister in this august House on more than two occasions and promises were made. The biggest issue we have is the water pipes. This is a Budget Meeting. The people of Chimwemwe are hopeful and believe that perhaps, the hon. Minister has reserved some funds for the constituency. My question, therefore, is: Has the ministry reserved any money for the pipe works in Chimwemwe Constituency?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I want to agree with my hon. Colleague in saying that we have a challenge in Chimwemwe. We have a challenge in most townships on the Copperbelt Province. The distribution network is old. It has not seen much of rehabilitation. It is inadequate and needs expansion. The raw water intake points are drying up and there is population increase. All those are a myriad of problems. When there was a realignment of the National Budget, a bit more money was put into the water sector and we have lobbied hard with the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to ensure that our budgetary allocation is increased. However, I must say as well that all those efforts may not be enough. I believe, strongly so, that some funds under the CDF can be re-allocated to water supply and sanitation. Has that been done before? Yes, it has. In fact, I should have been privileged to work with my hon. Colleague from Mandevu Constituency today in commissioning a well-designed and well-constructed water reticulation system in Mandevu. Further, working with the Minister of Justice, Hon. Haimbe, SC., we are working on bulk water supply in Bauleni.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

For the record, the Minister of Justice is none other than Hon. Princess Kasune (laughs).

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Nzovu: Thank you for the correction, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I also wanted to say that we, as a ministry, are working on a bulk water supply project in Bauleni with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation led by Hon. Haimbe, SC.. We are doing many things. We also commissioned a project with my colleague Hon. Masebo in her constituency. So, it is do-able. For the record, in Nangoma Constituency, where I come from, we constructed a dam using the CDF. Water is life. Water ensures food security. Water ensures energy security. Water ensures a better quality of life. I can only request that hon. Members look at that favourably.

Madam Speaker, I also want to agree with the hon. Member for Chimwemwe that, indeed, the problems were there before load-shedding started, and it is because of the old infrastructure. Non-investment in the sector has brought us to where we are now. However, we are not just sitting, we will ensure that we renovate the distribution network and mitigate the suffering caused by load-shedding. We will do everything possible to cushion the negative effects that the drought has brought on our people.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms S. Mwamba (Kasama Central): Thank you very, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, Kasama Central is the hub of Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company (ChWSC), and I am glad that the hon. Minister has noted that the Northern Province, Kasama Central in particular, is no exception with regard to erratic water supply.  He has given three options for short-term measures, which are dedicated power lines for transmission, drilling boreholes as well as water reticulation systems and emergency generators. I want to find out which of the short-term measures will, in this case, apply to ChWSC and how long it will take to implement them. Water supply in the constituency is erratic and breakdowns are not excluded in the current situation.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company (ChWSC) is doing everything possible to mitigate the suffering of the people in Kasama. I also want the hon. Member to note that all the options are on the table. Looking at the dire water situation we are in, in the Northern Province, for example, we are trying to establish the areas that are critically affected. Depending on the problem in those areas, we will prescribe solutions. There are some places whose problems are a question of a lack of power supply; places that do not have dedicated power lines, and there are also places where we need to drill boreholes. So, depending on the situation at hand, we will prescribe an appropriate solution. As a ministry, we are trying to allocate some funds to every water utility under the drought response efforts to ensure that they quickly respond to the suffering of our people.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Let me give an opportunity to the General. He does not usually ask questions.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Brig-Gen. Sitwala (Kaoma Central): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, considering that I have been to the hon. Minister’s office several times, his ministerial statement has left the people of Kaoma wondering about their water issues. At one time, here, in the House, I mentioned how far we had gone with the previous officeholder in addressing our issues. I mentioned how Her Honour the Vice-President went to Kaoma to give hope to the people. It has been more than a year and the hon. Minister is still asking the people of Kaoma to have hope and to be patient. That is far from being satisfactory. Is the ministry also considering implementing emergency measures in Kaoma by, for instance, allocating ten boreholes, as he has promised in other towns, so that we can solve the problem in Kaoma while we wait for the contractor to finish the works on an on-going project we have in the constituency? We used the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to implement the works, but that is not enough. We still have a situation in which people walk over 10 km to fetch water, and it is getting out of hand. What is the hon. Minister’s response, as I wait for him to fulfil his promise to visit Kaoma?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kaoma for that important question. It has given me an opportunity to talk to the people of Kaoma.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, the situation in Kaoma is dire. It is not good at all. Borehole projects were contracted for the area, but many Zambian contractors failed to drill the boreholes and we have since cancelled the contracts. There was also a failure to provide water schemes in Kaoma, Mongu and Sesheke. Further, a project that was conceived to supply water to almost a million people in the Western Province stalled. The good news is that the project implementers, I think from China Railway, AVIC International Holding Corporation and another contractor, are back on site. We have resolved many contractual issues that were surrounding the projects in those areas. The projects, as I have already said, will bring on board about a million of our people not only in Kaoma, but also in Mongu, Sesheke and other areas. Through the people of Kaoma, the people of the Western Province must rest assured, here and now, that the Government is looking at the situation favourably. In fact, I should inform the hon. Member that we are commissioning the projects before December. The projects will speak to enhancing the various mitigation measures. I also want to announce that commercial boreholes, which will be operated by the Western Water and Sanitation Company (WWSC) Limited, as well as other boreholes in the rural parts will be drilled in Kaoma. Kaoma is ranked among the worst affected areas. Indeed, the people have been waiting, but we are almost there. So, I can only appeal to them, again, to be patient with us. We will provide them with water.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr C. Mpundu (Chembe): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has talked about constructing dams and drilling boreholes. There are certain areas like Chembe and Chifunabuli that already have water bodies. Does the ministry have any plans of constructing water reticulation plants in Chembe and Chifunabuli? Maybe, the issue of drilling boreholes can, at least, be reconsidered in those districts.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, indeed, Chembe, Chifunabuli and other areas in the Northern Circuit do not experience water shortages. There is water. I think the challenge is in the abstraction of the water; channelling the water from the water bodies to our people as domestic water supply and, obviously, to the farmers for irrigation. The plan is to work with the hon. Members of the areas in question to design appropriate systems. I want to work with Hon. Kapala, the hon. Member for Chifunabuli and everybody else to ensure that the aim is achieved.

Madam Speaker, I have also been informed that we are procuring standby pumps for all the water utilities and, again, just going a step back, Kaoma is one of the places for which we will provide standby pumps. Of the 160 commercial boreholes, twenty-two will be drilled in the Western Province. We believe that once we drill the boreholes, they will go a long way in mitigating the suffering of the people of Kaoma.

Madam Speaker, we talked about installing dams and boreholes in Chembe. Before the end of this year, we will deliver a number of boreholes. We plan on delivering more boreholes next year. Under the drought response plan, we are also procuring consultants to ensure that we speak to the whole country in addressing the water issue; a water master plan. So, every part of the country will be mapped out. All the potential sites for dam construction will be designed, specifications will be made as well as costs so that we attract the necessary investment in the sector.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Minister for the statement, which has given us a lot of hope.

Madam Speaker, water does not have an alternative. Where you need water, you must use water and nothing else. I want to find out why boreholes procured under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) continue to be expensive. Previously, I understood why drilling boreholes using the CDF funds was expensive. It was that way because we were budgeting for boreholes without money sitting in our accounts. However, the narrative is now different. When we budget for the drilling of boreholes, money is there. When a borehole is sunk, the money is paid to the contractor on the same day. Why is the drilling of boreholes still expensive? In Dundumwezi, drilling a borehole costs K80,000 and above. The Government has emphasised the fact that we should use the CDF to undertake such exercises. If I, as an individual, want to drill a borehole, it costs K20,000. Why the difference?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, as the question is coming from the hon. Member from the Southern Province, I would like to say to the nation that if we continue on the path that we are on, that of not putting up mitigation measures against the effects of the drought whose consequences are so severe and that we continue with our attitudes of encroaching on rivers, deforestation and not protecting the environment, there will be consequences. The Southern Province, a province which was our bread basket because of the good soil and rainfall it used to receive, is a sorry sight. There are high temperatures now, it receives low rainfall and the rivers are dry. Magoye River has, basically, dried up. So, we need to put in place mitigation measures. When one looks at Dundumwezi, one sees that there is no water. I am reminded because the hon. Member is from Dundumwezi, there is no water. Many people are hitting dry boreholes. The boreholes that were drilled a long time ago have dried up. It is the reason we want to invoke the law to punish those who encroach on water bodies. We will work with the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment to ensure that we protect the environment. We have destroyed the environment and those are the consequences. Sieve sources and springs are drying up, and we are experiencing low rainfall patterns. So, we need to up our game in the environmental protection space. That is very important.

Madam Speaker, specifically coming to the question that has been asked by the hon. Member, the situation is a paradox. Boreholes drilled by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), individuals and the ministry are quoted at different prices. The solution is to work together so that we meet the borehole drilling companies head-on. We believe that they have also come together to ensure that they reap maximum rewards from us. However, we are their biggest customers. So, if we, as a ministry, and hon. Members, came together, I am sure that we would force the prices down.

Madam Speaker, the way the borehole drilling industry works is worrying because even the boreholes that my hon. Colleague is lamenting about are not properly drilled. When borehole drilling companies quote for an 80 m borehole, they drill 40 m and case 20 m only. They cheat customers about the yield. We are finding out about those things whenever we conduct audits on drilled boreholes. Let me take this chance to sound a warning to borehole drilling companies and others in the drilling sector. Under the Water Resources Management Act, cutting corners is a punishable offence. What is prescribed in the quotation is what must be done. We will be carrying out audits. In fact, we have a plan to carry out audits on all CDF-financed boreholes.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Nzovu: It is an easy operation, Madam Speaker. When one puts a camera on top of a borehole, one will see the strata, the level of casing, the size and depth of the borehole. So, we are already doing that because, under the drought response programme, we are also rehabilitating boreholes. What we are finding is alarming, for example, that an 80 m quoted borehole was only drilled up to 40m. I want to sound a strong warning that we will prosecute offenders. We will be merciless. The people of Zambia are suffering and we cannot continue spending money recklessly while others are reaping maximum profits. That will stop.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Ackleo I. A Banda (Vubwi): Madam Speaker, thank you for this chance you have given to me, on behalf of the people of Vubwi, to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Government for the many mitigation measures it is putting in place to address the water crisis, which is affecting the whole country.

Madam Speaker, among the mitigation measures that the hon. Minister has indicated is the construction of dams, and rehabilitation and drilling of boreholes. However, the people of Vubwi have not been availed those options. What is the ministry planning for the people of Vubwi who do not even have a dam? Most of the boreholes in the constituency have dried up. People are currently facing many challenges and we have not seen any immediate measures being undertaken to mitigate our water issues.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, let me quickly inform the hon. Member for Vubwi that every area is being looked at favourably. So, Vubwi will not be left behind. He should rest assured that the needs of the people of Vubwi will be looked into favourably. I think I have a pending meeting with him.

Mr Ackleo I. Banda indicated assent.

Eng. Nzovu: He should visit my office. He has been saying that he will come through. I ask him to come to the office so that we can see how we can move forward in addressing the water challenges in Vubwi.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Amutike: He keeps running away.

Hon. PF Members: Chapwa waya!

Madam Speaker: Stop being imaginative.

Laughter

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Thank you, Madam Speaker

Madam Speaker, allow me to thank the hon. Minister for being the first Cabinet Minister to visit Kankoyo. I think he is a man who is passionate about what he does. I want to report to him that the sewer problem, which he found when he visited Kankoyo, is being attended to.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister keeps encouraging us, as hon. Members, to allocate part of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) towards solving the water supply issues, but the problem is that every time we want to allocate funds to improve the water reticulation system, which is managed by Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company in my constituency, our requests are rejected by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development citing that the water utility company is a commercial entity. So, public funds cannot be spent on a company that generates income. I want to find out whether we should spend the CDF funds on a commercial entity’s project.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Kankoyo has reminded me of the other mandate of the ministry, which is sanitation. Sanitation issues are serious in the Copperbelt Province because of old infrastructure, increased population and non-investment in the sector. We are looking into seeing how we can improve the sanitation infrastructure in the province because the situation is dire. The people must be assured that we will allocate the necessary funds to do something about the situation. As a matter of fact, we had a dire situation in Kankoyo. Our people were living in environments where faecal matter flowed freely for over two years. We are glad that the minimum efforts that we made there are bearing fruit. We can do more because we have not resolved the problem completely.

Madam Speaker, I will continue to engage the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. We need to see how we can work around the situation that the hon. Member for Kankoyo has raised. I was privileged to engage with my fellow hon. Members from the Copperbelt Province, including Hon. B. Mpundu.

Mr B. Mpundu: Question!

Laughter

Eng. Nzovu: We went around, Madam Speaker, to see how we can resolve the problems jointly. I think that we have a way out. We are working with Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company, and the issues that the hon. Member has raised are being looked into actively by my ministry together with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. I am sure that we will find a solution.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

That is all the time we could allow. I see that there are still several indications on the House communication system. Hon. Members, engage with the hon. Minister and see how we can resolve the issue of water for the benefit of the people we represent.

______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

MAIZE SOLD TO FOOD RESERVE AGENCY

20. Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

1. why the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has not paid some farmers who sold maize to the agency in 2024 in Chama District and other parts of the country; and

1. when the affected farmers will be paid so as to enable them plan for the forthcoming 2024/2025 Farming Season.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) as at 22^nd September, 2024, purchased a total of 2,237.3 metric tonnes of non-genetically modified organism (GMO) white maize in Chama District from our small-scale farmers, which was valued at K14.7 million out of which K8.5 million has since been paid out, representing 58 per cent of the amount in terms of performance leaving a balance of K6.2 million yet to be paid.

Madam Speaker, during the same period, the Government, through the FRA, purchased 465,861.55 metric tonnes valued at K3.074 billion, out of which K2.01 billion has been paid, representing a 65 per cent performance countrywide, from small-scale farmers.

Madam Speaker, the Government is aware of the balance that is owed to the farmers in Chama District and other parts of the country and it is seriously mobilising funds to ensure that they are paid as soon as possible to enable them to plan for the forthcoming 2024/2025 Farming Season.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, indeed, the Government has so far paid out about K8.4 million to the farmers in Chama leaving a balance of more than K6 million.

Madam Speaker, the Government is importing maize from Tanzania and, at the same time, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has been advertising on both radio and television stations to the effect that when farmers take maize to the agency, they will be paid in cash. So, why do we still have K6 million not yet paid to the farmers when the Government is importing maize? Do you not think that the Government must first prioritise paying for the local maize that was supplied, that is, clearing farmers whom the Government still owes money than spending money on importing maize?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, Hon. Mtayachalo is right in saying that we are purchasing maize both on the local market and from outside the country. I wish to inform him that the total payment that we have made to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) of Tanzania is not more than 30 per cent of the amount that is due. The amount of money we have put into the local market is way above what we have used on the import market. As I indicated earlier, we are making every effort to raise the money so that we can pay off the outstanding balance owed to the farmers. We owe a significant amount of money, about K1.5 billion, to all the farmers in Zambia, whom we collected maize from. We are making every effort to pay them off.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the situation is worrying. In Kantanshi, we have about 750 farmers who have been affected. They have already started queuing up at my office looking for the K400 contribution towards inputs for the next farming season because the Government has not paid them. I am told that the total that they are owed is K4 million. I had this conversation with the hon. Minister. Our people follow the proceedings of the House on Parliament Television as well as Parliament Radio. Can the hon. Minister assure our people that they will get their money before the farming inputs are made available or before they are requested to start paying the K400? I also hope that the ministry has prioritised our constituency for the direct input supply modality. We do not want the electronic voucher (e-Voucher) system. We want to support this Government by producing a lot of maize.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, we are making every effort to make the funds available. This morning, I was with my colleagues at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning pushing for the disbursement of the money, like I always do. I cannot necessarily say that farmer “A” or farmer “B” will be paid next week. I would be making a mistake if I did that. However, there is a substantial amount of money that will be paid into the market next week.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the question that was asked by Hon. Mtayachalo, that is, as to when the ministry is going to pay the farmers and why they have not been paid, was plain and simple. The hon Minister did not address it. He tried to address it a bit in the last response he gave in which he said that a substantial amount of money would be paid out next week.

Madam Speaker, our farmers in Chinsali are also affected by the non-payment for the maize that was supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). What we want to hear from the hon. Minister is when the ministry is likely to pay the farmers and how much is going to be paid out. He cannot just say that a substantial amount of money will be paid out next week. The people need to know. When the ministry, through the FRA, buys something from the farmers, it should know when it is going to pay them. The ministry should, at least, have an idea. The hon. Minister cannot just say that payments will be made as soon as possible. “As soon as possible” is not an answer. We have farmers in Chinsali and other parts of the country who have made plans based on the money that is supposed to be paid to them by the FRA. So, when the hon. Minister tells them that the money will be paid out as soon as possible, that is not an answer. Even when the ministry says that it is doing everything possible to arrange for the money, that is not an answer. The hon. Minister has to say, for example, that within such a period, the ministry is going to arrange a certain amount of money so that 20 per cent or 30 per cent of the money owed can be paid out and by a particular date, the payments should be completed. That is what we want to hear. In case the ministry is not ready, the hon. Minister can say that he will give the House feedback after he liaises with the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I indicated that the Government owes the farmers about K1.5 billion. I have also indicated that my ministry is doing everything possible to raise that money.

Mr Mukosa interjected.

Mr Mtolo: This is a serious issue and I would like to give a calm and honest answer. I am a person in the Government. If you force me to say things that are not correct, I will be subject to a committee that looks at assurances. So, I am going to be careful in my answers and I will give the House the truth that I can.

Madam Speaker, as it is, I know that my ministry will get about K500 million next week, and that is why I was unable to say which farmers would be paid. I have not been given confirmation to the effect that the ministry will have the K1.5 billion that is owed to the farmers. However, the ministry will have, at least, K500 million next week and, maybe, another K500 million the other week so that we can clear the amount that is owed. One thing I can give assurance on is that this Government will pay off the farmers. We might take a bit of time. It is my ministry that manages the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and the Sustainable Agricultural Finance Facility (SAFF). People are looking for a bit of money to pay for the subscriptions. I am fully aware of the cries from the farmers, which are being given to the hon. Members. I can only stand here, on the Floor, and indicate that we are working hard to look for the money so that it can be released to the farmers.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Quality!

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, Kanyelele in Mbazi Ward, which I am sure the hon. Minister knows because I went with him sometime back, is the food basket of Chama District, produced more than 15,000 by 50 kg bags of maize. The distance is 150 km from Kanyelele to Chama Boma. The farmers have to travel all the way to Chama Bama to get the money, which is costly for them. I have been in touch with the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the FRA. Why can the ministry not consider paying the farmers right there in Kanyelele than people covering a distance of 150 km to access that money at the Boma offices? When is the ministry going to consider paying the farmers right in Kanyelele than having them cover that long distance?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I will take advantage of this opportunity to answer the question, in a serious manner, in two ways. Firstly, I have heard the hon. Member’s concern. It is not acceptable for people to travel 150 km to get paid. That is not the Government’s policy neither was it a policy in the previous Government. It is not right. The issue is that an hon. Member comes on the Floor of the House to complain that the people have to move 150 km. What is he doing to develop that area so that money can be paid out nearby?

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: No, I am talking to the hon. Member.

Madam Speaker, those are the things that we, as the Government, need to look at. I would encourage the hon. Member to work with us so that we see what we can do to put up infrastructure in the district to enable payment of the farmers. You are aware that the FRA has satellite depots. There are few places where people have to travel 150km to get the money. There is something that we need to do to develop our beautiful Chama District so that the farmers can have access to the money nearby. The hon. Member should not allow that. It is not right.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: I think you, hon. Minister of Agriculture, and the hon. Member for Chama North need to engage so that you can pick each other’s brains on how best the issue can be resolved.

The hon. Member interjected

Madam Speaker: Okay. I have heard. We will ensure that it happens.

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, you may proceed.

Mr Kampyongo: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, in my language we say, Apa komaila nondo, ninshi pali ubulema. When you hear people lamenting about an issue, just know that there is a problem. There is a problem here. The hon. Minister knows that his ministry blackmailed our small-scale farmers by telling them that those who would not supply maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would not receive inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), and because of that, every farmer who had a bit of maize was forced to sell it to the FRA. The agency has continued to dupe farmers by making advertisements about buying maize on cash basis. I do not know whether there is winter maize that has been grown anywhere. Why does the ministry not consider suspending the importation of maize, which comes with many logistical challenges, to deal with the local farmers who are now grappling with preparations for the coming farming season because they have not received the farming inputs yet, which are coming in lesser quantities? Would the ministry consider suspending the importation of maize to ensure that our farmers, who supplied maize three months ago and others longer, are paid so that they prepare for this year’s farming season?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I have picked out something that is cardinal in Hon. Kampyongo’s statement. I think what I would be looking at is the fact that when one delivers maize and is given a receipt, it is a sale. What the hon. Member should have asked is: Why does the ministry not consider using that receipt as evidence of a sale? I would pick that out than the other half of the question in which I am being asked to suspend the importation of maize. That is a policy issue. I can actually handle the aspect of allowing the receipt to be used by the farmer to access inputs.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: I see that there are many indications, but we cannot exhaust them all. So, the hon. Member for Lundazi will be the last one to ask a question.

Ms Nyirenda (Lundazi): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Lundazi, to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, Lundazi has many peasant farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and they have not been paid up to now. They are lamenting. Immediately after the hon. Minister was sworn into office, he found that the farmers had not been paid. He is also failing to pay the farmers. What is wrong with the ministry that it always takes advantage of the poor people and fails to give them their money, yet they feed the whole country? What is really wrong?

Mr B. Mpundu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Before the hon. Minister responds to the question, there is an indication for a point of order.

Hon. Member for Nkana, what is the point of order?

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, my point of order is premised on Orders No. 71(a) and No. 71(b). I come from Nkana and we are miners. So, when farming issues are being discussed, I listen attentively. The subject of farmers being paid or not being paid has been discussed several times, and I have followed it from day one. I would like to seek your indulgence, as I ask that the issue be clarified. The hon. Minister presented to this august House that the 1.5 million metric tonnes of maize he found in store was sold off to raise money to pay the farmers who were owed by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government at the time that it left office. However, on the Floor of this House, the previous hon. Minister of Agriculture challenged the current hon. Minister by saying that at the time that he was leaving office, there was no farmer who had not been paid. I would like to go back to my constituency with clear information. Today, we are discussing farmers who have not been paid. Which farmers are those?

I seek your indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, that is not a point of order. You are asking your question. I know that you were the next one to ask a question, but we cannot allow all hon. Members to ask questions because we are constrained by time. Maybe, you can file in a written question so that the issue can be addressed. The hon. Minister will answer the question that was presented by the hon. Member for Lundazi.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. Member for Lundazi that, indeed, when the United Party for National Development (UPND) took over office, as she put it; when I was just sworn in, I found a debt owed to the farmers. The Government struggled to sell off maize, which we did, and we paid off all the farmers. There is a slight difference with what is happening at present. The situation is due to a mere delay. I have indicated that next week, all things being equal, the ministry is going to have a minimum of K500 million. The following week, the ministry will probably be given more money so that it clears the arrears.

Madam Speaker, one thing I can assure the hon. Member on is that we will pay off the farmers. We will not close the season without paying them. There is a slight delay and it is regrettable. We appreciate the progressive ideas that have been shared on how to sort it out. We will pay the farmers.

Madam Speaker, I was with the people from the Treasury earlier this morning, and they are making every arrangement possible to ensure that the money is made available. Even tomorrow, they can give the ministry some money so that we can start paying the farmers. I can assure the hon. Member of that.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised by the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, my point of order is pursuant to Order No. 71. I have been following the hon. Minister’s responses. The money to procure grain is appropriated by this august House. In the event that there is an over-procurement, the Supplementary Budget comes to this august House. The hon. Minister is trying to portray a picture to the nation that the ministry had the authority to sell off maize and pay the farmers without seeking the approval of this august House. Is he in order to mislead the nation in that fashion? The House will be considering the Budget, which will be presented tomorrow. It will have a component for grain procurement under the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). Is he in order to continue misleading this institution, which performs the duty of appropriating funds for the Government’s expenditure, …

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: … and, consequently, misleading the nation?

Madam Speaker, I seek your ruling. Tomorrow, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning will come to the House, as a bearer of the message from the Head of State, to present all the Government’s expenditure, which will be spelt out in the estimates.

Madam Speaker: We do not want to stretch this matter further than is necessary. From what I listened to in the hon. Minister’s response, he said that when he took over office ­ when did he take over office? It was not this year or last year. It was in 2021. That was when he made that decision. If we have to ensure that it was within the National Budget, as approved, we need to show in the Budget that was approved that there was no provision for the procurement or paying off of the people who were owed for supplying maize. Without that, it is difficult for us to say whether the hon. Minister used the money without the authorisation of this House. So, the point of order is not admitted. It falls off.

Mr Chisopa interjected.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mkushi South, did you want to raise a point of order?

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, I wish to withdraw my point of order. It was in line with what the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu talked about. I also wanted to find out where the hon. Minister had taken the money that you gave us to appropriate in this House. That hon. Minister seated there (pointing at Mr Mtolo).

Laughter

Mr Mtolo interjected.

Madam Speaker: Now we are opening up pandora’s box.

Hon. Minister, you want to say something.

 Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, thank you for letting me clarify this matter to the nation.

Madam Speaker, the people who should answer the questions about why the farmers were not paid are the Patriotic Front (PF) members, …

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

Mr Mtolo: … the hon. Colleagues who are asking me the questions.

Madam Speaker, Hon. Kampyongo was a Cabinet Minister. Was there not an appropriation? Why did the Government then not pay the farmers? They are questioning me about why the ministry is not paying the farmers, and I have said that the Treasury is going to give me the money to pay them.

You left a debt, hon. Member for Mkushi South.

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: Where did the previous Government take the money? Why do they want to mislead the people? No, Madam Speaker. We will not allow that. There was an appropriation for the previous Government to buy maize through the FRA and it did not pay the people.

Mr B. Mpundu: Question!

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, when we took over office, we did not find money. We sold off the maize and paid off the farmers. Today they are questioning me.

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: What type of thinking is that?

Madam Speaker, honestly speaking, that is not right. The people who should answer for that are the former hon. PF Ministers.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Let us make progress. We have business to transact. No more points of order. We need to make progress.

EXCLUSION OF OLD CO-OPERATIVES IN LUNDAZI FROM THE FARMER INPUT SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR 2024/2025 FARMING SEASON

21. Ms Nyirenda asked the Minister of Agriculture:

1. whether the Government has decided to exclude all the old co-operatives from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2024/2025 Farming Season in preference for newly-created co-operatives in Lundazi District;

1. if so, why the old co-operatives have been excluded from the programme; and

1. what plans the Government has for the old co-operatives.

Mr Mtolo: (laughs) Madam Speaker, dealing with the PF (Patriotic Front) is nice.

Madam Speaker, the Government has not decided to exclude the old co-operatives from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2024/2025 Farming Season in preference for newly-created co-operatives in Lundazi District. The hon. Member may wish to note that co-operatives are structures at the camp level through which farmers are identified and selected to be on the FISP beneficiary list in a given farming season. The roles of the co-operatives in the implementation of FISP are as follows:

1. consolidate the list of beneficiaries and submit it to the camp agricultural committee (CAC);

1. receive approved beneficiary-farmer lists from CAC;

1. publicise beneficiary lists; and

1. ensure that all redeemed inputs are accounted for.

Madam Speaker, the selection process for who should be on the beneficiary list in a given season lies with the co-operatives and the decision is made at the camp level.

Madam Speaker, the Government continues to work with the farmers via the co-operatives in the implementation of FISP. What else the co-operatives can do remains their prerogative. They can choose what to do.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to bring this urgent matter without notice to the Floor and for giving us a chance to clarify something that is brewing a lot of tension, especially in my constituency.

Madam Speaker, if the ministry has not given a policy direction to remove the old co-operatives from the beneficiary lists for this year’s Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), why are the District Commissioners (DCs) informing the people that the old co-operatives are not going to benefit anything, and that is being said at a time when the lists are being compiled. I ask this question sincerely because I know that most of the old farmers are the ones who have land. The new farmers may just collect the fertiliser and sell it off, then, we are going to lament about hunger in our country again. Who has given that policy direction, which the Executive representatives are using to tell members of the old co-operatives that they are not going to benefit from the programme this year?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, it was in this House where I gave guidance to the effect that the hon. Members should get involved in FISP issues. As a ministry, we did not end there, I think we even gave hon. Members letters that indicated that they should have a say in what happens in their constituencies, specifically relating to the co-operatives, as far as FISP is concerned. It is, therefore, sad that in Lundazi, that does not seem to be the case. I would have expected the hon. Member to question whomever is misleading the people by saying that the old co-operatives should be left out. The role now is such that we, as hon. Members, should get involved. We should get involved in the selection of who gets FISP. We made it clear. It is in black and white. I wrote a letter and gave each hon. Member. So, to be asked that question about why or who is giving orders and doing what, I think that I would not say is being malicious. That is my sister, we can do better than that. Let us find out what is happening in Lundazi. Maybe, we can sit in the office and call the District Commissioner (DC) and find out why that is happening.

Madam Speaker, my word to other hon. Members is that they should not allow that to happen. They are the legislators and they have the authority. The ministry gave them the letters, therefore, they should use them so that they can be part and parcel of the decision-making process about who gets what and which FISP beneficiary is on the list. All we are trying to do is get rid of fake farmers, and they are many. I rely on the hon. Members in this House to help the ministry choose the right people.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, we need to make progress. So, for now, let us have the supplementary questions.

Hon. Member for Mpika, you may proceed.

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, I am very grateful for this opportunity you have given to me to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, I would like to use this opportunity to ask the hon. Minister to clarify what now seems to be a national issue regarding the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). I arrived yesterday morning from my constituency. In almost the entire Muchinga Province, the information is unlike what the hon. Minister is saying. The Camp Agricultural Committee (CAC) officers have been going around their camps telling FISP beneficiaries that the old beneficiaries have been weaned off the programme. I also attended one of the meetings at which a CAC officer was delivering such information. The hon. Minister is on record telling this House that his ministry had embarked on an exercise to remove ghost farmers from the programme. Again, today, he is telling us the same thing. My question is: Has the ministry removed the old beneficiaries from FISP starting this year?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Mpika for enlightening us on some of the issues that are going on. Firstly, I have openly indicated here, on the Floor, that we, as hon. Members, should get involved in the arrangement. Let us get involved. The FISP started in 2000, and this is twenty-four years down the line. It is up to us in this House with the authority that we were given to ensure that the same people do not get that privilege over and over. If a co-operative has been getting FISP benefits for the past ten years, surely, it is up to us in Lundazi, Mpika, Serenje and elsewhere to ensure that others also benefit. It is a subsidy programme. A farmer benefits K8,400 against the K400 that he or she puts in. Let other people also benefit. There will not be a farmer who will willingly accept to be taken off the programme. It is up to us to ensure that those who have benefited for a long time in Mkushi, for example, allow others to get the benefit.

Madam Speaker, I said that if there is an area where hon. Members have seen that co-operatives have been taken out unjustifiably, then, let us work together. I also indicated that if hon. Members have camp officers, and this is serious, in their areas who are a problem and engage in undue issues, they should let me know so that we get rid of them. It was in this House that one hon. Member stood and said that my people from the ministry were doing this and that. I asked that hon. Member to give me the names so that by the next day, we could fire them. He sat down and said that he could not do that.

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, he is not in the House. I was going to mention him. So, let us help the ministry. Many fraudulent activities are going on with regards to that activity, and that is why we have supplemented it with SAFF. Hon. Members should listen to my language. I did not say substitute. I have said that it is a supplement. We are complementing it. We are adding to it so that we can have a loan, which is probably more transparent because no one will get a loan through SAFF and sell off the fertiliser. No one will get a loan through SAFF and share the fertiliser. No one will dubiously get a loan for fertiliser. They will be caught because a bank is involved along the way. So, let us clean up FISP. If there are people who are going around giving out wrong information, hon. Members should let me know and I will get rid of them through the Permanent Secretary (PS). We will fire them because we have had enough of those mischievous colleagues.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, the reason I brought up the question as an urgent matter without notice is that I am working with the hon. Minister and I want him to know some of the challenges that are obtaining in my constituency. The challenge is that when it comes to the people he is dealing with, the quickest way to de-campaign himself is to touch that poor farmer in the rural area.

Madam Speaker, there is a perception that if one was part of the group of people who obtained grants, then, that person will not be allowed to participate in obtaining fertiliser under FISP.

Mr Simutowe indicated assent.

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, that is not only happening in Lundazi. The hon. Minister here (pointing at Mr Simutowe) is agreeing with me in saying that that is what is obtaining. In some of the groups in the co-operatives, there may be eighty women who are given K10,000. My follow-up question is: Does the hon. Minister think that those women can buy enough fertiliser to enable them to put food on the table?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, briefly put, what the hon. Member is saying is correct. I have received many presentations regarding it. Let me make it clearer. There are qualifications that are there for one to obtain fertiliser under FISP. One of the qualifications is that one should not have got an agricultural loan from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Now, that is creating a bit of discomfort and, as a ministry, we are reviewing it. I will issue a statement soon when we finally decide on it. It has created many problems, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: … on both sides of the aisle.

Madam Speaker, the issue of the CDF grant or loan related to agriculture and affecting FISP is not welcome, and we are reviewing it so that we see what can be done.

Mr Samakayi: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, we can possibly change that. However, when one gets a pack from the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme under the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, one cannot get one from FISP as well. In terms of the CDF, we are reviewing the issue and I will present a statement to clarify it as soon as possible.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, my question is similar to what Hon. Nyirenda has asked.

Madam Speaker, in terms of the interventions that the Government has put in place, such as the Cash for Work programme, the emergency Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme and the programme for pregnant women, there are assertions that some people are not eligible for the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) when they are members of those programmes. So, I thought that, maybe, it is important that the hon. Minister also clarifies the matter because it is bringing up many queries throughout the country.

Mtolo: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving us this time to interact on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, there are four interventions that the Government has put in place for immediate relief for the people. Firstly, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) community sales. The programme has nothing to do with FISP. One can buy as much maize as one wants and still get one’s share of FISP. Secondly, if one is part of the SCT programme, which has been enhanced by this Government to K400 per month, that has nothing to do with FISP. So, one is still eligible to get money under FISP. Thirdly, under the emergency SCT, which is for people as strong as the hon. Member, although the hon. Member does not qualify because he works, the programme is for people who do not work, one can get the K600 that is given under that programme. It has nothing to do with FISP. So, one is still free to get FISP. Lastly, one can be a breastfeeding mother and get the K400 per month. It has nothing to do with FISP. So, one is still free to get FISP. In fact, when a person is given money under the Cash for Work programme, for example, he or she should use part of that money, if he or she can, to pay for the K400 subscription to get onto FISP. So, the two are not related.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing me this time to clarify that matter.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, we have a lot of business to transact on the Order Paper and, at the same time, we have many indications under this question. What I have noted is that we need more engagement between the hon. Minister of Agriculture and the hon. Members. I suggest that you reserve a day when you can meet to go through all the issues and also for sensitisation purposes, which is important.

Hon. Minister, please, arrange for when you can meet the hon. Members. You know that we are going into the planting season and it is important that we clarify those issues.

Let us make progress.

FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE

22. Mr Nyambose (Chasefu) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

1. whether the Government has any plans to undertake the following under the Local Government Service:

1. create fire and rescue services as a stand-alone department to enhance service delivery; and

1. recognise fire safety and rescue services as a profession within the service; 

1. if there are no such plans, why;

1. whether the Government has any plans to centralise the procurement of the following:

1. fire engines;

1. protective clothing (uniforms); and

1. construction of fire stations; and

1. what other measures the Government intends to take to enhance service delivery by the fire and rescue services.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima) (on behalf of the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo)): Madam Speaker, the Government has plans of creating the fire and rescue services as a standalone department in the local authorities. The Government recognises fire safety and rescue services as a profession, as fire officers are formerly trained and accredited by recognised fire training institutions both locally and abroad.

Madam Speaker, the plans are there. However, they cannot be implemented immediately due to budgetary constraints, as setting up the department has a cost implication in terms of human resources and investment in the training and development of fire officers.

Madam Speaker, the Government has adopted a decentralisation agenda and, therefore, all activities, including procurement, are to be undertaken by the local authorities. However, where the Government wants to leverage the economies of scale, it can consider centrally procuring fire engines, protective clothing and construction of fire stations.

Madam Speaker, the Government is providing an enabling environment to enhance fire and rescue services by reviewing the legal and regulatory environment of the sector. As such, it is developing a Fire and Rescue Services Act as well as a number of policy documents for the sector.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nyambose: Madam Speaker, looking at what is happening in terms of the amount of resources that are being put into infrastructure development, I am happy that the issue concerns the safety of the infrastructure that we are putting up across the country. Currently, fire services sits as a section in the engineering department of local authorities. So, it does not receive enough attention. For instance, Lusaka, which has a population of about 3 million people, only has one functional fire engine and five fire stations. It is becoming difficult to manage the demand for the services. Therefore, is the ministry considering procuring fire engines not only for Lusaka, but for all the fire authorities in the country, that is, the 116 fire authorities? We only have twenty-six functional fire engines. Is the ministry considering procuring more fire engines to help that section combat the issues of fire services and rescue?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, indeed, the services of the fire department are quite scanty. We are, therefore, looking forward to buying more fire tenders so that the properties that we are building are safeguarded. At one point, I saw firefighters using buckets to put out a fire.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, many are the times that we have seen fire engines rushing to draw water; searching for water from one fire hydrant to another, when a property is on fire. Now that the Government is considering buying more fire tenders, is the ministry also considering creating specific fire hydrants from which the fire tenders can be drawing water from at any given point without wasting time, in other words, creating well fields by the fire stations so that water is assured for the fire engines?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, actually the section is in overhaul, which is why we want to create it as a separate department and not having it appended to something else, so that it can concentrate on that service. I think that the ministry is planning to do that. Sometimes, we all foresee such things.

Madam Speaker, there are fire engines that were procured in a bad state. As I said earlier, if we separate the section, then, all those things will come in.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nyambose: Madam Speaker, fire officers operate in hazardous environments, which is risky, but they lack protective clothing. The special uniform that they need to wear when working is too expensive for the local authorities to procure. Is the ministry considering procuring protective clothing for the firefighters who are exposed to hazardous environments to help them in that regard?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think I already gave an answer to that effect. I said that the Government has adopted a decentralisation agenda. Therefore, all activities, including procurement, are to be undertaken by the local authorities. However, where the Government would want to leverage the economies of scale, it can consider centrally procuring fire engines, protective clothing and the construction of fire stations.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, in the past, especially in the 1980s, we had many fire hydrant points at which fire engines could draw water. What we see now is that once a fire engine runs out of water, it rushes back to the central place where it draws water to get more. Could the hon. Minister state whether the Government is in a position to build, reconstruct or renovate the old fire hydrants as most of them do not work.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think this question was asked by the hon. Member for Roan, and I answered it. I said that we need to do things differently. You might be aware that sometimes, fire tenders are seen speeding off to draw water and by the time one gets to where a fire has broken out, the building is burned down. So, it is important to get things back to the way they were, as in the 1980s when things were normal.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

_______

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

ACTING GOVERNMENT CHIEF WHIP

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, just to notify you that in the absence of the hon. Government Chief Whip and the hon. Deputy Whip, the hon. Member for Mitete will be acting in that position.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: So, please, accord him the necessary co-operation.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

CONCERNS REGARDING HON. MEMBERS’ GRATUITIES

Madam Speaker: Before we proceed to the next item, I have an administrative announcement to make. Before I make the announcement, I direct that the broadcasting of proceedings in the House to the public be suspended, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: … to enable me to make an administrative announcement touching on the hon. Members’ welfare. Further, all members from the press and public must leave the Assembly Chamber.

You will be called upon shortly.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, I wish to inform you that my office, supported by other Presiding Officers, the hon. Government Chief Whip and the hon. Leader of the Opposition, held a consultative meeting this morning with the Executive to resolve the concerns regarding hon. Members’ gratuities.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: In that regard, I am pleased to inform you that in principle, your concerns have been noted and the outstanding issues will be settled in a few months’ time. I say a few months –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Let us listen. Half a loaf is better than none at all.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: I say in a few months’ time because we need, among other things, to provide for them in the Budget and make the necessary and inevitable changes to regulations to facilitate payment. In order to allow the inevitable processes to be concluded smoothly, I am appealing to all the hon. Members to be calm whilst maintaining caution against negative publicity, which has the potential to undermine efforts already underway. We must also be conscious and sensitive to the effects that our demands may have on the people whom we represent. Therefore, any reference in our debates to this matter and other administrative issues must be stopped, but handled carefully and channelled to the respective leadership through the established channels.

I need not stress the fact that we have a mammoth and onerous task to discharge our constitutional function smoothly and amicably. Remember that the public watches our debates and, therefore, it is essential that the demands for better conditions of service are weighed against the people’s needs and expectations.

Allow me to extend my thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the President for his leadership in resolving your concerns.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: I must also inform the House that the Republican President is desirous of meeting with all hon. Members to discuss the issues that are affecting them in undertaking their work.

Mr Kapyanga: Nga batupafye ulupiya, ninshi bachitafye bwino.

Madam Speaker: May I conclude by, once again, appealing to all hon. Members to be calm and allow us to complete the administrative processes, which will culminate into the desired end. As I said yesterday, the rainy season is around the corner and the mangoes will soon ripen, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: … but, as we wait, hon. Members, let us not shake the mango tree because we will lose all the mangoes.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Let us make progress.

_______

REPATRIATION ALLOWANCES FOR RETIRED TEACHERS IN KABUSHI

23. Mr Kanengo (Kabushi) asked the Minister of Education:

1. when the teachers who retired as far back as 1989 and are still occupying institutional houses in Kabushi Parliamentary Constituency will be paid their repatriation allowances; and

1. when the retired teachers will vacate the houses to leave room for serving teachers.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, there are no teachers who retired in 1989 still occupying institutional houses. However, there are sixteen teachers who retired as far back as 2006 and are still occupying institutional houses in Kabushi Parliamentary Constituency. Efforts are being made to expedite payment of their repatriation allowances by December 2024.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through my ministry, remains committed to ensuring that the retired teachers who would have been paid their repatriation allowances vacate the institutional houses, therefore, allowing serving teachers to access the houses.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kanengo: Madam Speaker, some of the retirees are holding on to the houses because they have expectations that in future, the ministry may dispose of the houses. Does the ministry have any intentions to sell those stand-alone houses to the teachers?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, the Government has no policy to sell those houses. As you may be aware, the housing stock for teachers is limited. So, even if those are institutional houses, they cannot be sold off. Otherwise, where would the teachers who are working go? So, the Government has not done that yet.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, the situation in Kabushi is also obtaining in my constituency, and I think I had a chat with the hon. Minister about it. The houses are now in a dilapidated state. Is the situation that is being applied in Kabushi also going to be applied in Roan Constituency, especially at Mpatamatu Secondary School where retired teachers are still occupying the houses at the expense of not being paid their repatriation allowances? Are they also going to be taken care of just as the people in Kabushi?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, when a policy statement has been issued, it covers the country. Otherwise, each hon. Member would ask about his or her area. So, the response to the question is a policy statement. We are looking forward to paying off the teachers wherever they are so that they can be repatriated and leave the houses for the teachers who are in service.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Before business was suspended, the House was considering Question No. 23 on the Order Paper asked by the hon. Member for Kabushi and the hon. Minister had just finished responding to a supplementary question asked by the hon. Member for Roan.

Hon. Member for Kwacha, you may proceed.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, the question that I wanted to raise on the purchasing of institutional houses was actually taken up and the hon. Minister adequately responded to it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Kabushi Constituency is adjacent to Chifubu Constituency in Ndola. Considering that the houses in question are in a dilapidated state, and the hon. Minister has stated that from the ministerial point of view, the Government has no intentions of selling the houses, is the ministry considering renovating them once the current occupants vacate?

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, if the houses are in a dilapidated state, we cannot place new teachers in them. We shall, indeed, renovate them.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

_______

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (Mrs Masebo): Mr Speaker, before business was interrupted yesterday, I had just started making my remarks by stating that the President’s Speech was inspiring. I compared it to the other statements that he has delivered from 2021 to 2024, and I was saying that he was getting better each year. This year, in particular, the statement he delivered was the best. I also took note of what some of our hon. Colleagues on your left said about the statement being hollow. Those who said that were just politicking. For future reference, it will be important for hon. Members to discuss and debate the substance in the President’s Speech with a certain level of decency because even when His Excellency the President was speaking, he commended all the hon. Members in his speech for their contributions and effectiveness. We know that among us, there are hon. Members who are not effective. There is a certain level of debate and decorum that must be exhibited by hon. Members when they debate the Motion to adopt the President’s Speech.

Mr Speaker, with regard to land, the President alluded to the fact that we will be opening up new areas for various economic activities. Land will be made available to our people and we shall protect their rights to own land by ensuring that we give title deeds for their land. As you may be aware, land is the most fundamental resource in any society and it also forms the basis for human survival. It is also one of the four important factors of production and it provides the essential raw materials and space needed for various social and economic activities. It is for that reason that the Government’s policy to continue supporting the expansion of agricultural production will be encouraged in years to come. To achieve that, the ministry will work with our traditional and local authorities to ensure that all land, whether state or traditional, is protected from encroachment and other vices. To that effect, the ministry has also embarked on an ambitious programme aimed at titling all the properties on state land. That will provide security of tenure for the land owners.

Mr Speaker, this country has seen a rise in the number of land disputes due to a wave of illegal land allocation, encroachment, corruption and so on and so forth. The ministry will continue addressing land disputes in a decisive manner so that land can be put to economic use for the development of our nation. We will not condone any form of illegalities in land administration by our agents, namely the councils, or any individual or group who may want to take the law into their own hands.

Mr Speaker, you will note that our communities have difficulties, especially our rural communities. Over time, we have seen a wave of illegal allocations, including traditional land. We know that in terms of land administration, whether traditional or state land, there are specific procedures that must be followed. When we talk about state land, we have agents in the name of local authorities that make land available to the public, then, the public applies for that land and interviews are held or whatever method that the local authorities use. All that is done in a transparent manner and the recommendations are sent to the ministry for the issuance of certificates or titles. Similarly, when it comes to traditional land, again, there is a system. The system is that the headmen or headwomen consider the applications for land within their communities. They make the decisions after consulting the people within the village. That decision is then taken to the chief who endorses it. That is how that land is given out.

Mr Speaker, we have seen chaos in land administration in the past decade, especially during the last Administration. The current Administration will ensure that we deal with the past mistakes; past corruption, today’s corruption and future corruption, as the President himself has indicated. He has also clearly stated on the Floor of this House and elsewhere that he will not entertain anyone who breaks the law because nobody is above the law.

Mr Speaker, I want to use this opportunity to send a notice to the people who have acquired land illegally and displaced villagers or even people in towns that we will not ignore those past mistakes, we will have to correct them.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, working with the local authorities and the traditional leaders, we are going to look into everybody who has acquired land illegally, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: … and ensure that the law takes its course.

Mr Speaker, in terms of environmental sustainability, His Excellency the President was categorical about our natural environment and the ecosystems when he stated that those aspects have continued to be under threat. I have in mind the issue in which we saw people burning bushes indiscriminately, as a way of disposing of waste. I think that we, as a country, need to move away from that kind of action; destroying our environment, especially in the rural parts of our country. In towns, people dispose of waste by burning it. Let us all agree that that should not be the way we look after our environment and natural resources. My ministry will work closely with the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, and the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry to ensure that land in this country is administered in a manner that is fair to our people.

Mr Speaker, I also want to give notice that, as much as possible, we, as the Government, will make land available not only in certain districts but, hopefully, in all 116 districts so that our people do not encroach or undertake illegalities as if there is no land. We need to empower our people with land. Land is a resource that can be used for empowerment. We will do it in such a way that we deliberately give land to women, the youth and other vulnerable groups.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I would like to appeal to hon. Members to work closely with the local authorities and my ministry in ensuring that we encourage our people to own land and let them own it legally. Let us help our people acquire land legally. Let us not be silent and say that because hon. Members are not part of the local authorities, therefore, there is nothing that they can do. There is something that hon. Members can do. In a number of districts, we have a situation in which the villagers are displaced because the headmen or headwomen decided to give away huge chunks of land. That should not be allowed.

Mr Speaker, hon. Members should also note that we are opening up farming blocks for agriculture. They should take time to encourage the citizens of this country to participate instead of just watching and allowing others to come into the country to acquire big chunks of land. Hon. Members should also get land so that they do not end up being land caretakers, but become owners of the land in the future. This is their country and land is vital.

With those few remarks, I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security, you may proceed.

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Ms Tambatamba) (on behalf of the Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms D. Mwamba): Mr Speaker, I am speaking on behalf of the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Services.

Mr Speaker, I wish to thank you for according me this opportunity to deliver a vote of thanks in support of the Motion to adopt the Address delivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 13^th September, 2024.

Mr Speaker, allow me to join the other hon. Ministers and hon. Members who have debated before me in congratulating the President for delivering such an inspirational and forward-looking speech to this august House.

Mr Speaker, the theme of the address is timely as the Government continues to implement measures aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, which especially affect the poor and vulnerable people in our communities. It is clear from the President’s Speech that the Government remains committed and resolute to restoring economic growth and delivering development to the Zambian people. That is demonstrated by the interventions being undertaken across the various sectors of the economy.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech highlighted key social protection programmes that are being implemented in all the 156 constituencies to improve the living standards of the poor and vulnerable people in our communities. The programmes include the Social Cash Transfer (SCT), the Food Security Pack (FSP), the emergency SCT, the Cash for Work and Food for Work. The list cannot be exhausted. It is gratifying, therefore, to note that on pages 23 and 24 of the speech, the President gave highlights of how social protection coverage has increased over time in the three years that we have governed our people. Under the regular SCT programme, the number of household beneficiaries increased from 1,027,000 in 2022 to 1,311,000 as at 31^st August, 2024. So, we can see the progression. Further, the President outlined the programmes that are being implemented in response to the drought situation with regard to social protection. The drought emergence cash transfer programme is being implemented to enhance food and nutrition security. It is pleasing to note that 952,570 households that experienced crop failure and are not on the regular SCT programme are benefiting from that intervention. This augments the President’s call to work together to ensure that no person goes hungry or dies as a result of the drought and other emergencies.

Mr Speaker, as rightly put by His Excellency the President, the Government has continued to provide basic farming inputs to vulnerable but viable farmers under the FSP programme. The programme has a total case load of 242,000 beneficiary households for all the components, namely the rain-fed, wetlands and alternative livelihood initiatives. The interventions are broad just from listing everything from what we spoke about earlier; what is known, which is giving families social protection and also looking at the resilience measures.

Mr Speaker, the speech that was delivered by His Excellency the President clearly outlined the policy measures and programmes that are being implemented by this Government to ensure inclusive growth and development. His call to remain committed, resilient and passionate about building a peaceful, united and prosperous Zambia cannot be over-emphasised.

Mr B. Mpundu: Question!

Ms Tambatamba: Mr Speaker, I wish to conclude my statement by stating that the speech delivered by His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has progressive ideas and policy pronouncements for a better Zambia, which both sides of this House have witnessed and agree with. Let me encourage all the hon. Members, therefore, to rise above partisan politics and support our Government in delivering development to the people of this great nation. The fortunes of this country will only be realised if we all remain focused and work together in solidarity.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Kapala): Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion to adopt the speech delivered by His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 13^th September, 2024.

Mr Speaker, in his address, His Excellency the President reminded the House of the challenging times that we, as a country, are experiencing due to the severe drought that we experienced, as a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon. The drought has had a negative impact on most sectors of the economy, and the fisheries and livestock subsector is no exception. During this period, the country has experienced the worst dry spell in a long time and that has had a devastating effect on the mandate of my ministry, as it has directly affected both pasture and drinking water for the animals. It has also affected the country’s ability to produce livestock feed due to the drought’s impact on general crop production. In most areas with high livestock populations, the animals are lacking grazing pasture and water, and are being affected by high temperatures. That situation has not only affected the nutrition of the animals, but has also led to high incidences of diseases such as anthrax, foot and mouth disease (FMD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and tick-borne diseases. Aquaculture has equally been affected due to the low water levels.

Mr Speaker, to respond to the effects of the drought, we, as a ministry, swung into action immediately after the alert was given by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). Our key intervention has been to reduce the incidences of animal diseases. Through that effort, we managed to control the outbreak of anthrax in the Western Province and the Southern Province in June 2024. Additionally, we intensified vaccination exercises against anthrax in disease-prone areas across the country and that has worked towards averting further outbreaks despite the drought. The ministry also successfully controlled the outbreak of the CBPP in Chisamba District and Kafue District earlier in the year. Further, we intensified vaccination exercises against diseases of national economic importance such as CBPP, the African swine fever (ASF), anthrax and FMD. To that end, the ministry conducted the following vaccination exercises as at June 2024:

1. 1 million cattle were vaccinated against FMD;

1. 750,000 cattle were vaccinated against CBPP;

1. 1 million cattle were vaccinated against anthrax; and

1. 25,000 doses were provided for vaccination against rabies.

Mr Speaker, it is clear that despite the country facing the challenges brought on by the drought, we have been proactive in responding to them. Zambia was the first country in the region to declare the drought a national disaster. We have also continued to lead the way not only in responding to the effects of the drought, but also in building resilience for the future through early recovery and resilience-building initiatives. All that is intended to ensure that the country can respond to future shocks with ease.

Mr Speaker, to augment our resilience as a country, we have continued on the path of improving the policy and regulatory framework to enhance the country’s effectiveness in controlling animal diseases. The policy and legislative review is also aimed at improving the business environment and enhancing the role of the private sector. To that end, we successfully enacted the Animal Identification and Traceability Act No. 2 of 2024. The Act will establish the Animal Identification and Traceability Unit, provide for the broadening of animal identifiers, develop a traceback system for animal diseases and curb animal theft. Further, to curb livestock theft, the Government amended the Penal Code. So, now, cattle theft committed twice is non-bailable. It is important to point out that the Act, in addition to curbing livestock theft, will be a game changer in promoting our ambitions in accessing export markets both in the region and abroad.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, let me underscore the fact that fisheries and livestock provide one of the highest potential growth areas not only for the agricultural sector, but also for national economic growth, as a whole. With the New Dawn Administration’s transformation agenda taking root and the visionary leadership of His Excellency the President steering the country towards sustainable growth, the fisheries and livestock sector is poised to be the driving force for that growth.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for North-Western Province (Mr Lihefu): Mr Speaker, it is a great honour and privilege for the voice of the people of the North-Western Province to be allowed to contribute to the debate on the Motion to adopt the speech that was delivered on the Floor of this House by His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Speaker, the Speech was rich and special in all the words that Mr President highlighted. He spoke about love, unity and development.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, being the hon. Minister for the province that hosts three big mines, on page No.7 of the speech, the President spoke about the mining industry being the main hub of our economy. When the United Party for National Development (UPND) took office, the governance environment was limiting the growth of the mining sector, …

Mr B. Mpundu: Question!

Mr Lihefu: … which is the backbone of our economy. With that realisation, the Government embarked on reviving the sector and has, so far, achieved significant results with substantial investments in the North-Western Province. The people of the province say kudos to the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, notable among the projects in the mining sector is the expansion of the Kansanshi Mine S3 project with an investment of US$1.25 billion, which will result in its lifespan being extended to twenty years and increased annual production from 135,000 metric tonnes to 250,000 metric tonnes of copper per annum. Further, the scheduled expansion of Lumwana Mine, through the Kamisenga expansion project, has an expected investment of US$2 billion.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, the House may wish to note that Zambia Gold Company Limited is currently on the ground doing remedial works at Kasenseli Gold Mine in Mwinilunga in preparation for its opening soon. The people of the North-Western Province would like to encourage the investors who are in the mining sector to go on the ground and to not start investing in court processes. We want mines like Kalengwa Mine to open up again in the province.

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President also highlighted the increased area of production for maize in the last farming season that was attained due to the attractive maize price his Government had established. In the province, the area of production increased from 95,667 ha to 127,158 ha. We expect the production area to increase further with the good rainfall patterns projected for the coming farming season. The last farming season was challenging for the farmers and the nation due to the poor rainfall patterns that were recorded and that had an impact on our food security. In response to that situation, the UPND Government introduced the winter maize production initiative, which has greatly benefited the people of the province. They were not left behind. Further, the Government will continue to support 67,973 farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), 40,273 farmers under the Direct Input Supply modality and 27,700 farmers under the Electronic Voucher (e-Voucher) system in Kasempa, Mufumbwe and Solwezi. To date, close to 60,000 farming inputs have been delivered to the province.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, to increase agricultural production and productivity, the Government has improved access to the credit window facility for farmers who will not benefit from FISP. With good rainfall and soil and Government interventions, the province is scheduled to be the bread basket of Zambia.

Ms D. Mwamba: Hear, hear!

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, the people of the North-Western Province commend the Government for not abolishing FISP. It is still operational.

Mr Speaker, the province has not been left out in terms of the massive infrastructure projects that were highlighted by His Excellency the President. The notable projects in the province include the development of the Lobito Corridor, which will bring significant benefits by improving transportation links locally, regionally and internationally. Other major road works expected to commence soon include the upgrading to bituminous standard of 85 km of the road from Lumwana West to Kambimba via Kapoma Chiefdom. Once the works on that road are done, the Kasumbalesa Border where trucks congest the road along the stretch between Kasumbalesa to Lualaba Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will be decongested. Traffic will be diverted to the other route that this Government will open up.

Mr Speaker, I also want to inform the House that a consultant for works on the Zambezi Bridge has been engaged and preliminary works are being done. Furthermore, mobilisation for the rehabilitation of the Jimbe/Ikeleng’i Road has started. Also, the rehabilitation works on 84 km of the Kisasa/Mwinilunga Road were completed while works on the Manyinga/Mwinilunga Road are ongoing. The contractor is on site. We did not see those things happening during the previous Government’s reign. The only development that we saw in the province took place when that Government was buying off the councillors in the province.

Mr Speaker, the province has not remained behind in the fight against corruption. His Excellency the President emphasised a zero-tolerance stance towards corruption, as it undermines development. In the province, efforts to combat corruption are gaining momentum through the establishment of integrity committees.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the people of the North-Western Province express their deep appreciation to His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for his love for this country and its people. His visionary leadership is what is resulting in the country’s development. As the people of the North-Western Province, we pledge our unwavering support for his Administration.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of the North-Western Province, I support the Motion to adopt the President’s Speech.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

The Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune): Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity you have given me to represent my ministry; the Ministry of Justice, which is under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, by contributing to the debate on the Motion to adopt the address by His Excellency the President delivered during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 13^th September, 2024.

Mr Speaker, may I take a moment to acknowledge that today has been a day of mourning, as we remembered one of the gallant soldiers of this country, Hon. George Mpombo. May his soul rest in peace. Also, as the people of Central Province, we have lost His Royal Highness Chief Kanyasha who we will be putting to rest on 1^st October, 2024, in Luano, Mkushi South. May his soul rest in peace.

Mr Speaker, the President's Address resonated with the efforts that we are making at the ministry such as access to justice, especially for the poor and the vulnerable in our society. To support that noble cause, the ministry is decentralising the Attorney-General's chambers to all the ten provinces and we have also continued to decentralise the Legal Aid Board offices to sixteen districts so far. Of course, we know that we have a long way to go. We are bringing justice and legal services closer to the people in our rural communities. Currently, the Attorney-General's chambers is the only institution in the judicial system that is not found at the district level. However, the ministry has commenced the decentralisation process to the provinces and will continue to do so in the remaining districts. The decentralisation of the Attorney-General’s chambers is expected to expedite the vetting and management of contracts and agreements required in processing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). That will tremendously increase the absorption rate of the CDF and, consequently, bring about the development that the people of Zambia want.

Mr Speaker, to strengthen the justice system, the ministry is developing an integrated electronic case flow management system that will link the different institutions, namely the Judiciary, the Zambia Police Service (ZPS), the Legal Aid Board, the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA), the Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC). The efforts will enhance efficiency, eliminate loss of case records, and enhance transparency and accountability in the justice system. I am pleased to inform this august House that the ministry, in collaboration with Smart Zambia Institute, recently concluded the first phase of training relevant officials in the local authorities in the provinces.

Mr Speaker, the President stressed the importance of human rights, the rule of law, constitutionalism and good governance in our nation. For those tenets of democracy to prevail, the New Dawn Administration continues to observe the principle of separation of powers among the three Arms of Government, which we are all privy to, which are the Executive, the Judiciary and this very important House; the Legislature.

Mr Speaker, in line with the aspirations of the United Party for National Development (UPND) New Dawn Government under the able leadership of the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, we will continue to entrench the rule of law and uphold human rights in the justice system. As a ministry, we are also ensuring that the civil society remains a vibrant key player in providing a voice for the majority of our citizens in furthering social, political and civil rights.

Mr Speaker, the President's Speech was unequivocal regarding the progress we are making in the fight against corruption. To demonstrate the pragmatic approach, His Excellency the President launched the 2023 National Policy on Anti-Corruption. The policy will continue to strengthen the law on collaboration, co-ordination and capacities of all the institutions involved in combating and preventing corruption. The policy also addresses matters relating to the recovery of stolen assets, and that is critical for all of us to underscore. It will also address the recovery of stolen assets, lifestyle audits, declaration of assets, social accountability as well as corporate governance. Further, through the policy, we will continue to uphold our commitment and obligation to fighting corruption not only in our country, but at regional and international levels by ensuring that our laws in Zambia are harmonised with the international best practices and laws.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we remain steadfast in the administration of justice and increasing access to justice through the provision of legal services. We shall also remain steadfast in promoting good governance and upholding the rule of law in our nation. As a ministry, we continue to emphasise the fact that we are here to serve the 20 million people of Zambia regardless of one’s status in society. I would like to say that the scales of justice are never balanced because there is always one who has to win and another who has to lose. However, as a ministry, we remain committed to ensuring that no one is left behind and that justice is not delayed.

Mr Speaker, with those few comments, I thank you.

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for according me this opportunity to also contribute to the debate on the Motion to adopt the insightful, motivating, progressive, action-orientated, respectable, participatory and assuring speech delivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Indeed, we are in great hands of leadership, which deserve to be supported by all well-meaning Zambians.

Mr Speaker, allow me to remind this august House that Zambia’s population is predominantly youthful, which is 26.7 per cent at about 6 million youths. For the country to achieve meaningful development, there is a need to provide interventions that will enable that portion of the population to participate in the socio-economic development of the country and also contribute to the attainment of the Vision 2030 aspirations of making Zambia a prosperous middle-income country. In that regard, my ministry will continue to implement programmes that will create employment and empowerment opportunities for the youth in an effort to reduce unemployment, and that will be done through empowerment initiatives in job-rich sectors such as energy, agriculture, mining and construction, to mention but a few. You may be aware that we inherited a huge mountain of unemployed youths. So, we are implementing many interventions.

Mr Speaker, the Government acknowledges that some sections of the youth are so vulnerable that they need to access social protection programmes. To that effect, my ministry will continue to support the vulnerable youth through grants under the National Youth Scheme and the provision of free land to youths who would like to resettle and venture into agri-related activities in our resettlement schemes.

Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the President for showing commitment in the desire to accelerate economic growth and create opportunities for all, especially the youth. It is a commendable policy direction as it will enhance the provision of quality education, information and communication technology (ICT) and skills development. It is a cardinal vehicle in the attainment of socio-economic development in the country. In that regard, the Government re-aligned the sectors, which has resulted in the creation of employment opportunities, as evidenced by the recruitment of young people in sectors such as education and health.

Let me also take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, to say that it is not a crime to refer to the past because the past always feeds into the present and the present feeds into the future. So, those who think that when we refer to them, we are doing them an injustice, should know that those thoughts are far-fetched. It is just important that we refer to the past. 

Mr Speaker, let me now refer to the past. In the ten-year rule under our hon. Colleagues, they only employed 7,000 teachers. Numbers do not lie. You know how many teachers the current Government has employed in the last three years. So, when we refer to the past, it does not mean that we are trying to malign anyone. we are just stating facts. People should appreciate this Government for the opportunities that it has created and for the good leadership that His Excellency the President, Her Honour the Vice-President and the Cabinet have provided. That is very important.

Mr Kampyongo: Policy!

Mr Nkandu: This is policy, Mr. Kampyongo. Just listen.

Mr Kampyongo: Ama tankers!

Mr Nkandu: Mr Speaker, we have also employed many young people. My ministry has benefited from the employment opportunities that have been created. Under the Ministry of Health, we have employed many people. Ninety per cent of those who have been employed are young people. It is the same in the agriculture sector. Under the Ministry of Defence, this is the first time a recruitment advertisement has been seen running. We have employed people in the security wings.

Mr Kampyongo: Those are not your ministries, Sir!

Mr Nkandu: The young people are the ones who have been employed and advertisements have been running unlike in the past, baleicebusha fye ati kuli incito uku.

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Mr Nkandu: People were just whispering to one another to say that there were some jobs somewhere when employing.

Mr Speaker, the President highlighted the economic transformation that will bring together interventions from various sectors of the economy to create jobs and reduce poverty among its citizens. To contribute to the creation of employment opportunities in our country, …

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: … it is my ministry’s policy ­

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkandu: A point of jealousy, Mr Speaker. I know.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ema youths aya!

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I have been sitting here, in the House, …

Mr Nkandu: Uncomfortable!

Mr Mabeta: Those are the only things!

Mr Kampyongo: … trying to follow the hon. Minister’s debate.

Mr Speaker, my point of order is pursuant to Standing Order No. 71. All the hon. Ministers are assigned portfolio functions, and one of the golden rules of the Cabinet is for the hon. Ministers to not stray into other hon. Ministers' portfolio functions. It is an important rule. One of the portfolio functions of the hon. Minister on the Floor is to talk about whether we are winning in football and we are also supposed to hear about the tankers that were procured for youths. How does he start talking about police officers who are recruited by the hon. Minister’s ministry there (pointing at Mr Mwiimbu)? How does he also talk about the Ministry of Defence? Is he in order?

Hon. UPND Members: They are youths.

Mr Kampyongo: No, the youths need to hear about proper policy frameworks, not about other ministries.

Mr Speaker, is he in order to digress from his speech into other people’s ministries without focusing on his own, as espoused by the President in his speech? Is he in order to continue on that trajectory? The youths want to know if the tankers are there and if they are making money for them.

I seek your guidance, Mr. Speaker, or else we will get lost.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I think we are all aware that there is collective responsibility in the Government, …

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: …. as such, the hon. Minister is trying to stress the point that his youths have been well taken care of in other ministries. So, he is not out of order.

Hon. Minister, you may continue.

Mr Nkandu: Mr Speaker, that point of order tells the story of why we inherited a huge mountain of unemployed youths. If we want to sort out the issues that concern the youths, our approach, as the New Dawn Government, is to tackle them in a multi-sectoral way, and that is what we are doing. So, when I refer to another ministry, it does not mean that I am moving away from my policy statement. I am just referring to what is happening. Thank you for protecting me from that point of jealousy.

Hon. UPND Members: Hammer!

An hon. Member interjected.

Mr Nkandu: I will not be confused.

Mr Speaker, to contribute to the creation of employment opportunities in our country, my ministry will continue to implement youth, sport and art empowerment programmes that will spur job creation for the youths, sportsmen and sportswomen, as required by a certain hon. Member, and artists. That will be done by stimulating business opportunities that will result in creating a resilient, innovative and productive youth population.

Mr Speaker, to attain economic sustainability and diversification, the President highlighted agriculture, mining and tourism as the key drivers while considering energy, transport, ICT, and research and development as enablers of the transformation agenda. Those are the key sectors that our New Dawn Government has prioritised in terms of having great potential in providing employment opportunities for young people and improving their livelihoods. In that regard, hon. Members may wish to note that my ministry has continued empowering youths in different fields and sectors under the Multi-Sectoral Youth Empowerment Programme. My ministry will continue providing resources aimed at empowering youths who want to venture into agriculture and any other sectors of their choice.

Mr Speaker, under human and social development, the President emphasised that skills development is key in enhancing entrepreneurship and employability among youths. In that vein, my ministry will continue providing skills training through youth resource centres in the country. Further, allow me to remind the House that my ministry has twenty-three operational youth resource centres that provide skills training to the never-been and out-of-school youths. Increased enrolment by the young people in skills training centres through the CDF provision highlights the importance that the New Dawn Government has placed on the acquisition of quality skills, which have the potential to grow the private sector through entrepreneurship. The emphasis on entrepreneurship, as aligned with the current socio-economic requirements, will enable the youths to take advantage of self-employment opportunities. To harness that demographic dividend, the Government will continue to focus on the following:

1. facilitating youth participation in agriculture;

1.  contributing to the creation of youth employment through entrepreneurship;

1. recapitalising old and constructing new youth resource centres;

1.  rehabilitating and constructing arts and sports infrastructure;

1. increasing support to youth innovative ideas;

1. facilitating youth linkages to the economic zones;

1. providing apprenticeship and internship programmes;

1.  empowering graduates from youth resource centres;

1.  empowering the youth with land; and

1. empowering the artists, and sportsmen and sportswomen.

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Mubanga): Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for according me a chance to add my voice to the debate on this Motion.

Mr Speaker, I wish to state from the outset that the speech that was delivered by His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly was inspiring and has brought hope to our citizens knowing that they have a competent leader and a Government that is working for them. The theme of the speech was: "Enhancing National Resilience: Sustaining Socio-economic Gains in the Face of Adverse Effects of Climate Change".

Mr Speaker, the President has continued demonstrating that he has a clear vision and well-thought-out plan to respond to even the unforeseen circumstances that affect the people of Zambia. He said that no one will die of hunger.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mubanga: Mr Speaker, the drought has led to this country facing many challenges. We have shortages of power supply and food, and that is why the ministry, through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), gave out loans to 670 entities or companies amounting to K189.2 million so that our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and co-operatives would be able to acquire things like solar hammer mills, irrigation systems, other solar equipment and generators.

Mr Speaker, according to the 2021 Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Report, 97 per cent of all the businesses in Zambia are SMEs. Therefore, to further expand the value addition and local manufacturing base, the Government is promoting the production and consumption of local products through my ministry. We are increasing access to locally produced products and goods in chain stores for easier market access. So, I want to encourage everyone to go to those shops, and they will see that most of the processed foods sold are produced by our SMEs.

Mr Speaker, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in fostering innovation as well as creating employment and wealth for our people. In that regard, all the industrial yards are now operational to ensure that the value chains and ecosystems that support our MSMEs and co-operatives are enhanced.

Mr Speaker, through collaborations with our partners, we are providing financing, as loans and even grants, for specific purposes. We trust that with our strategies for stakeholder engagement, we will increase the number of financially included entities and persons in Zambia, including our rural citizens who we value very much. As a ministry, we have implemented what we are calling the Rural Enterprise Development (RED) programme. We are not leaving anyone behind.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government is alive to the fact that MSMEs and co-operatives play an important role in fostering innovation as well as creating employment and wealth. It is for that reason that the Government will continue supporting them through a one-Government approach, as the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Art indicated. We will work with all the stakeholders so that we can contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Kabuswe): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate to adopt the Motion of Thanks on the speech rendered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Mr Speaker, from the outset, I want to say that we have a leader who is focused and visionary because as he was delivering the speech, he gave points on what we, as the Government, talked about and are doing; the promises that we made and how we are fulfilling them even amidst the challenges like the drought that has affected all of us, especially the energy sector, which is a key factor in the sector that I am privileged to preside over.

Mr Speaker, I want to delve much into the workings of the mining space because that is the sector that I have been privileged to preside over. We inherited a sector ravaged by dead institutions and court battles. It made us, as an economy, have a negative 2.5 per cent growth rate. Zambia is a predominantly mining-related economy. So, when our mining sector is not doing well, it shows. The economy shows how it is performing just by looking at the mining space starting with the people on the Copperbelt Province, the North-Western Province and the country, generally. Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) was riddled with court battles, Mopani Copper Mines PLC was bleeding out and Luanshya Copper Mines Shaft 28 was dead and at the graveyard. We had several mines battling in the courts and Zambia’s future looked bleak until the Zambian people decided to give the reins of power to Mr Hakainde Hichilema, a visionary leader.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, when we took over the reins of power, we said that we would stop mining in the courts, go back to the drawing board and begin discussions so that we can get all the mining companies back to the mining sites. In the case of KCM, we called Vedanta Resources Plc to the table. However, during the discussion processes, we were called all sorts of names, including Mr “Soon”, by people and they said that it was because we kept on saying “soon”. We told the Zambian people that we wanted to cook the meal properly so that when they begin to partake of it, it would be well done unlike what was done by those who did it in the past. They were cooking in the kitchen while drunk.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, I withdraw the word ‘drunk’.

Mr Speaker, we now had a focused leader who was cooking properly, which is why when we brought KCM to the table, we started the discussions. As we are talking, as announced in the President’s Speech, KCM is back on track as well as Vedanta Resources Plc. All the things that we promised; firstly, that we were going to give US$20 million in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, the money is in the bank, …

Mr Amutike: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: … secondly, that we were going to pay off the suppliers and contractors owed by KCM, over 90 per cent of them have been paid off.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, the workers were promised a 20 per cent salary increment, which they were given. The one-off payment of K2,500 was given to the miners. However, because of our laws, a tax was deducted from that amount. We have a leader who cares for his people, and in that case, he instructed the Treasury to reverse that deduction and give the miners at KCM the full amount.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, Mopani Copper Mines Plc, which was bleeding, has since paid off all its suppliers and contractors 100 per cent. The mine is indicating a double figure in terms of productivity this year, meaning that it has increased its production figures by 100 per cent. That speaks to the vision of producing 3 million metric tonnes of copper, which President Hakainde Hichilema put on the table. The naysayers said that we were not going to meet that target. Last week, the UPND Government, through the ministry, launched the Critical Minerals Strategy and the 3 million Metric Tonnes Copper Production Strategy on how we will reach that target by 2031.

Mr Speaker, apart from Mopani Copper Mines Plc and KCM, this Government also said that it wanted to bring Luanshya town back to life. As we are talking, the Luanshya Copper Mines Shaft 28 project in Luanshya has started breathing. The water is being pumped out of the shaft, and the number of pumps to pump out the water is being increased. US$500 million will be invested in that mine, meaning that Luanshya is breathing again.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, because of the New Dawn Government’s great policies, we are talking about several mines coming on board, and that will speak to the copper production strategy and also diversification into other minerals. The Kitumba Mine in Mumbwa is on board, and it is going to employ over 2,500 people. That mine is going to invest about US$500 million in Mumbwa. We had another dying mine in Chililabombwe called Lubambe Mine. That mine is back on track. There will be an investment of US$300 million. To put the icing on the cake for Lubambe Mine, we, as the Zambian Government, have increased our shareholding from 20 per cent to 30 per cent.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, apart from that, we have a new investment at Lumwana Copper Mine in the North-Western Province, as alluded to by my hon. Colleague, in what is being called the Super Pit. The company is going to invest about US$2 billion. Next week on Tuesday, we are going to launch the opening of the Super Pit with His Excellency the President.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, in parallel, Kansanshi Mine is expanding the S3 Expansion Project. So, all those projections are leading us to the 3 million metric tonnes copper production target. We can see it on the horizon.

Mr Speaker, we have not left out the artisanal and small-scale miners. We have given 273 licences to small-scale and artisanal miners for the formalisation programme that we have been talking about.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, because of the importance of the mining sector, starting on 7^th October, 2024, Zambia is hosting the inaugural Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka (ZAMII). Further, we are preparing Zambia to reintroduce itself to the mining world by also introducing the high-resolution aerial geophysical survey. We need to have that insaka so that we can announce to the world that we are now mapping Zambia for the first time in a long while so that we know what this country is sitting on.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Bushe kanshi mufwaya inshi nga te kateka uyu Hakainde? Mr Speaker, meaning that what else would one want for Zambia than President Hakainde Hichilema ruling this country today?

Mr Amutike: Imagine!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, Zambia is back in the champions league in the mining space.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, I cannot tell you how many memoranda of understanding (MoUs) we have signed. Ivanhoe Mines is coming to Zambia. It is the company that is running the Kamora-Kakula Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In fact, it has invited us to see what it is doing in that country. The company has a mine that is producing 1 million metric tonnes of copper. We are running with it in the mining space.

Mr Speaker, the investments are not only meant for talking about, they are investments that should benefit the Zambian people, and that is why we want this Parliament to support the Critical Minerals Strategy, the Minerals Regulation Commission Bill and the Geological Survey Bill. The Bills contain what we are calling the local content. That is what will speak to how the Zambian people will benefit from the minerals that the country is endowed with. So, Zambia is no longer trying to take off; it is already in the air. We may have turbulent times, but that is part of flying. The plane will settle as we head towards 2026, 2027 and 2028 because we know that President Hakainde Hichilema will continue ruling beyond 2026.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: Mr Speaker, I support the Motion 100 per cent.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for the Eastern Province (Mr P. S. Phiri): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of the Eastern Province, to contribute to the debate on the Motion to adopt the speech that was delivered to this august House by His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of this great nation during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Mr Speaker, the people of the Eastern Province are grateful to our Republican President for sympathising with the people amidst this challenging period that our country is experiencing due to the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has had a negative impact on our livelihoods; affecting most sectors of our economy, especially agriculture, water and energy.

Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, the province is an agricultural province and, sadly, it is among the provinces that were badly hit by the drought and affected all the fifteen districts. We are grateful to the President and his Government for the measures that have been put in place in form of humanitarian assistance to our people to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry.

Mr Speaker, as the people of the Eastern Province, we are happy to note that this Government has placed the economy on a positive growth trajectory averaging 5.3 per cent in just three years of being in Government.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. S. Phiri: Mr Speaker, we are also glad to note that we have resumed servicing the restructured external debt, a process which is necessary for restoring our country’s credibility in the international finance system since defaulting in 2020.

Hon. PF Member interjected.

Laughter

Mr Amutike: Hammer, hammer!

Mr P. S. Phiri: Mr Speaker, the province appreciates that this Government is promoting resilience among smallholder farmers amid climate change by providing affordable financing for mechanisation and irrigation. The farmers are excited to venture into the growing of winter maize. As at 31^st August, 2024, 1,688 ha of land was identified for that purpose across the province. The province also appreciates the fact that this Government values small-scale farmers, as evidenced by the continued support through the provision of farming inputs. The province currently has 194,543 farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). An additional 45,700 farmers are on regular and emergency wetland cropping programmes and 32,100 farmers are on the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme for the vulnerable but viable farmers to ensure food security at the household level. The enhanced Sustainable Agricultural Finance Facility (SAFF), which is now worth more than K1.2 billion from an initial K400 million allocation, will enable more farmers to access financing for growing additional crops, livestock and aquaculture, thereby improving their livelihoods.

Mr Speaker, the province appreciates the surveillance and management of livestock diseases, which has been heightened, and we are now able to produce our own vaccines. As a province, we managed to control the outbreak of anthrax last year and surveillance has been intensified. From September last year to date, 20,336 animals have been vaccinated against anthrax, 19,570 animals have been vaccinated against the east coast fever (ECF) and 444,909 animals have been vaccinated against food and mouth disease (FMD). That is surely commendable.

Mr Speaker, as a province, reading from the President’s Speech, we are happy to note that the New Dawn Government is ready and willing to issue mining licences to Zambians and to facilitate access to credit to enable small-scale miners to meet the necessary safety standards required. That is important in a province where the majority of the miners are engaged in informal and illegal mining of gold and other precious stones. Such interventions will not only empower those engaged in mining, but they will also help the Government to broaden the revenue base.

Mr Speaker, we are also excited about the implementation of the high-resolution aerial geophysical survey to explore mineral and groundwater deposits. That will put the Eastern Province on the map for potential huge investments in the mining sector, as it will enable us to get accurate data on the mineral resource endowment in our province.

Mr Speaker, the energy crisis being experienced in the country has affected most sectors of our economy. We thank this Government for the numerous interventions that it has implemented, including the 2024 net-metering regulations, which will allow customers who produce their own electricity to feed the excess generated into the national electricity grid and, in the end, save on the amount of electricity they purchase from ZESCO Limited.

Mr Speaker, we are happy to learn that the Government has continued with the development of the road infrastructure, particularly, through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. I am happy to report that works on the Katete/Chanida Road are progressing well. It is one of the important economic roads, not only to the people of the Eastern Province but the country, as it connects us to Mozambique and will, therefore, enhance trade between the two countries and other countries beyond Africa through the Port of Nacala. We also commend our Republican President for rehabilitating and maintaining most of our rural roads and crossing points in the province.

Mr Speaker, we are glad that the Government’s policy on education has increased access and improved the quality. The Free Education Policy has created opportunities for all citizens to access education. Suffice it to say that enrolments have continued to increase at all the levels. As at 30^th August, 2024, enrolment in our public schools stood at 87,399 in the early childhood education (ECE) level. The enrolment stood at 552,348 at primary level and 84,418 in secondary schools. That has helped to curb early marriages and teenage pregnancies, especially in rural areas. Moreover, we are glad that an additional 7,222 teachers were recruited last year countrywide from which we benefited 885 teachers. That has further reduced the teacher-pupil ratio in our public schools.

Mr Speaker, the province is excited about the educational reforms that this Government has embarked on. The people are elated with the development of the new national curriculum framework to promote life-long learning, entrepreneurship and practical skills required by the industry. We are also grateful for the completion of the Lundazi Trades Training Institute, which will enhance skills development and entrepreneurship for our youths.

Mr Speaker, the youths are thankful for the various youth empowerment programmes that this Government is implementing. Under the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), a total of K2.4 million has been disbursed to eighty-two beneficiaries from January 2024 to July 2024. That has further created employment opportunities for the people.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to say that we applaud the Government for decentralising district health services to ensure that they are brought closer to the people. The people appreciate the accelerated infrastructure development, which has seen the province benefit from the recently commissioned state-of-the-art Mambwe Level I District Hospital and seventeen mini-hospitals. The people also appreciate that 4,000 health workers will be employed this year in addition to the more than 3,500 health personnel who were recruited last year. That will further reduce the health worker-patient ratio, which will result in enhanced delivery of quality health services.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister for Lusaka Province, you may proceed.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Hanjika!

Chairlady, fire!

The Minister for Lusaka Province (Mrs Mulyata): Mr Speaker. I would like to start by thanking you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate in support of the Motion to adopt the speech made by His Excellency the President.

Mr Speaker, we want law and order in Lusaka.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, we will not have people who are violent in Lusaka. When people take a tour of the capital city, Cairo Road, for example, which is not a household, we let them do so meaning that we are peaceful. So, people must not take us for granted.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, if a person is violent, we will find him or her, capture him or her and lock him or her up for a long time.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, if one wants to step into the boxing ring to try our guts, we will knock that one down, and we mean it. We are sending this word out to them today.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, we need unity of purpose and a sustainable environment. Listen to my voice.

Mr Speaker, the President addressed the disastrous effects that the drought has had on the agricultural sector. He stated that in the 2024/2025 Farming Season, the financing facility would be enhanced to over K1.2 billion from K400 million in the 2023/2024 Farming Season with the number of banks participating increased from five to nine and more expected to come on board.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the Government’s efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to our people, we, as a province, are enhancing coping capacities for our communities that have been most affected by the threat to food security posed by the drought. The Provincial Administration has continued supporting the vulnerable through the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme, providing rain-fed crops to 12,287 households, traditional wetland farming inputs to 1,800 households and supporting 500 households with alternative livelihoods.

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, mentioned that the Government has continued to use special economic zones as a model for industrialisation and job creation. As such, the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (LSMFEZ) has continued attracting several investments aimed at value addition. A number of companies have since been established in the economic zone with an investment of over US$1.6 billion and about 3,900 jobs have been created so far. In line with the President’s Speech, the Lusaka Provincial Administration will work closely with the LSMFEZ to actualise investment opportunities such as real estate, schools, hospitals, clinics, logistics, and so on and so forth. That will enable us to multiply the number of jobs to be created in the economic zone. I, therefore, encourage local and international companies to come on board and establish companies there.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, on page No. 17, paragraph 3 of the Speech, the President said that the Free Education Policy is proving to be critical in the creation of opportunities for all the citizens accessing education. In our continued efforts to meet the ever-increasing demand for education and avoiding compromising the quality of the service, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, under the able leadership of His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has continued to increase and improve learning spaces in the province. The Government has managed to procure 16,434 desks and constructed 164 new classroom blocks while forty-one existing classroom blocks have been rehabilitated this year. In line with that goal, the desks are being produced within the province in an effort to support the livelihoods of the members of our communities and to create more job opportunities for the locals, as directed by the President.

Mr Speaker, as stated on page No. 25, paragraph 2 and paragraph 4, the UPND Administration remains committed to achieving economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and dedicated to the global climate change agenda. In view of that, we are implementing recovery and resilience interventions at all the necessary stages and in all the affected sectors to mitigate the impact of climate change. To restore forest cover in the province, a total of 219,666 seedlings were raised and forty-five blitz patrols were conducted. Additionally, alternative livelihoods are being encouraged through bee-keeping and mushroom-growing capacity-building.

Mr Speaker, I want to talk about the state of cleanness in the province before the rainy season starts. Our people in Lusaka have information about cleanliness. My officers have been going around sensitising the people on how to keep their surroundings clean. So, this year, we are equal to the task.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mulyata: Mr Speaker, we applaud the UPND New Dawn Administration, under the leadership of His Excellency, for the steadfast, effective and efficient custodianship of this great nation, Zambia. We also applaud the swiftness with which the Government has been responding to the drought, which has wreaked havoc on our country, while implementing developmental programmes at the same time.

Mr Speaker, we are proud of our President. He has an eagle’s eye. Even if one hid under the bed, as long one breaks the law, we will come after that one.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

The Minister for Central Province (Mr Nkulukusa): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate to adopt the Motion on the speech that was delivered by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema on the Floor of this House on the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Mr Speaker, the address was anchored on the theme, “Enhancing National Resilience: Sustaining Socio-Economic Gains in the Face of Adverse Effects of Climate Change”. The theme resonates with the measures that the province is undertaking to ensure that we mitigate the effects of the devastating drought as well as our continued efforts in building a robust economy through the inclusion of cultural and climate-resilient interventions among the people.

Mr Speaker, let me say that the President has worked hard in the last three years to rebuild the economy. The economy was shattered and off tangent and, the President has ensured that it gets back on the rails. It is now clear that the economy has rebounded and, sooner rather than later, the people of Zambia will start seeing the fruits that we have worked hard for. When the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government took over, it found the economy growing at the rate of negative 2 per cent. We are now at positive 2 per cent plus and it is clear that by 2025, the economy will grow to more than 6 per cent because of the measures that the President has put in place including the revival of the mining sector, the robustness of the agricultural sector, investment in water harvesting schemes and many other investment opportunities that are coming to this country.

Mr Speaker, in Central Province, we have attracted so much investment. Sinomine’s Kitumba Mine investment that is going to Mumbwa is worth over US$50 million. The company is also bringing resilience to the energy sector. It is setting up a solar power plant that is going to be producing 100 MW of electricity, meaning that the investment is only going to need hydro-electricity during the night. That is going to build the economy and improve the effectiveness of how this country is run.

Mr Jamba: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkulukusa: Mr Speaker, looking at the agricultural sector, we have attracted a lot of investment. In Mwomboshi, over eleven commercial farmers are benefiting from the dam that was constructed in the area. Each farmer is paying a lot of money to access that water scheme to ensure that the productivity of the country in the agricultural sector comes to life. The President is now moving towards initiatives of water harvesting. In terms of the Mkushi Farming Block, the President wants us to harvest the water from the Mkushi River, which has a lot of water that flows out of this country and into the Indian Ocean so that we can increase productivity and make Central Province a real food basket for this country.

Mr Speaker, in terms of performance in contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP), the province is currently at number five, running behind Lusaka Province, Copperbelt Province, the Northern-Western Province and the Southern Province. However, if one looks at the rate at which it is growing; 11.2 per cent every year, with the interventions that the President has brought in to attract investment in the mining and agricultural sectors, one will see that it is going to grow quickly and contribute to the growth of the economy. Two years or three years ago, the province was only contributing about K23 billion or K24 billion to the GDP. Today, it is contributing in excess of K40 billion. That shows that the economy is moving back to where it belongs and, sooner rather than later, the fruits of the economy will get better.

Mr Speaker, the past three years have been a challenge and quite hard in terms of the cost of living. However, the President has been working hard. It takes time to build up the economy, and that is exactly what he has done. In the near future, we are going to increase copper production from over 300,000 metric tonnes to over 800,000 metric tonnes and 1,000,000 metric tonnes. As the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development said, this economy and the Zambian Kwacha will be bullish. Soon, those who invest money in United States (US) dollar holdings may start thinking twice about doing so because our currency will be bullish and the exchange rate shift may be at their loss.

Mr Speaker, as we move forward, the province wants to focus on attracting investment in four sectors, starting with the mining sector because in every place that I have travelled to in the province, I have discovered that there are many mineral deposits. Just recently, there was a gold rush in Chitambo. Of course, we have seen the interest that First Quantum Minerals Limited has in Mkushi where a discovery underground near the national reserve for the –

Hon. Member interjected.

Mr Nkulukusa: Yes.

Mr Speaker, we have many copper deposits underground; over 50 million metric tonnes. That is why the mining company wants to invest in that area. It is negotiating with the Government so that it sees how it can move forward because part of that land is in a nature reserve.

Mr Speaker, we also want to attract a lot of investment in the agriculture sector. We still have about 500 ha of land in Momboshi that we want to bring an anchor farmer onto. We believe that anchor farmers bring a cross-breeding knowledge to the sector. For example, we have discovered that our own local farmers produce about 5 metric tonnes to 6 metric tonnes per hectare when they grow maize or wheat while most of the white farmers in the area produce not less than 12 metric tonnes per hectare. It simply means that management needs to be cross-bred so that we can improve productivity and become more efficient.

Mr Speaker, two weeks ago, we, as a province, signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Jiangxi Province at the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia’s residence. The agreement was signed to ensure that the two provinces mirror each other and also attract investment into Central Province. You can rest assured that with the work that the President has done, the playing field has been levelled and it is better. The province is in a position to contribute to the growth of the whole country and make it better.

Mr Speaker, may God continue to bless you.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for the Northern Province (Mr Mbao): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for allowing me, on behalf of the people of the Northern Province, to add a word to the debate on this important Motion.

An hon. Member interjected.

Laughter

Mr Mbao: Mr Speaker, am I protected?

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister, you are protected. You may proceed.

Mr Mbao: Mr Speaker, from the outset, I want to indicate that I support the policy pronouncements that were made in this House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Speaker, one of the issues that I understood and got out of the speech, which was pertinent, was unity. I think it was the biggest issue that he mentioned. This country has experienced many differences in the past. As a result of those differences, it was moving backwards instead of moving forward. The President came to this House to assure everyone in the ten provinces that we are all Zambian. There is no such thing as being “half” Zambian. We are all Zambians enjoying the full status of being Zambian nationals. It does not matter where one comes from. Therefore, even as we, hon. Members, come from the 156 constituencies, the President made it clear that we are here, in this House, to work for the people of Zambia and that we must work together. When it comes to Government business; the business of developing this country, let us unite. Let us not look at political affiliation, tribe, race or other issues. The President wants us to move together. That is why he even invited all the hon. Members to meet him. It does not matter which political party one belongs to, the President wants us to work together because we are all Zambians and he is a President for all.

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about tourism. As you may be aware, the Northern Province lags behind in terms of development and tourist arrivals. It is almost at the bottom of the hierarchy of tourist arrivals in the country. Considering that our province is endowed with many natural tourist sites and other endowments, we should not be in that position. We have determined that if we are going to grow and start participating and improving our contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), we need to identify the industries that we are going to work on so that as the country moves forward, the province moves with it. We want the province to take the lead and be part of the developmental agenda that this Government has set up.

Mr Speaker, from one of the key areas in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), which talks about the four drivers of development, we have identified tourism as one of the low-hanging fruits that we can easily tap into so that we can push the economy of the province forward. The problem that has held the development of tourism back is a lack of basic infrastructure. Despite being one of the oldest provinces in this country, it is still a bush. When we are looking at the big assets that we are supposed to leverage on in terms of tourism, Kasaba Bay is one of them. However, travelling to Kasaba Bay can take up to three days or four days and there is no communication or road network; there is nothing. I can also talk about the Kalambo Falls and many other attractions that we have. I remember that in 2018, an exposition (expo) was held in the province at which we called upon investors to establish their businesses there. We called upon them to invest in the bush; a place where we cannot even provide electricity, there are no roads, no communication network. A place where nothing exists. What was the purpose of the expo? What did we achieve from it? We achieved nothing. Then came a Government that works methodically. We should not just be jumping to conclusions, we should look at issues by understanding the biggest problem that we have; why do we not have tourist arrivals? Why do we not have investments in the sector? So, one of the issues we identified was the lack of basic infrastructure. That is why you have seen that for the first time, airports are under construction. We are going to be one of the first provinces in this country to have three major airports.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbao: Mr Speaker, we already have the Mbala and Kasama airports, and another one in Kasaba Bay.

Mr Speaker, in terms of the communication network, the President made it clear that in 2025, 414 communication towers will be erected, of which 202 will be constructed by the Government and 212 by the private sector. So, the province is going to leverage on those developments.

Mr Speaker, in terms of the road network, the President was clear when he said that the Government is working on the Serenje/Mpika Road and that although it is in Muchinga Province, the Northern Province is a direct beneficiary. We have done a lot. Further, a contractor is mobilising to move on site to work on the Mbesuma Bridge so that the province can be connected to Nakonde. The directive was clear. The Government will also start working on the road from Mpika into Kasama and Mpulungu. We are also improving the border in Zombe to make it a big one-stop border post, which is something that no one has thought of before. When I came into office, you can imagine that I found letters dating as far back as 2002 talking about how to improve the Zombe Border Post. Governments have come and gone, but nothing has been done. Today, workers are on site working to ensure that by next year, that border is operational. That is what the President was talking about when he said that the Government is methodical. We are doing things and not dreaming.

Mr Speaker, in terms of agriculture, the President mentioned the developments, but the naysayers are busy moving from one corner to the other saying that the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government has destroyed the agriculture sector. I want to make it clear that the Northern Province has contributed 178,000 metric tonnes of maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), this year and the commodity is still there. We are expecting to exceed 200,000 metric tonnes in the coming farming season, and that is something that has not happened in the history of the province. It was producing a maximum of 50,000 metric tonnes but, today, we are talking about 200,000 metric tonnes of output. That is four times the highest value that it has ever had. This is the New Dawn Government.

 

Mr Speaker, the President was magnanimous enough to show an understanding that we have many challenges in the electricity generation industry. He understands that the Zambian people are suffering because they have no access to power supply. He said that as a Government that knows what it is doing, he and his Cabinet were moving forward. He laid bare the plans to, firstly, diversify sources of power generation, as we have always talked about hydro-electricity. He encouraged the use of solar, as an alternative source of power. The most important thing that the President mentioned was the reduction in the regulatory requirements for a person to set up a 5 MW system regardless of whether it is hydropower or solar power. So, we are now calling upon all the players in the private sector, no matter how big or small they may be, to participate so that we can improve the people's lives.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I must confess that I am impressed by the knowledge that you have about your province, hon. Member, that is, outlining the state in which you found the affairs when you were appointed Provincial Minister and where the province is now. So, congratulations.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister for Copperbelt Province, you may proceed.

The Minister for Copperbelt Province (Mr Matambo): Mr Speaker, before I say anything, I would like to pass my condolences, on behalf of the people of Copperbelt Province, on the loss of a gallant man who we were putting to rest today, the late Hon. George Mpombo. May his soul rest in peace.

Mr Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to, again, address the House following the delivery of speech by His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 13^th September, 2024.

Mr Speaker, I am delighted to share the achievements that the New Dawn Administration has attained in terms of programmes and project implementation in the province, which I am privileged to lead. As a province, by working together, we have recorded successes in many sectors such as agriculture, health, education, Constituency Development Fund (CDF), mining and road infrastructure, to mention a few.

Mr Speaker, in the health sector, the province is undergoing radical and progressive transformation in the provision of quality health services. His Excellency the President recently commissioned state-of-the-art hospitals in Chililabombwe, Chimwemwe and Chamboli, and a level I hospital with modern equipment in Chifubu. He will also commission another level I hospital in Lufwanyama and phase II of a level I hospital in Masaiti, and district hospitals in Mufulira and Mpongwe. Before we came into office, there was a crisis in terms of medicine. I have since toured the whole province and noted that the availability of medicines is at 70 per cent for the first time in the history of this country. Further, the Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) was dead in the water, but it is back to life. Today, the ZFDS has two aeroplanes, yet it only had one in the past and its buildings were in a dilapidated state. If one visits its buildings now, one would think that one is in Italy or South Africa. The ZFDS is also getting two helicopters.

Mr Speaker, let me talk about education, which the President said is the best equaliser. Before we came into office, only 600,000 children were in school because some parents could not afford to pay school fees. After the introduction of the Free Education Policy by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, we now have 1.3 million children going to school, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: … which means that an orphan in Chipulukusu, Kapoto or Mpongwe has been given the chance to go to school.

Mr Speaker, through the first National Budget that His Excellency and the team implemented, the Government employed more than 30,000 teachers. The Government has also delivered more than 30,000 desks. Previously, all the children were sitting on the floor. It has built twenty new secondary schools and more than eighty new classrooms. That is what it has done and will continue to do in the education sector.

Mr Speaker, historically, the mining sector has been the heart of the people of Copperbelt Province and it remains key in driving economic growth; providing employment opportunities and revenue generation. Therefore, I would like to compare and contrast. Before we, as the United Party for National Development (UPND), came into office, the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) operations were in the intensive care unit (ICU), Mopani Copper Mines Plc was in the mortuary and Luanshya Copper Mines Shaft 28 was at the graveyard. In short, the province was completely dead in terms of the mining sector. After the coming into power of the New Dawn Administration, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, having the spirit of resurrecting dead things, resuscitated the Luanshya Copper Mines Shaft 28. In the next few months, we will be employing not less than 4,000 people in Luanshya. The Mopani Copper Mines Plc, which had no oxygen, is also back to life. Further, I think we have employed more than 1,000 people in the past few months.

 

Mr Speaker, the contractors and suppliers who had not been paid for a long time have since received their money. Even the Kitwe City Council (KCC), which received K87 million owed to it by the mine, has since paid off its retirees who had been waiting for their money for a long time. Further, under the Mingomba Project, in which we have pumped US$2 billion, we expect not less than 10,000 people to be employed. Lubambe Copper Mine Limited has also received a new investor and we are also employing people in that regard. In short, the mining sector is back to life because the President has a spirit of resuscitating dead things.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matambo: Mr Speaker, the province has had a problem in the water sector since we came into power. There was no water in every area that we visited. The Kafulafuta Dam was dead. This President and his team had to look for money to remedy the situation. At present, works on the dam are almost 99.9 per cent complete, and it will cater to four districts, namely Mpongwe, Masaiti, Luanshya and Ndola. Further, the President and the team, together with the co-operating partners, have found the money needed by Nkana Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC). The company is busy renovating and fixing the pipe that had challenges and building another reservoir. The works will sort out the water problems in Kitwe, Chambeshi and Kalulushi. The money to fix the water problems under Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) has also been found, and the company is busy fixing its problems. After December, the completed works will sort out the water problems in Mufulira, Chingola and Chililabombwe. This is the President that I am talking about.

Mr Speaker, the President has the spirit of resuscitating dead things that were killed off by other people. Those people are supposed to apologise to the people of Copperbelt Province but, today, they want to show that they can act as messianic agents. In Lamba we say insoni bana, ebuntu. We expect them to apologise. The Copperbelt Province was dead in the water. When we talk about infrastructure development, the road network was no longer there and wherever one went, one would think that there was war. The Lusaka/Ndola Dual Carriageway, which is a very important road in the province, is being worked on and the same contractor also worked on the road that runs from Masangano to Fisenge and Fisenge into Luanshya. I inspected that road two days ago, and I can tell you that we will have a brand new road in the next two weeks. The other road that was dead and was only recently fixed is the Ndola/Mufulira Road, which is why you can hear about it now. Another road, which I call the “notorious” road is Chibuluma Road. The contractor is on site constructing the first-ever concrete-grade road in Kitwe. The President gave us some kilometres to be worked on and we picked selected roads in different townships. In the rural areas, we have embarked on fixing the Mpongwe/Machiya Road and the Machiya Bridge, and the Lumpuma/Mukutuma Road. So, what type of President are we looking for?

Mr Speaker, I almost forgot to mention that in the health sector, the President has given us the first-ever cancer treatment centre in the province in the history of our country.

Mr Speaker, the other day I heard my hon. Colleagues talking about what the President said when he mentioned the issue concerning Article 56 in the Constitution. They said that he wants to rule the country for eight years. If you have a neighbour and he or she has a tendency to leave his or her window open all the time, and you tell him or her to stop behaving that way and to ensure that he or she closes the window every time he or she goes out, one day, a thief will steal from him or her, then, he or she might say that you wanted to steal from him or her. I think it does not work like that. For the first time, we have a President with integrity. He does not want to abuse the law. He told the Zambian people that we, as a country, should sort out the issue because someday, we might have a President who will not be like His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and he or she will go on ruling for thirty years. He or she will be using the lacuna that is in the Constitution until Jesus comes. That is what the President wanted to say to the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, at some point, Copperbelt Province was referred to as Beirut because of the violence that was taking place there. Currently, there is peace and anyone can put on whatever they want. Previously, if one put on a red T-shirt, one would be committing suicide. Now, there is law, order and peace, and the province will never go back to those days. Takuli alebwelelapo ku Copperbelt. There is nothing like that. The people will still vote for President Hakainde Hichilema because the Bible says, “You will know them by their fruits.” It is the fruits that President Hakainde Hichilema has shown the people of the Copperbelt in the last three years that will make them vote for him even more than they did in the previous election.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, in future debates, do not refer to the Bible on the Floor of the House. It is not allowed.

Are there any further debates?

Hon. Member for Kankoyo, wind up the debate.

Mr Mabeta: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank all the hon. Members, both from the Opposition and the Ruling Party, who debated. I also want to thank the hon. Ministers who have articulated their responses to the debate well on the Motion to adopt the speech presented by our beloved President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Speaker, allow me to just make an appeal to the Zambian people who were given a chance to listen to both the left and right side of the House. They heard from the people who took this country down. They also heard from the people who are bringing hope and ensuring that things are working out. Come 2025, this country will be different. Sometimes, I am thankful for the negative things that we go through because they help us to think deeply about situations. Had the country not experienced the drought this year, maybe we, as the United Party for National Development (UPND), would have relaxed because we would have scored well in every aspect that the Zambian people would have wanted us to. The drought has given us the opportunity to prepare for future events. In case we experience a drought in the future, I can assure the Zambian people that we will not experience what we are going through at present. We have been given the chance to implement programmes that will ensure that the people do not suffer like they are suffering today should a drought occur in future.

Mr Speaker, I do not want to dilute what the debaters have put on the boards. I want to assure the Zambian people that the future is bright.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

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ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at 1911 hours until 1415 hours on Friday, 27^th September, 2024.

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