Tuesday, 4th March, 2025

Tuesday, 4^thMarch, 2025

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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Madam Speaker: We have no quorum in the House. That is the problem of playing the Snakes and Ladders game.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Once you are swallowed, you are back to square one.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

We now have a quorum.

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC GALLERY OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM GREAT NORTH ROAD ACADEMY

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of pupils and teachers from Great North Road Academy in Lusaka District.

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

I thank you.

PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC GALLERY OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM CHIKONKOMENE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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

I thank you.

PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC GALLERY OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM BANANI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of pupils and teachers from Banani International School in Chisamba District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: That is the school where my children went to learn.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!!

Mr Kang’ombe: Ema levels ayo!

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

I thank you.

COMMERMORATION OF ASH WEDNESDAY AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that approval has been granted for the Catholic Church to hold mass with Catholic hon. Members of Parliament and staff on Wednesday, 5^th March, 2025, in the Amphitheatre, here at Parliament Buildings.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: This is in commemoration of Ash Wednesday, an annual religious activity that signals the commencement of forty days of prayer, fasting and alms giving, leading up to Easter.

Hon. Members may wish to know that attendance is voluntary and not restricted only to members of the Catholic Church. In this regard, all hon. Members and staff are encouraged to attend this event, which will take place between 1230 hours and 1355 hours.

I thank you.

DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the debate on the Motion of Thanks, which begins today, will last for ten days. As per practice, the Backbenchers will debate for seven days while Cabinet and Provincial hon. Ministers will debate during the last three days.

Hon. Members, I would like to encourage you to debate early and not wait for the last minute, as there might not be enough time to do so due to other Business of the House. In this regard, you are encouraged to debate as soon as possible.

I thank you.

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

URGENT MATTER WITHOUT NOTICE RAISED BY MR B. MPUNDU, HON. MEMBER FOR NKANA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS, MR TAYALI, ON THREATS OF CIVIL UNREST BY TAZARA WORKERS FOLLOWING THE CONCESSION OF TAZARA BY THE GOVERNMENT

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to raise an Urgent Matter of Public Importance. The matter is directed at the hon. Minister of Transport and Logistics.

Madam Speaker, there is an imminent threat of civil unrest at the hands of workers at Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), following the concession agreement of TAZARA by the Government. The brief facts of the matter are that the Government has entered into a thirty-year concession with some Chinese companies that will see them operate the freight section of TAZARA, leaving out only the passenger section of TAZARA.

Madam Speaker, out of the 3,700 workers at TAZARA, only 200 workers will transition to the said Chinese companies. This has been done without the consultation of the workers, who are now threatening to take to the street because of this situation. Is the hon. Minister of Transport and Logistics in order to not come to the House, at least, out of courtesy to inform the public that the Government has decided to give out this otherwise profitable company run by two states, without informing the public and let alone, not involving the workers in negotiations of their welfare?

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence in this matter.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Member for Nkana. You have made some allegations, which I do not know whether they are factual or can be verified. However, my advice to you, hon. Member, is that it is always important to engage with the hon. Minister, as you come to raise these matters. If a matter is very important, it does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice. I would suggest that you file in a question. However, I will leave it up to the hon. Minister to respond at a later date, if he sees the need to.

Hon. Minister, our Standing Orders do not allow you to give your response just now. If you, indeed, want to make a statement, I would suggest that you seek permission to give a Ministerial Statement, that is, if there is a need for you to explain. My guidance is that the matter does not qualify as an Urgent Matter without Notice. The hon. Member can file in a question, but if the hon. Minister sees it fit, he can also, through Her Honour the Vice-President’s Office, ask for permission to deliver a Ministerial Statement.

URGENT MATTER WITHOUT NOTICE RAISED BY MR KANG’OMBE, HON. MEMBER FOR KAMFINSA, ON HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS W. K MUTALE NALUMANGO, ON KONKOLA COPPER MINES’S EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, allow me to direct an Urgent Matter without at the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development. However, considering that he is not present, I wish to refer the Matter to Her Honour the Vice-President. The Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has issued an Expression of Interest, through which it is inviting what it is calling business partners and asking them to offer services in three different departments.

Madam Speaker, the first interest is under the mining department; the second one is under the mining concentrator operations and the third department for which the KCM is asking for outsourcing of services is the cobalt enhancement production unit.

Madam Speaker, what that essentially means is that there is a public notice for the KCM to outsource its services. My Urgent Matter without Notice and why I have brought it to Parliament, today, is that the KCM, currently, employs close to 12,000 workers. The workers in Kitwe, Chililabombwe and Chingola where we have the KCM operations, are worried that this outsourcing will lead to joblessness in the three particular districts.

Is Her Honour the Vice-President in order to not come to Parliament to assure the workers that, as the KCM undertakes this invitation of business partners, the plight of the workers will be attended to? Is Her Honour the Vice-President in order to not come and give the workers assurance, considering that this business decision might lead to workers losing employment?

Madam Speaker: Thank you, hon. Member for Kamfinsa, just like I guided the hon. Member for Nkana, hon. Members, as we come to raise these matters, in accordance with our Standing Order No. 71, whatever issues you bring to the House should be truthful, factual and verifiable. The hon. Member for Kamfinsa has made some statements, which are not backed by any evidence. So, hon. Member for Kamfinsa, I would suggest that you file in a question, then, the hon. Minister can come and answer it. As it is, this matter does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter Without Notice. It is, therefore, not admitted.

URGENT MATTER WITHOUT NOTICE RAISED BY MR KATAKWE, HON. MEMBER FOR SOLWEZI EAST, ON HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS W. K. MUTALE NALUMANGO, ON THE LACK OF ADEQUATE PARLIAMENT RADIO COVERAGE

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Katakwe: Madam Speaker, I wish to raise an Urgent Matter without Notice directed at the hon. Minister of Information and Media, but since he is not in the House, I would like to direct it at Her Honour the Vice-President. It is said that people perish for lack of knowledge. I make reference to the programme that we just had last week Friday relating to Parliament Radio frequencies in this country.

Madam Speaker, Zambia is divided primarily into two regions; the eastern and the western. If you referred to the programme that we had, the Western Province, the Southern Province and the North-Western Province combined only have six radio stations covering Parliament Radio frequencies. This means that the people in these provinces are cut-off when it comes to knowledge. As I said earlier, knowledge is power and people perish for the lack of it. If you divided the country using the line of rail, you would realise that the Eastern Block has so many radio stations covering Parliament Radio frequencies, meaning that it is well-enlightened.

Madam Speaker, is this House in order to have such kind of biases when the President is talking about delivering development to all parts of the country equally? Based on this fact, which is actually verifiable and whose evidence will be laid on the Table of the House, we really need people to have unbiased access to knowledge and information so that the people in Western Block are able to listen in to the deliberations of the House and be able to take part in what is happening in this House.

Madam Speaker, our people in the Western Block are in the dark, and even what the President was saying was not covered. I seek your serious indulgence, and I am going to lay this evidence on the Table of the House.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Solwezi East!

Those documents you are trying to lay on the Table have not been verified. They have not gone through the process of verification and we do not know what it is you are laying on the Table. So, they cannot be laid on the Table.

Secondly, coming to the Urgent Matter without Notice that you seek to raise, hon. Member for Solwezi East, I suggest that you file in a question. The issue of discussing Zambia from a regional perspective, speaking for myself, is something I do not encourage because it promotes division; it seems we want to divide ourselves. In terms of the radio stations, surely, do people not apply and are given licences? So, if people do not apply for licences, they will not be given.

Hon. Member for Solwezi East, I do not know how many radio stations you have in your constituency, but as an active hon. Member of Parliament, I will encourage you to urge the people in your constituency to also apply for radio station licences. If they are denied, then, that becomes something else but, please, do encourage them to apply because, as you have said, knowledge is powerful. Therefore, let us ensure that we have information that is readily available to the people whom we represent. Hon. Member for Solwezi East, your matter is not admitted. It does not qualify.

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

RECALL OF ANTI-MALARIAL DRUG LUMEFANTRINE

The Minister of Health (Mr Muchima): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for giving me the opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement on the recall of Shal'artem or Artemether or Lumefantrine powder for oral suspension, Batch No. 2390784, expiry date: November 2025, and manufactured by Gopaldas Visram & Company Limited of India. This is the medicine used to treat malaria in young children. I am issuing this statement following a named newspaper’s caption, ‘Urgent Product Recall Notification’, dated 25^th February, 2025.

Madam Speaker, may I begin by highlighting that the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) was established under an Act of Parliament, the Medicines and Allied Substances Act No. 3 of 2013, of the Laws of Zambia, to regulate and control the manufacture, import, storage, distribute, supply, sale and use of medicines and allied substances. The mandate of ZAMRA is to ensure that all medicines and allied substances being made available to the Zambian public consistently meet the set standards of quality, safety and efficacy. ZAMRA was established to protect public and animal health, and promote access to affordable, safe, effective and quality-assured medical products. ZAMRA carries out this mandate through:

registration of medicines and allied substances to ensure they are safe, effective and are of good quality;

importation and exportation controls through screening of imported medical products at points of entry;

application of good distribution practices to ensure medicines and allied substances are distributed and stored according to the manufacturer’s specifications to prevent deterioration;

conducting good manufacturing practices, and inspecting manufacturing companies to ensure compliance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) by the manufacturers; and

conducting pharmacovigilance and post-marketing surveillance of medicines and allied substances on the market to ensure good quality throughout their shelf life.

Madam Speaker, in other words, when a product is tested and found safe for distribution and use on the market, with a given shelf life, the authority is mandated to monitor its performance through post-marketing surveillance to ensure continuous compliance to good standards of quality, safety and efficacy. As such, ZAMRA conducts continuous post-marketing surveillance of medicines and allied substances. Post-marketing surveillance involves collection of medicine samples from health facilities and pharmaceutical outlets countrywide, and facilitation of their testing at designated laboratories throughout their shelf-life.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the recall of Shal'artem or Artemether or Lumefantrine powder for oral suspension. The product was imported and distributed by Shalina Pharmaceuticals in Zambia. During the routine post-marketing surveillance activities, the product in question was sampled by a registered private pharmacy outlet in Lundazi District, and analysed at the ZAMRA, National Drug Quality Control Laboratory in Lusaka. That is where the product was found to be non-compliant with respect to the assay test. The finding was that the product had low amounts of active ingredients. According to the International Pharmacopoeia, the acceptance criteria for the assay of this product ranges between 90 per cent and 110 per cent. In this instance, the assay for Artemether was found at an average of 79.1 per cent, and this made it fall below the acceptable standard. Therefore, the drug should be withdrawn from the market.

Madam Speaker, the assay test of the product in question determined the strength of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in it. In other words, it was discovered that the product contained less active ingredients. All other tested parameters were compliant. However, as a precautionary measure, the product had to be recalled from the market.

Madam Speaker, may I highlight what it means to recall medicines and allied substances. Section 46 of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act No. 3 of 2013, of the Laws of Zambia empowers ZAMRA to recall or withdraw medicines and allied substances that do not meet the set standards with regard to quality, safety, efficacy and performance. The word, ‘recall’ means the removal of specific batch or batches of medical products from the market for reasons relating to deficiencies in the quality, safety and efficacy, which may manifest as physical defects in the product, or complaints of serious adverse reactions to the product. Some defects may include incorrect labelling, defective packaging material, colour change, liquid leakage and microbial growth, to mention but a few.

Madam Speaker, the recall action is taken as a risk mitigation measure when the medicine or allied substance supplied on the market is discovered to have quality defects, fails to work, or presents safety concerns. In this case, Shal'artem, failed the assay test and was deemed not to have met the set standards, thereby, qualifying for a recall in line with the approved guidelines of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act of 2023.

Madam Speaker, the recall of defective products is not unique to Zambia. It is rather a standard global practice among national medicine regulatory agencies. It is meant to protect public from sub-standard and falsified medical products. Each year, thousands of medicines and allied substances are recalled globally at any point. Drug recall is one of the most effective ways to protect the public from a defective or potentially harmful product that has been distributed. As such, ZAMRA will continue carrying out its mandate to protect the public from substandard and falsified medical products, by taking regulatory action, whenever necessary.

Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that so far, we have not received cases through ZAMRA of treatment failure or adverse drug reactions following the use of Shal'artem powder for oral suspension, Batch No. 2390784.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Minister.

Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement presented by the hon. Minister of Health.

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, the Government paid for the medicine that has been recalled. Can the hon. Minister explain how the Government intends to recover the money that was paid for those drugs?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, it is not about recovering the money, but protecting the health of the people. Before a product is imported, a sample is taken to ZAMRA for testing. When the authority finds that the drug complies with the requirements, a licence is issued for mass production. When that product is delivered, even to private pharmacies, it is put on the shelves for the public. However, due to storage conditions and other factors, the authority inspects the products, and that is how it finds out that some fall short of the requirements. As such, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer and the Government to ensure that the consumer takes the right quality. When there is a problem, a person can sue the company to recover the money that he or she spent on the product.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala):

Madam Speaker, I am happy that our systems are strong enough to detect drugs that fail to make the grade. Considering that the ministry has done an excellent job of recalling the drugs that have less efficacy, what alternative drugs is the ministry recommending to our population for use?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, when the sample of the drug was brought for testing, it passed. It was after it was distributed to a private pharmacy that it was found that part of the consignment fell short of the required standard and quality.

Madam Speaker, an alternative cannot be provided now. We are talking about the quality of the drug in question. Of course, different options are available but, at the moment, we are concentrating on the drug whose sample passed the test, but then failed when it was distributed.

Madam Speaker, I should also acknowledge ZAMRA for picking up on that situation, it means that the institution is effective. If the problem was not picked up, it would mean that the authority does not check what is made available to the public.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Madam Speaker, in his statement and in some of the answers, the hon. Minister has alluded to the fact the drug was satisfactory at the time it was shipped into the country, but along the way, it probably became contaminated. Are there any scientific tests that have been conducted on the drug to ascertain what could have gone wrong?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, when importing drugs, conditions in transportation and storage can change in terms of heat and other factors, which can affect the quality. That is why ZAMRA regularly conducts random checks to see whether the quality is maintained, and that is why it looks out for certain batches. Not everything may be compromised. That happens everywhere. So, we should congratulate ZAMRA for being proactive. One can imagine that the checks were carried out in Lundazi. The authority is doing a good job. Everything had to be recalled because of one batch.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

Well, this is the shortest list of indications for questions on a Ministerial Statement I have seen. We make progress.

2022 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING RESULTS RELEASE

The Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane): Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by thanking you for giving me this opportunity to provide an important update on the release of the 2022 Census of Population and Housing Results to this House.

Madam Speaker, the census was conducted between 18^th August, 2022, and 21^st September, 2022. It was the first fully digital census exercise simply dubbed ‘The e-Census’. The census is essential for updating Zambia’s demographic and socio-economic profile, and is the foundation of our nation’s development planning.

Madam Speaker, about 47,000 field personnel, including enumerators and supervisors, were deployed to ensure comprehensive data collection. Importantly, the individuals who were recruited for the exercise have since been remunerated through their respective bank accounts. However, that was not without challenges, as some reported to have not received their allowances. Resolving such cases required thorough verification processes to ensure that the right beneficiaries were paid. The final batch of disbursements to the verified cases was made in mid-February 2025.

Madam Speaker, the total cost of conducting the 2022 Population and Housing Census was approximately K967 million. Funding was predominantly sourced from the Government, which contributed over 90 per cent of the necessary resources.

Madam Speaker, the main objectives of the 2022 Census included providing accurate and reliable information on the size, composition and distribution of Zambia’s population at various administrative levels. This included gathering data on permanent residences, homeless households and institutional populations. Permanent residences refer to the established dwellings where people live regularly while homeless households consist of individuals without a fixed abode. The institutional population includes those residing in facilities, such as orphanages, correctional institutions and hospices.

Madam Speaker, the census was aimed at collecting detailed demographic and socio-economic information, creating an accurate sampling frame for future surveys and generating important statistics for small areas and specific population groups. To ensure data accuracy, we provided training for census personnel, utilised advanced digital tools to minimise errors and conducted extensive validation processes.

Madam Speaker, we made every effort to ensure that nearly everyone was counted in the census in order to achieve universal coverage. To address any challenges, we implemented an extension period to include individuals who might have been overlooked in the final count. Although some individuals may not have been counted, significant efforts were made to reach out to and include all residents of Zambia during the census period.

Madam Speaker, allow me to share some of the key developments that have transpired since the conclusion of the census data collection. The preliminary findings from the 2022 Census were released on 23^rd December, 2022, offering an initial snapshot of our population, disaggregated by male and female across various administrative levels. That is national, province, district, constituency and ward. On 4^th April, 2023, we launched the Executive Monitor, a user-friendly digital platform for accessing preliminary data available for download on the Google Play Store application. These preliminary results published within three months of the census’ undertaking provided early insights into population counts and basic demographics, although they did not fully reconcile administrative boundaries.

Madam Speaker, the final census results, broken down by national and provincial levels, were published in the Population Summary Report, Volume II, which was released electronically on 28^th December, 2023. Subsequently, a print copy of the report offering detailed data from the national to the ward levels was publicly made available on 30^th June, 2024. The printed report included comprehensive information from all households, including those in permanent residencies and the homeless, institutional populations and incorporated administrative boundary adjustments. Additionally, a revised report to include information on special age categories, such as those relevant to civic and electoral participation, was released on 25^th February, 2025. This means that the Revised Population Summary Report, Volume II, released in February 2025, will serve as the official reference for planning and decision-making, among other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I would like to share some of the key findings from the Revised Population Summary Report, Volume II, of February 2025.

Madam Speaker, Zambia has experienced remarkable population growth over the past decade, surging from 13.1 million in 2010 to 19.7 million in 2022. This rapid increase presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in urbanisation, service delivery and infrastructure development. The results reveal significant growth trends across the provinces. Lusaka Province remains the most populous province with its population increasing from 2.2 million in 2010, to 3.1 million in 2022, which represents a 41.2 per cent rise. This reinforces Lusaka’s status as an urban hub that attracts economic migrants. The Copperbelt Province grew from 1.97 million in 2010 to 2.77 million in 2022, marking a 40.4 per cent increase mainly driven by mining activities. In the moderate growth categories, provinces such as Luapula, Western and Muchinga experienced notable population increases of 53.2 per cent, 52.3 per cent and 51.8 per cent respectively between 2010 and 2022.

Madam Speaker, the Central Province reported notable growth of 73 per cent with its population expanding from 1.31 million in 2010 to 2.26 million in 2022. Meanwhile, the North-Western Province stands out with the highest percentage change at 75.8 per cent growing from 727,000 in 2010 to 1.28 million in 2022, possibly driven by resource development and economic opportunities that attract new residents. In contrast, the Eastern Province and the Northern Province show population increases of 45.2 per cent and 46.8 per cent respectively, indicating a gradual, but steady development trend.

Madam Speaker, one of the most notable developments in Zambia’s demographic landscape is the growth in the nineteen to thirty-four years age group, which increased from 3.36 million in 2010 to 1.15 million in 2022. All the numbers I am reading out are rounded off to the nearest two decimal points. The rise means that the nineteen to thirty-four age demographics now accounts for 26.1 per cent of the total population, up from 25.6 per cent in 2010. The upward trend among young individuals highlights the growing population and presents both potential challenges and opportunities for economic development, education and employment in the coming years. At the same time, Zambia’s median age rose from 16.9 per cent in 2010 to 18.3 per cent in 2022, indicating a gradual shift towards an older, yet predominantly youthful population. Additionally, the age dependence ratio decreased from 92.5 to 81.2 per cent. This change suggests a growing workforce that could drive economic growth and development, provided it receives adequate support. The age dependence ratio measures the number of dependents; people younger than fifteen and older than sixty-four years in relation to the working age population, which includes individuals aged between fifteen to sixty-four years.

Madam Speaker, the report also recorded about 47,941 individuals residing in institutional settings such as orphanages, correctional facilities and hospices, with the majority located in Lusaka Province at 10,961 and Copperbelt Province at 8,179. Urban homelessness remains a significant concern with 1,918 homeless individuals reported in Lusaka Province and 1,427 in Copperbelt Province, contrasting sharply with the relatively lower figures in rural areas.

Madam Speaker, household structures are evolving, with the number of households increasing from 2.5 million in 2010 to 4.1 million in 2022. Alongside this, the average household size had declined from over five persons per household in 2010 to less than five persons in 2022 at the national level. The average household size in urban areas decreased from five 5.1 persons in 2010 to four persons in 2022, reflecting a more significant shift. Conversely, in rural areas, household size decreased from slightly over five persons per household in 2010 to five persons in 2022, indicating a growing trend towards smaller family units.

Madam Speaker, these declines suggest changing societal structures such as smaller family units, increased urbanisation and evolving economic conditions that promote different living arrangements. This trend may also indicate a growing number of individuals living alone or in smaller households, potentially due to migration to urban areas for employment opportunities or socio-economic changes. These demographic transformations carry profound policy implications but my Government is proactively responding to these demographic trends paving the way for an inclusive and resilient future for all its citizens.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I would want to highlight the significance of upcoming census publications, which will complement the revised population summary report. These publications will provide essential data that will deepen our understanding of the country’s demographic and socio-economic landscape. Additionally, it is important to note that these reports are public resources. They will be available free of charge to promote transparency and accessibility for researchers, policymakers and the general public. In continuing with the release of the plant reports from the 2022 Census, all the remaining reports are expected to be released in the coming months up to August 2025. The following are the expected reports:

population projections and national analytical reports. These will provide insights into future demographic trends and broader socio-economic issues;

United Nations (UN) typed descriptive tables. These will provide basic descriptive statistics on various topics covering socio-economic characteristics of the population;

ten provincial analytical reports, and housing and household conditions report. These will analyse regional demographic trends and housing conditions;

child marriage reports, which will include important data on the prevalence of child marriages in Zambia; and

activity limitation disability report. This report will provide insights into the prevalence and nature of disability among the population.

Madam Speaker, these upcoming reports are vital for informing policy decisions and socio-economic planning, guiding academic research and raising awareness of our demographic challenges and opportunities. Each publication will significantly contribute to shaping policies to enhance our citizens' well-being. I assure the House that the Government is committed to effectively disseminating census results and applying them to drive Zambia’s socio-economic development. I urge all stakeholders, such as Government ministries, research institutions and development partners to leverage these findings in their planning and policy efforts.

Madam Speaker, let me end by expressing my deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Zambia for its unwavering financial and logistical support, which extended from the highest levels down to the lowest. Finally, I thank the people of Zambia for their co-operation in providing essential information to the census officers at all levels. Their contributions were crucial in collecting, processing and compiling this valued data and we are truly grateful for their participation.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, as we ask questions, let me give guidance. We should be guided by Order No. 71(1)(a) and (b) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2024 so that we stick to asking questions on points of clarification on the statement that has been delivered. If any hon. Member has information or issues that he/she would want to raise, he/she should only do so if the statements are verifiable and factual.

Hon. Members, you are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement presented by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, thank you for your guidance. I also thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for a detailed report.

Madam Speaker, I just want to refer the hon. Minister to yesterday’s headline in the Daily Nation newspaper, which states that the Opposition threatened disobedience in the absence of a detailed report of the census findings due to a statement that has been attributed to a senior Government official having declared the report null and void. Now that the hon. Minister has issued this statement, what is his message to the Opposition so that we can have a country that will move on –

Hon. Opposition Member: You should say “To us, the Opposition”.

Interruptions

Mr Mumba: Thank you for –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Lunte! You will have your –

Mr Mumba: Madam Speaker –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Let me give guidance.

Mr Mumba: Thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Lunte, you will have an opportunity to ask a question. So, please, do not ask before your time. Allow the hon. Member for Kantanshi to ask his question and then when it is your time, you will be allowed to ask your question.

May the hon. Member for Kantanshi continue.

Mr Mumba: Madam Speaker, thank you for the guidance. Before I was interrupted, I was reminded that the Opposition is us. I do not know how I was supposed to phrase my grammar, but I was making it very clear from my knowledge of English. Nonetheless, my question is: What is the message to the Opposition?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that question. My message to the Opposition is simple and straightforward: Relax. Relax because the data that has been collected is credible, reliable and of high quality. So, relax and get some time. The documents can be obtained either in hard copies or soft copies. So, spend time studying the data. Relax.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, when this report that the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has presented to this House was launched or officially presented to the public, the hon. Minister attended that gathering. Upon the completion of that exercise, a very senior Government official, the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Nkana!

I had guided. So, let us not talk about people who have not been mentioned in the Ministerial Statement. Rather, let us stick to what has been stated in the Ministerial Statement. Remember, you are seeking clarification on the Ministerial Statement that has been rendered by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. In his statement, he did not mention any individuals. The individual you are mentioning is not in this House. So, we cannot talk about him.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker –

Madam Speaker: That fact that it was reported does not mean that it was factual or verifiable.

You may proceed with your question.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has presented a report in a Ministerial Statement. What I want to know here, is whether this is the very report that was disputed by the same Government through a senior official or it is the actual report that was given by the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats). If this was the actual report given by ZamStats, what is the hon. Minister’s word to that Civil Service Commission Chairperson?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning is a responsible office. So, by the time the hon. Minister received the report, all the necessary consultations with various experts, local and outside, had been made. The hon. Minister is very satisfied that the report is credible, reliable and ready for utilisation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister mentioned four provinces or so, and indicated their population growth rate from 2010 to 2022. However, for the other provinces, he only provided percentages. If he has the information, could he help us with the population growth rate for the other provinces which he did not mention? He mentioned the population growth for Lusaka Province, the Copperbelt Province, the Central Province and the North-Western Provinces, but for the other ones, he just provided percentages in terms of increase.

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, it is not possible for me to give all the data, but I can assure the hon. Member that the report is ready, both in hard and soft copies. I want to inform my hon. Colleagues that the data contained in the report is very deep. This data is not just national. It can also be broken down into provinces, districts, constituencies and even wards. If hon. Members want the population and demographic data about their constituencies, it is there. If they want to know the demographic and population data of their wards, according to male, female, and age, the report has the data. So, it is very good for planning. Even when one is planning to build infrastructure, such as a clinic or a school, one can tell where the population which requires that is. The data is all there. So, instead of planning in darkness, they should use data. So, I advise hon. Members of Parliament to get a copy of the report if they are going to be effective hon. Members in responding to the developmental challenges in their areas.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has spoken about how important the census report is. I agree with him that it is a very important document and we, as Zambians have to use it. Even our donors use the report. Therefore, when the veracity of the report is contested, it can be a problem for the people who are supposed to help us. What is the hon. Minister doing to give assurance to the people of Zambia and outsiders that the report is reliable and dependable, considering that the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission stated that the report is null and void?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I already indicated that there is no way I would have launched a report that had question marks about its reliability. As I said in the statement, this is one census where technology was employed. So, residential areas were all marked using satellite imagery. As you know, today, you can actually use satellite imagery to see your house and the houses of neighbours, anywhere on the globe. So, that was done. Boundaries were set up using satellite imagery. The enumerators had technology named Global Positioning System (GPS), which means that even in my office, I could tell which household had been enumerated. Anyone who wanted could tell that a particular household had been enumerated. Why? It is because enumerators were able to tell automatically that a house had been enumerated, and they ticked it. So, that was the level of detail employed to make sure that the data is accurate.

So, the hon. Member is in good hands. This report is good for use.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, I would like to sincerely thank the hon. Minister firstly, for tendering the Ministerial Statement and secondly, for assuring us of the credibility of the data.

Madam Speaker, like every Zambian, I am aware that the launch of the data was not without controversy. What does he think should happen to the fifteen wards which were the centre of the controversy in terms of the data he has presented versus the data from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, sometimes, there are misunderstandings. Perhaps, let me take advantage of the question to clarify. If you look at the population in a given area, like a ward using the census data, the data should be more or less the same as the population stipulated in the electoral register. However, these two types of data sets are different. They are different in the sense that one cannot assume that just because my house is here, in Olympia – What constituency is this?

Hon. Members: Mandevu!

Dr Musokotwane: One cannot assume that just because my residence, where the people dealing with statistics came to enumerate me is Mandevu, therefore, my polling station is also in Mandevu, because that is what would match the two populations. However, we know that is not the case. There are voters who reside in my constituency or ward, but do not vote in my constituency because the nearest polling station for them is in the nearby constituency. If they were to vote from my constituency, they would be required to walk, maybe, 8 km. However, if they went to vote from other neighbouring constituencies they would only walk, maybe, 2 km. They reside in one ward, but for purposes of voting, they register somewhere else.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, let me give another example. Here in Lusaka, we know that the population in places like Chilenje, Mandevu and Chawama is high such that when people go to vote, the queues are long. So, some people who, for example, live in Chawama do not register in that area because of the long queues. Instead, they register at Kulima Tower Polling Station because the queues are shorter. There are many examples where the population in the constituencies or wards cannot be matched with that of the polling districts because people make different decisions. In fact, some candidates who perhaps live in Lusaka with their families, but their constituencies, maybe, are in Katete, take their families to register in their constituencies. Again, this shows that the residential population cannot match entirely. It can be close but it cannot be the same as that of the polling population.

Madam Speaker, I hope I have clarified this matter.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, before I proceed with my supplementary question, permit me to join my fellow engineers in celebrating World Engineering Day.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Nzovu: Senior Engineer!

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, with your permission, may I also join the Zambia Police Service (ZPS) officers in commemorating Police Day.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has confirmed by telling this country that the report that was launched on 23^rd December, 2023, is official. The report shows the statistics that we desire as a country. On the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) website, there is a dashboard that allows people to get the information that the hon. Minister has presented by just clicking on a button. If one clicks on the census menu, one will find two sub-dashboards; one is for population and demography, and the second one is for labour statistics. Reports are available on the labour statistics dashboard. One can look at any information that one might need. However, for population and demography, which is a subject matter today, unfortunately, the information is not available. These are some of the things that are raising speculations about the authenticity of the report. Can the hon. Minister explain why the information that he has referred to has not been published on the ZamStats website? That is my simple question.

Mr B. Mpundu: Epoyali. Balifumyapo!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, the report is out and hard copies are available. The question that the hon. Member is asking, in a sense, it is like saying there is a website for Parliament, and I am supposed to look at the Hansard but I cannot find it. The hon. Member should wait. It will be posted.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kang’ombe: But he has not answered why it is not there.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

I do not want to be a participant in the discussion. So, let us proceed.

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, I want the hon. Minister to take note of what I am about to present concerning the importance of the statistics that he has just alluded to in relation to national development and planning. I also want him to take note of my constituency.

Madam Speaker, the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), which is under his ministry, has a map of Mushindamo District, which is different from the constituency map. The sizes of the district and constituency are different. Even when one googles the area, the map for Mushindamo District is different. During the census exercise, six areas outside Mushindamo were counted and we even provide our services to those areas. I need to mention the areas for his facts. Kangwena, Kabisapi, Kichile, Kakema, Kashinge and Fipansa were counted under different areas. Some were counted under Solwezi Central, Chingola and Lufwanyama, meaning that the population of Mushindamo is not what has been presented in the statistics. I raised this issue with ZamStats and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and the issue was verified on the maps. The feedback was that the population of Mushindamo can only be adjusted and aggregated when the points that I have mentioned are outlined well on the district map. What is presented is credible, but there should be an amendment for Mushindamo so that we know the actual population of Mushindamo in order for us to provide the services that are needed. The way things are now, we may leave out the areas that I mentioned earlier because they were counted under other areas. So, the populations have been aggregated to those areas.

I just want your comment, hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister has become Madam Minister now.

Laughter

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, what the hon. Member has described is not something strange because boundaries are changed sometimes. What is important is that –

Madam Speaker, let me take a step back. Boundaries are sometimes changed. In certain cases, especially sometime in the past, pronouncements would just be made to create new districts without taking into account a constituency. I think, my colleagues at ZamStats are reconciling the census boundaries with the political boundaries. That is something that is always going to be there because district and constituency boundaries are bound to change. For example, if delimitations are carried out, what the hon. Member is describing is going to emerge. The important thing is that everyone was counted. How those who were counted are allocated in terms of political boundaries is a process that the ECZ, working with ZamStats, will have to reconcile. However, no one has been left out. It is an issue of where people are allocated, whether it is in constituency A or constituency B, but their presence is not ignored and it does not disappear. So, that issue will be sorted out because it is not difficult.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the census report. I am glad to see that the report has extensive provincial data on disability and mobility limitations. I would request that, maybe, in future, there can be an opportunity for the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) to meet hon. Members of Parliament to dissect the report.

Madam Speaker, let me now come to my question. The census is meant to help us in devising our population policy. Therefore, how is Zambia going to benefit from the demographic dividends that have come out of the census report?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, if I understood the hon. Member properly, I believe what was made is a mere comment. However, let me enhance the comment by saying that the data available or the figures I have read out here are from mere standard reports or what ZamStats has chosen to report. For example, there are data sets on population by provinces and population by wards. There is nothing that stops hon. Members from interrogating the data sets in any manner they may choose. An hon. Member may choose to either work with ZamStats directly or merely access the agency’s website. For example, one would want to find out the number of disabled females in a particular constituency. That is not something that is probably highlighted by ZamStats, but by going through the data in the system, an hon. Member can actually generate that kind of information for himself or herself and use it for whatever purpose it is needed. Hon. Members can generate specific information on particular wards or the entire constituency. That is why I am saying that let us take interest in the data provided.

Madam Speaker, the other thing I want to comment on is that in 2010, the population of the country was about 13 million people. Now, the population is about 20 million. We can see that there has been a major explosion in the number of people in the country from 13 million to 20 million. We can project ahead and say that if we remain productive in terms of producing children, it will not be long before the population of the country becomes 30 million, 40 million or 50 million. What we should ask is: How are we going to take care of the people in terms of education and water services, for instance? That is a challenge that every political leader must think about. Not just today, but a few years from now, what will happen? We are already struggling with creating jobs and providing water and classroom space. If we keep producing children at the rate we are, very soon the population of Zambia will reach 50 million.

Madam Speaker, that is why the Government emphasises the issue of economic growth. Our economy needs to grow because that is the only way we will be able to provide jobs for the exploding population. It is the only way we will be able to generate tax revenue and send as many children to school as possible. In a sense, the census report is a warning bell or sign for us to do something and prepare ourselves because the demands on our economy are going to be astronomical.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that you have guided that certain questions should be moderated.

Madam Speaker, allow me to tell the hon. Minister that the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) should take keen interest in Chinsimbo Ward, Chiweza Ward, Chinambi Ward and Luangwa Ward in my constituency. The four wards are practically rural areas and very difficult to access. I will not ask for details why, but according to the first posting on ZamStats’ dashboard, Chinsimbo Ward was considered to be part of Musanzala Constituency. After sometime, it was corrected and reverted to Nyimba Constituency.

Madam Speaker, when employing census supervisors, they are recruited at the Boma, which is about 80 or 90 km away from some of the places where the census took place. However, the people who know the geographical make-up of the areas were not involved. When the local people are not involved, certain areas are left out. I know that Grade 12 school leavers were employed as census supervisors, but was it not possible to employee one or two indigenous people in particular areas who know the terrain? The local people would be able to face the challenges of different areas, particularly those with bad terrain. Was it possible to leave room for local people to be employed, regardless of their qualifications, just to help the technocrats in locating villages?

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I fully agree with the hon. Member. That is what should have happened, although some people living in certain areas might not even know where the boundaries are. If one is in Mandevu or Kasenengwa, for instance, he or she might not know where the boundaries are. The boundaries are known by the people who make or draw the maps. All the same, it is always better to involve the local people in such a process.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, let us take keen interest in reports such as the one presented by the hon. Minister so that we look at how they impact our various constituencies. If there are any concerns, like the hon. Member for Solwezi East has stated, we can also approach the authorities and ensure that the concerns are addressed.

That concludes the segment.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

VISITORS FROM NKEYEMA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, one announcement was not made because our guests were not yet in the House.

Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence in the Public Gallery of visitors from Nkeyema Parliamentary Constituency in Nkeyema District.

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

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY FARMS IN NABWALYA CHIEFDOM

238. Ms Mabonga (Mfuwe) (on behalf of Mr Kapyanga (Mpika)) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

whether the Government has any plans to establish community farms in Nabwalya Chiefdom in Mpika District, as a mitigation measure to avert hunger caused by human-animal conflict;

if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to establish community farms in Nabwalya Chiefdom in Mpika District as a mitigation measure to avert hunger caused by human-animal conflict.

Madam Speaker, as stated above, the Government has no immediate plans to establish or implement community farms in Nabwalya Chiefdom in Mpika District.

Madam Speaker, Nabwalya Chiefdom lies in the Munyamadzi Game Management Area (GMA), which is in between the North Luangwa National Park and South Luangwa National Park. This means that the area is one of the major wildlife sanctuaries in the country, and as such, the Government cannot set up major community farms in this Chiefdom for fear of escalating the current challenge of human-animal conflict in the area. However, the Government is still cognisant of the fact that people need food there. Therefore, co-operatives and other community initiatives will continue to be supported under various Government programmes.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister indicated that there are no plans in relation to the establishment of community farms in Nabwalya Chiefdom. What measures is the Government putting in place to ensure that the problem that was identified is attended to? The hon. Member for Mpika and the people in Nabwalya area believe that a community farm would help to resolve a problem. However, the Government's position is that no such farm will be established. So, how will the Government deal with the problem that the people in the area have identified? The problem is that people do not have access to food.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I will repeat what I read in the last paragraph of my response. I said: However, the Government is still cognisant of the fact that people need food there. Therefore, co-operatives and other community initiatives will continue to be supported under various Government programmes.

Madam Speaker, we do take food to areas that are in need. We opened community sales points, and in a place that is surely experiencing human-animal conflict, we cannot forget to do more of that.

adam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Mabonga: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the answer that he has provided, although it is in the negative. However, the current hunger situation in that area requires us to think outside the box, and this is what the previous hon. Member was talking about. Most times, we are advised, as hon. Members, to come up with alternative solutions to the problems that our people are facing.

Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the hon. Minister what other programmes the Government is providing or will provide, which he thinks will help the people of Nabwalya and other communities facing the issue of human-animal conflict.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, you will recall that on a number of occasions, Hon. Kapyanga has come to the House to complain that there is severe human-animal conflict in that area. Therefore, the answer I provided, that we cannot put up a farm there, is to avoid the same human-animal conflict. I am happy that the hon. Member has accepted the answer even if it is in the negative.

Madam Speaker, in terms of food requirements, there are shops in areas where we take mealie meal and other commodities. So, we can only enhance what is going on already, in terms of how people sustain themselves by providing food like mealie meal and selling points. However, we cannot go and cultivate there and attract the elephants and other creatures, which we have been told here, have killed people. It was a few months ago that the same hon. Member was actually talking about that here.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving the people of Chilubi an opportunity to ask a supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, the complete name of the area in question is Nabwalya Chiyombo. It is one of the furthest areas in Mpika Constituency. The hon. Minister has taken away the measures from the domain of helping the people, especially with community farms. That settlement has existed for many years, and given what the hon. Minister has provided so far, which, from where I stand, is not a panacea to the problem that the hon. Member of Parliament was trying to address. This is because the hon. Member wanted community farms to be established as a measure to avert the hunger situation in that area. However, the hon. Minister has proposed short-term plans like community sales as well as co-operatives. We all know the state in which co-operatives are now, especially in areas like Nabwalya Chiyombo –

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, ask your question. Do not debate.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I am well guided.

Madam Speaker, I want to know how the Government will avert the hunger situation in the long term, not with a one-off measure, especially given that the residents of Nabwalya Chiyombo depend on the same farming for them to buy the same maize through community sales. So, what is the long-term plan for the Government to avert hunger in that area?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I might not have responses that would satisfy the hon. Member because if I stand here and say, "Why do people in that area not go into agroforestry or plant trees and start selling planks" I could just be provoking the wrong side in people.

Madam Speaker, my answer was on whether the Government was going to establish community farms in a place in between game parks. The simple answer is no. This is because we will only worsen what is already happening in that area. Now, as Minister of Agriculture, if I am going to be asked about the long-term measures, maybe, I need time to do a feasibility study so that I know what type of business people can do. My response was about what we would do to avert the hunger. We would take food to the area because I am in charge of distribution of food with the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). So, I can distribute food in that area. We can take measures to mitigate a disaster if it happens. However, I may be the wrong person to answer what the people of Nabwalya would do.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Mabonga (Mfuwe): Madam Speaker, as we speak, the people in Nabwalya and surrounding areas, such as Kamwendo and Mutumba, are very hungry. They do not even have the relief food that the hon. Minister is talking about. They have not received food for the past six months. The hon. Minister mentioned that the immediate measure that the Government has put in place is to take food to those arears. When is the hon. Minister likely to take food to the areas I have just mentioned?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I have heard. We will open community maize sales, and we will look at the matter. The Government's response to issues like that is very rapid. The hon. Member is assured that we will look into the issue.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: There is a late indication. The hon. Member for Mkushi South can ask his question.

Mr Chisopa (Mkushi South): I am grateful, Madam Speaker. Why is the hon. Minister smiling?

Laughter

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the Government normally has a prompt response to issues of hunger. There is acute hunger in the areas that the hon. Member has mentioned. The hon. Minister said that the Government is going to open community sale of maize. Sometimes, some roads leading to the areas affected are impassable. What means of transport will be used to ensure that maize is quickly delivered for sale in the areas that the hon. Member has spoken about?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I was smiling because I like the hon. Member so much. He married my sister, from the Eastern Province. Well done! So, when I see Hon. Chisopa, I am always happy.

Madam Speaker, the Government does not fail to reach any part of the country. I stand here representing the Government that is able and has managed to go through a drought situation. So many people were exposed to the danger of hunger, but to date, nobody has died of hunger. We cannot fail to reach Nabwalya and provide food. We will do what is correct.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

Like always, hon. Members, engage one another. Do not wait to ask questions, especially if people are dying of hunger. Surely, should you wait to come to the House to ask a question, when people are still dying of hunger? Go to the hon. Minister of Agriculture and tell him ‘My people are dying of hunger. Please, take action.’ Then, the people would really be duly represented by yourselves because you would have delivered the food. So, let us not wait for questions to be asked because we will not be solving a problem.

Next question is by prior arrangement, but I see that the hon. Member for Kalabo Central has joined us virtually. So, maybe, I will give him an opportunity to ask the question.

COBALT AND TITANIUM DEPOSITS IN THE COUNTRY

239. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

whether there were any cobalt and titanium deposits discovered in the country as of May 2024;

if so, what the estimated quantity of the deposits was;

where the largest concentration of the minerals at (a) were; and

what measures are being taken to enhance value addition to the minerals above.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Kabuswe): Madam Speaker, there were no deposits of cobalt or titanium discovered as of May 2024.

Madam Speaker, as there were no deposits discovered during the stated period, there is no estimated quantity.

Madam Speaker, as there were no deposits discovered during this period, there is no information on mineral concentration.

Madam Speaker, as there were no deposits discovered during the stated period, no applicable measures were taken to enhance value addition.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to substantiate the point that there are speculations or information that there is cobalt in Zambia. Will the hon. Minister object to the statement that there is cobalt in Zambia?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, to help the hon. Member, I would that yes, there is cobalt in Zambia. However, the question wanted to find out whether cobalt was discovered in the stated period. The cobalt that is in Zambia mostly, comes as a by-product of copper. For example, at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), we have cobalt, which comes as a by-product of copper. We also have cobalt at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), which comes as a by-product of copper. So, as at now, there are no cobalt discoveries in Zambia. Probably, as we map the country, we will discover cobalt deposits alone.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order according to Standing Order No. 71, on the discourse tendered.

Madam Speaker, the question which was processed through your office, says:

“Whether there were any cobalt and titanium deposits discovered in the country as of May 2024.”

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to indicate that there has been no cobalt discovered in Zambia, when there has always been cobalt as a by-product of copper in the country as of May? Is the hon. Minister in order to mislead us?

Madam Speaker: Is that a point of order or a question? Maybe, we take it as a question.

Hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, answer that question.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I think that sometimes when we want to raise issues, we need to understand what a deposit means and probably, what a by-product is. There are no cobalt deposits discovered in Zambia as of today. That is a fact. The cobalt that we get is a by-product of the copper that is being processed.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

I believe today is the day for engineers. If you want to know more about minerals …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: … venture into some engineering lessons.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, the people of Chilubi are also lost. The question is open-ended with regards to the starting period while it is closed-ended with regards to the stopping period. The question is not about the period starting from the time Zambia was established, it states, ‘As of May 2024’. I want to find out about the discovery of cobalt. We have been hearing about cobalt from the time we were young. I am a miner’s son. The hon. Minister has explained that cobalt is a twin mineral to copper, and we have always known that where there is copper, there is also cobalt.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Fube: Well, I am saying that we have always known –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Just ask the question, hon. Member.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, cobalt is a mineral of high value. I am sure that the hon. Member who asked the question does not want that revenue to escape because cobalt is overlooked. Given that background, I want to know whether a consequence or by-product of copper is not the discovery of the existence of cobalt, whose chemical formula is Co.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, a deposit that is discovered is very different from a deposit that comes as a by-product of something. To help the hon. Member understand, when we are mining, we take note of any consequential mineral that comes out of the main mining activity. Whenever one is mining, there are consequential minerals, which are called by-products. So, when any mining activity is taking place, we profile and put whatever mineral that comes as a consequence of processing or mining a certain mineral as part of production. So, if one looks at the profile of minerals in Zambia, we sell cobalt, and it is of high value.

Madam Speaker, while mining copper at Mopani Copper Mines Plc, we discovered that one of the by-products of the mineral deposit is cobalt although there are other by-products. If the hon. Member wants that question answered, he can raise it, and we are going to answer it. So, cobalt is a by-product when Mopani Copper Mines Plc is processing its copper.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Kalabo Central, do you have another question?

Mr Miyutu was inaudible.

Madam Speaker: Unmute your microphone.

Well, maybe, as technology is still acting up, we can have the hon. Member for Kanyama.

Mr Miyutu: Hello!

Madam Speaker: Okay, the hon. Member for Kalabo Central is now audible. Sorry, hon. Member for Kanyama.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker?

Madam Speaker: Yes, please, proceed.

Mr Miyutu: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to put me in a clear position. I do not want to worry. As the hon. Member for Chilubi has stated, looking at the levels of poverty in this country yet we have minerals is what prompted this question. In copper processing, there is the use of sulfuric acid, which produces by-products, sulphur dioxide and slag. Is it correct for the hon. Minister to state that cobalt is a by-product? A by-product is a product which is non-existent before a chemical reaction. Now, cobalt is part of the ore in the process of mining copper. How can the hon. Minister surely say that cobalt is a by-product when it is there before the copper is mined?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I am really trying to be as civil as I can to make sure that I do not stray.

Madam Speaker, we sell the cobalt that we have right now in Zambia. Cobalt brings value to the nation, by the way. If one checks the profile of the minerals that we sell, cobalt is there. Probably, in using the English phrase, “It is a by-product” people think that we take it as nothing or something that is just a by-the-way. When people are mining, the Government takes note of whatever mineral those people process. Also, when one is selling minerals, the Government takes note and gets value out of those minerals.

Our cobalt, Madam Speaker, has a huge advantage. For example, the cobalt that comes from Mopani Copper Mines Plc is, basically, processed for free because copper processing takes the cost, meaning that we get a lot of value out of it because it runs parallel. As the copper is processed, the cobalt is also realised as a by-product. Our cobalt is of high value. It brings a lot of money and profit because it comes as a consequence of processing copper at various mines.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama): Madam Speaker, I just want to ride on the explanation that the hon. Minister has given us.

Madam Speaker, cobalt is a by-product of which when our copper is being processed, it is realised. Are we saying that there is value addition in that product?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, cobalt gives copper more value – I want to take it literally but, really, that is not what it means – because when one is mining and one discovers that he or she also gets cobalt as one is processing one’s mineral, like copper, one gains more value out of one’s processing. If one is mining within the Zambian jurisdiction, the Government must ensure that it is aware. That is why the Government is putting a regulator in place so that mines do not lie that they only process copper, yet they have by-products of gold, silver or other minerals. So, really, it is about the Government now ensuring that anyone processing anything does not just report that he or she is processing a particular mineral, yet there are by-products that may have a lot of value, as cobalt has a lot of value and brings a lot of value to Zambia.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kalobo (Wusakile): Madam Speaker, on one hand, I want to agree with the hon. Minister and on the other hand, I want to disagree with him.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Kalobo: Madam Speaker, there are mines in Luapula Province, Copperbelt Province and other areas that produce cobalt as a by-product. I am a very concerned citizen. The Government is conducting geological mapping and the information the hon. Minister is giving out is that there is no cobalt mine anywhere, when there are cobalt mines in places such as Mwinilunga. Even before an analysis is carried out in the laboratory, one is able to tell that the mineral mined in a particular area is cobalt or copper. We are able to differentiate the two because cobalt ore is black.

Madam Speaker, what can we call the mines in Mwinilunga because they are operational and they were given licences to mine cobalt even before the Patriotic Front (PF) came into power? I am not allowed to mention names because most of them are private mines. I have just bumped into the issue, but I can mention them because I know licence holders who are specifically mining cobalt and delivering it to Sable Zinc Limited in Kabwe. So, what are those mines doing?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the Government does not work with unverified information. It works with verified information. Therefore, I want to be very controlled when answering the hon. Member. Let me just give an example. We have heard unverified stories of people smuggling cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). If we catch them, we will not let them because there is no mine in Mwinilunga that mines cobalt. That is the fact.

Mr Samakayi: Question!

Mr Mubika: Only pineapples!

Laughter

Mr Kabuswe: That is the way the Government operates. This is why God allowed Mr Hakainde Hichilema to become the President of this country. I think that this country was run like – I do not know which word to use because I do not want to say something unparliamentary. Governments are run with systems.

Hon. Opposition Members interjected.

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

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I want to answer him. We run the Government through systems and verifiable information. That is why before we tell the country about any mineral, we first have to conduct mapping and know the extent of the mineral deposits. We have to know what is sitting where. In the next one and half years or less, we will announce what the mapping results are. We will reveal what is sitting in Mwinilunga, Copperbelt Province, Kaputa or Chama. So, we will tell the nation after we finish the mapping. It is not supposed to be guess work, like talking about smugglers who bring minerals into the country.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Before we proceed, there was an indication for a point of order.

Hon. Member for Chilubi, what is your point of order?

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, this is a House of facts and it is important that we communicate to the nation correctly. We are talking about the mineral wealth of the nation. Today, cobalt has been reduced to a by-product of copper. Standing Order No. 71 is talking about the language that we use to be factual and many other respects. As far as my little knowledge tells me, among the by-products of copper, there is sulphur oxide, slug and distantly, malachite, which is copper oxide. Cobalt has never been a by-product of copper. So, I do not know why the hon. Minister is telling us that cobalt is a by-product of copper because cobalt exists on its own even on the periodic table of chemical elements. It is not a by-product of copper.

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

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Now, we have to ask for scientific evidence to confirm whether cobalt is a by-product of copper or it stands on its own on the periodic table of chemical elements. The hon. Minister, who is in charge of mining, has told us that it is a by-product. So, if the hon. Member for Chilubi has information contrary to what the hon. Minister has said, he should lay it on the Table then, we can be educated accordingly. For now, we are not in that field. It is like saying, as a mother or housewife, for instance, that nshima is a by-product of maize. I do not know. Can you mine maize or grow nshima? I do not know. So, from a layman's point of view, it is just something like that.

So, let us make progress.

Hon. Member for Chama South, there was an indication for a point of order. What is your point of order?

Mr Mung’andu: Madam Speaker, my point of order is directed to the hon. Member for Mwinilunga. When the hon. Minister was responding, we have a Parliamentary language where, if you do not agree, you say; question! If we agree we say; hear, hear! However, when the hon. Minister was explaining, the hon. Member for Mwinilunga said; question!

Laughter

Mr Mung’andu: This simply means that he comes from the North-Western Province and so, he does not agree with what the hon. Minister is explaining.

Mr Kambita: Question!

Mr Mung’andu: Considering that he is coming from the right side of the House …

Mr Samakayi: Question!

Laughter

Mr Mung’andu: … who is telling the truth? Is it the hon. Minister of the hon. Member for Mwinilunga popularly known as Hon. Kasenseli? I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Thank you. I do not know whether question means agreeing, not agreeing or he was just expressing ˗

I do not know whether he was saying question to some hon. Member who was saying they do not mine cobalt, but pineapples. I thought maybe, that is why the hon. Member was saying question.

Mr Samakayi: You are right, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Let us make progress.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, I do not wish to sound repetitive, since my question was partly asked by Hon. Chinkuli. The hon. Minister has clearly stated in his statement that cobalt is a mineral of high value. Part (d) of the initial question asked the same thing that Hon. Chinkuli asked, but I did not get the hon. Minister’s answer clearly. Since cobalt is a mineral of high value, there is a need for value addition. What is being done in terms of value addition on cobalt? If possible, the hon. Minister can give some examples.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, before I answer the hon. Member’s question, I want to clarify one thing so that hon. Members do not go away with the wrong information. I have not said that cobalt is always a by-product of copper. I have said that the cobalt that we have in Zambia currently is a by-product of copper mining. So, if peradventure we discover a whole cobalt deposit mine as we carry out mapping, we are going to announce it to the country.

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

Mr Kabuswe: As things stand now, whatever has been reported as cobalt is actually a by-product of copper mining, such as what is happening at Mopani Copper Mine.

Madam Speaker, in terms of value addition, we have just reached the processing stage. We have not yet gone beyond that to reach other stages of value addition.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, I have been following the responses of the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development. Indeed, the history of cobalt in Zambia has not been clear for a long time. There are no clear records even for the period of the First Republic under the United National Independence Party (UNIP), when the mines were state-owned. When the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) came into office, it brought about privatisation of the mining sector. Still, speculations on cobalt deposits continued. Then came the Government of the Patriotic Front (PF), which was formed in one of the founding cities …

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: …of copper mining, which is Chililabombwe. What quantities are we talking about now and what modalities are used to export the quantities of cobalt which come as a by-product of copper?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. Kampyongo for that very important question.

Madam Speaker, as I said, whatever mineral is being mined at a particular mine is profiled or put on record. When the mineral is exported, the Government determines the value from those records. In fact, royalties are paid on every mineral. Export taxes are paid on cobalt, just like any other mineral, although it comes out as a by-product. So, it is an important product and it is also profiled.

Madam Speaker, I did not come with quantities –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to respond to a question asked by the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu. However, I will seek your indulgence that the hon. Member asks the question again so that he can refresh my memory.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, please, repeat the question.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, most obliged.

Madam Speaker, I was trying to seek clarification from the hon. Minister. I gave a background that this issue of cobalt has been of a speculative nature for some time. I indicated that when the mines were being run by the State, through the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), it was the same story until the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government came into power. Technology started changing in the mining sector when the private sector was introduced.

Madam Speaker, I also said that the hon. Minister is from a mining town to the extent that, under the previous Government; the Patriotic Front (PF), he was a father for Chililabombwe, one of the mining towns.

Mr B. Mpundu: Under the Patriotic Front (PF)?

Mr Kampyongo: Yes, under the PF. He was a very gallant city father.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, please, do not debate the hon. Minister. What is your question?

Mr Amutike: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: You can question because you are new in politics.

Madam Speaker, my question was: What are the quantities of cobalt being exported and also the modality that is used so that the Zambian people can have information on the quantity of cobalt extracted as by-products from copper processing, which we export and gain revenue from the sales?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, the beauty about life is that everybody has a history …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kabuswe: … and in life, you only learn from history. If you do not learn from history, you will remain outside the boat that is mentioned in the good book.

Madam Speaker, I think, the question about the quantities of cobalt, is now a new question. I would seek your indulgence that, maybe, the hon. Member could be allowed to file in a question so that we can come back to the House with real figures of how much cobalt Zambia has had in the past, to date. We will be able to give the real figures and the quantities that have been exported, and what we do with the cobalt.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Samakayi: Hear, hear!

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Madam Speaker, one of the reasons Chambishi Metals Plc remains closed is due to inadequate availability of cobalt on the local market. I totally agree with the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development that cobalt remains a by-product of copper in Zambia.

Madam Speaker, if we had enough cobalt, would Chambishi Metals Plc remain closed for such a long period with such an asset available?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, in fact, Chambishi Metals Plc was closed because a particular Government at that time, introduced taxes that prevented the then mine, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) that was running the plant, from importing the concentrates for cobalt. That resulted in the mine being shut, and job losses were the order of the day.

Madam Speaker, if really, we had a lot of cobalt like the hon. Member said, that plant would not have shut down by now because even what Mopani Copper Mines produces is just enough for itself.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Madam Speaker, GlobalData, which is a statistical mining agency, lists Zambia as the fourteenth largest producer of cobalt in the world. I would like to know whether this cobalt is still extracted through the copper mining process.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, in fact, there is a strategic relationship between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in terms of co-operating with the battery manufacturing plant and value addition. Zambia and the DRC combined, controls 70 per cent of cobalt in the world. That is why we strategically wanted to collaborate with the DRC. It is one of the reasons we wanted to go into value addition because cobalt will be key in the clean and green energy transition. It is actually a critical mineral.

Madam Speaker, yes, we do have a lot of cobalt by quantities. The figure of cobalt produced in Zambia that I may bring to the House may not be the same as that of copper. Cobalt is not a mineral that we can say we are producing, for example, 400,000 metric tonnes like we talk about copper. The quantities, though of high value, are not in those levels. So, really, what we are producing is what makes us to be ranked as the fourteenth largest producer of cobalt in the world. When we come back with the figures, the House will see what that means, but really, it still remains a consequence of copper processing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTION IN KASAMA CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

240. Ms S. Mwamba (Kasama Central) asked the Minister of Education:

whether the Government has any plans to construct a higher learning institution in Kasama Central Parliamentary Constituency;

if so, when the plans will be implemented;

whether the institution at (a) will be a college or university;

what type of programmes will be offered at the institution; and

if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Government has no immediate plans to construct a higher learning institution in Kasama Central Parliamentary Constituency.

Madam Speaker, in view of the response above, parts (b), (c), and (d) of the question do not apply. However, the Government is in the process of constructing a public university in Kasama District, which will serve the broader region.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Mwamba: Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that there are no immediate plans to construct a higher learning institute in Kasama Central. With the free education policy, many scholars are going up to Grade 12, but after that, they are stuck if their parents cannot afford to pay for tertiary education. What is the projected timeline for ground breaking and completion of the proposed university?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I am not able to say the timeline off the cuff, but we are planning to construct six universities in the six provinces that do not have universities, and this includes the Northern Province. Some provinces already have universities.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Mwamba: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has spoken about the proposed universities for construction. Is the funding for those projects already secured or is it still at proposal stage?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, obviously, the funding for the construction of fully-fledged universities is not there. However, money has been set aside to undertake surveys for the land. In terms of the Northern Province, there was one – I cannot remember the name. The Frederick Titus Jacob (FTJ) Chiluba University is a corollary of another university that was supposed to be built in Mansa. Then, there was another proposed one, I think, in Lukashya. These are both in the Northern Province. We have the funds to begin the preliminaries before construction commences. . Obviously, we will break the ground later.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisopa (Mkushi South): Madam Speaker, Itumpa University is in Lukashya. How much has the ministry allocated to complete the university, before the Government hands over power next year?

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

It looks like a new question, but the hon. Minister of Education may respond.

Mr Syakalima: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Where is the hon. Member from?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Mkushi South, hon. Minister.

Mr Syakalima: Now, listen very attentively. When I was answering the question from the hon. Member for Kasama Central, I emphasised – In fact, the hon. Member has even reminded me about the name of the university. It is Itumpa University. He has asked me when the university will be completed. Construction never started. So, I cannot complete something which is not there. The Patriotic Front (PF) Government failed to start the construction of the university. So, the hon. Members of the PF should just wait. The PF Government failed to complete schools for over ten years, but the hon. Member thinks I can complete the construction of the university, (pointed at Hon. Chisopa).

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

Mr Syakalima: Just resume your seat.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Let the hon. Minister continue with his response.

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: So, Itumpa University was proposed at the same time with FTJ Chiluba University. However, the PF Government never put a penny for the construction of the university. It only sent a team of contractors to go and build a guardroom on the site. Does the hon. Member want me to finish a guardroom? Universities are expensive by nature.

Hon. Chisopa interjected.

Mr Syakalima: Listen! Stop listening to the other hon. Member. You asked me a question.

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

Mr Syakalima: There are no points of order here, just listen.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

The hon. Minister is also now the Speaker.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: May the hon. Minister please continue.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I want to be very slow so that the hon. Member of Parliament for Mkushi South can understand certain things. He usually says ‘when you hand over power.’ To whom? With all the things we have done? The PF Government failed to do those things for ten years. The hon. Member is a very good friend of mine, but sometimes, the way he behaves on the Floor of this House –

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, we are trying to be equitable in the way we deal with things. Four provinces already have universities, and some of them have more than two. We want to ensure equity in the distribution of universities. So, for the Northern Province, that Itumpa name is still lingering on our minds. The hon. Member has just reminded me. Not even a pocket of cement was there to start the construction of that university. So, it will take some time. As we hand over power to ourselves, like somebody told us the other time, it will be real for us because the things we have done speak for themselves, especially in the education sector. I am an honest person. You will see that in the next three or four months, we shall be dealing with the issue. We set aside some money for people to realise that we mean business and we are serious. We do not just announce that FTJ University and Itumpa University will be undertaken and then there is nothing.

Madam Speaker, the Lewanika University is part of the six universities that we are going to construct. The previous Government announced that there was going to be a university there, but there is just a bush. There is no prophet around here. Let there be sun, and there was sun. There is nothing like that on earth now. There are no miracles. You have to deal with it. Let there be a road here, and there was a road. Nothing. You must be practical in the way you do things, and that is what we have done. I think, Zambians know that. So, when the hon. Member says we will hand over power, the people get very annoyed with him. I have already seen.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

CONNECTING PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN LUNTE TO THE NATIONAL ELECTRICITY GRID

241. Mr Kafwaya asked the Minister of Energy when the Government will connect the following primary schools in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency to the national electricity grid:

Pecha;

Mpalapata;

Moseni;

Chibelushi; and

Tapa.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Chikote): Madam Speaker, according to the 2008 Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP), the schools were supposed to be electrified in 2013. However, the Government, through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), undertook feasibility studies in 2023 to establish the scope of works and cost of electrifying Pecha and Mpalapata primary schools. The estimated cost of electrifying the schools is K22.5 million. The electrification of the two schools will be done in 2026. Additionally, REA will undertake feasibility studies for Moseni, Chibelushi and Tapa primary schools in the third quarter of 2025 to determine the cost of electrifying the schools and when the electrification will be done.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, the schools in question are along the road and closer to pole lines where electricity can easily be tapped. I want to understand the cost the hon. Minister mentioned. Does it involve three phases or something else? I want him to clarify that because some of the schools in that area along the Kasama/Luwingu Road can easily be electrified at a decent cost than what has been mentioned. What is included in that big figure?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the feasibility study was undertaken by experts to ensure that Pecha and Mpalapata primary schools are electrified. The amount is what the experts established as the cost of electrifying the schools. I think, the details of what is required to be bought are contained in the feasibility study.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I get a bit concerned every time we hear about feasibility studies undertaken for day schools. What sort of electricity does a regular day school need for the Government to spend taxpayers' money on a feasibility study, which comes up with a budget of K22 million? What are we trying to achieve in this country with the minimal resources that we have? Some of us are electrifying schools at a cost as low as K84,000. Can the hon. Minister share with us the sort of electricity that is supposed to be installed at those schools and why the Government has continued to allow feasibility studies when electricity can easily be provided in a different and cleaner form. With the drought that we experienced, we have learnt that we need to install solar power. What is the story at the ministry?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the electrification of the schools in question cannot be implemented using K84,000. Experts undertook a feasibility study to come up with what was required to connect the schools. There is no way we can move on site and start electrifying a school without requirements. Feasibility studies have to be done before electrification.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mapani (Namwala) Madam Speaker, according to the hon. Minister’s submission, the project was supposed to have been done in 2013. Are there reasons the project was not done?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the past regime could not implement the project. I believe that there were no resources to undertake the project. Of course, when this Government took over power, it went in full throttle in 2023 to undertake feasibility studies so that our areas in the country could be connected to the national grid. We have that at heart. Our target, as the Government, is to ensure that people have universal access to electricity by 2030.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, the Government has already done a feasibility study for Mpalapata and Pecha primary schools. If I got the hon. Minister correctly, the money required is K32,000 for each school. Why is the implementation being taken to 2026 skipping the entire 2025, which has just started? What is the cause?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, indeed, feasibility studies have already been done and we will implement the project by 2026. The hon. Member may wish to note that that is not the only project the ministry is implementing. We are prioritising according to REA’s plans. In the 2025 Budget, an allocation was already put in place for the sites that will be electrified in 2025. Hence, the implementation of the project at the dearest schools will be done by 2026.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has said that the Government will undertake feasibility studies for Moseni, Tapa and Chibelushi primary schools in 2025. Is there a budgetary allocation for that exercise?

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, resources have been set aside to undertake the feasibility studies in the third quarter of 2025. So, when that period comes, we will conduct the feasibility studies for the schools in question.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

–––––––

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the thanks of this Assembly be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the speech delivered to this House by His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles on Friday, 28^th February, 2025.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Simbao (Luanshya): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Chanda: Madam Speaker, first and foremost, let me thank you for according me the privilege to move the Motion of Thanks on the well-thought-out address that was presented by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, to this august House on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles, as required in Article 9(2) of the Constitution.

Madam Speaker, in his address, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, reminded us of who we are as a people, what we stand for and the shared responsibility we have in building a just, united and prosperous Zambia. At the heart of his address, there were five things; morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, human dignity and social justice and, good governance. Allow me to address these values and what they mean for us as leaders and as citizens.

Morality and Ethics

Madam Speaker, morality is the bedrock of any thriving society. His Excellency the President’s commitment to tackling social ills such as child marriage, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse and cybercrime deserves our full support. I commend the enactment of the Marriage (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2023, which raises the minimum age of marriage to eighteen years. That is a step in the right direction, but legislation alone is not enough. We must ensure enforcement, public awareness and continued support for vulnerable children.

Madam Speaker, through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), we have empowered young girls with bursaries, enabling them to stay in school. In Kanchibiya, we have seen first-hand how education transforms lives. A girl child with an education is a girl with a future.

Patriotism and National Unity

Madam Speaker, patriotism is more than just waving the flag or singing the National Anthem. It is about love for our country, respect for public resources and a commitment to national unity. Yet, we are confronted with a scourge of vandalism, a crime that costs ZESCO Limited K25 million annually. This is not just an economic issue, it is also a moral issue. Stealing public infrastructure is stealing from our own development. His Excellency the President’s call for stricter law enforcement and community vigilance must be heeded.

Madam Speaker, we must protect our unity. Zambia is home to seventy-three ethnic groups. We are diverse, and yet united. The politics of division, tribalism and regionalism have no place in our democracy. If we are to progress, we must see ourselves, first and foremost, as Zambians, not by tribe and not by region, but as one people with a shared destiny.

Democracy and Constitutionalism

Madam Speaker, our democracy continues to grow. His Excellency the President highlighted Zambia’s progress in media freedom, with 188 radio stations and sixty-six television (TV) stations operating freely. This is a sign of a vibrant democracy, where diverse voices can be heard. As we approach future elections, we must support peace and fairness. The expansion of continuous voter registration across all ten provinces is a critical step in enhancing electoral credibility. Let us engage in politics that are issue based and not politics of insults, deceit and violence.

Human Dignity, Equity and Social Justice

Madam Speaker, human dignity is not a privilege. It is a right. We cannot claim to uphold dignity while millions of Zambians lack access to basic services. The CDF has become a powerful tool for development in constituencies like Kanchibiya. Through it, we are constructing secondary schools and children no longer have to walk unbearable distances to access education.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chanda: We are building maternity annexes to ensure no mother has to give birth in unsafe conditions. The CDF is not just about infrastructure, it is about equality. It is about ensuring that whether in Kanchibiya, Kalabo or Kafue, we have access to the same opportunities.

Good Governance and Constitutional Amendments

Madam Speaker, no nation progresses without strong institutions and a sound legal framework. Yet, every time we speak about constitutional amendments, a familiar argument emerges that it is not the right time. Let me be clear that there is never and there will never be a perfect season for constitutional reform. History reminds us that every amendment in Zambia’s history, whether in 1969, 1991, 1966 or 2016, faced resistance under the guise of bad timing. If we had listened to those voices each time, we would be stuck without dated laws. Parliament is not a museum to preserve laws in their original form. It is a workshop where laws are refined to meet the evolving needs of our people.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chanda: Madam Speaker, the United States of America (USA) amended its Constitution in the wake of a civil war. South Africa reformed its laws in the turbulence of the Apartheid era. Kenya adopted a new Constitution in 2010, amid political uncertainty. All these countries acted not because it was convenient, but because it was necessary. Let the debate on constitutional amendments be about substance, not about political convenience. If an amendment strengthens democracy, ensures accountability and improves governance, let us engage on its merits.

Unity of Purpose

Madam Speaker, above all, we must remain united in our national values. I am a Zambian. I am a product of all the tribes of Zambia, which include Lozi, Bemba, Ngoni, Tonga, Kaonde, Lunda and Luvale. I carry within me the spirit of the Bisa, Nsenga, Lala and Ushi people. I am shaped by the resilience of the Lenje, Chokwe, Mbunda and Namwanga people. From the valleys of Kafue to the banks of the Zambezi River and from the plains of Mongu to the hills of Muchinga, I am the sum of all the people in those lands and so, I am a Zambian. I belong to a tribe called Zambia. It is a tribe not defined by ancestry, but by shared hope. It is a tribe not built on exclusion, but on the belief that we are stronger together.

Madam Speaker, ours is a tribe of builders, dreamers, warriors of justice and champions of peace. Ours is a tribe that carries the wisdom of our elders and energy of our youths. Ours is a tribe that believes in progress without forgetting our past, in unity without erasing our diversity in prosperity and without abandoning our values. I am a Zambian. I am the past that brought us here. I am the present that shapes our destiny. I am the future that calls us forward. I know with unwavering certainty that as long as we remain who we are, as long as we hold steadfast to the belief that Zambia belongs to all of us, that its future is ours to build, there is nothing we cannot achieve. For we are Zambians and we belong to one tribe, Zambia.

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I beg to move.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

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

Mr Simbao (Luanshya): Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, in the first place, let me thank you for giving me this opportunity to second the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to this House on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Hon. UPND Members: Hammer!

Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, allow me to also ...

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate –

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Simbao: Allow me to also congratulate –

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Let us give him a chance.

Hon. Member for Luanshya, you can refer to your notes.

Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate Hon. Sunday Chanda, the hon. Member for Kanchibiya Constituency, for ably moving the Motion of Thanks.

Hon. Opposition Members: Are you failing to talk?

Mr Simbao: Hon. Members, I have no problem with talking.

Laughter

Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, the speech that was made by His Excellency the President on Friday clearly showed what type of a leader we have. He is a leader that is governing this country using the Constitution of the land. The President clearly showed that he is following the Constitution of Zambia by adhering to what is required under Article 8. That is the part of the Constitution that states that the President should address this House on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles. Therefore, we are comfortable that we have a President that is abiding by the Constitution.

Madam Speaker, as His Excellency the President noted in his address, the National Values and Principles are essential in guiding our behaviour, building our character and promoting social cohesion as a country. I was delighted to hear the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles. Allow me to specifically comment on some of the things that His Excellency the President addressed. I want to commend His Excellency the President for the steadfast resolve to promote morality and ethics in the country. Under his leadership, the Government has shown strong commitment to promoting a morally upright and ethical nation, as evidenced by the actions to address social ills, such as cybercrimes and cyber bullying. I share the Government’s concern on the growing incidents of cybercrimes and cyberbullying in the country, which have become a new form of violence, especially against women and girls. I am glad to note that, acting with relevant stakeholders, the Government is creating a safer online environment by strengthening existing legislation on cybersecurity and cybercrime …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simbao: …so that perpetrators can be held accountable for their violence. This, as the President said, will restore sanity and dignity in the digital space.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I further wish to commend the President for reaffirming his commitment to upholding human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and nondiscrimination of all citizens. To this end, the President has demonstrated goodwill to achieve this through various interventions undertaken by this Government.

Madam Speaker, the President’s desire to move constitutional amendments to facilitate the delimitation of constituencies …

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simbao: …which are large geographically and by population is commendable.

Mr Kafwaya: Question!

Mr Simbao: If implemented, this action will undoubtedly lead to improved, equitable, and fair distribution and delivery of national resources to all communities across the country.

Further, Madam Speaker, to ensure equity in the provision of health services, it is gratifying that the Government has recruited a total of 4,216 health workers. However, the number of unemployed health workers in the country is still high. As such, there is a need to recruit more health workers. Nevertheless, allow me to applaud the Government for constructing 142 maternity annexes, 269 health posts, and 157 staff houses using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). This measure has undoubtedly brought health services closer to the people.

Madam Speaker, I also want to commend the President for his strong commitment to promoting decent work in the country, as evidenced in the Government’s upward revision of minimum wages and conditions of employment for domestic, shop and general workers as well as bus and truck drivers. However, you will agree with me that the number of unemployed people of working age, especially the youths, remains high, while the minimum wage is still low.

Allow me, Madam Speaker, to applaud the President for his Administration’s Free Education Policy, which has resulted in over 2.2 million learners going back to school thus ensuring nondiscrimination in access to quality education for our people. However, in order to ensure quality education in public schools, the Government should focus on addressing the teacher-pupil ratio, which is far below the recommended ratio. Therefore, let me seize this opportunity to urge the Ministry of Education to accelerate the President’s vision by reducing the teacher-pupil ratio so that our country can achieve access to quality education.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simbao: In conclusion, Madam Speaker, let me repeat the President’s call for citizens to remain committed to developing an urgent and compelling duty to uphold our national values and principles. These values and principles apply in the development and implementation of State policy. I am, therefore, in full support of the President’s call for all Zambians to embrace commitment and positive action to help our country achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development through the application of these constitutional values and principles.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I beg to second.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, the speech we are discussing today was tendered by the President. The content of that speech, in some sense, establishes the prioritisation of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government. Let us turn to page 19 of the speech. There, the President said:

“… there will be need to delimitate or subdivide overly large constituencies by geography

and population. This will require constitutional amendment to be effected”.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, how can a Government which knows that its people are hungry, the cost of living is high, …

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: … the country’s debt mountain is high, start considering …

Mr Katakwe: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: … delimitating constituencies? How can a Government think that it cannot take electricity to rural areas because there is no money, or that it cannot expand the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP)? Last week, there was a Motion on the Floor of the House where an hon. Member was urging the Government to expand beneficiaries of FISP. There is no money, but the Government wants to increase the number of constituencies.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, where will the money come from? This Assembly Chamber cannot contain the number of hon. Members who are here. Is the Government telling me that it is going to expand this Assembly Chamber? Where will the money come from?

Madam Speaker, constituencies around the country do not have offices. They have to rent offices. The National Assembly has not finished building constituency offices. Where will the money come from?

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Where will it find the money when the country has unsustainable debt?

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Can we have order in the House.

Hon. Members, as a way of guidance, we are debating the President’s Speech that was delivered on Friday. As we are doing that, please, let us be focused on the speech. For your information, hon. Ministers have been given three days to respond to whatever issues that will be raised during the debate. So, hon. Members, let us be patient, let us allow one another to debate, being mindful of the speech that was delivered last Friday. We have to be focused on that speech.

Hon. Member for Lunte, you may continue.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, leadership is for people; you do not lead for yourselves. You cannot consider making things better for leaders. Make things better for people.

Madam Speaker, the President spoke about reverting the hon. Members to the councils. Let me give an example of a council that would have an elected hon. Member who is also a Minister. Let us take Kaputa in the Northern Province, as an example. This hon. Minister would have to go to the council for every meeting.

Mr Amutike: Awe!

Mr Kafwaya: What it means is that the expenses for the hon. Minister; a driver, a protocol officer, as well as fuel and service for that vehicle, will have to be loaded on the Government’s account.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, is this the time to start thinking like that, as a Government? Is this the time to start thinking about allocating more money to increase the number of leaders? Or this is the time to think about putting money into people’s pockets. People are being load-shed, in some instances, for seven, eight and nine hours. Why do they not put that money into the import of electricity so that your people can have power twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week for their businesses to flourish?

Madam Speaker, why does the Government not put money into agriculture so that there is more food and the cost of living can come down? This Government is thinking of allocating more money to increase the number of leaders. This, for me, is something I am unable to support. Constitutional amendments are not a priority for this country. The priority is solving the high cost of living, ...

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: … and dismantling the debt mountain.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Mr Kafwaya: Zambia has an unsustainable debt mountain.

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Lunte!

There is an indication for a point of order.

Mr Katakwe: Madam Speaker, I rise on a Point of Order pursuant to Standing Order No. 71, on manner of speech. The hon. Member on the Floor is asking where the money to carry out the delimitation exercise will come from. Has he forgotten that the same question was asked even when the President talked about increasing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and introducing free education. The money was found because the President said that he had to retrieve the money from the big thieves of Lusaka …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Katakwe: … so that it could go to our constituencies like Mushindamo. Is he in order to begin to ask that question, which is actually not even supposed to be raised here because it was already answered. The hon. Member has the answer. If he is not delivering in his constituency, then, he should not bring that question here.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katakwe: Madam Speaker, is he in order to ask us that question, which the President responded to and has proved to the nation that money can be found?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Solwezi East, hon. Members have different styles of debating. Sometimes, an hon. Member can bring up an issue through a question and continue to debate.

Like I had mentioned when I was guiding the House, I simply said that the hon. Ministers have been given three days in which to respond to the matters that would have been raised. So, they are jotting down the points as the Backbenchers are debating so that, when the time comes, they will be able to respond accordingly to the issues that would have been brought out. Whether an hon. Member brings out a matter through a question, the hon. Ministers will respond. So, there are different styles of debating.

Let us make progress.

Hon. Member for Lunte, you may proceed.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I was saying that you have unsustainable debt. By ‘you,’ I mean the people of Zambia. Instead of paying attention to that debt, which is unsustainable, which continues to increase, they want to increase the cost of running the Government, not increasing the money going into the bellies of the people, whose bellies are empty.

Madam Speaker, my hon. Colleagues have reminded me that the United Party for National Development (UPND) considers the people of Lusaka to be big thieves. So, money has been taken from the big thieves in Lusaka. I respect the people of Lusaka. I think, they need to be dignified.

Interruptions

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Hon. Member for Lunte, I am sure you prepared your debate. Just continue with your debate. I am following your debate. Please, continue with your debate. Do not respond to hon. Members.

You may continue.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, at Bauleni Market, a bag of charcoal is costing K750. The people who live in compounds –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lunte, are you sure of the cost of a bag of charcoal?

Mr Kafwaya: Yes, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Are you sure?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

If you are not sure, hon. Member for Lunte, just withdraw that.

Mr Kafwaya: I am sure, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Replace it with another word.

The hon. Minister for Lusaka Central is here.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, those who use gas stoves and those who live in areas that always have electricity might not know the price of charcoal.

Madam Speaker, a 50 kg bag of mealie meal is K450.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lunte, it will be fair if you just say that charcoal is expensive, if you are not sure of the cost of charcoal.

Mr Kafwaya: I know the price. It is K750.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Chisanga: Yes, it is K750. You are refusing?

Mr B. Mpundu: Ba lya bekala ku Sikongo, balemona kwati ni ku Sikongo. Ni kuno ku Lusaka.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Nkana, please, do not debate while seated.

Mr Chisanga interjected.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member seated next to the hon. Member for Nkana, I have just guided your neighbour, but you have continued talking.

Mr Chisanga: I was just asking you to guide the other hon. Members as well, especially the hon. Member for Sikongo.

Mr Kafwaya: And the hon. Member for Shangombo.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lukashya, please, leave us.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lukashya, can you leave us for today.

Mr Chisanga left the Assembly Chamber.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. Member for Lunte, be factual and continue with your debate.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, a 25 kg bag of mealie is very expensive for the ordinary Zambians.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, those on your right are refusing. You can hear somebody refusing, saying ‘no, the bag’ –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, continue with your debate.

Mr Kafwaya: I am continuing. This is continuing, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, a bottle of cooking, not a container, is very expensive for poor Zambians. A 1 kg packet of sugar is too expensive as well. Those are the things the Government is supposed to be thinking about now because people are suffering. Thinking about expanding the Chamber or providing logistics for hon. Ministers to attend council meetings is a wrong priority. The debt which the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and the Patriotic Front (PF) left, which has been enhanced by the UPND Government should be handled. It is irresponsible for leaders to only be thinking about themselves. What is responsible is for leaders to be thinking about the people. The people are suffering. If they do not know that people are suffering, they should visit the compounds. The people are suffering, and they require help. The only one who can render help to them is the UPND Government. So, it is grossly irresponsible for the UPND Government to be talking about expanding the cost of running the Government. I cannot support that. because this is the time the UPND should be talking about reducing the cost of running the Government and putting the savings into the bellies of the people. It should not be saying that it will expand the number of constituencies or take hon. Members to councils. Is this the right time for that?

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, is this what reflects its priorities? The UPND Government needs to be responsible for once.

Madam Speaker, do you remember that we told the Government to not export maize and electricity? What did it do? It exported. Where are we now with the cost of living? How much is a 25 kg bag of mealie meal?

Mr B. Mpundu: K420.

Interruptions

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, where is electricity? It was exported.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, we tell these people. We told them to do the proper thing with the Lusaka/Ndola Dual Carriageway. They cannot put a person who has done nothing in between, and that person begins to get the money which is supposed to go into the bellies of the people of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, the cost of running the Government should be reduced, not increased. That is where we are. So, that subject should be brought to the House or even to the people of Zambia when the economy is doing well. When people are able to eat three square meals a day, they can bring that subject, not now. It is irresponsible to do that.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, let us not be annoyed when we are debating.

Interruptions

Mr Kafwaya interjected.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You were annoyed, hon. Member. It is just some advice so that we are also not scared, especially of the finger, as we listen.

We make progress.

Mrs Sabao (Chikankata): Madam Speaker, I rise to add my voice to the debate on the Motion on the Address by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on the Progress made in the Application of National Values and Principles that was delivered on 28^th February, 2025.

Madam Speaker, the President highlighted crucial thematic areas that require our support. Before I go further in my debate, I would like to highlight a point. When one talks about economies of scale, one notes that the price of a bag of mealie meal from 1994 cannot be the same in 2025. Many factors would have come into play. So, it is very important to understand the economies of scale so that one can appreciate where we are today.

Madam Speaker, allow me to focus my debate on a few thematic areas; morality, ethics, good governance and integrity. The President highlighted the fact that we have a challenge of alcohol and substance abuse in this country. When one goes to Chainama Hills Mental Hospital, the majority of patients are young people. That has brought devastation among young people, families and communities. It is an issue that we need to work together on through education, rehabilitation and law enforcement. We have a listening Government under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, that has brought free education, which has removed our young people from the communities. Our children are in school and undergoing skills training. In doing that, we have removed them from the streets where they were involved in illicit activities. In the recent past, when one drives through the streets of Lusaka as early as 0700 hours, one would find our children with bottles of energy drinks, and when one checks the bottles, one would find that they contain alcohol.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mkushi South and hon. Member for Kamfinsa, why not just step out and discuss from outside? You are disrupting the debate.

Hon. Member for Chikankata, you may continue.

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, when one checks the bottles, one would find that there is alcohol, because we had an irresponsible Government. The only solution under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema was to introduce free education and skills training.

Madam Speaker, the President also highlighted early marriage. Early marriage is a violation of the human rights of our children, especially the girl-child. The children need to be protected, and given safe and supportive environments. We are doing that under the New Dawn Government.

Madam Speaker, it was not highlighted in the President’s Address but allow me to bring this issue, as the Member for Chikankata. The rate of defilement in this country is just too high. We have a situation in Chikankata, for example. A two-year-old baby was defiled by her stepfather who is forty years old. It means that in the past, people were not given opportunities to do constructive things so that they could take care of their families. Having a responsible Government, like we have right now, is very important. In one of our local languages they say “Mayo mpapa, naine nkakupapa”, but we had a Government that never thought –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: What does that mean, hon. Member?

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, it means, ‘My daughter, I will take care of you today and you will take care of me tomorrow’. This is what the New Dawn Government is doing by giving education to our children. The people in the Government understand that these children will take care of them tomorrow. However, we had a group of people who thought that wealth was within them. When it comes to wealth, you share.

Madam Speaker, under governance and integrity, the New Dawn Government has taken on the Decentralisation Policy. The only way to develop this country is by taking money to the community. Our people are able to make their own decisions on what they want. In Chikankata, we have the first –

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, you are disturbing the debate.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: That is administrative. You can even write a note to the Clerks-At-the-Table. Let us give the hon. Member a chance to debate.

Hon. Member, you may continue.

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, it is in their culture to disturb others, but they cannot manage me.

Interruptions

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, as I said, when we talk about decentralisation, under the New Dawn Government, we have taken money to the community where our people can identify their problems. I will give you another example, in Chikankata we now have the first-ever world-class maternity annex because of His Excellency the President Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s good policy direction.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: His Excellency Mr President.

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, sixty years after Independence, my people are drinking clean water from taps because of good leadership.

Madam Speaker, the first step to development is peace, love and unity. One cannot develop a country with anger. We need unity, peace and love in this country. That is what the document summarises. We cannot allow people to propagate every day. Why has propaganda taken centre stage in this country? When we are given the responsibility to take care of the resources of this country, especially under the New Dawn Government where every hon. Member has an opportunity to decide how to develop his/her constituency, it is time to make the right decisions. We should remember that we are here today, but there is a generation that will appreciate us. They will not appreciate you for disturbing and propagating. When one wakes up in the morning, the only thing that one does is write about the Government and insult. That is not leadership.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, let us be leaders who are mentors to the young people. What we are seeing today in this Government, especially on the other side of my hand (pointed to the left side of the House) – The only thing that some people think about when they wake up is, ‘How do I shame them?’ One cannot be a good leader.

Madam Speaker, let me also talk about corruption. Corruption is an obstacle to the development of a nation. Under the New Dawn Government, we are able to see the results of the fight against corruption. This is the reason some people have been imprisoned and assets are being seized, that is to tell us that that is wrong. Even if one wanted to do that, one would not do it because one knows the bad side of being a corrupt person.

Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, the document is about peace and love unless someone just wants to argue for the sake of arguing. As leaders, we should show the people the right direction so that we can develop this country.

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, on behalf of the people of Chikankata –

Interruptions

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, I advise my fellow hon. Members that it is not time to play politics, especially in 2025. It is a political year. It is a year for us, as hon. Members, to plan how we can consolidate development in our constituencies so that come 2026, it will be easy for us. As we are spending time politicking, the people out there are watching. They are able to see that we are not here to represent them, but to just insult one another. We will not allow that under the watch of the New Dawn Government. We want hon. Members of the Opposition to work with us in developing this country for the betterment of future generations.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweene: Go ahead!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, we need to visit our constituencies. We are spending most of our time in Lusaka. In the constituencies, we would not have time to argue or read what is on Facebook and WhatsApp because we would be busy communicating with people on the developmental agenda of the New Dawn Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, hon. Members should not relocate to Lusaka. They need to go back to their constituencies, where the people will appreciate their presence.

Dr Andeleki crossed the Floor.

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I support this progressive Motion. It is meant to bring development to the people of Zambia.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Do not relocate to Lusaka!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Katombola, please, next time, do not pass between the person debating and the Chair.

Dr Andeleki: I am sorry, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, order!

Hon. Member for Katombola, please, next time, do not pass in front of the person debating.

Dr Andeleki: I am sorry, Madam.

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lumezi, you have just come in. Is that a point of order and on who?

Mr Munir Zulu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lumezi, you have just come in. Is that a point of order and on who?

Mr Munir Zulu: Madam Speaker, it is a point of order.

I am worried about the way the previous speaker has been debating because this is a House of decorum and etiquette. Her speaking gestured that she intended to throw some knuckles.

I seek your serious indulgence, Madam Speaker, on whether she was in order to speak in that fashion, knowing that this is a House of decorum.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I think there is nothing wrong with the way the hon. Member for Chikankata was debating. Actually, I had guided the previous hon. Member, who was debating while looking very annoyed

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: However, for the hon. Member for Chikankata, she was in order to debate the way she did because she wanted to be heard. Being a female, she raised her voice so that the hon. Members of the House could hear her properly; loud and clear.

We make progress.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, last Friday’s address was the fourth time His Excellency the President has come to Parliament to address us on how his Government has applied the National Values and Principles as stated or dictated by Article 9 of the Constitution. The National Values and Principles are enshrined in Article 8 of the Constitution. They refer to morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, good governance and integrity and so on and so forth.

Madam Speaker, today, I will talk about issues of good governance and integrity. I belong to an organisation called the Movement for Good Governance (MGG), also referred to as Ichabaiche. We promote the participation of young people in governance and I want to speak to that.

Madam Speaker, as I speak, I am saddened because when I look at the four speeches from the time His Excellency the President first started coming to this august House, I can even predict the next statement. It is the same statements that have been repeated.

Madam Speaker, Parliament expects the President to speak to this House on the progress that has been made each year in applying the said principles. The handlers of His Excellency the President could have done a favour to the people of Zambia by, perhaps, guiding the President on a particular statement. On page 21, the President said, “Shall we give a round of applause”. In this House, we do not clap. We witnessed the worst form of disrespect and cadreism in this House. People were clapping up, ...

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr B. Mpundu: … including some hon. Members of Parliament. The decorum of the House should not be compromised.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Nkana, you are debating the people who are not here, who sat in the Public Gallery.

Mr B. Mpundu: What I am referring to was in the speech, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Yes, but you said, “People were clapping”.

Mr B. Mpundu: Yes, the President asked them to clap. It was in the speech.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, as I said, those people are not here. Let us not debate people who are not here.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I thank you for the guidance.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: They do not know the rules of the House. So, please, let us not discuss people who are not in the House.

You may continue.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, there seems to be a misconception in understanding the role of an hon. Member of Parliament regarding the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). In his speech, His Excellency the President announced that the Government will start sanctioning hon. Members of Parliament who are not implementing CDF projects. It is important to acquaint ourselves with the rules guiding the use of the CDF. The responsibility of hon. Members of Parliament as far as the CDF is concerned is clear. We will find ourselves being blamed for things that are not part of our mandate.

Mr Kanengo interjected.

Mr B. Mpundu: I am talking about what is in the speech.

Madam Speaker, I will speak to the rule of law concerning democracy and good governance. The rule of law is a political ideal, which entails that all people and institutions in a country are answerable to the same law. This idea tries to remove what George Orwell spoke about in his book entitled Animal Farm, whereby some animals were more equal than others. Sadly, today, we have a two-tier system of laws and its application thereof. People are going scot-free after having committed one crime, while others are being arrested. We witnessed an instance whereby an hon. Member of Parliament in this House made a statement that some people in one district were more intelligent than those in another district and he was cited for hate speech and taken to court. In another instance, one hon. Minister in the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government went to a particular province and said that the people of that province suffer from mental poverty, but he is walking freely.

Madam Speaker, George Orwell’s Animal Farm talks about the rule of law. Under the rule of law, there must be a promotion of rights and freedoms, particularly the right to speak freely. Today, it is common knowledge that every citizen who speaks would be charged with seditious practice. The rule of law –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Nkana, I do not think what you mentioned is true. You said, “Every citizen who speaks”. Are you referring to all Zambians who speak?

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, if you have followed me, you have noted that I have spoken to the way the law is applied using double standards.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: No, I am talking about the sentence you have just said. You said, “Every citizen”.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I wanted to qualify it.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I am very uncomfortable with that statement.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I will remove the word ‘every’.

Madam Speaker, many citizens who have commented on how the Government is governing today have ended up being slapped with a charge of either seditious practice or hate speech. What we have witnessed in this country is that when a person makes insulting comments or insults, he or she is paraded before the courts. Some young people in the North-Western Province staged a press conference and threatened to circumcise a citizen, but they are free. George Orwell wrote about an animal farm. That is exactly what we are witnessing today.

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President spoke about transparency and on page 25 he said:

“In today’s fast-paced world, citizens are increasingly expecting immediate access to services and our citizens are expecting transparency.”

Madam Speaker, transparency moves alongside the issue of corruption. When there is no transparency, corruption breeds. By the way, corruption does not simply refer to giving and receiving of bribes. It goes as far as the decisions that people placed with the responsibility to govern people are going to make. I will give an example. We have money in this country to embark on a project to construct a road from Lusaka to Ndola. The Government decided to contract a Chinese consortium, which came into the country with no money and borrowed our money.

Interruptions

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, to cap it all, a public-private partnership (PPP) entails that you pay off the investment by giving him what is realised from the toll gate. Today, investors are given the toll gate fees even before they complete the project. That decision is corrupt by all manner of intent.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I have spoken to the issue of agro-fuel, which has disturbed the fuel sub-sector. The Government engaged a contractor to clean up the Tanzania-Zambia Mafuta (TAZAMA) pipeline and nobody from the Government has had the courage to come here to disclose the whereabouts of the feedstock, which is worth millions of Dollars. That is corruption. We have heard, and I have said before this House that this contractor was supposed to be paid US$18 million by way of him using the pipeline, but he has been paid more. That is corruption.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Nkana! Do you have evidence for that?

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, if you permit me, I can give you all the evidence you need because this House chooses to always ride under, “Do you have evidence”. I can give you all the evidence.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nkana, I think, you know the rules of the House. As you debate and you bring in something that requires evidence, you are supposed to bring it to the House and lay it on the Table. So, if you have no evidence of what you are debating about right now, kindly withdraw your statement.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, for your comfort and since you want evidence, I withdraw the statement.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: There is no evidence. Not that I want evidence.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, your Committee reported a case involving Golden Manela Investment Limited, a company that got maize from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) without paying for it. The company has not paid since entering into that contract. That is corruption.

Madam Speaker, the House may be aware of the word ‘hypocrisy’; failing to practice what you preach. When you come to this House, speak to what you are doing regarding fighting corruption. You must marry your words to your actions. If you are going to preach the rule of law in this House, you must ensure that the law is not being applied using double standards, as the case is right now.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Your time is up.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mulaliki (Senanga): Madam Speaker, thank you for according the wonderful people of Senanga an opportunity to debate the Motion on the President's Speech to this House on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Madam Speaker, I will dwell on one aspect of the speech; patriotism and national unity. Unity is what will hold this country together, and that is what the President wants to see in all of us. It is only under his reign, as Republican President, that we have seen so many people volunteering to work in Government institutions. We have never had such a scenario whereby so many people volunteer to work in schools and health facilities. This is all because of the goodwill that our President has brought forth.

Madam Speaker, the President applauded marketeers and people in various sectors of our economy who are working hard to develop this country. He added that the growth of our economy is not dependent on one person, but that it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to work towards that. The effort of each and every individual is what is going to grow the economy. The President talked to us like a father does to his family. He is trying to inculcate good morals and values in all of us, which morals and values will help to grow this country.

Madam Speaker, on page 10 of the speech, the President spoke about the promotion of local production and consumption of local products. From where I was seated, I almost shouted, “The President is campaigning for BuyZed.” It is very important that we consume what we are producing and export the excess products. The President was sending a message, and so, let us try to prioritise our own things so that we grow our economy.

Madam Speaker, while the Government is performing its role of maintaining peace, tackling the legacy debt that we have, and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, each and every one of us needs to work hard. It is the hard work from each one of us, which will grow our economy. This message has been repeated in his speeches so that it can be inculcated in each one of us.

Madam Speaker, the President also made an exception, which I will point at. There are people in this country who are in the habit of borrowing money with intent of not paying back. We have people who borrow money from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) loan component, the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), and the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF) with no intention of paying back.

Madam Speaker, there has been a complaint from the entrepreneurs of this country about the lack of access to finances. Our President has provided funds, something that has never been done before in this country. However, the funds which have come forth must be used to grow the country and not to be wasted.

Madam Speaker, I am afraid to say that the reports we got regarding the repayments of the CDF loan components, which were at 2 per cent and 3 per cent interest, paint a very gloomy picture. The report shows that people have not paid back the loans they got three, four or five years ago. I think the recommendation should be that that part be removed because of a few individuals who got the money and did not pay it back.

Madam Speaker, the President made it very clear that those who are going to borrow should use the money for the particular businesses they borrowed it for. They should be able to pay back the money so that it serves as a revolving fund for others to access.

Madam Speaker, for our Government to run, we need money. Councils have a responsibility to collect taxes. Paying taxes should not only be a moral obligation, but must also be seen as an essential element that everyone must appreciate because that is the same money that is used to buy desks, build schools and buy medicines in hospitals.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I welcome the proposed constitutional amendment, which will see a very big constituency like Senanga, with the second largest population in the Western Province, being delimitated.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I support the Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, as I rise to associate myself with the speech that the President delivered in this august House, my focus will be on the needs of my constituency in relation to the speech. I would like to start by commending the President’s announcement that tax compliance has increased among citizens. Our people out there must realise that 80 per cent of our Budget is now being financed by resources raised locally. That should make them proud, and they should feel like they are part of the decisions that the Government makes in as far as spending the money is concerned. So, it is important that we commend the Government and the people of Zambia for that. However, I would like to mention that I want to see a bit more prudence from the Government with regard to spending money.

Madam Speaker, we cannot continue listening to issues of feasibility studies. Feasibility studies are an unnecessary expenditure. Most of the Government projects that have failed to take off ended at the feasibility study stage. If you look at the road sector, you will see that millions have been spent on so-called feasibility studies. Today, we can talk about electrifying a school, and we still want to carry out a feasibility study for that. I think, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning should look at the matter critically. We have been empowered to electrify schools using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). I have just had one school which was constructed in 1994 electrified. For the first time, it has electricity at a cost of K84 000. This was prompted by the fact that ZESCO Limited charged us K180 000 just to connect poles. Now, look at a day school, how much power does it use? Probably, the only power it uses is for powering computers. So, I think, it is important that that the Government is prudent as Zambians pay taxes.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about water and sanitation. The President, again, domesticated this right up to the constituencies by encouraging us to drill boreholes. The people of Mufulira and Kantanshi are supposed to benefit from Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company. In 2016, when I came to this House, Mulonga Water and Sanitation wanted a sovereign debt guarantee from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. However, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning does not have money. The people of Zambia give money to the Treasury through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). The Government had €300 million. It took two to three years to conduct a feasibility study. Today, we do not have water. Do not see me in a suit like this. Kulya tatusamba. There is nothing. I would like to urge the hon. Minister –

Interruptions

Mr Mumba: Tatusamba means ‘we do not bath.’ I would like to urge the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation to set up a crisis committee to challenge Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company to come up with better ways of providing water for us. As the three hon. Members of Parliament, we have a lot of pressure because of this issue. The Government had €300 million and spent half or three-quarters of it on a feasibility study. No wonder, I get concerned when I hear the words ‘feasibility study.’ If one needs to put a pipe, does one really need to study how to put that pipe? So, that is the problem we have. Mulongo Water and Sanitation Company further irritates our people by billing them at the end of the month, when it did not supply any water. On top of that, the company threatens people with bailiffs. The company’s employees drive posh vehicles, and they send bills that people cannot pay because the service was not provided.

Madam Speaker, I want the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation to look at this issue. The Executive should look at it. If anything, the starting point should be the bills, which I believe are fake. Those bills should be written off completely so that we start over again. Today, we are spending money on constructing boreholes. That money could have gone into something else, had Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company used money prudently. So, I am calling for a forensic audit of Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company. We do not want to point fingers at anybody, but to know whether the money was optimally used, and why we do not have water. It is the same in Chingola and Chililabombwe districts.

Madam Speaker, I will go further to electricity. Yes, the Government dropped taxes on solar products. The President made it very clear that that was done, but the Government has never checked to see whether the removal of taxes has benefitted the people through cheaper solar products and their lives continued to function normally. That has not happened. Again, I am calling on the Executive to not end at just making pronouncements and adjustments but follow through so that the people can feel the presence of the Government at every stage in a crisis, such as the one we had.

Madam Speaker, I also heard the President talk about drugs in hospitals. He conceded that we can do better. That is how a leader should be. He should recognise the feeling that something better could be done. That should be commended. However, from our end as hon. Members of Parliament, the people’s representatives, we can only urge the Government to continue working hard so that we our people can have the drugs they dearly need. Yes, today, we heard announcements from America regarding its foreign policy. The situation might lead to some disruption in certain services that country used to give us. That should be an opportunity for us, as a country, to realign our Budget and become self-reliant, the same way it is with the National Budget.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The voices on my right are becoming louder. Just lower your voices.

Mr Mumba: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I was talking about the changes taking place in the foreign policy. It is not just in America but the United Kingdom (UK) too. The UK equally announced that it will cut back foreign aid in order to improve its defence spending. That means we will be affected. So, it is important that, as recipients, we turn the page and reorganise ourselves, so that we do not see our country lag behind when those policies are fully implemented. It is our responsibility to provide for our people.

Madam Speaker, maybe, I could quickly end on labour. We still have the problem of miners, especially those working for contractors. I have talked about this many a time. Yes, the Government has increased the minimum wage for domestic workers and truck drivers, but what about the people working in the mining sector, which is the backbone of our economy? Our people in that sector are not moving with pride. So, as I end my debate, I urge the Government, through the Leader of Government Business in the House, to address the issue. I want the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to come to a round table in Mufulira, in Mopani Copper Mines Plc (MCM), so that we deal with this problem and so that our people can see the benefit of what the Government has done by having 49 per cent shares in MCM Plc.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Simushi (Sikongo): Madam Speaker, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the President’s Speech on the Progress Made on the Application of National Values and Principles, on behalf of the people of Sikongo. To start with, I want to mention that the President’s Speech was inspiring and unifying. For me, the aspect of national values and principles is critical to the development of our country. I think, as we debate the speech, it is important that we apply ourselves to what the President spoke about. In doing so, I want to agree that there has been significant progress made in the application of national values and principles.

Madam Speaker, I want to put the speech into context. The speech was wide and touched on a number of issues, but I want to concentrate on the aspect of patriotism and national unity. I think, if we want to develop in this country, we must put national unity and patriotism ahead of everything else. What this simply means is that we need to put our country first in everything we do. The President and his Administration have demonstrated this aspect. So, the values that we inculcate in our children, our family members, and our communities should be values that add value to the development of our country.

Madam Speaker, let me speak about unity, which the President has emphasised on many occasions. The President has shown that unity is important, and he has actualised it by allocating resources to all constituencies through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). No constituency in the country has not received the enhanced CDF at the same time. So, that in itself, shows that the President looks at the country as one entity. There is no part of the country the President favours, because he knows that the whole country is for us all.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Interruptions

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

Mr Simushi: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, although, I lost my train of thought.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Sorry about that.

Mr Simushi: Madam Speaker, I was saying that we have a leader and leadership that have put this country first in everything that they do. I want to put the speech into context as far as national unity is concerned. The previous Administrations that managed the affairs of this country, did not put us, as the people of Sikongo, first. Development in the constituency was far-fetched. Today, when one goes to Sikongo and looks at what the President and his Administration have managed to do in a space of just three years, one will be shocked. I am proud to say that we now have Tukongote Radio Station, which means let us unite, just as the President put it. We have put unity ahead of everything that we do because without it, we cannot develop.

Madam Speaker, one will find a mortuary in Sikongo, which we did not have before. We used to bury our loved ones in a hurry, but through the CDF, which the President has given to us, we have a mortuary. We also have over sixteen rural health centres in areas that did not have previously and over ten maternity wings. We managed to construct them through the CDF. Further, a secondary school is being built and there are three other secondary schools that have been established in a space of three years. So, when we are talking about a President who is trying to take development to the rest of this country without any discrimination, we are talking about President Hakainde Hichilema. As a country, for the first time, we must rally behind a President who means well. This President does not discriminate on political, regional or tribal lines.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simushi: Madam Speaker, the President has demonstrated the importance of unity in the manner in which he supports the traditional ceremonies that we have in the country. For the first time, leaders from different regions of this country have attended other ceremonies as guests of honour. That has not been seen before.

Mr Mubika: No!

Mr Simushi: That is the order of the day.

Madam Speaker, the President is doing all that to demonstrate to the people of Zambia that unity is what brings development. So, as hon. Members, it is our responsibility to support the President in this noble cause by developing our country based on unity. We have seen countries that do not have unity. The people fight on tribal lines. It is devastating and people run away from their homes and live in difficult situations. This President says no to that even though he was mistreated by the previous Administration. I think, it is very important to paint a picture of the kind of person President Hakainde Hichilema is.

Mr Munsanje: Hear, hear!

Mr Simushi: Madam Speaker, remember that he was thrown into Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison to hang. He came out as a President. To everyone’s surprise, this President said that we should forget that while he knows that he suffered, he would swallow a bitter pill for the sake of Mother Zambia so that this country develops. I think, we all need to emulate that. That is the kind of leadership we need if this country is to be what we want it to be.

Madam Speaker, I do not want to come back tomorrow to debate for a minute. We should support this President. He means well for Mother Zambia. Even under difficult circumstances like the drought, he managed to take resources to our people. In Sikongo in the past, when one says “Zambia”, we would say “Forward”, but today we say “Lwacha” meaning that we are eating. Compared with the Patriotic Front (PF) regime in 2019 when the people in Sikongo were being fed gaga, my people are eating the fruits of a President who has ensured that his people do not starve even when there is a serious drought.

Mr Amutike: Maize bran!

Mr Simushi: Maize bran. Madam Speaker, this is a real story.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, we should support this President.

Madam Speaker, I support the Motion of Thanks on the Speech delivered by our President, Hakainde Hichilema.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this rare opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Speech.

Madam Speaker, many things were brought out in the speech, and a good number of them are progressive. Before I go any further, I want to talk about tourism in this country. The President acknowledged that the number of local people who visit tourist areas has increased. That is correct. However, we can do more in the sector. We can double or triple the current numbers if we reduce the prices and allow Zambians to visit areas like Chiawa and the valleys in Nyimba. If those areas were to open up to local tourists, we would add more revenue to our coffers. At present, only the rich and foreigners visit the areas. When one visits those areas, one appreciates and feels like one is not even in Zambia because they are well-developed. If you ask a number of hon. Members in the House, you will find that maybe only two have been to those places because of their portfolios. My prayer is that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning looks into this to see how the local people can be encouraged to visit such areas.

Madam Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not speak on a very important thing because it affects me. Many things have been done and achieved through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Nyimba was one of the least-developed constituencies because it was forgotten by the decision-makers in Lusaka and Chipata. Today, a number of projects like clinics have been developed because we have the resources. I would like to thank my hon. Provincial Minister because he has been in my constituency opening up a number of projects. As the people of Nyimba, we appreciate what this Government is doing for us. We also have a number of schools.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, even if we still have a few grass or bamboo thatched schools, you may wish to note that we are developing every six months. We are coming up with not less than six or nine classrooms, meaning that we are moving up every day. When one looks at a constituency like Nyimba, which sits on close to 12,000 m², one sees that it is the biggest constituency in the Eastern Province. If one puts Petauke, Msanzala and Kaumbwe together in its space, space will remain so that another constituency can be born.

Madam Speaker, I get surprised when someone starts fighting a good cause like delimiting our constituencies. Everyone should think about supporting that cause. We are not going to develop –

Madam Speaker, let me be honest. Democracy is very expensive. If one wants to find a cheap way of developing this nation, we will not go anywhere. I know that there is politicking, but that should come to an end. We need to serve our people. How would people in a constituency which stretches from Lusaka to Kabwe, for example, appreciate somebody who fights the idea of delimitation? I think, the President was spot on. We need to support him for that. I will challenge that front bench of yours to move quickly and implement this. We should not come for the next Meeting and not talk about this because we would not be doing our duties as hon. Members. If the Executive does not manage to bring this issue, then, I will think it is scared of a few people who are not progressive in what we need to be doing as a country. We need to move and ensure that next year –

Madam Speaker, some of the biggest constituencies in the country are Mwinilunga and Kasempa. There is a constituency in the Southern Province which starts from the part where you enter Livingstone up to the point where you exit the town. How can a constituency be that big? I am talking about Kazungula Constituency. Those are the things we should be talking about. We should be progressive and not fight the Government when it is not necessary. We should instead give ideas to the Government that will help the nation.

Madam Speaker, let me add something which is very important. Patriotism in this country has gone down. We have taken self-interest above our country and that is killing our nation. I wish all of us in this country could unite, the way our forefathers of 1960 to 1964 united. If only we can have such kind of unity, this country could start moving. If we are going to continue separating or dividing ourselves, I do not see us moving. We can only move forward if we know that the development taking place in Shangombo is the same development that the people in Nabwalya are receiving or that the resources taken to Kaputa are equal to those taken to Chavuma. If we do that, this country will move forward.

Madam Speaker, I do not believe that Zambia is a poor country. In this regard, the Executive has a big challenge. There is no way a country that is endowed with lithium can be poor. If we just start mining lithium today, we will see what would happen. Our colleagues in Zimbabwe are making money out of it. Iran has discovered lithium and the price of the mineral has gone up. We should take advantage of the situation. We have difficulties to just come up with a law to guide the process. We need to start moving at supersonic speed as a nation. When there is an opportunity for us to make money as a country, let us do so.

Madam Speaker, districts like Kalomo and Nyimba are rich in lithium deposits, but what are we doing about it? The Government is still doing feasibility studies and consultations. As we speak, sugilite is being smuggled out of Luapula Province. When we ask the Executive about it, we are told that there is no sugilite in the country. Those are the things the Government should be looking at. If people are insisting on something, the Government should ask them why they are talking about it. We need to send experts to various places to find out about the minerals people are talking about. We should send intelligence officers to find out what is happening. We can finance anything we need in this country because God has blessed us.

Madam Speaker, I cannot believe that Kenya’s biggest income comes from tourism, particularly wildlife, which is just about watching animals. How have we addressed the developed of tourism areas?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Mr Menyani Zulu: I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for according me this opportunity to add a few words or comments to the submission which was made on the Floor of this House by the Head of State.

Madam Speaker, the Head of State touched on a couple of issues, but I will centre my contribution on good governance and education. From the word ‘go’, I wish to state that if we have followed His Excellency the President very well, we would note that when he was in opposition, he always advocated for free education. Some of us always believed him because we trusted him. Indeed, when he became the Head of State, he made sure that free education was introduced.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani: Madam Speaker, there are a couple of benefits that followed after the pronouncement on free education. People from different parts of this country who never saw a classroom are now able to attain an education. Honestly speaking, we had about 16,000 learners in Namwala Constituency, but after free education was introduced, the number has now increased to about 39,000. What does this mean?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

_______

The House adjourned at 1855 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 5^th March, 2025.

____________

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