Thursday 13th March, 2025

Thursday, 13^th March, 2025

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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Madam Speaker: Order!

I am sure the bells are ringing and it has been almost seven minutes. It is 1437 hours. That is the problem with celebrations. Anyway, I understand that people had to travel long distances. Some constituencies are just too vast.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, we now have a quorum.

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM TOUCH OF EDEN SCHOOL

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils and teachers from Touch of Eden School in Lusaka District.

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

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

TEACHERS AND MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS FROM DUNDUMWEZI

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of teachers and Ministry of Education administrators from Dundumwezi Parliamentary Constituency in Kalomo District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Order!

Only big things come from Dundumwezi.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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

I thank you.

VISITORS FROM WOMEN ENVIRONS IN ZAMBIA

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of visitors from Women Environs in Zambia (WEZ) in Chongwe District.

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

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

REHABILITATION OF ROADS UNDER THE LUSAKA URBAN ROAD REHABILITATION PROJECT

248. Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

how many roads are earmarked for rehabilitation under the Lusaka Urban Road Rehabilitation Project;
how many roads had been rehabilitated, as of December 2024; and
what the timeframe for the completion of the project is.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform this august House that the Lusaka Urban Road Rehabilitation Project started in 2022, with a total of forty-five roads earmarked for rehabilitation, which translates to 78.5 km of the road network.

Madam Speaker, as of December 2024, twenty-four roads in Lusaka City had been fully rehabilitated, translating to a total of 32.83 km of the road network.

Madam Speaker, the Lusaka Urban Road Rehabilitation Project is expected to be completed in 2027.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chinkuli: Madam Speaker, in my own understanding, when taking development anywhere, we look at, among other factors, the population. In Lusaka, Kanyama has the highest population. Maybe, my thinking is wrong, but I would like to find out from the hon. Minister the criterion used to identify the road or roads to be given priority among those to be rehabilitated.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, indeed, demographics are part of the considerations when bringing services to people. In the case of Lusaka, the hon. Member may wish to understand that what weighed in the most was how commercially viable the roads were. I will read part of the list because if I read everything, it may take the whole day. He may understand why we settled for certain roads. So, part of the high-ranking conditions is basically the commercial viability of the road.

Madam Speaker, just to pick a few, the roads that we rehabilitated are follows:

Name of the Road Distance (Km)

Tokyo Ring 4

Fairview Hospital 0.4

Chandwe Musonda 1.3

Kasangula Junction 0.3

Madam Speaker, as the House may be aware, we have had floods, including at the Members Motel, during the time of excessive rainfall. We worked on the drainage on the Thabo Mbeki Road across the Great East Road. At the time the road was fixed –I am talking about the area around the flyover bridge. Those who were in office before us did not recognise that they had actually created a holding dam and all the water that was coming from one end to the other would accumulate at the bridge because it had no passage to the drainage funded by the Millennium Challenge Account, which leads water to the Ngwerere River.

Madam Speaker, we also worked on the Makishi Road. I am sure hon. Members agree that that road is good for connectivity because in the past, it was a nightmare to move from the Great North Road to the Great East Road. I want like to assure the hon. Member for Kanyama that demographics are part of the story and that the constituency that he represents was not shunned in our assignment to rehabilitate roads. For instance, we rehabilitated the Lady Diana Drainage on Mumbwa Road. If we did not work on that particular drainage, the floods we experienced in Kanyama would have had double the impact in terms of affecting people negatively. We also worked on the Chunga Dumpsite. I am sure we all know that we benefit from the Chunga Dumpsite because that is where we take our waste. So, Kanyama was not excluded as a matter of fact. We also worked the Kalusha Bwalya Drainage in that constituency.

Madam Speaker, I want to terminate my response by saying that the development agenda has to be taken with a systematic approach to make sure that we set priorities which will affect people positively than the manner in which it was done before for political appeasement, such that where there was the loudest noise is where roads were worked on. As it is, I get many demands even from private individuals. Just today, the former Ambassador to Japan, Amb. Godfrey Simasiku, whom many of us know, sent me a video of how the road to where he lives in Kanyama Constituency looks like. Unfortunately, we agreed as the group of people running the affairs of this country that we will not over commit and throw our nation into more debt. As it is, we are so deep in debt. We are trying to sort out the debt mountain that was left for us by our friends who left. Therefore, we must do things in a measured way so that we do not inflate the debt stock.

Madam Speaker, I thank you

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to ask a supplementary question to the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. I would like to commend him and his team for the important decision he has made in terms of how national resources are allocated, especially on the fact that he has committed himself to not acquire debt unnecessarily. Even under reduced fiscal space, he has been able to itemise some of the roads that have been worked on in Lusaka. His response was very clear. However, I would like to implore him to ensure that our Government publicity system lauds this important work. My question is centred on the next steps, especially regarding the assurance that was given on works to be done on some roads. I am thinking of Shantumbu Road, as it leads to a productive area where some mining activities are taking place. A big chunk of the population lives in that area, especially the high class. So, a lot of construction is going on around that road. Can the hon. Minister give us an assurance on whether Shantumbu Road, including Katwetwe Road which is off Shantumbu Road, is one of the roads earmarked for upgrading to bituminous standards?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking the hon. Member for the kind words and accolades.

Madam Speaker, many roads are a top priority, as a matter of fact. It is true that the population in Lusaka is growing in all directions, including the area along Shantumbu Road, which is also a very economical road. I can confirm that the road is one of the roads that the ministry has earmarked for upgrading and rehabilitating in the shortest possible time when funds are made available.

Mr Kambita: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member should rest assured that his accolades bestowed on the Government for not increasing the debt stock is not taken for granted. We appreciate it. It is not always that loud is strong and quiet is weak. I have taken note of the issue raised about publicity. The people who live along Twikatane Road, on which we worked on a 4 km stretch, in Matero Constituency, for instance, have given the ministry high commendations for the works that were done. It is not always –

Madam Speaker, good publicity is a good thing but, sometimes, actions speak louder than words. I take note of the hon. Member’s point, and we will heighten the publicity platform for our citizens to know that we are not just sitting idly.

Madam Speaker, it may be interesting for this House to note that, as the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development responsible for this activity, I still live along a gravel road. I have been told that I am a Minister, but my response has been that there are higher priorities than laying a tarmac where I live. It would be irresponsible of me to give priority to where I live simply because I am privileged to be in the office that runs these affairs.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Charles Mulenga: Ema hon. Minister!

Mr Shakafuswa (Mandevu): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Mandevu, to ask a question on this critical topic.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister’s submission is that consideration for rehabilitation to bituminous standards was given to commercial roads. When one talks about commercial, one sees that the word is synonymous with profit. I want to find out how much traffic goes through the 4 km of Fairview Road compared with the bad roads in Kanyama Constituency. How much traffic is found on Fairview Road compared with the bad roads in Mandevu Constituency? As hon. Members, specifically for Mandevu and Kanyama constituencies, we represent many people. For the House’s information, more than 67,000 people voted for me, yet the ministry did not consult me on submitting roads that we wanted to be worked on in Mandevu Constituency. The constituency only benefitted 0.3 km worth of road works. If not political, what consideration did the ministry use to allocate road works? The people of Mandevu are not happy. When one travels to Mazabuka, one sees that the roads are tarred in the central business district (CBD), yet the hon. Minister has said that his road is gravel.

Hon UPND Members: Question!

Mr Shakafuswa: His constituency today –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mandevu!

Just ask your question. Do not debate.

Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, the people of Mandevu are not happy with the way tarring works on roads are being allocated by the ministry. Of the 32 km road works that have been done, how many kilometres were undertaken in Mandevu Constituency?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Mandevu, who enjoys the status of being my biological son and whom in Tonga we say, “iwamwiindi”, for the passion with which he has asked his question.

Madam Speaker, just to put things correctly, Fairview Road is 0.4 km, not 4 km. The hon. Member probably did not get me right. 0.4 km is 400 m, like the distance from Parliament to Manda Hill Road exit. It is a very short road.

Madam Speaker, I believe that Chamba Valley is in Munali Constituency and Kasangula Road is in Mandevu Constituency. Am I right? It must be understood by the hon. Member that in our limited wisdom, as a ministry, we worked on Kasangula Road. When one brings Mazabuka into context, and arising from the question that I answered earlier that I live along a gravel road, one sees that the fact remains that I live along a gravel road. Facts do not change. I can confirm that Mazabuka Road, which the hon. Member has referred to, received 6 km bituminous standard road works, as a way of circumventing just what happened two nights ago. There was a tragic accident. A car plunged into Shoprite. I am sure the House knows that before the ministry worked on that bypass, accidents of people losing trucks were recorded almost daily. So, that was a lifesaving arrangement, not coming from a position of selfishness.

Madam Speaker, I can also confirm that in my past life as an Opposition Member of Parliament, Mazabuka did not get even one inch of bituminous standard road works under the reign of the party that my son, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mandevu Constituency, Mr Shakafuswa, belongs to. We have come with a clean slate. The hon. Member should come to my office and convince me where he thinks there is too much pressure in Mandevu, and within the work programme, we will respond accordingly because that is our nature.

Mr Shakafuswa interjected.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I need protection from my son because sometimes, he forgets that when a parent is speaking, he is duty-bound to remain quiet. Please, engage him.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Order!

He is also my son. I do not know what happened to him over the weekend.

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: My son is responding while seated.

Madam Speaker, I am making an open invitation because my office has an open-door policy. The hon. Member should come over so that he can convince me that the ministry needs to give priority here and not there, for instance. These ears will listen to him and the ministry will act accordingly.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: In this House, one has to engage. No matter how many times you go, continue until the hon. Minister gets tired and responds to you positively.

Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama): Madam Speaker, what is surprising me is the fact that the areas where roads have been constructed already have better roads. So, it is like an addition to what already exists. When one looks at Kanyama, one sees that the constituency does not have tarred roads, which is something that makes flooding a menace each time rain falls. I believe that when a road is constructed, a proper drainage system is put in place. So, to avoid perennial cries over floods in Kanyama, can the hon. Minister just give us an assurance on how soon a road or two will be constructed in the constituency.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to clarify the manner in which the Government operates.

Madam Speaker, the issue of simply saying, “Let us construct a road in each constituency,” may not arise. Many have argued that if they do that, they will stand a chance of being re-elected. The Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) had Formula One. I am sure everyone understands the meaning of Formula One. This is where they constructed low specification roads with thin layers. When the Patriotic Front (PF) took over power, it constructed e flyover bridges which created dams and floods at the Parliament Motel. For example, last year, hon. Members had to leave the Parliament Motel because the area got flooded. That happened because someone constructed a flyover bridge without considering the waterways. Unfortunately, the PF still lost the elections even after doing that.

Madam Speaker, under the leadership of our President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, we have quickly gotten out of the thinking and norm that Lusaka is Zambia and Zambia is Lusaka.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: We are not in that business. We want to build and develop Zambia in a wholesome manner. That is why under the flood mitigation programme that is domiciled in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which I am privileged to run, the President, together with his able hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, decided to match decentralisation with resources so that what is going on in Kaputa, where my hon. Colleague, the Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts comes from, can be dealt with. There is no tarmac in Kaputa. So, why would anyone think we should prioritise only Lusaka and neglect the rest of the country? That is a very unfair way of thinking. In our case, we are sending K36.1 million to each constituency, and we have 156 constituencies on a yearly basis for the people to prioritise the things they want done in their respective jurisdictions. So, the issue of having a tarmac is a necessity. I am dreaming of a day when Chienge will have a tarmac.

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Chienge is there smiling. I am dreaming of that day when Nchelenge will have a tarmac.

Madam Speaker, as I wind up, I wish to state that we must walk the talk of breaking the constituencies into smaller units. For example, constituencies like Nchelenge, Kasempa and Kaputa need to be delimitated. We need to break them so that there is no stress in the representation of our people. If Nchelenge is broken into two, it means that it will be receiving K73 million annually. So, what will be difficult about taking development to the people of Nchelenge? That money, which is there today, will be doubled tomorrow. I will take this platform to request all well-meaning hon. Members of Parliament, regardless of whether their constituencies are small like Mazabuka or not, to support the delimitation agenda so that we take development to our people expressly.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, as people of Mandevu Constituency, we are very grateful for this opportunity to raise a point of order.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanyama asked a question on how many kilometres of roads were constructed under the Lusaka Urban Road Rehabilitation Programme. We asked questions on points of clarification to the hon. Minister on roads under this programme in Lusaka. In his subsequent answers, he started talking about Lusaka being Zambia and Zambia being Lusaka, when the topic was about the roads under the Lusaka programme.

Madam Speaker, was he in order to trivialise the question, which is meant to improve the livelihoods of the people of Lusaka? In fact, the hon. Minister did not even consult important stakeholders such as the hon. Members of Parliament and the councillors, but implemented those roads on his own with his technocrat.

Madam Speaker, was he in order? I need your serious ruling.

Mr B. Mpundu: Father and son!

Madam Speaker: What happened to the Youth Day celebrations?

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mandevu, thank you for your point of order. However, I believe the hon. Minister was explaining the context of the Lusaka urban roads in relation to the whole country. So, for him to be able to explain, he had to look at the whole picture, which is the whole country. That is why he brought in the other issues of the national roads and delimitation. So, the hon. Minister was in order. He was just giving extra information for you to appreciate that Mandevu is not Zambia and Zambia is not Mandevu. Zambia is huge, with a population of 20 million people, who also want tarred roads.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Youth Day yabwelesa kantu.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Meaning that Youth Day has brought problems. I do not know if my son is still a youth or has graduated.

PREVALENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEATHS

249. Mr A. Banda (Chimwemwe) asked the Minister of Health:

what measures the Government is taking to reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular;
whether cardiovascular disease patients will be exempt from paying prescription charges in public health facilities, countrywide; and
if the measures at (a) do not include the exemption at (b), why.

Mr Nkombo (on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr Muchima)): Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Kanyama was squawking that his question was not answered. With your permission, allow me, for just a few seconds, to respond to him before I respond to the question raised by the hon. Member for Chimwemwe.

Madam Speaker, Kalusha Bwalya and Lady Diana drainages are in Kanyama Constituency. No road can be fixed without providing for drainages and waterways. So, work has been done in his constituency. The drainage is part of the road. It is a road for the passage of water, in case he wants me to be a bit clearer. The drainage is a highway for water, and it is part of the infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, to reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Zambia, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, has approached the issue through multi-faceted interventions. Just for the avoidance of doubt, ‘cardiovascular’ is the medical terminology for heart diseases. That is what the hon. Member of Parliament for Chimwemwe wishes to know. The interventions are as follows:

the Government, through the Ministry of Health, has been conducting awareness campaigns on radio, television and mobile phones to promote a low salt diet, physical activities and cessation of smoking or stopping smoking of cigarettes;
strengthening the healthcare system through training of nurses and community health workers to screen for hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors during routine visits;
improving access to cardiovascular medicines. The Ministry of Health has improved the supply of anti-hypertensives. This was done by ensuring that medicines for cardiac diseases are included on the essential medicines list. The availability of anti-hypertensive medicines in public health facilities is at 75 per cent;
expanding access to emergency care. The Ministry of Health is expanding access to emergency cardiac care by equipping hospitals with basic resuscitation tools and placement of high-end equipment, such as X-ray machines, computerised tomography (CT) scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in tertiary hospitals; and
training health workers in acute cardio vascular disease management.

Madam Speaker, regarding policy and regulation, working with other line ministries, the Government ensures that correct labelling on salt and sugar content is adhered to on foodstuffs and beverages that we consume. It is also addressing the socio-economic determinants of cardiovascular diseases through wellness programmes, such as encouraging employers to allow employees to engage in exercise breaks. Even simply walking makes a deference in one’s health because it burns some calories. For example, having dedicated afternoons for exercise, as the case is with the security wings. The police, I think, exercise on Wednesday or Thursday. The Government is also undertaking community and cultural engagement of religious leaders, community leaders and local influencers in disseminating health messages on cardiovascular and other non- communicable diseases (NCDs).

Madam Speaker, we need to reduce the prevalence of deaths by cardiovascular diseases. These deaths are really rampant. Many people are having strokes and some have died from the first stroke as a result of cardiovascular diseases. Like I said in my maiden paragraph in the answer, the situation requires a multi-faceted approach, involving individuals, communities, healthcare systems as well as policy makers.

Madam Speaker, may I take this opportunity to encourage hon. Members and, indeed, members of the public to conduct periodic medical check-ups for hypertension and sugar levels and also adopt a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and watch what they eat or have healthy diets.

Madam Speaker, patients with cardiovascular diseases do not pay for prescription medicines in our public health facilities. Therefore, part (c) of the question above falls off.

Madam Speaker, once again, I thank my hon. Colleague for bringing such an important question to this House.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr A. Banda: Madam Speaker, surely, awareness is the right way of actually helping people know about cardiovascular illness. However, the awareness programmes that the Government has lined up for the country look like they favour the people along the line of rail. In villages, some people do not have access to radio. Perhaps, they might not even be close to clinics. What programme does the Government have for rural communities with regard to awareness?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I have been around this country for a very long time. If there are any societies that do not have access to community radios, they are very few. What I said in my response is that the awareness campaign for cardiovascular ailments is all-encompassing. I spoke about the Church. Everybody goes to church, whether it is to worship for redemption or to bid farewell to a loved one at a funeral. Everyone goes to church; even atheists go to church when there is a funeral.

Madam Speaker, we are all under some form of traditional leadership. I am zeroing in on the question regarding rural areas and the lack of radio. I have said, we have engaged the House of Chiefs, the traditional leadership, the Councillors, who are the leaders of the smallest unit of political order and headmen in order to promote what I called healthy lifestyle. It may be interesting for the hon. Member of Parliament to note what I am about to say. Here in the cities, is where cardiovascular diseases are most rampant, and it is because of the stuff we eat. Without mentioning any trade names, sausage and chips, and pork are normally called junk food. Some people call hypertension and high blood pressure ‘ailments of the affluent’, the haves, not the have nots. This is because the have nots normally eat a balanced diet. It is the people here in Lusaka who eat meat every day, who are at risk of these diseases. They are the ones with cars with access to radio stations, such as Hot FM, Radio Phoenix or Kalemba the social media page. I think, the message concerning cardiovascular ailments is really landing on the target market. These diseases affect the high earners who eat excess protein, fat, salt and sugar. I hope I have answered my hon. Colleague’s question.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, allow me to celebrate the power of a woman. To all the women, starting with Her Honour the Vice-President and the rest of the women in Zambia, I just want to say, congratulations for being women.

Madam Speaker, I have been listening to the responses by the Acting hon. Minister of Health. Issues to do with hypertension and other non-communicable diseases (NDCs) are close to my heart. The hon. Minister has talked about raising awareness using radio stations. We have this House, where we make laws. I think, we should bring laws concerning these diseases on the Floor of the House. In East Africa, for example, people do not take white sugar. I am just giving an example. In countries like Russia, it is not easy for one to find sugar. As the initiator of public policy, Cabinet can come up with a good policy, which can be turned into law to address that matter. Further, as hon. Members, we can move a Private Member’s Motion on discouraging Zambians from taking white sugar. The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) should be mandated with authority to check the sugar content of various products. To discourage people from taking sugar, we need to come up with a law. Any Cabinet hon. Minister can bring a Bill to help this House to enact a law that would stop people from consuming products with too much sugar, including beverages such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, and other artificial drinks. I would like to find whether Cabinet can help us with establishing a proper law in that regard.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much for the kind words on women. I am sure, one day we will have more women in this House. I look forward to that day.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I am totally conflicted with the question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge because the people who vote for me in the place called Mazabuka survive on sugar. Mazabuka District is probably one of the biggest producers of sugar south of the Equator. It may be the second in Africa because Sudan is at the top. Anything that is done in excess has an impact. I did not say people should stop taking sugar. I am glad the hon. Member asked that question because my voters would have probably said, “What is he doing now?” People should take sugar, but in moderation. That is the point.

Madam Speaker, we cannot legislate alcohol intake, for instance, but we all know that alcohol is not good once taken in excess. The issue here is moderation. Whether it is brown sugar or the one fortified with Vitamin A, it is still sugar. In Kaputa, where the hon. Member comes from, there is a low prevalence of hypertension because the people there generally eat a balanced diet; free of excess fat, salt and sugar. So, let us not just look at sugar alone because discouraging sugar use in general would then injure me personally.

Madam Speaker, in my answer, I have spoken about salt, fat and anything consumed in excess. There is also the lack of exercise. When you exercise –

Rev. Katuta interjected.

Mr Nkombo: My sister, the hon. Member for Chienge, pay attention. I am answering you. Please, do not bring the fight to one product called sugar. Lifestyle patterns are what increase chances of cardiovascular ailments, including smoking. Smoking is an old habit. If anybody was to ask people what things they would like others to stop doing, including eating sugar or smoking, I am sure that eating sugar would not be anywhere near those on top of the list because people generally believe that smoking is very harmful. Anything taken in excess is not good. Even overeating nshima is harmful. The issue is to regulate the intake of sugar and not to ban it. So, we still need sugar. After all, it provides energy.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Dr Chilufya (Mansa Central): Madam Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to state that white sugar and brown sugar just differ by five units in terms of calories. Essentially, they have the same effect on the human body.

Madam Speaker, cardiovascular diseases have now assumed epidemic proportions in this country. My concern is our reaction. According to the hon. Minister’s data, the highest case fatalities out of the top ten causes in the country is cardiovascular diseases. However, the allocation of resources in our Budget does not align with that reality. In other words, we do not see sufficient resources for health promotion, which the hon. Minister has talked about. We do not see health in all our policies being propagated. The hon. Minister talked about health in all policies in a different way. It requires summoning all stakeholders to the table to talk about what they can do in their fields to contribute to good health. For instance, those in infrastructure must ensure roads have walkways so that people can walk, cycle or jog. Those in the education sector must ensure that health promotion is mainstreamed in curricula by talking about health in schools. Those in broadcasting should ensure that every morning when they open their programming, the national anthem is followed with a word on living healthy.

Madam Speaker, the epidemic we are talking about here is claiming professionals every day. For instance, teachers are collapsing in their classrooms. Many professionals who are contributors to our economy are collapsing daily from heart attack and stroke. We need to react to this epidemic by enhancing health in all policies and health promotion.

Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to mention that there is a machine for cardiac catheterisation at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), which is an important tool for treating people who go in as emergencies with heart attacks. It is been dysfunctional for a long time, but we can have it fixed? To add to what the hon. Minister said earlier, I would like to state that cardiovascular diseases are not only about heart diseases, but also about diseases of the vessels.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much for that information.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. Dr Chitalu Chilufya for his contribution and question.

Madam Speaker, when I answered Hon. Allen Banda, the Member of Parliament for Chimwemwe, I began by giving my gratitude for bringing such a question to this House. I also said that the issue requires an all-involving and all-encompassing fight. I was also very clear about the issue of physical exercise, which I think Hon. Dr Chilufya Chitalu touched on.

Madam Speaker, as regards the machine the hon. Member has referred to, I have to come back to the House with a response because I cannot think on my feet. As the House may be aware, I am only acting in this portfolio. Maybe, I could ask the substantive hon. Minister, Hon. Muchima, to attend to that segment of his inquiry so that we are all on the same page. Suffice to say, I am very thankful for his contribution.

Madam Speaker, Dr Chilufya has seen me jogging at 0600 hours in the morning. One day he stopped to greet me and said, “So, this is how you live?” At the age of sixty, I can confirm that, all things being equal, I run or walk for 5 km to 6 km without challenges. If the hon. Member came to my office, he will find me on the fifth floor, where I operate from. I walk up and down the building and it is like taking a cup of tea for me. So, it is true that we must robustly sensitise our people about the need to be physically fit.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Katambo (Masaiti): Madam Speaker, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. I am a patient and statin is the medication administered to a patient like me to reduce high cholesterol levels. However, statin is not available in our health facilities and it is quite expensive to buy it from private pharmacies. Further, machines to perform coronary angiograms are not available in our health facilities and one has to go to a private hospital for such a facility. What is the Government doing about such challenges in health institutions?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, in answering Hon. Dr Chilufya’s question, I pleaded to pass on the question about the machine, which we need, to the substantive hon. Minister when he returns so that he can give a comprehensive status quo on it. If it is true that it is not functioning, in my handing over of this question, allow me to tell Hon. Muchima to come to this House to give us an update on the status quo regarding what the hon. Member has spoken about.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: There is also the issue of the availability of the drug that the hon. Member for Masaiti talked about. Maybe, the hon. Member can give the details to the Acting hon. Minister, which can be passed on to the substantive hon. Minister.

Hon. Member for Kabwata, you may proceed.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. Minister on the causes of cardiovascular diseases, especially smoking and the high intake of sugary products. That is the reason we need the Tobacco Control Health Bill presented to Parliament. Just an addition to the question asked by the hon. Member for Chienge, does the Government have any intention of introducing a tax on all sugary products?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, that is a matter I can run by the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry through the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), which is the body responsible. It is a normal thing to label products, like in the case of alcohol. It is a requirement that anything brewed under Zambian regulations has labelled alcohol content. So, I agree with the hon. Member that the substantive hon. Minister of Health must liaise with the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry to ensure that people label their products in terms of the content of cholesterol, sugar, salt and any other substances that may be harmful to the body. I assure the hon. Member that I will run this by the substantive hon. Minister.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

NUMBER OF EMERGENCY SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER BENEFICIARIES IN KABWE CENTRAL

250. Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central) asked the Minister of Community Development and Social Services:

how many beneficiaries of the Emergency Social Cash Transfer (SCT) there were in Kabwe Central Parliamentary Constituency, as of December 2024;
whether the Government has any plans to increase the number of beneficiaries in the constituency in 2025; and
if there are no such plans, why?

The Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms D. Mwamba): Madam Speaker, before I come to the question, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all hon. Members who sent their best wishes when I was sick. I have been battling thyroid cancer for eleven months. I am very grateful for their prayers and well wishes.

Ms Mulenga: It is well.

Ms D. Mwamba: Madam Speaker, there were 6,502 beneficiaries under the Emergency Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme in Kabwe Central as at 31^st December, 2024.

Madam Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Emergency SCT in Kabwe in 2025. The programme is expected to end in April 2025 following its commencement in May 2024. The programme was a response to the drought situation in the country, which was declared an emergency by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on 29^th February, 2024. The programme was designed and scheduled for implementation for only twelve months.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I want to appreciate and thank the ministry for the programme. It really helped our lactating and pregnant mothers during a time when we had a problem with food. I understand that it was an emergency fund that was meant to cushion our mothers’ needs. They could not work under the Cash-for-Work or Food-for-Work programmes. When someone is pregnant, she needs care to ensure that she does not have a miscarriage or stillbirth. Even lactating mothers need good nutrition. I raised that question because people in my constituency were asking about those who were left out and if the programme could continue.

Madam Speaker, as the programme is coming to an end, I would like to thank the Government. We thank God that we have enough food this year. I am sure there will not be a need to have the programme. I will deliver the message to the people of Kabwe Central.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Since that was a comment, I am sure the hon. Minister does not need to respond.

Unless you want to say something, hon. Minister.

Ms D. Mwamba: Nothing, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Before I ask my question, Madam Speaker, if you will allow me, kindly let me appreciate the youths of this country for their activities on their day. I would also like to express my disappointment on the pockets of what appeared to be political violence that we witnessed.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the Emergency Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme is coming to an end in April this year. This programme began as a response to the drought situation. I recall that a similar programme was undertaken in response to the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this particular period, we have witnessed floods and pollution, which is happening on the Copperbelt Province, particularly in Kalulushi and Nkana along the Kafue River. Now that the Emergency SCT programme is coming to an end, is the ministry considering extending it for the sake of those who have been affected, not only by floods but the pollution of their environment, thereby, losing their crops?

Ms D. Mwamba: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Lunte for that question. There are no plans to extend the Emergency Social Cash Transfer. However, the ministry is looking at increasing the transfer value of the traditional cash transfer that we give our beneficiaries considering the high cost of living. So, that is on the table. We are discussing it and I will be coming to this House to deliver a statement soon.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

PSYCHIATRIC CASES COUNTRYWIDE

251. Rev. Katuta (Chienge) asked the Minister of Health:

how many cases of mental disorder were recorded, countrywide, from 2021 to 2024, year by year;
how many of the following medical personnel there were, as of January, 2025:
psychiatric doctors; and
psychiatric nurses;
whether the personnel at (b) were sufficient to handle all cases of mental health, countrywide; and
how prepared the Government is to handle psychiatric cases countrywide, especially in rural areas.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo) (on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr Muchima)): Madam Speaker, the ministry recorded a cumulative number of mental disorders summing up to 99,093, which are broken down as follows:

Year Number of Patients

2021 19,000

2022 21,026

2023 27,010

2024 32 057

Madam Speaker, in terms of medical personnel, we have sixteen psychiatric doctors and 316 psychiatric nurses.

Madam Speaker, we have observed an increase in mental disorders, and as such, there is need for an increased demand for mental health services and mental health care providers. With regard to part (b) of the question, the medical personnel are insufficient to handle all mental health disorders. May I state that the cadre of mental health includes clinical officers, medical licentiate psychiatrists, psychosocial counsellors, and clinical psychologists. In addition, there are programmes for capacity building for non-mental health care workers for it to be able to screen, manage mild care, and facilitate referral to specialised centres and units.

Madam Speaker, various measures have been put in place to ensure that we are adequately prepared to handle psychiatric cases countrywide, most of which have been highlighted in this House before, under the question asked by the hon. Member for Kalabo.

Madam Speaker, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services have been fully integrated into both routine healthcare services and community-based responses. This ensures that mental health is addressed alongside physical health and can be assessed at every level of care.

Madam Speaker, in October 2024, the Government launched the Zambia Mental Health Package drawing from the National Health Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which included a clear implementation roadmap to extend mental health services to more rural areas.

Madam Speaker, another measure that the Government has put in place is the decentralisation of mental health services to all ten provinces. Decentralisation ensures that mental health care is more accessible to people at the community level, bridging the gap between specialised care and everyday health services. Furthermore, psychiatric units have been set up in all Level I, Level II, and Level III hospitals to increase accessibility to mental health care.

Madam Speaker, I wish to share with this august House that substance abuse and mental disorders are among the leading causes of hospital attendance among the youths. Depression is common among women.

Madam Speaker, the National Mental Health Technical Working Group was constituted, to promote a collaborative approach with stakeholders, with representation from line ministries, religious groupings, community, and youth organisations. The Government has prioritised the availability of psychotropic medicines, which are now part of the essential medicines list. This means that they form part of the medicines that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population. Furthermore, a specific psychotropic medicines budget line has been introduced to ensure adequate psychotropic medicines are procured and distributed.

Madam Speaker, the Government enacted the Mental Health Act of 2019 to establish the Mental Health Council, which will be dedicated to overseeing mental health services and ensuring that psychotropic medicines are available at the point of care. The Board of the Mental Health Council has been appointed, and a budget line of K2 million operational fund has been provided for.

Madam Speaker, the Government is continuously investing in capacity building for Community Mental health Support. This includes training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) to enable community members to support one another during crises. These trainings have been rolled-out in various districts across the country. To date, over 10,000 households have received PFA with links established to mental health services

Madam Speaker, the commemoration of the World Suicide Prevention Day and World Mental Health Day promotes the significance of mental health. Community Mental Health sensitisations and awareness have been enhanced using congregate settings such as churches and schools.

Madam Speaker, monthly television and radio programmes are broadcast in local languages to raise awareness of mental health issues. These efforts have been instrumental in normalising mental health discussions in communities through increased public awareness, and community engagement with available services.

Madam Speaker, the Mental Health Training Package for primary healthcare providers has been developed with the support of the World Bank. The Psychosocial Counselling Training Package has also been developed with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In both packages, primary healthcare providers are trained in Community Mental Health Services, including prevention, care, and support. This package is now available online to support on-going learning and mentorship for healthcare workers and other governmental sectors.

Madam Speaker, telemedicine has been integrated into mental health care as an effort to strengthen the part of health systems. A mentorship programme for sub-district healthcare and community workers has been established to provide real-time mental health care.

Madam Speaker, since March 2024, a weekly webinar or presentation has been conducted to mentor community and primary healthcare workers throughout the country. This initiative additionally, guarantees that patients can receive timely support without the need to travel long distances to specialised facilities such as the Chainama Hills College Hospital.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, mental disease patients in the country have been neglected for a long time. They are not considered. I think, the doctors and nurses to handle these patients are only in urban areas. I am a Member of Parliament for a rural constituency, so I want to find out when the ministry will come to the aid of the patients in rural areas. The 316 doctors and 312 nurses the hon. Minister talked about are not in Mansa, Nchelenge or Kalomo. These nurses are normally found in Ndola and Lusaka. So, my question is: When will the ministry employ nurses trained in psychosocial issues? We need them in our hospitals in Chienge. In the whole country, you will find that at primary healthcare level, we do not have such kind of doctors and nurses. What is the Government going to do to help patients with mental illnesses?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Chienge for that question.

Madam Speaker, in my response, I was extremely clear that the workforce is insufficient. I was very clear about that. It is now up to us, as a people, to continue identifying the areas of higher need against those with lesser need. This Government, under the leadership of our President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, will go down in history as the Government that carried out mass recruitment in the health and education sectors. The mass recruitments are a manifestation of the Government’s recognition of the many healthcare services that ordinarily citizens should be enjoying and have not been enjoying for the last sixty years. So, I would like to say, on behalf of the Government, that we are committed to providing healthcare to those who have mental illness in Chienge and all far-flung rural areas of our country. It is easy to identify a person with mental illness in rural areas because of the sparsely nature of our population there. In my earlier long response, I was also clear that in order to fill the gap of the lack of medical personnel, a lot has been done in terms of mentorship. I think, I read a figure of more than 10,000 beneficiaries of the mentorship programme that seeks to identify those who may have mental challenges.

Madam Speaker, I would like to assure my sister, the hon. Member for Chienge, that we will get there sooner rather than later if we work together. The need has been identified, and as we stabilise our fiscus, I can assure her that our state of mind is to reduce the doctor-patient ratio or nurse-patient ratio in the country, so that we have as many healthcare service providers as we need. We will get there one day. I thank her for that important question.

Madam Speaker, while I am on my feet, there was a question asked by the hon. Member for Masaiti regarding the essential drug. I want to confirm here and now that that drug is not on the essential drugs list.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, I listened to the hon. Minister and he mentioned that most first level hospitals have mental healthcare services units. The issue I want to raise is that first level hospitals should have wings, not units. This is because a unit will only treat a person without admitting them. The statistic that the hon. Minister has given, 99,000, is huge. Rehabilitation centres for mental disorders are not enough in our country. Most of the time, you will find that patients are treated and sent back to their communities, where there are huge challenges. We do not even have what we call a ‘community desk.’ What is the Government doing in terms of building rehabilitation centres for people suffering from mental disorders? The hon. Minister said that 99,000 individuals have been treated for mental disorders at Chainama Hills Hospital; that is a huge number.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwata for that question.

Madam Speaker, we need a multifaceted approach to attend to this issue. In my response, I indicated that one of the highest contributors to mental disorders among youths is substance intake, and among women, it is depression. It is true that Chainama Hills Hospital may not have enough facilities for both treatment and rehabilitation. I can tell you now that under the leadership of His Excellency the President of our country, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, we are building a rehabilitation centre in Chilanga for drug abuse patients who require rehabilitation. It will be the first of its kind, and it is a response to the very question that the hon. Member has asked. I would like to submit that we have sufficient legislation to establish safe houses for people who require rehabilitation to be taken to, and they will be there until they are fully rehabilitated. Again, it will suffice to mention that the facility may not be adequate, considering the number that the hon. Member referred to, that is, 99,000. That is a huge number, but something is being done to provide this particular service for our citizens.

Madam Speaker, let me take advantage of the question to say that this is a matter that affects us all. Even as we are talking now, somebody is busy getting inebriated with excess alcohol. I am sure, you recall that as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, now acting as Minister of Health, I caused a stir because of the thing that we, as a society, decided to ignore for a long time, that is, brewing of kachasu. That is rapidly debilitating our society. You may be interested to know that many of the people who contracted cholera last year were taken to Chainama Hills Hospital because after being treated for the disease, they remained in hospital to deal with drug addiction. Drug addiction is a silent problem that many people do not want to face head-on, citing human rights. I think, we have to agree that in order to deal with problems that look latent and mundane, we need to take hard stances and ignore the issue sometimes of the fundamental rights and freedom of people to destroy themselves.

When we see that someone is going into harm’s way or on a self-destruction path, such a person must be caged. As a congregation of leaders leading this country, we have to agree on how to deal with mental health collectively, just like the way my hon. Colleagues helped me to deal with the issue of street vending. It was all because we agreed that what was prevailing was not the way to go. Therefore, I would like to garner some consensus among ourselves so that we decide to bite the bullet and get to the root cause of alcohol and substance abuse because, as the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.

Madam Speaker, if we allow mental health situations to be dealt with at the level of treatment, we will be deceiving ourselves. We need to get to the root of the problem and agree as a team of legislators so that when we go to enforce the ban of harmful substances, we are all on one side. Even the Church and traditional leaders must also be on the same side. When we do that, we will find that those who are promoting harmful substances for pecuniary or monetary benefits will be alone and, in the process, we will be saving mankind.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, I just want us to briefly distinguish between psychiatry and mental health, which I suppose is an important distinction. Thereafter, I would like to highlight the Mental Health Policy to the House.

Madam Speaker, psychiatry usually refers to a medical specialty that involves disease diagnosis and the required treatment using drugs. Some cases require hospitalisation and in other cases treatment is administered in the community. On the other hand, mental health is broader because it encompasses psychological, emotional and social well-being.

Madam Speaker, I am happy with what the hon. Minister has said that mental health is being mainstreamed under primary health care because it should not be restricted to treating people in psychiatric units like Chainama Hills Mental Hospital and so on and so forth. As a matter of fact, always treating people at psychiatric units promotes stigmatisation. In that regard, I would like to find out the progress made in reviewing the Mental Health Policy and the Mental Health Act. We need to mainstream mental health services under primary health care so that we reduce stigmatisation of people affected by mental health.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, you could do this hon. Minister a little favour by asking the hon. Member of Parliament for Mansa Central to repeat the question because he was not clear on what he wishes to know with your kindness, is it possible for him to radiate his voice into the microphone or you just abbreviate the question on his behalf so that I can answer correctly?

Madam Speaker: I will allow the hon. Member for Mansa Central to repeat his question and to be precise.

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, I said that mental health is broad. It encompasses psychological, emotional and social well-being and it should not be reduced to treatment of psychiatric disorders in psychiatric units. I also said that the hon. Minister has rightly said that we need to mainstream mental health in primary health care in our communities.

Madam Speaker, what my hon. Colleague was talking about, and I must take this opportunity to clarify, is that Mansa has a mental health unit with workers. Psychiatrists are found in second level hospitals and they are not so many. We do not have psychiatrists everywhere, yet mental health services must be available at the primary health care level. How much are we doing in strengthening the Mental Health Policy to ensure that mental health services are mainstreamed in primary health care services in our communities, as a way of bringing mental health services closer to the people?

Madam Speaker: Acting hon. Minister of Health, I hope you have gotten the question.

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, I somewhat understand the question. You know, when you are being asked by a technocrat, you have to be very careful …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: … because he understands the subject more than I will ever do. He is a medical doctor and I am not. However, his question is on the issue of Government policy.

Madam Speaker, in my earlier submission, I agreed that the provision of mental health services is way below expectation, going by the numbers I gave out in response to the question by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge. That was an admission that more is required to be done in order to improve what are called the patient/doctor ratio and patient/nurse ratio. That is what will ensure that our services get right down or as close to the voiceless in society as possible.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Chienge used Mansa as an example of a big district, which is a centre, that is lacking medical services. In her question, she plucked out one facet, which I will call a subset of the entire mental health problem, which is psychiatry. In response, I talked about depression, which is about emotional well-being, as well as substance intake. I talked about substance intake in terms of how we can circumvent the continuous increase of the problem, which falls within the realm of mental health. In this regard, we need Dr Chilufya’s input, since he is a guru in such matters. We need him to come and make suggestions on what we can do about the problem. I know that during his time as the hon. Minister of Health, he did the best he could do, but he can still do more to help mankind.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me another opportunity to ask a follow-up question. I appreciate the fact that the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development is standing in for the hon. Minister of Health.

Madam Speaker, Zambia has been trying to have the right on universal health coverage domesticated, but the process has proven to be difficult. I think that is one of the issues that the ministry or the current Government needs to understand so that the reason we unable to do that is known. As the hon. Minister has mentioned, in 2018, Dr Chilufya was the hon. Minister of Health and something was done to bridge the gap between the poor and rich in terms of accessing primary health care.

Madam Speaker, as mentioned by Dr Chilufya, the poor people have the greatest challenge in accessing proper health care, let alone mental health services. Since the target is that by 2030, no one should be left behind in terms of accessing health care, what is the Government going to do to reach that target? I know that the Government has talked about recruitment of more health workers, but what can be done in the meantime? In addition, medication for mental health patients is very expensive. Therefore, how is the Ministry of Health going to help mental health patients to access the prescribed medication and ensure that no one is left behind?

Mr Nkombo: Madam Speaker, the realisation of any dream in terms of providing medical services also lies on the economic well-being of a country. I am sure we heard the President say that we are now alone after the United States (US) Government decided to withdraw some humanitarian aid across the world, Africa and Zambia included. So, as we move along the path of economic growth, we will recruit more personnel and provide more drugs. Therefore, I urge the hon. Member to walk with us on the dream to be self-sufficient in providing health services to our people. If she looks at the Budget from the time we took office, she will realise that the allocations for the health sector have been getting better than before, which is a manifestation that we take the issue of our citizens’ health very serious.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. We took that giant step by employing – How many were they? 11,000 in that year, and we have continued to cumulatively employ nurses or frontline health practitioners. I was also clear on the fact that those who are not specialised in mental health have been given a platform for capacity building in the early detection of mental health challenges. Further, at the community level, many have been trained to identify, for example, a neighbour who may be suffering from such a challenge. So, we are using whatever is at our disposal to address the health of our people. However, we will get there sometime.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

ELECTRIFICATION OF AREAS IN MPIKA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

252. Mr Kapyanga (Mpika) asked the Minister of Energy:

when the Government will electrify the following, in Mpika District:
Dick and Mutengo villages;
Changalilo Clinic;
Nabwalya Clinic;
Danger Hill Primary School;
Mulolesha Primary School;
Mwateshi Primary School;
Ndolesha Primary School;
Sabwa Primary School;
Makantaulo Primary School;
Chishala Primary School;
Changalilo Secondary School
Chipundu Secondary School; and
Kapoko Primary School; and
what the estimated cost of the project is.

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu) (on behalf of the Minister of Energy (Mr Chikote)): Madam Speaker, as the Minister responsible for the young people and their affairs in this country, allow me to take advantage of this opportunity to congratulate, thank and appreciate them for having turned up in large numbers to celebrate their day.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu: In particular, I congratulate, thank and appreciate our young people in Mongu, and commend them for the peaceful manner in which they conducted themselves.

Mr Mukosa: Question!

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, as the Minister responsible for the young people, not those who are trying to build something that was not there, …

Mr B. Mpundu: Awe naimwe ba Nkandu.

Mr Nkandu: … I would like to appreciate the manner in which they conducted themselves without recording incidences of violent activities. Above all, we should thank the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for providing an enabling environment for the Opposition to also match. If it was back then, it would have been a different story. I think, we need to give credit where it is due.

Madam Speaker, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), has always had plans to electrify areas in Mpika District in a phased approach according to the 2008 Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP). The areas are Chipungu, Kasuba, Nabwalya, Kapoko, Mukonteka, Changalilo, Dick and Mutengo villages, Danger Hill, Chishala, Mulosha and Sabwa. Nabwalya, Kapoko and Mukonteka were supposed to be electrified in 2017 while Chishala and Sabwa were supposed to be electrified in 2019, but could not be implemented due to non-availability of funds.

Madam Speaker, project implementation has already started, obviously, by conducting feasibility studies for the electrification of Nabwalya, Kapoko, Changalilo, Dick and Mutengo villages, Danger Hill, Chishala, Mulosha and Sabwa.

Madam Speaker, the cost of implementing the project is estimated at K61 million. In addition, the feasibility studies for the electrification of the remaining areas, namely Chipungu, Mukonteka and Kasuba are scheduled to be undertaken in September 2025. However, subsequent electrification will be implemented in phases, subject to availability of resources.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, when the hon. Minister was commending the youths for celebrating Youth Day in numbers, he did not –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

The celebrations have passed. Let us move forward. Let us not go in that direction.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, but he was allowed to veer off the question.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mpika!

Please, do not engage me. You have been given guidance. Ask your question.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, the amount of money that the hon. Minister has mentioned; K61 million, is a very small amount for the Government. Furthermore, he has not attached a timeframe for the actual electrification of the projects, which were scheduled for electrification in 2017 and 2019 – then we had a lack of funds – will be implemented. He has also not stated the current status of the projects whose feasibility studies have already been conducted.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Mpika for that interesting follow-up question. It is interesting in the sense that to him, K61 million is a very small amount.

Madam Speaker, this is the master plan that was given to all of us in 2008. Looking at what transpired, that is, in 2017 and 2019, there was an attempt by the people on your left to do something, but they failed until we came into office. In 2023, we started the process by, at least, conducting a feasibility study, which really translates into other processes that will follow. I do not want to start making Government assurances. We are very careful. We would first want to mobilise resources, then, undertake the actual work.

Madam Speaker, I just want to assure my hon. Colleague, the Member of Parliament for Mpika, that the Government is trying by all means to mobilise resources so that this issue can be resolved.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, you have guided that we should not comment on the preliminary remarks by the hon. Minister regarding the Youth Day celebration. Even though I am tempted to, I will just proceed to ask a supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, is the Acting hon. Minister of Energy able to indicate to the people of Mpika what model will be utilised to connect power to the mentioned places? Is the Government going to run electric cables from the national grid or has it already designed a solar system that will be implemented? What model has been earmarked to provide electricity to our people?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, the question is very clear. The hon. Member would like to know if the areas mentioned will be electrified. If there was another question on the model the Government would use to electrify those areas, I would definitely have come with a prepared response.

Mr Kang’ombe: On a point of order, Madam.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Kamfinsa, do you want to clarify your question? The Acting hon. Minister is attempting to answer your question. However, before he answers it, you are already rising on a point of order. Why not allow the hon. Minister to answer the question, and then, if you are not satisfied, you can then ask another question.

May the Acting hon. Minister continue.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, as I was saying, the question was very clear. The hon. Member asked the Ministry of Energy how it is going to electrify the primary schools and villages that I mentioned. He also wanted to know when that would be done. However, if we were notified that the hon. Member wanted to know the model that would be used to electrify the areas mentioned, I would have come with a prepared response. The question is merely seeking to know how much money would be spent and when the project would be completed. At the moment, I am unable to tell which model would be used. The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is working on it. Further, with regard to the master plan that has been provided, I invite the hon. Member for Mpika to come to our offices to check how that would work.

Madam Speaker, in case the hon. Member fails to come to our offices, let me give some additional information. The electrification of Nabwalya will be done off grid, and the rest of the areas will be connected to the national grid.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Mpika asked about timelines for the electrification projects. The hon. Minister said that those places which were earmarked for electrification in 2017-2019, were not attended to due to financial constraints. However, in his substantive answer, he said that the Government still harbours a plan to provide electricity to the named areas in Mpika Constituency. So, if the Government still has those plans, the people of Mpika are interested to know the timelines of the project.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, indeed, the 2017 plan did not work, and we know which political party was in office then. The 2019 goal could not be achieved as well, and we also know which political party was in office. However, the people who were in power then are now standing on the anthill demanding for that project to be done. This Government will definitely do it.

Madam Speaker, my answer was very clear. I indicated that the electrification project was not done in 2017 and 2019. However, in 2023, this Government started a feasibility study. This really tells us that things have started happening. We are now looking at how we can mobilise resources so that the actual work starts. I have also highlighted that in September, we will carry out a feasibility study in other areas. Eventually, all those places will be electrified when the resources are available.

Madam Speaker, we cannot just start something without resources. We need to begin by mobilising resources, and then start the electrification process.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mpika asked the hon. Minister a question on the Floor of the House, which Floor of the House, the hon. Minister has turned into an anthill.

Madam Speaker, thirteen areas have been mentioned and the hon. Minister has ably illustrated that all those areas will be electrified subject to the availability of funds, and I appreciate that. What does the hon. Minister think is a priority for the people of Mpika? Is it to electrify all those thirteen places or to amend the Constitution of Zambia in order to increase constituencies and expand the cost of running the Government?

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for that loaded question. I believe that I may also need to give a loaded answer. Firstly, I want to thank the hon. Member for appreciating the answers that I have given so far.

Madam Speaker, with regard to priorities, let me give a practical example. In Kaputa Constituency, I have four primary schools that are not connected to electricity. So, we allocated about K2 million for the electrification of those schools. The hon. Member should note that this is not the same money that we are allocating to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for projects under the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). That is a debate for another day.

Madam Speaker, using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), K2 million has been allocated to the electrification of some schools. I am mentioning CDF because this is where the delimitation issue comes in. It is very important for hon. Members to support the delimitation of constituencies.

Mr Kapyanga: Question!

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: The reason is very simple: it will increase the resources that will be pumped into our constituencies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, Kaputa is 33,033 km². It is like a nation on its own. Some hon. Members of Parliament even fail to visit all the areas within their constituencies. For me, first and foremost, delimitation is a priority because some issues brought before the House could be settled using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Imagine if Kaputa were divided into two and received K72.2 million. That money could go a long way in developing our constituencies. However, as usual, some of our hon. Colleagues do not look at the matter in that way. To them, everything we put on the table, whether it is black, looks white. I want to encourage hon. Members of Parliament to support some issues not for themselves but for their people.

Madam Speaker, it is surprising that in this House, sometimes, some people speak to the nation as if the places where they come from are heaven on earth. However, when we go to their constituencies, we find a different story. So, I am not surprised that some people do not want us to amend the Article to delimitate constituencies. For me, an hon. Member of Parliament who wants our people to get the development they desire, delimitation is a priority. Someone talked about electrifying Nabwalya; that is also a priority. What I am saying is that today, we are discussing electrifying the area in question in Mpika. Some of us prefer delimitating constituencies so that we can have a lot of money for our constituencies.

Madam Speaker, let us forget about those who might not praise us. In fact, we do not even expect songs of praise from our hon. Colleagues. I think, what is important is to encourage the hon. Member to look at what the constituents need. Do they need loans? Do they need grants? Do they need money for skills training? For us, I think, that is very important. There are some hon. Members of Parliament who have already resigned because they might not win in 2026. No wonder.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

Hon. Member for Mpika, you have indicated to raise a point of order. What is your point of order?

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to raise a point of order pursuant to Standing Order No. 71. The point of order is raised against the Acting hon. Minister of Energy, who is on the Floor.

Madam Speaker, the people of Mpika asked a question through me because they want electricity. In his answer, the hon. Minister responded to the people of Mpika that the Government does not have money to electrify the areas under discussion. In response to Hon. Kafwaya's question, the hon. Minister, who is responding on behalf of the Government, has, again, contradicted himself. He suggested that the Government will only have money when delimitation is done, to fund the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the operations of the Government.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mpika!

Hon. Members, I think, we should practise listening. Listen to how the answers are coming through. You know that as a Parliament, we approve Budgets, and each Budget has its own lines. The money for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is different from the money for rural electrification.

As the hon. Minister was answering the question, I saw you fidgeting, moving from left to right. You were not listening to the answers. Please, let us learn to listen so that we do not mislead ourselves. So, the hon. Minister is in order.

Let us make progress.

Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, I followed the hon. Minister when he was providing answers. My follow-up question is with regard to the feasibility study that the hon. Minister mentioned. The situation in Mpika is the same as in Lubansenshi Constituency and other constituencies. In Lubansenshi, Lwena Mission, Njoko Primary School, Chifwile, Shimumbi and other areas need electricity –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

By way of guidance, this is a constituency-based question relating to Mpika Constituency and the schools that the hon. Member for Mpika asked about. So, let us not expand the question unnecessarily. If you have a specific question for Lubansenshi, please, file in a question so that we do not take the Acting hon. Minister by surprise.

Hon. Member for Mpika, you may ask your last question.

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that Nabwalya would be electrified through off-grid systems, but did not mention the timeframe. We ask questions on behalf of the people; we do not ask them on behalf of the political parties that once ruled this country. We expect answers to be given so that we help the Government to explain to the people, the same people that the people in the Government will kneel before for votes next year. When will Nabwalya be electrified through off-grid systems?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Mpika for that follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, I want to make it very clear that in my response, I did not say that the Government has no money. Conducting a feasibility study requires money. So, definitely, money has already been mobilised. Money is required for a feasibility study to start. So, the processes have already started through the feasibility study. We are looking for a contractor who can now do the actual work. So, when I say that we are mobilising resources, it does not mean that not even a K1 is not available. Maybe, the money is not enough to complete the project. So, people should not mislead anybody here. We are going to continue mobilising more resources so that we electrify the said areas.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Member for saying that hon. Members do not ask questions using political parties. If that is the case, I will be very excited because sometimes, the questions that are asked do not represent the people but the political parties.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 until 1700 hours.

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

MOTIONS

REPORT OF THE ZAMBIAN DELEGATION TO THE 56^TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House adopts the Report of the Zambia Delegation to the 56^th Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) Plenary Assembly hosted by the National Assembly of Zambia in Livingstone, from 8^th to 15^th December, 2024, laid on the Table of the House on 3^rd March, 2025.

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Lumayi (Chavuma): I beg to second the Motion, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Order No. 154 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2024, I wish to present a report on the activities of the 56^th SADC-PF Plenary Assembly Session as well as an executive summary highlighting the key recommendations made by the Assembly.

Madam Speaker, the 56^th SADC-PF Plenary Assembly Session convened under the theme, “Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Smart, Inclusive and Responsive Parliaments in the SADC Region.” The theme was intended to strengthen the institutional capacity of National Parliaments to adopt new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) that can enhance efficiency in parliamentary operations. This is because technology has the potential to eliminate inherent inefficiencies.

Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly was officially opened by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, who was represented by the Republican Vice-President, Her Honour Mrs W. K. Mutale Nalumango, MP. In his opening remarks, His Excellency the President congratulated the SADC-PF for successfully obtaining twelve signatures from SADC Member States, which was the minimum requirement to amend Article 9(1) of the SADC Treaty to establish the SADC Parliament as one of the SADC institutions. The President assured the forum that Zambia remained committed to the establishment of the regional parliament and pledged Zambia’s support at both national and regional levels towards all processes and procedures leading to the successful completion of the process.

Madam Speaker, the President observed that the theme for the 56^th SADC-PF Plenary Assembly resonated deeply with Zambia’s aspiration and resolves to achieve sustainable development through the adoption of technology and smart innovations. In this regard, he indicated that Zambia was committed to developing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in the country based on the realisation that ICT is a catalyst for socio-economic transformation of nations globally.

Madam Speaker, it is my belief that hon. Members have read the report of the delegation. I will, therefore, only highlight some of the key recommendations made by the Plenary Assembly.

Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly called upon Member Parliaments to deliberately invest in building capacities of Parliamentarians to enable them effectively analyse legislation before them and effectively perform their legislative functions vis-à-vis technological advancements in their jurisdictions and ensure safe utilisation thereof.

Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly encouraged Member States to embrace a citizen-centric e-Parliament model, fostering inclusive, adaptive and accountable e-Governance systems that blend innovation with tradition, thereby enhancing legislative institutions across the SADC region. Further, the Plenary Assembly underscored the need for SADC Member States to upscale regional co-operation in the technological space through creation of a regional fiber link so as to ensure that no Member State was left behind. Member States were also encouraged to share best practices and work collectively towards universal internet access, access to computing devices and promotion of digital literacy in the region.

Madam Speaker, although the Plenary Assembly called upon SADC Member States to invest in upgrading their ICT infrastructure, especially in rural areas, to facilitate for easier government processes and service provision, it took note that there is need for full appreciation and mitigation of the possible dangers inherent in technology, if it is to be used safely. In that regard, the Plenary Assembly implored SADC Member States to develop policies which will enable them to use technological advancements as a catalyst for digital trade and employment, especially for the youths, thereby promoting economic emancipation of citizens.

As I wind up, Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly resolved to place on record its profound appreciation for the distinguished service rendered by Hon. Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, and host Speaker of the SADC-PF headquarters, whose retirement is anticipated in March 2025. In recognition of his longstanding contribution to the forum’s Executive Committee, interparliamentary co-operation, regional integration and promotion of democracy in Southern Africa, the Plenary Assembly further recommended that Hon. Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi’s unmatched wisdom and diplomacy continue to be utilised in advisory and strategic capacities at both the national and regional levels to advance the regional body’s objectives.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly placed on record its sincere appreciation to the National Assembly of Zambia led by the Rt. Hon. Nelly B. K. Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA, for seamlessly hosting the 56^th Plenary Assembly and selecting a timely and relevant theme for its deliberations.

Madam Speaker, I wish to express my profound gratitude to you, the Clerk and the staff of the National Assembly of Zambia for successfully hosting the Plenary Assembly and diligently executing their duties.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mr Lumayi: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, thank you for this opportunity you have given me to second the Motion, which was moved by Hon. Kalalwe Mukosa, on behalf of the wonderful people of Chinsali.

Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly took place in Livingstone, hosted by the Republic of Zambia, and it was very peaceful. The theme, as submitted by the hon. Member for Chinsali, was, “Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Smart, Inclusive and Responsive Parliamentarians in the SADC Region”.

Madam Speaker, the standing committees made various submissions. The Standing Committee on Agriculture was represented by Hon. Mazoka, the Standing Committee on Trade and Industry was represented by Hon. Mukosa at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region level, while the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, which I represent, submitted many issues at the Plenary Assembly.

Madam Speaker, the Plenary Assembly encouraged hon. Members to use technologies to improve their welfare in the SADC region.

Madam Speaker, it would be a disservice to the Parliament of Zambia if I did not mention that the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights submitted that parliaments in the SADC region must cherish democracy by always ensuring that political parties elect leaders through democratic processes.

Madam Speaker, the people of Zambia were very happy with the presentation by His Excellency the President, through Her Honour the Vice-President, at a symposium that was held at the Plenary Assembly, which was attended by all the representatives of parliaments in the SADC region.

Madam Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to encourage all hon. Members in this Assembly to debate freely, as the Plenary Assembly aimed to promote technologies in the SADC region.

Madam Speaker, let me not waste time so that my fellow Parliamentarians can contribute to this very important debate.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, as the House considers the adoption of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) Delegation report, I am privileged by this chance you have given me to make some comments on the report.

Madam Speaker, on page 9 of the report, and referring to page 8 under item 7.0, symposium on the theme, sub-item 7.1 – presentation by the SMART Zambia Institute, the delegation recognises technology as an ally as well as an adversary of democracy. The delegation thinks that increased access to information promotes democracy and improves electoral processes. Civic engagement is important and it can be promoted by technology. The delegation lists these points as aspects in the promotion of democracy.

Madam Speaker, as the report delineates technology as an adversary of democracy, it speaks about misinformation and disinformation. I think that technology is not an adversary in that sense because misinformation is perpetrated by individuals who lack ethics, and they deploy technology. Therefore, the problem is not with technology, it is a problem of people lacking ethics. Those are the people your hon. Members refer to when they talk about people who create platforms to discredit others or organisations in order to gain some political mileage or other forms.

Madam Speaker, the report also mentions surveillance as an adversary. I actually think that surveillance of people is a bad policy of a Government that is paranoid about people communicating with one another. It is not a technological issue. It is an issue of a Government that is scared of people talking to one another; scared of systems communicating with one another. While the delegation imagined that this was an adversary, I think, the contrary. It is an issue of a Government’s bad policy, and a good policy badly implemented. One way of badly implementing a good policy is segregation in the manner in which a country deploys its laws. People must be treated the same because we are all equal under the law. The moment some people are treated differently from others, then, one knows that even a well-written law is of no value to the people. That becomes a problem in the administration of the law as opposed to the existence of that law. Surveillance is not a problem as a technological issue, but as a government issue.

Madam Speaker, we know about cyber security threats, computer hacking, and all other related issues. However, these programmes are deliberately designed, deployed or instituted by people, not computers. Therefore, I see technology as a friend of democracy, all the way. However, there are people who can only mislead others. They have no integrity and therefore, cannot be entrusted with technological systems for them to add value to others. It is the people who are a problem, not technology.

Madam Speaker, a while ago, we were talking about the electricity issue in Mpika Constituency. Without electricity in Mpika or Lunte constituencies, technology cannot be deployed there. Without electricity in those areas, democracy cannot be enhanced. That is why some of us are proponents of infrastructure development, which supports technology. That is to enable our people, regardless of where they are, benefit from a good democratic system.

Madam Speaker, I want to agree with the delegation, except the manner in which they recognise technology as an adversary of democracy. I actually think that technology is a friend of democracy, but people and the systems – What would you do if the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has a good system, but the people there decide to rig the elections? Would you say the system is bad?

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Lunte!

Let me give guidance. You will recall, hon. Member, that Standing Order No. 71, provides that as we debate, the information that we give on the Floor of the House should be factual and verifiable. You talked about the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) rigging the elections, but you have not provided evidence as to the period when those elections were rigged. So, hon. Member, let us be factual. Let us talk about facts. If you know that elections were rigged in any way, please, provide evidence so that we do not start speculating who rigged and what period it was.

Hon Member, you may continue as guided.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I always value your guidance. I would like to conclude my submission by saying that technology is good, but the people entrusted to use it may be unethical, biased, or unable to deliver a good service, simply because of their imaginations. To that effect, I tried to give an example, for which I was ably guided.

Madam Speaker, your delegation did a good job. I did appreciate the mover of the Motion, Hon. Mukosa and the seconder, Hon. Lumayi. As I appreciate them, I wish to submit my discourse.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, thank you so much, and happy belated International Women’s Day to you, and all our female folk.

Madam Speaker, the people of Mbabala wish to thank you for giving them an opportunity to support a Motion to adopt a Report of the Zambian Delegation to the 56^th Plenary Assembly of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), that was held in Livingstone, which I partially attended by virtual of chairing the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Caucus. I also had a major input to the deliberations there.

Madam Speaker, I want to briefly focus on the issue of technological advancement, which is a very important area in development. There is no going backwards in society if there is technology. Therefore, in line with the report, I want to support the call for capacity building of the hon. Members and ordinary citizens in technology. Our people need to familiarise themselves with technology for them to understand and benefit from things like digital technology and skills development. Under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), there is the skills development programme which goes with technology.

Madam Speaker, let me also talk about the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our people need to understand AI so that they can be able to benefit from it. AI is very important in development and we know that it is being utilised everywhere, including in our villages. With regard to the Internet sites such as Google, anyone can search for information. Google search provides answers and, at least, one can have access to information that one can understand even a bit.

Madam Speaker, I also want to talk about the issues which were raised by the SMART Zambia Institute. In my view, there is need for us to have a technological hub for this country so that we can have a strong data base, which can connect us as a region. In Zambia, we need to ensure that we have a technological hub that is able to track and consolidate data of every citizen. For example, we need to have data of the following: duration of pregnancy; date of delivery; date of issuance of the National Registration Card (NRC); date of offer of bursaries and loans; date of employment; and date of repayment of the loan.

Madam Speaker, SMART Zambia Institute and many other agencies need to help this country have a technological hub that will consolidate data. The use of a single digit for documents such as the NRCs and passports will make it easy for people to make travel arrangements. This will also allow people to use single passports as opposed to having passports for each country. With that kind of technological advancement, even an NRC could be used in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. This is where data for countries under the SADC region would be housed in one place.

Madam Speaker, so, at Parliamentary level, the decision to approve the SADC-PF was actually very important because it would ease people’s movements for both personal and business in the SADC region. This will enable us to simply go to Malawi, Angola, Botswana, and South Africa, without producing passports, but the NRC. The information of one’s NRC would be stored in all the SADC member countries. Once the card is produced, like a driving licence, the system will simply show that one is Zambian, and the other information will follow. That would make it easy to clear one’s passage without even asking many security questions. So, that is one of the technological advancements, which we are calling for in the SADC region.

Madam Speaker, I also want to talk about the flip side of technology. Technology is, indeed, being abused by some citizens, not only in Zambia, but in the whole region. Technology is being used by scammers and hackers to abuse citizens. A few weeks ago, when I debated in the House, I talked about many villagers who complain about messages that they receive informing them that they have won cars or money. There are technologies used by hackers. Hackers are people who are highly trained in computers, and they take advantage of their expertise and abuse our people. Now, we must protect our people. So, it is important to have stiff laws to punish these people. That is why I am calling on the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and many other institutions to be advanced so that they can track hackers more efficiently. I have reported over thirty numbers to *770# at ZICTA, but I have never received a response as to what happened after I reported the hackers. We need to be efficient in tracking hackers and introduce stiff punishment for them and other people who use technology to bully and insult people on social media. People are using technology to reach millions at the shortest time possible. So, there should be stiff punishment for people who use technology to advance wrong things that are morally and ethically bankrupt. The country is building ethics, morality and many other values that we stand for, which His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema espoused when he spoke to us just a few weeks ago.

Madam Speaker, with those remarks, on behalf of the people of Mbabala, I support the Motion ably moved by Hon. Mukosa and seconded by Hon. Lumayi.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to make some comments on the debate on the report we are looking at. Permit me, before I make my comments, to congratulate our women and the young people who, during this week, showed their patriotism to the country by turning up in numbers to celebrate Women’s Day as well as Youth Day. This, of course, is a testament to the Zambian people’s commitment to the values and principles of our country, even though there were some disgruntled elements who almost disturbed most of the celebrations across many parts of the country.

Hon. PF Member: Hear, hear!

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, your Committee has brought this report, and I would like to comment on something on page 7, which is that on the sidelines of this assembly, the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), launched the Parliamentary Alliance on Agrifood Systems, Food Security and Nutrition. The partnership was initiated so that SADC-PF could start addressing pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition as well as sustainable agrifood systems in the region. This was in response to the SADC-PF strategic plan of 2024 to 2028, which plan prioritises socio-economic development. I am prompted to make comments on this matter because SADC-PF has identified the challenges of hunger and malnutrition in the region. The issue identified by SADC-PF has not spared Zambia. Many parts of the country are experiencing acute shortages of food. Today, I was seeing reports on social media that our citizens in different parts of the country are queuing up in large numbers for what some may call a reasonably priced staple food called mealie meal supplied by the Zambia National Service (ZNS). When I talk about ‘reasonably priced,’ I am talking about a bag of mealie meal costing over K250. Ordinarily, you may wish to know that our staple food is nshima, but the mealie meal supplied by ZNS is not available in most places. So, our people still have to fall back on what is being sold in many shops. Today, one has to buy a bag of mealie meal at about K418, which is beyond the reach of many Zambians. They are hardly surviving. This conversation comes at a time when we, as a country, are performing badly. We have been ranked as the sixth-hungriest country, in fact, sixth-malnourished country in the world. The ranking is there. I think, the report is there.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, you are aware of the requirements of our Standing Orders. If you have evidence that Zambia is ranked as the sixth-malnourished country in the world, please, lay it on the Table. We should not speculate and follow what is being reported without substantiating issues. You need to be factual, and information should be verifiable. Unless, you have evidence to lay on the Table, I would advise you to not take that route.

You may continue as guided.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, you may forgive me. I thought that last time, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning actually acknowledged that we are ranked sixth-poorest country in the world.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Please, do not engage me. I have guided you.

You may proceed.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, this conversation is coming at a very sad time, when our people are struggling to find our staple food called mealie meal. I note that other countries within the region are actually rising above this challenge. Not long ago, –

Mr Kafwaya interjected.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lunte, when you were debating nobody interrupted you. Can you allow the hon. Member of Parliament for Nkana to debate in peace. You are neighbours, why not allow his debate to flow rather than keep interrupting him? Or are you schooling him in a way? So, please, allow the hon. Member for Nkana to debate.

May the hon. Member for Nkana continue.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, this is a very interesting but also sad conversation because it reminds us that as a country, we have to wake up. Tanzania, a country that used to depend on Zambia, is now raising above the challenge. Today, we have to go and beg our friends in Tanzania to sell us the food that we used to sell them at some point. We are having this conversation at a point when even the world’s second-poorest country, Burundi, offered to support us by donating beans.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Please, avoid debating other countries because we do not want to be found in harm’s way with them. We need to respect their sovereignty.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I am well guided –

Madam Speaker: I am still guiding, hon. Member.

Please, avoid bringing in other countries into your debate because that has repercussions on our relationships with those countries. Even our Standing Orders are very clear on that. So, as you debate, keep away from such lines of debate.

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

I was trying to highlight the fact that our friends have done very well. Over the years, we, as country, have performed very well in terms of food security. In fact, at some point, Zambia was the food basket of the region. People from countries like Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) used to flock to Zambia to buy the staple food called mealie meal. However, we are grappling with the problem of non-availability of our staple food and increased prices beyond the reach of our citizens, when we have an opportunity with arguably the largest arable land in the region. Zambia should have risen above that challenge and should be producing enough food to feed the SADC region.

Madam Speaker, you can imagine that as citizens in this country, we fail to identify the potential we have. At some point, there was a foreigner from Vietnam who was able to see the opportunity and wanted to buy 6,000,000 ha of our land and yet, Vietnam is very far away from here.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

I have guided that you should, please, keep away from mentioning other countries. You can just debate without doing that. You have enough information to debate without mentioning other countries. Please, you have been guided.

You may continue.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I thank you for your guidance, although it is difficult to debate because the rules of debate are that you can infer to things that flow with the subject matter of the debate.

Madam Speaker, food insecurity is a challenge that many countries are grappling with, particularly in the South African region. Those who had the wisdom of crafting the idea of partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP) saw the need for us as a region to strengthen collaboration among member countries to build capacity to manage challenges vis-a-vis the hunger situation, malnutrition and all other things.

Madam Speaker, I would, therefore, like to place it on record that Zambia should go back to the drawing board because it does not make sense that in the midst of plenty of land and water resources, leaders can continue to give the excuse of a drought as the reason for people to be queuing up for meal mealie or fail to afford three meals in a day.

Madam Speaker, your Committee’s Report comes at an important time when the Zambian people must wake up to the reality that we have gone to slumber. There is no reason whatsoever why people in our country should not have three meals in a day and yet, we are blessed with land and water resources. We need to re-align our agriculture policies so that we can produce enough food for our people.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Minister, do you want to respond now or later?

Dr Musokotwane: I can say something, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Maybe, we can allow the hon. Members to debate, before you can respond.

Dr Musokotwane indicated assent.

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice, on behalf of the people of Mpika, to the important subject under discussion. I also want to thank you for hosting the conference for the Southern African Development Community Parliament Forum (SADC-PF), which is an important event.

Madam Speaker, it is gratifying to note that we still have patriotic public officers in the SADC region, such as the SADC-PF President. According to page 5 of the delegation’s report, he indicated the importance of parliamentary excellence to consolidate democracy in the region. This is a lot of political hygiene being advocated by someone who is patriotic. What I mean is that by definition, democracy is a system of governance in which power is vested in the people, either directly or indirectly. Democracy is participatory and as such, it is gratifying to note that there is such a Speaker overseeing the affairs of parliamentary work in the SADC region. The same Speaker must play an important role in ensuring that Heads of State and Government in the region adhere to the principles of democracy. Even when it comes to constitutional Amendments, Heads of State and Government must consult their people.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mpika!

Let me guide you. Please, let us stick to the report. The issue you are trying to bring in is not even before this House and you do not know the content. Why can you not reserve your comments? At an appropriate time, you can debate properly in context, rather than making assumptions. That is not allowed on the Floor of this House. Be factual, please.

You may continue.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I did not narrow my debate to the case in our country. I am trying to generalise it at the regional level. The Speaker heading the SADC-PF should be an advisor to the Heads of State and Government in the region so that the participation of citizens in governance affairs of their respective countries should be respected. I was trying to emphasise the need for Heads of State to allow their citizens to participate in constitutional amendments as anchors of individual countries.

Madam Speaker, on the same page 5, the SADC-PF President talked about the importance of sustainable development and reiterated the forum’s commitment to support national agendas to achieve various goals, particularly those in Africa’s Agenda 2063. Among the goals are good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law based on inclusiveness. These are important goals. We cannot achieve the Agenda 2063 when youths have no jobs in our country currently. Youths are faced with unemployment and this is what is forcing them to resort to alcohol and drug abuse. On top of that, the World Bank has ranked our country as the sixth poorest in the world. That is an indictment –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

I earlier guided on the issue of the sixth poorest country. Do you have evidence to show f that Zambia was ranked as the sixth poorest country in the world? Do you have evidence showing that the high unemployment rate of youths is forcing them to resort to alcohol and drug abuse? Is it also not true that there are people who are employed, but they engage in drug and alcohol abuse? Unless, you have evidence, hon. Member, to show that it is only the unemployed who are abusing substances, do not refer to that matter. So, let us be factual. Google is available. Let us research before we take to the Floor so that when we are debating, we are using statistics. Statistics do not lie.

May the hon. Member continue as guided.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, thank you for your guidance.

Madam Speaker, according to the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), youth unemployment is at 12 per cent and research shows that unemployment has really contributed to increased abuse of alcohol and drugs. I was saying that this is an indictment on the national leadership because every Government must confront the issues that affect its citizens.

Madam Speaker, we cannot attain sustainable development, as envisaged in Africa’s Agenda 2063, when Amnesty International is reporting glaring tax evasion by mining companies in Zambia. In 2023, the organisation indicated that US$4.5 billion was lost through corporate tax evasion in our country. How can we attain sustainable growth under Agenda 2063 when a huge chunk of our resources is being lost in that manner? The SADC-PF President indicated that governments must pay attention to resource mobilisation in order to achieve sustainable growth.

Madam Speaker, in a democracy, human rights cannot be fully realised when people suffer, as our people are suffering today. When one goes to compounds, one sees that people there cannot afford three square meals a day. In Mpika’s Chitulika, Kamwanya and Shangayi areas, people go to bed without eating, yet that is not troubling any one of the people in the Government. They would rather amend the Constitution than attend to the problems that our people are going through.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mpika!

Do not start speculating. We are not debating the amendment of the Constitution right now. I gave you guidance earlier on, but you want to bring up that point again. Wait for the process. When it is before this House, then, we will be able to debate from a factual position. As you speculate, you mislead the nation. So, let us be responsible. This Constitution amendment issue you are talking about talks about enhancing the rights of women, differently-abled people and the youth. Do you not want the youth and women to also take part in the governance process? So, be careful. Do not burn your own house.

You may continue as guided. Please, veer from the Constitution issue.

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the Government must exist to provide solutions that better the lives of its people. The resources we have are for every Zambian to enjoy. Why do we have directors of a mining company in the North-Western Province transferring US$2.5 billion to Panama –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

What page in this report is talking about that?

Mr Kapyanga: Sustainable development, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: No. Please, let us not stretch points. If you want to discuss that issue, there are ways and means of doing so. Move a Motion and come and debate it in the House, then, you would be debating in context. You are debating out of context. This Motion talks about the use of technology by member parliaments to enhance democracy and other things. So, let us stick to the report, hon. Member.

You may continue.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, as citizens participate in democratic processes, there must be inclusivity. This Government has been conducting mobile National Registration Card (NRC) issuance in three provinces only, excluding other provinces in the country.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Kapyanga: Where is the inclusivity, Madam Speaker?

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mpika!

I have given you guidance several times, but you do not want to follow it.

Hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, respond.

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I welcome the presentation of the report on the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) Plenary Assembly, which I was a member of for ten years –

Mr Kapyanga rose.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mpika, may you go back to your seat. Resume your seat so that you can listen to the response being given by the hon. Minister.

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, I was saying that I welcome the presentation of the report on the SADC-PF Plenary Assembly, which is an organisation that I belonged to for ten years, and we discussed reports such as this. The report on the Floor is on technology and how we can use it to improve the livelihoods of the people. I think, it does justice to that theme.

Madam Speaker, in responding to some of the issues that my hon. Colleagues have raised, I think, the link has been that with technology, one can fight poverty, and that is absolutely correct. An hon. Colleague said that Zambia has failed to do this, and directly accused this Government by referring to the fact that Zambia was ranked the sixth poorest country in the world. Indeed, a report like that was issued by the World Bank. However, my hon. Colleagues fail to acknowledge that the report covered the period 2015 to 2022.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Dr Musokotwane: It is there.

Madam Speaker, the World Bank report covered the period 2015 to 2022. As one can see, that was a period when the Patriotic Front (PF) was in the Government.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: That is where this poverty came from, Madam Speaker. It is not surprising because it was under the Patriotic Front (PF) that the anchor of this economy; the mining sector, was closed down. It was the time when Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Plc and Mopani Copper Mines Plc closed down. What does one expect when the foundation of the economy suffers like that? One expects poverty levels to increase. That is precisely what happened. Some people celebrated the carelessness of closing down the mines because, somehow, they became prosperous from a decaying industry. As the House may recall, a few months ago, some of the people who were responsible for administering the decaying mining sector returned the money to the Government saying that they collected the money wrongly. People who were administering a dying industry suddenly became millionaires over and over in United States (US) Dollar terms. So, people are confusing the fact that when they were in power and got all those privileges and became very rich, it means that it was a good thing. However, they forget that as they closed down the mines, ordinary miners experienced the worst suffering in their lives. The suppliers also went through the worst experiences of their lives. Where would the people who ran taxis and grocery stores get business when the miners and contractors were not being paid? A collection of all those issues is what caused the poverty that hon. Colleagues from the PF are talking about. They caused the poverty that arose from 2015 to 2022. They did not care because they were making a lot of money out of the situation. That is why this Government has worked very hard to reverse the damage that was caused in the mining sector; the foundation of the economy, which they destroyed. Today, they should say that we caused a lot of poverty, yet it is the very thing that they caused.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Speaker, somebody also said that food security is an issue. Yes, it is an issue, but I think, it is important to be honest in life. The very person who talked about food security indicated on the Floor of the House, that under normal circumstances, this country produces more food. The same person is now saying that we are importing food from the neighbouring countries. He is forgetting that when the very neighbouring countries he is referring to experienced drought, they imported food from Zambia. That is common knowledge. When the drought ended in those countries, they too, started producing sufficient food. So, the same way those countries started producing enough food after the drought, is the same way Zambia will produce enough food this year.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: So, we cannot say in this House that since we have experienced drought, which is a natural phenomenon, then food production for 2025, 2026 and 2027, will be inadequate. That is failure to reason properly. As we can see, in 2025, with the normal rainfall that we have received, we will produce more than enough food, and the prices will go down.

Madam Speaker, let me conclude by saying …

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

Dr Musokotwane: … or perhaps addressing the issue of tax evasion in the mining sector. As far as I know, the biggest source of tax revenue in this country is the mining sector. The mining sector is going to be bigger than what it used to be with regard to tax revenue. The mining production is increasing because of the good policies pursued by the Government. The, mining production is rising. Under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, mining production decreased because of the mines which were closed down.

Madam Speaker, in the ten years, how did they expect to collect more taxes when mines were closed? Who was going to pay the taxes? Today, they are even saying that the Government is not collecting more tax revenues. Yes, we are not collecting the best tax revenues because the mines were closed. Now that we have reopened the mines, our copper production in 2024, increased to about 820,000 metric tonnes. This year, in 2025, production will be close to 1 million metric tonnes. Next year, we will get to about 1.3 million metric tonnes. The other year, it will be 1.6 million metric tonnes. We can only collect more taxes if there is an increase in the mining output.

Madam Speaker, I thought I should correct the wrong and malicious impressions that our hon. Colleagues on the other side, have presented.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, I would like to appreciate the seconder of the Motion, Hon. Victor Lumayi, Member of Parliament for Chavuma. Allow me to also express my gratitude to the other hon. Members who have debated this Motion. These are as follows: the hon. Member for Lunte, Mr Mutotwe Kafwaya; the hon. Member for Mbabala, Mr Joseph Munsanje; the hon. Member for Nkana, Mr Binwell Mpundu; and the hon. Member for Mpika, Mr Francis Robert Kapyanga. I will not forget to appreciate the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, who has made an assurance that prices of commodities will go down.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to.

_____

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

Ms S. Mwamba (Kasama Central): Madam Speaker, I will begin my debate by stating that a patriotic nation is where citizens actively work towards progress; protect one another, and take pride in their industries and talents. If we embrace patriotism in our policies and daily lives, we will be able to tackle issues effectively and build a stronger Zambia.

Madam Speaker, one of the fundamental values is patriotism. As citizens of this nation, we need to be patriotic when addressing social ills. Therefore, patriotism is needed in combating cybercrime and bullying. We need to protect our fellow Zambians from digital harm.

Madam Speaker, a patriotic citizen, should not scam fellow citizens or engage in harmful behaviour online. Instead, let us use technology to uplift our communities and our country as a whole. We are ambassadors of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, cyber security laws need to be strengthened so that we enforce the cyberspace law. I wish to encourage responsible online behaviour where citizens should look out for one another than attacking and exploiting each other. We are one people.bWhen it comes to fighting substance abuse, there is a need for us to be patriotic. Many young people, both male and female, are falling victim to alcohol and drug abuse, leading to addiction, crime and wasted potential. At the same time, the rising number of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections among the young is deeply concerning. We cannot sit back while our future leaders and workforce are being lost to addiction and disease.

Madam Speaker, I wish to urge the Government to strengthen regulations on alcohol and drugs. These should not be accessible when our youth are not of the right age. There is also a need to invest in more rehabilitation centres countrywide. This might aid most of the young people affected. We must not just tell young people to be responsible; the Government must also provide them with the support, the knowledge and the resources they need to succeed.

Madam Speaker, patriotism is required in supporting the Buy Zambia campaign. Economic patriotism is one of the most powerful ways we can strengthen our nation. When we support local industries, we create jobs, grow businesses and reduce dependency on imports. Yet many Zambians still prefer to buy foreign products over locally produced goods. A patriotic citizen understands that every time we buy Zambian products, we invest in the future of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I will state that patriotism is not just waving a flag or singing the National Anthem. It is about the choices we make every day. In supporting the Motion, I urge every Zambian to rise to the call of patriotism for the sake of our country’s future. One Zambia, One Nation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katotobwe (Luapula): Madam Speaker, allow me to express some views on the debate on the President’s Address to this august House delivered on Friday, 28^th February, 2025.

Madam Speaker, we, as leaders, are always reminded about the prospects of a better and more prosperous Zambia, which must benefit our people as dictated by our Constitution. In Part II, Articles 8 and 9, the Constitution states our national values, principles and economic policies. In its broad array of perspectives, two aspects stand out, namely human dignity and sustainable development, which are also contained on page 2 of the President’s Address. We must all accept that poverty is a problem from all stand points because it undermines the self-respect of our people and violates the dignity of our people. It is from this background that leaders are consistently reminded to eradicate poverty. That is why 17^th October is International Day for Poverty Eradication, which is observed by the United Nations (UN).

Madam Speaker, sometimes, when a mistake is made, that mistake is not a problem. The big mistake is lack of remorse, because when there is no remorse, there is no reflection, introspection, solution, and the mistake continues. Poverty is a big mistake; it is not natural. Poverty is man-made. Poverty can be and has been eradicated through the actions of leaders. Ignoring the poor means we are devoid of empathy. Ignoring poverty is anathema for self-preservation.

Madam Speaker, let me draw your attention to three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG No. 1 is ‘on poverty.’ Zambia’s poverty indices indicate an alarming escalation of poverty, which situation requires attention and must not be trivialised. The data on poverty from 2020 to 2023 captured by the World Bank, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) and the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) through the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey depicts deterioration of poverty levels in our country. The overall rural poverty rate, as at 2023, stood at 78.8 per cent, which is 15.5 million people living in poverty from a population of 19.7 million people.

Mr Chisopa: Ah!

Mr Katotobwe: Madam Speaker, the overall urban poverty rate, as at 2023, was characterised by degradation, as 2.2 million Zambians live in poverty. SDG No. 2 is ‘zero hungry.’ As a country, have we made any progress in food sovereignty? The answer is no. Has Zambia built on the food security left in 2021? The answer is another no.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Katotobwe: Madam Speaker, during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global crisis, which devasted global economies, Zambia’s poverty levels were lower than they are now.

Rev. Katuta: Hear, hear!

Mr Katotobwe: The unfolding poverty calamity requires attention.

Madam Speaker, SDG No. 1, which is ‘no poverty’ and SDG No. 2, which is ‘zero hunger’ are best interpreted in conjunction with SDG No. 9, which is ‘industrialisation, innovation and infrastructure.’ The question is: Has Zambia industrialised? The answer is rather absurd and ghastly. As a nation, as long as we continue shying away from optimisation of collection of our revenue from mining resources, hunger, poverty and high cost of living will continue escalating.

Madam Speaker, the progress that was made in Zambia’s food sovereignty and security has been eroded in the last four years because of chaotic agro-policies and planning, coupled with poor implementation.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katotobwe: Madam Speaker, out of ten President’s Addresses, we are left with two. One will be in September this year, which is on the opening of the last session of the Thirteenth National Assembly and the other one will be in March next year.

Madam Speaker, when a mistake is made, the mistake may not be the problem.

Madam Speaker: Order!

The hon. Members time expired.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker, out of ten President’s Addresses, we are left with two. One will be in September this year, which will be done to open the last Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Katotobwe: The other one will be done next year in March.

Ms Mulenga: Nokuya ninshi baya.

Mr Katotobwe: Madam Speaker, when a mistake is made, it may not be the problem, but –

Madam Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Daka (Msanzala): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me an opportunity, on behalf of the good people of Msanzala, to debate the speech by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, I want to join the President in congratulating the three hon. Members of Parliament who came into the House through by-elections, which were carried out through a democratic process that we have chosen as a country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Daka: Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the President and say that Zambians were truly tested during last year’s drought. If it were in other jurisdictions, people were going to riot or rise against the Government and their leaders. However, because of our values, Zambians truly persevered and followed to the letter whatever the Government told them to do to survive the drought that we all experienced.

Madam Speaker, during the Questions for Oral Answer segment in the House today, I heard that the ministry wants to do away with the Cash-for-Work Programme, enhanced Social Cash Transfer Scheme and other programmes. On behalf of the people of Msanzala, I would like to ask the Government, if it is possible, to let those programmes continue because people cultivated and they expect to harvest. However, the harvest cannot sustain all the farmers. So, I would like to urge the Government to continue with the Cash–for-Work Programme and other social support activities within the available funds.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Sorry, hon. Member. Let me just give a bit of guidance. Maybe, I also did not get it clearly, but what I heard the hon. Minister says in her answer was that what was being discontinued was the emergency Social Cash Transfer Programme and not the other social services. I did not hear her mention that. The other programmes will actually be increased. It is only the emergency one which was for one year. That is what the record shows.

Mr Daka: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for the guidance.

Madam Speaker, I want to join the President in thanking traditional leaders on the role they have played on educating citizens in their chiefdoms. I also want to thank all hon. Members who took their time to explain and educate people on substances abuse, teen pregnancies and gender-based violence (GBV).

Madam Speaker, I agree with the President that to be patriotic citizens, we should not get what does not belong to us. In other words, we should refrain from corruption and theft. Corruption is not only about huge sums of money. It can happen in a small way, such as those involved in community maize sales by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and briefcase buyers who are buying maize meant for vulnerable people in our communities. I would like to urge all citizens to be patriotic and not to get what does not belong to them.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to agree with the President by saying that some constituencies are too vast. As such, we do not reach some of our electorates to interact with them. For example, during the recent Youth Day and Women’s Day celebrations, it was difficult for some of us with vast constituencies to identify a centre where to place the celebration activities. We had to split the celebrations in various wards because our constituencies are vast.

Madam Speaker, I would like to urge citizens and non-governmental organisations (NGO) or the civil society to look into such issues without politicking. We must look at the realities on the ground. We should not just look at the cost involved in reducing the size of some constituencies, but how that will affect the interaction between the hon. Members of Parliament and their constituents. If some constituencies will not be delimitated, the efforts we are making will not trickle down to people. We are here to lobby for development for our people. If the meetings or conversations we are having in here do not result in uplifting people, our efforts are equal to zero.

Madam Speaker, I support the President’s call on all of us to support the Constitution review process. Some people are saying that there has not been any consultation. I vividly remember that there have been many commissions that this country has constituted. We can pick a few things from past Constitution reforms and make amendments so that our people can benefit from the money that was spent in the past.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, I am glad that the people of Chienge can have a voice on the progress that our nation has made on the application of its National Values and Principles.

Madam Speaker, I must say that the Preamble of our Constitution talks about Zambia being a Christian nation. So, in everything we do, including coming for work here, we should put God first.

Madam Speaker, I would like to say that I got so concerned when I listened to the speech by His Excellency the President because, first of all, he did not mention anything on Christianity or religion, which is the number one issue when we talk about our National Values and Principles. I kept thinking that, maybe, at the end of the speech, I would hear something on Christianity, but there was nothing in the end.

Madam Speaker, what I know is that whatever the Head of State says is the Government’s position. I know that there are people who write speeches for the President, but when such issues are not included, then we have to be worried as a nation. Zambia being a Christian nation is supposed to be the first thing to be mentioned in such a speech. Religion, whether it is Christianity or Islam, is about values, principles and discipline, regardless of what we can talk about in our nation. For example, alcohol or substance abuse can be dealt with through religion. So, I was really disappointed when there was no mentioned of such an issue. In other words, Christianity, Islam and religions are being side-lined in this country. In other words, Christianity, Islam or whichever religion is sidelined by this Government. I would like to urge the drafters of the President’s Speech to consider that whatever is done in this nation is all about Zambia being a Christian nation.

Madam Speaker, I would also like to talk about discrimination and patriotism. Looking at what the President said about taking care of our national assets and other things, I would like to remind our President that when he talks about patriotism, it is also important to remember that this House we call the National Assembly, through your office, can be consulted on things that matter most.

Madam Speaker, on the new banknotes, the President talked about national statues. Looking at the new banknotes, the first thing that meets one’s eye is the absence of the image of the freedom statue. Even our national anthem aligns with the freedom of this nation and reminds us of what our forefathers fought for. Patriotism is something that we inculcate in our children. When a child looks at the new Zambian Kwacha notes, will the new banknotes preach to that child as the future generation? All the past banknotes had some meaning we could tell children about. However, we have birds and animals embedded in the new banknotes. What about something that will tell us about our history? We need to relate to our history in order to be patriotic. In South Africa where I lived for twenty years, for example, a child in crèche learns about the history of that country. Children are taught about apartheid and where they are, as a country today. It is a baton that is passed on to the next generation. So, when we talk about patriotism and the progress we have made, those are the things we should report to the nation.

Madam Speaker, by God's grace, I have been privileged to visit many countries. When one travels to Tanzania, for example, one finds a picture of the late Julius Nyerere and a picture of the current President. That is also being patriotic; valuing the history of the nation. However, in Zambia, wherever one goes, he or she will only find pictures of the current President, and the next President will only promote his or her pictures. I think, it is important that we do not only look at alcohol and substance abuse when we talk about being patriotic. We should value our religion as Christians, history and heritage because they are very important. There are many other things that I have spoken about.

Madam Speaker, there is also much going on regarding discrimination. I would like to clap for some hon. Ministers – it is only that I cannot do so in the House – who are welcoming. When an hon. Member visits certain offices, other hon. Ministers ask why he or she does not support them.

Interruptions

Rev. Katuta: It is like they forget that the offices they occupy are for the public. It is when we are in the House that we deliberate politics. We visit hon. Minister’s offices because we are part of the governance system. So, when we knock on their doors, they should give us what we are looking for on behalf of the people we represent.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, if I post a video or photograph on Facebook, for example, that has a certain type of language, which I am not encouraging anyone to do because I detest that with everything in me, and another person from the Ruling Party does the same thing, then, both of us should be arrested. There should not be discrimination. We are children of one house called Zambia. We talk about One Zambia, One Nation all under one Constitution.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Quality!

Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Kabwe Central, to add a voice to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Speech delivered by the President on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, I would like to say that the President delivered a good speech. Before I proceed, allow me to give the House two quotes as follows:

“The ultimate test of morality is not how we treat our friends, but how we treat our enemies.”

Madam Speaker, secondly, the highest form of morality is not to resist evil, but to overcome evil with good.

Madam Speaker, the President is an example of a morally upright man. The quotes describe him well. Despite what he goes through, such as insults, he repays it with good. He resists the bad. He just loves everybody. Hence, he spoke about unity and love in this country. Any good leader should emulate and agree with the contents of his speech. We need to love one another and uphold national unity if we are to develop. So, all leaders should be like our President.

Madam Speaker, allow me to highlight other issues on morality and ethics. The President talked about the progress made in addressing social ills. I also want to address one issue I wish he touched on, that is, sexual immorality. I am a mother. This week before Youth Day, I almost shed tears. I was in the constituency during the night organising something, and what I saw our young people engaging in made me sad. Last month, I think, we were informed that more than 300,000 youths were infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Central Province. When I looked at what was happening that night, I wondered where the young girls and boys were headed, especially the girls who were disembarking from mature people’s vehicles. As a country, we need to address this issue urgently. Our future mothers and fathers are being destroyed. We need to emphasise this issue because our young people are roaming about in the streets. The result of that will be laziness. They will think that is the best way to get money. They will not learn to work hard. The President talked about how building an economy is not an individual thing. It is for everybody. We are not the only ones who can develop the economy. The young people can also help because they are the majority. They are the workforce we have. However, if they just roam the streets, then, they do not have the time to be creative or innovative. So, we cannot develop and the future of our nation is destroyed. I thought I should emphasise that issue. We need to address sexual immorality, especially among our young people. It is worrisome.

Madam Speaker, on patriotism, the President that said we need to work hard. There is no way we can improve the cost of living if we are lazy and do not inculcate the spirit of hard work. The Government alone or an individual cannot improve the economy. It calls for all of us to work hard. We work hard by ensuring that we strictly follow the policies that the Government puts on the table. If there are policies concerning the agricultural sector, we need to respond to them by working hard. I am happy that we have plenty of food this year. I have moved around my constituency and I have seen plenty of maize. That is what is needed. Sometimes, I hear people talk about issues of fertiliser. Honestly speaking, we need to be innovative and think critically. For example, I had one maize field that was not doing fine. So, I decided to not apply fertiliser, but cow dung. I used it and my maize is doing fine.

Madam Speaker, at one time, I recall there was a team of Parliamentarians that went to Caritas Zambia to learn on the use of organic fertiliser. As hon. Members, we saw how good organic fertiliser was on maize. I realise that now, we only talk about chemical fertiliser. We see people folding their hands and saying that they do not have fertiliser for their crops, r when there is the natural fertiliser that can give them a good yield. We need to make sure that we start thinking of using organic fertiliser. We need to make sure that the information that we give to our people is correct. Sometimes, it is we, the leaders, who give wrong information to our constituents. We do not encourage our people. The problem is that we feed them with wrong information for political gain. That is not right. We need to make sure that we rethink and do the right thing for the sake of our mother Zambia and our future generations.

Madam Speaker, allow me to now talk about equity. The President talked about delimitation. Indeed, we need to support the constitutional amendment process especially on the delimitation of constituencies. Some people say that instead of delimitation, we can channel the money to improve the cost of living. How do we improve the cost of living if we do not delimitate so that more resources can go to our constituencies? For example, in Kabwe District, we have two constituencies, but Kabwe Central Constituency is the second constituency with the largest population in the province. If we add 10 per cent to our population, we will have about 200,000 people. About 3,000 people apply for skills training. When people apply for loans or grants, the total comes to K30 million, meanwhile, we only get K6 million. Therefore, if Kabwe Central was delimitated, many people would benefit. Empowering our people is a way of improving the cost of living? Why are people saying that we should not amend our Constitution? We need to make sure we amend it. When we do that, we will also amend an Article in the Constitution that will encourage women participation in decision-making in governance. As the Constitution is now, it does not support women. We need more women representation here in Parliament since they are the majority in the country. Therefore, if women are not involved in decision-making, it means that there is no equity. So, we need women to come on the board.

Madam Speaker, I want to say that we support the amendment of the Constitution with regard to the delimitation of constituencies so that we have more resources in our constituencies and districts to improve on the cost of living.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, allow me to say that the people of Kabwe Central Constituency support the President’s Speech, and they will 100 per cent rally behind the programmes that the Government has put in place, especially the constitution amendment process.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Quality

Madam Speaker: Suddenly, there are no indications. I do not know whether it is a strategy.

_______

ADJOURNMENT

The Vice-President (Mrs Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1845 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 14^th March, 2025.

____________

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