Wednesday, 23^rd July, 2025

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

VISITORS FROM SESHEKE DISTRICT

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of visitors from Sesheke District, led by the Sesheke District United Party for National Development (UPND) chairlady.

The visitors from Sesheke were not in the Public Gallery yet.

Madam Speaker: I am sure that they are still coming. They will join us later.

On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I warmly welcome our visitors in absentia.

Thank you.

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM KAMSEY EDUCATION CENTRE

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils and teachers from Kamsey Education Centre, Chibombo District.

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

Thank you.

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR KAMPYONGO, HON. MEMBER FOR SHIWANG’ANDU, ON MRS NALUMANGO, THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ON ELECTORAL REFORMS AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN ZAMBIA

Mr Kampyongo. (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, on an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Madam Speaker:  An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the Urgent Matter without Notice I am about to raise is directed to Her Honour the Vice-President.

Madam Speaker, credible and fair elections are as a result of the processes that the electoral body puts in place prior to elections. By practice, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), which is mandated to conduct elections, is also required to engage stakeholders at every point as it makes decisions. As it makes changes to the electoral processes, it is important that it carries all the electoral stakeholders with it. Of late, many pronouncements have come from the ECZ, and now we have been informed that a system called Biometric Identification System (BIS) will be rolled out, and that a foreign company has been contracted to undertake that mammoth exercise, for that matter. This is happening without stakeholder engagement. All of us gathered here are very critical stakeholders insofar as elections are concerned, because we are products of elections.

Madam Speaker, given the fact that the ECZ is not engaging stakeholders, such as political parties, when is the Government representative, the Leader of Government Business in the House, who oversees the functions dealing with elections, going to update us on where the ECZ is with regard to the processes it is engaged in, going into next year.

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence.

Madam Speaker: Your time is up, thank you very much.

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, the matter that you have raised does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice. I am sure that you can explore other ways of bringing that issue to the attention of Her Honour the Vice-President and, indeed, the House. So, please, explore other means. Your matter does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Madam Speaker: I said that you can explore other ways of bringing the matter. You can submit it and then the people who are responsible will be able to see whether it is an urgent question or an ordinary question.

The hon. Members for Mkushi South and Mpika, you are always raising Urgent Matters without Notice. On all occasions, your matters have not been admitted.

 Laughter

Madam Speaker: So, I hope that today, you will do something better.

MR CHISOPA, HON. MEMBER FOR MKUSHI SOUTH, ON MRS NALUMANGO, THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ON WITCHCRAFT IN ZAMBIA

Mr Chisopa. (Mkushi South): Madam Speaker, on an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Madam Speaker:  An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, thank you so much. I wish to raise an Urgent Matter without Notice directed to the hon. Minister of Justice, but I can see that she is not in the House. Therefore, I will direct it to Her Honour the Vice-President.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, when His Excellency was sowing in some ambassadors –

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Let us allow the hon. Member for Mkushi to ‘sow’ his question.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Proceed. That was on a lighter note, you can proceed.

Laughter

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, when His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia was swearing in …

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisopa: … some ambassadors, he made a policy pronouncement that in Zambia, we do not believe in witches, and that there are no witches; everyone is going to die because death is prepared by God. That was the pronouncement or the policy that he announced yesterday.

Madam Speaker, you may wish to note that, or take judicial notice that, there are some Mozambicans appearing in the Zambian court right now who have been accused of attempting to bewitch His Excellency.

Madam Speaker, is Her Honour the Vice-President in order to allow –

Madam Speaker: Please, wind up. Hon. Member, your time is up.

Mr Chisopa: Is Her Honour the Vice-President in order to allow those Mozambicans to continue appearing in court, when the President has made a policy pronouncement that there is no witchcraft in this country?

Is she in order, Madam Speaker?

I seek your serious indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Madam Speaker: I was hoping that today, the situation would have changed, but it has gone from worse to worst, as we sow our seeds.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mkushi South, that matter, definitely, does not qualify. You have said that the matter is in court. So, why do we not leave it to the courts?

Mr Chisopa interjected.

Madam Speaker: You can join them, and listen to the evidence. Maybe, you can come and brief us from a point of experience.

The matter is not admitted, hon. Member for Mkushi South.

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MPIKA, ON MR MWIIMBU, SC., THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, ON THE ABRUPT CANCELLATION OF THE NATIONAL MOBILE REGISTRATION EXERCISE IN MUCHINGA PROVINCE

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, on an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, today, I have a serious Urgent Matter without Notice directed at the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security. As you may be aware, the Government commenced the national mobile registration exercise. However, the exercise has not yielded the necessary results. Many people today almost walked to the offices of various District Commissioners (DCs) in Muchinga Province to protest because they have been left out of the exercise, which has been abruptly cancelled without informing the stakeholders of what is happening. I raise this matter to seek clarity on what is happening with that exercise, which the Government commenced, but has been abruptly cancelled.

I seek your indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mpika, I would encourage you to engage the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to bring those concerns to his attention. That issue does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Hon. Member for Mpika, please, engage. Do you find it difficult to visit any of the hon. Ministers to engage on a matter of that nature?

Mr Kapyanga: Tabasuka ama phone.

Madam Speaker: Do you not know where their offices are? Visit them.

Mr Kapyanga: Tabasangwako kuma office.

Madam Speaker: Are you scared of witchcraft?

Mr Kapyanga rose.

Madam Speaker: It is okay. I am not engaging you.

Mr Kapyanga interjected.

Madam Speaker: No. It is done. I am just giving guidance. You should make an effort to visit if you have a concern than waiting to bring it up on the Floor of the House.

Let us make progress. I find that the Urgent Matters without Notice segment is not adding value to the work we do. Maybe, it is one item that we should look at, and amend the Standing Orders.

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

PURCHASE AND PRESERVATION OF MAIZE DURING THE 2025 HARVEST SEASON

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to present a Ministerial Statement on the purchase and preservation of maize during the 2025 Harvest Season. Additionally, I will also clarify the status of the farmers who benefited from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), as guided.

Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by stating that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is an institution established by the Food Reserve Act No. 6 of 2020. One of the primary functions of the FRA is to manage the national strategic food reserves. Specifically, the FRA is responsible for the following:

1. market and trade in designated agricultural commodities;
2. purchase, import, sell, trade or export designated agricultural commodities;
3. establish, manage, lease, and maintain storage facilities and equipment to be used in relation to a designated agricultural commodity;
4. collect information related to the marketing of a designated agricultural commodity; and
5. advise the Minister on matters relating to the national strategic food reserve.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to inform this august House that your guidance for me to update this House falls within the functions of the FRA, as stipulated and mentioned in Item (b) mentioned above.

Madam Speaker, on 17^th July, 2025, I informed this august House that the FRA had started buying designated crops under the 2025 Crop Marketing Programme in a phased manner. The phased manner is in strict compliance with the provisions of the law, which provides that any grain purchased for strategic reserve should have a grain moisture content of 12.5 per cent. A copy of the section of the law is hereto attached for ease of reference. The process of buying maize from farmers follows standard guidelines, which are outlined in the FRA satellite manual handbook. The manual sets out the requirements in the process of buying a designated crop from the farmers. A copy of the handbook is laid on the Floor of the House. The requirements are backed by grain marketing acceptance standards regulations issued under Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 296 of 1969, as amended by SI No. 329 of 1969. These regulations remain legally binding by virtue of Section 15 of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, Chapter 2 of the Laws of Zambia, Section 3(1) of the Grain Marketing Regulations, which states that:

“3(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, for the purposes of these regulations, any grain which falls within one or other of the following categories shall be defective grain:

1. damaged grain;
2. discoloured grain;
3. diseased grain;
4. germinated grain;
5. other coloured grain;
6. shrivelled grain;
7. smutty grain;
8. stained grain;
9. undeveloped grain; and
10. unthreshed grain.”

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to inform this august House that the FRA is now buying maize in all ten provinces of the country in areas where the grain moisture content has reached the optimum level of 12.5 per cent. High moisture content can lead to increased microbial activity, which results in mould, mycotoxins, heating, spoilage and decreased shelf life, thereby, compromising the quality of the grain. The FRA is closely monitoring the levels of grain moisture content in the areas that have not yet been opened. Notwithstanding, all the 1,600 satellite depots across the country have, as of today, been opened.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, allow me to address the issue regarding the preservation of maize bought by the FRA for strategic food reserves. The FRA has protocols on the preservation of stocks for strategic food reserves. The protocols are clearly defined in the satellite manual handbook. Preservation begins the moment the grain is received and packed in FRA-recommended packaging material. The key preservation protocols include the following:

1. regular and periodic cleaning of the surrounding and internal storage spaces and control regime;
2. regular and periodic identification of primary and secondary pests and regime control;
3.  regular and periodic fumigation to control pests and infestation; and
4.  regular and periodic spraying with appropriate chemicals to control pests and diseases.

Madam Speaker, in the quest to ensure maximum preservation of the strategic food reserves, the storage structures are technically designed to ensure maximum air circulation with no leakages. The storage structures cannot be exchanged for use of products such as fertilisers and other harmful products.

Madam Speaker, you directed the ministry to provide guidance on the farmers who benefited from farming inputs under FISP.

According to the Cabinet Secular No. CM11 of 2024, each of the FISP beneficiaries is expected to sell to the FRA, a minimum of 10 by 50 kg bags, and not to give for free. The agency will pay for the ten bags. Farmers who will fail to supply to the FRA on a date to be announced soon, will not be allowed on the programme for the 2025/2026 Farming Season. I will repeat what I just said in a manner that is very clear and simple to understand. Farmers who will fail to supply to the FRA on a date to be announced soon, will not be allowed on the programme for the 2025/2026 Farming Season. In other words, they will be deleted; they will be taken out of FISP.

Madam Speaker, during my address to this august House on 17^th July, 2025, I stated that the FRA has plans to purchase an initial quantity of 543,000 metric tonnes of maize from small-scale farmers at a competitive price of K6,800 per metric tonne, which is equivalent to K340 per 50 kg bag. This price is meant to incentivise farmer participation. We will buy 543,000 metric tonnes in order to allow the private sector to have equal and unfettered participation in buying maize and other products from farmers. The FRA shall continue to monitor and review the situation on the market. The existing situation at the time of review shall provide the necessary course of action.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, this is the first time I have pressed the button, and I am the first one to speak.

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that very comprehensive and important statement to our small-scale farmers and other farmers countrywide. Indeed, we now have a bumper harvest because of the wonderful policies of the New Dawn, United Party for National Development (UPND) Government.

Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate the hon. Minister for opening various depots countrywide. In Mbabala, Kasiwe and Sinalungu depots were opened, and we are now waiting for Kabanga and Mutanga depots to be opened shortly. These depots are very important, considering the distance farmers have to cover to take the maize to the depot. If they pay more, then they lose out on the K340. If they do not pay anything and just go to the depot using their oxcarts, then they gain the whole K340. So, that is why it is important to open depots closer to the farmers’ families.

Madam Speaker, the question I asked yesterday was about the clogging of the depots by briefcase businessmen, who have gone into our communities. In my constituency, on nearly every corner, there is a briefcase businessman buying a lot of maize. Briefcase businessmen buy the maize, and then they just shift it to the depot and clog the deport. There is what we call a sieve –

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mbabala, ask your question. There are so many other hon. Members who want to ask questions. Please, do not debate. Just ask your question.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, I am building up so that the hon. Minister can understand.

Madam Speaker, the briefcase businessmen have clogged the depots to the extent that small-scale farmers are failing to sell their ten bags, which the hon. Minister indicated in the Ministerial Statement are a requirement for them to be on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2025/2026 Farming Season. What is the ministry doing to ensure that small-scale farmers who are selling their ten bags of maize are given the opportunity to sell them without being pushed out by the businessmen who are clogging the depots?

Mr Simumba: Were you debating?

Mr Munsanje: Iwe, keep quiet.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, please, let us be mindful of time. It has taken three minutes to ask one question.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Member of Parliament for Mbabala, Hon. Munsanje, for that question, the kind words and for congratulating us as a patriotic Zambian. When we do good things, all of us are expected to acknowledge them, and I am grateful for that.

Madam Speaker, first of all, we try very hard as the Ministry of Agriculture to discourage and not demonise briefcase businessmen because we feel that they have a role to play in the agricultural value chain. We need to guide them so that they procure maize at the right price.

Madam Speaker, in as far as them clogging the depots, I want to confirm that we have received a report, that small-scale farmers are feeling rather pushed off because other businessmen are quite aggressive in the way they are taking their maize to the agency. The agency and the Ministry of Agriculture will sit down to see how they can help farmers who are on FISP and want to sell the ten bags of maize so that we do not discourage them. Everywhere across the country, the price is good and, indeed, the traders are truly taking a lot of maize to the agency.

Madam Speaker, just to give a good picture, as of today, we have purchased 90,000 metric tonnes. However, outside our depots, there is not less than 350,000 metric tonnes. So, people started taking crops to the depots way before we opened to allow the moisture content to be proper. So, we have this situation. It will ease with time. I have directed the agency to not stop buying on Saturday and Sunday. Going forward, Saturday and Sunday will also be taken as procurement days so that we can address the problem that has been created. However, we will not compromise on the quality. We shall open every bag that is brought, pass it through our sieve, make sure that the moisture is right, and put the maize in proper bags, which are ultraviolet stabilised, and are being provided by the agency. On that one, they have to excuse us, we will not compromise because we have to maintain the quality mark, which the FRA has attained in this continent of Africa and, indeed, globally.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity given to me to ask a supplementary question to the most hardworking hon. Minister in this Government, the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Charles Mulenga: He is one of the most hard-working hon. Ministers.

Laughter

Mr Charles Mulenga: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that Ministerial Statement. It is quite clear that there is something that he is doing in that ministry.

Madam Speaker, as we speak right now, briefcase buyers are swarming every part of this country to buy whatever maize has been produced by local farmers. Local farmers prefer to sell their maize to briefcase buyers because they are paid there and then as opposed to selling to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). I would like to find out if the hon. Minister is confident that the agency will meet the targeted figure for the tonnage required for our country’s strategic reserves.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Mulenga for his kind words.

Madam Speaker, for now, we are supposed to buy 543,000 metric tonnes of maize for our strategic reserves. As I indicated, we have bought close to 100,000 metric tonnes so far. Outside the depots, we have 350,000 metric tonnes of maize to be collected. So, for the initial target, we are as good as done. Therefore, we should be comforted in this House in knowing that the agency is working very hard to meet its target. We are on course and within a week or two, we will almost be done after people bring us the maize.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity given to me to ask a question to the hon. Minister of Agriculture after rendering his Ministerial Statement.

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

Mr Mushanga: Madam Speaker, in most depots, not only those in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency, and I have in mind the ones in Muwowo West, Kalwelwe –

Madam Speaker: Order!

There is an indication for a point of order.

What is the point of order, hon. Member for Lunte?

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, I would like to appreciate the opportunity to raise this important point of order based on Standing Order No. 71. I raise this point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament for Kwacha. Is he in order to declare the hon. Minister of Agriculture as the most hardworking hon. Minister? He can see that there is Hon. Nkandu here, who is the Hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: We also have Hon. Eng. Milupi there. The hon. Member for Kwacha has no regard for the feelings of Hon. Nkandu, Hon. Milupi and others.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Laughter

Mr Kafwaya: That hon. Colleague has decided to declare the hon. Minister of Agriculture as the most hardworking. Is he in order to misconduct himself in such a fashion by choosing one hon. Minister and leaving out others, like the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts, who is also here in the House?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Bwacha was doing so well in trying to ask his question and then boom, came the point of order.

Hon. Member for Lunte, when the hon. Member for Kwacha said, “Most hardworking”, he later on corrected himself and said, “One of the most hardworking”.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

Madam Speaker: So, I do not know what the problem is. Moreover, it is his assessment that the hon. Minister of Agriculture is one of the hardworking hon. Ministers. I am sure other hon. Ministers are happy with that statement because they have not objected. So, the hon. Member for Kwacha was in order.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Can we make progress.

Mr Mushanga: Madam Speaker, let me continue.

Madam Speaker, I was saying that in most depots around the country, just like the few in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency in Kasavasa, Munga, Kalwelwe and Muwowo West Wards, small-scale farmers are spending many days or even a week at the depots just to sell their maize. One of the challenges at the depots is limited sieves. Hence, farmers are spending days or even more than a week at the depots. Therefore, how is the hon. Minister of Agriculture going to respond to the challenge of limited sieves so that farmers stop spending a lot of time at the depots to sell their maize?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Sydney Mushanga for that question. The simple answer is that we have heard the cry from farmers. We have pushed the FRA and the agency is not only procuring more sieves, but more scales as well because in most areas, there was a complaint that two or three scales were not sufficient. More equipment will be provided so that people can be relieved. So, we are working on resolving those issues.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, please, let us be precise and to the point as we ask questions so that we accommodate as many hon. Members as possible.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, I want to appreciate the hon. Minister of Agriculture and the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for paying farmers on time. Right now, people in Dundumwezi are receiving money from the FRA and that is what we were looking for.

Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister indicated that it is a requirement for all the farmers who benefited from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to sell a minimum of ten bags of maize. In Dundumwezi, we have a few farmers who experienced a drought and, therefore, they cannot manage to sell that number of bags of maize to the FRA. May I know how the Government will treat the farmers who have failed to produce a minimum of ten bags of maize after benefiting from FISP.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, where we have cases as outlined by Hon. Sing’ombe of Dundumwezi, it is recommended that the farmers should report to the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry will take the necessary measures to report such cases to other institutions that help us check that, indeed, there was a drought in a certain area so that we give the affected people a reprieve.

Madam Speaker, you will recall that last year, we did not push farmers to sell maize to the FRA. That was the Government’s policy on that issue. His Excellency the President and Cabinet were clear on the issue of not harassing farmers in areas where there was a drought. We did not push farmers in eighty-four districts, but we made sure that it does not go to the whole country.

Madam Speaker, the danger with what Hon. Sing’ombe has brought up is that if I am misquoted here, people will not deliver maize to the FRA. So, the point is that all the people who received inputs under FISP should take a minimum of ten bags or sell as much as they can to the FRA. However, in areas where we had unfortunate issues of lack of proper rainfall or floods, farmers should report so that we can take stock of that situation. Only then will they be acquitted. Otherwise, they will be deleted from the list of beneficiaries and they will never get inputs under FISP again.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Twasa (Kasenengwa): Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to pose a question. The people of Kasenengwa, especially the small-scale farmers, are actually waiting to hear how the hon. Minister is going to address the question I am about to ask. They feel that the question that was asked by Hon. Munsanje has not been adequately addressed because, just last weekend, I was in my constituency and I visited the maize depots in the area. There is the same problem of whereby small-scale farmers are stuck at the depots with their ten bags, yet briefcase buyers and huge commercial farmers are taking truckloads of maize there. Now, the farmers are wondering whether they are going to be given a time frame when they are supposed to sell their ten bags before the huge sellers come in. A few minutes ago, I received a message that small-scale farmers are still being disadvantaged. Are we going to have a timeframe for when the small-scale farmers can be allowed to quickly sell their ten –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order! Order!

Hon. Member for Mbabala, what is happening?

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mbabala!

What is happening?

Mr Munsanje rose.

Madam Speaker: Order!

I have not called upon you to say anything. Please, can we restrain ourselves and obey the law. Let us observe the Standing Orders.

May the hon. Member for Kasenengwa continue.

Mr Twasa: Madam Speaker, thank you very much. The hon. Minister did not come out very clearly on the matter. I understand that the Government does not want to disadvantage the huge sellers or the briefcase buyers. He just said that the Government will try as much as possible to address the issue. That ‘trying’ is not working well for small-scale farmers because in some instances, sorry to say, I have heard reports that buyers are conniving or exchanging money in order to be given priority. What will happen to small-scale farmers in Kasenengwa who are spending nights at the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) sheds to get a chance to sell the ten bags so that they can have an opportunity to receive fertiliser or farming inputs again? That is their major concern. They want a clear answer from the hon Minister because they are worried. They are disadvantaged. May the hon. Minister address this issue.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I will repeat what I said for the sake of Hon. Philemon Twasa, Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa, and, indeed, for the sake of the nation.

Madam Speaker, farmers took maize to almost all our depots way before the depots opened. So, the depots are clogged. In everything, there is capacity. Even if we said that we should give a reprieve of two weeks to the farmers on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to deliver maize, the depots would still be clogged, because there are more than 1,024,500 farmers on FISP. So, I think, let us give the situation time, but I have heard the issue. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FRA is seated here, listening. We will sit as a group and brainstorm ideas to see how we can handle the issue. The hon. Member has brought up a suggestion that we can look at. He suggested that we should give FISP members a specific timeframe to bring take their maize to depots, especially that we have their names.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, we will look at all the issues. I said that we will sit and review the situation to see how we can assist small-scale farmers. I was very clear to Hon. Twasa in my response.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms S. Mwamba (Kasama Central): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister’s statement was very good, but yet again, the issue of the farmers on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) is going to bring a huge problem.

Madam Speaker, for instance, more than 1,034,000 farmers are on FISP, but the Government is going to buy only 543,000 metric tonnes. Remember that we have more than 1,034,000 on FISP, excluding all other small-scale farmers. So, the farmers on FISP on their own can manage to supply the Government with 517,000 metric tonnes of maize. The hon. Minister has said that farmers who will fail to sell to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will be removed from the programme. Since the farmers on FISP on their own can supply to the Government, what happens now to the other farmers? The Government needs to realise that it is not only the farmers on FISP who supply to the Government but also other farmers who bought their own inputs.

Madam Speaker, 90,000 metric tonnes have already been bought and 350,000 metric tonnes are pending. I want the hon. Minister to tell the farmers on FISP that in case of a problem due to the number of tonnes that the FRA will purchase, how will the Government manage to find a way to allow farmers to receive their inputs. The hon. Minister should kindly assure the farmers. There should be a mechanism to mitigate this, or else this situation will end up as a problem.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. S. Mwamba very sincerely for that observation.

Madam Speaker, indeed, 1,024,434 farmers on FISP will give us close to 500,000 metric tonnes of maize. Therefore, her question is: What will happen to those who would like to supply to the FRA but are not FISP beneficiaries? My answer was in the statement that I gave. As the Government, we are watching the situation very closely. Once we buy the targeted tonnes, we will sit and see the way forward. That is the statement that I gave. So, first of all, we will buy the targeted tonnes of maize and after that, we will see how much maize will still be there. We do not want to starve millers, brewers, feed makers and all other users of maize. We need to be careful. Once we buy the 543,000 metric tonnes, we will observe the situation. If there will be pressure for more maize, we will review the situation and come to the House and provide guidance on what our next move will be.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

I will give an opportunity to the hon. Member for Kaumbwe who raised this issue.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the comprehensive statement that he has issued on this subject matter.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has referred to the guidelines, the criteria and the regulations that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) uses to procure maize stocks. The guidelines, as I heard, are contained in the manual from 1969. Even in the statement that the Acting hon. Minister of Agriculture issued last week, he referred to a Statutory Instrument (SI) from 1968. The guidelines in that SI were made so many years ago, in short, in the 20^th Century. Now, we are in the 21^st Century and science has evolved. We are talking about smart agriculture now. In 1968 and 1969, there was no smart agriculture and technology to treat moisture. Even the diseases that the hon. Minister referred to, the microbiological diseases that the FRA set as a criterion, were not there in the past. My question is: What is the ministry doing to align those guidelines with 21^st Century smart agriculture?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Kaumbwe, Dr Aaron Daniel Mwanza, for that question.

Madam Speaker, standards of procurement of grain do not change radically with time. They are not dynamic. What was classified as damaged grain in 1969 and 1968 is still damaged grain now. What was discoloured grain then remains discoloured grain. What was diseased grain will be the same today. What was germinated grain will be the same today. That is like saying that malaria has changed, and therefore, malaria as a disease cannot be looked at the same way it was looked at in 1969. Maybe, the medication can change, but malaria as a disease will remain malaria. So, it is the same.

Stained grain is stained grain. Undeveloped grain will be undeveloped grain. Dirt will be dirt. So, what are being referred to are the standards on which we buy. The handbook the hon. Member has referred to, which I will lay on the Table, gives guidance on how grain should be taken. Previously, people used to take the grain in 90 kg bags. That was changed. Now, because of labour laws, it is supposed to be in 50 kg bags. We used to use rope grain, or what we used to call jute bags but, now, most of the bags are polythene. So, certain things have changed, and we have moved with them. However, the real standard of the grain remains the same.

 Madam Speaker, let me lay this handbook on the Table.

Mr Mtolo laid the paper on the Table.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: I wish there were more copies. Can more copies be availed so that hon. Members can have access.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, well guided. We shall make them available and, with your permission, put them in the pigeon holes for everybody to have.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr E. Banda: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

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

Mr E. Banda: Madam Speaker, for the first time, I am rising on a serious point of order, and it is on the hon. Minister of Agriculture based on Standing Order No. 71, on the relevance of the speech. The hon. Minister has said that farmers who will not supply ten bags of maize will be cut from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). Is the hon. Minister in order to issue this statement in this House, making our farmers breathe fast, knowing that four satellite depots in Muchinga, where I come from, have not been opened yet? Even after I wrote to the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, in March, up to now, the four satellite depots have not yet been opened. The people have not even taken a single bag to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). Is the hon. Minister in order to say that there will be a punitive measure in place when he knows that my farmers have not sold the maize yet?

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

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, I was going to call on you because you had asked to be given an opportunity, coming from the Independents and a rural area, but you have raised a point of order.

I think, the hon. Minister was in order. He was just giving guidance but, please, hold your cool. Take it easy. There is a phased approach of purchasing the maize. Just assure your farmers to take it easy. The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will be there to buy. Let them not lose their breath.

Mr Nyambose (Chasefu): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister of Agriculture for the policies that this Government is putting in place. Chasefu is experiencing bumper harvests. The hon. Minister should keep it up.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister is aware that Chasefu has no Food Reserve Agency (FRA) officer. Chasefu, Lumezi and Lundazi are serviced by one FRA officer. Two years ago, we struggled to get FRA bags because the FRA officer, who is domiciled in Lundazi, gave Lundazi preference over Chasefu and Lumezi. Has the ministry put mechanisms in place to ensure that the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP)-supported farmers in Chasefu and Lumezi who are supposed to take their ten bags are given preference, as they are not serviced by an FRA officer, so that they can sell their bags to the depots?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Chasefu for his input with the farmers in Chasefu. The constituency performed exceptionally well in terms of production. Honestly, the hon. Member deserves a pat on the back. Well done to him.

Madam Speaker, as I was listening to the hon. Member, he talked about an FRA officer and then changed the subject to the ten bags preference. The officer has nothing to do with the ten bags. The ten bags are to be taken to the depot. The issue of an FRA officer is something we can discuss outside the House, because the FRA has its own modalities of employment. It does not have officers everywhere. I think, certain areas are covered under given areas. However, the point I am getting is that the people would like to have an officer in Chasefu, and with the good production they have, maybe, they deserve that. I will meet the FRA to see that we give them an officer so that the preference the hon. Member is talking about can be looked at by that officer.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Minister, I think, the hon. Member was talking about grain bags not being given to the people in Chasefu. The grain bags are only being given in Lundazi.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, the FRA has more than 30 million empty grain bags. After I finish responding, I will meet with the FRA manager so that grain bags can be taken to Chasefu immediately. No buying depot should have a problem with grain bags. We have sufficient grain bags in the country.

 Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for his statement and job creation at the various Food Reserve Agency (FRA) depots.

Madam Speaker, I have a problem in my constituency. The youths who applied to work at various depots have been denied the opportunity. There are names that were submitted through the Provincial FRA Manager. I am told that the ministry's office has already drafted contracts. That has caused an uproar in my constituency, as the youths are saying that they will not allow youths from other districts to work at the Mushindamo FRA depot. That has caused some problems. Is there a possibility of reversing such contracts, if at all they are there, so that we have the local youths with the basic requirements given preference to work at our FRA depot?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Dr Alex Katakwe for that. I noticed that he is registered as Mr Katakwe on our systems, but we know him as Dr Katakwe.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member has brought up an issue that we will look into. I did not know that the local youths were denied jobs. The ministry has given guidance on the issue of depot officers to the effect that it should be a way of providing employment for the locals. After all, they know the terrain. So, I am going to speak to the FRA. I am not sure if we can withdraw contracts that are already running, but we will look at issue.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, we have run out of time, but I can see many hon. Members still want to ask questions. I think, this is a very topical issue.

Hon. Minister of Agriculture, are you able to organise a seminar in the amphitheatre to discuss and get ideas from the hon. Members? Maybe that way, we will exhaust the issue.

I recall that the hon. Minister and the Acting hon. Minister issued statements on the same issue, and now, there is another statement. However, it looks like hon. Member’s questions have not been exhausted.

We have an Order Paper that we need to go through.

So, if I extend the time again – I can allow four more questions. I will add ten more minutes. Please, be precise and to the point.

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, thank you very much. I will be very brief.

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. Minister for the job well done on the bumper harvest. Kanchibiya is also a testimony. We have a surplus of maize and our farmers are crying for more satellite depots. They want satellites everywhere because of the great work. I want to also place on record that part of the reason for the bumper harvest is the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) intervention in the agricultural sector and, again, we commend the Government for giving us the latitude to do this.

Madam Speaker, my question concerns small-scale farmers. Once the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has procured the 543,000 metric tonnes, are there any plans by the Government to consider looking at lucrative markets to avoid the abuse from briefcase farmers? We should probably look at favourable bilateral trade agreements with other countries or favourable markets that would offer a better price for our farmers.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to indicate that we have taken your guidance. I will try to talk to colleagues at the office and the FRA so that we can interact with the hon. Members of Parliament. My only prayer is that they come and we interact.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Will it be on a voluntary basis?

Hon. Government Members: No, no!

Laughter

Mr Mtolo: I am sure that the National Assembly will assist us on that, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning is there.

Laughter

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, let me thank Hon. Sunday Chanda for his kind words. It is not that we want to blow our own trumpet, but as I indicated when responding to the hon. Member for Mbabala, when good things happen in the country, we should be apolitical. There should be no politics. We should all unite and see that we improve on that. I think, it is important, therefore, we take the hon. Member’s kind words very seriously, and we thank him for that. We hope that what he thinks can also permeate to the hon. Members on his left and backwards so that we are all together.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member also mentioned that he is grateful for the CDF. We all know that some of the councils have actually bought tractors and are supporting the work. I can easily remember what they did in Kanchibiya, and Kankoyo, Hon. Heartson Mabeta’s constituency. So, we are grateful for that.

Madam Speaker, the issue that the hon. Member for Kanchibiya raised is very important. Let us look at it this way. If Hon. Sunday Chanda creates a co-operative in his constituency, asks all the small-scale farmers to bring maize together, and creates a pool, we, as the Ministry of Agriculture can then link him to markets like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is looking for grain. We can allow him to go and mill the maize, and when we have secured food security as a nation, and we want to sell out, then he can be given that priority. We will make sure that he is given the export permits once we have them. Not only that, we can also arrange for the hon. Member, a good contract with the millers in Zambia so that they buy his maize at a good price. That will be the beginning of proper co-operative principles. So, if all of us as hon. Members can look at that, including my good friend, the hon. Minister of Mines and Mineral Development, then it will be very helpful. Very, very helpful! I am sure the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development is here, but I cannot see him. Oh! There he is. Yes, it would be very helpful if all of us would do that so that we start creating strong co-operatives that benefit farmers in terms of their produce. They will not be queuing on the FRA lines. They will come to you and then you can give the ten bags, which we demand for the surplus sale. Hon. Chanda has the capacity to do that. We want to rely on them as hon. Members.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, we appreciate that you have added time to allow more questions.

Madam Speaker, it is said that one cannot expect different results from doing the same thing. Those who have been here long enough will agree with me that 500 metric tonnes has been the target for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for the past ten years, regardless of the harvest target, and I am being fair to the hon. Minister. He is having difficulties giving us clear responses, which we will give to our farmers. If we, as hon. Members, are failing to grasp what he is saying, what more our poor farmers. We can only imagine what is happening to them. Most hon. Members here, who are from rural areas, will share with you the challenges our farmers are facing. They cover long distances when moving their produce to satellite depots, where they stay for more than a week waiting for the FRA to determine the moisture content and measure their produce.

Madam Speaker, my question is a rider to the question that was posed by the hon. Member for Kasama Central. The projected harvest target is 3 million metric tonnes. The hon. Minister, like in the past, is talking about 500 metric tonnes. It shows that the larger part of the projected produce will be with farmers, who move a distance of 20 km to reach the depot, like in Shiwang’andu. When farmers go to the depot, they stay there for two weeks only to be told that they cannot buy any more maize. That is a possibility.

Madam Speaker, how is the hon. Minister reconciling the projected target to be procured by the FRA, the 3 million metric tonnes, which people have produced, and the minimum number of bags he has set for the farmers who are beneficiaries of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to produce, if they get caught up after he has exhausted the projected 500 metric tonnes? That is the question that should be answered so that we can go and explain to our farmers who call us every day because the officers on the ground do not know how many bags they are going to buy at particular depots. This is a very big challenge.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the Member for Shiwang’andu, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, for that very important question.

Madam Speaker, let us look into the future to answer that question. In the next two to three years, we have been asked, as the Ministry of Agriculture, to produce 10 million metric tonnes. This country consumes a maximum of 3 million tonnes per year. So, what are we going to do with the 7 million metric tonnes that will be over and above our requirement? We should look at things in that manner. Without putting me in a corner so that I am trapped and I talk about exports, I will say the following.

Laughter

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I repeat, without setting traps and snares all over for me so that I fall into them and the headline is, “There goes Mtolo again. He has allowed exports. There he is, fire this man” –

Laughter

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, we have been very careful when giving answers and we have said that, first of all, we have to meet the requirements for the country. After that is done, we will decide at that point in time what to do with the excess. Hon. Kampyongo, through the hon. Minister, knows what that “What to do” is.

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: Yes!

The hon. Member for Mpika said that we should consider exports. This country should be producing for exports. The fear of exports should be taken away. We will keep the maize we need and export the rest in form of mealie meal. That is the directive that the Government has given.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I wish to not be misunderstood. For now, we are buying 543,000 metric tonnes of maize for our reserves. Thereafter, we will observe the status and make a decision about what should follow.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

I think, we cannot extend this segment any longer.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Time is gone. Moreover, a workshop will be organised regarding the same issue. Please, attend so that you can clear on certain issues.  From what I was hearing, the issue is that the farmers who benefited from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) are waiting too long at the depots. Therefore, when will they go back home to prepare their fields for the next farming season? I think that is one issue that needs to be addressed, especially after hearing from hon. Members from rural areas who are concerned about that. So, maybe, when you do your workshop, you can address it.

Thank you very much. Let us make progress.

_______

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

INTERRfUPTION OF WATER SUPPLY IN KALABO DISTRICT

384. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation:

1. whether the Government is aware that from Friday, 11^th July, 2025, residents in Kalabo District have had no water supply and face the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases; and
2.  if so, what urgent measures are being taken to resolve the problem.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Eng. Nzovu): Madam Speaker, yes, the Government is fully aware of the water supply interruption that affected residents of Kalabo District. However, allow me to clarify that the interruption did not take place on Friday, 11^th July, 2025, as indicated, but on Tuesday, 5^th July, 2025. The loss of water supply is a result of damage to the primary and standby pumps caused by high voltage fluctuations.

Madam Speaker, in response to that emergency, the following measures were taken to resolve the problem:

1. immediate deployment of a technical team to the site to assess the extent of the problem before beginning repair works;
2.  restoration of the standby pump as a temporary measure to restore water supply to the affected residents on the evening of Thursday, 17^th July, 2025; and
3. repair of the primary pump, which resulted in the full restoration of water supply on Saturday, 19^th July, 2025.

Madam Speaker, to address the negative impact of voltage fluctuations on water pumps, the Government has released funds for the procurement of electrical protection systems to prevent future voltage fluctuations related to pump failures. In addition, the Government has also procured additional water pumps and protection equipment for Kalabo District and other districts under the Drought Response Plan.

Madam Speaker, lastly, the ministry is actively engaging ZESCO Limited to deal with the consistent power fluctuations in Kalabo District.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Miyutu: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the hon. Minister and his directors, especially Mr Kangwa, for the quick response. The named director also agreed that fluctuations in electricity currency should be taken into consideration. Is the hon. Minister aware that the problem has always been there and that almost every month there is a breakdown? Something that happens almost every twenty or thirty days is a big challenge. We are fed up with short-term responses. Is the ministry willing to provide a long-lasting solution that can make us forget about the breakdowns? That is the complaint in Kalabo. We are fed up with short-term solutions. Is the hon. Minister willing to give us a long-lasting solution that will make us forget about the breakdown in water supply? That is the complaint because we are fed up of the short-term responses.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I am very thankful for that important question. Indeed, I will pass accolades to my directors, Mr Kangwa in particular, for the quick intervention.

Madam Speaker, power fluctuations in Kalabo District are, indeed, frequent. This is because Kalabo is about 70 km away from Mongu. Whenever Mongu’s demand for power increases, it results in low voltages in Kalabo and vice-versa, meaning when there is low demand in Mongu, there is high voltage in Kalabo. Those fluctuations have not only been affecting supply of water in Kalabo, but other services as well.

Madam Speaker, Hon. Miyutu is aware that even the running of hospital facilities, like the oxygen plant, has been a big challenge. What did we do? Clearly, I stated that when the first pump failed, we utilised the second pump. However, because of the frequent power fluctuation, we also lost the standby pump. So, to mitigate the water stress in that area as a result of the power outage, we installed another standby pump. Further, we have been engaging ZESCO Limited to ensure that it stabilises its system. ZESCO Limited has been doing some work on the power lines in the area. Additionally, we are also in the process of procuring solar equipment to ensure that we have an alternative supply of power whenever there is an outage.

Madam Speaker, by and large, we have tried to offer the best service available for Kalabo. However, that unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of two pumps within a very short period. I am glad to inform the hon. Member of Parliament, and maybe he will agree, that the restoration of the supply of water was within record time. Within two to three days, the people of Kalabo started enjoying the same service.

Madam Speaker, I want to assure Hon. Chinga Miyutu that in my additional notes, I was informed that two more pumps will be delivered in Kalabo District soon, as part of the Drought Response Plan. We are buying many pumps for Kalabo. We have similar issues in Kaoma District because of power fluctuations. So, the long-term solution is not only installing standby pumps, but resolving the power fluctuations and ZESCO Limited is actively looking into the issue.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. Member for Kalabo Central, are you satisfied?

Mr Miyutu indicated assent.

Madam Speaker: Okay.

Hon. Members, since it is a constituency-based question, I appeal to you that we make progress and move to the next question, since we spent a lot of time on the Ministerial Statement.

_______

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

VISITORS FROM SESHEKE

Madam Speaker: You may recall that I welcomed some visitors from Sesheke in absentia. I believe they are now in the House. They can just stand up so that they are seen.

The visitors rose.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: So, those are the visitors from Sesheke. You are welcome, and you may resume your seats.

I thank you.

_______

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

COMPLETION OF ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE HOUSING UNITS IN SERENJE DISTRICT

385. Mr Kandafula (Serenje) asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security:

1. why the construction of the Zambia Police Service offices and housing units in Serenje District has not been completed despite being budgeted for in 2023;
2. at what percentage of completion the project was, as of April 2025;
3. what the cost of the outstanding works is; and
4. what the timeframe for the completion of the outstanding works is.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Eng. Nzovu) (On behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security (Mr Mwiimbu, SC.)): Madam Speaker, the project contract was terminated in 2023 due to lack of funds and due to lapse of time. At that time, the Government was focused on completing projects that were above 80 per cent.

Madam Speaker, the project is at 60 per cent.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has been engaged to carry out the final assessment of the project to determine the outstanding scope of works, with a view to prepare a fresh Bill of Quantity (BoQ) before it is re-tendered.

Madam Speaker, the timeframe will be determined by the contract terms.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kandafula: Madam Speaker, I thank the Acting hon. Minister for that response.

Madam Speaker, in 2023, when the contract was terminated, there was a budget line approved by Parliament for the same works in Serenje. We are now in 2025.Where did that money go?

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I have been very well informed that yes, indeed, the project was budgeted for. However, as I stated, clearly, projects that were below 80 per cent were stopped, and projects that were above 80 per cent were funded. Further, following the stoppage of these works, the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Urban Development was engaged to come up with a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) to complete the 40 per cent remaining works. The ministry has completed the process and is preparing to tender for the contract. So, the people of Serenje should be assured that there is progress to complete these works.

 Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kandafula: Madam Speaker, the total number of houses involved is about 121. These houses can provide relief to our officers in uniform. The hon. Minister has talked about terminated contracts. Two years down the line, people are still living in houses that are not conducive. I can assure the hon. Minister that the current houses are not conducive for the officers. You will find that probably, two or three officers share a room. In Serenje, development is coming up slowly, and that is why I am asking for these houses to be completed as soon as possible. What is the timeframe to complete the houses? The project can even be done in phases, which is better than stopping it completely until a new tender is done later.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I can confirm to the hon. Member of Parliament that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security will budget for the completion of those houses in Serenje.

We recognise the importance of completing that project, which is quite big. As the hon. Member of Parliament himself stated, there are 121 houses. Capital projects like this require capital injections. This Government is doing everything possible to allocate the necessary funding for the completion of this very important project. I can only appeal to the good people of Serenje to be a bit patient with us as we complete all the incomplete structures across the length and breadth of the country.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje indicated to speak.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mbabala, just bear with us; we are trying to catch up on time. Since it is a constituency-specific question, pardon me for not calling on you.

_______

 GROUPED QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu) (on behalf of the Minister of Energy (Mr Chikote)): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. I also want to take advantage of this opportunity to join others in congratulating the hon. Minister of Agriculture. These are the people we need to celebrate. It is in this House that the hon. Minister was called a ‘Minister Wansala,’ meaning ‘Minister of Hunger.’ Today, I am very happy that our hon. Colleagues on the left are able to congratulate the hon. Minister of Agriculture for the 3.6 million metric tonnes of maize harvest. So, thank you very much to the hon. Minister. That is how it should be.

Madam Speaker, I wish to express my gratitude for having been granted permission to respond to the Grouped Questions for Oral Answer No. 386, 387, 388, 389 and 390 on electrification of wards, schools, health facilities and different areas as indicated in the responses that have been provided for the respective constituencies.

Madam Speaker, I appeal to the hon Members who asked the questions to be very attentive as I answer the questions.

ELECTRIFICATION OF WARDS IN CHAMA NORTH

386. Mr Mtayachalo (Chama North) asked the Minister of Energy:

1. when the following wards in Chama North Parliamentary Constituency will be electrified:

1. Mwalala;
2. Nkhankha;
3. Mazonde;
4. Luangwa;
5. Manthepa; and
6. Ndunda; and

1. what the estimated cost of the project is.

ELECTRIFICATION OF SCHOOLS IN PEMBA DISTRICT

387. Mr Hamwaata (Pemba) asked the Minister of Energy:

1. whether the Government has any plans to electrify the following schools in Pemba District:

1. Choompa Secondary;
2. Demu Secondary;
3. Hajamba Secondary;
4. Simudima Secondary;
5. Kauba Secondary;
6. Siazwela Secondary;
7. Mudukulu Secondary;
8. Moyo Secondary;
9. Kaamba Secondary;
10. Munyama Primary;
11. Makomba Primary; and
12. Japi Primary;

1. if so, when the plans will be implemented;

1. what the estimated cost of the project is; and

1. if there are no such plans, why.

ELECTRIFICATION OF CHISHALA PRIMARY SCHOOL IN MPIKA DISTRICT

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

1. whether the Government has any plans to electrify Chishala Primary School in Mpika District;
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and
3. if there are no such plans, why.

ELECTRIFICATION OF INSTITUTIONS IN KANCHIBIYA DISTRICT

389. Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya) asked the Minister of Energy:

1. when the Government will electrify the following institutions in Kanchibiya District:

1. Kabinga Primary School;
2. Kabinga Day Secondary School;
3. Kabinga Rural Health Centre; and
4. Munkunta Rural Health Centre;

1. what the cause of the delay in electrifying the institutions is; and

1. what the estimated cost of each project is.

ELECTRIFICATION OF AREAS IN KANCHIBIYA DISTRICT

390. Mr Chanda asked the Minister of Energy:

1. when the Government will electrify the following areas in Kanchibiya District:

1. Kaonda;
2. Mwansabamba;
3. Chipi Zone; and
4. Kabulamwiko;

1. when electrification of the following areas along the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Corridor will be completed:

1. Mala; and
2. Ntunta;

1. when the Government will electrify the Catholic boarding school in Luchembe Chiefdom, which is under construction;

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

1. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, as I said, hon. Colleagues need to be attentive because there are many questions.

Madam Speaker, the Government has noted the need for a lasting solution that fosters the provision of affordable and sustainable energy services. In that regard, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is implementing and promoting sustainable, clean and renewable energy projects aimed at increasing access for rural areas through solar mini-grid projects to improve service delivery in health centres and learning facilities. Those projects have timelines in accordance with the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP).

Madam Speaker, we will electrify primary and secondary schools, rural health centres, wards and zones in Chama North, Pemba, Mpika and Kanchibiya Parliamentary Constituencies. As regards Question No. 386, which was raised by the hon. Member for Chama North, Mr Mtayachalo, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, through REA, has plans to electrify wards in Chama North Constituency in 2029.

Hon. Members: Hmm!

Mr Nkandu: That is the answer; in 2029.

Madam Speaker, in 2024, REA conducted feasibility studies to determine the cost of electrifying Mwalala Ward. The scope of the project included electrification of Mwalala Primary School and the rural health centre, Katangalika Primary and Day Secondary School, Chilubunta Primary and Kapalakonge Primary Schools and respective communities at an estimated cost of K38.3 million. It means that, as we look for additions, there is something that is being done by REA to the tune of K38.3 million. So, it is not that we are not doing anything. Additionally, REA plans to undertake feasibility studies in Chama North in 2028 to establish the cost before the implementation year, which is 2029, as I said earlier, for the rest of the wards that have not been mentioned.

Madam Speaker, in terms of the electrification of schools and health centres in Pemba, Mpika and Kanchibiya Parliamentary Constituencies, according to REMP, the schools will be electrified starting in 2028. In 2023, REA undertook feasibility studies in Pemba for the electrification of Demu Primary School, Kaamba Secondary School and Japi Primary School. It was established that the cost of electrifying Demu Primary School was K3.1 million, Kaamba Secondary School was K15.9 million and Japi Primary School was K2.3 million. Additionally, REA intends to undertake feasibility studies by the end of this year, 2025, to determine the cost of electrifying the remaining schools.

Madam Speaker, in Mpika and Kanchibiya Parliamentary Constituencies, REA is scheduled to conduct feasibility studies for schools, health centres and surrounding areas in 2026 to determine the scope and cost for implementing the projects. Therefore, electrification of schools and the surrounding areas will be determined when the feasibility studies are completed.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: I hope the hon. Members who asked the questions were paying attention. Now, you can ask supplementary questions.

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, from the outset, I would like to state that the people of Chama are not satisfied. I am aware that the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has a master plan. My question is: Does the ministry take into account the areas that have not received any projects under REA when coming up with the master plan? Since the establishment of the authority in 2003, we have only had two projects in Chama North, leaving out ten wards. I believe that the people of Chama have not received a fair share of the national cake. Other constituencies have electricity almost everywhere. Does the ministry not take into account those areas that received a raw deal in the past so that they can be given first priority, while the other areas that had a better share wait for a longer period?

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

Madam Speaker, I know that the hon. Member may not be satisfied with the response, because he wants everything to be done at the same time. However, let me remind hon. Members of Parliament that they should have every reason to be happy. They may recall that we had a workshop on the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) in the Amphitheatre, and presentations were made on what REA had done. The money allocated to REA by then was a very small amount. This is the only Government that has realised the importance of people having power in their constituencies. That is why we have increased the money allocated to REA by more than 100 per cent. This means that a number of rural areas will be electrified.

Madam Speaker, another reason the hon. Member should be happy is that other constituencies have not benefited like his. I just told him that in Chama North, there are projects to electrify schools like Mwalala Primary, Tangarika Primary and Secondary, Chirubunta Primary and Kapalonje Primary, a rural health centre and respective communities at an estimated cost of K38 million. At least, K38.3 million will be used by REA in his constituency. That is why I said he should be very attentive so that he gets what I am trying to tell him. If he can use K38.3 million, what about the others? So, he should be happy that this Government has even allocated a substantial amount of money to his constituency.

Mr Matambo: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I do not expect him to be unhappy. He needs to be very happy and also commend this Government for doing the right thing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Matambo: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamwaata (Pemba): Madam Speaker, I am so humbled. These schools that have been lined up, which we are requesting to be connected to the national grid, are schools that provide the needed education to our young ones, being secondary schools and in very typical areas. Are there any plans, as a matter of agency, to conduct a feasibility study for the remaining schools so that we can ascertain the cost of connecting these schools to the national grid, so that where we can manage to use the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), we can use it before 2028?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, thank you very much. I would also like to thank the hon. Member for that important follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, once again, I want to appreciate the hon. Member for Pemba, who is thinking of using part of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to electrify some of these schools. However, as the Government, as I indicated earlier, feasibility studies will be conducted at Demu Primary School, Kaamba Secondary School and Japi Primary School, and the costs have been established. K3.1 million has been allocated to Demu Primary School and K15.9 million to Kaamba Secondary School. So, there is an amount that we have allocated.

Madam Speaker, let me say that these schools in Chama North, Mpika and Kanchibiya were not built yesterday, but a long time ago.

Mr Simumba: When?

Mr Nkandu: Just wait, I am coming to that.

Mr Syakalima: Tell them.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, these are areas that were completely neglected.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, today, the New Dawn Administration has come to the rescue of the people in the rural parts of the country so that they too should also have a share of the cake that the hon. Member talked about. That is the reason we are allocating so many resources to rural health centres and primary schools. I believe, again, that there are also other secondary and primary schools that are being built. However, REA has a master plan that it is following. In everything that one is doing, one needs to have a guide. Otherwise, one can do things haphazardly. So, I think, a master plan has been created, and we believe that by 2029, all these areas would have been electrified.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chanda:  Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask a question. I would also like to thank the Acting hon. Minister of Energy for his responses.

Madam Speaker, suffice to say that Question No. 389 is about Kabinga Chiefdom. Previously, there was a commitment by the ministry to electrify Kabinga Chiefdom in 2025 or 2026, I stand to be corrected. However, the former hon. Minister of Energy and the current one would attest to that fact. So, I still request that the Government follows through on some of those commitments to see where we are.

Madam Speaker, parts (b), (c) and (d) of Question No. 390 talk about the Catholic boarding school, which the people of Kanchibiya requested the Catholic Church to build, bearing in mind that there is no boarding school in the district, as the hon. Minister knows very well. However, the Catholic Church has been given a bill by ZESCO Limited of about K1 million. That is a tall order for the church, but also for us as a district. We wish to make an appeal to the ministry and all well-wishers through the hon. Minister. We know that the Government also has generous well-wishers, including the Head of State, who can see how he can help us carry this burden as opposed to us waiting until 2028 for this particular facility to be electrified. The facility needs to come on board as soon as possible so that it begins to serve the purpose it was intended for, and I think that the Catholic Church constructed it in good faith.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I can only say that, well noted. I will, indeed, report to the substantive hon. Minister, that the people of Kanchibiya, especially the Catholic Church, would like to be helped in such a way. However, I did not mention that feasibility studies will also be conducted at the Catholic Church and Kabinga Chiefdom. Come 2026, feasibility studies will be conducted.

Madam Speaker, the problem with other hon. Members of Parliament is that when we mention 2026, they think about something else. For us, it is work and hard work. We need to make sure that we help the people in our rural constituencies so that they can also benefit from the national cake. So, I will go and report to the substantive hon. Minister, as I said, so that maybe something can be done and in view of the hon. Member’s plea, obviously, something may be done. There are officers from the ministry in this House, and they have taken note of the hon. Member’s concern. I believe that something will be done.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, my artificial intelligence (AI) friend is laughing at me.

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. Minister that development is a process. When one presents himself or herself on the Floor of the House as the hon. Minister has done, and he is doing better than anybody has done before, it actually reminds the Zambian people of unforgettable promises.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon Member for Mpika!

This is a time for supplementary questions, not debate. Ask your supplementary question.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: I believe you are the one who asked Question No. 388, unless you are satisfied with the response.

Mr Kapyanga: Yes, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the areas in question were neglected. Those areas have always been in the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP). I went to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and that is what I was told. I even asked when REA would electrify those areas.

Madam Speaker, 2028 is way too far for the people in the area in question to receive electricity, which would accelerate economic activities in the area. Chishala is on the edge of the North Luangwa National Park. If there was electricity in the area, the issue of human/animal conflict would have been dealt with. We would also have dealt with the issue of people travelling to Mukungule for them to do things that require electricity. Manokampuya, where is power, is just about 4 to 5 km away from those areas. Therefore, why is REA not prioritising the electrification of those areas, which are in close proximity to the next power network?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I want to agree with the hon. Member that development is, indeed, a process. I am happy that that is coming from the hon. Member for Mpika. Even fulfilling promises is not a single event, but a process. If people want to fulfil everything today, then they are not in touch with the real world because it is a process. I am saying it is a process because, at least, this Government has started the process. I am also very happy that the hon. Member went to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and he was assured that there is a master plan. Mpika is part of the master plan. Previously, there was nothing like that.

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, if our hon. Colleagues had shown the same zeal they exhibiting now in the past, places like Mpika would have been electrified by now.

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, what I am saying is that in 2026, feasibility studies will be undertaken. Come 2028, Mpika will be electrified. So, I have even given a time frame. I believe that the people of Mpika are very happy that now they know when they are going to have electricity, unlike before when they did not even know.

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I have all the data. I am talking about the master plan because I am well informed.

Madam Speaker, let me also give some advice to the hon. Members of Parliament, especially those who have asked the questions above, because I am also the Member of Parliament for Kaputa. In my constituency, we allocated about K2 million towards electrifying about four schools under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). So, if my hon. Colleagues, to some extent, think that it will take some time for REA to undertake those projects, as representatives of the constituencies, they can allocate some of their CDF to needy areas so that people can have electricity before the master plan is actualised.

Madam Speaker, I thank you

Mr Mtayachalo: Madam Speaker, Chama North is one of the largest constituencies we have in this country. The hon. Minister is saying that the areas in question will be electrified in 2029. Some of the six wards in my question are far from each other because Chama North is a large constituency. We are talking about some being 150 km apart and there is no backbone infrastructure. The only ward that is near backbone infrastructure is Mwalala. How practical is it that the Government can electrify all the six wards in 2029? It is better that I get a clear picture on that issue. How practical is it that the six wards will be electrified in a single year?

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I did not say that all the mentioned institutions or places will be electrified in 2029. That is why I said that the hon. Members of Parliament who asked the questions should be very attentive.

Madam Speaker, let me repeat what said earlier. There are some areas where feasibility studies were done in 2024. I even mentioned areas like Mwalala Ward, where there is Mwalala Primary School, Mwalala Rural Health Centre, Katangalika Primary and Day Secondary School, Chivulunta Primary School, Chilubuntha Primary School, Kapalakonje Primary School and respective communities. The area has been allocated K38.3 million. So, the fact that there is an allocation of K38.3 million means that the area will be electrified before 2029.

Madam Speaker, the electrification that will be undertaken in 2029 is in areas for which we are going to undertake feasibility studies in 2028. So, come 2029, those areas will be electrified. That is why I said something has been allocated. The hon. Member’s constituency is not coming out with zero. There is something that will be given to that constituency. I want the hon. Member to appreciate that that is what we are trying to do as the Ministry of Energy.

Madam Speaker, I have just been informed that apart from the K38.3 million that I mentioned, Chama North Constituency has also been given a fair share of alternative power sources. A solar mini-grid has been installed in Chama. So, is the hon. Member sure about not having received anything or does he just want to take everything? Other hon. Members of Parliament are also looking for the same services. Apart from the mini-grid, another K38.2 million has been allocated. Again, I am saying that by 2029, the other areas will also be electrified. So, the hon. Member for Chama North should leave something so that other hon. Members of Parliament can also benefit.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, there are so many indications, but I just want to deal with the owners of the questions. So, the hon. Member for Pemba, are you done? There are no more questions from you? Hon. Member for Kanchibiya, any other questions?

Mr Chanda: Madam Speaker, one more.

Madam Speaker, I just want to be very clear on when the feasibility study will be done for Ntunta and Mala regions, and when commencement of works is expected.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, the feasibility studies will be done in 2026.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, for the information of the hon. Minister, the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP) covers the period 2008 to 2030. The REMP was not created yesterday; it started in 2008. It is a twenty-two-year plan.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has endeavoured to respond to our questions. What I have picked from his response is that there is nothing much to expect where rural electrification is concerned, especially for a constituency like mine, which has not received a single project from the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) since 2022. I asked why REA cannot prioritise areas that are in close proximity to the network. For instance, it is cheaper to connect Chishala Primary School because it is close to Mano Camp, which has a network. Why can the ministry not assure me that that can be done before 2028? The people in that area want power as it will accelerate economic activities in the area, thereby contribute largely to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Energy is well-informed, and I am also very well-informed.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapyanga: Akapepa nakambi ako!

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I do not mind such. I am above that, fortunately.

Madam Speaker, creating rules is one thing, implementing them is another. People can boast that a plan was made in 2008 and will run up to 2030, but that plan would be only on paper if it is not implemented. Nothing would be done. In fact, in the last few years that we have been in office, we have been able to implement the master plan.

Hon. Government Members: How about them?

Mr Nkandu: Now, how about the previous regime? The hon. Member talked about 2008. I believe that the schools and the chiefdoms we are discussing were not created yesterday.

Mr Mubanga: No!

Mr Nkandu: These chiefdoms have been in existence.

Madam Speaker, for the ten years that the Patriotic Front (PF) was in office, what did it do in this chiefdom? Nothing, literally nothing. However, today, the hon. Members on the left want to be angels, and they want to climb on top of a mountain and say that the Government is not doing anything. There is a lot that the Government has done in the last few years that we have been in office. That is why I said that by 2029, Mpika will never be the same. The concerns that the hon. Member of Parliament has raised will be a thing of the past. I can only appeal to the people who are listening in Mpika, Kanchibiya, Pemba and Chama North to trust the Government because something is being done, unlike previously when people made pronouncements and never actualised them. What I know is that good leadership is measured by its capacity to fulfil promises, and that is what the Government is doing. We are going to make sure that Chama North, Mpika –

Mr Chisopa: Balekutanfya iwe!

Hon. Opposition Member: Walalusa bu MP!

Laughter

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

I am sure that you are enjoying the answers.

Hon. Members, I have seen so many indications to ask questions. We will start with the hon. Member for Chilubi.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, firstly, I want to agree with the hon. Minister that there is a master plan. After agreeing with him, let me say that if we go back to 2022, we will find that the budget for the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) was doubled by this Parliament. That is one factor. Apart from that, a K1 million contribution was made from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP). Given that background, I believe that the REMP is not cast in stone or iron; it can be adjusted to suit the current development needs of the areas that the hon. Minister talked about. The budget for REA was doubled and a contribution of K1 million is made from the CDF to REA. Yes, the REMP was not funded as expected, we have to acknowledge that, but some money has been allocated to it. That means that there must be changes in terms of implementation, and we should review the years or the timeline of the master plan. That is my take.

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, thank you very much –

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

Mr Nkandu: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Chilubi for agreeing with me that, indeed, we have doubled the allocation to REA. Those who questioned why we should implement some activities in the master plan in 2029 should know that under the master plan, areas have been ranked, and we are following the rankings. That is why I said that we will implement the activities in 2029. I know and believe that they will be done. I also want to mention that we are deploying technology in grid development, solar home systems, solar mini-grids and hydro mini-grids for the first time. I think that the hon. Member for Chama North should not worry because the Government will deliver these things to the people Chama, Kanchibiya and Mpika.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Before we make progress, I have an announcement to make. I know that the hon. Member for Mpika wants to raise a point of order, but I need to make the announcement before break.

_______

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTEGRATED SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the National Assembly of Zambia is implementing the first phase of the Integrated Security Management System (ISMS) at Parliament Buildings, whose modules are surveillance through a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system and Biometric Access Controlled System. The two systems allow for co-ordinated responses to security threats, thereby offering improved safety and efficiency.

The National Assembly of Zambia Security Department is now in the process of activating the Access Control System, which was recently installed in some parts of the Main Parliament Buildings. This module is aimed at improving the institution’s security by limiting access by unauthorised persons to those parts of the building. In order to activate the system, the Security Department will need to obtain bio data for all hon. Members of Parliament, which must be saved on the system for subsequent enrolment. This exercise will be preceded by the issuance of identity cards (IDs), which will be used as access cards.

Hon. Members are therefore requested to avail themselves for the exercise, which will be conducted in Old Committee Room No. 3 starting on Wednesday, 23^rd July to Wednesday, 30^th July, 2025, from 0900 hours until adjournment time on each sitting day, and from 0900 hours to 1600 hours on Monday, 28^th July, 2025.

The Security Department will be on hand to assist any hon. Members who will require help on the exercise.

I thank you.

_______

GROUPED QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to raise a point of order on the –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to raise a point of order.

Mr Speaker, my point of order is premised on Standing Order No.71. When the Acting hon. Minister of Energy was responding to our questions, he indicated that during the ten-year period of the previous Government, nothing much was done as far as rural electrification –

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Did you cite the breach that has occurred?

Mr Kapyanga: I have already cited Standing Order No. 71, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: What does Standing Order No. 71 state?

Mr Kapyanga: Standing Order No. 71, Mr Speaker, talks about giving factual information on the Floor of the House.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: You may proceed.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, the Acting hon. Minister gave that information, which is not factual and verified. To the contrary, the previous Government invested heavily in rural electrification. As you may be aware, twenty-five districts –

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: You are now debating.

Mr Kapyanga: I am trying to put some facts, Mr Speaker, to the point of order.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: No. You have already cited what has been breached. So, I have to make a ruling.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, was the Acting hon. Minister of Energy in order to mislead the House and the nation in stating that during the last ten years of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, nothing was done in terms of investment in rural electrification when twenty-five districts that were previously powered by diesel generators were put on the national grid? Was he in order to mislead the nation in that regard?

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious ruling on the point of order and, subsequent, punishment for the hon. Minister.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I am sure that is on a lighter note to your elder brother.

The House should know that when hon. Ministers speak, it is Government policy. They speak based on verified information provided by their offices.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Whatever the hon. Minister said was from a knowledgeable position. So, he is not out of order.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Let us make progress.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I must mention that it is our responsibility in this House to ensure that we watch the cost of projects and activities because our revenue base is low. I was listening carefully to the hon. Minister, and I wondered. He talked about an investment of about K38 million to connect the primary schools on the national grid. I want to know why it is important to connect those schools to the ZESCO Limited grid, I would imagine that is a ZESCO Limited grid, when there are cheaper alternatives. Considering that our children do not use much electricity in the eight hours they spend at those schools, I want to understand the ministry’s cost and benefit of putting the schools on the national grid, as opposed to having them use alternative energy like solar, which is extremely cheap. The hon. Minister even gave an example of four of his schools in Mpika on which only K2 million was spent. Why would the ministry spend K38 million on those primary schools? I just want to understand the ministry's point of view.

Mr Nkandu: Mr Speaker, before I answer the hon. Member’s question, I would like to say that we are all aware of what we are going through. Apart from the drought that we experienced, the worst one in living memory for that matter, we, as citizens, need to agree that previously, there was no investment in the energy sector. So, when we say that literally nothing was done, it means that there was no investment. If we had invested in solar, and the Lufubu and Kalungwishi hydropower stations then, the situation would not be the same.

So, when we say that nothing was done, this is what it means. We are on firm ground as the Government that, indeed, nothing was done. If something had been done, we would not have been talking about Chishala Primary School in Mpika today; it would have been electrified. I thought I should clear that one.

Mr Speaker, I now come to the hon. Member for Kantanshi. I talked about K38.3 million. What we are doing in Chama is huge. It is not only about electrifying a primary school. I am sure the hon. Member for Chama North will be able to bear witness that in Chama, we just completed establishing some mini grids, which we are about to commission. So, when we talk about the K38.3 million, it is not only for electrifying a school, but also for some of the mini grids that we have established in Chama. That is why I said, he should even appreciate because in Chama alone, there are about two mini grids, if I am not mistaken, and we are about to start establishing another one. There is a lot that is being done. So, when they hear about these millions of Kwacha, it is not only for electrifying a classroom, but also for putting up mini grids and other things. Secondary schools and communities also need to be considered. For instance, when we electrify a school, we also take into account the nearby community. So, it is not only for a classroom, but nearby communities also benefit from that particular service. Some schools and villages are also far apart. So, all those millions of Kwacha are used to cover for such work.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: These were Grouped Questions and, I am sure, we have now made progress.

______

MOTION

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL GUIDANCE AND GENDER MATTERS

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House adopts the Report of the Committee on National Guidance and Gender Matters on the Performance Audit Report on the Effectiveness of Government Measures in Ending Child Marriage in Zambia, 2020 to 2023, for the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Monday, 21^st July, 2025.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Kamboni (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, pursuant to Order No. 206 (g) and 207 (g) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2024, the Committee on National Guidance and Gender Matters was tasked to consider the performance audit report on the effectiveness of Government measures in ending child marriage in Zambia. The primary auditee was the gender division, which was mandated by Gazette Notice No. 1123 of 2021 to co-ordinate and monitor gender related policies, including ending child marriage. The audit also covered consortium line ministries responsible for health, education, local government, community development and justice, due to their roles in delivering services related to child rights to survival, protection, development and participation.

Mr Speaker, the Committee acknowledges the Government’s commitment to ending child marriage through various legal and policy frameworks. We also recognise that child marriage has remained endemic among girls, especially those in rural communities. The Committee is also aware that the Government pledged to take decisive action to safeguard the rights of the girl child and to eradicate child marriage, in line with both domestic legislation and international obligations.

Mr Speaker, despite these commitments, Zambia continues to record high rates of child marriage, ranking 16^th globally, with 31 per cent of women married before the age of eighteen. Today, Zambia has an estimated 1.7 million child brides, including 400,000 married before the age of fifteen. In addition, 14.4 per cent of adolescent girls aged fifteen to nineteen are married, compared to 1.1 per cent of boys in the same age group. This has essentially contributed to maternal deaths, school dropouts, and diminished future prospects. In light of these revelations, the Committee examined the Auditor-General’s Report, from which I am pleased to present the key findings:

1. despite adopting a multisectoral approach, the Gender Division did not effectively collect statistics, co-ordinate, and track interventions on child marriage across involved ministries;
2. there was limited progress in the provision of guidance and counselling services in schools, with the Ministry of Education not meeting its target of recruiting 400 qualified secondary school guidance and counselling staff for the period under review;
3. the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development failed to meet its commitment to establish or renovate at least one community reading and recreation facility in each of the 116 districts by the time of audit. As a result, only six districts managed to construct or rehabilitate such facilities. This shows diminishing interest by local authorities to establish recreation facilities for our young people.

Mr Speaker, in light of the audit findings, the Committee makes the following observations and recommendations for Executive consideration:

1. the Committee acknowledges the progress made in developing the Gender Management and Information System, which is designed to address long-standing data collection challenges. However, the Committee urges the Gender Division to prioritise the collection of consolidated and disaggregated data from relevant line ministries and chiefdoms. This is crucial to ensure that the system incorporates features for real-time monitoring, evaluation and reporting, thereby, enhancing data accuracy and facilitating the formulation of evidence-based policies targeted at ending child marriage in Zambia;
2. the Committee recommends the targeted recruitment of 400 specialised staff, with priority given to deployment in vulnerable communities located in child marriage hotspot districts. This strategy will ensure separation between counselling and academic responsibilities, thereby, enhancing the quality and focus of psychosocial support provided to learners. Furthermore, the Committee strongly urges strict compliance with standard school infrastructure designs that incorporate dedicated counselling rooms, which are essential for maintaining privacy and confidentiality during sessions;
3. the Committee sees the necessity to make further legal amendments to classify child defilement and child marriage offences as non-bailable. Furthermore, the Committee proposes the establishment of an offender register, where perpetrators of child marriage would be publicly listed. We consider this to be both a deterrent measure and a strategy to promote public accountability and stigmatisation against child offender; and
4. the Committee notes with concern that despite the Gender Division being housed under the Office of the President (OP), it continues to face significant staffing, administrative and funding constraints, which impede its ability to effectively co-ordinate child marriage interventions. Moreover, the dissolution of the standalone Ministry of Gender has further weakened its operational capacity. This structural shift has limited the divisions’ ability to drive legal and policy reforms as it now competes, technical, financial and administrative resources within the broader OP.

Mr Speaker, allow me to conclude by expressing gratitude to you for the opportunity granted to the Committee to review the performance audit report. Let me also thank the Office of the Clerk for the support rendered to the Committee throughout the deliberations of the Committee.

Mr Speaker, we also wish to thank the National Audit Office and all stakeholders who submitted to the Committee.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Kamboni: Mr Speaker, now.

Mr Speaker, allow me to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to second this important Motion, which has been moved by Mr Mutotwe Kafwaya, hon. Member of Parliament for Lunte Constituency.

Mr Speaker, as of 2018, children accounted for 53.4 per cent of Zambia’s population, meaning that more than half of the country’s population comprises children. Furthermore, Zambia is among the youngest countries in the world with an average age of just seventeen years. Such a youthful population should offer a strong foundation for harnessing demographic dividends. However, that potential is being undermined by vices such as child marriage.

Mr Speaker, the Committee’s review of the Performance Audit Report on the Effectiveness of Government Measures in Ending Child Marriage in Zambia, 2020 to 2023, could not have come at a more critical time than now. The review was essential to assess the effectiveness of interventions by the Gender Division and consortium of line ministries in combating child marriage. In view of this, I wish to express my full support for the Motion and to highlight key stakeholders’ concerns as captured in the Committee’s report.

Mr Speaker, the Committee noted that Zambia is facing critical staffing shortages of social workers at district service delivery points. As of June, 2023, only 1,437 social workers and community development assistants had been deployed nationwide, representing just seventeen point five staff per 100,000 children. This is well below the regional average of fifty-eight staff for 100,000 children in Eastern and Southern Africa, and far short of the global benchmark of 146 staff per 100,000 children for low-income and middle-income countries.

Mr Speaker, stakeholders informed the Committee that understanding gender-based violence (GBV) was crucial to addressing the complex root causes of child marriage, as the two are closely linked. For instance, out of 12,378 national GBV cases recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024, 2,666 cases, or 21.5 per cent, involved children, of which 1,885 cases, representing 70 per cent, involved girls. It was further revealed that many instances of sexual violence go unreported or are masked through marriage arrangements, contributing to a high risk of teenage pregnancy and child marriage. In terms of case disposition, data showed that out of 6,421 criminal cases recorded, only 976 cases, or 15 per cent, were actually taken to court.

Mr Speaker, the low prosecution rate underscores the urgent need to strengthen child protection, interventions and delivery of justice. In light of the evidence, the Committee recommends the following measures for consideration and implementation by the Executive:

1. there is an absolute need to prioritise the recruitment of social workers across all child-focused service delivery points and promote volunteer networks with the help of strategic partnerships from civil society and faith-based organisations. This would strengthen community level interventions aimed at preventing child marriage and protecting children’s rights; and
2. the Government, through the Judiciary, should make it a priority to fast-track child-related cases within the justice system and ensure that GBV cases involving children are handled separately from those involving adults to promote more effective child sensitive justice delivery.

Mr Speaker, by undertaking those interventions, Zambia will be fulfilling Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obliges courts of law, administrative authorities and legislative bodies to prioritise the interests of children at all times.

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I wish to re-affirm my full support for this Motion and commend the Committee for its timely and critical work.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Ms S. Mwamba (Kasama Central): Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I wish to commend the Auditor-General for presenting the performance audit report and the Committee for its review, which offers both a mirror and a roadmap. A roadmap shows us where we have fallen short as a country and the direction we must take.

Mr Speaker, Zambia has made important strides over the past few years in addressing the matter under discussion. The amendment of the Marriage Act and the enactment of the Children’s Code Act were long overdue and they have now clearly defined the legal age of marriage as eighteen years, without exception. That is a significant victory for every child in this country, particularly the girl children, who have for long been silent victims of early and forced marriages.

Mr Speaker, the audit report also reveals that despite legal and institutional developments, child marriage continues, especially in rural districts, under the guise of tradition, economic hardships and silence. There are customary practices that still hold more power than written laws in many places. Girls are being married off before they even understand what marriage is and, in many cases, there is no birth certificate, no school record and no one to speak for them.

Mr Speaker, child marriage is not just a legal issue. It is a development, moral and gender justice issue. How can we say we are building a progressive Zambia when thousands of girls are forced to drop out of school, become mothers too soon and suffer in silence simply because our system did not reach them in time? I, therefore, echo the urgent need to fully operationalise the legal reforms through countrywide awareness campaigns that involve chiefs, headmen, religious leaders and us, the parents.

Mr Speaker, we need to ensure that every child is registered at birth because without proof of age, the law is rendered toothless. There is also a need to strengthen enforcement mechanisms by adequately resourcing police and child protection officers, especially in rural and high-prevalence areas. There is a need to expand school-based interventions so that girls stay in school and they are given tools, information and dignity to build their future.

Mr Speaker, we need to address poverty head-on because for many families, early marriage is not a cultural choice, but a coping mechanism. The parents would rather marry off their children for a token of dowry. In this regard, let us remind ourselves that when a child becomes a bride, society loses a leader, a mother, a teacher, a nurse or a parliamentarian. Let us fight to end child marriage. Let us fight to protect the dreams of our children. It is a fight we cannot afford to lose. Let us not be remembered as the generation that had all the right policies, but lacked the encouragement to follow through.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to add a few words on this matter. First and foremost, let me thank the chairperson of the Committee and the seconder of the Motion.

 Mr Speaker, I think that we also need to look at one of the issues that I expected the Committee to look at, which is the challenge causing early child marriages, especially among girls. If you look at our education system, you will see that there are many primary schools. However, the number of secondary schools is low; maybe only 30 per cent of schools offer secondary education. The question we need to ask ourselves, then, is whether we have too many primary schools where we enroll our children to learn up to Grade 7. In my constituency, Moomba, for instance, there are about thirty-two primary schools but only one boarding secondary school. About two or so secondary schools have been introduced now because of the change in the curriculum. That is a challenge for our children. The question that we need to ask ourselves is: Where do children go after they finish Grade 7? They are supposed to enroll for Form 1, but secondary schools are few. Children are left out of school because of that. So, the question we need to ask ourselves, as leaders is: What happens to a girl who has completed Grade 7 but has no opportunity to go to a secondary school on account of maybe, a lack of secondary school boarding facilities or the long distance to a secondary school? At the end of the day, that child just stays home. In places like where I live, there are no amenities. So, girls are left with no other option apart from getting married. I see that the report has emphasised that we should have counselling centers, which is good. However, I think that we need to shift our attention to how we can accommodate our children by providing secondary schools and colleges so that they can finish school and find employment.

Mr Speaker, I think that I needed to indicate this point. This report would have been complete with the issue of our education system now. Our own education system is disadvantaging our children. As long as we do not address this issue, especially we hon. Members of Parliament who come from rural areas, we are still going to face the challenge of children getting married early because they do not have anything to do after completing primary school.

Mr Speaker, I think that within maybe, two or three minutes, I need to put on record that going forward, we need to balance schools. If we have maybe 7,000 primary schools, we should also have about 4,000 or 5,000 secondary schools. By doing so, we will be able to incorporate girls from primary schools into secondary schools. When they go to secondary school, they will realise what they need to do and what is best for them. On top of that, we need to talk about the option of going to college. There are many children who have very good marks, maybe six or eight points at Grade 12. However, because the system disadvantages them as we do not have many tertiary schools, children have nothing to do. I just wanted to add that we also need to look at our education system regarding the ratio of primary schools to secondary schools so that we help our children to avoid vices.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to support the Motion on the Report of the Committee on National Guidance and Gender Matters on the Effectiveness of Ending Child Marriages in Zambia, as ably moved by Hon. Kafwaya and seconded by Hon. Kamboni, on behalf of the good people of Mbabala.

Mr Speaker, as a member of the Parliamentary Caucus on Children and, indeed, the focal person for Child Matters here at Parliament, I am definitely concerned with this report. I support some of the measures that have been raised by the Committee. The Committee has brought out very important information on the welfare and the rights of our children in Zambia. Not long ago, there was a whole parliamentary session for all hon. Members of Parliament and staff on child rights in Zambia, which was organised by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). I am sure that hon. Members are alive to the issues that affect children.

Mr Speaker, the statistics that have been presented by the Committee are alarming. The report says that 1.7 million children are in early marriages. That is a scary thing because according to the Children’s Code Act, which we enacted here, children are people below the age of eighteen. So, it is worrying that children are forced into early marriages. Indeed, the dangers of early marriages for children are clear. Early marriages affect children psychologically, emotionally and biologically. That is why we end up with many maternal deaths and complications such as fistula.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Mbabala, I wish to recommend a few things that need to be looked at. In supporting the Motion, I support the need to improve collection of desegregated data for children. As we know, our country is also implementing the Re-entry Policy in secondary schools. That data is very important because we have to know the number of children who are sent out of school when they fall pregnant. We also need to know how many of the children return to school and whether it is boys or girls who are sent away, or both. We need a comprehensive system of collecting data for both out-of-school and in-school children.

Mr Speaker, I also want to support the strengthening of the social welfare workforce and the employment of social workers in all districts across the country. The entire 116 districts in the country need social workers, and the Department of Child Affairs at the district level needs to be strengthened. Currently, the department is only at the provincial level. At the district level, we have social welfare and community development departments, which are at the community level. We need to strengthen this structure and ensure that it is in every district. I support child-related matters, especially psychosocial support for children.

Mr Speaker, having cleaned up the legal and policy framework, we need a Statutory Instrument (SI) that will allow children above the age of sixteen, in line with the Children’s Code Act, to access sexual and reproductive health services. These children should access both messages as well as products such as contraceptives if they engage in sexual activity. These are realities. We have talked about 1.7 million children dropping out of school because of early marriage; that is not a joke. Education is a game changer for everybody. So, we need to protect children by giving them access to reproductive health services. I will continue to appeal to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, which is the home for child affairs, to push the SI that will allow health workers to attend to children so that they can protect them from both venereal diseases and other dangers that they may be exposed to.

 Mr Speaker, I also call for the reorientation of all police training in colleges so that all policemen in the Victim Support Unit (VSU) can ably deal with issues in line with the Children’s Code Act .

Mr Speaker, the other area of work is online child protection. Children are exposed to cellular phones, which also add to the vice. In line with the national values and principles, I call for the protection of children from online subscriptions that may endanger them. Some children end up in child marriages because of exposure to cellular phones and other materials online. The online platform is an area that needs growth in terms of legislation and other measures.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to support the continued delivery of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools, which is ensuring that our children are exposed to information at a tender age to protect themselves. We need to arm our children with the right information so that they can protect themselves, as opposed to waiting for them to drop out of school because of pregnancy or marriage. The work was already started with the House of Chiefs, working with the First Lady, Mrs Hichilema, and others, to have model laws and bylaws in every village to protect children from such vices and to rescue those who are married off. If the model laws are implemented, they will change the situation in our villages.

Mr Speaker, the Free Education Policy, which has helped retain children in school, is also a good addition. Keeping girls in school is important; as such, implementation of the policy needs to be commended and pushed at every level, including the construction of dormitories in areas where there are makeshift weekly boarding schools. Such areas are hotspots of child marriages. My appeal is that each constituency builds dormitories at such schools in future. I would like to thank the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) for helping complete one dormitory in my constituency, at Mang’unza Secondary School, which will house almost 100 girls. These are the kind of actions that will protect our girls.

Mr Speaker, I support the Motion to adopt the report.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Ms Tambatamba) (on behalf of the Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms D. Mwamba)): Mr Speaker, allow me to thank the mover of the Motion, the hon. Member for Lunte, and the seconder, the hon. Member for Kalomo Central, and the three hon. Members; the hon. Member for Kasama Central, the hon. Member for Moomba and the hon. Member for Mbabala, for their contributions.

Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to this important debate on the Auditor-General's performance audit report on the effectiveness of Government measures in ending child marriage in Zambia, covering the period 2020 to 2023. Let me begin by acknowledging the valuable findings in the report and re-affirming the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that every child, especially the girl-child, is protected from the harmful practice of child marriage. As a ministry, we recognise that child marriages are not only a violation of human rights, but a major obstacle to national development. The report rightly draws attention to our efforts, which sought to strengthen the child and family welfare system by implementing safe space programmes across five provinces.

The ministry implemented the safe space programmes in three provinces, namely Lusaka Province, in Lusaka, the Eastern Province, in Katete, and the Western Province, in Senanga, reaching over 34,000 girls cumulatively from 2020 to 2023. These programmes have proven impactful, offering platforms for life skills development, peer interaction, sexual and reproductive health education, and mentorship. However, I acknowledged the concern raised in the report that the programme, as a whole, was still in pilot phase and did not reach all the intended provinces. The primary reason for the limited implementation was the pilot nature of the programme, which is supported by our co-operating partners, and the need to ensure quality and scalability before nationwide rollout. Nonetheless, we remain committed to expanding the safe spaces and have extended the programme to more provinces, bringing the total number of districts to ten, as of this year.

Mr Speaker, on the matter of safe houses, the ministry planned to construct one safe house in each of the ten provinces. However, six safe houses were constructed in five provinces and one transit home in Central Province. The shortfall in construction was due to budgetary constraints. That resulted in five provinces lacking Government-owned safe houses, leading to logistical challenges and high costs in relocating victims to other districts for shelter and court appearances. Despite those challenges, I am pleased to report that with the support of stakeholders, an additional twelve safe houses have since been established in eight provinces, namely Lusaka Province, the Western Province, the Northern Province, the North-Western Province, Muchinga Province, the Eastern Province, Central Province and Copperbelt Province. Furthermore, we are working to strengthen our oversight role over privately-run safe houses by ensuring that they meet the minimum standards of care, as set by the Government.

Mr Speaker, the report also reviews the mainstreaming of ending child marriage interventions into our broader social protection programmes, which include the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme (PWAS), the Village Bank (VB) micro-credit scheme, the Food Security Pack (FSP) and the Social Cash Transfer (SCT). The audit report notes that the ministry lacks disaggregated data to verify whether 50 per cent of intended child-marriage victims receive the support. In response, the ministry has incorporated specific indicators into our social welfare reporting statistical package (SWRSP) to ensure that we accurately track child-marriage survivors linked to our programmes.

Mr Speaker, finally, I wish to highlight the fact that the ministry has made significant strides through the enactment of the Children's Code Act, 2022, which standardised the definition of a child. However, I concur that gaps remain in the enforcement of legislation, and the ministry remains committed to ensuring that the Act is fully implemented to deter the continued practice of child marriages.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the findings of the Auditor-General’s report are both a reflection of the progress made and a reminder of the journey ahead. While notable efforts have been made in implementing safe spaces, constructing safe houses, mainstreaming ending child marriage interventions into social protection programmes and enacting legislation, we acknowledge the gaps and are taking corrective action. Let us continue working together as Parliament, the Government, civil society and communities to end child marriages in Zambia. Our children deserve nothing less.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, thank you so much for giving me an opportunity, once again, to wind up debate. Allow me to appreciate all the hon. Members who contributed to the debate on this particular report. Their interest in contributing shows that they place matters of children in their hearts and these include Hon. Kamboni, Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central, the able seconder; Hon. Mwamba, Member of Parliament for Kasama Central; Hon. Chaatila, Member of Parliament for Moomba Constituency; Hon. Munsanje, Member of Parliament for Mbabala; and Hon. Tambatamba, the Minister of Labour and Social Security.

Mr Speaker, the recommendations from the hon. Members, which were not part of the report, will tell you that this particular subject is an important one in the hearts of the hon. Members.

Mr Speaker, I would like to make it clear that what you tasked the Committee to do was to review the audit report. Therefore, all our recommendations as a Committee of Parliament were with respect to the audit findings contained in that particular performance audit. This was not a study of a topical issue. Some of the hon. Members proposed that we consider a broader study around issues affecting our children, and that is a justifiable recommendation.

Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwamba spoke about registering children at birth. Hon. Chaatila talked about expanding educational opportunities beyond Grade 7. My brother from Mbabala talked about expanding the issues that are happening between the Government and chiefdoms, and so on and so forth. All these issues are important and are appreciated. I think the Committee should find a way to study broadly.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

BILL

THIRD READING

The following Bill was read the third time and passed:

The Building Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

_______

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT: ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL INEQUALITIES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS

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

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Notice of an item for debate on the Motion of Adjournment of the House has been received.

Hon. Member for Chilubi.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, the Motion is non-controversial, and if I look around, many of the hon. Members of Parliament here have constituencies in rural areas. For those who have not read, the Motion addresses inequalities between rural and urban areas. To put context to the Motion, it talks about poor rural connectivity, which includes roads, water pathways, electricity connections, telecommunication networks, banking and financial services, and land management. When I say land management, we all know that the titling system in rural areas is not equivalent to that of urban areas.

Mr Speaker, we are trying to address wide income and wealth inequality. I know that the solutions that we may harvest from this particular debate are supposed to include a dual economic structure that will consider incomes as well as wealth creation. Currently, we have seen a bit of an imbalance. We have resource-rich rural areas, while the urban areas are starved. Urban areas used to be cash-based economies. We have seen many young people migrating to rural areas to look for copper, gold, and many other things. However, rural areas are still underdeveloped. The other day, Hon. Nkandu was on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Radio 1 frequency modulation (FM) addressing issues concerning my road in Chilubi through the question that the hon. Member for Bangweulu asked, about how they would tar the roads and how to pick it up.

Mr Nkandu stared at Mr Fube.

Mr Fube: It was a good thing. Why are you looking at me like that?

Laughter

Mr Fube: So, when we look at that, it is a situation whereby we have a poor road network and bad water pathways. The telecommunication network is very poor in certain areas, even in Hon. Nkandu's constituency. A person cannot talk to anyone using a telephone, that is the situation in rural areas.  In places like Kaputa, Chilubi, Shangombo, and many others, National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) is the only bank that is servicing the people. Even then, those who are supposed to access financing to develop the raw materials in urban areas cannot access the money from such banks because they are asked for collateral and many other things. This is where the issue of the titling of land comes in. We know that we have a tenure of land where we have State land as well as traditional land. However, in rural areas, there is predominantly traditional land. As a result, the people who own land in rural areas may not even put value on it because they do not have title deeds. They cannot borrow using their land because they have no title deeds to present to the bank as collateral, and that complicates their lifestyle.

Mr Speaker, what we are trying to harvest is the greater equity, which in return, can have long-term effects. In September, we will be talking about how we should share the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). I remember Uncle Situmbeko, at some point, talked about an issue of –

Mr Mwene: He is not your uncle. You are not even related.

Mr Fube: He is my cousin, so there is nothing wrong.

Mr Speaker, he talked about an issue in the 2023 Budget. He said that in the 2024 Budget, the CDF will be disbursed based on equity.

As the people of Chilubi, the way we look at equity is that if there is a loaf of bread for supper, for instance, the first one to eat should be the person who has not had a meal the whole day, followed by someone who, at least, ate breakfast. Thereafter, those who ate lunch can then also partake supper. 

Mr Mubika: What are you saying?

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Fube: Mr Speaker, what I am trying to underscore is that the resource base –

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Fube: I know that those who are saying, “Question” do not know that Article 62 talks about us, hon. Members of Parliament, distributing resources evenly. That is a constitutional mandate. So, I am only performing a constitutional duty here by suggesting that we are supposed to distribute public resources evenly.

Mr Speaker, I do not mean any offence, but, for instance, if I received K36 million for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the hon. Member for Kabwata received the same amount, my hon. Colleague will look at installing waterborne toilets in already built schools. In my case, however, I will think about building infrastructure such as schools or maternity annexes. That is because infrastructure in Kabwata has already been catered for by the Central Government and players from the private sector that have come on board, but Chilubi has remained isolated in terms of development. That is the kind of inequality we want to address. Kabwata Constituency would use that K36 million to build waterborne toilets or add more classrooms to already existing schools, but, in the case of Chilubi, we need to building the classrooms or maternity annexes before we can even think about supply water to the facilities. That is the inequality we are talking about today.

Mr Speaker, with the mineral mapping that has been done and what we are discovering in rural areas, we want to see balanced development. We want primary and secondary industries to be created in rural areas so that young people in our constituencies can have jobs through value addition. That is exactly what we want to target. However, that cannot happen without connectivity or good roads ...

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Fube: … because investors can only be attracted to rural areas if there are certain amenities. They need to be able to make phone calls, move on proper roads, eat ice cream and do many other things that are available where they come from. How can we make ice cream in Chilubi when the facilities are not there? Due to the absence of social amenities, we have seen an exodus of Government workers from rural areas.

Mr Speaker, I must declare that at the time I went to Kaputa as a District Commissioner (DC), I almost cried. We had recruited almost eighty-four teachers, but there was an exodus of those teachers and the school children were left abandoned. Why do such things happen? It is because of the inequalities that exist between rural and urban areas. We need to find the root cause to all those things. The root cause is that we are not acting according to Article 62, which states that we should distribute the resources of the nation equitably. Therefore, the call today is not anything political. It is something that most of the hon. Members who come from rural areas are expected to support. So, I expect them to jump on board because this Motion is non-partisan and non-controversial. What we are trying to address is how to remove inequalities in development and strike a balance.

Mr Speaker, we are talking about gold being discovered in many rural areas, but many of the areas that have natural resources are lacking development. They cannot contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) and help boost our economy because of low development of social amenities.

Mr Speaker, currently, rural areas are involved in agriculture. If we look at the statistics, 80 per cent of the people in rural areas depend on agriculture for their livelihood. They are the ones who are providing food for the urbanites. If the rural dwellers are feeding the urbanites, there is a need to create a balance in terms of development. There is a need for a deliberate plan. We need to have alternative growth strategies. We also need to review subsidy policies so that the rural people are cushioned. As I earlier mentioned, we need to have a dualistic …

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order! 

Your time is up.

Mr Fube: … economic structure.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane): Mr Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Member for Chilubi for that statement, but if I were him, what I would have done is to commend the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government for the massive efforts that have been made to equalise development between the rural and urban areas.

Mr Speaker, what we are seeing today is something that we have never seen since the Independence of this country. If we take a look, for example, at the issue of rural infrastructure, many of us come from constituencies where primary schools were made of mud and poles. What we are now seeing happening to all the schools is progressively good infrastructure coming through.

Mr Speaker, it is not long ago that we saw pictures of young people sitting on the floor with dust. Sometimes, school children would sit on logs of trees, but, today, we see children sitting on decent desks …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: … made by people in their constituency.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: That means industrial activity is going to the rural areas. No one is importing desks from China, India or South Africa. We are making them ourselves in our districts.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Is that not an effort towards rural development?

Mr Speaker, we all know that a few years ago, children in rural areas were failing to go to school because, first of all, there were no teachers in schools. There were schools in Liuwa where there would be one or two teachers for Grade 1 to Grade 9. Today, however, enough teachers have been provided. That is rural development.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I can give more and more examples, but I would like my hon. Colleagues to also add something. However, my conclusion is that, honestly, the hon. Member should be thanking the UPND Government for the massive effort to equalise development between the rural and urban areas because that is what is happening and people are appreciating it. So, when an hon. Member brings a Motion like this one, many of us are totally confused. We are asking ourselves what this particular hon. Member appreciates.

Mr Speaker, let me end here because I am sure some hon. Colleagues also want to highlight what has been happening.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: The hon. Minsiter of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development will speak last, after the hon. Member for Lunte.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Mr Speaker, thank you so much.

Mr Speaker, let me start by saying that I find the Motion non-controversial. Actually, I find it progressive.

Mr Speaker, there is always room for development. What the hon. Member for Chilubi is saying is that we need to address developmental inequities between rural and urban areas. There is no question that inequalities exist between rural and urban areas. My interpretation of what the hon. Member is saying is that we must have a vision to create a balance. We need to develop objectives. We need to implement a plan that will ensure that the inequities are addressed.

You may want to appreciate that currently, we are dealing with the 2026-2028 Medium-Term Budget Plan (MTBP). Of course, that plan must feed into the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). What interventions are in the plan specifically to address the difference between the power available in urban and rural areas? What opportunities exist in these plans to address the difference between the health services available in rural and urban areas? Are there any opportunities there to address the difference between the educational services in rural and urban areas? The reports that we have been discussing, including the previous one, have highlighted that specific services are unavailable in rural areas. Not long ago, we were talking about hotspots for child marriages.

Mr Speaker, let me come to communication services. This country wants to provide e-learning facilities everywhere. The Government should not provide online learning just for people residing in Lusaka, Kitwe and Livingstone. It must provide opportunities for people living in Lunte to access online learning facilities so that the degrees that are difficult to obtain from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Copperbelt University (CBU) can be obtained even from London. Many people in cities obtain online certificates.

Mr Speaker, why should we not have a deliberate plan, vision and objectives to achieve these things? The Government says that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is everywhere, and the hon. Minister said that it has been increased. I agree that the CDF has really been increased, but I do not know why the increase is always based on K1.6 million. In 2021, the CDF was K1.6 million. We are now in 2025, so the increase should be based on 2024.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, let me be clear. Hon. Members hear about all these increases, but the point is that there is always room for development. Do they know that the CDF is not even in the national vision? Do they know that the increase in the CDF was done haphazardly? Even when it came to the national plan –

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, by national plan, I mean the first Budget. It was haphazardly done; it was not in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP). Clearly, I am saying that the Government should develop plans, and those plans should be anchored on the national vision. That is when we will be able to execute meaningful development and address inequalities between urban and rural areas.

Mr Speaker, if you wish, you can ask Hon. Mutati. In Lunte, there are places like Fibumbye and Chewe, which have no network. People phone one another everywhere else but not in Fibumbye and Chewe because there is absolutely no network. The people of Fibumbye and Kandabana should be able to feel the same way we feel. They should have access to health services in the same manner that the people in urban areas do. Development is a long process, and no one can force the Government to do it now. It is irrational for anybody to say that it should do it now. However, the Government should show us that it has a vision or a plan and that it is thinking about these matters.

Mr Speaker, I wish to thoroughly and strongly support the Motion. I feel that this is a Motion that should be supported by everybody.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

The Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion of Adjournment moved by the hon. Member for Chilubi, which is urging the Government to address developmental inequalities between rural and urban areas.

Mr Speaker, let me start by saying that Zambian setup is both rural and urban. Even in this House, we represent different constituencies; some represent rural areas while others represent urban areas. However, there is not a single hon. Member of Parliament who has no roots in rural areas, even those who are in urban areas. So, when hon. Members talk about equality or equity between urban and rural areas, they are pushing an open door.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, let me state from the outset that I am not in support of this Motion, for the simple reason that the hon. Member who has raised it is, as I have just said, pushing an open door. The development agenda of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government is very inclusive, that is, it is for both rural and urban areas.

Mr Speaker, one thing is surprising. I have just heard the debate by the hon. Member for Lunte. He pointed out that certain places within Lunte Constituency do not have connectivity in terms of communication. I wondered. That man was a Minister in the previous Government. What did he do about the issue? He did nothing about it. We are doing a lot, as the New Dawn Government. We are fully aware of the disparities in the level of development between urban and rural areas. The developmental disparities are historical, and the Government is making every effort to take development to our people in rural areas.

Mr Speaker, sometimes, Motions come to the Floor of this House from those on your left, and they make it look as if either this Government does not understand issues or it does not care about certain issues. They make it look as if it is so easy, for example, to distribute resources to all places. Let me tell them that from a mathematical point of view, –there are many teachers here – if you share zero among maybe 100, 200, 1,000 of you, you will all end up with zero. What do I mean? The utilisation of resources has to be impactful. You have to have resources in the first place to distribute them. We are dealing with an economy that was depressed. In order to generate the level of resources that we require to share with all the areas in need, we need to build up resources.

Mr Kasandwe: Question!

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, that is where we are. That is where the New Dawn Government is, especially that we are coming from an era when the country was driven into massive debt.

Mr Mulusa: By whom?

Eng. Milupi: By the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: We have spent three years to deal with the issue of debt. Fortunately, we are at the end of that period.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, when President Hakainde Hichilema constituted the Government, let me just remind those opposite us, following the massive mandate that was given to the United Party for National Development (UPND) in 2021, he deliberately created two ministries with specific mandates for rural development. One was the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the other was the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Urban Development. Both deal with development.

Mr Chisopa: You have one year.

Eng. Milupi: We have one year and the second term.

Mr Speaker, we shall build on our foundation because fortunately, the other side is so disorganised that we wonder whether there will even be a need for an election. Maybe, all of us will be elected unopposed, including the President.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, on many occasions, as a matter of Government policy, the President has indicated that the Government is going to fully decentralise and take resources to rural areas, where the people in urgent need of development are.

That has further been demonstrated by the increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation. Whether our hon. Colleagues like it or not, we will keep on talking about the increase in the CDF allocation because it is a game-changer for most of our citizens. When we talk about that increase, some hon. Members choke because they think about why they did not do it. They did not do it because they did not have consideration for the welfare of the people, but we do.

Mrs Mulyata: Bauze mudala!

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, launched and is currently implementing the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) for the period 2022 to 2026. One of the four strategic development areas of focus is human and social development.

Hon. PF Member: Ba Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) President!

Eng. Milupi: At least, the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) has a President and you do not.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Eng. Milupi: Mr Speaker, one of the four strategic development areas of focus in the 8NDP is human and social development. Under this area of strategic focus is development, which is the outcome of reducing poverty, vulnerability and inequality.

Mr Speaker, to get back to the point I was making, the key is to grow our resources. That is why our President has said that, certainly, in his second term, we must, at least, double the size of the economy, and we think we will do even more. When we build on the resources, even the allocation percentages in the Budget will be more. We talk about having 15 per cent for the health sector, but 15 per cent of very little is still very little. When we grow this economy –

Mr Speaker, it surprises me when I visit countries that have a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$400 million or US$200 billion, yet they have fewer natural resources. This country would have been up there among the top economies if right from the start we had a Government such as the one we have under the UPND.

Mr Speaker, the Government is implementing infrastructure projects aimed at improving the welfare and livelihood of people everywhere, especially in rural areas. That is why I can tell the mover of this Motion, Hon. Fube, and I hope he is listening, that this Government is considering the construction of the Luwingu/Chava Road because we understand that Chilubi is a rural area that needs development. We want to affect the livelihoods of people everywhere. No one is being left behind, whether they live in urban or rural areas. For hon. Members’ information, when we talk about rural areas, we need to remember that not all rural areas are worse than urban areas. Some urban areas are in worse condition than some places in rural areas. That is why my ministry is doing what it can to connect markets in urban areas with productive areas in rural areas by putting roads in place.

Mr Speaker, my ministry is constructing various infrastructures, including district administration blocks and civic centres in rural districts, to increase access to public services and improve public administration. It is also implementing a project to install 131 Acrow bridges to improve connectivity. The hon. Member talked about connectivity. My ministry will construct housing for people in rural areas. Those are the efforts being made by this Government to ensure that development reaches the rural areas. The key factor is that we should all work together, as hon. Members, to grow the economy of this country. When we have a lot of money, we will be able to take development wherever we want.

Mr Speaker, allow me to conclude by stating that for the New Dawn Government, efforts to eliminate rural-urban disparities are not being made out of convenience or publicity, but out of conviction that we need to address the disparities as a matter of necessity. Our people everywhere deserve to lead better lives.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, as the thirty minutes allocated for debate on the Motion of Adjournment have been exhausted, debate on the subject lapses.

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The House adjourned at 1825 hours until 1430 hours on Thursday, 24^th July, 2025.

 

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