DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 3rdNovember, 2011

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_____________

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

The Deputy Minister of Labour, Sports and Youth (Mr Mbulu): Mr Speaker, I am greatly humbled to by this rare opportunity to deliver my maiden speech as well as make a contribution to the debate on the speech by His Excellence, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on the occasion of the Official Opening of the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, on Friday, 14th October, 2011.

Mr Speaker, may I join the hon. Members of this honourable House who have spoken before me in congratulating the President of this great nation for the convincing and well deserved victory he had in the tripartite elections, held on 20th September, 2011.

Mr Speaker, I have every conviction that, in His Excellency, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, we have a visionary and selfless leader with the capacity to steer our nation to the shore. As it is his time, we only need to render him the necessary support, for there can only be one President at a time in Zambia. The Holy Bible obliges us all to pray for our leaders without ceasing.

Mr Speaker, may I also congratulate you, the Deputy Speaker, Mr Mkondo Lungu, and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House, Hon. Chifumu Banda, SC., on your election to your respective positions.

Mr Speaker, from your track record and experience, we have no doubt that this House is, indeed, in very capable hands. As a new hon. Member of this House, obviously, I will endeavour to benefit from your abundant charity and wisdom.

Mr Speaker, let me also congratulate the Clerk of the National Assembly and her administrative staff. They have exhibited exceptional levels of magnanimity and distinction in the manner they have executed their functions since I came to this House. They are an inspiration to some of us who are inside the walls of this building for the first time.

Sir, allow me to also congratulate the hon. Members of this House, both from the Ruling Party and the Opposition for their success in the just-ended tripartite elections, which I believe were quite competitive. I believe that each one of us has come with their own agendas. We will have to cross fertilise our ideas and experiences here. I have a lot to learn from each one of them.

Mr Speaker, allow me to convey my special appreciation to some individuals and organizations. I thank my party, the Patriotic Front (PF). I obviously owe my success to the PF and its structures. They adopted me as their parliamentary candidate for Kalulushi Constituency and invested in me a very high degree of confidence, which culminated into my becoming the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalulushi Constituency.

Mr Speaker, I pay special tribute to Hon. Davis Mwila for Chipili Constituency.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: He has been my luminaire and a bankable supporter in my struggle for this key legislative position.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwila deserves my special thanks. I convey my special gratitude to my district and constituency officials and all the 96,000 residents of Kalulushi, including Chambishi, Chibuluma and all the farming blocks, for their unwavering support throughout my campaign period. These people toiled day and night, sometimes, braving hunger and thirsty, to guarantee my victory.

Mr Speaker, I assure my electorate that I will not breach the contract I entered into with them to represent them effectively as we surmount the various challenges that face our constituency together. Amongst the many challenges in my constituency are poor water reticulation and sanitation, high unemployment levels, especially among the youths and women, and lack of access to quality health services.

Mr Speaker, my constituency has never had a district hospital since Independence. We also have the challenge of dilapidated road infrastructure and lack of recreation facilities for the youths, street lighting and communication facilities. At one point, we had a situation in which our immediate past Government even went to the extent of privatising a cemetery in Chibuluma, which is part of my constituency.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Mbulu: Mr Speaker, we also have security challenges.

Mr Speaker, I will be part of men and women who shall ensure that there is prudent use of the CDF and any other resources that we may get from well-wishers so that, at the end of the day, we can deliver tangible results to our constituents.

Mr Speaker, I wish to thank my beloved wife Chama and four beautiful children, Lungula, Chipulu, Kabaso and Chama, for the sacrifices that they made throughout the periods of my campaigns. It could have not been easy without their input.

Mr Speaker, allow me to thank all the mineworkers for rallying solidly behind me. This was a result of my background of being one of the Zambia’s great unionists as former President of the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, through them, I was privileged to lead Africa as President for the International Federation for Chemical, Energy, Mine, Paper and Pulp Workers and, later, become Vice-President for the same federation at the global level.

Mr Speaker, I, once again, thank the mineworkers for being there for me after my employment was prematurely terminated by the MMD Government following my expression of interest in participating in, and contesting, the quadrennial congress election as President for the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, a move that resulted in my being stripped of my MUZ Presidency as well as Global Vice-Presidency.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Mbulu: Mr Speaker, during the time I served the mineworkers in Zambia and the world in general, I did the best I could. I knew that I could not complete my term because of the MMD Government’s interference, but the little time that I spent translates into my usage of the time. I believe it is not about years in my life, but life in my years.

Mr Speaker, allow me a moment to register my disappointment with the manner the MMD ran Government affairs. Their conduct was a total contradiction of the tenets of democracy. They were too vindictive a government. They never stopped at anything for the purpose of perpetuating their office tenure. They were simply too vindictive.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: They completely ignored moral values of do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Little wonder they could even label some of their own members as not being in good standing.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Lord Almighty that what I passed through was simply a detour. I had to stop a little in order to assume a position of greater responsibility that I have today which enables me to serve Zambians at a greater level. I owe it all to the Lord Almighty. I am now in the main road. It is like they left detours all over the country with dusty roads making the way for the PF Government. Let me thank my senior Pastor and the Church for the role they played morally, financially and spiritually.

Mr Speaker, to my President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, I want to thank him for conferring upon me the status of Deputy Minister of Labour, Youth and Sport. I would like to assure my President that I will never renege on my commitment to serve him and the people of Zambia relentlessly, honestly, diligently and with maximum integrity. I will measure up to the challenges and all the requirements of my job. I know my President as an initiator and implementer and so I will endeavour to emulate him at all costs.

Mr Speaker, allow me to contribute to the debate on the President’s Opening Speech to the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly delivered here in the House on Friday, 14th October, 2011. The President’s Speech was very persuasive and incisive and an illuminating speech. It gave Zambians an eminent sigh of relief as it addresses all the building blocks that we need for our economy to grow. The President also spelt out measures that will be taken by the PF Government in a bid to deliver goods and services to our people in this country.

Mr Speaker, let me also acknowledge that we have to embrace unity in adversity if we are to successfully take our country to another level of growth. The President on page 3 said and, I quote:

“Now that elections are behind us it is time for us all to focus on forging ahead with the development of our country.”

Mr Speaker, the President did not and does not discriminate against anyone. The President threw a challenge on all of us Zambians to come to the party and be partakers in the construction and reconstruction process of our economy regardless of political and other forms of affiliations.

Mr Speaker, as we all embrace the President’s Speech, it is imperative that we exercise reality as a matter of priority. We also need to be consistent in our debates. It is amazing that, one day, one hon. Member of the Opposition can ask my hon. Minister to be realistic in the manner our ministry formulates the minimum wage so that we do not kill small players and the same hon. Member ending his debate with a proposal to have the CDF pegged at K5 billion.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: The two positions just do not reconcile. It is important, hon. Members, to appreciate that a budget has only two sides. It has the income side and the expenditure side and under normal circumstances, we should endeavour to have a balance. So, when a hon. Member proposes to raise the income side of the budget, they should equally and morally highlight or suggest as to where the money will come from and how.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: This proposal by the Opposition translates into an increase of roughly 700 per cent. This is not realistic. Let us always appreciate the spirit of patriotism with nationalism.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech, on page 7, paragraph 2, says, and I quote:

“Despite being endowed with a lot of national resources, our country has continued to face staggering poverty levels and low formal sector employment opportunities.”

On page 8, paragraph 3, the President offers hopes and states, and I quote:

“Offering employment opportunities for our people, especially the many young men and women leaving educational institutions in our country is critical to the fulfillment of the PF manifesto which promises job creation and putting more money in our people’s pockets. My Government shall concentrate its efforts on skills training and creating self-employment opportunities, especially for the youth of our country.”

Mr Speaker, putting more money in people’s pockets has already started bearing fruits.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: This is clearly manifested in the reduction of bank lending rates. We have seen that Finance Bank Zambia Limited and Investrust Bank Zambia Limited have already reduced rates from 20 to 15 per cent and 20 to 16 per cent respectively. The reductions of 5 per cent and 4 per cent realised are going into people’s pockets. Hon. Members will agree with me that reduction in the cost of credit has several positives with trickle-down effects. Some of them are as follows:

(i) an investor has propensity to expand business;

(ii) the investor will have ability to create more jobs in that the cost of business will have been reduced. As more jobs are created, it means that we will have an opportunity to  put  more money in people’s pockets in line with the PF manifesto; and

(iii) those employed and the employer will be able to realise more revenue which will go Government or the Treasury and that the more the money the Government realises in the Treasury, the higher the capacity for Government to deliver more goods and services and the recycle positively continues.

Mr Speaker, the President on page 33 talks about youth development and, I quote:

“The last twenty years of the previous government have failed to effectively integrate the youth in national development. The majorities of our youth have poor education, lack formal skills and consequently remain without jobs which would enable them to earn a living and hence contribute to national development.”

Mr Speaker, the President also said that in order to address this, the PF Government will,  among other things, enhance the capacity of the Zambia National Service by transforming it into the Zambia Youth Training Service, so that the various camps throughout the country are turned into non-military skills training centres. This will be a plus for the ministry. As a ministry responsible for the youth, we shall deliver, move in place and integrate the national youth policy which shall ensure that each ministry includes a section so that these issues are mainstreamed in all ministries that hinge on their democratic development and ultimately benefit from national resources.

Mr Speaker, we shall endeavour to co-ordinate the national youth agenda, mobilise resources, develop on integrated national youth development strategy, interpret Government policy on youth development to the youth, build capacity in youth organisations and ensure that for those that will graduate from skills development centres, there is a process of monitoring and evaluation so that we are able to ask where they are, what they are doing and what the Government can do to help. {mospagebreak}

Mr Speaker, as we move forward, we shall review the current National Youth Development Policy, Act No. 7 of 1986 as well as the National Youth Policy of 2006.

Mr Speaker, the President’s pronouncement to tar the Kalulushi/Kalengwa Road which has been their priority has given the people of Kalulushi a lot of hope. This is a key economic road which was neglected totally throughout the twenty years of MMD misrule. It is important that this road is worked on because it passes through an arable Lamba land, connects the people on the Copperbelt and North-Western Province, and it is a road that can motivate economic development activities in our country by creating more jobs and ultimately put more money in people’s pockets.

Mr Speaker, allow me to salute His Excellency the President for creating the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs with Hon. Wina at the helm. This could not have come at a better time than now when we have so many chieftainship wrangles, including in my father’s chiefdom, where it has taken eight solid years to have a chief installed.

Mr Speaker, from the Labour point of view, we are already reviewing the minimum wage.

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

A point of order is raised. As you raise the point order, please indicate the practice or the rule of the House that has been violated.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, my point of order is on procedure. Hon. Ministers are supposed to state the various policies of their ministries. Therefore, an hon. Minister cannot divert from talking about his ministry to talking about another when the hon. Minister of that other ministry is seated. Is the hon. Deputy Minister in order to tell us the policies of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, instead of his own ministry?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

As I understood the hon. Minister’s debate, he did refer to various policy issues that fall within his portfolio and, in concluding his debate, is simply commending the President of the Republic of Zambia for establishing a new ministry, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. I do not think that is out of order. He may proceed to conclude his debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Even after fifteen years in Parliament bamudala!

Mr Mbulu: I thank you Mr Speaker. I know that, sometimes, it is important to show some ignorance just to stimulate debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulu: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Labour, Youth and Sport has a very clear policy regarding the operations of trade unions. It is that of non-interference in the affairs of the labour unions and the employers. In any case, our major responsibility is to simply regulate the relationship between labour unions and employers. Unfortunately, it has been asserted in this Assembly that there was interference in the negotiations at the mine in Chambishi when we never did so. I want to categorically and clearly put it to the hon. Members that we shall never interfere in the work of the labour unions. As a ministry, we shall encourage the formation of strong, free and independent trade unions in our country. We shall also encourage the formation of strong employers’ federations. The proper regulation of our governance process can only be guaranteed when we have strong labour unions and employers’ federations. 

Mr Speaker, we are already studying the National Employment and Labour Market Policy of November, 2004, to see how best it can be streamlined to make it relevant to the demands of the modern world. As a ministry, we are also determined to strengthen social dialogue with political players, social partners, the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its affiliates, the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) and the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE). We shall embrace and cement our relationships with all of them and encourage the existence of strong unions, as I have already stated. We shall also ensure that the Pensions Act No. 40 0f 1996 and the Worker’s Compensation Act No. 10 of 1999 are both reviewed to make them friendly to both workers and employers.

Mr Speaker, I want to end by saying that we shall also focus on the issue of HIV/AIDS, which is a menace to public health. We shall ensure that the fight against it is mainstreamed into all the projects of the Government, unions and employers’ organisations.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Deputy Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs (Mrs Kawandami): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Floor of this august House. Before I go further, I want to congratulate and appreciate the efforts, courage and tolerance of his Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael ChilufyaSata. Very few of us, if any, would have had the tenacity to withstand the ridicule and humiliation he was subjected to by the people seated on your left. He, however, remained resolute and focused as he had a goal to achieve. That goal was to redeem the people of Zambia, whose freedom of association, speech and many other rights had been taken away by their own brothers and sisters.

Mr Speaker, I extend my congratulations to you on your election according to God’s will; believing that what God has destined, no one can change. I also extend the same congratulatory message to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Mkondo Lungu, and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House, Mr Chifumu Banda. Congratulations, also, to you all elected hon. Members of Parliament, both the returning ones, on having retained their seats, and the new ones, on their victories.

Sir, I would be failing in my duty if I did not extend my gratitude to my party, the PF, the Vice-President, Dr Guy Scott, for the support he gave me during my campaign, the Secretary-General, Mr Wynter Kabimba, as well as the Central Committee, which saw it fit to adopt me to recontest the Chifubu seat. My appreciation also goes to all organs of the party and those of Chifubu, in particular, for a well-coordinated campaign and, mostly, to the people in Chifubu Constituency at large.

The Chifubu Parliamentary seat has always given a one-term reign to all the previous Members of Parliament, except for me, who has been allowed to reign for the second time. This is a great honour and proof of the trust that the people of this great constituency have in me. I assure them that I will do my best to serve them effectively.

Mr Speaker, my family cannot pass without mention for their unconditional support, both financially and morally. I thank my children, Monica Katebe Musonda, Angela Chomba, Jacqueline Kabondo, Friday Mwelwa, Kennedy Yambala and Susan Chinyimba; my aunt, Christine Kasoma; my dear sisters, Margaret, Rhoda, Fridah and Chisala; my cousin, John Kabeka; my friends Fawazi, Ajesh Patel, Moses Nkandu, Willy Nsanda, Hon. G. B Mwamba, Samuel Mukupa, McPherson Chanda, Jean Kapata, Mumbi Phiri, Robby Chanda, who is the PF Copperbelt Provincial Chairperson; the Ndola District Chairperson; and the entire District Committee. My gratitude also goes to all churches in Chifubu Constituency for their support through prayers for peaceful elections that saw God’s will prevail. May the Lord Almighty richly bless them all.

Mr Speaker, many chiefdoms are faced with many challenges that have remained unresolved for a long time. The Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs will dialogue with their royal highnesses to find solutions to the problems that they face. Our ministry wishes to strengthen the Decentralisation Policy, using structures from the village council and ward levels to provincial ones, in order to formulate legislation that will enhance development.

Zambia, Mr Speaker, is endowed with a lot of natural resources, one of which is fresh water. From the President’s Speech, I note that Zambians will benefit from this resource because the Government will channel resources towards enhancing the delivery of water to intended recipients. The Government looks forward to a day when social amenities and economic projects will spread to rural areas which will, in turn, attract people back to the rural areas.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs will examine and define the roles of the chiefs which have remained ambiguous so far. The role of the chiefs in the administration of customary land and State land will also be examined.

Sir, the chiefs will play a bigger role in enforcing Government restrictions regarding the movement of stock during the outbreak of diseases.

Mr Speaker, traditionally, the construction and maintenance of chiefs’ palaces is the responsibility of subjects. The Government will help in this regard by creating an enabling environment in which the villagers will maintain the palaces, which is their responsibility as demanded for by traditions and customs.

Sir, in Zambia currently, we have recognised 286 chiefs, of which four are paramount chiefs, forty are senior chiefs and 242 are chiefs.

Mr Speaker, the creation of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs should bring added impetus to the work down by the chiefs as they now have a fully-fledged ministry to take care of their concerns.

Mr Speaker, His Excellency, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, in his speech during the Official Opening of the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, informed the nation that it had become necessary to create this new ministry as recognition of the important role that traditional chiefs play in national development.

Sir, His Excellency, the President, also tasked my ministry and the Ministry of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection, to review the Local Government Act, Chiefs Act and other relevant pieces of legislation related to the work of both ministries within eighteen months. This is in order to promote decentralisation and the active involvement of traditional leaders in the governance of the country.

Mr Speaker, I wish to assure this House that my ministry and the Ministry of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection will work closely in ensuring that all the relevant pieces of legislation are reviewed in accordance with the aspirations of the Government within the set timeframe.

Sir, allow me to enlighten the House on the field of culture and the work of the National Arts Council.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government appreciates the fundamental role that arts and culture play in national development and identity. In this regard, the Government is determined to preserve and promote Zambia’s cultural heritage through the measures I shall now talk about.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mrs Kawandami: The Government will continue to support all recognised cultural ceremonies in Zambia. In the past, these important events have been used as fora for political campaigns, thereby diluting their very essence: displaying our deep cultural heritage.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government will turn these ceremonies into opportunities for showcasing our diverse cultural milieu, such as traditional music and dance, handicrafts, traditional cuisines and other positive aspects of our culture in order to promote both local and international tourism.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Kawandami: Sir, in as much as the PF Government appreciates the support rendered by corporate institutions to our traditional ceremonies, we wish to maintain the true identity of these events. To this effect, the Government will discourage the branding of these cultural events by corporate institutions to an extent where the actual ceremony is overshadowed by corporate colours.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government is aware of the lack of suitable infrastructure for the arts and cultural practitioners to train as well as to produce and market their cultural products. In order to address this state of affairs, the Government will continue with the construction of provincial cultural centres, which will also be extended to the district level. Additionally, the Government will establish the long awaited National Arts and Cultural Centre in Lusaka while the established arts and cultural centres will provide some form of apprenticeship to cultural practitioners.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government feels that formal education in the arts is essential in order to attain a high level of skills development. It is, therefore, the Government’s intention to encourage the teaching of art subjects at all levels of education.

Sir, in order to support artistic and intellectual creativity, as well as cultural education in the various arts and cultural disciplines to a formal and professional level, the Government will establish an arts and cultural academy.

Mr Speaker, the Government will also encourage and support private investment in the development of arts and cultural infrastructure.

Sir, the PF Government is already working on a programme to convert Zambia National Service Training Camps into skills training centres. These centres will not only provide survival skills in bricklaying and carpentry, but also skills in arts, such as painting, dancing, singing, theatre, film and handicraft production.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government has observed, with concern, the display of foreign artworks in many public buildings. An example is at the entrance to this august House. I am sure most of the hon. Members are aware of this. In order to address this anomaly, the PF Government will put in place legislation that will encourage the display of Zambian artworks in all public buildings. This measure will also be extended to all our foreign missions.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Kawandami: Mr Speaker, in order to implement all the important programmes that I have talked about, it will be necessary to put in place supportive legislation. In this regard, the PF Government will complete the revision of both the National Arts Council of Zambia Act and the National Cultural Policy so that they conform to the current needs in the sector. The Government will also strengthen the law meant to protect intellectual property.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala (Chilubi): Mr Speaker, I am delighted to be given this rare opportunity to present my maiden speech.

Sir, to begin with, I would like to congratulate you on your election to the position of Speaker. Further, I want to congratulate twice, Hon. Mkhondo Lungu, …

Hon. Opposition Member: Twice!

Laughter

Interruptions

Mr Chisala: … on his new position as Deputy Speaker, as well as the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the whole House, Hon. Chifumu Banda.

Sir, I would be failing in my duties if I did not congratulate the President of the Republic of Zambia, Michael Chilufya Sata, on his deserved victory.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I know that, with President Sata in the saddle, driving the affairs of this country, the citizenry of this country will see a better Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I further wish to congratulate His Honour, the Vice-President, Dr Scott, hon. Cabinet Ministers, hon. Deputy Ministers, hon. PF Members of Parliament, hon. Opposition Members of Parliament and, indeed, all those who contributed greatly to the emergence of the PF Government. I am greatly indebted to them.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my noble duties if I did not congratulate the people of Chilubi, who gave me the mandate to bounce back to this great House. I further want to pay tribute to Hon. Alexander Chikwanda, Mr Alexander Bwalya Chomba, Dr Chewe Chabatama and Dr Kalikiti, who are my lecturers at the University of Zambia. I further pay tribute to the clergy in Chilubi and Ndola, who greatly contributed morally, spiritually and materially towards my campaign.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I am indebted to these great people.

Sir, the speech by His Excellency, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, has been described in many ways by both parliamentarians and non-parliamentarians. I would like to say that it was loaded with the vision of economic emancipation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, as I present my maiden speech, I want say that I am a bearer of a message from the gallant, enlightened, visionary and wonderful people of Chilubi Constituency, who have decided to give me yet another term of office on the basis of my profound and effective leadership. I am profoundly delighted by their positive gesture and promise to continue to represent them sincerely and effectively during my tenure of office. I will start by talking about economic affairs.

Economic Affairs

Mr Speaker, it is a well-known fact that the economic handicaps of this country started taking shape as early as the 1980s when the Zambian Kwacha was auctioned against the US dollar. Since then, Zambia has never recovered from its economic bruises because the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government, which took over from the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and the great leader, Dr Kenneth Buchizya Kaunda, completely lacked the ability to resuscitate the economy, which was on the brink of collapse.

Ms Kapata: Bwekeshapo!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, particularly, nine to ten years after the commencement of the MMD regime, Zambia’s economy had failed to pick. This is extremely regrettable. The recent pronouncement of Zambia’s economic growth is a fallacy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, the President indicated, in his speech, on page 7 that:

“The recently pronounced economic growth, characterised by the classification of Zambia as a middle income country, for the country’s economic performance, is meaningless if it has only limited impact on poverty reduction among our people.”

Mr Speaker, allow me to put it on record that, in most rural parts of Zambia, if not all, people have been wallowing in abject poverty, living from hand to mouth and going on empty bellies for most of the time. This is due to the poor economic policies that the MMD had put in place.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Sir, Zambia is a land of plenty and is endowed with a lot of natural resources. Why should people continue going on empty bellies? I am confident that with the leadership of His Excellency, Mr Michael ChilufyaSata, and his team, things will improve for the better. People’s standards of living will improve.  This will become a reality come rain, come sunshine as can already be demonstrated by the recent reduction in the price of fuel.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Education

Mr Chisala: Sir, I would like to commend His Excellency, the President, for telling us that our caring and responsible Government will review the education system. As has been seen, primary and secondary schools are characterised by low enrolment levels and, above all, poor education standards. This is the consequence of fatigue by the MMD Government leaders who underestimated the value of the Ministry of Education by appointing non-educationists hon. Ministers instead of professionals. Our Government will facilitate a complete review of the school curriculum and, if possible, revert to the curricula of the 1960’s and early 1970’s, which benefited the learner holistically. It is my belief that the PF Government will never dance to the tune of the donors on the issue of curriculum development, but rather come up with its own curriculum that will suit the Zambian community.

Mr Speaker, I also believe that the eight classroom blocks that were left incomplete in 2008 by the MMD Government will be completed.

Health

Mr Speaker, it is gratifying that the President made the commitment that the PF Government would increase the budgetary allocation to the health sector. This is for the sole purpose of improving the work culture and intensifying the construction of health infrastructure, such as district hospitals, clinics and health centres. To the best of my knowledge, these pronouncements will lead to the construction of district hospitals in both Chilubi District and Mungwi District, which are the only two districts that have no district hospitals in Northern Province.

Mr Speaker, furthermore, I urge the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to probe further, up to the bitter end, the issue of procurement of the so-called mobile hospitals. I have observed that the procurement of these hospitals was neither a transparent nor a genuine deal. If facts will surface to this effect, the culprits should be dealt with harshly.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Sir, we advised the MMD Government, on the Floor of this House, not to buy those mobile hospitals, but it did not listen. What sort of a Government was it?

Mr Speaker, I also want to tell this august House and the nation at large that none of the two boats that were brought to Chilubi in May this year has ever operated because of their high consumption of fuel. For a single trip, each boat consumes about 210 litres of petrol. This is unjustifiable.

Energy

Interruptions

Mr Chisala: Sir, during my five years in this House, I engaged the MMD Government on a number of developmental projects. However, the electrification of Chief Matipa’s Palace, Mwanambulo Rural Health Centre and Chiawa Boarding Secondary School was looked at as impossible. I, therefore, urge the able Government of President Michael Sata, through the able hon. Minister of Lands, Energy and Water Development, to see to it that these places are electrified.

Sir, the previous regime had no regard for the number of issues affecting the citizenry countrywide. For example, it failed to open filling stations in the following districts, among others:

(i) Chilubi;

(ii) Mungwi;

(iii) Kaputa;

(iv) Chinsali;

(v) Luwingu;

(vi) Mporokoso;

(vii) Samfya;

(viii) Chienge;

(ix) Milenge; and

(x) Ikelenge.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I, therefore, implore the selfless Government of President Michael Sata to set up filling stations in the areas that I have mentioned as well as those I have not, but need them. This will save our injector pumps in our vehicles from damage and definitely translate into more money in our pockets.

Mr Speaker, we all know that the MMD regime tried to do its level best, during its tenure, to curb illegal fishing methods. It, however, failed to achieve this objective because the Fisheries Department was understaffed and, in most cases, under-funded.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Therefore, I implore our able, listening and caring Government to see to it that this negative trend is reversed.

Mr Speaker, for a long time, Lake Bangweulu has not been re-stocked despite the promise by the former Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives in the Mwanawasa Government, Mr Mundia Sikatana, to have this done. Even after the money was allocated towards the exercise, nothing has been done to date. This is regrettable.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I am about to conclude, but, before I do, I would like to pay tribute to some of the people that served in the previous Government as professionals. Firstly, I commend Hon. Geoffrey Lungwangwa, who is now a Back Bencher, for serving professionally during his term of office, particularly, as Minister of Education.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I saw development in my constituency and the district at large. I have been singing this song of praise and will continue to do so because I know the positive things that came to my constituency through him. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I also want to salute a man who is not among us today, Dr Kalombo Mwansa. Most of the time, this man served professionally. Even from the way he debated, one could tell that the man was a professional.

The other person I want congratulate and shower praises on is Hon. Simbao.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: When he was Minister of Works and Supply, he would go round the country inspecting roads. This is the way hon. Ministers are supposed to work.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I also want to salute Hon. Dr Kalila for the period he served as Deputy Minister of Health. He really worked hard to ensure that everything went on course in accordance with the laid-down procedures. This is the calibre of people we want in such positions. How I wish they were a part of our Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I further want to salute Hon. Chipungu for the period he served as hon. Deputy Minister. This man served as a professional. We are indebted to these people.

Hon. Government Members: Inga Dora?

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I want to appeal to my brothers, the hon. Ministers for the Luapula and Northern provinces, Hon. Davis Mwila and Hon. Freedom Sikazwe, to deliver development to these provinces. I know that they have the capacity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, in 2009, money was allocated towards the repair of the dredging machine, which is supposed to dig canals in Luapula Province. This money, however, grew wings and disappeared into thin air.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Chisala: I earnestly request Hon. Mwila to see to it that this money is protected. If somebody played some monkey tricks with it, this person should answer for the crime.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, the use of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in Pambashe and Kawambwa Central should be probed.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I now come to the hon. Deputy Minister for Northern Province. Hon. Minister, I know that you have the ability to perform and that you will not fail in your duties. You have all the support from me and the people of Northern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: I would like to bring it to your attention that the CDF was never put to good use in some constituencies, such as Senga Hill and Mpulungu. You are aware of the issue. Therefore, you need to start doing something about it right now. You have to make sure that you sweep out all the dirt in Northern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: You have been given the power to perform your duties. With the Bible in your hand, you were sworn in and you told the people of Zambia that you were going to perform. In the same vein, you should not expect President Sata to come and give you directives on how to go about your work.

Hon. Opposition Member: Tell them!

Mr Chisala: Do your work. Sweep out all the dirt from Northern Province because we do not need it.

Mr Speaker, I am proud to stand on the Floor of this House again because I am able to see Hon. Dora Siliya and Hon. George Kunda, SC., who once came to my constituency. On 3rd May, 2011, Hon. Siliya came to my constituency to insult me and tell the people not to vote for me because I am not educated. Who told you that I am not educated?

Laughter

Ms Siliya: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Chisala: After all, I am more qualified than you are.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to raise this very important point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament, my dear brother, from Chilubi Island.

Mr Speaker, is he in order to, for a long time, drag various hon. Members of Parliament into his debate and, at the end of it, claim that he is very intelligent when, really, if he is that intelligent, he does not have to sing to the nation about it?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Chilubi was, obviously, in order to make the various commendations regarding the services that were provided by some of the hon. Members of Parliament of the previous Government. However, to the extent that his debate degenerated into singling out certain individuals, I think that the hon. Member was out of order …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: … because that had the capacity and propensity to create a controversy in his maiden speech.

The hon. Member may, therefore, continue with that observation and ruling in mind.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Much obliged, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker,as I wind up, I want to sound a warning to my colleagues on your left …

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Chisala: … because a number of them have been saying that President Sata has lamentably failed to extend a hand to them. How do you expect President Sata to give you a portfolio when you did not vote for him?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: If you had wanted President Sata to give you a portfolio …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, address the Chair.

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, I want to state that President Sata did well to have appointed people from all corners of the country who thought that the PF was the right party to govern this country

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisala: With these words, Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa (Kawambwa): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this House, and through it, the people Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I would like to start my maiden speech by thanking my God, the creator, for his blessings and grace as I count it a blessing to be here. I am a great believer that the will of God will not take me where His grace will not protect me.

Mr Speaker, may I take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Sata, on his well-deserved victory in the just-ended elections. We had predicted and preached day and night to many of our people, especially the doubting Thomases, that with or without a pact or alliance, the PF was capable of winning the elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: We told them that the PF was going to carry the day and this has come to pass.

Sir, I now wish to thank some of our colleagues on your left, especially those who were hon. Ministers and some colleagues from the United Party for National Development (UPND), for practising the golden don’t kubeba strategy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Everybody who did not practice the don’t kubeba strategy is not in this House today, including the twenty-two ‘rebel’ hon. Members of Parliament. As they went out campaigning in the night, we would tell the electorate to do the right thing by voting for the right person. The right person we campaigned for is the one at State House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, I further congratulate all the hon. Members of this House on their individual victories, especially those who were in the Opposition in the last National Assembly. We had very little or no resources at all and it became increasingly difficult in the last few months of the campaigns for those who were not in the MMD to access any finances in this country. This is a practice which the PF Government must bring to an end.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Our colleagues in the MMD had so many resources that they even went to the extent of clothing trees and electricity poles in their regalia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Sir, as if this was not enough, even after the campaigns, they still remained with mbasela items, in the form of ifitenge and bicycles. I appeal to those with excess bicycles to give our people in Kawambwa who need them.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Sir, I would now like to congratulate you wholeheartedly. If it was not for the point of order that was raised yesterday on dragging the Chair into our debates, I was going to say …

Laughter

Mr Chilangwa: … I congratulate you wholeheartedly, unlike some of the hon. Members who shed crocodile tears and failed to see the real value of voting for you as Speaker …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: … or unlike some of the hon. Members who were bent on voting for an individual who has never won an election, not even at the ward level …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. H. Malama: Tell them!

Mr Chilangwa: … and block you from ascending to your deserved position.

Mr Speaker, where I come from, there is a saying that mukolwe amina akamulingile. The other is amenshi bapima no bunga.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: How can somebody in the minority want something that is too big for them?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them.

Mr Chilangwa: Sir, for your information …

Mr Namulambe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member debating in order to give expressions in vernacular that some of us do not know the meaning of? Why does he not translate them? Is he in order?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

As far as I have followed the debate, the first proverb, if I may call it so, was actually translated. I presume he was in the process of translating the latter.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Please, continue debating bearing in mind the need for translation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, thank you for your protection. I am indebted.

Sir, I was saying that, in this august House, the PF has sixty-eight seats and, soon, it is going to have seventy-one. There is a party that has fifty-five seats and will soon have less. There is another party that has about twenty-eight seats. I was saying that there were three positions on offer when we were voting and we need to weigh our chances. You cannot clamour for something that is bigger than you. That is what my proverb meant.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, it is a tradition of this House, and arising from your rulings- and when I say ‘you’, I include your predecessors- not to debate ourselves in the House. When an issue is settled in this House, you move on and do not raise it again, unless those who are discussed are also given an opportunity to debate you. Is the hon. Member in order to bring your election into the debate on the Floor of this House?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Fortunately, the hon. Member, in his preface, was mindful and fair to the Chair by stating that a ruling had been made. I think it was inappropriate, in light of the earlier ruling, for the Chair to be brought into debate. As much as every hon. Member is entitled to extend their commendations, I do not think that this should be an opportunity to conduct a post-mortem of the election. This is a bygone event. As I said earlier, in a jest, the Chair is firmly in the Chair.

Please, continue with your debate.

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, thank you. I will not even say what I wanted to say. However, I wanted to say that, out of the three candidates, our friends came out with nothing.

Laughter

Mr Chilangwa: It is amazing to note how some people seem not to want to learn. Mr Speaker, this is a wake-up call. If we do not go back into history, we will not know what happened and will not know how to plan for the future. It is a wake-up call to our colleagues in the former Ruling Party, the MMD, which is now a fading shadow, for them to consult us because they have little or nothing to gain from partnerships and alliances that will only compound their current problems.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: To our colleagues, I wish to say that the people of Zambia have made up their minds and want the PF Government to lead Zambia. The party is enjoying unprecedented support from all corners of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: For those who were asleep on the night that the election results were announced, they should ask the people who took video pictures. They should have seen the way Zambians celebrated.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: People literally got out of their beds and went into the streets to celebrate. As the budget will be presented soon, let us do the right thing.

I also wish to congratulate the hon. Deputy Speaker and the hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on winning the elections unopposed.

Mr Speaker, when I see the hon. Members of this House, especially those from the MMD camp, cry the loudest that they and their members are being attacked and harassed, it beats my reasoning. To set the record straight, the PF does not tolerate violence or allow anyone to be harassed, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Chilangwa: … although there may be some loose elements here and there, especially those joining the PF en mass from the MMD and want to be more PF than the original PF members. This is a transitional challenge that has never been our policy.

Mr Speaker, whilst in power, our colleagues were heartless and vindictive. Anyone who did not tow the MMD line was a target. The top party officials were in the forefront of insulting, maligning, beating and intimidating their opponents.

Interruptions

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, this is on record and it was from the highest levels of the MMD. They uttered the unprintable in the public media. This we all know. Forty days ago is not long a time in our memories. I personally suffered at the hands of the MMD. Nobody saw me cry in the street because I had to move on. My business suffered and my buses were burnt. Even though it is now history, we know where it came from.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, we, in the PF, were very strong because we were beaten, ridiculed, betrayed, insulted, jailed and harassed, but hang in there and just waited to see what they would do to us next. Despite all this, the wonderful people of Kawambwa bestowed their trust and confidence on me, believing that, through me, their cries and plight will be heard and their fortunes reversed despite the huge and well-financed campaigns against my person, my associates, my businesses and family from as far back as 2008. I am glad that the people still trusted me and gave me their votes.

Mr Speaker, no Zambian must go through what some of us went through at the hands of the MMD because of our political beliefs and alignment.

Mr Speaker, when I hear some of our colleagues speak, it reminds me of the story in the Bible of Simon Peter, a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus was betrayed and taken away, being summoned, a maid pointed at him shouting, “that is also a disciple of Jesus”, but he replied, “no, I was never with Jesus. You never saw me with Jesus”. That is what our friends are doing, but I want to tell them that the memories are still fresh for the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the President of the PF, the Central Committee and all party organs for adopting me. I further wish to thank the Secretary-General, Mr Wynter Kabimba, for organising our party in the manner he has over the last three years and for formulating and implementing the election monitoring platform (EMP). In fact, had he been our Secretary-General earlier, we would have been in Government much earlier.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, what happened was that our friends used to have fits and hallucinations whenever we mentioned the phrase parallel voter tabulation (PVT). So, the PF stopped using it because it was giving them nightmares. We started using the EMP. I am revealing this to them in case they did not know because it is no longer “don’t kubeba”.

Mr Chisala: Bebenefya ma phone.

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Speaker, I now turn to the wonderful and inspiring Speech by our President during the Official Opening of this august House. The Speech brings a sigh of relief to the people of Kawambwa because they were short-changed or, rather, gong’ad during the twenty years of the MMD’s misrule. When other parts of the country were experiencing the so-called unprecedented developments, the people of Kawambwa continued wallowing in poverty characterised by lack of clean and safe drinking water, poor sanitation, poor or non-existent health facilities, poor road infrastructure, late delivery of inadequate farm inputs, which were also distributed selectively to their cadres, late payment for farm produce sold to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and dilapidated school infrastructure like Kawambwa Boys, where the ablution facilities have been non-functional for many years. We have a demoralised Civil Service, poorly-funded councils, lack of employment opportunities and the neglect of the run down only major employer in the district, the Kawambwa Tea Company. These are some of the hallmarks of the MMD rule.

Mr Speaker, fortunately, under the mighty leadership of Mr Michael Sata, the people of Kawambwa can clearly see the light as they have come out of the MMD tunnel. Real and unprecedented development will surely come home and I urge our colleagues to keep quiet and give us a chance to perform.

Mr Speaker, when I say that the people of Kawambwa have been gong’ad or short-changed, it is true because even money approved in this House for the Luena Farming Block two years ago has not found its way to Kawambwa. The money approved for Luapula in 2009 has grown wings and cannot be traced anywhere. Through this House, I ask the hon. Minister for Luapula Province to institute investigations to find out where this money has been diverted to.

Mr Speaker, it is delightful to note that the President, in his Speech, outlined key infrastructure development objectives, including the Kawambwa/Mporokoso Road, the Kawambwa/Mushota/Luwingu Road and the Mansa/Chipili/Kawambwa Road. I am sure that the PF Government will also look into the tarring of the Kawambwa/Nchelenge Road as well as the following two key feeder roads: Muyembe/Kamfukeshi/Lengwe Road and Mufwaya/Munganunshi/Mbeleshi/Kolwe/Ntumbatushi Road. We need to upgrade the Kawambwa Hospital with all the auxiliary services and equipment, including ambulances, as the current hospital is only fit to be called a clinic.

Mr Speaker, the MMD Government found it more important to procure hearses than ambulances. This kind of thinking beats normal thinking.

Hon. Member: It is your member who did that!

Mr Chilangwa: Mr, how can you be in a hurry to take somebody to the grave rather than taking them to the health centre for treatment? All health posts dotted around the constituency need to be upgraded by replacing all thatched roofs and enabling them to provide other services other than the monthly and bi-monthly under-five clinics. The people of Kawambwa are hopeful that this brand new PF Government will construct a second hospital, a commodity exchange centre and storage sheds in the district at Katungulu.

Mr Speaker, we need additional schools to be built in the district as well as on-going projects to be completed. I am sure that the PF Government will deliver to the people of Kawambwa. With the PF, a better Zambia for all is possible as prices of commodities are coming down. We have seen the price of fuel come down, bank lending rates have come down, the exchange rate has gone down and we do not know what cost will reduce next.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Lands, Energy and Water Development (Mr C. Zulu): Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I thank God Almighty for appointing Mr Michael ChilufyaSata to lead this great nation of Zambia. I say so because I believe leaders are appointed by God. What I mean is that no matter what other human beings do, like buying bicycles, vitenges and whatever, if God chooses someone, that is it.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: I also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on deservedly being elected to your respective offices of this House. Your election reminds me of the saying that “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose shall prevail.”

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: On the day that we elected you our Speaker, the Lord’s purpose prevailed. People slept in different hotels, but the Lord’s will prevailed by only one vote. We now have a new Speaker and, for that, I am thankful.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: I would also like to thank the people of Luangeni Constituency for choosing me to represent them in this House as an Independent hon. Member. My campaigns were not easy and I was called all sorts of names, such as orphan. Others even said that, as an Independent hon. Member of Parliament, I will have nowhere to find resources for the development of my constituency. However, I now have a family here.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu:  I am not an orphan anymore because I have my brothers in here and my father, Mr Michael Sata. We are all now one family. I also thank the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) for not adopting me because I would have been on the other side now.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: I wish to acknowledge the contribution to my electoral victory of the churches, schools, hospital staff, women’s clubs, youths, traditional leaders and, most of all, my family members. Further, I am gratified by the President’s decision to appoint me Deputy Minister of Lands, Energy and Water Development.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: I am greatly honoured and humbled by this gesture and wish to assure him that he did not make a mistake. I promise to perform to the best of my ability. Last, but not least, I applaud everyone here for being victorious in their respective constituencies.

Mr Speaker, Luangeni is one of the four constituencies in Chipata District, Eastern Province and has five wards, namely, Nsingo, Khova, Chikando, Makangila and Kazimule. The constituency has an estimated population of 68,000, with more than 1,000 villages under Paramount Chief Mpezeni, Inkosiya ma Nkosi. There are four other senior chiefs, namely, Nzamane, Saili, Maguya and Chinyaku.

Mr Speaker, allow me to outline the many challenges in my constituency, which I intend to address with the support of the people who elected me, my fellow hon. Members of Parliament, hon. Deputy Ministers, hon. Cabinet Ministers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector. These challenges have been the cry of all the Luangeni Constituency stakeholders since I was a small boy.

Mr Speaker, one of the many challenges that Luangeni faces is that of water and sanitation. Water is life and good sanitation is very important in the maintenance of a healthy community. The availability of clean water and improved sanitation are very cardinal in the prevention of water-borne, water-related and water-washed diseases. For those who do not know the difference among the three categories, water-borne diseases are those like cholera, water-related diseases are those like malaria while water-washed disease include scabies.

Mr Speaker, three-quarters of the people in Luangeni Constituency still draw water from unsafe sources such as shallow wells, rivers and dambos. My aim is to improve access to clean water and improved sanitation through by drilling boreholes for the estimated 1,000 villages, construction of, at least, five dams and sensitisation campaigns on the importance of constructing and using improved ventilated pit latrines. I am saying ‘constructing and using’ because there are people who construct, but do not use the pit latrines, still preferring to use the bush.

Laughter

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, currently, there is only one hospital in Luangeni, which is run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. This is Mwami Hospital. Further, there are only nine rural health centres against a population of 68,000 people. Clearly, this is inadequate. The number of medical doctors and clinical officers in the area is also insufficient to effectively service the population.

We need one more hospital to be situated in Chikando Ward and four more clinics to be constructed in the following areas: Kaphinde, Kazimule, Katambo and Mwami Border Post, which is at the border between Malawi and Zambia. Moreover, we need to improve the supply of drugs and medical equipment, such as incubators, especially at Mwami Hospital, where we have many unnecessary deaths of premature babies.

I experienced this two to three weeks ago. I went there and was around when four premature infants were born, but there was only one incubator. In the process of waiting to take turns in the incubator, two of the babies died that day because there is only one incubator instead of four. It was very unfortunate. In addition, we need to provide beds, mattresses and blankets at various health centres in the constituency. Before I was elected Member of Parliament, I donated 400 blankets to this hospital two to three years ago.

Hon. Opposition Members: Corruption!

Mr C. Zulu: We also need to motivate the health personnel by providing decent accommodation and an increased rural hardship allowance. This will change their attitude towards work. This will be done through the support of the Ministry of Health working together with the people. That is what we are saying here.

Interruptions

Mr C. Zulu: There is no corruption in me. I am not a corrupt person and I have never been.

Mr Speaker: Address the Chair, please.

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, there is only one secondary school and thirty-nine primary schools in the constituency, most of which are dilapidated and have insufficient teaching and learning materials such, as desks, boards and books. Through my own efforts, I donated building materials and constructed three classroom blocks because the schools in the area are too inadequate to cater for all the children in this vast constituency. We need, at least, three secondary schools and forty-five primary schools. We also need to build more teachers’ houses since most teachers are not accommodated. A teacher might be transferred from Kitwe to Luangeni, but there are no teachers’ houses and, therefore, s/he ends up living in a grass-thatched house. It is very unfortunate.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government places much emphasis on good quality education. During my tenure of office, I intend to encourage our people to take their children to school through the support of local leaders like village headmen, church elders, teachers and other stakeholders. The Ministry of Education, Science and Vocational Training will provide the necessary support and advice.

Mr Speaker, most of the people in the constituency are small-scale farmers involved in animal husbandry and growing of crops like maize, cotton, tobacco, vegetables and groundnuts. However, incentives for producing larger quantities of these crops are inadequate in most cases. Farmers produce without having an assured market for their produce. Animals do not have enough sources of drinking water and dip tanks are not readily available.

Mr Speaker, we need to establish small-scale processing industries in Luangeni. I started this about five years ago. I have hammer mills and we grind mealie-meal, process cooking oil and have created jobs there. Hon. Members should emulate this idea. Adding value to crops will give rise to an easy market for farmers and create employment for the local communities. This means more money in people’s pockets. We also need more storage facilities for maize and more dams and dip tanks for the animals. To achieve this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will be fully involved.

Mr Speaker, the road network is in a deplorable state, with run-down bridges making it difficult for people to travel and for children to go to school. In some cases, pregnant women give birth on their way to health centres, especially during the rainy season, when the streams are flooded. We need to rehabilitate the roads and run-down bridges and construct some new bridges where they are needed. I thank the President for considering tarring the road from Chipata to Vubwi, where Hon. Dr Kazonga comes from. I do not know whether he even knows that there is a road under construction in his area.

Laughter

Mr C. Zulu: That is one of the roads already under construction and it passes through the Paramount Chief’s palace …

Dr Kazonga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, since I came to Parliament, I have never raised a point of order, …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Dr Kazonga: … but, today, I am forced to do so. Is the hon. Deputy Minister on the Floor in order to disturb me, who is listening to his debate, and insinuate that I do not know the Vubwi/Chipata Road when I am the area Member of Parliament there? Is he in order, Sir?

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member is certainly not in order to disturb you. He is also not in order to make that insinuation.

May the hon. Member, please, continue.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance. I also thank the President for considering tarring the Chipata/Chadiza Road, which passes through Luangeni Constituency. I hope Hon. Allan Mbewe knows that.

Laughter

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, on women’s and youths’ associations, I wish to say that most women and youths are not empowered due to insufficient knowledge on the empowerment schemes. As a result, they are involved in various retrogressive activities. We need to sensitise and encourage them to form income-generating associations to enable them access loans from lending institutions. This will keep them busy creating wealth and, consequently, putting more money in their pockets. The Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health will be key to achieving this.

Mr Speaker, on security, the current three police posts are not enough. Crime, especially stock theft and assault, is on the increase due to inadequate police officers. We, therefore, need two more police posts in Chikando and Makangila wards to curb more serious crime. The Ministry of Home Affairs will be fully involved to achieve this.

Mr Speaker, as regards sport and recreation, they say, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Our youths need to be kept busy all the time to help them avoid getting involved in delinquent activities, such as stealing, drug abuse and prostitution. Therefore, we need to create an environment in which our children are kept busy. Sport is one way of achieving this. That is why I have always been, and will continue to be, involved in encouraging sporting activities in my constituency. We also need to encourage the private sector to sponsor sport and recreation activities in rural areas as an indirect, but effective way of combating the scourge of HIV/AIDS since people will be kept busy.

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about land. In his address to the nation, His Excellency, the Republican President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, underlined the national development agenda when he emphasised the need for the Government to promote pro-poor growth for the vulnerable in society. The President pointed out the core development programmes, namely, education development and housing. He also emphasised the importance of other key sectors, such as commerce, trade and industry; manufacturing; and tourism. In order for these sectors to attain their desired growth rates, it is vital to ensure land is secured for the growth of these sectors. I wish to also point out that growth of the above sectors cannot be achieved without streamlining the land administration system in the country.

Mr Speaker, in his address to the nation, the President mentioned the problems associated with lack of security of tenure of both customary and state land. In order to address this problem, my Government will work closely with traditional rulers and councils to promote security of tenure through introduction of an acceptable land registration system that guarantees the rights of occupants. To this effect, my Government will continue to consult traditional leaders and other stakeholders as it formulates appropriate legislation.

Mr Speaker, in line with the Presidential directive, my Government will undertake a land audit countrywide in order to plan for the sustainable use of land resources for agriculture, residential, commercial and industrial development. It is the policy of my Government to create an environment in which all Zambians have equal access to land as a means of empowering all the citizens. This will translate into putting more money into people’s pockets.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, it is the policy of my Government to review land-related pieces of legislation in order to streamline land administration in this country. As you may be aware, some pieces of legislation, such as the Lands Act of 1995, will require to be amended in this House. I call upon our colleagues in the Opposition to support this noble cause. I also call upon them to support us when we bring the relevant legislation to this House to amend the various land-related fees in order to promote transparency so that our people can afford land. This will contribute to the national revenue base.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, after addressing all the challenges that have been highlighted, I strongly believe that life in Luangeni Constituency will greatly improve. I hope to address these challenges during my five years in office.

Mr Speaker, I hope I have not hurt anybody. Through you, Sir, I hope I have not hurt my mulamu, Hon. Dr Kazonga, and Hon. Allan Mbewe.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Deputy Minister for Eastern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Boma, Boma!

The Deputy Minister for Eastern Province (Mr Mbuzi): Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me this chance to say something at this stage of this debate, which is mainly based on the President’s Speech.

Hon. Government Members: Oxford English!

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, firstly, I wish to express my very sincere appreciation to the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, …

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: … who kindly nominated me for a parliamentary seat in this House and, consequently, appointed me hon. Provincial Minister for Eastern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Hammer, Minister!

Mr Mbuzi: We praise the President unreservedly for his highly focussed and rare political stance. He was unstoppable and completely erased the innuendos …

Hon. Government Members: Boma!

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: … and unpalatable propaganda ...

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: … mounted by our political adversaries, ...

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: … who are now quiet and paralysed.

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, they were always painting a false and dark picture that he would never ever be President of this country.

Hon. Government Member:Chanda ‘Chimbwi’.

Mr Mbuzi: They advocated this despite his unfathomable political career and his very clear understanding of both local and international politics.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: Why were they doing that? Please, tell me. However, the bitter lesson …

Hon. Opposition Member: Address the Chair.

Mr Mbuzi: Oh ...

Mr Speaker, the lesson enemies have learnt from this experience is to always remember that pride comes before a fall. It has taught us that we should never despise others on account of an unfounded feeling within us that we are a better lot than they; than our neighbour.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: The golden rule demands that we say about others as we would have them say about us.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: This is critical to the creation of an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, be it at the village or national level, such as Zambia.

Mr Mwila: Ema Ministers aba.

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, once again, I want to congratulate my President on his ascendance to the highest position in the land. I should also not forget to congratulate you, our dear son, on having achieved so much within the short time of your life.

If I remember, you could have been either in the upper primary or junior secondary school when your father was our Vice-Principal at Chalimbana College in the early 1970s.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: We were young lecturers under him. Now, you fulfill the saying that leaders are born, not made.

Sir, allow me to also congratulate His Honour, the Vice-President, Dr Guy Scott, hon. Cabinet and Deputy Ministers, hon Back Benchers and all hon. Members of the Opposition on their fulfilment of the requirement of democratic governance in this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: Without the Opposition, there can be no democracy. We were in the Opposition and you used to taunt us, which was not good. When you are back, twenty years from now, do not do that again.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: Finally, I want to congratulate the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House as well as the Clerk of the National Assembly who is doing a meticulous job at this institution. I say this from deep down my heart. I am not flattering anybody at all.

Mr Mwila: Bwekeshapo!

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, please, allow me to comment on one or two aspects of His Excellency, the President’s Speech, which is of a very rare quality and full of brilliant ideas. My entry point into the speech will be the shortage of staff in schools, the need to increase enrolments and the re-introduction of compulsory education as spelt out on pages 12 and 13 of his speech.

Mr Speaker, the previous government has an exaggerated and false notion of high quality education. They seem to have travelled to some very remote part of the world and then got back to say that they had learnt beautiful ideas, and tried to implement those ideas without any modification. That is not the way we can borrow ideas from other people in the world.

Mr Mwila: Nweniko amenshi!

Hon. Government Members: Awe balekeni!

Mr Mbuzi: Ninshiiwe?

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, they forgot that we are a least developed country (LDC). We are not yet up there, but down here.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Where?

Mr Mbuzi: Where you are.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, to prove this allegation, we must …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours

[THE DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Deputy Speaker: Before I allow the hon. Minister for Eastern Province, who was speaking, to continue with his speech, let me explain on three little issues.

Firstly, we are two minutes late into our time and this is because we did not form a quorum. Therefore, it is necessary that we observe punctuality when retuning from the tea break.

Secondly, the Hon. Mr Speaker has said before, with regard to the Executive: we know that some of you represent constituencies, but, at the same time, you represent everybody else. When you are making your statements, do not spend too much time on what you think should be done in your constituencies but, rather, on the policies of your ministry. Take note of this as we debate.

Thirdly, we, presiding officers, have noted that, when you are making statements on the Floor, and this does not single out new hon. Members because even the returning ones say, ‘Mr Speaker, Sir’. It may be right out there, but, here, you are supposed to say ‘Mr Speaker’ or ‘Sir’, not both. That is not the best way of doing it in here.

May the hon. Minister for Eastern Province continue.

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, before the tea-break, I stated that we are one of the least developed countries in the world. The previous Government did not seem to understand that since we are an LDC, we have to be very careful. To justify this argument, we can look at what they decided to do in hiking school fees in teacher training colleges. Today, you find colleges forcing their students to pay K1 million or more per term for three years. This has disadvantaged many young intelligent people. As a result they have failed to enter teacher training colleges because they cannot afford the fees.

It is only the affluent ones who enter teachers’ training colleges these days. As a result, there is a big yawning gap in schools. We must avoid that kind of situation. You have, sometimes, one teacher handling a class of seventy pupils. That gap destroys the capacity of a teacher to be effective in a classroom. 

Sir, another factor contributing to the widening of this gap is the fact that there are still few primary teachers’ training colleges in this country and the same few ones were built during the colonial days and soon after Independence, a time during which the population was only 3.5 million. We are close to 14 million now. The existing Government ...

Mr Mwila: Ni jealousy fye.

Mr Mbulakulima: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mbulakulima: MrSpeaker, is the hon. Deputy Minister of Eastern Province, who is debating very well, in order to keep lamenting over the same issue without giving us hope as a representative of the PF Government? I need your very serious ruling, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: The Chair was listening very carefully to the debate of the hon. Deputy Minister for Eastern Province before the point of order was raised. The hon. Minister was outlining problems in teacher training colleges. Maybe, your point of order has come too early. It could be that as he progresses, he might come up with solutions.

The hon. Deputy Minister may continue.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. PF Member: Naibafulunganya petition.

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: Thank you, Sir. The teacher-pupil ratio is skewed. So, we are saying that we should expand the teacher training college system. What I am saying is that, currently, there is only one in Chipata, Solwezi and Mansa, respectively. So, there is a need to redress the situation.

Hon. MMD Member: Aah!

MrMbuzi: Ninenawewolini. Ninena PS.

Laughter

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

The hon. Deputy Minister should avoid speaking in a non-official language in the House. However, let me also advise hon. Members on my left to give him time to explain because interjections will disturb the flow of his thoughts.

The hon. Deputy Minister may continue.

Mr Mbuzi: Thank you, Sir. I was saying that the teacher-pupil ratio is skewed. In some places, the ratio is 1:100. I have done a lot of research, so, that is a fact. In this case, the teacher is not effective at all. So, the PF Government must do something to the system. The number of colleges will be increased, particularly, primary teachers’ training colleges. This must be done. Instead of having just one in Chipata in Eastern Province, there should be two or three primary teachers’ training colleges.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: We should not rely on the privately-owned colleges. Those will not help us. Let us have Government institutions to cater for different areas.

Mr Speaker, kindly allow me to reiterate, not retaliate, what others have already said: that a functional education system is always vital in the development of any country. It is for this reason that, under no circumstances, will a leader in the modern world afford to ignore putting in place strategies that would ensure sustainable education. The previous Government did not seem to realise the need to correct this situation, but we shall do it.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Mbuzi: You only have one or two teachers’ training colleges in Southern Province: Charles Lwanga and David Livingstone. Are you okay?

Interruptions

Mr Mbuzi: We want some more.

Laughter

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Like I said, this is one thing about which we shall keep reminding each other. It is important for hon. Members to always address the Chair to avoid what has happened. Now, in this case, the hon. Deputy Minister should have said, “In addressing the Chair, there are two colleges in Southern Province. One is David Livingstone ...” because when he says, “You”, he invites reactions from the other side because he is addressing them directly. So, please, address the Chair.

You may continue.

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, I would like to say one or two things regarding the President’s Speech. We all know that the speech could not have covered all the minute details of the political, social and economic development issues affecting this nation. What the President did was to summarise everything into a condensed speech. This is because he knows that he has hon. Cabinet Ministers who are intelligent enough to add value to whatever he said. That is why I am surprised that some people are claiming that the President left out some things in his speech. That is not the way we should debate here.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: As Speaker, Sir, before I conclude, …

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, I meant to say, …

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: … before I conclude my remarks, let me state that the rehabilitation of Vubwi Road, which goes via the palace, has already begun. This is the wish of the President, Bwana Michael Chilufya Sata. He said so in his speech and the rehabilitation is already on-going. One thing we must always bear in mind as we debate the President’s Speech is that it has to be brief and to the point. The responsibility of interpreting the phrases used belongs to very clever people, such as Cabinet Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.

Laughter

Mr Mbuzi: Mr Speaker, I am referring to debaters whose criticism borders on malice and sour grapes. These are debaters who exhibit cynicism and pettiness.

Hon. Government Member: George Kunda na Shikapwasha!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbuzi: It is such debaters who will stand up and say the President’s Speech has left out one or two things.

Hon. Member: Namugala!

Mr Mbuzi: It is such debaters who claim that the President left out salient points. Such talk only shows your jealousy and amounts to nothing positive. 

Laughter

Hon. Government Member: Read the speech, ntawi yasila.

Mr Mbuzi: To us, Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech covered everything and we are proud of it. I know that there are one or two people who you may doubt. However, I would like to assure you that the hon. Cabinet Ministers in the PF Government are very clever people.

Mr Speaker, we must support President Sata. He is the only President. Where are all those who were saying that he cannot run this country?

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Colonel Chanda (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the good people of Kanyama and, indeed, on my own behalf, allow me to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for according me the opportunity to deliver my second maiden speech to this august House. I wish to congratulate you and your two deputies on your deserved election to the portfolios of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson Committees of the Whole House. I also wish to extend my sincere congratulations and salute to His Excellency, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on not only winning the 20th September, 2011, tripartite elections handsomely, but also embracing this victory with humility. The attributes of humility and commitment to sacrifice, which President Sata has, will turn Zambia into an envy of many in the region and beyond.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not thank my party, the PF and, particularly, the President and his Central Committee for giving me yet another chance to represent the people of Kanyama Constituency. From this advantaged position, allow me to pay special tribute to the people of Linda Compound, Mimosa, Buckley, Bonaventure-Makeni, John Laing, Chibolya, Chinika, Mutandabantu, Mbasela, Mainland Kanyama and Garden House as well as Fire Brigade for turning up in such large numbers in the just-ended tripartite elections held on the 20th of September, 2011, and for giving me and my President a resounding ‘yes’ vote.

Mr Speaker, let me briefly touch on one or two salient points from the President’s Speech, which was delivered during the recent opening of the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly on 14th October, 2011.

From the outset, let me hasten to acknowledge the fact that this was the best speech ever delivered to this House, both in terms of quality and substance.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, this speech is only second to the Watershed Speech delivered by our first Republican President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda in 1975.

Colonel Kaunda: I will tell him.

Laughter

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I am convinced that the speech gave a lot of hope, especially to the youths in Kanyama and the country as a whole. This is due to the bias it had towards issues to do with job creation, which contributes to human dignity. Being jobless is dehumanising. Therefore, the pronouncements by the President regarding job creation give us, in Kanyama, a lot of hope for the future. I have no doubt that we will see better times under this hardworking Government led by a very committed Head of State in the name of Michael Chilufya Sata.

Mr Speaker, I promise to be very brief and only talk about the key parts of the President’s Speech. One of the burning issues that I find very important is that of providing the people of Zambia with a Constitution that will stand the test of time.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: We will provide a Constitution that will stand the test of time for the people of Zambia in the cheapest possible manner. The money that would be saved by reviewing the various constitutional review commissions, instead of appointing one, will be put to good use.

Mr Speaker, as I debate this aspect, I am mindful of the fact that a constitution is a social contract between the people and their Government. The PF did not boycott the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) out of malice.

Sir, I find it extremely irritating when I hear hon. Members from the Opposition trivialise the importance that this Government wants to attach to this exercise. We did not boycott the NCC because of not wanting a new constitution. We have always wanted a new constitution and we still want one. However, we found the arrogance exhibited by the MMD Government towards advice given regarding the constitution-making process extremely unaccepted and irritating. They did not want to consult others.

Hon. Government Members: Where are they?

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Therefore, the MMD Government should have listened to the cries of the people regarding the constitution-making process. We could have saved the K235 billion that went to over it.

Mr Speaker, at this stage, the PF Government must pursue those who had personal interests in driving that agenda forward solely for the purpose of enriching themselves. The money they got from that process should be given back to the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that the CDF is very useful in our constituencies. When I first came to this august House, the figure was at K300 million. The cry then was for it to be increased and justifiably so because this is the only money that was at the disposal of our electorate almost at the stroke of a pen.

Sir, when the former President, Mr Rupiah Banda, was campaigning in 2008, he promised the people that he would increase the CDF from K500 million to one billion if he was elected President. Did we get the one billion?

Hon. Government Members: No!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, in as much as I want the CDF to be increased, I find the calls for it to be increased to five billion by some people who were in the MMD Government misplaced because they failed to increase it to one billion.

Hon. Government Members: Aah! Unreasonable!

Colonel Chanda: Sir, this type of thinking is what is driving this country backwards.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, if they told us that they wanted the CDF to reach K5 billion over a period of time, it would have made sense. They should not demand for the increment to reach that figure almost immediately.

Mr Speaker, you know that the resources at our disposal are limited. I do not have to lecture you on that because you were in the Government recently. You know how difficult it is to raise money.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them.

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

May there be order in the House. Can the hon. Member address the Chair.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, regarding the CDF, the President emphatically said that there should be an audit of the way this money was expended under the MMD Government. The money must be accounted for. I think that the President was justified in saying that.

Sir, we have also got facts to the effect that during the just-ended tripartite elections, our friends on your left took advantage of being in the Government and abused this privilege by giving themselves money, whereas in Kanyama …

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague, Hon. Chanda, who is the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanyama Constituency. However, is he in order to insinuate that everyone on your left misused the CDF when, in fact, Monze Central Constituency has not yet received the CDF for this year?

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Could the hon. Member for Kanyama Constituency take that point of order into account as he continues debating.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank you for bringing me back on track. However, I still think he knows what I meant. The people that were misusing the funds are known. Kanyama Constituency has not yet received its CDF, just like Monze Central. Those from the MMD saw it fit to give themselves the CDF because they saw it as a gimmick that they could use to win elections. That is the abuse that we cannot accept.

Mr Speaker, let me emphasise the fact that the CDF is an important ingredient in the development of our constituencies. The PF Government needs to review the process of disbursing the CDF because it is not right for money that is supposed to be provided during a fiscal year to be disbursed after two years. Such a state of affairs beats the whole purpose of disbursing the money. I appeal to the Government to attend to this anomaly as soon as possible. Money is supposed to be spent during the same year in which it is disbursed because it has the power to create a positive impact for the people in our constituencies.

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the direct impact of the CDF on the livelihood of the people of Kanyama. For those that may not be familiar with Kanyama Constituency, it lies on the Southern part of the City of Lusaka. To be specific, it is found in the business district of Lusaka. It is a constituency with a population of approximately 250,000 residents. This figure is based on the 2010 census.

Sir, throughout the twenty-seven years that UNIP was in power, Kanyama Constituency remained underdeveloped. It only became an important area during election periods when politicians had to solicit votes. Unfortunately, this trend continued in the twenty years of the MMD misrule.

Mr Speaker, the people of Kanyama have been neglected over the years in terms of development. I invite hon. Members to take a walk or drive around Kanyama. If they did so, they would think that they were in a war zone. It is as if the constituency is not in the capital city.

Sir, let me now look at the challenges the people in my constituency face, in their order of importance.

Mr Speaker, the drainage system is a burning issue in Kanyama. Water reticulation is non-existent in most parts while the road network is a terrible mess.

Mr Speaker, as regards health, when the MMD was in the Government, it did not want to listen to other people’s suggestions. I, personally, made representation that what we needed in Kanyama was not infrastructure that would have no people to man it. I have since been vindicated. We have a hospital that has been constructed in Kanyama, but there are no nurses and doctors. That hospital is a white elephant. That is not the unprecedented development that we look forward to.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, in Kanyama, security is non-existent in certain places like the western part. As a result of insecurity, there are areas where people retire to bed as early as 1800 hours. People were allowed to fend for themselves as if there was no Government.

Sir, let me spend my last few minutes on the issue of the drainage system. There is an outcry by the people of Kanyama that the MMD Government must account for the money that was appropriated by this House for the provision of a drainage system.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Sir, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs must take up this matter very seriously. I have in my possession the Auditor-General’s Report for 2009 and it highlights some irregularities. Twenty billion Kwacha was misappropriated by the MMD when it was in the Government, but no action has been taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Why is it that the people of Kanyama must be taken for a ride? People sleep in unsanitary conditions, yet money was appropriated by this House to better their situation, but somebody from this side (left) of the House chose to pocket it and we all keep quiet.

Mr Speaker, K1billion Kwacha was paid to the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) as fees from the same fund. What has the ZCTU got to do with the Kanyama Drainage System?

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, K81 million was, again, paid to the Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW). I wrote a letter to the then hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing to give me an explanation so that I could furnish my people with the information on what had happened to the money. To date, they have not had the courtesy of writing back and explaining where that money has gone. This is not a very palatable issue. The rains are with us. People are going to be swimming in filthy water while somebody chose to misappropriate the money that was meant to ameliorate the lives of the people of Kanyama. I will never leave a stone unturned until this money is accounted for.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: I will not ask this Government …

Dr Chituwo: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanyama in order to mislead this House by stating that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing is responsible for the misappropriation of the funds allocated to the Kanyama drainage when it is clearly stated that the management of such funds is through the council? Is he in order?

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

I think that it depends on how one reads the situation. Councils eventually fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. Can the hon. Member continue.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection is a controlling authority. The council is a spending authority and I have got records in the Auditor-General’s Report where it is indicated that the money was in the custody of the then Ministry of Local Government and Housing. Therefore, I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this money is given back to the rightful people, the people of Kanyama, so that we can build a proper drainage system.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

________

The House adjourned at 1710 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 4th November, 2011.