Thursday, 13th November, 2025

Thursday, 13^th November, 2025

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM EMMANUEL ADVENTIST SECONDARY SCHOOL

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

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

I thank you.

BENEVOLENT FUND ACCOUNT

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that the National Assembly of Zambia Gender Sub-Committee, comprising selected members of staff, operates a benevolent fund account to which some hon. Members of Parliament and staff contribute quarterly through the payroll. From these contributions, the National Assembly has supported a number of vulnerable causes, both financially and through donations of various items, such as food, clothing and school requirements, among other important items.

Hon. Members, I wish to invite you to support the work of the Gender Sub-Committee through voluntary monthly contributions to the benevolent account to be deducted through the payroll. Hon. Members who are currently contributing are encouraged to increase their contributions and to make them monthly, instead of quarterly. The sign-up forms are available and will be distributed to hon. Members.

I thank you.

DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF SUPPLY

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to remind the House that the debate on the Motion of Supply, which was moved by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning on Tuesday, 4^th November, 2025, will be concluded on Wednesday, 19^th November, 2025.

In this regard, hon. Members of the Backbench will conclude their debate today, Thursday, 13^th November, 2025, while hon. Members of the Frontbench will be given an opportunity to respond to the various issues raised by the Backbench for three days, from tomorrow, Friday, 14^th to Wednesday, 19^th November, 2025. Therefore, all hon. Members from the Backbench who have not yet debated are encouraged to do so today.

I thank you.

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR J. CHIBUYE, HON. MEMBER FOR ROAN, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MR MTOLO, ON SECURING THE MAIZE BOUGHT BY THE FOOD RESERVE AGENCY

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr J. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise an Urgent Matter without Notice. I am raising this matter with a troubled heart. I am aware that you have ruled on several occasions on the matter that I wish to raise, but allow me to express myself further. The Urgent Matter without Notice is directed at my older brother, Hon. Mtolo Phiri.

Welcome, Sir.

Madam Speaker, last week, you ruled on several Points of Order regarding the issue of maize. I remember raising the same matter as to what is happening to the maize that is lying outside uncollected. God is so gracious. He has given us ulutoshi this year and next year. I believe we should not take the issue of maize lightly. The hon. Minister came out very clearly and assured this House that the Government has taken care of all the maize that is out there uncollected. He assured the House that there are enough tarpaulins to take care of the maize that will not be collected on time.

Madam Speaker, just this week, there was a video trending showing a very big heap of maize exposed under heavy rainfall. I am afraid that maize has gone to waste. I want to ask the hon. Minister to assure this House and the nation that we shall not have a lot of maize go to waste, especially the so-called discoloured maize. Is the hon. Minister’s office failing to send officers to all areas to ensure that all the maize is covered until the time when it will be collected from the satellite areas?

Madam Speaker, my heart is troubled.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Member for Roan. I know that the hon. Minister has been on the Floor of this House on several occasions talking about maize and reassuring people that the maize is safe. I know that he will come back tomorrow or on Tuesday with a Ministerial Statement to update the House on the payments to farmers. So, maybe, when he comes to the House, he can also refer to the issue of how maize has been secured.

Hon. Members, our Standing Orders do not allow us to keep talking about the same thing. Tedious repetitions are not allowed by our Standing Orders. I just want to see which Standing Order specifically talks about this issue.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Does the hon. Minister want to say something now?

Mr Mtolo indicated assent.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, although we do not allow repetition of issues, I will use my discretion, since the hon. Member for Roan is saying that his heart is bleeding. Maybe, the hon. Minister can be given an opportunity to respond, but there will be no questions after that.

Mr Mtolo: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, indeed, may that bleeding heart be put at peace.

Madam Speaker, the incident in question happened in Mpika. I have personally been to that area. Accidents happen. The maize was properly covered, like all the other maize in the country. There was heavy rainfall that was accompanied by strong winds. A tarpaulin was set up, but it got blown off. It was an accident. That was a huge stack of maize, as the hon. Member for Roan has indicated. 700 bags out of that stack were affected by the rainfall. Immediately after that incident, all the 700 bags were picked, and if the hon. Member knows Mpika, taken to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) warehouse, where they were opened and dried. Why would the hon. Member say that the maize got damaged? He has not seen the maize. We are alarming the nation. Let us be careful in this House. Accidents happen.

Madam Speaker, when a plane takes off, no one wants it to crash but, once in a while, one crashes. A tarpaulin was blown off. That is something difficult to place a hand on. I have been dealing with maize all my life. In case hon. Members do not know. I have done nothing else in my life, but agriculture. I, therefore, decided to give guidance to my colleagues on how best to secure the tarpaulins, which is by putting long logs and tying the ropes tightly, because the wind cannot blow a heavy log. The Government cares, as much as every other citizen in this country, about ensuring that the maize does not get soaked. The maize that was soaked has been dried.

Madam Speaker, for the people's comfort, maize can get soaked one, two, or so times. It will not go to waste. The people should be comforted. They have competence in that regard.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much for that explanation. I am sure, the heart of the hon. Member for Roan is now settled. I was in Mpika. I know the area can be windy. Maybe that explains why the tarpaulin was blown off. I am glad that something was done about it.

MR WAMUNYIMA, HON. MEMBER FOR NALOLO, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HEALTH, MR MUCHIMA, ON THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo): Madam Speaker, on an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Wamunyima: Madam Speaker, thank you most sincerely.

Madam Speaker, I wish to raise a matter directed at the hon. Minister of Health. In the last twenty-four hours, there have been various pockets of news on the outbreak of cholera in the country. I am aware that yesterday, twenty-four cases, and the death of a child, were recorded in Monze. To that effect, the Catholic Church issued a letter to ban the gathering of its members. I am also aware that there was a cholera alert in Choma and Mpulungu. As the rainy season intensifies, there is a need for the Ministry of Health to give a position on its preparedness for the cholera outbreak, as the numbers have escalated in the last twenty-four hours. I am particularly worried for my hon. Colleague from Kanyama over there (Pointed at Mr Chinkuli) because, as the rainy season intensifies, we will have a crisis. My matter is based on the need for the hon. Minister of Health to come to this House to inform the nation on the Government’s preparedness in terms of vaccinations and other responses.

Madam Speaker, you may also like to note that with the power crisis, certain areas in the country have erratic water supply. So, there is a need for a serious position to be given by the Government.

Madam Speaker: I think, the cholera outbreak is well known to the Executive. Most of us have received messages from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) about the outbreak alert. Since your matter is on the preparedness of the Ministry of Health in combating the outbreak, we can allow the hon. Minister to come on Thursday, next week, to brief the House on how prepared the ministry is in handling the outbreak, in terms of vaccinations and other things.

Hon. Members, we all know that one of the reasons for the cholera outbreak is the state of the environment where we live. There is a lot of dirt in our areas. Let us encourage our people to keep their environments clean by ensuring they dispose of garbage properly. That is the major measure we can take to stop the outbreak of cholera, speaking as a person coming from the community.

The hon. Minister of Health will give an update on Thursday, next week, on how prepared the ministry is in combating the outbreak of cholera.

Thank you.

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

NETWORK CHALLENGES IN LUMEZI PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY, INSTALLATION OF COMMUNICATION TOWERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PROSPECT OF CUSTOMERS ROAMING FROM ONE NETWORK TO ANOTHER

The Minister of Technology and Science (Mr Mutati): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for granting me this opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement on the update on the installation of communication towers across the country.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, let me indicate that this statement is being presented in three parts, as follows:

specific case of network challenges in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency;
possibility of national roaming; and
status of construction of communication towers countrywide.

Madam Speaker, as indicated above, the statement is also in response to an Urgent Matter without Notice that was raised on Friday, 7^th November, 2025, by the hon. Member of Parliament for Lumezi, Mr Lufeyo Ngoma, who expressed concern on the status of communication towers in his constituency. The hon. Member stated as follows:

“The network has collapsed in half of my constituency. It has now been a couple of days that the people in Chibanda, under Mwanya Chiefdom, and the people of Kazembe, under Chitungulu, cannot communicate with anyone. There is no network. The network provider is ZAMTEL Limited. The people in that area are wondering when they will have network. There is a need to restore the network in those chiefdoms. It has been three weeks since the network disappeared, and they cannot access it.”

Specific Network Challenges in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency

Madam Speaker, I wish to express my sincere compassion to the affected communities of Shibande under Chief Mwenya Kingdom, Kazembe and Chitungulu. The Government fully understands the inconvenience and disruption caused by the loss of network services in these areas. This is because communication is a vital lifeline for socio-economic and emergency activities, and no citizen should be disconnected for such an extended period.

Madam Speaker, the non-availability of network services in certain parts of Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency and, indeed, other parts of our country are attributed to a number of interrelated factors. Firstly, for a long time, Zambia has relied on hydro power for energy generation. You may recall that Zambia experienced an unprecedented drought in 2023 and2024. The first of its kind in recorded history. This resulted in severely low energy output. This has impacted and continues to impact directly the availability of energy to power communication towers.

Secondly, as a consequence of low energy output, communication towers are either off or not receiving signal feeds from other towers within the network, thereby, causing network isolation and loss of active connectivity. This is precisely the case in some parts of Lumezi where towers are operationally disconnected due to power shortages.

Madam Speaker, to address these challenges comprehensively, the Government, working hand-in-hand with the private sector, will require an investment of approximately US$280 million to implement backup and alternative energy solutions. These investments will ensure that the communication towers operate optimally and consistently, even when power is constrained. The House may wish to note that:

the Government is working on a financial solution in the energy backup system and site upgrades, which will result in improved network availability country-wide, including in Lumezi Constituency;
the private sector has undertaken a proof of concept with twenty towers for a hybrid energy solution, such as fuel-generated power blended with renewable energy sources, complemented by a standby battery system to sustain tower operation in off-grid zones.

The Possibility of Network Roaming

Madam Speaker, I wish to report that a pilot proof of concept on network national roaming is being undertaken. This initiative seeks to enable subscribers from different mobile operators to access network services seamlessly, even in areas where their primary provider has no active coverage. Once the pilot phase is concluded and validated, the framework will be developed to guide nationwide implementation of network national roaming.

Status of Construction of Communication Towers

Madam Speaker, access to reliable, affordable communication services is a cornerstone of socio-economic development, digital inclusion, and national unity. Guided by this principle, the Government, through my ministry, in collaboration with Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), and other implementing agencies, including co-operating partners, continue to expand the national communication infrastructure footprint. This expansion drive is informed by the 2022 Communication Infrastructure Gap Analysis, which identified the need for 998 additional communication towers to ensure adequate coverage across Zambia’s displaced population.

Madam Speaker, one of the major constraints in the past has been inadequate financing for tower construction and maintenance. Reliance on the universal access and service fund alone would have taken us thirty years to achieve full national coverage, given that the fund can only support approximately thirty towers per year. The House may wish to note that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning has now established a dedicated budget line for the construction of towers in the 2026 National Budget. This progressive step will now see the construction of towers being constructed under one Budget line.

Madam Speaker, since 2022, 101 towers have been constructed, while eight remain under construction. Further, the Government has finalised the procurement of eighty communication towers whose construction will soon commence.

Madam Speaker, in addition, under the World Bank-funded Digital Zambia Acceleration Project (DZAP), a grant has been secured for the construction of 300 new towers nationwide. This initiative will significantly reduce communication black spots and strengthen digital inclusion, particularly, in rural communities.

Madam Speaker, the private sector, on the other hand, has committed 302 towers of which 127 have been constructed, while twenty-three are under construction. The construction of the remaining 152 has also commenced.

Madam Speaker, let me end by stating that the Government remains committed to addressing connectivity challenges by prioritising alternative power solutions. The Government will continue to collaborate with the private sector players, co-operating partners, and local communities to accelerate the deployment of communication infrastructure across the country.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Minister, for the Ministerial Statement.

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

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, for allowing me to ask a question on the Ministerial Statement delivered by the hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, I will take the hon. Minister back to the time he visited my constituency, Shiwang’andu, specifically, Mayembe Ward in the company of his fellow hon. Ministers. During that time, he commenced the construction of one tower, which is yet to be completed in Mayembe Ward. His people there have been wondering whether it was just one way of hoodwinking them as a result of the by-elections. I am happy he is consulting correctly, because the hon. Minister next to him knows these areas very well. May I know what he intends to do with that tower and why the other towers, like in Mukwikile area, are not functioning as required? Yes, we know that the issues of power could be affecting this transmission in terms of the network, but those towers have not been working for a long time.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu for that question.

Madam Speaker, as you rightly pointed out, I was consulting my honourable neighbour here, who recently came back from Shiwang’andu. The latest update is that what is remaining for the communication tower in Mayemba Ward is only active equipment. The solar infrastructure has been delivered. So, the communication tower will soon be functional.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his statement. I just want to refer to the two measures he mentioned, that is, network roaming as well as alternative power sources. Now, when you look at the amount of resources or financing required, you will see that it is quite substantial. So, is the Government and the private sector going to work together to mobilise the resources required for network roaming as well for alternative sources of power?

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Mwense for that question.

Madam Speaker, as a matter of principle, the Government is working with the private sector and co-operating partners including the World Bank to try and deal with the various challenges that we have around communication towers. In terms of network roaming, which was the first part of his question, what we are doing now is what I refer to as proof of concept. We are testing the viability of roaming even if a number does not belong to a specific network provider. Once that proof of concept is completed, the next phase will be for us to provide guidelines on how the various players in the sector will interact. That one is actually active.

Madam Speaker, yes, we need K280 million to have a sustainable energy solution. So, what we are doing, first of all, from the Government side, is working with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. We are trying to secure funding in order to address the energy component for the telecommunication companies owned by the Government. As I have already said, the private sector is working on a hybrid solution to address the power challenges. They have already done this hybrid solution on thirty communication towers, and it appears to be working. Now, it will take a bit of time, quite frankly, to attend to all the communication towers across the county because of the challenges being experienced.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that Ministerial Statement. Indeed, the issue to do with network challenges in the country is quite rife. It does not only affect Lumezi but the entire country. Urgency is required in this area to ensure that the country starts getting quality networks. Why can we not look at other alternatives, such as bringing in service providers to supplement Government efforts? There are other service providers in the world who can help this Government, so that the network challenges we continue to face can be a thing of the past. We are in the technology age; we should not be talking about the manner of network challenges we are facing in this country.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, indeed, we have network challenges. As I have said in my statement, the primary constraint for network challenges is actually energy to power the communication towers. I was speaking to the hon. Minister of Energy earlier today. At the moment, power availability is ranging between four to five hours. Therefore, unless we have sufficient power available, this challenge will continue. Most communication towers have what we call backup generators in the event that power is off. However, these backup generators were designed to work up to a maximum of four hours. Now, three hours of power supply from ZESCO Limited and four hours of power supply from backup generators leaves a huge balance of hours without power. That is why we are coming up with appropriate solutions to address the primary cause, which is energy. Yes, we can bring in other operators to enter the market, but unless we address the energy issue, there is no motivation for anybody else to come and invest when they know that they are going to be lumbered with the issue of energy. So, that option will come, not now, but much later.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Madam Speaker, as we are talking about plans to construct new communication towers, the hon. Minister is aware that there are some communication towers which were supposed to be constructed a year ago but then contractors abandoned the works. There is one communication tower in Moomba Constituency in Chief Choona which was abandoned. Equipment has been laying there for more than one year, and I have been to the office of the hon. Minister about it. I just want to find out how long it takes to engage new contractors so that those works are completed. Once that is done, some of the challenges we are facing will reduce. How long does it take for new contractors to be brought on board so that they can finish those works?

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

Madam Speaker, in an attempt to ensure that our people take part, particularly in the construction of telecommunication towers, when we tendered for the construction of telecommunication towers, a number of Zambian companies responded with very aggressive and viable solutions. Therefore, we were persuaded that these contracts be given to our colleagues, Zambian contractors, and they were paid 25 per cent advance payment to begin the work. Literally 100 per cent of our colleagues, Zambian contractors, have failed to execute the contract. These contracts have since been terminated and we are proceeding on recovery of the advance payments. The contracts have since been re-advertised so that we begin the work again. So, that is the hiccup that we faced, particularly in Moomba.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Hamwaata (Pemba): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank the hon. Minister for the communication tower that was installed at Ndoli Secondary School, though the coverage still needs to be looked into. Many of the complaints from the community are that the tower does not have wider coverage. The service provider is MTN Zambia.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has said that we now have a budget line for the installation of communication towers. So, I would like to know whether, at some point, he will share details on the areas that will be covered under that budget line.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, I think, the hon. Member’s question has two parts. Firstly, the average coverage of a communication tower is between 5 km and 10 km, depending on the geography. So, sometimes, people outside the radius may be able to see the tower, but the signal may not reach them. The maximum is 8 km to 10 km. Secondly, this is the first time that a budget line for the installation of communication towers has been introduced in the Budget. I would like to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for that. As soon as the Budget is approved, the process of expending that money will begin. Further, I have indicated that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning has secured a grant from the World Bank, again, for the first time, to deliver 300 communication towers. The grant has been approved, and we will share the list of areas where the towers will be erected, courtesy of the World Bank, and those that will be provided for in the budget line.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, let us tone down the consultations. They are too loud.

Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the answers he is providing.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has alluded to the fact that the ministry is looking at US$200 million plus to provide smart energy solutions for some of the communication towers, like for the people of Lumezi. So, I want to know if his ministry has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis because some of the communication towers are social, while others are commercial.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, all the prudent analyses have been done. As rightly said, most of the communication towers that are affected are rural-based towers and predominantly Government-driven. It will take us a bit of time to address the issues concerning communication towers 100 per cent. That is why we are saying that the funds that we have secured from the World Bank will be used to install towers and, in some cases, only address active equipment and other enabling infrastructure to achieve connectivity. So, the first goal is to use the grant from the World Bank to support us with the 300 communication towers to create a hybrid solution for connectivity, particularly in rural areas. In addition, one of the private sector companies, for the first time, has committed and started constructing 152 communication towers in rural areas. So, we think that the combination of the World Bank and private sector support should, not eliminate, but, at least, reduce the problem to manageable levels.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Syakalima: Hear, hear!

Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, we, as the people of Lubansenshi, are delighted with the assurance that the hon. Minister is giving. Just for a second, I would like to say that the ministry managed to send people to Lubansenshi to identify areas where network towers will be erected. For your information, the distance between the Luwingu District Commissioner’s office and where we have a problem, like Chilungoma Ward, is less than 80 km, and the area has an existing network tower. So, people are asking why the existing tower cannot be utilised so that we can save resources. The people of Lubansenshi are very patient, since the hon. Minister has said that US$280 million is the amount that is required to undertake the installation of network towers countrywide. He has also assured us that US$300 million has been given by the World Bank. I would like to know if the hon. Minister can assure the people of Lubansenshi that they will be connected come 2026, as per information he has provided to this august House.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, just for clarity, it is not US$300 million. It is 300 communication towers to be installed. Those are two different numbers.

Madam Speaker, I thought the hon. Member of Lubansenshi would have started by thanking us for the tower we installed, which is actually working. So, one starts by saying thank you and then asking to add one more. That is the way we should proceed.

Madam Speaker, we will attend to the hon. Member’s constituency, just like we did before.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chewe: Yakale!

Madam Speaker: He is saying, “Yakale”, which means it is old. Even if it is old, at least, you say thank you.

Mr Chewe: Madam Speaker, thank you.

Mr Anakoka (Luena): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Luena, I would like to thank the Government for the communication tower that was installed in Nangula Ward by ZAMTEL Limited. The people are excited. Equally, our people in Sikwela, Ndanda and Maviri Wards are also looking forward to benefiting from the installation of towers that are yet to come.

Madam Speaker, my question is in relation to national roaming that the hon. Minister referred to in his statement. Whilst we are waiting for the framework for national roaming to be put in place, is the ministry encouraging the mobile network providers to mount their equipment on existing towers so that all the major networks can be available to people? In that regard, the people of Nangula Ward are asking whether Airtel Zambia and MTN Zambia will also install their equipment on the tower that was recently erected in the area so that they can access services on those networks as well.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the people of Nangula Ward for acknowledging our work.

Madam Speaker, rightly put, what we have done is called collocation, which is the use of passive equipment, which may belong to a particular network operator, and another operator collocates their active equipment onto that passive equipment. So, I would like to encourage Airtel Zambia and MTN Zambia to utilise the ZAMTEL Limited’s structure for collocation in Luena.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate Ministerial Statement on the communication towers.

Madam Speaker, I remember very well that the hon. Minister circulated a form to all hon. Members of Parliament to fill out, including the coordinates for where they wish communication towers to be located. In this case, I filled out the form for Kaumbwe, and the Zambia Information and Telecommunications Authority (ZICTA) went to my constituency and put pegs where it intended to place the communication towers, such as in Lusinde Ward at Katayawuchi and Manyane Wardin Chizanda. So, there are about three or four places that have pegs to date. Therefore, my question is: From the resources that the hon. Minister has announced, including the grant from the World Bank, a budget line and support from the private players, will Kaumbwe receive the communication tower as per the submission made to the ministry?

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, let me also acknowledge the effort that the hon. Member of Parliament for Kaumbwe is making in securing investment for the country, in general terms. Congratulations to him.

Madam Speaker, the co-ordinates were taken as part of our preparatory work for the World Bank grant for 300 communication towers. It was preparatory work so that when the grant lands, the implementation process could start. However, if the hon. Member asked me where and how many communication towers will be planted in Kaumbwe, I cannot tell him, as I stand. We will circulate the list, particularly for the grant from the World Bank, for him to see.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, my heart also bleeds, just like the hon. Member of Parliament for Roan. I have heard a good number of parliamentarians here, praising the hon. Minister on how well he is doing in relation to the construction of communication towers in various constituencies. Communication towers in some areas are up and running. However, when it comes to Nyimba, the hon. Minister and I know how deprived the constituency is. For the last four years, no towers have been constructed. The last pegging was done three months ago. I was told that within two weeks, one communication tower would be erected in Nyimba. By the way, Nyimba is the largest constituency in the Eastern Province.Some constituencies, as small as one of the wards in my constituency, have been equipped with communication towers. Nyimba is highly populated. Mpundwe, Mutilizi, Katipa and Chifukuzi are bigger than some of the constituencies, yet there are no communication towers in these places. The people of Nyimba would like to know whether Nyimba is part of the eighty places for which the procurement of communication towers has been completed?

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member should not cry. He is a strong man.

Laughter

Mr Mutati: He will be attended to.

Madam Speaker, as I stand, I know that the Government has secured eighty communication towers, which have been advertised and contracts have been awarded. However, I cannot tell whether Nyimba, specifically, is on the list, as I stand. The only thing I can ask is what you, Madam Speaker, always urge the hon. Members to do in such instances. So, I ask the hon. Member to join me for a cup of tea so that together, we can look at the list.

I thank you, Madam Speaker,

Mr Katakwe (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, about two years ago, the hon. Minister commissioned the Misangwa Tower in His Royal Highness Chief Mujimanzovu’s Chiefdom, in Mushindamo. Later on, the construction of the tower stalled. I only learnt about it through the team that appeared before one of your Committees. I learnt that the local contractor failed to complete the job. Today, the hon. Minister has said that the works have been re-advertised. I want to find out whether the Misangwa Communication Tower is one of those whose contracts has been re-advertised? If so, when will it be completed and operationalised?

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, the only thing I will say is that all the contracts that were cancelled and re-advertised will involve constructing the same communication towers according to the contracts that were cancelled. So, specifically for Mushindamo, I would confidently say it is one of the communication towers that will be attended to.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister is a good speaker and presenter. I do not know whether he is a good implementer or not.

Laughter

Mr Samakayi: Question!

Mr Chala: Could he rate himself, as an hon. Minister based on his statement.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member was anxious to ask a question. I did not know that that was the question he intended to ask.

Mr Kambita: On a Point of Order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Stop the clock.

What is your Point of Order, hon. Member for Zambezi East?

Mr Kambita: Madam Speaker, our Standing Orders do not allow us to debate ourselves. Is the hon. Member from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to move in that trajectory against my hon. elder brother here?

I need your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chisenga: On a Point of Order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: There is no Point of Order on another Point of Order.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Let us make progress.

The hon. Minister of Technology and Science will respond to the hon. Member for Chipili.

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, I admire the courage of the hon. Member for Chipili. I also admire his style and dressing.

Laughter

Mr Mutati: I further admire that he remains awake during the Sittings. For that, the ministry will support his dressing with a communication tower.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: Let me give a chance to the hon. Member for Lumezi since he is the one who initiated the question.

Mr Ngoma (Lumezi): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for according me a chance to add a word on behalf of the people of Lumezi.

Madam Speaker, I initiated the question on communication towers last Tuesday. The people of Lumezi have a different challenge altogether with communication due to the poor network in my constituency. I have heard of similar situations experienced by other hon. Members of Parliament, but I wish to speak about Lumezi and relate it to a particular situation. The network collapsed in half of Lumezi Constituency, in Chief Mwanya, Chief Chitungulu and Chief Kazembe’s areas. The people there cannot communicate with anyone else. The serious challenge is that even calling for an ambulance for an emergency is difficult.

Also, you are aware of what our Government is doing using mobile phones. There are many things being dealt with using mobile phones. There is the Cash for Work programme, the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme and many other things. As old people receive money under the Cash for Work programme, sometimes it is difficult for them to notice that money has come into their mobile phones because there is no network. Also, as they complete their work, they may not see that money has actually been sent to their mobile phones.

Madam Speaker, the network issue is a serious challenge. I urge the hon. Minister of Technology and Science to take a survey and see what is happening in Lumezi. On the other side of the constituency, may I say the plateau area, we have three chiefdoms, that is, Chieftainess Mwasempangwe, Chief Chikomeni, and Chief Zumwanda. If you go and pay a courtesy call on Chief Zumwanda, you are assured of no network in the area. You cannot communicate with anyone. The people living around Chief Mwasempangwe’s area are highly affected. They cannot communicate with anyone. You have to walk a long distance to find the network. If you visit Chief Chikomeni’s area, you are assured of no network.

Madam Speaker, when is the hon. Minister of Technology and Science assuring the people of Lumezi of stable network? I know that in the past, no one brought this matter to the House for his attention.

Mr Kang’ombe: Question!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngoma: Those eighty communication towers that are earmarked to be distributed across the country, may Lumezi get one?

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, you are now debating the question.

Mr Ngoma: Thank you, Madam Speaker, for your guidance. The question is: Can the hon. Minister of Technology and Science assure the people of Lumezi that there will be stable network, going forward?

Mr Mutati: Madam Speaker, Lumezi, indeed, has a unique problem. The problem is mainly centred not on unavailability of communication towers but the energy deficit. You will find that if a signal from one communication tower to another cannot be sent because the next communication tower is off, then the third communication tower will also not function. So, that is the unique problem we have in Lumezi. We have some communication towers which are off. So, the rest of the communication towers cannot communicate. It is a unique problem, and we are trying to attend to it.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

REOPENING OF KABWE ZINC MINE

70. Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

whether the Government has any plans to reopen Kabwe Zinc Mine in Kabwe District, which was closed in 1994;
if so, when the mine will be reopened; and
if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Kabuswe): Madam Speaker, the Government has no plans to reopen Kabwe Zinc Mine, which ceased operations in 1994.

Madam Speaker, there are no plans to reopen the mine. At present, the Government does not have plans to reopen Kabwe Zinc Mine because of the following;

there are outstanding environmental and public health concerns in Kabwe, which must be adequately addressed as a prerequisite to any new mining operations;
the mine's infrastructure and ore body require substantial new investment and modern technologies to render it economically viable under current market conditions; and
the Government's current policy direction is to create an enabling environment for credible private investment and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) rather than running the mine operation directly.

Madam Speaker, as such, through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, we continue to market the resource in Kabwe to potential investors, and we remain open to proposals from the private sector to redevelop the mine in a manner that meets modern environmental, health and safety standards, and brings tangible benefits to the local community.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, first of all, I just want to thank the Government for the remedial works on lead contamination in Kabwe. I wish we could have another phase because we still need more households to benefit, especially from paving.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the Government has no plans to reopen the mine because of underlying environmental issues. Is he able to tell the people of Kabwe Central what other environmental issues apart from lead poisoning will lead the Government to not reopen Kabwe Mine?

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

Madam Speaker, the issue of lead poisoning in Kabwe is actually a serious matter, and the Government has been dealing with it for quite a long time. It is an issue that the Government is engaging co-operating partners. We had a remediation programme which was called the Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project (ZMERIP). That programme was cleaning the lead in Kabwe so that people can be free from lead poisoning. The programme was stopped because financing came to an end. However, the Government has continued other programmes to clean up the lead in Kabwe and end the lead poisoning which happened as a result of operations of the zinc mine.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development to enlighten us for the benefit of the people of Kabwe. From his assessment, why have we not been able to attract an equity partner to reopen the mine? Is it that the resource is not adequate? Is it not worth investing in? Is it that the grade of zinc in Kabwe is very poor, to the extent that we are not able to utilise it? May the hon. Minister help me on this conversation.

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that very important question.

Madam Speaker, what has made it difficult to market this resource is the way that the ore body is structured. The mine needs certain technologies to function. Through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), we have continued marketing that zinc mine. If the price of zinc becomes attractive, potential investors will come and employ new technologies that will enable them to mine the zinc.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, sometime back, people used to say that Kabwe is a sinking town because of the underground water from the same mine. Can the hon. Minister enlighten as to whether there are any dangers that the people of Kabwe could face if the mine is not re-opened? Is there too much water underground?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, I think that Kabwe is safe in terms of what the hon. Member has alluded to. It is not sinking. The only issues were those of pollution, which the Government has been actively dealing with through the programme that I have mentioned. So, through the hon. Member, I would like to assure the people of Kabwe that the town is not sinking.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, my understanding of this question is that the hon. Member for Kabwe Central wants to know how best the zinc mine can create jobs, especially for our people in the district. Now, since the Government has no plans to re-open the mine, can the hon. Minister share other alternatives that the Government is considering, like opening a copper mine, so that the hon. Member can be comforted knowing that an alternative mine is coming up. Does the ministry have such plans?

Mr Kabuswe: Madam Speaker, we have not given up on the zinc mine. We are still marketing that place based on the zinc mine so that those who may have technologies and an interest in mining zinc can partner with the Government. We are also undertaking a countrywide high-resolution geophysical survey, and Kabwe is part of that exercise, as it is a mining town. So, we may just find other endowments when our survey is completed. You may realise that Kabwe is within Central Province, which is endowed with a lot of gold, copper and other mineral deposits.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr S. Banda (Petauke Central): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for continually affording many opportunities for the concerns of the people of Petauke Central to be heard in this august House.

Question No. 71.

PROMOTION OF TEACHERS WITH UPGRADED PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

71. Mr S. Banda asked the Minister of Education:

whether the Government has any plans to promote teachers who have upgraded their professional qualifications;
if so, when the plans will be implemented; and
if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, the Government has plans to promote teachers who have upgraded their professional qualifications. The House may wish to note that the Government has been progressively upgrading the salary scales of teachers and promoting those who meet the established criteria. This is an ongoing process guided by the terms and conditions of service for the Public Service No.23(a)(1), which provide that promotions in the Public Service shall be effected by the service commission or the responsible officer, as the case may be, whenever vacancies occur, taking into account qualifications, competencies, experience, good conduct and performance. However, the process is gradual as it depends on the availability of vacant and funded positions within the establishment. The ministry remains committed to ensuring that qualified teachers are recognised and promoted accordingly as resources and vacancies allow.

Madam Speaker, in view of the response given above, part (c) of the question falls off.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr S. Banda: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for his clarifications.

Madam Speaker, how does the ministry ensure fairness and consistency in promoting teachers with higher qualifications across all provinces?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I said that the ministry is guided by the terms and conditions of service of Public Service No. 23(a)(1), which provides that promotions in the Public Service shall be effected by the service commission or the responsible officer, as the case may be, whenever vacancies occur, taking into account qualifications, competencies, good conduct and performance.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, thousands of teachers have upgraded from certificate to diploma, and diploma to degree. I would like to know if the ministry is aware of how many have upgraded and what steps the Government will take, because they are too many.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, the process is gradual. We know the backlog is quite huge, but I cannot tell exactly how many were upgraded off the cuff, because the process is gradual and depends on how the vacancies are created, and the resources available.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister has indicated the criteria that the ministry utilises to identify those who merit promotion. Obviously, when one is promoted, one’s salary scale changes. Is the hon. Minister in a position to indicate to this august House, as well as for the benefit of teachers, if funds are available to cater for that number that the ministry normally targets? Obviously, the ministry has a plan, and it is not everyone who upgrades their qualifications who is immediately promoted. Can the hon. Minister confirm whether there is a plan that matches the availability of resources, so that the people can be assured that when they upgrade their qualifications, they will be promoted?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, we have plans every year to upgrade teachers. Like I said, the backlog is quite huge. So, given the numbers, few are upgraded. Now, it is first-in, first-out, depending on the qualifications, competencies and good conduct.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to ask the hon. Minister a supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has spoken about the criteria that is utilised and also appreciates the backlog that has accumulated because of the slowness of the pace at which upgrades are done. I just want to know the exact process the ministry will utilise to effect the upgrades. Is it going to be on a first-come, first-serve basis or on qualifications, like how somebody upgraded themselves?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I have just answered that question. Did the hon. Member not hear? I said that the backlog is quite huge, so it is first-in, first-out, depending on the qualifications.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I believe the reason we are discussing the issue of promotions is that teachers expect additional pay when they are promoted. I have received complaints from a number of my constituents that some old teachers have already upgraded their professional qualifications and have been working for some time now. However, there are new teachers with similar qualifications who have been employed and given higher salaries compared to those who have been serving for a long time. So, how does the ministry reconcile those two positions so that old teachers who have upgraded their qualifications are not discouraged and demotivated?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, what we are doing is that new entrants are placed at a certain level. We cannot put a degree holder on a diploma level in order for them not to earn a particular salary. If we do that, we will again have another backlog. So, we would rather just attend to that at the entry level. When teachers are just from college or university, we will put them in the right position so that we lessen the backlog.

Madam Speaker, indeed, the hon. Member is right. It is disheartening to see people who have upgraded their qualifications not getting promoted. I can tell you how much money is required if, today, we said, “Can all of them be upgraded without graduating”. The Ministry of Finance and National Planning would need to give me K4 billion, and that kind of money is not available. What we are doing is to reduce the number of pending promotions. There must be few. However, I agree with the hon. Member’s sentiments. To say the truth, some teachers used to get loans in order to go to school. After qualifying for promotion, they still remain on a lower scale. It is, indeed, disheartening. However, to address that situation, we are trying to conduct an analysis. I have appointed a team to look into the issue because it will not end if not addressed. We know that people are upgrading qualifications by themselves. For example, why should a primary school teacher who upgrades qualifications and transitions to be a degree holder at either primary or secondary school level be receiving the same income So, we are looking at all the permutations.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, I appreciate the responses by the hon. Minister of Education. That is how things are supposed to be. However, I want to bring Shangombo into the picture. When there are openings for promotions, for example, a head teacher retires, instead of promoting deputies in the district, the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) or the District Education Standards Officer (DESO) would promote teachers from different districts to head schools in Shangombo. So, what is really happening? If the hon. Minister has no response, I can take the details to his office so that we can find out what is happening.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister’s response shows how things are supposed to happen. So, what is happening and how can he help the people of Shangombo, especially the teachers who have upgraded their qualifications? When it comes to performance, the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) Club in Shangombo outperforms all the schools in the Western Province. That means the teachers in Shangombo are performing well. Even at the national level, pupils from Shangombo represent the province. So, why are the teachers in Shangombo not being promoted or upgraded to the deserved standard?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think, I need to get hold of officers at the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) to bring that issue to their attention. However, strictly speaking, my nephew, the hon. Member for Shangombo, should know that if people have qualifications and meet all the criteria that I have indicated, they must be promoted within the district or constituency. So, we will take care of that situation. We will sit down with the TSC.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chala (Chipili): Madam Speaker, I sympathise with the Ministry of Education because there are many teachers who are upgrading their qualifications from diplomas to degrees. Others are even obtaining master’s degrees. Considering that everyone wants to be upgraded, can the hon. Minister not think of another way of addressing the situation, such as issuing a statutory instrument (SI) stating that when someone upgrades academic qualifications, it is not automatic that he or she will be promoted? One has to wait for available space.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, we do not necessarily need a statutory instrument (SI). Most teachers know that space has to be available for one to be upgraded. When a vacancy falls, then someone is promoted or upgraded. So, teachers know that fact.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr E. Banda (Muchinga): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has spoken of vacancies. I have a situation where I come from, and I do not know whether he addressed this question or not because I not remember hearing him doing so. We have seen vacancies open up. For example, when a headmaster at a secondary school retires and someone starts acting in that position, there is already a vacancy. That person will be in that acting position for maybe five years without being upgraded or promoted. When the promotion is made, it is someone from somewhere else who is promoted. That also happens for the position of head of department (HoD).

Madam Speaker, in most secondary schools I have visited in Muchinga, HoDs are serving in acting capacities. They have been acting for three or four years, and it is the same with headmasters, who are the school administrators. So, when the school administrators retire, what happens to the vacancies that are created, which are provided for under the Payroll Management and Establishment Control (PMEC) system, such that people can be acting in those positions for year?

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think that question is similar to what the hon. Member of Parliament for Shangombo stated. So, I will have the TSC look into that issue as well.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, we are on live television (TV) and the hon. Member for Lubansenshi appears to have received some questions. That is why he wanted to – Anyway, I will give him an opportunity to ask a question.

Hon. Member for Lubansenshi, you may proceed.

Mr Chewe (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, I thank you for that kindness.

Madam Speaker, a few teachers from Lubansenshi of Luwingu District would like to know if it is the Government’s policy to phase out certificate holders. When it comes to giving positions such as that of a head teacher, all of the teachers may have a master’s degree. What criteria will the Government use to promote someone to the head teacher position, knowing fully well that most teachers have the same qualifications? That is a question coming from my people.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think, in my statement, I stated that the process is guided by the terms and conditions of service for the Public Service, under Circular No. 23(a)(1), which provides as follows:

“Promotion in the Public Service shall be effected by the Service Commission or the responsible officer, as the case may be, whenever vacancies occur, taking into account qualifications, competencies, experience, good conduct and performance.”

Madam Speaker, that is the criterion. That is what guides the TSC.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

CATTLE POPULATION IN MBABALA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

72. Mr Munsanje (Mbabala) asked the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock:

what the cattle population in the following chiefdoms in Mbabala Parliamentary Constituency was as of July 2025:
Macha Chiefdom; and
Mapanza Chiefdom;
what measures are being taken to control animal diseases in the Chiefdoms above;
how many veterinary officers there were in the constituency as of June 2025; and
what the recommended ratio of veterinary officer to number of cattle in a constituency is.

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Kapala): Madam Speaker, according to the ministry's administrative records collected in July 2025, the total cattle population in Macha and Mapanza chiefdoms was estimated at over 55,000 within the constituency. Specifically, the distribution is as follows:

Macha Chiefdom has four veterinary camps with an estimated cattle population of 19,000 across these camps; and
Mapanza Chiefdom has five veterinary camps with an estimated cattle population of over 36,000 heads.

Madam Speaker, a number of measures are being implemented to control animal diseases in the district. These include the deployment of animal health extension officers who train farmers in good husbandry practices and in the prevention and control of animal diseases. The extension officers provide training to farmers in the following six areas:

Tick Control Through Spraying and Dipping

Madam Speaker, farmers are sensitised on the importance of regular and effective tick control through the use of acaricides, which are dip chemicals. Emphasis is placed on proper spraying techniques and the adoption of communal or mobile dipping facilities to minimise the spread of tick-borne diseases such as corridor disease and anaplasmosis.

Vaccination Campaigns

Madam Speaker, targeted vaccination campaigns are implemented to prevent livestock diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). In addition, farmers receive support from field staff to carry out vaccinations against management-related diseases such as Blackwater (BQ) and Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS).

Immunisation of Calves Against East Coast Fever (ECF)

Madam Speaker, calves are being immunised against ECF using a cost-sharing model, where the Government bears some of the cost and the farmer also contributes towards the immunisation. The ECF immunisation uses the Infection and Treatment Method (ITM). This is crucial in reducing calf mortality and ensuring herd sustainability.

Deworming

Madam Speaker, regular deworming schedules are encouraged to control internal parasites, which can severely affect animal growth, reproduction and milk production, Madam Speaker. Farmers are guided on appropriate deworming intervals and products available.

Biosecurity Measures

Madam Speaker, farmers are trained on basic biosecurity practices, such as isolating new or sick animals, disinfecting equipment and housing and controlling access to livestock areas. These practices help prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases.

Livestock Movement Controls

Madam Speaker, the movement of animals is regulated to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Farmers are sensitised on the importance of obtaining movement permits and adhering to quarantine regulations.

Madam Speaker, as of June 2025, the constituency had a total of nine veterinary camps distributed as follows:

four camps in Chief Macha; and
five camps in Chief Mapanza.

Madam Speaker, of the nine veterinary camps, five are manned and veterinary officers are serving in the areas.

Madam Speaker, the Government is committed to strengthening veterinary service delivery across the two chiefdoms and addressing current staffing gaps. To this end, efforts are underway to recruit and deploy additional veterinary officers to ensure full operational capacity in all veterinary camps. This initiative will enhance animal health, disease surveillance and livestock productivity. My ministry aims to maintain the recommended ratio of one veterinary officer to every 400 farmers, ensuring accessible and effective service for livestock farmers. To improve the current ratio of one veterinary officer to every 1,200 farmers, my ministry is actively pursuing Treasury authority for the recruitment of 300 extension officers in 2025. These officers will fill gaps in unmanned veterinary camps and improve service coverage. In addition, my ministry is in the process of demarcating veterinary camps to align them with world boundaries, thereby reducing coverage areas and improving efficiency in service delivery.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Mbabala, I thank the hon. Minister for the comprehensive response. The people of Mbabala rely on the livestock value chain in Namwala. Export of beef to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has begun. As such, the people of Mbabala would like to participate in the livestock value chain. What measures is the ministry putting in place to employ veterinary extension officers in the other four camps, so that animal diseases can be managed?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I think that the hon. Member of Parliament did not hear me when I said that the ministry is seeking Treasury authority for the recruitment of 300 extension officers this year.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that good response. I want to know whether the Government has plans to construct housing and provide motorcycle for veterinary staff. I ask this question because it will be difficult for veterinary officers to find accommodation to rent in rural wards where some of us come from.

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

Madam Speaker, we try very hard to match the recruitment of staff with accommodation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Shangombo posed two questions. Allow me to ask the question which the hon. Minister did not respond to. For veterinary officers to work effectively, they need transport. May the hon. Minister confirm to me and to the people of Mbabala that all the nine officers have transport and are all domiciled in Mbabala Constituency.

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, that is a very loaded question. All I can say is that looking at the current situation in which we find ourselves, as a ministry, transport is one of the major challenges that we are facing, but we are addressing it as the resource envelope allows.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, considering that the price of beef is US$9 per kg or US$9,000 per tonne, and the potential it holds, and given that the Government aims to earn a billion United States (US) Dollars by 2028 from the sector, I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to expedite the Treasury authority so that the 300 veterinary officers are employed to invest in this sector, which can give us more money with less investment.

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, I think that question was directed at the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to allocate more money to my ministry so that we can ramp up the export of beef.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: That is an appeal for more money, hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the various responses he has given.

Madam Speaker, is the ministry, therefore, in line with the value chain that I talked about, which we thank His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema for leading towards that US$1 million beef export return for Zambia? Is the ministry considering rehabilitating dip tanks to manage animal diseases in Mbabala Constituency in the chiefdoms of Mapanza and Macha?

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, ideally, that is a good idea. However, functions of veterinary services have devolved to the local authorities. So, the rehabilitation and construction of dip tanks should fall under each district affected.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

INFANT MORTALITY IN ZAMBIA

73. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Health:

what the major causes of infant mortality in Zambia are; and
what measures are being taken to reduce the mortality rate.

The Minister of Health (Mr Muchima): Madam Speaker, infant mortality rate refers to the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a given year. It is a vital indicator of a nation's health status, reflecting the effectiveness of healthcare services, sanitation, nutrition and broader socio-economic conditions. Historically, the major causes of death before a child's first birthday in Zambia have been driven by the following:

neonatal conditions, which include preterm birth complications, birth-delayed breathing of a baby, trauma, and neonatal infections;
infectious diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea diseases, and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS); and
poor nutrition contributes to over half of child deaths, weakens immunity and increases vulnerability to disease.

Madam Speaker, looking at the trends on Zambia's Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) journey from 1992, data from the Zambia Demographic and Health Surveys (ZDHSs) reveal a dramatic transformation in infant survival over the past three decades. The period 1992 to 1996 was marked by stagnation and a slight increase. The IMR rose from 107 to 109 deaths per 1,000 live births. This period was marked by economic hardships and the peak of the HIV crisis, which overwhelmed the health system. The period 2001 to 2007 marked the turning point as the IMR dropped from ninety-five to seventy deaths per 1,000 live births, reflecting the impact of intensified health interventions and global support for maternal and child health. The period 2007 to 2024 has been marked by a rapid and sustained decline. The IMR fell from seventy to forty-two deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 and twenty-nine deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024. This demonstrates consistent progress through targeted evidence-based strategies. Overall, Zambia has achieved a 72 per cent reduction in infant mortality since 1992, which is a remarkable public health achievement.

Madam Speaker, the decline in infant and child mortality rates are is the result of strategic interventions, which include:

Public Health Campaigns

HIV prevention through programmes like Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The rate of infant HIV infections has declined dramatically;
malaria control. The widespread use of insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying and access to effective treatment have significantly reduced malaria-related deaths; and
immunisation. By expanding vaccine coverage, health authorities have successfully prevented numerous deadly childhood diseases, safeguarding the health of millions of children.

Maternal and Newborn Care

with skilled birth attendants, more mothers are now supported by trained health professionals during childbirth, reducing complications and improving outcomes for both mothers and babies;
enhanced antenatal and postnatal care. Expectant and new mothers are receiving better medical attention before and after delivery, ensuring healthier pregnancies and safer recoveries. Prematurity accounts for 20 per cent of all infant mortalities. The Ministry of Health is working to ensure that all Level 2 and higher hospitals have functional neonatal intensive care units, and all Level 1 hospitals, including mini hospitals, have functional on-site and satellite kangaroo mother care rooms; and
training of specialised nurses and practitioners in HIV , paediatric and neonatal. In its recent recruitment exercise, the ministry deployed 595 midwives, the highest number of this cadre deployed in one recruitment exercise so far, as we continue to close the skills gap in the quality of care during the post-childbirth period.

Socio-Economic Improvements

Madam Speaker, socio-economic improvements have laid a strong foundation for better public health and community development. Key advancements include:

greater female education. More girls and women are gaining access to education, empowering them to make informed health decisions and contribute meaningfully to society;
economic growth and health investment. Rising economic stability has enabled the Government and organisations to invest more in the health sector, improving infrastructure access and quality of care; and
water, sanitation and hygiene advancements. Gradual improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene have reduced disease transmission and enhanced overall well-being, especially in underserved communities.

Madam Speaker, other measures include bi-annual child health week campaigns. Child health week is an opportunity for the ministry to reach as many children as possible with high-impact child health and nutrition interventions to promote health-assured child survival. Zambia's reduction in infant mortality from 107 to twenty-nine deaths per 1,000 live births is a testament to the power of co-ordinated public health action. It reflects a shift from a crisis of resilience and vulnerability to hope. Sustaining this momentum will require continued investment, innovation and inclusive health strategies to ensure that every child born in Zambia has the opportunity to survive and thrive.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Miyutu: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the comprehensive response. However, is it possible for him to indicate whether the mortality rate has reduced more in the urban areas, or in the rural areas?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, I appreciate that question, but that is statistical. I need to look at the data collected from the field, for me to provide an accurate assessment. However, healthcare services are available throughout the country. We reach every corner of the country, and in every clinic, the treatment is the same, except in certain places where we do not have enough staffing. In view of what is happening now, I think, the situation is improving. We were at 200 but, now, we are at 187. We are striving to go below 100. All these are signs of improvement but we are targeting mostly rural areas.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Tayengwa (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, information is vital to every human being. If we look at the mortality rate, it is mostly high amongst the teenage age group. The children who get pregnant early are the ones who are mostly affected, and also those who are above forty-five years old. I want to find out if the ministry has designed a programme of sensitisation, especially for teenagers who are busy thinking of becoming parents before their time. Is it possible for the hon. Minister to share a programme that is there to sensitise teenagers?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, the quick answer is yes.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to ask a supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, infant mortality rate (IMR) cuts across the globe. It is a challenge even faced by developed countries. For example, in 2022, the United States of America (USA) reported an IMR of 5.50 per cent in every 1,000 live births.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister tabulated several measures to ensure that we reduce IMR. Most of the IMRs are caused by our mothers, who are in a family way, who fail to commence their antenatal programmes on time, and by the time they go to the clinic or maternity ward to deliver, it may be too late to receive help from health practitioners. From the measures that the hon. Minister outlined, I did not hear him mention how much sensitisation the ministry is putting across to expectant mothers especially in rural areas, to advise them to begin their antenatal routines in the early stages of pregnancy so that the health practitioners can monitor the growth of the child from week one up to the time they deliver?

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

Madam Speaker, sensitisation is an on-going programme carried out by provincial health directors, district health directors and, indeed, centre leaders, and this is also done through posters and messages, except that we cannot broadcast the messages every day. Hon. Members of Parliament and Councillors also need to help enhance sensitisation. On the part of the Government, because of limited fiscal space, it is not possible to go from village to village sensitising the people. However, to enhance that, there is a recruitment of community health workers. That is what we are now encouraging; to increase the numbers because community health workers interact with the communities effectively. We would want community radio stations to carry the same messages, if at all the fiscal space allows. We encourage sensitisation to be done on a daily basis, even on radio and Television (TV).

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Chama South is indicating via zoom but I cannot see him on the screen.

Hon. Member for Chama South, please, log in. We want to see you as you ask the question. In the meantime, the hon. Member for Lundazi can ask the question.

Ms Nyirenda (Lundazi): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the chance to ask a question, on behalf of the people of Lundazi, on issues, which are affecting us in rural areas.

Madam Speaker, infant mortality rate (IMR) is a very serious challenge, especially in remote areas, and Lundazi is not excluded. The current scenario in villages is that when a woman is in labour, her mother or mother-in-law goes to the hospital to wait for her to deliver because of the distance. If a woman has four or five girl children who are pregnant, it means she will spend the whole year going ku cilindizya. That is what they call it when the mother or mother-in-law spends much of their time at Chipanda Odi or Mwase waiting for the young lady to deliver instead of doing other things, like cultivating the fields.

Madam Speaker, here is a situation: one of the ways we have tried to assist in reducing IMR is by building maternity annexes in each and every ward.

Mr Amutike: Using CDF!

Ms Nyirenda: Yes, …

Hon. UPND Members: It is kwenyu!

Ms Nyirenda: … why not? This is money that you and I donate. So, we have to use it. It is public funds. We have used the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), proudly so, to build clinics, which are closer to the people, so that they do not lose out economically when young girls become pregnant. The challenge is this: hospitals were built, everything is ready, but the ministry has not yet sent us health workers. At Chanyondo, Chideza, and even in Matembe, the clinics and houses are ready, but the ministry is not pushing enough, to give us workers and a few equipment so that these facilities can start operating. How is the ministry going to curb IMR, which is escalating, yet workers are not being sent so they can start doing the work, so that people can even appreciate the work that the ministry has done? Otherwise, a building without workers and other things is just a white elephant.

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. Nyirenda for that question.

Madam Speaker, in the four years of the Government of President Hakainde, the hon. Member has seen what has happened. The President has transformed the health sector; from recruitment of personnel to construction of hospitals and clinics everywhere, and purchase of ambulances. So much has been spent on the Ministry of Health, and it is unprecedented. This means that political will is there. The desire to improve is there. However, the health sector cannot be sustained without energy, agriculture and education. We have to sympathise with the Government because the resource envelope is limited.

Madam Speaker, we have done so much in construction of infrastructure everywhere in the country. Now, what is our next step? Our next step is finding where to get the money to employ more staff. This year, we are lucky because we have been given a chance to recruit 2,500 staff, but that is not enough, considering the population. We are still begging the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and other co-operating partners to see how we can resolve this issue. This Government is very alive to the fact that we need more staff to save the lives of Zambians up to the last individual. The President has emphasised the construction of maternity annexes, water systems and connection of facilities to electricity, especially solar power. We are working very hard every day; we are not even sleeping.

Madam Speaker, very soon, there is a compact we are chasing to see –

Rev. Katuta: Question!

Mr Muchima: We are not sleeping. We want to resolve the issues that have never been resolved for a long time.

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

Mr Muchima: President Hakainde is not sleeping and his hon. Ministers are also not sleeping. If the hon. Member was with me always, she would know that I am always troubling the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. That is what I mean. I am always troubling him. At times, when I want to greet him, he is too busy with other issues. However, I want to bother him to resolve the same issue we are talking about.

Madam Speaker, people should give us space to resolve issues. At the moment, what is critical is energy, but we are also recruiting staff, and from whatever number of people we will recruit, we shall send some to their areas. We are saying that let us increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to K40 million, and then we will solve the issue of buying certain equipment. Thereafter, the Ministry of Health can be left to buy equipment for big hospitals like those at Level I and II. So, let us come together. The CDF is still the Government’s money. The K40 million going to constituencies is the Government’s money. It is from the Treasury –

Rev. Katuta interjected.

Mr Muchima: Yes, we are not saying no. We are saying yes, but the capacity is not allowing –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, at the moment, resources do not allow us to attend to every issue that we have. We have issues which are very critical. Right now, we have the issue of energy, fuel and many others. The resources are coming from one envelope, but we are making every effort to attend to all the issues. I will not disclose anything, but we are working very hard. Very soon, God might help us.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Before I call on the hon. Member for Chama South, hon. Member for Chienge, do you want to raise a point of order? What is the point of order?

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. The hon. Minister of Health is one of my favourite hon. Ministers.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, I am concerned because according to Standing Order No. 71, we are supposed to be factual.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Rev. Katuta: Madam Speaker, I am concerned because the hon. Minister of Health is one of my favourite hon. Ministers, but he has not brought the evidence to show that he does not sleep at night. Is the hon. Minister in order to mislead this House and himself?

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, I am sure that the hon. Minister used a figure of speech to show that he is seriously working on the issue, paying it all the attention. So, it is just a matter of expression, not that he is not sleeping literally. I think that would be wrong. So, the point of order is not admitted.

The hon. Member for Kamfinsa is anxious, I know. After that, the hon. Member for –

Mr Mabeta: Madam Speaker, what about me?

Madam Speaker: Yes, you will be given preference.

Please, proceed, hon. Member for Kamfinsa.

Mr Kang’ombe: Madam Speaker, we have about five or six health facilities in my constituency. We have Misaka B5, which is a facility that was built under the 650 health posts’ initiative. Health workers have been provided and equipment has been provided. The facility is fully functional. There is another one in a farming block called Chankalamu, where we have built a health facility under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from the 2021 CDF, which we found already made available. We have also built two other health facilities from the CDF.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Lundazi asked the hon. Minister a very important question. My question, therefore, is: Does the Government have a plan to match every health facility that is built with corresponding human resources? When the Government knows that Kamfinsa, Choma Central and many other constituencies are building health facilities, there must be a plan to quickly fit workers into the health facilities. I want to understand if there is a plan. Instead of waiting for a phone call from Kamfinsa or Lufubu, there must be a plan for staffing health facilities. Is that plan to help us match infrastructure with health workers so that we can quickly make health facilities operational available?

Mr Muchima: Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. Kang’ombe for that question.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, we have trained plenty of nurses and doctors. Infrastructure has also been built using the increased CDF in the last four years. We have managed to build health facilities throughout the country. What is next is finding the money to recruit staff. Part of the money is already there; the K40 million CDF. The hon. Member can help us in planning to hire staff if he wants. It can be his plan.

Madam Speaker, planning starts with councils. We are waiting for the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to provide the money to hire staff, and I am saying that the money cannot be provided at once because there are other demands. We do not have all the money needed to do everything. If we had all the money needed at the Ministry of Health, I would take stock of the situation and employ everyone needed to work in the 3,600 health posts and hospitals that exist. What is important is that some infrastructure and equipment or money to buy some equipment is there. What remains is a huge chunk. How do we fill it? How do we get specialists? Where do we get the money to employ them? That is why I am saying that as the Government, we are not sleeping. The hon. Member’s leader, the President, is looking around for a solution.

Madam Speaker, there is a compact that has been designed to look at which direction we should go. It is too early for me to say certain things, but we are lobbying the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning and other co-operating partners. People should just give us a chance. Give Hakainde Hichilema a chance. A solution will be found.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

The last question will be from the hon. Member for Chama South, who will do so virtually.

Are you still there, hon. Member? He is not there, so we make progress.

_______

MOTION

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON YOUTH, SPORT AND CHILD MATTERS ON THE ACCESSION OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT

Mr Mabeta (Kankoyo): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Mabeta: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to move a Motion on the Report of the Committee on Youth, Sport and Child Matters.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House adopts the Report of the Committee on Youth, Sport and Child Matters on the Accession of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, for the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 11^th November, 2025.

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr E. Banda moved from his seat.

Mr Mubika: Order, Muchinga!

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Mabeta: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Order No. 207(f) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2024, the Committee on Youth, Sport and Child Matters was tasked to consider the Accession of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. It is worth noting that Zambia signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in September 1990, and ratified it on 6^th December, 1991. Further, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as a supplement to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 25^th May, 2000, and entered into force on 12^th February, 2002. The two conventions complement each other to create a strong framework for protecting children's rights, particularly in conflict situations, underlying the international community's commitment to ensuring every child's dignity, safety and development. Therefore, ratification of the protocol not only enforces Zambia’s domestic legal safeguards, but also reflects its unwavering commitment to upholding the rights of all children, including refugee children from neighbouring war-torn countries and promoting peace, both nationally and regionally.

Madam Speaker, allow me to put it on record that the Committee is in support of the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. I further wish to inform this august House that all the stakeholders who interacted with the Committee were in support of the ratification.

Madam Speaker, ratification of the protocol will also obligate Zambia to put measures in place to cater for the impact of armed conflicts and other hostilities on the mental health and well-being of affected children such as the provision of trauma-based care, which may not always be available in refugee camps. In addition, the ratification of the protocol will strengthen Zambia’s measures to prevent child recruitment, rehabilitation of affected children and ensure accountability for violations.

Madam Speaker, the Committee is generally satisfied with the condition for determining whether or not the ratification of the protocol is in the best interests of the nation, as set out in the Ratification of International Agreement Act No. 34 of 2016. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the National Assembly approves the proposal to ratify the protocol, as it is already aligned with Zambia’s legislation on child protection.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, permit me to express my sincere gratitude to you and the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly for the support given to the Committee during its deliberations. Gratitude also goes to all the stakeholders who tendered both written and oral submissions before the Committee.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mr Chisanga: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity you have given me, on behalf of the people of Lukashya, to second this Motion ably moved by the chairperson of your Committee.

Madam Speaker, it is not my intention to make many remarks about this Motion or to belabour the point, save to adopt what the chairperson of your Committee has said as my own words and recommend that this House, indeed, supports the Motion to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

Allow me, Madam Speaker, to briefly make a few remarks that may have been missed by the mover of the Motion. Your Committee interacted with various stakeholders, among them state and non-state actors. The witnesses we interacted with, were unanimous, as they. Firstly, they expressed concern about the delay by the country in acceding to this protocol, because it has been twenty years since the call for the accession was made. They, therefore, called for the need to urgently accede to it. Secondly, they informed your Committee that the country has hitherto been fulfilling its obligations under the protocol even without acceding to it, as the country hosts refugees who include children. Sometimes, the country acts as a transit country for people looking for better lives as they move away from areas where there is conflict.

In collaboration with the United Nations Human Rights Commission, we were informed that we have been doing this work even when there was no legal obligation, and therefore, acceding to this protocol has opened up the opportunity for us to enact laws that will make it legal for the country to provide these services.

We were also informed, Madam Speaker, that the current laws that we have in the country, starting with the Constitution, the Children's Code Act and other provisions, including the Defense Act, do prohibit the recruitment of children into armed forces and, therefore, acceding to this protocol, will not need a lot of legal reforms for us to comply with international obligations.

Madam Speaker, witnesses were also helpful because they told us that other countries, such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, have acceded to this protocol and, therefore, made an urgent call for this country to comply with this international obligation.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank you and the stakeholders who came to appear before your Committee, even as I beg to move to second this Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chinkuli (Kanyama): Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, for this opportunity given to the people of Kanyama to add a voice to the debate on the report on the Floor.

Madam Speaker, safeguarding children from recruitment and participation in armed conflict is a very progressive move. We may say we are not affected by these conflicts, and that they are alien to this country, but let us not forget that our colleagues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have passed through it. Therefore, anything that happens elsewhere should be an eye-opener for us. We need to prepare. We do not know exactly where we are going and how things will be. Having said that, I want to thank your Committee for interrogating this matter and coming up with the recommendations, which will help us safeguard our children.

Madam Speaker, children in those war-zoned countries usually experience trauma. These are children whom we look to as the ones who will take up the mantle when we are gone, but if they are in that traumatised state, I do not see a progressive Zambia. So, to this effect, I want to ask everyone to support this report.

Madam Speaker, I have a few concerns that I would like to raise so that, probably, the hon. Minister may address them. Firstly, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in 1998. Then, Zambia signed it in 1990, and it was ratified in 1991. Considering the matter at hand and the importance it carries, it needs to be addressed urgently. I want to know why it has taken this long, about thirty-five years since it came into force. Some of us were twenty-seven years old, and others were not even born. Why has it taken this long?

Madam Speaker, the other concern is the obligations that we need to follow as a member state. There are a lot of obligations that we need to subscribe to. As we heard from the report, we need to ensure that in the event that those children, who are subjected to the armed conflict, come back with trauma because of what they go through, are we ready to have a rehabilitation centre or funds, which will help them come to the fore? So, in the absence of those things, we realise that this may be rhetoric. We need to ensure that we have all these things lined up as we are acceding to this protocol.

Madam Speaker, the final issue that I want to address is a proposal by your Committee that maybe, we can align the funding required for this programme with the National Budget. However, the question is: Do we have the capacity? Looking at how we are struggling this time around to meet the Abuja Declaration of 5 per cent, with such a recommendation, are we able to sustain it?

Madam Speaker, with those remarks, I want to thank you.

Madam Speaker: There is an indication from the hon. Member for Chilubi, who is joining us virtually to debate. Hon. Member for Chilubi, you have the Floor.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving the people of Chilubi the opportunity to debate on this very important Motion. I would like to appreciate the mover and seconder of the Motion for the good job they have done.

Madam Speaker, this protocol would have come as early as yesterday. However, even when it has come now, we need to accommodate it within our parameters and especially, our legal framework.

Madam Speaker, the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict should not be viewed as a distant protocol per se or one that should only apply to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or other countries involved in conflict. It is a protocol that also directly involves us.

Madam Speaker, within the parameters of Article–

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

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Chilubi, there is an indication for a Point of Order from the hon. Member for Dundumwezi. What is the Point of Order?

Mr Sing’ombe: Madam Speaker, I rise on a very serious Point of Order with regard to my fellow hon. Member of Parliament for Chilubi, who is not properly dressed. Is he in order to join this House in the manner that he is dressed? I rise this Point of Order pursuant to Standing Order No. 63.

Madam Speaker, I seriously seek your ruling.

Madam Speaker: Standing Order No. 63, which the hon. Member for Dundumwezi referred to, talks about speaking in the House.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: There is nothing about –

Laughter

Madam Speaker: I cannot really see properly what the hon. Member for Chilubi is wearing.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I am wearing a safari suit.

Hon. Members: He is wearing an overall!

Madam Speaker: He says he is wearing a safari suit. Is it with a jacket on top, or what is that?

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, it is a safari suit; it has a top and a bottom. I am in the office. Maybe, I can stand up so that you can see. I do not know how I can expose myself properly, but I am wearing a safari suit.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Does he have a scarf on?

Hon. UPND Members: No.

Ms Phiri: He has.

Madam Speaker: He has a scarf.

Hon. Members, let us make progress. Let us allow him to debate.

May the hon. Member continue.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, before I was interrupted, I was saying that we should not treat this particular protocol as something distant. I think, it is within the parameters. Hon. Members have debated properly that the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 has already domesticated the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I think, the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 took on board the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution No. 54/263.

Madam Speaker, I want to focus on the best interest of a child. The definition of a child is anyone under the age of eighteen. Having said that, I would like to say that we are talking about children participating in hostilities. Away from armed conflict, which we have not experienced much as a country, we also need to investigate what Article 4 of the protocol talks about, that is, non-state armed groups. I think, I have in mind the Tokota boys. Some of the groups of junkies in the country qualify to be non-state armed groups.

Madam Speaker, also, allow me to venture into Article 6, which talks about the implementation of the same protocol. Among other things, the protocol is a necessary legal and administrative framework that should take root in the country. I have in mind the Defence Act. I know that earlier on, the seconder of the Motion said that the Defence Act prohibits the issue. However, I think that our Defence Act has a bit of a safety valve for that in Chapter 106, especially under Section 14(2), where it gives leeway for such recruitments to take place when there is parental consent.

Madam Speaker, I also want to venture into what the Children’s Code Act, which was passed in 2022, says. Sections 23 and 24 accommodate what we are talking about today. Bear in mind that when we talk about this protocol, we are not talking about only the children we receive from the Democratic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries called refugees. We should also bear in mind that, as the Government is carrying out the geological survey, there are booming mines that attract children and expose them to hostilities. Children around those areas where mining of gold is happening are likely to be involved in hostilities. To address that component, I suggest to the House that as we venture into ratifying the protocol, we need to properly review Section 14(2) of the Defence Act, so that we do not leave any stone unturned. We also need to attend to Sections 23 and 24 of the Children’s Code Act so that they may sit well with what is required.

Madam Speaker, having said that, on behalf of the people of Chilubi, I support the ratification of the protocol with no reservations.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms D. Mwamba): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the chairperson and all the hon. Members of the Committee on Youth, Sport and Child Matters for the well-elaborated report presented to this august House, on the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. I commend the Committee for the thorough work done. I have no doubt that we will strengthen our national efforts further towards the promotion and protection of children’s rights in Zambia.

Madam Speaker, my ministry wishes to inform the House that Zambia is already a state party to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obliges state parties to protect children from exploitation, abuse and harm. In line with this commitment, the Government has put in place various policies and legislative measures to safeguard the well-being of our children, such as the National Child Policy, the National Child Safeguarding Framework, the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 and the Anti-Human Trafficking Act No. 11 of 2008.

Madam Speaker, Zambia signed the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2008. The ratification of this protocol will further strengthen our legal and institutional framework for child protection by prohibiting the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The Government recognises that due to their vulnerability, children require heightened protection from abuse and exploitation, which have devastating impacts on their physical, psychological and social development. Therefore, ratifying the optional protocol will reinforce our commitment to safeguarding our children from such violations.

Madam Speaker, in response to the issues raised in the report, as well as to the contributions made by hon. Members during the debate, my ministry is committed to addressing all concerns raised, including strengthening co-ordination among stakeholders, enhancing the capacity of institutions responsible for child protection and increasing public awareness on the rights of our children. I wish to underscore that the effective implementation of the protocol will require strong multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder co-operation involving the Government, law enforcement agencies, the Judiciary and hon. Members of Parliament, civil society and development partners. I, therefore, call on all stakeholders to join hands with my ministry to ensure that the recommendations of the Committee are implemented, and that Zambia fully meets its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mabeta: Madam Speaker, thank you very much, once more. I think, this is a non-controversial Motion. We are all parents here, and we would not want to see any of our children being sent to fight in an armed conflict and coming back after having shed blood. Like the President always puts it, once a child is exposed to killing someone, it learns that habit and it is just a matter of time, it will come and kill you, the parent. Zambia has not faced any serious conflict for sixty years, but the President keeps saying that instability anywhere is instability everywhere. So, I thank the hon. Minister for supporting the Motion. I also thank the hon. Member for Chilubi and the senior hon. Member of Parliament for Kanyama.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

______

BILL

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT (Amendment) BILL, 2025

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 2 – (Amendment of Section 2)

The Minister of Information and Media (Mr Mweetwa) (on behalf of the Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune)): Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 2, on page 4:

after line 2 by the insertion of the following new definition:

“agent” means a person authorised by a body corporate to appear before a small claims court on behalf of that body corporate but does not include a legal practitioner;;

in line 6 by the deletion of the word “and”;
in line 9 by the deletion of the full stop and the substitution therefor of the word ‘and’; and
after line 9 by the insertion of the following new definition:

“research advocate” means a person appointed as a research advocate in a superior court by the Commission.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 3 – (Amendment of Section 5)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 3, on page 4, in line 31 by the insertion of the words ‘prescribed liquidated’ immediately after the words “relating to”.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 4 – (Repeal and replacement of Section 6)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 4, on page 5:

in line 4 by the insertion of the words ‘or research advocate’ immediately after the words “judicial officer’; and
in lines 9 and 10 by the deletion of subsection (4) and the substitution therefor of the following:
A judicial officer or research advocate designated under subsection (3) shall be appointed on a part-time basis.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 4, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 5 – (Repeal and replacement of Section 8)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 5, on page 5, in line 28 by the insertion of the words ‘on grounds of misconduct or breach of trust’ immediately after the word “Commission”.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 5, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 11 – (Amendment of Section 22A)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 11, on page 6, in lines 26 to 31 by the deletion of Clause 11 and the substitution therefor of the following:

11. Section 22A of the principal Act is amended:

in subsection (1), by the:
insertion of the following new paragraph immediately after paragraph (b):
errors on the record; and
renumbering of paragraphs (c) and (d) as paragraphs (d) and (e), respectively; and
by the insertion of the following new subsection immediately after subsection (2):

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 11, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 12 – (Amendment of Section 22B)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 12, on page 6, in lines 32 to 37 by the deletion of Clause 12 and the substitution therefor of the following:

12. Section 22B of the principal Act is amended by the:

deletion of subsection (1) and the substitution therefor of the following:

A panel of commissioners may, on review of a judgement, confirm or set aside a judgement, by majority, on satisfying themselves that any of the grounds specified under section 22A are proved.; and

insertion of the following new subsection immediately after subsection (2):
A panel of commissioners shall, when reviewing a judgement on the ground of errors on the record, only determine the matter in respect to the errors on the record and shall not hear the matter in full.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 12, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 13 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 14 – (Repeal and Replacement of Section 25)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 14, on page 7:

in line 9, by the deletion of the words “,without reasonable excuse”; and
in line 24, by the deletion of the word “and” and the substitution therefor of the word “or”.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 14, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 15 – (Amendment of section 26)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 15, on page 7, in line 33, by the deletion of the words “fifty thousand” and the substitution therefor of the words “twenty-five thousand’’.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 15, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 16 – (Amendment of section 27)

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 16, on page 7, in line 36, by the deletion of the words “one hundred thousand” and the substitution therefor of the words “fifty thousand”

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 16, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 17, 18 and 19 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

_______

HOUSE RESUMED

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

The following Bill was reported to the House as having passed through Committee with amendments:

The Small Claims Court (Amendment) Bill, 2025

Report Stage on Friday, 14^th November, 2025.

_______

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

MOTION

MOTION OF SUPPLY

(Debate resumed)

Mr Ngowani (Mpongwe): Thank you very much, once again, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, before business was suspended, I was about to say that despite the challenges the country is facing, positive economic indicators have been recorded, which clearly shows that the country is heading somewhere. For example, the appreciation of the Kwacha and the economic growth from negative 2.8 per cent, which is projected at 4 per cent in 2026, are key indicators. The five-month import cover clearly indicates that the country has something in its foreign reserves.

Madam Speaker, let me move to education. Let me begin by commending the Ministry of Education. It is doing much better than when it had two hon. Ministers. For example, since 2021, I have never heard of a higher learning institution closing due to riots and other things. The hon. Minister is working very hard despite heading the ministry alone. Many new programs have been introduced, such as the School Feeding Programme and the completion of hostels, which started during the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government. This clearly shows that the right man is in office.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngowani: Madam Speaker, people thought that free education would not be attained. However, this time around, free education is a reality in Zambia. I want to urge the people of Zambia to trust this Government because without free education, the 2 million children who have returned to school would still be in communities, languishing. Had this Government not recruited more than 42,000 teachers, those people would still be languishing and doing nothing in communities. Therefore, the recruitment of teachers is commendable.

Madam Speaker, let me move on to the Ministry of Health. Starting from 2022, the Government has been increasing funds for the procurement of drugs. This time around, when I went around health facilities in Mpongwe, I found that most of them had more than 85 per cent of stock levels of drugs. Most of the hospitals whose construction stalled during the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government are being completed because of the good vision of the New Dawn Government. Construction of a hospital in Ikeleng’i which started in 2007 is being completed because we have a serious Government.

Madam Speaker, during the drought, no Zambian died because of poverty. The Government put interventions to see to it that every Zambian was protected from the drought in the 2023-2024 Farming Season.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngowani: This saw the introduction of the Cash for Work programme, the Emergency Social Cash Transfer programme and other measures to mitigate the situation. Zambians should trust this Government because it is there to protect its citizens.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the issue of energy. Energy is the driver of the economy. I have never heard anyone aspiring to the presidency giving a solution on the energy crisis that we have in Zambia. This Government is working hard. In Zambia, 80 per cent of electricity is hydro-power. The reason we have the energy crisis is the drought that we had in the 2023-2024 season. Those people aspiring the presidency, I want to ask them where they will get water to fill the Kariba Dam?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngowani: The answer is nowhere.

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

Mr Ngowani: This Government, Madam Speaker, is doing everything possible to see to it that the energy crisis that we have–

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mpongwe, resume your seat.

Mr Ngowani resumed his seat.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you have even indicated to debate. For the sake of time, today is your last day to debate.

What is your point of order? That is the last Point of Order today so that many hon. Members can debate.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, I am raising my Point of Order pursuant to Standing Order No. 71. Somebody has to be factual.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister of Information and Media told the Zambians that the Government was waiting for water to fill Kariba Dam. He told the nation that by June, there would be no load-shedding.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Member of Parliament debating in order to not consult with the hon. Minister of Information and Media on when water will reach the Kariba Dam, so that the Zambians do not have load-shedding? Is he in order to debate in that way, instead of asking the hon. Minister of Information and Media when water will reach the Kariba Dam?

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious ruling.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nakonde, you have brought in what was mentioned by the hon. Minister of Information and Media. We do not know when it was done. It does not apply. In fact, you are out of order because when you look at the definition of a Point of Order, you will see that it is raised on something that distracts the proceedings of the House. So, hon. Member for Nakonde, you are out of order.

The hon. Member for Mpongwe may continue.

Mr Ngowani: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, as I wind up, I want to speak about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which is a game changer. In Mpongwe, just in 2022, the projects we implemented were more than the projects which were implemented from 2011 to 2021.

Madam Speaker, I support the Motion.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I have a short announcement to make. Yesterday, two hon. Members wanted to debate Head 03, but we advised them that they were going to debate tomorrow, meaning today, so that the process looks smart, rather than just telling the media to go out and then come back later. So, I am going to allow the two hon. Members who wanted to debate Head 03, that is, the hon. Member for Nyimba and the hon. Member for Bwana Mkubwa. I am also going to ask the media to leave the Chamber; the debate is going to be done in camera.

Mr Zulu: No, Madam Speaker, I did not indicate to debate.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The hon. Member for Nyimba says no? Okay. I am told that it is only Hon. Mwambazi who wants to debate.

You may take the Floor, hon. Member.

Mr Mwambazi (Bwana Mkubwa): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to make some comments on this very important Motion, on behalf of the people of Bwana Mkubwa. In particular, I have some comments on Vote 03, National Assembly

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, the very important role of the National Assembly is oversight, as it were. So, the issue of capacity building for your hon. Members cannot be overemphasised. If you look at what was allocated for 2025, you will see that it was K1,100,452,356, compared to K1,581,275,093 in 2026. Suffice it to say that many capacity building programmes for your hon. Members are not undertaken due to inadequate funding, as it were. My question is: How are your hon. Members going to carry out their most important mandate of oversight, if they do not understand some very important topical aspects in various portfolios, as it were? To ensure that this Parliament provides oversight, my appeal is that hon. Members are capacitated continuously, as that will ensure that you have an active Parliament that can carry out its mandate effectively.

Madam Speaker, let me move on to the hon. Members’ welfare. If you look at our medical facilities here, at Parliament, aside from the National Health Insurance Scheme Authority (NHIMA) scheme, only our spouses are included.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwambazi: Then where do we take our children, because that is a family. Madam Speaker, we have undertaken benchmarking tours, travelled and conversed with our friends within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, as you may be aware, Zambia chairs the Southern Africa Development Community Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC). Our colleagues' medical aid in other jurisdictions, like Botswana and South Africa, is adequate. It is very important to ensure that hon. Members are motivated through such small entitlements. We must equalise. How does one take his or her spouse to one facility, then, the next day, when their child is sick, he or she goes to Kanyama or Chilenje level hospitals, for example.

Madam Speaker, let me move on to health matters. As hon. Members of Parliament, we do not have provisions for a gym or other sports facilities. Those who are very active and would like to remain so have to subscribe to gyms, but our colleagues in Kenya, for example, have Bungwe, which is a facility that has a gym and other sports facilities to ensure that hon. Members are active. We need such facilities so that we can also mitigate non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by ensuring that hon. Members keep fit by playing squash, tennis and all other sports disciplines. In that you can have a youthful and active Parliament. Those are some of the issues we should look into. I was conversing with one of the Clerks about why we do not have even membership paid by Parliament for hon. Members of Parliament who play golf.

Mr Tayali: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwambazi: We can also compete. Madam Speaker, when you visit Bonanza Resort, where some of us play golf, you find different teams. Coming from Parliament, one still has to pay for oneself. That is just one of those aspects you can look into. Hon. Members can even caucus while they are playing golf.

Madam Speaker, the Members’ Motel, the facility where colleagues who come from far-flung areas usually stay, is not befitting an hon. Member of Parliament.

Mr Tayali: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwambazi: Madam Speaker, we can do better. We can start from somewhere. If we compare and contrast with our colleagues in Botswana, they have duplexes and pool facilities at their parliamentary village. They can even live with their families in one or two of the facilities. We are not saying that we should push for that level, but we can have a roadmap to ensure that the hon. Members’ mental welfare is taken care of. If you move around those small rooms at the Members’ Motel for many years, I do not think –

Madam Speaker, if you conducted a mental check-up on most hon. Members, I do not know how many would survive because of the facilities that we, ourselves, provide.

Mr Samakayi: Question!

Mr Mwambazi: Madam Speaker, it is very important to look at some of these matters. They might look trivial, but they are important in ensuring that the welfare of the hon. Members is in a good space.

Madam Speaker, the other issue that I would like to comment on is benchmarking. We started a good programme on sector budgeting. However, one can see the knowledge gap in some of the hon. Members, as one chairs the Committees. How do you help us, as Parliamentarians, to carry out this mandate effectively, scrutinise the Budget and understand the processes, such that even if we travelled as resource personnel or other people came to benchmark, we would host them the way we host other Members of Parliament on tour, and adequately articulate issues concerning sector budgeting? There is a knowledge gap. So, all those things can only be done with adequate funding.

Madam Speaker, I can go on and on mentioning the small issues that have had a detrimental effect on hon. Members. It is important to take care of ourselves, as hon. Members of Parliament. Most of the time, we focus on what people will think if we increase funding for hon. Members of Parliament, but we do not want to embarrass Parliament while carrying out our mandate, as we represent this institution. People, even in the SADC Region, respect the policies as well as the resource base of the Zambian Parliament. So, we must be well-resourced by the Executive to ensure that we carry out our mandate in an effective and befitting manner.

Madam Speaker, many are the times I have travelled as chairperson of SADCOPAC without even getting the 40 per cent entitlement, but I do not mind. What is important is that we carry the flag of this nation and represent this Parliament in an effective manner. Those are some of the pertinent issues that we need to look into and ensure that we also, at this time, take care of ourselves in a befitting manner.

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I support this Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: We are done with Vote 03. The media can come back.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Are we done with Vote 03?

Mr Tayali: We are done!

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, the approach in my contribution to the debate on the Motion of Supply on the 2026 National Budget will be broad. I would like to, first of all, start by congratulating the Government, particularly through the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, on debt restructuring. The exercise sounds simple but, I think, a lot of work has been done. We are now on the path to recovery and, obviously, preparing to start paying back the loans. A lot of work was also done in the past when I was in this House as an Independent Member of Parliament, but now that the Government has been able to get to almost 96 per cent, that is highly commendable. You can imagine what would have happened if we had not got the loans, and this sort of relief and support. So, I commend the Government for that.

Madam Speaker, of course, there are other things that the Government could have done better. With regards to the energy sector, we heard the hon. Minister talk about the machinery and equipment that the ministry was providing for those who intend to invest in the electricity subsector. I think that is one area that the Government should carefully look at. I believe that even in the current crisis, 50 per cent of the power is given to the mines. If we were to interrogate that 50 per cent and get 25 per cent back for domestic use, and then the other 25 per cent is imported by the mines, as you may know, the mines have money, and gave them a few incentives, I think, we would not be in this crisis. That is for the Government to think about. Many scholars and technocrats have said that it would be one of the easier ways.

Madam Speaker, the Government has embarked on several road projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs). We will continue to wait in Kantanshi. I think, during the nine years that I have been here, as a Member of Parliament, I have bemoaned the state of the Mukambo Road. I had hope last year that the road would be worked on or signed for. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I hoped that the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development would be in the House so that he does not accuse me of playing politics over the road. Trucks are already getting stuck on the road, and I do not have answers. I only hope that the Government will provide some remedial resources so that trucks and vehicles can move back and forth, especially now, as children are writing examinations, teachers have to move from one end to the other to prepare the children. So, it is a huge challenge. However, at the same time, as a constituency, we have benefited from the Mopani Copper Mines Plc.

Madam Speaker, we also have several issues we can express concern about. For example, we have a challenge with water. We do not have water in Kantanshi and Mufulira because the Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation Company has performed very badly. The sewer line systems are all broken down. However, we have seen huge amounts of money allocated to the water sector. We hope the Government will conduct a serious audit on the performance of utility companies.

Madam Speaker, imagine not having water and electricity. These are two vital resources for anybody who wants to do well, whether in business or other endeavours.

Madam Speaker, I also looked at the Budget in terms of dismantling the national debt. Yes, we are lucky, again, as a constituency. We have a huge school called Mulundu Secondary School, which the Government recently started funding. It is a massive investment. Construction started in 2012, but this time around, the project is almost 70 per cent complete. This is a project that did not receive funding for a long period of time, but it is slowly nearing completion.

Madam Speaker, in every budget, there are winners and losers. You win some and you lose some, but that does not mean we should not talk. We should be able to continue to pat the Government on the back where it has done well, and remind it where it has not. We need to bear in mind that one day, we might be given the same positions to hold, and such jobs are not simple. It is easy to criticise when one is not in that position. For example, with the electricity challenges we are facing, it is easy to criticise, but coming up with a solution is not. So, as Kantanshi Constituency, we bear all that in mind. We want to be as fair as possible. So, like I mentioned, even in terms of dismantling of debts, looking at the amount allocated, we believe that the hon. Minister can do a little bit better. We have challenges, and I can speak for myself and declare interest. Where we have huge outstanding debts, it has been very difficult. In fact, sometimes one may wonder how we are going to meet our obligations to the banks and so on and so forth. So, we want to see a bit more of an increment in that area.

Madam Speaker, we also want to ask the Government to slow down on employment. We want to see more private sector employment.

Mr Mukosa: Question!

Mr Mumba: Madam Speaker, if we look at the amount remaining for development after costs for personal emoluments, it is alarming. We have to find a better way of employing people, whether it is through internships or programmes that are good enough for individuals to continue working until the economy is strong enough to now fully employ people. We need to not only make a few people happy. For example, if 2,000 teachers have to be employed, and I have over 10,000 or 12,000 teachers in my constituency alone looking for jobs, out of those 2,000, if you do simple mathematics, you will have five people employed per district. So, when we divide five people, say for me, whose district has three constituencies, we get one person employed per constituency. So, what effect will that have? It will just introduce corruption and unnecessary pressure on my office as a Member of Parliament. So, we need to find better ways to employ people within the Budget, but that should come more from the private sector.

Madam Speaker, with that said, I do support the Budget. It is a challenging Budget. I have looked at the resource envelope available, and there is nothing more we can do other than what has been provided by the hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, with that said, I support the Budget.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Madam Speaker, I have four points that I will talk about concerning Mufumbwe concerning the Budget. First of all, I would like to talk about education. Just like my hon. Colleague has said that there is a secondary school that is under construction in his constituency, in Mufumbwe, there is also one which is under construction, and it has taken years without receiving enough funding. However, this time around, I have seen that the Government, through the 2026 Budget, has allocated about K2.3 billion to complete and rehabilitate secondary schools. So, I thought maybe we could talk about that because the project in question is almost at 87 per cent completion.

Madam Speaker, you may be aware that in Mufumbwe, we do not have a boarding secondary school. So, if that boarding secondary school is completed, it would greatly benefit the people of Mufumbwe, as most pupils come from very far points and some travel approximately 600 km to the school. I have seen that from the allocated amount, about 317 schools are supposed to be worked on. However, out of this number, 151 are completed and about forty-six will be completed, maybe, by the end of the year. Then we are looking at 120 schools. The question that I now want to bring to the attention of the hon. Minister is: Are the works in Mufumbwe among those that are going to be completed? What we are remaining with is, maybe, about 15 per cent of the works, and if anything, less than that. So, our appeal is that this is the time this secondary school should be completed so that our people, especially the girl child, are accommodated. We have seen a number of early pregnancies because we do not have a boarding secondary school. The girl pupils rent houses in order to finish their education. That has not sat very well with our girl child.

Madam Speaker, the other issue I want to talk about is the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Indeed, we appreciate the increase in the CDF, which may amount to K40 million. That is okay. However, it is not sitting very well with those of us who have very big constituencies. That is the reason the people of Mufumbwe asked me to come and talk about delimitation and encourage other hon. Members to support it. This is something that all of us should support.

Madam Speaker, you can imagine that when we were buying the yellow machines, we failed to buy all the equipment. We ended up buying only about three pieces of equipment. The rest we could not buy because we had a lot of issues to tackle. We had to spend most of the money in the education, water and sanitation sectors. So, we are saying that if our constituency was split into two, it would help us because the constituency is just too vast. We are very happy …

Mr Amutike: Hear, hear!

Mr Kamondo: … that we have done one or two things. Even with the money that we have, we have managed to construct about twenty-three schools, and the people of Mufumbwe are appreciative. However, in an event that we had two constituencies, we were going to do better than what we have done. So, we are saying that, yes, the CDF is increasing, but we are still looking forward to making sure that the delimitation process takes place. In this regard, I would like to encourage the hon. Members of Parliament to support the delimitation process or the constitutional amendment process because doing so will help us.

Madam Speaker, the other issue I want to bring to your attention is the CDF vehicles. We all received the CDF vehicles at the same time. The mileage of our vehicle has reached 160,000 km in just a few years. If we compare with the vehicles in small districts, their mileage is just about 64,000 km. This means that the CDF vehicle in Mufumbwe is covering so many kilometres. That is why it is likely to break down soon. By the time I finish my term, the vehicle that I got from Parliament, as Member of Parliament, would have been a wreck because it covers long distances. I am sure it is the same with other hon. Members.

Ms Sefulo: We do not get; we buy!

Mr Kamondo: Yes, the vehicle I bought. My sister, thank you for the reminder. As Member of Parliament, I do not just get a vehicle. I buy it.

Madam Speaker, on mining, I am happy that the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has increased the allocation for artisanal miners. That is good, and it will help our artisanal and small-scale miners. While I appreciate that artisanal miners are being trained, the problem is that the training is taking too long. What we should be doing once we train about 100 miners is giving them tenements to start mining. If they are left without tenements, others start mining illegally. That serves no purpose, and it is discouraging our people.

Madam Speaker, the other thing I want to talk about is infrastructure. There are Acrow bridges which are supposed to be installed in Mufumbwe. As I said, because of the nature of his constituency, my brother from Zambezi West managed to have the Acrow bridges installed. For us, it is very expensive to install Acrow bridges. So, I urge the Government to ensure that something from the allocation for Acrow bridges and rehabilitation of roads is given to the people of Mufumbwe, so that we work on Musonwenji Road, Muluji Bridge and other small bridges. Mufumbwe was allocated about eight Acrow bridges, and all of them are here in Lusaka. We cannot install the bridges because we do not have enough money. I think that if these challenges were attended to, Mufumbwe would never be the same.

Madam Speaker, to summarise, I think that this is what I wanted to talk about regarding the 2026 Budget. The people of Mufumbwe need a boarding secondary school. The people of Mufumbwe need Acrow bridges. The people of Mufumbwe need delimitation. The people of Mufumbwe urgently need artisanal miners to be given tenements so that they start mining and contributing to the national economy.

Madam Speaker, I also wish to talk about one thing which is discouraging. The Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) is the off-taker of gold, so it was supposed to establish its offices in Mufumbwe. The problem now is that if people are given tenements to start mining, where will they sell gold? If the ZCCM-IH Plc is not ready, it should choose another institution which will be ready to buy gold on behalf of the Government. It has delayed the process. We want to mine gold and make money.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, let me add a few words to the debate on the Motion on the 2026 Estimates of Expenditure. I will start with Vote 52, the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation. We have seen a steady increase in the allocation for the ministry from 2024 to 2026. In the 2026 Budget, K1,829,919,600 has been allocated for Water Supply and Sanitation. Out of that amount, K735,041,624 will go to sanitation and K1,094,877976 to water supply.

Madam Speaker, whether one belongs to the right or the left, we are all grappling with water challenges in our areas. No one here can say that they have enough water in their compounds or townships, except those in urban constituencies.

Madam Speaker, Nyimba District is dry. Water supply is a nightmare. People depend on those who have boreholes in residential areas and filling stations. That is also happening in the central business district (CBD). Out of the K1,604,515,094 that was allocated in 2025 for water and sanitation, how much was released towards water supply projects? My question goes to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. Is the money that was budgeted for these projects in 2025 being released? I do not think that we would be having a problem of water supply in Nyimba if that money was released. According to the engineers at the ministry, a K30 million water supply project would have solved the water problems in the district.

Madam Speaker, the allocation for Water Supply and Sanitation in the 2026 Budget has gone up to K1,829,919,600. Out of that, K1,094,877976 is for water supply and K735,041,624 is for sanitation. I want to see the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation come to Parliament and tell us where he is going to spend this money. A good number of townships have contaminated water. Even here in Lusaka, in places like Chalala, underground water is contaminated. Where will the money in the Budget be spent? Are we going to come up with new sewer ponds? What are we doing about this? If you go to old schools which were built in the 1970s or 1960s, you will find that their sewer ponds are still functional. So, I do not know what is happening with our water engineers. I plead with the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to release the money for water supply and sanitation on time.

Madam Speaker, in addition, I would be failing in my duties if I failed to acknowledge the wonders that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is doing in our constituencies. Each hon. Member of Parliament is happy. Each one of us can go back to our constituencies and say, “In my tenure, this is what happened. In my tenure, clinics and classrooms were built.” However, people in rural areas are suffering when it comes to infrastructure development. A good number of projects funded directly by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development have stalled for maybe, two years. A contractor will move on site today and demobilise tomorrow. By the time a contractor resumes operations, the progress made earlier would have been washed away by rainfall. Nyimba is a practical example. The Government gave a wonderful project to the people of Nyimba. It has been raining for the past week, and due to the funding being released late, I foresee the contractor making a huge loss. The Government is not funding contractors on time.

Madam Speaker, let me look at Vote 46, Ministry of Health. The budget for infrastructure development in 2025 under the ministry is K1,543,968,541, but the allocation has decreased to K1,332,519,164 in the 2026 Budget. On behalf of the people of Nyimba, I ask this question: Now that the amount has reduced, will the district hospital in Nyimba be completed next year, when it was not completed this year when the allocation is K1,543,968,541? The project has stalled for the last twelve years or so. We are not seeing any progress on this hospital.

Madam Speaker, the surface area for Nyimba is close to 12,000 km². I take the submission of my brother from Mufumbwe as mine. The mileage for the CDF ambulances has gone above 100,000 km because the constituencies are huge. Ambulances move patients for 200 km to an unfinished building in the CBD. I challenge anyone from the Executive on this. The theatre at Nyimba District Hospital is not finished. Patients are operated on in an unfinished building. Thanks to the CDF, a small amount of money was allocated to put windows in the building. I can lay evidence on the Table for the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. He is my witness. He promised the people of Nyimba that by June 2024, the hospital would be completed. That is on record. Where has the money for the project gone? That is the question I am asking. The people of Nyimba usually ask the question: Is it because we are located between Lusaka and Chipata that Governments do not remember us? This is the question that the people ask.

Madam Speaker, even the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has not attended to some projects in Nyimba. I can lay evidence on the Table for the former hon. Minister of Energy. He promised the people of Nyimba that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chamilala would be electrified. He is there smiling nicely (Pointed at Mr Kapala). He knows that he promised the people of Nyimba that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chamilala would be electrified. This hospital caters to everyone. The Catholic Church, in its wisdom, invested in equipment worth over US$415 million.

All we need to do is connect the hospital. It is not that the money was not there, it was, and the project was supposed to be completed in 2024. The question is: Where did the money go? If you check the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) budget in this country, K468 million is sitting at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, which is money raised through the K1 million that is deducted per year from each of our Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations. If you multiply that money by three and 156 constituencies, you will find that it is K468 million. The question is: Where is this money? All we needed from that was about K30 million, if not, K37 million to complete that project. That project is not for the people of Nyimba. The biggest beneficiaries of that project are the people of Lusaka Province, Rufunsa and Feira constituencies. A huge amount of medicine is even taken from that hospital. So, what I am saying–

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Dr Mwanza (Kaumbwe): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Kaumbwe, to add my voice to the debate on the Motion of Supply on the 2026 National Budget.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, I note that the Government is proposing K253 billion as the 2026 National Budget, and 82 per cent of that will be funded by domestic resources. This is a major achievement for our economic independence. For 82 per cent of the Budget to be funded through domestic resources, there must be strategic financial mobilisation because, based on our experience with the budgets for 2025 and 2024 and so on, budgets have not been fully funded by the end of each fiscal year. I will give examples. On Page 30 of the Report of the Expanded Planning and Budgeting Committee on the 2026 National Budget, the Committee on Transport, Works, and Supply stated that in 2025, the Government planned to spend K100 million on the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL). To date, and this is the fourth quarter of the year, that money has not been disbursed.

Madam Speaker, this year, 2026, we appreciate the increment to Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation, which will be K40 million. However, the allocation for 2025, which is K36.1 million, has not been fully funded to date. My constituency is standing at less than K10 million received of the K36.1 million, and this is the end of the year. Delayed disbursements impede project implementation and the effective use of these resources. It also leads to the increased cost of projects. The Constituency Development Fund Committee (CDFC) recommends projects for a particular fiscal year, and the procurement authorities would like to procure on time but, because of a lack of funds, the projects are procured at a later stage, by which time there is cost escalation. We, therefore, appeal to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to be prudent and finance the Budget as the guidelines specify.

Madam Speaker, back to the point on the Zambia Railways Limited, the Government, through bilateral co-operation with China, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to revitalise the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railways. The project is currently under design, and construction will start soon. The project will link the port of Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi. Zambia has a railway line that runs from Chingola to Livingstone, which is in a deplorable state. There are speed restrictions, and freight and passenger trains no longer use the railway line. Construction on this good project under TAZARA, which is currently under design, will start soon. The ZRL is a feeder to TAZARA for import and export through the port of Dar es Salaam as well as the port of Beira. If the Government does not fund the K100 million that was earmarked for the rehabilitation of the ZRL tracks, which are in a deplorable state, and is the feeder line, how will TAZARA perform? I saw an item of information on television (TV) that Zambia has received a grant of €50 million from the European Union (EU) for the rehabilitation of the ZRL systems from Livingston to Ndola. Therefore, I would like to urge the Government to give the ZRL that K100 million so that the railway line can be functional as per the specifications.

Madam Speaker, the people of Kaumbwe are looking forward to developing infrastructure that will be climate resilient with the 2026 CDF allocation. In the history of our country, Kaumbwe has seen the first-ever dam and bridge built at Utokwe. Kaumbwe has seen the first-ever school built at Nyankwalala, and the first-ever mother's shelter built using the CDF. We have been given opportunities to procure earth-moving equipment. Kaumbwe and Petauke Central put resources together to purchase a set of earth-moving equipment. With this equipment, it is our desire, and we know for sure, that all the roads that are in a poor condition in Petauke District will be a thing of the past. We have even informed all the wards that, wherever they need a dam, we will construct it because we have the earth-moving equipment, even if it means giving a contractor via the CDF, as the same type of equipment with similar specifications is used. So, why not use them in the construction of our dams? My appeal is that we see a change with the K40 million CDF funding so that, by the end of the 2026 fiscal year, our planned projects are implemented.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion of Supply. From the outset, I want to say that the people of Kabwe support the Budget Estimates.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Government for the 82 per cent of the Budget that is going to be funded internally. This shows that in our Government, there is economic and financial discipline and accountability, and this is very important for the country. It means that Zambia has come of age in terms of financial stability.

Madam Speaker, I also thank the Government for the successive Budgets that have been gender-responsive, including the one that was presented. I say so because the finances that we receive under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) are helping, especially the women and the girl child. Our President has categorically stated that he will ensure that water is provided for our community members. When there is no water, the women and the girl child are the ones who usually suffer. The President also stated that he wants to see clinics with maternity annexes. This is good for our women, and it means this Budget is gender-responsive.

Madam Speaker, what is also worth noting is the provision of free education. Previously, when a family had limited resources, the boy child would be favoured, but this time, because of free education, even the girl child is free to attend school. Let me hasten to say that as women, we are not saying that all we need is social protection, but what we want is to be equal to men. We are a very important resource for economic development. So, it is very important that women are educated and empowered. When women are empowered, they are equal to the tasks for economic development in the country.

Madam Speaker, I ask the Government to ensure that there is a directorate within the council that will be in charge of the CDF that is disbursed. I say so because the amount of money that is sent should be safeguarded. Our experience is that the people in the local authority offices feel like they are doing somebody a favour when they implement and monitor projects, which is not good. The Zambian people will not be happy to see that after putting up a clinic or school, three months later, the floor is cracking and there are a lot of defects. We need to ensure that there is a directorate that seriously monitors CDF projects. The CDF is a good policy that the Government gave us. So, we need to ensure that it is monitored because we do not want wastage. This might seem expensive, but going forward, we need to monitor how our resources are being utilised. There will be more wastage if there is no monitoring. So, we need to ensure that there a directorate in charge of the CDF and implementing CDF projects.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Government for this Budget. In Kabwe Central, we have done a number of projects. We have built six maternity annexes, and a district hospital is being built. The people of Kabwe are so thankful. We also have many projects under water and sanitation. We look forward to replacing the old pipes so that we can have good water provision in our community.

Madam Speaker, due to limited time, I join all those colleagues, including the Backbenchers, in supporting this Budget. The people of Kabwe also support this Budget.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simumba (Nakonde): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the people of Nakonde, to add a voice to the debate on the 2026 Budget.

Madam Speaker, to start with, I will talk about debt restructuring, which this Government has been celebrating, and I will first define what it is. After that, I will talk about the different types of debt restructuring that are there.

Ms Sefulo: Akamba chani?

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, restructuring is just a process of negotiating …

Hon. UPND Members: Ah!

Mr Simumba: … with creditors, to modify the terms of the debt.

Mr Mutale: Quality!

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, I know that other people may not agree with me. However, among the types of debt restructuring that are there, is complete cancellation. When a debt is completely cancelled, it is a good move. However, the type of debt restructuring that this Government has been celebrating is about deferment, which means it has shifted the blame to other people.

Ms Sefulo: Who got the debt?

Mr Simumba: Other generations. The people who are going to pay are not these people, but the future generations.

Madam Speaker, this Government is going to borrow again. It will borrow about K106 billion domestically. The Patriotic Front (PF) Government borrowed K11 billion in ten years. There are a lot of things that it did with that money, and I will mention some of them.

Mr Amutike: How many?

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, in the health sector, …

Eng. Nzovu: They stole medicines!

Mr Simumba: … the PF Government built about six specialist hospitals, …

Eng. Nzovu: They supplied air!

Mr Amutike: Where?

Mr Simumba: … forty-six district hospitals, fifty mini-hospitals, 490 health posts, and fifteen health centres, which are Level I hospitals. However, the problem that I have with this Government is where it takes the money it borrows.

Madam Speaker, when we look at the Annual Borrowing Plan, on page 1, the Government –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nakonde, the Budget is for next year. The Government has not yet borrowed the money and started using it.

You may continue.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, what I am saying is on page 1 of the Annual Borrowing Plan, where it states that the Government has no plans to borrow, and further states that there is an external financing of K12.8 billion. The Government is contradicting itself. I want the hon. Minister to clarify this matter.

Mr Amutike: You do not understand!

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, on the same issue, this Government is an enemy of the poor.

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

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Simumba: Why have I said this? This Government has placed levies on mobile money transactions. Just imagine, Madam Speaker, when one is making a mobile money transaction, one has to pay a levy. Most of the people who make mobile transactions are poor. Why should this Government levy the poor people, instead of giving them incentives? Somebody thought of a business to do, but this Government introduces levies.

Madam Speaker, those people –

Mr Munsanje: Stand up!

Mr Simumba: What are you saying?

Interruptions

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, most of the people who make mobile money transactions and the youths are unemployed. This Government promised to employ the youths, but where are they now? The youths have started throwing stones.

Hon. UPND Members: Ah!

Mr Simumba: These are the same youths who were promised jobs.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, there is no part in the Budget or in the Committee’s report that talks about throwing stones. Please, be focused. We want to allow the last hon. Member to debate. Just focus on the report and the Budget.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, I have the report.

Hon. Government Members: Throw him out!

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, with those few words, I end here because I do not want to disturb other people.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Mr Mubika (Shangombo): Madam Speaker, as the most senior Backbencher on your right, …

Mr Samakayi: Question!

Mr Mubika: … I want to add my voice to the debate on the Motion on the Floor regarding the 2026 Budget.

Madam Speaker, the 2026 Budget gives hope to the people of Shangombo and the country at large because of what has been presented by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which has increased from K36 million to K40 million, is going to add value to Shangombo. Many problems that we are facing now are going to be tackled using the CDF allocated for next year. We have benefited a lot so far from the previous CDF’s and the one for 2025. Therefore, I want to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for the money that was released about two or three weeks ago because many projects are on-going. We have issues with infrastructure for our teachers, so we have started building better housing in rural areas to entice teachers to stay in Shangombo.

Mr Amutike: Correct!

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, I want to assure everyone who has been employed by the Government, be it police officers, teachers or health workers, that we are putting up better housing infrastructure for civil servants. This is an incentive meant for them to stay once they are deployed to Shangombo. You will no longer hear of people trying to leave Shangombo. People are now fighting to go and settle there. I can tell you that we have started constructing housing at Mambolomoka and other health facilities. We are putting up five houses, and they are supposed to be handed over between December and January. We have also built seven clinics in the four years of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, and five are being built as we speak, meaning that we will have twelve by next year.

Madam Speaker, when I look back at the period from 2011 to 2021, I can see that in the ten years of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, only two classrooms and two staff houses were built.

Mr Anakoka: You are lucky.

Mr Mubika: Madam Speaker, what we have achieved so far is more than what was achieved under the previous Government. The K40 million CDF is coming and we have already procured earth-moving equipment. We are opening up Shangombo now by working on feeder roads. We are providing safe drinking water to our people and to domestic animals. All this has become possible because of the good leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, who has come up with this –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

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The House adjourned at 1855 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 14^thNovember, 2025.

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