DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 27th October, 2011

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

________

ANNOUNCEMENT MR SPEAKER

FOOTBALL MATCH BETWEEN THE OPPOSITION AND RULING PARTY

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, on Friday, 21st October, 2011, there was a football match between hon. Opposition Members of Parliament and those of the Ruling Party, at the Olympic Youth Development Centre. The match was played as part of the celebrations to commemorate Zambia’s 47th Independence Anniversary. At full time, the match ended in a draw as follows:

 The Ruling Party - 6
 The Opposition - 6

In appreciation of their performance, the two teams were presented with a trophy each.

I wish to congratulate all hon. Members of Parliament who took part in this match and encourage all hon. Members to participate in sport, as the adage says: “A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.”

So, I look forward to other sports tournaments in the future.

The trophies will be kept in the offices of the Government Chief Whip and the Leader of the Opposition, respectively. Clearly, Parliament is not only regarded highly in the Chamber, but also on the football grounds.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

__________

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

ATTACKS ON ZAMBIA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY OFFICERS

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central) asked the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources:

(a) whether the Government was aware that over the last weekend heavily armed poachers indiscriminately shot dead two Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officers in Kaale Area in Sesheke District in the Western Province; and

(b) what measures the Government had taken to protect wildlife officers from such attacks.

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Natural Resources (Mr Musukwa): Mr Speaker, the Government is aware that two ZAWA officers were shot dead on 22nd and 24th October, 2011 by poachers in Sesheke District in the Western Province. The first shooting happened on 22nd October, when a team of four wildlife authority officers was carrying out a patrol in the West Zambezi Game Management Area. They found an abandoned elephant calf which they managed to rescue. However, when they went back to investigate the cause of the abandonment, they encountered suspected poachers who opened fire on the patrol team and in the process one officer was shot dead. The matter was reported to the police at Nangweshi immediately who joined the patrol team which went back to the shooting scene to retrieve the body. Unfortunately, the suspected poachers were still in the area and continued to shoot at the patrol team. Consequently, the body was only retrieved on 23rd October, 2011.

Sir, the second officer was shot on 24th October when the patrol team in the company of officers from Zambia Police Force from Nangweshi went to the shooting scene. The bullet went into the officer’s chest through the arm. The officer died at the Sesheke General Hospital where he was rushed to.

Mr Speaker, the Government has taken the following measures to protect wildlife authority officers:

(i) encourage joint operations between ZAWA and the Zambia Police Force in order to bring to book dangerous poachers; and

(ii) getting rid of illegal firearms from the public which are a security concern to the public.

Sir, I also wish to inform the House that the Patriotic Front (PF) Manifesto is very clear on the control of the illegal hunting of wildlife. The PF Government will achieve this by creating employment opportunities in rural areas and by turning the poachers into gamekeepers in the form of village scouts.

Finally, Mr Speaker, the House may recall that the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, made it clear in his speech during the Official Opening of the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, on page 43, that:

“In order for us to preserve our wildlife for tourism, we must put measures in place to control the problem of human animal conflicts in game management areas which have led to increased levels of hunger and poverty amongst our people.”

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, the cause of death for the second victim was the bullet which went into the armpit and not the arm. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister, what sort of ammunition the ZAWA officers use and how superior it is when compared to the cartridges which were found in the known elephant path which the poachers used.

The Minister of Mines and Natural Resources (Mr Simuusa): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that this incident is regrettable. I wish to inform the hon. Members that detailed investigations of that incident are currently ongoing. The investigations will include the details which the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central is asking me to provide to this House. The House will be furnished with the details of the investigations at a later date.

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister indicate whether the families of the deceased are going to be compensated?

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, at this stage, it is too early to know whether the families of the victims will be compensated because the investigation is still ongoing. 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

    Professor Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister confirm whether the criminals in question have been apprehended. If not, why?

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, the criminals in question have not yet been apprehended. However, let me state that the investigations are ongoing. The law enforcement officers will keep on providing us with information as the case progresses.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister confirm that the statement that came from his Government through the President regarding poaching has excited the poachers in the field?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, we have already stated that we are investigating the incidents which occurred in the Western Province. The incidents have nothing to do with the pronouncements being attributed to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia.

Let me also take advantage of this opportunity to give some bonus information. The two incidents also have nothing to do with the 600 prisoners who recently received amnesty from His Excellency the President Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kaingu (Mwandi): Mr Speaker, taking into account the fact that the President recently released prisoners who had not been tried, how does the Government, through the ZAWA officers, hope to manage to curb poaching?

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I thought that I had already made it clear that there is no relationship between those prisoners who were recently released and the incidents which occurred in the Western Province. We are dealing with the criminals who have to be apprehended, tried and dealt with accordingly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister how he will proceed with the investigations when the first officer who was shot was buried without a post-mortem.

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I am not privy to the information which the hon. Member of Kalomo Central has included in his question. All I can say is that investigations are ongoing and the results will be available shortly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mss Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister confirm that, in fact, the pronouncement by His Excellency the President that the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government respected animals more than people has left our ZAWA officers vulnerable to attacks by poachers.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, even though what I said about the President’s pronouncements regarding poaching was clear and easy to understand, I will repeat what I said for the sake of clarity and emphasis. The incidents which occurred in the Western Province and any other ones which may occur in the future should not be linked to the statement by the President regarding poaching. The President was emphasising a point with regard to the way we would like to improve the management of our GMAs.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has told the House that one of the measures to stop the reoccurrence of ZAWA officers being killed is to encourage them to work in conjunction with the police. Why should you just encourage them to do so instead of giving them a directive?

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, whenever there is a serious security threat, we try as much as possible to deal with the different arms of the Government responsible for law enforcement. When one arm is weak or inadequate, we call for reinforcement from other Government security wings. Under normal circumstances, the ZAWA officers provide adequate security in our GMAs. However, when the need arises, they may need the help of the Zambia Police Force.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Belemu (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, since the said incident happened in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, I would like to know if they are working with the other members of the tranfrontier and if yes in what ways and if not, why not?

Laughter

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, that is a very good question. However, I would like the hon. Member to raise it as a main question and not a supplementary one so that we can give him a good answer.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Siliya (Petauke): Mr Speaker, I want to repeat the question asked by the hon. Member for Mafinga because the hon. Minister did not give a clear answer to it. How can the hon. Minister state in this House that the investigations are ongoing, but at the same time confirm categorically that the statement by His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, as well as the release of the 600 prisoners had nothing to do with the incidents which occurred in the Western Province?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, poaching had been taking place in our GMAs even during the reign of President Rupiah Banda. The incidents which happened in the Western Province have nothing to do with what the President said regarding poaching. It is incumbent upon the Government to stop criminal activities such as poaching because they have been going on for far too long a time.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamududu (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the ZAWA officers in the Western Province ran away because the poachers had better weapons? What is the hon. Minister doing about this state of affairs?

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Member to state what type of arms are superior because I know that our officers use the famous Automat Kalashnikova 47 and those are very superior and sophisticated. If the reason for the incident is related to the superiority of weapons which the poachers have, then the ministry will look at that seriously. I know that the weapons being used by our officers are adequate.  

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muteteka (Chisamba): Mr Speaker, taking into account that the Government has just pardoned poachers and released them from jail, what guarantee is the Government giving to Zambians that the poachers who have just killed game rangers will be jailed if they are caught? This is taking into account the fact that other poachers who were arrested under similar circumstances by the previous Government have just been pardoned.

Interruptions

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, those who were following this matter closely are aware that the people who were released after receiving amnesty from the President were charged with minor wildlife-related offences.

Interruptions

Mr Simuusa: Without going into details, I must state that we were not dealing with serious offences like murder. Even when the cases of those who have been released are followed up, it can be realised that they are not responsible for incidences such as the one referred to by the hon. Member.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, I want the hon. Minister to tell us the difference between the poachers who recently killed game wardens and those that have been released by the President.

Interruptions

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I explained earlier, but for the sake of the hon. Member …

Mr Lubinda: Tell him because he has just woken up. Muuze.

Laughter

Mr Simuusa: In the recent incident, we are dealing with murderers and criminals, which are in a different category from the group that was released that he is referring to. So, I advise the hon. Member to be listening when we are giving answers.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister categorically state to this House that the law now has changed from any wrongdoer being innocent until proven otherwise.

Interruptions

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I can confirm that the law has not changed. However, if the hon. Member has some other details which he has not revealed, he should put his question in writing to the hon. Minister of Justice and we shall respond to it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Ema hon. Ministers aba!

____________

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate Resumed)

Mr Katuka (Mwinilunga): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Floor of the House. I am aware that we have just come from elections and, therefore, it is necessary to thank those who helped us to win the elections and also congratulate those who won. My greatest thanks go to the people of Mwinilunga for giving me a second opportunity to represent them in this House on the United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, may I start by congratulating the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for winning the Presidency and the Patriotic Front (PF) for forming the current Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, it is not long ago that the UPND and PF were in a pact to fight the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government. Unfortunately, our colleagues won the day after the breakup of our pact. This can be explained by the difference in the results of the past general elections for the three top leading presidential candidates. However, the worst punishment was suffered by our colleagues in the MMD who are now in the Opposition. To them I say sincere condolences.

Laughter

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not use this wonderful opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to my party, the UPND, and my party president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for the support and opportunity to re-contest my seat on the UPND ticket.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: I remain committed to the vision of the party and pledge to support it until we realise the dream of a better Zambia, which will embrace Zambians from all corners of the country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, the MMD president, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, handed over the instruments of power in a dignified manner.

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

Mr Katuka: We thank him very much for this as he goes into retirement.

Mr Speaker, the UPND will constructively criticise the PF, now that it is in power. The people gave the PF the mandate for the Presidency of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, may I now congratulate you, the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House for the successful election to your respective offices. I congratulate all the new and old hon. Members of Parliament for their election to this august House. I thank all the people who helped me in my adoption process here, in Lusaka, and during the campaigns at home in Mwinilunga. To them I pledge to be a humble servant.
Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear! Loyalty to the party.

Laughter

Mr Katuka: I now wish to give my response to the President’s Address to this House and how it affects the North-Western Province in general. It is the right of the President to appoint and disappoint people when making appointments in the nation and we have no quarrel with that. We only remind hon. Members in this House that Zambia is a multi-party State. It stopped being a One Party State in the late 1980s. Nobody has been appointed either as a hon. Cabinet Minister, hon. Deputy Minister or hon. Deputy Provincial Minister from the North-Western Province. This is the first time, in the history of post independent Zambia, that the North-Western Province has not been represented in the Government.

Interruptions

Mr Katuka: The 47th independence of Zambia has been celebrated by the people of the North-Western Province with this sad reminder from our former pact friends.

Mr Speaker, let us use the power given to us, through elections, to hold the unity of the country together. We should not marginalise some Zambians. We should not go back to the bad old days of divide and rule through tribalism.

Ms Kapata: On a point of order, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr Katuka: Through inter-tribal marriages and non-practising of tribalism, we developed and practised the one Zambia, one nation motto. Others are now destroying this motto that has been built during the past forty-six years. The people of the North-Western Province also fought for the independence of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, the PF will, one day in future, need the people of the North-Western Province. This province that the Ruling Party is marginalising now houses the two biggest mines in Africa. It should not be forgotten that, at one point in time, the Vice-President, hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security and an hon. Provincial Deputy Minister were denied entry into those premises.

Mr Speaker, I now move to another topic which is the national development agenda. I hope when the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning presents the Budget, he will not forget to give an adequate budget allocation to the North-Western Province.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, the national development agenda fits into the 2011 National Budget. This will be a mixed budget of the MMD which will be re-adjusted by the PF to suit the party’s core programmes. Accordingly, the North-Western Province’s demands should be tailored to fit into the national development agenda. The other provinces have to benefit from the revenue of the mines in the North-Western Province. Hopefully, there will be oil and gas mining starting soon.

The influx of people into the North-Western Province affects the province in many ways as I will refer to in my debate.

Mr Speaker, as regards educational development, the North-Western Province lags behind, hence there is a need to build more schools because of the increased population.

Mr Speaker, as regards health services, the North-Western Province needs more hospitals, clinics and medical staff to take care of the increased population.

Mr Speaker, our traditional crops in the North-Western Province are cassava, sorghum and millet, but maize production was introduced recently. The maize is rotting at present after harvesting due to insufficient maize storage sheds in the province. Let us admit that the MMD left a maize bumper harvest.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, local government and housing development is very critical. The North-Western Province needs proper town planning in order to avoid the mushrooming of unplanned settlements. The support needed to develop the North-Western Province is in many areas, but some of these are as I will outline.

Mr Speaker, with regard to infrastructure development, the cry of the people of the North-Western Province has always been having the M8, Mutanda/Chavuma Road and the T5, Mutanda/Jimbe Road worked on. Hon. Members of Parliament have spoken about these two roads since time immemorial, but the works are still incomplete.

We are grateful to His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for directing that road works be undertaken to open up the North-Western, Copperbelt, Central and Western provinces and linkage roads within the North-Western Province. The road works are to be undertaken on the following roads:

(i) Kalulushi/Kasempa Road which will open the Copperbelt Province to the North-Western Province;

(ii) Mumbwa/Kasempa Road which will open the Central Province to the North-Western Province;

(iii) Kaoma/Kasempa Road  which will open the Western Province to North-Western Province;

(iv) Kaoma/Lukulu/Zambezi Road which will open the Western Province to the North-Western Province; and

(v) Kabompo/Mwinilunga Road which is within the North-Western Province.

Mr Speaker, there is no social protection for people living in the North-Western Province. Therefore, poverty reduction programmes must be introduced by the PF Government.

Mr Speaker, no meaningful commerce, trade and industry can take place in any province without electricity. In the whole of the North-Western Province, only Solwezi and Kasempa districts are connected to the national grid. The rest of the districts use diesel generating sets.

Mr Speaker, there is no manufacturing sector in the North-Western Province. The Mwinilunga Pineapple Cannery Factory is no more. The MMD privatised it and the new investors stripped it off of its assets and exported the machinery out of the country. No other factory was established in its place. The farmers cannot expand their farming hectarage due to lack of a market for their produce. Further, there is no agricultural processing in the province.

Mr Speaker, we need energy generation because the North-Western Province has a high abundance of water resources. So many sites have been identified for hydro power generation, but there has been no single power station constructed. Without energy, you cannot facilitate industrial development. The North-Western Province has vast potential for the development of several mini-hydro power stations. It also has to be given priority in its development as it is contributing a lot to the economy of this country.

Mr Speaker, as regards border posts, the North-Western Province of Zambia shares a very long border with Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Therefore, there is a need for the construction of new border posts, rehabilitation of those in a poor state and construction of staff houses and border facilities. There are no all-weather roads from the district centres to the outlying border posts of the province.

Mr Speaker, allow me to conclude by saying that the PF Government may construct hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, storage sheds and universities, but imagine who would be using this infrastructure if all the Zambians were wiped out by HIV/AIDS.

Laughter

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, development and HIV/AIDS are the inseparable cross-cutting issues. I thought the President, in his speech, would have stated whether the PF Government would continue fighting the pandemic. However, the speech only has a general statement on health services.

Mr Speaker, while other hon. Members of this august House appreciate that the speech was impressive and inspiring, allow me to state that, in the case of Mwinilunga District, there is no mention of any developmental programme or activity to be undertaken by the PF Government. I am, therefore, asking my colleagues in the PF to address these problems.

Sir, in conclusion, I would like to echo what my colleagues have said. The Constituency Development (CDF) must be increased to K5 billion so that we can manage our constituencies properly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr M. B. Mwale (Malambo): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me an opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech and to contribute to the debate by His Excellency the President’s Speech.

Mr Speaker, may I begin by adopting the entire congratulatory messages that have been delivered on the Floor of the House regarding the election of His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata as the fifth President of this great nation, Zambia. In the same vein, the congratulatory message is extended to you and the other two presiding officers on your election and equally to hon. Members for coming out victorious in their various constituencies.

Mr Speaker, it would be a great show of ingratitude on my part if I did not express my special thanks to my spiritual parents and the many who always remembered me in their prayers. For those numerous spiritual texts you sent me via short text messages (sms) and urged me to forge ahead, may you continuously be blessed.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech, which offered the policy direction of the PF Government, touched on a number of issues, but not in depth. Considering it was the President’s Maiden Speech in this august House, I give him the benefit of doubt.

On page 3, the President clearly stated that: “Now that elections are behind us, it is time for us all to focus on forging ahead with the development of our country.” I agree with this statement, but it fell short of promoting the spirit of co-existence as Zambians regardless of our creed, tribe and most importantly, our political affiliation. Why do I say so? The violence, witch-hunting and name calling that followed the PF ascending to the Presidency should have received condemnation from the highest level.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: MMD Members were a subject of gang attacks by PF cadres. Their homes were destroyed and our members subjected to illegal police searches.

Interruptions

Mr M. B. Mwale: Oh! Yes, as reported in this House, the house for one of our senior members was searched in her absence thus the conclusion that we are in a police State.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Campaign materials such as bicycles are being grabbed from the villagers by the police. Be rest assured that you are alienating the rural people further from the PF Government.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Some of the pronouncements by our leaders are promoting hatred of one political grouping. This can degenerate into serious lawlessness. To our hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Sakeni, whose long career has been the promotion of security of our country, I urge him to provide leadership at that important ministry.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, the PF Government should get on with the serious business of governance rather than behaving like the famous kadansa of the 1980s. Some of the pronouncements and appointments and disappointments of the PF Government are quite embarrassing, to say the least.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Some pronouncements are alarming, wild and unsubstantiated. They have the semblance of those that were made in 1991. Remember the allegation of arms being hidden at a farm in Sindamisale.

As regards dismissals, is the Government cognisant of the fact that firing seven directors and leaving the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) without a board has serious implications? That act alone means wiping away a reservoir of corporate memory. As much as it is expected of a new government to usher into office people to carry its vision, the dismissals are to be conducted with a human heart. With the PF Government’s insatiable appetite for firing people, particularly those from other ethnical groupings, it would more than be glad to see some of our working class ladies drop their marital surnames such as Mwiinga in order to be identified as ethnically correct.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Any similarity in names is not intentional and not meant to embarrass anyone.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: On page 8, the President asserts that the PF electoral victory achieved in the just ended elections was owed in large measure to the young generation. I agree with that point. What with a populist platform, laced with a don’t kubeba, meaning do not disclose catch phrase. Some of those populist pronouncements which were hidden in the don’t kubeba cloud are:

(i) more money in the pockets and the magical formula of how that would be done hidden in the don’t kubeba buzz phrase;

(ii) creation of more jobs in the magical timeframe of ninety days;

(iii) re-introduction of windfall tax which the President conveniently chose to remain silent on. To those unionists at Mopani, both the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) that I met in Mufulira who argued for the re-introduction of windfall tax, mark my words, the don’t kubeba will change to don’t kudabwa, meaning do not be surprised when it is not re-introduced; and

Laughter

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker:

(iv) the issue of the human-animal conflict in game management areas which was glossed over on page 43.

The afore-mentioned populist pronouncements by the PF Government created high expectations in our people. For your own information, the Zambian people are seriously counting down the ninety day timeframe. The blame game will not make the Zambian people forget your promises. They are expectant. You have no choice, but to deliver or the bomb will explode right in your face.

Mr Speaker, on page 11, the President’s Speech highlights the PF Government’s priorities. Sadly, no acknowledgment of mining as a key economic driver is made. In other words, there is no PF Government policy direction in mining which will result in uncertainties and anxieties which will culminate into a loss of confidence by multinational mining houses in the Zambian mining industry.

For the ba shi mine on the Copperbelt, your job security is of less consequence to this Government. Considering there is a new Government, assurance should have been given to investors at the highest level on issues such as continued peace and political stability, security of tenure and policy direction on the fiscal regime.

Mr Speaker, from page 15 to 21, the President’s Speech confines itself to agricultural development and an attempt is made to delve into a number of issues. Of concern, however, is page 17 where the President states that the Government would put in place measures aimed at guaranteeing a ready market, especially for the emerging rural farmers. He further states that: “My Government will therefore, complement the private sector by being a buyer of last resort.” What does that mean to the rural farmer? To the farmer in Ndola rural, they will harvest and the result of their hard work will go for a song. To the farmer in Chipangali, your produce will go for a song. To that peasant farmer in rural Kalomo, …

Mr Muntanga: Yes!

Mr M. B. Mwale: … your produce will go for a song. Again, to that farmer in Mumbwa, your produce will go for a song as briefcase buyers will take advantage of this glaring loophole.

Clearly, the PF Government does not want to put money in people’s pockets. In contrast, the MMD Government empowered the rural farmers as can be attested to by that farmer in Mphomwa Ward of Malambo Constituency who has migrated from using Katolitoli (home made lamp) to solar lighting, in Kasamanda and Nyatokoli wards who no longer uses the eagle bicycle, but motor cycles and at Mutenguleni who no longer uses an ox cart, but the popular light truck.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. B. Mwale: As regards infrastructure development, it is gratifying to note the President’s commitment to the completion of the ongoing projects involving the construction of roads, bridges and other social sector facilities.

Further, the President, on page 43, acknowledges that the poor state of infrastructure has had a negative impact on tourism development. In that vein, the people of Malambo are looking forward to the completion of the tarring of the Chipata/Mfuwe Road. This is a road which is expected to spur commerce and tourism in the area. The rebuilding of the Katete/Msoro Road should be completed.

On corruption, it is gratifying to note the President’s zero tolerance for the vice. The pronouncements are assuring us that the one who slaughtered pigs based upon the alleged outbreak of swine fever and paid himself first is born again. The one who was a national secretary of a certain political grouping and was involved in the procurement of mattresses for the party’s convention and was given K2 billion cash is born again.

Laughter

Mr M. B. Mwale: The one who was at the epicenter of the International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA) saga is born again.

In conclusion, may I remind the PF Government that the relay baton of governance has been handed over to it by us who were fast runners and the Zambian people are expecting better results.  As a reminder, the MMD’s achievements were:

(i) copper production reaching a high of 740,000 tonnes in 2010 from a low of 250,000 tonnes in 2000;

(ii) national reserves reaching US$2 billion in 2011 from virtually nothing;

(iii) a stable exchange rate and a predictable tax regime;

(iv) per capita income of US$1,100 from a low of US$300 in 1991;

(v) single digit inflation from 180 per cent in 1991; and

(vi) a gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.6 per cent from a negative 2 per cent.

Finally, I would like to ask the PF Government to fit in those shoes and walk the talk. As my colleagues have debated before, we expect the CDF to be increased to K5 billion.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali (Senanga): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech on the Floor of this august House.

Allow me, Mr Speaker, to adopt the congratulatory messages that have been echod in this House as my own. May I thank the people of Senanga, my family and friends for the support they gave me during the campaign trail. May I thank my party, the UPND, its leadership and the president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, ...

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: ... a gallant and true son of Zambia with impeccable leadership qualities. To him, I say hold on, joy comes in the morning. The darkest hour is just before dawn.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, Senanga, like many other rural constituencies, has major challenges. These include lack of proper sanitation and clean water. The people drink dirty water because the water filters are damaged. The road infrastructure   in Senanga is not good, making it very difficult for the people to move. A road is needed from Senanga Boma to Senanga East. This will help improve the economy of this constituency.

Mr Speaker, in Senanga, there is a problem of run-down infrastructure. Senanga High School has had problems with the sewer system. Matauka High School has a problem of housing since it only has one block of houses. There are no cells at the Senanga Police Station. We look forward to having some cells there. The hospital has old equipment which was installed way back when the hospital was built.

On agriculture, as the President said in his Speech to this House, we look forward to be provided with dip tanks and medicine for the prevention of diseases. Diseases such as blackleg, anthrax and contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP) have increased poverty levels because many people have lost their animals.

Mr Speaker, may I now deal with the President’s Speech which was delivered to this House. With regard to the speech, I will use the words of the First Republican President, Dr D. K. Kaunda, that it touched on many areas of human endeavour, but lacked clarity and objectivity.

Let me now dwell on the issue that was left out by the President. This is the issue of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: This issue was a campaign tool which the PF used to win the elections in the Western Province, but it is unfortunate that the man who was supporting the agreement is today frowning upon his promise today. I demand for more clarification regarding the work of the commission that has been set up to probe the Mongu killings. The terms of reference of this commission are mainly dealing with the killings. Are the concerns regarding the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 going to be addressed by this Government at some stage? The parliamentarians, especially those from the Western Province, will not keep quiet until they know what the PF Government is going to do about the agreement.

Mr Speaker, the President indicated in his speech that the youths actually helped in the change that we are enjoying today. To my dismay, the youths in the PF Government have been marginalised. I have interacted with many of them. As I look on your right side, I see a number of very intelligent young hon. Members, but they are not part of the Cabinet.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Such a record is not enviable because the whole world is being managed and run by young people. The women are not well represented in that party. Since there are few women in the House, we expected the President to use his own constitutional powers to nominate women. Unfortunately, he nominated eight old men at one time.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, we are a signatory to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocols regarding gender balancing. Unfortunately, the PF Government is not interested in them. It is not too late though to disappoint some of the old men and bring into this House women who have not had an opportunity to represent the PF in Parliament.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Member: Hammer mwana.

 Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, more than fifty plus one per cent in the PF Government are from one tribe which is predominately from one province.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, this is an imbalance and a shameful record to post in the archives of the history of this country. Never again should we allow a President to rule this country in this manner. Leadership is about representing people. However, Cabinet today is dominated by one tribe.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of appointments, we have seen so far the firing of the Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in illegally speculative circumstances because the current ACC Act does not provide excess powers for the President to fire the Director-General of the ACC without a tribunal. It appears to me that this action by the Presidency to single handedly fire the Director-General will compromise the security of tenure of the person occupying that office and thereby threaten its autonomy as it seeks to pursue corrupt elements without fear or favour. As the English say, he who pays the piper, calls the tune.

Further, the appointment of the new Director-General was done using a repealed piece of legislation. It was also highly publicised to the nation before it was brought to this House for ratification. This means that the National Assembly is expected to act as a rubberstamp to such appointments.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: This should not be encouraged. We urge the Executive to respect the principle of the separation of powers.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Why should we be seated here if we have no meaningful say in decisions that affect our nation?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, my other area of interest relating to governance is the decision by the President to set up commissions headed by either the PF party leaders or Executive members. Examples of this are the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) Commission which is led by Winter Kabimba and the ZAMTEL Sale Commission headed by the hon. Minister of Justice, Mr Sebastian Zulu.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Justice is expected to supervise the smooth operation of the machinery of justice in this country.

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, this means that his supreme role is to serve all citizens equally and fairly on one hand and on the other, he has the duty to report to the Republican President who is the appointing authority. The hon. Minister of Justice has been appointed to head a commission when we expect him to be the man at the centre of justice.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, this may seem like a simple issue, but it is very serious because it will undermine the credibility of the deliberations of the commission. Such an approach to governance prejudices justice.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, may I now draw your attention to yet another serious affront to governance and that is the attempted illegal dissolution of the Office of the Secretary to the Treasury. Once again, an experienced politician has exhibited his levels of novelty in leadership.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Worse still, is the failure by the Executive to state clearly what happened after the illegal dissolution of that office. It is no wonder …

Mr Mwila: Which office?

Mr Mufalali: The Office of the Secretary to the Treasury.

… the hon. Members on your left have been demanding an explanation on this matter. As lawmakers, we will defend the laws that we make and, where possible, ensure that the law is followed to the latter regardless of who the lawbreaker is.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, since independence, my perusal through the records has revealed that Zambia has never had a President who has over nominated hon. Members of Parliament.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: What we saw under the current regime, to me, is a clear signal of worrying and troubled times ahead.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, that was a revelation of decisions made arbitrarily and without consultation or with intent to break the law.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: The law is explicitly clear on this matter. As such, allow me to state that, sometimes, political experience does not match competence.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, the giving of Finance Bank back to the owner leaves us with questions that need serious answers.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, we have seen on one hand the Executive setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate the sale of Finance Bank and on the other, giving the bank to the man who was accused of breaching the Banking Act.

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, we are also told that not only …

Ms Kalima: No plan!

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: … were there bad banking habits, but also that the share structure was  tampered with.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, the case was still in court when the decision to give the bank to the owner was made. The courts needed to exhaust all the channels available before them before arriving at a decision.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, again, we see a gross violation of the principle of the separation of powers.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the appointment of one Mr Malupenga to the position of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism. This man was working as a very senior person at The Post.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, this man and George Chellah have got their rewards for supporting the PF…

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali: … through their writing. Their appointments go to show that their writing in this paper was not professional.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: This will adversely affect the profession of journalism …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: … because all journalists will now work to ensure that the party they support eventually pays them.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: The key word is gratification which is a key component in corruption. Mr Malupenga has been gratified and given what he wanted.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, may I advise …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer!

Mr Mufalali: … that it is now time for the PF Government to work. The time of excitement should come to an end. Let us hold the Presidency in high esteem. We do not want to see doors being opened before the security personnel open doors. I watched the arrival of the President on the 24th of October, 2011, at the Freedom Statue.

Mr Mwila: You do not have issues to talk about.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, the Presidency is a serious office. I do not know who opened the door for the President, but the door was opened before the security personnel were by the door.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: That is a security risk.

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali: If the security personnel realised that there was danger, they would make sure that the President is not caught up in it.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Member: Babulelele!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, it will be important to leave the job of securing the President to security personnel.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, in one moment, we are apologising to Angola and in the other, we hear that there is a Vice-President from some country who is visiting from a country which has problems.

Laughter

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, I think that we ought to put our foreign policy in order.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Interruptions

Brigadier-General Kapaya (Chienge): Mr Speaker, let me join my colleagues by congratulating you, the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House, on your election to your high offices.

Mr Speaker, I also wish to congratulate the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on his landslide victory.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, may I also congratulate the elected and nominated hon. Members of Parliament on the job well done.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Mr Speaker, I now wish to thank the people of Chienge for having voted wisely. Their vote was, indeed, a weapon required to win the 20th September, 2011, elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Their hard work and trust can never be doubted. They delivered accordingly, especially that Chienge Constituency was, once upon a time, the home of the defeated MMD.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Mwadya mweka, daddy!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, let me also, at this moment, thank my family, my wife, Dorothy, my children, Kasongole, Ben and Noah, for being my drivers during the campaign.

I rise to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor of the House, following the inspiring speech by His Excellency, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. Zambians had a great sigh of relief that the spectre of a possible twenty-five years in Government was not to be.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: We thank the Zambian people for believing in democracy. Surely, without the tenacity, sense of purpose and charisma of our President, Michael Sata, we could not have seen this third generation liberation of Zambians. We are free, again, to think and speak without harassment by the MMD cadres.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Mr Speaker, coming from a military background, I am a man of limited political rhetoric. I, therefore, wish to debate the policy issues that affect Chienge, in particular, and Zambia as a whole.

Hon. Government Members: Tell them, Brigadier-General!

Brigadier-General: Sir, firstly, I would like to talk about governance, following our just-ended elections.

Hon. Government Member: Ema General aba!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: I believe that the security of all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation …

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha interjected.

Laughter

Brigadier-General Kapaya: … is a cardinal development and human rights issue.

Hon. Government Member: Driver wandi!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: It is also a core responsibility of the Government in power and those that participate in the national political system.

Mr Speaker, I have not been just a desk soldier, but one who has been in real points of military operations in neighbouring countries. I, therefore, dread the prospect of Zambia not being at peace with itself or its neighbours.

Sir, the PF Government has expressed its commitment to a unitary State and a peaceful Zambia that offers equal opportunities to all and puts money in the pockets of those who work hard. It is totally unthinkable to imagine that there will be a political leader in this House who will be deeply opposed to these noble objectives.

Mr Speaker, we, Zambians, know that we have a hardworking President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, on a lighter note, I do not subscribe to the insinuation that one former Commander-in-Chief spent time sleeping on duty. I can assure my cousins from the east that this is a very unlikely event. The President’s Office is too serious and demanding for that to happen. If that ever happens, it will be a sure ticket for Zambians to vote us out.

Therefore, let us emulate the spirit of hard work demonstrated by our beloved President, Michael Sata.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Mr Speaker, physical and economic security goes hand-in-hand. The PF policies of peace, creating practical programmes, fostering economic development and fighting corruption together with legally mandated institutions must inspire all Zambians and challenge them to work hard. This does not involve just working in offices or paid jobs. Citizens must work hard to become self-made billionaires. This is a dream that God has granted to any human being. We cannot accept a society where others work hard while others expect to be given or fed for free.

However, there are extreme circumstances and exceptions to this, but we can quite safely say that there is no disability which is an absolute inability.

Sir, any Zambian has the capacity to create, invent and bring into being something worth of value. Let us promote the spirit of entrepreneurship. It is when society wallows in poverty and inequality that peace becomes elusive.

Mr Speaker, the Constitution is the bedrock of a peaceful civilised system of governance in a modern state. It establishes institutions of law and order, policy-making and execution, legislation and judiciary.

 I am, therefore, pleased that our President has fully articulated his commitment to a people-driven Constitution. A makeshift and politically motivated Constitution cannot serve a nation’s security interest or, indeed, justice in the long run. The modalities of how we go about a people-driven Constitution will be clarified, but the political commitment has been fully expressed by the PF Government.

Mr Speaker, our streets and villages are bursting with a land army of unoccupied youths. This is a testimony of the failure of the MMD policies for the last two decades. It appears there was a serious deficit of perception in the MMD leaders.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: They could not see the ocean of young people calling out for clear policy thinking. Youth funds were established, but never monitored if at all they were released. Our education system specialised in churning out learned capacity rather than creative and inscribed youths.

Sir, our MMD colleagues used the youths to set up fake non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to insult the PF leadership.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Mr Speaker, the PF leadership has no time for shadow boxing with serious human condition issues. We shall tackle this problem head-on.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: We need discipline in our political thinking. We need a President who can decide and act, and that is the action-packed PF President.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Mr Speaker, the Zambian family is facing major forces of turbulence. The economy, politics and culture are driven by forces bigger than we can probably control. They are all eating into the core fibre of the family as the basic institution of socialisation and character formation.

Sir, the school system is impregnated with indiscipline, and teachers whose lifestyle cannot be models from which a character of young ones can be formed. The scourge of social disequilibrium has infiltrated our religious institutions where overnight prayers sometimes become overnight layers.

Laughter

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Where can the modern Zambian family turn to for strength?

Mr Speaker, this is the challenge that the PF Government has. I know that together, as legislators, we shall have to face the legislative architecture needed to protect the Zambian family.

Sir, too many emerging global green rights have the effect of undermining family rights. Coupled with a scourge of HIV/AIDS, the Zambian family is cracking at the seams.

Mr Speaker, allow me, now, to turn to the concerns of the people of Chienge Constituency, who brought me here.

Sir, Chienge Constituency, which I have come to learn is fondly called “Chienge.com” in this august House, is 1,200 km away from Lusaka, our centre of power.

  Mr Speaker, it is rare to see The Post and Government newspapers in my constituency. The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) has a mast, but the signal is too weak, yet I have never known such politically conscious people as the people of Chienge. If you listen to their concerns, they will stand by you. If you defend them, they will defend you. I am here because these people have been raising their political stakes for a while now.

Mr Speaker, in 2001, they overwhelmingly voted for the MMD. In fact, it is well-known that they did not just vote for MMD, but also campaigned vigorously throughout Luapula and parts of Northern Province for the late President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, may his soul rest in peace.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, in 2006, this was not the case. They voted overwhelmingly for their MMD Member of Parliament, but also voted for the PF Leader, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for the Presidency. In 2008, they again voted for Michael Chilufya Sata against the former President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda. This year, they overwhelmingly voted for Michael Chilufya Sata for President, me as hon. Member of Parliament and …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: … PF councillors in all wards. The political outrage against the MMD was a known fact not only in Luapula, but also the rest of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I am short of words with which to thank the people of Chienge for giving our party, the PF and me the mandate to represent them in Parliament. The people of Chienge know where they stand. For now, Chienge is PF territory, period.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, when few believed in President Michael Chilufya Sata, the people of Chienge had already discerned the character of a national leader in him. On my part, I have pledged to continue the noble quest to start from where my predecessor, Dr Katele Kalumba, left. Our priority is to work on the Kashikishi/Lunchinda Road.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, it is already on the PF Government agenda. In fact, it is one of the oldest items on the agenda of this Parliament as one of the Government assurances. I have discovered by reading through many Yellow Books that it has existed as long as the Mutanda/Chavuma Road. Enough stones have been crushed at Mukwakwa to do four roads of the same length of 1,200 kilometres. I hope the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications will once and for all resolve this problem that the MMD Government failed to sort out.

Mr Speaker, Chienge is the second largest producer of rice in Luapula. These people, who were predominantly fishermen, have now diversified into farming too. The two activities are easy to combine because fishing is done at night while farming is a day-time activity. Farming is set to intensify with the improved fertiliser and seed distribution that has been promised by the PF Government.

Mr Speaker, there is a new hospital and a new secondary school being completed. The pace, however, has been too slow to be appreciated by the people. Boarding secondary schools for girls are also needed urgently. Ever since the Ministry of Education approved the idea of building a school at Lambwe Chikwama almost two years ago, there has been no observable progress.

Sir, the road and the girls’ boarding school are two serious issues that cannot wait for our normal Budget debate, hence, my talking about them now. The welfare of the girl child, without a boarding facility, is threatened by early pregnancies and infections. Secondary school pupils have to rent accommodation near the school and poverty leads them into the hands of the rich benefactors who meet their basic needs in exchange for sex. We need to protect the girl child.

Mr Speaker, Chienge is simply a beautiful piece of real estate in Zambia. You have to visit Chienge for you to appreciate it. It is really a beautiful place. You will feel healthy being there. You should go and visit Chienge during your parliamentary tours. My cousins from the East, I promise that you will not disappear. Rather, you will come back as different people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Brigadier-General Kapaya: Sir, the call for tourism in the Northern Circuit from Mpulungu to Samfya is in the range of issues that the people of Chienge people welcome from the PF Government.

Sir, lastly, I challenge the Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources to list Chienge as one of the priority areas for mineral surveys. The prospects for large-scale mining are very high. With improved hydro power planned for at the Kalungwishi River, Chienge will be a centre of mining, tourism and large-scale farming activities. Let us exploit this potential now and put money in the pockets of our people. The PF means business and, for a soldier turned politician, I think I like it.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mrs Mazoka (Pemba): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to deliver my Maiden Speech in this honourable House. Allow me to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on his election to the highest office in the land. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election to the Chair together with your Deputy and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House. Allow me, at this juncture, to also pay tribute to the late gallant son of this great nation, Zambia, who was the founding president of the UPND, … 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka:…Mr Anderson Kambela Mazoka.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Sir, Mr Mazoka dreamt of a better Zambia for all.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: He inspired many men and women, including myself. No wonder he was victorious in the 2001 Tripartite Elections.  Indeed, he was the President that never was. His dreams, aspirations and ideals are still deep-rooted in those who believed in his cause. I know that, as I speak, he is looking down on me and smiling with pride...

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: ... at what I have achieved as his widow. May his soul rest in peace.

Mr Speaker, I would like to profoundly thank my party, the UPND, for adopting me. In so doing, I would also like to thank my president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema…

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: … and his family for their support.

Mr Speaker, I also wish to thank, most profoundly, my campaign manager, Mr Evans Matyola, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: …who, despite not being adopted, volunteered to be my campaign manager, a task he performed diligently and to the best of his ability. I am grateful to him.

Mr Speaker, my gratitude also goes to the people of Pemba for depositing in me their confidence and trust to represent them in this august House. I wish to reassure them that I will endeavour to represent them in this House and work with them to bring development in our constituency.

Sir, I would also like to thank my family and all my friends who contributed in one way or another towards my campaigns. I wish to thank my daughter, Mutinta, in a very special way, for her encouragement when things got tough and bleak because it was, indeed, a tough campaign for me.

Mr Speaker, may I now highlight some of the problems in my constituency. The feeder roads in my constituency are in a state of disrepair. No rehabilitation of these roads has taken place for over twenty years. During the last two to three months before the general elections, an attempt was made to grade the Pemba/Mapanza and the Pemba/Jembo roads. To date, these roads have not been completed. It is my hope that the new Government will complete those works.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. UPND Member: Mwaliteta!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, the road that leads to Chief Moyo’s Palace from Muzoka Turn-off is a hell run and so are the feeder roads to Habbanyuka, Mayasanino, Kasikili, Kakuba, Hamabbonka, Hajamba, Habunkululu, Hazwela and many other areas.

Laughter

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, because of these bad roads, farmers find it difficult to transport their produce to the satellite depots. On these same hellish roads, there are no bridges over rivers and streams. During the rainy season, a good number of school children are cut off from school for long periods of time.

Sir, during this same period, women who find themselves in the most unfortunate situation of being in labour, on the wrong side of a stream or river, have often lost their lives as well as those of their unborn babies when complications arose. I urge the new Government to look into this crisis as promptly as humanly possible.

Mr Speaker, allow me, now, to talk about some issues which are contained in the President’s Speech. In paragraph 6 of page 29, the President said:
 
“We also need a viable road from Zimba to Siavonga via Gwembe District”.

Mr Speaker, while we appreciate the plans by the Government to construct a new road in this part of the Southern Province, I note with envy the elaborate road network planned for Northern and Luapula provinces.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
 
Mrs Mazoka: I am sure that I will be speaking for most hon. Members when I talk about the deplorable state of our roads in the country. The Government would do well to spread the construction of roads to all districts in the country.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: I would like to see a situation in which all the districts in the province and, indeed, the rest of Zambia are linked by an all-weather road network. This, to me, is development …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: …because where there is a good road development follows.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, farming is the main economic activity in my constituency as it is in the whole of Southern Province, hence the need for good agricultural policies. Farmers in my constituency want to be paid for their produce in good time so that they can buy the next season’s inputs on time and pay their children’s school fees, which is another topic. My people are also asking the Government to do away with the system of transferring maize from their bags into the FRA recommended bags once they reach the depots.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, late collection of maize from the depots is also another problem. Maize goes to waste because of the poor marketing system and poor quality of bags. Whatever happened to the Hessian bags? I think that they were more durable than the nylon ones, which simply melt away under intense heat.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, the people of Pemba would like have a proper health system which is different from what is obtaining now. The very few clinics we have are just buildings without medicine and, in some cases, without trained medical personnel. Most often, patients are given prescriptions to go and buy the drugs at a chemist, yet there is not even a single chemist in the whole of Pemba Constituency. My people have to travel long distances to either Choma or Monze for this purpose.

Sir, the people of Pemba are looking to this Government to provide these services. This subject is very deep, but I will just leave it there for now.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, education is every nation’s intellectual backbone. A nation without education is a dead nation and Pemba Constituency will become a dead constituency in this regard …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: …if the Government remains unconcerned about its educational needs.

Mr Lubinda: Dora!

Mrs Mazoka: Sir, mine is largely a rural constituency with a bit of urbanism around Pemba town and Muzoka. There is only one boarding high school in my constituency, meaning that many children who graduate from the basic schools cannot be assimilated into this one high school. This, in turn, means that hundreds of children are turned away to the streets with just the basic education that does not adequately prepare them to sustain their livelihoods. Theirs is a bleak future indeed. As a result of this bleak future that looms over them, girls get into early marriages. I am sure that there is no parent here who would like to have their children, especially girl children, aged, perhaps, fourteen or fifteen forced into marriage because they cannot further their education. I am sure that we would all like our children to go to school and, thereafter, to universities.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka:  Mr Speaker, my cry to this new Government is that it looks into this problem and builds more boarding high schools in Pemba Constituency.

Mr Speaker, women and the youth are responsible for putting any Government in place because they constitute the largest number of voters. They are the most faithful and trusted voters. They are resilient campaigners and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal, yet they are always the ones left in the cold when any party is voted into power.

Sir, the youth and women of Pemba Constituency are saying enough is enough. They are saying that, since they cannot get into formal employment, they would like their Government to establish technical training institutions so that they can learn skills to sustain their livelihood. I agree with them and know that a woman is not selfish by nature. A woman would rather go hungry as long as her family is fed.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: I, therefore, ask the current Government to empower not only the women and youth in Pemba, but everywhere in the country.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: If, therefore, we are serious about eradicating poverty in our country, we should start by empowering women.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Mr Speaker, for a long time now, the people of Pemba have desired to be autonomous. This, Mr Speaker, means that they want to have a district status.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: The infrastructure is there, that is, the police station, veterinary and agriculture departments, a post office and a nearly modern clinic which we would like to be upgraded into a district hospital when Pemba attains a district status. We also have a local government sub office. The people of Pemba feel that with the district status, development will reach them faster than if they remained under the umbrella of Choma District.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mazoka: Sir, I hope the Government of the day will respond favourably to the requests of the people of Pemba.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Presidential material!

Mr Sichone (Isoka): Mr Speaker, I stand here as the voice of Isoka. I would like to share with this House my Maiden Speech and, later on, say a few things regarding the President’s speech.

My vision for Isoka is to transform its economic fortunes through the implementation of a green revolution, preserve its culture and hard work.

Sir, I would like to thank the people of Isoka for their democratic and principled vote for me. I would also like to thank President and the councillors as well as the entire PF for supporting my candidature.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, my victory was not expected because Isoka has for a long time been known to be a stronghold of the MMD.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Sir, the recent elections left some political opponents with no option but to bribe the voters with relief maize when they needed water instead.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone:  Mr Speaker, my opponents tried to corrupt the voters with cash when they needed a good hospital and roads. They also tried to corrupt them with nshima with meat and kapenta, when what they needed the most was a market for their millet, beans and rice …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: …which, for twenty years, they have been selling to unscrupulous traders, mainly from Tanzania. Efforts were also made to corrupt the people with bicycles when they needed classrooms and teachers’ houses.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: It is sad to note that most of the teachers still live in grass-thatched houses regardless of their education.

Mr Kapeya: Shame!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
l
Mr Sichone: They bribed the people  with utujilijili and sweets branded RB …

Laughter

Mr Sichone: … when people needed medicine and linen in the incomplete hospital in Isoka.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Sichone: This hospital has been under construction for almost eleven years. The MMD also distributed many vitenge and t-shirts in my constituency. The recent elections taught us a lesson worth learning. No matter how corrupt a system can be, the will of the people will always prevail.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, allow me to congratulate His Excellency …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was commending His Excellency the President for exhibiting great resilience, patriotism, perseverance and valour which made him win the elections to the highest office of the land.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: He is my role model and, indeed, a stone that builders for many years rejected, but today is the cornerstone.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Sir, I feel it is also necessary to congratulate His Honour the Vice-President and Leader of Government Business in the House regarding his well-deserved appointment.

Mr Speaker, I also wish to congratulate the Speaker regarding his well-earned victory. My sincere congratulations also go to the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House regarding their election victories.

Sir, I would be failing in my duties if I did not mention the tireless support which I received from my darling wife Deodatus, my mother Nakawala, my late father Bennie, who ensured that I was a strong, responsible and disciplined citizen before he left us nineteen years ago, my uncle Professor Owen and my aunt Mrs Phidelia Mwaba, my daughters Nanji and Mapalo who supported me morally, spiritually and financially. I cannot forget to mention the support I got from Hon. Bob Sichinga, Hon. Panji Kaunda, Mr Mbita Chitala, Hon. Mwango, Hon. Malama and, indeed, Hon. Kapeya to mention, but a few people.

Mr Kapeya: Eeh!

Laughter

Mr Sichone: Let me also acknowledge the support I got from Mr Weston Sichilongo, my campaign manager, who was also a contender during the adoption process.

Mr Speaker, I also cannot easily forget the role my former employers Caritas played by allowing me to leave my job as early as possible so as to prepare myself for the heavy task ahead. They were called names by some people such as Hon. Dora Siliya …

Mr Chisala: Hear, hear! Bwekeshapo!

Mr Sichone: …for having been my former employers. Despite such setbacks, I am glad that I made it to Parliament.

During this same period, the country heard of serious and blasphemous homosexuality sermons from people such as Hon. Dora Siliya.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Sir, my mission as hon. Member of Parliament for Isoka is to promote a green revolution in Isoka District which will turn it into the breadbasket of the new Muchinga Province, Zambia and some neighbouring countries at large.

Mr Speaker, as an agriculturist and a scholar of development, I would like to remind the House and the nation that unless there is a green revolution in the rural areas, there will be no industrial revolution in the urban areas.

Mr Ntundu: Eeh! You are telling your party!

Mr Sichone: I would like to remind the very learned and able hon. Minister of Education, Science and Vocational Training that if Zambia continues to encourage its best students to study only physics and chemistry, rather than agricultural science, the country will never achieve meaningful development.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, if the Zambian population continues to gravitate towards the urban areas, the few farmers who remain in the villages of Isoka will not be able to feed the nation unless we begin a green revolution in the rural areas. Let me take this opportunity to appeal to the Government to make agricultural science compulsory to all pupils, from primary up to secondary education level.

Mr Speaker, the only real guarantee of a secure economic future for this country is a green revolution in the rural areas of Zambia and not the price of copper on the market.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, our being classified as a middle income country will remain meaningless if we do not implement the green revolution in rural areas of Zambia. This is something which the MMD Government totally failed to do. As the voice for Isoka, I shall consistently call for more agricultural projects rather than the Government just giving out seasonal loans for maize production. I am glad that our PF Government has indicated in its governance strategy that it shall foster increased irrigation, electrification and mechanisation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, allow me to inform you that poverty in the recent past has escalated to alarming levels in Isoka West Constituency. I am sure the situation is the same in many other constituencies. This is as a result of the kind of governance which tolerated corruption in totality hence depriving the peasant farmers of the much-needed resources for their survival.

Mr Speaker, Isoka is the only old district which does not have a hospital. What is there is an incomplete shoddy structure that has been under construction for eleven years under the MMD Government. This is what corruption can do to our innocent electorate. The maternity ward has no beds and is dilapidated. It is beyond acceptable standards. I have with me some photos which I brought as evidence. I will later on lay them on the Table of the House.

Mr Speaker, Isoka also has an erratic supply of water. We only receive water for 30 minutes. This water from the Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company is only accessible to four per cent of the community. The sewer waste has always found its way into the famous Katonga Stream from which the community in the north of the district has been drawing drinking water for the past twenty years of the MMD rule. This can be attributed to the scandalous nature of business that Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company conducts in Isoka. I have always thought that it is not prudent to commercialise the provision of water because it is critical to human survival. I am glad that President Sata in his address to this House promised that local councils would supply water to all the people countrywide.

Mr Speaker, it is criminal to let thousands of people of Mpungu, Luangwa and Nkombwa wards get their drinking water from the same sources as domestic and wild animals forty-seven years down Independence. In Mpungu Ward which is in the eastern part of my constituency, over 1,800 households literally buy water from Malawi at about K3,000 per 20 litres container despite being poor. The people of Isoka have been crying for clean water for the last 20 years of the MMD rule. The affected people should by now have been relieved of their panic and mental anguish because they know that the new Government will attend to their cry in ninety days.

Mr Speaker, I am saddened to note that if you came to Isoka, you are likely to catch a cough because almost all the township roads are dilapidated.

Mr Speaker, Zambia is a signatory to several protocols on gender. The former Government of this nation did not show the required levels of commitment to upholding and domesticating these protocols. I say so because Isoka as I speak has no girls’ high school.

Mr Speaker, a committee to actually start the project for a girls’ high school has already been put in place. This is within the ninety days period. The youths who struggled and removed the former Government on 20th September through a peaceful ballot are vulnerable, but useful. The MMD Government neglected the youths for twenty years. In this House, I hope to be standing up to fight for the rights of the youths who are unemployed and have no shelter. The youths also have no capital to start enterprises and lack the necessary skills to make ends meet. All this is because they received no love from the system that was there. With the new Government in place, the light is now very bright at end of the tunnel for the youths of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, the mortality rate in my constituency is quite threatening. There are burial processions in Isoka almost every day. There are also a large number of orphans and widows in my constituency whom the MMD Government failed to look after. As their voice, I am now relieved that the people now have in place a Government which will take care of their needs.

Mr Speaker, widows and orphans have lost their integrity over the years as they have relied on ukubalishamo. This corrupt ideology was created by the MMD. Thank God this could not out muscle the Don’t Kubeba  approach.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear:

Mr Sichone: Mr Speaker, as a young parliamentarian and a green revolutionist, I want to put across the grim picture of some of the institutions which are supposed to be tools for transformation such as the colleges and research centres and farming training centers. It is saddening to note that the colleges of agriculture which have enormous potential to grow maize survive on mealie-meal procured from suppliers. They even feed students on vegetables procured from suppliers. In short, they do not grow any crops and yet they are the institutions producing agricultural human resource in this country. What is wrong with us in Zambia? Why is it not possible for an institution which has water, land, machinery and human resource in abundance to produce a single crop or rear livestock? This is totally unacceptable. Under the PF Government, we need to clean up such institutions.

Mr Speaker, still looking at agriculture, the performance of the co-operatives is another source of concern. The co-operatives have been used as tools for campaigns during election periods at the expense of them benefiting the subsistence farmers. In my constituency, the co-operative movement was destroyed as its assets where sold under the MMD Government. I was privileged to be on the provincial board for the co-operative in the province where I come from. None of the shareholders got their money even after the assets were sold.

Mr Speaker, HIV/AIDS is another devastating problem which we have in Isoka. I would like to request the Government to put up a commission to probe the management of funds meant for the fight against HIV/AIDS in my constituency.

Mr Speaker, I also want to commend the Irish Aid for the support it has been giving Isoka District since the inception of the localised District Annual Investment Plan (DAIP). The Irish Aid is currently giving us K3 billion as development funds to facilitate the decentralisation activities in the district.

I also want to implore the civil society to work with the Government of the day as it has been a watchdog and, obviously, innovative stakeholder of the development process of this country. I am coming from the civil society and, therefore, would also implore the Government to consider working with the civil society because that is where it will also get a very big chunk of development ideas.

Mr Speaker, I just want to say that the President’s Speech was very inspiring, especially to young Zambians …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sichone: … and to me, as a young hon. Member of Parliament. I am also proud of the current Executive.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Ms Kapata): Mr Speaker, may I take this opportunity to first congratulate His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for overwhelmingly winning the Presidency during this year’s tripartite elections which were held on the 20th of September, 2011.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: May I also congratulate the PF Party, the new hon. Members of Parliament in this House as well as those who retained their seats.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I also wish to congratulate you on your election as Hon. Speaker and extend the same to the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on their election to these important positions. May I also take this opportunity to thank my husband, Mr Edu, my son, Kangwa, and daughter, Amina, for the support that they gave me during the run up to the to elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not mention and thank the people of Mandevu Constituency for electing me for the second time as their hon. Member of Parliament. In its history, since 1973, Mandevu Constituency has not elected an hon. Member of Parliament for a second term, but this record has been broken. I am indebted to my constituents for this gesture.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Quality!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, allow me to also thank the Mandevu Constituency PF officials such as my campaign manager, Mr Lusale, who worked tirelessly.

Dr Phiri crossed the Floor to take his seat in front of Ms Kapata.

Hon. Opposition Members: Order! Order!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, Mandevu is one of the constituencies in Lusaka that gave the President a lot of votes ─ 37,088 votes. I was given 34,000 plus votes, making me the hon. Member of Parliament with the highest number of votes in the last general election.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I understand the challenges the constituents of Mandevu are facing such as a poor rood network, bad sanitation and water supply, high unemployment levels, few clinics and schools, high levels of Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS prevalence and a few police posts. They also lack youth training skills centres and social amenities such as play parks and football pitches. This is all thanks to the MMD Government that did not listen to me when I gave my Maiden Speech in 2006.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I pledge to work hand-in-hand with the constituents to find solutions to these challenges. I will always consult the people of Mandevu Constituency on how best we can work together so that we can overcomes these problems, as a team, now that the PF is in Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: May I be quick to mention that, during the past five years, we managed to undertake a number of projects. These achievements were not arrived at with the help of the MMD, but because I worked hard as an hon. Member of Parliament.

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

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I acquired land for a high school which will soon be completed. We also constructed six bridges in strategic places, which would be impassable during the rainy season. When I came into office, I told the MMD Government that Mandevu needed thirty-two bridges to be constructed, but it did not listen to me. I only managed to build seven bridges using the CDF.

Hon. Government Members: Shame, MMD!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, we managed to reorganise about twenty-four clubs and equipped them with hammer mills and sausage making machines. Thanks to my sister, Hon. Sayifwanda.

Interruptions

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, a few roads were rehabilitated in a hurry by the previous Government. I would like to thank the President for saying that he is going to complete the road works because my house has been blocked by a heap of soil from the road works undertaken by the MMD.

Hon. MMD Members interjected.

Ms Kapata: Soil from the roads which you were making in a hurry.

Laughter

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, as I debate the President’s Speech, I would like, from the outset, to echo the sentiments of other hon. Members of Parliament who have spoken before me by stating that it was very inspiring and has really provided the direction required to steer the country to greater heights. To support my statement, I would like to point out that the President’s Speech emphasised that it was time to put Zambia first in the interest of achieving our social and economic development.

This means that the PF Government will reintroduce programmes to accelerate the socio-economic empowerment of citizens, especially the youth and women. These programmes include creating employment opportunities for our young men and women after completing tertiary education. Other programmes include the creation of skills training centres as well as self-employment opportunities, especially for the youth in our country who form the greater part of our population.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government has an equal opportunity policy and shall eradicate all forms of discrimination against women and all citizens. This will be done through equipping Zambians with skills and the business know-how as well as the financing needed for self-employment.

Mr Speaker, in the area of national development, the President emphasised the need for the Government to promote pro-poor development. This will be realised by ensuring that commitments towards streamlining development planning are adhered to.

Furthermore, in order to promote national development, under the 2012 Budget, the President’s Speech has clearly spelt out which core developmental programmes will be promoted, these being education, health, agriculture and local Government and housing. The four main sectors will also be supported by other sectors such as infrastructure development, social protection, commerce, trade and industry, energy and tourism.

Mr Speaker, may I now turn to the programme of social protection under the PF leadership. It is our resolve that no meaningful development can come from any society if it does not take care of those in society, who cannot benefit from opportunities being created under formal and self-employment.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, a society that does not take care of the poor and vulnerable is a lost one. The Government will, therefore, work out measures to improve the Social Cash Transfer Scheme and make it more sustainable by supporting it from our domestic resources in the National Budget. This will eventually lead to the quickening of the scale up plan of the programme to the rest of the country.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government will also expand the Food Security Pack Programme by ensuring that its vulnerable, but viable farmers who have sustainable food and nutrition security are able to graduate and find themselves on to the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) as was originally designed.

Mr Speaker, another important programme mentioned in the Presidential Speech is the women empowerment programme which, up to the run up of the elections, was highly politicised by the previous MMD Government. This is an important programme providing economic empowerment mostly to rural women clubs and groups. My Government will be decentralising the disbursement of grants under this programme in order to ensure that the money goes to the desired groups identified by our district field officers.

Mr Speaker, allow me to talk about the plight of our brothers and sisters leaving with disabilities. The current state of affairs surrounding persons with disabilities is very unfortunate. Therefore, my Government, as reflected in the Presidential Address, will domesticate a number of United Nations conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities. As a first step, through my ministry, the Government will repeal and replace the disability Act No. 33 of 1996 with a piece of legislation that is in tune with today’s current needs.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, in winding up my contribution, may I just mention that the North-Western Province is represented by me at ministerial level.

Hon, Opposition Members: Aah! You are Mandevu.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I come from the North-Western Province, in Mwinilunga, under the newly- formed Ikelenge District. Thus, sentiments from the people that the people of the North-Western Province are not represented at ministerial level are not true.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, may I also pay tribute to the people of Zambia for having voted wisely, this time around, by making the realisation that we all aspired for one thing and that was electing a Government for the people by the people. The Zambian people will soon bear witness to what is in the PF Government manifesto.

Mr Speaker, the win by the PF brought a lot of relief to the people of Zambia and those of Mandevu, in particular. This election has a lot of meaning to us as the PF. It is like it is the first time that the people of Zambia are now enjoying independence.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, this year’s independence was marked by a lot of emotions as people could not believe that the Government had changed.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, therefore, we would like to thank the people of Zambia for the confidence that they have shown in the PF. As I stand on the Floor of the House, I would like to assure the people of Zambia that, with Mr Michael Sata in the saddle and us, as his hon. Ministers and hon. Deputy Ministers, we are going to see to it that we work. We will deliver good things to the people of Zambia.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene (Sinazongwe): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to give my Maiden Speech. Firstly, may I thank our heavenly father for giving me this opportunity to be the servant of the people of Sinazongwe. Allow me to thank also our party, the UPND, under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, …

UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: … for adopting me.

Mr Speaker, the people were at the polling station as early as 02:00 hours just to see to it that I was elected to this House. Therefore, I want to promise them that I will be a faithful and humble servant.

Mr Speaker, at this juncture, may I congratulate the President of Zambia, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata for winning the just ended election.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Let me also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House, the Chief Whip, the Leader of the Opposition in the House and you, hon. Members for being part of this House.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, I come to this House to learn, complement, reinforce and share my experiences and ideas in the hope of contributing to national development.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, this country can only score meaningful development if each one of us recognises that we need each other in our quest to accelerate social and economic success for this great nation.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: There should also be mutual respect and trust between those on your right and left in the interest of this nation.

Mr Speaker, allow me now to share with the House the simple secret that success for this country lies within each one of us as Zambians. As long as we do not let the hero in our souls perish in lone frustration for the life we deserve as Zambians, we have no limit to what we can achieve ─ not even the sky. Countries that have attained high economic and social success follow a consistent path because success is not an accident. It is not a sort of random roll of dice. On one end, we call it failure and on the opposite end, we call it success and satisfaction. This gives me the confidence that the UPND will form the next Government.

UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, this is because success begins with failure and ends up with accomplishment. Seeing it this way, failure is an integral anticipated part of the success process like it has happened with our colleagues the PF. They failed before, but this time around, have won. The UPND has failed. However, during the next election, we are winning.

UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, there are consistent logical patterns of action or specific pathways to excellence that are within our reach, as long as we sing one hymn together.

Mr Speaker, time is one thing that you cannot recover. Although priceless, it is always ticking away. This is our opportunity to move this country forward and attain our full potential. Each day, we need to recognise that one thing no one has enough is time. We need to learn to use the five-year term the Constitution has allocated us in the most powerful and advantageous way by triggering the success mechanism for the country.

Mr Speaker, in my understanding, we need to have passion for this country to give us power and meaning. There is no greatness without the passion to be great. We need to believe in ourselves as a nation; what we are, and what we can be. Passion and belief help us to provide the fuel which is required for us to succeed.

The country needs to be strategic in the way it organises its human, natural and financial resources. We need to recognize the fact that the best talents and ambitions need to find a right avenue which should be provided by those in power. We need to avoid the monopolistic tendencies in our country.

Mr Speaker, as Zambians, we also need to have clarity of values. These values involve fundamental, ethical, moral and practical judgments. What really matters is knowing what is wrong and right for this great nation. Understanding of values is one of the most rewarding and challenging keys to achieving excellence.

Mr Speaker, as hon. Members of Parliament, we also need a bonding power. Almost all successful people have one thing in common, an extra-ordinary ability to bond, the ability to connect with and develop rapport with people from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs.

The way we communicate with others determines the quality of our lives. People who fail, take adversities of life and accept them as limitations. The people who shape our culture and lives are masters of communication to others. What they have in common is an ability to communicate a vision, quest, joy or mission. I believe all hon. Members have this in common. For every disciplined effort, there is a reward.

Mr Speaker, I do not agree that Zambia is poor. It lacks and misplaces priorities.

Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: In my view, the country needs to have a sector priority list. As a country, we should look for areas that have strong needs so that they can be met.

Mr Speaker, I know that all sectors need improvement, but there are sectors that are crucially important for any substantial and sustainable development to take place. After painstaking consideration, I found out that the road network is on top of priorities. Nearly all hon. Members have talked about roads.

Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear! Bottom Road.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, this is because for the Government to implement any of the core programmes mentioned on page 11 of the Presidential Speech, we will need good road infrastructure.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Members of Parliament will agree with me that the roads, especially in rural areas, are in a bad state and in some areas non-existent.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, all economic sectors such as mining, agriculture and tourism, to realise their potential, shall need good roads. To me, for the country to fully develop its potential, we need to have a good road network. I firmly believe that if this is done, Zambia will not be the same after five years.

Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: An investor cannot invest in an area where there is no road. Alongside these roads, there should be electricity, as this will open up rural areas for investment. Presently, much of the development is concentrated in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt. This situation has not helped the country to increase the purchasing power of its people. Without good roads, it will be time and money down the drain, as all our plans will not achieve desired results.

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the Bottom Road. I realise that the Bottom Road is a very important road in this country, but His Excellency the President avoided mentioning it. The Bottom Road starts from Siavonga, then goes to Gwembe via Malima, Sinazongwe, Siampondo, and Kalomo up to Livingstone. If this road is worked on, it can boost economic activities in five districts, namely Livingstone, Kalomo, Sinazongwe, Gwembe and Siavonga. This can even have multiplier effects on places …

Mr Nkombo: Like Mazabuka!

Mr Siamunene: … like Monze, Mazabuka and Kalomo, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: … as well as Kazungula. There is a need for the Government to replace the current metal and temporary bridges, which were constructed four years ago, with permanent ones. We also need to empower district councils with machinery such as bulldozers, graders and excavators to enable them periodically maintain the roads.

Mr Speaker, with the onset of the rains, I am sure that Sinazongwe will be cut off from the rest of the country, thereby inflicting more misery on the already disadvantaged people when they are supposed to be one of the richest people in the country, given the hydro electricity power station in the Gwembe Valley area, which lights up almost the whole country and beyond.

Mr Speaker, the people of Sinazongwe and the Gwembe Valley were not compensated when they were moved to allow for the construction of the Kariba Dam, and yet international laws require that people should be compensated whenever they are moved from their land. Our economic and social activities were disturbed due to the construction of the Kariba Dam. Therefore, ZESCO and the Zambezi River Authority should immediately work out a mechanism on how it is going to provide power to the people in the area without charging the people as part of their compensation.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: We are not asking for financial compensation, but development in the form of good roads, schools, hospitals and irrigation schemes.

Mr Speaker, the President referred to water harvesting technologies in his speech, which I think might be expensive for the country to use. I would like to propose that the country uses the already existing water bodies such as lakes, rivers and dams instead of embarking on something that might attract huge financial implications.

Zambia is one of the countries in Southern Africa that hosts a large portion of fresh water resources. For example, in my constituency, this water is available and if utilised, it can contribute greatly to the economy, as it is within the radius of 1 to 10 km from the communities.

Mr Speaker in Sinazongwe Constituency, we need, at least, twenty irrigation schemes. As you are aware, the constituency lies in the valley, which is prone to drought. If such a  project is put in place, it will mitigate the effect of drought as experienced in the previous years.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, yet very important, I wish to thank you. I also wish to add that for the decentralisation that the PF Government is proposing to work well, we need to increase the CDF to K5 billion …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Siamunene: … so as to enable the councils perform their functions as well as us, hon. Members of Parliament, because we know the problems the constituencies are facing.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech to this august House.

Mr Speaker, I will start by congratulating His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on winning the tripartite elections which were heavily contested by many parties. I also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election as Speaker of this august House. Let me also not forget the UPND which worked hard to increase its numbers in this august House from twenty to twenty-eight.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, I should also not forget the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and the Alliance for Democracy and Democracy (ADD) that have maintained their one seat each, respectively in Parliament. I wish them the best as they try to increase their numbers next time.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, let me comment on the speech delivered by His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. I will start by commenting on the issues to do with youths. I would like to advise the PF Government to look at the resolutions which the youths passed during the provincial youth Indabas which we conducted throughout the country. The youths of Zambia made resolutions on what they want to be done for them to progress. So, let the new Government look at the document, study it and put something in the Budget so that it helps the youths.

Mr Speaker, I want to thank the President for adopting the MMD policy of training the youths in the Zambia National Service (ZNS) camps. This training has been ongoing at the Chiwoko Zambia National Service Camp in Katete in the Eastern Province and at the Kitwe Zambia National Service Camp on the Copperbelt Province. I would also like the PF Government to continue with the youth festivals which were initiated by the former Government. In the recent past, this country has been performing very poorly at international tournaments, hence the former Government introduced the National Youth Festival to tap talents from the rural areas.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, the former Government improved the sports infrastructure in the country. For example, the hardworking former Government acquired a loan from our co-operating partners to construct the Levy Patrick Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, a new stadium near the old Independence Stadium along the Great North Road in Lusaka and the rehabilitation of the old Independence Stadium. The other stadium, which the former Government wanted to improve, is in Maramba in Livingstone in the Southern Province so that we promote tourism. I appeal to the PF Government to put some money in the budget to construct a stadium in Livingstone.

Mr Speaker, let me now comment on the Constitution-making process. I totally support the President for wanting to produce a Constitution that will stand the test of time within ninety days. However, let me remind the PF Government that the Barotseland Agreement should be included in this Constitution. The MMD failed to pass the Constitution because our colleagues walked out of the House. They walked out because certain clauses were not included in the Constitution. This time, it is our turn and we are telling them to include the Barotseland Agreement in the Constitution. Without it, we will also walk out. We have legs to walk with.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the Kalabo/Mongu Road. It is saddening to read in the newspapers that they want to abandon this road. Let me warn the PF Government that this is a political road. If you want to commit political suicide, please, abandon the road and you will see what will happen to you in 2016.  This is because the money used to construct this road was secured from our co-operating partners, the Chinese, and the contractor is on site. Therefore, I see no reason people should start talking about the same road instead of supervising the road works that are going on.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, let me now talk about issues affecting Sikongo Constituency. I appeal to the PF Government to complete the projects which was left by the former Government. This includes Sikongo High School which is under construction, the rural electrification of Sikongo Sub-boma and the upgrading of Sikongo to a full district level. I also appeal to the hon. Minister of Health to open the three health posts which were constructed by the former Government. Let the PF Government also fulfill the promises they made to the people in the Western Province. The first promise was that the Vice-President would come from the Western Province. However, this promise has not been fulfilled.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, the PF also promised to restore the Barotseland Agreement within ninety days of being in power. We are still waiting for this and 23rd December, 2011 is the last day.

With these few remarks, I thank you, Sir.

Colonel Lungu (Msanzala): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech.

Mr Speaker, I want to firstly introduce myself. My name is Colonel Joseph Lungu, the new hon. Member of Parliament for Msanzala Constituency.

Hon. Member: Is he an Independent Member of Parliament?

Colonel Lungu: Yes, I stood as an independent candidate.

Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House and my fellow hon. Members of Parliament, I would like to congratulate you all on your deserved election.

Colonel Lungu bent towards the microphone.

Mr Chisala: Mwalakonkomana, stand up straight.

Laughter

Colonel Lungu: Mr Speaker, I thank you for affording me the opportunity to make my Maiden Speech in this august House …

Hon. MMD Member: Iwe, Chisala!

Colonel Lungu: … after my election as an hon. Member of Parliament for Msanzala Constituency on 20th September, 2011. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Msanzala Constituency for the clear mandate given to me as an independent candidate through a massive vote.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: Mr Speaker, when I say a massive vote, I mean just that. I got more than 8,000 votes.

Hon. Government Member: And Peter Daka?

Colonel Lungu: He had about 6,000 votes. Some hon. Members of Parliament might want to know how I managed to scoop the seat. I can only say that you have to be tactical …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: … in whatever you do. You have to have foresight before you go into anything. To achieve something, you have to be very tactical.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor and brother, Hon. Peter Daka ...

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: … who served the people of Msanzala Constituency up to the end of his term. I hope to continue with the development programmes he initiated as a means of continuity in the development of Msanzala Constituency.

Mr Speaker, allow me to join the nation in conveying my sincere congratulations to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: I have heard many speeches that have not included the title of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: I request those of you who have not yet debated to include the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It is very important.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: This President I am talking about is Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. I congratulate him on his deserved election to the highest office in the land as the Fifth President of the Republic of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to give glory to God, the Creator, for all the good things he has done for me, my family and, indeed, my country. I also wish to express my gratitude to the two chiefs in Msanzala Constituency for giving me this opportunity to represent the people of Msanzala Constituency as an independent candidate. These are chiefs Nyampande and Sandwe.

I wish to thank my family and friends for the support and assistance given to me during the campaign period. The results of the Msanzala elections confirm the support I received as an independent candidate. I won because of the way I conducted myself before the people.

Mr Speaker, currently, the Eastern Province has two independent hon. Members of Parliament out of nineteen. The rest of the seventeen constituencies were shared amongst the two parties, namely the PF and MMD.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: The victory is a clear result of the good programmes and projects that I am implementing in the constituency.

Mr Chisala: Ulimwaume sana, iwe!

Laughter

Hon. Government Member: Stand up straight.

Colonel Lungu: Mr Speaker, my victory was not an easy achievement.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: Mr Speaker, the people of Msanzala Constituency would like to join other well-meaning Zambians to encourage the Government to provide good leadership in developing the nation. Although I am aware of the challenges that people face, it is my wish and prayer that developmental programmes shall be discussed and implemented in a planned manner in order to benefit all Zambians.

Mr Speaker, rain harvesting is possible where surface dams are developed to enable the community to trap and store rain water for future domestic use. This kind of development is much desired in Msanzala Constituency where water for domestic use and animal consumption is usually a problem in the dry season. The constituency has no big rivers. The development of man-made dams would be an answer to the water challenges in the area.

Mr Speaker, the challenges my constituency faces, like any other community in our country, can only be addressed by the Government.

Laughter

Colonel Lungu: These include areas such as crop marketing and the pricing of cash crops such as cotton which is cultivated on a large scale in Petauke District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Colonel Lungu: The proceeds from cotton are meant to pay back loans which always leave the farmers in debt.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hammer!

Colonel Lungu: We, in Msanzala, are positive and hopeful that our Government shall find solutions to these problems.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Lungu: Mr Speaker, my speech is very short. I do not want to bore you by talking about a lot of issues. I wish to sincerely thank you for affording me the opportunity to debate. Once again, I wish to thank the people of Msanzala and the nation at large for a peaceful change of Government. I shall endeavor to be the people’s representative in Parliament and their conveyor of real development issues to the Government. May the good Lord bless our country, Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me this chance to deliver my Maiden Speech to this august House in this First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Sir, I feel privileged to stand here because I am doing it for the first time in my life.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: I knew that one day I would be here …

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: … and really I am here.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, I thank God for making it possible for us to meet here today. I greatly appreciate my mother, and give posthumous thanks to my late father for the love and care he rendered to me.

Sir, allow me to also thank my wife and my children for the support they rendered during the campaign. Many thanks go to my whole family for the endless support it gave me.

Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not mention my heartfelt thanks to the businessmen and women in Kalabo District for the material and moral support they gave me.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, I am also grateful to the people of Kalabo for their great work, which they vividly showed by choosing me as their representative to this august House for the next five years.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. UPND Member: And beyond!

Mr Muntanga: Until we go that side!

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Sir, I promise and commit myself to represent the people of Kalabo Central to the best of my ability and without fear or favour.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, allow me now to thank the UPND structures from the National Executive Committee right through to the wards under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: … for adopting me to contest on the UPND ticket.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Finally, but not the least, I congratulate the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on ascending to the highest office in the land.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Sir, may I also take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole the House and all hon. Members of Parliament on your election.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the President’s Speech as well as the challenges being faced by the people of Kalabo Constituency.

Sir, on Page 11, the speech highlights the four core development areas which the PF Government hopes to focus on, namely education, health, agriculture, and local and housing. It states further, the depleting levels of services and inadequacy which prevail in Government ministries.

Mr Speaker, my concern is that there is no clear policy direction in terms of revenue generation.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: All we hear are issues to do with consumption and expenditure. Where will this money come from?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: For sure, all we know is that any Government must clearly and vividly reveal the sources of its revenue.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, we cannot run this Government by magic. We can only run this Government by truth and faith.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: I believe that the PF Government, having been voted into power, must have a clear vision for this country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: We cannot continue going backwards.

Hon. UPND Members: No!

Mr Miyutu: The ‘Stop kubeba’ is not a very good theme.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: This is because you will fail to reveal to the general public the important information which they need to know.

Hon. UPND Members: Stop kubeba!

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the President talked about corruption. Yes, corruption is the most devastating evil in this land.

Hon. Government Member: Everywhere!

Mr Miyutu: I am talking about this land.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, plans to stamp out corruption should not only be talked about, but implemented.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: We must be practical and honest when fighting corruption.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, as I am standing here, the PF Executive has hidden one fact from this House. I am not very happy because, to date, I do not know whether we have a Secretary to Treasury.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: I am saying so because we are talking about stamping out corruption and how the Government resources will be disbursed.

Mr Muntanga: Who is in charge now?

Mr Miyutu: The one in charge is not known.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: How will we manage to stamp out corruption?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, let me now highlight the challenges being faced by the people of Kalabo Central Constituency.

Sir, when you are in Kalabo Central Constituency, you cannot tell whether you are in Zambia. In fact, when leaving Kalabo, we say we are going to Zambia.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Therefore, we want the PF Government to create Zambia in Kalabo Central Constituency.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: All that we see is poverty. The youths are roaming the streets. There is no employment for them.

Mr Speaker, apart from poverty, Kalabo is also isolated because there is no road connecting it to the provincial headquarters. We live like we are not part of this country because we have been neglected since 1964.

Hon. Government Members: Tell your neighbours!

Mr Miyutu: It has been forty-seven years of suffering for the people of Kalabo.

Hon. Government Members: Ask your partners!

Interruptions

Mr Muntanga: Just give them a rumour!

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, on a serious note, I would like to advise the PF Government regarding the Kalabo/Mongu Road. If it wants to make a good name in Zambia, it must complete the works on the Kalabo/Mongu Road.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Sir, there is no reason why they should stop working on it because the former Government sourced for money for works on that road. If the money is already there, what else are we looking for? We are only looking forward to seeing good roads.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the Kalabo/Kalongola/Sikongo Road is very important to the livelihood of the people of Kalabo. Even though the construction of the Kalabo/Sikongo Road, which was mentioned in the speech is welcome, its works should not be at the expense of those being done on the Kalabo/Mongu Road.

Mr Speaker, there is a need for a bridge at Ndoka. When Ndoka gets flooded, the people in Lukona and Litoma get cut off from the district hospital. Therefore, there is an immediate need for a bridge to be put up there before January, 2012. I hope we will be captured in the Government’s pledge to develop the nation in ninety days.

Sir, a feeder road from Kalabo to Sihole is of great value to the livelihoods of the people of Kalabo. To begin with, it requires gravelling. The Kalabo/Shuku Road will be of great assistance to the people of Mapungu. The route to Shuku, through Malasha and Mapungu is made up of sandy terrain. In this regard, fishermen and vegetable growers need a good road to enable them take their produce to the markets.

Mr Lubinda: Ya. It is true!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, there is also a need for the gravel road passing through Ituya, Imilangu to Konga to be graded because farmers in these areas find it difficult to transport their produce to the markets.

Sir, it is said that education is a key to life. This key is missing in Kalabo. Why is it like that? This key sector is faced with multiple problems that are almost becoming chronic. People have lost confidence in public institutions due to long standing problems. They have started taking their children to private schools. How many will afford the high fees charged in private schools? There is a great shortage of teachers in all the schools with some like Nangu which runs up to Grade 9 having only three teachers. How can they teach? Is it by magic?

Hon. Government Members: Ask them!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, in addition to the issue of lack of teachers in most schools, we also do not have proper infrastructure. Most of the schools in Kalabo are still built of poles and mud. The classrooms have grass-thatched roofs. Can you imagine that, after forty-seven years of Independence, we still have schools with grass-thatched roofs? 

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Sir, as I speak, two schools, namely, Salao and Munyonga were burnt to ashes and they are currently closed.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government has the enormous task of improving the state of schools in the country. It also has to encourage the implementation of a skills-based curriculum. I am glad that the President stated in his speech that school enrollment would be increased. I ask the Government to improve on the quality and relevance of our academic education by reviewing the curriculum at all levels. The reintroduction of compulsory primary and secondary education is something that is encouraging because, as I have stated, Kalabo is a poor place. Therefore, having compulsory primary and secondary education means that we will have free education. You cannot compel somebody who has no money to take a child to school.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the establishment of new colleges and rehabilitation of the existing ones will increase the intake of student teachers leading to increased teacher recruitment. Teachers from outlying schools like Siluwe, Sitapa and Liuwa spend seven to ten days a month travelling to Mongu to collect their salaries. This means that the former Governments had neglected Kalabo. To date, there is no bank there.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Sir, I always reject the use of a post office as a bank. A post office is not a bank. It just provides one banking service. We need a bank in Kalabo so that our teachers, nurses and all Government workers do not spend time travelling to Mongu in order to get their salaries. Surely, would we still be travelling to Mongu for salaries …

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: … if we had a working Government in power for twenty years? There is no bank in Kalabo. Now that we have a new Government, I believe…

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: ... and know that it will make a name in Kalabo by building a bank there.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, we also want Sihole Basic School to be turned into a full secondary school because children walk about 65 kilometres to Lukona to obtain higher education. We, therefore, request the Government to make Sihole a full secondary school

Sir, health is also necessary for a productive nation. The health services in the district leave much to be desired. You can imagine a population of about 216,000 people having only three doctors. This is a wonder. In hospitals, the bed space is limited and, in most cases, there is no linen. There are also no drugs and workers. 

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: This is not the time for Jesus who could just say, “Amen” and things are done. It is a time for men to work seriously. People still have to walk for long distances to just get panadol. We therefore, want more clinics and more staff.  We are really suffering in Kalabo.

Mr Speaker, agriculture is another important activity in the district. There are a number of problems that the peasant farmers in the area face. The first one is that there are no loan facilities for them, so many potential farmers lack capital to start farming. There are also no farming implements supplied to them and the roads are in a poor state. Consequently, our farmers are unable to do their work properly. The Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has been there only in name because it has not done much in the district. In fact, it should have been called the Ruling Power Empowerment Fund.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, now, we want a fund for the people in Kalabo. Some of the areas such as Lutwi have no arable land. 

Sir, let me also talk about the issue of water. Water is said to be life. If there is no water, there is no life. The water that we drink in Kalabo, if I were to bring it here, you would say it is coffee.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: You can imagine that forty-seven years after independence, we still drink stained water. We want water which is like this. (Showed Mr Speaker bottled mineral water).

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: We also want treated water so that we enjoy being in Zambia. We are not going to continue languishing like that.

Hon. Members: Wind up!

Mr Miyutu: No, just be at ease.  My last point is that any serious Government should see to it that the CDF is raised from the current K720 million to K5 billion.

Laughter

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, I want to reiterate my uncompromisable commitment to my party, the UPND and its leadership, the people of Kalabo and Zambia as a whole.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

AJOURNMENT

The Minister of Home Affairs and Acting Leader of Government Business (Mr Sakeni): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.
_________

The House adjourned at 1755 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 28th October, 2011.