Thursday, 20th October, 2011

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______ 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES ─ MEMBERSHIP

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that, in accordance with Standing Order No. 131, the Standing Orders Committee has appointed the following Members to serve on the following sessional committees for the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly:

Committee on Privileges, Absence and Support Services (7)

The Hon. Mr Deputy Speaker (Chairperson); 

The Hon. Mr Zulu, MP, Minister of Justice;

The Hon. Mr Y. Mukanga, MP, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication and Chief Whip;

Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP;

Mr M. Kapeya, MP;

Mr G. G. Nkombo, MP;

Mr P. Ngoma, MP and

Ms C. Namugala, MP.

Reforms and Modernisation Committee (10)

The Hon. A. C. Chikwanda, MP, Minister of Finance and National Planning;

The Hon. S. S. Zulu, MP, Minister of Justice;

The Hon. N. Luo, MP, Minister of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection;

The Hon. C. K. B. Banda, MP, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House;

Professor G. Lungwangwa, MP;

Mr H. I. Mwanza, MP;

Mr S. Katuka, MP;

Ms M. Luezi, MP;

Mr P. Mucheleka, MP; and

Colonel G. Chanda, MP.

Committee on Government Assurances (8)

Mr S. Chisanga, MP;

Ms D. Kazunga, MP;

Mr C. Antonio, MP;

Mr L. M. Kaingu, MP;

Mr H. Kalaba, MP;

Mr M. Habeenzu, MP;

Ms S. Sayifwanda, MP and

Mr G. Monde, MP.

Committee on Estimates (9)

Mr H. H. Hamududu, MP;

Mr E. M. Sing’ombe, MP;

Mr D. Phiri, MP;

Ms D. Siliya, MP

Colonel J. Lungu, MP;

Mr D. Mabumba, MP;

Mr R. Mpundu, MP;

Mr G. Kunda, SC, MP and

Mr A. Lufuma, MP.

Committee on Delegated Legislation (8)

Mr G. Kunda, SC, MP;

Ms A. Mulobezi, MP;

Mr M. Mutelo, MP;

Mr E. Muchima, MP;

Mr C. Mweetwa, MP;

Mr D. Phiri, MP;

Mr M. Sichone, MP; and 

Mr D. Mwango, MP.

Committee on Local Governance, Housing, Environment and Chief’s Affairs (8)

Mr M. Ndalamei, MP;

Mrs C. Mazoka, MP;

Mr H. Malama, MP;

Mr E. M. Sing’ombe, MP;

Ms D. Kazunga, MP;

Mr L. Zimba, MP;

Dr E. Kazonga, MP; and

Mr A. Mbewe, MP.

Committee on Economic Affairs (8)

Mr C. W. Kakoma, MP;

Ms V. Kalima, MP;

Dr S. Musokotwane, MP;

Mr K. Hamudulu, MP;

Mr M. H. Malama, MP;

Mr R. Chitotela, MP;

Mr K. Konga, MP;

Mr M. Chishimba, MP.

Committee on Communications, Transport and Works and Supply (8)

Mr W. Banda, MP;

Mr V. M. Mooya, MP;

Ms A. Munshya, MP;

Mr K. Simbao, MP;

Dr A. Mwali, MP;

Mr B. Hamusonde, MP;

Mr B. Kapaya, MP; and 

Mr D. Chingimbu, MP.

After I have completed announcing the rest of the composition of the Committees and the Public Accounts Committee has been approved by this House, if any hon. Member finds that he/she does not belong to any Committee, such Member should immediately inform the Office of the Clerk accordingly.

I thank you.

_______ 

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to stand on the Floor of this august House to deliver my Maiden Speech. 

Sir, allow me to adopt the congratulatory messages that have been ringing in this House as my own. It is apt for me to thank the leader of the United National Development Party (UPND), Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the party for adopting me as candidate and, eventually, hon. Member of Parliament for Choma Central.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, allow me to thank Mr Hichilema for his admirable courage, hard work and enduring tenacity to hold the party together …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: … and soldiering on with confidence even amidst unprovoked and unjustifiable incessant attacks on his persona and, to some extent, tribe by certain sections of our society.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, recent history in this country has revealed that when one is about to become President of Zambia, he is subjected to all manner of abuse in the media.

Sir, it is with a deep sense of humility and profound gratitude to the people of Choma for reposing the trust and confidence in me that I stand here today. Allow me, once more, to thank Mr Hichilema and his family for their moral and material support to my campaign.

Mr Speaker, also, in thanking the people of Choma on the occasion of favouring me with this uniquely rare opportunity to represent them in this august House, I humbly receive their mandate and pledge to effectively, fearlessly and courageously execute my mandate with due diligence and commitment to them and my party, the UPND. May I add that I do not take my election for granted.

Sir, allow me also to use this auspicious and momentous occasion to thank a few individuals and friends among the many who have made it possible for me to stand here today. 

Firstly, Mr Speaker, I thank, post humously, my beloved parents, Mathias and Monica, who although have been gone for almost two decades now, credited my life account with a little humble education ─ my lifetime inheritance and treasure. I thank my family, my wife, Bernadette, and son, Chabota, for their unflinching support in the rough and tough climb to this Floor. 

Sir, I pay special recognition and tribute to the founding President of the UPND, the late Anderson Kambela Mazoka, Mwanamubotu, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulenga: Ebali abantu abo!

Mr Mweetwa: … for not only laying a firm foundation on which many of our citizens have anchored their hope to reclaim the dream of a better Zambia for all, but also that many of us believe his life was lost in the noble cause of fighting for a just and fair society.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I consider the election of Mrs Mazoka to this august House a living testimony of the long cherished desire of the Mazoka family to sacrifice and selflessly offer themselves to the service of our country, our people and humanity. I congratulate Mrs Mazoka.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Sir, allow me to thank a man who is largely responsible for moulding my political mental posture, who himself was never a practising politician, but a sworn and prophesied gallant defender of human rights and civil liberties and fearless and impartial promoter of good governance, a credible voice of integrity in the fight against corruption and abuse of authority. This is my lecturer of Constitutional Law at the University of Zambia (UNZA), the late Professor Alfred Chanda. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Mr Speaker, allow me also to thank and pay special recognition to my former lecturers at UNZA, through those present in the House. These are the hon. Minister of Education, Dr Phiri, who taught me in Education Psychology, Hon.  Professor Jeffrey Lungwangwa, who taught me in Education and Development, …

Professor Lungwangwa: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: …  Hon. Dr Simbyakula, who was my lecturer of Evidence at Law School and, later on, lecturer and director at the Zambia Institution of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE). 

Mr Speaker, may it please this august House for me to thank my former lecturer in Land Law at UNZA and a man who handled my last big academic exercise at the institution and my supervisor in my thesis entitled “The Legal Framework of Multi-Party Democracy: A case Study of the Growth of the Tenets of Democracy in Zambia.” That lecturer is Dr Matibini, SC., who is now the Speaker of this House.

Hon. Members:  Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Members: Why did you not vote for him?

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Order! Order!

Mr Mweetwa: I thank The Post Newspaper for giving me massive coverage as University of Zambia Students’ Union (UNZASU) President, thereby growing my political stature. May I thank the UNZA administration of Professor Serpell and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lungwangwa, UNZASU and the university community for growing me into national leadership when I served as UNZASU President. I also thank the Zambia Police for instilling discipline, endurance and courage through the ten months training and service in uniform as Assistant Superintendent. I thank Hon. Given Lubinda, Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism who paid my nomination fee to contest as deputy party spokesperson in the UPND.

Interruptions

Mr Mweetwa: Three days after I completed my university education, I had no money, but I intend not to pay him so that I am indebted to him for life.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Walachimona!

Laughter

Mr Mweetwa: To the above and many not mentioned, my true thank you will be to deliver to our people’s expectations.

Mr Speaker, with regard to principle issues in Choma, the challenges facing the people of Choma are many and well-placed in the corridors and archives of public knowledge. The challenges inter alia range from poor and lack of infrastructure to fit a modern town, such as a modern market, limited access to basic social services such as health care, education and housing.

Sir, Choma General Hospital operates without back up energy sources. In events of the now growing incidents of load shedding, the hospital becomes a death trap.

Mr Speaker, I do not wish to over emphasise the non-existence of a good road network in the area, a pre-requisite to development, because where a good road goes, development follows.

Sir, Choma, being at the centre of the agro-industry in the province, lacks agro infrastructure such as dip tanks, dams and sufficient access to livestock extension services. 

Mr Speaker, with Choma now pronounced provincial headquarters for the Southern Province, I do not wish to elucidate further on its challenges as I hope that the naming of these challenges will be addressed in the roadmap to the transformation of Choma into a provincial capital.

Sir, before I zero in on the Presidential Speech in earnest, I wish to state that it is important for me to note that people are still engulfed in an electoral victory jubilant mood and euphoria of change which could easily precipitate a dangerous window of opportunity for us, especially in the Opposition, to slumber a little bit and allow glaring omissions and violations of the law and standard practices to go unchecked. I pledge to begin my work in earnest.

Mr Speaker, I will be discussing issues of agriculture and local governance. However, may I begin by describing the Presidential Speech as amounting to an attempted political seduction. I note the hilarious and humorous nature and comic relief that was associated with and characterised the Presidential Speech.

Interruptions{mospagebreak}

 
Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, in the same vein, I also note the lack of sobriety and decorum that characterised the speech, given the enormity of the occasion. The President was only opening Parliament for the very first time in his life and we expected sobriety and decorum.

Interruptions

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, the speech should have been a firm prelude and antecedent budgetary platform. In that regard, the people’s hopes were dashed.

Mr Speaker, without consuming too much time to settle in office, there is an urgent need for the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to secure the crop harvest for this year which is currently being wasted with a lot of pilferage.

Mr Speaker, there is no credible programme of immediate action that we heard from the Presidential Speech. It would appear to me that, suddenly, agriculture which is a true economic alternative to mining, has been relegated to the doldrums. Food on the table is more important than more money in the pockets within the envisaged ninety days mirage because money must find food to buy. We expected the Government to have moved with supersonic speed to secure food because food is tied to national security.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I do not want to agree with assertions that the PF means ‘poor farming’.

Laughter

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I note that the PF, even in the Presidential Address, is talking of a hands-off business approach to certain fundamental issues of agricultural development. For instance, the President is talking of private sector participation and the Government to be a buyer of the last resort. The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) tried to quickly wean off the agricultural sector to the private sector before creating a necessary enabling environment for the private sector to operate. That is infrastructure for agro-development. 

Mr Speaker, a cocktail approach of wanting to immediately run away from Government responsibility is a firm foundation for agriculture disaster. We expect the new Government to quickly send the right signals to the hardworking farmers. 

Mr Speaker, this Government has largely been ushered in power by the young people who were promised jobs and more money in their pockets within ninety days. You cannot create permanent friendship with the young people if you do not deliver. The young people, the youths, want detailed specificities in a clear and more sacrosanct manner on this issue. They want to know which sector of the economy has been deliberately earmarked or targeted for affirmative action to foster job creation before disillusionment sets in arising from the ninety days mirage.

Sir, from the Presidential Speech, on page 11, on Core Programmes of the PF, there are more consumption-based sectors reflected as priorities of the PF than generative sectors of the economy. What is the PF’s priority? Is it to generate or consume revenue? For those who are already in employment, they want to hear more about the minimum wage. The PF Government must tell us the mechanisms it is putting in place to avoid downsizing the workforce and occurrences of industrial unrest. 

Mr Speaker, we are all desirous to have these wages increased, but we are looking for a win-win situation. We want the Government to come out clearly on this issue and not just continue dishing out a diet of popular promises such as more jobs, lower taxes, more money in your pockets within ninety days without a coherent programme statement.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, governance is a hallmark of leadership and an essence to care in a democracy. The PF is now in Government and we are watching, with considerable disquiet, those in Government continuing to speak with an Opposition demeanour and posture.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, we expect them now to lead with decorum and honour ─ tough, but not rough ─ and to fire certain office holders, but with a human heart and legal astuteness. Remember, the many people you are humiliating by firing have families to take care of. Treat them fairly and justly. Remember you are the next to vacate office. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, as a people, we should not enjoy humiliating and inflicting pain on fellow citizens, regardless of their political inclination. By now, I expected to have known the position on the replacement of the Bank of Zambia Governor who was fired. The non replacement of a Bank of Zambia Governor means that the bank is running without a person who is by law vested with authority to run the affairs of the Central Bank. This leaves room for policy misinterpretation, misimplementation and maims the credibility of the financial sector. The arbitrary announcement that all exports must pass through the Bank of Zambia without a backing legal regulatory framework is worrisome. This is so because, as it has turned out to be, the Bank of Zambia is struggling to form an export monitoring department in lieu of legislation. This is so because, legally, export issues are in the jurisdiction and province of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. 

Mr Speaker, furthermore, the banks that are expected to be major players in this monitoring because they are the ones who handle financial transactions are actually supervised by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and not the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, thereby making the mosaic of confusion even more serious.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, in the recent few days, we have seen the appointment of commissions. My interest is the appointment of the Secretary-General of the PF, Mr Wynter Kabimba, as Chairperson of the Commission to probe the Energy Regulation Board (ERB). I am arguing on a point of governance. What this amounts to is that, in governance, the rules of natural justice demand that you cannot be a judge in your own cause. Since the Secretary-General of the PF reports to Mr Sata, Mr Sata appointed himself as Chairperson of the probing committee.

Interruptions

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, this is a seriously maim to justice. The Judiciary is a very important arm of Government. The President omitted to say anything about it. He was conspicuously quiet on an arm of Government whose activities touch on each and every citizen and non-citizen of this country. 

Mr Speaker, the PF campaigned on a vigorous promise to implement the Barotse Agreement. The people of the Western Province would have liked to hear a policy direction on this very important issue which borders on national unity and peace.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank you more sincerely for giving me an opportunity to contribute to debate on the Motion on the Floor of this august House. To start with, I would like to deliver my Maiden Speech.

Sir, allow me to congratulate you on your election to this high position in this august House. It is my sincere conviction that you will serve this House diligently. Allow me also to congratulate the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on their election to these high positions. 

Mr Speaker, I feel duty bound to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on his election as President of this nation. Mr Sata is now President for all Zambians and not only for PF members. Therefore, he must quickly restore peace and unity in this country. Members of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), in particular, are being harassed.

Interruptions

Mr Chipungu: For example, in Kanyama, my constituency and many parts of our country, people are still living in fear. Therefore, something must be done about this almost immediately.

Let me also congratulate hon. Members of Parliament on winning their respective seats, especially those who have retained their seats, like Hon. Given Lubinda and Hon. Charles Kakoma.

Sir, in the same vein, allow me to commend the MMD and the former President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, for conceding defeat and handing over power peacefully. Like His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, said, the smooth transition has become a symbol of our democracy. I hope that, one day, when this current Government is made to hand over power to another party, it will do so peacefully.

Sir, I am aware that it is our usual democracy to condemn past governments as well as fallen leaders. Whether you like it or not, the MMD, as a party and government, at one time, performed wonders in this country.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, for example, the introduction of multi-party democracy and safeguarding peace and unity and infrastructure development in all parts of the country. We all know that there are a number of schools, basic schools, community schools, roads, rural health centres and hospitals constructed by the MMD Government in the last five years.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Sir, I wish to thank the people of Rufunsa Constituency for voting me back into office for the second term. Rufunsa Constituency is a constituency that hardly gives two terms to one person. Therefore, this is a sign of the confidence and trust it has in me.

Rufunsa Constituency, for those that may not know, is in Lusaka Province. Despite being only 60 km away from the capital, it has its own developmental problems. However, over the last five years, the constituency has seen unprecedented development in many areas such as construction of the parliamentary office. I wish to pay tribute to the Hon. Mr Speaker for this new office which is now operational. There is electricity and water and I wish to thank you for this, Sir. Many schools and a high school were constructed. I would like to thank the former Minister of Education for this. A number of rural health centres, a nursing school, bridges, roads were also constructed and the road to Mpanshya Mission Hospital from the Great East Road was tarred. 

Mr Speaker, this would not have been achieved without the good leadership of the MMD Government as well as the stable leadership of the former President, Mr Banda, …

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: … and, indeed, his hardworking ministers. Some of them are here in the House.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Sir, it is common knowledge that the President’s Speech touched on a number of issues. However, I will only restrict myself to what relates to my constituency and that is infrastructure development and the Youth Empowerment Fund which used to be handled by the Ministry of Youth Sport and Child Development and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

As already stated, we have seen quite a lot of infrastructure development in the constituency. I wish to urge this Government, particularly the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication and the Provincial Minister, to continue with the development of the infrastructure in my constituency and in the country as a whole. The approach should be to take over from where the MMD Government ended. I think that should be the approach. The issues of name calling will not help us.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: I wish to reiterate that the Government in power must take over from where the former government ended.

In my constituency, I have one road which is very cardinal and this is the Mkushi/ Shikabeta/Rufunsa Road. This road needs to be worked on and a bridge constructed across Lunsemfwa River. This is the shortest route to the Northern and Copperbelt provinces. If one is coming from the Eastern Province, going to the Northern or Copperbelt provinces, there is no need to go through Lusaka. The best thing is to have a shortcut going through Shikabeta, Mkushi to the Northern and Copperbelt provinces. The MMD Government had planned to work on this road.

Interruptions

Mr Chipungu: You cannot do everything at one time. That project was not undertaken. Therefore, I am asking the Government to undertake it.

Mr V. Mwale: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, we also have the D145 Road which connects my constituency to Feira. This road was planned for and I am asking this Government to continue where the previous government left from. This road needs to be tarred because it is of economic importance and is also important for tourism. From Rufunsa Constituency, one can go to Feira, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Therefore, it is important that this road is tarred. It will serve as a shorter route for people coming from South Africa. Instead of coming through Chirundu, they can use this route through Feira and my constituency on their way to Lusaka.

With regard to youth empowerment, I am pleased to say that the President said something related thereto. This Government must continue from where we ended. I am here talking about the construction of the youth resource centres in all the seventy-three districts. This will provide technical skills to those completing school. These are the same youths who voted for this Government and ignoring them would be detrimental.

Mr Speaker, on the Youth Empowerment Fund, I would like to thank the previous Government, especially the former Vice-President, for giving all hon. Members of the previous Parliament this fund. We all know that the money was not adequate because after we got K10 billion, we all said it was not enough and thus wanted it increased.

Mr Speaker, it is my duty to urge the Government to increase this fund. It should be increased to K10 billion per province. Since we now have ten provinces, that will translate to K100 billion. This money would go a long way in supporting youth programmes that will assist the disadvantaged youths. I also would like the Government to create equity banks for our youths, a programme which the MMD Government was about to implement. These banks would allow our youths to borrow money without collateral. This concept was borrowed from Kenya, India and other countries.

Mr Speaker, some Permanent Secretaries and other officials have already undertaken courses on how to implement this and, therefore, it is important that we start implementing this programme. We, on this side of the House, are out of Government and so it is important that the Government of the day implements this programme.

Mr Speaker, on the CDF, the audit to establish its accountability during the last financial year is welcome. I wish to state that this money, to a large extent, helped many hon. Members to come back to the House. It helped us to undertake a good number of infrastructure development such as building schools, classroom blocks, teacher’s houses, rural health centres, just to mention a few. I, therefore, wish to urge the Government to increase the allocation of the CDF to about K1billion.

Mr Speaker, the creation of the new province to be called Muchinga is a welcome move. However, I wish to also urge the Government to create another one to be called Chongwe Province.

Laughter

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, this is necessary so that we separate Lusaka Province, which should exclusively cater for Lusaka urban, from Chongwe Province, which should cater for Lusaka rural. In most cases, Lusaka rural is overlooked in terms of development and policy decisions. It is very important that this is done and I am calling upon this Government …

Hon. Member: It is not necessary.

Mr Chipungu: You may say it is not necessary, but being in the same province with a capital city, Chongwe, Kafue and Luangwa do not find it easy because the policy makers sometimes tend to forget that these places exist. That is why I am saying we need another province so that Lusaka Province can cater only for Lusaka urban. It is cardinal and critical that this is done.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion of Thanks.

Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate you, the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on your election to the important positions.

Mr Speaker, in congratulating the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House, I am reminded that, sometimes, one’s gain is another’s loss. We will miss him standing in that corner with his eloquent and deep voice participating in debates. However, I am consoled by the fact that, in the last Session, the former Deputy Speaker (Mrs Nalumango) had an agreement with the hon. Member for Chimbamilonga (Mr Sikazwe) to speak on her behalf by arrangement. 

Mr Speaker, I am equally confident that, from what we saw yesterday, the hon. Member for Chasefu will effectively be represented by the hon. Member for Chama North.

Laughter

Mr Mbulakulima: I can advise you to take all the matters you wish to raise to this young man. I also would like to congratulate the immediate former Speaker on retiring honourably and, indeed, on his immense contribution to this great nation. I know that the new Speaker is his own person. I am confident that he will be able to emulate some of the characteristics of the former Hon. Mr Speaker, especially in the field of impartiality and guidance to this House.

Finally, allow me to congratulate all hon. Members, be they elected or nominated, on having made it to this august House. Like many of my colleagues who have spoken before me, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Sata, on his election as President of this country.

Mr Speaker, one lesson we can learn from him is the resilience and endurance he went through. Perhaps, it is a lesson to us upcoming politicians that we need to be strong and to endure. It reminds me of the game of football. When a team attacks constantly, it is likely that the back of the other team may break to give the attacking team a chance to score and Mr Dennis Liwewe would say, “It had to come.” So, I believe that is exactly the way it happened.

Mr Speaker, regarding the speech delivered to this House by His Excellency the President, people have described it in various ways. Some have said it is excellent, others that it is hollow while others have said it is mild. For me, it just depends on which side of the coin one is biased to. 

Mr Speaker, a speech written at the level of State House or any other office cannot be empty. What we can do is dissect it and find the good and the bad points. It is like the way I have heard some people in this country criticising the former Heads of State. To me, one cannot rise to the high position of President of the country and leave without having made a single achievement. We had the First Republican President, Dr Kaunda, who did a lot for this country. However, in 1991, when he lost the elections, we all rose and said he was useless, but because of God’s divine hand, the man was spared and now we are saying he was a great President. If we had killed that man, we would have been haunted. Therefore, it is important that, at our level of democracy, we recognise such facts. 

The same applies to the late President, Dr Chiluba. Many called him all sorts of names, but one cannot hold the position that Dr Chiluba held and contribute nothing to this country. I think my colleagues will agree with me that it is not possible at all. The courage that he had to liberalise the economy and allow the freedom of expression and association and freedom of the press is why we now have community radio stations all over the country as well as numerous newspapers. Therefore, how can we say he did nothing? 

I saw something about Dr Mwanawasa, SC. just yesterday or the other day. It is sad to note that we called him all sorts of names when he was alive. Only when he passed away did we realise how great a man he was. Have we, Zambians, not learnt anything from all this? For this reason, it is important that, even today, we give credit to His Excellency the immediate former President, Mr Rupiah Banda, fondly known as RB. He is a great man.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: He is a career diplomat and his humility and maturity are second to none. I, therefore, urge my fellow compatriots to realise that it is important that we give credit where it is due. This is why I believe that the speech of any President cannot be empty. All Presidential speeches have made contributions to this country and I believe that this President is going to make positive contributions to Mother Zambia just as other presidents have done.

It is unfortunate that my namesake, the hon. Member for Mpika Central, yesterday said that the MMD was dead and buried. It is not dead at all. This party cannot die.

Mr Kapeya: Ooh?

Laughter

Mr Mbulakulima: It is alive. What we have seen now is just a metamorphosis of the MMD. 

Mr Speaker, if you look at your right, you will find that we know each other and are birds of the same feather. I do not want to bring in the President who is not here and, therefore, cannot defend himself. However, I can cite those who were in our party. His Honour the Vice-President was in our party, but is now there and is number two in command. Hon. G. B. Mwamba ran away. He was also one of us and is now the hon. Minister of Defence and number three in command. We even gave him Kabwata Constituency to do some gymnastics. Hon. Sakeni, who is number four in the Executive hierarchy, was an hon. Minister in the MMD for a province and also had the same portfolio he has now. All of them, including the professors and Hon. Sichinga, were our people.

Laughter

Mr Mbulakulima: That includes Hon. Kambwili, Hon. Mwila and Hon. Kalaba, except they were at a lower level.

Laughter

Mr Mbulakulima: Therefore, I can assure the hon. Member for Mpika Central that we are not dead and buried. Come 2016, we are coming back.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Mbulakulima: We shall create space for our colleagues because we have worked very well with them before. I have a dream that, in 2016, we shall be with them, as they will come and join us to form a new government.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: You will remember that Martin Luther King Junior said: 

“I have a dream that one day, on the hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together on a table of brotherhood.” 

Likewise, our colleagues on that side will come and join us on the table of brotherhood.

Interruptions

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, we want to implore our colleagues to remain focused as we shall take care of them.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the speech by the President. There are certain good things that we need to acknowledge. Firstly, let me comment on his sentiments on agriculture. He said the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) will be reviewed to enable farmers to be weaned off. I think it is important that farmers get weaned off this programme because, in some areas, we have seen some people who have called themselves ‘Chairpersons of Fertiliser’ for many years. It is important that we take care of that. However, the PF Government should remember that, for the past two or three farming seasons, the MMD has recorded a bumper harvest. Therefore, it is important that it also does likewise.

Mr Speaker, on taxes, the speech talks about reducing tax so as to give some relief to some overburdened workers. This is a welcome move. We, on this side, believe that this is important. The current tax regime is very restrictive. We hope that the reduction will not be by 2 per cent. We want to see that the workers get meaningful reductions in terms of taxes.

Mr Speaker, the speech has also raised the issue of insufficient retirement benefits and the pain workers endure for them to be paid their benefits. The President promised to move in quickly to address this problem. This is important and we welcome this move because most people get concerned when they are about to retire. I hope that the raising of the retirement age to sixty-five years will not be a gimmick to transfer the burden of paying retirement benefits to the future. This matter should be tackled now.

Mr Speaker, as regards the National Budget, this is probably the best President’s pronouncement I have ever seen. On page 11 and 28, the PF Government has acknowledged the good works that the MMD did, especially in the road sector. Therefore, I believe that the 2012 Budget is going to take care of such. That is the way it is supposed to be. We should stop the blame game and be realistic. We, on this side, are going to support the 2012 Budget.

On commerce vis-à-vis foreign direct investment (FDI), the President’s Speech puts emphasis on indigenous companies and entrepreneurship. This is a welcome move and we wish the PF good luck in its endeavour to implement it. However, it should be noted that the economic zones that we have today are not restricted to investment by non-Zambians. Therefore, I hope that the PF Government will change the mindsets of our people so that they can invest in these economic zones.

The speech also talks about bank interest rates. We are all concerned that an ordinary person cannot borrow from the banks. If the new Government can change this, as put in the speech, I think everyone, including us, on this side of the House, shall be extremely happy.

 As for the Public Service, the Government has pointed out its underperformance due to a de-motivated workforce arising from heavily politicised appointments and poor conditions of service. Therefore, we want the Ruling Party to reward the workers handsomely. We hope the approach we have seen on the appointments of district commissioners will continue. We want to find a Civil Service that is not heavily politicised when we take over in 2016. We believe that the Government will send professionals even to the diplomatic missions.

Mr Speaker, on page 40, paragraph 2, it is mentioned that the PF Government firmly stands for the rule of law and social justice. For us, again, we are happy because this is an MMD legacy. We believe in the rule of law.

Interruptions 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, however, there are some omissions in the speech, such as employment creation. We urge the PF not to be overambitious. Let us not take a Karl Marx radical approach because we will end up closing companies.

Interruptions

Mr Mbulakulima: Do not say lwesu because your problem is our problem. Today, this world has become one village. Mr Speaker, the word ‘lwesu’ means it is our problem and not theirs. The problems of this country are for us all.

As regards the turning of old colleges such as Chalimbana and Palabana into universities, we would rather the new Government built new structures. That way, we shall record growth.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: This is what we did in the beginning. When we saw that investors coming into the country were occupying houses in Rhodespark, we told them to stop and start constructing their own. Today, you can see Lusaka is expanding because there is more construction.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: We, therefore, agree with the putting up of a university in Chinsali at Lubwa. We want things to be done this way so that the old institutions can be spared by putting up new infrastructure.

On agriculture, we expect the Government to address certain issues. For example, the Southern Province is drought-prone. Therefore, we expected the speech to mention the construction of dams. We wanted to hear about harvesting water in the northern part of the country where there are always heavy rains. This is what we need in our country.

Mr Speaker, I want to thank the people of Chembe for having elected me for the second time. They are, indeed, very special people and I give them thanks. I want to believe that this Government will respond to their needs.
 
Mr Speaker, the issue of energy is addressed in the speech, but not satisfactorily. In Milenge, in Chembe Constituency, we have Mumbotuta Falls, a very beautiful falls. It is probably more beautiful than the Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls and gives us potential for expansion. Milenge has been completely left out in terms of road construction. I believe this omission will be rectified.

Mr Speaker, finally, I advise my colleagues that the shoes they have taken over are very big. We did our part as the MMD. The nation and the world is watching.

Hon. MMD Member: Yes.

Mr Mbulakulima: We achieved a lot. I want to tell you that, when we took over the Government in 1991, inflation was at 180 per cent.

Hon. MMD Member: They know.

Mr Mbulakulima: At the time we left the Government, inflation had fallen to a single digit. In 1991/ 1992, the gross domestic product (GDP) was 2 per cent, but we had raised it to 7.6 per cent by the time we left the Government.

Mr Lubinda: Aah!

Mr Mbulakulima: These macro-economic fundamentals are important because they are not illusions; they are there and people will be watching and comparing our performance with that of the new Government.

Thirdly, let me talk about the national general reserve. In 1991/ 1992, it was almost non-existent, but, at the time we were leaving office, there was over US$2 billion.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, when we came into power in 1991/1992, per capita income was US$300. By our time of departure, it was US$1,100.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, at the time we left office, copper production was 740,000 tonnes. In 2000, it was 250, 000 tonnes. Before nationalisation the highest peak copper production had hit was 750,000 tonnes. All these facts are there for all to see.

Mr Speaker, in terms of infrastructure, we have achieved unprecedented levels of development, especially in the fields of education and health. Colleagues, if you are not careful, you may end up re-commissioning what we already have.

Laughter 

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, it is important that the Government checks these records. As we give them the instruments of power, we are confident that these records will not be surpassed. If they will table these records as their achievements, Zambians will acknowledge that this is the Government for which they had been waiting.

With these few remarks, I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba (Kamfinsa): Mr Speaker, I want to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity to present my Maiden Speech to this august House. I, Moses Chishimba, hon. Member of Parliament for Kamfinsa Constituency, Kitwe District, hereby express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to my party the PF, the Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: … and Members of the Central Committee for having endorsed my candidature for the Kamfinsa parliamentary seat.

Mr M. H. Malama: Walikwata umutima usuma we mwaume.

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your election as Hon. Speaker of this august House, although some did not think you could serve in that capacity, … 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: … like my colleagues on your left hand side. 

Interruptions 

Mr Chishimba: Let me also congratulate the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on going through unopposed.

Mr Speaker, I thank those who applied to stand as Members of Parliament for Kamfinsa on the PF ticket, but were not adopted for the support they gave me during my campaigns. Those men and women were true democrats.

Mr Speaker, let me also thank PF members at the province, the district, where I am Vice-Chairperson, the constituency, …

Dr Musokotwane entered the Chamber.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Incinga!

Mr Chishimba: … wards, branches, sections, the electorate and our party President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for the support they gave. The margins we recorded were very large, despite the former Ruling Party, …

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Order! 

Mr Chishimba: … MMD, sending its trusted former Vice-President and campaign team in large numbers and coming to Kamfinsa en mass with bicycles, fitenges and money …

Mr Lubinda: What was the first item?

Mr Chishimba: Bicycles.

Laughter

Mr Chishimba: … which they gave out to anybody they met on the way in a bid to compromise the moral fibre of the electorates so that they would vote for them. However, the people of Kamfinsa knew the ‘don’t kubeba theory’. They were beyond being corrupted. They ate, rode bicycles and wore fitenges, but rightly voted for the PF.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, let me cite figures for one polling station to show that the people chose me and gave me this mandate to be their representative:

Political Party    No. of Votes

PF    985

MMD    64

UPND    05

Other parties and independent    0

Hon. Government Members: Ooh!

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, let me take this rare opportunity to publicly thank my family: my wife, Exildah Mulenga Chishimba; my sons, Kabwe, Kamanga and Mutale and my daughters, Natasha, Chilufya and Sibongile for their support and encouragement before and during the campaign period. Without their support, my campaign would have been impossible. I also thank my father, mother, sisters and brothers for being with me throughout my campaigns.

Mr Speaker, the MMD Government left many problems in my constituency, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: … but I am confident that my able Government of His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, will address them. The President’s Speech on Page 24 reads:

 “My Government will, therefore, re-introduce the water sanitation and sewerage grants to utility companies to enable them maintain and upgrade the water and sewerage infrastructure in the urban and peri-urban areas.” 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, that will be a commendable job from the Government of His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Mr Speaker, water and sanitation was one of the problems that the past regime failed to address in its twenty years in power. The areas that need urgent attention are Ndeke Village, Mulenga Township and Ndeke Township. 

Mr Speaker, the past Government, once again, met other serious challenges that it failed to overcome, such as road construction and rehabilitation, while in power.

Mr Speaker, the following roads need urgent attention:

(i)    Old Presidential Road, which will connect Ndeke and Bupe wards to the Ndola/Kitwe Road;

(ii)    the roads from Ndeke Village to Chiwala in Nkana East. This road will help speed flow of traffic getting in and out of town via Nkana East;

(iii)    the Amis/Ndeke Village Road on which the MMD Government did a shoddy job during the tenure of Hon. Chipili; and

(iv)    the Tafuna/Katyetye Road.

Mr Speaker, another serious problem left by my brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts on your left pertains to the health sector. On page 15, the President’s speech proposes an increased budgetary allocation to the sector, improved work culture and intensified construction and rehabilitation of health infrastructure, such as hospitals, clinics and health centres.

Mr Speaker, once more, I want to salute my President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, and his Government for putting up a good roadmap for the health sector of this great nation, Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, the Ndeke Village Mini Hospital, which was opened prematurely, as a campaign gimmick by the people sitting on your left, needs to be completed, equipped with modern equipment, linen and beds and staffed by motivated workers.

Mr Speaker, the Ndeke and Kamfinsa Prison clinics need major rehabilitation. The latter even requires a maternity wing.

Mr Speaker, Mulenga Clinic, located 500 metres from the Ndola-Kitwe Road, carters for a population of 22,071, including 4,855 women of childbearing age. The approximate number of deliveries, on a daily basis, is 892. Therefore, there is a need to construct a maternity wing to enable the community access quality health services. This will give our women access to quality maternity services within their community. The health institutions mentioned above face a shortage of drugs, linen, beds and equipment, but I am confident that my listening Government will address this problem.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, another catastrophe left by the MMD Government is the education sector, which my Government has acknowledged as the backbone in the growth of our economy. Again, I am confident that my Government will carefully resolve the problems in this sector.

Mr Speaker, the following are the problems noted in the education sector:

(i)    inadequate teaching materials and furniture;

(ii)     poor water supply, which is a threat to the health of the pupils;

(iii)     lack of accommodation for teachers, which has really contributed to the poor performance of pupils;

(iv)    the high teacher-pupil ratios.  That is why there is a need to construct another high school in Ndeke Village; and

(v)    the need to complete Chibanse and Kamfinsa High schools before the onset of the rains and in readiness for the January, 2012 intake.

Mr Speaker, there is a need to construct modern houses in Kamfinsa Police Camp for our dedicated police officers whose houses are in a deplorable state. I am very sure that my Government will, with the introduction of a social housing scheme, hear my plea for it to include Kamfinsa Police Camp in its action plan.

Mr Speaker, my President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, has given hope to the youths of this country, who were left uneducated and unemployed. In the last twenty years, the MMD Government failed to effectively integrate youths in national development. The majority of our youths have poor education and lack formal skills. My President has pledged to enable youths earn a living and contribute to national development. 

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about commerce, trade and industry as the anchors of economic growth and development and, therefore, strategic in creating jobs and wealth for our people. He also outlined how the important energy sector will develop as a pre-requisite to the proper functioning of other sectors of the economy.

Mr Speaker, corruption puts money into the pockets of a few individuals. That is why my President, who is allergic to the vice, has started a war against it and we need to support him.

Government Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, if, in our quest to fight corruption, we lose friends, let it be so.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I will do everything possible to contribute to the development of this nation. 

Thank you, Sir and may God richly bless you.

Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu (Nkana): Mr Speaker, allow me to join those who have spoken before me in congratulating His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on his deserved election to the highest public office in the land. I wish him well in his new role.

Mr Speaker, I also congratulate you on your deserved election to the esteemed position of Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly. I know that the House is in safe hands.

Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Further, I congratulate Hon. Mkhondo Lungu and Hon. Chifumu Banda, SC., on their election to the positions of Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House, respectively. My congratulations also go to all my dear hon. Colleagues in this House.

Mr Speaker, in order for the hon. Members of the House to easily follow the flow of my presentation, I have combined by Maiden Speech and contribution to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s speech.

Mr Speaker, as I begin my season of service, I wish to state that I am a bearer of a message from the people of Nkana Constituency, which covers a wide range of issues of great concern to them. I also wish to make some general observations on a number of issues that impact negatively on the daily lives of our people in some parts of our country, if not the whole country.

Mr Speaker, before I deliver the message of which I am bearer, I will make some observations on the bigger picture and contribute to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Speech. 

Mr Speaker, I thank the people of Nkana Constituency for voting for me overwhelmingly in the General Elections held on 20th September, 2011. I am profoundly honoured and exceedingly humbled by their kind gesture. I also thank my party, the PF and its leadership at all levels, for having given me the rare opportunity and support to represent the people of Nkana in this august House. I shall forever remain indebted to them. Further, I thank my dear wife, Josephine Mwiya Kazabu, who accompanied me on my campaign trail and endured various hardships. I also thank my children, friends and relatives for all the invaluable spiritual, moral, material and financial support they gave me during the campaign.

Last, but certainly not the least, I pay special tribute to my predecessor, Hon. Mwenya Musenge, seated this side, for his untiring efforts in serving the people of Nkana Constituency under difficult circumstances. Above all, I thank God for his abundant grace and blessings.

Mr Speaker, and hon. Members of the House, let me begin with a message from the people of Nkana Constituency who firmly believe, and quite rightly so, that they have had a raw deal in terms of their standard of living as evidenced by the following:

(i)    high unemployment and poverty levels;
    
(ii)    poor water reticulation;

(iii)    poor sanitation;

(iv)    poor road infrastructure;

(v)    poor health care;

(vi)    insecurity; and

(vii)    lack of access to quality education for all children who qualify to be in school.

Sir, allow me now to briefly discuss some of the above challenges as a way of driving my points home.

Mr Speaker, water reticulation in my constituency, which is the home of commerce and industry besides the residential areas, is a nightmare. Some parts of the constituency receive water between 0200 hours to 1200 hours while others receive no water at all. It is said that water is life and, therefore, I appeal to our Government to urgently address this problem by helping the Nkana Water and Sewerage Company to expand its water works plant and improve the distribution network in order to meet the ever increasing demand for clean and safe drinking water due to new developments.

Mr Speaker, some areas in my constituency, namely, BB Section, in Mindolo, Buchi and Kamitondo townships still live with the vexing colonial legacy of communal toilets and pit latrines respectively. It is said that sanitation is dignity and as such, the communal toilets and pit latrines which our people are made to use, in this day and age, evoke emotions of deep pain and anger in me because they are dehumanising. Further, forty-seven years after independence, I find these facilities to be an extreme injustice which demands quick action by the local authority, which is the Kitwe City Council, and the Central Government. The construction of individual household water borne toilets will give our people some measure of dignity.

Mr Speaker, and dear hon. Colleagues, Nkana Constituency, despite housing a mining company namely Mopani Plc as well as the commercial and industrial sectors of Kitwe, is characterised by high levels of unemployment and poverty. Thousands of people particularly the youths are unemployed. This has resulted in these youths engaging in all sorts of vices notably the consumption of tujilijili and drugs.

Laughter

Mr Kazabu: This is true to the English adage, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” The high level of unemployment has translated into most of our people being poor. Clearly, this is a problem which we should address urgently through our collective effort and wisdom, while keeping in mind the words of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said:

“Poverty is the parent of revolution and a crime.”

Let us create jobs by revamping the manufacturing sector of our economy. We should not only revive the primary industries, but also establish secondary industries so that we can turn our raw materials into finished products. Let us also transfer cash to our people for development and reduce poverty through community based enterprises (CBEs) and co-operatives.

Mr Speaker, a healthy people is a prerequisite for any country which desires to develop. In some parts of my constituency, namely, Mindolo, Miseshi, Chachacha and Twibukishe, health care is poor because there are only two clinics which are run by Mopani Plc and these close at 1800 hours. Surely, there is no one who can programme illness. There is also no maternity facility and as such, when a mother is in the family way and is due to deliver, she has to be taken all the way to either Kitwe Central Hospital or Buchi Clinic. If the labour pains occur in the middle of the night, it would certainly create a crisis for the person concerned. This problem needs urgent attention and, therefore, I submit, through you, that the Government allocates sufficient funds to the Ministry of Health so that a maternity ward can be constructed at one of the existing clinics.
          

Mr Speaker, Nkana Constituency is characterised by poor roads in Mindolo, Miseshi, Chachacha, Twibukishe, Nkana West and Parklands. The roads are in such a bad state that mere patching up will not help. They require complete reconstruction. In Buchi and Kamitondo townships, the situation is worse. What used to be roads are now tributaries of the Kitwe Stream. I, again, request the Government to do something about this problem. The Kalulushi/Sabina Junction Road also has problems. I am sure if Hon. Mbulu, is here and is listening can confirm what I am saying. This is the boundary between Kalulushi Constituency and my constituency on the western side and it passes through an unplanned settlement called Mugala which is part of the constituency. This road is completely destroyed and with the onset of the rain, it will soon be impassable. Therefore, it requires quick attention. 

 
Mr Speaker, there is so much insecurity at night in the mine residential areas of my constituency. Innocent people are attacked, injured and robbed of their valuables such as money, wrist watches and cellular phones. This problem is attributed to the lack of street lighting and the absence of the police. Mindolo Police Station, which was established to police a small community then, has now been overwhelmed by a large community. I wish to request the Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, to seriously consider establishing a police post in the area with a view to subsequently developing it into a fully fledged police station.

Mr Speaker, for some of the problems which I have highlighted herein, an increase in the CDF, say to K2.5 billion per constituency, would be a quick response and solution.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, let me now make some general observations on the bigger picture. Our people out there have continued crying over their lack of benefit from their resources since our country attained its independence, in 1964, especially in the later years of our self-rule. The majority of our people are poor. They have no jobs and even the few who are employed are paid meagre salaries. Further, the people lack decent shelter and live under poor sanitary conditions.

They also lack sufficient, portable, clean and safe drinking water. I can only attribute this miserable situation in which our people find themselves to widespread and endemic corruption which is an injustice. To emphasise the point, someone once said:

 “Abundant wealth lies in the backyard of the poor, but injustice takes it away.” 

Sir, our people who want to engage in business are faced with yet another vexing and depressing problem. Business opportunities have been taken away from them by some foreign nationals who are, for example, mining and selling sand while others are selling vegetables in markets. Further, the Zambian suppliers to the mines are given little business while foreign suppliers are given the lion’s share. There is also the case of small-scale saw millers who are given small allocations of round wood which are as small as 50 cubic meters per month by Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) while the foreign-owned companies are allocated not less than 1000 cubic meters. Working with 50 cubic metres allocation of round wood per month is unprofitable. As a matter of fact, this amount of round wood cannot sustain the operations of a saw mill.

Mr Speaker, this situation is depressing and unacceptable. Our loyalty and commitment must be to our people. We owe them a debt of duty. The change which the people summoned through the presidential and general elections held on 20th September, 2011, will be meaningless if it does not impact on their lives positively. Therefore, I earnestly appeal to our Government to address the problems which they are facing. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker and hon. Members of the House on both the right and the left, in conclusion, I wish to state that Zambia is bigger than anyone of us and must come first in whatever we do. We are in service together and together we can build a better Zambia for all to enjoy. We should not allow our people to continue to be collateral damage of bad governance like it was under the previous regime of the MMD.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Through his directional, unifying and motivating speech, his Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, has taken the lead in ensuring that such a thing does not happen again.

Hon. Government Member: Yebo!

Mr Kazabu: May God bless us all this day and in the days ahead.

Mr Kapeya: Amen!

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Laughter

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this chance to give my Maiden Speech in this august House of the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly. I will also proceed to highlight issues that were talked about in the Presidential speech.

Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate his Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on his election as Republican President. I wish also to congratulate you on your election as fifth Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia. I also wish to congratulate the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House.

Mr Speaker, I am proud that Lupososhi Constituency has returned to the PF. At this juncture, I wish to thank the former hon. Member of Parliament, Mr Albert Mulonga, for his contribution to the betterment of the life of the people of Lupososhi.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, as the House may be aware, Lupososhi Constituency was the first PF Parliamentary seat held by then hon. Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Musonda Mpakata. Once again, I wish to thank him for not having given up and received the carrot which was being dangled before him. 

Mr Speaker, today, the PF has formed Government under the able and efficient leadership of His Excellency the Republican President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Mr Speaker, as I proceed with my Maiden Speech, should I stumble or step on places I am not supposed to, it should be understood that it is because of the euphoria resulting from the fact that I am one of the few countable Zambians who got it right the first time.

Mr Speaker, I would like to sincerely thank the electorate in Lupososhi Constituency for entrusting me with the responsibility and authority to represent them as hon. Member of Parliament and I intend to do that whenever I stand on the Floor of this House.

Sir, allow me to thank the PF Lupososhi Constituency Executive for supporting me before, during and after the just ended election campaigns. Furthermore, I wish to extend my thanks to Luwingu District and the Northern Province PF Executive committees for their support. I thank the Central Committee and above all, His Excellency the Republican President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for giving me a chance to stand on the PF ticket.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: May I also thank the people of Zambia for having voted wisely by electing His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: … the man of action as fifth Republican President. I further wish to congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament, some of them on their re-election, others on their nominations and those colleagues of mine who have been elected for the first time. I wish to remind each one of them that they have a duty to serve the Zambian people.

Mr Speaker, allow me to sincerely thank my lovely wife, Connie Syamujaye Bwalya.

Mr Muntanga: Syamujaye?

Mr Bwalya: Yes, Hon. Muntanga.

Hon. UPND Member: Bamulamu!

Mr Bwalya: My children, namely Lloyd, Gift, Makina, Chungu, Namulima and Mutinta for all the support they gave me.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, I cannot forget to thank my friends and relatives for the immense support which they rendered before and during my campaign for the parliamentary seat.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, as regards the Presidential speech, I would like to comment on a few matters that are currently topical and of great importance to our nation which were contained in it. 

Mr Speaker, in his address to the First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia stated:

    “The citizens of this great land, not only deserve better lives, but are entitled to better lives.”

These are words of a wise man determined and dedicated to serving the Zambian people. I wonder why we took so long to bring him into State House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, what the President said means that a better life for every individual Zambian is a right and not a privilege. 

Mr Speaker, zero tolerance to corruption is yet another issue that was ably covered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia in his speech. The Republican President, who is also PF Party President, stated that he is allergic to corruption.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulenga: Corruption limbi tabaishibe, kwiba.

Mr Bwalya: This means, therefore, that the entire PF Government, the party machinery and the people of Zambia have been diagnosed with an allergy to corruption.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Arrest all those who are corrupt.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, the zero tolerance stance on corruption will enable the PF Government to put more money into the pockets of more Zambians and not into the pockets of a few corrupt individuals.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, allow me to talk about the poverty levels, crop marketing and road infrastructure. The poverty levels in Lupososhi and Luwingu District, as a whole, are real and devastating. The presidential speech delivered to this august House on the 14th of October, 2011, acknowledged the high poverty levels in the country and gives hope that they will be reduced.

Mr Speaker, during my campaign for my parliamentary seat in the just ended elections, I witnessed the suffering of the people of Lupososhi and the difficulties they go through to make ends meet. The majority of the people in the constituency are peasant farmers. I was touched and saddened to see how these peasant farmers were spending nights in the cold safeguarding their maize at the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) satellite depots as they waited for the FRA to buy their maize. All this was as a result of poor crop marketing strategies by the former MMD Government which mismanaged the entire process.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, I know that the PF Government, under the able leadership of His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, will correct the situation and alleviate the suffering of the people of Lupososhi during the crop marketing season.

Sir, these problems were compounded by poor road infrastructure and non-existence of bridges across various rivers within the constituency. I, therefore, wish to appeal to this Eleventh National Assembly to ensure that there is equitable allocation and distribution of national resources towards the improvement and construction of road infrastructure in Lupososhi Constituency. The roads have not been tarred since Independence. Some of these are Luwingu/Samfya Road via Kasaba across Lupososhi River and Luwingu/ Nsombo/Lwena/Chaba. 

Mr Speaker, the above two roads are inter district. The first one connects Luwingu and Samfya while the other connects Luwingu and Chilubi, respectively. Additionally, the Luwingu/Kawambwa and Luwingu/Mansa roads have been neglected. These roads require serious and urgent attention.

Sir, I am grateful that the above listed roads were tackled in the Presidential Speech and will be tarred by the PF Government, which is the Government of the people and for the people.

Mr Speaker, with regard to education and health, we should know that a healthy nation is a productive one, while quality education reduces poverty and disease. 

Sir, the school infrastructure in Lupososhi Constituency is in a deplorable state. Some of these schools were built in the early 1930s and since then, have never had any facelift or simple maintenance. I wish the former hon. Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Petauke, Ms Siliya, had visited this place. For instance, Sapaila School, in Kaela Ward, Kabombo School, in Ilambo Ward, and Kapupu School, in Mwela Wamangu Ward, have no staff houses and desks. They have few teachers and inadequate learning materials. Additionally, most of these schools have no floors, window panes and roofs, among other defects. I wonder why the previous MMD Government was compromising the truth by telling the Zambian people that it had constructed schools all over the country.

Hon. Government Members: Petauke!

Mr Bwalya: Maybe, it was selective.

Mr Speaker, if this country has to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) No. 2, which is achieving universal primary education, the school infrastructure and learning materials together with trained human resources must be provided. It is, therefore, my appeal to this House and our dedicated PF Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Vocational Training, to pay particular and urgent attention to school infrastructure in Lupososhi Constituency.

Sir, since independence, there has never been a high school built in Lupososhi Constituency. However, I am aware that one high school is being constructed in Bwalinde Ward, in an area called Nsombo. Nevertheless, looking at the population in Lupososhi Constituency, at least, two high schools are needed.

Mr Speaker, Lupososhi Constituency has four rural health centres, which are poorly managed, and they lack basic and essential drugs while medical equipment is non-functional. These rural health centres are normally manned by daily classified employees who may not have the required medical training to service the population. On the other hand, people of Fikonkonta area in Mwela Wamangu Ward cover a distance of about 30 km to access health facilities. This is a long distance for a person who is sick considering the bad roads and lack of reliable transport.

Mr Speaker, we are reliably informed by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning Annual Economic Report of 2010 that the incidences of malaria increased from 44.7 per thousand, in 2009, to 97 per thousand, in 2010, and that this was the leading cause of mortality in Zambia. If we are to achieve the MDG No. 4, which is reducing mortality, and MDG No.6, which is combating HIV/AIDS and Malaria and other diseases, Lupososhi needs more health centres stocked with essential drugs coupled with qualified medical staff.

Mr Speaker, concerning agriculture, I wish to inform this august House that Lupososhi …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1415 hours until 1630 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was talking about agriculture.

Sir, I wish to inform this august House that Lupososhi Constituency has vast and rich land for agriculture and is surrounded by running rivers. According to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing Preliminary Report of February, 2011, Lupososhi Constituency has a total number of 14,628 households and a population of 72,790. This population needs a fair share of the nation’s cake in terms of adequate social amenities, effective and timely provision of agricultural inputs.

Mr Speaker, the PF Manifesto is very clear about agriculture in our country and it is in line with the MDG No. 1, which is eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. I wish to appeal to this House and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to ensure that the people of Lupososhi Constituency receive a fair share of agricultural inputs to enable them produce enough food to feed themselves and contribute to the national food basket.

Sir, as regards energy, may I make mention of the electricity accessibility in my constituency visa-`a -vis rural electrification. According to the Department of Energy Concept Note published on 10th November, 2006, the overall national electricity access in Zambia was less than 23 per cent, with 48 per cent in the urban areas and only 2 per cent in the rural areas. This information is supported by the Zambia Rural Electrification Master Plan, Phase 1, Final Report of 30th December, 2005, conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which reads as follows:

“Traditional rural electrification has often failed because it is generally based on grid extension without minor off-grid investment.”

Sir, this is the reason Zambia is stagnant at 2 per cent electricity access in the rural areas. I can assure you that Lupososhi Constituency is not included in the 2 per cent because it is not electrified.

Mr Speaker, given the cardinal role electricity plays in socio-economic development, this lack of access to electricity undermines the pace and scope of economic development and reduces the quality of life and welfare of the underprivileged population. It, further, decreases the quality of basic social services such as schools and health care, which, in turn, will inhibit the attainment of the MDGs.

Sir, I, therefore, seek urgent revision of the Rural Electrification Programme so that it can be accelerated in order to benefit the people of the Lupososhi and Luwingu District as a whole. I have no doubt that the PF Government will achieve this and even better.

Mr Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of this august House that there is no fuel pump station in Luwingu District, forty-seven years after independence. Motorists in Luwingu get their fuel from either Kasama, covering a distance of 165 km, or Mansa, covering a distance of about 180 km. This has made the cost of doing business in Luwingu expensive. However, I am glad that the PF Government has already shown commitment to facilitate investment in this area.

Sir, with the reduction of fuel prices, there will be more money in the pockets of Zambians which can be channeled towards establishing fuel pumps and stations. You may wish to know that the PF Government has already delivered the reduction of fuel prices within ninety days as per its campaign promise.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, as regards housing, the PF Government is committed to putting more money in the pockets of the Zambian and ensuring that it provides housing for Zambians. I propose that, as we make our 2012 Budget, we ensure that the Zambian people continue to get their mortgage loan interest refunds at the end of each fiscal year. There is no doubt that this gesture will encourage Zambians to invest more into real estate, thereby providing more shelter to the Zambians. 

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sililo (Mulobezi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this chance to deliver my Maiden Speech to this august House. Allow me to sincerely thank the great and wonderful people of Mulobezi Constituency for giving me an opportunity to serve them as area hon. Member of Parliament for the next five years. I value their support very much. I also wish to thank my party, the UPND, for adopting me as a candidate for Member of Parliament for Mulobezi Constituency.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sililo: Mr Speaker, the election campaign was very tough, especially having competed and defeated the MMD Chairperson, Mr Mabenga.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sililo: Mr Speaker, I give my hearty and warm congratulations to you, the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House for your well-deserved election to those very important positions in this nation. I look forward to learning a lot from your experience and wisdom.

Mr Speaker, Mulobezi Constituency, which is in Sesheke District of the Western Province, is a vast area covering hundreds of square kilometres with a poverty stricken population of over 40,000. It is painful and my heart bleeds to know, see and experience what Mulobezi Constituency is going through. I am a sad person because of the suffering that the people of Mulobezi Constituency have been enduring on a daily basis for a long time. Forty-seven years after independence, our people together with their livestock such as pigs, chickens and goats are still using trucks as the only mode of transport to get to Livingstone which is the market place for their products. Buses do not go to Mulobezi due to lack of good roads.

Sir, I have read through the Presidential Speech which was delivered to this House on Friday, 14th October, 2011. Other than one road that has been proposed, which is the Kalongola/ Kalabo/Sikongo, I did not find any direct reference to some of our needs in Mulobezi. It is, therefore, incumbent upon me to bring this to the attention of the PF Government. 

Mr Speaker, the Mukanga/Machile Road needs to be opened up as it plays a very important role in the lives of our people. This road passes through a productive agricultural area and will impact positively on people’s lives. Communication within and beyond Mulobezi is very poor and, therefore, there is urgent need for Airtel, MTN and the Zambia Telecommunications Company to provide communication facilities. The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) television and radio signals do not reach that place. The people of Mulobezi only listen to Channel Africa of the Republic of South Africa as though they are not in Zambia.

Mr Speaker, medical services for our people are non-existent and where they do exist, it is only by name. Sichili Mission Hospital is too small to cater for the huge population of Mulobezi. Therefore, this small clinic needs to be expanded into a bigger hospital.

Sir, our schools are nothing to write home about. A number of the classrooms are still grass thatched. 

Mr Speaker, Mulobezi Constituency is generally a dry place. Therefore, human beings and animals share the water that is available in ponds and wells. Mulobezi Constituency has potential in agriculture and cattle ranching. The potential in tourism is untapped. Minerals such as diamond and others are believed to be available in this area. However, the only industry in the constituency was the Mulobezi Saw Mill that had employed a good number of our people. Unfortunately, this company was closed by the MMD Government when it took over power in 1991.

Mr Speaker, Mulobezi Constituency is home to some of the world’s most sought after timber species such as Mukusi and Rosewood (Muzauli). The rail sleepers of the railway line from Harare, in Zimbabwe, to Chingola and beyond were made of Mukusi timber from Mulobezi.  It is the Mukusi and other timber species from Mulobezi that provided the material that went into the building of the cities and towns such as Livingstone, Kalomo and Lusaka, in Zambia, and Victoria Falls and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. After all the contribution and sacrifice that Mulobezi Constituency made to building both Zambia and Zimbabwe, what did it and its people receive in return? There is nothing, but poverty. Poverty levels in Mulobezi are galloping at over 75 per cent.

Mr Speaker, the Mulobezi Train is, without doubt, the world’s slowest train. It now takes about five days and sometimes one week to cover the 200 km …

Interruptions

Mr Sililo: … on the Livingstone/Mulobezi route. The situation, sad as it may be, needs to be placed in the Guinness Book of Records. The Livingstone/Mulobezi Railway line needs a complete overhaul now. 

Sir, with these few words, let me, once again, thank the people of Mulobezi Constituency for electing me as hon. Member of Parliament for the next five years.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): Mr Speaker, allow me to pay glowing tribute to His Excellency the President of the Great Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, although they delayed to announce his election as President, they could not stop it. Allow me to also congratulate you for being elected to the position of Hon. Speaker together with the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House. 

Mr Speaker, I would also like to thank God for making it possible for me to be elected as an hon. Member of Parliament for Pambashe Constituency. I want to thank the Church for the support it gave me through my campaign period and, also, thank the PF Members starting from the branch, section, constituency, district, province to national level and, indeed, the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. 

Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not recognise the support rendered by all my family members, including my wife, Lillian, and my children, Musonda and Kaoma. I wish to thank you my friends.

Sir, I cannot forget the role of representing the people of Pambashe that they have given to me for the next five years. I pledge to provide leadership that is above self.

Mr Speaker, allow me to mention some of the difficulties that the people in my area have been subjected to since the creation of this part of the world. Pambashe Constituency has been in existence even before independence, but has had no secondary school or proper roads. However, I wish to thank the President for mentioning the Kawambwa/Mporokoso and Kawambwa/Luwingu roads in his speech. Mr President, we salute you for this.

I wish to thank the Provincial Minister for the Luapula Province, Hon. Davies Mwila, who has been my mentor …

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: …and has been there for me. Thank you so much, Sir.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order! Let us have order!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, allow me to outline some of the difficulties Pambashe Constituency has been facing. When the MMD Government was in power, it deliberately withdrew the budgetary allocation for Luena Sugar Plantation and gave it to Nansanga Farming Block in Serenje, Central Province.

Interruptions

Hon. MMD Members: Question!

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Chitotela: Since 2009, the people of Pambashe have been waiting for this money. This is why the people refused to go to bed with a government that was not representing their interests.

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

Mr Chitotela: Sir, apart from the Luena Sugar Plantation Project which was promised to the people, Pambashe Constituency happens to be one of the few constituencies in Zambia which has a State ranch, the Chishinga State Ranch. However, there is nothing at the ranch, today, and it is a sad story. This is because the MMD Government did not pay attention to the plight of the people in that area.

Pambashe is a rural constituency in the Luapula Province where 60 per cent of the province is covered with water. Despite this fact, the province is amongst the three poorest provinces in Zambia. For example, the entire province is serviced by 5 KV of electricity. Consequently, with this low voltage, no industry can be set up in the Luapula Province, and yet the second largest falls known as Lumamgwe is in Pambashe Constituency. The MMD Government gave a raw deal to Luapula Province.

A feasibility study that was conducted on the Kalungwishi Hydro Project revealed that the project had the potential to generate power up to 44 KV. However, this has died a natural death without an explanation to the people of Pambashe.

Mr Speaker, the people of Pambashe Constituency are delighted with the pronouncements made by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, that the Kawambwa/Mporokoso and Kawambwa/Luwingu roads will be worked on. However, they are also asking for a secondary school. When the former Minister of Education mentioned that schools were built all over Zambia, I asked myself which parts of Zambia these schools were built in. Maybe, it was in Mpongwe, Petauke or Chipata Central. The Luapula Province has been left out as if it is not part of this country. 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, at one time, the MMD Government promised that Lunsenga National Park be restocked with animals. To date, the MMD Government has paid a blind eye to this exercise. For this reason, I am appealing to the PF Government to look into the plight of the people of Pambashe Constituency.

Mr Speaker, allow me to talk about the critical components that go with development which are: communication, transport and infrastructure. When you get to Pambashe, you will wonder whether it is part of Zambia. At one time, people questioned whether the motto “One Zambia, One Nation” applied to this area because it had been neglected.

Hon. MMD Members: By whom?

Mr Muntanga: UNIP!

Mr Chitotela: It had been neglected by the previous government which only concentrated on enriching itself and only paid lip service to the majority Zambians.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, these are some of the challenges the people of Pambashe Constituency have been facing.

Sir, allow me now to comment on the speech that was delivered by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. Some hon. Members on your left were telling me that they would provide consultancy services if I went to the Zambians and apologised for using the slogan “more money in your pockets.” However, I wondered whether they were politicking or serious. When we talk of more money in the Zambian people’s pockets, we are talking about one concept. Those who have studied economics will understand that when you reduce tax, you are creating disposable income in the pockets of people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: When people have disposable income, it is going to give them purchasing power that is going to translate into having more money in their pockets.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: So, I am wondering what kind of consultancy we can get from our colleagues on your left. Maybe, they are just politicking because they failed to implement a simple economical method.

Hon. PF Member: Don’t kubeba!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: With regard to youth empowerment, it is the PF Government that has made a serious pronouncement that all national service camps will be turned into youth training camps so that the youth in Chitotela Village or Pambashe Constituency will have a chance to acquire skills from the national skills training to make them self-efficient. Skills such as carpentry, electrical and other programmes will enable youths stand on their own even after leaving college. I was wondering what kind of consultancy our colleagues can offer. Is it consultancy of destruction? That is why they have decided to form a pact with their friends in the Eastern Province. One wonders what kind of a pact it is going to be where they are friends in the day, but are fighting each other in the night.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor. Let me end here because I can speak the whole day.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. PF Member: Waonaula!

Mr Kaingu (Mwandi): Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion.

Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on winning the highly contested elections to the position of Speaker. The beauty about democracy is that when you win, you feel its sweetness.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to congratulate Hon. Mkhondo Lungu on being unopposed in the election for the position of Deputy Speaker. Let me also congratulate Hon. C. K. B. Banda, SC. on winning the election to the position of Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House unopposed. I congratulate these two hon. Members on winning without a punch.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Sata, on winning the general elections which were highly contested. We, in the MMD, really worked hard despite the corruption by the PF …

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: … who were telling the people “not kubeba.” As a matter of fact, this was not corruption, but theft.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: If you take items which do not belong to you, it means you have stolen them. 

Mr Speaker, wonders shall never end. I never imagined that the PF would form Government today.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: However, I would like to congratulate the old boys and girls in the PF Government. In school, we used to have old girls and boys. Likewise we have old boys and girls who are now in the PF. In fact, we are going to organise a fundraising dinner where we are going to invite all the old boys who were with us in the MMD from 1991 to 1996. I can see His Honour the Vice-President and Hon. G. B. Mwamba there and the others. We want all the old boys to come to this fundraising dinner.

Mr Speaker, I would now like to thank my party, the MMD, for creating leadership in this country.

Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: Hear, hear!

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, is the fourth President who is a product of the MMD.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kaingu: Not only that, we have also produced leaders for various opposition parties. I remember Mwanamubotu, Kambela Mazoka, who was founder member of the UPND, may his soul rest in peace. His Excellency Mr Michael Sata and Hon. Muntanga also came from the MMD.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, you can see that the MMD has created leadership in this country. 

Mr Speaker, I would now like to thank the people of Mwandi Constituency for giving me another five-year term. I will work extremely hard to make sure I deliver to them. I am back because I delivered in the last five years despite the fact that the people of Mwandi had to share me with my ministry. Now, they have me to themselves. I will give them total commitment.

Mr Speaker, I now want to thank my family, my two dear wives out there, …

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: … and my children. As a family, the seventeen of us cast our votes and so you can see why I beat those who stood against me in the elections.

Mr Speaker, I now turn to the speech by the President who said, 

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

I would like to urge my colleagues on the right that the President has spoken and so there is no need to stand up there and start talking about what the MMD did and did not do. That is the reason you are now in office. If we had done everything, I do not think you would have been there.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, on page 5 of the speech … There is a missing page.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: The President said: 

“Parliament being one of the three arms of Government is an important institution in the governance of this country.” 

It is the President who has said this and we do not expect unconstitutional acts from our colleagues on your right.

Mr Speaker, from the day the President was sworn into office, most of the pronouncements he has made have been unconstitutional. We wonder whether when the President says this House is part of governance, he really means what he says.

Mr Speaker, on page 8, the President says:

 “Our goal as a PF Government is to achieve higher and sustained economic growth that will uplift the well-being of the poor in our country.”

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, is the former hon. Minister, who is also a senior hon. Member of this House, in order not to read his Maiden Speech, but instead, subject us to missing pages as his former President used to do? Is he in order to continue at this rate? We would like him to read his Maiden Speech so that we understand clearly what he wants to tell this House.

Mr Speaker: Order! 

As the hon. Member continues his contribution to the debate, I think he will find his missing pages.

Will he continue, please.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu:  Mr Speaker, I have completed my Maiden Speech and I am now referring to the President’s Speech.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: We must know that development is cumulative. Therefore, the Ruling Party cannot blame the MMD for all of the country’s problems and rubbish everything that it did. Doing that entails that our colleagues will not have a basis on which to start from. It is important that, as the hon. Members on your right, Mr Speaker, enter into our offices and vehicles, they must know that development is cumulative.

Interruptions 

Mr Kaingu: They were our offices, of course. 

Mr Speaker, the President said that he will offer employment opportunities to our people, especially to the many young men and women, leaving educational institutions in the country, as this is critical to the fulfillment of the PF manifesto which promises job creation and putting money in people’s pockets.

Hon. Government Members: More money.

Mr Kaingu: Sir, yes, more money in people’s pockets. Those on your right were advised by Hon. Muteteka that this will consume them because, by so saying, the youths will be wearing cargo pants to receive money and we will see how much money the Government is going to put in those pockets.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Kozo.

Mr Kaingu: It is a pity that my time is running out.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, I want this Government to realise that it is currently using our Budget and implementing the programmes we left because our colleagues have no programmes.

Interruptions

Mr Kaingu: Until it brings its own Budget to this House and we appropriate funds for it, whatever it is doing now was left by the MMD.

Hon. MMD Members: Tell them.

Mr Kaingu: There is another page missing.

Mr Speaker, on page 19, the President said that: 

“ Our people in the Southern, Western and parts of Lusaka and Northern provinces have had their herds of cattle wiped out by livestock diseases thereby depriving them of their source of livelihood.”

 I would like this Government to realise that these diseases come mostly from Angola. Therefore, in Sesheke, we would want a cordon line between the Zambia/Angola Border. Further, since the President has said that there is going to be a dip tank in every village, we will wait to see that every village in Mwandi Constituency has a dip tank. 

(Mr Kaingu shuffled his notes.)

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President said that infrastructure development is key to realising sustainable economic development. Poor infrastructure limits economic opportunities for our people and, therefore, poses a major barrier to the achievement of meaningful national development. I am reminded of Hon. Kazabu who stood to speak and sounded like a UPND hon. Member …

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: … by saying that there was no water and all other social amenities in Nkana Constituency. I am wondering whether Hon. Kazabu forgot that he was actually the Mayor of Kitwe and those things should have been put in place by him.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kaingu: The President also said that the Government shall work on the Kalongola/Kalabo/Sikongo Road and Kalulushi/Kasempa/Mumbwa Road. We insist that the Kaoma/Mulobezi/Sesheke Road be tarred.

Mr Speaker, finally, as the time is running out, …

Interruptions

Mr Kaingu: … the President said that this sad state of affairs is not only a denial of citizens of fundamental social and economic rights, but is also a lost opportunity for our country to develop a sound economic and social future for all. I would like this Government to know that the MMD Government left very important social interventions in place. It had women empowerment programmes in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. It also had youth empowerment programmes in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development. There was the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF) as well as the FISP in the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives and the food security packs in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. 

As for people who are incapacitated and cannot do any job for themselves, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare had two very important programmes; the Social Cash Transfer and Public Welfare Assistance Schemes (PWAS). These are actually programmes that the President did not even mention in his speech. Hon. Muntanga must say ‘Shame’.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, the President said that the ZNS will be transformed into the Zambia Youth Training Service. However, there is a need to realise that it is not all our youths who are illiterate. There are youths who are already trained and are looking for employment. They have diplomas, certificates and degrees. Therefore, you cannot take all the youths to the ZNS camps.

Interruptions

Mr Kaingu: It is not right for you to say that you will round up all the youths. Anyway, I challenge the Government to try and round up all the youths and take them to the ZNS camps.

Laughter

Mr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, with those very few words, I thank you.

Laughter

Mr S. Chungu (Luanshya): Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I wish to express my sincere thanks for having accorded me this opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech in this august House. Before I go ahead with it, I will dwell briefly on the President’s Speech that was given in this House.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech was well-articulated and excellent.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr S. Chungu: Like my brother, the hon. Member for Chembe, said, it just depends on which side of the coin you are.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!  

Mr S. Chungu: Mr Speaker, the speech was very good. This PF Government is a listening Government …

Mr D. Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr S. Chungu: … as the President has said in his speech that it is not a victory of the PF, but of the people.

Interruptions 
 
Mr S. Chungu: It is not your victory.

Interruptions

Mr S. Chungu: Today, because of this listening Government, the public media has been opened to all.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Including Shikapwasha!

Laughter 

Mr S. Chungu: Thanks a lot, Hon. Given Lubinda. 

Mr S. Chungu: When the Zambian people said do not sell the Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL) Limited, the MMD Government did not listen. When the Zambian people said do not bring in mobile hospitals, the MMD Government did not listen. However, we are a listening Government. We are taking note of all the negative and/or positive contributions that have been made in this House and will pick out the good advice.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Opposition Members: You are the first one to say this.

Mr S. Chungu: Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Luanshya, my family and, indeed, on my own behalf, allow me to congratulate His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on  his election to the Office of the President, following a landslide victory.

Hon. Opposition Members: Next item.

Mr S. Chungu: Mr Speaker, I also wish to join other hon. Members of Parliament in congratulating you, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House and all of you, fellow Parliamentarians, on your election to this House. Your election to this House signifies the important mandate that the people of Zambia have given to you to improve their lives and well-being. Further, I would like to thank my family, the people of Luanshya in Zambia, my party and the PF President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, who is also Republican President, for the warm and moral support they rendered to me during the campaigns.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr S. Chungu: Mr Speaker, having been born and raised in Luanshya Constituency, I feel that I fully understand the pain of poverty of our people which some of you do not feel and, therefore, urge you to listen to those who feel this pain.

Mr Speaker, my party and I have waited for this moment for ten years. We have waited to be in power so that we can answer to the people’s call to lead them into economic prosperity.

Mr Speaker, I believe in the Zambian people and because of this, on the 20th of September, 2011, they made history by ushering in a new Government. This was because of the high poverty levels that the people are experiencing.

Mr Speaker, in the past years, our party, the PF, was written off as history. However, this year, we made history. Let our first thanks go to the people of Zambia. They kept faith in us and we will keep faith in them. Thank you to the party organisation, the volunteers and the professionals who fashioned the finest political fighting our country has ever known.

Mr Speaker, as His Excellency put it during the Official Opening of this august House, ours was not a victory of politicians, but of the people. 

Hon. Government Members: Yes, good.

Mr S. Chungu: The people took their trust and gave it to us. I want the people of Zambia and Luanshya, in particular, to be proud of having elected us to serve them. The PF won because it had the courage to change itself and the discipline to take hard decisions, whilst remaining united.

Mr Speaker, my Government and I have set an ambitious course for my constituency Luanshya which is to be nothing less than the model for our country, a beacon to the world. It means drawing deep into the richness of Luanshya.

Mr Speaker, the people of Luanshya have refused to accept assertions that the town is poor. We will create a hard working, creative, compassionate and outward looking society with a new confidence.

Mr Speaker, may I now turn to a presentation of the main issues affecting my constituency.

Mr Speaker, as regards water and sanitation, after forty-seven years of independence, it is sad to note that some areas in my constituency still use pit latrines despite having adequate water utility companies that were funded. Instead of concentrating on worthwhile projects such as providing clean drinking water and sewerage facilities, these water utility firms have prioritised unfruitful seminars and workshops. This trend must be reversed.

Mr Speaker, as regards agriculture, Luanshya Constituency is endowed with a lot of minerals and blessed with fertile land. This is one resource mobilisation avenue that has been underutilised in the area for a long time. My appeal, therefore, to my Government is that it dedicates the next five years to improving agriculture in Luanshya Constituency.

Mr Speaker, concerning health, despite having two hospitals in the constituency, there are still problems such as inadequate medical supplies, insufficient medical staff and lack of modern medical equipment. The above mentioned problems coupled with the increase in population have led to a low quality health delivery to the people. Additionally, it is sad to note that Luanshya Hospital, which was once the best in Zambia, has been relegated to one of the worst and is being run by the China-Luanshya Mine. Further, Thomson Hospital, the only Government-run hospital in my constituency, built in 1957, saw the last coat of paint after a visit to the institution by the then Minister of Health in 1994. The then Minister of Health is now our Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, the man of action.

Hon. Opposition Members: On which party was he?

Mr Kambwili: Bebe, Steve.

Mr S. Chungu: Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to appeal to this august House to consider enacting legislation that will enable expecting mothers, who are human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) positive, to have free access to baby milk. As you are aware, the mothers-in-question are not allowed to breastfeed their babies after delivery. In view of the foregoing, economic hardships in the country make it very difficult for the mothers to afford this commodity, hence, the need to enact this piece of legislation as is the case with Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs).

Mr Speaker, on education, the outlying areas in my constituency such as Kafubu Block, Fisenge, Misaka and Kapupula do not have high schools and our children have to walk long distances to access education facilities. The people urgently need a boarding school. It has been very difficult for people living in these areas to educate their children because of the high cost of transport to get to the nearest high school which, in most cases, is not less than a distance of 10 km.

Mr Speaker, as regards mining exploration and business, the biggest challenge facing the business community in Luanshya, today, is lack of responsibility by our investors to consider the local suppliers and contractors in business deals. In this regard, many companies have either left Luanshya or have completely closed down. It is sad to note that indigenous companies have been sidelined as the Chinese investors are giving contracts to their fellow nationals. In the same vein, the Chinese contractors are paid from their offshore accounts, leaving only small amounts to pay the Zambian workers. This is very sad for a town that depends almost entirely on the mines. However, we, as the PF Government, are willing to reverse this trend.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government, the offspring of the people’s choice, has a just claim on the people’s confidence and trust and it wants the people to benefit from what this country has to offer.

Mr Speaker, just like many of my colleagues in this House have echoed, where there is a good road network, development flows naturally. This is in the sense that there is fast movement of people as well as easy access to markets. However, the roads in Luanshya as well as in other parts of the district remain in a dilapidated state. In this regard, I am appealing to our Government to work on the following roads:

(i)    The Walale/Kafubu Block Road

Mr Speaker, this road, if upgraded or tarred, can enhance investment and business opportunities in Luanshya’s Kafubu Farming Block in the sense that it will enable people have easy movements and access to markets.

Mr Speaker, this road was worked on quite recently by a Chinese contractor. However, due to the shoddy work that was done, it is in a deplorable state already. This has made the movement of cargo vehicles to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Tanzania very difficult. In this regard, I further appeal to our Government to consider re-working on this road so that it is brought to a good standard; and

(ii)    Kapupulu/Bakuba Road

Mr Speaker, the Kapupulu/Baluba West is another important road that needs to be worked on as it also connects the farming block to the rest of the district where farmers sell their produce and purchase farming inputs. Working on this road will enhance other economic activities in the town away from the traditional mining business.

Mr Speaker, we can never be the biggest, but we can be the best place in which to bring up children and live a fulfilled life to old age.

Mr Speaker, I cannot sit down without saying that I am deeply indebted to the people of Luanshya and that I will save them diligently to the best of my ability.

I thank you, Sir.

Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, I thank you …

Government Members: Bicycles!

Dr Musokotwane: … for recognising me. First of all, I congratulate you on your elections as Hon. Speaker and the other presiding officers. In the same vein, I pay tribute to the immediate past Speaker, Hon. Mwanamwambwa, who rendered an invaluable service to this House. I also congratulate my PF colleagues on their victory in the general elections. Of course, I also congratulate all of us from all political parties for having convinced the electorate to choose us. Above all, I pay glowing tribute to the immediate past President, who personally went and peacefully handed power over to the in-coming President from a different party. I believe that this is one of few such occurrences in Africa and we need to recognise that.

Mr Speaker, this is a very high standard that has been set in our country and I believe that, in 2016, the PF will leave Government in the same manner.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, as immediate past Minister of Finance and National Planning, I wish to congratulate my successor, Hon. Alexander Chikwanda, who I have great respect for. I do not doubt that, if his colleagues will allow him, he will push this country further on the economic ladder.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Finally, on the preliminaries, I wish to thank the electorate in Liuwa for showing confidence in me by voting for me.

Mr Speaker, I have studied the Presidential Speech and wish to state that I welcome it because there are statements in the document with which I agree and whose implementation I will certainly support. For example, I welcome the creation of jobs for all our unemployed youths in the country, in particular, the promise that all the youths, in Kalabo, Samfya and Siavonga, within ninety days, will all have jobs.

Laughter

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I also look forward to our having more money in our pockets. I have no doubt that the Government will ensure that hon. Members of Parliament are not left out in this economic empowerment. I am sure that teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers, chiefs and all those in the Public Service will also have more money in their pockets.

Government Members: When you sell the bicycles!

Dr Musokotwane: We anxiously await the minimum wage in the Public Service. I understand it is around K5 million. I welcome that.

Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I also welcome the pronouncement that primary and secondary school education will be compulsory. Being compulsory, it follows that education will be free from Grade 1 to 12. Many of us seated here are what we are today because of the free education we received when we were young because that was the policy then. We got educated up to our individual limits. I also look forward to the building of a university in Western Province with the suggestion that its core courses be related to teaching and research on water resources management. I offer to look for a good piece of land in Kalabo. There is an appropriate place on the banks of the Luanginga River on which a new university can be built. If that is done, the four people who hailed from Kalabo in the First Republican Cabinet, namely, the late Nalumino Mundia, the late Arthur Wina, late Mubiana Nalilungwe and Mr Sikota Wina will be honoured. Honouring four people with one university, certainly, is cheaper than building a university for each of the people honoured.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I could go on citing areas of agreement between the PF Government and most us seated here. Suffice to say that, indeed, the Government has a lot of work ahead of it and we are there to support it because its success is success for all of us. Of course, as hon. Members of the Opposition, we are there to provide checks and balances. Just as we excelled in executing our Executive functions when we were in the government, we shall be excellent in our new role as the Opposition.

Mr Speaker, a lot remains to be done in our country. This is not surprising because there is no such a thing as a finishing line in the development process. Indeed, even countries that we admire today, such as Japan, Germany and China, have not arrived at any finishing. They still strive to improve themselves day after day. Therefore, I get surprised when colleagues stand up and say that the MMD Government did not do this and that because there is no finishing line. The mantle is now in the hands of the PF. They must take the baton forward.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I say this because, in some parts, the Presidential speech, as well as comments from some hon. Members on your right tend to be scornful of the MMD’s performance. To remove any doubts on anyone’s mind, I am here proudly stating that the MMD Government has left our country far better than it found it.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Here are a few indicators: twenty years ago, the country was on its knees with almost no foreign exchange. Today, the MMD Government has left an unprecedented amount of more than US$2.2 billion in reserves compared with just about US$100 million twenty years ago. The foreign debt has fallen from US$7.5 billion to US$2.5 billion; twenty years ago, inflation was in excess of 100 per cent, but, today, it is less than 10 per cent; twenty years ago, our economy was shrinking, hence its failure to create jobs and generate money for social services, but, today, it is among the fastest growing economies of the world, creating new jobs and revenue, which is building our ever expanding infrastructure that we can all see; twenty years ago, this country was either begging for food or importing it, but, today, it has had consecutive record harvests and we export food to other countries; ...

MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: … and, twenty years ago, shortages of commodities were the order of the day, but, today, shopping facilities in our country have reached the best international standards with shopping malls everywhere.

Mr Speaker, I could go on and on citing examples of our success. Although the PF Government is scornful, I remind it that these achievements have been recognised by independent and reputable organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB), Central Intelligent Agency (CIA), the US Government and the rating agencies such as Standard Poor’s and Moody’s, who have rated us ‘B+’.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: As of now, Mr Speaker, the PF has to admit that no reputable organisation has credited it with anything positive on economic management. It has to remember that its track record, currently, is non-existent. It has to be worried that it has inherited very big shoes, given the MMD’s performance. If the PF has to leave Zambia better than it inherited it from the MMD, it needs to generate economic growth that is higher than 8 per cent per annum. It needs to facilitate bigger harvests; and it must open more mines per year than the MMD did. If it cannot achieve these and others, the change of Government that it engineered will be stale, useless and, actually, an abortion of the national development process. Therefore, rather than being scornful of the MMD’s performance, the PF should fear that IT may, actually, mess up the good things it has inherited. This possibility is very real.

Mr Speaker, industrial chaos has been unleashed with daily strikes in our key industries in a few days of the PF’s rule and uncertainty has been unleashed in the business environment by the regulations that are changing every day. The chaos and uncertainty matter a lot for new investments and this is very serious, colleagues. If the PF thinks it will grow the economy faster under this chaotic environment, it is in for a rude shock.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: The achievements scored by the MMD came about because of hard work, courage and, above all, holding the country together. In this regard, I wish to offer some advice to the Government because, as I said, its success is success for all of us. The first advice is that it should, please, cool down and slow down. It has won, but it is time to stop being excited and get down to work. It should also stop intimidating and harassing MMD members. The PF should not lecture to us ...

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order! 

The hon. Member may continue
.
Dr Musokotwane: … about what we did not do. We elected it to carry on with the good things that we did. Its job, now, is to fix the things that are outstanding. Its job is to do; ours is to tell it what is wrong. The Government should not escape into the fantasy of imagining that it is still in the Opposition because now is the time for it to act.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Secondly, Mr Speaker, the Government should take time to study issues rather than make decisions haphazardly as we have seen so far. For example, the position of Secretary to the Treasury, a statutory position, is abolished outside the provisions of the law and then sneaked back. One moment, there is a ban on copper exports for new regulations to be put in place and the next moment, the ban is lifted. We have commissions of inquiries being set up, as was done in the case of Finance Bank Zambia Limited, but, before the experts make their recommendations, unilateral decisions are made outside any good governance framework, such as the legal procedure. Why is this so, if the Government truly believes in the rule of law? Today, we have been informed that the basic school system has been abolished forthwith and replaced with the old system of primary and secondary schools. This is a very profound move both in terms of substance and implementation. Has this matter been studied sufficiently and have the stakeholders been consulted? I doubt it.

Mr Speaker, if our Government continues to rush into pronouncements like this, without researching facts and seriously reflecting on them, it will create havoc in our country. This is the more reason our colleagues should be worried that they have messed up things, rather than improve our country. 

Mr Speaker, it is very important that the PF Government provides clarity on a number of issues regarding development in our country. Let me mention just one because of lack of time. Over the past few years, Hon. Mukanga, Hon Simuusa and Hon. Sichinga have been outspoken on the need to re-introduce the mining windfall tax exactly as it was approved in this Parliament in 2008. All the three are now hon. Ministers in the current Government. When I was Minister of Finance and National Planning, I laid on this Table two letters written by the current President, Mr Sata, at different times. One was written to the late President Mwanawasa, SC. and the other to Former President Banda. Both letters reaffirm strong opposition by the PF President to the implementation of the windfall tax. In other words, the PF President said one thing and the hon. Members of Parliament another. What this House, the investors and the public at large want is for the PF to come out of hiding and clearly state its true position on windfall taxes in the mining sector.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Musokotwane: Now that the PF is in Government, I am sorry that the “Don’t Kubeba” or “don’t tell them the truth” stance is no longer a viable one for them. Investors want to know the truth because they have to decide, now, whether to invest, pull out or wait. Equally, Zambians need to know whether this money will come in or not. Silence on this matter will harm, rather than benefit, the country.

Mr Speaker, as I end, just one final piece of advice to the PF Government: let it hold the country together. This is not so now because, as the Americans say, there is one big elephant in the room. You can try and hide it, but its presence will be obvious to everyone. What is the elephant? Nearly half of the positions in the PF Cabinet are held by people from the Northern Province. When the President’s relations from other provinces are included, the share goes up greatly. The other eight provinces share half the Cabinet posts. Even the Luapula Province, which overwhelmingly voted for the PF and has many intellectuals, some of whom are my friends, has been sidelined because of this grand selfishness. By distributing posts so much in favour of one province, the talent that occurs all over the country is being excluded from participating in the development process. This is bad for all of us. Please, reshuffle your Cabinet as quickly as possible to end this situation that even my friends from the Northern Province find embarrassing.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Dr Musokotwane: Finally, Mr Speaker, once again, best wishes to the new Government as it goes about governing our country. Truly, I believe that its success is success for all of us. This is why we have come out and will be candid to you because, when you succeed, all of us will benefit. The nation has high expectations of the Government. It has promised more money, more jobs, less tax, more roads, more schools, more universities and a good life to all of us. The PF Government promised that we would have all these good things within ninety days from the day the President took over. The magic date that coincides with the ninetieth day from 24th September, 2011 is 23rd December, 2011. Today is 20th October, 2011. The challenge for each one of us, hon. Members of Parliament, hon. Ministers, His Honour the Vice-President, our relatives and, indeed, all the people of this country, is to endure just another sixty-four days before we enter paradise.
    
Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Speaker, may I take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata for winning the just ended elections. May I also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, together with your two deputies on being elected to your respective offices.

Mr Speaker, allow me to thank the people of Mwembeshi Constituency for electing me to this House. I would also like to thank my party, the UPND … 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: … for adopting me to stand on its ticket during the just ended general elections. 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: It is gratifying that I was able to make my party retain this seat.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, I further wish to thank my family members, especially my wife, Mauni, and my two children, Beenzu and Majwi, for the support rendered to me during the campaign period of the just ended elections.

Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not recognise the former Member of Parliament for Mwembeshi Constituency, Mr Edward Kasoko, who represented the people of Mwembeshi for ten years in this House. He did what he was able to do as a human being for the people of Mwembeshi.

Mr Muntanga: Correct!

Mr Milambo: He has, indeed, left a platform for me to start from. I, therefore, thank him and wish him God’s blessings in all his future endeavours.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, I wish to reaffirm my commitment and the promise I made to the people of Mwembeshi Constituency that I will give them qualitative representation in this House. This I stand to do during my stay in this House.

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

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, you may wish to learn that there are a number of problems and difficulties that the people of Mwembeshi Constituency face. Some of these include the lack of road infrastructure.

Mr Speaker, there are no roads whatsoever in Mwembeshi Constituency, and yet it is just 50km from Lusaka.

Mr Mushanga: Nomba Mwenda shani?

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, the second one is the lack of a boarding high school. Mwembeshi Constituency has had no boarding school in the forty-seven years of Zambia’s existence.

Sir, the third problem is that of the high levels of poverty. 

Hon. Opposition Member: Wynter ran away.

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, the fourth problem is the high level of livestock diseases which have almost wiped out the entire livestock in the constituency. Going back to education, I wish to state that the school- going children in my constituency do not know what a computer is. As such, most of our children in Mwembeshi Constituency are computer illiterate. In this vein, I want to request the PF Government, through this House, to increase the CDF so that schools in my constituency may have electricity connected and thereafter be in a position to purchase computers so that children in the rural areas such as Mwembeshi may also start having computer lessons. This will lead to the Children being in tune with other school-going children in the urban areas.

Mr Speaker, another area of concern is the issue of not having a boarding high school in the constituency. Mwembeshi has never had a boarding high school since independence. This has made learning very difficult for our children in the constituency as the parents do not have money to send their children to far places like Mumbwa and Nambala High schools. I, therefore, request the PF Government to build a boarding high school in my constituency.

Hon. Opposition Member: Wamvela Phiri?

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, in view of the above outlined problems and difficulties in my constituency, I am left with no option, but to propose to the PF Government, through this House, to increase the CDF from what it is currently to K5 billion.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, once the CDF is increased to this amount, the hon. Members of Parliament will have little problems in carrying out developmental projects in their constituencies.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: The President’s speech outlined quite a number of roads to be constructed in this country. My area of concern on the construction of these roads is the fact that the Central Province has not been considered much in the road infrastructure development plan which was outlined by the President in his address to the House. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, I, therefore, wish to request the PF Government to include the Nampundwe/Nalubanda Road on the list of the roads to be worked on. This road has a lot of economic value as it links up two big companies. The companies linked up by this road are the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Nampundwe Division and the Kafue Sugar Estates. This road has been neglected since 1964 despite its huge economic value.

Mr Speaker, if this road was worked on, it would help to ease the movement of farm inputs and products to and from Lusaka for the people of Mwembeshi and Nangoma constituencies and the Central Province at large.

Mr Speaker, a general overview of the President’s speech delivered to this House, last week, shows that there will be a lot of projects undertaken by the PF Government in the next financial year. This entails huge spending. However, to my surprise, the President’s speech was almost silent on how these huge projects will be financed.

Hon. Government Members: Wait for the Budget.

Hon. Government Member: You are MMD!

Mr Milambo: In short, Mr Speaker, I am saying that the speech did not spell out how income would be generated to finance all these huge undertakings. I, therefore, request the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to connect the income and expenditure sides of the Government as the Budget estimates will be presented to this House later this year.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milambo: In conclusion, let me emphasise that the people of Mwembeshi will require the following from the PF Government:

    (i)    construction of the Nampundwe/Nalubanda Road;

    (ii)    construction of a boarding high school;

    (iii)    the connecting of electricity to a number of schools;

    (iv)    control of livestock diseases;

    (v)    poverty reduction through the increased number of bags of fertiliser given         to each farmer.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion of Thanks for the speech delivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, on his becoming Zambia’s fifth Republican President. Let me also congratulate you for being elected to your office. I would also like to congratulate hon. Members of this House, especially those coming to this House for the second and third time.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, there are very few hon. Members who are coming here for the third time. If I take a look here, I think that we are less than ten. 

Interruptions 

Ms Namugala: Hon. Lubinda is not included since he has come to this House for three terms through a number of parties.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: There are a few of us who have been consistently coming back to this House on the same political party.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I would like to welcome the new comers to this House. Judging by the low number of hon. Members of Parliament retaining their seats, the message is very clear. If we do not deliver, as hon. Members of Parliament and, indeed, political parties the people of Zambia will kick us out.

Mr Mushanga: You never delivered and that is why you were kicked out!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, allow me to thank the people of Mafinga for sending me here for yet another time. In fact, this time, they gave me more votes than the first and second terms.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: The PF tried to send a few lightweight politicians to come and campaign but, of course, they failed to take the seat from me.

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I do not take this confidence that the people have bestowed upon me, for granted. I promise to serve the people of Mafinga to the very best of my abilities.

Mr Muntanga: Which promise?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the people of Mafinga are expecting their Government, under the leadership of President Sata, to build on the many successes of the MMD Government.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: There are many successes in Mafinga District left by the MMD Government. For instance, the upgrading of the Isoka/Miyombe Road and the completion of the Mulekatembo and Muyombe High schools, among other many successes of the MMD Government.

Sir, let me now comment on the speech by His Excellency the President, Mr Sata, to this House. When we came to this House, last Friday, we were expecting to hear the vision of this new Government. We expected to hear a crystallisation of the campaign promises made by the PF. We wanted to hear about the reintroduction of the windfall tax as a presidential pronouncement. We wanted to hear about the new Government position on Chinese investments in this country. Unfortunately, these pertinent issues were left out of the speech by the President. I believe, it is yet another don’t kubeba period.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, although we, as MMD, have lost the recently held general elections, we are very proud of our record in developing the country. For instance in agriculture, the country is food secure because of the good policies of the MMD Government.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, we, however, note with sadness, for instance, that even though our farmers produced a lot of maize, this year and the year before, the new Government is failing to secure it …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: … and it is beginning to go to waste. We told the people of Zambia that the PF knows nothing about the agricultural sector.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, we told the people that the PF would destroy the agricultural sector and make the country food insecure. We are already seeing the signs.

Mr Speaker, the FISP has put real money in the people’s pockets, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: … such as K1.3 trillion in the last agricultural season.

Hon. Government Members: Not paid!

Ms Namugala: Sir, as the MMD, we are proud of our record and we hope that this Government is not going to waste its time criticising us, but will move forward. After all, we have left a good record and we hope that they too, in 2016 when they leave, will do the same. They should not waste their time criticising us because the MMD is re-organising …

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: … and is not going to boycott the 2016 elections like UNIP did some years ago.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, Zambia’s nature-based tourism is a very important sector as noted by His Excellency the President, especially in this country’s Economic Diversification Programme. If harnessed, tourism can contribute more than it is doing to the GDP of our country. 

Sir, there is a need for continued peace building. Sustainable peace is a prerequisite for tourism growth. I want to stress this point because I have already noted that we are beginning to take for granted the peace that we have enjoyed for the last forty-seven years.

Mr Speaker, as MMD, we ensured that the country continued to be an oasis of peace. That peace was an envy …

Interruptions 

Ms Namugala: … of many countries in the region.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, we are proud that we sustained the peace that this country enjoyed before the PF took office.

Sir, on tourism marketing, we need to market Zambia more. We did our best, as the MMD, to market Zambia within the available resources. We look forward to more resource allocation by the new Government towards marketing of tourism. The PF should continue and not disrupt the good programmes under tourism started by the MMD.

Mr Speaker, the development of Kasaba Bay into an ideal tourism destination should continue.

The Vice-President interrupted.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah! Vice-President.

Mr Speaker: Order! Order!

Ms Namugala: Hon. Guy Scott, you are no longer in the Opposition. You are the Vice-President of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: We know that!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, on Page 26 of his speech, the President indicated that there will be the creation of a new province to be called Muchinga. I welcome this progressive decision. The PF Government has my full support when it comes to the creation of this new province. 

Interruptions 

Ms Namugala: Sir, the Northern Province is very big. It now has fourteen districts, and yet gets the same or less resources with provinces which have as few as seven districts.

Interruptions 

Ms Namugala: My appeal to the Government is for it to implement this quickly. The Government should make no apologies to anyone on the creation of the tenth province called Muchinga. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, on good governance and administration of the State, His Excellency promises to deliver a people-driven Constitution in ninety days. I think this is very ambitious and certainly not realistic. However, as unrealistic as it sounds, we hope and look forward to a positive outcome. The President has taken a very strong stand against corruption and we support this because, indeed, corruption perpetuates the suffering of the people. We, however, hope that the fight will not be restricted to former leaders of the Government in the MMD. 

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: We hope that it will go beyond and even purge those who are in the PF Government, if found wanting. We hope that the net will be cast wide. 

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the fight against corruption must not be a witch-hunt. His Excellency, in his speech, said:

 “The PF Government firmly stands for the rule law and social justice.” 

Mr Speaker, this country has become a police State in the four weeks of the PF rule. We have witnessed violence being perpetuated by the PF Party while the police watch. As I speak, my home in the village was invaded by the police, yesterday, in my absence. They broke locks and went inside. What were they looking for?  Where is the law? We have seen homes of the MMD Officials being burnt down and MMD officials being beaten and their properties being taken away with impunity. Where is the law and justice that President Sata is talking about? Our members cannot associate freely because PF cadres are on the loose and are the law. They have the power. The members of the MMD cannot even wear their attire because PF cadres are on the loose.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Let us have order, please. You will have time to respond.

Ms Namugala: Sir, they are the law. Yes, you may have the power, but it is short lived. It should not be used to harass political opponents. There have been cases where the MMD hon. Members of Parliament have had their homes visited by the police in the company of PF cadres. Where is the law that President Sata is talking about? Where is the justice? 

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: Since when did the PF, a political party, become a Government that should take the law in its own hands. Where is the separation between the party and the Government? Where is the law and justice?

Mr Speaker, I hope that the new Inspector-General of police will exhibit professionalism and not allow the police service to be politicised. The PF may have the power, but the power, Hon. G. B. Mwamba, should humble you because it is given to you by the people in order for you to serve them. Power should humble you. It should not be used to oppress political opponents. It should not be used to obliterate the MMD. We hope that this Government will stop the harassment and intimidation of its political opponents. No one has ever succeeded by intimidating the people they are supposed to serve.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya): Mr Speaker, to begin with, let me congratulate you on your election victory as Hon. Speaker of the Eleventh National Assembly which was a highly contested election. Like any other citizen of this country, I also wish the new President and all those who will labour with him good health for the next five years. 

Mr Speaker, the aspirations of the people of Mapatizya are very high and I believe that the Government will assist me, as an hon. Member of Parliament, to deliver. Allow me to thank the people of Mapatizya who elected me without necessarily using the Mapatizya formular. 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyanda: Sir, let me also pay tribute to Hon. Sejani who was hon. Member of Parliament before me and served the people of Mapatizya for almost eighteen years in this House.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyanda: Mr Speaker, I will discuss the major challenges in my constituency. 

Sir, the road network in Mapatizya is extremely poor due to non periodical maintenance. All the seven major feeder roads lead to satellite depots where the maize skill is not even intense. The last time these roads were graded was in 1981, shortly after the Zimbabwe/Rhodesia liberation war in which Mapatizya was the last battle field. My appeal to the current Government is for the roads to be graded as soon as possible. The main road linking Mapatizya to Kalomo is in a very bad state. This road goes up to Mapatizya Mine and the cry of the people of Mapatizya is for it to be tarred. It is only a stretch of 105 km. This road, once tarred, will attract big mining companies and individuals who would wish to invest in the area.

Sir, the Bottom Road linking Livingstone, Mapatizya, Sinazongwe, Gwembe and Siavonga must be constructed. Once this is done, it will shorten the distance between the two tourist towns. We are now being told that the Bottom Road should start from Zimba …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Miyanda: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was talking about the Bottom Road linking Livingstone, Mapatizya, Sinazongwe, Gwembe and Siavonga. We are all in agreement that to shorten the distance between Siavonga and Livingstone, this road must be constructed. 

Geographically, Zimba is between Livingstone and Choma. This means that if this road starts from Zimba, someone coming from Siavonga going to the provincial offices will only drive 110 km to get to Choma. They would cover almost the same number of kilometres from Zimba to Livingstone. Therefore, the road can start from Zimba, but it has to remain the Bottom Road.

The feeder roads that also need urgent attention are Njabalombe Road, Luyaba/Mafumba Road, Siaamafumba/Kanyanga/Mondilida up to Siejumba, Chiidi Road, Mafuta Road, Zimba and Muziya roads.

Mr Speaker, at the moment, Mapatizya has thirty-eight schools. Out of these, there are only two high schools catering for the entire population. Classroom and teachers’ accommodation are inadequate. In this day and age, there are schools that are still grass thatched, such as Siejumba, Nakabimba, Makwalala and Musebela basic schools. Pupils sit on the floor which is not concrete.

Mr Lubinda: It is a pity to hear that.

Mr Miyanda: There are no desks and where they are, they are not enough desk. I am appealing to the PF Government to rehabilitate schools and staff houses and have many more schools constructed.

Sir, the people of Mapatizya are mostly small-scale farmers producing maize. The people incline to mono-crop agriculture of maize despite the poor marketing system. Currently, the distance among satellite depots is extremely rough. Farmers have to transport their maize over a distance of between 30 to 60 km, whether they want to or not because they have to sell.  In addition, there are only six satellite depots in the entire constituency, therefore, making the marketing of maize very expensive.

I wish to appeal to the PF Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, to create more satellite depots and encourage farmers to plant other cash crops by opening up marketing systems for them. The Government should construct more modern storage sheds to avoid wastage of maize.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Miyanda: The FISP is a good programme, so far, but the number of packs must be increased. This is because two bags each of basal and top fertiliser are not enough.

Interruptions

Mr Miyanda: I wish to appeal to the PF Government to increase the number to sixteen, that is, eight bags of basal and eight bags of top fertiliser.

Mr Muntanga: Not fifteen?

Mr Miyanda: Not fifteen because the number would be odd.

Laughter

Mr Miyanda: Mr Speaker, on Page 41 of the Presidential Speech, there is an article that is worrying me and that is on weaning off of farmers. I think this has to be handled very carefully. This is because the inputs in this country are extremely expensive. Currently, a pocket of 50kg urea in Kalomo costs K250,000. The moment you wean off a farmer who is a beneficiary of the FISP, he will be destitute the following season.

Mr Muntanga: Did you hear that?

Mr Miyanda: At the moment, the payment of the maize bought by the FRA is bad. Farmers are made to queue day in and day out at Finance Bank without being paid hence, making them vulnerable to criminals. While we appreciate the fact that a Tonga has been pushed to the FRA, the transformation of the agency depends on how good he will handle it.

Hon. Government Members: A Zambian!

Mr Miyanda: The farmers are meant to sleep in shanty compounds because they are not being paid. I wish to appeal to this Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the FRA, to open up many more pay points and not only through Finance Bank since there are other banks in Kalomo. This will reduce corruption. At the moment, a farmer is tempted to pay an officer or a banker to access his own money. This means less money goes into his pocket.

Mr Speaker, Mapatizya has approximately 37,000 cattle against two veterinary officers. That is a ratio of one to 18,500 cattle per officer. This number could have doubled had it not been for the tick borne disease, for example, East Coast Fever commonly, known as Corridor – Denkete. Cattle rearing is a source of income for most of our farmers. Therefore, my appeal to the PF Government is to construct more dip tanks and introduce compulsory dipping for cattle. At present, there are only seven dip tanks for …

Colonel Kaunda: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Colonel Kaunda: Mr Speaker, East Coast Fever and Corridor Disease are two different diseases. Is the hon. Member debating in order to confuse the two diseases? I need your ruling.

Mr Speaker: I will allow the hon. Member to continue the debate bearing in mind the need to clarify that position.

Mr Miyanda: As a result, most people are reluctant to dip their animals due to the few dip tanks available and the costly nature of the dip.

Mr Speaker, Mapatizya has only five rural health centres and only one mission hospital. Due to the vastness of the constituency, many people still do not have access to medical facilities, for example, the people in Siajumba, Malaba, Nakabimba and Mafumba. Around these places, mothers do not have access to antenatal care not even the Under Five Clinic. Nakabimba and Malaba are about 49 km to the nearest health centre. Hence, maternal referrals go as far as Livingstone due to non availability of theatre services in the district. The theatre in Zimba has a very small capacity making the survival rate of our dear mothers minimal.

There is a structure in Kalomo that was meant for a theatre whose construction has been pending. We were told that the first allocation for this structure was K1.2 billion, leaving a balance of K800,000,000. This building is of substandard. I, therefore, would like the PF Government to audit the Ministry of Health in Kalomo on its use of K1.2 billion to build a substandard structure.

Interruptions

Mr Miyanda: Mr Speaker, in modern Zambia we say water is life, but for the people of Mapatizya water is both death and life.

Laughter

Mr Miyanda: This is because human beings and animals still share sources of water where it is available. Under-five children still die from diarrhoeal diseases due to lack of clean water. My appeal to the new Government, through the relevant ministry, is to construct dams with purification systems and sink more boreholes where it is possible.

Mr Speaker, on electrification, most of the people in Mapatizya were moved from the Zambezi Valley, in 1957, to pave way for the construction of the Kariba Dam and they were settled in Njabalombe, Simalundu and Kanyanga. However, these people are now a forgotten generation. While ZESCO is reaping millions of kwacha from the Kariba Hydro Power Station, our people are living in extreme poverty. ZESCO is supposed to have a social responsibility to these communities through the Zambezi River Authority, but nothing has been done fifty-four years down the line.

Mr Speaker, my appeal to the PF Government is to electrify  Mapatizya through the Rural Electrification Programme. In this era and age, the only high school in the area has no electricity. As a result, teachers are running away from this school.

Mr Speaker, with regard to mining, the PF Government should look to the south. Mapatizya is the host of the world’s finest amethyst which has been mined legally and illegally by Kariba Minerals Limited, which is jointly owned by the Government, Gemfied of the United Kingdom, some Pakistani nationals and the Kalomo Miners Association since 1957. However, operations had stopped between 1978 and 1985 due to Rhodesian Liberation war. However, mining resumed in February, 1985 ,and is still going on to-date. The benefits to the people of Mapatizya are minimal other than the casual employment. The Government has not ploughed back anything in the communities for the past forty-four years of shareholding in the Kariba Minerals.

Mr Speaker, casualisation is a major problem because some employees work for four to ten years and are fired without benefits. My appeal to the Government is to look at job security for the employees as employers prefer to hire the workers on a casual basis since there are no benefits to be paid.

Mr Speaker, what benefits will the country get from this kind of investment where the investor is only concerned about his profit? The other minerals being mined on a small-scale in Mapatizya are iron ore, coal and tin. My appeal to the Government is to start funding the small-holder miners and open up the area to small investors because doing so will increase revenue for the Government and also improve the welfare of the people in the area.

Mr Speaker, casualisation should be stopped at all costs.

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order! 

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

__________

The House adjourned at 1846 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 21st October, 2011.