Friday, 20^th February, 2026

The House met at 0900 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

 

TIME OF THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

The Vice-President (Dr Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, will arrive at 0945 hours to address the House.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mpundu: Ema veep aya!

Laughter

Business was suspended from 0902 hours until 0945 hours.

_______

The President entered the Assembly Chamber escorted by Madam Speaker.

(Assembly resumed)

THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the House would like to welcome to the Assembly, the President of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: We are honoured, Mr President, to have you into our midst.

May I now invite you, Mr President, to delivery your address.

The President (Mr Hakainde Hichilema): Madam Speaker, good morning.

Hon. Members: Good morning.

The President: Madam Speaker, in accordance with Article 9(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, we are pleased to join this august House to report on the Progress made in the Application of our National Values and Principles.

Madam Speaker, we take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome the newly-elected Member of Parliament for Chawama Constituency, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … Hon. Bright Nundwe, following the by-election held on Thursday, 15^th January, 2026, which passed without violence in Chawama.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We all know Chawama very well, but we are very, very pleased that that by-election took place in the manner it did. We urge the hon. Member of Parliament to effectively represent the people of Chawama Constituency with honour and indeed, responsibility.

Madam Speaker, during this session, the House was privileged to host His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday, 5^th February, 2026. In his special address to this House, President Mahama reaffirmed the warm, cordial and indeed, historic bilateral relations that exist between our two countries and the people over many years. President Mahama reminded us that our democracies have been built through sacrifice and resilience anchored on true African values. The visit re-affirmed the spirit of pan-Africanism as espoused by our founding fathers, Dr Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda and Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Madam Speaker, as a nation, we have continued to embrace our national values and principles, which are specified in the Constitution under Article 8, and they are as follows:

1. morality and ethics;

1. patriotism and national unity;

1. democracy and constitutionalism;

1. human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination;

1. good governance and integrity; and

1. sustainable development.

Madam Speaker, these national values and principles are not just a constitutional requirement for us, but a moral compass that shapes our character and defines our identity as a people. They provide guidance in our policy formulation. Please, I repeat: They provide the guidance in our policy formulation and form the bedrock of the implementation of our policies as a nation, without exception.

Madam Speaker, we will now proceed to highlight the Progress Made in the Application of our National Values and Principles, with the recognition that we all have much more work to do ahead of us. We are not ambiguous about that; we are clear. Whatever work we have done, we still have a lot of work to do ahead of us, together.

Morality and Ethics

Madam Speaker, Zambia is a peaceful nation, a caring nation, and I must strongly say, a Christian nation. Morality and ethics are important values that shape the character of our families, communities and the nation at large. It is within this moral and ethical context that this Government is addressing a number of social vices, such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse and basically other substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, child marriages and gender-based violence (GBV). To address these vices, we have implemented a number of interventions. These include – very important. They include free education, keeping children longer in school, skills training, and empowerment initiatives and nationwide sensitisation programmes for community members, workers as well as civic and traditional leaders.

Madam Speaker, child marriage, teenage pregnancies and child defilement continue to be serious social challenges in our society. No country can realise its potential if its girls and boys are left behind. Imiti ikula empanga.  I am only saying that our children are the future of our country. I am not speaking Greek; I am speaking a Zambian language. We can all, therefore, agree that it is time to end child marriages in our communities. To address these social ills, the Government continues to sensitise traditional leaders and our communities across the country.

In addition, thousands of teenage girls who dropped out of school and got married, or got married, so to say, are now receiving counselling and are being brought back to school as much as possible so they can benefit from our Free Education Policy. We do this because we love our children. We care about our children. We will work tirelessly to ensure that all our young citizens benefit from the opportunities that this Government is providing.

Madam Speaker, gender-based violence (GBV) has remained a public concern in our communities and country. We continue to address this vice through many interventions including the establishment of a national call centre, one-stop centres and fast-track courts for victims of GBV across the country. We urge victims, relatives and others to report all instances of GBV without fail because sometimes victims are shy to do so. So, communities must come in. The law must continue to take its course and perpetrators must be brought to justice without any segregation; all of them. We commend our traditional leaders, the Church and other stakeholders for their support in the fight against this vice.

Madam Speaker, we remain deeply concerned with regard to divorce rates in our country. This is not good at all because families are the foundations of communities and a strong nation. We are concerned about this. Loving, caring strong families really must be promoted at all times. Of paramount importance, responsible and strong families will build a strong nation.

 Madam Speaker, human trafficking continues to be a concern given our geographical location. Yes, we are land-linked, we flip the coin, but still, we have so many neighbours and, sometimes, this creates challenges. To curb this vice, the United Party for National Development (UPND) New Dawn Administration has fully operationalised the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security. The department, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, is leading efforts to totally eradicate human trafficking. You have all heard stories through the media, horrible stories, where some of these die in fuel tankers. This is not right. We must not be a country that allows these things to happen.

Madam Speaker, social media has created new opportunities for innovation, yes we agree, entrepreneurship, yes we agree, self-expression, yes we agree, and information sharing among our people. Sadly, some of our people are using social media to spread harmful content, fake news, misinformation, disinformation and worst of all, hate speech. This is very sad. Social media is also being used to commit cybercrimes and harass innocent citizens including the girl child and women.

Hon. Members: Even men.

The President: It is true, men as well.

In this regard, Madam Speaker, we continue to reform the legal framework to protect the public from harmful online behaviour and cybercrime.

Madam Speaker, a crime is a crime, whether done physically or through social media. Please, let us remember that. We also call upon citizens to ensure that digital platforms are used responsibly and productively. We continue to be inspired by the online creativity of our innovative and entrepreneurial youths, and we encourage everyone to enjoy the freedom they have, we have, or all of us have responsibly. Responsibly is the keyword.

Patriotism and National Unity

Madam Speaker, let me move to patriotism and national unity.

Madam Speaker, over the last four years, we have made progress in fostering patriotism and national unity. We have made steady progress in promoting Zambian products, starting with our own market, to support businesses and our hardworking and industrious citizens. The Government has also strengthened local content policies. You all followed that. In fact, you approved those policies in this House, and we thank you for that.

Madam Speaker, last year, we issued Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 68 of 2025, on the promotion of local content in the mining sector. After a long and orchestrated negotiation process, we are pleased to say that this is now in place. This has created more opportunities for local suppliers to be awarded contracts, which means more jobs and more income for Zambians. Public procurement has also been reformed to give special preference, what we call positive discrimination, to locally produced goods and services, which, again, means more jobs, more business opportunities and income for Zambians and, indeed, the Treasury because every citizen needs Treasury income to continue expanding.

Madam Speaker, to continue providing vital services including nationwide free education, the Government depends on effective revenue collection. A responsible, caring society demands that we all pay taxes, fair taxes. It is a personal responsibility. It is part of our values. Paying taxes is an attribute of patriotism and mutual responsibility. The Government has modernised and simplified tax administration through digital platforms to make it easier for citizens to meet their tax obligations. When we say tax, we do not mean the ordinary tax component only, we mean levies and all of those things that we are supposed to pay for as responsible citizens.

Madam Speaker, under the UPND New Administration, there has been an unprecedented reduction in political violence and caderism in our country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Chawama is a good example.

Madam Speaker, under our watch, there is no room for political violence. There is no room for negative caderism. We are not talking about mobilisation and positive cadres. There is no room for lawlessness. Bana bahesu, balongo bane, there is no room for lawlessness. All of us must take this as a personal responsibility. I am just saying, brothers and sisters. Again, I am speaking as a Zambian here.

Madam Speaker, let me be clear. No one, and I mean no one, is above the law.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, this Administration has consistently promoted unity in diversity through the principle of One Zambia, One Nation, one people.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Let me repeat, Madam Speaker: This Administration has consistently promoted unity in diversity …

Mr Simumba: Question!

The President:  … through the reminders and consistent messaging that we are One Zambia, One Nation, and one people.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Yes, and I am addressing both sides of the House on this one.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Our efforts are evident in the decentralisation and the equitable distribution of national resources. That is how we walk this message. Decentralisation and equitable distribution of our national resources to all parts of the country through instruments such as the substantially enhanced Constituency Development Fund (CDF) across the country, as an instrument to walk the talk. A caring and loving Zambian society is one that provides equal opportunities and distributes resources fairly without discrimination.

Madam Speaker, on the cultural front, we are witnessing positive developments as our Royal Highnesses are increasingly attending one another’s traditional ceremonies across the country. They are getting to know one another, something that has not happened before at a person-to-person level. That is very important, and it will rub off on communities across the provinces of Zambia. This is an attestation to our unity-in-diversity approach.

Madam Speaker, last year, we had the honour of meeting the traditional leaders, at least almost all of them, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC), near here, the Parliament Buildings, as part of our continued efforts to promote national unity in our country. These are important building blocks. This is enhancing the mutual understanding and appreciation of our shared and rich cultural heritage. We are, indeed, as I said, One Zambia, One Nation and one people. We must all remind ourselves of that. God is great. He put us together deliberately. He did not make a mistake. He chose us to be together. We must respect his decision, and work with one another, and support one another. Yes, we can compete within reason, but keep the fabric of a united Zambia. I think that is the message here.

Democracy and Constitutionalism

Madam Speaker, to enhance our democracy and promote inclusivity in our governance system, we amended the Constitution.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: For what purpose, Madam Speaker? To ensure fair and equitable representation of our people across the country. We thank our citizens for making valuable submissions to the Mushabati Constitutional Technical Review Committee. We also commend this House, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, we commend this House. We commend this House. We commend this gracious House for successfully passing the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 7 of 2025.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We are proud that women, youths and persons living with disabilities will now have a great opportunity, a guaranteed opportunity, at representation at all levels of our governance system for the first time in the history of our country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu: For the first time!

The President: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all the hon. Members of Parliament here, in this House.

We respect all of you. You debated and, finally, came to a conclusion. That is the way it should be in a civilised society.

Madam Speaker, through a mixed-member proportional system –

Madam Speaker, by the way, some citizens may not be aware, we will see women, youths and persons with disabilities at the local government level, not just here. This is great. We should celebrate this.

Madam Speaker, thank you very much for your leadership.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: The amended Constitution –

Interruptions

The President: Madam Speaker, it is interesting to know that even those who did not support the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 7 of 2025 are now at the forefront, looking for new constituencies.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, I am following the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)’s grassroots work around this issue. There is no corner of the country that is not supporting the amendments.

Rev. Katuta: Question!

Interruptions

The President: Delimitation is popular. So, democracy works.

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, at least, we think ahead for all, not for a few.

Madam Speaker, those reforms mean more support for our communities and more opportunities for our women. What a great time to be our age, and to be active in our country, the youth of Zambia and those in our communities whom we think are less human than we are, and they are in all our families; those with disabilities.

Madam Speaker, I think, I will write a special note to you to thank these hon. Members of Parliament.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, our Administration remains firm on preserving freedom of assembly and association. There can be no development without peace. As we approach the 2026 General Elections, which will be held on 13^th August, 2026, we are committed to ensuring free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We should all remember, Madam Speaker, that democracy thrives on ideas, on persuasion and respect for divergent views. We, therefore, implore all the political actors to commit to and promote peace, tolerance and unity as we move towards the elections. Let us always choose unity over division. Let us always choose dialogue and inclusion over conflict and insults. Let us choose progress over petty politicking.

Madam Speaker, our stable and peaceful environment has so far attracted unprecedented levels of investment in the last four and a half years. As you will see, we have attracted well over US$12 billion just in the mining sector in four and a half years. That is dramatic and must be supported, as it translates to more jobs, more business opportunities and other things. Some benefits are simple to see and others are embedded. You may not see them, but we can see it through our citizens and we appreciate it. This is a great achievement, but we still have work ahead of us, a lot more work to do.

Madam Speaker, access to information and media freedom remain fundamental to democratic governance in our country. Our Administration has undertaken legal reforms to modernise the media landscape. The Government passed the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act No. 25 of 2025 and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Act No. 26 of 2025.

Mr Nkandu: For the first time!

The President: Yes.

This is to promote independence, fairness and accountability in broadcasting, while safeguarding press freedom and public interest. Madam Speaker, all freedoms must recognise public interests at all times. Personal aspects must be embedded in broader public interests.

Human Dignity, Equity, Social Justice, Equality and Non-Discrimination

Madam Speaker, since 2021, the United Party for National Development (UPND), New Dawn Administration, has continued to advance human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination as the central pillars of national development. Not peripheral, but central. We have expanded community-driven investment and strengthened social protection like never before. We have empowered the youths and women. We have improved access to education, as I have already said, health, water, sanitation and justice. The foundations of a loving and caring society are these issues we are discussing.

Madam Speaker, once more, our commitment is underscored by the substantial increase in the budgetary allocation, as I have already said, to the CDF. Numbers do not lie. From K1.6 million per constituency per year in 2021, to K25 million, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … to K30 million, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … and K36 million, and now to K40 million.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, let me repeat: The allocation for the CDF increased from K1.6 million to K40 million. This is walking the talk. When we were in the Opposition, we pledged to increase the CDF to be equivalent to US$1 million. It is now more than US$2 million per constituency at today's exchange rate. This is it.

An hon. Member interjected.

Laughter

The President: More, more!

Madam Speaker, I am being enticed to – I stick to my programme, but just hear me out a little bit. To crown it all, so that people do not whisper and giggle, allocation to the CDF has been increased from K1.6 million to K40 million per constituency, in less than five years, and we will increase it again next year.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, we will increase it again next year.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Hear me out, through God's will and the courtesy of the people of Zambia, will make it possible through the elections that are coming. We understand that voters decide, but we do believe that voters will acknowledge the progress that has been made. The people of Zambia give us an opportunity to serve them. Only they do that.  When they give us this opportunity, we must use it effectively, and not squander it. Take money to them, which they never had before.

Madam Speaker, through the CDF, we have empowered the youth, the women and the vulnerable in our communities. We have provided bursaries to our learners attending secondary boarding schools.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Parents do not have to sell chickens every January. The Government, your Government, Madam Speaker, has taken responsibility for raising our children. This is an emotional issue for some of us who came from villages. We are here only because of education. It is an emotional issue. It is a matter of responsibility to give to our children.

Madam Speaker, bursaries have been provided to our learners attending secondary boarding schools across the country, and the decisions are made at the constituency level, not in Lusaka. There cannot be anything greater than this. Bursaries have also been provided for skills development. This Government is taking care of those who do not make it to college by sponsoring them to enrol for skills training programmes. Many of them are now moulding bricks to help build schools, clinics and other facilities. This is a great, great development for our country.

Madam Speaker, just to reinforce, this is a giant step in the right direction, and we will not rest until every Zambian family feels the benefit of this generational change or activity, if I may call it that.

Madam Speaker, we are delivering for the people of Zambia from a place of love and deep care, not from any other angle. Let me be specific. The reason we deliver what I am highlighting is because we love the people. We respect them for giving us an opportunity to serve them. We care for them. How do we show this? More health services are now within reach for our communities than ever before, with the provision of life-saving ambulances up to the constituency level. Appropriate life-saving ambulances are reaching all the places across the country. When you look at what is contained in the ambulance, you will see that it is a small hospital. It is great!

Madam Speaker, more of our mothers, especially in rural areas, can now deliver in appropriate maternity facilities, opportunities many of us never had. However, it is our duty to give them to our aunties, mothers and nieces across the country. The policy of attaching a maternity wing at every health centre is working. These hon. Members of Parliament are delivering. I thank them for that.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, acceptable sanitation is a minimum, but lighting is also required. Solar allows us to do that now, and we should do it. These are priorities. I urge all people seated in this House to do it. These are not matters they should say, “I do not support this”. It is not about supporting the Government, but the people who elected them into the Government. They are the beneficiaries, not this party or that party. Please, let us work together on this issue. We are picking revelations that hon. Members of Parliament in some constituencies are resisting these minimums. They are punishing their people, our people. As Government, we will not allow them to do that. No.

Madam Speaker, more of our children are now learning in decent classrooms with desks, as opposed to children sitting on the floor. This is opposed to the previous commonplace situation, in which children sat on logs. How can the attention span be anything longer than ten minutes?

Madam Speaker, more of our students are receiving bursaries and meal allowances. Meal allowances, which were previously taken away, are back. More of our health workers and teachers in urban and rural areas are providing critical services to our communities because we have employed more. Further, more of our communities can now access clean and safe drinking water.

Madam Speaker, more of our traders are conducting their business in modern market facilities.

Madam Speaker, more of our small-scale livestock farmers can now access dipping facilities, vaccinations and treatment drugs within their communities.

Madam Speaker, more of our communities are becoming safer with the construction of police posts and the provision of police vehicles in each constituency, … 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … including in Kantanshi.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: In Mafken. Mafken is Mufulira.

Madam Speaker and fellow citizens, as the Government, we commit to continuing to deliver for every Zambian citizen because we love them, as I said. We care for them and value them. Their welfare is our welfare.

Madam Speaker, human dignity, equity and social justice cannot be attained without social protection interventions. It is not possible. We have expanded our social protection programmes across the country. The Social Cash Transfer value for vulnerable households and beneficiaries has been doubled from K200 to K400 per month. Numbers do not lie. For beneficiary households, where there is a member with a disability, the value has increased from K400 to K600 per month. This year alone, we have increased the number of beneficiary households on SCT from 1.3 million to 1.5 million people countrywide. This House has supported this measure, and we ask the House to continue supporting such measures going forward. Elections must not stop us from delivering for the people. We must continue delivering for the people of Zambia.

Under the Food Security Pact, Madam Speaker, the number of vulnerable but viable farmers has increased from 240,000 to 320,000 beneficiaries. Tremendous! We have expanded the Cash-for-Work Programme to cover all the 116 districts across the country.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, this is from an initial number of eighty-four districts. Essentially, this was targeted at those who were adversely affected by the worst drought in living memory, which we experienced.

Now, we want to extend that to all the 116 districts.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

The President: So, hon. Members seated here, please, make sure that these programmes take place in your constituencies because there is work to be done. This is better than tantameni.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: People work, then they get paid.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: I think that is the cultural shift that we need in our country.

Madam Speaker, access to clean and safe water as well as adequate sanitation is fundamental to our citizens’ health and dignity.  Just imagine moving from using a pit latrine to a flush toilet.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: A young teacher, twenty-four or twenty-five years old, who is posted to Muyombe, can now use a toilet and flush. 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Dignity.

This is very important.

Mr J. Chibuye: And wash her hands.

Laughter

The President: Madam Speaker, it means that this young teacher will go to Muyombe and teach with happiness because her basics have been met, …

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

The President: … and she will remain attractive. That is important.

Madam Speaker, the Government has implemented an array of interventions to expand access to safe water across the country. Now, I want to encourage hon. Members of this House to make water and sanitation one of the priorities in the CDF.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: So are education and health. Please, do not deviate from there because we do not want one part of the country to be left behind. We do not want that. Let us not make a human decision to punish innocent community members.

Through these interventions, Madam Speaker, over 4.9 million citizens have been provided with clean and safe water. This is a significant number, but we are not resting until every Zambian has access to clean water.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, the UPND New Dawn Administration remains firmly committed to addressing economic and social barriers to children’s participation and progression in education. Yes, there is free education, but there are some inherent issues that hinder children from going back to school. In 2021, we re-introduced the Free Education Policy, but we still have other interventions to do. As always, you know I will say that education remains the best investment, equaliser and truly inheritance. We should all remember this issue. Many of us here would be in very difficult circumstances if we did not have education. This includes Madam Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

The President: Madam Speaker, with the implementation of this policy – Today, you should be proud of this. With the implementation of this policy, we can announce that over 2.5 million children have been given the opportunity to go back to school.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Last time, we were talking about 2.3 million children. Now, we are talking about 2.5 million children. Please, follow the numbers. This is gratifying but we can still do more. We can push. There is a child out there who is not yet back in school. Hon. Members of Parliament must look for those children. Councillors, chairmen and mayors, let us all look for those children in our communities. With your strong leadership, Madam Speaker, remind these hon. Members to do that every now and then. They will save a life. They will take a future president back to school. That is important.

Madam Speaker, we have also scaled up support to vulnerable girls through the Keeping Girls in School (KGS) initiative. The programme benefitted 127,233 girls in 2025, from a small number of 38,551 in 2021. The geographical coverage has also increased to ninety-five districts from thirty-nine in 2021. The agenda is to cover all the districts without exception. In addition, we have strengthened menstrual hygiene management among girls in school. The number of girls supported under this programme increased from 186,670 in 2021 to over 1.7 million in 2025.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: This is, again, an emotive subject. As a rural boy, I would see girls not sitting in class because of this problem. You all know that. Now, you can see what this support has done to our girl child. She can stay in class and be competitive like any other child. That is our aspiration.

Madam Speaker, further, we have expanded the School Feeding Programme.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, this House and the nation, hear me out. We have expanded a very important School Feeding Programme from 1.5 million learners in 2021 to 4.7 million learners in 2025 because we love and care for our people.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: These are all learners. These are not just numbers; these are human beings. These are our children and we love and care for them. 

Madam Speaker, it is gratifying that these interventions are contributing to improved school attendance – These are the outcomes now. It is gratifying that these interventions are contributing to improved school attendance, retention and learning outcomes among vulnerable learners, particularly, those in rural and indeed, peri-urban under-served communities. Very important.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, in 2025, we recorded an impressive pass rate in public schools of over 70 per cent at Grade 12 level, the first time in the history of our country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, this is the highest ever and contrary to the criticism that the Free Education Policy would dilute the quality of education. Numbers do not lie. Here you are. People complained about high enrolment rate and our response was to build more classrooms and buy more desks. These are responsible actions. It is not about working against the policy. It is about saying, “How can we improve this policy?” These are the results. They are incredible. This was not an accident; it was a direct outcome of deep, broad and well-planned policy reforms.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Long-held, I must say.

We pay tribute to all teachers, pupils and parents for this remarkable achievement.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Thank you to all. You can have a good learning and teaching environment, but if pupils, teachers and communities do not respond, the results will be less than what could been achieved.

Madam Speaker, to promote human dignity and equity, the UPND New Dawn Government prioritised investment in the health and wellness of our people. Since 2021, we have recruited over 18,000 health workers, …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … with an additional 2,000 to be recruited this year.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Further, we have continued improving access to health services for our citizens through the construction and equipping of health facilities at all levels across the country. We are equipping these facilities with basic equipment, soft and hard. We are equipping health facilities with not just people but tools to work with at all levels across the country. These are intentional measures. These are deliberate measures; they are not opportunistic. They are intentional, they are deliberate, they are planned.

Madam Speaker, to ensure dignity, social justice and non-discrimination in the employment and labour sector, the Government has undertaken important reforms, including a more transparent public sector recruitment system. When we recruit, we advertise positions. For years now, you have seen advertisements, and applications come into our database. When we have not exhausted the names in the database because jobs are fewer than applicants, we have maintained the database and used it in the next round of recruitments. It is organised.

Mr Mutelo: Methodical!

The President: Madam Speaker, we introduced new measures in the pension system to allow for partial withdrawal of pension benefits.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, this is an important issue. When I was in the Opposition, I watched this issue and said there is a problem here. When we got the opportunity to serve the people, we went for it, and it is now bearing fruits. You can see families investing now, long before they retire. That is important.

Madam Speaker, as of January, this year, 518,183 members of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) had accessed their 20 per cent partial withdrawal.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, in monetary terms, K10.6 billion has gone to the owners, long before they retire.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: They are completing their houses, putting water and sanitation and buying farming equipment to be productive. This is important to make families self-reliant and to not wait until they are too tired to work and use their money. This is optional, by the way. It is not mandatory, but you can see that it is working for farmers and it is long overdue. This is tremendous and is life-changing for our people.

Madam Speaker, some criticise this policy and say it will bankrupt NAPSA. No! You need to understand money matters. You cannot bankrupt the institution because some of the times, money sits there in a latent form. It is better to give it to the owners, and the owners will do something of economic activity, create jobs and add to the growth of the economy. This is the flipside of those who argued against this. Very important! We have also extended pension coverage to the informal sector, which accounts for over 70 per cent of our workforce.

Madam Speaker, we have increased the minimum wage and enhanced legislation on occupational safety and health in line with our decent work agenda. This has improved income security, enhanced financial resilience and ensured broader social protection for our citizens.

Madam Speaker, to facilitate the speedy dispensation of justice, the Government has deployed resident high court judges to all our ten provinces. We have enhanced access to justice by expanding legal aid services to districts across the country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Further, we have completed –

Madam Speaker, if hon. Members of Parliament here do not see that in the community, all they need to do is to say so. We will look into that matter. I think, it is important that we have feedback as we implement these programmes.

Madam Speaker, our Administration remains focused on reducing overcrowding in our correctional facilities to safeguard the dignity of our inmates. They are human beings. You can ask me the question how do I know. I know because those were my apartments some years back.

Madam Speaker, to promote equality and social justice among our youths, the Government has been focusing on economic inclusion and skills development, as I said earlier.

Mr Nkandu: Hear, hear!

The President: Hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts, yes, Elvis.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We continue to implement important youth empowerment programmes under the Youth Empowerment Fund, the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and your CDF.

Madam Speaker, the UPND New Dawn Administration is focused on promoting equality, social justice and non-discrimination in the provision of electricity to our people.

Hon. Government Members:  Hear, hear!

The President: We have successfully completed almost 60,000 new connections even in great difficulty with the decapitation of the generating capacity because of the drought, through the Rural Electrification Authority Programme and many other interventions including off-grid energy. That is how we are proceeding. Solar technology is transformatory and all of us must always uplift and upload it. Further, the Government has significantly reduced electricity connection fees for households in peri-urban and rural areas. The reduction is part of the accelerated sustainable and clean energy access transformation initiative.

Thank you, hon. Minister of Energy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister was complaining that “Mr President, you are putting too much pressure on me”. Now, with the developments that you see, I can see he looks happier these days.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!      

The President: Madam Speaker, as part of our commitment to delivery, we have tackled the electricity challenge head-on. We did not scatter around. We acknowledged that we had a problem of electricity shortages, and we apologised to the people of Zambia. We told our people we were working on it and you can see the benefits.

Hon. Government Members:  Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, we have drastically reduced the hours of load-shedding and in many locations, completely ended it. This has been a difficult situation and it has taught us lessons. These must be national lessons, not the UPND New Dawn Government lessons; lessons for the nation that when we are in good times, we must continue to invest in these facilities and not wait until we are in a difficult situation like the one we were in, but flapping the coin, it was a great opportunity, and we are taking the opportunity.

Madam Speaker, we want to address our fellow citizens directly whenever we have problems. We do not want to hide or conceal a problem, but we want to acknowledge a problem, deal with it, and also ask citizens for ideas because they may have better ideas. Last time, I asked hon. Members of Parliament to come on board and invest in electricity. We have pushed for reforms that allow everybody to participate. There is no Opposition here. There are only citizens of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Let us work together. You on my right, need to embrace these on my left.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: You on my left, need to mingle with those on the right.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

The President: Madam Speaker, once more, we take this opportunity to apologise to the people of Zambia for the pain they endured during the difficult times of electricity shortages We also want to thank the people of Zambia for their patience and support throughout this period. In the spirit of dialogue and civility, we saw citizens not going to basically toy-toy in the streets, but talking to each other. This is the culture we want to see in this country. There is no solution in the streets. Solutions are in rooms like this one, board rooms, on the ground and solar power stations being constructed.

Madam Speaker, the energy sector has been neglected in the nation for decades and this is regrettable. On behalf of those who sat in the chair I sit on today, I want to apologise for not having taken proactive measures together, all of us collectively. Zambia is basically an assertive nation that is timeless and also in continuity. Yes, thank you very much.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, Hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, we should all work together. This is not a joke. Please, do not take this as a joke. We should all work together. Reforms have been put in place and opportunities are there. I want to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Kaumbwe, who took the opportunity to do what he did.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Thank you so much.

Dr Mwanza indicated assent.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, the establishment of solar power stations is a great initiative, for both on-grid and off-grid. Expansion of clean coal power technologies is very important. Already, there is success in the importation of electricity. I hear that some hon. Members were saying that this Government was hiding electricity. You cannot store electricity like water. No. You generate it, you use it. We could not have hidden it anywhere. We have now taken measures to make electricity more available. Yes. Hydro, of course, will continue, despite its vulnerabilities, and we will continue to expand it, especially in the northern corridor of our country where we have more water. We will also continue to connect water systems. Water basins are what every country works on. Morocco is moving water from the north to the south. Israel is moving water from the north to the south. China is moving water from the north to the south. There is something about the north and water, right? We have to do the same so that we can fully utilise the generating capacity we already have.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapyanga: Question!

Rev. Katuta: Question!

The President: Madam Speaker, power is available to every household in the country. It is available to every mine, including the mine that will be coming up in Sinda, and I am very happy about that. A big mine is coming up in Sinda.

Mr M. Tembo: Kwenyu!

Laughter

The President: Yes. That mine needs power. So, we need to move water from where it is to the dry areas where the capacity is low.

Mr M. Tembo: Kwenyu!

The President: That is what a nation does.

Mr M. Tembo: Kwenyu!

Laughter

The President:

Good Governance and Integrity

Madam Speaker, the UPND, New Dawn Administration, is committed to promoting good governance and integrity in our nation. The fight against corruption is central to our work. We are now able to prosecute corruption and economic crimes within five months due to the reforms that we have made in the judicial area. This is a huge contrast to what used to happen. Some cases used to take twenty years. Twenty years. That is unacceptable, both to the accused and the nation. It is unfair.

Further, Madam Speaker, our operation, asset-recovery initiative, is yielding results. We have made the largest ever recovery of assets in the history of our nation. Real estate, vehicles, helicopters, as well as cash have been recovered.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We are returning the assets to the true owners, the rightful owners, the citizens of Zambia. We are walking the talk, Madam Speaker. We acknowledge that we have more work to do ahead of us. We will continue to fight past, present and future corruption. Please, take note of that.

If you are corrupt, you are on your own. It is that simple. If you know about a corrupt person, do not go on social media. Go to the police, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) or the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to report anybody who is corrupt. Your road must lead there, not social media. Social media, sometimes, becomes abusive. Just report to the relevant authorities.

Madam Speaker, I am one, even in my opposition days, who used to challenge people. I would tell them to go to the police if they thought I had stolen anything. None went to the police. They would just say, “No, no, no”. Someone went to the police, and I won the case. There was nothing. There was nothing. We should not be afraid of dealing with this issue. We should not create dark issues and dark corner conversations. This is an open issue and there are laws to guide us. We have our laws. We inherited those laws. All of us. We did not create them, right? So, we are all walking the talk, and we should do that. Leaders in this House must walk together on this issue. We have more work to do, as I have said, going ahead. We will continue to fight, as I have said, past, present and future corruption. If you are corrupt, I repeat: You are on your own.

Madam Speaker, it is immoral to support corrupt activities. Society must abhor corruption; stealing from school children. Even supporting the people involved, for whatever reason, is immoral. As the saying goes, show me your friends, right, then, I will know, most likely, who you are. Let us walk away from supporting the corrupt. Let us work together to improve our corruption perception index. Sometimes the index is affected, because it is perception, by what we say on social media. Just go to the police and report.

Madam Speaker, we are determined to ensure that all those entrusted with the management of public affairs and resources act responsibly and operate in the interest of citizens. We will continue to address persistent structural, institutional and capacity challenges to further enhance good governance and integrity. On this call, we want to work with our co-operating partners.

If you know better ways of fighting corruption, come forward and share this experience, and we will up-take it, absolutely, as opposed to saying things that we hear about. Come to the table.

In short, it must be easier to do honest business and to get the support you need from your Government. I will repeat this: In short, it must be easier to do honest business, such as electricity generation, as the hon. Member for Kaumbwe is doing, and your Government will support you. The hon. Member led a team to China. An opposition leader led a Government team to China to look for investment, and we support him. We will support any one of you. Please, do that for the good of our country.

Dr Mwanza indicated assent.

Hon. Members: Xièxie!

Laughter

The President: Yes. There are no shortcuts. Madam Speaker, let me repeat this: There are no shortcuts. No easy pickings. Life is not designed like that. Shortcuts, easy pickings. Aikona. No. No, no, no, Madam Speaker. We, in this House, must show leadership and must not promote shortcuts or easy pickings. No. Communities are watching us, even in the way we manage the CDF, and they see more than we see. Let us work together on this one.

Sustainable Development

Madam Speaker, we have positioned our country on a green growth trajectory. In the past four years, we have scaled up climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. We have upgraded all climate monitoring stations across the country and enhanced national early warning systems.

Your Honour, the Vice-President, thank you. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) quickly comes on board whenever we have a problem. Further, our men and women in uniform are now working together to help remedy situations. When a bridge is washed-away, the Commander-in-Chief issues an instruction, and they run to get the bridges rehabilitated. That is what society must be. We must all do our part.

Madam Speaker, through these efforts, we are strengthening resilience in agriculture and other sectors, and directly protecting our farmers and their families, and national food security.

Madam Speaker, deforestation remains a major challenge in our country. Our Administration has, therefore, been promoting natural regeneration and tree planting programmes as well as the use of alternative sources of energy. I must admit, Madam Speaker, that we still have a lot of work to do in alternative energy. When we tell our people that there is no more charcoal burning, the next question is what their source of energy will be. I think, we need to work on that together.

Our scientists, please, let us use the skills we have to find alternative energy. Let us also benchmark and see which country is doing this better. That is the call.

Madam Speaker, we should all promote sustainable utilisation and protection of natural resources such as wildlife. We need our children to know what a buffalo is fifty years from now, and they should be able to see it. The kudu and bats as well. They should know about the Kasanka National Park. I am sure hon. Colleagues from that area know what I am talking about. Such endowments can bring us a lot of money through tourism. We can see what countries with fewer endowments are doing, and bringing in tourism. We need to do more together. Our rivers are important. Our wetlands are important. Very, very important. They are sources of livelihoods.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, the number of hectares of forest land placed under community care and management has more than doubled from 4.1 million ha in 2022 to 10.4 million ha in 2025.  Involving communities is the way to go so that the communities can provide the protection and support.

Madam Speaker, we call upon our traditional leaders and civic leaders, the Church, civil society and our communities overall, to work with their Government.

 

Madam Speaker, sometimes, I hear people say “this Government or that Government”, it is their Government. They elected it. Anyone who aspires to lead this country must know that when they are in this Chair, they care for everybody because they are a product of society. They are elected by society. So, let us work together in this way. No corner of the country should say we are different. There is no one different here. We are the same. Interests are the same. Permanent interests of the nation are the same. Individual interests can shift, but permanent national interests are the same. They can only be better.

Madam Speaker, the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign remains key to driving behavioural change and promoting public health. We urge our citizens and all our public and private institutions to prioritise cleaning. Just cleaning their houses and the environment. Each person can paint their house, their plant, their factory, just get it painted. Clean the drainage around you. If we all do that in our spaces, the nation will be cleaner.

Madam Speaker, people throw litter on State House lane, and every week, it is being cleaned. Two days later, there is litter all over that road. People throw litter such as cans and plastic bags from cars.  We are cleaning and cleaning and cleaning.  If we can all keep our plastic bags and cans in the car, then when we reach home, we collect them, put them in a bin, and then they can be taken away properly.  This must be personal responsibility.

Madam Speaker, I am not sure if you need to look at legislation around this issue, but compliance is the problem. Compliance is the problem. Hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, we need to do more in this area. There is just a problem there. So, let us work together, colleagues. We should respect the adage, “Prevention is better than cure.” When we keep our environment and surroundings clean, we will be healthier.

Madam Speaker, the increased investment in mining has come with its own challenges, I want to admit. It has brought new jobs and opportunities, yes, but we have also seen more or some negative impact on local communities and the environment. Our Government is strengthening the regulatory framework to promote safe, secure, legal, structured, and sustainable mining practices to avoid the needless loss of life. All of us in this House must not misunderstand opportunity to mean risking the lives of our children by going down there without properly planned mines, small, large or micro. No father or mother sends their child into a pit knowing that they may not return. Then you are not a true mother or father. There is something wrong with you. So, let us work together in this area. There is no need to lose lives as we seek income.  

Madam Speaker, we are also destroying the biodiversity, by throwing mercury into our river systems. That cannot be allowed. We need the same water for irrigation and human consumption. So, we should not go in the direction that other countries have gone. We should not go there. Then that would be irresponsible. We must ensure that the extraction of our natural resources does not become a source of insecurity and instability in our country. Kikonge Gold Mine in Mufumbwe, is one area where there was even a rival gun market run by non-Zambians. We had to take the action we took. Conflict in countries around us started just like that.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, you always look for softer solutions. If people do not heed soft solutions, you use hard solutions. That is why these institutions are created.  Kikonge now has roads and infrastructure, with the help of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH), and your own citizens will now be mining. I must say that resources belong to citizens.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: However, citizens invite partners in a legal and structured manner. That is important. This House must take note of this. We do not want Sinda now to become a source of conflict. We want a proper phosphate mine there. For my colleague from Sinda, we have also negotiated that we will process the phosphate in Sinda.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr M. Tembo: Kwenyu!

The President: Mark my words, we will have over 5,000 to 10,000 jobs in Sinda. It will be a different place from what you knew it to be. Insecurity is not part of the menu. Madam Speaker, insecurity is not part of the menu. That is out. We must work together here. Short-term interests can damage long-term prospects.

Madam Speaker, sustainable development occurs when peace and hard work are rewarded by prosperity, not shortcuts. The Kwacha has been one of the best-performing currencies …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … in the world, not in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or Africa, but in the world. Numbers do not lie. Just click, and you will see the numbers come up. Go to the Internet. So, we do not have to argue about these things.Right, colleagues? So, hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, thank you very much.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The President: However, I have always told the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning that he is only the keeper of things. These benefits come from mining, agriculture, tourism and digital technology. That is where they are coming from, but recorded at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. So, we thank everyone, all of you, including this House, for passing progressive laws.

Madam Speaker, inflation, which was standing at 23 per cent not long ago, is now a single digit, slightly ahead of schedule, based on the plans. This hon. Minister (Pointed at Dr Musokotwane) will tell you that if we do not loosen up in the next thirty or so days, maximum forty to fifty, we will now achieve the inflation range of 6 to 8 per cent. This is dramatic. It has a huge impact on the cost of doing business. I am sure you saw the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) lowering the monetary policy rate (MPR). For many of you, please, do not worry about the tongue-twister; it simply means the wholesale interest rate to commercial banks. Commercial banks must now lower their rates because they borrow at a lower rate. Very simple. This has a positive impact on the overall economic situation.

I have talked about three things, Madam Speaker. Inflation is down and the exchange rate of the Kwacha is doing well. The third is the interest rate. These are triplets. Inflation, exchange rate and interest rates should be coming down. Normally, amongst the triplets, the interest rate comes last. So, that is what is happening. It should come through.

Madam Speaker, these are interesting times. These are not times we should waste. We should utilise this convergence positively.

Madam Speaker, our economic fundamentals are getting better, with what we call “positive alignments”. Let us utilise them, as I said earlier on. At the same time, we acknowledge that citizens are yet to feel the full benefits. The cost of living should be stabilised, further. However, with the macro stability now firmly in place, the benefits will increasingly be felt by all citizens through a gradual but sustained easing of the cost of living. That is how it works. There is no other way. This is not an event; it is a process. You align things, work hard and then benefits start coming through. As we work to increase wages on the flip side of the coin, and costs coming down, we will also work with the private sector to help further drive down the cost of doing business, thereby, stabilising prices for the benefit of our people. No one else but our people, as always.

Madam Speaker, we commend the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), our friends in the private sector. This Government took public office knowing that we alone in the public sector cannot make things work; we need partners in the private sector. We set up the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) and the Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) early one because we knew what we wanted to achieve, and this is why we are where we are now. So, we commend ZAM for responding to the positive economic fundamentals by lowering prices, and we urge other businesses to do the same. We noticed that retailers in compounds are not responding. Where retailers are ordering goods, prices have come down. So, they too must respond by lowering prices of goods that have been lowered by suppliers and producers.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, national values and principles are an embodiment of who we are as a people. Our national character and policy choices are firmly anchored on these values and principles. They are not isolated; they are the bedrock. They are the fundamental framework that we work with. As such, notwithstanding the tremendous progress we have made together, we have more work to do ahead. This House needs to know that we are only beginning. We have a lot more work to do ahead of us.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, what we have done so far was the most difficult. Such as what? Such as debt restructuring. It is very complicated. Such as what? Macro stability and Fiscal consolidation. Right? What else? Getting to work on the exchange rate regime. Please, all of us are salesmen for our country. When we promote Zambia, we must know that it has no exchange controls. I was at the Mining Indaba two weeks ago and I challenged the full House when giving a keynote speech. At the end of the speech, I said that Zambia is ahead of others in the business operating environment. I said: “I want one hand raised in this hall to tell us that they live in a country on this continent where there are no exchange controls.”  Not a single hand was raised. Let us sell this asset. Let us promote this country. All of us. It does not matter whether one is an Opposition or Independent hon. Member, let us put the country first.

Interruptions

The President: Madam Speaker, the country must come first.

Madam Speaker, I want to say again that, notwithstanding the tremendous progress we have made together, not only us, we have more work to do ahead of us. Let us not derail this trajectory because of personal interest, party interest or other isms. Let us work together. We all have a duty to turn our national values and principles into action from a place of love, with deep care for our people and the nation's well-being at all times.

Madam Speaker, this year, on Thursday, 13^th August, 2026, the country will hold general elections.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: We ask every Zambian to rise to the highest standard of patriotism, integrity and peaceful coexistence before, during and after elections.

Madam Speaker, as citizens, we must reject all forms of violence. We must all say no to hate speech. No one should hide in a foreign country and push hate speech and lies on our social media platforms. No one should create that environment and make investors think that there is trouble in Zambia; that there is fire all over. We are working on it slowlybecause our country's interest comes first. One cannot have personal interests perched somewhere outside our jurisdiction, sending falsehoods and allowing our children to consume hate messages. It is not right. We must all work together on this issue. Some of these colleagues are known to us. Let us just tell them, “Mm, tekanya first”. I am saying that such people should slow down and be responsible. Our beloved country is more important than anything. This is all we have in this country.

Madam Speaker, as we ask every Zambian to rise to the highest standard of patriotism, integrity and peaceful coexistence before, during and after elections, we ask for personal commitment to this issue. Elections are a democratic process, but, ultimately, we want the country to remain stable and secure, so that we can focus on development. We may be unhappy about one or two things, but let us deal with those issues. Let us not destroy the country. As citizens, we must reject all forms of violence. We must all say no to hate speech. We all must abhor cybercrimes. We must reject divisive politics. These vices have absolutely no place in our society. We, therefore, call upon all political actors once again, all candidates and supporters of these candidates, civil society, the Church, which is the body of Christ, where we should all go for counselling, our traditional leaders, my friends, the students and the youth, our children, the media and all citizens to demonstrate the highest level of restraint, respect and responsibility as we head towards the polls. We call upon every citizen to contribute towards the realisation of greater national unity for development, as we reiterate our commitment to delivering and moving Zambia forward. Together, we have responsibilities.

Hon. Member: Forward!

The President: Yes!

We call upon every citizen to abide by our guiding principle: One Zambia, One Nation, one people.

Hon. Government Members: One leader!

The President: I shall repeat that: One Zambia, One nation, one people.

Hon. Government Members: One leader!

Interruptions

The President: Madam Speaker, I want to say to your hon. Members, mwimbepesha iyo.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Meaning!

The President: I am only saying, do not get me into –

Laughter

The President: Madam Speaker, we love our people, we care for our people and, therefore, we remain focused on delivery, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … so that we can improve the wellbeing of the citizens of this country, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: … across the whole country, and I think we have demonstrated that.

Madam Speaker, may the good Lord, our God, bless us all.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: May the good Lord, our God, bless us with continued peace, security and stability for development and prosperity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, may the good Lord, our God, bless our beautiful country, Zambia.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The President: Madam Speaker, I thank you for your kind attention.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Ema President aba!

The President left the Assembly Chamber.

Madam Speaker took the Chair.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Somebody is saying, “Job finishi”.

Laughter

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

The Vice-President (Dr Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that at its rising today, the House adjourns until Tuesday, 24^th February, 2026.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the House and, indeed, on my own behalf, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for the speech that he has delivered on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Madam Speaker, I have no doubt that the House will agree with me that the President has raised a number of important issues that require serious and careful analysis by all of us. Consequently, I am of the view that the House should rise now so that hon. Members have ample time to study and analyse the speech, and reflect on the important issues that the President has raised before hon. Members add their voices to the debate on the Motion on the speech. This will enable hon. Members to make meaningful contributions during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address starting on Tuesday, 24^th February, 2026.

Madam Speaker, this is a procedural Motion. I, therefore, request all hon. Members to support it.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mrs Sabao (Chikankata): Madam Speaker, allow me to put on record my sincere gratitude for this opportunity you have accorded me to support the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President on the occasion of the address to Parliament by the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Mr Amutike: Quality!

Mrs Sabao: Madam Speaker, I fully support the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President on the House adjourning now to accord hon. Members ample time to digest and critically analyse the speech so that when we come back to the House next week, we will be fully prepared to debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Quality!

The Vice-President: Madam Speaker, I am very grateful to the House for its unanimous support of this Motion.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT

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

Mr B. Mpundu: Namupopoka!

Laughter

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1125 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 24^th February, 2026.

____________