Tuesday, 24^th February, 2026

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received communication to the effect that in the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other Government Business, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Hon. Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Tuesday, 24^th February, 2026, until further notice.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

VISITORS FROM NKEYEMA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of two members of the public from Nkeyema Parliamentary Constituency in Nkeyema District.

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

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM CHAINDA COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND LIFT UP ACADEMY SCHOOL

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils and teachers from Chainda Community School in Lusaka District, and Lift Up Academy School in Chibombo District.

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

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

VIRTUAL SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the last announcement is on housekeeping. I wish to inform the House that, with immediate effect, any hon. Member who has been granted permission to attend Sittings of the House virtually shall be required at the commencement of each Sitting to stand while his or her camera is switched on during the singing of the National Anthem.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: This requirement is intended to uphold the dignity and decorum of the proceedings of this House, and to ensure that all hon. Members, whether physically present or attending virtually, accord the National Anthem the respect it duly commands.

I trust that hon. Members will observe this directive accordingly.

I thank you.

URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR KAFWAYA, HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LUNTE, ON THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR SYAKALIMA, ON PAYING THE STUDENTS IN KITWE

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, my Urgent Matter without Notice is directed at the hon. Minister of Education, who is among us today.

“We paid all students who went to welcome HH in Kitwe, says NORTEC principal.”

Madam Speaker, on the Copperbelt, there have been serious problems and it is alleged that students are burning T-shirts and causing confusion, and they are claiming that they were not paid as they were promised, when they went to welcome the President. However, according to The Diggers newspaper of today, the principal of Northern Technical College (NORTEC) has confirmed that all the students who went to welcome the President were paid. I am not sure if it is according to the promise.

Madam Speaker, can the hon. Minister of Education confirm whether there is a special allowance, which now exists in the tertiary education, for welcoming the President so that students across the country are sure that each time they are released to go and welcome the President, they will be paid a specific allowance as was the case at NORTEC, as confirmed by the principal.

Madam Speaker, I seek your indulgence.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Member for Lunte. The matter that you have raised does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice.

Mr Syakalima rose.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister of Education wants to say something since there have been serious allegations. However, there will be no questions after that.

 Hon. PF Members: Ah!

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, if hon. Members want, they can ask questions.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I know that is not their privilege, but yours.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Minister, you may proceed because you want to clear the air and people out there are listening.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I have to clear the air. They are refusing to accept what obtained that side.

 

Madam Speaker, I was with some hon. Ministers in Kitwe. Hon. Mweetwa and this one (pointed at Mr Nkandu) were there. The President did not invite himself to the Copperbelt. It is the students who invited him and the Copperbelt Students Union was at the event. Students from the Northern Technical College (NORTEC) were also at that event and they spoke on stage. Please, let us not use this as political capital.

Madam Speaker, some people believe that it is true that students were paid. There was nothing like paying –

Mr Kafwaya: The principal has confirmed.

Mr Syakalima: No, listen. Just listen to me. You were not there. You are asking the Minister of Education, and I am now responding to you.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, first of all, how do you invite a Head of State and think that you will be paid? Anyway, we pay the students meal allowances every month.

Mr Nkandu: Which the Patriotic Front (PF) removed.

Mr Syakalima: Which they removed. So, can we clear this. Please, also –

Interruptions

Mr Syakalima: Listen to me, hon. Member for Nakonde. You are my brother.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Simumba: Awe!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Minister, let me just give guidance.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Can we have order.

Hon. Members, according to our Standing Orders, you know that the information that we give on the Floor of the House should be factual and verifiable. This idea of relying on information on social media or in newspapers …

 

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: … – Let me finish – when you have no facts, you were not there and you do not know what the truth is, amounts to speculation and is definitely out of order.

Hon. Member for Lunte, you raised a question. As a result of that question, I used my discretion to allow the hon. Minister of Education to clear the air on the allegations you have made. So, let us listen to the hon. Minister as he responds to your questions.

Hon. Minister, you may continue.

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, first of all, the issue was inadmissible. However, I begged you to allow me to answer the question, as this is what our hon. Colleagues do. Even if they are told that an issue is inadmissible, the word would have already spread. Then, the Government looks vulnerable by not responding to the allegations that are made. The President was invited by a consortium of students, and I mean a consortium.

Mr Simumba: It is on social media (Raised his cellular phone)!

Mr Syakalima: Do not even say that. You cannot say that to me. You are showing me your cellular phone. I also have a cellular phone. Okay (Raised his cellular phone).

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: So, it is your word versus mine. I am the Minister of Education, and I know what is prevailing.

Madam Speaker, for over four years, we have fed children in universities. The President returned the meal allowance, which the previous Government had cancelled. More than 4 million children are fed today. So, then, how can somebody question me by saying that we never paid the students the allowances? How much would it even cost anyway, if that is the case? For four years, we have spent billions and billions. They, as the previous Government, appropriated the money themselves for meal allowances.

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

Mr Syakalima: You did that. Do not even say, “Point of­”.

Mkushi, no.

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, these people must be told to their faces. I think, they are now in trouble because yesterday, as we were feeding four million children across the country, they felt the pinch, and the day before yesterday, students said that they have endorsed the President. If students think that they can easily do that, it is their right. Okay? So, this is why they are not happy, and they want to bring it up this way.

In fact, Madam Speaker, I just came here, to this House, while I was on my way to launch another project at the students’ hostels at Mulungushi University. Okay. (Mr Syakalima used pointing gestures)

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Mr Syakalima: So, you want me to be pointing at you rather than the Hon. Speaker? You are not in charge.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Syakalima: Madam Speaker, I think that they planned this.

You can make all the noise. I am not deterred as the Minister of Education. That I can tell you.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Syakalima: You must be told in your kanongobility, if you think that way. Okay.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Syakalima: You will never, you will never, and I am saying that you will never.

Mr Kampyongo, Mr Simumba and Mr Sampa rose.

Mr Syakalima: You can all stand up, if you like. You know what happened there (pointed at Mr Mwambazi). You were with us. Did we coerce anybody? No.

Anyone else?

Mr Kapyanga: Finshi balelandapo aba?

Mr Syakalima: You know what I am talking about. This is English. You are uneducated. It is English.

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Mr Syakalima: He told me –

Mr Kapyanga interjected.

 Mr Syakalima: He asked a question. Just sit down.

Madam Speaker, I think –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, let us have some order.

Hon. Member for –

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

Madam Speaker: I have not called on you, hon. Member for Lunte. Please, resume your seat.

Hon. Members, you are in the habit of bringing up controversial issues on the Floor of the House, and when a response is made by the other side, you do not even want to listen, but want to react. That is not the democracy that we fought for. Democracy is about you asking your question, and when an answer is given, you listen to it. You are not supposed to be shouting while the other person is talking. It does not display order and dignity in the House. We are not upholding order that way.

Mr Kafwaya interjected.

Madam Speaker: Even now, hon. Member for Lunte, you are engaging me from where you are seated. What Standing Order are you using to engage me from where you are seated? We are coming to the end of the term of this Assembly. Let us finish in harmony.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Yes, let us respect one another. Also, the official language here, in this House, is English. If I start speaking Mbunda, would you understand what I am saying?

Hon. PF Members: Yes!

Mr Simumba: You would translate!

Madam Speaker: No. That is not the rule here.

Mr Munsanje: Masholi!

Madam Speaker: You see. Start speaking your languages, and we will listen. When you are done, then, we will proceed.

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker stopped talking, and hon. Members became quiet.

Madam Speaker: Now that we have some semblance of order, we can make progress.

Hon. Member for Nakonde, you may proceed.

We are still on Urgent Matters without Notice.

MR SIMUMBA, HON. MEMBER FOR NAKONDE, ON MR MWIIMBU, SC., HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, ON THE ARREST OF TONSE ALLIANCE MEMBERS

Mr Simumba (Nakonde): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised by the hon. Member for Nakonde.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, I want to correct my elder brother, who is the hon. Minister of Education, on the fact that the principal …

Madam Speaker: Order!

Mr Simumba: … of the Northern Technical College (NORTECH)­ –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Nakonde!

 We are on Urgent Matters without Notice. Raise your matter.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker –

Madam Speaker: Wait, I am still giving guidance.

Raise your matter. If you have none, give the next person a chance.

 What is your Urgent Matter without Notice, hon. Member for Nakonde?

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, the matter I would like to raise is directed at the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, sixteen members of the Tonse Alliance were arrested while they were gathered in a room on Saturday, even though the Public Order Act excludes such. These members, especially those who support the candidature of Hon. Brian Mundubile, the incoming President of the Republic, were arrested.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, they were arrested, even though they were gathered in a room, and yet the United Party for National Development (UPND) members who were gathered in public in Kabwe, when endorsements were being done, were not arrested. I want to know whether the unlawful assembly crime is only applicable to opposition members, especially those who support Hon. Brian Mundubile.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious attention on this matter.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Nakonde, that matter definitely does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice. We are not a commission of enquiry to start enquiring into who did what and who was arrested for what. If you have a complaint, you know the authorities to complain to. So, that matter is not admitted.

MR SING’OMBE, HON. MEMBER FOR DUNDUMWEZI, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MR MTOLO, ON THE DELIVERY OF FARMING INPUTS

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Sing’ombe: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. My Urgent Matter without Notice is seeking the attention of the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

Madam Speaker, firstly, I thank the ministry for paying all the farmers in Dundumwezi Constituency. However, in certain cases, K400 was deducted from some farmers for them to qualify as beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). A number of them, however, did not benefit from the programme. May I know their fate. Will they be refundedorbe given inputs, since the Government’s policy is that there is no planting season, and that every day is planting season? Can the farmers go to the agro-dealers and get their inputs?

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much.

Hon. Member for Dundumwezi, I suggest that you file in a question since the matter is urgent and  relates to farmers and the delivery of inputs. You can file in an urgent question, which the hon. Minister of Agriculture can address, as the matter does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice.

We make progress.

_______

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 HEALTH ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

The Minister of Information and Media, and Acting Minister of Health (Mr Mweetwa): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement relating to the ministry where I am Acting Minister.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr J. Chibuye: Injection!

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, with your greatest indulgence, allow me, on behalf of your hon. Members of Parliament, to thank the Catholic Church in Chifubu who hosted your hon. Members to a prayer session on Sunday and were led, privileged so, by the Head of State, President Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Sampa: You are now politicking!

Mr Mweetwa: It shows that despite divergent views, we are partners in national governance and national development.

Mr Kapyanga: Question!

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, those who attended the event included hon. Members from both sides of the aisle, which is a good sign that this House is united.

Madam Speaker, allow me to also thank the students from the Copperbelt University (CBU) who hosted His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema and attended the event in thousands. As former President of the University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU), I witnessed, for the first time, student union leaders endorsing a President of the State. It shows that the President is a working President and a friend of the students. Ordinarily, students do not endorse a President unless he/she has gone beyond reproach in excellence of service delivery to the nation and to themselves.

Interruptions

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you most sincerely for according me the opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement to this august House on health issues of public health concern.

Madam Speaker, this Ministerial Statement will begin by updating the House on the confirmed detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) from an environmental sample collected in Lusaka District. This will be followed by an update on the cholera situation and will conclude with the update on the availability of medicines and medical supplies in the country, and the measures that have been put in place to curb the pilferage of medicines and medical supplies in the public health sector.

Madam Speaker, on 16^th February, 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Reference Laboratory in South Africa, communicated the confirmed detection through the National Polio Virology Laboratory at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) of the positive isolation of the polio virus from a sample that was sent from Zambia. The sample was collected from Manchinchi Sewerage Treatment Plant in Lusaka on 29^th December, 2025, as part of the Environmental Waste Water Surveillance to provide early detection of the virus in the community. The sample was transported to South Africa for initial laboratory testing and sequencing, where the confirmation of the virus was done. The laboratory also established that the isolated virus from Lusaka was closely matched to the virus circulating in Namibia and linked to the ongoing outbreak in Angola.

Madam Speaker, Zambia last detected an indigenous wild form of polio virus in 1995, but has been periodically recording some polio virus cases, with the last notification before this one recorded on 19^th December, 2023. This form of polio virus emerges when a weakened form of the virus normally present in the routine or oral vaccines circulates in under-immunised communities and undergoes genetic mutations, reverting to a form capable of causing infection, paralysis, and death. This occurs mainly in settings where vaccination coverage is insufficient to interrupt virus transmission. Children who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated are most at risk and get infected by taking contaminated water and food.

Madam Speaker, I wish to assure this House and the nation that as of today, there are no confirmed clinical cases of paralysis from polio virus in Zambia. The detection through the Environmental Wastewater Surveillance system confirms that the virus is being shed in our communities.

Madam Speaker, this detection of the circulating poliovirus occurs within a broader regional outbreak. On 11^th February, 2026, the WHO Africa Regional Office (WHO-AFRO) notified Southern African countries of two confirmed cases of the virus in Malawi, one from an environmental sample and one from a seven-year-old child, both linked to circulating viruses in Harare, Zimbabwe. Our close links and free cross-border movement shared challenges in reaching all children with protective vaccine emphasises the need for strong cross-border collaboration in enhancing public health security.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Health and the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), has moved with urgency to contain this outbreak. The following actions are therefore being implemented:

Declaration of Outbreak

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health has officially declared a new outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in Zambia as required under the International Health Regulations.

Incident Management

Madam Speake, a poliovirus type 2 (PV2) incident management system has been constituted to co-ordinate the national response.

Field Investigation

Madam Speaker, a risk assessment and detailed field investigation is underway to ascertain potential community transmission.

Enhanced Surveillance

Madam Speaker, Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance and Environmental Wastewater Surveillance have been intensified across high-risk provinces to detect any further spread.

Vaccination Campaigns

Madam Speaker, the ministry will work in collaboration with the WHO-AFRO to conduct vaccination campaigns using the novel Oral Polio Vaccine targeting all children under the age of five in identified risk areas.

Madam Speaker, I wish to reiterate that the Government, working closely with co-operating partners under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, remains fully committed to protecting every Zambian child from poliovirus. The early detection of this virus through our surveillance systems demonstrates the effectiveness of our early warning systems and the need for us to enhance access to immunisation services for all children across the nation.

Update on Cholera

Madam Speaker, Zambia has been responding to a cholera outbreak first detected on 5^th August, 2025, in Mpulungu District of the Northern Province. Since then, twenty districts across eight provinces have reported cases. Luapula Province and the Eastern Provinces have remained free of confirmed cholera cases throughout this period. As of 23^rd February, 2026, the country has recorded a cumulative total of 957 cholera cases and twenty deaths. Ten deaths occurred in health facilities and ten in community settings, underscoring the continued importance of early symptom recognition and prompt care seeking.

Madam Speaker, the cholera outbreak has evolved over time and across geography. The Northern Province, particularly Mpulungu District, remains the epicentre, accounting for about 70 per cent of all reported cases. Transmission in this region has been prolonged, with periods of decline followed by resurgences, including a second wave in Mpulungu. These patterns reflect residual environmental contamination, crossborder population movement, fishing-related activities and persistent gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene. From November 2025, transmission shifted southwards and became more centralised with outbreaks detected in Monze District and later in Lusaka Province. This reflects the urban and peri-urban spread linked to population mobility, informal settlements and sanitation challenges. While several districts have met the twenty-eight-day zero-reporting threshold, Lusaka Province is now the primary focus of transmission, with low level, geographically widespread sporadic cases across multiple sub-districts and health facilities.

Madam Speaker, in the last twenty-four hours, four new cholera cases were reported in Lusaka District. The Government, through the Ministry of Health with its partners, has recently deployed and administered three doses of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to the at-risk population living in Chainda Compound in Lusaka, to supplement other high-level interventions to combat the outbreak. Dose 1 targeted 35,700 eligible population, of which 35,395, which translated into 99.1 per cent, were reached. Out of the 35,395 population that received the first dose, 32,987, which translated into 93.2 per cent, were reached with Dose 2, while 32,474, which translated into 99 per cent) of those who received Dose 2) received the third and final dose. Efforts are underway to administer three doses to community members who did not receive the vaccines during the campaign period.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health will continue to promote the following:

Practice Hygiene

Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating, preparing food, or after using the toilet.

Handle Food Safely

Cook food properly, keep it covered, and wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

Clean Surroundings

Keep your environment clean and dispose of waste in designated areas.

Avoid Unsafe Food

Do not consume food from unauthorised or unsanitary vendors.

Seek Medical Care Promptly

Visit the nearest health facility immediately, if symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting develop. Avoid self-administered medication.

Madam Speaker, despite these public health and livelihood threats, our disease surveillance systems remain fully active. Indicator-based and event-based surveillance systems are functioning nationwide, actively monitoring the situation and informing our multi-sectoral emergency preparedness and response. In addition, all the health facilities in affected districts remain operational. Outpatient attendance is stable, with no service disruptions reported and no surge in flood-related communicable diseases. However, access to healthcare services remains limited in some isolated areas, particularly parts of Chama District, where flooded rivers continue to hinder outreach and rapid assessments. These challenges are being addressed through coordinated district and provincial actions. I urge all citizens to stay alert, follow public health guidance and seek healthcare early. The Government will continue to work closely with communities, health workers and partners to protect lives and safeguard the nation's health.

Madam Speaker, may I now update the House on the availability and accessibility of medicines and medical supplies in public health facilities countrywide, and the measures taken to safeguard them against pilferage.

Madam Speaker, essential medicines, vaccines and medical supplies are critical to the delivery of quality healthcare. It is, therefore, the Government’s commitment, through the Ministry of Health, to ensure commodity security, a situation where essential and life-saving healthcare commodities are consistently available and accessible. Availability of essential medicines at primary healthcare is at 92 per cent, while in hospitals it is, on average, at 80 per cent. This is an improvement as compared to the availability that was achieved in September, 2025, of 90 per cent and 78 per cent in primary healthcare and hospitals, respectively. These achievements are attributable to yearly increased budgetary allocation for procurement of medicines and medical supplies of K6.4 billion in 2026, improved procurement efficiency and improved supply chain management.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, is committed to ensuring accessibility of healthcare commodities by all Zambians wherever they are and prevent pilferage of these commodities. In order to curb pilferage, multi-agency taskforces have been established at every level of the healthcare system. To ascertain accessibility of the commodities by clients and patients, a survey on medicines access was conducted countrywide in December 2025. The report is yet to be published as data analysis is ongoing.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to inform this august House and the nation at large, that the Ministry of Health will hold a Public Open Day within the first quarter of 2026. This important occasion will provide an opportunity for members of the public as well as stakeholders to engage directly with the various arms of the Ministry of Health. The Public Open Day is designed to foster inclusivity, transparency and accountability in the delivery of health services thereby, improving positive public perception and increasing publicity on the services provided by the ministry.

 Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, Acting hon. Minister of Health.

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

Mr Mutale (Chitambo): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the timely statement that he has presented to the House.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that samples from the Manchinchi Drainage were taken to South Africa. Is the hon. Minister telling this nation that we do not have the infrastructure in Zambia, where such investigations can be carried out and results given?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, the situation regarding the current regional outbreak of polio has to be co-ordinated at the regional level, hence, the need to verify the presence of the type II polio virus at the regional office in South Africa.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask the Acting hon. Minister of Health a supplementary question. I also thank the Acting hon. Minister for the timely Ministerial Statement that he just issued.

Madam Speaker, polio is a deadly disease, which if left unchecked, can have serious effects on our communities, especially the young ones. In the Ministerial Statement, the hon. Minister has indicated that the Government will only carry out vaccinations in areas where polio is highly suspected. Does the hon. Minister not think that it will be ideal for the Government to carry out the vaccination everywhere because of the nature of human beings? Even as I speak, there are movements taking place in the affected areas. So, there could be a high chance of people in suspected polio-affected areas going to other parts of the country. Does the hon. Minister not think that it will be ideal to have the vaccination carried out countrywide?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for that very good question.

Madam Speaker, the question gives me an opportunity to clarify that even as we talk about the polio outbreak in the region, in Zambia, there is no known case of any human being found with the polio virus, and I ask hon. Members to underline that. What has been found in the sewer waters at Manchinchi is a virus, which indicates, therefore, that it is actively present, but no human being has been detected with the polio virus so far.

Madam Speaker, because of the nature in which this outbreak has been reported, health experts have advised that vaccinations be conducted as a preventative measure, and not a curative measure, in the areas that are proximate to the countries that are affected by polio. That is the situation. In addition, health personnel target a problem. They do not go wholesale even where a problem does not exist.

Madam Speaker, I would also like to indicate that at the national level, the vaccination for polio is an ongoing routine programme. It is not just a response to this issue. However, this issue is being given specific attention because there can be recurrence even in communities that have already been vaccinated. There can be a resurgence if left unchecked, hence, the need to target the areas, which I referred to in the statement as risk areas. So, as we stand, there is no emergency for us to prompt us to begin a wholesale nationwide vaccination. However, routine vaccination is already ongoing at the national level.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, thank you so much.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, before I pose a supplementary question to the hon. Minister, allow me to place on record my sincere concern. I heard the hon. Minister acknowledge that the students –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Shiwang’andu!

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Madam Speaker: Let me give guidance.

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, we have closed that chapter. We do not want to open it. So, just ask your question on a point of clarification. Do not comment on what happened when the hon. Member for Lunte asked the hon. Minister of Education a question. We want to proceed in order.

May you continue.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I hope you will give me an opportunity, just like the hon. Minister was given an opportunity, but for now, I will pose a question to the hon. Minister.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister gave us an update on the stock levels of essential medicines in hospitals, but we have continued to receive reports from our citizens who go to hospitals that they are not able to get most of the essential medicines, and that medical staff have also been instructed to not issue prescriptions to patients so that they do not show the alarming status of the lack of essential medicines. Further, there is also a lack of oxygen, which is causing patients to be turned away from surgical operations at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). Furthermore, we hear that the suppliers of oxygen are not being paid by the ministry. If the status the hon. Minister is giving us is what is obtaining, where is the challenge?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Hon. Kampyongo, for bringing that question to the fore, which gives me an opportunity to correct this misnomer about the shortage of medicines in our health facilities.

Madam Speaker, I would like to answer his question in the following terms. Firstly, there is a lot of misinformation out there due to the abuse of social media, where anyone without empirical and authentic information channels out information and says that at such a health facility, there is a shortage of medicines, yet when we go on the ground and verify with the official records, what we find is contrary to what is being said.

Two days ago, you might have seen some controversy around the same, as the people who posted about those alleged shortages failed to substantiate their claims. It is for that reason, that is, misinformation and disinformation, sometimes, even, unfortunately, political reasons, that the Ministry of Health thought of coming up with the Ministry of Health open day for members of the public to interact directly with the ministry to get facts as they obtain and to also know where they can access information relevant for their knowledge.

Madam Speaker, President Hakainde Hichilema has made it possible, through the access to information law, which was passed in 2023, for anybody who wants information from public offices to find out. I am concerned that this senior hon. Member of Parliament has said “We hear …” when he knows that this House does not entertain hearsay or innuendos.

Hon. Government Member: To talk about social deviants!

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I would have expected the hon. Member to adduce evidence arising out of facts obtained on the ground. Nonetheless, in the second limb, I would like to answer my good friend, the Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu, Hon. Kampyongo.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, sometimes, shortages are recorded because a 100 per cent record cannot be attained at a health facility, as stocks are consumed throughout, unless a hospital is closed and a stock take is done, as it is done at a pharmacy or shop. That is the only time one can ask why the stock levels, which are at a particular percentage, are not at 100 per cent. Otherwise, stocks are consumables, and perishables in certain instances, as in the case my friend, Hon. Kampyongo, has referred with regards to oxygen. Sometimes, stock is still in transit, and someone quickly reports a shortage. Otherwise, the Government, and the ministry, is on top of things and ensuring that life-saving medicines and medical supplies are in ready supply. This is the situation as it obtains on the ground.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Sampa: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, just to place it on record, whenever I, on behalf of the people of Matero, ask questions, it means I have done thorough research. Even after the question is answered, and I walk out, it means –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon Member for Matero!

Let me give guidance. The question of whether or not you have done sufficient research will come out as you ask your question. Ask the question.

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, I was just saying that when I am out, I am at the library researching more on questions.

Madam Speaker, in the years between 2017 and 2021, when the local council was controlled by the then-ruling Patriotic Front (PF), under President Edgar Lungu, and the able Mayor at the time, there were no reports of any waterborne diseases in the City of Lusaka.

Madam Speaker: Who was the able Mayor? You are not disclosing all the facts.

Mr Sampa: Yours truly, Madam Speaker, Emmanuel Bwalya Miles Sampa, speaking.

Madam Speaker, there were zero reports of typhoid or dysentery. Now there are reports of dysentery among little children in schools. Those diseases break out due to a lack of sensitisation for the 2.2 million people of the city on cleanliness, and there is no proper cleaning of the city. Now, the hon. Minister is issuing reports of unheard of diseases like typhoid, and cholera has been recurrent since 2021. Is the failure to keep Lusaka City clean an indictment on this Government, and its control of the Lusaka City Council (LCC)?

Madam Speaker: Do you have anything to lay on the table, or is the research still in the scope?

Acting hon. Minister, you may proceed.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Miles Sampa, Member of Parliament for Matero, for that well-curated platform for me to respond to him in the following terms.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, firstly, there is no evidence of research in that question. Under the former Administration of the Patriotic Front (PF), cholera was an annual disease, save for the year 2019 when there was a drought. When there is a drought, there is little water, which is the vector that gives rise to the spread of waterborne diseases. Maybe, that is the only year he can referr to. Outside that, cholera was a yearly ceremony with limited interventions.

Laughter

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, without stretching the argument, I can say that from 2021, the able Mayor, as he then was, but is now an hon. Member of Parliament, …

Hon. Government Member: Who failed even!

Mr Mweetwa: … has been one of those hon. Members of Parliament from the PF dominating the Lusaka City Council (LCC). Also, the current Mayor of Lusaka is from the same political party and is cut from the same cloth as the former Mayor. The job of sensitising citizens on public health concerns is a preserve and mundane obligation of the local council. So, some of the members of that local council, particularly, those who then were, but are no longer, and now occupy other dispositions, have been a total let down. If they had succeeded, assuming that was the truth, they would now be in a higher position to contribute even more.

Madam Speaker, I thank Hon. Sampa for bringing humour to this House.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker –

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

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kapyongo: Madam Speaker, my point of order is on my hon. Colleague, the Acting Minister of Health, who is also the Government Spokesperson.

Madam Speaker, our role, as the people’s representatives, is to ensure that the concerns of the people we represent are brought to the fore. We brought you some concerns at one point, and you were gracious enough to assign your Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services to verify the matters we lamented about on the ground. These were issues concerning the shortage of drugs, and the report that was brought to this House verified our concerns.

Madam Speaker, apart from being people's representatives, we also use the same facilities, the same hospitals. When I was posing my question, I was well informed. However, the hon. Minister opted to politicise and trivialise the matters that I raised.

Madam Speaker, the issue of oxygen supply in health facilities is a matter of life and death. There are people whose operations have been rescheduled because of –

Mr Nkandu interjected.

 Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, you need to discipline some of these hon. Colleagues. That is why teti tuwine na bola ifi.

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Just raise your point of order.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker –

Madam Speaker: Order!

I am still guiding.

Hon. Member for Shiwag’andu, raise your point of order. Do not debate the point of order. What is the breach that has been occasioned by the Acting hon. Minister of Health? You may proceed.

Hon. Members, please, can we also listen to the point of order without interruption.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, was the hon. Minister, in order to avoid responding to the question I posed to him? Instead, he gave responses that did not speak to what is obtaining on the ground. If the hon. Minister is not sure, because he normally depends on the technocrats, I would urge him to visit some of these facilities and see for himself what is obtaining on the ground.

Madam Speaker, was the hon. Minister in order to ignore my question?

Madam Speaker: Thank you very much, hon. Member for Shiwang’andu. The issue that you keep on raising, about the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services, happened four years ago. I think, you even said the same last week, and I guided that the issue happened three or four years ago. There has been no study done to verify –

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

No study has been undertaken to ascertain the state of medicines in our hospitals. I was expecting that, as hon. Members raise this issue, they would be able to lay some evidence on the Table of the House so that the hon. Minister does not start speculating when answering the question or the hon. Member does not start speculating when trying to ask the question.

Hon. Members, our Standing Orders are very clear. An issue raised on the Floor of the House must be factual and verifiable. From the tone of the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, as he asked his question, there was no conviction, in my view. There was no conviction in that question. So, hon. Members, when we ask questions, let us have facts. The hon. Member for Shiwang’andu has not presented any facts to support his point of order. He was also debating and rendering advice to the Acting hon. Minister of Health. I would suggest that you find time over tea break to chat with the hon. Minister if you want to give advice so that we can make progress.

The hon. Member for Mbabala may continue.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, thank you, and I also thank the Acting hon. Minister of Health for that very progressive and informative statement.

 Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister talked about the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in the country, and I am very happy that under the New Dawn United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, it has received increased funding in line with the budget, from K206.8 million in 2025 to K270.9 million in 2026, which is an excellent improvement. This money is mostly going to the vaccine cold chain and other vaccine-related matters. With the discovery that the hon. Minister has mentioned, is the ministry looking at allocating some money to improve the surveillance, monitoring and evaluation matters? These are also critical to ensuring that the national immunisation strategy remains on course and can help us detect and prevent such epidemics, as the hon. Minister indicated on this alert.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Mbabala for that particular submission.

Madam Speaker, my response would be to indicate that these are policy positions that the ministry would take after carefully studying how sustainable the Budget would be, should the ministry decide to go in that direction of consideration. So, things remain in situ as they are for now.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: I am informed that the hon. Member for Chilubi, who has joined us via Zoom, would like to ask a question.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister, the status of the oxygen plants that are at different hospitals, because oxygen supply is a critical component in ensuring that some of the health-related conditions are managed. What is the status of oxygen plants in different hospitals, such as in Ndola, Kabwe, and many other places? I ask this because the hon. Minister talked about transporting oxygen plants from one point to another.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, in the statement that I gave, I provided percentages relating to the availability of medicines, particularly. The issue the hon. Member is referring to concerns a particular supply, which is perishable.  For now, since he has just asked off the cuff, I may not be in a position to give him the answer he is seeking, as it would appear to me in the present circumstances to be a new question.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask a question to the Acting hon. Minister of Health.

Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister has indicated that there is an outbreak of cholera in some parts of our country, and gave the statistics in terms of admissions and, indeed, of those who died.

Madam Speaker, cholera is a very contagious disease and, as usual, the Ministry of Health tries to prepare itself in terms of the facilities. Therefore, I would want to find out whether the cases of cholera were treated as isolated cases or they were taken to the health facilities. In short, has the ministry identified the facilities that are supposed to handle those cholera cases, instead of mixing the cases in the health facilities that are not handling cholera issues?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Roan for that good question.

Madam Speaker, earlier on, I gave indications of the statistics of people who have died in our health facilities and those who have died in community settings. I think that I have the numbers somewhere here. For ease of reference, I need to give the hon. Member the actual numbers because last time when I did not answer him properly, the session extended to Parliament Motel. So, let me just look for the correct information.

Madam Speaker, all health facilities can handle cholera cases, isolation wards and bays are always put in place at health facilities. Perhaps, the hon. Member is referring to situations where a vast public place, like Independence Stadium, is opened for patients. Last time there was cholera, the Independence Stadium was opened for patients. It is at that level when the situation gets out of hand, when it is almost an emergency, that a vast public space is opened for patients. Ordinarily, as things stand, all health facilities are equipped to handle cholera situations.

Madam Speaker, I would also like to take advantage of the question to indicate to the hon. Member that, we have eleven patients in admission in Lusaka; eight in Munali sub-district and three in Kanyama.

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, I am scared that we might lose our hon. Minister. He is always in the constituency. I hope he is very safe in Mpulungu.

Madam Speaker, it is a known fact that Lusaka is one of the dirtiest cities in our country. Cholera has been a traditional ceremony in Lusaka and Mpulungu. The hon. Minister has presented statistics of people who have been vaccinated. Maybe, I missed something. I just want him to tell me the efforts that have been put into the vaccination programme in Mpulungu. The statistics he has given us are for Lusaka. I would like to find out if the same energy or effort has been put in the vaccination programme in Mpulungu, so that our people, including the hon. Minister for the Northern Province and fishermen, are safe and protected. We do not want to see the people of that area of the country dying. We have hon. Ministers from that area, like the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts.

Madam Speaker: The cousinship is extended.

The Acting hon. Minister of Health may respond.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member was asking a very good question, but at some point, I lost him. 

Madam Speaker, with your greatest indulgence, I ask that the hon. Member repeats his question, but he should be so succinct that I will be able to get it, because if he elongates, meanders, winds and wanders it, I will be left behind. I want to furnish this House with accurate information because that is why I am here.

Madam Speaker, could the hon. Member repeat the question so that I give correct information to this august House?

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Nyimba, please, repeat your question.

Mr Zulu: Madam Speaker, a lot of effort has been put in Lusaka, and we all know the reason is that the city is dirty. The cleanliness levels, especially in Kanyama and Soweto, have let us down. The system has let us down. I think that this issue has taken time. I want to know if the efforts that have been made to vaccinate people in Lusaka are also being made in Mpulungu, so that we save families in such small towns? Madam Speaker: That question was loaded. It even made the power go out.

Laughter

Madam Speaker: The Acting hon. Minister of Health may proceed.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member very much for asking the question succinctly.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Nyimba would like to find out if we are putting the same effort in Mpulungu. I was wondering what would constitute effort, so that I gauge whether we are putting the same effort in Lusaka and Mpulungu. The effort to put is determined by the severity and enormity of the task. As the hon. Member indicated, Lusaka is the dirtiest city. So, one would expect that beyond vaccination, the Zambia National Service (ZNS) will swing into action, for instance, to work on drainages. There will be interventions by the Government. The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation will erect water tanks and also, provide water bowsers to distribute clean and safe drinking water. That is because of what he referred to or characterised as Lusaka being the dirtiest city in Zambia. That is why that effort is deployed. You will find that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will also respond fully.

Madam Speaker, for a small town like Mpulungu, vaccination, which was duly conducted, is sufficient. Surely, should we take the ZNS to dig drainages in Mpulungu when we know that the major source of the disease in Mpulungu is fish trading, which can easily be controlled or banned? So, we would be asking for too much to expect the Government to deploy the same effort it deploys in Lusaka, which the hon. Member said is the dirtiest city. The Mpulungu situation is unique. Therefore, the response there will be restricted to the necessities required for Mpulungu, such as vaccination, which was done.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, in accordance with Standing Order No. 61(1), I have rearranged business on the Order Paper to allow the Acting hon. Minister of Health to respond to Question No. 216 before Question No. 209.

The hon. Member for Chinsali may proceed.

MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITIES CASES

216. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Health:

1. how many cases of maternal and infant mortalities were recorded in Chinsali District from 2022 to August 2025, year by year; 

1. what the causes of the mortalities were; and

1. what measures the Government is taking to reduce the mortality rates at (a).

 The Minister of Information and Media and Acting Minister of Health (Mr Mweetwa)): Madam Speaker, the answer is as follows:

 Number of Maternal Mortalities

 

 Year                                     2022           2023           2024           2025

 

Chinsali District                   7                 2                 2                 3

Hospital

 

Number of Infant Mortalities

 

Year                                      2022           2023           2024               2025

 

Chinsali District                   18               2                 1                     4

 

Madam Speaker, the common causes of maternal mortalities include:

1. bleeding mostly after birth and, in some instances, during labour and before;

1. delays in accessing health care because of late decision-making to take the mothers to the health facilities, long distances, poor road network, and the lack of mothers’ shelters for mothers to await delivery at the health facility;

1. raised blood pressure, in some cases, accompanied by fits;

1. heart diseases in pregnancy; and

1. other infections attendant to the patient.

Madam Speaker, the common causes of the infant mortality rate include:

1. being born prematurely;

1. malaria;

1. hypothermia, that is, the failure to keep babies warm; and

1. infections.

Madam Speaker, the measures the Government is taking to reduce the mortality rate include:

1. recruitment of more skilled health care workers to offer services;

1. improving the road network by leveraging on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF);

1. construction of maternity annexes to ensure mothers are brought closer to the facilities to await delivery;

1. procurement of ambulances for quick referral of maternity cases, which has helped a lot;

1. recruitment of polyvalent community-based volunteers who are a link between the communities and the health facilities as far as primary health care is concerned;

1. community engagement for community mobilisation; and

1. increased funding allocation for reproductive health programmes.

Madam Speaker, I thank you, and I thank the hon. Member for the question.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker, in the answer given by the hon. Minister, I have noticed that in 2022, the number of maternal mortalities and the number of babies who died was higher than in the other years. In 2022, eighteen infants died, then, in the other years, two, one and four. So, is there any specific reason the number was higher in 2022 compared to the other years?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, that question is issue-specific. How I wish the hon. Member had contemplated that there could be such variances. That way, we could have given medical responses, other than leaving me to the vagaries of assumption. I wish to say that the only perceivable reason, manifestly and patently self-evident to me when I look at these statistics is the fact that in 2022, the New Dawn Administration had just taken over a Government which had been poorly funding the health sector.

Madam Speaker, progressively, thereafter, the health sector budget began to increase. Our colleagues remember that in 2023, the New Dawn Administration under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema recruited 11,000 health workers. The health workers are now deployed. So, one can arrive at a very safe conclusion that that is the reason health care provision in our health facilities has improved. Recruitments, more funding, more equipment, and the ambulances that were bought using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) have contributed to improved health care provision. Going forward, we expect the mortalities to continue declining because the Government is responding to this challenge accordingly.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I heard the plan that the Government has to reduce mortalities during childbirth, and it sounds to be long-term. Are there any short-term plans the Government can put in place so that it can reduce childbirth mortality that has affected our country?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge, who is also known as Lenshina, for her question.

Laughter

Mr Nkandu: The independent President!

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, –

Madam Speaker: Since the hon. Member for Chienge is not protesting, I have nothing to say.

Laughter

Mr Mweetwa: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the measures the Government has put in place have already been enunciated as I indicated when responding to part (c) of the question. For the avoidance of doubt, they have already been enunciated, elucidated and ventilated.

Laughter

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

Mr B. Mpundu: Efinshi ifyo?

Madam Speaker: Order!

 Hon. Member for Nkana, please, the official language here is English. Do not engage the hon. Minister in a language that you are not interpreting. Can you, please, use the English language so that everybody can hear.

 May the hon. Minister continue.

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, the measures that have been requested by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge have already been spelt out. The strategies are ongoing, and the short, medium, and long-term interventions have been spelt out. I would like to inform the Member for Chienge, ‘Hon. Lenshina’ that I can share this document with her immediately after this session, in case she was not clear about what I read out in part (c) of the question. 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: An invitation to treaty.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, when the hon. Minister was providing the answer to my substantive question, he indicated that among the measures that the Government is taking is the recruitment of health workers.

Madam Speaker, when the Government recruits health workers, for example nurses, at say Chilunda Health Facility, but because they are related to one or two Government officials, they just go and report for two days, then go somewhere else, resulting in there being no health workers to attend to patients at that health facility. This is the problem that we have been experiencing in rural areas where we come from. What is the ministry planning to do to address this problem?

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Chinsali for bringing that particular concern to the fore.

Madam Speaker, I will not be at variance with his observation because even President HH (Hakainde Hichilema) has acknowledged this problem. People apply for jobs in the Public Service, but once employed and deployed, many of them find that the conditions in the areas they are deployed to are not habitable. Therefore, they request for an early exit by alleging that they are married or sick, and need to be near a better health facility and so on and so forth.

Madam Speaker, the Government is aware of that existential problem to the extent that President Hakainde Hichilema has spoken about it. By the way, the problem is not limited and restricted to healthcare workers. It includes teachers and other professionals. Strangely, even soldiers do the same. Some call me asking to be transferred from Mushili Barracks to the Zambia Army in Choma, for example. That is what the country had become. It was a country of favours. That is why, under his able leadership, President Hakainde Hichilema has said that anyone who says that he or she cannot work in a given area upon reporting to the station after being employed in the public service must consider abdicating the job to another person, who is willing to serve citizens anywhere. However, before those extreme ends are reached, President Hakainde Hichilema has enhanced the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). When he addressed this House last week, he urged hon. Members to consider progressively allocating sufficient funds to the construction of facilities, such as houses with flushable toilets. I remember him talking about flushable toilets in Chienge, for instance. He said that a nurse who finds such a facility is likely to be attracted to stay in the area, and not request to leave. So, we must come together to resolve that problem. The Patriotic Front (PF) left that problem. So, hon. Colleagues might have an idea on how it can be unravelled and brought to normalcy, as they are the ones who created it.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

SEWERAGE SYSTEMS IN AREAS OF CHINSALI DISTRICT

209. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Water Development and Sanitation:

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct sewerage systems in the following areas in Chinsali District:

1. Mulyangolo;

2. Kabuta;

3. Seed Farm; and

4. Chandamali;

1. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

1. if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Water Development and Sanitation (Eng. Nzovu): Madam Speaker, before I answer the question, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for the many achievements he has made so far, such as free education, the School Feeding Programme, bumper harvests and peace and security.

Madam Speaker, in response to the question, I wish to inform this House that the Government has plans in the short-term to medium-term to construct, rehabilitate and expand the existing sewerage infrastructure in Chinsali District, including the currently unserved areas of Mulyangolo, Kabuta, Seed Farm and Chandamali. These interventions form part of the Government’s broader programme aimed at improving sanitation services, safeguarding public health and enhancing living conditions in urban and peri-urban areas.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company, has scheduled to undertake feasibility studies, detailed engineering designs and environmental and social assessments this year and next year. The outcomes of these preparatory activities will determine the technical scope, implementation phasing and financing requirements for the expansion of the sewerage networks, rehabilitation of waste treatment facilities, as well as the establishment of structured faecal sludge management systems and strengthened on-site sanitation systems. During this same period, the Government will prioritise resource mobilisation to support preparatory activities as well as the actual construction works.

Madam Speaker, as indicated above, the Government has plans to construct and rehabilitate the existing sewerage network to the new unserved areas of Chinsali District.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the Government has plans, of course, through the Chambeshi Water Supply and Sanitation Company, to undertake a feasibility study for the construction of a sewerage system for Mulyangolo, Kabuta, Chandamali and the other mentioned areas. He has also said that it will be done this year and next year. I want to know exactly when the utility company will undertake the feasibility study. Can he also confirm whether the water utility company has been financed accordingly to undertake that exercise.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, I can confirm that the Government has funded the water utility company to start the feasibility studies. I can also confirm that the preliminary feasibility studies have established that about K110 million is needed to set up a comprehensive system for Chinsali District. So, indeed, the Government has started the process. I am sure that the good people of Chinsali will be provided with a sewerage network.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, we are talking about the sewerage system in Chinsali District after houses have already been built. I will not talk about the old settlement areas, but Mulyangolo, which was quite recently established. Why is it that the ministry does not work in collaboration with the local authorities so that when land is allocated in a new area, the ministry ensures that sewerage lines are installed in advance? In most areas, people use septic tanks and other things they construct themselves. That is why diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, are common. So, why does the ministry not work in collaboration with local authorities to ensure that sewerage lines are installed before land is sold? By the time people start building, there should already be systems in place so that whenever a person builds a house, he or she connects to the sewerage line.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I want to confirm that my ministry works closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in providing public services.

Madam Speaker, the establishment of sewerage networks is an expensive venture. The ideal situation would have been that all the infrastructure, that is water, roads and sanitation facilities, is put in place before the establishment of localities. However, the localities have been in existence for a long time. We should talk about both old and new infrastructure. The Government is slowly and surely graduating the old infrastructure into structures that are connected to the main lines, as on-site sanitation services have been proven to contaminate groundwater.

Madam Speaker, the Government is also ensuring that it finds enough funding for sewerage networks in all the new areas where the good people of Chinsali District are establishing houses, so that they can find networks they can easily connect to. In short, just to confirm, my ministry works closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through that ministry’s various local authorities to ensure that there are elaborate systems that our people can connect to, and avoid water contamination and disease outbreaks, which come about because of contaminated water.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Chienge, I was almost closing on this question, to move to the next one.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, I am worried that the hon. Minister of Water Development and Sanitation referred to old structures, but I believe that in Zambia, most people want to own property, such as housing. Why can the ministry not develop a policy that no one is to be issued a plot that is not serviced? Otherwise, the situation will continue. The hon. Minister said that areas will be serviced when they find the money, but the money will never be enough or it may not be sourced today. Can the ministry introduce a Bill that will make the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development or the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources know that it can only allocate plots in places that are already serviced? We are talking about people’s lives. People end up drinking contaminated water.

Eng. Nzovu: Madam Speaker, the question from the hon. Member is a bit confusing. She requested the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation to come up with a Bill to compel the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development not to issue plots. I would advise that the question be directed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

PLANS TO HELP FARMERS AFFECTED BY THE DROUGHT IN KABUSHI

210. Mr Kanengo (Kabushi) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

1. whether the Government has any plans to help farmers in Kabushi Constituency who got loans under the Constituency Development Fund in 2023, to purchase farming inputs, but were affected by the drought during the 2023/2024 Farming Season;

1. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

1. if there are no such plans, why.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Sialubalo): Madam Speaker, the Government has no plans to pay or consider phasing out the loans that farmers got in the 2023/2024 Farming Season. This is because the Kafue Parliamentary Constituency needed to follow certain procedures in order to attend to natural disasters. Firstly, the farmers in Kabushi should have reported to the Satellite Disaster Management Committee (SDMCs) in their area, which in turn, would have reported to the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), headed by the District Commissioner (DC). Secondly, the DDMC would have reported to the Provincial Disaster Management Committee (PDMC), which would, in turn, have sent a report to the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC) under the Office of the Vice-President (OVP). Such a report would have been presented to the Committee of Ministers chaired by the Vice-President. The Committee of Ministers would have then made a resolution on the course of action. The Government, however, did not receive any report in accordance with this procedure. In the absence of this report, the Government cannot take any action.

Madam Speaker, currently, those farmers who are having challenges repaying their loans should contact the local authorities in their respective areas. This includes  those who got loans and ploughed back the money in farming or bought farming inputs, and  whoever got a loan under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and are having challenges,. They may be considered for negotiations on how to ease the payment modalities. All in all, loans need to be repaid.

I thank you, Madam Speaker

Mr Kanengo: Madam Speaker, the Ward Development Committee (WDC) and the Kabushi Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committee acted within the confines of the law in the selection of beneficiaries for the loans. The guidance they used is that the beneficiaries must be vulnerable but viable. We are very sure that the people of Kabushi, who lost money in the way they did, being vulnerable, cannot pay back. However, is the Ministry contemplating introducing a Bill to ensure that the CDF loans are insured?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, thank you so much and I also thank my colleague for that follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, basically, that is a double-edged sword. The hon. Member can move a Private Member’s Motion. There is no problem. He is here to enjoy those incentives.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I would like to say to the hon. Minister that the Government is there to provide leadership to its people. In 2023, there was a drought, and that  is a known fact to everyone. That is the reason the President declared the drought a national disaster. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development knew very well that there were some people in Zambia, who got loans and were going to invest in the farming business, but were affected by the drought. Why did they not take –

Mr Nkandu interjected.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts keeps on disturbing me, but he has stopped.

Laughter

Mr Mukosa: He has even made me lose my thought.

 Madam Speaker, it is a known fact that people who were given loans in 2023 to invest in farming experienced a drought. So, where does the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development expect people to get the money to repay the loans?  There is nowhere else they will get the money.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, thank you so much, and I also thank my dear colleague for that question.

Madam Speaker, in Zambia, we have two types of farming; rain-fed and winter farming. There is also a third one, which is farming in the wetlands. So, the Government would not know where the resources were channeled, whether they were used on rain-fed or wetland farming, because wetlands were there. In Sinazongwe, for example, there are farmers on the shores of the lake, who cultivate throughout the year. Even during the 2023/2024 drought, those who cultivated along the wetlands still harvested.

Madam Speaker, luckily, the hon. Member is also a leader. So, when such a situation arises, we need information from the leaders themselves, so that they can inform the Government exactly what type of farming was undertaken by the farmers who got loans. Thereafter, the Government can take it up.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for responding to these questions concerning the affected people in Kabushi Constituency. It is good that the hon. Minister has recognised that there is a problem in Kabushi, and he has given them comfort that should anyone be visited, or if anything happens, they can seek redress from the hon. Minister’s office or other offices.

Madam Speaker, given that situation, does the hon. Minister not think it is important or proper that he issues some kind of a memorandum, so that those people can be comforted that whatever may take place in future, there will be something in writing to protect them?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my dear hon. Colleague for his follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, let me put the record straight. I never said that those who got loans should not pay back. These are matters that we need to study case by case, because there are those who utilised the resources but just do not want to pay. Those are different. However, for those who were affected by a disaster, definitely, there is a laid down procedure which I read through. If the procedure was followed in 2023, and not now, definitely, something will happen. People will be considered. If they never followed the laid down procedure, we shall consider that they do not just want to pay back the loans.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Madam Speaker, I just want to reconfirm that one of the reasons the loans under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) have not been very effective in terms of performance is the monitoring and evaluation process in the CDF guidelines. Is the ministry considering introducing an effective tool for monitoring and evaluation of CDF loans after they are disbursed?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for the follow-up question.

Madam Speaker, indeed, the loans under the CDF have not performed very well when it comes to repayment. Those are the ideas we are receiving and we are taking them seriously. Such suggestions should be brought on board, as we embark on loan recovery and future loan disbursements.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

STAFF ESTABLISHMENT FOR AGRICULTURE EXTENSION OFFICERS IN CHINSALI

211. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

1. what the staff establishment for agriculture extension officers in Chinsali District was, as of October, 2025;

1. how many officers there were, as of the date above;

1. whether the number of officers above was adequate to ensure optimal performance; and

1. if not, when additional officers will be deployed to the district.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, the staff establishment for Agriculture Extension Officers in Chinsali District as of October 2025 was thirty-two.

Madam Speaker, there were thirty-two officers as of the above date, broken down as follows: four Agriculture Supervisors and twenty-eight Agriculture Assistants (Extension Officers).

Madam Speaker, the number of officers is insufficient to meet the demands of the district.

Madam Speaker, the ministry has requested for Treasury authority to recruit additional Extension Officers for 2026.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, considering that the hon. Minister has stated that the number of Agriculture Extension Officers in Chinsali is not adequate. I would like to find out the number we need to reach a point where we can say that we are comfortable with the number of Agriculture Extension Officers that we have.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, the establishment for Chinsali is thirty-two officers. However, we have twenty-eight. What we need is the difference, which, I think, is four. I must mention that nationwide, the number of Agriculture Extension Officers is still far short of what is required. We have put forward a request for recruitment of staff. When authority is given, we will employ as permitted.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, now that the hon. Minister has stated that we are short by four Agriculture Extension Officers in Chinsali, I would like to find out what will happen in the meantime. How will that shortfall be covered? How are extension services in Chinsali affected, considering that we do not have an adequate number of Agriculture Extension Officers?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I think, the bottom line is that the numbers are inadequate. That is a fact. However, we have given our Extension Officers tablets and tool kits to work with. We are giving them motorcycles so that they can reach more areas than before. For the first time in more than twenty years or so, the ministry has bought quite a number of motorcycles, which we have given to officers to make them more mobile and reach areas that are farther.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MILITARY OFFICERS IN CHINSALI DISTRICT

212. Mr Mukosa asked the Minister of Defence:

1. how many, of the following categories of military officers there were in Chinsali District as of August 2025:

1. Zambia Army;

1. Zambia Air Force; and

1. Zambia National Service;

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct houses for the officers above;

1. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

1. if there are no such plans, why.

Madam Speaker: The hon. Minister will answer the question virtually.

Silence

Madam Speaker: Unmute your device, hon. Minister, we cannot hear you.

The Minister of Defence (Mr Lufuma): Madam Speaker, all the three services have officers operating in the district. However, disclosing the number of military personnel in the area might not necessarily be in our interest. So, if you may, I will pass on that for security reasons.

Madam Speaker, yes, the Government has plans to construct housing units for the officers as mentioned in the answer to part (a) of the question above.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament may be aware that there is a strategic plan which will be implemented in phases. Building housing units for Defence Forces all over the country requires a strategic plan detailing how the houses will be built year by year or phase by phase. That plan is available and will be implemented as funds are made available.

Madam Speaker, in that regard, the answer to part (d) of the question is the answer to part (c) of the question.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, I understand the response the hon. Minister gave when he was responding to part (a) of the question, and he stated that stating the number may compromise security. That is okay. However, the answer that the hon. Minister provided in part (b) of the question as to when the Government is planning to construct houses for the men and women in uniform, that is, the Zambia Army, the Zambia Air Force and the Zambia National Service (ZNS) is a little bit vague and subjective.

Madam Speaker, I am the Member of Parliament for the people in Chinsali and I speak for them. I am interested in their welfare and I want all the military officers in Chinsali to have houses. They need to have where to stay and the Government should provide the houses. I would like the Minister to be very categorical and advise this House when exactly the ministry is going to construct houses for these very important men and women in uniform in Chinsali.

Mr Lufuma:  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Chinsali for that follow-up question. It is very important and emotive, and I understand. However, I am at the receiving end.

Madam Speaker, what the hon Member of Parliament for Chinsali requires and desires is exactly what the Ministry of Defence requires and desires for its personnel. I am being as objective as I can be given the circumstances and the economic situation that this Government is in. I do not want to go into history and elaborate on what went wrong and how we could have moved on, and have had better resources to tackle many of the problems that not only the Ministry of Defence, but all ministries are facing. However, suffice it to say that this Government is taking this challenge seriously and will make available whatever resources are available in the Treasury to ensure that it builds houses for our men and women in uniform. However, it would be folly for me to just say that tomorrow we are going to build the houses because of the situation that exists. These things have to be planned. So, that is exactly what this Government is going to do in a methodical and properly outlined manner. I would like to assure the Defence Forces, the men and women in uniform, that this strategic plan is underway and the mobilisation of resources is paramount in order for us to reach the desired objective.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam Speaker, I have understood the answer that has been provided by the hon. Minister. Chinsali is the provincial headquarters for Muchinga Province in this country. The current situation in Chinsali is that there is a shortage of houses because of it being declared a provincial headquarters. There has been an influx of people working there because of new Government offices and the private sector establishing there. So, there is a very high demand for houses and as a result, the prices of houses have gone up significantly What is the Government doing to ensure that our military officers in the Zambia Army, the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and the Zambia Air Force (ZAF), who are in Chinsali, are provided accommodation in the meantime?

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, there are only two options. Firstly, to compete within the competitive field in terms of accommodation, and ensure that military officers are provided the necessary rentals. So, we go out there, and use institutional influence as much as possible, to try and secure the necessary accommodation at competitive levels or within the competitive environment. That is the first option.

Madam Speaker, the other option is the normal provision of ad hoc arrangements by the Zambia Army, or whichever service like the Zambia National Service (ZNS) or the Zambia Air Force (ZAF). These are temporary ad hoc arrangements to ensure that before one goes into a competitive environment where one can secure the necessary rentals or housing units, they are at least provided for. Unfortunately, that is the current situation until such a time that we allocate some monies, bit by bit, to ensure that some of these buildings are constructed. The ZNS has a builder’s brigade and ZAF and the Zambia Army also have resemblance of the same. So, with the little resources that we manage here and there, these are the ones we give for them to start building some housing units on a self-help basis, which reduces the cost of construction, but at least we are able to cater for our men and women in uniform. Those are the two options that we are pursuing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 LIVESTOCK RESTOCKING IN CHILUBI DISTRICT

213. Mr Fube (Chilubi) asked the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock:

(a)       whether the Government has any plans to restock livestock in Chilubi District;

(b)       if so, when the plans will be implemented;

(c)        how many, of the following will be restocked:

(i)        chickens;

(ii)       goats; and

(iii)      fish.

(d)       what the estimated cost of the project, is; and 

(e)        if there are no such plans, why.

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 until 1700 hours.

[ MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: When business was suspended, the House was considering Questions for Oral Answer, and the hon. Member for Chilubi had just posed Question No. 213 on the Order Paper.

Acting hon. Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, you may respond.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo) (on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Kapala)): Mr Speaker, the answer is elaborate.

Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Government does, indeed, have ongoing and planned interventions aimed at restocking livestock in Chilubi District. The House may wish to note that livestock stocking and restocking are national programmes that are implemented in a phased manner, guided by resource availability and the principle of equitable distribution across all constituencies. Chilubi District has already benefited from such interventions.

Mr Speaker, in 2020, under the Pass-on-the-Gift programme, Chilubi District was restocked with the following livestock:

1. 935 village or free-range chickens;

1. thirty-five beef cattle; and

1. eighteen goats.

Mr Speaker, the Government’s support towards livestock development in Chilubi District is not limited to interventions under my ministry. In 2025, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, working in collaboration with the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) Project implemented under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, undertook additional restocking activities in Chilubi District. Eight hundred and eighty-five improved village chickens, 435 goats, 100 sheep, fifty pigs and fifty ducks were distributed under the project. This intervention was implemented at an estimated project cost of K759,300.

Mr Speaker, additional livestock interventions have been undertaken through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) under both the grants and loans components administered by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Although budgeted for in the 2025 financial year, implementations have continued into 2026. Under the CDF grants component, the following livestock were stocked in Chilubi District:

1. 2,741 village chickens;

1.  444 goats; and

1. sixty-six pigs.

Mr Speaker, this intervention was implemented at an estimated cost of K1,136,912.16. Under the CDF loans component, beneficiaries received 1,012 village chickens and ninety-one pigs. This intervention was implemented at an estimated cost of K428,170. These interventions collectively demonstrate the Government’s continued commitment to supporting livestock development in Chilubi District, with additional phases planned as resources permit.

Mr Speaker, the Government is already implementing livestock restocking and stocking activities in Chilubi District through the various programmes, as indicated. Further phases will continue to be rolled out in a phased manner, depending on the availability of resources.

Mr Speaker, the specific quantities of chickens, goats and fish to be restocked in future phases will depend on resource availability and allocations approved in the upcoming budget cycles.

Mr Speaker, the cost for all ongoing livestock stocking and restocking activities in Chilubi District has already been fully detailed in the answers given to part (a) of the question. Since the required cost information has been comprehensively provided, part (d) of the question consequently falls off.

Mr Speaker, there are, indeed, plans to continue restocking livestock in Chilubi District. Therefore, the issue of not having such plans does not arise.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Fube: Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to indicate that the question was targeted at programmes that are driven, monitored and tracked by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, do not debate, just ask your question.

Hon. Members: Where is he?

Mr Fube: Mr Speaker, I am not debating. I am asking because of some answers the hon. Minister has given. I wish you could listen to me so you could understand what I mean.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has given answers that fall under different programmes. For instance, the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) project. It is a white elephant. Nothing is happening there. I agree with the hon. Minister that in 2020, Chilubi District was restocked with about thirty-five beef cattle, 935 chickens and eighteen goats. However, when it came to programmes under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and TRALARD, there were no such projects. That is what I wanted to first emphasise to the hon. Minister. Maybe, this would have been picked from the documents prepared for such numbers, which are mentioned in thousands and do not even exist.

Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. Minister a question specifically on the issue of fish. The last time I asked about this matter was four years ago.  I was told about the ministry’s willingness to get some of the local farmers, including me, who are breeding local fish that can be restocked and be put in Lake Bangweulu so that it can benefit the people of Chilubi.

Mr Speaker, that is my first question. I will ask another follow-up question later. However, the things that the hon. Minister has mentioned are neither here nor there. They are not there; they are just statistics on paper.

 Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, we have given statistics, and if the hon. Member is disputing, maybe, he can visit us at the offices. On a lighter note, I hope they did not go wild and go into the bush. As he indicated here on the Floor of the House, that cattle had gone wild and went into the bush. So, the others can go wild too. The goats, pigs, and chickens. Everything can go wild. So, I hope not.

Mr Speaker, on a serious note, we gave information in a very comprehensive manner on what the ministry is doing, and other programmes are doing. When it comes to the actual item he is asking about, on fish, our answer to part (c) of the question was very clear, that goats and fish to be restocked in future phases would depend on resource availability. We were very clear. We did not give a figure there because it is for the future.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Fube: Mr Speaker, the substantive hon. Minister recently restocked some fish, and the people of Chilubi heard about it. They have been asking around as to when Chilubi will be attended to. Yes, the hon. Minister has talked about phases, but Chilubi and Chifunabuli share the same water bodies. Why has Chilubi not been considered under the same phase, since he is talking about implementing these programmes in a phased approach?

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, the response cannot change. This is a phased approach. If Chilubi was not attended to, it will be attended to, when resources allow.                                             

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

TRANSPORT FOR CAMP EXTENSION OFFICERS

214. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

1. what mode of transport is provided to camp officers for use in executing their work in Chinsali District;

1. whether all the camp officers were capacitated with transport to execute their duties, as of August 2025; and

1. if not, what interim measures the Government has taken to ensure that camp officers have transport to support their work.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Mr Speaker, the official mode of transport provided to camp officers is a motorcycle. The district has twenty-eight camp officers, and out of this number, seventeen have motorcycles, leaving eleven of them without transport.

Mr Speaker, the Government has been providing transport to districts for extension services, and has so far provided 1,553 motorcycles between 2023 and 2025. This is against the 2,700 motorcycles needed to motorise every camp officer. The procurement of motorcycles is still work in progress, and in 2026, the ministry has budgeted to procure another 200 motorcycles.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Mr Speaker, in Chinsali, we have twenty-eight camp extension officers, and we have provided motorcycles to only seventeen of them. We have eleven camp extension officers who do not have motorcycles.

Mr Speaker, our camp extension officers in Chinsali cover long distances. The areas they are assigned to cover are quite far apart. So, what are the eleven camp officers currently using to ensure that they provide extension services to our farmers in Chinsali, given that they do not have motorcycles?

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, without sounding political, it is important to note that this is a legacy or historical issue. In fact, the hon. Member should be quite happy that seventeen camp extension officers have been given motorcycles between 2023 and 2025. One would like to find out, before we bought those seventeen motorcycles, what were they doing? We are now only talking about eleven of them who do not have motorcycles. So, I think, instead of looking at it in a very aggressive manner, we must say that there has been a lot of effort that has been put in to correct the historical position, where our camp officers, in all honesty, and I think the House is seriously aware of this, were doing nothing because they were not given motorcycles for a very long period of time. So, to answer the question directly, we are buying 200 motorcycles because that is what the budget can allow.

Mr Speaker, we will see how many motorcycles will go to Chinsali, and it will be corrected like that.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the ministry is about to buy 200 motorcycles, and we have 116 districts. This means that if we divide 200 by the number of districts in Zambia, each district will, on average, get about one, and at most, two motorcycles.  Nevertheless, I would like the hon. Minister to be very categorical and state exactly when the 200 motorcycles will be bought. If he stated, then I did not hear properly. I seek his clarification. Could the hon. Minister kindly clarify if the 200 motorcycles will be bought this year or next year.

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, that is a very important question. Definitely, the 200 motorcycles will be bought this year. However, I look forward to a time when this House will say, “Can we build storage facilities for the agriculture sector, which sector is employing more than 70 per cent of the population? Can we buy motorcycles for all the camp officers? Can we increase the number of camp officers to be employed?” We all talk about agriculture, but we hardly talk about supporting it in a very effective manner, so that such questions can be answered. This is a plea not necessarily to this particular hon. Minister. This is the ministry that employs the very people we lead. So, honestly, instead of asking me questions like this, let us look at the Budget. Let us work on the budget in a very serious manner for a ministry that covers most of the people in the country.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

PLANS TO CONSTRUCT 5G COMMUNICATION TOWERS IN MPIKA

215. Mr Kapyanga (Mpika) asked the Minister of Technology and Science:

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct 5G Communication Towers in the following areas in Mpika Parliamentary Constituency:

1. Luchenene;

1. Katibunga;

1. Mukungule;

1. Kaluba;

1. Kalimba;

1. Nabwalya;

1. Changalilo;

1. Kashaita; and

1. Matebe; 

1. if so, when the plans will be implemented;

1. what the estimated cost of the project, is; and 

1. if there are no such plans, why. 

The Minister of Technology and Science (Mr Mutati): Mr Speaker, there are no immediate plans to construct 5G communication towers in Luchenene, Katibunga, Mukungule, Kalumba, Kalimba, Nabwalya, Changalilo, Kashaita and Matebe in Mpika Parliamentary Constituency. The House may wish to note that 5G network connectivity is primarily designed to support applications that require ultra-high speed and low latency to support emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and machine connectivity, particularly in the mining and industrial sectors. The Government policy is to upgrade all existing sites from 2G/3G to 4G, which will be adequate to meet the service demands and needs for Mpika.

Mr Speaker, as stated above, there are no plans to construct 5G communication towers in the named areas in Mpika Parliamentary Constituency.

Mr Speaker, the estimated average cost of the project has not been established on account that the Government has no immediate plans to construct 5G network communication towers in question.

Mr Speaker, as already stated, the Government has no plans to construct 5G communication towers in the named areas, in view of the reasons stated in the response to part (a) of the question above.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 Mr Kapyanga: I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity to ask a follow-up question to the hon. Minister of Technology and Science. I am equally grateful to him for the response.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that the Government has plans to only upgrade the existing communication towers to 4G network. In the areas mentioned, our people are unable to access the Internet because they are using, if I am not mistaken, 2G network. The network is very poor; people even go for weeks without connectivity. When will the plans to upgrade the existing infrastructure to 4G be implemented?

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, out of the sites that we have outlined above, the communication tower in Katibunga will be upgraded to 4G this year. The one in Mukungule is already upgraded. The one in Kalumba will be upgraded in 2026 while the one in Kashaita has already been upgraded. So, we are remaining with another three communication towers to upgraded.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kapyanga:  Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister so much for the information he has given the people of Mpika through me. However, the information he has given in this House does not seem to tally with the reality on the ground. The communication tower in Katibunga has not yet been upgraded. In fact, Kashaita does not even have a communication tower of its own; our people still have to go and find the nearest mountain to climb to access the network. So, I still request the hon. Minister’s team to go on the ground and gather the correct information to help them plan the upgrading of the communication towers for those sites. Of course, in the case of Kashaita, a communication tower has to be constructed.

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Mpika. I said that upgrading of the communication tower for Katibunga is planned for 2026. So, it has not yet been done; it is part of the plan. Kashaita is part of the plan, according to the information that has been indicated to me, but I will check with my team.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

MOTION

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

Mrs Sabao (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the thanks of this august House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the speech delivered to this House by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles, in accordance with Article 9(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, on Friday, 20^th February, 2026.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr E. Daka (Msanzala): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mrs Sabao: Mr Speaker, from the outset, allow me to express my profound gratitude to you for allowing me the rare privilege to move the Motion of Thanks following the comprehensive and inspiring address by the President to this august House. The Address eloquently reaffirmed our corrective commitment to the national values and principles that define us as a people and guide our national development trajectory. It goes without saying that these pillars constitute the moral foundation of our nation and play a vital role in promoting social cohesion and driving economic prosperity.

Mr Speaker, in moving the Motion, I will highlight and debate some of the key issues outlined in the President's Address as follows:

Morality and Ethics

Mr Speaker, allow me to primarily commend the Government's efforts in addressing social ills such as gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, teenage pregnancies, alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse. It is concerning that vices such as alcohol, drugs and substance abuse remain a persistent issue and continue to be a matter of concern in our country, especially among school-going children. For instance, a 2024 Study by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) revealed that four out of every five children in the State's juvenile justice system were arrested for committing a drug and substance abuse-related offence. In addition, the African Journal of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Volume 13, reviewed that from seventy-three low and middle-income countries, the prevalence of regular alcohol use was highest in Zambia.

Mr Speaker, to address alcohol, drug and substance abuse, I note the Government's efforts to provide free education, skills training, empowerment initiatives and nationwide sensitisation programmes for community members as well as civic and traditional leaders. I want to commend the Government for the 20 per cent allocation to secondary schools, boarding and skills development bursaries from the Constituent Development Fund (CDF), which has given impetus to many youths to enrol in school.

In addition, I agree with the President that GBV remains a public concern in our country. This is evident in the data from the 2025 Second Quarter Criminal and Non-Criminal Report Summary, which reported over 10,000 GBV cases to the Zambia Police Victim Support Unit (ZPVSU). To this end, the Government has implemented interventions such as the establishment of a national call centre, one-stop centres and Fast Track Courts for victims of GBV. These interventions demonstrate the Government's steadfast commitment to eliminating GBV. It is, therefore, imperative that hon. Members of Parliament, traditional leaders and civil society collaborate with the Executive to eradicate GBV.

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

Mr Speaker, allow me to also commend the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema for reaffirming his Administration's commitment to upholding human dignity, equity, social justice, equality, and non-discrimination of all citizens. The President has shown a clear commitment to achieving the objective through various initiatives, including the enhanced CDF, which transcends political affiliations and serves the interests of our people. In particular, may I congratulate the President for the New Dawn Government’s increasing of the budget allocation to the CDF from K1.6 million in 2021 to K40 million in 2026, per constituency.

Mr Speaker, you may be aware that for many years, our children were subjected to the indignity of learning under trees. Today, in Chikankata Constituency, for example, the impact of CDF is visible and deeply felt. Through the CDF, classrooms have been constructed and furnished with desks thereby, restoring dignity to our learners and creating a conducive learning environment. Together, we have the Free Education Policy. This has given 2.5 million children in Zambia an opportunity to go back to school. It is also worth noting that in 2025, we recorded an impressive pass rate of 70 per cent in public schools at Grade 12, the highest ever in the history of our country. Surely, we need to commend the New Dawn Government for its progressive policies.

Mr Speaker, as a mother and a believer in the power of women, I take note of the extension of the CDF to elevate the plight of the mothers. I am particularly grateful that the President has paid special attention to maternal health through the CDF. In Chikankata alone, the CDF has facilitated the construction of five maternity annexes. This intervention is close to my heart because it addresses childbirth and self-delivery, where life begins. The President, through the CDF, has ensured that these facilities preserve the dignity of our mothers and safeguard the lives of both the mothers and safeguard the lives of both mother and newborns.

Mr Speaker, beyond social infrastructure, the Government has continued to empower citizens economically. In particular, I know that the number of the Farmer Input Support Programs (FISP) targeted beneficiaries now stands at 1,024,434. This will enable small-scale farmers to scale up production across the country. In Chikankata, particularly, the 14,200 targeted beneficiaries in the 2025/2026 Farming Season will lead to increased agricultural output and enhanced household food security in the constituency. These gains are contributing to improved livelihood and enforcing food security at the constituency level, in line with the national development agenda.

Patriotism and National Unity

Mr Speaker, this Administration has consistently promoted unity in diversity through the guiding principle of “One Zambia, One Nation, One people,” a timeless motto of unity and togetherness coined by our founding father, Dr Kenneth D. Kaunda. May His Soul Rest in Peace.

Mr Speaker, in this regard, I commend the President for his unwavering commitment to building a nation that transcends tribal, ethnic and regional divisions, and instead, embraces oneness as the surest pathway to national prosperity and sustainable development.

Mr Speaker, I strongly commend the President's call for hon. Members from both the Ruling party and the Opposition to work together in a spirit of patriotism, unity and mutual respect. Working together will advance national interests above partisan considerations and collectively contribute to the development and prosperity of our beloved country.

 

Mr Speaker, with these remarks, I beg to move.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr E. Daka: Now, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion of Thanks on the Address to this august House by Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Republic of Zambia, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles. I wish to place on record, at the outset, my appreciation of you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity.

Mr Daka: Now, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, from the outset, I wish to place on record my appreciation for this opportunity you have given me, as I rise to second the Motion of Thanks on the address delivered to this august House by Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Zambia, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Mr Speaker, allow me to commend Mrs Jacqueline Sabao, hon. Member of Parliament for Chikankata Constituency, for ably moving this Motion on the Floor of the House.

Mr Speaker, before I proceed, let me join the mover of the Motion in commending His Excellency the President for delivering a strong and thoughtful message that confronted the reality facing the nation, while laying down a clear path forward.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Address was not just a ceremonial speech, but a national accountability statement outlining the progress made in applying our national values and principles to real governance. In a political climate where leaders often avoid difficult truths, the President demonstrated statesmanship by openly acknowledging the challenges that characterised the past years, particularly the protracted load-shedding issue that affected households, businesses and the broader economy. Such honesty is vital in our leadership. It reflects that the Government listens, learns and remains committed to correcting its course for the good of the people. Rather than deflecting responsibility, the President chose transparency; a value that strengthens trust between the leadership and citizens.

Mr Speaker, beyond acknowledging the challenges, the President was forward-looking and purposeful in his speech. He highlighted national priorities, re-affirmed commitment to economic recovery and emphasised the need for unity and productivity as Zambia moves closer to the August 2026 General Elections. Most importantly, the speech set a refreshing tone for issue-based politics. It was one centred on development, governance and tangible progress for the Zambian people. The President signalled political maturity and confidence in democracy.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the national values and principles contained in the President’s Speech. I will restrict my debate to three national values and principles, namely good governance and integrity, democracy and constitutionalism and sustainable development.

Mr Speaker, on good governance and integrity, the President re-affirmed the Government’s firm stance on the fight against corruption. As we may all know, corruption erodes patriotism, weakens service delivery and robs citizens of opportunities that rightfully belong to them. Therefore, we must all join this fight. It is gratifying to note that the fight against corruption under the New Dawn Administration is no longer rhetorical, but practical and measurable. This has been demonstrated through “Operation Recovery”, through which the country has witnessed the largest recovery of stolen public assets in our history. Those assets include cash, vehicles and helicopters, ndeke, which are being recovered for the benefit of our people. Further, the expedient prosecution of economic crimes within five months has sent a strong message to the effect that public office is a position of trust and accountability. Those entrusted with public resources must manage them responsibly and transparently.

Mr Speaker, I now turn to democracy and constitutionalism. The President emphasised that democracy thrives on tolerance, dialogue and respect for divergent views. He further underscored the importance of legal and institutional reforms that promote inclusivity and participation. The President cited the enactment of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025, as one of the major legal reforms that have been undertaken to grow our democracy. For the first time in our history, the Constitution guarantees the representation of women, youths and persons with disabilities in this House, the National Assembly, ensuring inclusive participation. Indeed, this is not merely a legislative adjustment, but a democratic milestone we should all celebrate.

Mr Speaker, you will agree with me on the fact that our democracy is reaching maturity under this Administration. The recent by-election in Chawama Constituency, which was conducted without violence, no ma panga or burning of tyres, …

Hon. Government Members: Aha!

Mr Daka: … serves as a testimony to our growing political tolerance and respect for the rule of law. We even saw our new hon. Member of Parliament (pointed at Mr Nundwe) come without any bruises. That is democracy and the rule of law.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Daka: Mr Speaker, as we approach the elections to be held on 13^th August, 2026, we must heed the President’s call to choose dialogue over conflict and progress over politicking.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Daka: Mr Speaker, moving on to sustainable development, I would be failing in my duties if I did not commend the President for positioning our country on a green growth and climate-resilient development trajectory. This has been demonstrated by a number of projects that have been put in place in particular sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and energy. For example, in the energy sector, the Administration has moved beyond mere rhetoric by launching the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative (PCEI) to be funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Through this initiative, all constituencies countrywide will construct 2 MW solar-powered plants that will not only stimulate enterprise, create wealth and strengthen grassroots’ participation in national infrastructure development, but also ensure the provision of affordable and climate-smart energy to our people at the local level.

Mr Speaker, in my conclusion, I would like to say that while we commend the progress made in the application of our national values and principles, we must candidly acknowledge that the journey is ongoing. Development is not an event, but a continuous process. We still have communities in need of improved infrastructure, young people seeking employment opportunities and families aspiring for better standards of living.

Mr Speaker, as I end, I call upon all hon. Members to support the President and his Administration in translating the aspirations contained in the speech into tangible and measurable improvements in the lives of our people.

Mr Speaker, with those remarks, I beg to second.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to add two or three sentences to the debate on the submission, which was made by the Head of State on the Floor of this House last Friday.

Mr Speaker, the President is now known for not missing these three words whenever he is here; love, unity and hard work. Indeed, these are the pillars of any nation that is looking to develop. I want to believe that, as hon. Members of Parliament, we shall always use these three words as we develop our constituencies. The President also spent time addressing the issue of education. Education in the New Dawn Government is at the core. People never believed the President whenever he talked about free education while in the Opposition. We are now happy that when he formed Government, he fulfilled the promises he made to the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, when it comes to free education, my constituency is one of those that   have benefited a great deal from that policy.  My constituency was graded second least educated in the Southern Province. We are happy that when free education was introduced, people were able to attend school, and we managed to increase the number of learners from 15,000 to 52,000 within four years.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani: Mr Speaker, I am a proud Member of Parliament for Namwala Constituency. If the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) were to conduct another research, we would be graded better than the last time because we have managed to attend to the free education call made by the President. Other than the Free Education Policy, there was also the employment of teachers. We have teachers now. With the increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF), we were able to construct not less than sixty classrooms in our constituency within that space. That gave an opportunity to those who were retained under the Free Education Policy to find space. Is that all? No, it is not. In addition to that, we have the School Feeding Programme. The President emphasised that all the 116 districts will have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the School Feeding Programme.

Mr Speaker, our teachers are now receiving grants for schools within a reasonable space and duties which are defined or fall under the category of grants are being executed. This is the way it is supposed to be. Once the education sector is respected, the community becomes enlightened and many issues are sorted out.  

Further, Mr Speaker, the President talked about good governance, democracy and constitutionalism. Indeed, we are a constitutional country because we have written laws. For the first time in the history of this country, we have a President who respects the rule of law and treats issues of human rights and decentralisation with the respect they deserve. We have seen that the people of this country are able to enjoy freedoms and liberties. They are able to observe them regardless of their ethnicity or political affiliation. This is what we have been crying for.

Mr Speaker, it is important to mention that the President also addressed issues of agriculture. The number of beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) has increased. This means that the vulnerable, regardless of where they come from or the political party they support, are being treated evenly, as people of Zambia. This is what reasonable citizens were looking forward to. Indeed, we have it and we are enjoying it. So, we want to assure the President that at the rate he is going, only those who are enemies of democracy, unity and development will assign a minusto him. However, it is an opportunity for the citizens of this country to realise that the President means well. He meant well before he assumed office, and also in his last submission in his five-year term. We are anxiously waiting to hear another one in September because it is coming.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani: Why is it coming? It is because the President meant well and stood by his words. He ensured that what he had promised when he was in the Opposition was implemented. The citizens are now enjoying the peace. There is no room for negative cadreism, which had almost locked our country.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mapani: The citizens of this country were not allowed to move freely. We are now enjoying the freedom. There is an observation of freedom of assembly, movement, association and speech, as long as it is within the confines of the law. The citizens have nothing negative to point at.

With these words, Mr Speaker, I want to assure the citizens of Zambia that from the submissions the President made, there is nothing much that people can point to as being negative, because in everything he has done, there is consistency, and there has been consistency from the time he took over power. One can easily write what the President is saying and predict what he will say because of the way he has aligned things. It is purely in a methodical way, as he has promised the people of Zambia. With these few words, I submit.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Mr Speaker, thank you so much for giving the good people of Roan Constituency an opportunity to add a voice to the debate on the President’s Address on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Mr Speaker, time allowing, I will look at two items; morality and ethics, and also sustainable development. I will begin by quoting the President on morality and ethics. He said:

“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 social vices, such as alcohol, drug and substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, child marriage and gender-based violence.”

Mr Speaker, the President further went on to say:

“To address these vices, we have implemented a number of interventions. These include free education, skills training, empowerment initiatives and nationwide sensitisation programmes for community members, workers, as well as civic and traditional leaders.”

Mr Speaker, I will give some statistical examples, especially of where this Government is doing well, such as introducing free education, skills training bursaries and training empowerment initiatives.

Mr Speaker, a simple research I carried out indicated that the rate of substance and drug abuse among adolescents is on the rise, with a notable increase from 0.35 to 0.68 per 1,000 adolescents between 2021 and 2023. Lusaka Province and the North-Western Province are hotspots for substance abuse.

Mr Speaker, on child pregnancies, adolescent pregnancy rates are high, with 29 per cent of girls under eighteen years of age experiencing pregnancy. Rural areas are hit harder with a rate of 37 per cent compared to 17 per cent in urban areas.

Mr Speaker, what about child abuse? About 50 per cent of Zambians experience violence during childhood, with 58 per cent of child abuse occurring at home and 52 per cent of perpetrators being known to the child. These are the vices that the President is trying to address. We can only overcome child pregnancies and drug abuse by introducing free education. The President did not mince his words when he said that 2.5 million children have gone back to school. This is the way we are going to fight these vices. I appeal to all hon. Members of Parliament to support the President in tackling these vices. The President has given us the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which we can tap into to ensure that all those who are capable of going for skills training are captured and taken back to school.

Mr Speaker, what about gender-based violence (GBV)? In Zambia, GBV is a significant issue with 47 per cent of women aged between fifteen and forty-nine years experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse. The Zambia Police Service reported a 15.2 per cent rise in GBV cases in the first quarter of 2025, with women and children being the most affected. This, again, is caused by abuse of alcohol, and a contributing factor to some of these incidents is a lack of education. The lack of education is a very big contributing factor to some of these vices. It is in this vein that I call upon all of us to help the President overcome these vices.

Mr Speaker, under sustainable development, the President said, 

“Our Government is strengthening the regulatory framework to promote safe, secure, legal, structured, and sustainable mining practices to avoid the needless loss of life and biodiversity.”

Mr Speaker, of late, we have witnessed many deaths in the mining sector because of practices that do not conform to mining regulations. Recently, we heard about Mopani Copper Mines Plc (MCM) closing for some time because of the deaths that happened there. To support the President’s view, I also want to mention what is happening at Luanshya Copper Mines Plc in my constituency. I want to inform this House that Luanshya Copper Mines Plc is picking up pace. The Luanshya Copper Mines Plc, also known as Shaft No. 28, had been dormant for over twenty-two years. I want to congratulate and thank His Excellency and his Cabinet for listening to our cry by reopening Shaft No. 28. That mine was closed due to waterlogging. Then, US$500 million was invested by the China Nonferrous Mining Company (CNMC), and this changed the whole scenario in Roan Constituency.

Mr Speaker, as I speak, the dewatering process has actually been concluded, and very soon, 3,000 jobs will be created in Luanshya District and Roan Constituency, in particular. Not only that, 40,000 metric tonnes of copper shall start being produced at Luanshya Copper Mines Plc, contributing to the 3 million metric tonnes of copper that the President is envisioning the country to hit by 2031. This actually symbolises or signifies that His Excellency is determined to ensure that there is sustainable development, because when 3,000 jobs are created in the mining sector, people have more money in their pockets to sustain the economy of that particular area. I want to inform the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development that Luanshya Copper Mines Plc has actually promised that it is going to focus on sustainable mining practices through technological innovation and community engagement, just like the President indicated.

Mr Speaker, Luanshya Copper Mines Plc is amongst the many mines that were privatised. I therefore want to make a humble and passionate appeal to the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development and the President to include the youths of Luanshya in this matter. I want to let them know that the youths, co-operatives, and clubs of Luanshya want to also benefit from sustainable mining practices. We have co-operatives and clubs run by youths in Luanshya. So, my passionate and humble appeal is that the people of Luanshya, Roan Constituency in particular, should benefit, just like their colleagues in Kitwe benefitted from the damp site, and just like their colleagues in Mufulira, Kalulushi and Chingola benefited from the damp sites in their areas. In Luanshya, the youths in Roan Constituency in particular, have not benefited from the damp site. We have tailings dams. Mr President hear our cries. Let these tailings dams also be apportioned to the youths of Luanshya and Roan Constituency so that they can also benefit.

Mr Speaker, I support the President’s Speech, and on behalf of the people of Roan Constituency, I thank you. 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, from the outset, let me say that this is a very good report. What are we talking about? We are talking about the Progress Made in the Application of the National Values and Principles.

Mr Speaker, allow me to pick important aspects of the speech. Some politicians will come and say that the speech was hollow, but this speech speaks to the real issue of this country today. First and foremost, we are talking about ethics. What does the word “ethics” mean? It means equality, morals, integrity, walking the talk and upholding the values we promise.

Mr Speaker, the speech also talks about cadreism.  First and foremost, there must be love in the country. The President reflected on the time he has been in power to date. What has he achieved? So much has been achieved. This is realism. First of all, cadreism is real.  There is so much peace now in this country. One can move wherever one wants. One can do whatever one wants. Today, Zambia is on the map; it is achieving the greatest strides.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: If Zambia had been on this trajectory for the past twenty years, it would have been a shining example. Today, the whole world is looking at Zambia which is in Southern Africa because it is performing so well.

Mr Speaker, let me quickly talk about sustainable development. Let me appreciate the President. Let us look at the value of the Dollar today. Let us also look at the lifestyle in Zambia. If you are lazy, you cannot eat. One must appreciate that there is good leadership because of the money that is circulating in every corner of the country. Today, what the Ministry of Finance and National Planning is doing is different.  This year, every constituency will receive K40 million, a thing that was a dream. We did not know that this could be possible. Money used to sit in the bank account of ministries but today, it is going to constituencies. Hon. Members of Parliament will now sit in council chambers and will have the power to discharge authority.

Mr Speaker, let me talk about Ikeleng’i. Ikeleng’i has achieved a lot. Every ward has a building to talk about, be it a secondary school or a road. Even the road that most people have cried about, the T5 Road from Mutanda to Jimbe, will be attended to. I should commend the President and the wisdom of my brother, Hon. Dr Musokotwane. In May, something will happen in that corner. Zambia is going to be connected through the Lobito Corridor by road and rail, although the road is the quickest. Money has already been found for the project. Why should I cry? This is the development we wanted. The people of the North-Western Province should be very happy to see what is happening in the country. They have not been left out. We have seen many things happening in the economy. When you are lazy, you are lazy. Nobody should stand up and say, “Ï have not seen anything.” I will tell you that in every ward, there is a building. In every ward, people have received grants. In every ward, there are school going children. I have got a school in my constituency. There is one secondary school which has 150 pupils in a Form 1 class. That means the Government’s policies are sound. Everyone is going to school because of the Free Education Policy. Work for money - What do we call it now?

Hon Government Member: Cash for Work.

Mr Muchima: The Cash-for-Work Programme is ongoing. We have seen everyone being productive through the programme. This shows that the leadership is sound.

Mr Speaker, let me also commend on human dignity and the rule of law. That demands equity and social justice. When I talk about social justice, I should also talk about natural justice. Natural justice requires fair play in decisions; reasonable decisions that treat people equally, not what we used to see before our Government took over. Today, Zambia is an equal country where everyone feels free.

Mr Speaker, I was impressed when His Excellency the President said that we should not look at our hon. Colleagues on the left as enemies, and that we should mix and mingle with them. Personally, I felt so humbled because there is always some suspicion, especially among some of us who have been in Parliament for a long time, the moment we are seen mingling with the Opposition. When we are seen doing that, we are labelled. There should be integrity. That is what we call social justice. Do not judge people. When one mingles with Hon. S. Mwamba, one is labelled. When one mingles with somebody in a corner, one is labelled. No, it should not be like that. Those people are also Zambians. So, we can exchange ideas, especially in the political DomSphere. We need to coax one another other. We need to bring one another close. Who needs to bring another close? It is the one in the Ruling Party to bring those who are still behind into the Ruling Party so that they come and support it, like we are seeing today. I am happy that the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025, was supported by majority of my hon. Colleagues on the left, and all of us on the right supported it.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: Even if there were technicalities here, nobody on the right did not support the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025, because it meant a lot to all of us.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: If a person says that nobody supported the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025, that person is sick. All of us here supported it. The masses here supported it. We saw whatever we were doing. So, for somebody to come and say, “No, this one did not vote, this one did what” – that is wrong. They should give it the benefit of the doubt. One set there was disabled (pointing at the IT Control Desk). So, it affected certain things. I should tell you that a person like me should congratulate the President for bringing the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025, and I supported it. I come from Mwinilunga, even Ikeleng’i is part of the area. Hon. Samakayi is one of the champions who wanted the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025 to succeed so that Mwinilunga, which has twenty-two wards is split. How could he be against it?

Mr Samakayi: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: How could Muchima – Mwinilunga is my district. It is my constituency. I lived there, and my mother comes from there. At that time, it used to be called Mwinilunga East and Mwinilunga West. We wanted it to be split into two, and I championed that with my hon. Colleagues there. However, today, somebody says that Hon. Muchima did not vote. That is totally wrong, absurd and unacceptable. I am a man of integrity. Also, when you judge people, there should be integrity. We should look at each other and give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. Let us love one another.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima:  Do not cause hatred with your friends. Zambia is for us.

Mr Speaker, I have seen good things in the President’s Speech.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Ikeleng’i, I know that the House supported the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025. At no time did we have any gadget that was faulty in this House. Our technical team is always at its best, ensuring that all the gadgets are checked. This is done periodically. So, all the gadgets are just okay, and the House is in order.

Let us progress.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kangombe (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity to add a word on the debate on the President’s Speech, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

Mr Speaker, this was a special occasion where the President updated the nation on what the Government did in the past and ought to do in future. I want to hasten to speak to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). On page 15, the President made reference to the fact that as the New Dawn Administration, we found the amount of the CDF per constituency at K1.6 million. We have increased it to K40 million. No constituency can say that it has not received the CDF in this country. The House might be aware that in the past, it was very difficult for your hon. Opposition Members to receive even the K1.6 million that was allocated. However, the New Dawn Administration, through the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, has evenly distributed the CDF to all corners of this country. There is no constituency that has been left behind.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kangombe: Mr Speaker, the President, as a man of integrity, alluded to the fact that we need to be magnanimous enough and agree that as a nation, we did not invest in the energy sector timeously. Most leaders find it very difficult to admit problems. It is very difficult for a Head of State to admit that there is a problem. Many leaders would actually try by all means to sugar-coat and hide behind other issues. However, the President was magnanimous enough to accept that, indeed, there is a challenge. For me, this is the first step in the right direction.

Hon. Government Members: Quality!

Mr Kangombe: If one cannot accept that there is a challenge, then, it means that one is not ready to remedy that challenge.

Mr Speaker, here is a President who has demonstrated the need to make a total shift from the over-dependence on one source of power generation to a mixed grid. Thus, we have come up with solar power plants and expanded thermal power production. Above all, the country is coming up with pieces of legislation to relieve pressure from the main off-taker, that is, ZESCO Limited. Now, we have the Electricity (Open Access) Regulations, 2024 and the multi-year tariffs 2024-2027 framework, which will ensure that by 2027, this country will be generating power and selling it at cost-reflective prices. For me, these measures have been put in place by a listening Government and a listening Head of State to ensure that the challenge is completely alleviated, other than coming up with a quick fix.

Mr Speaker, I want to rush to the issue of free education on page 23. The President indicated that education is the best equaliser. He referred to himself as someone who was born in a place where there was no maternity annex. He even referred to the conversation with the Vice-President in Kaputa. The Vice-President was also born in place where there was no maternity annex. However, today, this Administration, through the increased CDF, has made progress in bridging the gap when it comes to proper service delivery in the health sector. Let me speak for Sesheke. Sesheke has constructed seventeen multifaceted maternity annexes with water-reticulation infrastructure, courtesy of the New Dawn Administration. This was not achievable in the previous administration.  Why? This was because even partners were not freely engaging with the Government then, basically because of the amount of corruption that was there.

Mr Speaker, quickly, I want to speak on the issue of corruption. The President even referred to people who purchased helicopters amidst the challenges that the people were facing. People could purchase helicopters courtesy of the people's money. People could actually jet in and out to withdraw enormous amounts of money for their personal benefit. The fight against corruption is not aimed at victimising anyone. So, it is important that when one seeks public office, one puts the interests of the people first. The New Dawn Administration has demonstrated the desire to fight past, present and future corruption. This is the kind of leadership that is inspiring.

Mr Speaker, let me talk about free education. In his own words, the President mentioned that he wishes to see the Free Education Policy become law. I hear hon. Members in the Opposition say that when they come into power, or when this Administration is removed, they will take away the CDF. How are they going to provide free education? What we need to hear from our hon. Colleagues, is the road map on how they want to substitute the CDF, which is paying school fees for many vulnerable pupils. It is also paying school fees for many pupils to acquire skills, and it is even bringing enormous development in constituencies. What are they bringing to the table?

The President’s Address on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles ni salt sana.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chala: What does that mean?

Mr Kangombe: That means munyo maningi.

Laughter

Mr Kangombe: Lizwai ahulu in Lozi, which means a balanced taste in English, Mr Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

Mr Kangombe: Mr Speaker, the President delivered a ‘balanced taste’ type of speech that speaks to the future. When he referred to the statement, “… by God’s divine providence”, it showed that we have a leader who recognises the presence of the omnipresent and omnificent, and that if God wills it, as we come again in the next Government, the CDF allocation will be increased. I have no doubt in my mind because I vividly remember that whilst we were still in the Opposition, and in the company of the hon. Member for Moomba, I heard the President say that when we come into power, he would increase the CDF to US$1 million per constituency. When we came into power, he increased it to more than US$ 1 million, and I have no doubt in my mind that exactly through God’s divine providence, when we come back in the next Government, the President will increase the CDF allocation. That is salt sana.

Mr Michelo: Hear, hear!

Mr Kangombe: Mr Speaker, we know that the President ni salt sana, lizwai ahulu or munyo maningi. That means a balanced taste. We know that the President is coming back because he deserves it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Finance and National Planning and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Dr Musokotwane): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1822 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 25^th February, 2026.

____________