Friday, 6^th March, 2026

The House met at 0900 hours

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

No Quorum

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

Madam First Deputy 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 Home Affairs and Internal Security, Hon. Jack J. Mwiimbu, MP, SC., has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Friday, 6^th March, 2026, until further notice.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

WOMEN ASPIRING TO BE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of another group of women who are aspiring to be Members of Parliament in the forthcoming general election.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The women were participants in the High-Level Women in Leadership Conference, which took place at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) from 4^th to 5^th March, 2026, that was organised by the Gender Division at the Cabinet Office and its partners.

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

I thank you.

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM CHIKUMBUSO COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils and teachers from Chikumbuso Community School in Lusaka District.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I warmly welcome the visitors into our midst.

I thank you.

PUPILS AND TEACHERS FROM KABWATA TRUST SCHOOL

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils and teachers from Kabwata Trust School in Lusaka District.

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

I thank you.

SUSPENSION OF THE SITTING OF THE HOUSE FROM 10^TH TO 13^TH MARCH, 2026

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to remind the House that, as announced on Friday, 27^th February, 2026, the House will not sit next week, which is 10^th to 13^th March, 2026. This arrangement is intended to enable hon. Members of Parliament to travel to constituencies and take part in the celebrations of International Women’s Day on 8^th March and Youth Day on 12^th March, 2026.  These are two important national events on the Zambian calendar, and hon. Members are encouraged to use this period to engage their people.  The House will, therefore, resume its Sittings on Tuesday, 17^th March, 2026.

I thank you.

_______

URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR SIMUMBA, HON. MEMBER FOR NAKONDE, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING, DR MUSOKOTWANE, ON THE ZAMBIA REVENUE AUTHORITY SYSTEM FAILURE IN NAKONDE

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, the matter I wish to raise is directed at the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, who is in charge of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). The ZRA is an institution mandated to collect revenue on behalf of the Zambian Government. The institution has experienced a system failure for the past five days or one week. That has resulted in a loss of revenue. For instance, in Nakonde, the ZRA collects almost K8 million per day. Since the system failure occurred, the Government has lost more than K50 million. Further, there are no industries in Nakonde other than customs clearance operations, in which the youths are engaged. Therefore, if the ZRA system has not been operational for the past seven days, it means the youths are not doing anything.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister, therefore, in order to not give an update on why the ZRA system is not working and how much revenue has been lost, especially since the system has not been working for the past seven days?

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you, hon. Member for Nakonde.

Unless the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has an assurance to the people, –If the matter is urgent, the hon. Minister was supposed to come and address the House within two days, but like I mentioned, the House will not sit next week.

Hon. Minister, should I allow the hon. Member of Parliament for Nakonde to visit your office so that you can have a discussion?

Mr B. Mpundu: Awe, awe!

Dr Musokotwane indicated assent.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nakonde, if you want an urgent answer, please, visit the office of the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Interruptions

Mr Kapyanga: Epobali aba!

Mr B. Mpundu: Ba Education baliasuka!

Madam First Deputy Speaker:  Order, hon, Members!

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker:  Order!

I think, I have ruled on that matter. We make progress.

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR MPIKA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY AND ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE, MR MWIIMBU, SC., ON THE PLIGHT OF THE TANZANIA-ZAMBIAN RAILWAY AUTHORITY WORKERS

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to raise an Urgent Matter without Notice, directed at the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House in the absence of the hon. Minister of Transport and Logistics.

Madam Speaker, Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) workers are going through hard times. For the past three months, they have not seen their salaries. To make matters worse, even those who qualify to withdraw their contributions from the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) have not been allowed to withdraw their dues for whatever reason. This has compounded their problems, creating tension at TAZARA, in Mpika, where the regional headquarters is housed. The workers have been subjected to untold suffering. These are our people, whose plight must concern all of us and be addressed as a matter of urgency. TAZARA workers have been neglected, and it is important that the Government addresses their concerns.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Do not debate the Urgent Matter without Notice. Please, present it within two minutes.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I, therefore, direct this matter to the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House and I ask that TAZARA workers’ plight be addressed.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious guidance on this matter as we seek to have our people's plight addressed.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

That matter does not qualify to be raised as an Urgent Matter without Notice. Clearly, you mentioned that workers have not received their salaries for three months. Urgent Matters without Notice are matters that occur within twenty-four hours and need the Government’s attention. So, hon. Member for Mpika, please, visit the hon. Minister’s office or file in an urgent question, but after next week, it will not be urgent. It would have lost its urgency.  Please, find time to visit the hon. Minister. Otherwise, the matter does not qualify to be an Urgent Matter without Notice.

MR ZULU, HON. MEMBER FOR NYIMBA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ENG. MILUPI ON REPAIRING CROSSING POINTS ON THE GREAT EAST ROAD

Mr Zulu (Nyimba): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: An Urgent Matter without Notice is raised.

Mr Zulu: Madam Speaker, this year alone, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has spent a lot of money on repairing crossing points along the Great East Road. The hon. Minister will agree with me that more than five crossing points that were damaged due to heavy rainfall have since been worked on.

We are going to have a very big disaster very soon. Therefore, I need the Government, or the ministry, to move in quickly because this is a matter of urgency. The dam, which is filling up around Renamo Hills, that is the area on the left-hand side of the Great East Road as you go to the Eastern Province, is going to damage the road. The ministry is going to spend more than what it spent on the last four or six crossing points in the area. Last time, I said that the weakness we, as Africans, have is failure to use the word ‘maintenance’. We do not use it. Opening the culverts will cost less than K50,000 while working on that issue will cost K20 million. So, we need to decide whether to spend K50,000 to K100,000 or wait and spend over K20 million to deal with that issue. The issue in that area needs very little money now, but the disaster looming on that stretch of the road could cost millions of Kwacha.   

 

Madam Speaker, I direct this matter at the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. What is the ministry doing about it?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nyimba, please, go and engage the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. I do not think you can wait until 17^th March, 2026, to be given feedback or an assurance. Please, visit him today, before you go to your constituency, so that you have an answer for your people.

_______

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

INSPECTION OF THE PROVISIONAL VOTERS’ REGISTER

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mwiimbu, SC.): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for granting me this opportunity to deliver a Ministerial Statement on the ongoing inspection of the provisional register of voters’ exercise. This is in response to an Urgent Matter without Notice, which was raised by Hon. Anthony Kasandwe, Member of Parliament for Bagweulu Constituency.

Madam Speaker, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is constutionally mandated, under Article 229(2) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act of 2016, to register voters. In this regard, the commission conducted a forty-eight-day mass registration of voters exercise, from 13^th October, 2025, to 29^th November, 2025. The exercise covered all 12,152 polling stations countrywide and targeted to capture an estimated 3.5 million eligible Zambians who would register as first-time voters.

Madam Speaker, during the mass registration of voters exercise, the commission provided the following services:

1. new registrations;

1. transfer from one polling station to another;

1. collection of clerical errors;

1. replacement of voter’s cards;

1. removal of deceased voters;

1. change of names in the register of voters;

1. omissions; and

1. objections.

Provisional Voters Statistics

Madam Speaker, the commission registered a total of 172,483 new registrations during the continuous registration of voters in the period March, 2024 to August, 2025, and a further 1,615,922 new registrations in mass registration of voters, bringing the total new registrations to 1,788,405. The aggregate provisional number of registered voters after the two exercises of registration of voters stands at 8,861,918.

Madam Speaker, following the conclusion of the mass voter registration, the commission transitioned into a critical data consolidation phase prior to the inspection period. During this time, the commission conducted a comprehensive de-duplication exercise and data cleansing process to eliminate duplicate entries, thereby ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the provisional register.

2026 Inspection of the Provisional Register of Voters Approach

Madam Speaker, in order to ensure accurate data is captured, registered voters are able to inspect their details through both online and physical inspection. The online inspection of the provisional register of voters enables registered voters to inspect their details on the register of voters electronically by accessing the register through the ECZ website or by dialing the USSD code *214# on a mobile phone. The electronic platform opened to the public on 22^nd February, 2025, and will close at the same time as the physical inspection on 8^th March, 2026. The physical inspection of the provisional register of voters is where a registered voter goes to visit an inspection center to verify the correctness of their details. Physical inspection of the provisional register is currently being conducted in all the 12,152 polling stations across the country. All the 12,152 have been provided with the provisional register of voters.

Deployment of One Kit per Ward

Madam Speaker, the commission has strategically deployed a total of 2,354 Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits nationwide. To ensure that voter inspection services are decentralised and accessible to all citizens, the commission has mandated a minimum deployment of one kit per ward. Given that there are 1,858 wards across the country, this allocation results in a surplus of 496 kits, ensuring that every district is equipped with additional kits beyond the baseline ward requirements. These supplementary kits are designed to be mobile and intended to provide flexible coverage by rotating between wards and bolstering the capacity of permanently stationed kits. Furthermore, these kits are being prioritised for high-traffic urban hubs and geographically vast rural areas to guarantee that all eligible citizens seamlessly access inspection services. Hon. Members of this august House are, therefore, encouraged to engage their respective District Electoral Officers regarding the specific strategic deployment of the additional kits within their constituencies, as the case may be with the hon. Member for Bangweulu Constituency.

Madam Speaker, further, it may be noted that Regulation 10(1) of the Electoral Process Voter Registration Regulations states that:

“A citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years may apply to be registered as a voter to the registration officer for the polling district in which that citizen ordinarily resides in Form II set out in the schedule or using an electronic media that the commission may determine.”

Therefore, the commission encourages members of the public to only apply for transfers when they have moved from the areas where they ordinarily resided during the 2025 mobile registration of voters. This will ensure easy mobility to polling stations on poll day and enable them to vote for candidates representing their areas of residence.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, the commission’s strategic deployment of 2,354 biometric voter registration kits underscores our unwavering commitment to an inclusive and transparent electoral process by ensuring a surplus of 496 mobile units above the standard ward allocation. The commission has pro-actively addressed the logistical challenges paused by both high-density urban centres and geographically expansive rural constituencies. The surplus kits are specifically designed to supplement permanently stationed kits and reaching the most remote areas to ensure that every eligible Zambian can verify their details with ease. The commission remains confident that these measures, supported by the collaboration of hon. Members of this august House and District Electoral Officers will result in a clean, credible and robust register of voters ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Madam Speaker, we call upon all citizens to take advantage of both the physical and electronic inspection platforms to secure their right to vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement presented by the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House.

Mr Charles Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the Ministerial Statement that he has just delivered on the Floor of the House. In view of the low turnout for voter register inspections, do we anticipate an extension of this physical inspection?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that very important question. I would like to inform the nation that we are not going to extend the exercise. You may wish to note that we have a calendar of events before the General Elections on 13^th August, 2026. We will not want any change that will affect the calendar preceding the elections.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kapyanga (Mpika): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the statement. At least, it gives an opportunity to our people to know what is happening.

Madam Speaker, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is undertaking consultations regarding the delimitation process. On the other hand, the ECZ is doing voters’ verifications. I want to understand what will happen to the voters who would want to transfer their voting rights to a particular constituency that will be delimitated when the list of constituencies to be delimitated is still treated as a secret. How will our people have information about the constituencies that have to be delimitated so that during the process of verification, they can transfer their voting rights to a particular polling station to a constituency that will be delimitated because they need to be sure.

Madam Speaker, …

Madam First Deputy Speaker: We have heard the question.

Mr Kapynaga: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, you may be aware that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) made an announcement to the nation that wards polling stations are not being affected by the delimitation that is taking place. If you registered at a particular polling station, you will not be affected by the delimitation. The polling station remains.

Interruptions

Mr B. Mpundu: Ba Jack, tamumfwile question!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

 

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: Andime, ndiyanda kumhwa choamba.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker:  We are still asking questions. Can you allow the hon. Minister to respond? The Acting Leader of Government Business in the House may proceed.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I was explaining that during the delimitation, members of the public were informed that the delimitation exercise will not affect the wards and the polling stations.

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: They will not. If you are registered at Kabulonga Polling Station, the delimitation exercise will not affect you. If there is a change of constituency, all what will happen is that the ward polling station will move to the new delimitated constituency. So, your voting rights will not be affected.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to direct a follow-up question to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security who is also representing the Office of the Vice-President.

Madam Speaker, I am assuming that maybe, there is one detail that I did not get correctly when the hon. Minister was responding to the question from the hon. Member for Mpika. Currently, people have registered at specific polling stations. As a result of delimitation, the choice of where you want to vote from may change.

Mr B. Mpundu: Ehe!

Mr Kang’ombe: There is a likelihood that if one wanted to vote for a certain candidate from  a particular area, one would be allowed to pick where they would want to cast one’s vote because voting is a choice. Maybe, in order to make the hon. Minister basically understand the question, let me put it this way: Is it possible that after the process of delimitation is undertaken, verification could be allowed so that those who want to quickly change where to cast their vote from can be allowed to do so?

Mr B. Mpundu: That is the question!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, the issue being raised by my colleague is not tenable.

Mr Simumba: Is not what?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: It is not tenable.

Hon. Opposition Members: Why?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: Madam Speaker, what happens is that the registration of voters is concluded before the adoption of candidates. Is he implying that this exercise should be halted until our colleague is adopted in a constituency of his choice?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, how would a member of the public know the candidate who will be adopted by the party …

Mr B. Mpundu: Ah!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: … before the adoption process is done? You can not.

Mr B. Mpundu: Answer the question asked.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: This has nothing to do with who is standing where …

Interruptions

Hon. UPND Member: ... or your preference…

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: … because you will not know. You may be wanting me to be a Member of Parliament in Mandevu, yet the party where I hail from does not adopt me. Maybe, I may not even qualify to stand as an Independent candidate.

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: So, is the hon. Member saying this process should be halted? The answer is no. This is an independent legal process which we are following. It has nothing to do with the candidates who are pursuing their political careers. It has nothing to do with that.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Lubozha (Chifubu): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I am also making a follow-up on what has already been asked. If the delimitation was implemented, and Chifubu Constituency sacrificed a ward, for example, Dag Hammarskjold, to a newly-constituted constituency, there are also people in Kaniki Ward, whose voting point is in Kaniki, which is part of Chifubu Constituency. Now, if the delimitation was done today, and Dag Hammarskjold was allocated to another constituency, there are people under Chifubu Constituency who live in Dag Hammarskjold and would want to vote from there. The question we are raising is: Which one should have come first? Is it for the people to know the constituencies or the voter verification exercise? I thought knowing the constituencies first would have been better, and verification should have followed. So, what will happen now?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mpika, hon. Member for Nakonde and hon. Member for Bangweulu, please, let us have order.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Let us have order.

Hon. Member for Chifubu, you may continue.

Mr Lubozha: Madam Speaker, I am saying that we should not look at the Member of Parliament who is standing, but at the rights and interests of the voters who want to vote from a particular constituency. Only seventy constituencies will be delimited. So, we do not know exactly which districts will undergo delimitation. Now, what will happen when people find out later on that they are in the wrong constituency, but they want to vote?  When will they change the voting point?

Hon. Government Member: The word wrong in inverted commas!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, may I repeat what I said? This delimitation exercise is not affecting the ward and polling station boundaries. If one registered at a particular polling station, nothing changes. One will vote from that polling station. That is how it is.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, this was done in the previous delimitation exercises.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

A presentation was made by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). Why did you not ask these questions?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The ECZ spent almost the whole day with us.

Hon. Member: Let them come back!

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Chisopa: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity to raise a point of order on the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House.

Madam Speaker, the question that is being asked is: Would it not be prudent to start by undertaking the delimitation exercise, followed by the verification of voters’ cards? Is the hon. Minister in order to ignore the question that is being asked on the Floor of the House?

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious ruling.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Mkushi South, there are still twenty minutes remaining to exhaust this Ministerial Statement, and you have not asked a question yet. Instead of raising a point of order, I would advise you to ask the hon. Minister any further clarification when you have a chance. The hon. Minister is answering the questions. When somebody asks a question, I call upon the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House to respond. So, if you are not satisfied with the responses, there is still time for you to ask. There are twenty more minutes. Please, ask as many questions as possible so that you can take the responses to your people in the constituencies.

We make progress. Let us make use of this opportunity. Instead of raising points of order, maybe, to show the people that the hon. Minister has not answered properly, let us ask him questions. It is our right to ask him.

Hon. Member for Kantanshi, you may proceed.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to carefully listen to this because this is where the problem is coming from. I will speak from the point of view of a meeting that was held in Mufulira District, at which even a vote was called, but it was politically driven. There was a conversation on a particular constituency grabbing a ward from the other.  I do not want to mention names. If that happens, the people who are undertaking verification in that ward would want to move, because they have heard that they are being moved to another ward. Why is the other constituency–

Madam First Deputy Speaker: They will not move them to another ward.

Mr Mumba: Madam Speaker, when a ward is moved to constituency A, and the people who are verifying their details hear that they are being moved to constituency A, but they do not know anybody in constituency A, as they have always been in constituency B, they will want to move to a different ward to avoid being moved to a new constituency. That is the confusion on the ground. Why has the Government not focused on the seventy that are intended for delimitation so that the people do not have this confusion? Otherwise, we risk serious election apathy, because right now, people are asking about where they are supposed to be, as they have heard stories about being moved to a ward in a newly created constituency. So, the issue is not necessarily the delimitation of a constituency, but the movement of a ward to another constituency. Those who are being moved to other constituencies are asking why they are being moved when they have always been in those particular constituencies.  So, that is also creating a problem. Why has the Government not focused on the seventy that should be delimited so that all the issues around people’s discomfort and whatever else are managed?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I know that we are not supposed to be repetitive in this House, but I will repeat. I have said that during the delimitation exercise, the ward boundaries and polling stations will not be affected. What will be affected are the constituency boundaries. That is all. People are not moved when delimitation is undertaken. The people remain where they are.

Hon. Opposition Members: Awe!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Yes.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, tandivwide andime chobaamba.

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Kabaamba muchikuwa.

 

Rev. Katuta interjected.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Chienge, please, avoid shouting, especially when you have not been given the Floor. Instead of shouting, indicate, then, you will be given the Floor. Let us have some orderliness in the House.

Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, you may continue.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Kantanshi asked why we are not concentrating on the seventy constituencies that will be delimitated. The issue is that we do not know them yet. That is why we are consulting the people of Zambia. It is through those consultations that we will be able to determine which constituencies will be delimitated because there are factors we need to take into account. We cannot pre-emptively mention that these are the constituencies that will be delimitated. The answer is no. For example, I may be thinking that my constituency will be delimitated when, in actual fact, it will not. So, consultations are taking place in all the districts. Once the consultations are complete, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will review the submissions and determine which seventy constituencies will be created. We cannot predict which ones will be created.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Mr Kasandwe (Bangweulu): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has just informed us that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) does not know which constituencies will be delimitated. The United Party for National Development (UPND) is making the work of the ECZ very difficult.

Hon. UPND Members: How?

Mr Kasandwe: How? We have seen a number of UPND candidates who have branded their vehicles with the new constituencies’ names. How can the hon. Minister tell us that he does not know? There are so many vehicles of UPND candidates, which have been branded with the names of the yet-to-be-delimitated constituencies. So, those people are making the work of the ECZ very difficult, and they know which constituencies will be delimitated anyway.

Madam Speaker, let me now turn to my question. In Bangweulu Constituency, for example, there are about 119 polling stations, if I am not mistaken, and there are ten wards. There are fourteen verification kits against more than 100 polling stations. The distances in Bangweulu Constituency are not like those in Lusaka, such as from Munali to Mandevu or from Matero to Kanyama. In other places, distances are more than 40 km apart. So, how does the hon. Minister think people will move their voting rights from one polling station to another if the distances are so vast, and there are only fourteen verification kits? The major challenge is how people are going to move from where they stay to where the verification kits are, because the distances are vast. So, would it not be prudent for the ECZ to send more kits, particularly to Bangweulu Constituency, where distances are vast, and even to most rural constituencies? That is where the Urgent Matter without Notice arose from.

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

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I am extremely surprised that my hon. Colleague does not know the number of polling stations in Bangweulu. Bangweulu has ninety-seven polling stations, contrary to what he alleged. There are no 119 polling stations in Bangweulu. There are ninety-seven.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, all ninety-seven polling stations have verification kits.

Interruptions

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

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, that is why some people are running away from being hon. Members of Parliament, because they know that they will never succeed as President.

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I challenge anyone.

Madam Speaker, I mentioned that at all polling stations across the country, we have sent verification kits. However, for the members of the public who want to transfer to other polling stations, there is only one station that we have established in every ward for that exercise. That is what I have indicated. So, it is not an issue. Only those who want to transfer will be able to access the kit at one central station in the ward, but for verification, all polling stations throughout the country have verification kits and that is a fact.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Munsanje: We need to move.

Mr Kapyanga: Sorry.

Laughter

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister is insinuating that there are kits at every polling station. To the contrary, there is only one kit in each ward.  The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has only generated hard copies of the registers and distributed them to polling stations. So, when one goes to verify, the officers check for one’s details in the hard copies of the registers. If they find that one’s details may have been incorrectly captured, then one is referred to the polling station where there is a kit. That is the status quo on the ground.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Bangweulu was trying to say that it is very difficult for people to move from where they find that their details are incorrect to where the kits are. This is why we are saying that the ECZ should have, at least, four to seven kits across the wards to make it easy for people to access.

Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to mislead the people of Zambia through this House regarding this very important exercise? The credibility of this exercise will determine the credibility and acceptance of the elections by everyone.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Mpika, you like debating your points of order. However, what you have mentioned is exactly what the hon. Minister stated. He said that only one kit is given to a ward. That is what the hon. Minister said. Maybe, the only issue remaining is for him to address the point raised by the hon. Member for Bangweulu, about the distance to the point in the ward where the kit is. Otherwise, he mentioned that there is only one kit per ward. So, the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House will attend to the issue of the distance being long between the polling station where someone goes to verify and the ward where the kit is. So, how can people be helped so that they are able to find the kits nearby?

May the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House proceed.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, as I indicated, we have kits in wards where members of the public can have their transfers done. However, all the other documentations are at all polling stations.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker:  Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, you are saying that people have verified, and for those who may want to transfer, there is need for them to go to where the kits are. However, they are now complaining of the distance to reach the places where the kits are, and that there is only one kit per ward. Therefore, is there any possibility of taking some more kits? How can the people be helped?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, you heard me say that supplementary mobile kits are available. This is to ensure that where there is an issue, kits can be taken. I made a plea to hon. Members of Parliament to liaise with District Electoral Officers to ensure that where there is a need, a kit can be made available. We have extra kits in every constituency. That is what I said.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you. I think, it is loud and clear. Let us make follow ups.

Mr Malambo (Magoye): Madam Speaker, about seventeen people in Konkola Ward at Konkola Lower have challenges with their National Registration Cards (NRCs), which were not captured very well on their voter’s cards. Unfortunately, it is about 16 km from Konkola Lower to Haanzala. Is there a way for the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to help our colleagues who are having challenges travelling to the other site, using the extra kits that the hon. Minister indicated?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, I think that question is similar to the one that the hon. Minister has already answered regarding mobile kits.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I was very categorical. I requested our hon. Colleagues, Members of Parliament, to liaise with the District Registration Officers to ensure that if there is an issue like the one he has raised, they can move a kit to the area where the affected people are.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rev. Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, Happy Women’s Week to you and to all female parliamentarians.

Madam Speaker, this is a very important statement that has been brought to the House. I would like the Government to assure the people of Zambia that the confusion will be sorted out. My question for the Acting hon. Leader of Government Business in the House is: What is the Government going to do in case a machine breaks down? There is just one machine per ward. Now, in case it breaks down, and looking at the distance between Chienge and the provincial capital, is the Government going to provide standby machines?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, for the avoidance of doubt, can I read what I earlier stated? I said:

“Given that there are 1,858 wards across the country, this allocation results in a surplus of 496 kits, which will be available wherever there is a need.”

That is exactly what I am telling the would-be president of this country.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that important statement.

Madam Speaker, there are scenarios where people are required to verify the names on their cards, and this is through police reports. During verification, if one letter is missing, people are told to get police reports. Will such people be eligible to vote, or will they miss out? I want to understand that.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, the import of the verification exercise is to ensure that the record is corrected. If there are omissions on the register or on the card, corrections will be made. That is the intention of this particular exercise.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Simumba (Nakonde): Madam Speaker, I am failing to understand. This Ministerial Statement is very important, but the hon. Minister has not answered a very important question that the Zambian people are asking. First, we appreciate that wards are not going to be affected. For example, in Monze, we have fourteen wards. The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) could delimit Monze Central and make Mwakalikuli a new constituency.

Mr Sing’ombe: Question!

Laughter

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, Mwakalikuli can be given fourteen wards from Monze Central.  

Madam Speaker, this means seven wards are going to be in Mwakalikuli Constituency, and people in those wards will need to vote in Mwakalikuli, instead of Monze Central. At first, they were in Monze Central Constituency and voted in there. Now, at what point are they going to change from voting in Monze Central to Mwakalikuli Constituency? This is what we are asking so that we know how people are going to vote in Mwakalikuli Boonse Ward.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Mwakalikuli can even be part of Nakonde. We do not need to transfer people.  

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, as I indicated earlier, I am being made to repeat myself. Registration of voters is not based on whom an individual wants to vote for.  

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: A voter will not know who is going to stand when registering as a voter. Parties decide who will stand or be their candidate, and individuals decide when to stand. As it is now, we do not know who is standing where. Parties will determine who will stand. Individuals will determine where they are going to stand. So, that should not be the basis of registration of voters. It should not be. What happens if your preferred candidate is not adopted? Are you saying you will not vote just on that basis? That does not add up to me. All we, as the ECZ, are doing is accord members of the public an opportunity to exercise their right to vote. We took the issue of delimitation into account, and that is why we did not want to affect polling stations and wards. If one is registered at a polling station called Mwakalikuli, one should go there and vote at Mwakalikuli.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nakonde, you are not satisfied with the answer?

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, this is a very important segment. I feel like the hon. Minister –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Is it a point of order?

Mr Simumba: Yes, it is a point of order.

Madam Speaker, I am not satisfied. Why? It is because the registers will change. Now, the ECZ is compiling the registers by polling stations. When a polling station is in Monze, but it is later found to be in Mwakalikuli, it means one cannot vote in Monze; one needs to vote from Mwakalikuli because of the register.

So, at what point are the people going to change their polling stations since the wards are not going to be affected and yet, the wards which are not affected will  be in another constituency? This simply means that the register is for the other constituency where that particular person was and not for the new constituency. This is the question I am asking. This is a very important issue, Madam Speaker. How I wish the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) could come here and tell us how it is going to be.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Nakonde, you are debating your point of order. Therefore, it is not admissible. However, what I heard from the hon. Minister is that the polling stations and wards will remain. It is just the name of the constituency that  might change. Everything remains the same on the ground, including the people.  So, it is just the name of the constituency which will be given, if at all there will be a change. That is how I understand it. No one is moving.

We make progress.

Ms Mulenga (Kalulushi): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I think that it is everyone's democratic right to vote for a candidate of their choice. As much as we appreciate the delimitation process, which I am sure every hon. Member of Parliament in here does, I would like to find out what the point of delimitating after we have done the verification? I think, there should have been a switch. The verification should have come after the delimitation.

Madam Speaker, this is a democratic dispensation, and this is why hon. Members of Parliament, Mayors and Councillors go out to campaign because at the end of the day, people will have a preferred candidate even at the Presidential level.

Madam Speaker, the point of most hon. Members of Parliament is that firstly, if we do the verification now and people change polling stations, what if they change where to vote from, but the ward remains the same? I will give a very good example. Should Chambishi and Kalulushi be delimited, wards will remain the same. So, where the boundaries will be is the issue. What if the members of the public in Chembe want to vote for me, but the boundaries have been redrawn, would that not be infringing on people’s rights? The people have a choice to vote for the candidate that they want.

Madam Speaker, what is happening is that people are panicking because they do not know whether Kalulushi will be delimited or not. So, people are changing polling stations out of panic. The hon. Minister should believe me when I say that if the Electoral Commission of Zambian (ECZ) does not act on this issue, several wards will remain empty because people are panicking, and therefore, there will be voter apathy.

Mr Mwiimbu SC.: Madam Speaker, I want to state that the period for people to change polling stations is open until 8^th March, 2026. If people want to transfer their voting station, they can do so up to 8^th March, 2026.  Further, I am aware that any astute hon. Member of Parliament will know where he/she is standing. He/she just has to advise his/her members. That is what should happen. Further, I know that the hon. Member wants to move to Kalulushi and not Chambishi. So, she should advise her members to switch before Monday, 9^th March, 2026.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: We make progress.

WASHED AWAY CULVERT ON THE CHINGOLA/CHILILABOMBWE/KASUMBALESA ROAD

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi): Madam Speaker, I wish to extend my profound gratitude for according me the opportunity to deliver a Ministerial Statement on an Urgent Matter without Notice regarding the washed away culvert at Kakoso Stream along the Chingola/Kasumbalesa Road in the Chingola/Chililabombwe District. The Chingola/Kasumbalesa Road is a concessioned road financed through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Model.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, entered into a concession agreement on 31^st October, 2022 with Turbo Kachin Consortium Limited under the PPP framework for the design, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of 35 km of the T003 between Chingola and Kasumbalesa. Consequently, Turbo Kachin Consortium Limited completed the construction works of the Chingola/Kasumbalesa Road in November 2023. The scope of the construction works under the concession agreement included the following:

1. rehabilitation and widening of 32 km of existing road;

1. construction of the 3km Kasumbalesa/Urban Dual Carriageway;

1. construction of traffic accommodation lanes;

1. rehabilitation of two bridges;

1. construction of one toll plaza;

1. construction of one type two weigh bridge with a weigh-in motion weigh bridge;

1. land acquisition, compensation and relocation of utilities; and  

1. full operation and maintenance for eighteen years.  

Madam Speaker, upon completion of the construction works, the project transitioned into the operation and maintenance phase on 24^th October, 2023.

Madam Speaker, may I take this opportunity to inform the House that during the operation and maintenance phase of the road project, the area around the Kakoso Culvert, which is located 15 km from Chingola, experienced severe and sudden weather conditions including heavy rainfall and strong winds. This caused a large tree and significant debris from upstream to block the existing drainage box culvert, which has been functional. The blockage led to a rapid buildup of water pressure resulting in structural failure due to excessive hydraulic pressure and scouring effects. This ultimately resulted in damage to a section of the road pavement and the 2x2 metres box culvert was eventually washed away.

Madam Speaker, as an emergency response to the wash away, the Government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development instructed the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the concessionaire through Turbo Kachin Consortium Limited as the project under operation and maintenance to undertake the following:

1. deploy safety personnel to the site, with warning signage and barriers installed to ensure controlled vehicle movement;

1. construct a temporary diversion road at the Kakosa culvert area. Construction has since been successfully completed, and traffic started flowing on Tuesday afternoon;

1. undertake a comprehensive corridor-wide safety inspection to identify and mitigate any similar potential risks;

1. carry out a detailed technical assessment of the damage; and

1. reconstruct a culvert that will accommodate climate change effects, and the works are expected to be completed within sixty days.

The above notwithstanding, Madam Speaker, the concession agreement requires the concessionaire to ensure safe and reliable traffic flow throughout the road corridor at all times during the concession period. Further, the concessionaire is expected to bear all costs associated with the reconstruction of the washed-away culvert. It must be noted that the concessionaire assumes the risk of design and operations for the duration of the concession period.

Madam Speaker, in addition to the above, allow me to state that the concessionaire has been strongly warned to periodically inspect all drainage infrastructure. The concessionaire has also been directed to implement permanent reconstruction of the affected culvert and provide a report on the remaining structures on the road.

Madam Speaker, the Chingola/Kasumbalesa Road, Public Private Partnership (PPP) project, remains a critical national infrastructure asset supporting mining exports and regional trade. The wash-away incident, while operationally significant, is being actively managed within the PPP contractual framework.

Madam Speaker, let me take advantage of this opportunity to inform the House that the Government is aware of the heavy rainfall that the country is experiencing, and that has exposed many bridges and culverts to vulnerability. Recent wash-aways have had a notable negative impact on economic activities and the delivery of social services. In cases where bridges and culverts were washed away, communities were temporarily cut off from essential services such as schools and health facilities. So far, 209 bridges and culverts, which are in critical condition, have been identified across the country, and require urgent attention at an estimated cost of K631,303,072.08. These resources will enable the Road Development Agency (RDA) to implement emergency maintenance that will prevent wash-aways, thereby, minimising disruption to connectivity.

Further, Madam Speaker, in response to the wash-away incident, the RDA has reinstated access at all affected locations using temporary measures to restore connectivity at Kankumba, Mphamba and Kacholola. These interventions include the installation of prefabricated acrow bridges, belly bridges and temporary culvert solutions, while more permanent works are being developed through standard procurement processes. Emergency response operations were undertaken in collaboration with the defence forces, local authorities and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).

In the short term, Madam Speaker, working with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, maintenance works are expected to commence as soon as possible. As a long-term measure, the ministry has instructed the RDA to review the maintenance plans for all bridges and roads in the country.

Madam Speaker, to ensure that good quality roads and bridges are maintained, the ministry is working with different stakeholders, such as the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) and the National Council for Construction (NCC), to review the design standards of bridges and roads in view of climate change.

Madam Speaker, when the people of Zambia gave us the mandate to superintend over the affairs of the country, we took the responsibility seriously. Not only have we been handling the affairs of the country methodically, we have also been cooking a delicious meal for them so that all who live in this great nation can enjoy a decent quality of life. Salt sana. We have been adding salt to the delicious meal at different intervals as follows:

1. increasing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million per constituency;

1. introducing the free education, and an additional 2.5 million learners back in school; and

1. providing desks, and so many other things.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government intends to continue adding more salt to the delicious meal, and if the people of Zambia vote for us in August 2026, they will be assured of enjoying the meal. Our promise is to keep adding salt to the delicious meal, as the people of the Copperbelt Province say, “Salt sana”, that means adding more salt to make the meal more delicious.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the Ministerial Statement presented by the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): Madam Speaker, in his statement, the hon. Minister indicated that the consortium will bear the cost of repairs for the damage that occurred on that Road. You may be aware that, through the Committee on Delegated Legislation, Parliament recommended that the contract be revised. You may wish to know that the concessionaire has been given eighteen years to operate that road, when in essence they will recover their investment in about five years. Hence, it was the view of the Committee that the contract should be revised.

Madam Speaker, other than the cost of repairs, which the hon. Minister has indicated will be borne by the concessionaire, has the Government ascertained the economic loss to the country due to the damage, because he knows that a day or three of that problem has impacted our economy to a great extent? Has the extent of the loss to the economy been ascertained, which must equally be borne by the concessionaire?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Nkana for that question. However, I think, his hatred for the private-sector involvement in running the economy is clearly evident from that question. As the Government, we decided to leverage on the private sector in terms of infrastructure development.

Mr B. Mpundu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nkana, you just asked a question, and the hon. Minister has just started responding. We have not even heard the response yet. So, allow him to respond.

May the hon. Minister continue.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, we embarked on a public-private partnership (PPP) model of financing infrastructure development because of the state of the economy we inherited from the previous Administration. We did not have the money to undertake some of the works, and what made it worse was that we were an over-borrowed country. Therefore, the Government had limited capacity to borrow in order to carry out infrastructure development.

Madam Speaker, we are also a Government that follows the law, and the law stipulates that when you enter into an agreement, you must stick to its conditions. There is a concession agreement between the Government and the consortium that stipulates that all risks during the construction, operations, and maintenance of the asset, for the duration of the concession agreement, lies with the concessionaire. The Government does not take any risks. That is what we are following. So, the maintenance, reconstruction and ensuring that traffic flows, lies with the concessionaire, in spite of what anybody might say, and any repair on the site was undertaken by the concessionaire, and I was on site. 

Madam Speaker, before we came into office, there was only the Kasumbalesa crossing point into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Looking at what the New Dawn Government has done, effectively, there are now two extra crossing points: Sakanya and Mokambo, which are currently being redeveloped. So, there are other opportunities for vehicles entering or leaving the DRC to cross into Zambia.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Hamwaata (Pemba): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, there has been –

Mr B. Mpundu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to skirt around the question I asked? He started by saying that the hatred I have for the public-private partnership (PPP) model is evident. Do I hate the PPP model? I do not. I do not just agree with the manner in which the contracts are being done. However, the issue is that I asked a question.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nkana, we are behind time. You may continue.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, when damage such as the one under discussion occurs, the loss is not just on the infrastructure that is affected, but business is disrupted on the side of the Government, in terms of the revenue it could have collected, and there are losses in the private sector. I asked whether the Government has been able to ascertain the losses the country has incurred and who bears the cost of such losses. The hon. Minister has not attempted to answer the question, instead, he spoke about Sakanya, which we are not interested in. We are interested in knowing who bears the cost of the losses incurred by the country and the private sector.

I seek your indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: As the hon. Minister responds to the question by the hon. Member for Pemba, he will also address that question.

May the hon. Member for Pemba continue with his question.

Mr Hamwaata: Madam Speaker, a number of culverts and bridges are being washed away, especially during this rainy season. My question to the hon. Minister is: Does the ministry have permanent plans to periodically inspect culverts and bridges so that catastrophes are managed before they occur? I will give an example of the Pemba/Mapanza Road, where there are a number of bridges that are going to be washed away if nothing is done.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I will start with the question from the hon. Member for Pemba.

Madam Speaker, yes, we do have a plan. In fact, in the statement, I indicated that we have identified 209 crossing points that are in imminent danger of being washed away, and I also indicated that K631 million would help us mitigate the situation. Having come up with the 209 crossing points consents that we do have a plan and we do check these issues.

Madam Speaker, let me now go back to the question by the hon. Member for Nkana, who asked how the consortium is going to compensate for the loss of business and so on and so forth.

Madam Speaker, first of all, that presupposes that the failure was on the consortium. In the statement, I made it very clear that the point at Kakoso, – I do not know if the hon. Member has been to Kakoso but as a young engineer working for a mine, I dealt with that part quite regularly, travelling from Chingola to Chililabombwe. I have stated that the cause of the wash-away was the extra-ordinary heavy storm that happened that Saturday night, which was accompanied by heavy winds that drew a lot of debris into the Kakoso Stream, including fallen trees. As the trees floated towards the culverts, they blocked them.

Madam Speaker, in terms of the design, those culverts had sufficient capacity to allow all the water to flow through but because of the storm, and the blockage that was caused by the trees and debris, there was a build-up of water on the upstream side of the bridges. The build-up of water is what overflowed onto the road and caused the wash-away. It is a technical thing. Now, if you are going to blame that on the consortium, I do not know what mechanism we are going to use.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member talked about the concessionaire getting his payback within five years. That agreement was negotiated for by various people.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1630 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

No quorum

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the point I was making is that when we have a serious incident, such as the one in question, what a serious Government does is, first of all, determine what caused the incident. Secondly, it carries out immediate remedial actions. Thirdly, for the long-term, it looks at other areas within the vicinity to make sure that a similar thing does not happen. Lastly, it restores what was there. In terms of determining what caused that wash away, I read it in my statement. The extraordinary heavy rainfall that particular night, coupled with heavy winds, caused debris and falling of trees to block the passage of water. That is what we, as the Government, have determined was the cause.

Madam Speaker, when it comes to compensating anyone, I think, all hon. Members of Parliament know that we are in a difficult year, in terms of the level of rainfall. We are in a climate change situation. If, for one moment, we as the Government felt that it was the concessionaire who was at fault, then, other actions would have been taken. However, so far, that is not our determination. In fact, when I read out the scope of works of what needed to be done, which was what was signed for, I indicated that there are two bridges that had to be rebuilt. Those two bridges are nowhere near the one that was washed away. So, the existing bridge that was coping with all the flows of water was more or less retained, but it could not handle blockage of the culverts. So, our findings do not determine that there should be further action taken, other than correcting that which has happened. Further, the standard of the road from Chingola all the way to Kasumbalesa remains in very good, in fact, excellent condition.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I want to put it on record that public-private partnership (PPP) programmes in Zambia started way back, from the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government era to the time of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. However, this is the first time that they have been actualised. Therefore, I congratulate the Government for that. There is a particular huge PPP project, the one-stop border post. So, Kantanshi will be a beneficiary.

Madam Speaker, I have a simple question for the hon. Minister. There have been many comments from engineers who feel that the incident that occurred, unfortunate as it was, should not have occurred because rain in Zambia is not new. Usually, roads designed for catchment areas like where that road passes are expected to sustain themselves from rainwater for close to fifty years. The Road Development Agency (RDA) looks after the road infrastructure of our country. In the PPP projects that the hon. Minister outlined under his ministry, is there a clear, definite role that the RDA plays in ensuring that the technical specifications certified by our own institutions are followed? The RDA has been given statutory responsibility so that going forward, such incidents do not occur in other projects. So, that component is taken care of by the RDA.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Kantanshi for that supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, first of all, the short answer is that the RDA – Before I reach there, any gazetted road in this country remains Government property whether it is under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or, indeed, operated by the RDA. After all, a concession is that if the road is given away for a fixed period of time, it will revert to the Government.

Laughter

Eng. Milupi: The RDA has a mandate to operate the roads in the country on behalf of Government. In the meantime, the hon. Member is asking what role it plays has in making specifications.

Madam Speaker, first of all, the RDA is the contracting authority. It is the one that signed the concession with the consortium. In signing this, part of the requirements is that the specifications must be drawn up, and those form part of the agreement. So, that is exactly what needed to be done, as is shown by the scope of works. That is what was determined and signed off by the consortium as well as the RDA showing what is necessary, including the specification for various layers of the road. So, we are quite happy with that.

Madam Speaker, also, the RDA has the responsibility, together with the consortium, the private party, to appoint a private expert to supervise the works. The hon. Member says that engineers are saying this should not have happened. My answer to that is that the design of the culverts, which were actually old culverts that were in situ, were designed to provide sufficient openings to allow water to pass through whether it is one in a hundred-year flood and so on.

Madam Speaker, we have no problems with water that was flowing through. What happened was that the heavy winds and so on made a lot more debris and a tree to fall in. So, that is what blocked everything and the culverts were not able to undertake their work. Therefore, there was a build-up of water on the upstream side. The overflow caused cavitation resulting in the wash away. So, yes, the RDA is fully involved in determining the specifications, supervising the construction through the independent expert and ensuring that things are done properly.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mabumba (Mwense): Madam Speaker, my question is very similar to the one that Hon. Mumba asked, but maybe, let me also just paraphrase it.

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister is aware that we also have a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project between Mwenda and Kasomeno, which is a very important investment for us. Now, in the eventuality of the operational and maintenance phase, what does the Road Development Agency (RDA) do given that obviously, the concessionaire seems to be the one who runs the project? In addition, I normally go to check what is happening with our project in Mwense, and it is very rare that I find the RDA there.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for Mwense, Hon. Mabumba for the supplementary question.

Madam Speaker, the RDA is present in that project through the joint appointment of an engineering expert who reports to our regional engineer, and every so often he/she gets a visitation from the regional engineer and the head office. Above that, the Public-Private Partnership Council, which includes myself, also regularly visits the site.

Madam Speaker, the Mwenda/Kasomeno Project will be a marvel when completed, not only in terms of the roads, but also in terms of the bridge, which is coming up at that spot on the Luapula River. People will be going there as tourists just to see that bridge just like we are doing in Kazungula. So, the PPP concept for Zambia is working very well. So, all of us need to support it. Where we have issues like this, when the remedial works on the Kakoso spot have been done, the instruction is what has occurred must not occur. So, the sizes of the culverts are going to be made much bigger. It is not only that, they are going to inspect all the other streams along the corridor to make sure that if there is any need to make corrections, it will be done. That is the beauty with the PPP.   It is not costing the Government, but all goes to the account of the concessionaire because that is what is stipulated in the agreement.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to ask a question.

Madam Speaker, I would like to appreciate the hon. Minister’s Ministerial Statement. If there is anything this disaster has taught me, it is the importance of consultants on projects, in particular, the Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) that his ministry has been undertaking. The Lusaka/Ndola Dual Carriageway was done for twelve months without a consultant. The Luanshya/Masangano Road, which is already failing was done without a consultant.

Madam Speaker, does this failure ring any bell in this Government regarding the importance of having consultants on projects or we are going to see similar PPPs that will be undertaken without consultants to have a result such as what has happened in the Chingola/Chililabombwe Road project and what is happening to the Luansha/Masangano Road?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, first of all, in the event of a delay in the appointment of a consultant, the responsibility or the mandate does not disappear. It falls squarely on the shoulders of the RDA, which is manned by competent and experienced engineers, who act as consultants in the event of a delayed appointment of a consultant. So, there is no work that can be undertaken without the involvement of a consultant, either as independent consultant or indeed, as RDA.

Madam Speaker, further, the failure of those culverts on the Kakoso Stream is not as a result of the absence of a consultant. It is as a result of the effects of climate change this year, occasioning heavy rainfall, especially in that area. I suppose everyone knows that we normally experience heavy rains around Chililabombwe, but this time around, it was accompanied by heavy winds, dropping trees and debris into the stream that caused the culverts to be blocked.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Eng. Daka (Chadiza): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, we should learn to appreciate when things are succeeding. I have been in the consultancy industry for more than twenty years. I know where we are coming from and where we are. To be very honest, this Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for financing roads has failed many Governments in the past. However, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government has succeeded. I cannot even subtract that from the Government.

Madam Speaker, the simple question that I am posing to the hon. Minister this afternoon is on the fact that whenever the ministry is undertaking any works –

Hon. Member: It is still morning!

Eng. Daka: I have been advised that it is still morning.

Thank you.

Laughter

Eng. Daka: Madam Speaker, when any works are being undertaken, there is normally a design phase. A consultant, whether through a PPP, will conduct an assessment of the existing drainage facilities. Zambians would like to know whether the culvert that succumbed to hydraulic pressure was an existing one or it was newly-constructed?

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Chadiza, Eng. Jonathan Daka. He fully understands how engineering of this nature is done. I must say that I was with him last Friday regarding the Chadiza Road.

Mr Kafwaya: Question!

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the question he has raised gives me an opportunity to clearly state that according to the assessment that was carried out on the road before works were done, it was felt that the culvert had sufficient capacity to allow water to pass through under extraordinary conditions. So, the answer to the question is that the culvert was an old one. These are culverts that have been in operation for many, many years. So, it was left in situ. However, on account of trees falling and blocking it, the concessionaire has been told to, perhaps, install bigger culverts going forward. It was an existing culvert that has been used for many years.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, what is the policy direction on similar incidents that the ministry is addressing in the Chingola/Chililabombwe area, whereby, a whole road is cut? Pemba Road, which connects to Mangunza, has also been cut off in my constituency. So, one part is unreachable right now.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, the Government’s policy is that where communities are cut off from one another, action must be taken to ensure restoration of connectivity. So, where there are incidents such as the ones the hon. Member has mentioned, the ministry should be informed so that it can do what it can to ensure that connectivity is restored where it is possible. In certain cases, if the flooding is such that it opens up a much wider space, which would require a stronger bridge to be constructed, that might cause problems. However, where something can be done to restore connectivity, as the ministry has done in a number of cases, and stipulated at the sites that have been inspected, that will be done. So, I ask the hon. Member to contact us so that we can define what needs to be done in that particular spot.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Simumba (Nakonde): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, mine is a very simple question. I want to know if the ministry is ready to revise the contract based on the recommendations that were made by the Committee of this Parliament; to revise the contract.

Eng. Milupi: Madam Speaker, if a country wants the involvement of the private sector, as well as investors from other places, it must demonstrate that it can follow the laws, and keep those laws. The Government must follow the agreements as reached, and stick to them. If at any time the Government says that this or that must change and so on, very quickly, flows of investments, either from its own citizens or those outside, will dry up. It is easy to quickly work out how much the concessionaires are collecting, how much they spent and what the payback is. However, there is more to working out the payback period.

Madam Speaker, experts in the Government work out a number of things, and came up with these agreements. The first one is the investment that is required and the payback period. When one talks about the five years, I am not aware of that figure in anything that we, as a PPP council, have examined. Secondly, that determines what tariffs will be paid at the toll gates to allow the concessionaires to recoup their investments and profit. Further, that is what determines the Government's share of the revenue. Sometimes, we give the impression that concessionaires collect all the revenue. No. The Government has a share of the revenue. Thirdly, there is the question of how long the concession period will be. Beyond that, the risk, maintenance and operations are on the concessionaires, for example, what has happened. The rebuilding of the culvert was not factored in. It will cost the concessionaire money, and the agreement has been structured in such a way that the Government is not involved at all. So, these are some of the risks that the concessionaires take.

Madam Speaker, if I am asked whether the Government will revise the agreement, I would say that, at the moment, it sees no cause, whatsoever, to revise this agreement or, indeed, any other. If we did that, then, when faced with obstacles, the concessionaires would also come back, and ask to revise the agreement, as they would no longer be making what they should have been making. That is not how agreements are run.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I will not take any more points of order. We are behind time. Maybe, when we reach consideration of the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles, I will do that. I would advise you to link up with the hon. Minister so that you can have a discussion. We still have Committee work, and it is bulky.

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QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

RAINFALL-DAMAGED HOUSES IN CHINSALI

248. Mr Mukosa (Chinsali) asked the Vice-President:

1. whether the Government is aware that several houses in the following wards in Chinsali Parliamentary Constituency were damaged in the past week following heavy rainfall:

1. Lubwa; and
2. Munwakubili; and

1. if so, what urgent measures are being taken to assist the affected households.

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mwiimbu, SC.): Madam Speaker, the Government is aware that in the past week, several houses in Lubwa Ward in Chinsali Parliamentary Constituency have been severely damaged following heavy rainfall. The Government, through the regional Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in Muchinga Province, received reports of flooding in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province as a result of above-average rainfall, which the province has been receiving, as well as residual effects of the recent Cyclone Gezani.

 

Madam Speaker, a rapid participatory assessment conducted on 26^th February, 2026, indicated that forty-six houses had been damaged in Lubwa Ward. However, regarding damage to the houses in Munwakubili, the Government is not aware. Investigations on the ground, using various local structures, such as satellite committees in Munwakubili, have shown that there are no reports of damage to the houses.

Madam Speaker, the Government responded to the forty-six collapsed houses in Lubwa and Chinsali wards of Chinsali Constituency on Thursday, 5^th March, 2026, by issuing the following:

1. fifteen tents, 4x4 m;

1. 100 bags of mealie meal;

1. ten boxes of dates;

1. ten bags of rice;

1. 100 kgs of salt;

1. ten bags of beans; and

1. boxes of cooking oil.

Madam Speaker, the House may further wish to note that the Government is also aware of the plight of forty-nine households in Chinsali Ward and Ruben Village, who have lost 19.3 ha of maize due to flooding, and they have been assisted with emergency food relief by the Chinsali District Disaster Management Committee.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, first of all, I thank the hon. Minister for the response he has provided. Secondly, I appreciate the Government’s intervention regarding the flooding in Chinsali, as well as the houses that have been damaged by the heavy rainfall.

Madam Speaker, we have continued to experience heavy rainfall in Chinsali, and I think we may experience more disasters. What assurance is the Government giving to the people of Chinsali, and how ready is the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to come to their aid in the event that more people are affected by the heavy rainfall being experienced?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I would like to assure my colleague, Hon. Mukosa, that this Government is able and willing to assist its members of the public who are affected or afflicted by the disaster. We will do everything possible to ensure that the people of Chinsali are assisted in the event of any disaster.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, I just want to seek clarity from the hon. Minister. In his response regarding the help being rendered to the affected households in Chinsali, he gave block amounts of what had been provided. For example, for cooking oil, he stated the quantity that had been provided.  I would like to get clarification. Have all the affected households been assisted, or is it just some households that have been assisted and others will be assisted later?

Mr Mwiimbu, SC.: Madam Speaker, I just want to assure my colleague that if there are any  people who have been affected and have not been assisted, the DMMU will ensure that they are also assisted in a similar manner.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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BILLS

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

THE BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES BILL, 2025

Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196,197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213 and 214 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

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HOUSE RESUMED

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

The following Bill was reported to the House as having passed through Committee without amendments:

The Banking and Financial Services Bill, 2025

Third Reading on Tuesday, 17^th March, 2026.

THIRD READING

The following Bill was read a third time and passed:

The Zambia Deposit Insurance Corporation Bill, 2025

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MOTIONS

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

(Debate resumed)

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Any further debate?

I see none.

Mr Katakwe indicated to debate but withdrew.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Oh, the hon. Member for Solwezi East.

Madam First Deputy Speaker conferred with the Clerk

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Has he withdrawn?

The Clerk indicated assent.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mwiimbu, SC.): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at 1212 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 17^th March, 2026.

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