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Debates- Wednesday, 8th June, 2011
DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, 8th June, 2011
The House met at 1430 hours
[MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]
NATIONAL ANTHEM
PRAYER
________
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR MOBILE HOSPITALS
The Minister of Health (Mr Simbao): Madam Speaker, I am grateful for having been accorded this opportunity to give a ministerial statement on the Operational Guidelines for Mobile Hospitals.
Madam, I must hasten to state that the health sector is performing very well.
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
Interruptions
Mr Simbao: The evidence for this assertion on my part and not on your part is there for all to see.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, through the diligent efforts of this Government, deaths of our people resulting from malaria have been reduced by over 60 per cent.
Interruptions
Mr Simbao: These are World Health Organisation (WHO) figures and not any other person’s.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Further, the Under Five Mortality Rate has reduced from 168 per 1,000 live births to 119 between 2005 and 2007.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: It should be noted that all this has occurred in the last ten years of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Over the same period, Madam Speaker, the infant mortality rate was also lowered from ninety to seventy deaths per 1,000 live births.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Madam, these are real reductions in terms of deaths.
It is also worth noting that our evidence-based interventions focusing on emergency obstetric and neonatal care, coupled with the general improvement of our economy, especially in the communication sector, contributed to the reduction in maternal mortality rate that we saw over the same period from 729 to 591 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Madam Speaker, in lay language, what this means is that the health security of our pregnant women, children and all citizens in general, has tremendously improved.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Madam, the Ministry of Health is committed to keeping its promise of realising the National Health Vision of ensuring that there is equity of access to affordable, cost-effective and quality health services, as we have provided in Chipili Constituency.
Interruptions
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, partly inspired by this vision, I must inform this House that the health services in Zambia, or anywhere else in the world, today, are provided through two modalities namely; static health facilities such as health posts, health centres, hospitals and through mobile health facilities …
Mr Kambwili: Question!
Mr Simbao: … as is the case with the Zambia Flying Doctor Services. It ought to be noted that one modality is not a substitute for the other. The two complement each other, hence the need for them to be utilised simultaneously.
Madam Speaker, the ultimate plan of the Ministry of Health is to ensure that every Zambian family is within 5 km of a public health facility. However, at present, it is estimated that about 70 per cent of Zambians live within 9 km of a public health facility. This is a significant challenge which the Government is addressing through the continued construction of health facilities across the country to improve the distribution of static health facilities and provision of health services throughout the country.
Noting that many Zambians in rural areas still live far away from health facilities, the Ministry of Health presently recognises outreach services as cardinal for meeting the health needs of such people.
It is an expected and encouraged practice in many rural parts of Zambia for District Medical Offices (DMOs) to offer health services through outreach activities like immunisation, family planning services and mobile Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to benefit those that have difficulties in accessing static facilities.
Therefore, the strengthening of mobile health services, through the procurement of appropriate mobile health units, was designed to complement the services being provided by the static health institutions.
It is envisaged that, through strengthened mobile health services, many rural communities shall have ready and easy access to affordable, cost-effective and quality health care as close to them as possible.
Mr Kambwili: Question!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, to strengthen outreach services in Zambia, the Government has procured nine mobile health sets with specialised equipment for use by people with appropriate competences.
With the mobile health sets, all health services that can be found at the general hospital level going downwards to the health post level shall be offered in rural and remote areas of this country, areas that are characterised by absence of electricity and poor road infrastructure. Note that mobile hospital motor vehicles are specially designed for such road terrain.
Madam Speaker, each set, also commonly referred to as mobile hospital, comprises seven service units. These are:
(i) out-patient motor vehicle;
(ii) laboratory motor vehicle;
(iii) X-ray motor vehicle;
(iv) mini-theatre motor vehicle;
(v) dispensary and audio visual motor vehicle;
(vi) living motor vehicle (sleeping quarters); and
(vii) power and water supply motor vehicle.
In addition, there is a provision for a transportation trolley for tents and a medical waste collection. The waste collected is disposed of in an appropriate manner.
Madam Speaker, this procurement also comes with seventeen state-of-the-art marine ambulances for use where our citizens use water transport to access health services and twelve boats specifically for transportation of our citizens from one location to another to ease their access to health services.
Madam, the following constitutes situations under which mobile health services shall be provided:
(i) as routine outreach services to complement static health facilities; and
(ii) as emergency management of situations such as disease outbreaks and natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, mass casualties and accidents.
Madam Speaker, I have in my possession the first edition of the Standard Operating Procedures for Mobile Health Services in Zambia, which I have attached to this speech.
Madam, this booklet provides comprehensive and thorough guidance on how the procured mobile health units are to be used in Zambia. Roles are outlined for each level of the Ministry of Health, other government ministries, traditional leaders and the community.
As an example, please note the following:
(i) The Role of the Ministry of Health Headquarters
The Ministry of Health shall provide policy direction and leadership on the use of Mobile Health Units in Zambia. The Directorate of Mobile and Emergency Health Services now exists at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and it is the responsibility of this directorate to ensure that quality health services and clinical guidance are provided on the use of mobile health units;
(ii) The Role of the Provincial Medical Office
This office shall co-ordinate and supervise the provision of health services through Mobile Health Units in their respective provinces. The Provincial Medical Offices (PMOs) are already mandated to co-ordinate all health services in the provinces and this additional responsibility will ensure that there is complementary and optimal use of operational resources;
(iii) The Role of the District Medical Office
The District Medical Office (DMO) shall retain the authority of usage in its district of the Mobile Health Units. Based on need, the DMO shall inform the PMO on the best use of the units in its district. With this linkage to the PMO, DMOs will ensure cost effectiveness and equitable utilisation of medical services; and
(iv) The Role of the Provincial or General Hospital
The provincial or general hospital shall be the host or base station of the Mobile Health Units.
Madam Speaker, allow me to state that the details I have given can be found in the manual. In summary, let me reiterate that this booklet is very comprehensive. It covers key areas such as:
(i) Administration;
(ii) Services to be Offered;
(iii) Human Resource Management;
(iv) Factors to be Considered Beyond Deployment;
(v) Maintenance; and
(vi) Waste Management.
Madam Speaker, the budget for the use of Mobile Health Units for the period April to December, 2011 is based on thirteen days only in any month. It ought to be considered that the remaining days shall be reserved for the servicing of the units. The budget estimates for the given period is that each province shall require about K2.4 billion for the successful use of the procured units.
Further, when not in deployment, it must be mentioned that staff attached to the units shall revert to their host stations to continue offering their services there. It is hoped that, through the now strengthened Mobile Health Services, as a complementary service delivery mode, Zambia’s health vision shall eventually be realised. This will be done as it is articulated in the National Health Strategic Plan (NHSP): “ To ensure equity of access to affordable, cost-effective and quality health services that are as close to the family as possible.”
An estimated 8.7 million Zambians are expected to benefit from health services offered through this mode. Already, in a space of only one month, over 5,000 Zambians have received life-saving and life-changing medical attention through this Government intervention.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Question!
Interruptions
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, it is my hope that this undertaking by the Government should be seen for what it truly is: a vital intervention that is meant to safeguard the health of all our citizens regardless of where they live. It deserves the support of every Zambian, including ourselves in this august House.
Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the House for the support that my ministry has continued to receive and, indeed, ensuring that we in the health sector focus on saving the lives of our people through the provision of Mobile Health Services.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the ministerial statement given by the hon. Minister of Health.
Mr Kambwili (Roan): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that maternal and quite a lot of deaths have been reduced. It is clearly evident that, in rural Zambia, there are no hospitals and clinics to capture deaths. People in villages die in the morning and are buried in the afternoon. May I know how you capture the deaths of the people living in rural areas?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Kambwili for that very educative and positive question which really needs understanding. I am being reminded that all of a sudden Hon. Kambwili has become very positive in this House.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, all deaths are now recorded. We have created Safe Motherhood Action Groups (SMAGs) in almost all the communities, especially in the rural areas. We have transformed the former Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) into these SMAGs. We have assisted them with basic transportation and training to encourage the women to attend ante natal and to see to it that, if possible, they deliver at our health units. We have reached a stage where we are confident that almost everyone who gets pregnant in this country is known to us.
However, I must say that the numbers I have read here are about what we know, what we used to be, what we knew, what we are now and that we know. So, it is true reduction in deaths.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Lumba (Solwezi Central): Madam Speaker, I would like to know how many trucks constitute one Mobile Clinic and what happens if one truck is not functional.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, there are seven. If one truck is not functional, it does not stop the hospital from functioning. All the seven are specialised trucks specific to one particular item. However, it must be understood that these will be very rare cases, if ever they will happen, for a lot of reasons. The movement of these hospitals is minimal and they are a very slow moving train. They are not as fast as people might think. There is no way a situation would arise in which a truck breaks down and there is no proactive plan for its maintenance. We have to experience it to understand how we shall manage but, at the moment, our understanding is that we are on very safe ground.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr C. Mulenga (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I would like to find out the total cost of operating the hospital for a month and whether the cost justifies having them rather than constructing static clinics.
Mr Simbao: Madam, really I do not know. However, I gave an estimate by saying that it is going to cost about K2.4 billion per year per unit. Now, we have to experience this and see the actual cost as this was just an estimate. Therefore, hon. Members, let us be fair here because it is not possible that we can calculate the cost to the exact point before we actually experience using this equipment. We can estimate and this is what we have done. That figure must be taken into account. We shall compare at the end of the year how much money we will actually use. It might be less or more. At the moment, our estimate is that it is going to cost K2.4 billion per year for each unit.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Madam Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister of Health correctly, he did mention that these mobile hospitals will only be operational for thirteen days in a month and the balance of those days will be for maintenance. I would like to find out from him what will be happening to those who are really in need of health services during the period these so-called mobile hospitals are not operational. I have in mind those who have severe diarrhoea in remote areas.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, these mobile hospital services have specifically come for people that are in remote areas who have had difficulties reaching our static hospitals. However, the hon. Member must understand that this is a complement to the static hospitals. So, in the absence of Mobile Health Services, people will still be able to access static hospitals as they are doing now.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Madam Speaker, in 2006 when I came to Parliament, the Maternal Mortality Rate was at 591 per 100,000 live births. The hon. Minister, in his statement, mentioned the fact that there are three bottlenecks that lead to high mortality rate, but he only addressed one. I would like to find out from him how the other two bottlenecks are being addressed by his ministry.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, we have three causes which I did not mention because I was, specifically, talking about our efforts to reduce on maternal mortality. The training that our rural people are getting, at the moment, is such that if haemorrhage, which is the greatest cause of death of mothers, occurs, they are able to deal with it. So, we are addressing this matter by ensuring that all our health facilities are able to stop this if it happens. That is why we encourage all mothers, if possible, to deliver at our health facilities.
I thank you, Madam.{mospagebreak}
Mr Kakoma (Zambezi West): Madam Speaker, given the critical shortage of medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, in our static hospitals, what is the rationale for removing the few medical personnel from our static hospitals to man mobile hospitals, for almost two weeks in a month, leaving their base stations with further reduced staff levels?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, these mobile facilities have come with four consultant doctors. In fact, they can operate just with the four consultant doctors.
Ms Kapata: For the whole country?
Mr Simbao: Looking at the level of personnel in our country today. We do not have many sub-specialists. Even in our present tertiary hospitals, we have very few. What we mostly have are specialists, also called consultants, and among them all our country is in greater need of surgeons. These mobile hospitals come with surgeons and most of the work will be done by them.
Madam Speaker, the mobile hospitals come with four consultants for each unit because that is how they need to be manned. The attachment of our people there is just for the sake of learning and getting used to handling this equipment because the consultants will have to go back after two years, as is contained in the present agreement. We can extend this agreement but, in the meantime, we need our people to also know what to do or how to run these mobile hospitals.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Nsanda (Chimwemwe): Madam Speaker, this Government has lamentably failed to run any transport system such as the United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ), Contract Haulage and Mulungushi Traveller.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nsanda: How come, all of a sudden, it can run mobile hospitals and seventeen boats? Where has the Government acquired engineers to come and service these facilities?
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: Madam, I thank the hon. Member for that very good question.
Laughter
Mr Simbao: Everything has a beginning and this is the beginning of the transformation of the health delivery service in this country. I would love Hon. Nsanda to sit and watch and see how we are going to deliver this service. It will be a marvel to watch just like he is marveling right now.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Interruptions
Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Madam, the treatment of many ailments or diseases is a minimum of five injections, which is one injection a day for five days.
Interruptions
Mr Lubinda: Pneumonia, for instance, requires even more injections as it takes seven days. Can I find out from the hon. Minister whether these trucks that they will be sending to our villages will stay there to make sure that those who have been prescribed such treatment get all the injections before the hospitals relocate to another area …
Ms Kapata: Hear, hear!
Mr Lubinda: … or will they come back everyday to ensure that people are injected? Alternatively, will they carry all these patients with them everywhere they go to make sure that they get all the treatment?
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, obviously, I am not a medical doctor, so, I have benefited a lot from the knowledge of the hon. Member of Parliament who is an agriculturalist. I think he has been injecting plants for five or seven days, but it is not like that for human beings.
Interruptions
Mr Simbao: I think it basically depends on the type of disease that one is being treated for. In cases where we have injections, we have a substitute or alternative, which are capsules or tablets with the same effect. So, where such a case occurs, the person can be put on that medication.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi): Madam Speaker, one of the most effective ways of capturing deaths in the village, which has always existed, is the village register system which the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has failed to uphold with chiefs. Is the Ministry of Health going to make some effort so that this system is there to enable the hon. Minister to give us facts in this House?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, the most unfortunate thing is that the people that are not privy to information always want to doubt information given to them. The figures I have read here exist in the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2007 Demographic Health Survey. It is not something that has been dreamt up from nowhere.
Now, I have just been explaining here that we have launched SMAGs that are monitoring all these cases. If there is a need to reconcile with the village register or whatever may be the case, then, they have to do that. However, we have our own system because we are interested in trying to the reduce mortality rate in this country. We are still very far from where we should be.
I thank you, Sir.
Ms Kawandami (Chifubu): Madam Speaker, in his earlier statement, the hon. Minister mentioned the fact that 60 per cent of malaria cases have been eradicated. I would, therefore, like to find out what hurdles are preventing the attainment of 100 per cent eradication as our friends in South Africa have done.
Laughter
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, the target of the Rollback Malaria 2010 was to reduce malaria deaths by 50 per cent and we managed to get to 60 per cent. We received worldwide recognition for having done very well and we are, definitely, trying to get to zero deaths. If you ask what South Africa did to eradicate malaria, it used intensive spraying with Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT), which, at the moment, seems to have only presented a few problems. Countries like Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana are also going the same way. We have also been spraying with DDT, but the 60 per cent eradication is how far we have moved according to the 50 per cent requirement by the Rollback Malaria.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Madam Speaker, since there will obviously be patients who will die as they receive treatment from the mobile hospitals, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether the mobile hospitals have any mortuaries alongside …
Laughter
Mr Ntundu: … where they will be keeping those who will die or are there hearses that move alongside these mobile hospitals that will carry patients who will die. I would like to know.
Interruptions
The Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I think the hon. Member is forgetting that these mobile hospitals will be going in the centre of villages. This is near where these people come from and when they are treated, they go back to their homes. So, if they die, the normal procedure that is followed when a person dies is what will happen.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Simuusa (Nchanga): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister, in his statement, said that the staff or personnel that are working with these mobile hospitals, in the event or at the time when these hospitals are idle, will return to their substantive posts. Since there has been an introduction of the issue of temporality of these hospitals, I wish to find out from the hon. Minister what the planned utilisation of these hospitals is. For example, in 365 days in their plan, how many days does the ministry plan to keep these hospitals idle? Secondly, what will be the frequency of these hospitals at a given point? For example, if it leaves Shang’ombo, today, when is it expected to go back there in the same year?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I am sure that I indicated the frequency the hon. Member wants to know. When you multiply thirteen days, which is the number of days in a month that mobile hospitals will be stationed in a given area, by twelve, you can get the frequency per year. I have laid it down for him. So, he can easily make a calculation. These …
Mr Simuusa: Frequency!
Mr Simbao: Please, Hon. Simuusa is the one who can handle figures. I have given him thirteen days per month, so, he can as well go ahead and calculate the frequency he wants because I did not calculate it. So, if he wants to know now, he can go ahead and calculate it. I have given him the figures to work with. I do not see what the problem is here. If you want me to calculate the frequency now, give me five minutes.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister, may you not keep responding to heckling.
Mr Simbao: The hon. Member who has asked this question is capable of finding out the frequency by himself.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Machungwa (Luapula): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has given impressive figures of reduction in mortality rate as a result of the various interventions. Is he in a position to give us any shifting life expectancy and improvement for that matter considering these figures he has given?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I am not in a position to do that, but a recent paper I read is that our life expectancy has improved to fifty-two years, …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Simbao: … but I am not able to put that very clearly.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Malama (Mfuwe): Madam Speaker, I have a simple question. I just want to find out how the people of Chief Nabwalya are going to benefit from these mobile hospitals considering the bad road and the distance between the district and the chiefdom.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I can make a very general statement here that all the people in remote areas in this country are going to benefit from these mobile hospitals. The hon. Member of Parliament owns a 4 X 4 vehicle that he uses to get around in Chief Nabwalya, but these mobile hospitals are more than 4 X 4 vehicles and he must rest assured that they will reach the people in Chief Nabwalya. The only thing that is required here is that the provincial administration plans for that visit.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Banda (Chililabombwe): Madam Speaker, may I find out from the hon. Minister how reviews will be done, especially those that are supposed to be done by specialised doctors.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, first and foremost, this is one reason we are carrying the local people on these mobile hospitals. Not only that, after thirteen days, these specialists are going to work at the general or district hospitals within the area. It is through the remaining days in a month that these reviews will be followed up.
Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, from 1986 to the time the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) came into power, the maternal mortality was at about 591 per 100,000 live births. However, during the reign of the MMD, the maternal mortality went up to 792. Can the hon. Minister confirm that this is a creation of the MMD Government which has not achieved anything just as the mobile hospitals will not achieve anything. Can he further confirm that the MMD has been fighting problems that are its creation. In what way are these mobile clinics going to benefit the Zambians?
The Deputy Speaker: Ask your questions in a clear and concise manner.
Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, the question was not asked in a clear and concise manner.
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Mr Simbao: Therefore, I did not follow the hon. Member’s figures.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chota (Lubansenshi): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister said that, in the contract which he signed, these specialist consultants are going to be here for only two years. I am worried as I do not know what programme you have …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! We are asking questions and, therefore, the background must be only that which is necessary.
Mr Chota: Since we do not have enough consultants in Zambia, what programmes have been put in place to train these consultants who will take over from the Chinese when they go back?
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, I did explain that all units were attaching our Zambian personnel. They go away for thirteen days to work with our consultants and revert to their operating areas afterwards. It is in this manner that we believe that our people, in two years time, would have known what to do with mobile hospitals.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Simama (Kalulushi): Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the people who are not supporting mobile hospitals are those people who are able to source medical care from abroad and, within Zambia, their families go to expensive clinics which are within their reach?
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! Everyone has a right to ask the way he/she wants to.
Laughter
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, this is another positive question that really helps to explain more about these mobile hospitals.
Madam Speaker, the people who have been against these mobile hospitals are not rural dwellers. If people have been reading in the papers, rural people want these mobile hospitals. We even have problems over where to take the mobile hospitals because people are fighting for them.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, people who drive Bavarian Motor Works (BMWs) and Benz vehicles are the ones that are against mobile hospitals. It is a pity that only these people that have constituencies in urban areas are against mobile hospitals. People in rural areas are very happy about them, including hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition side.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Katema (Chingola): Madam Speaker, we have heard from the hon. Minister that the regime of work of these mobile hospitals is that the district medical office requests from the provincial medical office, after they have planned for the units to be released to that district, for the unit’s visitation. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister how the district medical office shall plan for obstetric and gynecological emergencies where and when those are going to occur and in which village.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, emergencies are just that and I do not see how else I can answer that. Therefore, emergencies will be dealt with as they occur.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether there are any extra incentives given to the personnel working on these mobile hospitals.
Mr Simbao: Madam Speaker, yes, of course. For Zambians, there is an out of station allowance.
I thank you, Madam.
_________________
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
HAMMER MILL DISTRIBUTION
458. Mr Mwango (Kanchibiya) asked the Minister of Gender and Women in Development:
(a) how many hammer mills had been procured by the Ministry for countrywide distribution in 2010;
(b) how much money had been spent on the exercise above;
(c) what the intended goal of procuring the said hammer mills was; and
(d) whether this programme would continue in the future.
The Deputy Minister of Gender and Women in Development (Ms Changwe): Madam Speaker, 162 hammer mills were procured by the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development, in 2010, and were distributed to each of the 150 constituencies. An additional twelve hammer mills were procured and issued to identified vulnerable groups in society.
A total amount of K3, 185,511,300 was spent on the procurement of the hammer mills. The intended goal of procuring the hammer mills was to reduce poverty among the vulnerable groups, especially women in rural areas, and ultimately empower them to utilise such assets to improve their livelihoods. The programme would continue, in future, that is 2011 and beyond.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Mwango: Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister the mode of distribution of the hammer mills. Who distributed these hammer mills? Is it the hon. Members of Parliament, District Commissioners or hon. Ministers?
Ms Changwe: Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development, distributed these hammer mills. In some cases, they were transported to various places through Government departments such as the Provincial Administration Office and District Commissioners’ Offices while, in some cases, hon. Members of Parliament who managed to collect them from here, distributed them personally.
I thank you, Madam.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Matongo (Pemba): Madam Speaker, I collected mine from Livingstone. However, I am expecting two more because this was the indication made. How soon will I get the two hammer mills? I am from a rural constituency.
Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!
Ms Changwe: Madam Speaker, my ministry is in the process of finalising the procurement of about 300 more hammer mills that will be distributed to the various constituencies.
Mr Hamududu: When?
Ms Changwe: As to when these hammer mills will be distributed, I can see the hon. Member for Bweengwa who is actually losing the election this year is very worried, ...
Laughter
Ms Changwe: … will be communicated to the necessary stakeholders once we have finalised the procurement process.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Madam Speaker, I would like to learn from the hon. Minister whether there has been any follow-up on how these hammer mills are performing in areas where they have been distributed.
Ms Changwe: Madam Speaker, I am actually perplexed that the hon. Member of Parliament for Mpika Central is knowledge deficient to the effect that monitoring processes are on the ground and in place. Currently, we are monitoring the utilisation and also evaluating the effects in as far as it relates to poverty reduction among our people. So, we are taking care of the monitoring situation.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Madam Speaker, the House has been informed that 150 of these hammer mills were distributed one per constituency and the remaining twelve were given to special groups. Can the hon. Minister, please, care to inform us which groups were recipients of the remaining twelve hammer mills and how they were identified, given the fact that she indicated that in the constituencies, Members of Parliament in some places were involved? What about those twelve special groups? Who are they and how were they identified?
Ms Changwe: Madam, indeed, I said some hammer mills were distributed to all the hon. Members of Parliament’s constituencies and some were distributed through the Government departments. The identification criteria were arrived at by our committees in the various departments. At district level, we have the gender sub-committees that have records and disaggregated data on the vulnerability of our citizens. It is through such groups that we identified these vulnerable groups. Some of them include our people in the prisons, the disabled and other vulnerable groups. Therefore, we have criteria that we used to identify the recipients.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Hamududu (Bweengwa): Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Deputy Minister of Gender and Women in Development what the relationship between hammer mills and elections is. Is she talking about elections or erections?
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
We have to be very careful in the way we proceed. I do not think that there are certain words that we should use in the manner that ...
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
The hon. Member must know exactly what the other person meant and, therefore, we move on.
Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Madam, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether next time they buy hammer mills, there will be an option of electrical or diesel-operated ones.
Ms Changwe: Madam Speaker, when the ministry is purchasing these hammer mills, we take into consideration what the people on the ground have asked for. In fact, most of the societies and groups that asked for these hammer mills asked for diesel-operated hammer mills and we went by that.
I thank you, Madam.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
459. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing when heaps of garbage at Soweto Market and around the Central Business District (CBD) of Lusaka would be collected and disposed of.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Muteteka): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform this august House that waste collection in the City of Lusaka is done on a daily basis. The impact, however, is not seen due to the regeneration of waste that occurs.
Lusaka has an average waste generation of 25,153 tonnes out of which 6,442 tonnes is delivered to the landfill and 1,371 tonnes is recovered for recycling. Further, a total of 8,181 tonnes is handled uninformly through crude dumping in undesignated areas as evidenced in the scenario of the CBD and Soweto Market.
Madam, in responding to the challenge, Lusaka City has since employed 100 casual workers from April, 2011, to enhance street sweeping. In the CBD, between the junction of Ben Bella and Cha Cha Cha roads, light trucks have been assigned to collect piles of waste on a daily basis. In addition to this, Lusaka City has hired five twenty-tonne trucks which collect garbage on a daily basis.
Madam Speaker, it is important to note that the geographical location of the CBD and the upswing in the major economic activities in the recent years has increased the population, which has inevitably increased garbage generation. In this regard, the Government is working with the various stakeholders in garbage collection through a public-private-partnership (PPP) campaign. As the House may be aware, the Make Zambia Clean and Healthy (MZCH) Campaign has also been used to educate the public on the need to maintain hygiene in communities countrywide through collaborative waste management.
Madam, I thank you.
Mr Hamusonde: Madam, I would like to find out how regular the hon. Minister visits Soweto Market.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam, the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing is on record as having visited the Lusaka Soweto Market last week. I also visited the market sometime last month. In addition, we have officers from our ministry and the Lusaka City Council (LCC) that visit the market on a daily basis. Therefore, we monitor whatever activities take place there.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Chazangwe (Choma Central): Madam Speaker, when will this Government find a Chinese contractor who will utilise garbage into composite manure which can be used for agricultural purposes?
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the follow-up question. I appreciate his observation, but for his own information, a number of stakeholders have been coming to the ministry. The issue not only to go ahead with what he has proposed, but also to recycle some of this waste in the city has been discussed by the hon. Minister, Permanent Secretary and I.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Chisala (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, could the hon. Minister be in a position to inform the House the number of companies that are involved in garbage collection in Lusaka City.
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, there are a number of interested companies which have been registered by the LCC. A memorandum of understanding will be written to engage each other. In fact, these companies are working very well on the ground in each township or compound.
I thank you, Madam.
Mrs Sinyangwe (Matero): Madam Speaker, the trucks that the hon. Minister referred to are marked in the names of constituencies. Are you not thinking that these trucks should be housed in our constituencies in future?
The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Dr Chituwo): Madam Speaker, as we decentralise, we see no reason that should not be the case. However, in order for this to happen, the council needs to start with a budget line for each constituency. As we decentralise, that will certainly be the ideal situation where each constituency manages waste as one of its affairs.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why the ministry has left garbage collection entirely to the private sector which cannot manage to clear all the garbage off the streets. Why does the ministry not have trucks for garbage collection …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Your question has been understood.
Dr Chituwo: Madam Speaker, we were very clear in our answer that, in fact, the LCC has been collecting garbage. However, we have also stated that part of the business to collect garbage has been franchised. For your information, just to show how costly this business is, since April, this year, with these five 20 tonne trucks hired, the LCC is spending K2 million per truck per day. So far, K600 million has been spent on this exercise.
There is a third component and that is the community. Community enterprises also manage garbage in various peri-urban areas. Therefore, there are three parts which are the Government, through the council, the private sector and community participation and all the three are involved in garbage collection.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mrs Phiri (Munali): Madam Speaker, the trucks that used to collect garbage in Lusaka have all broken down and the community based enterprises (CBEs) are crying. I would like to find out how the ministry will help by making sure that these trucks are repaired because it is on record that, in 2009, the ministry ordered K2.1 billion to be withdrawn from the LCC without council approval. How will the ministry help this time around?
Dr Chituwo: Madam Speaker, for her information, a front end loader and other tippers have already been placed on order in an effort to assist our CBEs in the work that used to go on very well.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.{mospagebreak}
SCHOOLS ELECTRIFICATION
460. Mr Ntundu asked the Minister of Energy and Water Development when the following schools in Gwembe District would be electrified under the Rural Electrification Programme:
(i) Nakanjele;
(ii) Jongola;
(iii) Makuyu;
(iv) Sinafala; and
(v) Bbondo.
The Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development (Mr Imasiku): Madam Speaker, I am happy to inform you that Sinafala was electrified using solar home systems in December, 2005.
Madam Speaker, for the other locations, the current master plan indicates that they are located within rural growth centres that are earmarked for electrification in 2018 at the estimated cost of K30.3 billion. It must be stressed that this is an indicative timeframe which could be revised depending on the availability of funds. The more funds available, the shorter it takes to carry out many rural electrification projects.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Ntundu: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has not answered the question. Poles at Nakanjele School were erected twelve years ago. The poles were erected up to the school and I have asked when these schools will be electrified. That is the question. Why are you not answering the question that you have been asked?
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Some hon. Members have so much energy …
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: … which, I think, would be better expended outside.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
The Minister of Energy and Water Development (Mr Konga): Madam Speaker, electrification is not just connecting to an extension grid. Electrification, as has been defined in the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP), can be a grid extension and it includes supply of home solar systems. With particular regard to Nakanjele, which has caused the hon. Member’s outburst, it was electrified using home solar systems in 2005.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Muyanda (Sinazongwe): Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Energy and Water Development aware that Nakanjele, Jongola, Makuyu and Sinafala are all along the Bottom Road and this is where the people who were displaced in order to have electricity generated live? Why are the people who are at the generation and transmission point of power not given priority by your ministry? Why are you so biased?
Mr Konga: Madam Speaker, the Government is not discriminating. Four years ago, it distributed questionnaires to all the 150 hon. Members of Parliament as it was preparing REMP for them and other stakeholders to indicate the priority areas …
Mr Kambwili: Former campaign manager!
Mr Konga: … to be electrified. Based on that information, REMP was devised. This indicated that those areas which the hon. Member has referred to will be electrified, according to the plan, in 2018.
Madam Speaker, as the hon. Deputy Minister has indicated, because of the growth of the economy, there should be more funds available to the Government such that some of these projects will be electrified earlier than was initially planned.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION IN KITWE
461. Mr Mwenya (Nkana) asked the Minister of Health whether the Government had plans of:
(a) constructing a second hospital in Kitwe to cater for a large population requiring health care; and
(b) upgrading the Mindolo 1 Clinic to a mini-hospital and, if so, what the estimated cost of upgrading the clinic was
The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Kalila): Madam Speaker, the Government has currently prioritised the construction of district hospitals and health posts due to the need to strengthen first level referral facilities as well as primary health services at the community level. In view of this, the allocation of funds, in 2011, towards infrastructure development in the health sector has been done with an effort to complete projects that have already commenced and require to be completed. The construction of district hospitals is continuing in a phased manner and the Government will consider constructing projects such as a second hospital in Kitwe to cater for the large population requiring health care after the completion of the projects that have already commenced.
Madam Speaker, the Government has not made any plans for the upgrading of Mindolo 1 Clinic to a mini hospital under the 2011 Infrastructure Operational Plan. However, the House may wish to note that the Government has released K500 million, under the 2010 Ministry of Health Infrastructural Operation Plan, for the upgrading of Ndeke Village Clinic to a mini hospital. The contractor is on site and works are progressing very well.
Madam Speaker, the cost estimate for upgrading a clinic to a mini hospital would be about K6.6 billion and this is broken down as follows:
Works Cost Estimate
(K)
Three wards (Male, female and children) 3 billion
X-ray and theatre blocks 1 billion
Maternity block 1.2 billion
Laundry and Kitchen 1.2 billion
Mortuary 200 million
Total 6.6 billion
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Mwenya: Madam Speaker, for the past five years, I have been raising the question concerning improvement of health care for the people of Nkana Constituency where the population has increased. How does this Government expect the people of Nkana to vote for it, this year, when it has failed to provide health care closer to the people?
Dr Kalila: Madam Speaker, firstly, I think the hon. Member knows that Kitwe already has three hospitals and these are Wusakile Mine Hospital, Sinazam Hospital and Kitwe Central Hospital, which he is talking about.
Madam Speaker, secondly, in view of the fact that we need to strengthen our referral system by concentrating on facilities on the lower end, such as health posts and district hospitals, we have indicated that we are upgrading another facility in Ndeke Village, in Kitwe, for the time being. Our approach, which is in a phased manner, eventually, will definitely get to Mindolo as well which he is referring to.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Kambwili: Madam Speaker, is this Government satisfied with the present condition of Kitwe Central Hospital vis-à-vis the cleanliness, hygiene and beddings? I would also like to find out whether that is the best standard that this Government can offer.
Madam Deputy Speaker: I think that the follow-up question is included in the main question. Otherwise, we will open issues on cleanliness when we are on construction.
Mr Msichili (Kabushi): Madam Speaker, certain constituencies have used their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to construct hospitals. What is the Government policy in terms of equipping clinics such as Kabushi which have been turned into hospitals?
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
I do not think the hon. Minister has opened up for countrywide questions.
Ms Kapata: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order to talk about Ndeke Clinic when question (b) is referring to Mindolo Clinic? Can he give an answer to the question as it has been asked.
Madam Deputy Speaker: The Chair heard that the Government has no intention now to work on Mindolo Clinic. Hon. Members, let us all be together.
Laughter
CHAPULA IRRIGATION CENTRE
462. Mr Simama (Kalulushi) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives why operations at Chapula Irrigation Centre in Lufwanyama District had been stopped.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Mbewe): Madam Speaker, …
Mr Lubinda: Hon. Tom and Jerry!
Mr Mbewe: … operations at Chapula Irrigation Centre in Lufwanyama District were temporarily stopped to facilitate the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure such as the pumping station, pipelines and canals. To date, the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives has procured and installed two new KSB centrifugal pumps for Chapula Irrigation Scheme as part of Phase 1 of the rehabilitation programme.
Madam, Phase 2 of the rehabilitation programme involved the rehabilitation of part of the canal network. As a result, 7.5 hectares out of the 15 hectares of cleared land is already being utilised for irrigation purposes by Nkana Growers Co-operative which is supported by the centre with regard to irrigation facilities, water and land.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Dr Scott (Lusaka Central): Madam Speaker, could I ask the outgoing hon. Minister or his equally lame duck boss how long it has taken, …
Laughter
Dr Scott: … from the time that Chapula Irrigation Centre was closed down for maintenance to the current state of affairs and how much longer it will take to get it working?
The Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Dr Kazonga): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Lusaka Central, who is actually the former Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives, for actually confirming that he did not do what we have done as the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kazonga: As MMD, we take irrigation as a very important tool to address the issue of food security in our country. That is why, under Phase 1, we were able to rehabilitate that centre. If we did not do that, then that problem would have continued. It is as a result of the Government’s commitment to irrigation that we are doing that rehabilitation.
As for how long it took or it will take, does not matter. What is important is that the rehabilitation works have started. The first phase has already been done. Fifty per cent of the area is under cultivation because of what we have done. So, what else do you expect?
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Mukanga: Madam Speaker, what is the estimated total cost of rehabilitation of that irrigation centre?
Dr Kazonga: Madam Speaker, I do not have that answer at the moment.
I thank you, Madam.
Interruptions
Mr Kambwili: Madam Speaker, in his answer to the follow-up question that was recently asked, the hon. Minister said it does not matter how long the rehabilitation works will take. May I know whether, in the planning phase, the Government did not take into account how long the project was going to take?
Dr Kazonga: Madam Speaker, when you have a plan, there is also another important issue that you have to consider and that is that of availability of funds. You can have a perfect plan, but if funds are not made available, that plan will not be executed according to what you have planned. Therefore, there are two important variables you need to consider. As you look at the plan, you have to also look at the financial implications.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
ZAMBIAN BOXERS’ TITLES
463. Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi) asked the Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development:
(a) how many Zambian boxers had won international titles between January, 2006 and March, 2011; and
(b) whether there had been any boxers who were stripped of their titles and, if so, for what reasons.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development (Mr Ndalamei): Madam Speaker, I would like to inform this august House that eight Zambian boxers won fourteen international titles from 2006 to 2011.
Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Ndalamei: Madam Speaker, five boxers were stripped of their titles. Joseph Chingangu lost the African Boxing Union (ABU) title in 2010 after failing to defend the Heavy Weight title through a fight.
Secondly, Pathias Kambembe lost the ABU Welter Weight title after losing a fight to Ismael El-Massoudi of Morocco on 4th December, 2010. Thirdly, Charles Chisamba lost the ABU Light Weight title after losing a fight to Doudou Ngumbu, a Congolese based in France through points’ decision on 10th July, 2009. In March, 2011, Kennedy Kanyanta lost the ABU title for not defending it. Finally, John Chivuta lost the Global Boxing Union Middle Weight title through a disqualification in the third round to Kompa Koronga after a head butt in 2009.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Mukanga: Madam Speaker, Kennedy Kanyata and Joseph Chingangu were stripped of their titles because they could not defend them due to lack of sponsorship. Why did this Government not sponsor the two boxers?
The Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development (Mr Chipungu): Madam Speaker, there is a need for us to understand that we have amateur and professional boxing. When boxers turn professional, it becomes business. They must look for their sponsors and managers. Therefore, it is not the responsibility of the Government to support people who might already be in business.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Lubinda: Madam Speaker, of the eight boxers who won the fourteen titles, can the hon. Minister indicate who won the highest number of titles and whether the Government ever assisted that boxer directly or indirectly?
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, from our records, Esther Phiri has won the most titles. She has won about five titles. Concerning the issue of assistance, I have already indicated that Esther Phiri is in business and I think that we all know how much she is getting from the bouts that she is fighting.
Madam Speaker, just to have it on record, we have had an opportunity to interact with Esther at various fora and I would like to indicate that there are other people who are supporting her in the form of tokens of appreciation.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Kambwili: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that five boxers were stripped of their titles. I would like to find out what necessitates one to be stripped of a title in boxing. Is it by losing a fight or not fighting at all?
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, it all depends on how one understands the word ‘stripping’.
Interruptions
Mr Chipungu: If one loses a fight or absconds from a fight, then he/she is stripped of the title.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
I always say self-control is the measure of your being honourable. Speech reveals the heart.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
So, let us be careful about what we say in this House. It is very important.
FOREIGN DRUG TRAFFICKERS
464. Mr Chisala asked the Minister of Home Affairs:
(a) how many foreign nationals had been arrested for drug trafficking in Zambia from January, 2010 to March, 2011;
(b) what the nationalities of those arrested at (a) above were;
(c) how many had successfully been convicted as of 31st March, 2010; and
(d) what Zambia’s rating with regard to drug trafficking at the international level was.
The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Taima): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the total number of foreign nationals arrested for drug trafficking in Zambia from January, 2010 to March, 2011, is 172. The nationalities of those arrested are as follows:
Nationality No. arrested
Somali 39
Tanzanian 28
Congolese 26
Zimbabwean 20
Malawian 13
Nigerian 12
Angolan 06
Namibian 04
South African 03
Indian 03
Greek 03
Chinese 03
Malian 02
Tswana 01
Briton 01
Dutch 01
Ethiopian 01
Hungarian 01
Kenyan 01
Liberian 01
Mozambican 01
Rwandese 01
Ugandan 01
Madam Speaker, as at 31st March, 2011, a total of ninety foreign nationals were successfully convicted. The Republic of Zambia has not undertaken research to establish the actual drug trafficking levels in the country in order to factually establish the rating of the country at the international level.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Chisala: Madam Speaker, I would like to know what stopgap measures the Government has put in place with a view to saving Zambia’s image.
The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Lungu): Madam Speaker, there are a number of measures that the Government has put in place and one of them is to sensitise people on the dangers of drug trafficking. As you are aware, the use of drugs causes a lot of harm to individuals as well as the nation as a whole because we get affected somehow. We, therefore, sensitise people to desist from using drugs.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Simuusa (Nchanga): Madam Speaker, 172 arrests in a period of one year is unacceptably high for drug-related activities. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why the levels of drug trafficking in Zambia have increased.
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, I am equally at a loss over why the number of people trafficking in drugs has kept on increasing. Sometimes, it is because of some people who believe that they can make the most money by selling drugs wanting to satisfy their desires. I am only making a mere speculation.
As, I said earlier, the most important thing for us to do is to discourage people from engaging themselves in the use of drugs.
Madam Speaker, I anticipate some questions as has always been the case even before they are asked. I always look at a particular hon. Member when giving information regarding a question which I think he or she may want to ask.
Laughter
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, I can offer some more information which has not yet been asked for.
Madam Speaker, let me give more details regarding what is being discussed on the Floor of this House. The numbers of people arrested were: Angolans, six; Tswana, one male; Congolese, twenty-six; Nigerian, twelve; and Somalis, thirty-nine. Besides the above figures, there are some statistics for a number of countries which have already been given. I believe that we can do more if we educated our people against the use of drugs. Sometimes, our country is used as a transit centre as well as a selling point for those who believe that they can get something from us. For this reason, our heavy responsibility is to educate the people to desist from using drugs.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Colonel Chanda (Kanyama): Madam Speaker, thirty-nine Somalis were arrested. I take it this is because of their consumption of a drug called Amira, which for them is taken to pass time in their country and accepted by most of our neighbours. Why has Zambia classified this drug as a prohibited one?
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, as regards why Zambia has classified that drug as a prohibited, I am not able to give a detailed answer. However, all I know is that the use of that drug causes harm to individuals. Therefore, it is necessary that we appeal to our people not to use it amongst the many which are on the market.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Madam Speaker, may I know whether all those convicted were deported?
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, normally, when we arrest these foreigners, we usually remove them from our society. We use terminologies like ‘remove’ which amounts to the same as deportation. Once these people serve their sentence, we send them back to their countries of origin.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Dr Machungwa (Luapula): Madam Speaker, a recent study by a United Nations (UN) sponsored eminent group of leaders concluded, about two weeks ago, that the war against drugs in the world has failed. The group even recommended that the use of certain drugs be legalised. What is the thinking of the Ministry of Home Affairs as regards this view?
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, we, in the ministry do not share the view that since the world has failed the fight against drugs, then, we should legalise the use of some of them. We do not share that view. In our view, it is important that we continue fighting this vice because it causes a lot of harm to our people and the world over.
I thank you, Madam.
Mr Mukanga: Madam Speaker, when is the Government going to carry out a study to establish how Zambia is fairing internationally with regard to the fight against drugs because it is important for us to have that information. When are you going to do that?
Madam Deputy Speaker: That sounds like part (d) of the question and the answer was given.
Mr Msichili: Madam Speaker, how handsomely does the ministry pay the whistle-blowers who provide information which leads to the arrest of these drug traffickers?
Mr Lungu: Madam Speaker, though I would be happy to respond to the hon. Member’s question, I think I cannot do so because the answer is regarded as a State secret.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.{mospagebreak}
POLIO SPILL OVER
465. Colonel Chanda asked the Minister of Health:
(a) whether the outbreak of polio in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where even adults were being vaccinated against the disease as reported in the press in April, 2011, had any spill over effects in Zambia; and
(b) if not, what measures the Government had taken to ensure that the disease did not spill over into Zambia.
Dr Kalila: Madam Speaker, before I answer the question, I would like to urge hon. Members to be patient because the answer is quite lengthy and they must pay attention.
Madam Speaker, among Zambia’s neighbours are Angola and the DRC, two countries with on-going intense transmission. As the wild polio virus (WPV) transmission continues to intensify in these countries, the threat of importation into neighbouring countries in the sub-region, including Zambia, has become imminent. The Government is very concerned about this situation since the last polio cases in Zambia occurred on 27th February, 2002, having been imported from Angola. The House may wish to note that there has been no spill over of polio cases into Zambia from the current outbreak in Angola and the DRC.
Madam Speaker, as mentioned above, there is circulating WPV in the DRC and Angola as well as Congo Brazzaville. The latest case was confirmed in late January, 2011, in Menongue District of Angola, about 400 km from the Zambian border and not far from the Namibia and Botswana boundaries. Constant population movements across these common porous borders may facilitate the importation of the WPV into these mentioned countries.
Madam, the House may wish to note that the risk assessment and analysis for Zambia indicates that eight districts that are directly bordering Angola are, four in the Western Province and these are: Sesheke, Shang’ombo, Kalabo, Lukulu and four in the North-Western Province which are: Zambezi, Chavuma, Kabompo and Mwinilunga. These districts are at high risk of importing the circulating WPV from Angola and the DRC. The fact that the last case of polio in Zambia occurred in 2002 reflects the commitment which the Zambian Government has made towards the eradication and prevention of polio in the country.
The Government has taken preventive measures to ensure that the disease does not spill over into the country. The House may further wish to note that Zambia participates in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative which has four strategies for a maintaining a polio free national status. These strategies are as follows:
(i) Routine Immunisation
All children under the age of one are routinely immunised against polio and other disease through static and outreach activities at all health facilities. In addition, child health week activities are conducted twice a year during which vaccination is done for all those children who missed an earlier opportunity. Zambia will be conducting the first round of the Child Health Week for 2011, from 20th to 25th June. One of the activities to be conducted is a polio campaign in thirty selected high risk districts bordering the DRC and Angola for all children aged below five years.
(ii) Surveillance
Another strategy is surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis which involves the active search for polio cases to ensure that all potential cases are identified immediately and control measures are implemented.
(iii) Supplemental Immunisation Activities
This strategy involves the conducting of supplemental immunisation activities in addition to routine immunisation. For example, in June 2010, we conducted a measles campaign countrywide in response to the measles outbreak. During that campaign, children aged between 0-59 months in 30 high risk districts were also vaccinated against polio.
This year we have planned a synchronised polio vaccination campaign with Angola, Botswana and Namibia. This means that the four countries will all undertake polio vaccination campaigns at exactly the same time. In Zambia, 8 districts bordering Angola which are Sesheke, Shang’ombo, Kalabo, Lukulu, Zambezi, Chabuma, Kabompo and Mwinilunga have been identified as high risk and will be participating in that synchronised campaign. The proposed dates are 20-22 July, 2011. This was decided upon at the Ministers’ Cross Border Meeting held in March 2011 in Lusaka which focused on diseases that can be transmitted across borders including polio itself. The meeting culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cross border disease control by five ministers of health from Zambia, Angola, Namibia, the DRC, and Congo Brazzaville.
(iv) Targeted Mop-up Campaigns
The fourth strategy is the active response to an outbreak of polio if it were to occur in the country or a specific locality. This would be achieved primarily by a door to door campaign in which children would be vaccinated against polio in that locality.The Government through the Ministry of Health recognises that the key to polio prevention is effective and timely immunisation. All districts have already been informed to strengthen their routine immunisation services and also to strengthen the surveillance activities.
I, therefore, wish to reiterate Zambia’s commitment to protecting the children of Zambia from polio.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Colonel Chanda: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the elaborate answer. However, I would like to know the reason for excluding adults from the immunisation programme. The reports from our neighbouring countries are that when polio attacks adults, the severity is more intense.
Dr Kalila: Madam Speaker, our immunisation coverage in Zambia is extremely good. As agreed at the ministers’ conference, which I talked about earlier, our target for the forthcoming campaign are the children who face the highest risk.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
DEBTS OWED TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES
466. Mr Lubinda asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing how much money was owed to local authorities countrywide by the following institutions in the form of property rates as of December, 2010:
(i) Zambia Daily Mail(ZDM);
(ii) Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC); and
(iii) Zambia Education and Publishing House (ZEPH).
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, I wish to inform this august House that after conducting a confirmation exercise as regards the outstanding debts to councils, the following is the response:
Institution Amount (K)
Zambia Daily Mail Nil
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation 255,406,078 …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.
[MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was giving the following breakdown:
Institution Amount (K)
Zambia Education and Publishing House 18,768,600
The confirmation on the outstanding property rates to councils is as at 31st March, 2011.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Lubinda: Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what the property value for the property of the ZDM along Longolongo Road is.
Dr Chituwo: Madam Speaker, we do not have an answer to that question.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Kambwili: Madam Speaker, the Lusaka City Council (LCC) has a lot of problems financially. May I, therefore, know what the Government is doing to compel the Zambia Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) to pay the K255, 406,078 owed to the council.
Dr Chituwo: Madam Speaker, an issue of this nature is subject to negotiations between the ZNBC and the LCC.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
YOUTH FUND
467. Mr Chisala asked the Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development:
(a) how much of the K20 million Youth Fund released to each parliamentary constituency, in 2010, had been utilised as of March, 2011;
(b) what the role of the provincial youth co-ordinator was and how often he/she was supposed to tour districts; and
(c) when the position of district youth co-ordinator would be established to enhance the effective running of youth activities countrywide.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development (Mr Sikazwe): Madam Speaker, I would like to inform this august house that as of March, 2011, 1,200 youth groups benefited from the K20 million Youth Fund which was released to each parliamentary constituency for projects meant to empower them.
The role of the provincial youth co-ordinator is to co-ordinate, supervise and monitor the youth groups in this aspect. The provincial youth co-ordinator is required to tour districts quarterly. However, this may not be the case due to financial constraints faced in the Department of Youth Development. The position of district youth officer has been created and approved. The Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development is just awaiting Treasury authority to put this office in place. As soon as the Treasury authority is given, the process of employing will commence.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Chisala: Madam Speaker, may I learn from the hon. Minister whether the Government has any immediate plans of sending auditors to audit the clubs that were given money by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development.
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, we, as a Government, have no such plans. However, if the hon. Member is suspecting something to have gone wrong with the money duly given to clubs in his constituency, please, he should be free to let us know. Upon such a request, we will definitely send auditors there.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi): Madam Speaker, the K20 million which was given to my constituency was not enough because I took an initiative to start a youth development centre. Is the ministry going to be in a position to help me by supplementing the project which I started because that money is not enough?
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, the allocation of funds for projects is demand-driven. For instance, if he requested for a small amount of money, last year, and, therefore, he could not do much on the projects that he applied for, he is actually free to apply for some more funding this year. By the way, the House knows that, last year, we had K5 billion and, this year, we have K10 billion. I think that is a substantial amount of money.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Simuusa: Madam Speaker, I wish to find out from the hon. Minister why the Youth Fund in Nchanga Constituency was distributed without consulting the area hon. Member of Parliament and I only learnt from the grapevine who the beneficiaries were instead of getting a proper report.
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, well, what do we do if hon. Members themselves do not come forward to access this money? I am sure hon. Members are aware that we have been, on the Floor of this House, advising them about the availability of money and, therefore, their need to submit the necessary requirements. I think at the time we made this announcement the requirements were certificates of clubs and filling in application forms from either our office directly or the provincial centres and District Commissioner’s (DC) offices. Now, some hon. Members did come and I am sure most of them got their money.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: However, for those hon. Members who did not get their money and did not even bother to come to our offices, like my brother, Hon. Simuusa, we opted to use DC’s offices and I think there is nothing sinister about this arrangement.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Madam Speaker, in part (a) of Question 467, the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilubi asked how much of the K20 million released to each constituency was used. The hon. Minister gave us the number of youth groups that benefited and, therefore, I felt that he did not answer this part of the question. We want to know how much of the K3 billion budgeted for was used.
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, we were given K5 billion in the 2010 Budget and all of that money has been used up. Is that alright, Hon. Kambwili?
Mr Kambwili: Yes!
Mr Chipungu: However, maybe, the other question to the hon. Member is whether he has used the money that was given to him.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: You, did you give me?
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Kambwili: You did not give me the money.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Kambwili: Oh, sorry.
_____________
MOTIONS
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES REPORT
Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the report of your Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services for the Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 26th May, 2011.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?
Mr D. Mwila (Chipili): Yes, Madam Speaker.
Mr Kapeya: Madam, in accordance with Standing Order No. 157 (2), your Committee undertook a study on the extent and quality of media coverage in Zambia, whose objectives were to:
(i) examine policy on media coverage in Zambia;
(ii) examine the policy and legal framework under which rural radio and television expansion is taking place;
(iii) determine how much rural radio and television has been expanded;
(iv) determine how much more still remained to be done;
(v) examine any challenges to media coverage in relation to both print and electronic; and
(vi) recommend the way forward.
Madam Speaker, in the quest to ascertain the quality and extent of media coverage, your Committee invited various witnesses who made both oral and written submissions when they appeared before it. In order to appreciate the information on the ground, your Committee also toured and held public hearings in Nchelenge, Kawambwa and Samfya districts.
Madam, let me begin by acknowledging that there has been tremendous growth in the media industry since the introduction of plural politics in this country. As a result, the nation has seen an increase in the number of media houses for both print and electronic. Today, the nation can boast of having about forty-six radio stations and seven television stations.
Madam Speaker, although this may be the case, the growth of the media industry has not been without challenges. Some of the challenges are in relation to the laws that govern the industry. Your Committee was informed that the media in Zambia is still operating under the 1996 information media policy. However, considering the many changes that have taken place in the industry, at present, it is now proving to be inadequate.
In this regard, your Committee urges the Government to revise the laws that govern the media industry in order to suit the changes that are taking place in the industry globally. Your Committee was further informed that the Zambian media is still being regulated by repressive laws which restrict journalists from practicing professionally without hindrance. Furthermore, your Committee observes that media ownership is concentrated in the hands of the State, which distorts the quality of coverage, because as major players in the industry, the views of the Government take precedence over independent choices made by personnel in the public media.
Hon. Opposition: Waah!
Mr Kapeya: In this regard, your Committee urges the Government not to interfere with the work of journalists working in public institutions. This will allow them to practiSe professionally without fear of losing their jobs.
Madam Speaker, furthermore, your Committee observes that the quality of media coverage was also being hindered by the newly amended Zambia National Broadcasting Service (ZNBC) Act and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Act of 2010, which vested power to appoint members of the board in the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services.
Madam Speaker, your Committee urges the Government to ensure that the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) is operational so that it can carryout its mandate effectively.
Madam Speaker, with regard to the print media, your Committee notes that the print media comprise three daily and two weekly newspapers. These are; the Times of Zambia, The Zambia Daily Mail, The Post, The Monitor and Digest and The New Vision. The Times of Zambia and the Daily Mail are Government owned while The Post, the Monitor and Digest and the New Vision are privately owned. The Post is a daily tabloid while the Monitor and Digest and the New Vision are weekly newspapers.
However, your Committee was informed that their operations were being hampered by the high taxes on printing consumables such as printing presses, ink, newsprint and printing plates. The taxes on these inputs increase the cost of newspaper production. As a result, media houses without adequate capital struggle to produce copies for circulation.
Madam Speaker, in view of the foregoing, your Committee urges the Government to increase the budget allocation for public media institutions, as well as provide tax relief on media materials and equipment so that private media houses can also benefit.
Madam Speaker, Your Committee noted that the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) used to publish local language newspapers, but is unable to do so because of inadequate funding. Your Committee was further informed that most ZANIS offices in rural areas do not have modern equipment such as computers for them to access the internet to send their stories to the headquarters for onward transmission or publication.
Your Committee, therefore, urges the Government to decentralise the printing services for both public and local language newspapers so that they are printed close to the people. Further, the Government should improve ZANIS infrastructure as well as provide modern equipment and internet facilities in all its offices.
Madam Speaker, with regard to the electronic media, your Committee was informed that, today, the nation has forty-six privately-owned radio and seven television stations in different parts of the country. However, their operations are being hampered by limited coverage area.
Madam Speaker, in this regard, your Committee urges the Government to revise the laws that restrict private media houses from having a wider coverage area.
Madam Speaker, your Committee heard that although ZNBC, a public broadcaster, has a countrywide coverage for both radio and television, some parts of the country do not receive its signal because of obsolete equipment. As a result, its signal is interrupted by other international radio and television stations.
Your Committee urges the Government to speed up the digital migration process so that problems of repairing obsolete equipment can be attended to expeditiously.
Madam Speaker, your Committee was informed that the TV levy is also a hindrance to the free flow of information. You may wish to note that not many people can afford the K3,000 TV levy because of high poverty levels. In addition, some wonder why they are made to pay the TV levy when they do not have access to the television signal.
Madam Speaker, in view of the foregoing, your Committee urges the Government to devise ways and means of addressing the issue of the TV levy, so as to cater for the concerns that were raised by the stakeholders in the report.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the guidance rendered to your Committee during the session. I also thank the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee. My gratitude also goes to the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the invaluable support and services rendered to your Committee during its deliberations.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
The Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later.
Mr D. Mwila: Madam Speaker, now.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for affording me this opportunity to second the Motion on the Floor of the House. In supporting the Motion, let me, from the outset, state that I will focus my speech on the Committee’s findings during the tour because I believe this is reflective of what is obtaining countrywide.
Madam Speaker, after receiving written and oral submissions from key stakeholders, your Committee toured three districts in the Luapula Province. The purpose was to allow the members to appreciate what is prevailing on the ground. As a result, your Committee held three public hearings in Nchelenge, Kawambwa and Samfya districts.
Madam Speaker, from all the submissions that were made by the stakeholders in the three districts, your Committee observes that issues of reintroduction of vernacular newspapers and the TV levy were outstanding. Your Committee was informed that although the ZNBC had a countrywide coverage, its signal is not accessible by all people, especially those in far-flung areas like the Luapula Constituency.
Madam Speaker, your Committee was informed that where the signal was accessible, it was very poor and often interrupted by other radio stations such as radios Burundi, Rwanda and Kishombwe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). As a result, people are forced to tune in to international stations.
In this regard, your Committee urges the Government to improve the ZNBC infrastructure in order to provide a clear signal countrywide. Your Committee also observed that the three islands in the province did not have access to both print and electronic media. This denies the people living on those islands access to information. Worse still, most of the information is disseminated in English, a language which most people in those areas are not conversant with.
Your Committee recommends that the Government should devise a system that will allow people living on those islands to receive copies of newspapers from all media houses. Further, your Committee was also informed that Parliament Radio is not accessible in some parts of the province, denying listeners an opportunity to listen to the daily proceedings of the House.
Madam Speaker, your Committee was informed that the women and youth missed opportunities to form clubs and apply for funds to implement projects such as their colleagues who received information through radio, television and newspapers on time. In this regard, your Committee implores the Government to ensure that information on developmental projects reaches people in hard-to-reach areas on time so that both women and youths are taken on board.
Madam Speaker, let me now comment on the issue of vernacular newspapers. Your Committee heard that, in the past, the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) used to publish six local language newspapers. There were Nyanja – Tsopano, Bemba – Imbila, Tonga – Ngoma, Lozi – Liseli, Lenje – Lukanga and Luvale – Intanda. However, because of the poor funding and equipment, ZANIS has been unable to continue publishing these newspapers.
Madam Speaker, your Committee urges the Government to start publishing these newspapers again because they can be its source of information dissemination about what is happening in the country since the ZNBC radio and television signal is inaccessible most of the time. Further, your Committee suggests that since some people in rural areas are able to read and write in their local languages, media houses should be encouraged to start producing vernacular newspapers.
In conclusion, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your guidance and the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for their unwavering support to your Committee.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.{mospagebreak}
Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to support the report on your Committee.
Madam Speaker, this report is very important because it talks about people being informed. Some of the worst atrocities which have befallen nations and some of the worst social approaches in leadership in the world are because of misinformation and in imparting half truths.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here, being a true member of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD). I think when I stand in here …
Mr Lubinda: You are tall!
Mr Shakafuswa: … there are very few hon. Members who have the original idea of the MMD in this House and I can count a few of them, Hon. Vernon Mwaanga, Hon. Dr Machungwa, Hon. Dr Guy Scott, Hon. Sejani …
Hon. Member: Dr Kawimbe.
Mr Shakafuswa: … yes and Hon. Dr Kawimbe.
Mr Kambwili: The rest are newcomers!
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, I stand here proud to say, through Hon. V. J Mwaanga, I was one of the youth pioneers when I just left the university who joined and proudly displayed MMD T-Shirts as we went for work. Those who worked at Deloitte Haskins & Sales will bear me witness. I remember when there was a curfew, Deloitte Haskins & Sales was broken into at 1800 hours by the then intelligence regime because of our wearing of the MMD T-Shirts because we wanted a change in this country. This change was denied at that time because the public media’s perception of change was to move with one party participatory democracy.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: The people wanted change so that there could be multiple views to issues. Now, the dream we had in the MMD is lost because we are now going back to a one party participatory democracy.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: I say this …
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Shakafuswa: When we stood up to aspire for multi-partism, there was a reason. We found inadequacy in a one party participatory democracy. As the MMD, which stands for the Movement of Multiparty Democracy, it was a movement which propagated and brought about multi-partism in the country and for people, most of whom, at that time, objected to this movement. Now, to take us back to where we were before 1990, today, I think, is very tragic.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, what we aspired for and wanted was competition. We were saying: Yes, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) had great leaders, but there were others out there who were also great and whose views we wanted to hear and give people an opportunity to say whose views were better. For people to use State media where only one person’s views are propagated shows that people are scared of competition and have no confidence in themselves.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: When you go to school and start buying test papers before an examination, it shows that you do not have confidence in your ability to learn and pass. When you use underhand methods for you to propagate ideas, it means that you have no confidence in yourself because there is nothing wrong with you outdoing the other person and reaching out to him. Countries that have developed have managed to do so because of pluralism and competition. Where people are scared of competition, you just know that they know who they are and they have limited ability.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, in this country, we have what I would not say is State media, but public media that belongs to the people of Zambia. However, people have a misconception that when there is a Ruling Party regardless of whether it is UNIP, Patriotic Front (PF), or the United Party for National Development (UPND), the instruments of public affairs belong to that party and not to the people. It is only people who are scared of their shadows who will think that way and abuse State instruments for their jealous and selfish ends.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, I am a Zambian, but, today, when the ZNBC calls me, it is to get something negative. They will say, “Oh, we have heard you have stolen the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) or you have no support in Katuba.” Can we not talk about the good things that I am doing as well because if there are wrong things that I am doing, I am equally doing 90 per cent of good things.
Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!
Mr Shakafuswa: Are you sure Jonas Shakafuswa is a lesser Zambian than His Honour the Vice-President?
Hon. Opposition Members: No!
Mr Shakafuswa: Is Jonas Shakafuswa a lesser person than, maybe, my young brother Muteteka, whom they give a lot of air time? Is Jonas Shakafuswa a lesser citizen than William Banda who is a junior to me and not even as competent as I am? I am an educated Zambian who wants to contribute to national development and I pay the television licence fee and taxes. Therefore, the public should hear me through the public media. There is no need for me to make a rally for them to hear me. Mr Hakainde Hichilema and Mr Sata are not being covered in the public media, and yet they are Zambians. The MMD, which advocated for the change of Article 4 so that there be multi-partism in this country, does not want them to be heard through the public media. However, the MMD, today, wants to champion dictatorship and also wants to muzzle the public media.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): On a point of order, Madam.
Madam Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.
The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Member in order not to calm down when he is debating?
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
In fact, half the House is out of order ...
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
... because it is the House that is not calm enough to listen to the debate and, therefore, the hon. Member is also following the mood it has set.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Can we listen. If we appreciate the debate, we must listen and analyse it and not just say, “Hear, hear” at every given turn. Can we take the debate seriously.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
There are many things on your minds, but you are still Parliamentarians today. Let us, therefore, do our work to the very last minute. That is how you will be seen whether you are the right person or not and, therefore, deserve to come back.
Mr Muyanda interjected.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: The Chair also wants to be very moderate. So, let us all be moderate.
The hon. Member for Katuba may continue, taking into account the point of order to be as calm as he can be.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer, manje.
Dr Scott: Bauze.
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, I will always value the rich counsel of my elder brother, His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice and ...
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! You may continue debating.
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam, I was saying that when you see the number of people going to the public rallies being convened by the PF and UPND leaders, it shows that people want to listen to them. So, the only conveyance should be through the public media. The public media should not be selective in its approach to who to cover. I have seen private media doing so, but I cannot comment on them because they have their own agenda.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: The public media has to give information to the people of what they want to hear. We cannot just have one line of thought. Running a government is not as simple as writing A, B, C and D, but a complex issue where people should not cheat that the party in power is using its moneys to raise the living standards of the people. It is using people’s money to develop the country.
They want to give themselves credit without the other people opposing, but this is wrong because people are claiming that they, themselves, have done so much with a K25 trillion budget. In a country such as Zambia, K25 trillion, over time, shows inadequacy in our administration because if you look at administrations of other countries that had less resources, their national budgets are above K100 trillion. Where have we gone wrong? That is what the people are supposed to hear. Why should people even come and say, “We have done so well?” We are supposed to be looking for answers to the question of where to get the resources to make the people of Zambia come out of the poverty situations they are in today. People are looking for solutions. You should not accord yourselves the credit for any development when you are spending people’s resources. Expenditure of public resources can be made law and, maybe, because of some shortcomings, not all the K25 trillion reaches the people.
Hon. Member: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Some people’s standard of living has changed because you know what happens. Their standard of living has improved on wealth that we want to trickle down to the people.
The media has a role to play. The media should expose where someone goes wrong. In fact, we know many wrong things that are being committed which they amplify headline after headline. We can also write headline after headline if we also access information on them. We can deal with the State media. They have to give us a balanced coverage.
When Hon. Mumbi Phiri uses derogatory remarks against journalists, I can blame her, yes, because of their anger with her, they make headlines of it. I also get angry but, maybe, as you say, what comes from the mouth is an expression of the heart and some of us, maybe, just control ourselves. The only complaint I have against her is when she referred to people as my uncle’s something, something ...
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
It is a standing point in our procedure that we do not debate each other. I advise the hon. Member not to bring the issue of the hon. Member for Munali into this House and debate. Otherwise you will make all of us debate each other. Can you debate without drawing in the hon. Member and pass the issues that have been resolved.
You may continue.
Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, there is a need for impartiality. Turning people with dissenting views into enemies is only for those people whose imagination is limited.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: The Opposition, which was advocated for by the MMD after 1991, is not supposed to be seen, but we were advocating for unity in diversity. This slogan was coined by one woman. I think Hon. Dr Machungwa can remember because it was mooted at the rally that we had at the Pope’s Square. As a student, I was behind him when it was being propagated. Someone said what we are looking for was not conflict. We wanted unity in diversity where you allowed this and that thought, but remained a unitary State, Zambia.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Those were the original ideals of the MMD, which have been hijacked by some of the people who opposed the introduction of multi-party democracy in this country.
Madam, these people who are here are great and no one is lesser than the other. Let the public judge who the best person is through media coverage. Some people are insulting, but Zambians have gone beyond insults. If what all these people have to offer are insults, they will not vote for them. If there are people who are working hard, it is the people who will say that they are working hard and choose them. There are people who have worked hard for the people and have also worked hard for themselves. They also have to be covered by the media.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: The public media does not belong to the MMD, but to the State, through the Government on behalf of the people of Zambia. If there are people who think that the media belongs to the MMD, they are limited in their imagination. They should wake up from their slumber and realise that Zambia is a multi-party democratic country which has no room for people who are still in their slumber. It has room for people who want to develop the nation and those who are committed to democracy and democratic principles and not underhand methods whereby you are the referee as well as the player. How do you play the game? No, we want a fair game with spectators in charge of choosing who the best player is and not where you are the referee and player and want to choose who the best player is. No, we want to move beyond that.
Zambia, today, needs gallant men and not bootlickers and people who sing praise songs because they want jobs. Zambia wants gallant men who will speak the truth. We do not want the truth to be suppressed, like the UNIP type of elections where a frog stood against a leader. We do not want to GO back to the era we refused. As the MMD, we refused where a person was equated to a goat. In the MMD, we did not want someone to become an enemy for advocating democracy. When I say let us go to the convention, they say no, Shakafuswa should be expelled for advocating for a convention. When they go to the convention, which I had advocated for, they expel me. No, the wrong is ...
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
The Chair appreciates the line of thought of the hon. Member on the Floor. However, the media is the subject of debate. He should not bring in intra-party issues such as contentions. That is not the issue at hand. The issue is the public/private media and the hon. Member may not vent out what he knows about his party. That can be done elsewhere. Come back to the issue.
The hon. Member may continue.
Mr Shakafuswa: I enjoy the free will with which the rebels on the other side attack their party and are allowed to do so in this House.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Do not be misled by hecklers. You have a Motion to debate and guidance has been given to you, hon. Member. Therefore, desist from party issues. Nobody is debating party issues. Debate the Motion, as that is your line of debate.
You may continue.
Mr Shakafuswa: We are looking forward to a situation where the media can also look into our inadequacies as major players on the political scene. What we are looking at is taking our country forward. We are looking forward to taking our children where they belong …
Hon. UPND Members: Zambia forward!
Mr Shakafuswa: … and not taking them on because they are children of hon. Ministers. We are looking at taking on our Zambian children based on their ability and capability and not based on someone’s ability to go to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) and push the Managing Director to employ one’s daughter with a fake certificate. We want a situation where the media promotes democratic principles. The media should encourage competition in parties, outside parties and amongst parties and not trumpeting that this is a great leader. No, there are competing great leaders.
Madam Speaker, sometimes, the media will come and say that the people have to tow certain lines.
Hon. Opposition Members: Awe!
Mr Shakafuswa: You find that certain lines are undemocratic lines and if we start towing such lines, we take our country back to the Stone Age which we fought so gallantly, as MMD, and did away with the UNIP system of doing things which we found to be very inadequate. However, UNIP had capable leaders.
Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!
Mr Shakafuswa: It had capable leaders who, even today, I do not think a lot of us have equaled because some of us are just being pushed such that when we are challenged, certain people are expelled so that someone else can be pushed in front. I think that is retrogressive.
Madam Speaker, with these very few words, I thank you.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga (Kwacha): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor of the House.
From the outset, let me begin by saying that information is power. It is with information that you can make decisions. Now, this information must be truthful, fair, factual and well-balanced. In the absence of that, the information can be destructive.
Major Chibamba: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: It is, therefore, very important that both the private and public media take into account that half true information can be very destructive.
Hon. Opposition Member: It is dangerous.
Mr L. J. Mulenga: Madam Speaker, it is important that information is made available to all the citizenry in this nation. People make decisions based on information. If I am going to get wrong information, I might end up making wrong decisions and that is why it must be truthful.
Madam Speaker, our economy has gone global. Everything we are doing is based on information. If I am not able to access correct information, for instance, on the stock exchange, I will not be able to make a correct investment decision. That is why information, in whatever form, be it political, cultural or economic, has to be truthful, fair, well-balanced and factual. Otherwise, I will not be able to make a correct decision. If I make a wrong decision, I might blame the one that passed on the wrong information to me. This is why our media has a duty to ensure that we have the correct information.
Madam Speaker, to get correct, truthful, actual and well-balanced information is dependent on how professional our media houses are. They ought to be professional so that they are able to cover information that is correct and pass it on to the people for them to be able to make decisions.
Madam Speaker, what is happening in our nation is that our rural communities do not have much information. What they have is hearsay and they are making their decisions based on that. This is very unfair to people who do not have wide coverage in terms of information. That is why it is important that the Executive ensures that the public media is able to cover the whole country so that people are able to see what each of us is doing.
To pretend that I am doing the best when the other is doing better is wrong. We should leave the people to decide who is doing better. Let the people judge based on the information that they get. This should not be based on false information, but that which is truthful, correct and factual.
The coverage of the ZNBC, as mentioned to by the Chairperson of your Committee, is that, in certain parts of the country, people are not able to get proper coverage. This is very serious. I wish the Executive could take this into account, especially now that we are going into an election. It is important that people begin to see exactly who is and not doing what and who is saying what so that we have correct information. To get to one place and tell half lies and pass false information is not correct. I think that even as we, as politicians, stand to speak, we must learn to be factual. We must be issue-based. We must not peddle lies. If we begin to do that, we are not developing democracy. Democracy has to be principled. It has to be based on facts and issues and not lies. Those that lie will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: Those that lie will not enter the Kingdom of God.
Hon. Members: Hallelujah!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: The time of lying in this nation has come to an end. The time left now is for progressive people.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: Progressive people who will stand up and say the truth.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: Let the truth set them free.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Member: Bishop!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: We do not want people who hide in lies.
Mr D. Mwila: Ba Shikapwasha!
Laughter
Mr L. J. Mulenga: If you hide in lies, God will expose you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: You must be truthful and factual so that even when you stand, the people can judge you correctly.
Hon. Opposition Member: Chanda Chimba!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: To use lies in order to get your way up is not an answer.
Mrs Kawandami: Sebana wikute!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: You have got to be truthful.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr L. J. Mulenga: Madam Speaker, there was also an issue that was mentioned relating to TV Levy. TV Levy is a very welcome move as a way of raising some finances for the ZNBC so that it is able to cover the country correctly. Yes, it is a good idea, but there are situations where people are made to pay this levy, and yet have no coverage. I think this needs revisiting so that everybody is covered and equally treated.
Madam Speaker, I would like to end my debate by saying that Zambia is not poor, but rich. It is poor in leadership.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu (Bweengwa): Madam Speaker, in supporting the report of your Committee, I want to make a few remarks. The job of the media is to inform, educate and entertain. To inform simply means to tell the people what is happening. I want to say that whatever media, be it public or private, has a responsibility to give a correct picture. The issue at hand, at the moment, is not about restrictive laws. Yes, we need more enabling laws for the media, but what is lacking in this country is professionalism in both the public and private media.
Mr Muyanda: Correct!
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, I am excited that I addressed two great meetings in my constituency yesterday. I want to say that …
Interruptions
Mr Hamududu: I might be young, but I am not a small politician.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Address the Chair.
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, I am a lion.
Madam Speaker, I want to say that we should be responsible. I think all of us are saying that we should privatise the media. You cannot stand up and say that the private media can write what they want and exclude others. That is unacceptable. Whether you are public or private media, Zambians are all stakeholders. You cannot publish a newspaper and buy it yourself. All the newspapers are bought by the citizens of this country. It is just like a bank. You cannot say it is a private bank and you will only allow people of your tribe to open accounts.
Hon. UPND Members: No!
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, it is not allowed, especially in a country that has a lot of tribes and religions. We need to unit our people. The public media in Zambia is extremist. We need to come back to the middle. We need to move in an aisle and address both sides. The public and private media have a responsibility to cover everybody, including the Government and the Opposition parties. All of us are stakeholders. We buy newspapers and we advertise through the media. Therefore, let us develop a true democratic society. Let us not be excited. I was at the Pope Square from the very foundation of multi-party democracy. People must not misunderstand multi-party democracy and become reactionary for nothing. What we want are issue-based politics. You are destroying the country. This country must unit and begin to discuss progressive issues and positive news. We should not discuss negative news that suits you just because you are related to one newspaper.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu: Madam, it does not matter whether the Government has a relation in the public media. I also want to be covered in the public media and private media because I am a Zambian and I buy papers published by both the private and public media. Do not allow segregation because this can foster the country to easily slide into chaos.
Madam Speaker, for example, our people in Monze are not happy with both the public and private media because they are both selective. We need impartiality. You cannot say you are informing when you cannot write what I am saying. What are you informing? You want to inform only when it is your relatives? That is not allowed. Let us unit the country. We are all Zambians. Let us forget about tribalism. Let us bring out the issues that can build our country. We even have intermarriages in this country. Now, what impartiality are you trying to promote?
Madam Speaker, if people in this country want change, they mean it. You cannot launder people. You are merely laundering news just like money is laundered. We want original news and not laundered news. You choose who to cover and you think you are reporting. You are taking advantage of the investment that we have made available for you to be wealthy. You have become wealthy, abusing the authority and the chair we have given you. The Zambian people have made the newspapers. We do not have a billionaire here who opened a newspaper. The newspapers were bought by the Zambian people.
Madam Speaker, you cannot select news and begin to only cover a particular section of society. We all need to be covered. As the hon. colleague who spoke earlier said, Zambian people need information from everywhere so that they can make a choice. If you are saying that the private media can report what it wants and, at the same time, that we need to privatise the public media, what kind of a society are you going to create? That is a dangerous society. People can start fighting. You think you can hold me on my neck? Over my dead body can you do that. No human being can touch me on my neck. I will fight back. Do not think that people are stupid. Even in this country …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Hamududu: Madam Deputy Speaker, I withdraw the word, ‘stupid’.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Can you totally withdraw that word and be advised to calm down.
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, the United Party for National Development (UPND) is being blacked out by the public and the private media. We also want to be heard because we offer a unique manifesto to move this country forward. The private and public media have to cover us. We, therefore, want impartiality both in the public and the private media.
Madam Speaker, in this country, we think we know more about multi-party democracy than other countries. I have been to Botswana, a country that has been a multi-party democracy from the 1960s. A reactionary society is where you begin to parrot sectional news. If you listen to the radio, today, you will find that everyone is an engineer or an economist. People are just commenting and commenting. Do you think you are building a society? I want to tell you that that society will boomerang in your very face, the sponsor. What we need to develop, today, is a proactive society. Let us deal with issues on the ground.
Madam Speaker, as I addressed the people in my constituency, yesterday, I noted that people want free education. They want to taste the economy through free education and not pay K1.5 million for their children to go to secondary school and remain with no money to buy cooking oil, sugar or even reinvest in their small businesses. They want free education. There is no free education in this country and many children in my constituency are not going to school. Parents are failing to send their children to school. These are the issues we should begin to discuss. What is the position of political parties vis-à-vis issues of education? People should choose which party will educate their children; which party has a superior agricultural policy; which party has a superior manifesto on health and what the political party’s position on mining taxation is. People want to know so that they can choose properly.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, as the UNPD, we stand for proper taxation of the mines. We stand for windfall tax. Therefore, Zambians need to know which party will get more money into the Treasury.
Interruptions
Mr Hamududu: It is the UPND.
Interruptions
Mr Hamududu: Most of you are backtracking on the issue of taxes because you are …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! The danger of responding to hecklers is that, in the end, you start having dialogues. Be focused on what you want to say. Look at the Chair and you will not be distracted.
You may continue.
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, the danger of selective reporting is that an organisation leaves out real issues that affect Zambians and picks out that which is in its interest simply because it has an interest in a particular political party. The losers in this case are the Zambian people.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, if the people of Zambia want change, then, it must be real and not a hoax.
Laughter
Hon. MMD Member: What do you mean?
Mr Hamududu: My friend, how do you remove a seventy year old man and give us another seventy year old? That is not change.
Hon. UPND Member: And replace him with a seventy-eight year old.
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Hon. Member, you are over listening. You are the one who is talking and, therefore, you should be listened to. Do not listen and talk at the same time.
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, as I wind up, I would like to state that the Zambians want information from which they can choose what is of interest to them. They want to know what each person stands for. They want to know the person, what he wants and his or her history because history tends to repeat itself. If a person was a dictator, he or she will be a dictator again.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu: If you were part of a One-Party State system, you will still have a One-Party State mentality.
Laughter
Hon. UPND Member: I like that.
Mr Hamududu: Madam Speaker, Zambians want to know all of us. This year, they want to know what each political party stands for so that they can make an informed decision.
The blacking out of a political party by a private or public media institution is not correct. Everyone must be equally covered. Zambians must be left to choose with their free conscience. They must not be hoodwinked into thinking in a certain way. We, therefore, expect that all media institutions in Zambia will cover everybody. The public and private media must cover the MMD, PF, UPND and other political parties because all of us are stakeholders. Choosing which party to cover is partiality.
Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to state a very simple fact, which I wish to conclude my debate with. When your product is consumed by the public, then, they become stakeholders who deserve your respect. Today, you may go around shouting at everybody just because you are regularly covered, but when things turn against you, you will also start complaining. Be fair and put yourself in other people’s shoes. Only then will you be a leader and not a sectionist who divides society. You must be seen to be uniting people if you want to be a true leader. Generally, today, all media institutions have become a conduit for exploiting young journalists. I have met young journalists and what they tell me when they leave these media houses is shocking.
The media must be the light of moral thinking which is supposed to be there to educate society, and yet it is in the forefront of exploiting workers. Workers in the media have no freedom to express themselves, and yet the media houses want freedom of information.
Interruptions
Mr Hamududu: Young journalists are part of the electorate. When some of them leave employment, they end up on the streets. If you talk to them, they will be able to properly tell you exactly what is happening in these media houses, …
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu: …both public and private.
Hon. MMD Members: Aah!
Mr Hamududu: I know people who have worked in the public media who have left because they have been exploited and are now on the streets. We also know people from the private media who are in the same situation. Respect them.
Madam Speaker, sometimes, the journalists are being destroyed because they are not allowed to develop to their full capacity due to a number of hindrances. The analysis of Zambian newspapers is too low. For instance, take all the newspapers, today, both private and public, they are too shallow, basic, narrow and petty.
Laughter
Mr Hamududu: People want real issues.
All of us in this country are stakeholders. We must build this country together. The media and the people of Zambia must come together and build this nation. This pettiness is being peddled by some sections of the media. Let us discuss issues of how this country will move forward; how we will address the poor infrastructure; how we will make the councils function and how we will construct quality rural and urban roads.
These are the issues we are supposed to be concerned about. We must be concerned about how we will provide free education for our people and how we will put medicine in our hospitals. These are the issues which the people want us to analyse so that we can establish what our inadequacies are. They want to know how the Government is delivering. The people are also interested in knowing the problems which affect our service delivery system. The money is there, but what are the bottlenecks which are affecting the delivery of goods and services to the table of the Zambian people? These are the real issues which are affecting the people in my village and not what they read about in the papers.
Madam Speaker, reactionary news of people fighting and insulting each other is of no consequence to the people in my village. The function of an editor is to put worthy news on the front page and not reactionary news.
Madam Speaker, pick today’s Times of Zambia or the Daily Mail or any other newspaper.
Hon. MMD Member: Which one?
Mr Hamududu: It is full of reactionary news and nothing of substance which can move the country forward.
Madam Speaker, I would like to urge all the media houses to build Zambia by helping its people to put the right people in the right places. Let us put the right president and team in place which has the right manifesto so that this country can move forward. The people of Zambia want to make the right choice. Do not give them a hoax by promoting people that are not worth of holding public office.
Madam Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.
Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Floor of this House. To begin with, I would like to thank your able Committee for the able manner in which it prepared this important report. Furthermore, I would like to pay tribute to the mover and seconder of this Motion for the able manner in which they have carried out their assignments.
The issues to do with the operations of private and public media are cardinal and must be debated. Those in the Government must pay a lot of attention to such debates so that they can know exactly what is expected of them.
Madam Speaker, for the period that I have been in this Parliament, I have noticed an element of insincerity among the hon. Members of the Executive, especially those who have been charged with the responsibility of running the public media such as the ZNBC.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: Madam Speaker, it has been brought to my attention, in the short period I have been here, that there is too much insincerity. I want to talk about insincerity because, according to history, it is one element which has greatly contributed to the downfall of governments and also their becoming unpopular.
Madam Speaker between 2009 and 2010, transmitters at the ZNBC broke down. During the period under review, we were promised, in this House, by the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services that the Government of the Republic of Zambia would ensure that the transmitters were repaired and that, also, in due course, our people in rural areas would be provided with frequency modulation (FM) services. Unfortunately, to date, our people cannot access ZNBC radio. They are being denied an opportunity to get information regarding what is going on in the country. To the best of my knowledge, the people of Zambia are supposed to readily access information on what is taking place in this country.
Madam Speaker, when is the Government of the Republic of Zambia going to avail some of the Zambian people the FM services, which they have been lacking for a very long period of time? The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, should ensure that the people are provided with the necessary media services so that they do not miss out on anything that is happening in this country.
Furthermore, during the period under review, it has been brought to my attention that there is too much interference in the operations of the ZNBC by the Government, particularly, through the hon. Minister and the Permanent Secretary.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: To some extent, the hon. Minister and Permanent Secretary direct the ZNBC management on what to air on ZNBC news.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: This is unfair. It is high time this Government did away with such an anomaly. There is unfairness in the way news has continued to be aired on the ZNBC television. We need impartiality in that regard.
Madam Speaker, according to some research which I conducted recently, the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services went out of the country …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Hon. Members, we have a report to refer to. Please, let us try to speak to the report and the issues which have been raised in it. The Chair is aware that all of you have issues which are not related to the report and which you can independently raise. If we allow all of you to raise your own issues, the report will not be discussed and each one of you will be free to talk about the media in any way you like. Can we, please, consider the issues which are in the report.
The hon. Member of Parliament for Chilubi may continue.
Mr Chisala: Madam Speaker, what I was trying to bring out before my debate was curtailed is contained on page 19 of the report. I wanted to start talking about digital migration.
Hon. Member: Yes!
Mr Chisala: Recently, the hon. Minister of information travelled to China, on behalf of the Government. Whilst there, he approached some companies for the purposes of finding one which would make it possible for the ZNBC to go digital. Through these efforts, the Government was awarded a loan of US$300 million, which I think is too colossal for such a venture. Why is it that a country like Uganda used only US$80 million for a similar venture? Why is the difference so much?
Mr Chota: Ask them mwana!
Mr Chisala: Madam, this is one issue which this Government must look into. If anything, the Government should do everything possible to ensure that the right amount of money is spent on this venture.
Mr Chota: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: In fact, when the hon. Minister went to China, none of the hon. Members of your Committee was taken on board. Why did the ministry do such a thing? It is not in order. I believe that there was something sinister that was being hidden.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: If the process was transparent, one or two members of your Committee would have been part of the entourage which undertook the trip to China.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: Furthermore, Madam Speaker, I wish to state the fact that digital migration will not improve the quality of the programming, but only the quality of pictures.
Mrs Kawandami: Hear, hear!
Mr Chisala: Therefore, the two should not be mixed.
With these few remarks, Madam, I thank you.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members will refer to what is contained in the report and not their personal research. The Chair listens carefully to what hon. Members debate. Please, bear in mind how the two wings of the Government function so that we do not mislead the people to start thinking that hon. Members of Parliament are expected to be part of the delegation whenever an hon. Minister undertakes a trip.
It is very important to note what we say to the public.
Captain Moono (Chilanga): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for allowing me to contribute to the debate regarding the report of your Committee.
Madam, when I was going through the report, I learnt that the coverage of the media was very poor in most parts of the country. At first, I was disappointed, but when I thought about it, I let out a sigh of relief because, at least, there are some places in our country that have not been impregnated by the one-sided propaganda of the media.
Madam Speaker, the other day, I was complaining about the quality of broadcasting of the ZNBC. Someone from your right, in her small voice, said that she wished I was a journalist.
Ms Cifire: Chibelo!
Laughter
Captain Moono: It is not a job I would be proud to undertake. I am happy with what I have achieved in my life. I do not think there are any Zambians who would envy to be journalists. This is because journalists, in Zambia, are highly oppressed. It is not good to be controlled on how to do your job as if you have not been trained for it. Journalists are professionals who need to think independently so that they can do their job thoroughly. However, the minds and professions of the journalists at the ZNBC and other public media institutions are colonised. Therefore, I would not be happy to be a journalist under the MMD Government.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Apo walanda bwino!
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, an elephant would never give birth to a buffalo.
Laughter
Captain Moono: It would give birth to an elephant. The private sector has also become a victim of bad journalism practices due to the way this Government is managing the media. Those from the private media also now think that the only way to cover stories is by being selective. They are also following the example of the Government controlled media institutions.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, I must state here that I am proud of being a former military officer, …
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Captain Moono: … who respects his superiors. The hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services was my commander.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Captain Moono: I remember the good ideas and discipline he instilled in me. However, I am highly disappointed that, this time around, the media is going down on its knees right in his face without him doing anything about it. This behaviour does not befit a former military officer.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Aocha!
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! Order!
Mr Sichilima: On a point of order, Madam.
Madam Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Sichilima: Madam Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order. You cautioned the previous speakers to humble themselves so as to debate and speak mildly. Considering the discipline instilled in him in the military, where he claims to be a former officer, is the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilanga in order to address his boss in the manner he is doing? Such conduct is unheard of among former military personnel. Is he in order to address his superiors in that manner? I need your serious ruling.
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! I believe that the hon. Member on the Floor has heard the point of order and, indeed, will be mild in his debate and consider the other issues that have been raised. I do not know about how he is addressing the Speaker, but he must remember his relationship with his former boss.
Ms Cifire: Uzachaya frog jump iwe!
Captain Moono: My next point is on digital migration. This is a very good move and latest kind of technology. However, improving technology does not mean improving the news you are broadcasting. The pictures are alright because we can see three angles of elevation. However, the message we are getting is monotonous, one-sided and irritating to the ears.
Madam Speaker, yesterday, my constituency was attacked by some cadres and I brought this to the attention of the two hon. Ministers responsible. However, today, there was further bloodshed. The people in Chilanga could not call the ZNBC despite its digital migration, but instead went for Mobi TV because they know that if they call the ZNBC, because of the cadres involved, the news would not be aired.
If you watch the 1930 news on Mobi TV, you will see what has happened in my constituency, and yet we have a public media which is being paid K3,000 per month, but the people of my constituency cannot afford to be covered by it because they are being beaten up by cadres who are protected as their behaviour cannot be aired. Is that fair?
Interruptions
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, the mentality of that MMD Government is still analogue. It has not migrated to digital.
Laughter
Captain Moono: It is not latest in its thinking.
Madam Speaker, even journalism is a profession. If you suppress someone at work, they will not perform and they cannot be employed by other media organisations. Since the MMD came into power, how many journalists have been produced who are internationally recognised? Even Kaunda, with his One Party State, beats their record. We had Maureen Nkandu, a journalist who made us proud as we listened to the international news. This was because she was left to express herself.
Madam Speaker, I remember the First Republican President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, telling a journalist, “Stupid, you cannot ask me that question.” However, no journalist was fired. Now, journalists are more scared than during the One Party State.
Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!
Captain Moono: What has happened? Very soon, these journalists will lose market because they cannot even apply for international appointments because people have heard that the kind of news they are able to bring out is not professional. We are killing the profession of our young people.
Madam Speaker, when you have a lot of inadequacies, you are very scared. If your house is very dirty, you will not open it to visitors.
Laughter
Captain Moono: You will always keep the doors closed and whoever comes, you will meet them at the door, speak to them through the window or discuss everything at the gate because you do not want the visitor to see the dirt in the House. However, if you have a nice house, you will invite visitors …
Dr Chituwo: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Dr Chituwo: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Member for Chilanga in order to misinform this House that we have not produced journalists of international standing when, truly, if he does listen to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), we have renowned Zambian correspondents who contact and provide news to the corporation. Is he in order to give a blanket misleading statement that we have not trained any? I need your serious ruling.
Mr Sichilima: Chanda Chimba the Third.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! The hon. Member on the Floor has heard that. I also would like to urge the Executive to refute that very well in the debate and bring out the names of some of the trained professional journalists.
Will the hon. Member continue, please.
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, those are senior people whom I respect …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! You do not rule when a matter has already been ruled upon. The only person to make a ruling is the Chair.
You may continue with your debate.
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, news is a product. I can make news and give it to any media organisation, including the BBC, but that does not mean that I am a professional journalist or am I?
Laughter
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, when I was going through this report, I saw some proposals by your Committee which, ordinarily, I would have agreed to. For instance:
“Newspapers need to be encouraged to introduce vernacular publications to cater for the population that cannot read English.”
Madam, we, who read English, are fed up and pregnant with the propaganda by the media. Now, you want to impregnant even those who do not read English. The whole country will be doomed.
Laughter
Captain Moono: I do not agree with this. The current state of the media is okay so that some sections of our society can remain undiluted by your propaganda.
Laughter
Captain Moono: There is another point that:
“The private and State-owned papers should be encouraged to develop distribution partnership.”
Where have you seen a cat and mouse in the same cage? While one private paper is for the Opposition, the public one is for the Government, how do they move in the same vanette? They will be marketing in opposite directions …
Laughter
Captain Moono: They are not balanced and you cannot mix the two. Our media is not balanced. How can one paper, which only markets one party, deliver the public paper, which markets the person they are insulting? They will throw away the papers onto the road.
Laughter
Ms Cifire: Quality!
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, I am amazed by the comments from your right as I debate.
In my house, I have observed what my children do. Whenever there is news on the ZNBC, they switch to another channel. However, when there is news on Muvi or Mobi TV, they listen to it. This is because these two channels have balanced news content and, therefore, it enables my children to know what is happening in Zambia. If your house is also intimidated like journalists in the public media, that is your fault.
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! The hon. Member will speak through the Chair.
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, there is also a recommendation in the report that we increase the budgetary allocation to the public media.
Mr Kambwili: No!
Captain Moono: I totally disagree.
Laughter
Captain Moono: How do I give a propaganda tool of a political party more money? Is that fair?
Hon. Opposition Members: No!
Captain Moono: Will my conscience be free?
Hon. Opposition Members: No! Hammer!
Mr Kambwili: Tamwashimone.
Captain Moono: Madam Speaker, we are not impressed with both our public and private media. The two institutions need to have a self-check. Where have they gone wrong? Does it mean that all these hon. Members in the UPND here do not say or do anything good in their constituencies? Does it mean that everything those people on your right, including plumbers, say is good?
Laughter
Captain Moono: It is only that the media is very selective. We need to be covered because we are also Zambians. What is happening is professionally unethical. Some media heads have political ambitions. I am told that some of these media heads want to become vice-presidents of certain political parties when they win. That is why they are biased. I can imagine a person who has a private media organisation, which segregates people while he is in the Opposition, becoming a Head of State. It will be total blackout. I shudder to think about it.
I thank you, Sir.
Laughter
The Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office (Mr Munkombwe): Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity to say a few words regarding this report. You see, in Zambia, there are some peculiar happenings in media houses. It is here in Zambia where editors of newspapers become news themselves.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: In other civilised countries, editors are not known. In this country, the editors of newspapers become news and their newspapers become useless to look at.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: Madam Speaker, you need the public media to send certain policy directives to the people. You need to have something to say if you are a party leader. I know that the public media also covers opposition parties when they produce sensible programmes.
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Mr Munkombwe: For instance, some rallies in Choma addressed by an Opposition political party leader took place recently and were adequately covered by the ZNBC …
Mr Mwiimbu: Aah!
Mr Munkombwe: … and the rest of the public media, including newspapers. The public media is not expected to print everything even if that message offers no relevance to the economic development of the country.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: Therefore, the Opposition should not expect the public media to report everything even when there is nothing newsworthy they have said just because it is the public media. There are some leaders of newspapers who think they have attained so much popularity and, therefore, end up ridiculing themselves by wanting everybody to swing their way. That is not possible. Newspapers are very rarely directed on what they should write.
Interruptions
Mr Munkombwe: Yes, you can say, “Eeh?” but believing what I am saying that is up to you.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! Order!
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: I am sorry.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Hon. Deputy Minister, speak through the Chair. Do not listen to hecklers.
Mr Munkombwe: You know, I very rarely speak about people and I have my own style of speaking. I know that in opposition parties, there are leaders who are the crème de la crème in their own right, but how many are they? I know that most hon. Members of the Opposition say good things about whatever programme they intend to do. However, we expect that even if a particular hon. Member of the Opposition is speaking, he/she must be covered no matter how, I cannot say senseless, …
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: … unworthy of news what he/she has said on whatever he/she wants to do. That is expecting too much from the public media. It is very unfortunate that, in Zambia, many people have become professors of everything. They have become accountants and lawyers, among others. People comment on legal issues when, in fact, they are legally primitive.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: They want to be like Hon. Mwiimbu, who is a decent lawyer. They also want to be distinguished farmers like Hon. Muntanga. Yet, if they are not followed by a newspaper, they complain. Why should they complain? I have been in this House for over twenty-three years.
Interruptions
Mr Kambwili: Discuss the report.
Mr Munkombwe: I am discussing the media. Some people were allowed to wander about.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: I am now also going to wander about using this …
Laughter
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! Order!
Mr Munkombwe: Sorry, Madam Speaker.
Madam Deputy Speaker: The Chair does not allow wandering. You may debate the issues, but do not wander about, hon. Minister.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: Madam Speaker, reality is reality. There will be no Government which will have no supporting instruments in widening its dissemination of information.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.{mospagebreak}
[MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]
Mr Munkombwe: Madam Speaker, when business was suspended, I was saying that the goodness of the modern electronic media is that what I say, today, can be replayed in the exact manner ten years from now. If I want to abandon it because I want to pretend to wear a good jacket of good leadership, they can replay …
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: … that message in Daniel Munkombwe’s voice exactly. You can deny it and you cannot say, “I am not the one” because you will be opening your mouth in the same way.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: So, that is the goodness of the present proper technology. You cannot deny what you say in your own words and in your own style. So, I want to say that really to force the public media to follow a certain direction and abandon a national programme is being unfair to the country because you want to reduce public media to be as unreasonable as some of the Opposition members or some of the private media. This is because even the so-called private media, if they become one colour, every day, immediately you look at the front page and you read the headline, you will know what they will say and you do not look at that rubbish. You do not.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Mr Munkombwe: Madam Speaker, I am sorry, I withdraw that word.
Laughter
Mr Munkombwe: You do not look at unpalatable language because you know what it will say. So, I want us, reasonable people in the country; reasonable hon. Members of the Opposition and members of some church organisations to really speak about the indignity; the evil that is being portrayed by some newspapers. Let those that are clean speak out and condemn, in no uncertain terms, that type of reporting.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services (Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha): Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to say how grateful I am for being given this opportunity to debate this report. From the outset, let me say that the report is, indeed, commendable because it has covered many areas that are so important to media development. However, there are a number of grey areas that we need to clarify.
Madam Speaker, indeed, information is at the heart and the centre of any development in the country. It is, therefore, surprising that the report talks about media laws that are repressive. My recollection is that all media laws have been passed in this House and I have never known anytime when this House has passed repressive media laws.
Madam Speaker, law reforming is a continuous process for this hardworking Government and many laws have been passed here and Bills have been brought here by the Leader of Government Business in the House, His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice, and they have been passed. Indeed, as a Government, we continue to correct whatever laws we find that do not answer the needs of the people.
Madam Speaker, your Committee would have been more explicit in helping the people of Zambia and, indeed, the Executive by spelling out which of these laws are considered bad laws.
Madam Speaker, the Government attaches great importance to media law reforms. It is with this background that the Government has consistently engaged in many consultations with various stakeholders on media law reforms that, indeed, have helped to move the media in the position it is in today.
Madam Speaker, let me now dwell on some of the issues that the report has brought out. Let me discuss digital migration. Digital migration is an important undertaking for the Government and, indeed, the country. It is important because Zambia must join the digital era. Otherwise, we will be left behind by 2015. It is, therefore, important to understand that there is a task force in place that continuously reveals our progress to ensure that we meet this target. Currently, the task force is working tirelessly to ensure that the country is on course and, indeed, the people are part and parcel of the entire process to ensure that the people are not left behind. It is important, therefore, to also understand that, in so doing, many areas are being covered, including seeing to it that Zambia does not become a dumping ground for all analogue equipment that may come from outside Zambia. All this is being considered, including the issue of the set top boxes that require moving the digital signal to analogue TV for those that may achieve the digital migration very quickly in their homes.
Madam Speaker, let me address the issue of digital migration raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilubi. Yes, indeed, it is common knowledge that I, as hon. Minister, led a delegation that comprised the task force when going to China to ensure that we have a situation where we are going to migrate digitally here in Zambia. There was nothing sinister about that. Uganda may have spent US$80 million on that, maybe, because it could have been doing it in stages. However, let me assure you that the Government of His Excellency the President, Mr Rupiah Banda, has nothing to do with your thinking. Maybe, the PF’s thinking is sinister, but ours is open and very transparent.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Madam Speaker, let me also discuss the issue of the radio signal not reaching the islands in Chilubi and many other areas that have been raised, again, by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilubi. I want to assure him that, in November, last year, shortwave transmission was instituted back into the country and the rest of the country is receiving the signal on shortwave transmission, including our neighbouring countries. So, it is important that you check with your people in the rural areas, including Chilubi, to find out whether they are receiving the signal or not. Let us know because what we know is that shortwave is available to people in the rural areas.
Similarly, there is work which is being done to ensure that certain districts start receiving the FM signal. The ZNBC is currently installing FM transmitters in parts of the country, among them Kaoma, Kawambwa and Mambwe district under the Rural FM Project. The project will soon cover Lundazi, Mpika and Mpulungu. This project is important because we want people from all the parts of the country to be able to pick the signal.
Mr Speaker, the installation of printing presses is another area which I need to talk about. The installation of printing presses is firmly underway in Kasama in the Northern Province and in Chipata, in the Eastern Province. These facilities will also act as centres of production for local newspapers throughout the country. Therefore, I want to assure your Committee and, indeed, the Zambian people that the newspapers that have gone out of circulation shall be made available to the people of Zambia as soon as we finish putting the printing presses in place. This is a priority on our part.
Further, it is important to understand that the ZNBC now has another television channel called TV2. TV2 has been put in place to ensure that the ZNBC viewers have an access to a variety of programmes to choose from. TV2 now is available in Livingstone and is going to be available also on the Copperbelt very shortly. As we are discussing, I am told that TV2 is also available in Kasempa. We are also receiving tools for carrying out digital migration tests in a few weeks time in order to establish which areas need good equipment. This equipment is already available in the country. Therefore, we are moving very well in this area.
Let me now address myself to a number of areas that were covered by a number of debaters that came through. The Chairperson of your Committee, Hon. Kapeya said that media ownership is in the hands of the Government. I was surprised to hear that statement because only a few minutes before that, he had said that there were forty-seven radio stations. Of the forty-seven radio stations that are in the country, only one is Government owned. Therefore, you must not depart from the truth by stating that the Government is holding the media in its hands.
Of the nine television stations which are in the country, only one is a public institution and the rest are in private hands. I think the Government has moved in a great and mighty way. When talking about the number of private television stations in the country, most people say that there are seven without accounting for digital satellite television (DSTV) which is also available.
Madam Speaker, it is necessary to tell the people of Zambia the truth that the media industry has grown so well such that we have many radio stations in the country. We are issuing licences to many television stations in the country so as to provide for an informed nation. Probably, Zambia is one of the countries which are top of the list of countries which are implementing media reforms. The only thing we need to do is to encourage the private media to improve the quality of its work. As for ZANIS, indeed, we are moving to ensure that it becomes part and parcel of a wider area networking that we are putting in place. New equipment is going to be provided and some of it is ready to ensure that we link ZANIS to all the public media institutions such as ZNBC.
As regards television levy, I am surprised that it has continued to be an issue. I think it is necessary to explain to our people the purpose of this type of levy. It is surprising that the same people who are complaining about television levy are able to buy a decoder for Muvi Television so that they can be able to watch that channel. I think it is important for us to understand that television levy is a smaller amount when compared to a decoder for Muvi Television or any other television channel. Why should people be quick to say that television levy should not exist without considering its purpose? Television levy makes it possible for us to ensure that our people are able to watch their national broadcaster which provides news that covers more parts of the country than the private media.
Madam Speaker, Hon. Shakafuswa touched many areas in his debate which surprised me. All I can say is that most of the areas which he covered do not deal with the media, so I will not comment on them. However, I want to comment on what he said regarding the scope of coverage by the public media. We have covered Opposition leaders and their hon. Members of Parliament on many occasions such that other hon. Members such as Hon. Muyanda have even appreciated us for doing so. Therefore, it is surprising, today, that hon. Members of the UPND can come out and say that we have not been covering them when we have been consistently doing so.
Mr Mwiimbu: Where?
Lieutenant-General Shakafuswa: It is better to inform the people of Zambia the truth rather than you to coming here to misinform them. It is the institutions from the private media which are not covering you. Thus, you can go and complain to them. As for public media, it is continuously covering the Opposition. Indeed, whenever the public media goes to cover PF meetings, its reporters are thrown out of the gatherings and told to leave. Naturally, they are afraid to go and cover the PF meetings because whenever they go there, they are thrown out. Therefore, how can you say we are not covering you? If you want us to cover you, allow us to do so. Do not come and complain here when you have an agenda to remove the reporters from the public media out of your own meetings? It is important that you allow the people of Zambia to hear what you are discussing. This can only be made possible when you allow our reporters to cover you.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: What are you afraid of?
Madam Speaker, you cannot come here and start saying that you are not being covered when you throw out our reporters from your meetings. It is important that you allow the public media to cover you so that you are live on television. This is going to help you. I heard Hon. L. J. Mulenga say that there should be no lies in what we say. I greatly support such sentiments. However, I thought he was going to add to what he said by saying that we should support programmes that bring out the truth such as ‘Stand up for Zambia’.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: I thought he was going to register his support for that programme also.
Madam Speaker, I was in Kitwe for over two weeks and traveled all over the Copperbelt. I had a wonderful time interacting with the youths there. Some of them came to me and told me that they were very happy with the programme ‘Stand up for Zambia’. They even said that it should not be stopped because it was teaching them the truth regarding certain people.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: They pleaded with me that I must not allow the programme to be brought down so that it could continue explaining to them the truth regarding certain people.
Madam Speaker, youths have come to know who those people that want to be their leaders really are because of ‘Stand up for Zambia’. It is important that, like Hon. L. J. Mulenga said, the truth must come out and ‘Stand up for Zambia’ stands for the truth.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Bweengwa used many parables in his debate. I want to tell him that only God creates people and he has not created in him a lion. He is not a lion, but a person.
The public media will continue to cover the UPND as it has always done. Anybody who wants to complain about not being covered should come me. I am the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Madam Speaker, it is also important for all of us to understand that the youths play a very important role in both the public and private media.
Madam Speaker, let me address the issue that was covered by the hon. Member of Parliament for Bweengwa to effect that journalists are being exploited by the media owners.
I think he should have said private media. The public media pays attention to conditions of service. If, today, you go to the Zambia Daily Mail offices, you will find many reporters driving vehicles because the Government has paid attention by making sure that journalists are paid well by the public media. The Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia newspapers must set good examples. I am aware of certain private-owned newspapers that give coupons, for example, to their reporters to go and collect salt from supermarkets.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: My relative, the hon. Member for Bweengwa, should have covered this issue because it is important that the private media pays its reporters well. I have received many complaints to an extent of hindering the development of the media industry. Whilst the owners of the newspapers drive Hammers, their reporters are not paid for three to four months. This is wrong. We must, as hon. Members, bring to this to the fore so that we ensure that journalists are well-paid.
Hon. Government Member: Bwekeshapo.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Eeh, kwena kutina bwekeshapo nakabili.
Laughter
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Madam, I was only saying that I would repeat that.
Madam, the hon. Minster and his Permanent Secretary do not interfere in the work of the ZNBC. The ZNBC goes to collect information and airs it. The people working there are professionals. Our part, as a Government, is to ensure that both ethics and professionalism are obeyed. As a national broadcaster, they must help other private media. Let them be seen to be doing something.
Madam Speaker, I heard someone complain that when you take either the Times of Zambia or Zambia Daily Mail, you find news about nothing else, but the Government. However, I have, for example, the Zambia Daily newspaper, which has covered Hon. Mpombo, which I will lay on the Table. It is very clear that the newspaper has not just covered the MMD, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Hon. Mpombo in the courts of law and Mr Mulongoti. We do not control newspapers. However, if somebody talks about Armageddon, today, our newspapers will not report about such an issue, but about important issues. That is one of ethics of professionalism.
Madam, let me also deal with one issue that was hot as hon. Captain Moono, who is a former Captain under my charge, was debating. He debated a number of issues. I will comment on just one or two things. It is important to respect each other when we debate. The respect should be carried outside the House and to our families in order to ensure that we inculcate the discipline required. I signed the hon. Members discharge papers when I was his Commander and so I know what I can say about him, but I will not. I can only urge him to have respect.
Interruptions
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: Madam Speaker, let me also say something about one or two important issues. There is no reporter intimidated in any public media for whatever they are doing. Any reporter who goes out of the way is, indeed, disciplined by the responsible organisation, but the ministry does not play a part in what goes on in the public media. They have their own Board of Directors, boards and executives dealing with disciplinary issues. The Government does not intimidate anybody.
Madam Speaker, let me conclude by saying that it is important, as these Committees bring up this information, that hon. Members suggest ways of improving the development of the media.
I thank you, Madam.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order! The hon. Minister will lay the newspaper on the Table.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha laid the paper on the Table.
Mr Kapeya: Madam Speaker, I thank all hon. Members of Parliament who have debated very positively towards this report and even those who debated silently in their seats.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
Question put and agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Question put and agreed to.
_________________
The House adjourned at 1857 hours until 1430 hours on Thursday, 9th June, 2011.