Tuesday, 21st April, 2026

Tuesday, 21^st April, 2026

The House met at 1430 hours

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER

DELEGATION FROM THE PARLIAMENT OF TANZANIA

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I wish to acquaint the House with the presence, in the Speaker’s Gallery, of the following Members of Parliament and staff from the Parliament of Tanzania:

Hon. Cecilia Daniel Paresso, MP – Leader of Delegation

Hon. Juma Khamis Sadifa, MP

Hon. Mwanaenzi Hassan Suluhu, MP

Hon. Exaud Silaoneka Kigahe, MP

Hon. Jesca Yuda Mbogo, MP

Hon. Imamu Mtumwa Vuai, MP

Hon. Mussa Omar Salim, MP

Hon. Haji Kombo Mdowe, MP

Mr Gerald Singano Magili – Secretariat

Mr Mkuta Ally Masoli – Secretariat

On behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, I wish to receive the guests and warmly welcome them into our midst.

Thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

STUDENTS FROM MATEM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of students from Matem College of Education of Lusaka District.

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

Thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

STUDENTS FROM LUSAKA BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of students from the Lusaka Business and Technical College.

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

Thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

COMMEMORATION OF PARLIAMENT DAY

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, you may recall that in May 2025, I launched the inaugural Parliament Day under the theme: “Taking Parliament Closer to the People, Strengthening Democratic Governance through Public Engagement”. The launch of Parliament Day marked 101 years of our legislature’s existence, signifying an important milestone in the history of our Parliament. During the launch, I announced that 23^rd May, would be remembered as Parliament Day annually, as a way of taking Parliament closer to the people.

Hon. Members, this year’s commemoration will take place on Saturday, 25^th April, 2026, at Parliament Buildings under the theme: “Strengthening Democratic Governance through an Inclusive Parliament that Meets the Aspirations of the People”. It was prudent to hold the celebration of Parliament Day on this day, instead of 23^rd May, to ensure that hon. Members are given the opportunity to participate before the dissolution of Parliament in May 2026.

Hon. Members, the theme for this year’s commemoration of Parliament Day will enable us to reflect on our achievements as a Parliament while acknowledging the need to reposition our institution to respond effectively to future needs and aspirations of the people. This is important, especially in light of the enactment of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, No. 13 of 2025, which introduced, among other things, proportional representation of women, youths and persons with disabilities in Parliament.

In view of the foregoing, all hon. Members are invited to participate in the event, which is the last commemoration for this Parliament. You are, therefore, expected to arrive at 0800 hours in readiness for the march past, which will be led by the other Presiding Officers and me.

Thank you.

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URGENT MATTERS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR B. MPUNDU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NKANA, ON THE HON. MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND INTERNAL SECURITY, MR MWIIMBU, SC., ON THE SECURITY STATUS OF STUDENTS AT THE LEVY MWANAWASA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Mr B. Mpundu (Nkana): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I rise on an Urgent Matter without Notice, which matter I am directing to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, criminals have gone on a rampage, terrorising our young people who are at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU). A lot of reports have emerged of young girls being raped, and students in boarding houses being attacked. As of yesterday, the students could not take it anymore, and they staged a protest. Sadly, they are blaming it on the President, who they are now saying must go.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security in order to allow our young people, our children, to be vulnerable at the hands of the criminals?

Madam Speaker, in the areas mentioned, there are two police stations that are doing nothing to curb this high level of criminality. Is the hon. Minister in order to sit here quietly, seeking a new term in a new constituency, and not address the nation, concerning the fears of the young people at the named institution?

I seek your indulgence, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Before I make a ruling, hon. Member for Nkana, do you have evidence of the students saying that the President should go?

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, there was a protest yesterday, and when you watch the video, the students were singing, “HH must go”.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nkana, that is an important matter. Let us not politicise it. I am sure that portion, where you are saying that the President should go, was not there. We have read about the problem in many media platforms. So, before I make a ruling, withdraw that part so that we make progress for the sake of the students.

Mr B. Mpundu: Madam Speaker, I withdraw the part of the chanting that the President must go.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

I will request the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to come to this House, and update the nation on what measures the Government is taking to resolve the security problem that is affecting the students at Levy Mwanawasa Medical Hospital (LMMH). The hon. Minister can present the statement on Wednesday, if that is okay.

Mr Mwiimbu, SC: Madam Speaker, Wednesday is alright.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

The statement will be presented on Wednesday.

MR J. CHIBUYE, HON. MEMBER FOR ROAN, ON THE LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE, DR NALUMANGO, ON LACK OF PROPER SIGNAGE ON THE LUSAKA/NDOLA DUAL CARRIAGEWAY

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): On an Urgent Matter without Notice, Madam Speaker.

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

Mr J. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to raise this important Urgent Matter without Notice. I wish to direct it at the hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. Seeing that he is not in the House, allow me to direct it at Her Honour the Vice-President, who is the Leader of Government Business in the House.

Madam Speaker, while we appreciate the development being undertaken by the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, especially on the Ndola/Lusaka Dual Carriageway, which will reduce the cost of doing business and travelling time between the Copperbelt and Lusaka, there is a very big concern. Having just returned from the Copperbelt today, I can say that there is a lot of unruly driving due to a lack of signage by the contractor. There are some portions where the dual carriageway has been opened on both sides. As you are travelling southbound, those who are travelling northbound are using the other two lanes, but in the process of travelling northbound, you realise that others are using one lane, which is the other dual carriageway and you are at liberty to use even the faster lane, not until you see another car in the corner approaching, using the southbound lane.

Madam Speaker, can the Government take action before a fatal accident occurs by asking the consortium that has been contracted to work on the road to ensure that there is proper signage to direct drivers where they are supposed to pass. There is total confusion at the moment. People are crisscrossing from one lane to another. As a result, it poses a threat to those travelling between the Copperbelt and Lusaka. Can the Government, through the ministry, please, advise the consortium to put proper signage so that drivers observe and respect the signs before we record any loss of life.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I would advise the hon. Member to file in a question.

MR KAPYANGA, HON. MEMBER FOR MPIKA, ON THELEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE, DR NALUMANGO, ON POOR COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN MUKUNGULE CHIEFDOM

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

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

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. Kwakwanziya nataka kuwasalimia wabongewe nzangu kutoka abongela Tanzania.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapyanga: Karibuni sana Zambia.

Madam Speaker, I am just welcoming –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I hope you have not said anything bad.

Laughter

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, nabasalimia too. I am just greeting our visitors from Tanzania and welcoming them to our country.

Laughter

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, communication is very important. In Mpika Constituency, we have a chiefdom called Mukungule, near the North Luangwa National Park. It has about four health facilities that refer patients to Mpika for treatment. To do this, they need to have means of communication. Even when wild animals terrorise people in the chiefdom, they need to communicate to get help. In the area, there are several mobile network providers serviced by Infratel Zambia. For the past two days, however, there has been literally no mobile connectivity in Mukungule Chiefdom. All the network communication towers have gone off, and our people there have no means of communication. Even when health facilities have referral cases, they cannot reach Mpika to arrange for an ambulance to help them ferry patients.

Madam Speaker, I really seek your indulgence.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Did you approach the hon. Minister?

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I went to Infratel Zambia, but the company does not seem to be addressing the matter, which has now become a crisis.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You can file in an urgent question.

We make progress.

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BILLS

FIRST READING

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Powers, Privileges and Immunities) BILL, 2026

The Vice-President (Dr Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National Assembly (Powers, Privileges and Immunities) Bill, No. 45 of 2026.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Do we have a problem?

Mr Kapyanga: A big one.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

You can go and sort out the problem outside.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Let us allow Her Honour the Vice-President to present the Bill.

Your Honour the Vice-President, you may continue.

The Vice-President: Madam Speaker, the objects of the Bill are to:

provide for the powers, privileges and immunities of the Members and officers of the National Assembly;

provide for the attendance and privileges and immunities of witnesses before a parliamentary committee;

provide for disciplinary action against Members for breach of privilege and contempt of the National Assembly;

repeal and replace the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act, 1956; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to scrutinise the National Assembly (Powers, Privileges and Immunities) Bill, No. 45 of 2026. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE PARLIAMENTARY CODE OF CONDUCT BILL, 2026

The Vice-President: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Parliamentary Code of Conduct Bill, No. 46 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

establish a code of conduct for Members of Parliament;

Hon. PF Members: Question!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President: Madam Speaker, the other objects are to:

repeal and replace the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act, 1994; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Ms Mulenga laughed out loud.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Kalulushi, that laughter is too loud. We are in the House.

The Bill stands referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to scrutinise the Parliamentary Code of Conduct Bill, No. 46 of 2026. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Health (Mr Katakwe): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Flying Doctor Service (Amendment) Bill, No. 47 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Flying Doctor Service Board; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES AGENCY (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Health (Mr Katakwe): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (Amendment) Bill No. 48 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Board of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA WILDLIFE (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Tourism (Mr Sikumba): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Wildlife (Amendment) Bill No. 49 of 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Wildlife Management Licencing Committee; and

provide for matters connected with, and incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lunte and hon. Member for Nkana, please, leave the House. Go and caucus outside. You are disturbing the proceedings of the House.

Mr Kafwaya and Mr B. Mpundu left the Assembly Chamber.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

THE SPORTS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Sports Council of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 52 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Executive Board of the Sports Council of Zambia; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Cabinet Affairs. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING HOUSE FOUNDATION (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Education (Mr Syakalima): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Educational Publishing House Foundation (Amendment) Bill No. 54 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

revise the composition of the executive committee of the Zambia Educational Publishing House Foundation; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY STUDIES (Amendment) BILL, 2026

Mr Sikumba: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies (Amendment) Bill No. 55 of 2026.

The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Council of the Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL EDUCATION (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (Amendment) Bill No. 56 of 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Council of the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

I thank you.

THE ZAMBIA REVENUE AUTHORITY (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security (Mr Mwiimbu, SC.) (on behalf of the Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Revenue Authority (Amendment) Bill No. 57 of 2026. The objects of this Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Governing Board of the Zambia Revenue Authority; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY (Amendment) BILL, 2026

Mr Sikumba: Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Tourism and Hospitality (Amendment) Bill No. 58 of 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Board of the Zambia Tourism Agency;

revise the composition of Hotel Managers’ Registration Council; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill, are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE NATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Health (Mr Katakwe): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National Health Research (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the National Health Research Authority; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Thank you.

THE NATIONAL PROSEUTION AUTHORITY (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National Prosecution Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Board of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA); and
provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Cabinet Affairs. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill, are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE PATENTS AND COMPANIES REGISTRATION AGENCY (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu) (on behalf of the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Charles Mulenga)): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Board of the Patents and Companies Registration Agency; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Thank you.

THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (Amendment) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms D. Mwamba): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

revise the composition of the Board of the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Thank you.

THE LAND (PERPETUAL SUCCESSION) BILL, 2026

The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (Eng. Milupi) (on behalf of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (Mrs Masebo): Madam Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Land (Perpetual Succession) Bill, 2026. The objects of the Bill are to:

provide for the incorporation of a trust for the purposes of perpetual succession to land;

provide for the appointment and duties of trustees of a registered trust;

give effect to the Financial Action Task Force recommendations relating to beneficial ownership of a registered trust;

repeal and replace the Land (Perpetual Succession) Act; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

The First Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Cabinet Affairs. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House in due course. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill, are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

SINKHOLES IN CHISANKANE WARD IN KAFUE CONSTITUENCY

316. Mrs Chonya (Kafue) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

whether the Government is aware that there has been an occurrence of sinkholes in Chisankane Ward of Kafue Parliamentary Constituency, which is an eminent threat to human life, property and infrastructure; and

if so, what urgent measures are being taken to address the problem and safeguard the affected families.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Sialubalo): Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the hon. Member that the Government is aware of the problem of sinkholes in Chisankane Ward of Kafue Parliamentary Constituency. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) together with the Kafue Town Council visited the area and assessed the problem.

Madam Speaker, the urgent measures being taken to address the problem are as follows:

burying the sinkholes, which was done by Kafue Town Council; and

engaging the Geological Survey Department, for a detailed geological survey of the area.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mrs Chonya: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the response.

Madam Speaker, Kafue Town Council had made attempts to bury the sinkholes, but as we speak now, there are still some gaping holes in some of the affected areas within Chalala. So, I do not know whether we would consider that response as urgent. I just want to get further assurance from the hon. Minister that the exercise will be done much more urgently than it is being addressed currently because those occurrences may continue.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, regarding the Geological Survey Department, it has been over two months since this happened. So, I do not see the urgency in the responses, really. I do not know what assurance the hon. Minister can give to the people of Chisankane that this matter is really being attended to with the seriousness it deserves.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The consultations on my right are becoming loud.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, when there is such an occurrence in nature like sinkholes, because of a lack of proper information, our duty as the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, together with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), is to bury them. We engaged the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, which is why you may have heard me mention the Geological Survey Department in my response, which has to dig deeper to understand what causes sinkholes. The preliminary information is that, sometimes, chemical reactions happen underground when rain falls such that the ground is dissolved, and a vacuum is created. Once a vacuum is created, sinkholes occur. So, in addressing this challenge permanently, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has been engaged to help, because the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will keep burying the sinkholes but the occurrence will continue. So, we are looking at a permanent solution to address the matter, particularly through the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Chonya: Madam Speaker, I just want to check whether the hon. Minister has some time to take a field visit to the affected area so that he can appreciate the problem on the ground, as it stands.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, my dear hon. Colleague can rest assured that next week I will set a date and time so that we can visit the place together. That is my response.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

REHABILITATION OF FEEDER ROADS IN MPIKA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

317. Mr Kapyanga (Mpika) asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development:

whether the Government has any plans to rehabilitate the following feeder roads in Mpika Parliamentary Constituency:

Chansa/Mubanga;
Chipundu;
Mufubushi/Kasenga;
Mpika/Katibunga;
Shiwang’andu/Changalilo; and
Chilonga/Mulolesha;

if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

if there are no such plans, why.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has plans to rehabilitate all feeder roads that are in a deplorable state, including the mentioned roads in Mpika Parliamentary Constituency. However, that is dependent on the availability of funds. In the meantime, Mpika Town Council is currently working on the Mpika/Katibunga Road, with formation and gravelling works underway. The remaining roads are not in the local authority’s 2026 plans, but the ministry has advised the local authority to immediately start working on light grading on the roads in the short and medium term using the fuel component under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the road licence fees allocation for 2026.

Madam Speaker, as already mentioned above, works are dependent on the availability of funds, and plans are there.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, the roads are economic, and they require a lot of money to be properly worked on. The fuel component under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which has been alluded to, is a locked fund. The fund cannot be used, for instance, for constructing drainage systems during road works. So, whatever work is done on the road during this period is washed away during the rainy season. Therefore, a lot of funding from the Central Government is required for proper gravel roads. Since there are plans, there must be an indication of when the roads will be worked on so that, if it means waiting, the people wait for that particular time.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member to the effect that the roads are economic, taking into account the fact that the people of Mpika are real farmers, and they transport their produce using those feeder roads.

Madam Speaker, as I indicated in my response, the CDF component is for the short term. I did not say that it is a permanent solution. We understand, and once resources are made available, rehabilitation will be undertaken. Feeder roads in many constituencies need to be attended to, and the constituents in many constituencies in the country, just like in Mpika, are facing challenges. We have seen how the Government has tackled the International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt restructuring programme, which is now fully completed. Kudos to the President of the Republic of Zambia, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, and the entire United Party for National Development (UPND) team.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, this signals that soon resources will be made available to the people of Mpika to undertake rehabilitation of the feeder roads.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I heard the hon. Minister –

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Kampyongo: Hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts, you will join us, as former Ministers, soon.

Interruptions

Mr Nkandu: Tulebwelelapo!

Mr Kampyongo: So, be ready for the orientation workshop I will conduct next week.

Laughter

Mr Nkandu: In your dreams.

Mr Kampyongo: You will be a former Minister in two weeks’ time, what is a dream about that? It is you who should stop dreaming.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, go straight to your question.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I heard the hon. Minister acknowledge the fact that the Government has plans to rehabilitate the Shiwang’andu/Changalilo Road. Works were procured for this road, but the contract was terminated due to insufficient funds four or five years ago, I think, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) component, from which an amount is allocated for some road works, is not enough because the magnitude of the works to be undertaken is huge. Can the hon. Minister assure the people of Mpika and Shiwang’andu of the period the road will be considered?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, thank you so much, and I would also like to thank my dear hon. Colleague from Shiwang’andu for his question. I do understand how committed the hon. Member of Parliament is in trying to work for his people.

Hon. Government Members: He is not.

Laughter

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I do not want to commit to a specific day, week, month or year, but we have heard, as we are a listening Government, the hon. Member’s request. Once resources are made available, that road will definitely be a priority. I do not want to give a specific timeframe because I do not want to deceive my dear hon. Colleagues.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, thank you once again.

Madam Speaker, –

Interruptions

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

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, it is that one (pointed at Mr Nkandu).

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I have not given you the Floor to talk.

The hon. Member for Mpika may continue.

Mr Kapyanga: Thank you once again, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the contractors for the Mpika/Katibunga Road, Mufubushi/Kasenga Road and Chipundu/Kaluba Road were procured, but the contracts were later terminated. After the termination of contracts, I asked a similar question and I was assured that following the debt restructuring, those roads would be worked on as the money would be unlocked. The hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has given a similar position on debt restructuring.

Madam Speaker, I am now tempted to ask when the people –

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I need your protection.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You may continue, hon. Member, you are protected.

Mr Kapyanga: Madam Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development when the people will benefit from the debt restructuring programme, as he has indicated. I ask this because he has not indicated any time period. He just said, “Very soon, we will start benefiting from the fruits of the debt restructuring, and these roads will be done”.

Madam Speaker, my question is: When, specifically, will we start having the benefits of debt restructuring, as he has alluded to?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, allow me to thank my dear hon. Colleague for that follow-up question.

Hon. Government Member: That is a very good question!

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, the contracts that were awarded for the construction of the mentioned roads –

Mr Nkandu conversed with Mr Kampyongo.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

The exchange of words between the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts and the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu should stop. If you want to continue talking to one another, you can actually use the corridors outside so that you have enough time to discuss and iron out whatever issues you want to sort out.

The hon. Minister may continue.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, what led to the cancellation of the contracts awarded for those feeder roads was that the Government had no money to undertake the works at that time. Now that there is a window, we have overcome a major challenge we faced: the debt, which was quite huge. We have now completed the restructuring. That is a sign that many feeder roads will be worked on, not only those in Mpika, and the allocation of money towards feeder roads will be improved. I do not want to give a specific date and time because I do not want to mislead or give false information on the Floor. However, the hon. Member should be rest assured that we are a listening Government and will not contract works without matching resources. Since we now have a window, definitely, like any other constituency that needs feeder roads, Mpika will be considered.

Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.

Mr Shakafuswa (Mandevu): Thank you so much, Madam Speaker. First of all, allow me to –

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

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

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, thank you for according me this very rare opportunity to raise a point of order on the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Madam Speaker, everybody, not only those in this House, but in the country at large, knows exactly what this House is about. It is about transacting official business.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Kafwaya: It is about enacting laws, such as the earlier mentioned Bill, which is at the First Reading stage and will be considered this afternoon.

Madam Speaker, we are here to represent our people. Is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, who, I have been informed, is shifting constituencies, in order to come to this House to transact private business? He is busy selling tickets in this Assembly.

Interruptions

Mr Kafwaya: He has been selling tickets from one end of the Assembly Chamber to the other, Madam Speaker. Is he in order to do that?

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

From where I am seated, I cannot see what the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security is doing. I just saw him leave his seat and he went to caucus with the hon. Minister of Health. Really, I do not know what is transacting that is disturbing the debates on the Floor of the House. As far as I am concerned, we are not distracted by the movement of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

So, the hon. Minister for Home Affairs and Internal Security is not out of order. He has not distracted the proceedings of this House.

We make progress.

Mr Shakafuswa: I am grateful, Madam Speaker. I want to start by congratulating the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, who is my uncle, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, for having successfully announced his shift from Monze Central, where he has served for five terms.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Shakafuswa: That is twenty-five years, Madam Speaker, and now he is moving to Monze East, where he wants to start his new term. Congratulations to him.

Madam Speaker, in his response to the question asked by the hon. Member for Mpika, the hon. Minister said that the Government has successfully completed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and that funds will be available to undertake the rehabilitation of feeder roads, not only in Mpika, but also in many other constituencies across the country. It is also the hon. Minister’s mandate to rehabilitate and construct roads to bituminous standards, a mandate given to him by the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016.

Madam Speaker, the Chazanga/Kabanana Road is in a deplorable state, after having been eaten away by floods from rainfall. Can the hon. Minister confirm that the Government will provide funds to rehabilitate roads that have been damaged by rainfall.

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my dear hon. Colleague for cleverly bringing in Mandevu Constituency, when this is a constituency-specific question.

Madam Speaker, I know about that road. I had a discussion with the hon. Member regarding the same road he has mentioned. He said that a big pothole has developed on the road. So, I requested him to engage the local authority, the Lusaka City Council (LCC). The LCC can look at the contractors within Lusaka to see whether we can find one to go and work on the pothole on the road to prevent further damage to the road. So, he has asked that question on the Floor of the House because he wants the people of his constituency to know that he has brought up the matter. However, we had a conversation about the same matter on the phone earlier.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Laughter

Ms Nyirenda (Lundazi): Madam Speaker, roads are in a mess everywhere the Government cancelled road contracts. Now, here is the situation. Every hon. Member of Parliament was given almost K3.5 million for road works. Meanwhile, construction of a crossing point or bridge costs, maybe, K2.8 million, leaving about K700,000 for road works. The idea of sharing resources equally with hon. Members is good. The hon. Minister’s answer is always that the Government has no resources. If the Government used the resources allocated for roads for all the 156 constituencies on targeted roads, does the hon. Minister not think that this was not going to be a recurring expense? Would that be better than spreading small resources everywhere?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, an initiative was created in response to the economic challenges we had as a country. The Government thought it would be better if each hon. Member had K3.2 million to carry out remedial works on feeder roads in his or her constituency. If hon. Members of Parliament do not need the K3.2 million, let them come and tell us, and we shall know where to take the money. We thought K3.2 million was already making a big difference in all constituencies. Maybe, hon. Members of Parliament are not seeing any difference. They should come back to us and tell us to use the money somewhere else. We shall then tell the people of Zambia that the K3.2 million allocated for each constituency for road works is not making a difference, according to hon. Members of Parliament. Therefore, we are going to channel the money to other areas of need.

Madam Speaker, in my earlier response to the hon. Member of Parliament for Mpika, I indicated that what led to cancellation of road contracts by the Government was lack of resources. The Government owed a lot of money, so it could not keep on getting more debt. All it needed to do was clear what it owed, and that is what the Government has done. Now that we have a breather, hon. Members will see a lot of progress on feeder roads, going forward, in addition to the K3.2 their constituencies receive each year. This is because the resource envelope has improved. That is what I meant, and that is our direction as the Government. Constituencies should carry out remedial works, but the Government will come on board and give major attention to all feeder roads because it has a breather financially. That is the assurance I am giving. We are determined to do this because of the fact that we have achieved something regarding the debt challenge we had as a nation.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, I have been following the hon. Minister’s responses, but I am a bit concerned. In certain constituencies like mine, in Mufulira District, we have spent millions of Kwacha on buying equipment for road rehabilitation. The equipment we bought is the same equipment that any serious road contracting company has. I got concerned when the hon. Minister said that when resources are available, contractors are going to start working on roads. One would have thought that the investment in equipment that councils have made would lead to them, maybe, collaborating with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development or the Road Development Agency (RDA) regarding acquiring the capacity to carry out road works. In Kantanshi, for example, and the people of Kantanshi are listening, when a road is worked on by the council, even a bicycle cannot be ridden on that road. That is how bad the situation is. Meanwhile, the council has very expensive equipment.

Madam Speaker, councils have already invested in equipment. So, when are we going to see proper collaboration between the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development so that we optimise the use of the money from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)? Instead of councils looking forward to new contracts and contractors coming to our areas, when are we going to see collaboration between these two ministries to optimise the usage of taxpayers’ money?

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my dear hon. Colleague, the Member of Parliament for Kantanshi Parliamentary Constituency, for his observation.

Madam Speaker, indeed, as the Government, we have bought yellow machines for councils in all the 116 districts and 156 parliamentary constituencies. The hon. Member has talked of capacity and collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to optimise utilisation of the yellow machines. I think that is a good suggestion. It is something we need to consider and liaise with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development. We have to look at how best we can utilise the yellow machines, instead of getting them from contractors. By so doing, we are going to increase the kilometres to work on, because there will be savings from not hiring equipment. So, I totally agree with the hon. Member. That is a good observation. That was off-the-cuff, but I will engage the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development on technical know-how so that we add it to what we have in councils and then move on.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY MEASURES IN THE FARMER INPUT SUPPORT PROGRAMME

318. Mr Hamwaata (Pemba) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

what measures the Government has put in place to ensure accountability and transparency in the distribution of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP);

whether periodic transfers of agriculture camp officers, who have overstayed in one location, is among the measures at (a); and

if the transfer of camp officers is not one of the measures, why.

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, the Government is taking the following measures to ensure accountability and transparency in the distribution of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP):

modernising the support system for farmers under FISP, including successfully rolling out the cost-effective e-Voucher System to all 116 districts in the 2025/2026 Farming Season. We are equipping farmers with the power to decide on the types of inputs to get;

improving beneficiary targeting through continuous verification of beneficiaries to ensure only eligible and active farmers are onboarded;

enhancing supplier onboarding criteria through inclusive selection criteria;

timely deposits by farmers through the use of banking and mobile money solutions; and

timely transaction settlements for suppliers, reducing paperwork risks and fraud for value for money.

Madam Speaker, to improve accountability and transparency in service delivery, the Government carries out periodic transfers of all employees who have overstayed in their location, regardless of whether they are camp officers or not. However, it must be noted that this is not consistently done due to the cost implications involved.

Madam Speaker, the transfer of camp officers is not among the measures at (a) above, as the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) is electronic and no camp officer is involved in the distribution of farming inputs under the programme.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Hamwaata: Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Minister for the measures the ministry is putting in place to promote accountability and transparency. The system that is being used is that the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) packs are given directly to the beneficiaries. Is there any possibility that a district can have excess packs with the system that we are using?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, with the current dispensation, the only way in which the district can have excess packs is if the farmers do not go to get the inputs.

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that farmers are given vouchers that they redeem at the shops. If a number of them do not redeem their vouchers, the records at the ministry will show that people in a particular district did not redeem their vouchers. Therefore, we query and find out why. As for the district not having fertiliser, that is not true because we no longer buy fertiliser. Instead, the fertiliser is with the agro-dealers.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Malambo (Magoye): Madam Speaker, what safeguards have been put in place to prevent agricultural camp officers from colluding with co-operatives to disadvantage genuine small-scale farmers?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, the question asked by the hon. Member for Magoye is extremely important. It is very true that some camp officers find themselves accessing FISP inputs. That happens purely out of being untrustworthy, cheating, …

Mr Tayali: Dishonesty.

Mr Mtolo: … and dishonesty. That is not supposed to be the case because these are the people who give us the names of the farmers who are members of a given co-operative, the information that we process in the system, when those farmers do not even exist. They use fake names to redeem the vouchers. I have said on the Floor of this House that if there are such officers in your constituency, just let me know. They will not see the end of the day. We will get rid of them because we want to get rid of that type of dishonesty at the ministry.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mapani (Namwala): Madam Speaker, how often does the ministry hold engagement meetings through the provincial coordinators, the camp officers and the District Agriculture Coordinators (DACOs) to ensure that the element of transparency and accountability is adhered to.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, that is done every year, before the marketing season. Currently, our senior officers meet the camp officers to come up with the manual or the handbook, which directs them on how to carry out activities. The provincial officers meet the camp officers every so often.

Madam Speaker, if hon. Members have any problems, they should not hesitate to let the head office know. That way, the problems in their particular areas will be solved effectively at that given time.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Hamwaata: Madam Speaker, following the good policies and the strategy being used to curb issues to do with mismanagement of the FISP, have we had a situation where camp officers or any member has been found mismanaging it? If so, have we had any arrests of such people from the time this system was implemented?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, the answer is yes. Last season, the House will recall that the Member for Chama South, Hon. Mung’andu, informed us that camp officers mishandled fertiliser in Chama, and we gave him authority to take them to the police. Those officers were actually arrested. As we are talking, they are in police custody.

Madam Speaker, two years ago, out of the 1,024,438 farmers whom we dealt with, 215,000 were not genuine. When we identified that there was a problem, we made sure that such farmers were replaced by genuine ones. So, it is a continuous process. As we are planning to give fertiliser to the people this season, we are also aware that there are crooks within the ministry and outside who want to take advantage and partake of that fertiliser. So yes, we have had people arrested.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister of Agriculture has repeatedly informed this august House that the Government has no intentions to increase the number of beneficiaries of the packs that are being given through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). What instructions is the ministry giving to the camp officers who have been struggling to manage the increased number of co-operatives given that the number of beneficiaries of the packs remains the same and in somecases, reduced? How is the ministry helping the camp officers to manage the increased number of co-operatives against the limited number of input packs that are given to the farmers since he mentioned that the number has actually reduced?

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, a couple of times, the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu brings this issue on the Floor of the House. I will repeat that FISP has a budget of close to US$500 million, annually. The way they left it. It is almost US$500 million annually.

In addition, FISIP is a 100 per cent grant. People do not pay back. Consequently, it is not sustainable. So, we have gone for a more sustainable way of supplying inputs to the farmers through the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility, commonly called SAFF, which is more sustainable programme.

To not disturb the farmers, we said that we would not do away with FISP. The two will run side by side so that we do not disrupt the agricultural process in the country. So, on the farmers, no, we have been discussed that issue on the radio. On the agricultural officers, no as well. We tell them what to tell the farmers so that we do not injure our farming community; our gallant farmers, who produced a bumper harvest for the first time since the Independence of Zambia. We appreciate their input. However, we should also bring in the sustainability of the programmes.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

_______

MOTIONS

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ECONOMY, TRADE AND LABOUR MATTERS ON THE REVIEW OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATIONAL PENSION SCHEME AUTHORITY

Mr J. Chibuye (Roan): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House adopts the Report of the Committee on National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters on the Review of the Operations of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) for the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 16^th April, 2026.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Mulaliki (Senanga): I beg to second, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, in accordance with its terms of reference, as set out under Orders 206(j) and 207 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2024, the Committee undertook a review of the operations of NAPSA during the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Madam Speaker, as you may be aware, NAPSA remains one of Zambia’s most significant public institutions entrusted with safeguarding the retirement security of millions of workers. Its mandate is not only economic, but deeply social, ensuring dignity in retirement, stability in development, livelihoods and, indeed, confidence in public institutions. As with any institution of such scale and importance, it is essential to periodically assess its operations to ensure alignment with national development priorities and public expectations. You may wish to note that over time, several key issues have emerged regarding NAPSA’s operations, which include investment performance and asset utilisation, liquidity and benefit processing, governance and, indeed, transparency and public confidence, and awareness.

Madam Speaker, having interacted with various stakeholders on the subject matter, the Committee made observations and recommendations, as contained in the report. I will just highlight a few.

Madam Speaker, with regards to the legal framework, the Committee observes with concern that the existing legal framework, which was designed for a predominantly formal economy, has been outpaced by changes in the labour market structure, including increased informality and demographic shifts. In view of this, the Committee recommends that a statutory review be effected and institutionalised to ensure that the legal framework remains responsive to emerging labour patterns, longevity trends and fiscal sustainability considerations without delay.

Madam Speaker, with regards to informal sector collection of contribution challenges, the Committee observes that labour statistics consistently show that Zambia’s labour market is predominantly informal. However, enforcement among informal sector participants presents persistent challenges due to income volatility, limited record keeping and difficulties in employer and employee classification. In this regard, the Committee recommends enhanced use of digital platforms and targeted compliance incentives tailored to informal sector realities, while maintaining statutory enforcement as a deterrent for wilful noncompliance.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, allow me to pay tribute to the stakeholders, who interacted with the Committee, for the valuable insights they provided. Gratitude also goes to you and the Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia for the guidance and support rendered to the Committee throughout its deliberations and study.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Mulaliki: Now, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I wish to thank Hon. Joel Chibuye for the able manner in which he has moved this Motion.

Madam Speaker, in seconding this Motion, allow me to comment on a few issues that the mover has not touched on. With regards to the enforcement and compliance mechanism, the Committee observes that the current statutory penalties imposed, of which some are capped at K400, are too low, as they no longer provide sufficient deterrence. The whole essence of penalties is to deter offenders. Now, because they are too low, they do not seem to serve that purpose any longer. In this regard, the Committee recommends that statutory penalties be reviewed to ensure they are proportionate and effective. The Committee also recommends strengthening inspector powers with clear procedural safeguards and graduated sanctions to enhance enforcement while maintaining fairness.

Madam Speaker, with regards to worker representation, which seems to be an issue of late, the Committee observes that while Clauses 5 to 7 of the National Pension Scheme Act, No. 40 of 1996 provide for the scheme’s functions, governance and administration, the Act does not adequately guarantee meaningful worker representation in governance and oversight structures. While there is a need for the employer to be well-represented on the NAPSA board, employees also need to be well-represented. The Committee, therefore, recommends a review of the Act to provide for enhancement of worker and employer representation on the NAPSA board.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I thank you.

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to make a few comments on the Motion moved to adopt the report of the Committee on National Economy, Trade and Labour Matters.

Madam Speaker, the report is in two parts, and I will comment on the first part, which is the review of the operations of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA). In the review, the Committee takes note of the challenges surrounding the operations of the scheme.

Firstly, the Committee acknowledged coverage limitations because the scheme caters for formal workers, while over 70 per cent of Zambia’s labour force is in the informal economy. This leaves most citizens without social protection. Secondly, operational inefficiencies, including delays in benefit processing, weak information and communication technology (ICT) systems and inadequate member services, have eroded public trust.

Madam Speaker, the essence of the scheme is to have the citizens’ confidence. It is a national scheme, so it must be inclusive. However, according to the report, the scheme does not cover 70 per cent of workers, who are in the informal sector. It means that, as the scheme is reviewed, I hope the Bill before Parliament will cater for informal sector workers so that the scheme can be inclusive.

Madam Speaker, another highlighted challenge the scheme faces is the growing unsustainability, driven by increasing life expectancy, high unemployment, early withdrawals and economic volatility, which undermine fund adequacy.

Madam Speaker, it was stated in this House and people were heard celebrating early withdrawals, which has been raised in the report. The essence of a pension is to prepare a worker for post-tour-of-duty life after retirement. Therefore, whichever way it is looked at, encouraging workers to consume pension benefits while working is not sustainable for either the workers or the scheme, especially for the workers. If a study was taken to look at how people used the money they received earlier, it would be found that many did not do much with it, apart from just paying school fees for their children and, obviously, meeting the high cost of living that has been ravaging our workers. No worker will show that, “This is what I have established from the early withdrawal”, because they received it for consumption. So, whichever way it is looked at –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, do not generalise. Have you done a survey? Do you have evidence to show that no one has made use of the money they received?

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the essence of debating these matters is that we are people’s representatives who live in communities.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: No, we are supposed to be factual.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I am speaking to the report, for heaven’s sake. I represent people, and I know these issues. The teachers who accessed the early withdrawals –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, much as you represent people, we have a report before us, which we are following. At the same time, we are supposed to be factual.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I cannot bring the list –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You said all those who received the partial withdrawal have not utilised it well. You further stated that they used it to pay school fees and consumed part of it due to the high cost of living. So, I do not agree –

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I will limit that statement to my people in Shiwang’andu. I can confirm on the Floor of this House as their representative that the civil servants who had access to the early withdrawals in Shiwan’gandu –

Mr Chinkuli: Aah!

Mr Kampyongo: You know what I am talking about. Unless, you want to pretend.

Madam Speaker, we have the report here with us. It says early withdrawals are posing sustainability challenges for the scheme because they were unplanned for. That is what the report is saying. I am not speaking from nowhere. I am speaking to the report.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Yes, hon. Member for –

Mr Kampyongo: Further, Madam Speaker –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, I just wanted you to be factual. The fact that you have singled out the people of Shiwang’andu is okay. Earlier, you mentioned that all the people who received the partial withdrawal did not utilised it well. Now that you have specifically mentioned the people of Shiwang’andu, that is alright.

You may proceed.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I appreciate your guidance. Indeed, we hope that the recommendations in the report are reflected in the Bill that is coming before this august House.

Madam Speaker, the other challenge highlighted in the report is the statutory investment framework. The National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) has invested in many ventures approved by the board. However, the report notes a lack of transparency. People who contribute to NAPSA have the right to know how their contributions are invested. The report says:

“Several major projects that are financed by NAPSA experienced delays in completion or commencement of revenue generation. In some instances, expected investment income was deferred beyond planned timelines.”

Madam Speaker, the money invested is expected to generate revenue for NAPSA so that beneficiaries receive their money on time. However, the revenues are not always channelled on time. That poses a challenge in processing people’s benefits. Therefore, the Committee recommends strengthening the legal framework to enhance transparency in reporting investment performance and actuarial assumptions to support public confidence and parliamentary oversight.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people we represent, as hon. Members, we would like this institution to have enough oversight. To some extent, if NAPSA would have investment portfolios approved by this august House, it would be safer for our labour force; the workers who are contributing money to NAPSA. That is important. I hope my hon. Colleagues will pay attention to the Bill that will be presented on reforms of NAPSA operations because the challenges highlighted in the report cannot be allowed to continue. At the end of the day, NAPSA is a public scheme. Therefore, it must be transparent. Even when money is given to foreign investors, the owners of the money must know when that money will start generating benefits.

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

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity to debate this very important Motion on your Committee’s report.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, allow me to commend the Committee for a very important and insightful report. The review of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) operations is long overdue. In the words of scripture, it is said, “You cannot put new wine in old wineskins”. That is why this House anxiously looks forward to the Bill as it will be presented on the Floor of this Parliament.

Madam Speaker, NAPSA’s legal framework needs to be reformed so that it starts to respond to today’s labour sector. That is one aspect the report has addressed. Bringing the informal sector onboard is long overdue. The country is looking at ways of expanding the tax base. The country is looking at ways of formalising the informal sector. The country must agree that one way to provide economic security for our people is to allow NAPSA to capture both the formal and informal sectors. At the centre of the reforms must be the worker. So, in reviewing NAPSA’s operations, the reviews ought to be worker-centric. In being worker-centric, we will be speaking about fairness and justice for contributors.

Madam Speaker, the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) has over 3 million members and over 1 million active contributors. It cannot be denied that NAPSA, re-engineering itself through the reforms through this honourable House, needs to speak to the needs of the worker during and after retirement. We cannot postpone lump sum payment issues or partial withdrawal of pension until someone retires. A number of people do not even live up to the life expectancy age in this country. They die. I have interacted with people who accessed part of their money through partial withdrawal of their pension because of the Motion that this House unanimously passed. People have testimonies of how they made use of the funds from the partial withdrawal of their pension. It is only fair that we give workers choice. In giving workers choice, we are saying that one has to be responsible by not depleting all of one’s savings. The needs and the challenges of our people are real. If I pay my children’s school fees, I have made a responsible decision, a responsible choice. So, as we look at reforming and repositioning NAPSA, issues around lump sum payments must take center stage. Let us give workers a choice. They must be allowed to choose to get a percentage of what they have been saving, so that they do not get to use their money only when they are about to become ancestors.

Madam Speaker, in terms of investment, financial literacy is very important. It is incumbent upon NAPSA to mainstream financial literacy among its contributors. As NAPSA gets contributions from its members, part of its policies must be mainstreaming financial literacy among all its contributors. Let contributors understand investment options. Let them understand the areas where they can place their money for quick gains, as they look forward to retirement.

Madam Speaker, one of the challenges we are faced with today is that, most people in the formal sector are scared of retirement because of uncertainty. This uncertainty is informed by destitution looking at them right in the face. So, if we are going to give ourselves and our workers dignity in retirement, NAPSA must respond to the times we are living in. I want to thank the Committee for doing a very commendable job on the issue.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, allow me to say that in repositioning itself, NAPSA, as a matter of fact, must also speak to the indebtedness of its contributors. Nothing stops NAPSA from offering affordable loans to its members. A member should be allowed to walk to NAPSA and borrow against what one has saved, and the money can be recovered overtime. We can do this, as opposed to subjecting our workers borrowing money from lending institutions offering predatory interest rates. I want to thank this honourable House for passing a very important piece of legislation, which says that lending by the financial sector ought to be regulated, because compounded interest has sent a number of our workers to early graves.

Madam Speaker, as we look at reviewing the operations of NAPSA, I hope that the Bill, as it comes on the Floor of Parliament, will respond to the needs of our people. Then, we, as hon. Members and representatives of our people, can walk with our heads high that we did justice to the Zambian worker.

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I support the Motion.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Nkandu: Hammer!

Laughter

The Minister of Justice (Ms Kasune) (on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Social Security)): Madam Speaker, I thank you, and all the hon. Members who have responded. I will endeavour to respond to a few observations.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for according me this opportunity to present a statement on the operations of the National Pension Scheme Authority, popularly known as NAPSA. In particular, I will respond to the observations on operational issues, oversight and interests. I also want to thank the Committee for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by re-affirming the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Zambia’s social security systems remain strong, credible and responsive to the needs of workers, retirees and their families, and NAPSA is a cornerstone in this very important endeavour. This is why I am responding to some of the issues that have been raised by my hon. Colleagues. One issue that stands out is by Hon. Kampyongo, who stated that funds from the partial withdrawal of pension facility have been misused. I think, Hon. Chanda said that workers have been given a choice. It is important to understand that some workers appreciate the partial withdrawal of pension facility because it gives them the opportunity to invest in businesses while they are still working, as opposed to waiting until they retire. Sometimes, people say “tired and retired” because they may not recover from the mistakes they may make in business after retirement. So, I believe that it is in the interest of workers and NAPSA to have workers access their money now. We know that in previous Governments, workers died and never saw a coin from their hard work.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: I think, this is very progressive. This is very important.

Madam Speaker, I would like to assure the people of Zambia that they will still have access to their funds in old age, because partial withdrawal of pension means partial funds are accessed, hence the name “partial withdrawal.”

Madam Speaker, NAPSA operates within the broader legal and policy environment that ensures oversight, accountability and protection of its members. The suggestion that loans should be given to contributors, so that contributors are not subjected to exorbitant interests by some lending institutions, is welcome. We take Hon. Chanda’s submission seriously, and we will continue looking into reforming NAPSA for the betterment of workers.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) and the Zambia Association of Pension Funds (ZAPF) work in collaboration with NAPSA. Beyond the Act, NAPSA is also subjected to multiple layers of oversight, and I will mention a few. One layer of oversight is carried out by we, the hon. Members of Parliament. We play the critical role of parliamentary oversight. We scrutinise Statutory Instruments (SIs) and review annual reports and audited financial statements. This is the critical role that we play here at Parliament.

Madam Speaker, the Office of the Auditor-General is an oversight tool that ensures the well-being and operations of NAPSA. Again, this includes reviews of financial statements, procurement compliance, governance issues, and indeed, making sure that there is value for money.

Madam Speaker, the other area that I want to talk about is the Public Finance Management Act No. 8 of 2020, which strengthens organisations such as NAPSA. This is an Act through which NAPSA as a procuring entity is expected to uphold transparency, competition and value for money.

Contribution Collection and Compliance (Formal and Informal Sectors)

Madam Speaker, NAPSA continues to strengthen compliance through employer education, partnerships, targeted inspections, legal enforcement, and the expanded digital systems such as iCare.

Madam Speaker, it is through this House that we say that indeed, many Government institutions and agencies need to be digital because that way, we will be able to see what is going on. We do not have to wait for paper work at the end of the day. Another key area that I want to share with the House and the public, in relation to the report, is the key legal issues regarding resolutions and proposed amendments.

Madam Speaker, the Government recognises that while laws have served the nation, certain provisions require clarification or strengthening to address emerging realities. They also require close implementation gaps as follows:

Funeral Grants

Madam Speaker, inconsistency between the Act and regulations has been cited. Section 34 provides for funeral grant to be paid upon the death of a contributing member, while regulations provide for funeral grants to be paid upon the death of a pensioner. The Government will therefore, propose an amendment to Section 34, to align the law with the regulations and to relieve families during bereavement.

Exemptions Claimed by International Organisations

Madam Speaker, the other issue that has been brought to our attention is the exemptions claimed by international organisations. The Second Schedule, which talks about exemption of employees of international organisations, who are not Zambian citizens. The term “international organisation,” is not well defined. This has led to some foreign-owned institutions resisting to remit contributions for Zambian employees. This gap requires clarification. Indeed, it needs to be interrogated so that there is fairness in the contribution.

Madam Speaker, the third issue is about the submission of monthly returns. The inclusion of a specific provision for monthly returns would improve compliance. So, we take note of that and support eligibility under penalty waiver. On several times, the hon. Minister has been asking the House, the Government and the public to engage organisations such as NAPSA so that they could find a way to pay for penalties.

Madam Speaker, having said all this, the Government is undertaking holistic reforms and the National Pension Scheme (Amendment) Bill is being considered to address the issues that I have alluded to, that may have been articulated in the report. I wish to urge the House therefore, to support the Bill when it comes to Parliament.

Madam Speaker, in concluding, allow me to state that NAPSA remains central to the national social protection and economic security of this very able Government. The Government is committed to strengthening the legal framework, improving compliance and enforcement, expanding coverage especially in the informal sector, and safeguarding long-term sustainability through prudent investment and good governance.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I want to thank you.

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

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I can see the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu indicating for a point of order.

May he proceed.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, my point of order is pursuant to Standing Order No. 71.

Madam Speaker, you guide us that the statements we make here must be verifiable and we must render evidence to back the statements that we make. Was the hon. Minister of Justice in order to make a blanket statement that in the previous regime, pensioners were dying before accessing their money? People die every day. People die before they access the money. Was she in order to make such a blanket statement without tendering evidence on the Floor in form of death certificates of the workers who could have died before accessing their pension.

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious and fair ruling.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, honestly speaking, how can the hon. Minister come to the House with death certificates apart from maybe getting information from her office about what transpired in the past? So, as far as I am concerned, the hon. Minister of Justice was using the information that she found in the office. However, will the relatives of the deceased accept or allow the hon. Minister of Justice to come and display the death certificates in the House? That is impossible. So, hon. Member for Shiwang’andu, the point of order is not admissible because what you are asking for is a none starter.

Mr J. Chibuye: Madam Speaker, I just want to sincerely thank the all the hon. Members that have debated the Motion starting with the seconder, the hon. Member for Senanga and the hon. Member for Shiwang’andu for the contributions that he has offered on the Motion. I also want to sincerely thank the hon. Member for Kanchibiya. I also want to thank the evergreen hon. Minister of Justice for the insights that she has added to the Motion. I can only ask hon. Members of this House overwhelmingly to support the Motion.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Mr Munsanje (Mbabala): Madam speaker, I beg to move that the House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services for the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly laid on the Table of the House on Friday, 17^th April, 2026.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Ms Nakaponda (Isoka): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services, which undertook an inquiry into the national burden of cancer diseases in Zambia, a condition that has in recent years emerged as a major public health concern.

Madam, evidence presented to the Committee revealed that the burden of cancer in Zambia is growing. Between 2016 and 2025, the Cancer Diseases Hospital managed approximately 28,860 new cancer cases with majority of them being adults. The most prevalent cancers are cervical cancer at 23 per cent, followed by kaposi's sarcoma at 16 per cent, prostate cancer at 11.2 per cent, and breast cancer at 7 per cent.

While adult cancers account for the majority of cases, childhood cancers are fewer in number. Despite their lower incidence, childhood cancers remain a serious concern, with mortality rates exceeding 70 per cent. In noting the rising national burden of cancer and the increasing demand for specialised services, the Committee has made detailed observations and recommendations. However, due to time constraints, I will highlight only a few key issues.

Madam Speaker, the Committee observes that the Government has made commendable progress in providing funding for infrastructure development. Funding for cancer treatment infrastructure increased from K78.8 million in 2024 to K354.1 million in 2026, representing a growth rate of 349.1 per cent. The Committee appreciates this development, as it demonstrates a strong policy commitment to strengthening cancer services. However, overall, allocations for cancer care remain below 1 per cent of the health budget, which is far below the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 5 per cent. The effect of underfunding has resulted in a continued financial burden on patients and their families, who often incur additional costs for medicines that are out of stock, as well as transport and accommodation when seeking treatment. In this regard, the Committee strongly recommends that the Government increases cancer care financing to, at least, 5 per cent of the health budget.

Madam Speaker, the Committee further notes that Zambia faces a critical shortage of specialised personnel at the Cancer Diseases Hospital. The country currently has a deficit of 2,785 nurses, eighteen paediatric oncologists, thirty-six medical physicians, while not even one pharmacist has been employed at the hospital. This situation is further compounded by the fact that some specialised personnel remain on lower salary scales despite their advanced qualifications. Despite this gloomy picture, the Committee commends the workers at the Cancer Diseases Hospital who have continued to work with limited resources, which would otherwise constrain the overall effectiveness of interventions across the care continuum. The Committee is concerned that if these human resource gaps are not urgently addressed, Zambia risks not sustaining its aspiration to reduce premature mortality from adult cancer by 30 per cent and failing to improve childhood cancer survival to over 60 per cent by 2030. Further, if staffing remains unchanged, the new cancer facilities being constructed in Livingstone and Ndola may not be fully utilised. Therefore, the Government must prioritise recruitment, training and retention of specialised personnel alongside reviewing remuneration structures.

Additionally, Madam Speaker, the Committee observes that cancer surveillance systems in Zambia remain inadequate. Despite the growing burden of the disease, cancer has not been designated as a notifiable disease. That has limited systematic data collection and planning. The Committee is of the view that designating cancer as a notifiable disease will improve reporting, strengthen data systems and enhance decision making. In this regard, the Committee urges the Government to take immediate steps to designate cancer as a notifiable disease.

Further, Madam Speaker, the Committee notes that cancer services in Zambia are treatment-heavy and prevention-poor due to significant gaps in early detection and screening. For instance, only 22.2 per cent of women of reproductive age were screened for cervical cancer, which is far below the WHO screening requirement target of 70 per cent. In addition, rural areas are significantly affected due to limited access to cancer services. In this regard, there is a need to strengthen early detection and prevention measures, including scaling up vaccination, expanding screening services and intensifying public awareness campaigns. The Committee is of the considered view that without urgent and co-ordinated action, the cancer burden in Zambia will continue to rise, placing increased pressure on the health system and imposing significant social and economic costs on households.

Madam Speaker, let me conclude by emphasising that the recommendations contained in the Committee’s report provide a clear and practical roadmap for strengthening cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Therefore, I urge my hon. Colleagues to support this Motion.

Madam Speaker, lastly, allow me to thank you for supporting the Committee’s work. I also thank the stakeholders who provided written and oral submissions. The Committee further appreciates the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia for the guidance and assistance provided through this process.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Ms Nakaponda: Now, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Nakaponda: Madam Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to second the Motion moved by Mr Joseph Munsanje, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mbabala Constituency, and chairperson for the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

No quorum.

Ms Nakaponda: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was saying that cancer has, indeed, emerged as a pressing public health threat in Zambia. The report reveals that in 2022 alone, Zambia recorded approximately 15,996 new cancer cases and 9,770 related deaths. These figures are deeply concerning and underscore the importance of Zambia to strengthen interventions across the entire cancer care continuum, including prevention, early detection, accurate diagnosis, timely treatment and palliative care.

Madam Speaker, as such, our country requires deliberate health interventions that focus on non-communicable diseases such as cancer, as opposed to the traditional focus on infectious diseases.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Ms Nakaponda: Madam Speaker, in supporting this Motion, I will highlight a few concerns that have been raised in the Committee’s report.

Madam Speaker, cancer services in Zambia remain highly centralised, with the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) in Lusaka bearing the bulk of the national burden. This has resulted in delayed diagnosis and long waiting times, particularly for patients coming from rural and remote areas of Zambia. Further, the diagnostic capacity at the hospital remains weak, leading to delayed results, which also prolongs the start of treatment and negatively affects patient outcomes. In this regard, I fully support the Committee’s recommendation to decentralise cancer services and expand screening and diagnostic capacity across provincial and district levels.

Madam Speaker, the Committee highlights that cancer data systems at both national and sub-national levels remain fragmented and do not provide complete and real-time data. This gap exists because the national cancer registry does not have resources. As a result of the data gaps, cancer cases risk being under-reported, making it difficult to accurately determine the national burden. Further, the gaps undermine effective planning, forecasting and procurement of desired quantities of medicines and essential supplies. The data gaps also limit the ability to measure progress against national targets on improving cancer survival rates. Therefore, I support the Committee’s recommendation to strengthen and adequately resource the cancer data system nationwide.

Madam Speaker, the Committee also highlights the growing contribution of lifestyle and environmental risk factors to the cancer burden. This means that changing eating patterns, reduced physical activity, increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco and processed food are driving the rising cancer cases in Zambia. These emerging trends underscore the need for strengthened public health interventions focused on prevention, awareness and promotion of healthier lifestyles.

Madam Speaker, in light of the highlighted concerns, I fully support the Motion and urge the Executive to take decisive action to strengthen cancer interventions in the continuum of care.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkandu interjected.

Mr Fube: Nkandu ninshi?

Laughter

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving the people of Chilubi an opportunity to debate on this very important matter. I know Hon. Nkandu does not understand the implications of cancer, so I will forgive him.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I appreciate what the previous speaker said, but we seem to be mopping while the tap is running. I say so because we need to shift from the focus on treatment to the focus on prevention. We need to start attacking the causes of cancer. I appreciate the chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the Committee for their presentations. They said one of the most prevalent types of cancer in Zambia is cervical cancer. The other one –

Mr Nyambose interjected.

Mr Fube: Hello, excuse me.

Madam Speaker, may I be protected from these charlatans?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

Let us give him room to debate.

Mr Fube: The other one is Kaposi sarcoma, and there are many others. Looking at cervical cancer, we all know that it is linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted. In this case, we need to analyse the provisions of our national health policy on reproductive health to prevent the spread of the human papillomavirus. Cervical cancer is female-dominated, and we need to attack it from that point of view.

Madam Speaker, if we followed the World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis, we would know that when it comes to the issue of Kaposi sarcoma, one is supposed to be analysed even without being subjected to the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, which is used to establish whether one has a virus in the body or not. Kaposi sarcoma is one of those diseases linked to the high possibility of a person having the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). So, where do we start from?

Madam Speaker, when a patient, especially one with a compromised immune system, has kaposi sarcoma, it means the patient’s viral load is high. Kaposi sarcoma is a form of skin cancer. I know that the Government has made efforts to achieve the 95-95-95 target in peri-urban and rural areas. That is what we are supposed to do.

Madam Speaker, I am alarmed by both the morbidity as well as the mortality rates of cancer in Zambia. The morbidity rate in 2022 was 15,296. In the same year, the mortality rate was 9,770. Technically, this gives us about 109.2 deaths for every 1,000 people. These are not good statistics for a country like Zambia.

Madam Speaker, another worrying factor is the human capacity to fight the disease. We have heard the statistics that we have been given. We do not even have pharmacists specialised in cancer diseases. One wonders how chemotherapy is done if there are no pharmacists specialised in cancer diseases.

Madam Speaker, another burden is the health budget. I know, we can talk about the things we borrow, such as the Abuja Declaration, which asked member countries to allocate 15 per cent of their budgets to health, but we should have our own standards for health budgets. We know that allocations for infectious diseases have dominated health budgets. Now, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer are increasing. We should have some pride and not accept the status that Zambia has the second-highest rates of cervical cancer globally. That is a very alarming statistic for a country with our gross domestic product (GDP). We need to look at that properly, because they say a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Madam Speaker, another thing that needs to be revisited is the structure of our laws. I mean, the Public Health Act, the National Health Insurance Act, the Food and Nutrition Act, the Biosafety Act and many ‘hatha’ Acts need to be consolidated. Why does the Food and Nutrition Act come in –

Mr Nyambose: It is ‘other’, not ‘hatha’.

Laughter

Mr Fube: Ulichikopo. So, I understand.

Laughter

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, the seconder of the Motion said that one factor linked to cancers is processed food. So, we need to look at the Acts. I understand that we have the National Cancer Control Strategic Plan and many other policies, including the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). What is of great importance is putting a premium on prevention, so that cancers do not occur. If they occur, let them occur at minimal rates. Cancer is not a contagious disease. This means that we can control it through lifestyle. We need to know what we are stocking on our shelves and the things people are feeding on. What kind of diet are we encouraging in Zambia? We have millet, sorghum and a lot of organic foods. Have we ventured into encouraging the consumption of these foods, especially among the urbanites? When you look at the morbidity and mortality rates of cancer, you will find that the rates are higher among urbanites than people in rural areas.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I would like to submit that I support the Motion. The issues in the report should be taken seriously, and we should take a preventative approach as opposed to a curative approach.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms Nyirenda (Lundazi): Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Lundazi, I would like to support the Motion on the Floor of the House, because it touches on issues affecting communities in remote areas.

Madam Speaker, indeed, cancer –

Mr Mung’andu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

There is an indication for a point of order.

Hon. Member for Chama South, what is your point of order?

Mr Fube: Balipwa aba.

Mr Mung’andu: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, my point of order is premised on Standing Order No. 72, which is on content of speech. When the hon. Member for Chilubi was debating, he mentioned the word “ulichikopo,” when the hon. Member for Chasefu and I tried to correct him on how to pronounce the word ‘other.’

Laughter

Mr Mung’andu: He said ‘hatha,’ instead of ‘other.’

Mr Fube: Yes.

Mr Mung’andu: When the hon. Member for Chasefu said, “Do not pronounce ‘other’ as ‘hatha,’ the hon. Member for Chilubi said, “ulichikopo.” What did he mean? Did he mean the one who corrected him that the word is ‘other,’ not ‘hatha’?

Who, Madam Speaker, is chikopo in this case?

I seek your serious ruling, Madam Speaker.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Neither of the two.

Hon. Member for Chama South, in fact, you have quoted the wrong Standing Order, on unparliamentary language. Anyway, that was the joke of the day, is that not it?

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, no.

Laughter

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lundazi, you may continue.

Ms Nyirenda: Honestly, hon. Member, can you really disturb me by raising a point of order about ‘other’ and ‘hatha’? Ah?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Lundazi, you may continue.

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, some of us, our parents never lived to see us become Members of Parliament because cancer took them away before their time. So, I support this Motion with passion. I saw my mother suffer because she could not have the right medication and diagnosis, until she went to be with the Lord. May the soul of my mother rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, the surge in cancer cases in our country requires us to quickly arrest the situation. Indeed, we need to take urgent measures to ensure that our people receive the right treatment and diagnosis in time, so that we can save lives. Every time I pass through the Cancer Diseases Hospital and look at how women from Lundazi are suffering because of cancer, I really worry. Many women have breast and cervical cancer today. Many men are also suffering from various cancers. When you go to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) today, you find that most of the people admitted come from various parts of the country. You realise that accessing chemotherapy and other medications is so expensive for them. Therefore, the Government needs to put some measures to enable people to be screened early for cancer.

Madam Speaker, when early interventions for human papillomavirus are made, a life can be saved. At one time, the practice of checking on whether someone had the potential of having a cancer in the future was even done in schools. However, the interventions have now reduced, and this is leading to people having full-blown cancers. At the end of the day, our people just wait for the day they will be called by the Lord.

Madam Speaker, I took interest in reading this report. It talks about three major causes of cancer. One of them talks about aflatoxin exposure. I was wondering how a rural woman like my mother, who was a vegetarian, could get cancer, which has also ravaged many other women in my constituency today. So, the issue of aflatoxin exposure is something that the country has not taken very seriously.

There was a time a report came on the Floor of the House, where it was stated that the maize that we imported had some aflatoxin. Now, what is aflatoxin? Some of the maize ferments because of the way we take care of it. Even the way we store it can cause cancer to people. So, these are some of the issues that we must really take a keen interest in, especially for our people who are living in rural areas.

Madam Speaker, the other issue that has been quoted as the cause of cancer is alcohol. Today, some patients at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) have throat cancer due to alcohol. This is actually causing throat cancer in our youths, not even the elderly. Whilst women suffer from cervical cancer and breast cancer, our youths are also suffer from throat cancer.

Madam Speaker, this report is talking about us ensuring quick interventions at district and provincial levels so that we can save one or two lives. However, what is obtaining today is that someone will go to the clinic maybe, for having prolonged menstruation but nothing will be detected until they visit the hospital. By the time they will realise that that particular person has got cancer, time would have already passed, and maybe, it would have reached an advanced stage, maybe, stage three or four.

Madam Speaker, if you came to my constituency, you would attest to what I am talking about because many people there today are suffering from cancer. Sometimes, we are left with no choice but to only transport bodies of people who would have died of cancer. We need urgent interventions because 37 per cent of the reported cancer cases are cervical cancer related. This is reported countrywide, especially in rural areas. This is a very serious matter. The Committee responsible for health took this issue as a research topic. The Committee went round and it gave us this report? It therefore, requires that the Government pays serious attention to health matters and put it as a number one priority.

Madam Speaker, in the Budget for the health sector, issues related to sexual reproductive health are not given the necessary attention. Mostly, the money allocated to that particular budget line would be very minimal forgetting that that can allow for early detection of cancer. That will enable us to know the stages of the cancer.

Madam Speaker, the Abuja Declaration set a target for member states of at least 13 to 14 per cent of their national budget to the health sector. Some of the countries we sign the declarations with have allocated about 14 per cent of their national budget to the health sector. It is unfortunate that when we are budgeting, we always reduce the allocation for the health sector. We do not give health matters a priority. The only way the country can develop is by ensuring that it has healthy people, who can be able to contribute to that development. Now, if the workforce in the rural area where we produce maize and other products is going to be a sick due to cancer, how are we going to ensure that our country develops?

Madam Speaker, I support this report with the passion that it deserves, and I say let us have more money for issues related to sexual reproductive health and rights.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Mulenga (Kalulushi): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity on behalf of the people of Kalulushi, to also support this very important Motion.

Madam Speaker, this is a very sad time because we can see the figures that have been given in this report. The report is telling us that 33 per cent of the cancers are women-related. This relates to cervical cancer, and it is very sad.

Madam Speaker, the elephant in the room is the budget allocation to the Ministry of Health. The 5 percent that is being proposed is very minimal.

Madam Speaker, cancer is a very painful and lonely illness. Therefore, the Government should pay more attention to this epidemic. It is very sad to note that over 2,000 healthcare practitioners who are supposed to help the patients are not available. Again, the elephant in the room is the allocation to this budget line. If only more money could be given to the Ministry of Health to employ as many healthcare providers, then, we would not have the challenge that we are facing as a country.

Madam Speaker, the report also enlightens us on the same issue. It is very sad to note that the whole of Zambia does not have a pharmacy specialist. How then are we allocating these dosages to these patients? That is why maybe, we are having this mortality rising and rising, because we have no specialists. Again, the elephant in the room is the finances.

Madam Speaker, it is also very sad to noted that the screening and early detection are only at 22 per cent. I will speak for myself. I have witnessed, especially in my constituency, that five patients are suffering from cancer. To just get them from Kalulushi to the Cancer Disease Hospital, it has taken some of them three months and those are patients who have undergone biopsy. We know that once they undergo biopsy and are not given any treatment, the chances of the cancer spreading are very high.

Madam Speaker, from the very beginning, most of the patients are told their cancer is in stage one. This means that by the time they start the treatment, it would be in stage four. Why? This is because we do not have the equipment. Again, the elephant in the room is to do with the budget allocation.

Madam Speaker, I hope the hon. Minister of Health is listening to this because this is very serious. We have had colleagues and friends who have been sent to India for medical treatment. You can imagine someone being told that their cancer is in stage four cancer and they made to travel alone. That would be a serious mistake the Government would make. Such patients can probably be given two healthcare providers to travel with. You can imagine a patient who needs to once in a while use the bathroom, moral support and the right state of mind, travelling alone. So, the Government should allocate more money to this epidemic to allow patients, in the provinces or at the ministries to have proper treatment. That way, most of the people will survive.

Madam Speaker, patients are dying, not because they are not able to fight the disease, but because of lack of medication or maybe, the medication is too expensive. For once, I would like the Ministry of Health to allow patients to access free medication, especially patients from rural or peri-urban areas. We know that the Government is constrained, but this is a serious epidemic. Most patients start treatment, but they stop after two months because they do not have money. Then, what are we trying to cure, or how are we helping the patients? If only they could be given free medication and screened at an early stage. I do not even know what to say. I am very sad. If only screening could be done early. We are told that there is a vaccine for cervical cancer. That will help many women not die of cervical cancer. The disease is treatable. Most patients who die every day are mothers, wives and sisters, yet the vaccine is available.

Madam Speaker, I, as a very sad woman, support this Motion, and urge the Ministry of Health to allow more vaccines to be distributed in rural areas and among the common people. Vaccines are only accessible to those who can afford them. What should have been included in the report is the fact that the trend of travelling to India and Tanzania should stop so that people can access help right here, in this country, and so that they can receive help from their relatives, as support systems. Cancer is not like malaria or diarrhoea, it is a disease for which one is told that one may not survive. So, one needs moral support. Taking patients to India is not the solution. Most of them die because they are lonely; they do not have somebody to support them. I think that point should have also been included in the report.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to thank the team for taking the time to research this important issue, which affects us all in this House. I hope that as we go, the Executive will re-examine how finances are allocated.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Chanda (Kanchibiya): Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, I promise to be brief and not repetitive. I will just speak to some of the issues I strongly feel about.

Madam Speaker, in supporting this important Motion, I would like to talk about the need to emphasise prevention and public awareness. When we talk about cancer diseases, we talk about the fact that they are preventable and manageable if detected early. There is a need to look into stronger national campaigns on lifestyle changes, such as diet, alcohol and tobacco use. I commend the Ministry of Health for presenting the Tobacco Control Bill, 2025. It is also important to place emphasis on vaccines, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for cervical cancer, and the integration of cancer screening into primary health care.

Madam Speaker, allow me to also speak on the need to place premiums on research and data. We need to look at robust cancer registries and data systems. Evidence planning is key to effective interventions.

Madam Speaker, I urge the Government, through the Ministry of Health, to expeditiously implement the recommendations in the Committee’s report. Reports must translate into action, not just record, mindful of the fact that human suffering behind the statistics in this important report is families, children and breadwinners. We, as a House, must agree that the response we give to the fight against cancer is a matter of equity and dignity.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I re-affirm my support for this important report. We must unanimously, and with much commitment, adopt it, underpinning our call for urgent, co-ordinated and adequately-funded action.

Madam Speaker, cancer is a national priority, and it requires sustained political will by the Government and all of us in this august House.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

The Minister of Health (Mr Katakwe): Madam Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to respond to the report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services on the Burden of Cancer Diseases in Zambia.

Madam Speaker, I sincerely appreciate the Committee’s efforts in preparing the report. I have carefully considered the observations and recommendations made and, as per standard practice and procedure, my ministry will provide a detailed action taken report. In the meantime, let me make general comments on some of the observations and recommendations made by the Committee, as well as matters raised by my fellow hon. Members.

Madam Speaker, cancer diseases have emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges confronting our nation today. The burden of cancer diseases is not only measured in the rising incidences and mortality rates, but also in the profound social and economic impact it has on families, communities and the health system at large. The Government is, therefore, committed to strengthening cancer diseases prevention, early detection and treatment services. We acknowledge the urgent need to expand infrastructure, decentralise services and ensure sustainable financing mechanisms.

Madam Speaker, in line with the Committee’s observations and recommendations, the Government will put in place a legislative framework to strengthen and expand the capacity and mandate of the Zambia National Cancer Registry (ZNCR), cancer diseases prevention services and cancer diseases hospitals to co-ordinate the control and management of cancer diseases.

Madam Speaker, after a period of ten years, the first-ever World Health Organisation (WHO) STEPwise Approach to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS) Survey, which looks at the NCDs, was launched today. I urge hon. Members to listen to the launch in relation to what we are talking about on the Floor.

Madam Speaker, indeed, there is a great and urgent need to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care services in our country. This begins with us, as citizens, through the food we eat, the lifestyle choices we make and our health-seeking behaviours. The Government is scaling up health promotion activities to encourage healthier living and reduce risk factors associated with cancer diseases.

Madam Speaker, there was a call to increase vaccination reach. About a week ago, a statement was presented on immunisation on the Floor of this House. I wish to state here that Zambia has introduced the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the routine Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), targeting girls in Grade 4, as a preventive measure before they are exposed to HPV. It started with a pilot study in 2013 and the national programme was fully implemented in 2019. So, the call to the Zambian citizenry is that our young girls need to be immunised against HPV, the virus that is responsible for cervical cancer.

Madam Speaker, to strengthen diagnosis and treatment, the Government will continue to procure modern diagnostic equipment and expand access to cancer services across the country. Screening for cancers, such as breast and cervical cancer, is being integrated into primary health care facilities, ensuring that early detection is accessible to more Zambians.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, training and mentorship programmes for health workers are routinely provided so that our frontline staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to deliver quality cancer care. In addition, palliative care services are also being enhanced to ensure that patients and families receive compassionate support throughout the cancer journey.

Madam Speaker, these efforts demonstrate the Government’s awareness of the burden of cancer and its commitment to building a stronger and more equitable health system that protects our citizens from the devastating impact of this disease.

Madam Speaker, I wish to report that the structure for the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) has been revised and approved to reflect the full range of services that must be provided. To that effect, the Government, through the Ministry of Health and the Management Development Division, has approved a staffing structure of 772 raised to 884 positions, which includes approximately forty additional specialists dedicated to cancer care.

Madam Speaker, recruitment of specialised personnel is being prioritised and measures are being put in place to motivate and retain the highly skilled professionals. In addition, the Government is scaling up specialised training programmes for cancer personnel. Continuous mentorship and professional development opportunities are being provided to ensure that our doctors, nurses, radiographers, pharmacists and palliative care teams are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills.

Madam Speaker, by investing in human capital, the Government is laying the foundation for a resilient cancer care system that can deliver in terms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative services with excellence and compassion.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report that the construction of the CDH in Lusaka is progressing steadily and is currently at 82 per cent completion. Installation of the first-ever linear accelerator is at 50 per cent, with the remaining equipment, including three linear accelerators, two brachytherapy units and one computed tomography (CT) simulator for radiotherapy treatment planning, expected to be delivered in May. The grey works have been completed and the project has now advanced to electrical installations, fixtures and fittings. Once operational, this facility will significantly expand our national capacity to provide advanced cancer treatment, reduce the need for patients to seek care abroad and improve survival outcomes for our citizens.

Madam Speaker, I am also pleased to inform you that the National Health Policy and its implementation plan have been finalised and will soon be launched.

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, may I affirm that cancer is not just a medical issue, it is a national development concern that requires collective action, compassion and sustained investment. I reiterate my gratitude to your Committee and to the witnesses who contributed to an important report. I wish to state once again that I have taken note of the observations and recommendations, and a comprehensive action-taken report will be prepared for this august House.

Madam Speaker, I support the adoption of the Committee’s report by this House.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services, I want to thank the hon. Members of Parliament who have supported and debated on the report, starting with my vice-chairperson, Hon. Nakaponda, who ably supported the Motion. I thank Hon. Fube for focusing on prevention and cancer mortality. Hon. Kampamba Mulenga spoke about the localisation of treatment and financing and Hon. Sunday Chanda talked about the issue of lifestyle.

Madam Speaker, I commend the Committee for introducing the Tobacco Control Bill that contributes to reducing cancer and, indeed, I thank the hon. Minister of Health, Dr Katakwe, for accepting and supporting our report, including sharing very important information on the vaccination of young girls to prevent cervical cancer through the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programme. This demonstrates the push from our Committee, in line with the Government, to ensure that we get the best care for our citizens.

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Members for their contributions, and I also thank you for giving us the opportunity to present the report of the Committee. The report is, therefore, fully accepted and we beg to move.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL METHANE ABATEMENT STRATEGY

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, I beg to move that this House urges the Government to develop a national methane abatement strategy to reduce methane emissions.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, climate change is no longer a distant or abstract phenomenon. It is a lived reality, as can be seen from the impacts of droughts and floods in recent years. Zambia has already begun to experience rising temperatures and increasing variability in rainfall patterns. Projected temperature increases under different climate scenarios indicate continued warming, while rainfall trends point towards greater unpredictability and potential decline. These changes translate into:

frequent and prolonged droughts;

devastating floods;

crop failure and reduced agricultural productivity; and

loss of biodiversity.

At the centre of this crisis, Madam Speaker, are greenhouse gases. While carbon dioxide (CO²) receives most global attention, methane, whose scientific name is CH₄), is one of the top three greenhouse gases, alongside carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Crucially, methane has a warming effect over eighty times stronger than carbon dioxide over twenty years. Reducing methane is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to slow global warming in the near future.

Globally, Madam Speaker, methane emissions arise primarily from three major sectors:

agriculture – particularly livestock enteric fermentation and manure management;

waste – especially solid waste disposal and waste water treatment; and

energy – including fossil fuel extraction and coal mining.

Madam Speaker, agriculture remains the largest global source, accounting for approximately 44 per cent of methane emissions. In Zambia, methane emissions are concentrated in livestock production systems, especially from enteric fermentation and poorly managed manure, solid waste disposal sites, where decomposing organic waste produces methane, waste water systems lacking methane capture technologies and some elements of the energy sector, including charcoal production and biomass use.

Madam Speaker, our own policy and legal review clearly identify agriculture, waste and energy as key methane sectors requiring intervention. Methane’s short atmospheric lifetime, approximately twelve years, means that action taken now can deliver rapid climate benefits.

Madam Speaker, reducing methane emissions can:

slow near-term global warming;

reduce extreme weather events;

improve air quality by lowering ground-level ozone formation;

protect agricultural productivity; and

reduce public health risks.

Madam Speaker, it is important to acknowledge that the Government of the Republic of Zambia has made commendable strides in establishing an enabling framework for climate action, including methane-related interventions.

Constitutional and Policy Foundation

Madam Speaker, some of the constitutional foundation issues are:

the Constitution of Zambia provides for environmental protection and sustainable development, binding the State to implement mechanisms that address climate change; and

the National Climate Change Policy establishes a co-ordinated framework for climate resilience and low-carbon development. It promotes climate-smart agriculture, improved livestock and manure management, sustainable waste management and methane capture initiatives and renewable energy projects.

Legislative Framework

Madam Speaker, the legislative framework has the following:

the enactment of the Green Economy and Climate Change Act, 2024, represents a landmark achievement. This Act provides a legal framework for mitigation and adaptation, operationalises carbon markets, establishes institutional arrangements for climate governance and aligns Zambia’s actions with international commitments;

similarly, the Environmental Management Act provides for integrated environmental management and regulates waste and emissions, thereby supporting methane mitigation; and

the National Energy Policy supports renewable energy development, energy efficiency and reduced reliance on high-emission energy sources, indirectly contributing to methane reduction.

International Commitments

Madam Speaker, Zambia is a party to the Paris Agreement and has submitted updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which include mitigation actions in:

sustainable agriculture;

waste management, including methane capture in landfills; and

renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Madam Speaker, Zambia is also a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, committing to contribute to collective efforts to reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by, at least, 30 per cent by 2030.

Madam Speaker, these are significant milestones. However, policy review notes that methane abatement is not yet articulated in a sufficiently explicit and systematic manner to fully reflect the ambition of the Global Methane Pledge, which Zambia is a party to. While Zambia has an enabling legal and policy environment, there is currently no standalone national methane abatement strategy. The existing framework identifies methane-related sectors, encourages lower mission development pathways, provides carbon market mechanisms and establishes reporting systems, such as the National Communications and Biennial Transparency Reports.

Madam Speaker, a national methane abatement strategy would:

establish sector-specific targets for agriculture, waste and energy;
align the Green Economy and Climate Change Act, the National Climate Change Policy, the Environmental Management Act, the Energy Policy and Zambia’s NDCs under one integrated methane roadmap;

develop methane-specific measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems and performance indicators;

prioritise methane projects under carbon markets and attract international investment in biogas, landfill gas capture, improved manure systems and climate-smart livestock management; and

deliver socio-economic co-benefits, such as improve waste management systems and increase access to clean energy through biogas, enhance agricultural productivity, reduce public health risks and, ultimately, create green jobs.

Madam Speaker, methane abatement presents a high-impact, cost-effective opportunity to accelerate climate action, while advancing economic resilience. Zambia has laid a strong legal and policy foundation. The Constitution, the National Climate Change Policy, the Environmental Management Act, the Energy Policy, the Green Economy and Climate Change Act and our NDCs demonstrate clear political will. Developing a national methane abatement strategy will, therefore, help reduce environmental degradation. It is a development agenda. It is a –

The hon. Member’s time expired.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You may wind up, hon. Member.

Mr Munsanje: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, such a strategy is a development agenda that would improve food security, public health and economic resilience.

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Ms Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, I wish to speak now.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving the people of Lundazi this opportunity to second this non-controversial Motion, but something that can assist our country move forward and enable us to abate some of the ills that are affecting this nation.

Madam Speaker, in seconding this Motion, I want to indicate that some of the behaviours that we see in this country have been with us for a long time. Therefore, if we do not make changes, we may end up missing out on ensuring that we address some of the evils that are happening to this country and the world at large.

Madam Speaker, I did not understand the issues to do with methane, until some knowledge was shared with us, as parliamentarians. In this regard, I want to state categorically that, indeed, research has assisted people to change their minds and countries to change their policy direction, which has led to changes in behaviour.

Madam Speaker, issues to do with climate change are genuine and real. For the first time in Lundazi, all the bridges have been washed away and all roads have become impassable due to climate change. Two years ago, our district was ravaged by issues to do with drought, and there was hunger in this whole nation. We ended up even buying food at very expensive prices.

Madam Speaker, what is it that Zambia has been doing that could have added to this increase of methane? There are issues that we may need to change, especially some of our old practices in the way we ensure that our agriculture system runs. One of them is a very sensitive matter. I know some of us here are cattle headers, and if I talk about how we manage the manure for cattle, they may be asking me about what can be done? However, the way we are managing our manure and taking care of our waste is contributing to the depletion of the layer. For example, in Chunga, Lusaka District, garbage is thrown everywhere. This scenario is similar all over the country such that sometimes, it has to take the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to clear the litter.

Madam Speaker, the other issue that is increasing methane is the way we are disposing of waste, such as diapers. I have seen this even in my constituency, where every week, we have to grapple with the issue of waste management. We look at how the waste is being managed.

Madam Speaker, before I say many things, we really need to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development in our nation. We need to look at fast tracking climate action and there is need to do so. Reducing methane will ensure delivery of numerous benefits such as slow temperature increases. For instance, in the morning, one may wear a jersey because of cold temperatures. Around 1000 hours, the weather is hot, and becomes cold again around 1100 hours and 1200 hours. One may not even know what type of cloths to wear. So, we need to know how we can fast track climate action.

Madam Speaker, food security issues cause Governments to come and go. If issues to do with ensuring food security are not put in place such as controlling methane, we are going to affect the rainfall pattern in our country and also, our neighbouring countries.

Madam Speaker, furthermore, there is need for us to improve public health. The issue of methane contributes to the formation of the ground level ozone. Apart from that, there are issues to do with respiratory diseases in our country. All this can be caused by not only controlling the temperatures and also allowing a high level of methane to contaminate our air.

Madam Speaker, we need to strengthen coordination across sectors. If a national strategy is abated, it can align the agriculture, waste, and energy sectors. Sometimes, we live in silos and we end up missing out on some of the benefits. In addition, it can also improve intra-ministerial coordination. We may be running one strategy, like sharing information from one ministry to another but as a nation, we need to ensure that we improve intra-ministerial coordination and set clear roles and responsibilities. Agriculture, energy and waste management sectors should have their own responsibilities. Waste management should also be well coordinated under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Madam Speaker, we do not only need management and coordination. There is also need for us to attract climate finance and investment. Every time we have the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP12, 15 and 20), how do we ensure we benefit from some of the resources which are being funded by the donors? We can do that by ensuring that we have a strategy that can benefit us as a nation. If we do not put our house in order, we may not be able to benefit from some of these COPs and money will always go to other countries.

Madam Speaker, therefore, we need to have a strategy and say that what we agree upon, we do not just sign for it but put it into action. If we control methane, we can also be able to promote economic opportunities. What economic opportunities are we talking about? These are issues to do with the creation of green jobs. These green jobs can assist us have resources in our nation that can be passed on to our people. Apart from that, we should ensure that we support waste and energy industries, and improve livestock productivity. The reason why our livestock cannot be sold on the international market is because of the way we feed it. If we have stables where our cattle can feed from, we can produce quality beef that we can export.

Madam Speaker, there is need for us to support international commitments. Just like the Chairperson had indicated, we should not just sign agreements and sit. This is the only way we can also be able to domesticate some of the issues that we sign at international conferences.

Madam Speaker, I would like to say that indeed, reducing methane is not an agricultural health matter. It also attracts finances, creates green jobs, and strengthens climate resilience while advancing the National Development Goals (NDGs).

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I beg to second.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Wamunyima (Nalolo) Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the mover of this Motion, who hase ably moved an important Motion which this House must take very seriously. I would also like to thank the seconder of the Motion.

Madam Speaker, 30 per cent of the world's global warming is caused by methane. Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change.

Madam Speaker, let me give a background. In November 2021, President Hakainde Hichilema led a delegation to the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, where the Methane pledge was made by Zambia. I this case, Zambia committed to this, together with the then Minister for Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Nzovu, whom I must congratulate for his award for co-chairing the African Group of Negotiators (AGN).

Madam Speaker, so, in 2021, Zambia made a commitment to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent. Now, just to put it in context, when the Executive attends meetings such as COP, they make commitments, and Parliament cannot give oversight because it does not know what commitments the Executive makes. For example, the Executive has made commitments with regard to reducing deforestation by 2030. How do Parliamentarians know this? The Executive has made commitments to reduce methane emissions. Therefore, it is time for us to have a strategy to hold the Executive to account, for example, over the issue of waste management in this country which is extremely bad.

Madam Speaker, we have seen some improvement in the last few years with the introduction of the waste management company being supported by the European Union (EU), which I must commend the Executive for establishment that so that we improve the manner in which we dispose of waste. The introduction of biogas and bio-digesters is very important. In my constituency, I am collaborating with the Czech Development Co-operation in Zambia in supporting farmers by arranging them into co-operatives and supporting them with bio-digesters.

Madam Speaker, Zambia has updated its nationally-determined contributions. It has reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and recommitted to the methane pledge, because the methane emissions in Zambia, as of 2024, have increased by 21 million tonnes. That is an increase of over 80 per cent. So, that means that while there are many livestock farmers, they may not be sensitive to feeding and vaccination, and also the types of breeds of their livestock. In other jurisdictions, those involved in livestock breeding take into consideration climate change. What do I mean? They breed livestock with fewer methane-friendly genes. So, there is a lot of technical expertise in this area, and they take into account the aspect of methane when feeding livestock.

Madam Speaker, our local authorities focus so much on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). They must also focus on their core mandate as local authorities, to ensure that there is proper waste management in this country. The reason there are blockages in drainage systems in Kanyama and the central business district is due to a lack of proper waste management. So, what must be addressed in terms of the methane pledge includes devising a system that mandates our local authorities to also focus on their core mandate. Local authorities must not just focus on the CDF and collect revenue. There is a need for a proper recycling system in every district.

Madam Speaker, I would like to also state that there has been tremendous improvement in reporting in terms of nationally-determined contributions and collection of data from livestock farmers, but there is a need to progress from reporting to actual climate action. That is why I urge the Executive to operationalise the Green Economy and Climate Act. It was passed in 2024, and it needs a commencement order. Last week, I saw an amendment to the Act, yet it has not been operationalised. This Act talks of a climate fund. Finances need to be raised for climate action because we cannot rely on commitment from developed countries. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, the country needs to ensure that the climate fund is operational, and that comes by operationalising the Act, which we already passed in this House. So, I ask the Executive, again, to operationalise the Green Economy and Climate Act of 2024. That commencement order needs to be signed so that the guidelines of carbon trading can be understood by everybody. Aspects of greenhouse gas emissions must be understood, and our position, as Zambia, in terms of domestic resource mobilisation for climate finance, must be cast in black and white.

Madam Speaker, I would like to emphasise that I unreservedly support this Motion, as a climate champion. As we can see, we are supposed to be in winter, but it is still hot. That shows you that global warming is not a rumour or theory, but a fact. Methane traps heat eighty times more than carbon dioxide. So, if our methane numbers have risen to 21.1 million tonnes, that shows that a strategy is needed to abate this destruction to our climate.

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I support the Motion moved by Hon. Munsanje and seconded by the hon. Member for Lundazi.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, thank you for this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Chilubi, to add my voice to the debate on the Motion on methane emissions.

Madam Speaker, what we are talking about is a tricky Motion in that the abatement of methane is supposed to affect human activity. Sixty per cent of methane produced comes from human activities.

Eng. Nzovu: Question!

Mr Fube: I said 60 per cent.

Ba engineer, naimwe, you know better.

Madam Speaker, agriculture accounts for 40 per cent, fossil fuels account for 35 per cent, and the waste management we talk about accounts for 20 per cent. Given that profile, whereas fossil fuel may not affect Zambia that much, we are caught in arms by agriculture, which accounts for 40 per cent, and by the waste, which accounts for 20 per cent, which gives us, in the long range, 60 per cent, and the human activities that we are involved in, indeed, are serious.

Madam Speaker, why are we talking about this? We are talking about this because it affects the way we live and our agricultural cycle. I am talking about what our sister and the mover of the Motion, whom I thank very much –

Interruptions

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I am not like those who oppose Motions because they are in the Opposition. I go for things that have substance, and the Motion that has been moved has substance.

Madam Speaker, the topic at hand is about ground-level ozone, which affects our agricultural activities directly. I will give an example. Let us say there are about five million cattle in Zambia. Cattle also has waste, much as we need beef and milk from it. However, whereas we need those life-giving products, we also need to look at where what cattle produce go. According to the strata of how things are lined up, livestock contributes much, and there is livestock in Zambia. I have just picked cattle, but chickens and goats also produce. How do we manage that particular area? What does our Biosecurity Act stipulate in terms of managing animal waste? All those factors are supposed to come in.

Madam Speaker, I know that Hon. Nkandu will say “Question!”.

Eng. Nzovu: Question!

Mr Fube: Ba engineer, what we are talking about –

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chilubi, just stick to the Motion.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I am sticking to the Motion, but the engineer should know that I am conversant about this hydrocarbon called methane because it is one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen, covalently connected. So, I know what I am talking about. In case he needed to go through that intellectual prowess.

Madam Speaker, before I was disturbed by people who are supposed to understand this topic better, as they are educated, – We also need to review the Environmental Management Act –

Mr Nkandu: Finally!

Mr Fube: Go and do finally at your room.

Interruptions

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, we need to review the Environmental Management Act because there is an aspect of the polluter pays principle, which entails that those who are contributing to polluting the environment should pay. The mover of the Motion talked about abetting strategy and the need to reduce atmospheric methane. By the way, from the industrial time until now, atmospheric methane has increased by 160 per cent and we need to make an effort to reduce it.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my brother, the hon. Member of Nalolo, who researches like me, who said that actually methane is second to carbon dioxide, but it is twenty-eight times more dangerous than carbon dioxide, meaning that it even disturbs the composition of air. I know that at school, we were told that air is composed of 78 per cent hydrogen and 20 per cent oxygen, but it is disturbed by methane.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, so when we look at that –

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, can I be protected?

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chilubi, I am listening.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, what I am talking about is not politics. It is about life. I know he is used to politics.

Madam Speaker, we are trying to create a balance. If we want to find a solution to abating emissions, we need to create a dynamic balance between sources. While we are talking about emissions on one hand, we also need to talk about the removal of methane from the atmosphere on the other hand, through what are called atmospheric sinks. So, how do we create atmospheric sinks in Zambia? I know that we have started talking about carbon markets and many other factors, including other programmes. However, we have many scientists who can get involved in creating atmospheric sinks to fight the imbalance caused by the sources of emissions. Creating those sinks means knowing that this one is –

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: You may not know the sinks I am talking about. This is a scientific matter, my brother.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, in attending to the imbalance, we need to know how to deal with the hydrocarbon called methane in the atmosphere, soil and wherever else it may be present, and Zambia has the capacity to do so.

Madam Speaker, in the Chongwe area, there is the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC). We have a plant in Zambia that deals with atmospheric methane, which the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts does not know about, because he only knows about football.

Laughter

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, we are talking about an issue of managing a greenhouse gas, a very potent gas, which needs a combination of solutions and goes beyond calling for Motions.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, that is a person who sits in Cabinet, and he cannot even listen to what I am talking about.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Chilubi, please, just be focused on the Motion.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, he is making noise, and you are not stopping him.

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, I had mentioned that I am listening attentively.

Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, I am about to conclude. Since we are discussing the issue of a methane abatement strategy, we need to have scientific data and venture into sensitising our people about behavioural change in how they dispose of animal waste and waste from domestic arrangements so that they do not contribute to the emission of methane or the formation of the compound called methane. That is exactly where we are supposed to reach.

Madam Speaker, with those few words, I rest my case, for the sake of those who want to go and rest.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nkandu: Question!

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Mr Kapala) (on behalf of the Minister of Green Economy and Environment (Mr Mposha)): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank both the mover and the seconder of this Motion. I also wish to extend my gratitude to the hon. Member for Nalolo and the hon. Member for Chilubi, who debated on this Motion.

Madam Speaker, the Government supports the Motion urging the development of a national methane abatement strategy, recognising methane as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Zambia, accounting for approximately 11 per cent of total emissions.

Mr Nkandu: Quality!

Mr Kapala: Madam Speaker, with major sources being livestock, waste and energy, the increasing trend in methane emissions, particularly from enteric fermentation, underscores the need for a co-ordinated and sector-wide response. In line with Zambia’s nationally determined contribution and its commitment under the Global Methane Pledge, the Government will develop a comprehensive national methane abatement strategy to guide methane reduction efforts, while delivering co-benefits, such as improved agricultural productivity, energy generation, public health and climate resilience.

Madam Speaker, once developed, the National Methane Abatement Strategy will focus on reducing emissions across key sectors through targeted and scalable interventions. In the agriculture sector, emphasis will be placed on improved livestock management practices, including enhanced feed quality, animal health and manure management systems such as biogas technologies. In the waste sector, the strategy will prioritise improved landfill management, methane capture and waste-to-energy initiatives, while the energy sector efforts will focus on minimising methane leakages and promoting cleaner energy alternatives. The strategy will further strengthen institutional co-ordination, enhance monitoring and reporting systems and provide a framework for mobilising climate finance and partnerships to scale up existing interventions, thereby contributing to national development objectives.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Munsanje: Madam Speaker, may I take this opportunity to sincerely thank the seconder, Hon. Nyirenda, for this very important Motion. I also thank the two hon. Members who took up the challenge to debate this very scientific Motion, which may not have been easy to debate. I thank the Member for Nalolo, Hon. Wamunyima, for bringing extra dimensions to the issue, and Hon. Fube, Member for Chilubi, where we have Mbabala Island, for ably debating in a very scientific manner.

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the Government of the Republic of Zambia, ably led by His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the Cabinet, for supporting this Motion, through the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, ably led by Hon. Kapala. He talked about the Government supporting the methane strategy and ensuring that action is taken in line with the pledge that was made. He also talked about the award that was given to Zambia in 2021 in this area and the impact of the work in agriculture, health and energy. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) will be done to ensure that we as a country, benefit from the strategy and improve our quality of air and health, and reduce carbon emissions from methane.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Cabinet for supporting this Motion.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question put and agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

_______

The House adjourned at 1829 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 22^ndApril, 2026.

___________

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