Debates- Tuesday, 22nd February, 2011

DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 22nd February, 2011

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_________

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES - MEMBERSHIP

Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the House that, in accordance with the Standing Orders, changes have been made to the following Committees:

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEES

Committee on Government Assurances

Mr C. M. Musosha, MP, to replace Hon. B. Sikazwe, MP.

Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters

Mr C. M. Musosha, MP, to replace Hon. B. Sikazwe, MP.

Mr Kambwili: We cannot hear you.

Mr Speaker: Is my microphone off?

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

I thank you.

Laughter

__________

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, I rise to acquaint the House with some idea of the business it will consider this week. However, before I do that, let me begin by welcoming all hon. Members to this meeting dedicated to the consideration and passing of legislation in this Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly.

I believe that all hon. Members, as in the past, are geared for more hard work of this august House to meet the expectations of the people of Zambia.

Sir, let me now turn to the business the House will consider this week. Today, Tuesday, 22nd February, 2011, as indicated on the Order Paper, the House will begin with Questions. This will be followed by presentation of the following Government Bills:

1. The Constitution of Zambia Bill, 2010

2. The Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2010

3. The Zambia Qualifications Authority Bill, 2010.

The House will then consider the Second Reading Stage of the Education Bill, 2010.

On Wednesday, 23rd February, 2011, the Business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider Private Member’s Motions, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider the Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to scrutinise the Presidential appointments of Mr Justice Timothy Aggrey Kabalata to serve as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Mpazi Joubert Sinyangwe and Brigadier-General Anthony Mundubi (Rtd) to serve as Commissioners of the Anti-Corruption Commission and Bishop Venassie Mibenge, Mr Arnold Kapelembi, Mr Austin Chisenga, Mrs Isabel Katongo Simukonda and Mrs Mwangala Kapwamba Mutumwenu Yeta Msimuko to serve as members of the Human Rights Commission. Then the House will consider the Second Reading Stage of the Juveniles (Amendment) Bill, 2010.

Mr Speaker, on Thursday, 24th February, 2011, the Business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will then consider the Second Reading Stage of two Bills, namely, the Anti-Gender Based Violence Bill, 2010 and the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2010.

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 25th February, 2011, the Business of the House will commence with His Honour the Vice President’s Question Time. This will be followed by Questions, if there will be any. The House will then deal with presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider the Second Reading Stage of the Water Resources Management Bill, 2010. Thereafter, the House will then consider any other issues that may be outstanding.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

____________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

MUSONDA FALLS CLINIC

184. Mr D. Mwila (Chipili) asked the Minister of Health:

(a) when Musonda Falls Clinic would be opened;

(b) what had caused the delay in opening the clinic; and

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Kalila): Mr Speaker, the opening of the Musonda Falls Clinic depends on the completion of the construction works of staff houses, toilets and procurement of equipment for the facility.

Mr Speaker, the main reason for the delay in opening the Musonda Falls Clinic is that the initial funds that were allocated were meant for the construction of a health post, but because of the large catchment population and long distances to nearby health facilities, it was decided that a rural health centre be constructed. Consequently, the funds were not sufficient to construct the toilets and staff houses and this meant that additional funds had to be mobilised.

The funds were allocated in 2009, as indicated in the Ministry of Health Infrastructure Operational Plan and a house and toilets are being constructed. The process of sourcing for equipment in readiness for the opening of the rural health centre has started and staff will be sent to Musonda Falls Rural Health Centre when the construction of staff houses and toilets have been completed and equipment has been procured.

Mr Speaker, it is likely that the completion of the first house at Musonda Falls Clinic will be delayed because the community did not contribute as per project requirement. This implies that more money is needed to complete the house which has now reached window level.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, this clinic was completed four years ago. Can the hon. Minister indicate why the Government has failed to budget for the opening of the clinic?

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, we have not failed to budget for this clinic and the answer has clearly stated that the clinic will be opened as soon as the staff house which has reached window level has been completed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Zulu (Bwana Mkubwa): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out, through you, Sir, whether the ministry is consulted when these clinics are being designed and constructed.

Mr D. Mwila: Yes.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, I am at a loss for an answer to that question because these clinics are constructed by the ministry.

Laughter

Dr Kalila: Therefore, I do not know how the ministry can consult itself.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

GWEMBE DISTRICT HOSPITAL

185. Mr Ntundu (Gwembe) asked the Minister of Health:

(a) when the Government would construct houses for nurses at Gwembe District Hospital;

(b) how many houses were earmarked for construction;

(d) which contractor would be engaged to construct the houses.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, in the 2010 Infrastructure Operational Plan, the construction of housing units has been incorporated in the programme of construction and upgrading of health facilities. Through this programme, housing units are being constructed in areas where health posts and district hospitals are being constructed. Emphasis has also been placed on constructing housing units at second and third level hospitals. In 2010, the construction of a total of 200 housing units was embarked on in order to address the problem of lack of accommodation of doctors and nurses at second and third level hospitals.

Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to the construction of district hospitals in districts that do not have adequate health facilities. So far, the Government has commenced construction of twenty-six district hospitals. Gwembe is one of the districts that have been targeted to benefit from this programme. The programme also involves construction of housing units. The Government is expected to commence construction of a new district hospital in Gwembe District in 2012. In view of this, the current position of the Government is as follows:

(i) a new district hospital is planned for construction in 2012 and, as such, currently, the Government is not constructing houses for nurses at Gwembe District Hospital;

(ii) the number of housing units to be constructed at Gwembe District Hospital will depend on the availability of funds;

(iii) the estimated cost for construction of a new district hospital in Gwembe, currently, is K13 billion, inclusive of ten housing units; and

(iv) at the time of construction, a contractor will be engaged through the Government established procedures, as required by the Zambia Public Procurement Act.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister, what the position of the Government is now that there is no accommodation for nurses in Gwembe since you have not yet started constructing the housing units you have talked about. Where will these nurses be staying? Will they be staying in caves or what?

Laughter

The Minister of Health (Mr Simbao): Mr Speaker, it is true that we do not have adequate accommodation for our staff in most of our facilities and it is for this reason that the Government has made a proviso of housing allowance for those who are not accommodated.

Laughter

Mr Simbao: It is a fact that there are people in Gwembe and they live in houses. This means that there are houses for rent.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi): Mr Speaker, in many districts around the country, the Ministry of Health has failed to complete building the structures which they have embarked on. When will the Government take stock of its projects so that these uncompleted structures such as laboratories and staff houses whose works commenced as far back as 2008 could be completed?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, this year, the ministry took stock of all the uncompleted structures and only when it has seen that it has provided enough money to complete these structures shall it embark on new constructions. The hon. Member for Itezhi-tezhi is, therefore, of the same mind as the ministry.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, based on the answer that has been given by the Minister of Health pertaining to the construction of a district hospital in Gwembe, I would like to find out from him where this particular district hospital will be sited.

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, normally, we are guided by the community on where to build a facility. We are not the ones that actually select the area. We go to the community and ask for guidance.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Next question. Hon. Member for Lukulu East.

The hon. Member was not in the House.

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member is absent, so, the question has lapsed. Next question.

Mr Imenda entered the Chamber.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Lukulu East. He cannot be in the House that fast.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: This question too has lapsed.

ZAMBIA TANNERY COMPANY

188. Mr Kambwili (Roan) asked the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry:

(a) when the Zambia Tannery Company (ZAMTAN) was closed;

(b) how many people were employed by the company at the time of its closure; and;

The Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Dr Puma): Mr Speaker, I wish to advise this august House that the said ZAMTAN has never been in existence. However a tannery called Kabwe Tannery once existed and hence, we are giving answers on the Kabwe Tannery, in case it was a mistake by the hon. Member of Parliament.

Mr Speaker, Kabwe Tannery was closed in 2002 and was bought by TATA Zambia in 2008. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) was signed in 2009 to facilitate businesses linkages for small-scale farmers, abattoirs and slaughter houses for the supply of hides to the tannery.

Mr Speaker, at the time of closure, the total number of employees was twenty-eight and employee liabilities amounted to K1,114,543,971.

Mr Speaker, all the ex-employees were paid their terminal benefits in full, following the privatisation of the company.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, my question was on the Zambia/Tanzania Road Service and not Zambia Tannery Company.

Mr Speaker: I shall investigate what happened and ascertain why the question that was asked by the hon. Member for Roan eventually turned into a question on a tannery company.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: If my investigations confirm that it is my office that has erred, we shall give him the opportunity to ask this question during the course of this meeting.

SHIWANG’ANDU HYDRO POWER STATION PROJECT

189. Mr Kambwili asked the Minister of Energy and Water Development:

(a) what the progress on the construction of the Shiwang’andu Hydro Power Station Project was;

(b) what the total power output would be upon completion;

(d) what the source of funding was;

(e) when the construction of the project would be completed; and

(f) who the contractors were.

The Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development (Mr Imasiku): Mr Speaker, the contractor has mobilised to the construction site and major construction tools and equipment have been shipped in readiness to begin the construction works. These include equipment of civil works, diesel generators and compressors and sections for the steel penstock.

The total output of the station will be 1000 kW (1.0 megawatts) and the estimated project cost is US$4.1 million. The sources of the funding are the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO). With the availability of funds from the Government, the construction works are scheduled to be completed in March, 2012. The contractor is the International Centre for Small Hydropower Development (IC-SHP) of China.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether the project is on schedule since it was reported that all the civil works would have been completed by December, 2010.

Mr Imasiku: Mr Speaker, the project was supposed to be completed by the time mentioned by Mr Kambwili. Nonetheless, I would like to confirm that the project is on course now because the funds that were not available the time we were supposed to start the construction are now available. Thus, the project will be completed this year.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister how much the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) will contribute to this project.

Mr Imasiku: Mr Speaker, according to the framework agreed upon, the Government of Zambia was supposed to provide US$2.2 million. According to the agreement, this money will be provided by ZESCO and will be paid in stages as the construction is taking placing. That is what we will contribute as the GRZ.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Mr Speaker, apart from Chinsali, could the hon. Minister tell the House which other districts will benefit from this power station?

Mr Imasiku: Mr Speaker, this is a one-megawatt project and the people who are destined to benefit from it are those in Mpika. Should there be more developments on the project, other areas may benefit but, at the moment, it is only Mpika and Chinsali that will benefit.

I thank you, Sir.

KALENDE BASIC SCHOLL IN MUFUMBWE CONSTITUENCY

190. Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe) asked the Minister of Education when repairs would be undertaken at Kalende Basic School in Mufumbwe Parliamentary Constituency:

(a) to a roof of a house which was blown off; and

(b) a water pump that had broke down.

The Deputy Minister of Education (Mr Sinyinda): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Education has instructed the district to prepare the bill of quantities for the repair of the roof. Once this is submitted to the headquarters, funds will be sourced. The pump has since been bought and it is working.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kamondo: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the house in question has actually been in this state for two years and, at the moment, people have started to actually vandalise it?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kamondo: Sir, can he assure this House and the people of Mufumbwe that measures are being put in place to prevent further vandalising of the house because people have started stealing the window frames?

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, as we have already stated in our answer, we are doing something about this matter and are just waiting for the bill of quantities. I can only ask the hon. Member to work with the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) to quicken the process of giving us the bill of quantities. At the same time, I would like to inform him that because we are concerned, we have already purchased the water pump and it is working.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr L. J. Mulenga (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, the answer that the hon. Minister has given is not satisfactory. Can he give us indications when this matter will be attended to?

Laughter

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, like we have already stated, since the hon. Member of Parliament for the area is concerned, we urge him to work with our officers on the ground so that the process of providing us with a bill of quantities can be done quickly.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, since the Ministry of Education is always affected with the problem of blown-off roofs of schools and teachers’ houses, I would to find out from the hon. Minister whether the Government is thinking of setting up a fund in the ministry for such eventualities.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, we have that plan and, in fact, I would like to ask the hon. Member to look at our budget in the Yellow Book and see what we have done concerning that matter.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Sir, I seek clarification from the hon. Minister on this issue. The house in question had its roof blown-off two years ago. Is it true that this Government does not have a bill of quantities for the replacement of that roof two years after the disaster?

The Minister of Education (Ms Siliya): I do not think we will make any progress if we play a blame game here because, really, at the end of the day, the people who …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, I believe that the hon. Member of Parliament brought this question to the House because he is as concerned as we are. On the ground, we have a DEBS office and the Provincial Education Officer (PEO) at provincial level. I wish he had used this channel because I am sure we would have already attended to this matter. There are many schools and houses in the country whose roofs are blown off every year and this year, we made a deliberate decision that we have a fund to attend to such eventualities. Those who have taken time to read the Yellow Book may have found that there is K5 billion for this purpose. I know that currently, many PEOs are procuring roofing sheets and other requirements in the repair of the blown-off roofs of schools and houses. Therefore, I wish to suggest that we work together with the hon. Member of Parliament to ensure that this particular house is repaired and those who are supposed to benefit from it can actually benefit.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

RE-ENGAGED ZAMTEL EMPLOYEES

192. Mr D. Mwila asked the Minister of Communications and Transport how many employees were re-engaged after the take over of the Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (ZAMTEL) as of September, 2010.

The Deputy Minister of Communications and Transport (Mr Mubika): Mr Speaker, out of the approved establishment of 751, the total number of staff engaged by ZAMTEL is 696.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, do we expect any increase in the number of employees at ZAMTEL?

The Minister of Communications and Transport (Professor Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, currently, the workforce is at 696 against the establishment of 751. This provides room for increment in the staffing levels to match the estimated establishment.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr C. Mulenga (Chinsali): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that most of the district offices for ZAMTEL have been closed after its sale? If he is aware, what measures is the Government putting in place to ensure that there is good service delivery to these districts? Are the members of staff who have lost employment through this exercise going to be paid their terminal benefits?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, what is happening now is that the company is being reorganised to make it more efficient and effective in order to provide quality service to our people. A workforce of 2,330 has been paid their benefits. The total amount of money that has been paid to the former employees is K509.4 billion.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, may I find out from the hon. Minister whether it makes business sense to retrench 2,000 employees and then start readvertising for the same jobs. Can he confirm that R. B. Capital did a bad job in as far as assessing of ZAMTEL is concerned?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the type of industry we are dealing with is a highly competitive and technical industry. Secondly, what makes good business sense is clearly dependent on the judgement of the management of the company in terms of what is technically and financially sound in human capital sense. Hence, the reforms that have been undertaken such as the restructuring and reorganisation which are going on are clearly what make good business sense.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr L. J. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, from what the hon. Minister has indicated to this House and taking into account that ZAMTEL is of national importance to the security of this nation, how effective has the Government worked to ensure that Zambia’s security shall be protected so that we are not apart in what we are discussing?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, this is a matter we discussed in this House when the privatisation process was taking place. We did allay the fears that were expressed very strongly. The Government is very alert with regard to issues of security, including cyber security and measures are being taken to ensure that the security of the country is protected.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why the company that has taken over ZAMTEL is retrenching Zambians and replacing them with foreigners.

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I do not know where that information is coming from and what empirical evidence Hon. Mukanga has because the available information is that out of seventy-six staff at senior management level, only six are expatriates.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Beene: Mr Speaker, in some districts such as Itezhi-tezhi, ZAMTEL offices are being manned by security guards who cannot do any work. May the hon. Minister indicate when this engagement process will be managed in a proper manner?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, what is happening at ZAMTEL is a process of reorganisation, restructuring and reform among others. Those who cared to listen to the Managing Director of ZAMTEL, about two Sundays ago, heard the very comprehensive programme of what the company is doing in order to achieve its intended goals of its restructuring and reorganisation. This was brought out on the Culture Remodelling Programme which normally comes every Sunday evening. Those who cared to listen, I am sure, have been very well educated in what is going on at ZAMTEL.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muyanda (Sinazongwe): Mr Speaker, how safe are Zambians’ jobs at ZAMTEL, taking into account that Libya, where the investors at ZAMTEL come from, is on fire? Are the Zambians at this company not going to be affected by the on-going uprising in Libya?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Sinazongwe knows that company operations should not be equated to what may be happening elsewhere. What is happening in Libya today cannot be transplanted into the operations of ZAMTEL. The company is an entity that is operating in Zambia on business lines and will continue on that basis thereby providing employment to our people. It is as simple as that.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mushili (Ndola Central): Mr Speaker, as regards job creation by the new management of ZAMTEL, which the Government always boasts about, what is the envisaged target to be attained in the shortest possible time?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the most critical issue pertaining to ZAMTEL’s operations involved revitalising the company in order to make it more efficient and profitable. That has been the primary concern in the current restructuring and reorganisation process. As that is being achieved, I am sure that depending on the profitability, management might consider raising its staffing levels. However, for now, the most critical issue is to make the company profitable as well as to enable it deliver quality services to all our people, both in the urban and rural areas. This is the focus.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Machungwa (Luapula): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister confirm that ZAMTEL is seemingly phasing out landlines considering that making international calls using landlines has become more difficult now than before the new management took over?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the landline aspect of ZAMTEL is what management is focusing on in its recapitalisation process in which it is procuring modern and up-to-date equipment in order to provide quality landline services. Those who listened to the discussion in which the Managing Director of ZAMTEL featured two weeks ago should be aware of what he said regarding this service.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether it is true that some workers who served ZAMTEL for a very long time went away with packages as low as K5 million?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I do not have the details of the break down of the K509.4 billion which was distributed in the form of various packages. Therefore, I cannot tell how much was given to who. However, we are all aware that the benefits one gets from a company depend on certain criteria which are based on the computation of what is owed to the individual in the fairest manner possible. That should have been the method that was used. Thus, the benefits which were given to the former employees of ZAMTEL were arrived at fairly, competently and in the most technically sound process possible.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, we were made to understand that the Government was compelled to sell ZAMTEL due to the failure by the former management to broaden the subscriber base of the company. I would like the hon. Minister to confirm whether or not, as a result of the sale of ZAMTEL, the subscriber base has broadened to a point where it can now compete favorably with the other service providers in the same industry.

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, according to the information that was given by the management of ZAMTEL to the public recently, the subscriber base is slowly increasing. Once the reorganisation and restructuring process, which is still going on, is completed, the company will be able to attract more subscribers as it will be in a position to offer quality service to the people. The company is engaged in a sector which is highly competitive. We are confident that ZAMTEL will rise to the occasion and compete with the dominant forces in the sector.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

LIUWA NATIONAL PARK GENERAL POPULATION

193. Mr Imenda (Lukulu East) asked the Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources:

(a) what the general population of wild animals in the Liuwa National Park had been following the management take-over by African Parks;

(b) whether the new management had introduced new animal species since the take-over and, if so, what the new species were; and

Mr Mwangala stood up to answer.

Hon. Members: Obama!

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (Mr Mwangala): Mr Speaker, firstly, let me inform you that because I have just returned from my constituency which has a lot of water, my voice is hoarse. However, I shall try my best to be clear in my speech.

Laughter

Hon. Members: Hammer!

Mr Mwangala: Mr Speaker, in response to the question raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Lukulu East, Hon. Imenda, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwangala: … I am happy to report to this House that the population of most wild animal species has generally increased in Liuwa National Park since African Parks took over its management in the year 2003. There have been notable population increases in the following animal species:

(i) wildebeests increased from 23,455 in 2004 to 36,600 in 2009; and

(ii) zebras increased from two thousand, seven and six in 2004 …

Hon. Opposition Members: Seven and six?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwangala: …, Mr Speaker, I will repeat that part.

(ii) The zebras increased from 2,706 in 2004 to 4,911 in 2009; and

(iii) tsessebes increased from 530 in 2004 to 1,451 in 2009.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwangala: Mr Speaker, the new management has not introduced any new animal species in the park. However, in 2008, the management reintroduced sixteen buffaloes and forty-eight elands that were locally extinct. These animal species have now increased through natural births to twenty and fifty-five …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwangala: … respectively.

Hon. Member: Quality!

Mr Mwangala: In 2009, management restocked the park with two lions which joined the only lioness that remained in the park.

Mr Speaker, the African Parks management has put in place measures to combat poaching in Liuwa National Park.

Firstly, management has increased patrol efforts by motivating law enforcement officers through the provision of patrol rations, equipment and vehicles as well as conducting aerial surveillance. It has also increased the number of law enforcement officers by employing thirty-eight officers who work with twenty-seven Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) field officers in law enforcement operations.

Secondly, Mr Speaker, management has encouraged firearms amnesty by providing monetary incentives to those who surrender firearms. From 2003 to 2009, a total of 178 assorted firearms were surrendered by local communities, thereby reducing the poaching of wild animals using firearms.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwangala: Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Imenda: Mr Speaker, I would like to know what benefits the community gets from taking part in caring for the animals in Liuwa which have increased in number.

Mr Mwangala: Mr Speaker, today, the people in Liuwa are employed as boy scouts. This is one of the benefits that the people of Liuwa have received from the presence of African Parks management in their area.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Sikota, SC. (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, I am aware that the two male lions that are referred to in the hon. Minister’s answer were introduced into the park sometime back. Is there any evidence that the introduction of these two male lions has had the desired effect? Are we expecting any cubs owing to their introduction? Further, I would like to know whether the two male lions which were introduced into the park are of the same species. This is because the lions which were in Liuwa were of a particular species which was renowned for the ability to climb trees.

I thank you, Sir.

The Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (Ms Namugala): Mr Speaker, we are all hoping that there will be breeding so that the population of lions in Liuwa National Park will increase.

Sir, since the introduction of the two male lions, there has been evidence to suggest that mating has been taking place. However, Lady Liuwa has not conceived yet, but we are hopeful that it will happen soon.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, since the hon. Minister only indicated the measures that the new management has put in place to curb poaching in the park, I would like to find out how the wildebeests are protected when they migrate to Angola. How does the new management monitor the poaching of the wildebeests in Angola?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the ecological system of Zambia and Angola in that area is the same. As two countries, we are working on having a common management system in form of a trans-frontier arrangement so that we can manage the wildlife that we share as a common resource. In fact, neither Zambia nor Angola can truly claim that the wildebeests belong to either country. They roam between Angola and Zambia.

In November last year, we saw about 43,000 wildebeests in Liuwa National Park which had just come from Angola to Zambia.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, is it possible for the hon. Minister to inform this House how much money African Parks has invested in the park so far?

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, even though I am not in a position to give the actual figures, I can still confirm that African Parks has done a lot of work in the park. It is currently putting in place a programme to develop infrastructure in the national park. However, what is more satisfying is that poaching has reduced such that wildlife now feels comfortable to come to Liuwa National Park because of reduced threats.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, lions are known to be extremely jealous and very possessive of their lionesses. I would like to find out the rationale behind introducing two lions when there is only one lioness in the park. How will those animals multiply given the jealous and possessive nature of lions?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, Lady Liuwa is very comfortable with the two lions.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Ms Namugala: In fact, there have been very few incidences of hostility. The male lions know which of the two is dominant. Therefore, territorial boundaries have already been well established.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Scott (Lusaka Central): Mr Speaker, Liuwa is an exceptional national park in that it has human population which has legally settled there. People have houses there including eminent hon. Members of this House.

Laughter

Dr Scott: I wonder whether the possibility of human-animal conflict with regard to crops and the safety of children were taken into account when allowing for the huge growth of the animal population. I would also like to know if the people will be fully compensated for any damages caused by the animal population.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, indeed, Liuwa National Park is one of the few good examples of the possibility of coexistence of human beings and wildlife. So far, we have very little to complain about. We are encouraging other communities to emulate the community of Liuwa, especially the ones that are closest to the national park.

Mr Speaker, in the past, we used to co-exist with wildlife and we can still do that. The people of Liuwa are now benefiting from the increased population of wildlife.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Machungwa: Mr Speaker, in view of the fact that African Parks has introduced a gun amnesty where people surrender guns in exchange for money, has this led to a reduction in karavina activities in that area?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I am not a Karavina expert.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: I can, however, confirm that this has contributed to the reduction of poaching in Liuwa National Park.

I thank you, Sir.

Colonel Chanda (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister share with us the nature and circumstances of the negotiation that surrounded the leasing of this park to African Parks, especially that it came soon after the area was visited by our own Head of State?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I get sad when hon. Members of Parliament do not take time to read so that they are able to ask questions that add value to those who are listening to us.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the agreement was signed on 31st May, 2004. This is a tripartite agreement which involves the Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), the Barotse Royal Establishment and African Parks. There was absolutely no political involvement, especially not from this able Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Sir, what was agreed to was the improvement of the management of the Liuwa National Park for the benefit of the people of Kalabo District.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Beene: Mr Speaker, from November to date, the village scouts, including those in Liuwa National Park, have faced the difficulty of not being paid. Therefore, what is the hon. Minister doing to make sure that those scouts are paid on time so that they do not engage in poaching as a means of livelihood?

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the village scouts, in any situation, operate within an agreement. I am sure that if there are any village scouts that have not been paid, they understand the circumstances that have led to that. I do not know which village scouts the hon. Member is referring to. However, if it is the village scouts in the Liuwa National Park, I am sure that the management there will take care of their issue.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: Just to guide the hon. Member who asked that question, I would like to state that, in fact, the Chairperson of African Parks, Liuwa, is here.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: When business is suspended, the hon. Member may wish to inquire from the Chairperson.

Laughter

MAAMBA COLLIERIES MINE

194. Mr Kambwili asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

(a) what the total area of Maamba Collieries Mine was;

(b) how much land had been sold to Nava Bharat of Singapore;

(d) who had authorised the demarcation.

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Nkhata): Mr Speaker, the surface area of Maamba Collieries Mine tenement is 78.76 square kilometres. In acquiring Maamba Collieries Limited, Nava Bharat of Singapore and the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines-Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) held a mining licence which entitles them to surface rights over the whole 78.76 square kilometres.

Sir, there was no land that was allocated to Zambezi Exploration. However, the land was erroneously allocated to Zambezi Gas which was exploring for coal bed methane and not coal. The Maamba Collieries licence is valid up to 2025. The demarcation was authorised by the Office of the Director of Mines.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether the problem regarding the illegal demarcation between Zambezi Gas and the new owners of Maamba Collieries Ltd has been resolved.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr M. B. Mwale): Mr Speaker, the case of Zambezi Gas and the new owners of Maamba Collieries is still being sorted out by the ministry.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Simuusa (Nchanga): Mr Speaker, what other company adjacent to Maamba Collieries Ltd has been given either a mining or exploration licence and what have been the results of their findings?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I think the hon. Member should have been in the position to tell us, considering that he is referring to another company which I do not seem to know.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether Nava Bharat of Singapore …

Mr Milupi: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, I thank you most sincerely for the opportunity to raise this point of order. Many a time when hon. Members of this House raise a point of order, they qualify it as a serious point of order and this is as it should be because we are a serious House.

Mr Speaker, organs and weapons in the hands of our police in security forces are bought with money voted for by this House. Therefore, there can be nothing more serious than these weapons being used to shoot, kill and maim the very people who voted for us to come to this House.

Mr Speaker, is this Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government in order not to move quickly to establish a high powered Commission of Inquiry to inquire into what caused the police not to issue a permit for those wanting to exercise the freedom of assembly on the 14th of January, 2011 in Limulunga and also what caused the police to shoot and kill unarmed civilians and citizens of this country? Why did the police not see it fit to use other means of crowd control such as batons, teargas, high pressure water hoses, rubber bullets or, indeed, firing in the air? Why did they find it necessary to follow people in their homes in Mongu and Limulunga and arrest them, away from where the so-called disturbances were taking place?

Furthermore, why, for the first time ever in the history of this country, did this MMD Government deem it necessary to move detainees charged with relatively minor offences of conduct likely to cause breach of peace and riotous behaviour, for which bail is normally granted, from Mongu to Mumbwa, hundreds of kilometres away from their poor families? Why were some of them moved even though they were still suffering from gun shot wounds, with two of them still with high velocity bullets embedded in them?

Mr Speaker, why did the police continue to harass people in Mongu and Limulunga by picking them up from their homes? Why has this MMD Government not fired the following office bearers for grave incompetence and cruelty: Hon. Mkhondo Lungu, the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Kabonde, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mweemba, the Police Commanding Officer for the Western Province, Dr Solomon Jere, the officer who led the police during these shootings, as well as the individual police officers who actually shot at the people?

Finally, Mr Speaker, was this Government in order to keep quiet about the measures that it will put in place to immediately fully compensate the following:

(i) the families of those shot dead;
(ii) the wounded, some of whom will be crippled for life; and
(iii) the unjustly detained?

Mr Speaker, I seek your ruling on this matter.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Chair notes that the hon. Member for Luena was raising his point of order from a well prepared text. I ask him to lay it on the Table of the House to help in the instruction I will give shortly.

Mr Milupi laid the paper on the Table.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Now that the paper from which the point of order was read has been laid on the Table of the House, the Chair would like to ask His Honour the Vice-President that when he deals with his thirty-minute question time on Friday, this week, he should come with a prepared statement so that before questions are raised, he will read from a prepared text in order to clarify the matter that has been raised by the hon. Member for Luena. To avoid denying hon. Members time to ask questions within the thirty minutes, the reply that His Honour the Vice-President will give will be outside the thirty minutes Vice-President’s Question Time.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Chipili may continue with his supplementary question.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether Nava Bharat of Singapore intends to use the whole 78.76 square kilometres of land after taking over the company.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, Nava Bharat intends to use the whole 78.76 square kilometres. As the hon. Member may be aware, it has the intention of setting up a thermo power plant, which is a long-term investment in terms of having a return on the investment. It also needs a sure source of supply of coal.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I seek clarification on the units being used in reference to the total area of Maamba Collieries. Is it 78.76 square kilometres or 78.76 kilometre squared because the two are not the same.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for showing us his mathematical knowledge. It is actually 78.76 square kilometres.

I thank you, Sir.

Captain Moono (Chilanga): Mr Speaker, in his reply to part (c) of the question, the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development admitted that part of the land was erroneously, to use his word, demarcated to Zambezi Gas. In response to part (d) of the question, he further went on to mention that the person who authorised the demarcation was the Director of Mines. Therefore, what is the ministry doing to discipline the Director who erroneously demarcated this land?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, in our response, we said that the Office of the Director of Mines erroneously demarcated this land. This implies that he has staff under him. I would like to report that some officers are being disciplined accordingly.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

MUFUMBWE DISTRICT POLICE STATION, STATE PRISON AND STAFF HOUSES

195. Mr Kamondo asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a) when the Government would construct a police station, a state prison and staff houses in Mufumbwe District; and

(b) when the police post would be provided with a suitable motor vehicle.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Taima): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Ministry of Home Affairs is aware of the lack of appropriate infrastructure for the police and prisons in Mufumbwe. Consequently, the ministry plans to construct a police station and staff houses, including a state prison in Mufumbwe when funds are made available during the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) implementation period (2011-2015).

The House may also wish to note that, at the moment, there is a building being used by the police as a temporary measure while convicted persons in the area are currently kept at Solwezi Prison.

Mr Speaker, Mufumbwe Police Post was provided with a Toyota Hilux single cab motor vehicle on 4th may, 2010.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kamondo: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that a foundation stone was laid at a designated place for the construction of this police station five years ago and police officers have to travel three kilometres to report for work? Could the hon. Minister give an assurance to this House when the police station will be built within the shortest period of time to allow police officers operate within a one kilometre distance and not the three kilometres they have to travel to get to work?

Mr D. Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Taima: Mr Speaker, we are aware that a foundation stone was laid about ten years ago. However, we have not been able to construct a police station due to lack of resources. As I have already indicated, the construction of a police station in Mufumbwe has now been included in the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP).

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

MUFUMBWE HEALTH CENTRE

196. Mr Kamondo asked the Minister of Health when Mufumbwe Health Centre would be upgraded to hospital level and provided with theatre equipment.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, this Government has continued with its programme of scaling up the access to first level referral facilities. To this effect, a total of nineteen districts that were without district hospitals were identified by this programme. Mufumbwe is one of the districts to benefit from this programme and a first level status has already been given to Mufumbwe. The construction of an x-ray, theatre, kitchen, laundry, out-patient department, children’s and female wards at Mufumbwe District Hospital has been completed.

Sir, in the 2011 Ministry of Health Procurement Plan, the Government has included a provision for the procurement of medical equipment for the nineteen districts that have been constructed throughout the country.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

QUANTITIES OF MINERALS PRODUCED BETWEEN 2006 AND 2009

197. Mr Chisala (Chilubi) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development how many tonnes of the following minerals had been produced from 2006 to 2009:

(i) copper;

(ii) cobalt;

(iii) manganese;

(iv) gold; and

(v) coal.

Mr Nkhata: Mr Speaker, the tonnage of minerals that were produced from 2006 to 2009 is as follows:

Mineral 2006 2007 2008 2009

Copper (t) 514,888 565,550 574,973 633,127
Cobalt (t) 4,648 4,459 4,097 1,433
Gold (kg) 2,092 1,036 2,099 2,889
Coal (t) 62,498 115,550 398,660 28,263
Manganese (t) 4,000 1,846 22,080 113,752
I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, may I find out whether the mined gold was in the custody of the Central Bank of Zambia?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I hope the hon. Member is aware that gold is no longer used as surety any more. However, the gold that was mined was disposed of by various miners.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, may I know what the total revenue was from the copper and cobalt mined in the period 2006 to 2009 and how much was paid as tax to the Zambian Government?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I do not have the exact figures of the taxes that were collected from copper and cobalt for the period between 2006 and 2009.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I have guided the hon. Members of the Executive that there are certain follow-up questions that are very easy to predict. For a question like this one, that kind of a follow-up question was easily predictable.

Mr Matongo: Correct!

Mr Speaker: However, there is very little the House can do for the time being but move on.

Mr Chanda (Kankoyo): Mr Speaker, may I find out from the hon. Minister why production figures for cobalt and gold are always underplayed?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I have difficulties understanding what the hon. Member has said regarding the production figures for cobalt and gold being underplayed. However, the hon. Member should be aware that cobalt is primarily produced by Baluba Mine. In 2008 and 2009, the mine was placed under care and maintenance due to some problems it was facing.

As regards gold, the hon. Member should have observed that there was an increase in its production.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, may I find out why there was a decline in the production of cobalt over the years?

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister has just answered that question. He was thinking about that follow-up question when he was answering. However, could he reiterate what he said?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, unfortunately, I have nothing to do with square kilometres.

Mr Mukanga: Aah!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Sir, as I have already said, cobalt is primarily produced by Baluba Mine. However, in 2008 and 2009, the mine was placed under care and maintenance. The other reason is that the operations at Nchanga Open Pit Mine have declined.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, which source did the hon. Minister get these statistics from? Are these statistics from the mines or from the officials at the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development who actually gather data and ascertain the figures of the minerals produced and how much of it was exported?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I would like to assure the hon. Member that, as a Government, we have various sources of information. The first is that the ministry, itself, collects data. Secondly, the Bank of Zambia and thirdly, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) also collect data. With regards to revenue, we get the data from the ZRA.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Matongo (Pemba): Mr Speaker, you have guided, but I would like issues of prices of our minerals to be dealt with in a holistic manner. I would like to know whether the hon. Minister is in order not to offer a ministerial statement on the matter of the production of minerals and their taxes.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I note that the question is crosscutting between ministries and I will leave issues of revenue to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chisanga (Mkushi South): Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to shed light on information captured, especially on the mining of manganese because in Mkushi, people are busy mining and exporting manganese via Dar-es-Salaam.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for that information. What should be clearly understood is that as regards manganese, there are a number of miners that may be carrying out the activity illegally and that information is difficult to capture. The information that is captured relates to those that have mining rights because the information is given to the Government.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwenya (Nkana): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister the total production of copper, cobalt, manganese, gold and coal and how many tonnes of these minerals are retained by this country and processed into finished products.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, in terms of coal, I do not know what finished products we would get. With regard to the question on copper, cobalt and gold, it is a cross-cutting one which should be handled by the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Matongo: You are running away from your responsibility.

Mr Chota (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, the production of cobalt was appreciable from 2006 to 2009 and the selling price for the commodity was around …

Mr Speaker: Order! The hon. Member is debating. It seems you have no question to follow up, have you?

Mr Chota: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why such high production was not reported.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, for the hon. Member to state that there was appreciable production, it means I have reported accordingly.

I thank you, Sir.

TEACHERS’ TERMINAL BENEFITS

198. Mr Chisala asked the Minister of Education why some teachers, who retired from the teaching service in 2008 and 2009, have not yet been paid their terminal benefits.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, the ministry is determined to pay terminal benefits to all teachers who have retired. However, due to inadequate resources, it has been difficult to pay all the retired teachers on time. In this year’s budget, the ministry has put aside K83 billion for dismantling teachers’ arrears out of which K10 billion has already been released.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, does the ministry intend to issue a directive to all the provincial education officers that they provide data on the teachers who have not yet been paid their terminal benefits so that before the end of the year, the suffering retirees can be paid their dues?

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, we have the data and that is why we have set aside K83 billion to dismantle these arrears.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why the Government has removed all the retirees, who have not been paid their benefits, from the payroll and yet the law provides that they continue getting their salaries until they are paid their terminal benefits.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, that is not the policy of the Government. The policy is that after one retires, one should forfeit one’s salary so that one’s terminal benefits and gratuity are duly paid.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out how much is outstanding as teachers’ terminal benefits and why the Government is punishing the teachers by paying them after four or five years which creates a situation where some of them die without getting the money. Is the Government being fair to the teachers?

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, as a Government, we are as concerned as the hon. Members who bring this issue to the House. We are aware that we currently owe teachers about K250 billion and, from that amount, in the 2011, we made a provision of K83 billion of which K10 billion has been released. We have to make a decision that we do two things. The first is that we should be current with the teachers whose dues we have not paid from 2009 to 2010. We want to arrest the debt so that it does not continue to grow. Otherwise, it will become unmanageable and we will be unable to dismantle it.

Mr Speaker, from 2009 to 2010, we decided that all the newly-employed teachers should have their allowances paid there and then so that we concentrate on those we have not paid. You will recall that in 2009, one of the outstanding debts we had was the 2002 to 2003 fixed-band allowance which we had stopped paying, but which was still appearing in our books. We immediately liquidated that by providing K52 billion.

Mr Speaker, we also have other issues to deal with such as paying retention and other allowances and these are the ones we have provided for in the budget. We have also continued to liaise with my colleague, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, so that we can see what else we can do to liquidate the debt. We are aware of the debt and I have personally gone around the country to discuss with the teachers and explain to them the reality of the situation we have on the ground. For instance, we have to pay K45 billion for students studying abroad and ensure that we pay K65 billion for the students who are studying at our local universities. We have all these challenges, but how do you eat an elephant? It is piece by piece and slowly. We are addressing these issues and we will remain committed thereto.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Education whether this delay in paying terminal benefits for teachers has not affected the accommodation of teachers because most of the teachers who are waiting for their terminal benefits are still occupying houses which are meant for new teachers, thereby reducing the number of teachers in schools.

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, yes, we are aware of that situation and I am glad that when I visited the Central Province I also visited Katuba where we are transforming one existing school into a boarding school. We are currently constructing twenty teachers’ houses in the hon. Member’s constituency. This is in our attempt to try and reduce the problem of housing. The teachers are aware of this.

I keep saying that every time a new bank opens in this country, it pleases my heart because I know that the younger teachers who are joining the profession today will have a better chance to have long-term mortgages. Ten years ago, interest rates in this country were about 70 per cent but, today, they are in the twenties and even below. This is a step in the right direction as it gives young teachers an opportunity to get mortgages.

With regard to teachers who still need to be paid their retirement packages, the problem is that some of them actually get their retirement package, but continue occupying the teachers’ houses as they wait for the repatriation allowances. This is an issue that we are discussing with the unions so that we can find a lasting solution to it. The main lasting solution is the economy to continue growing peacefully so that there is more confidence in the country and we can address the many problems.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

UTH HEALTH WORKERS

199. Mr Kambwili asked the Minister of Health:

(a) what the current establishment of the following categories of health workers is at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) was:

(i) doctors;
(ii) registered nurses and midwives; and
(iii) enrolled nurses and midwives;

(b) how many births were recorded in 2009 at this hospital; and

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, the current establishment of health workers at the UTH is as follows:

UTH Approved Structure Staff in Post Variance

Doctors 287 160 127
Registered Nurses 450 242 208
Registered Midwives 163 41 122
Zambia Enrolled
Nurses 613 301 312
Midwives 106 33 73
Total 1,332 617 715

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Speaker: These things work (referring to the clock) …

Hon. Members: Better than the bell.

Mr Speaker: … better than the bell. The clock works better than the bell. He cannot afford a better watch (referring to an hon. Member).

Laughter

Mr Speaker: You see, even him who cannot afford a watch is here. He is punctual.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Well, I am informed the quorum is now formed.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I had just given the current establishment at the UTH. The House may also wish to note the following:

(i) in addition to the 160 doctors in post, the UTH has 105 Junior Medical Doctors on internship and their positions are on the Ministry of Health Headquarters Establishment;

(ii) there are forty-three doctors at the UTH on the Master’s of Medicine Programme on the establishments of various hospitals where they are stationed; and

(ii) the filling of positions to reduce the variance between the approved establishment and staff in post is being done in phases. The Government sets aside funds in the National Budget for the recruitment of health workers each year.

Mr Speaker, the following births were recorded at the UTH in 2009:

Indicator 1st Quarter 1st Quarter 1st Quarter 1st Quarter Total
Live Births 4,348 4,417 4,249 4,046 17,060
Admissions 21,444 17,535 19,900 21,138 80,017

Mr Speaker, the total number of admissions in 2009 at the UTH was 80,017.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, to mitigate the shortage of nurses the world over, there is a programme called Care Givers where people who are not qualified are employed as nurses to help with nursing jobs. I would like to know whether this Government is thinking of introducing this programme so that we can mitigate the shortage of this important medical cadre.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for that supplementary question and, indeed, I wish to confirm that this Government is thinking along those lines. Plans are actually in advanced stages to train what we are going to call community health workers that are an equivalent of what the hon. Member is talking about. We are going to start this programme in the next two to three months, maybe, in April. We are planning to train about 300 community health workers in a curriculum of about one year so that they can serve at community level among many other programmes which this Government is involved in to try and mitigate this shortage.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, the figures that the hon. Minister presented suggest that the current staffing levels in the country in the health sector are slightly below 50 per cent which further suggests a very serious shortage. I wish to find out from the hon. Minister what plans the Government has to staff the many hospitals and clinics that are being built and commissioned at a very accelerated rate. Where will the staff for these hospitals and clinics come from?

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to further explain the question of human resources for health which is a critical problem the world over. Just to give you an idea, the world faces a critical shortage of health workers of about 4.3 million and Zambia is not an exception.

However, being prudent, we are have put in place various measure to try and mitigate this shortage. First of all, as all hon. Members are aware, we are scaling up our training for medical doctors because we need to attack the problem at production level. Therefore, in the next two to three months, we intend to open the Ndola Medical School. I am sure the House is aware of that fact and we hope that, per year, we can have an additional fifty doctors to the ones that we are training here in Lusaka.

In addition, there are also private initiatives that are being undertaken on this front. There are two private medical schools that are also poised to open and this will add to the number of doctors whom we are training.

We have also scaled up our training for nurses. We have reopened the training institutions that were closed and introduced parallel programmes. With regard to midwives, we have introduced direct entry training for midwives. All these measures are aimed at accelerating the production levels of staff in the Ministry of Health. Obviously, training is one thing, but we are also engaged in many initiatives to retain the workers that we are recruiting.

We have set aside K52 billion in the National Budget for recruitment in the ministry of workers of all cadres across the board which may include even those from outside this country. These are just but some of the measures that we are taking in addition to the community health workers that I mentioned in this House. Hence, the provision of additional staff is in tandem with the programme of construction of health infrastructure.

I thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister, in his answer, mentioned the fact that the ministry will employ more community health workers. I would like to find out whether community health workers will be on salary, considering that, currently, when employing workers, the ministry does not consider the people working as community health workers.

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for wanting to know more about this issue. The people we are going to train will not be called community health workers. We are actually looking for a suitable name for this group. The present community health workers are not trained and, for that reason, the agreement was that they provide very basic medical services.

The workers we are gong to train will be given skills to handle or run health posts. We want to see to it that we take care of all the health posts through this cadre of health workers. These are going to have one full year of training and will be high school leavers. They will have six months of theory training and then six months of practical training. They will be trained in Ndola where we are building accommodation and classrooms at the moment. This is going to be a very well set out programme, purely for this kind of cadre. If they want, they can upgrade to either enrolled nursing or registered nursing after two years of service. Therefore, this cadre that we will be training will be purely for health posts. Suffice to say that there is a big difference between the present community health workers and this cadre which we think we might call health assistants.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mrs Musokotwane (Katombola): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that there will be 300 workers trained. Is this the only number that will be trained or it is the first batch of training?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, at present, we will begin training in Ndola after completion of the infrastructure that we are building for this cadre, but we are also preparing Mwachisompola where we already have existing infrastructure which we just need to rehabilitate. In total, we think we need to have trained in the range of 14,000 workers by the time we stop this programme because we are going to build about 5,000 to 6,000 health posts in the country. All these will need to be manned by, at least, two trained health cadres which we might call health assistants.

So, this is just the beginning of this programme. After we have trained the 300 people, we would like to monitor them and see how well they will perform. If encouraged by their performance, we can scale up this programme because, like I said, after six months of theory, they are sent out for practicals. Therefore, in one year, we can train twice this number of cadres.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr C. K. B. Banda, SC. (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, granted that the UTH will, by and large, be dealing with referral cases due to the fact that some clinics have been upgraded to level one hospitals, may I know whether the establishment that the hon. Minister announced today will remain the same or will be reviewed. If it will be reviewed, when does the ministry intend to review the establishment at the UTH?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, at the moment, our establishment, which is supposed to be made up of medical, technical and non-medical staff, is at about 53,000 workers. However, we only have 31,000 employees. We are far from actually filling the establishment. The number of health trainees who graduate in this country indicates that we have, maybe, another five to ten years to reach this figure. After that happens, I think that is when there may be a need to review the establishment.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda: Sir, in the mid 1990s this Government ruthlessly dismissed more than 100 doctors at the UTH. Can I find out how many of those doctors have since come back to the UTH to add up to these figures?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, unfortunately, this particular period that the hon. Member is referring to is a very sad one. This is when the then hon. Minister of Health, Mr Sata, conducted these dismissals.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Simbao: There was, of course, a reason for this, but that is what happened. He was the then Minister of Health.

Hon. PF Members: It was Dr Kawimbe.

Interruptions

Mr Simbao: I wish we had Hon. Sata in the House now so that he could inform us how many of those workers have come back to the UTH. However, to answer that question, many of them have come back and are very active. I would not know the exact number, but I know some of them are with us at the ministry and are very hardworking. Some of them are consultants now and are also very hardworking. I do not know how many of them did not come back, but it was a very bad move.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, what happened to the cadre of employees who were working along similar lines at the UTH in the 1990s when Dr Kawimbe was hon. Minister of Health? There were a number of community health workers then at the UTH who are no longer there. What went wrong? Secondly, what guarantee do we have that this programme will bear fruit when it failed to in the 1990s?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for raising that question. I do not know if he is trying to dilute the previous question, but I must say, at this point, that this type of training is well supported. The Department for International Development (DFID) and World Health Organisation (WHO) are both involved in supporting this training. In fact, WHO looked at the training involved in detail before accepting to support this it because it was aware of the need for us to have properly trained people if we were to reduce the disease burden in the country. They were very concerned about the success of the programme. However, after going through the curriculum that was prepared for the training programme, they were very satisfied with how it was packaged. All in all, the programme is being financially supported by WHO, DFID and the Government of Zambia. We are very sure that we will continue with this programme, especially after having examined the performance of the first graduates. If the performance will continue to be satisfactory, we will continue with the programme for a very long time to come. At the moment, there is no way we can think of disrupting this programme in any way.

I thank you, Sir.

CARBON TAX REVENUE

200. Mr Kambwili asked the Minister of Finance and National Planning:

(a) how much revenue the Government collected in the form of carbon tax since its inception; and

(b) whether the tax had been used to mitigate environmental effects.

The Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning (Ms C. M. Kapwepwe): Mr Speaker, the total amount of money that has been collected under carbon tax since its inception from January, 2006 to September, 2010 is K29.8 billion.

This tax was introduced as part of the revenue measures to supplement the existing sources of revenues to finance Government expenditure and has, therefore, been treated as part of the general revenues to finance the expenditure as appropriated by this august House. Mitigation of environmental effects as part of Government programmes has been financed from the general revenues of which carbon tax is a part of.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, may I find out whether the policy of this Government regarding this tax has changed because I believe that when it was introduced, it was basically to do with the environment, but now the hon. Deputy Minister is telling us that its earnings are treated as general revenue for the Government’s expenditure?

The Minister of Finance and National Planning (Dr Musokotwane): Mr Speaker, the Government’s policy regarding the introduction of carbon tax has been explained in the answer that has been provided by the hon. Deputy Minister. The fact that this tax was referred to as a carbon tax upon its introduction did not necessarily mean that the revenues collected under it were going to be spent on the issues of regarding the environment. A carbon tax on its own is good in the sense that it makes us all get concerned about the need to reduce carbon emissions. The tax, in that respect, discourages people from emitting carbon. From that point of view alone, even before other interventions are talked about, that tax on its own can discourage people from engaging in activities that emit carbon.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated to this House that the tax which is being talked about in the question was intended to discourage people from engaging in activities that emit carbon. Is the hon. Minister indirectly suggesting to this House that people should be discouraged from owning cars because the age of the car is not taken into account when this tax is being administered?

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, as I explained, putting a tax on the emission of gases means that because it is now a cost to the consumer, it reduces the ability for that individual to buy petroleum and, therefore, burn gas. Since, in this case, the emission of gas becomes an expense, people tend to reduce on the consumption of petroleum. There are so many taxes that are in the same category, for example, excise tax. When we raise the excise tax charged on alcohol, it does not mean that we do not want people to drink it. The only thing that the tax does is discourage them by increasing the price of alcohol. It is exactly the same principle that applies when the Government puts in place a tax regarding the emission of carbon. It is as simple as that. Please, try to understand this issue clearly instead of politicising it.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, do cars that are registered outside and within Zambia pay the same amount of carbon tax? If the answer to that question is yes, can the hon. Minister state whether the Government has any intentions to emulate the Zimbabweans who charge almost double the amount on cars that are not registered in their country?

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, in the case of Zambia, there is no distinction like that and this is the choice that we have made. If there will be a need to adjust it in future, we will do so. However, for now, all the vehicles are charged a uniform carbon tax.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, how much has the ministry collected in terms of penalties from those who have failed to pay carbon tax?

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I do not have that detail with me, but if the hon. Member wishes to have that information, we can give it to him later.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, can I find out from the hon. Minister whether or not his predecessor at the time of introducing carbon tax indicated to this House and the country at large that, within the near future, his Government would come up with measures to ensure that the carbon tax collected would go towards mitigating against the negative impact of carbon on the environment? I would like to find out if he is aware of that and what he is doing about it.

Dr Musokotwane: Yes, Mr Speaker, I am aware of that. What has transpired, so far, is that, within the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, a process has been started to develop an Environment Mitigation Fund. In the interim, before the completion of that exercise, there is something like US$30 million available from co-operating partners to be used in discussions regarding the issue that has been raised by the hon. Member. In a nutshell, the process that the hon. Member has referred to in his question is underway and I am aware of it.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Machungwa: Mr Speaker, Zambians do not have much of a choice as regards the cars they buy because their choice is restricted to what is available and affordable. People need to drive instead of walking. Can we just say that this is a purely revenue-generating measure, considering that it is not going to stop people from utilising modern transport which emits these gases?

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, earlier on, I likened this tax to excise tax. This is a tax that tends to discourage society from the consumption of certain goods which, when over consumed, become undesirable, hence the excise tax on beer, other alcohol related goods and tobacco. This is intended to discourage society from consuming these items because they tend to injure the health of the consumers as well as the non-consumers. Therefore, they are undesirable to society. In a similar vein, we all know that the emission of carbon is injuring all of us through its effects of climate change. From the point of view of discouraging undesirable products, it makes sense to tax the emission of gasses. The issue of putting up interventions can be looked at as one whole package, even though it can be broken down in parts. You can separate the interventions in terms of mitigation measures as well as the measures that can discourage the consumption of these items. That is why this tax is important.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Scott: Mr Speaker, I am getting a bit baffled with the explanations. The emission of carbon is proportional to the fuel used. We can use only one type of fuel for arguments sake. Why can we not just use a simple method of increasing the excise tax on fuel to make it pro rata with the amount of fuel used as is the case with the tax levied on alcohol? Why is carbon tax charged uniformly irrespective of the size or efficiency of the vehicle in question? It seems to me that the name ‘carbon tax’ was introduced simply to make it sound more environmentally and politically correct as well as to mislead us into believing that this tax was directly connected to environmental issues and not just another excuse for the Government to increase the taxes that we pay.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, the rationale behind the introduction of carbon tax was not for the purposes of misleading anyone. However, as I have explained over and over again, this tax was introduced to protect our environment. It could have been in the form of excise tax or the one that I described earlier. It does not matter. We are not misleading anyone and I have explained very clearly to the House why this tax is important.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether there are intentions to improve the procedure through which people pay carbon tax so that it is charged against actual emissions which the automobile engine emits rather than the engine size as is the situation currently.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, it is the policy of the Government to continuously reflect on the taxes which it levies to make them simpler and more efficient. As we move ahead, we shall examine proposals such as the one that has been suggested by the hon. Member. At the time the tax was first imposed, the simplest way of collecting it was in the manner that it exists today. However, we are open to reveiwing how the tax is administered so as to come up with ways to simplify it and make it better.

I thank you, Sir.

LALAFUTA RURAL HEALTH POST

201. Mr Kamondo asked the Minister of Health when a rural health post would be constructed at Lalafuta in Mufumbwe Parliamentary Constituency.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, the Government provided for the construction of a health post at Lalafuta in Mufumbwe Constituency in the 2010 Ministry of Health Infrastructure Operational Plan. Currently, the community is mobilising the 25 per cent community contribution and construction of the health post is expected to commence as soon as the contribution by the community is in place.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kamondo: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether he has a contingency plan for the people of Lalafuta such as the provision of mobile health services since these people have to travel 160 km to access the nearest health facility.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, I am very thankful for the hon. Member’s admission that mobile health services have a role to play in the delivery of health care to the people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Kalila: He has clearly outlined the reason we procured the mobile hospitals. Sir, in addition to our fixed facilities, we will continue to reach out to people in far-flung areas that are difficult to reach, such as Lalafuta using mobile hospitals.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

TIMBER UTILISED BY MINING COMPANIES

202. Mr Chongo (Mwense) asked the Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources:

(a) how many tonnes of timber were utilised by Konkola and Mopani Copper Mines in their works

(b) whether the companies had planted trees and, if so, what the total hectarage was; and

Mr Mwangala: Mr Speaker, the mining sector on the Copperbelt uses wood products for various operations that include construction and copper processing. Most of this wood is obtained from the Copperbelt and the North-Western provinces.

Mr Speaker, between 2006 and 2009, a total of 1.82 million cubic metres were harvested from both the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces which were the major suppliers of timber to the two mining companies.

Out of the 1.82 million cubic metres, the North-Western Province contributed about 4.3 thousand cubic metres from its indigenous trees while the Copperbelt Province contributed about 1.81 million cubic metres of which 1.8 million cubic metres came from ZAFFICO plantations. Out of these volumes, the mines consumed 1.08 million cubic metres from exotic species while 8.5 thousand cubic metres came from the indigenous tree species.

Mr Speaker, Konkola and Mopani Copper Mines are not directly involved in the afforestation activities. However, these mines have planted a few trees in their trailing dams for stabilisation.

Sir, mining companies purchase timber from licensed timber companies that are required to follow all forestry rules and regulations on harvesting timber. Some of the rules include replanting or clearing felled exotic plantations and regulations that promote natural regeneration of our forests.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chongo: Mr Speaker, since a number of suppliers of indigenous wood to mining companies do not pay levies, what measures is the ministry putting in place to ensure that there is a surcharge so that this money can be invested into the Environmental Degradation Alleviation Fund.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister indicated that suppliers to the mining companies are licensed timber merchants. Because of that, they follow all the rules and regulations under the Forestry Act.

Mr Speaker, under this Act, there are provisions for the timber merchants to pay a levy or fee into a particular fund.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, in his response, the hon. Deputy Minister indicated that the companies that are supplying wood are also obliged to replant trees. Can the hon. Minister indicate how many seedlings were replanted to recoup the 1.3 cubic metres of wood that was harvested between 2006 and 2009?

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, it has been explained that most of this wood was exotic and came from the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO). As an entity, ZAFFICO has its own plants of afforestation. However, the indigenous species are under the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources. The Department of Forestry ensures that there is oversight as the trees are being cut.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I would like to found out whether the ministry has engaged the mining companies to try and see how they can reduce the usage of timber in their operations.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, it is not our intention to have the mining companies reduce the use of timber. Timber, in itself, and timber growing is an economic activity that we can use to empower our people. We should be encouraging the mining companies to buy more timber from licensed merchants. As a country, we should also be interested in investing in the forestry sector because it is a way of creating wealth.{mospagebreak}

CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES BY NHA

203. Mr Mwango (Kanchibiya) asked the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a) how much money the National Housing Authority (NHA) had spent on construction of houses in the following cities:

(i) Lusaka;
(ii) Ndola;
(iii) Livingstone; and
(iv) Kitwe; and

(b) how many houses the NHA had built in the cities above.

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Muteteka): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, through the NHA, has since spent a sum of K544,600,000,000.00 between January, 2000 and October, 2010, on the construction of houses as stated in the following cities:

Towns Amount Spent
(K)
Lusaka 538,500,000,000.00
Ndola 6,100,000,000.00
Kitwe Nil
Livingstone Nil

Sir, the NHA has, so far, constructed a total of 2,576 houses in the two cities as stated below:

Town No. of Houses

Lusaka 2,438
Ndola 138
Kitwe Nil
Livingstone Nil

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwango: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether the Government has intentions of extending the construction of houses to rural areas? It seems it has only concentrated on building houses along the line of rail.

Mr Muteteka: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, through NHA, has a policy and plan to ensure that the phrase, ‘national housing’, is appropriate by extending the construction of houses to other cities provided the funds are available.

However, the ministry has started a pilot project through which ten houses have, so far, been constructed in each district. This means ten districts have been put on board and construction has started.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sikota, SC.: Mr Speaker, in the light of the gross deficit of housing units in Livingstone, when does the ministry intend to build some houses and also allocate money thereto? How many are planned for and when will this commence?

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muteteka: Mr Speaker, indeed, we appreciate the concerns of the hon. Member of Parliament as regards the construction of affordable houses in Livingstone. The NHA has been guided by the ministry to ensure that, where the private sector is willing to partner with the institution, they can go into an arrangement to promote the public-private partnership (PPP) and construct houses, not only in Livingstone, but also in other cities.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Dr Machungwa: Mr Speaker, looking at the bamba zonke policy where K538 billion has been spent in Lusaka, K6 billion in Ndola and nothing in Livingstone and Kitwe, what is the Government doing to ensure that there is some attempt to evenly distribute these houses? It seems that this is now Lusaka Housing Authority rather than the NHA.

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Dr Chituwo): Mr Speaker, the policy of the NHA is basically made up of two components. In the past, there were other projects that were undertaken such as the Ben Mwiinga and the Ibex Hill complexes. Their primary motive was a market-driven housing construction.

Sir, the other aspect of the NHA is to undertake construction of affordable low-cost housing. In this regard, two to three years ago, I recall that local authorities were asked to set aside a hundred hectares of land on which low cost, affordable housing would be constructed. We are aware that this was done in some councils. However, because of some liquidity problems, this was not undertaken in other councils.

I am also aware that in the strategic plan of the NHA, we have given an instruction that its focus should not only be the upper class, but also to operationalise the mandate of providing both the upper and low-cost housing. Thus, this is underway.

Particularly, in the operationalisation of the PPP where we are mapping out where we see economic activities such as mining, the NHA is engaging the mining companies and companies engaged in any other activity to construct houses, in partnership, for the increased population emanating from the increased economic activities.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, how affordable are these houses and where are they built in Ndola, in particular, because I have not seen any?

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, what determines the cost of these houses is the area. Unfortunately, quite a number of the components that go into housing are beyond the control of the NHA. The cost of the houses would range from K250 million to K600 million. As a ministry, our aim is to have houses that are less than K250 million.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, since the NHA is an agent of the Government, are there any plans to help this Government upgrade the peri-urban areas such as Kanyama and Matero?

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, indeed, that is a very important question. Yes, we, as a Government, do have plans to upgrade peri-urban areas. For instance, almost one fifth of Zambia’s population lives in Lusaka and one can, therefore, see the pressure that we have as regards housing. We have plans and have been actively engaging partners, through the NHA, to see what we call Peri-Urban Renewal. Here in Lusaka, Misisi is the first on the cards. If this succeeds, then, obviously, we will proceed to other areas where we have a lot of housing pressure.

Sir, in terms of other areas where we have built houses, 138 units were constructed in Twapya, in Ndola. I am sure the hon. Member of Parliament knows where that is.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister who the target groups for these houses are, considering that the amounts are so high and what are the terms of payment?

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, for instance, the North Gate Gardens, the area just behind the SOS Village and the Beit Cure International Hospital, the cheapest unit there in terms of the bungalows is about K350 million. Obviously, the target cannot be for an ordinary civil servant. For the civil servants, we have another programme where the payment will be varied through mortgages. With negotiations, we hope the mortgages will be affordable.

Mr Speaker, I think it is the responsibility of all of us to inculcate, in our young people, the need to start building once they get jobs. They should not make the mistakes that my generation in this House made of starting to think of constructing houses when we were in the mid-term of our service. It is important that, as soon as young people start work, they are encouraged to build. They can start with a flat or a maisonette and, as they advance in their profession, they will have more earnings and be able to upgrade to a level which they can afford. Really, this is the way to go.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, the legal mandate given to the NHA by this Parliament is that of advisory. It is to advise the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and all local authorities under it on the construction of housing and also develope new techniques for cheaper housing. Seeing that the NHA is now concentrating more on one aspect, which is construction, may I find out from the hon. Minister what he is doing to ensure that the other mandate of the NHA, which is to advise local authorities, is also met.

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwata has mentioned only one core function of the NHA as per the Act that was passed in this House. There are more than ten core functions and advisory is just one of them. What has been happening, at the moment, is the fulfillment of the mandate of providing accommodation, be it quality or affordable accommodation. When one looks at the pressures we have in housing, the arm of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, the NHA, has, therefore, had to meet or try to meet this need.

The Ministry of Local Government and Housing, through the NHA, also encourages local authorities to construct houses. The advisory role, however, is but one of the many as I mentioned earlier. It is not true that they have not been concentrating on improving or advising on the designs. This is an on-going function. Last year, we passed, in this House, a budget line that will be used in research of local materials that will possibly make our houses much more affordable.

Mr Speaker, there are measures, therefore, that we are undertaking, through budget allocations and construction of houses, not only along the line of rail, but also in many other districts.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Munaile (Malole): Mr Speaker, given that the houses being constructed by the NHA are expensive for most Zambians, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether some of these units being constructed are reserved for people to rent instead of outright purchase.

Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, the NHA has constructed a number of expensive houses for rent. However, in terms of more returns and revolving funds, it is more profitable to have a housing scheme that is for outright purchase because it will enable one can get funds in the shortest possible time to plough back in construction of more houses. We believe that house ownership is the right way to go.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

______

BILLS

FIRST READING

THE CONSTITUTION OF ZAMBIA, 2010

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Constitution of Zambia Bill, 2010. The Bill seeks to provide for:

(i) the printing and publication of the amended Constitution;

(ii) the savings and transitional provisions of existing State organs, State institutions, administrations, offices, institutions and laws;

(iii) the savings of succession to assets, rights, liabilities, obligations and legal proceedings; and

(iv) matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Special Select Committee on Constitutional Bills composed of the following Members:

Hon. V. J. Mwaanga, MP, Chief Whip;
Mr Y. D. Mukanga, MP;
Mrs R. M. Musokotwane, MP;
Mr S. Sikota, SC. MP;
Mr C. L. Milupi, MP;
Mr B. Y. Mwila, MP;
Mr E. M. Munaile, MP;
Mr L. J. Ngoma, MP;
Mrs S. T. Masebo, MP;
Mrs E. Chitika-Molobeka, MP;
Mrs A. C. Mwamba, MP;
Mr C. M. Silavwe, MP; and
Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP.

The Committee is required to conclude its business by Friday, 18th March, 2011 and submit its report on the Bill to the House on Tuesday, 22nd March, 2011. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

THE CONSTITUTION OF ZAMBIA (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2010

Mr Kunda, SC.: Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2010. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution of Zambia set out in the memorandum to the Bill.

Mr Speaker: This Bill too stands referred to the Special Select Committee whose names I have already read out. The completion of its work and presentation of the Bill will be treated just like the previous one.

THE ZAMBIA QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

The Minister of Education (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Zambia Qualifications Authority Bill, 2010. The object of the Bill is to:

(i) provide for the development and implementation of a national qualifications framework for Zambia;

(ii) establish the Zambia Qualifications Authority;

(iii) provide for the accreditation of qualifications;

(iv) provide measures to ensure that standard and registered qualifications are internationally comparable; and

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

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Education, Science and Technology. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House on Thursday, 10th March, 2011. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions or amendments to the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

SECOND READING

THE EDUCATION BILL, 2010

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, after consultation on this Bill, I have decided to withdraw it and, by leave of the House, re-submit it within this same meeting, taking into account the consultations which have taken place on this Bill.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

For the benefit of those who may not know the difference between ‘sitting’ and ‘meeting’, the sitting will end when we adjourn this evening. The meeting, however, will last for five weeks.

Question put and agreed to. Leave granted.

The Bill, by leave, accordingly withdrawn.

__________

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.
______

The House adjourned at 1736 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 23rd 2011.

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