DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 23rd September, 2010

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

___________

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES - MEMBERSHIP

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 131, the Standing Order’s Committee has appointed the following members to serve on the following sessional committees of the Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly.

Committee on Estimates (9)

Mr H. H. Hamududu, MP;
Mr E. M. Hachipuka, MP;
Mr C. M. Milupi, MP;
Mr J. P. L. Mulenga, MP;
Mr P. Sichamba, MP;
Mrs S. T. Masebo, MP;
Mr E. M. Sing’ombe, MP;
Mr G. Lubinda, MP; and
Mr L. Ngoma, MP.

Committee on Government Assurances (08)

Dr. B. E. Chishya, MP;
Mr S. Chisanga, MP;
Ms M. M. Mwape, MP;
Mr S. Chitonge, MP;
Mr J. B. Chongo, MP;
Mr E. Kasoko, MP;
Mr B. Sikazwe, MP; and
Mr D. M. Syakalima, MP.

Committee on Health, Community, Development and Social Welfare (07)

Ms J. Kapata, MP;
Mr M. Habeenzu, MP;
Colonel G. A. Chanda, MP;
Mr W. Banda, MP;
Mr W. Lumba, MP;
Mr B. Imenda, MP;
Dr. J. Katema, MP.
(Vacant)

Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services (08)

Mr M. Kapeya, MP;
Mr G. M. Beene, MP;
Mr R. Muyanda, MP;
Mr D. Mwila, MP;
Ms J. Kapata, MP;
Dr. G. L. Scott, MP;
Mr C. M. Silavwe, MP; and
Mr S. Chisanga, MP.

Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters (08)

Mr J.  J. Mwiimbu, MP;
Mr B. E. Chimbaka, MP;
Mr L. H. Chota, MP;
Mr K. Kakusa, MP;
Reverend V. M. Sampa-Bredt, MP;
Mr B. Sikazwe, MP;
Mrs S. T. Masebo, MP; and
Mr L. C. Msichili, MP.

Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs Affairs (08)

Mrs R. M. Musokotwane, MP;
Dr. S. Musonda, MP;
Mr C. K. B. Banda, SC., MP;
Mr M. H. Malama, MP;
Mr V. M. Mooya, MP;
Mr D. Mwango, MP;
Mr E. M. Sing’ombe, MP; and
Mr B. Chella, MP.

Committee on Sport, Youth and Child Affairs (08)

Mr L. J. Ngoma, MP;
Mr C. Kambwili, MP;
Mr E. M. Munaile, MP;
Mrs J. C. Mumbi-Phiri, MP;
Mr B. K. Mweemba, MP;
Mr B. M. M. Ntundu, MP;
Mr V. Mwale, MP; and
Mr S. Sikota, SC., MP.

Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs (08)

Dr P. D. Machungwa, MP;
Mrs E. K. Chitika-Molobeka, MP;
Mr O. C. Chisala, MP;
Mr F. R. Tembo, MP;
Mr C. W. Kakoma, MP;
Mr A. Sejani, MP;
Mr E. Kamondo, MP; and
Mr M. Kapeya, MP.

As I said in the earlier announcement, the committees are mandated to elect their own chairpersons. The election of chairpersons will be presided over by the hon. Madam Deputy Speaker or the hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on a date to be communicated by the Clerk’s Office.

Hon. Members, after the constitution of the Public Accounts Committee through a Motion by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning tomorrow, Friday, 24th September, 2010, if any hon. Members find that he/she does not belong to any committee, such Members should inform the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly accordingly.

I thank you.

__________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

CO-OPERATIVES’ OPERATIONS

25. Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives what measures the Government had taken to assist various co-operatives in the country operate effectively.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Mbewe): Mr Speaker, the Government has been promoting the formation of co-operatives and strengthening their operations so that they become the main agents for socio-economic development, particularly agricultural development, income generation and poverty eradication. In this regard, the Government, last year, approved the National Co-operative Development Policy which will provide a clear framework and guidelines to stakeholders on how co-operatives will be managed. The Government will soon be launching and familiarising the stakeholders and the general public with the policy. The approval of the National Co-operative Development Policy has necessitated the review of the Co-operative Societies Act No. 20 of 1998 and its subsidiary legislation in order to align them with the policy. This will also ensure that issues of governance, accountability and transparency are incorporated to safeguard against mismanagement and pilferage such as asset stripping. The revision of the Co-operative Act is already underway and has reached an advanced stage with a revised draft in place and ready for submission to the Ministry of Justice.

Mr Speaker, in line with the Government’s policy of building the capacity of the co-operative movement, the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) have contracted co-operatives and transporters and warehouse managers on their behalf. Major gains have been made in this direction to assist co-operative institutions in adjusting to market liberalisation. Through the FISP and FRA programmes, the Government is making concerted efforts to strengthen input supply and market abilities to co-operative societies. It is the Government’s intention to see that the co-operative movement takes more agri-business activities than is the case at the moment.

To ensure that the co-operative concept and development initiatives take root in the overall national socio-economic development of the country, the Government has been implementing education and training programmes targeting all categories of co-operatives in districts. The training is aimed at providing co-operatives with requisite technical knowhow essential for promoting business approaches among co-operatives, stimulate primary processing of various agricultural products and assist those already engaged in processing to improve on their operational and managerial competences.

The Government has also been playing an active role of arbitration when disputes arise among co-operatives as well as between co-operatives and other parties. The Government also carries out investigations of alleged mismanagement and abuse of office in order to safeguard the interest of members of co-operatives. Periodic inspections of co-operatives are also conducted to ensure that co-operatives operate within the confines of the laws governing them.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, what specific measures has the Government put in place to ensure that the financial bases of co-operatives improve rather than using them as input receiving points?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, first and foremost, before a co-operative is formed, there must be a common problem which the community in a particular area wants to solve. Once this has been identified, they will put their resources together and start running it just like any other business unlike where the Government helps them and it fails to make a profit in the end. Therefore, co-operatives are supposed to run just like any other private entity which should make profits.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Let me guide hon. Members of the Executive. It has been the practice, custom or convention of the House for the members of the Executive to avoid making reference to legislation or Bills which are still in the pipeline. Experience has shown that unless you are careful, you will not know what to do next if policy changes and the Bill does not come before the House, and yet you would have already made an assurance before this House. What is proper is to allow the process to unfold and when that process is completed, this House will take the Bill up in the normal fashion.

My previous guidance on this does not apply to the time when the Head of State comes here to outline the Government’s policies for the coming year. He can do so.

Mr Chimbaka (Bahati): Mr Speaker, what steps has the ministry taken to quicken the opening of the Co-operative Bank which may be a catalyst for the development of co-operatives?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the Government is going to open the Co-operative Bank but, at the moment, this is still at the stage of consultation.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Munaile (Malole): Mr Speaker, does the ministry restrict the number of co-operatives that a particular district can have?
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the Government has no restriction on the number of co-operatives which can be formed in a district. As long as there is a need, the people are free to form co-operatives.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Imenda (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, in his response, the hon. Deputy Minister actually dwelt a lot on the business side of co-operatives which is the responsibility of management. What arrangements are being made by the ministry to train members of co-operatives who are the real owners of co-operative societies?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, my ministry has put in place measures to make sure that education in co-operatives is provided where necessary. Secondly, we have positioned officers in all the districts to sensitise and educate people on how to run co-operatives.

Thank you, Sir.
 
Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what specific measures the Government has put in place to improve the marketing of crops other than the staple crop.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I indicated in my earlier answer that we want co-operatives to participate fully in the purchasing of crops. We will also intensify the training of camp officers and co-operative members to make them see the value of making their own money as co-operatives.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr C. K. B. Banda, SC. (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, before a co-operative can start to operate, there is a need to have it registered. What is your ministry doing to ensure that the registration process is more efficient as opposed to what is obtaining today?

The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Mr Daka): Mr Speaker, it takes less than a day and a cost of K10, 000 for a co-operative to be registered as long as it has a constitution.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out when the ministry will decentralise the issuance of agriculture co-operative certificates to the district level to avoid farmers traveling all the way to Lusaka just to pay K10, 000.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Daka): Mr Speaker, we are looking into the decentralisation of this process to the district level.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what the ministry has done about co-operatives which get fertiliser year in and year out without graduating to the next level, thereby depriving other co-operatives that have the potential to grow.

Mr Daka: Mr Speaker, We have inspectors on the ground who check the activities of each co-operative. We have started to deregister those that are dormant.

I thank you, Sir.

LUSAKA COMPOUNDS UPGRADE

26. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing when the following shanty compounds in Lusaka would be upgraded:

 (a) Misisi; and

 (b) John Laing.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Muteteka): Mr Speaker, I would like to inform this august House that the process of upgrading the squatter settlements starts with the declaration of improvements in an area by my ministry. This follows recommendations by the concerned council to my office clearly indicating how long it has been in existence, facilities found there and the population density. Therefore, an area cannot be upgraded until improvements in that area have been declared by my ministry.

The following is the status of the compounds in Lusaka:

 (a) Misisi Compound

  The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has already passed a resolution to declare     Misisi Compound an improved area, save for the land within 300m from       
Kafue Road.

  Mr Speaker, the council is currently in the process of submitting      documents to my office for consideration and possible declaration.

 (b) John Laing

 The LCC passed a resolution to declare John Laing an improved area. The council has been working on technical documents which include the following:

(i) surveying the 300m zones on both sides of the Great North Road   
and Kafue Road which fall directly under the hon. Minis of Local Government and Housing as the planning authority;

 (ii) marking out the external boundaries for John Laing       Compound.

 (iii) numbering the parent stand for the compound through the      Surveyor General’s office.

 (iv) conducting a comprehensive socio-economic survey;

(v) producing an improvement area map as stipulated under     
            Housing (Statutory and Improvement Act, Cap. 194 of the Laws 
            of Zambia).

Mr Speaker, once this process is completed, the documents will then be passed over to my ministry for approval. As at now, the matter is still with the LCC.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, it is clear that there is a shift from the Government’s earlier position with regard to the improvement of the compounds in Lusaka. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why there is a shift in terms of the plans when the Government had promised that it had put money aside for the improvement of all compounds in Lusaka.

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Dr Kazonga): Mr Speaker, I would like to maintain that there is no shift in the Government’s policy as far as the upgrading of the squatter compounds or unplanned settlements is concerned. It is just the technical details that may make it appear as if we have changed our approach. Over and above, we are still following the same policy.

The Government is still committed to upgrading some of the unplanned settlements as identified by the concerned local authorities. This is an on-going programme. However, the amounts of money required for the total upgrading of these settlements is huge and, therefore, the process will take quite some time.

We have already started the upgrading of unplanned settlements and shall continue to assist where we can with resources. It should be noted, however, that this process begins with the councils through those resolutions that we have referred to in our response.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Kapata: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what compensation will be given to the people whose houses are within 300m of Kafue Road in Misisi Compound.

Mr Speaker: The Chair is almost reluctant to allow that question in view of the fact that the hon. Member asking that question is a member of the LCC. What have you decided in your council?

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, I, indeed, expected the hon. Member of Parliament for Mandevu Constituency to have even more information on what the council plans to do regarding the issue in question. That is why hon. Members have seats in the councils. These are details which they can get from their own councils and make contributions towards the improvement of those areas.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lumba (Solwezi Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister how long the Government can wait for the local authority to provide the information in question. Can it wait forever?

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, it is the duty of the local authority to carry out the first step in the whole process. However, if they take long or go to sleep, we shall wake them up.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Ulebepafye mudala, iwe.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, in 2006 or 2007, this House allocated K12 billion for upgrading shanty compounds in Lusaka which included Misisi and John Laing. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why that money was not used to upgrade these townships, including many other shanty compounds in Lusaka.

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, part of that allocation was used to carry out a situational assessment of the affected compounds. This is because you cannot just go into a compound and say you are going to upgrade it. You need to undertake feasibility studies to assess where the roads are going to pass and what compensation will be given to the affected people. You need a detailed plan of activities. Therefore, part of that money was used to carry out a situational assessment.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi): Mr Speaker, since John Laing and Misisi compounds have not been upgraded, they have become a haven for notorious criminals because the police cannot go there. Is the Government considering conducting a cleanup of the two compounds so that they are secure?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, I do not have evidence to confirm that statement and since we cannot act on hearsay, I would encourage the hon. Member of Parliament to give us the necessary information so that we can take the necessary action as a Government.

I thank you, Sir

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Mr Speaker, with regard to the question asked by the hon. Member for Mandevu, I would like to have information on whether there is any progress regarding the sorting out of the problem of those who live within 300m of the Kafue Road. I do not have that information because I belong to another council. However, I would like to have details on the progress that has been made.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, as at now, the progress can easily be seen. If you go to the Kafue Road, you will see the developments which are taking place on both sides of the road. You will notice that a number of commercial developments are taking place 300m from the road on either side. This will continue as we consider and approve applications for land from interested parties.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing what compensation the ministry is giving to the affected Zambians who are within the radius of 300m of the Kafue Road, taking into account that the jurisdiction over this matter is not with the Lusaka City Council, but the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, the compensation for those who are affected is handled in an orderly manner. The interested developers sit down with the affected people and the ministry facilitates that process so that those who are affected do not feel punished by being displaced. Therefore, the details of the compensation are discussed between the developer and the affected parties. We are moving without any difficulties and so far those affected are able to propose what they need in order to leave the land in question. This arrangement is working very well and we shall continue to facilitate the discussions between the developers and affected individuals.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ngoma (Sinda): Mr Speaker, as opposed to upgrading these compounds, would it not be prudent for the Government to demolish them and relocate the people elsewhere so that we end the problems of perennial floods and lack of space for the development of Lusaka City?

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, the Government is carrying out the necessary consultations on how best to resolve the problems that are being experienced in those compounds, particularly those to do with annual floods. I would like to inform the hon. Member of Parliament for Sinda that the Government is looking at all possible ways of resolving this problem. Once an analysis of the situation and a decision on a course of action to be taken is made, he will be informed accordingly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, I would like to know how long Misisi and John Laing compounds have been in existence and where they derive their names from.

Laughter

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, I am not sure of where the two compounds, Misisi and John Laing, derive their names from, but I am sure there is a very good history behind their names. Since the hon. Member of Parliament is my neighbour, I will try to assist him know more about Misisi. In the interest of giving him a complete answer to his question, I would prefer that he puts in a new question that will look at the history of those names and we shall give an adequate answer.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Aah! Tamwaishiba fye ba mudala.

Mrs Musokotwane (Katombola): Mr Speaker, in response to Hon. Lubinda’s question, the hon. Minister said that part of the money was used to do the status quo assessment, but he did not tell us what happened with the rest of the money. Can the hon. Minister tell us how much money remained after the expenditure on the status quo assessment and what they did with it?

Dr Kazonga: Mr Speaker, as I indicated earlier, the first step was to carry out the status quo assessment. The next stage was to come up with some plans based on the status quo assessment. The money that was released at that time was only enough to produce the status quo report. The next stage involved drawing up of site plans. It is at this stage that proposals for roads or a drainage system were supposed to be captured through site maps. However, because of limitations in financial resources, there has been minimal progress. I wish to confirm that we, as a Government, are still committed to continuity with the programme when resources are made available.

I thank you, Sir.

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS

27. Mr D. Mwila (Chipili) asked the Minister of Labour and Social Security:

(a) what the unemployment levels countrywide were as of August, 2010; and

(b) what the projected unemployment levels of the country in the next two years were.

The Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security (Mr Kachimba): Mr Speaker, the Government collects statistics on unemployment through the labour force surveys that my ministry conducts together with the Central Statistical Office (CSO). These labour force surveys are conducted every two years. The most recent one was carried out in 2008.

Sir, according to the 2008 Labour Force Survey results, the unemployment rate in Zambia stood at 15 per cent of the 5.4 million Zambians who were in the working age group. This translates to 812,028 people.

Mr Speaker, as the hon. Members of the House are aware, the Government is implementing economic policies that will lead to more job creation in the country.

Sir, to achieve the creation of jobs, the Government has improved the investment climate through reviews of regulations and licences and more investments have been and are being attracted. This, in turn, will improve the employment situation.

Mr Speaker, furthermore, more jobs have been created through the channeling of more resources towards infrastructure development such as building roads, schools and hospitals. More emphasis has been placed on the key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, construction and manufacturing because of their high potential for job creation. In the manufacturing section, the multi-facility economic zones (MFEZs) on the Copperbelt and Lusaka are generating thousands of jobs for our people.

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Mr Kachimba: Mr Speaker, in addition, more emphasis is being placed on skills development through trade schools under the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) and other institutions to ensure that people are employable by giving them skills that the new investors demand.

With these measures, we project that employment levels will significantly go up in the next two years.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that jobs have been created. Therefore, is it possible for him to inform the House the exact number of jobs that have been created so that we compare with previous years?

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Mr Liato): Mr Speaker, yes, it is possible to give those figures to this House. However, I hope that the hon. Member took note of the answer which the hon. Deputy Minister gave. Since the hon. Deputy Minister mentioned that the Labour Force Survey is usually conducted in conjunction with the CSO every two years, the exact data can only be accessed as and when this task is undertaken.

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that there are many jobs that have been created and I emphasise this point because it is very important. There are jobs that have been created in the formal and informal sectors. I think that we should begin to understand that the creation of jobs is not just about the formal sector. If the economic policies encourage individual entrepreneurship and self-initiative, which can enable many people earn a living through self employment, that in itself is employment. So, we have created employment in the informal sector as well.

Mr Speaker, in fact, you will agree with me that we have built youth resource centres in a lot of districts. Youths are primarily taught personal skills that will go a long way in creating self-employment when they leave training institutions. We have also built training institutes under the TEVETA programme where youths are not only taught skills to enable them work for somebody else, but also create jobs for themselves and earn a living.

However, Mr Speaker, to capture the exact number of the many jobs that have been created, one needs to take statistics from every institution.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Lumba (Solwezi Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister …

Mr D. Mwila: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr D. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to raise a point of order. It is rare that I stand on points of order.

Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security in order to come to this House with a badge written, “RB 2011”, which is campaign material?

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

If the point of order that has been raised by the hon. Member for Chipili is correct, then the ruling is that it is not in order. No campaign materials or gimmicks, pins or needles shall be allowed to enter the Chamber. That campaign material shall be confiscated now …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: …and the Sergeant-at-Arms will enforce that instruction.

The Sergeant-at-Arms confiscated the badge.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lumba: Mr Speaker, what measures has the Government put in place to persuade mines such as Kansanshi in my constituency to employ the many Zambians who are qualified in mining? I am saying this because there are many foreigners such as the Philipinos working in the mine.

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, the Zambianisation Policy is very clear. I think that expatriate jobs are only those that Zambians are not qualified to do. If there are any instances where expatriates are recruited to do jobs that Zambians are qualified to do, the hon. Member or any other person is welcome to bring that to our attention and appropriate action will be taken.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Simuusa (Nchanga): Mr Speaker, according to the hon. Minister, as a country, we are due for the 2010 Labour Force Survey. Therefore, I wish to find out when this labour force survey will start and why the 2008 Labour Force Survey results have not yet been published or officially declared.

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, the latest labour force survey report is out and will be launched in a few weeks time. Let me add that, sometimes, delays are as a result of limited funds. However, we try to work as quickly as possible in meeting our deadlines.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what the status of casualisation of labour at Shoprite regarding the 8,922 jobs that existed by 2008 is.

Mr Kachimba: Mr Speaker, we requested Shoprite to give us contracts which my ministry, through the technical department, is going through so that it can come up with proper contracts which will be issued to employees of Shoprite. This is being done at the ministry, entailing that casualisation will be coming to an end within the shortest possible time this year.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

I gather that there will be no returning to such a question.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that there were a lot of interventions the Government intended to make to ensure that unemployment levels come down. I would like to know when, precisely, he expects unemployment levels to reach an acceptable level, perhaps, in a word of two figures.

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, the Government intends to reduce unemployment levels as much as possible. This is a responsibility that it will willingly take on because it is good for Zambians. As earlier explained, there are a number of good policies that this Government is making everyday.

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Mr Liato: For instance, the Government is building schools in each constituency. There is no hon. Member in this House who will argue that there is no school being built in his or her constituency. As a result of all these schools being built, jobs are being created, particularly in the construction industry. The building of clinics and roads is also a good example of how employment is being created.

Mr Speaker, there is so much economic activity in the country, especially in the construction industry which is steadily growing. This simply means that people who did not have jobs yesterday have them today. We cannot give a precise figure of the number of jobs we may have tomorrow. However, what is cardinal is that the number of the unemployed is being reduced drastically and poverty is on the decrease.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

GOVERNMENT VEHICLES

28. Mr Ntundu (Gwembe) asked the Minister of Works and Supply:

(a) how many Government vehicles bore private numbers;

(b) why these vehicles had private numbers; and

(c) how much money the Government spent on road tax and insurance for the above vehicles yearly.

The Deputy Minister of Works and Supply (Dr Kalila): Mr Speaker, currently, there are 3,000 Government vehicles which bear private registration numbers. This is so because they are either project vehicles or belong to quasi-Government institutions which are semi-autonomous. Some security wings of the Government also use private registration numbers for security reasons.

Finally, Government vehicles that use private registration numbers are exempted from paying road taxes.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, the earlier position of the Government was that Government vehicles that bore private plates paid tax and insurance. I would like to find out why this Government, which is fond of shifting positions, has done so today. Today, it says one thing and something else the next day.

Mr Speaker: Order!

You are debating. Can you complete your question?

Mr Ntundu:  Why is the Government shifting positions?

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to confirm that there has been no shift in policy. Government registered vehicles, by guideline, are exempted from paying tax. I did not state that they do not pay insurance. Vehicles that have private numbers and belong to quasi-Government institutions do pay insurance.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Mr Speaker, 3,000 is a big number. Are there any plans to reduce this number?

The Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Mulongoti): Mr Speaker, we have that many vehicles to provide services to the people of Zambia. When their services are no longer required, we will reduce the number.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Laughter

TEACHERS’ HOUSES SALE IN KANKOYO

29. Mr Chanda (Kankoyo) asked the Minister of Education whether the Government had any plans of selling teachers’ houses at Thangata and Mine schools in Kankoyo Parliamentary Constituency to sitting tenants.

The Deputy Minister of Education (Mr Sinyinda): Mr Speaker, the Government has no plans to sell teachers’ houses at Thangata and Mine schools to sitting tenants because these are categorised as institutional houses located on the same plots with their respective schools.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what plans the Government has to assist teachers who retire to settle down decently.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, the Government pays pension to the teachers who retire.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, teachers at Thangata, Mine and Mutamba schools did not benefit from the sale of houses as sitting tenants when teachers’ houses in a similar condition in Luanshya were sold to sitting tenants. I would like to find out why the Government is using double standards on this matter.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, the policy of the Government is that all institutional houses located within school premises will never be sold.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what the Government’s position is on teachers who were forcefully evicted recently, especially on the Copperbelt, Nchanga in particular.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, I do not understand the question by the hon. Member because the principal question talks about respective schools. We do not have any information to the effect that teachers were evicted from institutional houses.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, there is no doubt the question raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kankoyo was not to do with pension, but plans by the Government …

Mr Speaker: Order!

What is your question?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether the Government has plans, whatsoever, to facilitate the allocation of plots to teachers before they retire so that they can build themselves shelter using their pension.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, the policy of the Government is that each and every Zambian has a right to apply for a plot anywhere in Zambia and they are free to do so.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister of Education answer the question adequately asked by the hon. Member for …

Mr Speaker: Order!

You are not the Speaker to order anyone to answer.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Do you have a question?

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, yes I have one. Could the hon. Minister answer the question adequately …

Mr Speaker: Order!

What is your own question?

Laughter

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, why is it that some institutional houses are sold to sitting tenants, but no houses at Thangata and mine schools have been sold?

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, I would like to repeat myself. The policy of the Government is that all institutional houses that are situated within the locality of the school are not for sale.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Sichilima: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Let me guide the hon. Deputy Minister of Education to be very clear. Are you saying that there are teachers’ houses outside the precincts of the school which may have been sold to sitting tenants? Is that what you are saying?

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, looking at the question that was asked, these houses are situated within the locality of the school. I want to say that if there are any institutional houses that were sold within the locality of the school, this was a mistake because all houses that are situated within the schools are not supposed to be sold.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

SEED AND FERTILISER DISTRIBUTION

30. Mr Mwango (Kanchibiya) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives:

(a) how much seed and fertiliser would be distributed to districts in readiness for the 2010/2011 farming season;

(b) who the suppliers of the seed and fertiliser were; and

(c) how many farmers were targeted to benefit under the Farmer Input Support Programme.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Mbewe): I wish to inform the House that the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) plans to distribute 8,790 metric tonnes of maize seed, thirty metric tonnes of rice seed and 178,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the 2010/2011 agricultural farming season.

Mr Speaker, three companies, namely Nyiombo Investment Limited, Omnia Small Scale Limited and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia Limited have been contracted to supply fertiliser. Maize seed will be supplied by six companies, namely Zamseed, SeedCo, Pannar, MRI, Farmers’ Barn and Pioneer while rice seed will be supplied by the Zambia Agriculture and Research Institute (ZARI).

Sir, with the planned quantities of agricultural inputs, the programme expects to benefit 891,500 small-scale farmers.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwango: Mr Speaker, I would like to know what mode of distribution will be used. Is it through the co-operatives or the headmen in the case of villages? If it is through the co-operatives, how are the members of the public going to benefit?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, there is already an outlined system which we always follow. When fertiliser leaves Lusaka, it goes to the district. At the district, it must go to a camp where there is a Camp Agriculture Committee that knows farmers who have fields. It was common, in the past, when fertiliser was distributed at the district level, for a lot of farmers who have fields to fail to access that fertiliser. However, with the introduction of camps, the camp officer should certify that a particular farmer has a field for him or her to access the fertiliser. Not only that, the Camp Agriculture Committee consists of one of the chiefs or the village headmen. Church elders are also included in that committee to ensure transparency.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Silavwe (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, the price of fertiliser has reached alarming levels for farmers. Is the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives thinking of increasing the number of suppliers of fertiliser so that the price could come down?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, as I have indicated, I wish to say that so far, there are three suppliers and these are competing with each other favourably. When funds become available, whereby a lot of people can participate, we will have problems and people will be allowed to participate in the business of supplying fertiliser.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi): Mr Speaker, the top and basal dressing fertilisers have been delivered to the districts, but there is no seed. When is the Government going to be specific on when they will deliver seed?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, last time, I had indicated that before we distribute the seed, it must be grown and tested if it is viable. I am, therefore, very confident that all our districts have received the seed for the next season by today.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Scott (Lusaka Central): Mr Speaker, perhaps, the hon. Minister could give us an estimate in percentage terms of how much the FISP is growing. By making calculations in my head, I thought it were a large percentage. Could he tell us what the percentage is and explain, in the wake of the bumper harvest, what the plans are to get rid of it.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the increment which has taken place this season is 84 per cent and we are expecting a big crop production next year.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Munaile: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister who determines the quantity of fertiliser that should be taken to the camps in the districts.

Mt Mbewe: Mr Speaker, we have farm registers and all farmers appear in our registers. Therefore, when we are distributing this fertiliser, we look at the number of farmers who are participating in this programme.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chazangwe (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, what measures has the ministry put in place to make sure that fertiliser is not tampered with by drivers during transportation?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the system of transporting fertiliser from Lusaka to the districts is very simple. If any company that is transporting fertiliser incurs under-weights or loses bags on the way, it is charged. The costs are given to that particular company.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister indicate the quantities of inputs that will be given per farmer and how they relate to the programme in the 2009/10 farming season.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, previously, the small-scale farmers were getting eight bags of fertiliser each, but some of them were not utilising all of it and would end up selling it. Now that we have reduced the number of bags to four, many farmers have come on board. For us to promote food security in every home, we want to engage a lot of farmers to participate in this programme. This will enable them to also grow enough food for their own consumption. Our aim is to provide food security to every household.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda: You have not answered the question!

Mrs Musokotwane (Katombola): Mr Speaker, of the targeted farmers for the 2010/11 farming season, how many are maize or rice growers?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I do not have the statistics to indicate how many are going to get maize or rice seed off-the-cuff, but I know that a big proportion will be taken to the Western Province and part of the Eastern Province.

Mr Munaile: Na Northern, iwe!

Mr Mbewe: Part of the Luapula and Northern provinces.

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr C. K. B. Banda, SC. (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, may the hon. Minister confirm to this House that whenever applications are invited for the supply of fertilisers, only three companies, namely Nyiombo, Omnia and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia apply?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, it is not only these three companies that apply, but other companies as well. However, when these applications are submitted to the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), only companies which qualify are chosen. I am sure that those that are given these contracts are given on merit.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, there are two issues here. There is distribution of fertiliser to the districts and farmers. In the case of Gwembe, fertiliser has been there for almost two months. I would like to find out when this fertiliser will be given to the farmers?

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, we are almost ready to start distributing but, firstly, we want small-scale farmers to receive part payment of their money from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) so that it can help them pay for this fertiliser even before we start distributing it.

I thank you, Sir.

LAND ADMINISTRATION AGENCY

31. Colonel Chanda (Kanyama) asked the Minister of Lands:

(a) when the ministry would restore the Land Administration Agency to the Lusaka City Council;

(b) what the reasons for revocation of the agency had been; and

(c) if illegal land allocation was one of the reasons, whether there were any councillors or council officials involved in the scam and, if so, what action had been taken against the culprits.

The Deputy Minister of Lands (Mr Mabenga): Mr Speaker, the agency will be restored upon the ministry getting convinced that the land administration systems at the Lusaka City Council (LCC) are in place.

The main reason for the revocation was that the LCC was ignoring the laid-down procedures as provided under the Land Circular No.1 of 1985. Section (7) of Land Circular No.1 of 1985 gives reserved powers to the hon. Minister responsible for land to suspend the agency of any council that is not following procedure. The ministry, therefore, used the powers vested in the Minister, under this section, to revoke the agency of the LCC.

Mr Speaker, yes, illegal land allocation was one of the reasons. The action taken by the ministry, within its legal mandate, was to revoke the agency of the council. However, the Ministry of Lands was not privy to the details of the individuals involved in the scam as the ministry’s interest was in the process and procedure and not individuals.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the continued revocation of this agency to the LCC is a punishment to the residents of Lusaka and is encouraging corruption in the Ministry of Lands? Is he aware?

Mr Mabenga: Mr Speaker, it is a corrective measure and not a punishment at all. In fact, what is happening at the ministry is cleansing the tag of corruption that was given to it. This tag is almost gone at that ministry, and we are happy that we are moving in this direction. We feel that we are in the right direction and, once the LCC adheres to the rules and regulations on administering land, its agency will be given back to it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the LCC is actually giving out land like what has happened in Katuba Constituency near Zanimuone where a Chinese national has been given land without the consent of the chief or Chibombo District Council?

Mr Mabenga: Mr Speaker, first and foremost, if the LCC is giving land in Katuba Constituency, then the Central Province should protest because the LCC is not part of the Central Province. Already, that is a grave offence they are committing.

Secondly, one of the measures that the Government has put in place to ensure that this is curbed is by constituting a ministerial committee that is dealing with illegal allocations of land. This committee is doing a good job as far as we are concerned because it is looking after all the problems of land in the whole country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Mr Speaker, what action does the hon. Minister intend to take against the LCC that is still allocating land?

Mr Lubinda: They are not allocating land!

Mr Mabenga: Mr Speaker, we are glad that someone from Mpika District Council is telling us what is happening in Lusaka. Therefore, we will be very glad to have this information relayed to us in writing by the hon. Member of Parliament. It will guide and help us in taking action against the LCC.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, in his answer, the hon. Minister of Lands indicated that the revocation was as a result of the LCC not following the laid-down procedures and instructions from the Ministry of Lands.

In view of that, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether he is aware that it is the Ministry of Lands that has not been following procedures that were promulgated by the ministry like what happened along Kafue Road where about 300 hectares of land was given to a private individual without advertising irrespective of the interest Zambians had in that piece of land and it is now being sold to individuals in dollars.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes, Baobab.

Mr Mabenga: Mr Speaker, I am glad that this information is coming from the former Town Clerk for Lusaka City.

Laughter

Mr Mabenga: Therefore, we will be very glad if he can find time to come to the Ministry of Lands on Monday at 1000 hours …

Laughter

Mr Mabenga: … so that we can discuss this matter in detail. As regards the piece of land he is referring to, we are taking all measures to ensure that the mistake that might have been made is corrected.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I wonder whether the hon. Minister is aware of the fact that ever since the revocation of land administration by the LCC, many parcels of land, particularly in Chilenje South, that were meant for public use are being allocated by officers in the Ministry of Lands to people to develop private properties. If he is aware, can he say to this House what measures he is putting in place to ensure that those public pieces of land are given back to the LCC for us to construct public facilities such as clinics and police posts which the people so much desire?

Mr Mabenga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Kabwata came to our office and he did intimate this to us. However, we asked him to become our agent in ensuring that he gives us information so that we can do that. Now, in part, we have been able to find out what has been happening and you may also wish to know that the ministry has taken steps. A number of officers are either on forced leave, suspension or already appearing before the courts of law. So, we have taken corrective measures as a Government.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

DESK DISTRIBUTION IN KANYAMA

32. Colonel Chanda asked the Minister of Education:

(a)  how many desks were earmarked for distribution to schools in Kanyama Parliamentary Constituency;

(b)  which schools would benefit from this, by name; and

(c)  when the last allocation of desks was made to schools in Kanyama Parliamentary Constituency and to which schools.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, there are 750 desks earmarked for distribution to schools in Kanyama Parliamentary Constituency.

The following schools will benefit:

School     No. of Desks

 Chibolya    –  150
 Kanyama Central   –  150
 John Laing    –  150
 Twashuka    –  150
 New Kanyama    –  150
Total    – 750

The last allocation of desks in Kanyama Parliamentary Constituency was made in December, 2009 as follows:

School     No. of Desks

Chibolya    –    90
Kanyama Central   –  325
John Laing    –  150
Twashuka    –    60
Total     –  625

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate answer. However, may I also further find out from him whether there are any plans to restock desks at Munkolo Basic School and other schools which have dilapidated desks at the moment.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for that concern and I want to assure him that the procurement of desks and the supply of desks to schools, particularly in Kanyama, is an on-going programme and we can assure him that we will supply desks to those schools in due course.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister in a position to give a national distribution list for desks school by school that can be laid on the Table of this House for the benefit of all hon. Members.

Mr Sinyinda: Mr Speaker, I may not have the information of the distribution of desks school by school in the whole country, but I would like to ask the hon. Member to ask that question so that we can provide the data.

I thank you, Sir.

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

33. Mr Mukanga asked the Minister of Works and Supply:

(a)  how many Government buildings were modified to make them more accessible to persons with disabilities from 2006 to 2009;

(b)  how many new Government and other public buildings are accessible to persons with disabilities; and

(c)  how many inspections were conducted during the same period to ascertain that they were accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Deputy Minister of Works and Supply (Dr Kalila): Mr Speaker, since 2006, very few of the old Government buildings have been made accessible to persons with disabilities and notable amongst them are the following:

(i) Supreme Court Building – Judges entrance;

(ii) Ministry of Justice headquarters – installation of a lift;

(iii) Ministry of Works and Supply – rump to the headquarters offices; and

(iv) Minister of Community Development and Social Services – installation of a lift.

Mr Speaker, all new buildings being constructed by the Government now have access facilities for persons with disabilities as a deliberate policy.

Mr Speaker, no specific inspections were conducted to ascertain how many buildings needed access enhancement to cater for persons with disabilities. However, at some client’s request, inspections have been carried out for the improvement of existing structures which may also include access to the building by persons with disabilities.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, from the answer the hon. Minister has given and also the Disability Act of 1966, which provides for the fact that inspections should be carried out, why has the Government not implemented the Act of 1966 to ensure that these inspections are carried out?

The Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Mulongoti): Mr Speaker, this is a very costly exercise. I understand the developmental programmes of Zambia and we have made a commitment that any new building that is going to be constructed will either have a lift or rump to make it accessible. Now, you will appreciate that, since 1966, people with disabilities have been having difficulties and this is why we have said, in future, we will do everything possible to make buildings accessible by people with disabilities. We have many buildings spread around the country and so this is a very huge cost for now.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Machungwa: Mr Speaker, are there any plans to make this Parliament building, including the Chamber, which is the centre of democracy in the country, more accessible to people with disabilities.

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, I am surprised that the hon. Member does not know that there is a lift in this building.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I appreciate the list of buildings that were improved to allow for accessibility by people with disabilities, particularly at the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services. However, I wonder if the hon. Minister would like to join those of us in the LCC in requesting the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing to allocate additional resources to the council in view of the fact that the local authority has limited resources. This will enable the council have the lifts worked on so that people with disabilities can have access to the services that are provided by the city council.

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, I have difficulties in persuading the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing to do that because, every year, the council is given grants by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. If those running the councils thought making the lifts work was a priority in order to help the disabled people access their offices, the lifts would have been working by now. I, therefore, doubt whether this has been given priority and I think the hon. Member is only showing sympathy for the disabled because he is on the Floor.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mrs Musokotwane (Katombola): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that there are no inspections carried out on Government buildings. I want to find out how the ministry came up with the number of buildings that have been rehabilitated, those that have not and the ones that are going to be worked on when it has not inspected the buildings.

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, as can be seen, we are setting an example. The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services deals with the disabled. Since my ministry is responsible for buildings, we are setting an example so that all other ministries can take a leaf from this. These are initiatives that we expect other ministries and institutions to consider in dealing with the plight of the disabled.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

CATTLE VACCINATION IN MWENSE

34. Mr D. Mwila asked the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development:

(a) what the total number of cattle vaccinated by the Government in Mwense District from 2009 to August, 2010 was;

(b) how much money was spent on vaccinating the cattle; and

(c) what the policy followed by the Government in attending to unknown diseases in cattle was.

The Deputy Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development (Mr Mulonga): Mr Speaker, there were no cattle vaccinated against any disease by the Government in Mwense District from 2009 to August, 2010. Luapula Province, particularly Mwense District, which currently has a cattle population of 1,823 cattle, is relatively free from deadly diseases such as Contagious Bovine Pleural Pneumonia (CBPP) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). No money was spent on cattle vaccinations, as there were no cattle diseases that required vaccinations.

Mr Speaker, if there is an outbreak of an unknown cattle disease in a given area of the country, the Stock Disease Act, Chapter 252, applies. This empowers the hon. Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development or any authorised person to enforce and carry out the necessary control measures. An authorised person is a veterinary or livestock officer who has been instructed by the hon. Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development to carry out the powers or duties of a veterinary officer. When there is an unknown disease outbreak, investigations are carried out to establish the following:

(a) what the disease is through the collection of samples, interviews, examination of animals and analysis of the samples collected.

(b) classification of the disease as one which the Government is responsible for controlling or the livestock farmer has the responsibility for. If it is the responsibility of the Government, control measures such as the restriction of animal movement are put in place to limit the spread of the disease which is eventually contained. However, if it is the responsibility of the livestock farmer, the Government will advise the farmer on the best way to control the disease.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

____________

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

Mr Hamududu (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, in contributing to the President’s Address to this House, I want to start by saying that the biggest problem that we have faced in this country, over many years, is the poor translation of presidential pronouncements into measurable programmes. In other words, the various presidential addresses to this House have become boring because the system in place has failed to translate these pronouncements, whether good or bad, into measurable programmes that can deliver.  This is not only a problem in Zambia but also in most parts of the African Continent.

A few African countries have managed to be seriously focused and translate the pronouncements by their presidents into tangible programmes on the ground. For Zambia, the system in place has really failed us. No matter how good a speech could be, if there is no mechanism to convert the things said into action, it will do no good. Like I said, this seems to be our biggest problem in this country.

Zambia is suffering from weak institutions everywhere, including those run by the Government that are unable to deliver.  This is a worrying situation that cuts across all sectors. I think Zambians, and African people at large, must rethink the way they implement projects. I really laughed when an old man in my constituency told me that the Almighty God is from Britain because the British seem to be doing everything correctly, but we, in this part of the world, have really failed to make …

Interruptions

Mr Hamududu: I am not pure black, I am ….

Laughter

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, if I may be allowed to make progress, I would like to say that, in this part of the world, we have really failed to develop. God has given us abundant resources such as land and water, but we have failed to translate these resources into real wealth.

Mr Speaker, let me start with key elements, if for instance, you are in Washington and they give you the economic indicators of this country, it will look as if this country is nice. Economic growth at 6 per cent generally is above average, but not enough for us in this country because we are able to generate about 10 per cent growth. However, if you compared our rate to other countries in the region, you may be tempted to say that our growth is above average and that Zambia is doing well in terms of its economic growth.

Mr Speaker, I must state that we can do much better than our current growth rate. We can achieve 10 per cent growth. On average in the region, our growth rate compares very well. Inflation of a single digit is fine. Our exchange rate is also doing well. Of course, I do not believe in a very strong currency because an economy that needs to export needs to have a weak currency. This is why you see that Japan has a weaker currency than South Africa. A weaker currency promotes exports while a strong currency is dangerous for a country like ours because you cannot export. When your currency is too strong, your exports become uncompetitive. Therefore, I do not have a problem with our current exchange rate because when your exchange rate is weak your exports are competitive. We need more exports than imports.

Mr Speaker, countries that want to grow their economies weaken their currency so that their exports are competitive, but this country even with this exchange rate it is not exporting as it should.

Mr Speaker, there are similar issues also that were not addressed here by the President. For example, he did not touch on issues of income equality. In this country we are creating another double society like the apartheid regime where a few people became very comfortable while the majority were wallowing in poverty. The income inequality has kept growing in this country.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamududu: This economic growth will not make sense if the majority of the people are poor. There has been no mention of employment creation in the speech. The economic growth must translate into jobs. It must create a situation where all Zambians live a better life. The biggest problem is that growth is not delivering what is due to the people. Reasonable growth and a single digit inflation will not be good enough if the situation on the ground has not changed. Therefore, this growth is at best fake. Whose interest or growth is this for if the economy is growing with single digit inflation when millions of people remain poor? That is irrelevant growth to the people in Bweengwa and elsewhere.

The growth must be relevant and must address all these critical issues. On page 5, after outlining a stable economic platform went on to state that domestic tax revenue is declining. How can an economy that is growing have declining tax revenue? Therefore, whose growth is this, the foreigners? Are you creating growth for foreigners? If the economy is growing, we were supposed to expect also an increasing tax base so that we can be able to provide the social services that our people need. If the economy is growing, we would have been able to provide proper education, good roads and health services for our people. Our current growth is not appreciated. It is at best fake because it does not address serious issues.

Mr Mulyata: Haa!

Mr Hamududu: Just agree with me because I have been in your constituency, Mongu Central. When I was campaigning in Luena, I discovered that people are suffering there. Thus, this growth must reach them.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, for those that are disturbing my debate, I will be mentioning their constituencies because I have been there. Since the economy is growing, the people of Mongu want their cashew nut industry to start growing. That growth must be felt in Nangula Ward where you drive the four wheel drive the whole day to reach a place of activity. People need better roads there. If you buy a car in Nangula or Luena, you will not be able to drive it due to the bad roads. You will have to leave it in Mongu. Teachers who work there who may want to buy cars cannot drive them because of the roads. They can just drive it when in the town area. They also have to leave it in town when going back to their homes.

Mr Speaker, the high poverty levels that the President has acknowledged are increasing despite the economic growth.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the Chair]

The Deputy Chairperson of Committees (Mr Mwansa): When business was suspended the House was considering the Motion moved by the hon. Member for Mkushi South and the hon. Member for Bweengwa was then speaking. May he continue.

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, I wish I could be given extra minutes. When business was suspended, one businessman here, Hon. Kamondo, gave me some tips on our exchange rate. Importers complain that our weak currency has led to our customs duty being a bit high. Zambia’s growth is being shouldered by the tax payments of a few people. If you look at the growth, it has been driven by mining as the President rightly put it. The mining sector is bringing the biggest volume of this growth and yet it is not paying enough tax to this country. That is why you see that the economy is growing while the tax is reducing because those people are getting away with …

Interruptions

Mr Hamududu: … that word is unparliamentary. They are tantamount to that.

Laughter

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, the issue of taxing the mines is unfinished business. This country is being robbed.

Mr Muntanga: Yes!

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, right about now, I am ready to open up my own mine, but I am not necessarily being one-track minded to say bring back windfall tax. Whatever method you want to bring revenue to the Treasury can we get it from the mines. The argument of most of the stakeholders that have come to this Parliament is that getting money from that revenue base is the best with the skills that we have. The problem is that you want a profit based tax system that can make us not easily capture profits from these companies. If you want the profit based tax, let it show its benefits because it is not showing them currently. This year, I want to appeal to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning that if the method that you have put in place in to tax the mines does not show its benefits, then we should go back to the one we know  which is windfall tax. It showed its benefits when it was implemented. If your method is not showing its benefits, go back to the one that can do so. If you pay, it will what?

Hon. Opposition Members: It will show.

Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, on agriculture, the allocation to the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) is not a problem, but its distribution mechanism. These co-operative associations that you are using are not the perfect means to deliver inputs to the farmers.

Firstly, these co-operative and associations are not evenly distributed in the country, you will find that in one area there are more co-operatives than the other because the capacities in these rural areas differ. You will find that there are more inputs in one area where people are a bit sharp to form co-operatives. We should do away with the co-operatives issue because it is the one that is failing this programme. The camp officers must register the farmers so that it gives them their input directly.

The ministry officials based at Mulungushi House are failing us. Some of these experts who are working on this programme should be analysed because they have never lived on any farm. Some of us who were born in the rural areas and brought up on farms know how to-do these things. The farmers must be given inputs directly. The camp officers must register those who will benefit from this programme and people must be called by name at the depot. The cooperatives can not work because they are a conduit for theft and unfairness. The situation is that bad. One rich person can go and register a co-operative in a village and enrol forty members. Then that person gives them money to pay as down payment and gets all the fertiliser. This is what is happening.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Hamududu: The budgetary allocation from this House is not a problem. The problem is distribution. This programme is failing because it is porous. However, the same programme in Malawi is working. Malawi sometimes has a carry over of inputs to the next year because the programme is farmer targeted. I was at a seminar where we did a case study about the programme. Malawi is producing more maize than Zambia per hectare. If you compare it with Zambia, this country is bigger. If you value that in metric tonnes per hectarage, that country is smaller. So, per unit, Malawi produces more maize than us because the system is very effective. It targets farmers and not the fake co-operatives being used in this country. This method which is being used is very annoying because most poor people are being exploited and they have to pay as much as K50,000 and K100,000 respectively every year to join these co-operatives as they are being formed by some clever people in the rural areas. The same programme is used by some people to raise money. These inputs are not subsidised because there are other costs associated with accessing them. So, the FISP is failing because we do not have a better method to distribute fertiliser and other inputs.

On the export of maize, on one hand the Government is saying there is a bumper harvest and on the other hand it is saying that our maize is not priced competitively in the region. This is very dangerous. If your maize cannot sell beyond the border, that sector will never grow. Any sector of the economy can only grow if there is exporting part of it. The sector cannot grow by recycling your poverty. It cannot grow if you do this. You just have to grow enough maize. All economies that have grown such as Japan and the small islands have done so because of exporting their products. If we do not export maize because our maize is not competitively priced in the region, this sector will not grow and we will not solve the puzzle.

The President mentioned that the surplus maize will be exported. How can you export something that is not competitively priced? Do you want to export at a loss? What is the problem? Are you over pricing the maize or there is a problem in your cost structure? How come Malawi which has similar farming methods like farmers in Eastern Province has maize which is competitively priced and ours is not? There is something wrong. In Zambia we would even go to the extent of subsidising our inputs for a year across the board.

Secondly, I wonder how the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives is coming up with the price of maize because some farmers access subsidised inputs and others do not. What is your basis for arriving at the price of maize? Do you base your pricing on the subsidised maize or the maize that is using inputs from the open market? It is unfair because you are distorting the pricing under this so called bumper harvest. This country can do ten times more than that. This country can feed the whole Southern Africa. The harvest for this year is not a bumper harvest even if it is the highest we have achieved in many years. In fact, Zambia has never had a bumper harvest for a very long time. So, if you cannot export your maize, that sector is going to collapse. Farmers are there to grow for profit not for food security. It is the duty of the Government to make sure that there is food security in the country. You cannot use farmers for food security. They are not the owners of the country. The Government is the one that must ensure food security and not the farmers. The farmers’ interest is kept at the farm gate. It is simple.  Therefore, I urge the Government not to destroy agriculture by distorting the pricing and so on and so forth.

Let me now talk briefly about the funding of the road sector. The Government must tarmac the Monze/Nico Road. There are so many trucks using this road because the livestock sector is booming again. The gravel road existing now cannot manage the volume of traffic. In fact, this is the next struggle I will undertake inside and outside this House. I am gonna fight on this one.

Mr Muntanga: Aah! He gonna fight.

Laughter

Mr Hamududu: finally, Mr Speaker, the President on the last page mentioned something very important. He encouraged hon. Members of Parliament to consider one another as allies in the common quest for human development. There are many advantages in working together and sharing ideas as compatriots. We owe it to the people to co-operate beyond party boundaries.

One of the issues that President Obama discovered when he was a senator was a partisan congress. He decided to bring the two separate forces together to foster development and progress of the United States of America. He also realised the American Dream cannot be achieved on partisan lines. A national dream is non-partisan and, therefore, we must reach a point where we agree across party lines. I was in Harare, Zimbabwe, and I thank the Hon. Mr Speaker for sending me there. Zimbabwe right now is coming together. Goods are back in the shops. Zimbabwe is back on the mend because people have worked together. There is strength in working together and I think as Zambians we must work together and consider each other as allies. We are brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.

Laughter

Mr Hamududu: I want to end with this quotation from one of my heroes, Dr Sam Nujoma, the Former President of Namibia. One of his favourite mottos was that people united for the common good of society will always remain victorious. This country has not been victorious because we are not standing for a common good. There must be a common good...

Mr Muntanga: Yes.

Mr Hamududu: ... that cuts across party lines. This is just like the American dream. You can be a republican or democrat, but there is an American Dream that cannot be compromised. What is the Zambian Dream? It is arguing. No, I disagree with that. Can we come together and foster this alliance so that we work together so that Zambia grows.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi (Luena): Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is one of those rare occasions when a senior member has to make a maiden speech.

Hon. Members: Aah!

Mr Milupi: However, my coming back to Parliament as leader of the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) makes the party to be among the political parties that are represented in this House. Thus, ADD is a serious force on the political landscape of this country. As an opposition party, we have a serious alternative plan for the governance of this country.

Mr Speaker, as an hon. Member of Parliament, I am very happy to take my seat in this House having gone through, perhaps, the most gruelling by-election in history. It makes me, sometimes, wonder as to how many hon. Members here on both sides of the House could have survived a similar onslaught in their constituencies. A vengeful ruling party unleashed their President, Vice-President and a horde of hon. Ministers, public resources, hippopotamus and buffalo meat, …

Laughter

Mr Milupi: ... public funds and K5 million cheques were dished out to non-existent clubs. Alas, Mr Speaker, that money has since been shared by members of the ruling party alone. The Auditor-General must follow up that money because it was public money.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, the National Treasury shifted to Luena where hon. Ministers assumed the role of Father Christmas.

Laughter

Mr Milupi: Unfortunately, for the Ruling Party, in Luena, unlike in other constituencies, there was no major project to conveniently commission. Not even in neighbouring constituencies …

Laughter

Mr Milupi: … due to the neglect the area has suffered at the hands of this ungrateful Ruling Party.

Mr Speaker, an attempt was made to complete the long awaited Limulunga/Usha Road by quickly mobilising equipment at the beginning of the campaign period. I must sadly report that this equipment has since been withdrawn from that road.

Interruptions

Mr Milupi: I am sure they believe that the people of that area have short memory. Fortunately, we shall be there to remind them of this party’s trickery and machinations.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, the greatest spectacle which I witnessed was the fight between the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Limulunga for the privilege of taking second position.

Laughter

Mr Milupi:  Mr Speaker, I come back to the official opening of Parliament which is a national event. It is an occasion for the Republican President to share with Parliament and the nation at large issues affecting the nation and his Government’s programme for the nation. It is not an occasion for a party political broadcast.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, sadly, last Friday, this House was turned into an MMD rally.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Laughter

Mr Milupi: The speech was a huge promissory note …

Hon. Opposition Member: Hammer!

Mr Milupi: … whose delivery, within the next twelve months, remains doubtful. The President made many promises on the construction and repair of many roads. In addition to that, there were also promises made on bridges and the improvement of the railway network, schools, hospitals and other such improvements. The question is whether it is possible for all these promissory notes to be achieved within the remaining timeframe. Quite apart from the physical impossibility of completing so many projects, even if everything was in place and available, it is doubtful if this Government would have the financial resources to tackle them.

Mr Speaker, last week, the Secretary to the Treasury made an announcement that only K17.892 trillion was available in next year’s Budget.

Mr Speaker, over 50 per cent of our Budget is consumed on emoluments as explained by the Government and a significant proportion of the remainder is wasted through misapplication, misappropriation, delayed banking, non-retirement of imprest and other forms of abuse as shown in the Auditor-General’s Report year in and year out.  Furthermore, given that much of the other resources are spent on allowances for local and overseas travel and attendance to workshops and seminars, it is clear that the President ought to have shared with this House where he plans to get the money to fund such an ambitious programme.

Mr Speaker, Zambians must watch out for a ruling party intent on buying its way to electoral victory by bankrupting the nation through irresponsible borrowing.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: It is no wonder the Government is reluctant to allow Parliamentary oversight on borrowing.

Mr Speaker, let me focus on a few sectors and start with agriculture. We have turned the agricultural sector into total chaos. With regard to this, I want to reflect on maize and the much talked about bumper harvest. Let me agree with those that have spoken before me such as the hon. Member for Bweengwa …

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: … that what is happening in this particular sector is chaotic. We have produced what is claimed to be a bumper harvest, and yet it is very expensive. So expensive that it moved the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives to admitting that maize can only be exported to neighbouring countries if it is subsidised by this Government, which is by you and every Zambian. We must reflect on why this is so.

 Let me just give you a few thoughts. The reason this maize is so expensive is two-fold. The cost of inputs in this country is unnecessarily high. Earlier on, we heard about the companies that import fertiliser. Any one of us can go on the internet and find the cost of bulk supply of fertiliser.

Mr Speaker, can anybody on your right hand side explain to me why fertiliser that can be sourced at as low as US$ 8, which is K40,000, and add to that transportation, insurance and a reasonable profit margin of, maybe, 25 per cent , must land here and be bought by farmers at K250, 000? The Government needs to look into this.

The other input necessary for the production of maize is fuel. The price of diesel is unnecessarily expensive and, perhaps, one of the most expensive in the region.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, chemicals are also expensive. If we right size the cost of the inputs, it is possible to produce our maize at a price that is competitive within the region and the international market.

Mr Speaker, in addition to the high cost of inputs, our agricultural policies ensure that we produce maize in a very inefficient manner. The delivery of inputs is often delayed for many reasons. Thus, when you apply your D-Compound fertiliser, in December, when the maize is already above a certain height, you will not get the required production. That is why when one looks at the so-called bumper harvest of 2.7 million tonnes, for this year, and further looks at the figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, he or she can establish that this has been grown on an area of 1.2 million hectares.

Mr Speaker, that clearly indicates that we have produced this so-called bumper harvest at a rate of just over two tonnes per hectare. That is abysmal when you consider the fertility of the soils of this land. We can do far much better than that. Other countries are able to produce at as high as ten tonnes per hectare. If we did that at even five tonnes per hectare, instead of the two, we would have had a lot more bumper harvests at reasonable and competitive costs that would have made the agricultural sector contribute to the National Treasury. We must focus on this.

Mr Speaker, in addition to that, our farmers that have to spend so much to grow this maize have to sleep by the roadside because there is no marketing arrangement. We must look into this.

Mr Speaker, we have said many things about the livestock sector. Livestock disease free zones have been declared, alas, leaving out the traditional areas that keep cattle.

It is inconceivable that any Government that works for the people can think of coming up with livestock disease free zones and leave out the Southern and Western provinces because this is where cattle is reared.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: Besides that, there are the so-called diseases of national economic importance such as the contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and foot and mouth whose provision of vaccines and vaccinating the animals is the responsibility of the Government. However, looking at the provinces where cattle is reared, so far, very little is being done. I think this must be addressed.

Mr Speaker, when that is done, the livestock sector can also contribute to the National Treasury just like it does in Botswana, which is mostly desert, and Namibia where, last year alone, they had a quota into the European Union of 10,000 tonnes of beef or equivalent to 50,000 animals which is 10 per cent of the animal population in the Southern Province. Just imagine what that would do for our economy.

Mr Speaker, let me talk about the issue of fisheries. The Government should do more to protect the indigenous species by stopping over-fishing and also creating aggressive aquaculture so that we cannot only produce fish as a source of protein, but also use it as a means of restocking our rivers and lakes.

Sir, speaking specifically for the Western Province, the ban on small fishes is, sometimes, ridiculous because it is extended even to fish species that are small in nature. Let me mention three of those species. Nobody can show us a big Linembele, Limbala or Liminga. These are small species and will remain so for their lifespan. Thus, I think it is ridiculous for the Government to officially put a ban on these small species upon which the local population depends as a source of protein, relish and commerce.
 
Mr Speaker, let me also come to the mining sector. Minerals are God’s greatest gift to Zambia. In terms of mineral potential, Zambia is second to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the whole world.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: This is a statistic. Zambia should have maximum benefit from minerals, but this is not the case and many people have made very passionate appeals on this issue. The share into domestic taxes from the minerals is abysmal according to the Government’s statistics. Zambia’s retention of the share of mining profits at 5 per cent is grossly inadequate. The externalisation of sales revenue is destroying this country. Unfortunately, the Government is allowing this to happen.

Mr Speaker, the mineral taxation regime that this House introduced and passed in 2008, which brought in the windfall tax and increased mineral royalty tax from 0.6 per cent to 3 per cent, was a patriotic measure in the right direction. It was well-thought out with a good trigger point at US$ 5,500 per tonne. This trigger point was way above the production cost unless there has been a creation of costs that take into account creative accounting which I suspect is the case.

Mr Speaker, in restructuring the mining sector, we should also look at the fact from 1932, when the first tonne of copper was produced in this country at Luanshya Mine, we have continued, as a country, to be a source of raw materials, copper. Copper continues to leave this country as cathode and, these days, even as concentrate and, sometimes, as ore, to fill factories that create real value employment in other countries. This is allowed in a country where 60 per cent its people that should be in employment are roaming the streets or languishing in villages. We can do better by encouraging outsourcing of those factories to come and establish here.

Mr Speaker, let me look at the other issues. The Government must act in haste to reduce the suffering of the people. I have already talked about the 60 per cent unemployment levels. The youths graduating from schools, colleges and universities are on the streets and in villages with no hope. We should, as a country, treat the youth problem in Zambia as a national disaster.

Sir, let me come to the issue of politics in general. It is necessary that we, as a generation of this time in the history of this country, look and determine that we are going in the wrong direction. This is shown by the fact that even other countries are progressing ahead of us. In 1964, Zambia’s per capita income was US$ 1,000 while Botswana’s was one-tenth of that at US$ 100 or less. We have moved backwards from the medium income status to a least developed country (LDC). Botswana is a medium income country with a per capita income of US$ 8,000. There are many other examples that I can give, but let me say that we must reset the politics on all sides. Let us have politics that focus on issues and not those that seek to assume power for the sake of using the existing power structure to further oppress the people.

Sir, let me talk about my colleagues in the Opposition. The quagmire that is within the Zambian political society is not only in the Government. Unfortunately, it is also in the Opposition. There is a lack of proper cohesion and organisation within the Opposition to ensure that we provide viable alternatives to articulate to the Zambian people so that they may give us an opportunity to take over the Government of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Mr Milupi: It is not saddening to have an Opposition such as we have. Already, when we listen to debates on this Motion, we have heard, from this side of the House, some of the most fervent praises of the Government.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: That is not genuine. It just shows that we are failing to organise ourselves as an Opposition so that we are in tandem.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Milupi: We owe it to the Zambian people to put the Government on the spot so that we act as a cohesive opposition force.

Mr Speaker, I thank you most sincerely.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me the opportunity to debate the Presidential Speech that was given by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia on the Floor of this House. Before I proceed to make my comments on the Presidential Address, I would like to console my brother, Hon. Milupi, for realising that he was betrayed by his pact partners of 2008.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: He has now come to realise that you cannot trust the MMD Government.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I also want to comment on his statement that the UPND and MMD fought for second position. I want to tell my colleague and give him facts that are obtaining.

In 2006, the UPND only got 186 votes in the Luena Parliamentary Constituency elections.

Hon. Government Members: Only?

Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, in 2010, the in recent by-election, the UPND got 1,800 plus votes, which is an increase of more than 1,000 per cent.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, this is a warning shot to my colleague that come 2011,…

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu:… whoever will be the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) Candidate in Luena, will be a casualty.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I would like to address myself to the speech of His Excellency the President as obtaining on page 30 of his speech. The President attempted to discuss issues pertaining to governance of this country. Alas, the attempt was a dismal failure to address issues of governance in this country.

Mr Speaker, as I debate today, I am a very sad Member of Parliament due to the fact that I expected the President of this country to discuss the Constitution-making process in this House. The President’s silence on this matter was loud. We are all aware that Zambians are very expectant of the Constitution-making process. The President decided to discuss minor electoral reforms and intentions pertaining to laws that they want to amend in this House. We are all aware that the Government of the Republic of Zambia spent huge amounts of money financing the National Constitutional Conference (NCC). Zambians have raised a number of issues pertaining to the way the Constitution-making process was being handled in this country.

Mr Speaker, I expected the President to give guidance on how we are going to proceed pertaining to the Constitution-making process in this country before the coming elections. I am embarrassed of having been one of those who genuinely thought I would go to the NCC and participate in the process. I am embarrassed of having participated in a process that has been condemned by members of the public. I thought, through that process and my participation, we would salvage something for the benefit of this country but, alas, there is no intention on the part of the Government to bring the Constitution that was proposed at the NCC for debate in this House. If there is an intention, I would like the His Honour the Vice-President to respond and tell us the road map of bringing that particular Draft Constitution for debate into this House.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, I doubt whether that the Government has any intention any more of bringing the Draft Constitution before this House. If the intention were there, the President would have indicated it as one of the most important pronouncements in this House. He completely ignored it because there is no such intention. 

Mr Speaker, according to him, the most important legislation is to amend the NCC Act to remove the clause pertaining to the abuse of office.

Hon. Opposition Members: Shame!

Mr Mwiimbu: That is his intention. That is the most important legislation that the Government would like to bring before this House. I am embarrassed of having participated in that Constitution-making process. I can assure you that that will be the issue that we will take to the people. I know that it is not allowed to refer to the Pact, but I will say that together with our partners, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu:…we shall use this Constitution-making process as we go to our people to ask for their votes. Come 2011, they will really vote for us …

Hon. Opposition Members: En mmasse!

 Mr Mwiimbu: … en mmasse.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Shakafuswa: Starting with Mpulungu and Chilanga!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I expected the President of the country to make very categorical pronouncements pertaining to the electoral process. Unfortunately, the President, once again, was loudly silent on the cardinal issues the people of this country require pertaining to the electoral process. We are all aware that the people of this country, the political players, civic organisations and the nation at large, have been crying for electoral reform and not physical training.

Mr Shakafuswa: P.E.!

Mr Mwiimbu: P..E.

Laughter

 Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, when His Honour the Vice-President comes to respond, I would like him to tell us the road map the Government has for making a genuine electoral reform for our benefit and that of your out-going Government.

Mr Speaker, I expected the Government, through His Excellency the President, to make specific pronouncements pertaining to continuous voter registration.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, we are all aware that your Government has been flouting the laws of this country with impunity. Voter registration is supposed to be continuous. From the time the law was passed, it has never been continuous.

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, the law has been abrogated with impunity and they have continued to do that. When His Honour the Vice-President debates, he should respond positively on issues of continuous voter registration.

Mr Speaker, the President of the Republic of Zambia hastily responded to the cry of your Opposition Members of Parliament pertaining to uniform fuel prices. The issue of uniform fuel prices was not well thought-out. How do you expect to have uniform fuel prices in Shangombo and Kaputa where there are no filling stations? How do you expect any reasonable businessman to take fuel to areas where there may be two cars and expect them to incur the same cost as those operating in Lusaka?

In my opinion, if the Government were prudent, the best thing they should have done was to create incentives for businessmen to establish fuel stations in remote areas. Taxes could also have been reduced so that there was an incentive for anyone to go and establish a filling station in Keembe, …

Hon. UPND Member: Or Chinsali.

Mr Mwiimbu: …where my brothers use coach carts.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, if I were in Government, I would have come up with attractive proposals to entice businessmen to establish businesses in rural areas in fuel dealership. I can assure you that this uniform fuel pricing will not work for rural areas.

Interruptions

Mr Mwiimbu: How are you going to do it because there are no filling stations? How are you going to force people who sell fuel in buckets to sell at a uniform price?

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Muchigumbuli.

Mr Mwiimbu: How are you going to control prices in Imwisho?

How will you enforce a pump price in Liuwa, where my other brother comes from, when there are no pumps? It is not possible.

Mr Muntanga: Chifunabuli.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: You must consult. As Opposition Members of Parliament, we can give you consultancy free of charge because we have an interest in this issue.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, hon. Members in this House, apart from those who do not have constituencies and those whose constituencies do not grow any crops, will realise that this issue will cause casualties. The issue of maize marketing will cause casualties, not on this side of the House, but on your right, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I can assure you that come 2011, less than 5 per cent of those hon. Members on your right will come back. Most of them will not come back because they do not want to listen to issues that affect the people. We have been talking about issues of maize marketing for a long time now. They need to pay farmers in time and give them incentives. It is unfortunate that our colleagues do not want to listen.

Anyway, it is a blessing for us that they do not want to listen because it will be very easy for us to convince the people otherwise. Issues of maize marketing affect our people directly.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Our farmers are failing to take their children to school because this irresponsible Government is failing to pay them.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: In some provinces and districts, farmers had to demonstrate for them to be paid. Why should we treat our farmers like that? When farmers ask for money, they are told that there is no money, but when it comes to travelling, there is always money. Why should we punish our voters?  All of us are here because the people supported us. I have no doubt that my colleagues, especially those from rural areas, will be punished by the people of Zambia.

Hon. UPND Member: Severely!

Mr Mwiimbu: They will punish you severely.

Finally, Sir, I would like to concur with the President that the people of this country should judge us by what we have done. They will also definitely judge you by what you have not done because they know what they have been asking for from you. They will also judge you by all those issues which you have chaotically handled.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: The people of Lusaka will judge you for failing to provide hygienic conditions.

Mr Muntanga: Kanyama!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, come this rainy season, we will have another ‘festival’ of cholera. Come this rainy season, we will have flooding in Lusaka. Come this rainy season, there will be a celebration where the guest of honour will be His Honour the Vice-President who presides over disasters in this country.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: I wish to congratulate my elder brother, Hon. Munkombwe, who has now gone to oversee the celebrations of disaster.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
 
Mr Mwiimbu: I sympathise with him because it will be difficult for him to dance to the tune of those who are used to enjoying disasters.

Mr Muntanga: Sorry maningi!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, in my constituency, bridges and roads were washed away five years ago. Promises to repair those bridges have been made, time and again, but nothing has been done.

Mr Speaker, I am an advocate of the people of Monze, and I have no doubt that come 2011, …

Ms Changwe: It is okay!

Mr Mwiimbu: … I will be somewhere there (pointing at the Government Front Bench) …

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: …because of the things you have failed to do. I may not have an opportunity to bid farewell to a lot of my colleagues next year, therefore, I wish to take this opportunity and say bye.

Mr Mwiimbu waved at Hon. Government Members.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter {mospagebreak}

Mr V. Mwale: You are waving at us? Where are you going?

Mr Kapeya (Mpika Central): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to debate the President’s Speech.

From the outset, I would like to echo the President’s announcement on the bumper harvest of 2.7 million metric tonnes that this country has recorded this year. Indeed, it is a good record that the country has seen for the first time.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: However, …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Kapeya: However, is it healthy to be proud of such a record when, at the same time, we have caused the people who produced this record anguish and pain by failing to pay them their dues?

Indeed, it is not proper for the Executive on your right in particular for failing to pay the producer of this record harvest what is due to them.

Mr Speaker, it is not proper to fail to pay someone who put in so much to ensure that we have a good bumper harvest. It would be proper for this Government to ensure that for every bag of grain collected, the farmer is paid on the spot.

Mr Speaker, let me take you back to the United National Independence Party (UNIP) days when the Government used to pay the farmer upon collection of each bag of grain. This is supposed to be the case today. Unfortunately, the Government does not want to work the way the UNIP Government used to work. Hon. Mwaanga will bear me witness on this particular point.

Mr Speaker, failure to pay the farmer on time is tantamount to sinning. It is a sin to collect someone’s property and fail to pay for it. This is what is happening with the current Government. May I humbly request the MMD Government to ensure that they prepare adequately. I will not take kindly to the excuse of under budgeting for the collection of maize this season. I will not take that because, as a Government, we needed to plan adequately. For us to be told that the Government has borrowed K155 billion to pay for the maize collected does not augur well.

Mr A. Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, for instance, at the moment, farmers in Mpika are owed …

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kapeya: Farmers in Mpika are …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I rarely stand on points of order. Is the hon. Member on the Floor in order to misinform the public that the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives has borrowed K155 billion to purchase this year’s maize, and yet the response to the question raised yesterday said that K155 billion was meant for the 2009/10 marketing season. Is he in order to mislead the public?

The Deputy Chairperson: The point of order raised requires the hon. Member for Mpika Central clarifies what he is saying and takes into account what the hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives has said.

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for your guidance.

Sir, the amount of money borrowed by our Government is about US$140 million which amounts to almost K700 billion.

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, currently, farmers in Mpika have not been paid yet. The FRA owes farmers in Mpika K12 billion. When is the Government expected to pay the farmers for them to prepare for the coming farming season? There is very little time remaining. This is September and, come October, farmers are supposed to be in their fields. When are the farmers going to be paid, especially those in Mpika who are owed K12 billion?

Mr Speaker, I am a little uncomfortable with His Excellency the President’s Speech on Page 7. The President spoke about the bumper harvest, which is a good record but, again, he complained about the modalities of transporting the same crop to safe storage.

Mr Lubinda: Imagine!

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, honestly, how can the Head of State who is supposed to come here and tell us how he has prepared himself to transport the crop from wherever it is to a safe storage come to this House to complain that the bumper harvest has given us problems?

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: Surely, who was he complaining to because he is the person holding the highest office in the land? I was very disappointed to hear the President complain about the problem of transporting the bumper harvest. As Head of State, he should have brought solutions on how this bumper harvest would be taken care of.

Mr Lubinda: Not lamenting!

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, let me come to the issue of the media.

Mr Lubinda: Which you know better.

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, I was equally disappointed when the President talked about the media in Zambia because I expected him to talk about the much talked about Freedom of Information Bill which the media fraternity has been waiting for for a long time. How many times have we heard about the same Bill being propounded by the Head State in this House? This time around, he did not even want to talk about it. What is the problem with bringing the Freedom of Information Bill to this House? Definitely, I would like the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services to talk about this issue because it has been pending for a long time now.

Mr Speaker, I also expected the President to talk about the failure of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) to provide radio signal on short wave to the remotest areas of this country. Surely, Zambia has been independent for forty-six years, but is still failing to provide information to rural particularly that it is a developing world where people solely depend on radio for information especially news.

Today, in Zambia, radio is the most effective media in as far as the dissemination of information is concerned but, from 1st February, 2010 to date, there has been no radio communication to the rural parts of Zambia due to the break down of the short wave transmitter at ZNBC, and yet ZNBC is the only public broadcaster which covers the entire country. 

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Sir, forty-six years after independence, should broadcasting only be centred along the line of rail? Why am I saying so? I am saying so because these are the only places where radio coverage is received by FM transmitters. The rural part of Zambia, including Chifunabuli Constituency …

Laughter

Mr Kapeya: … is serviced by short wave transmitters which broke down.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: If you go to Kalabo today, you will not get the ZNBC radio signal except in the provincial headquarters where FM transmitters have been installed. The rest of the country is not serviced by ZNBC radio.

For example, places like Kalabo can only pick the Namibian Radio Station.

Hon. Opposition Member: Yes!

Mr Kapeya: In Mpika, the only radio station people listen to is the Tanzanian one.

Mr Munaile: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: Unless this Government is telling us to introduce ki Swahili lessons in our schools. At the moment, people in Mpika only listen to the Tanzanian radio station. Why? What has gone wrong, hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services?

Mr Speaker, in 1945, the colonial Government installed a 10 kw shortwave transmitter which adequately provided services to the entire nation. Imagine just 10 kw!

In 1975, the UNIP Government upgraded the same shortwave transmitter to 50 kw which also provided good services to this country.

Hon. Opposition Member: MMD!

Mr Kapeya: Sir, trouble started with the MMD Government in 1995 when it wanted to upgrade the shortwave transmitter to 100 kw.

Mr Chota: Oh my God!

Mr Kapeya: That is when the problem started.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha: What happened?

Mr Kapeya: At that time, some of us were in charge of broadcasting and what happened was …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Listen to me!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, we told them to get the right transmitters, but they went ahead and got a loan from China. The Chinese told them that they could only get equipment from them because the conditions of the loan could not allow them to get equipment outside China. We advised them not to get transmitters from China because they could not provide good services, but they did not want to listen to us.

After pressurising them, the Chinese agreed to provide antennas from China and allowed them to buy continental transmitters from the United States of America (USA). We told them that continental transmitters from the USA and antennas from China were not compatible, but the MMD Government did not listen to us.

Mr Chota: Niba malukula!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: As if that were not enough, they went ahead and bought continental transmitters from the USA. In fact, if they had bought continental transmitters and TCI antennas from the same company, the issue of transmitters would have been a thing of the past.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Kapeya: Nevertheless, they bought transmitters from the USA and antennas from China.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yaah!

Mr Kapeya: As a result, the problem started in 1995. We had what was called skip-distance. The signal in shortwave was being captured outside Zambia. How do you transmit to a foreign country?

Mr Chota: Ba VJ!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: These transmitters worked from 1995 but, in 2008, after this House pressurised this Government to buy the right transmitters, that is when they released money to buy the right TCI antennas to be fitted to an old transmitter.

Hon. Opposition Members: Owee!

Laughter

Mr Kapeya: Do you know the result? The result was a breakdown. On 1st February, 2010, the whole transmitter blew up.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: Today, there is no communication in the rural part of Zambia where they get most votes.

Hon. Opposition Members: Shame! Shame! Ba malukula!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, due to lack of time, …

Mr Lubinda: No, go on!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: … I wish to…

Mr Lubinda: You have five minutes go on!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: … request the MMD Government to listen to experts.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Kapeya: Sir, the beauty about multi-party system is that the Opposition provides ammunition to the Ruling Party.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Kapeya: We are not here to criticise for the sake of it. Iyo oo!

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! Order!

Laughter

Mr Kapeya: We are here to provide expertise to you.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! Order!

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Can the hon. Member translate that word, please?

Laughter

Hon. Members: Iyo oo!

Mr Kapeya: Iyo oo means no oo.

Laughter

Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, let us work as a team, please, because Zambia is for us all. When we provide information and expertise, it is for the benefit of the entire Zambia.

Mr Speaker, it is shameful to run a country without informing the people about what is happening. Zambia is being controlled by remote. We are lucky that Zambians are good and peaceful people. Had it not been for that, I am sure by today, we could have been talking of something else.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Malama (Mfuwe): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity to add a few points to the Presidential Speech.

From the outset, I wish to register my disappointment with my colleagues on your right who often think that we, in the Opposition, want to express our disappointment …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! Order!

There is lot of consultation on my left. Would you, please, allow the hon. Member to debate while we all listen?

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, to some extent, the Executive concludes that the Opposition plans on how to debate before they come to the House. Sometimes, the reason we debate that way is to put things clearer to the Executive so that, at the end of the day, they get something from it.

Sir, I wish to say that it is regrettable to note the manner in which this speech was written. It was written as though all the activities started in 2008. This is not correct.

Mr Lubinda: Bauze mwana!

Mr Malama: There is a need to be fair even when one is trying to avoid acknowledging the activities that were done by someone who is deceased.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Malama: We really need to be fair!

Mr Speaker, while on this point, allow me to state that the President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, had it not been for the late President Mwanawasa appointing him, as Vice-President of this nation, was not going to be the Head of the State of this country.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! Will the hon. Member try to stick to the Presidential speech please?

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, in fact, in this speech, there is no single point or sentence that is saying that most of the projects that the Government or MMD Government is doing were started by the late President. I want to state that the people of Mfuwe Constituency have not seen any development since 2008. That is why it is very surprising to learn that in this speech there is no regard for the dead people. Let us learn to appreciate dead people. It is important to appreciate dead people.

Mr Muntanga: Eeh!

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, why have we continued enmity with the dead?

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! Hon, Member, will you stick to the speech by the President.

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, I thank you very much and I hope my point has been delivered and let me move on to other points.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, let me talk about the so-called electoral process. I wish to state that in Mfuwe Constituency for the past ten years there has been no issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs). You can imagine that there are some people, who are now 45 to 50 years, but have no green NRC. I have a list of their names.

Interruptions

Mr Malama: There are some polling stations which had very few voters, less than twenty people. Now, the people of Mfuwe Constituency have concluded that these are the MMD tactics. Where is the money that this Government should have sent to Mfuwe or Mpika National Registration Office so that they can go in these constituencies and capture those people who do not have NRCs so that next year they can participate in the elections? That is very sad for the people of Mfuwe Constituency.

Mr Speaker, I also want to talk about infrastructure. It is saddening to note that in this speech the President talked about some of the roads which will be completed by 2011, but he never talked about the Great North Road. Really, I do not understand, but the nation will judge which road is economic between the Chipata/Mambwe and Great North Road. This is because the money which has been allocated to Chipata, …

Interruptions

Mr Malama: … it is not Chipata/Mfuwe, but it is Chipata/Mambwe Road. The Government is using this name so that the people should think the road is worthy funding and yet it is not. In the first place, Mfuwe is not in Eastern Province, it is in Mpika District. What is in Eastern Province is Mambwe District. About 68 per cent of the tourism that takes place around that place is actually in Mfuwe which is in Mpika District.

Interruptions

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, here is a situation whereby this Government has completely neglected the Great North Road which has a lot of potholes. Most of the suits we wear get here through the same road.

Interruptions

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, most of these seats that we sit on in our houses come through the same road. That is the road which is not even mentioned in this speech. Of course, there are about three important roads in this nation and these are the Great North Road, Great East Road and Chirundu Road, where most of the imports pass through. These are the roads that the President did not even talk about. So, we are very worried about such a situation. I wish the hon. Minister of Works and Supply was keen to look at those roads.

Mr Speaker, when you talk about opening tourism in Northern Province, I think the whole issue cannot be complete if one does not talk about the opening up of my constituency, that is connecting Mambwe District to Mpika District. As I stated earlier, most of the tourism activities take place in my constituency in Mpika District. It is worrying that the community resource board in my constituency is owed not less than US$5 million by the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) despite the difficulties my people face.

Interruptions

Mr Malama: Mr Speaker, there are no roads leading to Mfuwe Constituency such that my people suffer when going to the Boma. They go to the Boma only for six months every year because that is the only time they have open access to it. I am worried because during the rainy season especially in November not even an hon. Member of Parliament can reach most of the parts in that constituency. If this is how this Government will continue governing us, then I am sorry, our country will not develop.

Mr Speaker, allow me, also, to talk about agriculture. Even if one is not an expert, when he or she reads certain statements by the President, the person can definitely have something to say about agriculture. The President stated like everyone has been saying that there is bumper harvest this year. Yes, it is correct. If we have a bumper harvest, why must we not be celebrating instead of complaining by just concentrating on looking at the challenges? That is alarming the nation because the conclusion at the end of it all is that even the maize we have is not going to be kept well.  This is because the challenges pronounced by the Head of the State are very dangerous to the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, the other point is that even if we continue talking about agriculture, as long as we do not work on the feeder roads, we shall just be wasting our time because we shall not be able to go anywhere. Even last Thursday when I was in my constituency, the maize there was not collected because its roads are impassable.

   Now, if the roads are not passable during the dry season such as now, then one cannot be blamed for thinking that we do not have some leadership in place because we are supposed to be able to easily transport our produce to markets this time of the year. At the moment, transporters are refusing to go and collect maize in remote places because the roads are in a very bad state. The Government claims to have procured earth moving equipment, but I believe this equipment is not enough.

Mr Speaker, in the Northern Province, which is Zambia’s biggest province, it has become very difficult for the provincial leadership to carry out road works in every constituency. I wish the President had included this matter in his address. I think we should revert to the system used under the United National Independence Party (UNIP) days whereby each district was given equipment to maintain its own roads. I think we should seriously consider this option because there seems to be a scramble by districts to get this equipment from the Central Government. Furthermore, those of us who do not have connections at provincial administration centres are finding it very difficult to get these machines to our constituencies, which is not good.

Mr Speaker, I sometimes wonder why we accepted plural politics to be reintroduced in this country because we do not seem to understand the importance or benefits of a multi-party democracy. It seems like those of us that belong to the Opposition have committed a serious crime for doing so. This should not be the case. People need to understand that it is important to embrace what we accepted in 1991 because the reason the Opposition is here is to keep checks and balances on the Government of the day. We are also here to help the Government identify sectors that require development in this country.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I wish to thank you.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

The Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Has the hon. Member for Kamfinsa given up?

Mr Nyirenda stood up.

Mr Nyirenda (Kamfinsa): Mr Speaker, I thank you for granting me this opportunity to add my voice and that of the people of Kamfinsa Constituency to the debate on the President’s Address. The President’s Speech was a true reflection of the Government’s policies which have been effectively implemented. It is also gratifying to note that in two years of being in office, President Rupiah Banda has managed to source for funds and implement what the Government had promised to do when he became Head of State.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: Questions!

Mr Nyirenda: As a former diplomat, he has used his experience to source for funds to develop this nation. Without his diplomatic experience and the travels he has made, he would not have managed to do this.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Nyirenda: Mr Speaker, in spite of President Banda coming into office at the time of the global economic meltdown, he has managed to take this country to a higher level of economic development.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: The country has recently achieved positive growth in the mining, construction and agriculture sectors.

Mr Ntundu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Nyirenda: However, the biggest challenge …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! A point of order is raised.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order which is procedural. Is the hon. Member of Parliament on the Floor in order to read a speech in Parliament as if he is a hon. Minister of  the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD)?

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: The point of order is intended to remind the hon. Member now debating that he may refer to his notes, but he cannot read the notes like a speech.

You may continue please.

Mr Nyirenda: As I was saying, out of the many problems that we have in this country, the biggest ones are those of corruption and unemployment. Although the Government has put in place measures to fight corruption, we are also obligated as hon. Members of Parliament to take part in this fight. We can effectively participate in this fight by passing appropriate laws in this House and making sure that these laws are not abrogated out there. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: For instance, there is the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, but what are we doing to make sure that this law is being followed? The other problem we have is unemployment. The levels of unemployment are so high that we cannot even find a short- term solution at the moment.

Mr Speaker, I would like to appeal to the Government to consider revising the windfall tax in the mining sector. Doing this could really help improve our budgeting process instead of always depending on budget support from donors. I think that Zambia has relied too much on borrowing from other countries. We should reduce on borrowing and raise funds from our own resources. Right now, the mining industry is realising good revenue, but the country is not benefiting from this boost? We seriously need to look into this issue.

Furthermore, regarding empowerment and employment, the situation is saddening. We have seen the Government trying to create jobs by empowering people through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission, but the terms and conditions are not so favourable to most of our people.

With all that is happening in this country, I cannot forget what the people of Kamfinsa have sent me to say here. The people of Kamfinsa are very grateful that for the first time in twenty years, a very beautiful high school is being constructed in the constituency.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: Besides that, four basic schools and a modern market have been constructed as well as a number of other projects have been carried out in my area.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: The Kamfinsa Dam is being rehabilitated and this is a project that will provide a lot of jobs to the people in the area.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: Apart from employment, we can also use this dam for farming and other leisure activities since it will provide a lot of water.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: Mr Speaker, the revelation of the many developmental projects that have been executed under the leadership of the current President should be an eye opener to all the citizens of this country and bring politicking among parties to an end because everyone should learn to call a spade a spade.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nyirenda: We should give credit where it is due and learn to work together. Nobody can do a perfect job all the time. I, therefore, appeal to the media to highlight the developmental projects being done in this country.

Sir, if I may just make reference to my notes (flipping through the papers in his hands).

Laughter

Mr Nyirenda: My follow Zambians and leaders, let us not just criticise for the sake of doing so. Let us give alternatives for solving the country’s problems. We are all aware that there a number of problems which we are facing as a country and if we work as a team, we can solve all of them. However, if we continue to only point out each others failures, we will not get anywhere.

So, with these remarks, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Musokotwane (Katombola) Mr Speaker, as usual, I am going to be brief because in Tonga we say, “Aavula mabi,” so, I do not want to take long.

The Deputy Chairperson: Would the hon. Member, please, translate that.

Mrs Musokotwane: “Aavula mabi” means that if you have nothing to say, do not say anything. Just sit down.

Mr Speaker, as I said, I am going to be brief. On page six, the last paragraph, which is the first paragraph under agriculture, the President says:

“… reducing the size of the pack. The purpose was to make farmers more productive and increase the number of beneficiaries from 250,000 to 500,000.”

 He is also talked about the 2.7 million metric tonnes produced by the 500,000 farmers.

Mr Speaker, let me tell the Executive that because I know a lot about agriculture, I know that what was contained in the President’s Address on agriculture was a submission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives just as what was said about education and health were submissions from the ministries of Education and Health respectively. The President merely read what was submitted to him. Therefore, the questions that will be brought before the Floor of this House should be directed to the people in the Executive because the President will not answer as he was just reading what was written on his behalf.

Mr Speaker, it has to be made known that although we are proud of the 2.7 million metric tonnes produced, this year, it is basically the same as what was produced last year. This is because splitting the, 250,000 farmers who each had each eight bags of fertiliser for one hectare to 500, 000 farmers with half a hectare each made no difference. It simply meant that each hectare was split into two making it half a hectare for each farmer. This is simple Grade 1 arithmetic. If I and Hon. Sejani had eight bags of fertiliser between us, after splitting our hectares, it would not increase production. It would still remain the same.

Therefore, Mr Speaker, why are you celebrating the 2.7 million metric tonnes? Why did you not tell us how many metric tonnes these 250,000 farmers produced last year? Why should you put this year’s figure and not last year’s figure? We needed to compare so that we could understand the thinking of the people on your right. At the moment, I am made to believe that my thinking is better.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Musokotwane: Last year, we produced 2.7 metric tonnes because we had divided the 500,000 farmers by two to 250,000, with same hectarage and number of bags. Therefore, there is nothing to celebrate about here.

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mrs Musokotwane: You are going to respond with good figures.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to raise a point of order. We understand the hon. Member’s mathematics, but there are other implications involved in the mathematics she is using. Therefore, I want to correct that it is not in order …

The Deputy Chairperson: Raise your point of order.

Mr Mbewe: Is she in order to say that, last year, we produced 2.7 metric tonnes as a direct multiplication of the farmers, and yet we got …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

What is your point of order?

Mr Mbewe: My point of order is that is she in order to say that last year’s production has been multiplied by two to reach 2.7 metric tonnes this year, and yet this is not the case?

The Deputy Chairperson: The hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives has raised a point of order on the debate of the hon. Member for Katombola. May I suggest to the hon. Deputy Minister that when his time comes to respond, he will clear this issue up so that the nation can know what the true position is and ascertain whether or not it is what has been said by the hon. Minister of Katombola.

May she continue.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Musokotwane: Thank you, Sir. Long live the Chair for that good ruling.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, the Government is always saying that it has good agriculture policies, but these good policies do not include getting bags for the grain on time.

Mr Muntanga: Poor planning.

Mrs Musokotwane: When farmers are told to buy grain bags, the bags are rejected on the basis of colour. For example, when bags are blue, farmers are asked to buy white bags and even when white bags are purchased, they are further rejected on the basis of them having yellow lines. Please, give us a break as farmers.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: In your so-called good policies, ensure that you include our grain bags before we start harvesting so that we do not lose much money. Imagine a farmer harvesting 1,000 bags and buying each grain bag at K2,000, how much money would they spend?

Hon. UPND Members: K2 million.

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, if I packed my maize in bags which were not white and took them to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and was told to get white bags, this would mean that I would have to get another thousand bags at K2,000 each. By the time I would have been through with harvesting, are you sure that the money I would have spent on these bags can be compensated? Therefore, what good policies does the Government always talk about because good policies should include these simple things?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Musokotwane: I also want to find out how the price of a bag of maize is arrived at. This is because the pricing of a bag of maize does not begin with the fertiliser and the seed planted. I can see how Hon. Munkombwe is looking at me. He is agreeing with what I am saying.

Interruptions

Mrs Musokotwane: The pricing of a bag of maize begins from preparing the field on which to plant the grain because it also involves money and, therefore, must also be considered. The number of shrubs cleared must be taken into consideration because even if it is me who does the work, it is in monetary terms. Therefore, do not price a bag of maize from the time the seed is planted, consider the two months before the planting season. When we prepare for planting, we have to go to the shops to buy accessories for our ploughs. So, do you include these things in your pricing?

Hon. UPND Members: No!

Mrs Musokotwane: You do not.

Mr Muntanga: Give us a break.

Mrs Musokotwane: You should also consider how I feed my oxen to make them ready for ploughing. All these things are not included in your pricing, so you can see how we, as farmers, lose lots of money. We are being given quarter of the price we deserve. Therefore, all these factors should be considered when pricing a bag of maize.

Mr Speaker, I know that most people have now gone into farming and all they know is that a bag of mealie-meal begins from Shoprite, but that is not the case. It comes a long way before it arrives at Shoprite.

Mr Speaker, two years ago, in my constituency, after making calculations, we discovered that a 25 kg bag of maize was supposed to be sold at K91,000. How much should it cost now, two years down the line? It is supposed to be K150,000 per bag, but how much are we being given this year?

Hon. UPND Members: K65,000.

Mrs Musokotwane: Please, give us a break. The bag is more expensive than that.

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about an increase in production of most other major crops, but rice is not bought in most parts of this country. A few weeks ago, I was in …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the Chair]

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was ...

Dr Musonda: Finally.

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I wish it was finally, but it is not. I urge the Government to bring correct figures when it comes to reply so that we know for certain that 250,000 farmers did not produce 2.7 million metric tonnes. As it stands, I and some members of the public are convinced that 2.7 metric tonnes were produced by 250,000 farmers just as the same number of tonnes has been produced with the multiplication of the number of farmers by two. Therefore, if there is any information to the contrary, how the figures were arrived at should be explained as the Government is known for getting inaccurate figures.

Mr Speaker, as regards another major crop, rice, I was in Lumezi a few weeks ago, Kazembe area in particular, and the people there are complaining because the FRA has not been there to buy their rice. Instead, business people are the ones buying it. I urge the Government to see to it that rice is bought just as maize because there are some parts of the country where maize is not grown and this particular area is one such area where the staple food is rice and not maize. In fact, even the bad road from Lundazi must be worked on. However, I do not want to talk much about the hon. Minister’s constituency, to which I have been, because even though the picture painted is that everything is in order, it is not.
 
Mr Muntanga: Hon. Banda.

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, on page 7, the President said that his Government was still consulting various stakeholders on the possibility of putting in place a marketing system that would address the challenges the country was facing in agriculture marketing. How long is that consultation going to take? If only the Government would listen to what we say on the Floor of this House, there would be no need for consultation because we always give free advice. Who is being consulted if not us the experts here? We, the people who have vested interest in the governance of this country and want to be ruled properly, are left out in these consultations. It is no wonder the Government is not getting anywhere because it consults the wrong people.

Mr Speaker, we are stakeholders in this Government because it is ours. However, when most hon. Ministers stand on the Floor they say, “My Government.” This is a Zambian Government and, therefore, when hon. Ministers rise to speak they must say, “Our Government” because we are all a part of it. There can be no government without people to rule and the fact that we are being ruled means that we are stake holders in this Government.

Hon. Opposition Members: Government.

Mrs Musokotwane: So, when you stand to speak on the Floor of this House refer to this Government as our Government. We give you methods of how to rule us because we are working together. I think it is important that we, as stake holders, are consulted as opposed to consulting I do not know whether they are Chinese or Lebanese stakeholders because we are here to give you free advice.

Mr Speaker, on the same page, the President said that while such vital mechanisms were being considered, his Government would continue to invest in the repair of storage facilities. He further said that his Government would also invest in irrigation and feeder roads. How many times have we heard this? 
.Saying this makes the President sound like a broken record ...

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Musokotwane: ... because it has been said year in and year out. Is it not possible for the people who write the speech to find new things to talk about each year? They should not repeat the same things that he has said before. In fact, the next time the President is made to repeat himself by his members of staff, he must throw the papers in their faces. How many questions have been asked about irrigation in our constituencies in this House to which the response has been that there is no money for such things? Suddenly, there is money.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: I will talk to the President. He must ensure that the people who prepare this speech do the right thing. Do not make him look like something else in the eyes of the public because people do know that these things are just prepared for the President. Do not think just because he is a member of the MMD, I cannot see him, no. I can see the President any time.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Mr Chilembo: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Chilembo: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member in order to suggest, for a moment, that the President’s Speech is not his making because he works with hon. Ministers? Once the President reads, understands and agrees, then it becomes his speech. Therefore, is she in order to insist that this is not a presidential speech? I seek your serious ruling.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The hon. Deputy Minister of Justice has raised a point of order on the speech of the hon. Member for Katombola.  We are considering thanks of this Assembly to be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in His Excellency the President’s Address meaning, obviously, that was his address. May we keep it that way, please.

The hon. Member for Katombola may continue.

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, we will keep it that way, but let them prepare a good presidential speech next year.

On page 8, Mr Speaker, under livestock, the Government has now put in place livestock disease control measures and created disease free zones. This is a very good thing, but it should identify areas with diseases for this purpose. The Government is not serving any purpose by creating disease free zones in areas which have no diseases. If the Government wants to create disease free zones, it needs to go to areas where there are animal diseases and then eradicate them. In doing so, they will have successfully created disease free zones.

Mr Speaker, when the hon. Member for Chipili asked about Mwense district, this afternoon, the House was informed that there were no diseases in this area and so how can we create disease free zones. What will this be for? I think it would be important for the Government to pay more attention to the Southern and Western provinces where there are animals. Let us have policies which will help eradicate diseases in these provinces.

Hon. UPND Members: And the Eastern Province.

Mrs Musokotwane: The Eastern Province included because animals there such as pigs cannot cross the Luangwa River. When you eradicate diseases in a given area, then disease free zones would have been created successfully. For example, I cannot go to the hospital to be treated for malaria which I am not suffering from at a particular time.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, show us that you are working by eradicating animal diseases in the Eastern, Southern and Western provinces where they exist.

Go to places where there are diseases. When you eradicate the diseases in these areas, then you will have created disease-free zones.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: I cannot go to the hospital unless I am sick.

Mr Mwiimbu: Yes!

Mrs Musokotwane: You cannot give me medicine because you want to prevent Malaria even when I have no malaria. Please, ...

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: … show us you are working by eradicating animal diseases in the Eastern, Southern and Western provinces where they exist. That way, you will have created disease-free zones. Those zones you have created are already disease-free.

Hon. UPND Member: You have freed them of nothing!

Mrs Musokotwane: They are already disease-free. What are you creating?

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: We challenge you to come to the Southern Province. You cannot even build an abattoir at Mwandi. We have told you that one of the ways of making the Southern Province a disease-free zone is to build an abattoir in Mwandi so that the animals from the Western Province do not cross into the Southern Province. We are giving you methods of doing these things, but you are going to create disease-free zones in Mwense where there are no diseases.

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: You are taking the easy way out. You think you are working and yet you are not. There are no diseases in Mwense. That is the easy way out. The Challenge is in the Western, Southern, Eastern and …

Mr Mwiimbu: Central!

Mrs Musokotwane: … Central Province too. When you eradicate the diseases in these areas, then you will have created disease-free zones.

Mr Mwiimbu: Look at them!

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: Do not go where there are no diseases and think that you are working. You are not working.

Mr Muntanga: Terrible!

Laughter

Mrs Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I have already said avulamabi.  I will stop here. I am sure they have understood because I have spoken a lot of sense.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.
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The House adjourned at 1842 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 24th September, 2010.

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