DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 8th October, 2009

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER

INSTALLATION OF NEW WALL SCREENS IN THE CHAMBER

Mr Speaker: The House has temporarily lost the use of the two wall screens which, among other things, display the count-down clock which enables hon. Members know how long they have been speaking. This is because we are installing new and slightly larger screens for use in this Chamber. As you have noticed, there are two additional ones above my chair. However, to ensure that the hon. Members do not lose track of the time they are speaking, the computer has been moved over here and the clock will work behind the scenes. Therefore, there will be no need to panic as to whether or not you are being denied your full-speaking time.

REFERRAL OF THE ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST DECEMBER, 2010 TO THE EXPANDED COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES

Mr Speaker: I wish to confirm that the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning will, tomorrow, 9th October, 2009, present to this House the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the financial year 1st January to 31st December, 2010.

In accordance with established practice, the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2010 will be referred to the Expanded Committee on Estimates for further consideration. The Expanded Committee on Estimates will comprise Members of the Committee on Estimates, Chairpersons of all General Purposes and Portfolio Committees and the Chairperson of the Committee on Reforms and Modernisation.

While the Committee is meeting, the House will continue with the general policy debate on the budget and other business.

The Expanded Committee will be expected to present its report to the House on Wednesday, 28th October, 2009.

Thank you.
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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

JOB LOSSES ON THE LABOUR MARKET

116. Mr Chazangwe (Choma Central) asked the Minister of Labour and Social Security:

(a) what measures had been taken to resolve the current problem of job losses in the mining industry;

(b) how the ministry was responding  to the challenge of job losses on the labour market in general; and

(c) whether there were any plans to further review the labour laws to make them more investor friendly.

The Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security (Mr Kachimba):  Mr Speaker, in trying to resolve the current problem of job losses in the mining industry, the Government introduced the following interventions in the mining sector:

(i) abolition of windfall tax;

(ii) reduction of customs duty on heavy fuels; and

(ii) deferment of payment of VAT on copper concentrates.

These measures are aimed at reducing the operation costs of the mines to prevent them from retrenching their workforce.

Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, Part X of Section 79 of the Industrial and Labour Relations Act, Cap. 269 of the Laws of Zambia provides for the Tripartite Consultative Labour Council which is mandated to advise the Government in relation to labour matters. It is through this forum that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security engages employers, represented by the Zambia Federation of Employers and workers represented by the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions and the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, the effect of the global economic crisis on the labour market was an agenda item at the last Tripartite Consultative Labour Council held in April, 2009. In general, social dialogue has been strengthened to avert job losses. However, as you are aware, the business environment has improved and mining companies are no longer laying off labour, but are instead reemploying the workers who were retrenched earlier in the year.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has already begun the process of reviewing labour laws which include Statutory Instruments 56 and 57 on minimum wages and conditions of employment to ensure that the provisions, which impinge on the operations of business, are addressed. A technical committee, under the mandate of the Tripartite Consultative Labour Council, was constituted in April, 2009 to come up with proposals on areas that need review. It is expected that this committee will finalise its work and submit the report to the next Tripartite Consultative Labour Council meeting to be held before the end of the year.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chazangwe: Mr Speaker, in view of the job losses on the Copperbelt and the high price of mealie meal, I would like to find out what plans the ministry has to help the situation.

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Mr Liato): Mr Speaker, the hon. Member’s question has already been answered. We have engaged the employers and trade unions in social dialogue through our consultative process in the Tripartite Consultative Labour Council Meetings. It is through this forum that we harmonise the interests of employees, employers and the Government and we will continue to do that.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, retrenchment packages paid my mining companies are very low. Almost all the companies are paying two months per year served. What is this Government doing to compel the mining companies to pay reasonable retrenchment packages so that when miners are retrenched, they able to sustain their lives.

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, it the responsible of all hon. Members of this House to review laws that may improve the lives of Zambians and workers in particular. I know that there is already a law in place taking care of the minimum requirements in terms of payments for those who may be trenched or declared redundant.

Sir, over and above that, the challenge is before trade unions or workers’ organisations to bargain for better conditions of service. That is, taking into account conditions prevailing at their places of work or institutions and the capacity or ability of the employer to pay so that they can tailor conditions that befit them. That is a challenge that is upon their shoulders.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chanda (Kankoyo): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether the Government has any plans of implementing the much-talked about equal pay for equal work?

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, that policy is already in place. Of course, we are also signatories to the ILO conventions for equal remuneration. It means that we want to promote the payments that befit every employee at places of work. If there are any disparities at any place of work, workers’ organisations or indeed, employees themselves are free to bring that to the attention of the authorities, including the ministry so that it can be addressed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milupi (Luena): Mr Speaker, in spite of the many incentives given to the mining companies as shown by the hon. Deputy Minister, 10,600 miners lost their jobs on the Copperbelt. Can the hon. Minister explain whether the Government is doing anything about the situation where the vast majority of supervisory and management jobs in the mining companies are now taken up by foreigners while Zambians are relegated to minor jobs? Is the Government doing anything to ensure that the dignity of Zambian professionals is protected?

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, like I said yesterday, although many Zambians lost their jobs during the global crunch, many other jobs were created in the process. As we are recovering from the credit crunch, some mining companies have started absorbing back the employees who may have lost their jobs. Therefore, the statistics that you had then could have since changed. The situation is that things are improving for the better. For example, Albidon Mine, Luanshya Copper Mine (LCM), Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) and Mopani Copper Mine will soon be operational. I can say that the situation is improving.

Mr Speaker, the second part of the question was about Zambianisation. We have a committee under the Ministry of Labour which is chaired by the hon. Deputy Minister. Its responsibility is to ensure that jobs which Zambians are qualified to do are not given to expatriates. In some cases where expatriate employees may have been brought in at the preliminary stage, we are encouraging Zambians to understudy them with a view to quickly taking over as soon as possible. We have a very hard working team that is working round the clock to ensure that the Zambianisation Programme is a success.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Labour has just stated that one of the measures taken to resolve the current problems of job losses in the mining industry was the abolition of the windfall tax.

I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether the windfall tax was triggered to cover operational costs at the time when the price of the commodity was depressed. 

I would also like to find out whether that measure, going by the answer he has given, was an exercise in futility, as this tax cannot be introduced because of the prices. I would like to further find out whether the gains in 2008, will be captured retrospectively so that the mining companies do not go away with income which should actually come to the general revenues.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, obviously, the hon. Member who has asked that question knows that he is asking the wrong man because I am not the person dealing with revenues. I would like to inform him that the measures that were taken by the Government were to give relief to mining companies to lower the cost of doing business. The measures were taken in good faith and, as far as I am concerned, they made these mining companies survive and their survival meant retention of employees.  In that regard, we have scored a success.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Mr Mwenya (Nkana): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has just stated that the mining companies have started absorbing some of the workers who were retrenched. I would like to find out whether the Government or Ministry of Labour and Social Security has taken a deliberate step to ensure that the mining workers who were retrenched and had their packages withheld by banks because of the loans they had are given preference so that they are able to service the loans.

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, precisely, what the hon. Member is talking about is part of our responsibility to ensure that there is minimum suffering in the working environment. We realise that there are some employees who may have gotten loans not knowing that there would be a tragedy relating to the economic environment. When the situation improves, we will encourage mining companies to take back some of the people so that the economic difficulties they are experiencing can be minimised. In other words, we would like to ensure that there is minimum suffering in places of work. That is part of our responsibility and we are taking that seriously through social dialogue.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, when will the ministry consider staffing all district offices so that these laws are well explained to the investors in various districts?

Mr Liato: Mr Speaker, that remains the challenge of the ministry. We have to work very hard with the officers present in most of the districts to serve our people and meet that challenge. We hope that we shall be able to satisfy your needs sooner or later.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

KAOMA/NALIELE PALACE ROAD

117. Mr Mooya (Moomba) on behalf of Ms Limata (Luampa) asked the Minister of Works and Supply when rehabilitation works on the Kaoma/Naliele Palace Road would commence.

The Deputy Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Ndalamei): Mr Speaker, the contract to rehabilitate the 10 km Kaoma/Naliele Palace Road was awarded to Messrs V. K. Enterprises on 30th May, 2008 at a sum of K238,786,147.75, value added tax(VAT) inclusive. The intended completion date was 30th September, 2008. The contractor did not begin the works until 15th July, 2008 due to financial difficulties following the removal of the advance payment component on all locally-financed projects.

Mr Speaker, the Kaoma District Council, who are the client for this project, have not paid the contractor for the works carried out because the contractor abandoned the site when the gravel pit collapsed and killed two general workers. The Kaoma District Council intends to terminate the contract, citing abandonment of the site by the contractor as the major reason. The contractor feared that the lives of its workers were in danger following the gravel pit accident.

Sir, at the time of abandoning the site, the contractor had completed 10km of bush clearing and converting. However, 3 km of gravelling is yet to be done.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that the gravel pit collapsed and two lives were lost. He also mentioned that the contractor abandoned the project. Has there been any compensation to the relatives of the people who died?

The Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Mulongoti): Mr Speaker, it is very clear in our answer that the client is the Kaoma District Council. Therefore, we are not privy to what the council did after the accident.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Milupi: Mr Speaker, the Kaoma/Naliele stretch is about 5 km and it is in a terrible condition, especially across the Mahilo Stream. Why has the Government not been able to put up immediate measures to ensure that particular stretch, especially along that stream, is repaired? I was there recently.

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, if the Kaoma District Council had mentioned that they wanted immediate assistance, maybe we could have done something about it. If the council had the money for the project, they would have done something about it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, the decision to do away with down payments was made in 2007 and by the time the big documents were done for the bid which was given in May, 2008, the contractor should have known that there was no advance payment which was going to be made. I would like to find out whether the contractor’s bid as security has been held by the ministry to defray the costs which the Government incurred on this project? I am saying so because a contractor is supposed to provide a bid as security which can be held in case that contractor fails to meet the conditions of the contract?

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, all the conditions in terms of a bid as security and other terms of the contract were followed.  So far, the client has not terminated the contract. As it stands, we need to be advised by the client on what they intend to do.

I thank you, Sir.

REPLACEMENT OF DENTAL MACHINE AT CHINSALI DISTRICT HOSPITAL

118. Mr C. Mulenga (Chinsali) asked the Minister of Health when the Government would replace the dental machine at the Chinsali District Hospital.

The Minister of Health (Mr Simbao): Mr Speaker, the ministry has a Capital Investment Plan on medical equipment which is addressing the issues related to all the equipment in hospitals and dental units which are a priority hence, through this plan, the issue of the dental unit at Chinsali District Hospital will be addressed.

Sir, currently, the Ministry of Health is in the process of procuring medical equipment, including dental equipment that will be deployed in public health facilities of need in order to equitably provide quality dental services and care as close to the communities as possible.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the machine in question is Japanese made and according to the specialists, it will cost a lot of money to be worked on. Therefore, is the Government talking of buying a new machine or repairing the same one?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, I really do not know why the hon. Member did not follow my answer. We are saying that the ministry has a capital investment plan on medical equipment which is addressing the issues related to all equipment in hospitals and dental units. Through this plan, the issue of the dental unit at the Chinsali District Hospital will be addressed. Currently, the Ministry of Health is in the process of procuring medical equipment, including dental equipment that will be deployed to public health facilities of need in order to equitably provide quality dental services and care as close to the communities as possible.

I am not talking about repairing the machine, but procuring a new one.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Mr Speaker, do we have a special maintenance team that goes round the country checking on some of these machines? When we visit the rural areas, we find most of them lying idle.

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, we have a maintenance team. At the moment, what is happening is that on very expensive equipment, we are entering into a contract with the suppliers. We are also training our own people. For example, for all the equipment at the Cancer Hospital, our technicians were trained for six to eight months in South Africa. Even then, when the equipment breaks down, the supplier is also informed so that if the problem is too complicated for our technicians, then the suppliers can send their people to come and work on the equipment. The same goes with the expensive equipment that is at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). We have trained technicians that look at the equipment in rural areas. When complicated equipment such as a dental chair breaks down, it is brought for repair at UTH.

I thank you, Mr Speaker. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister said that his ministry is procuring new equipment for various health centres. Would he care to tell us which particular centres he is targeting because Kalomo is also facing the same problem of lack of dental equipment?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, I am not in a position to mention the names of the health centres. However, in most of the dental sections, the equipment is in very bad condition. All these sections were targeted when ordering this equipment. Therefore, most of the centres will have their equipment replaced. I will have to check if Kalomo among the health centres.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, the answer that the hon. Minister gave regarding the measures that the Government would take relate people who will get sick in future. What measures has the Government put in place to ensure that people in places such as Chinsali and Gwembe, who are sick at present, are catered for?

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, dental problems are complicated. However, extracting a tooth is very simple. A simple chair, a pair of pliers and anesthesia can be used for this.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Simbao: It is true.

The complication comes in when somebody’s tooth has to be filled or repaired. This is when we need the actual dental chair. At the moment, the most basic treatment is being carried out in all the places where there are dental units. These units are complicated. The broken down equipment in these units has to be brought to Lusaka and later taken to some company in Mufulira to be worked on. These are the units whose equipment will be replaced. 
Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisala (Chilubi): Mr Speaker, the inadequate number of dentists affects nearly all the districts of the Northern Province. I would like to find out when the Government will extend the service to all the districts in the Northern Province.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Simbao: Mr Speaker, at the moment, we are trying to extend the school of dental health training here in Lusaka. In fact, we want to upgrade it so that we can start training dentists because, at the moment, we are only training dentist technicians and technologists. At that time, there will be an opportunity to send as many dentists around the country as possible.

I thank you, Sir.

NATIONALITIES AT NON FERROUS METAL MINING COMPANY LIMITED IN CHAMBISHI

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

(a) how many employees at Non-Ferrous Metal Mining Company Limited (NMMC) in Chambishi were of the following nationalities:

(i) Chinese; and 
(ii) Zambian; and

(b) in which categories the employees at (a) were.

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Nkhata): Mr Speaker, there are a total of 2,737 employees at NMMC, broken down as follows:

 Nationality   Number of people

 Chinese      170

Zambians   2,567
 
 Total     2,737

Mr Speaker, the Chinese constitute 6.2 per cent of the total labour force. The categories of the employees are as follows:

Nationality   Categories   Number of Employees

Chinese   Engineers      138   
 Zambians            18

Chinese   Artisans        16
 Zambians          202

Chinese    Managerial        12
 Zambians            26

Chinese    General          4 (chefs)
Zambians       2,321

Total        2,737

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, in almost all the mining companies run by the Chinese, there are more Chinese engineers than Zambians, and yet we have been running the mines since independence. I would like to know what special qualities the Chinese engineers have that the Zambians, who are roaming the streets, do not have.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr M. B. Mwale): Mr Speaker, if the hon. Member is referring to engineers who are able to remove the tracks off railway lines, I am sure that there are many in Zambia.

Laughter

Mr M. B. Mwale: However, if he is referring to qualified engineers who can run the mines, the Chinese have readily available engineers. I would like to state that we have had difficulties in finding engineers, geologists and metallurgists to operate our mines.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr M. B. Mwale: Those who are fully conversant with the operations of our mines will realise that we even have problems finding surveyors.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Simuusa (Nchanga): Mr Speaker, the statistics given by the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development refer to nationals employed by the mines. Meanwhile, most of the mines such as KCM employ a very high …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Ask your question.

Mr Simuusa: What is the ministry doing in regard to those employed by contractors where the bulk of foreign nationals are?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I would like to inform the House that even La Farge, a western company, had to employ the Chinese for the last project because it had to be completed within a specified timeframe. In this regard, even on the mines, there are projects which have to be undertaken and completed within a specified timeframe. This is why we have a number of Chinese or Indians who are attached to these projects and not as general employees.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, the number of Chinese engineers is 138 compared to eighteen Zambians. I would like to find out what measures the Government has put in place to stop the externalisation of money in terms of salaries because engineers get a lot of money. I want to find out what plans have been put in place to stop this.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, I have a lot of difficulties in responding to the follow-up question asked by the hon. Member.

Sir, it is in this House that year in and year out, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning gives out that information. Actually, there are free remissions of allowances and dividends by the mining companies.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chongo (Mwense): Mr Speaker,  realising that we have a shortage of manpower in the category of engineering, what has this ministry done to impress upon the Government to deliberately sponsor Zambians to take up this field at the Copperbelt University and University of Zambia respectively.

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, not only the Government, but also the mining companies are sponsoring students to the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University to take up some of these specialised fields.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, at the risk of being ridiculed, could I find out from the hon. Minister what skills are provided by the sixteen Chinese who are referred to as artisans? Which skills cannot be found on the Zambian labour market which we know already has lots of qualified mining engineers who are going without jobs?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, it is understandable to have that follow-up question from the hon. Member for Kabwata.

Mr Speaker, in mining we have specialised activities such as shaft sinking which have to be contracted out.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Chota (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, if you look at the data base, three years back, we had a saturation of mining engineers, meteorologists and surveyors in the mining industry. Where have all these engineers gone because I know some of them? Why can you not employ them?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, a number of Zambian engineers may be working in neighbouring countries but, also, some are working within our mining companies. The hon. Member should be fully aware that there is also natural wastage.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Dr Machungwa (Luapula): Mr Speaker, seeing that there is a very high number of Chinese engineers versus Zambians. What steps has this ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, put in place to ensure that, in the near future, the Chinese engineers can be replaced by Zambians?

Mr M. B. Mwale: Mr Speaker, the engineers who may be engaged on specific projects in the mines. When the projects have been completed, they go back to their countries of origin and Zambians assume some of the jobs.
 
I thank you, Mr Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF SIACHIBA DAM IN MAPATIZYA

120. Mr Sejani (Mapatizya) asked the Minister of Energy and Water Development when the long-awaited Siachiba Dam in Mapatizya Parliamentary Constituency would be constructed.

The Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development (Ms Lundwe): Mr Speaker, I would like to inform this august House that the preliminary surveys and designs for the long-awaited Siachiba Dam have been undertaken. The designs have been reviewed and are to be submitted to the National Water Board for approval and, thereafter, procurement of the contractor will be done. The actual construction has been planned for 2010.

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the situation in Kalomo is just like that in Mapatizya. We had several dams surveyed and submissions given to the ministry. When is the construction of all the dams in Kalomo going to be done, especially in my constituency?

The Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Mulongoti) on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Water Development (Mr Konga): Mr Speaker, these projects are being undertaken under the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. The Kalomo District Council, where the hon. Member is a councillor, should be following up these projects.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Chazangwe: Mr Speaker, water is life and water can even be exported. When will this Government take serious action and put in place proper measures for putting up dams throughout this country?

Mr Mulongoti: Mr Speaker, the Government works through hon. Members of Parliament and councillors who should inform it about the priorities and projects.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulongoti: If hon. Members do not attach a premium to water and bring this to the attention of the appropriate authorities, it will not be possible for the Government to achieve the desired results. When you say the Government in general, you are referring to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing which is much closer to those areas. I hope that hon. Members from that area will take serious stock of the water levels there.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.
______{mospagebreak}

MOTIONS

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS 19 and 20

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that Standing Orders 19 and 20 be suspended to enable the House sit from 1415 hours until business has been concluded on Friday, 9th October, 2009.

Mr Speaker, this is a straightforward and non-controversial motion. In accordance with the tradition of this House, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning presents the National Budget on a Friday afternoon. Hon. Members are aware that Standing Orders 19 and 20 provide that the House shall sit from 0900 hours to 1300 hours on Fridays.

It is in this regard, therefore, that I move this motion to suspend the relevant Standing Orders I have mentioned so that the House sits in the afternoon on Friday, 9th October, 2009 from 1415 hours, so as to enable the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning present the 2010 Budget.

Mr Speaker, this is a procedural motion which is necessary at this stage. I, therefore, request all hon. Members of this august House to support it.

 Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the motion on the Floor. In supporting it, I would like to say that, indeed, it is necessary that the Standing Orders are suspended so that we can sit at 1400 hours for the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to present the 2010 Budget.

Sir, a budget is an important part of governance. Since we have now changed the budget cycle, we do not expect any moneys to be going back to the Treasury. In the past, we have had money going back to the Treasury every time. The issue was that the time of implementing the budget was too short. However, now that we have changed the budget cycle, I would like to appeal to our colleagues in the Executive to ensure that all moneys that are budgeted for are released for the projects so that we improve our country.

Mr Speaker, I also wish to say something on the money that is apportioned to the Ministry of Works and Supply through the Road Development Agency (RDA). It is disheartening to note that contracts are not given on merit by this department. Most of the people who are given contracts are those who are bank rolling campaigns for the MMD. This is taxpayers’ money. Therefore, we must be fair when giving the contracts.

Sir, you will observe that most of the contracts that were given by this Government last year were given to Chinese companies. It is a fact that in the 2008 Elections, the Chinese bank rolled the MMD campaign to the tune of US$10 million and I have facts to prove this.

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, …

Mr Speaker: Order!

His Honour the Vice-President will reply. Please, be patient.

Mrs Phiri: Tom and Jerry!

Dr Scott: Tom and Jerry!

Mr Kambwili: Sir, I would like to urge the Government to ensure that when it apportions money for projects, contracts are on merit because this is taxpayers’ money. We do not want only a clique of people to enjoy the money from the taxpayers.

Mr Speaker, having been to prison myself, I wish to say that the prisons are in a bad state.

Mrs Phiri: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: Therefore, let us not come to this House and cheat - sorry, Mr Speaker, I withdraw the word ‘cheat’ and replace it with the word ‘mislead’ the nation that prisoners are having three meals per day. The entire five days I was there, prisoners were fed on kapenta without cooking oil or salt.

Mrs Phiri: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: It is wrong for the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to come to this august House and mislead Zambians that prisoners are given three meals per day.

Sir, when we, in the Opposition, highlight things that are wrong, we do not intend to demean the authority of the Government, but basically, to inform the nation of what is going on. I am a better witness because I was in prison and...

Mrs Phiri: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: … so, when I tell the hon. Minister of …

Mr Speaker: Order!

 The hon. Member did adequately deal with this matter the day before yesterday. Do not go back to matters which have already been disposed of in this House. The motion is very clear. Do you agree that we vary the sitting times for tomorrow so that instead of the morning, we sit in the afternoon for you hear the details of what you are talking about from your own hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning? Do you agree or do you not agree? That is the question.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance.

With these few works, I agree that we sit in the afternoon, tomorrow.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mrs Phiri: Tom and Jerry!

Mr Ngoma (Sinda): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion on the Floor. Indeed, I agree that Standing Orders 19 and 20 be suspended to enable the House sit in the afternoon tomorrow.

Sir, one of the best things that have ever happened in this country is the change of the budget cycle. I wish to commend the Government even before the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) finishes its work, for bringing that Act into being. That is what is required. The twelve months that have been given for projects to be completed in the country is very good and that is what we expect.

However, as the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning comes to present his budget tomorrow, if, in that budget, he does not bring out issues to do with the increment of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), a fund I consider to be important to every Zambian, then he should not bring it before the august House.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngoma: At the height of the Presidential Campaign in 2008, there was a promise that CDF was going to be increased to K1 billion per constituency. We expect to see that because that is the only money that can bring meaningful development to our people in villages.

Mr Speaker, for this reason, I agree that the Standing Orders be suspended so that we sit in the afternoon tomorrow with that great caution to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning as he comes to present his budget.

With these few words, I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank the Vice-President for moving this non-controversial motion which is procedural. Now that we have changed the budget cycle, I would have hoped that hon. Members of Parliament and those sitting at the NCC would have thought of putting this in the Constitution to ensure that the budget is presented in the afternoon.

Sir, the 2009 Budget is almost over and most of it was released and implemented despite the challenges we faced in 2009 where the world economies were lying on their faces. From this experience, we have learnt lessons because what happened globally also affected us. I hope that, next time, we will be in a position to prepare for and meet the challenges.

Mr Speaker, as I agree with this motion, I would like to talk about the difficulties that the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning always faces in allocating resources. However, I want to advise him that the resources which are gotten from the revenues from various sections should not just be paid to recurrent expenditure where it goes for the servicing and running of State organs or the Government. Instead, we should have a situation whereby the people of Zambia can also have relief within the budget. Let us also find ways of ensuring our people on the ground also benefit from the Government as well.

Sir, I am saying so because of the high poverty levels in this country. I come from Katuba, which is next to the City of Lusaka, but the poverty levels there are unbearable. So we need to have a situation that is conducive to all. I know that we have had a lot of challenges from the donor community and other people with regard to our resources and allocations. However, we had a situation before such as the 2008 Budget which had a big local component at 84 per cent and only 14 per cent was the foreign component. This gave us an indication that, as Zambians, if we rise above our pettiness, we would be able to stand on our own.

When allocating resources, the Executive should be mindful of the fact that they belong to the people of Zambia. When we allocate resources, we should ensure that the common man on the ground; in Serenje, benefits. Therefore, today, I am happy to note that most of the roads are worked on because the road-making equipment is in the Central Province and the people of Serenje are able to benefit from the Government as well. So the best thing we should do is ensure that the people of Zambia are given relief from their hardships.

I am happy to see the people of Serenje, as part of the Central Province, enjoying the benefits of having roads being worked on, but I would also like to see the people of Katuba included by having their roads worked on using the money that was allocated for roads last year. We should spread the resources so that all the Zambians can benefit. The people of Zambia should not only enjoy when they toll a particular line.

Mr Speaker, as the hon. Minister presents the budget, he should bring in measures to cushion the people of Zambia because 92 per cent of our debt was written off by the international community. After doing this, the international community told us that they were people in their countries that also needed money and we were thus asked to look for resources locally which we are able to do.

Mr Speaker, therefore, as we face the challenges in 2009, we should also make sure that capital projects continue. It would be a delight to review the implementation of the 2009 Budget to establish how much has gone to travel, capital projects and other needs of the Government so that we see how much is actually going to the people of Zambia.

Interruptions
 
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I support this motion and I would like to wish this country a good 2010. I would like God to guide the leadership of this country so that, at the end of the day, through God’s mercy, it will direct its strength towards the development of this country and not to think that other politicians are the enemy. This is because the real enemies are the poverty and challenges of resources.

I thank you, Sir.

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that some hon. Members have been tempted to debate an imaginary budget which is not yet before the House.

Mr Speaker, it is our intention, as a Government and national leaders, to develop this country equitably. Therefore, the allegations about Serenje are malicious and fabrications. Again, there is no substantiation in the allegation that the money used for campaigns was intended for road contracts. These are just malicious allegations.

Mr Speaker, otherwise, I would like to thank the hon. Members for their overwhelming support. Let us not be regionalist in our approach because we are national leaders and we should develop the whole country equitably.

I thank you for the support.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: I put the question that Standing orders 19 and 20 be suspended to enable the House sit from 1415 hours until business has been concluded, on Friday, 9th October, 2009.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

You know it is extremely rude and unprocedural for an hon. Member or hon. Members of Parliament to continue talking when the presiding officer is on his feet. This is never done. Please, control yourselves. This is an honourable House which has rules of procedure.

Question put and agreed to.

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

Mr Speaker: Order!

Before I call upon the hon. Member, I would like to emphasise that, today or part of today, we will go back to the hon. Ministers and conclude this debate. Will the hon. Member continue, please.

Mr Sikazwe (Chimbamilonga): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks.

Mr Speaker, before the House adjourned yesterday, I had posed a Swahili proverb which says “Ikilwa ndege wamulya wage.” This means that each bird has its own song. This is also applicable in leadership. The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has its style of leadership which is the case in other parties.

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President presented a speech, showing his Government’s kind of leadership. Everyday, people buy padlocks to close their houses for safety. Even the poorest person does this to protect himself or herself from enemies. The MMD Government is also alert to what they are seeing coming.

Mr Speaker, people who are claiming to win the 2011 general elections will lose and the MMD will come to power again. That is a fact. Some parties had 150 members who stood for elections in 2006, some had ten and others forty-two votes, but the MMD had the biggest number of votes. We are not just sitting in our constituencies, but working to maintain the MMD in office.

Mr Speaker, I am excited by the speech delivered by His Excellency the President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda. Some hon. Members who speak in this House have not seen the suffering the people go through along the borders. Even on the campaign front, nobody has been talking about clearing the demarcation of the borders in this country. This is not in their manifestos either, but the President talked about it in his speech on page 31. I want to discuss this because I am an hon. Member who represents people at the border of the country and not one who represents a constituency in an urban area.

Mr Speaker, on page 31, the President said, and I quote:

“The Government will continue working with neighbouring countries to ensure that all our borders are physically marked and re-affirmed.”

Mr Speaker, this is important, as it prevents unnecessary boundary disputes. People in Kaputa, Chienge and other border areas live under fear because the boundaries are not clearly marked.

Mr Speaker, people should not pretend to know Zambia better than I, the hon. Member for Chimbamilonga, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Nalumango, Hon. Kalumba, the hon. Member for Chama and other hon. Members with constituencies bordering other countries.

Mrs Phiri: We also know it.

Mr Sikazwe: Lusaka does not share a border with another country.

Mr Speaker, Kaputa District has had a lot of problems before. There was an insurgency in 1996 because the people there could not tell the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia apart. Some people thought they were in Zambia whilst they were in DRC.

Mr Speaker, I will lay on the table this very important map which shows clear demarcations and how business is affected on both the lake and land.

Hon. Opposition Members: Can you translate that one?

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I want to teach some of the hon. Members of Parliament who have never understood the border areas.

Interruptions

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, when the President announced that there would be clear demarcation of land, it was because he realises that people have been living in fear. Had it not been for the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and Zambia Army controlling the frontier in Kaputa, the people in this area could have been losing a lot of their property. Unfortunately, this has happened before. Once this issue is resolved, one will be able to know whether they are in DRC or Zambia. However, some of the leaders who claim to be good leaders and champions do not understand the boundary from Chienge to Cape Pungu on the Lake Tanganyika. As a result, they can even lose elections because they do not know which area to campaign in.

Laughter

Interruptions

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I am trying to put this on record and put things straight.

Hon. Government Member: Yes.

Mr Sikazwe: I know what I am talking about. Other debaters chose not to talk about boundaries because they do not come from border areas. They debated only on some of the things they know because some of them do not have a culture like Hon. Kaingu said. That is why they are able to walk naked.

Hon. Opposition Members: Eeh!

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, people are able to walk naked when protesting because they are being used by politicians to campaign for them. That is not culture. We are trying to know who is who in Zambia so let us tell the people the truth. People should not be allowed to demonstrate naked as a sign of hunger.

Interruptions

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I want to inform the House that Zambia has a problem with boundaries. I had a chance, through your Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, to go to the source of the Zambezi River. When one gets there, it is difficult to tell the boundary between DRC and Zambia. There is just a peg there demarcating Zambia and DRC. Therefore, our people are affected.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, even in Serenje at Ndabala, where the Vice-President’s constituency is, people do not know the clear position of the boundary of Zambia. So the President’s position to demarcate the boundary between Zambia and DRC is important because it will show clearly what belongs to either country.

Mr Muntanga interjected.

Mr Sikazwe: I want to clarify that there is a border dispute between DRC and Zambia and this, certainly, does not concern Kalomo because it is not along a border area.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Disallowed.

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I am excited by the President’s Speech because it made reference to the recurring problem, today, of animal-human conflict in some constituencies in the Southern, Northern and other provinces. There have been complaints about the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Act not being clear with regard to problems of wildlife in these areas.

Mr Speaker, people have even petitioned the President and there are tribunals going on at the moment. However, the President came back to the House and has assured us that the ZAWA Act will be brought for amendment so as to curb the current source of conflict. This has really excited my people and I because people are forced to move every day.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: So we do not want any more tribunals as has been the case in some areas. Therefore, we will support the President’s position of amending the ZAWA Act.

Mr Speaker, I have been ridiculed on the Floor of this House for proposing geothermal energy because some hon. Members of the House do not know about its existence.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: I am a very happy and proud hon. Member of Parliament for I have received apologies from hon. Members of Parliament who have seen the sense in geothermal plant generation.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, most of these hon. Members pretend to understand certain concepts when, in fact, they do not. 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I was bullied over my reference to a geothermal plant and some hon. Members even asked me what I was talking about, and yet they claim to be good debaters and representatives of people in this House when they did not even know a simple word such as geothermal.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: When we debate in this House, let us talk about real issues. Let us allow the Government to rule freely so that it brings about development which the people can see. Politicking will never take us anywhere if we are not telling the House the truth and right things.

Mr Speaker, I am happy that you allowed your Committee on Energy, Environment and Tourism to go and see the geothermal plant in Kenya. Unfortunately, when I was there, some of the people who claim to be educated, doctors or professors and thought I was telling lies, are the ones who felt lost because they did not know anything.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, some of them who claimed to have been born when some of the things were happening also did not know anything about geothermal energy. Therefore, I thank your office and the Clerk’s office for allowing the Committee on Energy, Environment and Tourism to go and see a geothermal plant so that there is a face of change in the energy sector.

Mr Magande: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: Further, I am thanking the Executive, through you, Mr Speaker, for allowing hon. Ministers to attend seminars. Recently, there was a workshop in Ethiopia which was specifically talking about geothermal energy and these hecklers did not know about it. I am happy that I have told the House.

Laughter

Dr Katema: Uli muwele wele iwe.

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, in this House, there has been debate on the Government rushing to develop the Kasaba Bay. In 2008, when we went for campaigns the very people who were debating were the ones telling the people in the rural areas that this Government did not recognise them and even questioned why people were voting for it. Today, I am sad and worried because they are telling the Government to take development to Kaputa, shame.

Hon. Opposition Member: Nga ifikile pesa Kasaba Bay?

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, this map, which I will add to your Library, is one of the best maps. It will help hon. Members understand why the Government is in a hurry to develop the Kasaba Bay. This map is more than a tour guide to national parks and tourism in Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: This is one of the maps, with your authority, that can be circulated to fellow hon. Members and they will come back to show appreciation just like they have done on the issue of geothermal energy.

Laughter

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I am a happy and proud hon. Member of Parliament, as I come from a village which has been earmarked for the kind of development that existed there in 1986.

Mrs Masebo: Lay it on the table.

Mr Sikazwe: I will lay it.

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, we will recall that the late President of Mozambique, Mr Samora Machel, met with his death when coming from the summit that took place in the Kasaba Bay in 1986. This is evidence that this area has the potential to be developed into a viable tourist destination.

 Mr Speaker, it makes me sad to hear some hon. Members of this House say that the President is taking money for a single investment when the Kasaba Bay is 42 km from the Nsumbu National Park. I am one of those people who are knowledgeable and do not need to learn botany, zoology or the eco-system of national parks and wildlife. For me, it is a birth right …

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: … and I can even challenge learned people in the field of tourism.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I do not need to get a degree to know about animals in national parks.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I am addressing people who claim to be learned just because they have travelled to other countries, and yet they do not understand how the other countries have developed their tourism industries.

Mr Speaker, I am urging the Government to move at a faster pace in rehabilitating the Kasaba Bay because people of Kaputa, Mpulungu, Mporokoso and Kasama will greatly benefit from the refurbishment of this resort. Moreover, it is not only the Northern Province that will benefit, but also the country at large.

Mr Magande: Hear, hear!

Mr Sikazwe: This is not the first time the Government is rehabilitating the Kasaba Bay. It was nationalised in 1989 under the first Government. Otherwise, it has just been neglected. The nationalisation process resulted into the poverty levels rising in the area.

Mr Speaker, as the roads in Chadiza are being worked on, I would like to appeal to the Government to also consider working on the D 37 Road from Kasama to Kaputa. There is a lot of traffic on this road and, therefore, the Grade A gravel road that is there needs to be paved because the area needs to be opened for development. There is a lot of investment potential in the area and the local people are looking forward to benefitting from the creation of employment. The people in Kasaba Bay and Nsumbu National Park in Kaputa District are ready to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This district has more investment prospects than Lusaka. Lusaka has no natural resources to attract investment and is just an administrative centre. Our country’s natural resources are found in rural areas. I would, therefore, propose to the Government to concentrate on developing rural areas. Nonetheless, I, again, thank the President for supporting rural areas, in particular, Kaputa District where there is the Nsumbu National Park and Lake Mweru Wantipa.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Dr Chituwo): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate the motion on the Floor that was ably moved by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo Central and seconded by the hon. Member of Parliament for Mufulira. From the outset, let me add my voice of condolences to the families of the late Hon. Tetamashimba, MP and Hon. Nasim-ul-Guni Hamir, MP. May their souls rest in peace. Indeed, as it has been mentioned by many debaters, these gentlemen will be remembered for what they stood for.

Mr Speaker, let me also congratulate Hon. Dr Solomon Musonda who had a resounding victory in Chitambo and it is gratifying to note that there was also a spirited fight, which made the campaign very exciting.

Mr Speaker, the motion on the Floor, as on many other occasions, has naturally generated vigorous debate. Unfortunately, in some instances, and I suppose it is because of our concern for issues in our respective constituencies, it has generated a lot of emotion. However, in many instances, it has attracted cool and collected debate which we have taken note of. Before I proceed, let me note that some debaters presented opinions to this House as facts, thereby misleading not only the House but also the nation. I would like to believe that opinions remain opinions and should be separated from facts.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech was extremely informative and it is a fact that it scanned the horizon of the past, present and future …

Dr Scott: That is an opinion.

 Dr Chituwo: … relations between this House, Judiciary and Executive.  As it has been said before, we can read the same book, but the results at the end of the day are different. His Excellency the President categorically stated the focus of this Government on agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and the continued large contribution to our economy by the mining sector.

Mr Speaker, I have listened very carefully since the start of the debate on this motion and some of the debate, to say the least, was outrageous. How can anybody stand up and talk of poverty of leadership? This can only be said by an hon. Member who does not visit his or her constituency to see what is going on in terms of reconstruction. It is very clear that in the past seven years, there is not a single constituency that cannot boast of having seen new development, be it in education, agriculture, health and road construction. Surely, these things are happening under our very own eyes and I am confident that our people appreciate these developments. Clearly, more work needs to be done, but what is important is to appreciate the changes that are taking place in our various constituencies.

Mr Speaker, I would like to mention that, in some instances, it appears as though there is a serious competition between some hon. Members of Parliament on who would deliver the most negative debate. In my view, that cannot get us anywhere. There was, however, a number of very constructive criticism and observations from some hon. Members of Parliament. That, indeed, went very well and attracted our attention. This is how things should be.

Mr Speaker, the Government has taken into consideration the fact that agriculture is key to poverty reduction in rural settings. However, for agriculture to succeed, other sectors such as education, road infrastructure and mobilisation of our people through co-operatives also have to do well.

Mr Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of this House the fact that our farmers have progressively increased maize production from an average 436 metric tonnes in the 2001/2002 farming season to well over 1.3 million metric tonnes in the last season. Surely, the Government’s support to small-scale farmers is evident. For instance, in the 2008/2009 farming season, we produced close to 1.9 metric tonnes of maize and 88 per cent of this was produced by the small-scale farmers.  I am sure we cannot forget about this.

Mr Speaker, the review of the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) and subsequent change of its name to the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) is an issue that has been talked about so much. There is no doubt that this is a well-meaning programme.  However, I note that change of any kind brings about anxiety, defensiveness and uncertainty.

On the Floor of the House, I tried to share with my colleagues the need for us not to focus on the size of the cultivated area.  We should, for once, maximise our energies on increasing productivity on the cultivated areas. This is why the Government has decided to reduce the size of FISP packs from eight to four bags so that we can reach more of our small-scale farmers. This will eliminate the perennial complaint by some co-operators and some organisation members that only a certain group of people benefited from this programme. In so doing, we are targeting 534,000 small-scale farmers this season.

Mr Speaker, the other issue is that of targeting beneficiaries. We have shifted the identification of would-be beneficiaries to the camp level. This will mean that only those with identifiable fields will be able to have access to fertiliser and seed under FISP. Due to the global prices of oil last year, the prices of fertiliser ranged from K250,000 per 50kg bag and in some instances, as much as K300,000. If our co-operators can get together, they can get D-compound fertiliser for instance, ranging from K160,000 to K175,000 and urea for as low as K138,000 to K145,000.

Mr Speaker, the Fertiliser Support Programme is not meant to completely replace the contribution of our farmers. We believe that, through the co-operative movement, they should be able to complement the Fertiliser Support Programme and therefore, increase on the hectarage.

Mr Speaker, in his address, His Excellency the President pointed out the increase in satellite depots in our districts. In the past, we only had two satellite depots per district, but at the moment, they have been increased to seven per district. I admit that in certain instances, the distance still remains too long for our farmers to take their produce. However, let me add that the selection of the satellite depots is done at the district level and the ministry is only advised of the most appropriate areas.

Mr Speaker, although the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) started to purchase maize at a slow pace, as was pointed out, funds amounting to K471 billion were made available to FRA. Since in certain parts of the region there is a high demand for maize as a result of drought, FRA was allowed to source funds from commercial banks to recoup what they had borrowed through the sale of this commercial maize.

Mr Speaker, this year’s harvest brings us to the fact that the marketing has created a problem. This House might recall that in 2002, as a Government, we presented the Crop Marketing Authority Bill to this House. At that time, we saw that when one strengthens marketing, then that, in itself, is a stimulator of production. Alas, at that time, our submission was rejected in this House. Some of the reasons cited were that the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives was going to have too much power. They also stated that the span of work to be undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives was too large and that it was not clear whether this would run side by side with FRA or it would incorporate FRA.

Mr Speaker, I think we have all seen the need to have a crop marketing authority. When His Excellency the President ushered in his Cabinet, he directed my ministry to engage stakeholders to find ways in which we can introduce a Public-Private Marketing Institution. I am happy to say that these consultations to implement this directive are underway.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the issue of the much-talked about crop levy. I have, in my notes here, information that a formerly employed person has a non-taxable amount of money amounting to K700,000 per annum, tax free. The small-scale farmers, who are the majority in the rural areas, pay K900.00 per 50 km bag as council levy. At the price of K65,000.00, if this small-scale farmer produces ten bags, for example, he or she will, therefore, have to part with K9,000.00 in levies. If they produce a 100 bags, then proportionately, they have to pay even much more, and yet the town dweller has a relief of K700,000.00 tax free. Is it any wonder, therefore, that we have talked of high poverty levels in the rural areas? Surely maintaining this levy did not help the rural dweller whose occupation is predominantly agriculture.

The abolition of the crop levy, in my view, will stimulate our councils to look at alternative ways to raise funds and I think this can be done.

Mr Speaker, in addition to the fact that we produce this high yield in crops, it is important that we also look at the other cash crops. Zambia has made successes in cotton, tobacco, soybeans; and most importantly, His Excellency the President stated the importance of cassava on page 4 of his speech. Currently, my ministry and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have embarked on a project of accelerating cassava growing in Serenje, Samfya and Mansa and, with the grant given to us, we have a cassava mill in Mansa. We are promoting the marketing of cassava. Zambezi Milling is always demanding for cassava because they use it for confectionaries and other uses.

Mr Speaker, cassava is a crop that grows without much attention, and yet it is a source of household food security. In this regard, it is clear that the success in cassava must be embraced and we must continue to improve on producing it.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of diversification, as a ministry, we have embarked on the development of the right seed this year because we recognise that there are certain parts of our country such as the Western Province in Lukulu and Kalabo, Northern Province in Kaputa and Eastern Province in Chama that have the capacity to grow rice on a large scale. The problem has been that of having contaminated seed, but this is no longer the case because we are purifying the right seed so that next year, it can be part of FISP.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to an issue that concerns most of us. There was an allegation that the Executive is deaf. You may recall, although this has passed, that I wanted to stand on a point of order because I wanted to give friendly advice to the hon. Member of Parliament because he was using a wrong word on people he had declared deaf. Perhaps to convey a message, let him go back to school and learn sign language. Really, how then can we be declared deaf when we are being talked to so loudly? That was my observation and I hope my colleague will take me seriously.

Mr Speaker, the other issue was the blanket allegation, and if I heard the hon. Member correctly, he said that all the civil servants were corrupt. That, again, is an opinion which was being stated as a fact. In any institution in the world, one will always find bad eggs, but that, surely, should not earn that group of people the description that was stated here. I know that the majority of our civil servants are hardworking and committed. All they need from us leaders is encouragement.

Mr Speaker, let me also comment on the issue that Zambia is endowed with arable land and abundant water resources. This is true, but we note that our inability to exploit this potential is historical. Our forefathers urged the Zambians to go back to the land, but we still continue to depend on the mono-economy of copper.

Sir, a lot has been done in the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. Men and women have been ministers and did their best and we are only adding on to what they achieved in their time. In my view, this is a statement of fact and not arrogance, as was alluded to by the hon. Member for Lusaka Central.

Mr Speaker, with regard to arable land, particularly irrigation schemes, let me share with the House that 522 hectares was acquired between 2000 and 2004 for this purpose. We also had nine irrigation schemes between 2005 and 2006 and between 2002 and 2004 …
 
Mr Speaker: Order!

The hon. Minister’s time has expired.

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Mangani): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the speech by His Excellency the President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, on the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the Tenth Assembly.

Mr Speaker, as I listened very careful to a number of hon. Members who spoke on a number of issues relating to my ministry, I would like to indicate that internal security is a pre-requisite for a stable government and the country in which both local and foreign investments are necessary to grow the economy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, I wish to echo the President’s Speech that it is gratifying to note that the country has continued to experience peace and stability. This demonstrates the Government’s commitment to devoting the much-needed resources and time to implementing programmes for the maintenance of peace in the country for socio-economic development.

Mr Speaker, maintenance of peace and stability involves dedicated men and women to soldier on in the process of protecting the country. I wish to say that I am pleased that our men and women from the various security agencies are committed to their duties and are striving to achieve the ministry’s mandate of maintaining internal peace and security.

Furthermore, Mr Speaker, it is only in a peaceful country where the respect and enjoyment of human rights are guaranteed to the fullest.

Mrs Phiri: Question!

Mr Mangani: As Zambians, we have chosen to uphold our resolve to make Zambia a peaceful country through effective maintenance of internal security. In this regard, anybody who is going to deliberately break the law will not be spared regardless of their status in society.

Interruptions

Mr Mangani: I want to emphasise, Mr Speaker, that all of us must abide by the rules and regulations governing this country …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: … and we should never take advantage of opposition to abuse it. After all, when you are a Member of Parliament or Minister, you have to be honourable in and outside this House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: May I appeal to all the Zambians and other nationals resident in this country, including hon. Members of Parliament of this august House, to abide by the  rules and regulations governing this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: My ministry will continue to do its best to professionalise the operations of the various security agencies within home affairs such as the Police, Prisons and Reformatories, Drug Enforcement Commission, Immigration, National Registration, Passport and Citizenship and National Archives of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, in recognition of the many contributions our men and women make to this country, the Government has decided that we should …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON in the Chair]

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was saying professionalising the operations of the security agencies has to be undertaken in tandem with promoting staff welfare. Consequently, my Government shall continue to look after the welfare of the men and women in uniform. In this regard, because of the commitment of the President and the Government, we have acquired enough uniforms for our men and women to boost their morale.

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, it is also a well-known fact that staff houses are not adequate for most of our officers countrywide, more so in my ministry. It is in this regard that I fully support the challenge of enhanced infrastructure development. My ministry has since put in place an ambitious programme to both buy and construct housing units for the Zambia Police Service and other departments in the ministry. The effort the ministry is making requires total support from all hon. Members of this House. Currently, the ministry is constructing staff houses in the Eastern, Northern and Southern provinces. The ministry is also undertaking rehabilitation of existing infrastructure countrywide.

Mr Speaker, the construction of infrastructure I am referring to here is a Government programme and funded 100 per cent by the Government. The provision of good shelter is cardinal, as it has a direct bearing on the officers’ performance.

As I listened to several debates from my colleagues, there was mention of our co-operating partners; members of the diplomatic service. I did not make a comment and I want to emphasise that as a Government, we are committed to working with anybody who comes to work in Zambia as long as they understand our procedures here.

Interruptions

Mr Mangani: Hon. Kambwili must ask Hon. Machungwa what it entails to be Minister of Home Affairs. If you meet some of these colleagues and start planning something, I will know within a short time. Do not think that when we keep quiet, it is a sign of weakness. We know quite a lot and I want to emphasise that we will not tolerate any behaviour that is going to suggest undermining the current Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: In this respect, Mr Speaker, I also want to indicate that my ministry will remain committed to building peace with our neighbours through various vehicles established for that purpose. To this effect, we strive to strengthen our existing bilateral Joint Permanent Commissions, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers of Defence and Security, Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO) and others. These mechanisms have stood the test of time and have ensured that we remain at peace internally and with our neighbours.

Mr Speaker, I also want to support His Excellency the President’s statement on the importance of peace-keeping missions. Consequently, my ministry will also continue to send police and prisons officers to peace-keeping missions in an effort to contribute towards the peace-making process in war torn countries. This is how our internal stability and peace will continue to influence peace building and translate itself abroad.

Mr Speaker, my ministry, through the Office of the Registrar of Societies, has been responsible for the registration of non-governmental organisations and other societies, including political parties. Therefore, if your agenda is clear and you want to form a political party, do not hide by indicating names which are strange. Indicate your real names and we will register the party because this is a democratic country.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Nevertheless, we will still register even those few political parties which are trying to hide names and see how they perform.

In this regard, I would like to urge all these organisations to work with the Government and understand the procedures obtaining in the performance or operations of their NGOs.

Mr Speaker, I pay particular tribute to the NGOs that have assisted my ministry to deal with the challenges of HIV/AIDS amongst officers in the various departments, including TB/HIV programmes for inmates in the prison setting.

However, I want to put on record that my ministry shall not take kindly to NGOs that abandon their functions and engage in activities that are totally different from their mandate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Mr Mangani: Every person living in Zambia, including all organisations operating in this country, must ensure that they abide by the laid-down procedures and regulations of dealing with grievances, imagined or otherwise.

Mr Speaker, one hon. Member raised the issue of the Public Order Act and the challenge it may have on the freedom of association or movement. My Government is still committed to promoting the freedom of expression and association. Furthermore, I wish to inform all concerned citizens and the nation at large that the Government has no objection to a demonstration expressing an opinion of one kind or another for a right cause as long as it is done in a peaceful manner and following the laid down procedures.

Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that whilst promoting this freedom, some people want to take undue advantage of our freedom of expression and peaceful environment to create confusion and instability.

Mr Speaker, some people have become professional matchers. Professional matchers will match with journalists, students, workers or anybody who is matching.

Laughter

Mrs Phiri: Question!

Mr Mangani: I want to warn the professional matchers that we are watching them keenly.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Phiri: We have become strong!

Mr Mangani: It is important that even if people want to demonstrate as a way of expressing their views on any subject matter, there is a need for them to do so in a peaceful manner and not cause disturbances or friction, as this may be a recipe for disturbing the peace. I know that if you are caught disturbing peace, you will try hard to ring me, but I will be outside coverage area at that particular time.

Laughter

Mr Mangani: In conclusion, I wish to reiterate the fact that the President’s Speech was very inspirational, especially to peace-loving Zambians. I wish to, again, reiterate that my ministry will make use of the new budget cycle to implement all programmes relating to the maintenance of peace and internal security of our country. I urge all Zambians to support the Government in our effort of maintaining peace and unity in the country. As a ministry, we wish to pledge to work extra hard as we fulfill our mandate.

I thank you, Sir.

The Minister of Livestock and Fisheries (Mr Machila): Mr Speaker, from the outset, I would like to pay tribute to His Excellency the President for an enlightening and pragmatic speech which has outlined the way forward for the nation at large and my ministry, in particular.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Machila: I would also like to echo the sentiments expressed by many hon. Members of the House on the unfortunate and untimely demise of our colleagues, Hon. Tetamashimba, who I sat with here in Parliament as well as Cabinet and also Hon. Hamir, who I worked very closely with in the Ministry of Lands. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, had its genesis, to some extent, in the Report of the Committee on Agriculture and Lands which was quite damning on the manner in which these particular sectors were addressed under the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. It is against this background that this being a listening Government, it took the initiative to establish a separate ministry, an action which received the wholehearted support of the House at large.

Mr Speaker, the Zambian livestock industry has experienced many challenges in the recent past. These include disease outbreaks that have decimated cattle in many parts of the country, low livestock productivity, trade restrictions owing to the occurrence of contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP) and foot and mouth disease (FMD), …

Mr Kambwili: Ema Minister aya!

Mr Machila: … inadequate staffing levels, making livestock extension and veterinary services very difficult. Others are smuggling, illegal movement of cattle as well as cattle rustling, a lack of marketing strategies for livestock as well as inadequate and inconsistent funding over the years. Mr Speaker, I am pleased to say that this is all to become a thing of the past.

Mr Speaker, my hon. Deputy Minister already spoke at length about some of the issues under the ministry and I shall try, as much as possible, not to repeat what has already been said. However, I thought I should touch a little on the issue of the disease-free zones (DFZ) which will probably come up time and again as this Parliament continues.

Mr Speaker, a disease-free zone is defined by the International Organisation of Epizootics as a zone in which the disease under consideration has been demonstrated by meeting the requirements specified in the code for free status through scientific methods and it has been established the disease is absent. Within the zone and its borders, appropriate official veterinary control is effectively applied for livestock and livestock products as well as their transportation.

The main objective of establishing livestock disease-free zones in Zambia is to open up opportunities for the export of quality livestock and livestock products through increased productivity and control of major livestock diseases, in particular CBPP and FMD.

Mr Speaker, the main activities to be implemented in DFZ will include:

(i) identification of areas to be delineated as livestock DFZ;

(ii) establishing bio-security infrastructure and measures to maintain disease free zones;

(iii) establishing laboratory backup services for disease monitoring and surveillance and DFZ classified areas; and

(iv) building infrastructure and human capacity for disease diagnosis, prevention and monitoring as well as disease surveillance.
 
As a start, the ministry shall be implementing the DFZ programme in three provinces, namely Central, Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces. It is the intention of the Government to extend the programme to other provinces. The basis upon which these three provinces were identified amongst others includes the following:

(i) absence of major livestock diseases such as FMD and CBPP;

(ii) mixture of commercial and traditional livestock farmers;

(iii) potential for growth; and

(iv) potential to control existing livestock diseases in the particular areas.

Mr Speaker, in creating DFZ, the ministry will implement activities in 2009, starting with the establishment and upgrading of livestock checkpoints. It will also upgrade and establish livestock service centres and related infrastructure such as dip tanks. The ministry will also establish and upgrade laboratories and strengthen animal identification and traceability. We shall establish and upgrade breeding centres.

Sir, the beneficiaries of the zoning include:

(i) livestock farmers;

(ii) traders and exporters of livestock and livestock products;

(iii) the general population through mitigation of HIV/AIDS effects through provision of nutritious foods derived from animal protein, in particular, milk and meat; and

(iv) the Government through the diversification of the economy and increased livestock production will add some positive development to GDP.

Mr Speaker, these activities will also be implemented in other provinces, starting in 2010. When we come to the specific debate in the budget, we shall be able to elaborate further on that.

Sir, with regard to the fisheries sub-sector, which also falls under the ministry, the overall objective of the fisheries sub-sector is to increase fish production and promote sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources, thereby contributing to the growth of the economy through the generation of employment, income and improved availability of fish.

Mr Speaker, it is estimated that 20 per cent of the animal intake for the people of Zambia comes from fish. Therefore, fish and fish products plays an important role in the food and nutrition security of the Zambian population, especially the urban poor and, as I mentioned earlier, the people living with HIV/AIDS.

Sir, aqua-culture is the world’s fastest growing food production sector. Given the excellent natural conditions and tremendous potential for growth in Zambia, it is our intension in the ministry to aggressively push the agenda for aquaculture. We hope that hon. Members of this House shall support us in this initiative and, maybe, put aside some of their resources to invest in this sector themselves.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Machila: Mr Speaker, the demand for fish is growing fast and opportunities abound for hon. Members of this House and the public at large. Our main focus in fisheries development shall be to ensure sustainable improvement in the management and capture of fisheries resources and promoting aqua-culture and the sector’s contribution to the national economy.

Sir, as we proceed to have the presentation of the budget tomorrow and move on to approve it, I appeal to hon. Members of this House to be constructive in their analysis and criticism of the Government. We are very amenable to criticism, particularly that which is done in good faith. We wish to continue working together with all those concerned with the development of the wealth of our people and betterment of this country at large.

With those few words, I thank you, Sir.

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to wind up debate on the President’s Speech. Let me begin by joining other hon. Members of Parliament who have expressed condolences to the families of the late Hon. Benny Tetamashimba, MP and Hon. Nasim-ul-Gani Hamir, MP, respectively.

Indeed, these were great parliamentarians whom we shall continue to miss in this august House. In particular, late Hon. Benny Tetamashimba was a gallant fighter for us in the Ruling Party and we shall miss him.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech was visionary and inspiring. Listening to the debates on both radio and within this august House, there is no doubt that the debates have been lively and, in many cases, constructive. Of course, some of our colleagues are traditional Opposition hon. Members of Parliament who see nothing good in whatever is associated with the Government. There is that group of hon. Members of Parliament who always criticise whatever is associated with the Government.

Sir, however, what is encouraging is that a lot of hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition appreciate what the Government is doing in their constituencies and throughout Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This was evident from their debates. In fact, many hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition are giving credit where it is due by acknowledging the successes of the Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This is how it should be.

Mr Speaker, we are all part of the Government which has three arms, namely the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. As legislators, we belong to the legislative arm of the Government. The three arms of the Government constitute what is called the Government.

Sir, it baffles me when some of our colleagues talk about the failure of leadership generally in this House like the hon. Member of Parliament for Siavonga and others. It is unfortunate that sometimes, when we are replying to some of their allegations, our colleagues decide to leave the House.

Mr Kakoma: We are here!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, the simplistic manner or approach to governance by some of the colleagues from the Opposition is worrying. A serious approach to national issues is required from national leaders. We are all leaders in this august House and contribute to the governance of this country. We are all involved in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes of the Government. We approve the budget every year, make suggestions and provide checks and balances through various channels.

Sir, it is a fact that the National Assembly has continued to play a pivotal role in the governance of the country. Over the years, the National Assembly has, through its committees and various resolutions, made recommendations on a wide range of issues which have been implemented by the Executive arm of the Government. The National Assembly has also passed a variety of laws to back policy measures initiated by the Government.

 

 

Sir, it is clear from the President’s Speech …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

We are not listening, particularly the hon. Members on the right. It is not right that when His Honour the Vice-President is talking, we should also be talking. Let us listen.

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: … that this House passed twenty-seven Bills in the last session. We worked together and passed these Bills. We also changed the budget cycle. It is also clear from the speech that the President has proposed a lot of Bills which we will be involved in enacting. Those which are identified fall under the following categories:

(i) the Budget Bill;

(ii) Bills arising from the Private Sector Development Reformed Programme.

(iii) the Independent Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill;

(iv) the Mines and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill;

(v) the Zambia Development Agency (Amendment) Bill;

(vi) the Gold Trade Repeal Bill;

(vii) the Control of Goods Repeal Bill;

(viii) a number of labour related Bills;

(ix) the Consumer and Competition Bill, which is on competition and                    consumer protection;

(x) the Urban and Regional Planning Bill;

(xi) the Tourism and Posterity Bill;

(xii) the Wildlife Bill;

(xiii) the Disaster Management Bill; and

(xiv) the Gender Based Violence Bill;

Sir, there are also a number of Bills related to the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Policy. We have the National Anti-Corruption legislation and legislation related to the creation of the Financial Intelligence Unit. We also have proposed for the constitutional review process related legislation.

For those who are with us at the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), members of the NCC have proposed several types of Bills which will be covered under the constitution. All these will have to come to this House for enactment so that we make our laws consistent with the new constitution which we are going to pass after the NCC deliberations. Those who are participating in the NCC know which laws I am talking about.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: There are Bills related to the electoral reform process. All this is covered in the President’s Speech. The President also referred to the Freedom of Information Bill. So you can see that in performing our legislative function, we have to show leadership. We have to work together and come up with laws which will be meaningful to this country. In appraising our economic performance as parliamentarians, we should also be conscious of the available resources in our budget.

For example, the 2008 Budget was K15 trillion. The budget has been growing steadily, reflecting growth in the economy and GDP. We can only develop the country from resources available. Of course, as a Government, we have realised our limitations inherent in relying on donor aid. Thus we have been devising ways and means of growing the economy so that we can have less dependence on donor aid. We have put in place policies aimed at boosting productive areas of the economy. In this regard, our efforts are now directed at attracting local and foreign investment in various areas of the economy which include agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing.

Mr Speaker, some of our colleagues have also talked about the legacy of the late President. For your information, in our development efforts, we are guided by the MMD manifesto which was prepared under the leadership of the late President, Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, may his soul rest in peace. The late President, worked together with the then Vice-President and now current President, His Excellency, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda and ministers, most of whom are in the current Government, to formulate the Fifth National Development Plan(FNDP) which runs from 2006 to 2010. This forms the basis for implementation of developmental projects. FNDP covers activities and projects currently being implemented in all the line ministries and Government agencies. Donor funding is also provided based on FNDP. The various programmes regarding the economic, social, political and governance spheres are covered in the manifesto, FNDP and Vision 2030.

Sir, preparations for the Sixth National Development Plan to cover the period 2011 to 2015 have commenced and the President referred to this in his speech on page 15. What we are doing in the governance sector includes reforms to the National Assembly, the fight against corruption, justice delivery and maintenance of law and order are also covered.

Mr Speaker, the development of infrastructure in terms of roads, schools, health centres, hospitals, support infrastructure to tourism, industrial parks, multi-facility economic zones are also covered. In the Presidents Speech, there are many projects which were covered. Some of the people who were criticising it, perhaps, were either not listening when the President was reading the speech or never went back to read the speech on their own. All the projects and how we are going to grow the economy are covered. In the MMD Government, we believe in an organised way of doing things through development planning and written manifestos. This is the Mwanawasa legacy which we are religiously following. We do not operate like other parties such as those under the UPND/PF Chilingalinga arrangement …
 
Laughter

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: … that have no manifestos.

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

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This particular snake has two heads and can move in both directions. It can go forward and in the opposite direction. Each head carries a manifesto. There is no written manifesto. If one head moves to the Southern Province, it will start campaigning that it will be president in 2011. When the other head moves to the opposite direction, its campaigns are conducted on similar lines.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: It is not that we are afraid of the pact.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We are not afraid of the pact.

Hon. Government Members: Hammer!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: The reason we are talking about the pact is that we want hegemony in terms of party membership … 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: …and hon. Members of Parliament so that in 2011, we can have a two thirds majority.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We know that the pact is fragile.

Laughter

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This is why we keep hammering so that it crumbles.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, I must thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Namwala, Hon. Chizhyuka, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: …for adding the chilingalinga dimension to our politics.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, political parties should be guided by clear manifestos which should be available for scrutiny. The current leadership in Government has achieved numerous milestones, hence the support received from hon. Members in their debates in this august House. Some of the evident milestones which can also be proved in the constituencies include those under the Ministry of Education. High schools are constructed in all the nine provinces of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We are increasing access to higher education.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice:  This has been acknowledged by all well-meaning hon. Members.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: The same applies to basic schools.

We are constructing these structures countrywide based on our Infrastructure Development Plan. When you check the Infrastructure Development Plan, you will see that everything is covered. We are phasing out thatched schools and also providing teachers’ houses. This is clearly documented in the Infrastructure Development Plan which has been distributed to hon. Members. 

 Mr Speaker, the number of classrooms has also been mentioned in the President’s Speech. The same applies to hospitals and health centres. Hospitals are constructed all over Zambia.

Mr Speaker, road construction and rehabilitation is also on going countrywide. Of course, we have limited resources, but we budget for these activities and work is on going. In addition to this, we have equipment purchased from china which is used to grade feeder roads.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of the FISP, we have managed to achieve a bumper harvest and we hope this will be repeated with the weather permitting. The only drawback is the climate change which we are experiencing.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to talk about the growth and prosperity of the economy which is evidenced by the construction industry. The construction industry is booming in Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Houses are constructed in most of the towns in this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Houses are constructed in Kasama.

Hon. Opposition Members: Where?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, the good thing about this is that these houses are constructed by Zambians.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This shows that we have provided an enabling environment and our policies are working.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: If you go to Solwezi, you will find mansions there. In Ndola, Kitwe, Kabwe and Lusaka, people are building houses. This means that the economy is doing well …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: …with an increase in cement production.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development talked about his ministry. This ministry is important because of the possibility of us creating a market for the export of beef. Countries such as Botswana rely on beef exports and Zambia can also emulate this. This is why we decided to create a specific ministry to deal with this particular activity. This also goes for the fisheries industry. We must manage our fisheries industry in a proper manner.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of the Rural Electrification Programme and increase of the capacity of electricity generation, a lot of projects have been mentioned. We cannot electrify the entire rural part of Zambia overnight. It has to be budgeted for annually. There are a lot of sites at which we are developing hydro-electric power stations. This is evident from the President’s Speech.

Mr Speaker, on tourism and the Northern Circuit, we are working in the Northern and Luapula provinces so that we open up these areas. Of course, people appreciate the work which, as MMD, we are doing, and our stronghold will start spreading to Luapula, Northern, Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Very soon, we will also start attacking formations in the Southern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We shall soon extend our influence into the Southern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: With what is happening arising from the chilingalinga arrangement …

Laughter

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: …and the evident cracks which are there in the UPND/PF Pact, we may start making inroads into the Southern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, on oil exploration, we have put in place a new legal framework to regulate exploration for oil throughout Zambia. The geological formation and terrain of Zambia is very similar …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Your Honour you may continue, please.

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: … to countries where oil has been discovered such as Uganda, East Africa. We have the Muchinga Escarpment formations which go into eastern Zambia. We also have similar geological formations as in Angola. Therefore, exploration activities will be intensified.

Mr Speaker, in mining, the copper price is on an upward trend. This will attract more investment to Zambia. I was listening to the BBC Radio today and Zambia is one of the destinations which have been identified as suitable for investment.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Zambia is now recognised worldwide as a peaceful and stable country, even though some people would like to paint a different picture. Investors appreciate what we are doing here in Zambia. It is for us, as leaders, to paint a good picture of our country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Most of us have travelled as parliamentarians. When you are out there, some countries are not as orderly as Zambia. You even start feeling home sick when you are there.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Let us defend and protect the peace and tranquility which we are enjoying in this country.

Sir, because of the tremendous successes we have achieved in the management of the economy, coupled with prudent financial management and the evident developmental projects we are undertaking, it is very easy for us to campaign in elections.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We are winning elections because our campaigns are issue based.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: It is very easy to campaign based on issues because we are delivering as a Government.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! 

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: In conclusion, let me also talk about a few issues

Mr Speaker, our commitment against corruption is unwavering and still intact.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We have since adopted the National Anti-Corruption Policy under which the Anti-Corruption Commission will be the leading institution in the fight against corruption.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We shall create expertise and capacity in ACC to fight corruption and financial crime. We shall not only fight corruption, but theft, money laundering and other sophisticated financial crimes. We shall also create a financial intelligence unit and also reform laws necessary for the fight against corruption. However, I must emphasise, as I have done before, that we shall fight corruption and financial crime in accordance with the tenets of justice and human rights.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We must observe human rights and we should not be vindictive. The responsibility to judge corruption and, indeed, cases of financial crime shall be left to the courts which shall operate independently and without interference from anybody. We shall let the courts operate professionally.

Mr Speaker, the Government shall continue to maintain law and order. Of course, we shall not allow anarchy in the country. The leadership, from independence, in 1964, to date, has looked after this country responsibly in peace and tranquility.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: We have travelled and proved that Zambia is a shining example in terms of maintenance of law and order. Things are orderly and there is freedom. There is no repression. However, crime is crime and we must deal with it firmly.

Mr Speaker, let me commend…

Mr Kambwili: Elyo batampa!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: This is in conclusion.

Laughter

 The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, let me commend the community radio stations which are doing very well in the dissemination of information. Many of the community radio stations are operating professionally. The few radio stations that may be violating the rules should adjust to professionalism. We shall encourage community radio stations which are professional in their operations.  I wish to take this opportunity to mention the experience which I had when I appeared on Radio Mano. It was very professional. That is how some of these stations should be run.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech is about continuity in view of the adjustment to the budget cycle. The President had to give two speeches this year. He had to chart a vision for the next financial year.

Mr Speaker, I wish to thank you for listening. I will end here.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwapela (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, I am very grateful to this august House for the support given to me on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency, the President’s Address.

Mr Speaker, from the contributions made by various hon. Members, it is clear that the President’s Speech attracted both praise and constructive criticism.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwapela: This is how it should be because democracy is about listening to and accommodating different views. I am certain that the MMD Government has taken note of all the views expressed by all hon. Members on the thought-provoking speech by His Excellency the President.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Question put and agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

______

The House adjourned at 1722 hours until 1415 hours on Friday, 9th October, 2009.