DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIRST SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 21st November, 2006

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

DISMANTLING OF KITWE TRADES SCHOOL

18. Mr Mwenya (Nkana) asked the Minister of Science, Technology and Vocational Training:

(a) Under what circumstances Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) was dismantling the Kitwe Trades School that they acquired together with the mine under the Privatisation Programme; and

(b) what plans the Government had to replace the Trades School in the provision of skills training for the youths of Kitwe and the surrounding towns?

The Minister of Education (Professor Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, according to the information that has been availed to the Government, KCM intends to move the Kitwe Trades School to Chingola by June, 2007. We are, however, investigating the matter to determine the motive for this decision. Having said this, I would like to remind hon. Members of the House that the Kitwe Trades School is one of the 300 institutions that are registered with my ministry. These are institutions that are owned by the Government, private sector, churches and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The Kitwe Trades School is one of the privately-owned institutions. My ministry, through TEVETA, regulates training standards. Any institution that falls below the minimum standard is deregistered and closed. However, my ministry does not interfere with operational and management issues of privately-owned institutions.

The Kitwe Trades School trains students to prepare them for employment within KCM and Mopani Copper Mines or those who are already in employment with the two mining companies. The training that is offered is, therefore, in-house.

The Kitwe Trades School has a capacity of 280 students, although, at the moment, the enrollment is at 114.

The Government has already written to KCM management, requesting them to surrender the premises to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training in the event that the company abandons the school. Should this be the case, the school will be annexed to an existing institution in Kitwe and be opened to members of the public wishing to pursue skills training.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwenya: Mr Speaker, is the Hon. Minister aware that the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) had installed very expensive equipment at the school that KCM intends to transfer to Chingola? Is he also aware that Kitwe is a central town and its population cannot be compared to that of Chingola?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I have already stated that the ministry is investigating the motive behind the decision taken by KCM. What the hon. Member for Nkana has raised is part of the investigations undertaken by the Government.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo): Mr Speaker, in his reply, the Hon. Minister stated that he does not know the reason this school is being dismantled. At the same time, the ministry wrote to KCM, asking them to surrender the school to the Government. Could the Hon. Minister reconcile the two statements? What are they asking for? Is KCM already dismantling the school without the Government taking any steps to stop them?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I have already stated that in the event that KCM goes ahead to relocate the school to Chingola, the ministry will request the premises to be taken over by the Government. These are proposals of the ministry. We have not yet made a decision.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mtonga (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, given the bad reputation KCM has, and considering the saying that goes: ‘We do not throw away dirty water before we find clean water’, can the Hon. Minister confirm that this institution that was registered, presumably with his department, is not being dismantled before a new place is found?

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I have stated that KCM has not yet implemented the plan to dismantle the school. The Ministry is following this up to investigate the intentions behind this plan. I cannot give any further explanation.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hachipuka (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, when KCM acquired the mine that included the Trades School, a development agreement was entered into. This agreement must give specific undertakings that, I would imagine, would include the school. Why then is the Ministry saying that it is investigating when, in fact, it should go straight to the development agreement and see what was included in it. Why is he unable to provide a precise answer when the school was part of the purchase arrangement under a development agreement?

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the broader agreement in the purchase of the mines involved a number of assets, including this particular school. That is why the Ministry is going to investigate the intentions behind the decision to relocate the school. The school is not being dismantled, but relocated. We are going to investigate the intentions behind this thoroughly and we shall report back to the House.

I thank you, Sir.

GRATUITY AND PENSION FOR OFFICERS IN GOVERNMENT AND PARASTATAL SECTORS

19. Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): asked the Minister of Finance and National Planning:

(a) What category of Zambian officers in the Government and parastatal sectors were entitled to both gratuity and life pension; and

(b) under what legal provisions the above social benefits were made and when these arrangements were made.

The Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning (Mr Shakafuswa): Mr Speaker, there is only one Government officer, the President of the Republic of Zambia who is entitled to both gratuity and life pension.

Mr Speaker, gratuity and life pension are provided for in the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia Article 42(3) which states as follows:

“A person who has held the office of President shall receive such pension and such gratuity as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament, and that pension and gratuity shall be a charge on the general revenue of the Republic.”

The Presidential Emoluments (Amendment) Act, 2005 provides for gratuity and the benefits of Former Presidents (Amendment) Act, 1998 provides for pension.

I thank you, Sir.

PRODUCTION OF CLEAR AND OPAQUE BEER

20. Mr Lubinda asked the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry how many litres of clear and opaque beer were produced for local consumption in 2005.

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Konga): Mr Speaker, 45,677,017 litres of clear beer and 579,601,669 litres of opaque beer were produced for local consumption in 2005.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, the figures translate to 4.5 litres of clear beer per citizen and 57.9 litres of opaque beer per citizen. Is the hon. Minister aware that these figures are higher than the international standards? If he is, can he state what programmes the Government has to reduce the consumption of alcohol.

Interruptions

Mr Konga: Mr Speaker, we have heard the number of litres of clear and opaque beer that are consumed. As a Ministry, we shall work with the other departments of Government to sensitise the citizens on the dangers of high levels of alcohol consumption.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister confirm that it is very difficult to stop people from drinking beer because the owners of bars and taverns will fight this and will not allow the Government to control their businesses. This includes the owner of Namakau House.

Mr Hachipuka: Hon. Lubinda with his Namakau House.

Laughter

Mr Konga: Mr Speaker, we appreciate the concerns of the other business owners who trade in alcohol, but since the hon. Member for Kabwata raised this as a health matter, we shall sensitise the citizens.

I thank you, Sir.

LUAMPA MISSION HOSPITAL

21. Ms Limata (Luampa) asked the Minister of Health:

(a) When the Government would send a medical doctor to Luampa Mission Hospital; and

(b) what measures the Government had taken to alleviate the problems of inadequate medical equipment and lack of medicines at Luampa Mission Hospital.

The Deputy Minister of Health (Mr Puma): Mr Speaker, Dr Ilunga Machine was posted to Luampa Mission Hospital and has been there since 14th May, 2006. The Government is aware of the inadequate medical equipment and shortages of some essential drugs in hospitals. From its resources and sometimes with those of co-operating partners, the Government has continued to provide new and modern equipment to hospitals like has been the case with the ORET Project which is a joint programme between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Royal Netherlands Government. The objective of this project is to replace obsolete X-ray and theatre equipment in seventy-one hospitals countrywide.

Mr Speaker, Luampa Mission Hospital has been provided with an X-ray and ultra-sound machine. Procurement and distribution of essential drugs is an on-going process. The drug supply in hospitals will soon normalise, as international orders begin to arrive at the end of November, 2006.

I thank you, Sir.

FERTILISER TO LUAMPA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY

23. Ms Limata asked the Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives when the Government would increase the supply of fertiliser and seed to Luampa Parliamentary Constituency.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Kalenga): Mr Speaker, agricultural inputs, that is, fertiliser and seed under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) are allocated per district and not constituency. At district level, District Agricultural Co-ordinating Committees (DACCO) approve applications from beneficiary co-operatives and farmer groups and accordingly, allocate agricultural inputs to them. Allocation of further quantities of inputs to districts is based on among others, the comparative advantage of an area in maize production, fertiliser consumption and use in the past, amount of carry-over stock, number of farmers and above all, funds approved in the National Budget.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that even if they base the supply of fertiliser on the number of farmers who applied, in areas such as Luampa, not all farmers who apply for fertiliser get it. When will the Government increase the amount of fertiliser to support farmers who are not given?

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, I indicated that it depended on the availability of funds. It is the hon. Members who debate the allocation of funds in this House. Therefore, when this House increases the allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, the supply of fertiliser to the farmers is also increased.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Scott (Lusaka Central): Mr Speaker, I wonder if the hon. Minister could tell us how the ministry is going to increase the supply of inputs or for that matter, the purchasing of maize in Luampa or anywhere else, when the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has a Board which is not legal under the actual terms of Act number 20 of 2005, passed by this House.

Mr Mtonga: Zoona.

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, we are doing everything possible. As you know, this is a liberalised economy, we are trying to encourage FRA to fill the vacuum, but there are also suppliers from the private sector who supply agricultural inputs to Luampa and other districts.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

COMMENCEMENT OF WORKS ON THE MULOBEZI/LUAMPA ROAD

25. Ms Limata asked the Minister of Works and Supply when works on the Mulobezi/Luampa Road would commence.

The Deputy Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Tetamashimba): Mr Speaker, in 2005, the ministry engaged three small-scale road contractors …

Dr Scott: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order! A point of order is raised while the Government is giving a reply. Therefore, I shall allow the point of order, but shall not allow the hon. Minister to continue with his response.

A point of order is raised.

Dr Scott: Mr Speaker, is the Government in order to reintroduce, in a silent manner, a State of Emergency in this country by the wholesale banning of political meetings contrary to the provisions of the Public Order Act.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Dr Scott: For your information, Mr Speaker, I lay this document on the Table. This is a letter I wrote to the relevant Officer Commanding, concerning four rallies that my party intended to hold this coming weekend and the following weekend in Lusaka to thank the people for voting heavily for us.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Scott: It was returned contrary to Section 5, Sub-Section 6 of the Public Order Act which requires that the police give explanations of any refusal and offer alternative venues and times. It was simply stamped and written, ‘not approved’ (fwatika), Commanding Officer.

Sir, I beg your ruling on this matter.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Lusaka Central is enquiring whether the State, I believe, in this case, the Government or the Executive has introduced, silently, as he puts it, a State of Emergency, whereby applications for public meetings, presumably, by his political party have not been authorised. I shall deal very briefly with the first part. No State of Emergency or threatened emergency has been imposed. If that were the case, this House would be the first to know.

Secondly, if the police have not given reasons for not authorising the public meeting or meetings, the remedy is the courts of law. This is provided for in both law and practice.

The hon. Minister’s reply was interrupted, next question, please.

_____

MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

The Minister of Defence (Mr Mpombo): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity to debate the Motion on the Floor of this House.

Mr Speaker, it is completely political hogwash …

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: … for anyone to indicate that the President’s Speech did not contain substance. The President’s Speech was a master piece, …

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: … which was loaded with substance and it was issue based.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Mpombo: It was a blueprint to bring the country together economically and socially. Therefore, the speech was very important.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the President on his re-election as President of this nation. The victory by the President is an endorsement of his leadership and policies by the people of Zambia. Furthermore, MMD’s victory is an illustration that the party remains the single repository of people’s aspirations and hopes. President Mwanawasa, by virtue of his victory, has proved himself a locomotive politician …

Hon. Government Member: Ma ma ma!

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: … who is able to bring everybody on board.

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, let me also congratulate His Honour the Vice-President, Mr Rupiah Banda on his appointment as Vice-President.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, I bring warm greetings from the people of Kafulafuta on your well-deserved re-election. You bring to that position, credibility and integrity. You are a hard-coiled springed disciplinarian. We applaud your extraordinary intellectual courage.

Sir, Madam Deputy Speaker has a strong administrative background of full cabinet minister, teacher and fully-fledged trade unionist. I, therefore, have no worm of doubt wriggling in my mind about her performance.

Mr Speaker, as regards the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House, he also brings his impeccable diplomatic credentials to this House. I have come a long way with him. When he was Head of Protocol at State House, I was District Governor for Ndola Rural.

Sir, at this juncture, I would like to want to extend very special congratulations to the new Member of Parliament for Lupososhi, Hon. Mulonga. His victory is very important …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: … because it marks the irreversible process of unbundling and dismantling PF structures in the Northern Province.

Hon. PF Members: Aah!

Laughter

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, by winning the Lupososhi seat, MMD has captured the important bridgehead which can allow it to launch a Blitz Krieg, which can, in turn, enable it gain ground and mobilise artillery forces into Lupososhi to fire missiles for future resources.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Therefore, it is really important that we ….

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, let me briefly turn to the Ministry of Defence. Our role is to ensure that the territorial integrity of the country is protected. I would like to say that the security situation is under control.

Sir, in terms of HIV/AIDS, my ministry is putting finishing touches to the HIV/AIDS Defence Policy. However, I would like to thank the American Government for their support. We have set up a state of the art virology laboratory.

Mr Speaker, the National Service continues to play a pivotal role in the provision of maize. This season, they had 3,500 tonnes. However, we hope to produce more.

Sir, with regard to the International Peace-Keeping Mission, we remain committed to the ideals of the United Nations as well as the African Union. Reports that have been received from the United Nations are that our boys are doing a commendable job.

In terms of disaster management, we shall continue to be on alert to improve readiness in case of a disaster.

Mr Speaker, let me say something on the economy. The Government should be commended for the important developments such as maintaining sustainable economic growth, reducing the inflation rate, increased donor confidence in the country, and massive debt cancellation.

Sir, we have also made colossal investment in the mining industry. This is contributing to the economic development of this country. My colleague, Hon. Magande, has continued to do laudable work. He is an asset to this country and has enjoyed international recognition because of his expertise.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, with regard to Constitution amendment, there has been a lot of noise made over this issue. We have made it abundantly clear that we shall follow the will of the people. That is, to go to the Constituent Assembly through the laid down legal provisions. There will not be any shortcuts. The Government has already decided that we are going to move in that direction. Therefore, the issues which are raised are not justifiable. The Government has agreed that we will do it and we will go the legal way.

Sir, as regards corruption, I want to commend my colleague, Hon. V. J for the stand he took on the report by …

Mr Speaker: Order! Who is V J?

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, Hon. Vernon J. Mwaanga, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services.

Hon. Mwaanga said that the report by the Transparency International did not augur well with the reputation of the country. I want to agree with him and to further say that Transparency International has been using obsolete tools of analysis.

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: When we were at a seminar recently, Transparency International told us that corruption in Zambia was done under the table. They even mentioned that in one of the neighbouring countries it was done on the table. They also mentioned that other countries were surrounded by corruption. Can we imagine the same organisation ranking Zambia as a one of the most corrupt countries?

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, some of these organisations suffer from a syndrome called psychological casualties of colonialism.

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: This is because in order to attract funding, they have to be negative in their reports. They have to say something negative in order to attract attention.

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, let me give a good example. In the just ended elections, we had the European Union to monitor the elections. All international bodies came here to monitor the elections. They certified the elections free and fair. However, our own Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) held a small press conference and said that the elections were not free and fair, and yet the international monitors gave the elections a clean bill of health.

Sir, people think in order to get more funding, they have to be unnecessarily negative, without knowing that they are destroying their country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, I do not think this is right. Therefore, we should not do things for personal aggrandisement.

Sir, on the issue of China, I feel the country has been fed on a diet of falsehoods and clear manipulation. It is mind boggling for one to stand up and say that China is a small country with a small economy.

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, China is the fastest growing economy in the world.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, China, today, has overtaken the United States of America as a major trading partner with Europe and this is no mean achievement.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: Today, Chinese businesses have taken over Rover Company in the United Kingdom. I do not understand how anyone can ask about what Zambia …

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Who created the Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA)?

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: Mr Speaker, the GDP for China stands at K2,269. 8 billion and GDP per year stands at K1,740 billion. The growth rate is 10 per cent  and this is a big gross rate. China has 160 diplomatic missions in Beijing.

Let me now go to the issue of Taiwan so that I clear …

Interruptions

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Hammer!

Mr Mpombo: We have been given Chibuku details on Taiwan …

Mr Speaker: Order! The Chair is doing all it can to avoid intervening in the debate of the hon. Minister of Defence, but there are so many interjections that I am unable to follow his debate. I would like to listen and I trust that the rest of the House wishes to listen alongside me. Could we listen to the hon. Minister’s debate?

Will the hon. Minister of Defence continue, please?

Mr Mpombo: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for your usual wisdom. I am not trying to bamboozle anybody. These are details …

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: Let me now talk about Taiwan …

Interruptions

Mr Mpombo: … so that I leave this House to judge the quality of information that has been sent to us. Diplomatic missions in China stand at 160. In Africa, the only countries that have ties with Taiwan are Malawi, Swaziland, Burkina Faso, the Gambia and Sao Tome. All the big African countries such as South Africa and Egypt have maintained diplomatic relations with China. How can a reasonable person go out of his mind and lump this country with a small group? It is important for people who aspire to important offices to have accurate information. They should not mislead the nation.

On the question of crude oil, the biggest problem, today, is that China has gobbled tonnes and tonnes of oil. That is why the price is very high. This is a country that is embarking on an aggressive industrial revolution. It is very disturbing to hear that very educated people are hooked onto this kind of information. The educated people suddenly become half sensible.

Mr Speaker, I want to quickly address the question of reconciliation. The President has called for a new political culture of productive pluralism. What he means is that we may have so many political parties, but let us understand each other and talk to one another. Let us not create unnecessary tension in the country.

The President is also asking us to get into constructive engagement. Let us discuss and not go out and tell people that one does not know when the elections will be held when elections are will be held in 2011. Let us put the election issue behind us and work together to face the greater issues that affect our nation.

Sir, it is important for people to think positively. There are hon. Members who have the audacity to say that there is nothing that has happened in their areas, and yet the Government has done so much. Therefore, I would like to urge the Opposition to appreciate what the Government has done.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpombo: If you are talking about democracy, the only way to build and nurture democratic tenets in the nation is for all parties to recognise the importance of conventions to elect leaders. The period of coronation is over. People must go for conventions and be elected. You do not share positions as if you are buying vitumbuwa. When you talk about democracy, you must lead by example.

Mr Speaker, I would like to concur with Hon. Hachipuka who said that it is now time for us to move together.  I have a lot of time for the Southern Province. It is, therefore, important for my brothers to conduct a radical orthopedic surgery.

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: There is a Lamba saying which has a lot of meaning for all of us, especially outsiders. You will not understand Lamba. Therefore, I will just say it in English. It says that if you cannot control the direction of the wind, adjust your sails. What I am saying is that it is quite important that we all work as a group.

Let me wind up by thanking the gallant people of Kafulafuta because the elections were just a walk over for me. I never threw a punch in the ring.

Laughter

Mr Mpombo: The message is that people on the Copperbelt are no longer willing to be used as door mats. There are enough seats in the urban areas, but the Opposition wanted not grab the few seats we have in the rural areas. They gave me a small hoodlum which I bisected badly.  Therefore, at the moment, the area is intact.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order! The Chair has no intention of restraining the hon. Minister of Defence from using those colourful words …

Laughter

Mr Speaker: …on which you cheer him as he uses them. However, the two words are unparliamentary. One them is ‘hoodlum’. That is definitely unparliamentary. You only need to look up the dictionary. The other was ‘hogwash’. We have official dictionaries in the Chamber. One of them is called the 7th Edition of the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary and a million copies have been sold. The word ‘hogwash’ is defined as ‘an idea or argument etc. that you think is stupid’.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Obviously, this comes from the word ‘hog’ which means pig. This compound word is added to our list of unparliamentary words. There is no one in this Chamber who can be considered stupid. You are all very wise law makers.

Mr Mwansa (Chifunabuli): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me the privilege to make my maiden speech.

Allow me, firstly, to congratulate you on your election as Speaker of this House and also Madam Deputy Speaker as well as the Chairman of Committee of the Whole House on their respective elections.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Chifunabuli Constituency who decided to re-elect me as their Member of Parliament after a spell of five years.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Against all odds, the people of Chifunabuli passed a verdict in my favour and decided to put to rest my predecessor who I wish the best in his changed circumstances.

Laughter

Mr Mwansa: To the people of Chifunabuli, I promise to do my best not to abuse the trust they have placed in me. I trust that God almighty will give me the courage, resolve and ability to dispense my responsibilities fairly and within my dignity.

Lastly, but not the least, I would like to thank my party President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata for the mature …

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: … and patriotic manner in which he averted civil strive immediately after the Tripartite Elections by appealing to the general public not to resort to violence in their anger with the outcome of the elections.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, the responsibility of hon. Members of Parliament in the Opposition should not be that of silent acquiescence with the Government of the day nor is it to shout ‘Hear, hear!’ to everything that the Government says. There are enough hon. Members of Parliament in Government to do that for the Government.

Rather, our responsibility to the people of Zambia, and indeed, the Government is to highlight the defects in the implementation of Government’s policies, and indeed, in the President’s Speech. We are also to remind the President and all Members of the Cabinet of all matters left unattended to, both in Government’s execution of policies as well the contents of the President’s Speech.

This country is going through a lot of problems. There are problems of hunger, poverty, disease, corruption and various forms of exploitation of people. There are also problems of youth unemployment and street children that are time bombs about to explode.

Mr Speaker, the manufacturing industry is still limping and taxes are ‘killing’ our people and products while the neighbouring countries are cashing in on our failures. In an environment such as this one, someone must blow the whistle, someone who will not be cowed by shouts of questions coming from the Government bench, someone bold and patriotic enough to say to the Government: ‘This is wrong or please, look at this or the other issue as well’.

Hon. PF. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, I agree with Dr Martin Luther King Junior, when he says that:
”The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but rather where he stands in times of challenge and controversy”.

We, Members of Parliament, stand in a privileged position where we can blow the whistle against the Government on behalf of the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, we, Members of Parliament in the Opposition, swear that we shall bear true allegiance to the President of the Republic of Zambia. It is not just allegiance, but true allegiance to him. What that means is that we should tell him the whole truth and nothing, but the truth.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: We must never shy away from that responsibility.

Mr Speaker, allow me to comment on some of the issues raised by His Excellency the President in the opening Speech. I shall start with the issue of public accountability.

Mr Speaker, we need to tell the President that in his Government, there is no prudent use of public funds.

On page 9 of the President’s Speech, His Excellency the President talked about prudent management of public funds. Indeed, the President is right when he says public resources need to be prudently managed.

However, Parliament just approved a Supplementary Budget of more than half a trillion Kwacha. That amount is in addition to the more than K10 trillion of the Budget for this Financial Year. If the management of public resources were prudent, we should be talking about savings from this year’s Budget instead of a deficit.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: We have to tell the President that the corruption index for this country remains unchanged. We are still ranked among the world’s most corrupt nations. That alone is clearly indicative of the fact that the fight against corruption has not yet yielded the desired results. Also, it is a fact that since the President came into office in 2001, there has not been any substantial reform in the law dealing with corruption. That also indicates a lack of political will to deal with the issue of corruption.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: The President has to know that there is a growing perception among Zambians that the victims of the fight against corruption have, in the main, been those who are political opponents of the Government and that those who are in good books with the Government need not worry about their criminal activities since the long arm of the law is shortened for them.

If, however, the use of public funds is to be prudent, the Government must urgently address the following issues:

(a) Poor salaries for public workers. I submit that paying poor salaries to public workers who are the staff managing public resources is a recipe for corrupt practices and below a par performance; and

(b) the unending seminars in the public service must also be addressed. It is not prudent management of resources to allow the so-called capacity building seminars to go on indefinitely. What makes the seminars even more suspect is that, in most cases, it is the same staff in the ministries and other Government institutions who attend the seminars every year. It seems to me that some people have created careers out of attending seminars. These people have forgotten the jobs for which they were employed and attend seminars, shunning their responsibilities at places of work. In effect, it is the same attendees of seminars who benefit both intellectually and financially from the seminars.

Mr Speaker, I would like to submit that the amounts of money expended on the never-ending seminars could well double salaries of most, if not all, public workers.

Mr Speaker, on poverty, disease and street children, I wish to say that poverty is dehumanising. It is enslaving and makes people susceptible to acts of corruption. For someone who has not had a decent meal for some days, a bag of mealie-meal or sugar is like manna from heaven. People can easily sell their votes and rights when they are hungry. I have often wondered whether there is a silent, but deliberate policy in our country to keep the majority of our people poor for political expedience.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: After all, is it not often said that there is no decency in poverty and that the poor and starving people are easy to bribe and manipulate.

Mr Speaker, poverty cannot be wished away. It must be fought deliberately, systematically and forcefully.

On the issue of street children, this syndrome in our country is a disaster that has already happened, but its impact is yet to be seen. Their numbers are swelling. Some of them are becoming young adults on the streets. Before long, we shall start hearing of gang wars on our streets.

One young friend of mine who lives in one of the shanty compounds once said succinctly to me that if the Government did not act and act quickly to redress the problem of street children in our country, it should not surprise me if one of these days, my son is attacked by his son while he is driving a posh car and my son mistakenly thinks of him as a heartless rich fellow from whom he must get some money for a meal.

We should not, as people entrusted with the leadership of this country, sit here and imagine that sending our children to school without educating the rest of the children will solve the problem of street children for us. On the contrary, failure to deal with the problem of street children and illiteracy in our country puts those who are educated at risk from their brothers and sisters on the streets who might just think of venting their anger and frustrations on the children we are educating.

Mr Speaker, there is also a phenomenon of retirees’ and retrenches’ shanty compounds in our country. These are little homesteads created by retirees who have had to build pathetic little plastic huts in townships, near the town centre as well as bus stations, while they wait to receive their pension benefits. This extends to the men and women in uniform who have retired or have been retrenched.

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that keeping senior citizens on the streets as they wait for their hard-earned, but pathetically low benefits, is the worst kind of insult this Government can hurl on those who have contributed to the well-being and development of our country. Instead of living peacefully in retirement, the gallant men and women now walk the streets of our towns, begging young men and women now in pension offices to give them their life time contributions. This is a disaster.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, the President conceded in his Speech that expunging of user fees has created problems. He says at Page 43 of his Speech, and I quote:

“Implementation of this measure has met with certain challenges. Government will therefore, take measures to address the identified challenges.”

Mr Speaker, I want to submit that the statement quoted above is obviously an admission by the President that things have not been going well after expunging user fees. One of the major challenges the Government has met with, I submit, is the failure by health institutions to pay their bills for basic drugs and reagents in hospitals. Prior to the expunging of user fees, many hospitals, clinics, rural health centres and health posts survived on user fees to purchase essentials to run the institutions. User fees complemented what was coming in, if at all it did, from the Government. Expunging of user fees has therefore, meant that there in no money available for health institutions to purchase, at least, the basic essentials that make health institutions maintain a semblance of dignity.

Mr Speaker, the challenge this country faces from the HIV/AIDS pandemic did not receive, in my view, due attention by the Government. For example, only at Page 39, Paragraphs 2 and 5 does the President mention HIV/AIDS in relation to Public Service Management.

Mr Speaker, all of us in this House know that HIV/AIDS is the greatest health challenge in this country and the world. This pandemic has killed more people in Africa than did the two world wars combined, and yet we will still have to depend on scanty sentinel surveillances to determine its prevalence in our country. It is also our policy not to disclose the cause of death if someone dies from AIDS related complexes. To me, the position that our medical institutions have taken is one of denial. We are afraid of telling the truth about the disease that is decimating entire families.

I would therefore, have loved to hear the President outline the current preventive as well as curative strategies his Government has embarked on in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As far as I know, less than two hundred thousand people, out of the more than one million HIV/AIDS patients are on Anti-Retroviral Treatment today. We also need to know whether there have been recorded side effects of the drugs. In addition, the Government must tell us whether or not there are any resistant strains of the virus being recorded in areas where Anti-Retroviral drugs are administered.

Furthermore, there is a need for the Government to state its position on the question of whether or not people who deliberately infect others with the HIV/AIDS virus should be charged with a criminal offence.

Mr Speaker, we have no choice but to tell the President the sad news that the education system in this country is in shambles, starting with the concept of Basic Education itself.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, true Basic Education must leave our children not only literate, but also mature enough to face the challenges of life. We are not doing ourselves a favour when we educate our children only up to a level where they can become good house servants, car cleaners, carpenters or bricklayers and able to speak a little English.

Mr Speaker, Basic Education must keep our children in school until they are young adults and are equipped with all the basics of survival and the responsibility to take over this country from us. We must train our children to be proud of their God-given country. We must train them to be patriotic, united, to have self-esteem and be committed to sweating and shedding blood for their motherland.

Sir, this is the only country where, for example, it is easier for a foreigner to acquire land than a local person. I want to state here that no one in this whole world owns us a living. We must compete with the rest of the world for our survival. If our National Anthem says, ‘we are proud and free’, then let us ensure that our national interests are more paramount than those of any other person or any other country. All the above issues must be taught to our children at the basic education level.

As for teachers’ meagre salaries, there is little one can say other than what the hon. Members of Parliament have said already.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to talk a little about water. It has been predicted that future wars will be fought on fresh water. Zambia has abundant water, most of which is let to flow to the oceans unutilised. It is estimated that we have about 60 per cent of fresh water in the SADC region. Of all our water resources, we have only utilised about 3 per cent, yet we experience water shortages in all our urban towns and every time we are befallen with a drought, we end up with a major disaster.

Mr Speaker, I would like to know from the Government what the current policy position is concerning riparian rights on shared water courses in the SADC region.

Mr Speaker, the President cited finance and lack of capacity as major challenges to the provision of health services. However, I would like to say that if true development is to be realised for local communities, councils must be adequately funded. Secondly, I would like to say that forty-two years down the line, we surely have had enough time to build capacity in local authority. In fact, I submit that the problems local authorities are facing are a direct result of central Government’s reluctance to decentralise. I would like to say that this country’s development depends on decentralisation. The Government must let people at local level determine their destinies. True development is that which is espoused by the community itself. The people of Zambia have been denied the needed finances to improve their standards of living.

Mr Speaker, I believe that it is he or she who feels it, who knows it. If Constituencies were adequately funded, development in most, if not all our areas, would be visible instantly.

Mr Speaker, this brings me to the issue of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). When the concept of funding constituencies directly was first mooted by myself, Mr Newton Ng’uni and Mr Samuel Mukupa in this House, we were threatened with expulsion from the MMD. CDF, I submit, is the only money that goes directly to the constituencies. It is the only money that truly targets the people at constituency level. I would like to say that the money being given currently is not enough. We have a national Budget of over K10 trillion. I suggest that the Government considers giving each constituency on the average, K1 billion, depending on the number of wards.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, this is the only way we can take development to the local communities in the shortest possible time. The Government must view itself as the steward of people’s wealth and must strive to equitably and transparently distribute this nation’s wealth to all the corners of the country. The MMD must ignore irresponsible statements such as those uttered by some hon. Deputy Ministers, threatening others with no development. This is not their money.

Hon. Opposition Members: Shame!

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that my Constituency, Chifunabuli, is in a mess. The road infrastructure is almost non existent and education is in shambles. Not a single school has enough teachers. We should be serious with issues of development. This country belongs to all of us and one of these days, …

Mr Speaker: Order! The hon. Member’s time has expired.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Kalenga): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my maiden speech.

Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the Republican and Party President Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, the National Executive Committee of my great party, MMD, and the party organs at provincial, district, constituency and branch levels for the tremendous support they rendered to me during the last election which I won with a large majority, beating a former Vice-President and a prominent Lusaka businessman.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, I remain indebted to them all as their humble servant and wish them God’s abundant blessings. I pledge to carry out my noble assignments diligently and better than when I first came here as the youngest and Independent hon. Member of Parliament ten years ago.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: I also wish to specifically congratulate His Excellency the President Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC, on his election as Republican President for his second and last term of office. His victory clearly demonstrates the confidence and faith the people of this country have in his leadership credentials.

Mr Speaker, he and nobody else deserved it. Being grateful to people for giving us an opportunity of this nature is a matter of humility I want to explore. I therefore, feel bound to put on record my appreciation to the people of my constituency for giving me a second mandate to represent them in this august House. I owe them a wholesome service.

Sir, it is also said that behind every successful man, there is a woman. I indeed, want to say thank you to my wife and mother of my children, Happie, for her care, support and encouragement throughout my career. She is the rock I lean on in all my exploits.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Further, I would like to thank my mother Joyce Bwime Kalenga who has been supportive throughout my political career.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, I would also like to thank my father, Timothy Katolo Kalenga and congratulate him posthumously on laying a strong foundation in Kabompo and making Kalenga a household name which made me win the elections easily.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Sir, in the same vein, I would like to seize this opportunity, whole heartedly, to thank His Excellency the President for giving me the rare privilege of serving in his Government as Deputy Minister. I pledge total loyalty, dedication, hard work and exemplary leadership Of this, I am unflinchingly determined. 

Sir, the elections were conducted in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. This is a great achievement Zambia continues to make and we should therefore, pray to the almighty God to continue blessing our country with peace and good leadership because without it, even the abundant resources of this country will not be developed, let alone enjoyed.

In this vein, I wish to thank my competitors and brothers Messrs Enock P. Kavindele and Moses Zama of UDA for giving me a good fight and for showing maturity during and after the elections. Without them, the game of democracy could not have materialised.

Mr Speaker, I would like to associate myself with other hon. Colleagues who have congratulated you on your well-deserved election to this high and dignified Office of Speaker of this House. I equally extend my congratulations to the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House on their election to these esteemed portfolios. I sincerely believe that it is a great challenge in your political careers and at the same time, I have no doubt you will excel in executing the high demands of duties in your offices. We shall look up to you all for guidance and leadership of this august House.

Mr Speaker, with the above outline, allow me to support the President’s elaborate and inspiring Speech to this House by putting across to the nation categorical ambitions, wishes, concerns and gratitude of my constituents and indeed, as a province and nation as a whole. Since our interests and desires are one, it is perfectly logical that I adopt a holistic approach in my speech on matters of common interest.

Mr Speaker, I stand before this august House as a Member of Parliament from a rural constituency, Kabompo West, which is part of a rural province, North-Western of our blessed country, Zambia. This province has been tagged Cinderella, meaning the neglected one. It is a bare fact that made the area to politically lose faith in the policies of the former regime, culminating into its affection for the Opposition.

Sir, the privatisation vampire sacked the last blood from the region’s economy to the point of incurable economic anemia. The closure of growth points such as the Mwinilunga Pineapple Cannery, Kalengwa and Kansanshi Copper Mines, removed the region from the ambit of productive commerce and trade. It literally crushed the life out of the province.

Mr Speaker, the MMD under President Mwanawasa SC, has been a refreshing contrast in character and approach to national issues, as his administration has pursued courses that have stirred the province to notable economic life and development. Good policies and governance for much of the world’s population make the difference between life and death.

Sir, in response to the New Deal’s progressive policies, the people in the province have ended their rebellion and given the MMD overwhelming support.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, in the North-Western Province, as things stand today, we see before us the fairly clear outlines of a new and incomparable status quo. The North- Western Province is no longer a Cinderella, but a sleeping giant which has suddenly awoken from deep slumber. The future is bright and the ground looks ripe for optimism. The potential is growing every day with the new discoveries of mineral wealth. The situation is that the North-Western Province has not yet come anywhere close to making the most out of its natural wealth. Fairly soon, it will be declared a mineral fortress. Very soon, Hon. Tetamashimba and Hon. Chipungu will be called Sheik Tetamashimba and Sheik Chipungu, wearing those round hats.

Laughter

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, we have also made progress in herbal development. There is what we call the Sondashi formula 2000 that is on trial. Therefore, the North-Western Province is doing very well.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: I wish to thank His Excellency President Mwanawasa, S.C and his Government on behalf of the people of North-Western Province for their invaluable efforts, once more, in giving us hope and a firm growth footing. All seems to be going well as each district is sitting on a comfortable supply of water, electricity and food, unless those hit by natural disasters.

Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duties as constituency, provincial and indeed, national leader if I did not acknowledge the achievements made under the current MMD regime, especially as a province which was systematically relegated to the bottom of the pit of regions.

We are witnesses of sound government policies that are politically endearing and economically fascinating which have provided an ideal terrain for a radical shift in the texture of our economy.

Sir, allow me now to comment on the problems in my constituency and will start with education.

There are about four high schools, namely Kabompo, Kayombo, Kabulamema and Kanaji Chilanda in my constituency. Kayombo, Kabulamema and Kanaji Chilanda High Schools both need urgent expansion of infrastructure to meet pressing enrollment demands. There is a further need for a tertiary institution in the area to absorb the school leavers the four high schools are offloading onto the streets to enable them pursue further education within the vicinity. I am a bearer of their request as a veritable agent.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer!

Mr Kalenga: As a measure of improving education standards, there is a need for the many community schools in the constituency, which are about ten, to be upgraded to Government schools. Sefu, Kayando, Mutokoma, Mufuli Mapanda Panda, Mbinjilika, Ndoho, Dekeli and Minunga Community Schools have an urgent need in this respect.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Kalenga:  In the same token, I wish to thank the Government for the commissioning of the Solwezi Trades Training Institute as well as Solwezi Nursing School respectively. It is a remarkable feat, but staff housing at most schools is an area of concern. There is an acute shortage of teachers’ houses at almost each school in the constituency.

Hon. Opposition Members: Shame!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, in the health sector, my constituency has about seven health centres and one hospital. However, these are not sufficient. There is an urgent need to build four more health centres to adequately address the problem of people travelling long distances to seek medical attention. Places such as Maveve, Kamashila, Mbinjilika, Mushivi and Kalwilo all need clinics. Good health is central to survival, thus the need to bring medical services nearer to the people.

In the same breath, attention should be accorded to the critical and persistent manpower shortages at the hospital and indeed, all the health centres. I am appealing to the colleagues in the Ministry of Health to act urgently to save lives. The district hospital built in 1975, begs for expansion to meet the growing demand for health services arising from the growing population in the district. To this end, I ask for the indulgence of my Government.

On the same score, I wish to thank the Government of President Mwanawasa SC, for abolishing the health user fees in rural areas, making it possible for the rural masses to access medical services.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, roads, which is the common infrastructure on which every economic development leans, is a subject of utmost interest in my constituency and the Northern-Western Province in general. The level of economic activity in any province is generally reflected and determined by the road infrastructure. The Chavuma/Mutanda Road popularly know as M-8 Road is one project that needs immediate action in terms of a fresh plan of work to expedite the tarring process if the envisaged mineral wealth development projects in Chavuma, Zambezi and Kabompo Districts are to be feasible. Although a commendable start has been made, given constraints of resources, we appeal for further attention.

Sir, we however, want to thank the Government for the surface dressing works being done on the same road and the rehabilitation of the Mwinilunga/ Manyinga Road.

Furthermore, most feeder roads in my constituency are run down. Therefore, efforts must be made by my Government to work on the roads to make it easy to access areas of high productivity.

Sir, mining is a matter of interest too. My heart is filled with joy at the initiatives made by the MMD Government to develop this industry. The North-Western Province is an economic flashpoint because of the mining activities at Kansanshi and Lumwana Copper Mines. This project has been billed as the biggest single mining development to be undertaken in Africa and the most complex of its kind. It has resulted in job creation and general economic empowerment to the people. It is a solid ladder of economic regeneration.

Mr Speaker, the project has galvanised the enterprise spirit and brought about optimism among the people. I hasten to add that the oil exploration programme cites a characteristic incident indicative of the Government’s commitment to broaden our once shrunk economy. The Government has for the last five years continued to raise the living standards of the toiling masses to bearable levels through the provision of opportunities in income generation and opening up fresh economic growth points. We eagerly look forward to the fruition of this important venture. May the heavens help the people of my land!

Sir, tourism is one other issue I desire to talk about. I wish to address the Government and all the stakeholders in the industry to broaden tourism promotion to the rural areas as well.

Tourism in Zambia can create employment and generate the much needed revenue for the development of this country only if we harness all the available resources. Unfortunately, in the Zambian context, when people discuss tourism, they do so in the context of Livingstone, Siavonga, Luangwa and Lusaka. The discussions evolve around wildlife and very little is usually thought about the historical and archaeological sites lying idle in the periphery of our country. Tourist attractions located away and far from wildlife estates or urban provinces do not attract sufficient attention.

My particular interest goes to one historical tourist attraction, the Kaleni Hill that abodes the Zambezi River source. Mr Speaker, the importance of this site, given enough publicity to learn about our great river’s history, is beyond dispute. Its social appeal is beyond doubt, but our inability as a country to market it fully as a tourist post, is our conspicuous failure.

The Kaleni Hill is indeed, a historical landmark; it stands out as a beacon to all tourists who want to learn the history of the mighty Zambezi River. I, therefore, appeal to the Zambia National Tourist Board (ZNTB), investors both local and foreign to come and explore the unmatched beauty and mystery of this place. However, the road infrastructure to the site must be improved to enable interested parties reach the site without difficuly.

Mr D. Mwila: Cross over!

Mr Kalenga: Sir, lest I omit mention that my constituency also houses the historical prison of the First Republican President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda when he was incarcerated in 1959 by the colonial authorities. This is also one historical tourism monument that yearns for marketing by the Zambia National Tourist Board (ZNTB). The Jivundu Game Reserve is one such important tourism money spinner which is heavily underutilised. I also wish to appeal to Dr Kaunda to find time to visit his home of isolation to refresh his memories of the liberation struggle.

Laughter

Mr Kalenga: He should not fear to be rearrested once he visits the house. He is part of its history and we assure him security.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: It is, therefore, important to note that the ‘Visit Zambia Campaign’ will not achieve its desired goals if certain sites and places are excluded from it.

Mr Speaker, may I seek the indulgence of my Government to look into the plight of the pineapple and honey industry that needs urgent attention. Equal attention must be given to the abundant timber in the North-Western Province. This province with a tropical forest like the Amazon of Brazil constitutes the environmental lung of the nation.

Sir, my maiden speech will be incomplete without touching the subject of agriculture which is very close to my heart.

Mr Speaker, I have sat here for two weeks, listening to the debate in this House. Some debates I listened to were great and moving, especially the debates that touched on the theme of agriculture in this country. Whenever matters of agriculture were touched, I felt something rumbling in my stomach. Clearly too, matters of agriculture are matters of the stomach …

Laughter

Mr Kalenga: …, but the stomach does not know politics, it only knows satisfaction. Therefore, when we talk about agriculture, I hope hon. Members of the House remove their partisan spectacles and wear national spectacles …

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: … because some of the spectacles in the Opposition such as those worn by Hon. Muntanga, are blurred and their vision is not clear.

Laughter

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, the concerns of the House on agriculture are understood.

By the way, let me declare my interest here. I am not only a practical involved farmer, but also a Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: Mr Speaker, as a Member of Parliament from a rural constituency, bearing ambitions and interests of people whose main stay is subsistence farming, I feel extremely delighted to be in the driving seat of delivering appropriate policies in this grand area of their lives.

Mr D. Mwila: Tell them!

Mr Kalenga: Sir, I am proud to mention that the New Deal Government has made some positive strides towards improving national food security. Today, poor harvests are a story of the distant past. It does not belong to the package of my hardworking and competent Government. We are determined to make a difference from the previous regimes’ inappropriate polices which entrenched the dismal cycle of hunger and poverty. To this end, the New Deal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives and our collaborating bilateral and multilateral partners, are implementing several programmes. Programmes of interventions such as the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP), Livestock Restocking, Disease Control, Seed Control and Certification, Out-Grower Schemes, Agricultural Research, Co-Operatives, Marketing and Agribusiness, Farming Block Management, among other initiatives are aimed at building the productive capacities of the small and medium-scale farmers in a bid to reduce hunger and poverty among farmers and also enhance the participation and competition of the private sector in the supply and delivery of agricultural inputs. This demonstrates the Government’s determination and commitment to the nation’s aspiration of a fully fledged liberalised market.

Mr Speaker, these initiatives have greatly contributed to rebuilding the eroded asset base of farmers through direct income transfers and a ready market for the private sector input dealers and suppliers. However, we shall not rest contented with the achievements we have registered in agriculture so far. I wish to echo the President’s wise and salient observation in his thoughtful Speech to this august House on 27th October, 2006 and I quote:

‘Through these elections, it is clear that Zambians have spoken in a voice that should and can never be ignored. They have spoken that agriculture matters to most of our people and it should be promoted to the level it out to be.’

Mr Speaker, our people simply want us to make some improvement to our systems of storage, marketing and indeed, distribution of agricultural inputs and products. This is the demand which has been clearly borne out of the 28th September Elections. As a listening Government, we will improve where and when necessary. This is fairly obvious going by our track record.

Sir, in conclusion, this House bears a crashing and awesome responsibility to debate national issues maturely, cogently and progressively. In the spirit of today’s politics, a time must come in the life of a people struggling to emancipate themselves from self – afflicted woes to bury out petty differences, or political shadows in the interest of some perceived or real public good.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: We are assembled in this august House, Mr Speaker, as privileged agents for the people in national building process. It thus follows, that charged with this heavy and noble responsibility of charting this country on the path of growth and continued peace, must reorient ourselves with the value of unity.

Mr Speaker, this is not time for ego-blowing but a time to advance a uniform cause that will translate into better life for all Zambians. The sum total economic and political condition demands that we unite opposition and ruling party and drive this beautiful land to greater heights of social, economic and political prosperity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalenga: May the good Lord bless Zambia and its entire leadership.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: I am aware that the majority of the Members of the Executive are also elected from the constituencies. Therefore, there is a temptation when they debate to dwell a great deal on their constituencies. I have to bring the Executive back on track, on the proper way of debating. Once you are appointed to the Executive, you lose the privilege of speaking for your constituency. You then win the privilege of speaking for the entire nation throughout the portfolios. However, I do not deny the Members of the Executive the privilege of thanking the political party that made it possible for them to come to this House, that they can say; and also to thank the voters for voting for them. That is in order, but beyond that, you speak nationally.

Do not speak as a Back Bencher or a Member of the other Parliamentary groups.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I am aware of a number of Hon. Members of the Executive who are now answering, but they should from, now on, pay attention to what I have just guided them. You are now free to look at your notes and delete all those details referring specifically to your constituencies.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Please, speak nationally. So while the Members of the Executive are adjusting their speeches, we would like to hear from a member from the other groups. {mospagebreak}

Mr Syakalima (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, it is with a great sense of honour and humility that I rise to make my speech in this august House which obviously reverberates with the history of our people. I am proud to have been elected by the constituency of Siavonga to represent the community of my ancestors and their best interests in this House.

Mr Speaker, allow me to join the chorus, certainly not of the indifferent to congratulate you and Madam Speaker as well as the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on your re-election and election. I am positive that history will assess your personal contribution to society as an example of the elevated understanding of duty and authentic dignity. Please, accept the assurances of my highest consideration and best wishes for your personal happiness.

Mr Speaker, it is customary to pay tribute to people who you think sacrificed for the sake of humanity which I am more than happy to do. Hon. Members, you may have the memories of the late Anderson Mazoka, I say with some admirations and certainly with respect, that he was a politician of his own times. He opened a new chapter in Zambian politics of discussing ideas and what other people call mental fermentation.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: Even if one disagreed with Mazoka, it was impossible not to respect the sincerity and passion of his conviction and the way in which he put them forward. May His Soul Rest in Peace? I would also like to pay tribute to his successor Hakainde Hichilema in that many of our people will remember that he is an honourable person who did not calculate with his own career and personal profits on the scenes of misery of others.

Mr Speaker, let me start with the problem of street children. I have heard many times that the problem of street kids or street children is a time bomb when we have debated the issue of street children. I would like to put it forward that, in fact, the problem of street children is actually already an erupted bomb. I think it is now a cluster bomb affecting the entire society.

Mr Speaker, allow me to say that society always has a tendency of creating victims and always blame the victim and even this time as we are experiencing the outcome of the street child, it started as a joke and it only came in the Third Republic in the 1990s. Now as a Government you have a social responsibility. I know the arguments are that it is not this Administration, but the previous one. No doubt, yes, it started with the previous Administration, but you have a social responsibility to stop this scourge.

Mr Speaker, right now we are arguing that these half measures of ‘let there be a curfew for street children at Manda Hill and elsewhere’, but these are short-term measures that we are putting in place and one can only and rightly say that we are now used to fire fighting. You heard that on the Copperbelt the street children were fighting innocent citizens and that the police are involved and thereafter, it is the street kids that are blamed. As I said, society has a tendency of creating victims and always blames the victim. We should have arrested this scourge in the beginning. It is unfortunate that at some point we even made street vending an institution and these are the consequences of doing that.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: Very dangerous consequences. These children will grow hating humanity and all the kinds of things that they do, hating people sometimes, to an extent of raping women because they do not understand why they should be alive. They have no value for life because their own lives seem to be valueless. When street children wake up very early in the morning, they are involved in all types of drugs and you do not expect such a person to become a normal human being.

Mr Speaker, I have been involved in rehabilitating children under drug addiction who come from normal homes. Now what do you expect from a person who does not come from a normal home like those on the foot bridge of Manda Hill. So we must do something very urgently. Rather than just pick these children and take them to what many people think are concentration camps, we can revive all those national service camps and take them there and not only to go and do matching orders, ‘left, right, and center’ and thereafter go for skills training, we must also employ social workers and psychologists who should be able to change their behavioral pattern as a people so that these children will come to understand humanity, to respect humanity and life. As of now, they have no respect for life because their own lives are not respected. So, we have a social responsibility as a country and as a Government to deal with this situation before it gets out of hand because at the moment, we are reaping the consequences. These are disastrous consequences of leaving something at abeyance.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to this other thing that has now become like a joke and this is the Bottom Road.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, to the people of the valley, the Bottom Road is an emotional subject. I say so because every successive Government has talked about it. The people who talk about the Bottom Road, are those who were displaced over the construction of the Kariba Dam, they were promised that Bottom Road and this was in 1953 and how many years down the line that this road has not been constructed. How many years from 1953 to now? It still reminds them how they were fighting a war with the colonial government that they did not want to get out of their best soils in Upper Zambezi. Up to now, there is literally nothing being done. The people were excited 2 to 3 years ago when at least a Head of State mentioned the Bottom Road and that was President Mwanawasa at Lwindi in Monze.

Mr Speaker, unfortunately enough, this time when he came to talk about things that were going to happen, the Bottom Road was left out. One would only assume that this year, the Bottom Road will receive sufficient funds so that even just 42km in Siavonga and another 42km in Sinazongwe and Gwembe forty-two km can be repaired in bits so that at the end of  the five year-term, we would have completed the Bottom Road.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, let me also talk about electricity. Our people certainly have contributed to the growth of the economy of this country, and yet, many of our schools and clinics do not have electricity. The people paved way for this, every second of a minute since 1958, this country makes money and in millions of dollars, yet, very little was done under the Gwembe/Tonga Project. Hon. Mpombo can attest to this very well.

Mr Speaker, I also want to talk about certain things that make our people very vulnerable to starvation. I was talking about the Bottom Road, obviously, what it means is that, all the feeder roads are bad. This time around, the elephants are destroying crops and every year we talk about relief food. It has become very difficult s for me every year to say that there is not enough food in our place even when the rains have done very well. Now, there is a scourge of elephants.  So, repeatedly, they grow the food and the elephants destroy them, and at the same time they are seen as if they are a lazy people.

The other thing that I want to ask the Government is to crop crocodiles and hippos in the Kariba and the Zambezi River. Crocodiles were once cropped in 1960, and I still remember the other time the Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources said may be they were only ten crocodiles more. My argument was that, and I still hold this argument, in 1964 the population of Zambia was 2 million or 3 million, this time around we are about 12 million. The crocodiles were once cropped in 1960. What is the population of crocodiles?

Hon. Opposition Member: It is also in millions.

Mr Syakalima: It is above millions because crocodiles lay eggs …

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: … and the gestation period is quite short. So, we would like to appeal to the Government to have the social responsibility to help us.

One another thing that I want to talk about is poverty. Poverty, Sir, if not tackled, will lead this country to chaos. I say so because as one hon. Member said, poverty can make a person vote anyhow, because you can bribe them and so on, but there is one thing that poverty can also bring, which one person said, it can lead people to use their stomachs in voting and not their brains. It is possible …

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: … if we are not going to tackle poverty you will make our people one day vote for anything.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Syakalima: If we are not very careful penury is very bad, you will make our people vote for anything. Sometimes, because of penury, people say, we just want change and nothing else.

Hon. Opposition Member: Correct.

Mr Syakalima: Sometimes we must change so that change becomes our friend, not where change is going to become our enemy. I will give an example, Mr Speaker. In Germany, after the First World War, there were a lot of reparations and unemployment for many Germans and Hitler seized the opportunity. He used to address rallies from 0600 hours to 1800 hours, sometimes shedding tears showing emotion for the hardships the Germans were enduring and they said here is a saviour. Once Hitler was elected to power he became the cruelest dictator the world had ever seen at that time.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: History repeats itself and we are not an island.

Hon. Opposition Member: No.

Mr Syakalima: This is why you have a bigger social responsibility to reduce this poverty. I have here, Sir, the Director General of the World Health Organisation ..

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was trying to refer to the Director General of the World Health Organisation in 1999 who cited the World Bank who had launched a study called ‘Voices of the Poor’ where they asked sixty thousand men and women in sixty countries to share their realities, their hopes and expectations for their future. One of their findings was that the poor seek much more than an increased income. They seek a piece of mind that comes with good health, a sense of community, safety and predictability; they seek the freedom to influence their own lives and to make choices. In short, they seek a sense of well-being that often follows higher income, but is not necessarily a part of it. This wellbeing is to ensure a state in which individuals can realise the abilities, cope with stresses of life, work productively and satisfactorily and make a positive contribution.

The underlined word, Sir, here is where people can be able to make their own choices. This is what poor people seek and the social responsibility of the Government is to make sure that people have all these where they can realise their potentialities, where they can make their own choices and not to be influenced by whims. So, social responsibility squarely lies on the Government so that we take our people out of all this suffering because anybody can come one day and say that, I will provide this. Our own example in Africa here tells you the realities. In Uganda, when Idi Amin came on the scene of Government, everybody went into the streets of Uganda commending him and loving him very well. Six months down the line, he showed what he was, ...

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: …but that is as a result of the people who have been kept in dire need of the social services; health, education and to be removed from squalor and hunger.

Lastly, Sir, I would like to say that it is incumbent on political leaders to diffuse the tension that sometimes follows the elections. I want to pay great tribute to Hakainde Hichilema who was able to sit near President Mwanawasa and as it is said, the art of finding a ground on which we who agree about little can nevertheless stand together is not an art to be despised …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Syakalima: … because no one has a monopoly on our unending story of nationhood, and certainly, no one has the manual for our nationhood. So, we must all take stock of what we do just after the elections because they can bring much untold suffering than we are seeing now.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker, everything that I have said is relevant to my electorate. I do have concerns for my country and I am going to do my best to speak my mind and stand for what I believe. I consider myself just an ordinary Zambian who wants to keep this great country strong. My greatest desire is to see all Zambians treat each other as equals as we travel together in this century in the hope of meeting the Millennium Development Goals slated for 2015.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Dr Mwansa):  Mr Chairman, I thank you most sincerely for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Floor of the House moved by the hon. Member of Parliament for Nyimba.

Like all other hon. Members who have debated before me, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees on your re-election and election to your respective offices.

Sir, the fact that your election and re-election for the three of you was without contest is a source of comfort for all of us in the House. This fact demonstrates that there is more that binds us together than that which divides us. It also shows that there is more that pulls us together than that which sets us apart.

Mr Chairman, I would like to thank all hon. Members of the House for the display of unity. We would like to see this collective strength play itself again as we tackle equally challenging business in the House in future.

Mr Chairman, in my few remarks, I want to restrict myself …

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Just to guide the hon. Minister. You are addressing Mr Speaker and not Mr Chairman.

May you continue, please.

Dr Mwansa: Mr Speaker, in my few remarks, I want to restrict myself to commenting on issues raised by hon. Members of the House that touch on portfolio functions of my ministry. In this connection I will cover the following areas:

(a) Utilisation of water pumped from Konkola Mine;

(b) Konkola North Project

(c) theft of Zambian copper;

(d) closure of Shaft 4, 18 and 28;

(e) flooding of Chibuluma West Mine;

(f) the future of the Placid Oil work done in Chama District and the need to investigate possible presence of oil in other areas;

(g) the need for Zambia to benefit more for the mining sector; and

(h) Participation of Zambians in mining.

In her debate, the hon. Member for Chililabombwe, Ms E. Banda, informed the House that millions of cubic litres of water are pumped every year out of Konkola and most of that water goes to waste.

I wish to inform the House that the water pumped from Konkola Mine is utilised in the following ways:

(a) Domestic Use

Konkola Mine pumps a volume of 300,000 cubic litres of water per day of which 50,000 cubic litres are supplied to Chililabombwe Township through Nkana Water and Sewerage Company. This water is for domestic use.

(b) Operational Use

Konkola Mine uses 50,000 cubic litres per day.

(c) Discharge into Kafue River

200,000 cubic litres is discharged into the Kafue River for use down the stream.

Sir, I should also add that Konkola Mines are developing a long-term programme to use the surplus water for agricultural purposes. The company has plans to undertake feasibility studies to determine potential agricultural projects that can be implemented using water pumped from the mine. As part of its corporate social responsibility, Konkola Mines intend to support large scale plantations for high value crops, fish farming and other agricultural projects. The feasibility study will be undertaken in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives and other private participants.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Chililabombwe also wondered why or whether the Teal Exploration Company would soon be opening a mine in Chililabombwe.

Sir, I want to advise that the company is still studying the prospect of starting mining operations in the district of Chililabombwe. Over the next three months, Teal Exploration Company experts to undertake feasibility studies of the south and east limbs of its Konkola Copper Project in order to assess the viability of mining from the existing shaft and workings that were operated by Bancroft Mines in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This study will indicate whether and when mining operations will start in the area.

Mr Speaker, the issue of theft of Zambian copper was raised by the hon. Member for Lubasenshi, Mr Chota. I wish to state that upon discovery that thefts of copper were on the increase, the Inspector- General of Police formed the Anti-Copper Theft Squad mid this year, to specifically deal with the scourge. Under this initiative, officers involved have taken a special training at Kamfinsa Mobile Unit relevant to the task. The Squad has performed very well as shown by the following statistics:

(a) A total number of forty cases have been dealt with. So far, fifty-seven individuals have been arrested, three of whom have appeared in court, facing criminal charges related to copper theft.

(a) During the same period, at about six months, the value of stolen copper was about K5.4 billion and the value of copper recovered is K2.3 billion.

Mr Speaker, we must, therefore, appreciate and recognise tremendous work done by the Inspector-General of Police in this regard.

Sir, I should also inform the House that investigations are still continuing on the shooting incident that occurred in Chambeshi at the property of NFC Africa Mining Limited where workers staged a protest against their management. We are still waiting for the outcome of these investigations.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Roan Constituency, Mr Kambwili, brought to the attention of the House, the closure of Shafts 14, 18 and 28, including the smelter in Luanshya. He raised the concern of plant stripping and that operations were mainly concentrated at Baluba Mine. The hon. Member submitted that re-opening of the Shaft 14, 28 would create 2,000 jobs in the area.

Sir, Shafts 14, 18 and 28 together with Baluba Mine and the Smelter infrastructure were sold to Luanshya Copper Mines in January 2004, after the Binani Group of Company failed to utilise the properties. They are private property of Luanshya Copper Mines PLC.

Mr Speaker, the new mine owners, however, initially focused on developing the Baluba Mine. Recently, these owners exercised their rights to purchase Mulyashi North Deposit and Oxide Caps which are in proximity with the three shafts and have embarked in a feasibility study to develop these deposits. The outcome of feasibility study will indicate whether and when Shafts 14, 18 and 28 will be opened. It is our desire as Government to see that the three shafts re-open so as to increase levels of employment in the country.

Mr Speaker, this issue was raised by the hon. Member for Kalulushi, Mr Simama. I wish to inform the House that Chibuluma West Mine was allowed to flood last year following a decision to close the mine. It has been in operation since 1955. When Metorex acquired the asset in 1997, the expected lifespan was four years. However, the mine continued to operate for seven years until the underground resources were depleted and reclamation mining activities were exhausted.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Chama North, Mr Chilembo, raised the issue of whether the Government will review and advance the work done by Placid Oil in Chama District in 1980s. The Government has decided to review the early exploration work in Chama District and apply the method of Microbial Prospecting for Oil and Gas in the areas. We feel that Zambia should take advantage of the new technology and apply it to Chama.

Sir, the hon. Member for Liuwa raised the issue of prolonged fires in his constituency and requested the ministry to investigate occurrences as was the case in North Western Province. I wish to confirm that funds permitting from next year’s budget, application of the Microbial Prospecting Oil and Gas method will be extended to Liuwa. It is our intention to extend this technology available to all areas of promise, such as Luangwa Valley, Kafue Trough Bangweulu Plains, Mid Zambezi and Western Zambia Basin.

The need for Zambia to benefit more from the mining sector is widely accepted and I thank the hon. Member for Luapula for raising this issue. Government has decided to review the Mineral Royalty Tax in order to maximise revenues from the sector. In doing so, we do not intend to make the sector uncompetitive. Neither do we intend to increase cost of production to unreasonable levels. The current rate of 0.6 per cent is contractual and our wish is to discuss and negotiate this matter with all parties concerned. The mining sector, however, is already making some notable financial contribution to the Treasury. Last year, for example, the mining industry contributed in the excess of K429 billion to the Treasury broken down as follows:

Item    (K’million)

Income Tax   1.1
Pay As You Earn  246,693
Withholding Tax  2.7
Extraction Royalty  31.5
Cobalt/copper price  147

Total    429

The expected increase in payments of Mineral Royalty Tax will enhance this contribution to the Treasury. To get more benefits from the mining sector, however, it requires conceited efforts to grow the sector further and thereby increase the earnings of the sector. I, therefore, agree that human resource training for the mining sector should be stepped up as indeed proposed by the hon. Member for Mwense.

In this regard, I wish to commend the exploration and mining companies like the Zambezi Resources and Kansanshi Mining Plc that have introduced scholarship schemes to support training institutions, including the University of Zambia to train more personnel for the mining industry. The Government would like to see more mining and exploration companies take up this challenge.

Lastly, would like to address the issue of the participation of Zambians in the mining industry, raised by the hon. Member for Mwinilunga East, I want to emphasise that Government would like to see more Zambians participate in the mining sector and the following types of licenses are available as provided for in the Mines and Minerals Act, Cap. 213 of the Laws of Zambia: We give as follows:

(a) Prospecting Permit;
(b) Prospecting License;
(c) Gemstone License;
(d) Artisan’s Mining Right;
(e) Small-Scale Mining License; and
(f) Large-Scale Mining License.

At the moment, there are no Zambians with substantial ownership in a large-scale operation involving copper or cobalt. Zambians are only employees and have no ownership of the assets. I, once again, appeal to hon. Members and all Zambians at large to come forward and apply for large-scale prospecting and mining licenses.

Mr Speaker, I should mention that the Mines and Minerals Act reserves the Artisan Mining Right for only Zambians. No foreign individual or company can be granted this type of license. So, the legal framework too, promotes Zambian ownership in the mining sector.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr B. Mwila (Nchelenge): I am most obliged, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice towards what everybody else has said.

Allow me, Mr Speaker, to heartily congratulate you and Madam Deputy Speaker on your election to these very important national leadership positions. You truly deserve the confidence reposed in you by the hon. Members of this august House. I know that you have amply demonstrated the value of this House in your national endeavours.

Allow me to congratulate the Deputy Chairman of Committees and all the elected and nominated hon. Members. I am sure we will all speak with the sincerity required of us by our electors and determinedly maintain the credibility and trust with our electorates and move instead with their desires and demands. I am convinced that this House has serious minded and public spirited legislators who are resolved to make dignified laws that will make free the Zambian people from all manner of ills. All of us in this House largely share the same principles and areas of national concern. The people of Nchelenge and indeed all the Zambian people expect us to uncompromising strive for the improvement of their lives.

Mr Speaker, kindly allow me at this juncture to add my voice to those of my constituents and those of the many of our compatriots who have welcomed the candid conciliatory address of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia to this First Session of the Tenth National Assembly. I urge hon. Members to cast aside partisan considerations and embrace the spirit underlying in the President’s Address and to move away from the needless partisan and antagonisms and obstructionism…

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mwila: …and let us work as partners in matters of national concern. Let us unite in removing the undercurrents of disunity from every quarter of our society knowing as we should do that no meaning social and economic development can take place in conditions of tension and disunity.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mwila: We should rekindle the virtues of our founding fathers who worked tirelessly to unit the Zambian people under the motto of ‘One Motto One Nation’. Let us during this and future sessions resurrect the spirit of patriotism that has unified the Zambian people in times of national difficulties. Let this session witness determined efforts by all towards strengthening the people and finding them together in the pursuit of national causes.

I am consoled myself that we have men and women of goodwill in this House who fervently desire to speak words of unity and from pure hearts. My constituency holds very dearly the beliefs and values of our founding fathers. They believe and I entirely agree with them that we, their successors, can only continue to abandon such beliefs and values at our own peril.

Mr Speaker, as I have earlier stated, I and with my constituents very much welcome the President’s opening address to this session and the potential it holds for national unity and prosperity. However, let me hasten to stress that the proof of its value lies in its implementation. My constituents in Nchelenge yearn for concrete results from His Excellency’s Address. They expect the administration to timely and resolutely convert His Excellency’s words into action and among other things they expect the administration to act consistently and in words which are compatible with democracy, constitutionalism, rule of law, personal liberties and Christian morality. The people of Nchelenge want the administration to strictly live by the policy intentions announced by His Excellency the President.

Mr Speaker, Zambia is in dire stress and this is clearly evident in my constituency. The poverty levels in Nchelenge and no doubt elsewhere paint a grim and frightening picture of destitution, especially when viewed in relation to the available abundant, but large untapped resources.

Mr Speaker, it is sad that forty-two years after independence, we should be wrestling with the problems of national unity and tension which are primarily poverty related. It is embarrassing that the people of Nchelenge and I believe elsewhere only enjoy fond memories of the social and economic circumstances of the pre-independence era and those of the immediate post-independence era. They do not have pleasant stories to tell about much of the Second and Third Republic eras.

Mr Speaker, my constituency is home to many retirees, orphans, unemployment youths, men and women, the elderly, the physically handicapped and so on whose plight is nightmarish to say the least. There is abundant water in the constituency, but no clean and safe water for the people to drink, hence the perennial problems of cholera outbreaks.

The constituency has serious economic and social problems despite being endowed with appreciable resources such as minerals and abundant water. The majority of our constituents sadly lack economic empowerment and do not have access even to the most basic social needs. They have no jobs, sufficient food and cannot afford basic education and health.

Mr Speaker, the constituency is used to benefit socially and economically when employment, particularly on the Copperbelt was expanding and salaries and wages of indigenous people were growing and they could afford to help their relatives back home. Such assistance has particularly, been lacking during the post-third Republic era with its most under paid work force that feels luck to have a job at all.

It is during this era when the afflictions of casualisation have been most pronounced, an era in which many workers are gripped with insecurity. The majority of those reaching retirement age have virtually nothing to leave on after separation with their employers.

Mr Speaker, I feel it is our burden duty to enact laws that will free our people from naked exploitation and oppression. In the first place, the mines were sold at a give away price. Copper prices have risen, but the Zambian people generally are not benefiting from this resource.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mwila: We should quickly reverse this debasing trend, this brutal ingratitude and indifference by our affected investors.

Mr Speaker, the Zambian miners used to get copper bonuses every October, which reflected the profit made by the company. They benefited from their toil. It is embarrassing that after forty-two yeas of independence, our workers are subjected to what is tantamount to slave wages. Workers are adding value to company products, but are not being appropriately recognised and rewarded. The days of life-time employment have been dispensed with by many Post-Third-Republic era employers. Before the Third Republic, there was increasing labour value through continuously re-training of employees. It is too much to ask the present administration to intervene so that the wage rates are reasonably and fairly linked to profits and productive improvements.

My constituency eagerly looks forward to legislation prescribing the maximum shares to be held by foreign investors in mining and those to be given to Zambians by way of empowerment.

Nchelenge has some natural resources such as minerals. It is the wish of the people in the area that Zambians benefit from these resources. Zambian should not continue to be poor, to suffer in the midst of abundance and opportunities. People cannot continue to be without jobs or the ability to any living. Appropriate and timely interventions by the administration are, therefore, required.

People in Nchelenge expect to see some public investment programmes that are linked to the exploitation of the resources in their area. They should not continue to wallow in poverty whilst investors reap a fortune.

Mr Speaker, there is a strong case for share ownership by Zambians in private companies, there is a strong case for training and retraining programmes by all enterprises to remove the excuse of outside labour. There is need to urgently revive the insignificantly royalties and excessive tax incentives. We do not need the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) people to assist us negotiate the levels of royalties and tax concessions. We know what Zambia and our constituents need.

Mr Speaker, there is need for the mines to account for other minerals such as gold and zinc in the same way they account for copper production in order for us to optimise our income from this resource.

Mr Speaker, there is need to address issues affecting our industries which have collapsed, primarily because of unfair competition and which has really worsened by the incentives granted to the mines who can import literally everything. Let this session witness legislation, which will support the prosperity of Zambian industries and protect jobs. It is sad that we have allowed industries that supported the mining industries to collapse at a time of improved prosperity in the mining industry.

Mr Speaker, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) and their predecessors, which were private corporations actively, participated in the provision of various social services such as housing and health. The present owners should be urged to do like wise and where appropriate, establish new offices instead of using antiquated premises, which have already fallen into a state of disrepair. The people of Nchelenge welcome foreign investments that benefit the people, particularly, investment that brings improved technology and links to the markets. They welcome foreign investment with local ownership structures.

Mr Speaker, allow me to thank the people of Nchelenge for electing me. The district has lost all the glamour it once had. It is all on accounts one of the most neglect districts in the Republic. Forty-two years after independence, cholera continues to ravage the area simply for lack of safe and clean water and yet it does not cost much to drill boreholes in the district. I, therefore, appeal to the Ministry of Energy and Water Development to extend the borehole-drilling programme to Nchelenge to save lives. I also appeal to the ministry to provide a water master for use in the provision of canals on Chisenga Island.

We have some serious deficiencies in the area regarding education. We have, for instance, a pathetic situation whereby the community-employed teachers are paid in kind such as fish, pumpkins and maize.

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

Mr B. Mwila: Mr Speaker, I earnestly request the hon. Minster of Education to redress this embarrassing situation.

Mr Speaker, I consider it not fit for the House to continue debating issues without action. I consider it morally wrong for us to continue getting allowances when the people get no benefits from our presence in this august House.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr B. Mwila: Mr Speaker, people in Nchelenge suffer needlessly, even from electricity provisions whose voltage is so low that one cannot even read at night. And yet there are generators lying around elsewhere in the country. Let ZESCO revert to the use of generators in places such as Nchelenge so that people do not continue losing property. The existing poor service by ZESCO in Nchelenge does not redound to the credit of the corporation.

Mr Speaker, I call upon all Government institutions represented in the district to improve their service delivery in the area. My particular appeal goes to the Ministry of Health to provide health centres to save lives. People walk long distances, sometimes ending in fatalities. Can the Ministry of Health provide the area with some ambulances, particularly, water boat ambulances for Kilwa and Chisenga Islands.

Mr Speaker, let me conclude by stressing the fact that the greatest problem in our country is that we have never had economic independence even after forty-two years of independence. The economy is still in the hands of foreigners and we continue to live without any hope. The Zambian people need to live with hope for their future.

Mr Speaker, in business, we compete with foreign companies who get financial support from their banks and preferential treatment of foreign companies. Zambian companies that supply the mines have dilapidated machinery, falling infrastructure and insufficient working capital. The playing field with foreign companies is not level. The Government has a responsibility to provide separate funds, either through the Development Bank of Zambia or Government and private banks to revitalise the Zambian companies. Preference should be given to Zambian owned and Zambian managed companies. Zambians with innovative business ideas should be helped to take part in the booming mining activities by offering structural, financial and technical assistance.

Zambian empowerment in business will create meaningful employment and reduce poverty. The Zambianisation Committee should seriously look at all employment permits and ensure only exceptionally skilled and qualified persons are retained even under investment permits. There should be a serious direction to the Immigration Department.

Zambians should be offered land on lease to develop agriculture. Besides giving seeds, fertiliser and chemicals, we should also provide equipment on lease. I am sure with proper assistance we can make the agrarian revolution succeed in the country. All banks including private banks should have a certain percentage of lending to agriculture to the indigenous Zambians rather than to foreigners only.

On taxation, the basic slab on income tax rates should be increased. We should collect separate tax on foreigners employed similar to selective employment tax in the second republic. This should apply to all investors, including the mines. Royalty fees should also increase with the increase in the copper prices.

Mr Speaker, training of Zambian personnel should be a priority of all investors. This can be facilitated through appropriate tax incentives. We should also have tax incentives for companies employing handicapped persons so that there is employment created for disabled persons.

Mr Speaker, it is my sincere hope and trust that this House will use everything in its power to help enhance national unity and reduce tension. Let us preserve and enhance unity and reconciliation in order to meaningfully develop our mother Zambia.

Sir, let this session go down in the annals of our history as the one that helped bring about very positive changes in our political, social and economical arrangements. Let it be credited with ushering in a popular constitution and electoral system. Let it be credited with having truly answered the will of the Zambian people in the discharge of all its functions.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Community Development and Social Services (Ms Namugala): Mr Speaker, allow me to congratulate you on your unanimous re-election. Allow me also, to congratulate Madam Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees on their election back to this House.

Mr Speaker, I thank His Excellency the President for the Speech he delivered to the Tenth National Assembly. Before I dwell into issues concerning my ministry raised by the hon. Members on the Floor of this House, allow me to commend the hon. Members in this House for voting unanimously for a female Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, this is historical.  As a female hon. Member of Parliament, I am extremely proud to be part of this progressive House that realises that it is not the gender but the capacity of a person that matters. Clearly, Mr Speaker, the men of Zambia have demonstrated that they have confidence in the women form and what is left is for us women to asset ourselves and take our rightful place in national development. I am very sure that my elder sister, the Deputy Speaker, will do a very good job.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, election campaigns can be extremely hostile. Coming from one, I know that it was not easy especially for those of us who had to defend our seats. There was always a new comer who promised the electorates, heaven on earth.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: For the 37 per cent hon. Members of Parliament who came back to this House, I would like to say, “well done and congratulations!”

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the problem of street children has been allowed to become a critical problem requiring huge resource allocation and good will by all. By all, I mean Government and members of the public. This problem will only be resolved if society realises that it cannot be entirely blamed on Government.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, together with the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development have embarked on a vigorous programme to remove children from the streets. In her speech, the Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development elaborated efforts by her ministry to offer training to children, who were removed from the streets. These are youths from fifteen years and above. My ministry’s mandate is to provide care for children by placing them in homes and ensuring that they are cared for properly.

Mr Speaker, we have now carried out a survey that indicates that only 25 per cent of the children on the streets actually sleep there. This, therefore, means that 75 per cent, which is the bulk, do not sleep on the streets. Most of the children on the streets have some sought of homes to which they go. At an appropriate time, I intend to bring a statement to this august House on the status of the street children and the action that Government intends to take. The problem of street children, I agree, is a time bomb and Government is committed to reducing the problem.

Mr Speaker, in his Speech to Parliament, His Excellency the President called upon all stakeholders to address the problems facing persons with disabilities in order for them to contribute to national development. My ministry, through the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) runs fourteen centres among them there are Kambowa and Kang’onga. Unfortunately, the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities, which is run by a board, has relied solely on Government grounds, making it difficult for the agency to carry programmes meant to support persons with disabilities. As a result, most persons with disabilities have abandoned the centres in preference for the streets where they have been begging for alms.

Mr Speaker, with this realisation, the Government intends to give better support to Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD), in order for it to play its intended role. The public must be aware that apart from the centres, Government runs the National Trust Fund for the Disabled (NTFD), which gives loans to persons with disabilities. Some of the disabled persons on the streets have either been supported through the provision of loans or faming inputs, which they have misapplied. Some of the disabled persons are also beneficiaries of the Food Security Pack being distributed by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services through the Programme Against Malnutrition (PAM). I wish to call on the public through this House, to resist the temptation to give alms to persons with disabilities because this perpetuates dependency and encourage them to remain on the streets. Instead, the public are encouraged to support centres like Kambowa and others in order to assist in the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

Mr Speaker, disabled persons’ rights need to be protected. The right to education and employment are some of the issues Government intends to address. I wish to call on the private sector, through this august House, to consider employing persons with disabilities if they are qualified.

Mr Speaker, families with disabled children must not discriminate against the children because this creates a situation where they grow up to be totally and perpetually dependent on the families. Society at large must also realise that anyone of us can be disabled at anytime. Therefore, children with disabilities must be encouraged to be as independent as possible. This is going to allow us as people to have a society which cares for the disabled and the able bodied.

Mr Speaker, before I sit down, allow me to now thank the people of Isoka East Constituency for electing me for the second time to come to this House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: The people of Isoka East Constituency are very hard working and they tried for the first time to have a female hon. Member of Parliament. They did not regret it that is why they gave me another mandate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, again, without being biased against our male counterparts, it is important for them to encourage the women in their constituencies to assess themselves so that they can help them in delivering services to their people.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: I would like to encourage the hon. Members to allow females who are capable to stand as councillors

Hon. Opposition Members: Especially the MMD.

Ms Namugala: They should not be threatened. I mean everybody, not just those in the MMD.

Mr Speaker, having said this, let me dwell just a little on the issues of peace and governance.

Mr Speaker, Zambia is a very fortunate country. Fortunate in the sense that while almost all the countries around have had turmoil, yet, we have been safely in peace. This is as a result of the hard work that our forefathers put in place. What happened after the elections was very sad, indeed. For the first time, we saw places such as Garden Compound nearly put on fire because one person had lost the elections.

Hon. Government Members: Shame!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, as a woman and mother, I feel that the Zambia people should contribute to the peace that we are enjoying. We would not like to put this country on fire because our children need to find it better than we found it.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the responsibility of maintaining peace is not for the Government alone. It is everybody’s responsibility.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala:  After all, we only have one country and there is nowhere else we are going to go to if we put this country on fire.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: As for my part, I will contribute through peaceful means of change and I will contribute by being as peaceful as possible. I therefore, would like to pose this question to my friends here, are they ready to contribute to the peace that we are currently enjoying so that our children ….

Ms Namugala faced the Opposition.

Interruptions

Ms Namugala:… and grand children can find this country better than we found it?

Hon. PF Members: Address the Chair!

The Deputy Chairman: Order, order!

 She is addressing the Chair because she had said ‘the’. Therefore, the Chair was listening very attentively. She is addressing the Chair.

Could the hon. Minister continue?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, yes, I understand because I am come from a constituency that is struggling like every other constituency. Our enemy is poverty and not ourselves. We do not have enemies within Zambia. Our enemy is poverty. We must therefore, put our efforts towards fighting poverty because with the poverty levels as they are, no one is spared. If Isoka East does not have a hospital, it is not just the MMD Members who are not receiving treatment, but also the hon. Members of the Opposition that are failing to receive treatment.

Hon. Government Members: Quality!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I would like to state a fact that this Government got into office in 1991 and the state of affairs at that time was deplorable.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: For people who used to travel outside the country could not walk into the bank and get foreign currency. They used to hide their money with whatever they found in all sorts of unorthodox places. We must not forget where we are coming from.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Sir, MMD inherited a country that had shortages and people queued without even knowing what they were queuing for.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, you would find a queue and you would join that queue.

Sir, when you go into a shop now, it is just the money that you will not have, otherwise, everything is there. We used to buy soap from all sorts of places. You would use that soap and the following day, you would have scabies.

Mr Speaker, for people who used to run businesses and they did not have a portrait of one person in their business  premises, they could not access material or buy grocery from Zambia National Wholesalers. We all lived in this country. How can we have such short memories hon. Members? This is the same Zambia where women used to queue for commodities from 0400 hours. Today, the women of Zambia can buy …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order, order!

Why are you engaging her? The Chair is enjoying the speech.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairman: Order, order!

The Chair wants to listen. I therefore, believe that even hon. Members also want to listen.

Hon. Members: Yes!

The Deputy Chairman: Do not engage her.

Could the hon. Minister continue.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, talking about shortages, hon. Members around here were old enough to appreciate because they know what I am talking about. Some of them did not see their wives the whole day only to come back in the evening with one bottle of cooking oil.

Sir, if you wanted to buy cooking oil, you needed to buy something else that was not moving fast in the shops. It is the truth because this is what happened.

Sir, when MMD took over in 19991, some of the hon. Members in the Opposition were in MMD. There was a drought and Hon. Dr Guy Scott imported some yellow maize and we thank him for that…

Dr Scott: On a point of order, Sir.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: …because we averted a crisis.

The Deputy Chairman: Order, order!

Hon. Members, the Chair was enjoying up to that point.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairman: Therefore, I would like advise the hon. Minister to continue along those lines because the moment you mention a name …

Laughter

The Deputy Chairman: You saw what happened. Could you please avoid that and continue.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I was talking about the yellow maize which we enjoyed because that averted the crisis.

Mr Speaker, I think it is important for Zambians to remember that the three Presidents we have had have contributed something significant to the progress of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Sir, before, former President Chiluba got into office, people used to stand against frogs and if you did not want the person, you voted for a frog, but everybody here knows that we were led by a frog and it never happened. It was literally a person standing alone and making everybody feel that there was some competition.

Sir, President Chiluba brought about democracy.

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, he brought about democracy and we cannot deny that. Let us give him credit because it is due to him.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: That credit is due to him.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! Order!

Ms Namugala: Sir, even when there was an attempt for a Third Term, the people of Zambia said no and everybody respected that. Now, we are in a situation where nobody can attempt a Third Term because it will not work.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: The people of Zambia want democracy to grow. His Excellency, President Mwanawasa has brought about discipline and the fight against corruption.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, let us give him credit because it is due to him

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: The fight against corruption cannot be won by one person because all of us here have contributed in one way or the other. Therefore, if we want this to succeed we must support the President and ensure that it goes down to the lowest level. The President cannot leave State House to go and see the corruption that is happening in Mfuwe or wherever. It is a personal fight. We must all contribute to the fight within our respective areas.

The President has appointed men and women on this side of the House as ministers who are afraid to touch public resources because their President will not allow it.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: It is true, Mr Speaker!

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: It is true!

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: If there is a group of men and women in Cabinet who are disciplined, it is these men and women seated on this side of the House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: These are the poorest ministers because they cannot steal their President will not allow them to do so.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Reverend Bredt (Chawama): Mr Speaker, before I begin my maiden speech, …

Hon. Government Members: Prayer! Prayer!

Laughter

Mr Chimumbwa: Quality!

Reverend Bredt: … I would like to join other hon. Members of this House in congratulating you on your reappointment as Speaker of this august House.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Revered Bredt: My congratulations also go to the first woman Deputy Speaker ever, in the history of Zambia.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Also my very sincere congratulations go to the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on his appointment.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, I will begin my maiden speech by paying special tribute and indeed, by saluting the people of Chawama Constituency …

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: … for according me this opportunity to represent them in this important House in our democratic dispensation. On 28th September, 2006, the women, youth and men from different backgrounds gave me overwhelming support as they voted in the Tripartite Elections. We were eight candidates in the race, four men and four women. At no time did I ever underestimate anyone. The people knew what they wanted and who they wanted.

I, therefore, thank the people of Chawama most sincerely, for the faith shown in me, I trust that I shall be committed to them and will do my best to represent their needs, aspirations and defend what they believe and stand for. And that together, through this House we shall address the most critical needs of the people of Chawama and indeed, the people of Zambia. It is my prayer that my contribution will go a long way in contributing what I have always believed in which is that, ‘All may have life and have it abundantly.’

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, for information’s sake, Chawama is less than twelve kilometres from this wonderful air conditioned House, less than eight kilometres from State House and about two kilometres from the Lusaka City Council offices.

Whenever I am in Chawama, I get very disturbed and my heart bleeds …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: … because I always wonder when life will ever improve for the people of Misisi, Chawama, John Howard and Freedom compounds.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Chawama is one of the most under resourced constituencies in Lusaka.

Hon. PF Members: Tell them!

Reverend Bredt: It lacks good schools and health institutions, there is high unemployment among the youth, the infrastructure is bad, and security is bad with only one established police station in the whole Chawama, Misisi and John Howard Compounds.

Hon. PF Members: Shame! Shame!

Reverend Bredt: On education, Sir, I wish to state that a nation denied of education cannot flourish. The education system in this country is in disarray.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Children are being subjected to attend classes in dilapidated buildings and are being taught by untrained teachers.

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

Reverend Bredt: Worst still, the Government is entertaining the mushrooming of community schools often with no quality assurance.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: This is a common feature in Chawama where we have only three basic schools. No secondary school exists in Chawama. I have noticed that about 1100 hours, children loiter in the streets because they have left school already.

Mr Speaker, when one reflects on the education systems of the 1960s and 1980s, one remembers the quality of teachers we had, the various skills acquired and the quality of education attained.

During our time as young men and women, we spent long hours in school engaged in extra activities like sports, cooking, singing, and many other activities.

Mr Chimumbwa: And dancing!

Reverend Bredt: Dancing of course.

Children in my constituency are not exposed to such learning environment. I, therefore, appeal to the Minister of Education to consider upgrading the three basic schools in my constituency into full secondary schools and build one more secondary school in Freedom Compound so that pupils do not go far for school.

Mr Speaker, I think this assembly should not continue accepting speeches that do not mean anything for our people.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: The Minister of Education must come to this House and read a ministerial statement on the proposed third university, because we all know that Government has failed to provide adequate resources for the existing two universities.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: On health, I wish to state that Chawama Constituency has only one clinic. The maternity wing had until a few days ago, no water and has very limited mortuary space. Only up to nine bodies can be accommodated there.

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

Reverend Bredt: Since my colleagues in Lusaka have already addressed a number of issues on health, let me focus my submission on Chawama and cholera.

In the last ten years, Chawama has provided a comfortable home for cholera with only one clinic.

Laughter

Hon. PF Member: Shame!

Reverend Bredt: And this has been very difficult to manage the epidemic whenever it strikes. What is interesting is that after each epidemic, Government goes to sleep as they wait for another epidemic in the next year. Why has Government not found a permanent solution to the cholera epidemic?

Mr Mtonga: They have no means!

Reverend Bredt: Cholera continues to be a problem in Chawama and will continue to be so because of poor sanitation, unhygienic conditions, lack of clean water and perpetual uncollected refuse dump some of which are mixed with human excreta.

Hon. PF Members: Hammer! Shame!

Reverend Bredt: I, therefore, see no reason why Government should wait for cholera epidemic to strike and then spend huge sums of money to prevent it.

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

Reverend Bredt: I humbly appeal to the relevant ministry to ensure that all toilets in the compounds are disinfected, clean water made available to the people and refuse collected.

I also want to appeal to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services to allocate time and continue throughout the year with programmes on the importance of hygiene, drinking of boiled water and washing of hands.

Instead of showing unnecessary foreign films that are of no help to most Zambians like ‘Top Billing’. Sir, infrastructure is the cornerstone to economical development, unless this Government invests in infrastructure, there can be no meaningful development. We all know that most activities that are required to contribute to wealth creation revolve around infrastructure such as agriculture, tourism and mining.

The road network in this country is very bad to say the least. The Zambia Railways, which I understand has been concessioned, has not contributed to improved transport. In fact, the railway transport has deteriorated.

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, the railway line passes through Chawama and we watch the same old wagons that the company inherited from the old Zambia Railways and in a state of disrepair, travel on the dilapidated railway line everyday. Have those who took over Zambia Railways been monitored and has their performance been evaluated? Worse still…

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: Hon. Tetamashimba …

The Deputy Chairman: Order! Hon. Minister that is what any Chairperson would not like to happen. That is why we appeal that if you want to make a comment, do it inside yourself because there you are, she heard you. Let us keep order. Will the hon. Member continue, please.

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: Worse still, Zambia has no developed air and water transport. There is need to evaluate the so called investors…

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: … and focus only on investors that will truly bring development to Zambia.

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: On poverty, some hon. Members of this House have proudly talked about their Government having developed a Fifth National Development Plan. May I ask what has happened to all other documents we have heard about before such as the document on the Indaba and the Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper (PRSP) to mention a few? What is their success rate and impact?

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, this Government needs to stop spending money on documents and rather concentrate on developmental programmes that are practical…

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: … and visible. It is unfortunate that this is happening in a country where people are living in poverty with no medicines in hospitals; pensioners not paid and human resource not employed, because we are told that there is no money in the country.

Mr Speaker, I want to pose a question here to this assembly. Why is there so much poverty in this country of ours which is one of the most peaceful nations in Africa. A country rich in agricultural land, water, minerals, precious stones, tourist sites and now we hear that there is oil in this land of plenty. Why then should Zambians be poor and its people living in poverty.

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: Statistics show that 65 percent of the Zambian people live in abject poverty. Mr Speaker, part of the answer is as follows: Zambia is poor because of mismanagement of resources …

Hon Patriotic Front Members: Poor leadership!

Reverend Bredt: … and poor leadership. Lack of investment in its people, lack of celebrating the available resources God has endowed this country; the negative attitudes and language…

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear! Hammer!

Reverend Bredt: Lack of celebrating our people who can contribute to this country and above all, lack of programmes on wealth creation by this Government.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! That is not the way we should conduct ourselves. Let us listen to the hon. Member on the Floor. Will the hon. Member continue, please.

Reverend Bredt: Many times Government focus on the contributions made by outsiders and that they are the only ones that can turn Zambia around.

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: China!

Interruptions

Reverend Bredt: The Zambian Government should vigorously engage its citizens to participate in the economical growth and wealth creation.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! Hon. Member for Kanyama, please, tone down. Will the hon. Member continue, please.

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, when will Government learn to focus on its people, encourage its people to translate the abundant resources Zambia is endowed with into wealth. When will the Government put in place programmes that encourage Zambians to participate in investments? When will Government appreciate the capacity of its own citizens?

On corruption, Sir, I would like to focus on corruption that has become a household name in this country. I have listened with keen interest to His Excellency, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, on many occasions. He always assures people of Zambia that his Government has zero tolerance on corruption.

Mr Mtonga: Boza!

Reverend Bredt: I would like to spend some time analysing the Mwanawasa Administration to zero tolerance to corruption. In 2002, he set up a Task Force on corruption and totally ignored an already existing institution that was set up by an Act of Parliament, namely, the Anti Corruption Commission. Furthermore, no systems have been developed to curb corruption. In fact, the current Government has inherited from previous governments the same systems deemed to be corrupt systems. I would like to challenge Government to inform the nation in which year the Zamtrop account was opened in the UK.

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Has this Account been closed since Mwanawasa took up office as President of the Republic of Zambia. Where is Government’s zero tolerance to corruption if it has inherited all corrupt systems and in addition ignoring systems that have been set up by an Act of Parliament. What should be of interest to us hon. Members is how much taxpayer’s money has gone into the operations of the Task Force.

Mr Speaker, we are all watching corruption manifesting in a different form. I want to challenge all of us here in this august House to rise to the occasion and critic the zero tolerance on corruption of the Mwanawasa Administration.

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: We cannot sit back like little children and have carrot waved to us …

Mr Tetamashimba: Which side of the coin do you belong?

Reverend Bredt: … when huge summons of money are paid to private lawyers. For example, K1 billion has been spent for setting up equipment at Chikwa Court and further payments made for the use of this equipment. We have heard about huge sums of money that will be paid to London lawyers. Again this is done in a land where about 65 percent of our people live in abject poverty.

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Shame!

Reverend Bredt: On the issue of Christian National, I believe it is possible for us as Zambians through democracy to participate in making our country better for all and not just for some people. Over the years, the disparity between the rich and the poor has widened. I wonder why we have allowed this to happen. Zambia today prides itself to be called a Christian Nation. A nation to be called Christian can only be proud when its citizens have access to basic essentials of life such as good roads, schools with motivated teachers who get their salaries on time and every time, good hospitals and clinics with well motivated nurses and doctors who get good pay on time and every time and where patients are treated equally and medicines made available. Where those living with HIV will access ARVs and can afford good nutrition and not be excluded from participating in the fullness of life.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: In having life for all therefore, we want to see a situation where workers are not heavily taxed, but the Government may find ways of taxing these investors who have had some huge exemption leave periods. In a Christian nation, workers too, must enjoy life in its abundance.

Mr Speaker, the Government and all of us in this House must admit that the poor go through a lot of hardships. If indeed, we are a Christian nation, Christ calls us to respond.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: Christianity should not be in a declaration, but rather in deed, and deeds of justice and fairness in the distribution of national wealth.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: God commands us to be generous in our care for the poor. Issues of poverty are about response to our neighbour and the Government’s care for its people.

Hon. Members: In conclusion.

Reverend Bredt: Mr Speaker, in the years ahead of us, we should not be tired of searching for tangible solutions to sustainable programmes on how to eradicate poverty.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I would like to thank my PF President, Michael Chilufya Sata, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: … and my General Secretary, Dr Guy Scott, the people of Chawama and the churches of Chawama at large.

The Deputy Chairman: Order! Your time is up.

Interruptions {mospagebreak}

The Minister of Child, Youth and Child Development (Mr Namulambe): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Speech, and allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency the President of Zambia …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Please, let us listen.

Can you continue.

Mr Namulambe: … Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, on his re-election for a second five-year term of office and for leading the MMD to victory in the just-ended tripartite elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, let me also thank the President for appointing me as Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development. I am grateful for the confidence that he has shown in me and I pledge to support him in toto. I also owe this to the people of Mpongwe who had voted for me overwhelmingly.

Hon. Government Member: Yah!

Mr Namulambe: The people of Mpongwe have confidence in the MMD Government because of its good manifesto. The people of Mpongwe have confidence that I am going to represent them effectively by ensuring that their aspirations are met. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate, Mr Speaker, for his re-election as Speaker of the House because many of us who are young in Parliament and are new will look up to him for guidance. So, let me also congratulate, Madam Deputy Speaker, on her re-election as Member of Parliament and also on her election as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. May I also extend the same to the Deputy Chairman of Committees?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, I wish to join other Members of Parliament in thanking His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, for his thought-provoking Speech delivered to the nation through this august House on 27th October, 2006.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: In that Speech the President touched on a number of critical issues regarding the development of our beloved country. However, in my address, I am going to focus on my portfolio functions that affect my ministry, but before I do that, let me just echo the President’s sentiments on the importance of team work. It is very important that as Zambians we put our political differences aside and focus our efforts on developing our nation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: It will not benefit anyone to be antagonistic because that will be counter productive. So, I want to urge members in this House to support the Government programmes so that together we can deliver the campaign promises to the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: The MMD is the Government in office and it deserves the support of every Zambian, including the people from the Opposition.

Hon. Government Member: Tell them.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, in line with the President’s Speech, the Government through my ministry, is implementing a number of programmes aimed at empowering the youths. In order to match these pronouncements with tangible actions, the Government, in 2006, allocated K40 billion for the Youth Empowerment Programmes. I need to clarify that this fund had three components as follows: K29 billion is meant for Youth Empowerment Fund, K6 billion is for Youth Constituency Development Fund and K5 billion is for the Young Inventors Fund, which will be administered through the Ministry of Science and Technology and Vocation Training to support the innovations by the young people.

My ministry is responsible for the remaining K35 billion. So, out of this money, K6 billion constituency youth development fund has been disbursed by my ministry to various provinces. I am therefore, requesting the members to get in touch with the Provincial Permanent Secretaries so as to get the guidelines on how the Constituency Youth Development Fund is going to be utilised.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: I want to assure the House that we are not going to allow misappropriation of such kind of money. We are going to follow it up because this money is a grant and we will ensure that the fruits of that are seen.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: As regards to the K29 billion, very soon I am going to issue a comprehensive statement because we are supposed to safeguard that money. Some people think that the K29 billion Youth Empowerment Fund is a grant, but this money is going to be administered as a loan and as such we need to put up measures to safeguard this fund. So, I will need a little time to put these measures in place.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the other major challenge affecting the operations of my ministry is the number of outdated legislation. With the support of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General and the Zambia Law Development Commission, inadequacies in these pieces of legislation have been identified. I shall therefore be presenting to Cabinet in the first quarter of next year proposals to amend all the legislation to which my ministry is responsible for. These include the National Youth Development Council Act No. 7 of 1986, the National Sports Council Act No. 15 of 1977, the Professional Wrestling and Boxing Control Board Act No. 156 of 1977. It is important that these Acts are reviewed urgently in order to bring the law in line with the current political, economic, social and technological advancements.

Further, Mr Speaker, there is a need for the Government to ratify the International Convention against doping in sport.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Mr Namulambe: This is a serious problem affecting the use of drugs by sports persons for which Zambia has not been spared.

I therefore, intend to take this issue for cabinet consideration so that Zambia may benefit from the provisions of this convention including its domestication.

Mr Speaker, in terms of street children the Government has put in place programmes that have started bearing fruits. It is becoming a model for the whole region and beyond. In August this year, 204 boys graduated from the Kitwe and Chiwoko Zambia National Services camps after 18 months of training. These boys had gone through a rigorous training in various skills and in terms of discipline they are responding well.

In addition, Mr Speaker, they have developed a very positive attitude towards work. In the Southern Province and other parts of the country, the same boys have been employed as farm supervisors, bricklayers and so on. This morning, I was with officers from the Scouts Association of Zambia they have indicated that the boys are also responding very well. This is because they are well skilled. They are also able to make very good pairs of shoes and some work suits, which I shall donate to some of my cousins from the Western Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: These are made by the same boys as evidence of what they are capable of doing. I want to appeal to the communities in which these boys have been resettled to embrace them and not stigmatise them. This is a Government programme which should be supported by every Zambian. It takes time to reform a child but we are making steady progress. Please, report any cases of inadequacies in behaviour so that the people that are working on them can know how to reform them.

Mr Speaker, as a ministry, we are determined to continue this programme of rehabilitating street children in order to ensure that we remove all the children from the streets. That is why we have decided to open Chishimba National Service Camp in Kasama in order to increase the intake in January, 2007. This will bring the number of centres to three. While Chiwoko and Chishimba National Service Camps will be for the boys, the Government has reserved Kitwe Camp for the girls.

Sir, in order to ensure transparency, the Provincial Mobilisation Committees have been established, headed by the Provincial Permanent Secretaries to recruit street kids into the camps. My ministry will hold a National Stakeholders meeting next month to discuss some ethical issues relating to children. I am calling upon hon. Members who will be called to come and participate because there are so many issues that have been raised in this House including hon. Members from the Opposition. We are encouraging them to bring the ideas on how they feel we can adequately tackle the issue of street children than issue statements instead of bringing them out. If they keep those ideas to themselves, some of them may not come back to this House and those ideas will die a natural death in their hearts.

Laughter

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, in addition to the rehabilitation of street kids, my ministry also runs sixteen Youth Skills Training Centres at which youths are empowered in various skills. The ministry also supports a number of community based youth projects.

Further, Sir, the ministry is establishing centres of excellence and model resettlement villages in conjunction with the Afro-Asia Rural Development Organisation (AARDO). The first model village will open at King George National College in Kabwe in January 2007. In all these, my ministry will rely on the hon. Members of this House to allocate more resources to our programmes when the Budget is Tabled in Parliament.

Mr Speaker, allow me at this stage to take this opportunity to congratulate a community based youth group which has been receiving support from my ministry. This is the Chifundo Craft Youth Project in Mandevu for winning the 2006 Pan-Commonwealth Youth Gold Awards for its outstanding performance.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Sir, the same project won the 2006 Silver Award with 1,000 British Pounds Sterling prize money. The award recognises the achievements of the young people in the Commonwealth who show commonwealth values through their projects by taking public decisions and holding each other accountable by striving for quality between women and men operating by consensus and democracy and by developing their communities.

Mr Speaker, the Gold award with it, carries an amount of 3,000 British Pounds and is given for innovative ideas in the youth empowerment. The other youth projects who have won awards under the Commonwealth Programme include, Kyawama Bee Keeping Project in Solwezi, Lukangaba Youth Project in Mansa and the Mongu Reproductive Health Project. The ministry will strive to ensure that more community based youth groups are supported.

Laughter

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, we are trying to integrate the issues to deal with HIV/AIDS in all the youth programmes in the country. We are also trying to encourage the hon. Members of Parliament to ensure that they identify and work closely with the youth groups that are in their respective constituencies because the issue of HIV/AIDS should not only be left to Government to find solutions. Even us, as hon. Members of Parliament have got a duty to ensure that whatever programmes that are coming forth, the people are there to support.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: We have the District Task Forces in the districts and as such, it will be important to note what these committees are doing in order to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the respective districts and constituencies.

Mr Speaker, let me also comment on some of the issues that have been raised against Government. This Government of President Mwanawasa is the only one which has come up with plans. From the time the President took over office as President, he initiated the Transitional National Development Plan. After that plan, the Government together with all stakeholders formulated the Fifth National Development Plan and am sure some hon. Members of Parliament who are in this House today were part and parcel of the formulation of that document.

This means that all the programmes that this Government is to implement, are the plans that have come from the people. I remember, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning had gone up to the grassroots to consult on issues that they feel must be embodied in the Fifth National Development Plan. As such, whatever developments that the country is to have in the next five years, are issues that people have participated in.

Sir, I remember during the time of my campaigns, I was trying to explain the MMD campaign manifesto. The people were actually agreeing that most of the issues that were contained in the MMD manifesto were issues that they had submitted to be included in the Fifth National Development Plan.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: As such, I wonder where some people were even drawing the courage to indicate that they were going to build schools in 90 days, disregarding the issue of the Fifth National Development Plan. If you are a sensible Government, there is no way you can do things without planning because planning in every issue is very important. As we debate the Budget for next year, the issue that will be contained in the Budget will be issues that have been reflected in the Fifth National Development Plan. Therefore, it will be important that the hon. Members understand the contents of the Fifth National Development Plan. It will be their duty to interpret that and marry it to what is going to be contained in the Budget. It is only when you have got a plan, can you spend the money wisely.

So, Mr Speaker, I see it very unusual that people should continue criticizing Government without necessarily giving alternative solutions on how certain problems can be resolved.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Sir, the President of this country has called for a spirit of reconciliation. It is at this point that people with ideas should bring them forth. In his inaugural speech, the President indicated that he was going to incorporate some of the ideas that were raised even by the Opposition during the campaigns. Why should people start accusing Government now that we have failed to do this and that when they are themselves failing to bring issues that they feel can be incorporated for Government to implement?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: For the next five years, it is this Government which is going to implement all the programmes. I know that all hon. Members who are here made promises to the people. In order for us to achieve what we promised, it will be important that we work hand in hand with Government. As Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development, I am at the disposal of every hon. Member who is willing to bring suggestions on how they feel we should improve the affairs of our people in the respective constituencies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: However, I will not be in a position to stand in the way where a person will criticise without giving alternatives. I will only listen to progressive ideas …

Mr Nsanda: Who are you!

Interruptions

Mr Namulambe: … because as Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development …

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! The hon. Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development is on the Floor.

Will he continue, please.

Mr Namulambe: There are several issues that are affecting the youth and about 65 per cent of the population of Zambia is youth. So, hon. Members must not only come to see me and ask for footballs, but they must also come …

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Namulambe: …with ideas of how we can improve the affairs of the youth in the country. We have in place the Youth Child Development Policy. So, it is incumbent upon the people to read the document and bring up suggestions…

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! We can not proceed like this. Hon. Members on my left should give the hon. Minister chance to debate. When your turn comes, you will also debate. I think it is not fair to engage him while he is on the Floor. Please, can we listen.

Will the hon. Minister continue, please.

Mr Namulambe: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As a young upcoming politician, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Namulambe: … I would be interested in listening to progressive ideas. The Government will not listen to criticism because Zambians want to see development. As such, since we are in the driving seat, we expect the rest to give us the support that we require. This Government is not only for people who are in Government, but for all of us because the interest of everyone is to ensure that Zambia is developed.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya (Chifubu): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for affording me this rare opportunity to make my maiden speech.

Mr Speaker, it is my honour and privilege to express my gratitude by congratulating you, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chairman of Committees and all hon. Members. I also want to pay tribute to my constituents for having shown confidence and trust to vote for me unanimously and beat all my rivals. Above all, I want to thank my President, Mr Michael Sata. I also pay tribute to our Father, God Almighty, who chose me before I was elected and has made it possible for me to be present here today.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, I urge all democratically elected representatives to this august House, especially those from Patriotic Front…

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: … that this House guarantees freedom of speech, rights and immunities. MMD hon. Members should not intimidate us by its number of seats in this House.

Interruptions

Mr Bwalya: Hon. Members are in this House to articulate, achieve their aspirations and seek redress to the problems affecting the Zambian people. The President in his opening speech…

Mr Shakafuswa: Speak English.

Mr Bwalya: … appealed to hon. Members of this august House to address non-partisan issues affecting the welfare of our people. Since they have shown confidence in me, I have to deliver what they expect of me.

Since my constituents have realised the potential we have, as Patriotic Front, and we have taken the seat from the ruling MMD, this confirms that they are not happy with the performance of the New Deal administration.

When His Excellency the President addressed this august House, he mentioned the major cry of urban people being the poor delivery of public services, particularly with regard to water supply and sanitation, roads in suburbs, compounds and inadequate provision of health and education services. Indeed my constituents experience these problems as the President lamented.

Despite having two water treatment plants, Misundu Stages I and II, the plants are unable to supply adequate drinking water. The two water treatment plants which were constructed in 1987 and 1991 respectively and twenty-one boreholes, only seventeen are operational. The plants have not undergone any rehabilitation since commissioned. There is need for the Government to look into the water problem in my constituency if we have to attain the millennium development goals by 2010. At least, 90 per cent of our people should have access to clean drinking water.

Since my area has no adequate water supply, it has led to the closure of the Fibobe Basic School by health inspectors. The closure of the school has annoyed most of the parents whose children at this school are writing examinations. This problem is not just in this school, but it is also in health institutions like Chipokotamayamba Clinic whose buster is not functioning. Pamodzi and Kawama clinics depend on water drawn from nearby taps. Because of the water problem, people have now resorted to digging wells in their backyards which poses a great danger to our children. The Government should intervene before the situation worsens.

Mr Speaker, since the President said, the maintenance and rehabilitation of roads countrywide will continue to be on top of national agenda, the Government should complete Kawama/Pamodzi Road. The road linking Kawama and Pamodzi which is about 2.5 kilometres has been a pipe dream. The road has taken almost 15 years to be completed. This project was started by our current President when he was the area Member of Parliament. This road together with other roads, such as, the Mufulira-Ndola Road needs serious attention. The road network in my area is worrying.

Despite the saying, education is the master key to unlock the doors to the future of this nation; we need hon. Members, doctors, engineers, teachers, economists and a wide range of professionals to drive development to the area. Education has to do with the development of human, potential ability, creativity and talent. Proper education enhances people to know their vast potential. It also helps in terms of career training and job opportunities. There is need to improve the education sector. Believe you me; since we attained independence, only one school has been upgraded to a high school…

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Bwalya: … and this is Temweni School.

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, before we broke for tea, I was saying that it is imperative for the Government to upgrade more basic schools to high schools in my constituency to decongest the only high school.

Mr Speaker, there is need to construct basic and high schools in my areas such as Minsundu and Kaniki Farming blocks. Pima and Misaka areas should also be included on the list. In these areas, children walk about 15 kilometres to attend lessons to nearby schools during weekdays.

Mr Speaker, health delivery system in my area is a major concern and it needs much to be desired. The Government since confirmed through the presidential speech of poor health delivery system, it should consider upgrading Chipokota Mayamba Maternity Clinic to a min-hospital. Minsundu Farming block, which has no health centre, construct a clinic with maternity wing. Pamodzi and Kaniki health centres should be upgraded to a clinic with maternity wing.

Mr Speaker, police staffing in my area is stagnant despite the population growth. The Government should consider providing adequate staff. A police post should be constructed in Minsundu to strengthen security and maintain law and order in the area. As you may be aware, Minsundu borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This will maintain the role that defence plays to defend our sovereignty.

Mr Speaker, Land Act, recognises customary right and chiefs’ authority over land. The Land Act promotes the holding of land on title by individuals in order to encourage the efficiency and easy access of land to people. However, my constituents in Kaniki/ Minsundu area have been living in this area for more than thirty years and are considered as squatters.

The Government should empower these people by giving them land titles to enhance their security and land empowerment.

Mr Speaker, on agriculture, the President said that the Government wanted to continue creating wealth for the people, especially in rural areas and ensure that our country is food secured. The Government should improve feeder roads in my constituency, especially in the Minsundu and Kaniki farming blocks. This will make it easy to deliver agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and seeds in time.

Mr Speaker, on Youth, Sport and Child Development, the President said that the Government recognises the fact that sport is vital in ensuring that the health of citizens are a unifying factor. Youths being reservoir of energy is potential and talent which must be tapped for better Zambia. The Government in its programme to improve the state sports must consider the rehabilitation of Chifubu Stadium. This stadium was a stadium before, but when this Government came into power in 1991, demolished it and promised the people that they were going to construct a new stadium, but now, I do not know what has happened to the Government.

Hon. Government Members: Sata!

Mr Bwalya: This stadium has now been turned into dumping site for the marketeers.

Mr Speaker, if we can have this sports complex for the young people to restore their honour, integrity and dignity through self-reliance and hard work, this will increase people’s participation in sport, taking on board, people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS, rather than indulge in juvenile diligence such as criminal activities, beer drinking and pre-marital activities that may risk them of contracting and spreading the virus.

Mr Speaker, on mining, the President alluded that the mining sector should provide significant employment and contribute to the improvement of the living standards of our people. In my constituency, which borders Zambia/Congo, there is a mine, which is in Congo but copper processing is done here in Zambia at Bwana Mkubwa mining. There is a possibility that most of its work force will be derived from our country Zambia. The Government should protect would be workers to this mine because most of the mining companies have engaged our people on contracts and subject them to contracts and inhuman conditions of service.

In conclusion, Chifubu has been lacking behind in terms of developmental projects despite having produced two Republican Presidents, the Second and Third Republican Presidents who come from our beautiful city of Ndola. There is no water and schools are in a very bad state as well as the roads, health facilities and other social projects.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

The Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (Mr Pande): Mr Speaker, at the outset, allow me to place on record my sincere congratulations on your re-election to the post of Speaker. This is a clear testimony of the fact that he is abundantly endowed with virtues of leadership that greatly served as a beacon of guidance in this august House during his last tenure of office.

Mr Speaker, we look forward to his further guidance and valuable leadership. In the same vein, I wish to extend sincere congratulations to the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House on deservingly ascending to these positions.

Their election speaks volumes about, not only the high esteem in which they are held, but also the leadership qualities, which no doubt, was the basis for the conviction by the hon. Members of the House that they have the ability to serve with diligence and honour.

Mr Speaker, allow me also to thank the people of Kaputa for producing the first ever-Zambian female Deputy Speaker. Epashili pakuleka mukwai (People of Kaputa please keep supporting the Deputy Speaker, and keep it up).

Mr Speaker, I also wish to thank most sincerely the people of Kasempa for showing confidence in me by re-electing me as their Member of Parliament. I also thank them as MMD Vice-National Chairman for sending to the Council Chambers twelve MMD Councillors unopposed before finally filling the entire council with MMD councillors. Finally to the people of Kasempa, I pledge to do my utmost to live to the expectation of the electorate who are eager for nothing else but service. I know one of their cries is the Kasempa-Mumba Road, Kasempa-Kaoma Road and the Kasempa-Kalulushi Road.

Mr Speaker, I appreciate their cries, as the roads they are crying for are a key to economic growth, not only for Kasempa, but the entire North Western Province. These roads are shortest links to the Copperbelt, Western, Central and Lusaka Provinces. All I can say is that their cries have reached the Government and it is a listening Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, I would also like to thank the people of Zambia in general, for deciding to vote back our President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, this is a sign of the confidence they hold in the ability and leadership qualities of the President to steer this country to further prosperity. I wish at this stage, to take issues with disturbing suggestions that, people who voted for the President are typically those from rural areas and the marginalised. This is a very misplaced statement and an insult to the intellect of the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: The majority of the hon. Members of Parliament in this House represent mostly, the rural population. We all have origins and you will agree with me that these origins are steeped in rural areas.

Hon. Government Member: Tell them!

Mr Pande: It is therefore, unfair and irresponsible to give Zambians labels that are not desirable and demeaning to the people of Zambia, especially our rural communities. Please, let us mind our language.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, in congratulating all hon. Members of Parliament, I wish to remind them that our election is a special call to duty and not for our personal glory or material gain. We should all know that being here does not in any way suggest that we are the best of the best. We should justify our election or re-election by being responsive to the needs to the needs of the people. We should humble ourselves and avoid inflating our egos. We should not forget that we were put in our positions by people who in this case, are our masters and not our servants.

Mr Speaker, people expect us to deliver and not to spend time on rhetoric. The President reminded and advised us that the people of Zambia are highly expectant and want to see results out of the leadership we have offered ourselves for.

Sir, the President, through his all embracing address to this august House, has set the tone and pace for the standards expected of us to serve our electorate better. This is regardless of the political parties we belong to. It is only fair as the President belaboured in His Speech, to co-operate and bury our political differences for the common goal of serving our country, Zambia. The Government is ready to accommodate well-intended suggestions and criticisms. As such, we expect the opposition to support Government Development Programmes meant to uplift the living standards of the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, those who may be harbouring motives of fomenting confrontation, will be doing a great de-service to the nation and the electorate who will inevitably feel betrayed by such acts.

Mr Speaker, in the last five years, the New Deal Government of Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC, has give impetus to unprecedented fiscal discipline and acceleration of economic growth against a number of odds.

Mr Speaker, economic variables such as increased copper production, increase in export of non-traditional exports, reduction of inflation to single digit, stable exchange rates have all on aggregate contributed to the turn around in the economy.

Mr Speaker, it is now time for us, regardless of our political affiliation, to consolidate on these positive economic gains and ensure that they are translated into socio-economic conditions that will uplift the living standards of all Zambians. My ministry is also playing its role in this regard.

Sir, the Government, through my ministry, is giving serious attention to the promotion of tourism as an engine for economic development after agriculture. The importance attached to tourism development in the country is seen in deliberate programmes and incentives that the Government, through my ministry, has introduced. These include the tourism credit facility.

My ministry is committed to ensuring that all eligible Zambians especially those in rural areas are empowered accordingly. The aim is for all Zambians who are eligible to benefit.

Mr Speaker, in order to accelerate growth in the sector and create development impact in other parts of the country, Government has decided to open up the Northern Circuit comprising the Northern and Luapula Provinces. These two provinces have immense potential for tourism development. This indicates that it is not only Livingstone but all parts of this country.

Sir, in this regard, Government is focusing on the development and rehabilitation of basic but critical tourism infrastructure to facilitate increased inflow of tourism investment into the two provinces. This process will move to other provinces as well in the near future. So far, about K1 billion has been committed to infrastructure development to add value to the tourism sector. The Siavonga Airstrip has also received attention as part of infrastructure development with works having been completed already.

Mr Speaker, in the area of forestry, specific attention is being paid to implementation of sustainable management practices, particularly, the Miombo Woodlands.

Mr Speaker, as regards to Private Sector Development in the forest sector as priority intervention area, the goal is to integrate private sector in forest policy and strategy formulation and programme implementation in the country, in order to accelerate and achieve sustainable economic development and poverty reduction.

Mr Speaker, the forest development credit facility plays a pivotal role as it empowers Zambians to access loans, which are used to participate in forest based enterprises. So far, one hundred and nineteen Zambians have benefited through this facility in the last three years. Government has disbursed K5.3 billion of the K6.3 billion allocated to Forest Department for this purpose.

Sir, another area which my ministry is paying serious attention to as part of economic empowerment of the people is the implementation of the Environmental Poverty Reduction Programme. This is meant to promote community ownership and management of natural resources in order to reduce poverty levels in communities.

Under this programme, Government has so far disbursed K700 million to community projects in Chibombo, Kafue, Mpika, Mufumbwe, Nchelenge, Petauke and Siavonga Districts.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: It is the wish of the Government to continue with this programme and ensure that it spreads to other parts of the country that have so far not benefited. In addition, the small grants programme whose objective is to empower local communities with micro-economic projects while promoting environmental sustainability will soon be implemented.

Mr Speaker, in addition, in its continued effort to restructure and streamline operations, my ministry will soon be introducing the Tourism Hospitality Bill to Parliament. The bill is intended mainly to reduce the cost of doing business in the hospitality industry and stimulate private sector led tourism development and growth.

Sir, among other things, the bill aims to streamline the functions of the Department of Tourism and the Zambia National Tourist Board to eliminate all bottlenecks in doing business and ensure efficient service delivery.

Mr Speaker, further the two bills seek to harmonise licences required by tourism investors to set up and operate businesses with those obtained from other licencing authorities. All these are positive economic indicators, which are said to contribute to poverty reduction in the country through job creation and other spin-off socio-economic benefits. The economic benefits achieved scored by the MMD Government are a testimony of how the New Deal Administration is committed to injecting life into an economy that was literally on its knees.

Mr Speaker, it is now time for us, regardless of our political affiliation to consolidate these positive economic gains and ensure that they are translated socio-economic conditions that will up lift the living standards of the Zambian people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: On the fight against corruption, this Government under President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, has provided leadership and consistency in fighting the vice. I would also urge all hon. Members of Parliament to ask themselves what they are doing to fight the scourge, instead of leaving it to the President and his Government alone. It is not good enough just to be critics and mere spectators.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, corruption is a cancer that needs concerted efforts to defeat. It is not an easy fight because it is similar to fighting drug-barons. We should all be partners in confronting corruption, which posses a serious threat to the development of the nation if not tackled with vigour and cooperation demanded and expected of us.

Mr Speaker, let me at this stage, refer to the President’s call for all of us to espouse unity. Unity is an important catalyst for development. It is the responsibility of all of us to promote harmony in the nation across ethnic groupings, creed or religion. Usually unity is lost because of some leaders who appeal for tribal sympathisers. It is incumbent upon all of us leaders to ensure that we forge unity in the nation, whatever our differences of opinions may be.

Mr Speaker, it is important for hon. Members to remember that in Zambia, anybody who preaches or thinks along tribal and regional lines has no room to succeed or indeed, preside over this country,.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Zambia has no room for tribal politics.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, Zambia needs men and women who are above partisan and tribal politics and who are given to the service of all Zambians regardless of their tribe.

It is the duty of every peace-loving Zambian to safeguard the peace of our county which is envied by many.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, in his Speech, His Excellency the President ably covered all salient issues that affect our citizens and in conclusion, I can only challenge every genuine leader to live up to their moral obligation to foster peace in the nation which is a pre-requisite for development.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imbwae (Lukulu West): Mr Speaker, like many other hon. Members who have spoken before me, I rise to speak as a new Member of Parliament for Lukulu West constituency. I wish to contribute to his Excellency the President’s Address on the official opening of the Tenth Session of this Parliament.

Mr Speaker, I am humbled by the honour that the people of Lukulu West have granted to me, and I wish to begin by acknowledging and thanking them for giving me the opportunity to represent them in this Parliament. I thank them for their confidence in accepting someone appearing for the first time on the political scene. I also thank them particularly for choosing a woman to represent them this time around.

Mr Speaker having been given this opportunity, I will do my best to faithfully work with my electorates and thank God for giving the people of Lukulu West and myself the victory.

Mr Speaker, before I go any further, may I congratulate you on your re-election as Speaker of this august House, unopposed this time around. This is a sign of the great confidence hon. Members have in your leadership. Such unique leadership skills as you possess, have been acknowledged by the Commonwealth and the SADC Countries. I wish to also congratulate Madam Deputy Speaker on the singular honour this House has given her because she is the first woman to occupy that preferred niche. Since I was not in this House, I just wish to extend my congratulations to the Clerk of the National Assembly because she has refined the position of Clerk by bringing a feminine professional touch to it.

Mr Speaker, I want to list the people to whom gratitude is due.

My President Mr Sakwiba Sikota of the United Liberal Party …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 Ms Imbwae: … for his stamina and versatility.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

Let us give her the opportunity. She is congratulating her Party President.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairman: Could the hon. Member continue.
 
Ms Imbwae: Mr Speaker, I thank you for protecting me. As I was saying, I want to thank my President for his stamina and versatility. He rose from the ashes like the proverbial pelican subsequent to the events following the demise of the late Anderson Mazoka. All the water that has gone under the bridge only served to make him stand and win an election in the Southern Province, proving that the people of Livingstone are still able to put Zambia before tribe.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 Ms Imbwae: To him, I want to say keep your wit and your sanity because 2011 could still surprise this country and yourself.

I particularly want to thank my campaign team who worked tirelessly under very trying circumstances. It is them who have emerged victorious in this campaign. May God reward them for their work.

To my Bishop, Reverend John Jere and his wife Revered Joyce Jere who ministered to me spiritually, morally and physically, I say thank you. No distance was too far for them to travel and no terrain was too rough for them to cover. I want to thank them for rescuing me. On behalf of the people of Lukulu West, I want to say thank you, Bishop

As for my immediate family, I want to extend special thanks to Chief Akabati, my sons Isimwa and Kwadwo who left everything they were doing so as to be with me in this venture which was totally foreign to them. I also want to thank the four men who served earlier as hon. Members of Parliament for Lukulu West. I want to thank them for the good and noble duty they performed for the people of Lukulu West. They all contributed and served the people of Lukulu West to the best of their abilities. What we see of what they have left is all they could do. Therefore, we are grateful that it gives us a chance to start from where they have left. Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the electorate to once again thank them for their time, resources and dedication and service to our area. It still remains poor.

When I stood up, I was thanking His Excellency, the President Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC on his re-election with a better mandate than that which saw him at the helm of power over the last five years.  It is for this reason that he is calling us to reconciliation.

Mr Speaker, this kind of language is not common for the President. Therefore, he must mean it. It is in the spirit of reconciliation that his Cabinet is a mix of young and old, a mix of zeal and knowledge and in his usual way, everybody must have been surprised by their appointments, including my elder brother his Honour the Vice-President.

Laughter

Ms Imbwae: It is my hope that in their collective responsibility, these gallant men and women will strive to attract, recruit and retain the best people for this country.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imbwae: Mr Speaker, all hon. Members are rightly proud of their electorate and constituencies. I am no exception. However, my pride is watered down by the sharp contrast between Lukulu West’s abundant natural resources and the extreme poverty the electorate finds itself in.

Mr Speaker, it is sad that my constituency remains among the poorest in the poorest corner of the country and this is a very bitter pill to swallow.

Mr Speaker, in the area of health delivery, structures and mechanisms have remained in a very poor state in my constituency. Issues of safe motherhood, lack of health posts, lack of doctors, lack of access to ART treatment and inadequate medicines in three existing clinics have remained major health problems. These three health posts are expected to serve at least 10,000 people (according to the number of registered voters).

Mr Speaker, in agriculture, Lukulu West Constituency has remained behind. The majority of the small-scale farmers in the area continue facing problems in accessing agro inputs especially fertiliser and improved seed, a situation which has led to poor agricultural yields. Agricultural productivity has also been negatively affected by the mere absence of public extension services and poor access to profitable markets for the farmer’s produce.

In the energy sector, Mr Speaker, Lukulu West has not benefited from the on-going Rural Electrification Programme. Sir, allow me to put on record my appeal to the Government to immediately consider opening up Lukulu to investment by providing the rural areas with electricity. Even Mitete which is the constituency headquarters does not even have a diesel generator.

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

Ms Imbwae: In the age of information technology, Lukulu West in the dark in more ways than one!

Clean and safe drinking water is a pipe dream for the people of Lukulu West. One drinks all shades of coloured water. We have plenty of water resources in Lukulu West but we donate it to the Indian Ocean every year as if we have no need for it or cannot use it. This is a shame, because this resource, if harnessed, can improve our agricultural production and help stem the rural/urban migration.

In the area of home affairs, I wish to say that the people of Washishi bordering with Angola do not have a police station or an immigration post. The border in Lukulu West is very long and stretches on a very big part of the Angolan side. I wish to appeal to the Government that it provides security to Lukulu West. It takes five to seven days to walk from Washishi to Lukulu Boma and the nearest prison is in Kaoma which is a different district. While appreciating the trust that the Government has placed in the people of Lukulu West as being peaceful, law abiding and generally sober, this should not cause a negation of the obligations and responsibility for Government to provide for the security of its own people.

On power, transport and communication, I wish to state that at the Official Opening of the Third Session of the Ninth National Assembly in January, 2004, the President said and I quote:

‘As the House is already aware, Government is implementing the Road Sub-Sector Investment Programme (ROADSIP), in order to address the deterioration in the road infrastructure in the country. The programme is in two five-year phases. The primary goal in phase two from 2003–2007 is to replace all pontoons with bridges.’

This year, the President, in his Speech, did not mention anything concerning pontoons. This is an instruction that had already been given to his competent Minister.
 
The current Minister is very committed to the proper utilisation of Zambia’s resources, as his stand on the UNZA Flyover Bridge has demonstrated. My appeal to him now, is that he should expedite this Presidential directive because 2007 is only a month away. The President’s desire, as expressed in what he has said in this august House, is to improve the quality of life of the rural people. And this can be seen from interventions from Chongwe and Malambo. However, in Lukulu West, we have not yet seen those things. We would appeal to the Government to spread this good work even to those people that are very far from the line of rail.

The people of Lukulu West have to pay K75,000 per trip for each vehicle when crossing the river, whereas at Watopa they pay nothing and crossing at Chitokoloki costs K25,000, and these are people do not have anything. Sir, the President is anxious, just as the people of Lukulu West are, also just as the people who are served by pontoons are, to see that 2007 does not pass without bridges.

Hon. PF Members: Bebe!

Ms Imbwae: Mr Speaker, the first speech of a Member of Parliament always offers a chance to express one’s truest ambitions and hopes for the constituency and the country as a whole. At this point in time, what do I think Zambia needs?

I believe we need to respond to the decline in our wealth, health, education, and the current environmental threats posed by global warming; and to further modernise our Zambian economy by making it truly sustainable and truly Zambian. In corporate terms, Mr Speaker, our wealth and social capital must be protected.

I believe that we need to reaffirm the principles that have served us well thus far. A peaceful Zambia with a fair take off for all, including for generations that will come after us, tolerance in our social and political relations; the upholding of the rule of law; and respect for diversity of opinion and beliefs, framed by an allegiance to Zambia above all, and to the people in particular.

Mr Speaker, the public service is the engine for running this country. Unfortunately, professionalism has left the civil service, and in most cases, those that are differently gifted are treated as if they are criminals. You find that those that continuously say, ‘yes’ are not able to deliver.

Mr Mtonga: Shame!

Ms Imbwae: It is for this reason, that I urge this mixed grill of Cabinet Ministers to examine how the public sector is working.

Sir, it is not possible that at this particular time we can still have experiences of KCM, when we do have a regulatory body in the frame of the Environmental Council of Zambia. If there was any need for purchasing any equipment, I am sure Government can do that. We do not have remote sensors. And if it is the lack of capacity that is obtaining at the department, we urge this Government to send those people for training because the next disaster may be worse than KCM.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imbwae: We cannot afford to lose lives because we are negligent in doing what we are rightly appointed to do.

Hon. PF Members: Tell them!

Ms Imbwae: In the area of tourism, Mr Speaker, because I would be amiss not to mention this, I believe that Zambians need to own utilities in this country. When the tourism credit facility was introduced, it was to empower Zambians to build utilities that can house the preferred tourism destination status and not to use their houses as lodges. Unfortunately, the fund that is available is not adequate because it is spread thinly like fertiliser and cannot be adequate to put up a sensible hotel owned by a Zambian. May I take this opportunity to inform this House that the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala is owned by an indigenous Ugandan.

Hon. Government Member: Really!

Ms Imbwae: Yes it is. We do not have that here and there is nothing wrong with possessing utilities that can stand on the international market.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: Quality!

Ms Imbwae: I appeal to the ministry to have a review of the tourism fund because all of us in here are beneficiaries to that fund. If we had grand hotels, we would not have problems in accommodating those that will come to the World Cup which will take place in South Africa. To my knowledge, the capital city Lusaka cannot hold a conference of 5,000 people.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imbwae: It means that even in the area of tourism conferencing, we have lost out because we are not able to invest in sensible investments as Zambians.

Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imbwae: We need to be proud to be Zambian. We need, Sir, to even look at little things like our fisheries. Most of us are surrounded by water bodies but we are not able to harness those water bodies. Our fishing industries are not to a level where they should be. I intend to contribute very seriously to each of the sectors when these will be laid as motions in this House but for now, I want to say that I am aware that there is the Citizens Economic Empowerment Act of 2006. The danger is that this State is still recommending the setting up of a commission.

Mr Speaker, if the trend for the establishment of the Forestry Commission is anything to go by, then all we have is a long wait coming but in the meantime different types of investors will be given all manner of concessions that the local Zambian will admire with gaping mouth and dry lips …

The Deputy Chairman: Order! The hon. Member’s time has expired.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Mulonga): Mr Speaker, I stand to thank the President of the MMD who is also the President of the Republic of Zambia, our Vice President, the hon. Members for MMD on having come to campaign for me and helping me emerge victorious.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, may I also add my voice to the voices of hon. Members of this august House in congratulating you on your re-election. I also take this opportunity to congratulate the hon. Mr Speaker, and Madam Deputy Speaker on their re-election and election. To you all I say congratulations.

Mr Speaker, it would, however, be imprudent and unwise to start my speeches in this House without thanking the people of Lupososhi constituency for first, identifying me as the only person they could vest their trust in to represent them and secondly for electing me amongst the others, to them I owe my allegiance.

Mr Speaker, with the good rainfall pattern in Northern Province and Luwingu inclusive, the good agricultural policies of subsidizing production up to 60 percent by this Government, more people in my constituency, province and the nation at large have been lured into maize and beans farming. The tarring of Kasama/Luwingu/Mansa road once completed will add to the economic value of not only Luwingu but also to Northern and Luapula but more importantly to the nation as a whole because traders will easily trot to and from Luwingu and to the whole Northern Province and will easily acquire agricultural products from there because of the good rainfall pattern.

Mr Speaker, the completion of Luwingu/Nsombo/Chaba Road, which is currently being worked on, will facilitate improved economic activities in the area as people will smoothly and quickly access Lake Bangweulu for their fish trading activities.

Mr Speaker, the macro economic achievements of the MMD Government need to be appreciated by all Zambians in general, particularly and most sincerely by the hon. Members of this august House who are honoured to read and interpret these. It is the duty and responsibility of the hon. Members to go back to the electorate and explain these achievements to them. Let the hon. Members help the people to translate the macro economic achievements of this Government into micro economic realization. This is one of the jobs of the hon. Members. It is your duty and responsibility hon. Members to translate and transform these economic achievements to show the people what they are supposed to do.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, if all hon. Members of this House, for instance decided to settle in Lusaka because that is where dairy agricultural products like dairy milk, and other agricultural products like pork are found, who will help the electorate in Pemba, for instance to develop? Let us all go back and help our areas to develop. Lusaka is what it is today because other people helped to develop it.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairman: Order! The hon. Members behind the Member on the Floor please, consult quietly. Will the hon. Minister continue, please.

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, I want to drawback the attention of the nation to early 1970s when farm inputs were being given on credit. It was proved that most farmers were unable to pay back to Government what they had borrowed due to various reasons which prevailed at that time. At one time the previous Government gave inputs on credit, but what was realised from the sale of inputs was not paid back to the Government.

Mr Speaker, in the 1980s, the Government then did subsidise consumption by giving out mealie meal coupons. This did not last long as it proved to be expensive on Government treasury and was not a solution to the hunger situation which was escalating in the nation. Mr Speaker, it can be deduced that giving of farm inputs on credit or subsidizing consumption has proved failing in our nation. Therefore, it is through these experiences that the Government of President Mwanawasa came up with an effective way to improve agriculture in the nation and this effective way is subsidizing production by subsidizing fertiliser and seed.

Mr Speaker, Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives has already distributed subsidized fertiliser at 60 percent to all the 9 provinces of Zambia.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: However, the fertiliser that has been distributed to each district or province has been based on that province’s previous performance. So the calculations which some hon. Members are giving saying the fertiliser is not enough is not correct because the fertiliser given to each district or province is based on the reports sent to the Ministry on the results of the previous farming season.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, being the third year of fertiliser subsidy, Government can only give consumption subsidy, when and where there is a disaster. Mr Speaker, this is so because subsidizing consumption will never improve food security at household level or national level, therefore, the giving out of subsidized fertiliser to the vulnerable but viable farmers has proved to be a tool for poverty alleviation at household, national and regional levels since we are able to even export.

Sir, there is also the aspect of giving fertiliser heavily through PAM. This is given to farmers who are poor and vulnerable because these are meant to be helped to sustain their lives. Those who are vulnerable, but viable are given subsidies so that they mature and graduate from subsistence farming to exporting the maize they produce.

Hon. Members: Hammer, Minister.

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, it is therefore, the duty and responsibility of each and every hon. Member here to appreciate what is good and try to advise where it is necessary.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, because when I look to my left, I can see men and women belonging to MMD, but were not in Government up to 2001. Very few on my left side were there, Mr Speaker, ...

Hon. Members: Yes.

Mr Mulonga: …but these are the men and women who should shoulder the blame for the current poor status of the nation.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: To you hon. Members, I say accept the blame and make it a stepping stone to better the nation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, on my right and at the back …

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: … I identify men and women most of whom have vast experience in running Government between 1991 and 2001. This is the period when economic sabotage of Zambia took place.

Laughter

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: It is the time, Mr Speaker, when privatisation of the companies took place.

Hon. Members: Yes.

Mr Mulonga: It is the time when the development theories were applied whose poor indicators made Zambia go down.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, if forensic surgery of the privatisation which took place between 1991 and 2000 was to be conducted today, …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, some of the culprits could be the Presidents of some political parties.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Hon. Members: Hammer!

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, …

Interruptions

Hon. Members: Hammer!

The Deputy Chairman: Order! Hon. Members, let us give the hon. Member speaking a chance to say what he wants to say because you are confusing him by constantly asking him to hammer, hammer. What is he going to hammer?

Laughter

The Deputy Chairman: Let him debate.

Can you continue.

Laughter

Mr Mulonga: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I, therefore, see no need for those seated on my right to point fingers at us who are in MMD today because some of them were the architects of the current problems Zambia is facing today.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Hit the nail!

Mr Mulonga: It is therefore, …

Laughter

Mr Mulonga: … if I were to ask some of my brothers and sisters on my right for their party identity, the only card they could produce is that of MMD, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: … meaning they are just, but on loan to the party they claim to belong to today.

Laughter

Mr Mulonga: Some of those who came up with those bad policies which ruined Zambia.

Interruptions

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, I, therefore, expect this Parliament to be a House of balance and a House of livelier debate than ever before, dwelling on matters of substance and genuine issues and not personalities or other hidden agendas.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Policy explanation, Mr Speaker, by the Government will guide this House into fruitful discussions and realistic outcomes.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Mr Speaker, I urge all hon. Members to accept their portfolios and represent their people accordingly.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: Let us work as a House, let us advise each other and let us give credit where it is due. Our people did not send us here to criticise. Our people sent us here to see the fruits and the fruits are never in criticism. The fruits are in understanding each other and give constructive contributions to the development of the nation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulonga: I thank you, Sir.

The Minister of Education (Professor Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, I join the voices of the other Members of this distinguished House in congratulating you on your election as Speaker of this august House. This expression of confidence by all the Members of this House is a clear testimony of your outstanding leadership. We all look forward to your fountain of wisdom as you guide and counsel us into the noble role of being effective representatives of the people’s will.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: The election of hon. Deputy Speaker, as the first female to occupy this important position is a landmark development in the history of this House and the country. We are all proud of this development. I wish her every success and God’s guidance.

Your re-election to the chair brings to this House the experience which is extremely variable in achieving quality business of the House.

Hon. Government Member: Quality.

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, I would like to extend special gratitude to the people of Zambia for their wisdom in re-electing Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, as President of this nation for a second five-year term.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: There was no better choice than this.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: The choice of the people is the voice of reason.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Reverend Bredt: The unquestionable re-election of His Excellency President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, is a clear testimony that the citizens of this country want development not empty promises.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: They want honest leadership not manipulation. They want implantable pragmatic policies not unworkable technocratic idealistic programmes.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: They want love and peace not terror. They have found what they want for this country and for themselves in His Excellency Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC. He is the choice of the people with the mandate to reign over the affairs of this nation for the next five years.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, leaders of other political parties who have lost the race for national leadership should remember that there is always a consolation of great political failures, namely, that leadership is a privilege that is only given by the people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Those who are accorded the privilege to lead must therefore be respected and allowed to exercise their leadership qualities the best way they can, in the strive to improve the quality of life of the people.

I would like to thank my party the MMD for adopting me as its Parliamentary candidate for Nalikwanda Constituency.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: I would like to thank His Excellency President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for according me an opportunity to serve our nation as a Cabinet Minister in the education portfolio. I will execute this national responsibility to the best of my ability.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the faith and confidence the people of Nalikwanda have in the President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC and the MMD Party is reflected in the overwhelming vote which they gave the President and myself.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: I thank the people of Nalikwanda for their unquestionable support.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the Speech of His Excellency the President has been applauded by most of the hon. Members. A Presidential Speech does, at all time, convey the heart, mind and soul of the Head of State about the direction of the nation. The role of a Presidential Speech is to set the tone and vision for the nation. His Excellency the President’s Speech did exactly that.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: The development agenda of the New Deal Government was clearly stated by His Excellency the President as, and I quote:

 ‘Job creation and wealth generation ...’

The strategy for realising this vision is again stated, and I quote:

‘to refocus public resources and efforts towards implementation of programmes that will have a quicker and more profound impact on the lives of the majority of the Zambian population.’

Sir, education is viewed by His Excellency the President as the critical key necessary for unlocking the main doors that we must walk through as a nation in order to achieve sustainable development.

Mr Speaker, this, therefore, clearly states that this House should seriously consider education as the foundation upon which the survival of our nation depends.

Sir, most of the hon. Members who have spoken before have expressed their views about the state of education in their respective constituencies and generally, in the country. Their views point to a number of problems like shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, especially in urban schools, dilapidation in infrastructure, shortage of high schools, poor water and sanitation facilities, deterioration in teaching and learning environment, to mention but a few.

Mr Speaker, allow me to remind the hon. Members of this House that the state of education expressed by several of the hon. Members, date back to the 1980s which is described as the lost decade in educational development.

Sir, Zambia entered the 1990s with a totally neglected educational system in which 95 per cent of the expenditure on primary education was for personal emoluments and no public funding went to text books and other educational materials, run down infrastructure, lack of desks, chairs and tables were the characteristics of many schools. Teachers had reached the lowest motivation levels because of poor conditions of service. Many children learnt while seated on the floor the illiteracy levels stood at 60 per cent in the rural areas. Many marginalised children, especially the disabled girls and those living in the remote rural areas had difficulties gaining access to school. If they did, they experienced high drop out rate. Funding for capital development, staff development, research and infrastructure rehabilitation was non-existent in the universities and other tertiary education institutions.

Sir, this is the dismal education situation dating back to UNIP leadership against which the efforts of the New Deal Government should be assessed. Since 2002, the New Deal Government of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, has demonstrated political will and commitment to address the problems of education in the country and to transform the negative legacy of the past two administrations.

Mr Speaker, since 2002, the focus of the New Deal Government has been to improve the education delivery system in order to make it a leading force in the reduction of poverty, prevention of HIV/ADS, economic growth and human empowerment. Between 2002 and 2006, the Ministry of Education made major policy decisions and pronouncements. Key among these was the restructuring of the Ministry of Education which resulted in the recruitment and procurement or replacement of qualified strategic staff in various positions. The introduction of free basic education was done in 2002. The policy goal of partnership for educational development led to the establishment of seven privately-run universities.

Since 2002, the country can be proud of having nine universities. This is the legacy of the New Deal Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Following the repeal of the National Management Administration Act of 1972, the Government made a policy decision to open a third university. The university will be a centre of excellence operating as a self-financing public university and this will be opened next year.

Sir, the decentralisation process started in 2002 has devolved authority and resources to the provinces, districts, colleges, high schools and the basic schools. These levels are now operating as a key delivery centres for education. Devolution of authority to lower levels of educational structure will, in the long run, make the operations of the educational system more efficient.

The allocation of Government resources to education has been increasing in the past 5 years rising from 17 per cent in 2002 to 24 per cent in 2006. This is a significant improvement because the average budgetary allocations to education were 8 per cent in the 1980 and 11 per cent in the 1990. The total allocation to education as a proportion of the GDP from Government only resources had been averaging 3.2 per cent from 2002 to 2006. This is a rise above the 2.3 per cent level registered between 1987 and 2000.

Sir, the discretionary budgetary allocation during the period 2002 to 2005 almost doubled rising from K486 billion to K973 billion in 2005. This demonstrated significant contribution and commitment on the part of the New Deal Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: As a result of the confidence in the good policies of the New Deal Government of His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, the education sector has received substantial support from co-operating partners since 2002. In 2002, a total of K122 billion was contributed by co-operating partners and this rose to K263.8 billion in 2004 with a substantial rise to K533.1 billion in 2005. The increase in funding to education since 2002 has been translated into tangible programmes by the committed New Deal Government to achieve access, equity, quality and efficiency within the educational system.

Mr Speaker, very significant increase in access to education has taken place since 2002. The basic education level has witnessed an increase in enrolments from 1.9 million to 3 million children. This means that between 2002 and 2006, one million additional school places have been created in basic schools. The number of out of school primary school children has been reduced from 460,000 in 2001 to 131,000 in 2006. This means that there is progress towards the achievement of the millennium goals. Enrolment in high schools has increased from 102,000 in 2001 to 193,000 in 2006. Gender parity in access to basic education has been achieved.

The level of bursaries for needy school children was raised from K100,000 in 2001 to K500,000 by 2005. Consequently, the number of orphans on bursary schemes rose from 235,000 to 605,000 between 2002 and 2005. The Interactive Radio Instruction programme and the various alternative learning programmes through distance education have provided education opportunities to those that have been left out of the formal school system.

Mr Speaker, the school feeding programme was introduced in disadvantaged areas in order to raise access, participation and achievement levels of children in remote and food deficient areas. Since 2003, the University of Zambia introduced a slightly lower admission cut off point system for school leavers from rural secondary schools in order to create opportunities for students from rural areas to enter the universities. The Bursaries Committee continued to refine its student support criteria in tertiary education by giving special attention to needy students in bursary allocations.

Over 2,000 teachers’ houses were constructed in 2002 and 2005, there were 269 new high schools realised since 2002, thereby bringing the number of these schools to 540 by 2006 from 271 in 2001.

For the first time in many years, UNZA and CBU were allocated K4.5 billion and K2.2 billion respectively for infrastructure rehabilitation in 2004.

Significant efforts were made to achieve quality. The teacher recruitment and deployment programme has been embarked upon. More than 20,000 teachers will be recruited between 2006 and 2008. Measures have been taken to control examination leakage. The Universities and colleges accessed funding from the education sector pool at the Ministry of Education for quality enhancement. The District Education Standards Officers have been facilitated in their work of monitoring standards in schools by providing them with transport.

In line with the President’s directive for quality education services, the ministry will embark towards the achievement of the following:

(a) Reduction and eventual elimination of the double and triple shifts in the urban schools by constructing more classrooms and deployment of more teachers;

(b) Improvement of the teaching-learning environment in schools with temporary structures through the school upgrading and construction programme and training of teachers in community schools;

(c) Creation of more educational opportunities through upgrading middle basic to upper basic schools and construction of new day high schools with special emphasis on the rural areas. Establishment of girl’s boarding schools and technical secondary schools for girls in areas of great need;

(d) Establishment of centres of excellence in selected areas, to serve as role models in quality delivery;

(e) Accelerating the training of teachers, and streamlining their recruitment and deployment and according the teachers opportunities for in-service professional enhancement;

(f) Improving the motivation of teachers through timely payments of their salaries and allowances and provision of decent accommodation;

(g) Review of the school curriculum and procurement and supply of teaching and learning materials;

(h) Working towards the reduction of distance to school in rural areas by establishing schools within five-kilometre radius. This will drastically reduce the mushrooming of community schools;

(i) Making Zambia a centre of excellence in education and training by expanding the tertiary education sector through partnership with private investors and joint venture programmes with external institutions;

(j) Continue rehabilitation of infrastructure and construction of new facilities in tertiary education institutions;

(k) Improvement of the teaching and learning environment through provision of water supply, solar power and extension and broadening of the school feeding programme;

(l) Improving the management of resources allocated to the education sector through the expenditure tracking system;

(m) The ministry will finalise the review of the 1966 Education Act to bring the legal instrument in line with the Government policy and contemporary developments;

(n) The ministry will establish the Teaching Council whose role will be to register and accredit teachers and oversee the professional conduct of teachers; and

(o) A system of accreditation of all tertiary education institutions will be established through a National Qualifications Framework and accreditation Board.

Mr Speaker, these measures will ensure that education is accessible, equitable, and efficient and is of high quality. The New Deal Government has a will and commitment to provide a system of education that will develop a critical mass of human capital that can move this nation forward and transform it into a middle income country.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Mangani): Mr Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the privilege that has been accorded to me to stand before this august House and deliver my maiden speech.

Mr Speaker, allow me to join the many voices of all hon. Members of this House in congratulating you, Madam Speaker, and, of course, the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House, who is in the Chair right now, on your deserved elections as presiding officers for this House.

Mr Speaker, I am convinced that many hon. Members of Parliament, particularly, those of us who are coming to this House for the first time, will greatly benefit from your tested and experienced leadership.

Mr Speaker, let me also salute the people of Chipata Central Constituency for electing me as their area Member of Parliament and for giving His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, a landslide victory in the just ended Tripartite Elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, allow me to also pay special tribute to my party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy for adopting me and mounting a vigorous campaign which enabled the party win not only Presidential and Parliamentary seats but equally all Local Government seats in my Constituency. In the same vein, may I also congratulate His Honour the Vice-President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda on his appointment as Republican Vice-President and Leader of Government Business for this House.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: May I also congratulate all hon. Members of Parliament present in this House on their election and nomination as members of this House.

Mr Speaker, the 28th September, 2006 Tripartite Elections can be described as having been extremely difficult but also very exiting. We saw what I may call the Hakainde Formula, the Sata Formula and the Mwanawasa Formula at its best.

Interruptions

Mr Mangani: This was passed by the Miyanda and the Ngondo Formulas.

Laughter

Mr Mangani: The President did acknowledge in his Speech on his second inauguration as State President on 3rd October, 2006, where he indicated and I quote,

“Candidates for the Presidency have been worth opponents. I congratulate them for putting up such a spirited fight”

Mr Speaker, nevertheless, we need to thank our people of Zambia for conducting these elections in such a peaceful and mature manner.

Mr Speaker, Chipata Central Constituency is a unique Constituency in many aspects. To begin with, it is a centre of most of the economical and political activities in Eastern Province. In other ways, what happens in Chipata Central Constituency, more often has a ripple effect on other parts of the province. Secondly, because of its dynamic nature, it has never retained a Member of Parliament for more than once since independence in 1964.

Laughter

Mr Mangani: I am therefore, determined to change this record in 2011. The other unique feature of Chipata Central Constituency is that since the reintroduction of plural politics in 1991, it has been predominantly in the hands, although position in terms of representation, of Local Government and Parliamentary Seats. In fact, this has been a common feature in all our Constituencies in Eastern Province. I wish to state here that our people in the province are very careful when it comes to making political decisions. In most cases, they are like their brothers in Southern Province. Our brothers in Southern Province take political decisions more of a religious nature…

Laughter

Mr Mangani: … than anything else.

Hon. Government Members: Muntanga!

Laughter

Mr Mangani: I am saying so because no matter how good your gospel may be, they will never change their religion.

Laughter

Mr Mangani: People do not change anyhow because they do not want to be used by people with selfish motives to achieve their political ambitions.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, the people of Eastern Province decided to switch on to the MMD this time around because they were convinced that President Mwanawasa and his New Deal Administration meant well for the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear 

Mr Mangani: During the President’s period in office, he has demonstrated the spirit of true nationalism by adopting an all-inclusive approach when dealing with matters affecting this nation. This is clearly demonstrated in his Speech to this House on 27th October, 2006, where he stressed and I quote,

“The Government of the Republic of Zambia under the New Deal Administration is a Government for all Zambians and not only members of the ruling party.”

Mr Speaker, all of us in MMD, including Hon. Mulongoti, Hon. Malwa and Hon. Liato who have sent shivers into the other camps mean well on this matter.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Nevertheless, the panic and fears being demonstrated from some quarters in this House are unnecessary. Let us all work together as a team irrespective of our political affiliation and improve the general welfare of our people.

Mr Speaker, nevertheless, sometimes it pains me when I hear people allege that this Government has done completely nothing in changing things for the better. For the sake of those who do not appreciate what this Government has done, allow me to give a rough picture of what was obtaining in this country before the New Deal Demonstration took over power. The list has been ably presented to this House by the hon. Minister for Community Development and Social Services.

Mr Speaker, I would like to add just a few issues to the list. When President Mwanawasa took over office in 2001, he was faced with a lot of challenges. To begin with, mining which has been the main stay of the Zambian economy and which also contributed about 90 per cent to the Zambian Foreign Exchange earnings had tragically declined due to various reasons both local and international. Metal production dropped from the high level of 750 tonnes in 1973 to barely 257 tonnes in the year 2000. In fact, we were told that mining was coming to an end in a few yeas.

Similarly, the copper price were predominantly on the downwards trend. In addition, agricultural production dwindled not only due to bad weather, but also to factors related to poor planning for this sector. As if this was not enough, exports declined amidst unstable exchange rates. In fact terminologies such as appreciation of the Kwacha were not known except the depreciation of the Kwacha because the Kwacha was constantly losing value.

Mr Speaker, various prescriptions were advanced in order to address this issue. However, Zambia’s debt remained a major draw back to attract investment. Above all, corruption was institutionalised. In fact, President Mwanawasa has become unpopular with most of his best friends in his quest to fight corruption in this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, the fight against corruption requires the support of everybody in and outside this House.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, in order to correct some of these problems, we needed not only a courageous leader, but also one with a good vision for this country. I am happy to see that some of the experienced hon. Members of this House such as Hon. David Matongo, Hon. Hachipuka and Hon. Regina Musokotwane do acknowledge some of the good work of President Mwanawasa.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, Hon. Matongo in his Maiden Speech to this House some few days ago did acknowledge, and I quote:

‘Zambia’s business environment has been reasonably managed. As a result of this, we are now having a reasonable co-operation with the international community.’

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, he demanded to know the schools his Excellency had attended to enable him understands and tackle some of the problems facing our country.

Mr Speaker, these comments clearly demonstrate the commitment of President Mwanawasa and his New Deal Administration in trying to improve things for the better for this country.

Mr Speaker, within a short time, agricultural production has significantly improved both for our staple food, maize and some cash crops because of good the policies of the New Deal Administration.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: At least we are now talking of excess food instead of a deficit. The 382,000 metric tonnes of maize produced this year is not a mean achievement. Yes! We do acknowledge the need to improve the general marketing system of our crops in this country. We are a listening Government and we will respond favourably.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, mining which is our major economic activity has also expanded. Now, we have new areas in which we never thought mining would take place.

Mr Speaker, the people of Chipata Central Constituency and the entire Eastern Province had no option, but to settle on President Mwanawasa and the New Deal Administration.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, they are generally happy with the manner in which the New Deal Administration has handled the affairs of this country.

Mr Speaker, the people of Chipata Central Constituency are equally grateful to His Excellency the President for appointing me as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mangani: Mr Speaker, because of this confidence in the New Deal Administration, they are like brothers in all other constituencies…

The Deputy Chairman: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

______

The House adjourned at 1956 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 22nd November, 2006.

 

WRITTEN REPLIES TO QUESTIONS

LISHUWA AND MWITO UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS IN LUKULU

24. Mr Imenda asked the Minister of Education when Lishuwa and Mwito Upper Basic Schools in Lukulu would be upgraded to secondary school level in order to meet the education needs of the community in the district.

The Minister of Education (Prof. Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, currently, there are no plans in place to up-grade Lishuwa and Mwito Upper Basic schools in Lukulu district to secondary school level.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

26. Mr Imenda asked the Minister of Education whether the Government had any plans to turn community schools into Government schools.

The Minister of Education (Prof. Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to turn community schools into Government schools. The Government is developing a policy framework that will enable community schools to operate in an environment with clearer guidelines and more professional support. The policy framework will address the following issues:

(a) Coordination
(b) Management
(c) Legislation 
(d) Registration
(e) Quality

LUKULU DISTRICT HOSPITAL

27. Mr Imenda asked the Minister of Health when a medical doctor would be sent to Lukulu District Hospital.

The Minister of Health (Ms Cifire): Mr Speaker, a medical officer, Dr Mwepu Omba,  has been posted to Lukulu. Meanwhile, relief doctors will continue to provide services to Lukulu Hospital until the doctor reports.