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Debates- Friday, 3rd November, 2006
DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FIRST SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY
Friday, 3rd November, 2006
The House met at 0900 hours
[THE DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]
NATIONAL ANTHEM
PRAYER
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services (Mr Mwaanga): Madam Speaker, I rise to give the House some idea of the business it will consider next week.
Madam, on Tuesday, 7th November, 2006, the business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will be any. This will be followed by the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.
On Wednesday, 8th November, 2006, the business of the House will commence with Questions, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider Private Members’ Motions, if there will be any. The House will then continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.
On Thursday, 9th November, 2006, the business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks.
Madam Speaker, on Friday, 10th November 2006, the business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there any. Madam, on this day, business will be concluded with the continuation of the debate on the Motion of Thanks to his Excellency the President’s Address.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Members walked into the Chamber while Madam Deputy Speaker was on her feet.
Hon. Members: Order! Order!
_____
MOTION
MOTION OF THANKS
(Debate Resumed)
The Deputy Minister for North-Western Province (Mr Chipungu): Madam Speaker, allow me to begin my speech by congratulating His Excellency the President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, on being elected as Republican President for the second term. This is a true reflection of the love and confidence that the people of Zambia have in him.
Madam Speaker, may I also congratulate you, the Speaker as well as the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on your election to your high positions. Again, your election demonstrates the great confidence hon. Members of Parliament have in your good leadership.
Madam Speaker, let me now congratulate the re-elected and newly-elected hon. Members of Parliament on winning the just ended tripartite elections. Indeed, this was a big a fight.
May I also say congratulations to the hon. Members of Parliament who have been nominated to this august House.
Madam Speaker, allow me, again, to commend His Excellency the President for his very good and inspiring speech delivered to the First Session of the Tenth National Assembly.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: In his speech, the President touched on all issues of development.
Madam Speaker, he touched on the issue of reconciliation and subsequent unity which is cardinal in fostering development. It is important that we all bury our differences and work together for the common goal.
Madam Speaker, in his speech, his Excellency the President ably discussed the issue of land and invited our traditional rulers to release part of their land for investment. I totally agree with the President over this call if we have to develop this nation.
Madam Speaker, the issue of boundaries between Chiefs is another issue highlighted in the President’s Speech. I have seen Chiefs fighting over their boundaries, a situation I would describe as unfortunate.
Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the voters in Rufunsa Parliamentary Constituency for turning up in large numbers to vote for His Excellency the President, the MMD and myself.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: Rufunsa Constituency belonged to the opposition for the last fifteen years. Therefore, winning the seat was no mean achievement.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, I would like to express my gratitude to His Excellency the President for appointing me Provincial Minister for North-Western Province where I am enjoying my work.
Madam Speaker, North-Western Province is a vibrant province ripe for development, especially in the areas of mining, tourism and agriculture. I am, therefore, inviting all potential investors to come and invest in the province.
Madam Speaker, the casualisation of labour, contract labour and workers’ rights are issues of concern in the mines of North-Western Province. The Government is addressing these issues very seriously. Meetings between the Government and management of the two giant mines are being held to address the matter.
Madam Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Chavuma touched on a number of issues amongst them, the M-8 Mutanda/Chavuma Road. Work on this road has reached a very advanced stage. Tarring of the road has now reached Mufumbwe District, which is over 200 Kilometers from Solwezi. This is a good achievement.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, it is not possible to engage two contractors on one road at one time as it would be too costly.
Madam, the Government has plans to connect North-Western Province to the national grid and these plans are contained in the Strategic Plan of the district.
Madam Speaker, the Government has the mandate to feed its nationals if hunger looms in a particular area, Chavuma inclusive. This cannot be perceived as free handouts to the people when it is done.
Madam, the recruitment of medical personnel by the Government is another issue of concern. However, this is an on-going process. In conjunction with the Ministry of Health, plans are underway to recruit more medical personnel, including doctors to man our institutions in North-Western Province.
Madam Speaker, the distribution of farming inputs is another issue of concern. However, I am pleased to inform this House that agricultural inputs for 2006 were received in the month of October and are being distributed accordingly.
Madam Speaker, Rufunsa Constituency is faced with numerous problems like any other constituency in the country.
Water and Sanitation
The constituency has very few boreholes, hence, insufficient drinking water for both human beings and livestock.
Road Network
Madam Speaker, the roads in Rufunsa are in a deplorable state which makes it very difficult to reach certain areas and in some cases to move the agricultural produce. I have in mind roads like Shikabeta, Chomba, Shimungubo, Kabuyu and Kamwesha, just to mention a few. However, I am pleased to mention that the Government is addressing this matter.
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them!
Education
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, Rufunsa has a number of basic schools. Some of them are very well renovated, but lack desks and the staffing is also not good. The cry of our people is for high schools. Pupils who come out of these basic schools find it difficult to further their education because of this problem.
Interruptions
Mr Chipungu: People are also crying for a technical college. Madam, the Government is, again, addressing this issue.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them!
Laughter
Agriculture
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to note that due to the good agricultural policies of the New Deal Administration, …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: … Rufunsa Constituency produced a bumper maize harvest during the 2005/2006 season.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: What we are now doing is simply strengthening the marketing arrangements. I am sure the able Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives (Mr Kapita) is looking into this matter.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muntanga: He is not even listening!
Health
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, we have a number of clinics and health centres in Rufunsa. As usual, the common problem is lack of staff which, again, the Government is addressing.
However, I am glad to mention that the Government has allocated funds for the construction of a provincial hospital in Chinyunyu and a health post at Luangwa Bridge. Therefore, I wish to congratulate the hon. Minister of Health (Ms Cifire), through the Lusaka Province Administration, for a job well done.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mining
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, Rufunsa, like North-Western Province, has some mineral deposits such as gold, copper and precious stones. I have in mind areas like Shikabeta, Chinyunyu and Kamwesha. In this vein, I am, once again, inviting investors to come forward and explore the potential in the area.
Madam, most of the problems highlighted cannot be solved by the Government without the involvement of everybody, including our co-operating partners. What the Government has done to resolve some of the problems raised by hon. Members is involve all the districts by requiring them to come up with District Development Plans. These District Development Plans are already in place in all our districts.
Interruptions
Mr Chipungu: Madam Speaker, as I have already indicated, the New Deal Administration is determined to resolve the numerous issues that, once again, our hon. Members have raised. Through the District Development Plans, all the districts in the country have in place Strategic Plans which have already been approved by the councils. I do not know if hon. Members have seen these documents. I would, therefore, encourage hon. Members to obtain these documents from their respective districts to see how development has been prioritised in their constituencies.
Madam, it is also important to remember that these problems are a carry forward from the past administrations and some leaders who helped create these problems are still with us today and should be held totally responsible.
Hon. Government Members: Sata! Sata!
Mr Chipungu: In conclusion, I wish to commend His Excellency the President and his Cabinet for doing a very good job to develop this country.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chipungu: A number of successes have been recorded, for instance, in agriculture, tourism, passenger transport and the planning process where we were given an opportunity, as districts, to plan. This is the bottoms up approach. In addition, we have seen low interests rates and a strong Kwacha, just to mention a few.
Madam Speaker, I am very positive that in the next five years, this nation will move forward.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Minister for Northern Province (Mr Chibombamilimo): Madam Speaker, …
Mr Kambwili: Female voice!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Do not worry!
Laughter
Mr Kambwili: You see!
Laughter
Mr Chibombamilimo: It is one of the most beautiful voices on the globe.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, kindly accept my congratulations on your election to this important position of leadership of this House.
Your election without opposition from any Member of the House is an eloquent illustration of the faith and confidence the representatives of the Zambian people have in you and your manner of leadership.
For those of us entering this Chamber as Members of the House for the first time, we are confident and convinced beyond human alphabet …
Laughter
Mr Chibombamilimo: … that when we stumble and fall, when we err as we strive to come to terms with the practices of this very important House, we can look to you with confidence for your invaluable guidance.
May I also extend my message of congratulations to all hon. Members in this House. Hon. Members of the House, I urge you to regard as sacred the charge the Zambian people have placed upon us.
Madam Speaker, indeed, I am down on my knees thanking the people of Mpulungu for voting for me as their Member of Parliament. I scored 83 per cent which was the highest vote in the Northern Province. It is one of the heaviest responsibilities ordinary women and men can ever be called upon to bear by their fellow citizens.
Madam Speaker, I am a representative of the people of Mpulungu Constituency, an area of our country with daunting challenges. Mpulungu is an area where school infrastructure built in the 1940’s remains, in some cases, the only structures used for the purpose of developing national human resource. This is an area where children occupy themselves with perfecting swimming and fishing skills because there are no schools to accommodate the ever-growing numbers of potential pupils.
Interruptions
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, this is an area where …
Hon. Member: You are hammering yourself.
Mr Chibombamilimo: Well, I will not leave any stone unturned.
Laughter
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, this is an area where the fruits of the local people’s agricultural labour go to waste because the road and communication network is non-existent and subsequently their inability to access markets results in the loss of their much-needed income.
Hon. Patriotic Front Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, this is an area where health facilities are so few and far apart that health conditions that could be resolved continue to claim the lives of our beloved people. This is an area where fishing companies have to bury their fish in the ground because of constant power interruptions or outages.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, energy, as the President reminded us, …
Ms Mulasikwanda crossed the Floor.
Hon. Members: Order!
Mr Chibombamilimo: … is critical to national development without which efforts to improve our lives and living conditions will stagnate.
To sum it all, Madam Speaker, Mpulungu is one of the poorest areas in our land requiring massive injection of national resources today and not tomorrow.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Investing in this part of the country is an investment in the economy of the whole of Zambia. Madam Speaker, the rythmatic echoes of development doubling from point A to point B have compelled me to declare a well known fact that Mpulungu boasts of the only port the country, Zambia, has. This is a facility with immense potential in terms of what it can contribute to the economy of Zambia. In a nutshell, it is a sleeping economic giant of this nation. With the attention that such a facility deserves, it can grow and increase international traffic that could include merchant ships and tourists from different parts of the world and the five races of the universe. It would also increase the number of holiday resorts. Such activities could create employment for our people and change their standards of living for the better.
Madam Speaker, in his recent remarks, the President of this nation further reminded us of other areas of economic potential that Northern Province has. Kasaba Bay, for instance, needs a hotel of international repute that could make life comfortable for our international visitors. Mbala has the potential to provide this country with another international airport that could serve as a gateway to Mpulungu Harbor, Kasaba Bay, Kalambo Falls, where fire was first discovered in Africa, and many other tourist attractions that Northern Province has to offer.
Madam Speaker, as a country, we now have before us an opportunity to translate the much talked about economic potential of Zambia into tangible wealth. When the most renowned astronaut the world has ever produced, Neil Armstrong stepped down from the ladder of Apollo 11 and set foot on the moon, 20th July, 1969, entered the annals of world history as the day man first walked on a world other than his native earth. Neil Armstrong said these words:
‘My step on the moon is, indeed, a giant step for mankind’
Madam Speaker, when the MMD took over the reins of power from a party that was once called the omnipotent and caused the wanton plunder of the national Treasury, Zambia’s debt stood at US$ 7.2 billion. I want to say that because of his bravery and capable leadership, His Excellency the President took a giant step for the country to reach the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative (HIPC) completion point...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: … in April, 2005. This led to the cancellation of US$7.2 billion. Madam Speaker, it takes a man and it takes a party.
Hon. Government Members: Hammer Minister.
Mr Chibombamilimo: When we reached the HIPC completion point, to emphasise this point, some of us heaved a sigh of relief, feeling like someone who had reached his or her destination after hours or days of walking from one point to the other.
Hon. Government Members: Yes.
Mr Chibombamilimo: To emphasise, in April, 2005, our long and tedious journey of indebtedness that stood at US$7.2 billion when the MMD came into power in 1991, took a new turn and a significant burden was lifted …
Hon. Opposition Member: Burden.
Mr Chibombamilimo: My dear, I am a teacher of English.
Interruptions
Mr Chibombamilimo: … off the weary shoulders of our people. Reaching this point was not easy as the owners of the monies we owed demanded that we pay back. They set up conditionalities for the repayment of these loans. These conditions deprived most of our social sectors of resources.
Mr Mtonga: Zoona.
Mr Chibombamilimo: One of the sectors, among many others, that suffered was the education sector. The Government could not employ the many teachers the country had trained because there was simply no money to pay them.
Hon. Opposition Member interjected.
Mr Chibombamilimo: It was not deliberate on the part of the Government that so many social sectors suffered as we adhered religiously to international conditionalities for debt repayment. We did this because, as a country, we have a moral obligation to return to the owners that which we have borrowed. Now we have turned a new chapter in our economic history.
We need not rest too long, my fellow country men and women, as the task of addressing those concerns we could not because of indebtedness has just begun. It is an hour for the rebuilding of our nation and the rekindling of hope in the hearts of our people that the Government exists to provide them with an environment in which they can realise their individual dreams of a good life. Our people can now see teachers coming to their schools and it does not matter how far the school may be located.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: In some cases, our people have begun to see new school buildings complemented ….
Interruptions
Chibombamilimo: … the efforts …
Hon. Opposition Members: Where?
Mr Chibombamilimo: … by the efforts of other humanitarian organisations. As their representatives in this House together with the Members of the Executive, we can bring true relief and rest to the poverty-stricken souls of our people.
Hon. Members: Yah!
Mr Chibombamilimo: Madam Speaker, hon. Members of the House, Zambians are hard working people …
Hon. Government Member: Yes.
Mr Chibombamilimo: … if only we, their elected representatives, played our part honestly.
They have demonstrated, through their response to some Government initiatives such as subsidised fertiliser and inputs and the Tourism Credit Facility, that they can turn their lives around for the better. It will not cost us anything to simply be honest as custodians of their resources. It will not cost us anything to promote their welfare on the Floor of this House.
However, it will cost the lives of our people and subsequent generations if we, their representatives, lose sight of our reason for being here. It will cost the economy of this country if we do not play our role of administering the resources under our charge honestly.
Madam Speaker, to say yes to the HIPC completion point is to give credence to the President and the MMD Government to give water to the people of Mpulungu and Northern Province as a whole.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chibombamilimo: To say yes to the HIPC completion point that led to the cancellation of US$7.2 billion is to give credence to the President and the MMD Government to build more secondary schools, hospitals and houses for the policemen in Mpulungu, Northern Province and the country as a whole.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}
Mr Nyirenda (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, I am very privileged to be in this House. I wish to thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this motion. I will start by congratulating you on being elected to this high position of Deputy Speaker. It is a record in our country to have a woman of your calibre as Deputy Speaker. I say thank you to you. I also wish to shower blessings and congratulations on the Speaker who has been re-elected to his position for the next five years. I also congratulate the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House on his re-election.
Madam Speaker, I am greatly honoured to be the man that has been given this opportunity to serve the people of Kamfinsa Constituency and Zambia, at large, in this august House under the Patriotic Front (PF), whose aim is to contribute to the uplifting of the standard of living of the people of Zambia.
Madam, PF is a party that is committed to the development of our country, as it cares about the concerns of the people of Zambia ..
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: … that they have been subjected to the New Deal Government. However, let me take this opportunity to thank His Excellency the President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, …
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: … for articulating the PF manifesto during the Official Opening of this House on Friday 27th October, 2006.
Interruptions
Mr Nyirenda: If the President’s pronouncements will not be implemented by the Executive, we shall request them to come to our President, Michael Chilufya Sata, for free consultation.
Laughter
Mr Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Kamfinsa Constituency and Zambia, at large, for turning in large numbers and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere during the just ended tripartite elections. I wish to earnestly thank the people of Kamfinsa Constituency for electing me as their Member of Parliament for the next five years and pledge to do my best to bring sanity and development to the constituency.
Madam, I also wish to appeal to the people of Kamfinsa Constituency to work together for the development of the constituency. In the same vein, let me thank the Patriotic Front and our able President, Michael Chilufya Sata, for having adopted me as a candidate in these just ended elections.
Madam Speaker, let me now turn to some problems in Kamfinsa Constituency. The current situation in my constituency is very sad despite having a favourable atmosphere at the moment. We have problems of water, electricity, road network, physical community infrastructure, unemployment and poverty. The entire Kamfinsa Constituency has only one secondary school in a population of more than 40,000 people, which is a shame.
Madam, it is also disappointing to see a road which was constructed recently in such a deplorable condition that one cannot tell whether the contractor completed the work or not. It will be difficult for the Kitwe City Council or anybody paying for it to see that the job has not been done accordingly. Hence, as PF, we are requesting for transparency, efficiency and accountability. How do we pay for a job that has not been done accordingly? This is where accountability comes in. Contracts are issued outside the system. I would like to urge the Government to make sure that contracts are given in accordance with the laws of the land.
Madam, we have the oldest college called Mwekera Forest College in Kamfinsa. This college was built in 1949. At that time, it was of very high standards, but, at the moment, it is no better than Shangombo Boarding School in Western Province, and yet it has produced graduates. This school needs transport, sanitation, water and general maintenance. Further, we are appealing for the upgrading of this college to its former international standards.
Madam Speaker, our youths have nothing to do despite being trained at high cost to this country. These youths have now resorted to beer drinking not only in my constituency, but in the entire country because there are more drinking places than employment opportunities. The people of Kamfinsa want to strengthen the community development and social welfare system for survival and for life skills training. It is in this vein that I appeal to the Executive, through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, to release the much publicised K40 billion which was approved by this House. The youths in my constituency have not yet received anything to enable them engage in meaningful and gainful activities as promised by the President, in his speech, on 27th October, 2006.
Furthermore, I urge the Government, through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit in the Vice-President’s Office, to assist markets that have experienced arson, such as Mulenga Market in my constituency. These markets need urgent attention to avoid an outbreak of diseases as we approach the rainy season. When citizens die of preventable diseases, it tarnishes the country’s image worldwide.
Madam Speaker, the President, in his address to this House, alluded to the Government’s continued policy on the fight against corruption. I wish to urge the New Deal Government not to be selective and intimidating to its perceived enemies in the fight against corruption. There is, therefore, need to address the fight against corruption wholly through the courts of law, whether such accused people are in Government or not.
Madam, with regard to the security situation in the country, I wish to urge the Ministry of Home Affairs, I think the hon. Minister is here listening, to come out in the open and find the root cause behind the police taking the law into their own hands by killing innocent citizens in cold blood. This can be done through the establishment of a tribunal to address the problem.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: I would like to urge the Inspector-General of Police to retrain the police in this regard. I think we should not protect people through intimidation and threats.
Madam, my heart bleeds because the Government of the day has allowed Zambians to work under difficult conditions such as casualisation and long hours with slave wages for the so-called investors. As you are aware, an exploited work force will not bring sustainable development to our country. Our people are subjected to desperate lives, unemployment and poverty. Unemployment is very high on the Copperbelt and in Lusaka. Able-bodied healthy men and women are unable to find employment. However, I must state that I was happy to hear the President address such issues in his speech to the House. I hope that all the ministries responsible will take heed of his advice and address the situation.
Madam Speaker, with regard to taxation, a few employees are overtaxed by this Government. The Government has allowed foreign investors to use the minimum wage of K268,000, which the Government has given as a benchmark, to exploit the Zambian people. I, therefore, suggest to this Government, through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, that when reviewing the tax policy, as directed by the President, they should consider minimum tax free earnings of not less than K1 million. Such a threshold would go a long way in uplifting the lives of our people. We should also reduce the tax concessions given to investors and expatriate employees. To broaden the tax base, there is need to bring legislation to manage operations of foreign investors. For instance, foreign investors should invest in areas where the country lacks expertise and not in factories, bread and butter or Chisokone Market.
Madam, may I also remind the House that Ndola, for instance, used to have infrastructure to manufacture all sorts of essential commodities and the country once used to assemble motor vehicles. This is the type of investment we require investors to engage in. They should not invest in areas where we can manage as Zambians. We should further request the investors to build and construct offices and structures for themselves because we need these in our areas.
Madam Speaker, we need to broaden the tax base. It is ridiculous for only 300 out of 10 million people to pay through their noses to satisfy the Government’s demand, hence, the need to broaden the tax base. How do we do this, my brothers and sisters? It is easy. We should empower Zambians to have access to contractual jobs in partnership with the investors. They should consider our people.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: Our industries and companies have gone down because we have overlooked the responsibilities of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. I, therefore, would like to urge this House and the ministries concerned to consider stopping cheap foreign goods from coming into the country. They should consider giving incentives to our manufacturing industries so that they produce products of competitive quality. It is this House which is going to help our people compete favourably regionally and internationally. In so doing, we shall create employment for our people and the tax burden will be reduced.
Madam, if this happens, Zambian industry will add value to its products, thereby enabling them to compete favourably. I also urge the Government to establish the Citizen Economic Empowerment Fund as stated by the President in his speech and explain the modalities of accessing it.
Madam, I wish to propose that with reduced taxes, the country should broaden the tax base by stopping all cheap imports to Zambia, controlling all investors coming to Zambia and ensuring that investors construct buildings and employ Zambians. It should also be ensured that contractual jobs with the mines as well as procurement contracts are given to Zambians. We must also ensure that the blanket tax concessions given to foreign investors are abolished. This has robbed our country so much that we are subjected to slavery in our own country.
I, once more, urge all hon. Members and the Government to think about the consequences of negligence in the governing of this country on future generations. I strongly urge all Zambians to put Zambia’s interest first. I feel that it is for the above reasons that the ruling party, the MMD, did not fare well in urban areas, especially the heart of Zambia, Lusaka and the Copperbelt, where the majority are tax payers. I expect the New Deal Government to listen to the problems of the people of Zambia and address the issues as soon as possible. If this Government wants to be defensive on issues raised by the Zambian people, all hon. Members, including nominated ones, will not be here after five years. I urge the Government to abide by the RDC objectives which are the baby of PF. If we are to change Zambia, adopt the policies of PF which is a considerate and listening party.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, all Zambians want a new Constitution soon and not later because the Mung’omba Commission did almost what was required to have a Constitution of the Zambian people. I am challenging hon. Members, especially those in the MMD, to come on board so that they take care of the people of Zambia not only with regard to lower taxes and more money in their pockets, but also on issues of national development for a better Zambia for all. This will only be attained if we have a Constitution of the Zambian people. In addition, I wish to appeal to the Government to look at the Electoral Regulations as we await the Constitution of the country.
Why do we need a Constitution? Hon. Members, the Constitution will give a clear road map on how to manage our affairs without discriminating and empowering anybody more than anyone else. It is not an ‘Animal Farm’ where some people are more equal than others. The Constitution will need all of us to be equal in the eyes of God.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Nyirenda: Madam Speaker, this House would like to exercise equality, equal powers and shares in all matters of the House.
Madam Speaker, as I conclude my speech, I wish to urge the ruling party not to be defensive on issues raised by the House, but address them as soon as possible because Zambians have spoken. I further urge the MMD Government to put the people’s views and demands first and be loyal to the electorate. They must do what they want and not what the MMD wants. The people want action against injustice, poverty, unemployment, high taxation and poor education, health and water and sanitation. Transparency and accountability are not to be overlooked. It is a must. The current august House should strive to diagnose all the weak points and give solutions to the challenges that face the country today. Among the challenges is the need to restore human dignity which PF is calling for. Without this, we are not going to be a nation with dignity. We have to be resolute and steadfast as we cannot afford to be free when our country is bleeding for lack of care and leadership. Hence a people driven Constitution is a must.
Finally, Madam Speaker, let me, once again, take this opportunity to thank the people of Kamfinsa Constituency for electing me to be their Member of Parliament and speak especially for the workers at Natwange Mukuba who are being told to buy houses at K54 million after being sitting tenants for more than a decade. This is quite expensive. I wish the House will look into this issue. I pray to do my best to facilitate developmental projects in Kamfinsa Constituency. I, therefore, appeal to them to work with the Member of Parliament, councillors and the National Assembly.
With these few remarks, I thank you.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Before we continue, let me just guide the House, particularly the hon. Members of the Executive that even as you debate your maiden speeches, focus on your portfolios. You can mention a bit about your constituency, but concentrate on your portfolio.
Dr Kalumba (Chienge): I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker, allow me to, first of all, thank ourselves as a House for putting together an incredible team of presiding officers for the Zambian Parliament. I want to spend a few minutes to say something about the persons we have put as presiding officials before I move on to the substantive issues in the President’s Address.
Firstly, I want to salute, Madam Speaker, in this my fourth term in this House, the person of our Speaker, Mr Mwanamwambwa. I celebrate him for what he represents to this House; the impartial listener and, therefore, a democrat; the reformist and, therefore, a visionary; a person who has kept pace with change in the world by helping this Parliament to reform at the same time as we have kept the institutional values that have worked well in our Parliament. He has driven reforms that help us to bring members of the public to listen to us as we deliberate in our various Committees. We have an affiliate Speaker who tries to create harmony by the many behind the scenes networking of various players on both sides of this House. There is no opportunity lost to educate our members, particularly to keep in sync with the fundamentals of this House; a democrat, a visionary; a coach who is affiliative. In sum, a primal leader. He is a special breed.
Madam Speaker, I watch with keen interest as the Speaker works closely with Madam Clerk and her team in addressing tense moments generated on the Floor of this House. Our Zambian Speaker has been able to distinguish the real from the unreal utterances, to discriminate between right and wrong, the important and the unimportant, the useful and the useless, the true and the false, the grandiose and the selfish and the unselfish. It is an incredible feat. When we err, we receive compassion from our Speaker. When our tongues run faster than our brains, when we become cut throat politicians insensitive to our colleagues or defenceless members of the public who do not come here, he helps us heal the wounds. It is an incredible feat.
He is not just rule bound, but executes an emotional intelligence when he publicly chastises hon. Members when we err, but, at the same time, forgives us. I have seen many hon. Members of this House humbled by his approach.
Madam Speaker, I intend no embarrassment to the person of Hon. Mwanamwambwa by describing him as such. I just realise how incredibly important these virtues are to us as national leaders in a world of leadership with no easy answers and how much we should emulate these virtues and become resonant leaders; leaders that are in tune with the emotional anxieties of our people across this land.
To you, Madam Speaker, I want to add that I am very touched to see you in that head gear. I just hope you will not forget your slogan, ‘Nang’ombe pa bana taya,’ in the real civilised language. If we translated it into the more primitive English language, it goes: ‘The mother cow never leaves its babies.’ I think this would be the literal translation in the primitive English language. The Queen’s English has not evolved much to capture our expressive capacity. I do not blame Shakespeare for not thinking like Citwansombo. However, students of Latin, perhaps, would do us a better service.
Madam Speaker, you are an authority and not a Diramba not yet, at least. However, judging from your previous portfolios, you are the iron lady and we respect you. We are confident that you will help us when we tangle on the Floor of this House.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalumba: We have a unique combination in this House, bringing down your voice to resonate in a G Sharpe Barre Chord, musicians would know what that means, I have already heard you say, ‘Order!’ It comes out very well.
Madam Speaker, we will not make the mistake of saying, ‘Madam Speaker ,ma’am’ like in ‘Mr Speaker, Sir’. We have been told that we should not say that. We thank you for this team that we have given to ourselves. We are a House led by honourable leaders.
To the hon. Member for Lundazi Central, I can just say you are the right ‘thang’ for the Deputy Chair.
Madam Speaker, all hon. Members of the House know the repertoire of capacity over which you superintend, embodied in the person of the Clerk of the National Assembly and her team. It is a formidable intellectual reservoir and hon. Members are best advised to know them well to appreciate how the wheels of Parliament keep grinding apparently so effortlessly. We feel secure in the grounds of this Parliament. We feel respected and we can, in its serene environment, use the Speaker’s phrase ‘parler’, the foundation of Parliament, as he insists, speak freely.
Madam Speaker, we live in a complex world, a world where new and re-emerging diseases appear to defeat our efforts at reform to provide cost effective, quality health care as close to the family as possible, the vision we gave ourselves. The multiplication of the disease burden disproportionately adds to the misery index that President Mwanawasa addressed and upon which I shall focus my debate.
In his speech, Madam Speaker, he referred to the paradoxical phenomenon of improving micro-economic indicators while, at the same time, the quality of life indicators rapidly decline. That is equivalent to saying we have a rich country of poor people. When I hear this, I quickly remember the professors who taught me the statistical tools used in analysing national income distribution. You need to appreciate what they call the gini-co-efficiency in income distribution. It pushes one to ask the question: whose quality of life is rising or declining? I am interested in an old economic question regarding terms of trade, particularly between villagers and town dwellers and town businesses and village businesses. What are the rural urban terms of trade and how are they affecting the quality of life of those people? I know that this is a very complex issue. Even when you put it in the context of world relations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has failed to address the North-South terms of trade. We have failed to address rural urban terms of trade.
It seems that our multiplication of effort to understand such complex problems is divided by the diminishing interest in implementing known and real answers. It often appears to me that public policy interest in health matters, in particular, is only mobilised when UTH runs out of panadols. Again, this signifies that urban diseases, urban maternal deliveries, urban coughs, urban malarias and urban dysenteries are qualitatively superior in health policy to their village equivalents. Nay, I dare say that there is a Maslow’s hierarchy of health needs from village to peri urban to really Kabulonga high-tech diseases. This is a problem of medical geography – to suggest that the battery of treatment for malaria must qualitatively and even quantitatively differ between an incident of malaria in Salujinga, in North-Western Province, and malaria in Woodlands. That it is medical political geography rather than medical need which is the fundamental criterion of health service distribution is a serious point of scientific and public debate if we have to understand what has happened to our health care in Zambia. What will it take to shift this paradigm so that we can understand that diseases know no space?
Madam Speaker, the misery index was also best captured by His Excellency the President when he bemoaned the poor road infrastructure in the country. He catalogued some major road projects that the New Deal Administration was undertaking. I just realised that, notwithstanding the billions of Kwacha spent on the Kashikishi-Luchinda Road, a provincial road that abruptly ended at Kashikishi in the Second Republic and failed to reach Lunchinda border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was omitted by the typist. I know that President Mwanawasa is deeply committed to this major provincial road in Luapula Province.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalumba: He fully understands the sensitivities of our people in this regard. I just pray that the Government will take measures to review the work of the contractor on site JJ Lowe and establish whether he has real ground capacity to tar this road. Hon. Members, in this year, President Mwanawasa worked tirelessly to ensure that the K8.2 billion earmarked for this project was released to the contractor JJ Lowe to undertake at least 10 kilometres of tarring. As I speak today, not an inch of tar or a single grain of stone work has been laid down. Further, even the road formation is suspect. Less than a kilometre has been raised in six months. When a similar debacle happened on the Mongu-Kalabo Road, the Government increased its supervisory presence and forced a redesign and reconstruction. Against many billions of Kwacha paid to JJ Lowe and even more billions given as claims by JJ Lowe in standby time between 2002 and 2005, almost amounting to $20 million, the people of Luapula expect the Government to move in quickly to rationalise the contractor arrangements. It is not a question of cutting and running, which would be fiscally imprudent, but rather getting someone who will do the job right and getting value for money. As I speak, I received reports that workers on this road are selling drums of diesel to any buyer and only one grader is standing idle like a dinosaur on the road. Punctured tires I am told.
Hon. PF Members: Shame!
Dr Kalumba: We need closer supervision of road contractors and this road is particularly important because the Government has shown very strong commitment by releasing funding to it. Zambians in Luapula want value for money on this road.
Madam Speaker, when I went to consult my constituents about my contribution to this year’s debate, the people of Chienge were very clear. Talk about the Kashikishi-Lunchinda Road, a district hospital for Chienge, at least, 100 working boreholes in five years, a boarding school, improved Food Reserve Agency (FRA) services and a fully-fledged police station. These are very important to the people of Chienge, a new district. The people’s l driven ‘No Road, No Vote’ campaign really damaged the political chances for all political parties in Chienge, particularly the MMD. Despite a massive investment of effort, only 46 per cent of the registered voters actually voted because of this campaign. Whilst I understand the outrage of the people of Chienge on the road issue, I thank them for returning an MMD candidate to this House as Member of Parliament.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalumba: The people of Chienge resisted all schemes to deceive them, which included efforts to persuade my family members to stand against me. By and large, these failed lamentably. The people of Chienge are very principled and politically intelligent. Chienge is still MMD and I care less if anyone wished it otherwise.
Madam Speaker, I have this to say on democracy. Leaders must be passionate about things that touch upon the concerns of the people we represent. Whether it be food security, roads, fighting corruption or poverty, we must be passionate about it. We must express outrage at injustice, true in speech and without exaggeration. We must never attribute motives to another whose thoughts we have never entered. If we hear a story against anyone, let us resist the temptation to repeat it, for it may not be true. We must think well before speaking lest we fall into inaccuracies. We must ask ourselves whether what we are saying about anyone is true, kind and helpful. If we avoid wasteful political gossip and learn instead to know the truth, dare to act upon it, will to act, be silent in order to listen and evolve the courage to persevere under trials, we shall draw closer to the attributes of primal leadership that I described in my discussion of the Speaker of this House. We are democrats and great leaders, not power holders. Democrats are not just interested in power, but in leading. Leadership requires listening, inspiring and acting upon injustices and evils.
Madam Speaker, as I wind up, and speaking as an MMD Member of Parliament and its Chief Executive Officer, I am always humbled by the many options we have offered ourselves to construct a great party capable of overcoming turbulences; ever moving forward, building new alliances and correcting error without inflicting upon itself political suicide.
We do not over react to our failures. We remain focused and cool-headed in order to capture new chances for reconstructing ourselves. Because we are structurally strong, we are not threatened by the dynamics of self-renewal that requires incorporating new bodies and ideas. We do not have to throw away a fiery Given Lubinda in order to accommodate a sober and forceful Hachipuka.
Laughter
Dr Kalumba: We are big enough for the North, South, East and West.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalumba: We are big enough a party to accommodate any soul from our nine provinces. As our party President says, ‘We are a party for those who voted for us, against us, or never voted at all. ‘
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalumba: We resist attempts at divisionism because that is what killed some other mother parties. Democracy, which the President talked about, abhors divisionism.
Come on hon. Members across the Floor, let us talk. Let us discover our most appropriate tools for reconciliation and for healing our nation’s anxieties. About inter-party dialogue, we can explore your concerns. Hon. Sejani and Hon. Kakoma, you should come over to the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue so that we can discuss your agenda. Incidentally, I really meant to congratulate Hon. Sejani for adopting a genetically modified Mapatizya formula.
Laughter
Dr Kalumba: It is more user-friendly and less bloodletting. It is a jaw-to-jaw and it worked well for you, Hon. Sejani, and I welcome you.
Mr Sejani indicated assent.
Dr Kalumba: Madam Speaker, our democracy will be deepened further if these hon. Members of our House help our electorates out there in their constituencies to understand that as we come here, we sit together on the same tables and share a cup of tea. We even joke over ordinary events in our lives. It is not true that we run away from Hon. David Matongo, UPND, when he comes to sit on our tables as MMD. That is not true.
The fact is that we even share his tribulations about cattle farmers in Southern Province because they are our Zambians and we are their leaders. Whether we lost in the south and have no single seat as the MMD, we are still there for the people of the south. We share leadership experiences, those who won and those who lost the elections, about the plight of our people everywhere in Zambia. That is what leadership demands; our capacity to interact. Therefore, let us encourage our people out there to feel free to interact with each other. Let us not divide them. All our electorates, as Zambians, deserve equal and undivided attention from us as Parliamentarians.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}
The Deputy Minister for Western Province (Mr Mufalali): Madam Speaker, I am really grateful to you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the inspiring speech by the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC. I thank you for recognising me and giving me this opportunity to debate on it.
Madam Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity also to congratulate the Speaker of this august House, the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House on your election to your respective positions. Your election to these high offices show clearly the confidence hon. Members of Parliament have in you.
Madam Speaker, may I also take this opportunity to congratulate our Republican President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, on his victory in the 28th September, 2006, tripartite elections.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: This gesture has proved that the people of Zambia stand for unity, peace and development. The New Deal Government, under the leadership of President Mwanawasa, has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that it is the only Government which can unite and reconcile this great nation.
I also thank our President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for appointing me as Western Province Minister. I promise him and the people of Western Province that I will do my best and do my duties diligently.
Madam Speaker, I thank the people of Western Province for accepting my appointment as their Provincial Minister. Western Province is the least developed province in Zambia. I am sure that the New Deal Government will look into this plight. Hon. Members of this House are aware that the West Bank of Western Province was a battle field for the liberation and civil wars in our neighbouring countries like Namibia and Angola. Since these wars have come to an end, I am quite sure something will be done to help this province to achieve the same development as other provinces.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Madam Speaker, for example, schools which were damaged by these wars have to be repaired or rebuilt. Roads such as the Sesheke/Senanga Road, Kalongola/Kalabo Road, Kaoma/Lukulu Road, Kaoma/Kasempa Road and Sinungoma/Mulobezi Road, only to mention a few, can now be brought to their commercial status. There will be no development if the road network is poor and I have no doubt our New Deal Government will look into this problem.
Madam Speaker, there are many areas of human endeavour which need our attention in the province starting from hunger, diseases and ignorance. I hope our programmes will be treated special because the province is too behind others due to those wars.
Madam Speaker, I could go on and on, but because there is already a programme of development put on the national agenda by our New Deal Government through the Fifth National Development Plan, things will work out as expected.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Madam Speaker, my speech would not be complete if I did not thank the people of Sesheke Central Constituency for having voted for me. I can reassure them that I will not let them down. I thank them also for having given President Mwanawasa, SC, a massive MMD vote.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Madam Speaker, I love them because they are appreciative. They have said thank you by their vote to the new Deal Government because of the Sesheke/Livingstone Road, the Katima Mulilo Bridge, Celtel, Zambian TV and many other developmental programmes to come.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: The people of Sesheke Central Constituency are quite certain that works on the Sesheke/Senanga Road will soon start to unblock the link between Livingstone and Mongu because, at present, the link between these two provincial headquarters is blocked by the poor and unworthy state of the road.
Madam Speaker, let me come back to the President’s Speech which is a very touching lesson to every Zambian. In his speech, the President touched so many topics. In the same speech the President called for national unity, reconciliation and he reiterated that the New Deal Government was not only for the members of the ruling party, but for all Zambians.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Madam Speaker, in the same speech, the President warned his newly appointed Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Controlling Officers to ensure that the oversight role of Parliament is upheld and facilitated by the Executive. He further warned that his administration will continue to foster transparency and accountability in the running of public affairs.
Madam Speaker, the fight against corruption is a battle that every responsible person must support to ensure that public resources are protected for the benefit of all Zambians.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Madam Speaker, job and wealth creation must be high priorities on our developmental agenda followed by skills training and youth empowerment programmes.
In rural areas, the President’s Speech alludes to the need for expanded interventions in marketing, extension services, animal disease control and livestock development and infrastructure like feeder roads. I can only appeal for support from the hon. Members of this House in providing financial resources in order to fully implement these directives.
Madam Speaker, the President talked about our focus in the next five years to continue developing, rehabilitating and maintaining science and technology and technology infrastructure. This is as it should be. Research and development should be accorded the necessary primacy.
Madam Speaker, employment and labour continue to be major problems to our country. I am happy to note that in the next five years, the New Deal Government will pursue policies that will promote rural employment by, among other things, allocating more resources to sectors that are predominantly rural, such as agriculture and small scale mining.
Madam Speaker, the New Deal Government has a programme on Health Reforms which will be carried out within the five years. New hospitals will be built during this period.
Madam Speaker, the President Speech is very rich and promises hope for the future. It must be consulted always for guidance.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: Finally, let me give a word of caution to one hon. Member of this House, the hon. Member of Parliament for Nkana, who said that the people of the Copperbelt have spoken in that they want change.
Hon. PF Members: Yes!
Mr Mufalali: May I inform him that Zambia is a peaceful country and it will never make a wrong change because wrong changes lead to chaos in the nation.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mufalali: May God bless the House.
I thank you, Madam.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Deputy Minister of Lands (Mr Muteteka): Madam Speaker, first of all, allow me to congratulate my ruling party, the MMD, for winning the just ended tripartite elections.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Secondly, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, the Speaker of the National Assembly, The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on their victories.
Madam Speaker, let me congratulate all hon. Members of Parliament for winning in their respective constituencies, especially those who have come into this august House for the first time like myself. I congratulate you because it was not easy. Others used their experience, but for us, we had to be very intelligent.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, I also take this rare opportunity to say to the good people of Chisamba, which is seat number 1, that I am humbled for the trust and confidence they have in me by electing me to represent them in Parliament from 2006 and beyond. I thank you very much the people of Chisamba and I will never disappoint you during my tenure of office.
Madam Speaker, being new in this House entails that I need some time to learn from old hon. Members of Parliament before I can prove to them that, indeed, I am equally important and I mean serious business in this House on behalf of the people of Chisamba and the citizens of this country.
Madam Speaker, I want to emphasise that having read the President’s Speech, I am personally convinced that His Excellency the President understood and took into account what a Zambian person really wants this time around. It is from this background that he appealed to all hon. Members of this House to adopt a non-partisan approach in dealing with issues affecting the welfare of our people, that is, hunger, poverty, ignorance and disease. These issues do not recognise any political affiliation.
Thus, we shall be doing our people a disservice if we preoccupy ourselves with partisan agendas in this august House.
Madam Speaker, the people of Chisamba and I, personally, who are in need of what His Excellency the President highlighted in his speech, surely do not expect any passionate hon. Member of Parliament to engage in trivialising such an all encompassing and well focused speech targeted at implementing rural planned programmes and projects to benefit all Zambians whether in the Opposition or the mighty ruling party, the MMD.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: For the sake of development, Madam, it is also my sincere hope and desire that this Parliament will be a people’s Parliament representing the national vision and not a battle ground for political parties.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Time for campaigning and character assassination will come in 2011. As of now, let us suspend character assassination.
Madam Speaker, to comment on the Constitution, allow me to remind the Zambians, the civil society and some hon. Members of Parliament what His Excellency the President said, which is on permanent record. It says:
‘Constitutionalism
Government is aware that there is anxiety among citizens concerning the implementation of the pending constitutional reforms. I wish to inform you that Government has received the report containing the recommendations of the Constitution Review Process Implementation Committee.’
The President went further to say:
‘Cabinet will soon consider these recommendations and as soon as a way forward is found, all stakeholders will be informed and involved in the process.’
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: This was said to all Zambians on 27th October, 2006, in this House. I am disappointed, as a new Member of Parliament, that barely a week later some people can start doubting the President. Why not be honest and analyse issues and take into consideration what it takes? In this vein, allow me to support the President when he said, ‘give us space’ because he has explained categorically in detail and everyone has got a speech. Give him space. He is going to communicate to all the Zambians the position of his Government.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Tell them!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, the President’s Speech covered nearly everything to move this country forward. He made it very clear on the following:
(i) public accountability;
(ii) media;
(iii) Local Government;
(iv) economic management and focus;
(v) taxation;
(vi) infrastructure;
(vii) housing;
(viii) agriculture;
(ix) disaster management and mitigation;
(x) land;
(xi) mining;
(xii) science and technology;
(xiii) energy and water;
(xiv) tourism, environment and natural resources;
(xv) commerce, trade and industry;
(xvi) employment and labour;
(xvii) Public Service management;
(xviii) education;
(xix) health;
(xx) disability;
(xxi) gender development;
(xxii) sport, youth and child development;
(xxiii) defence; and
(xxiv) regional co-operation and international relations.
Madam Speaker, the President concluded by saying:
‘I would like, once again, to call for national unity in the aftermath of the just-ended peaceful tripartite elections.
My appeal expends to all of you Members of Parliament to adopt a non-partisan approach in dealing with issues regarding the welfare of our people.
We have only one country, Zambia. Let us stand united despite our religious, ethnic, political and other differences.’
Madam, I urge all hon. Members of Parliament to study the President’s Speech, articulate and assimilate it. This is where the implementation of projects of this Government for the next five years is going to come from.
Madam Speaker, allow me also to account for what the New Deal Government has done to enable others to take note. As much as the MMD has ruled this country for sixteen years now, what is interesting is that the style of leadership has changed because MMD is not tribal and will never develop a tribal tag. Hence, it has produced better leaders prepared to turn this country round and President Mwanawasa is such a leader. He has given his Government’s mission statement and achievable objectives as enshrined in his speech. Further, he assured us that he wants to leave a legacy. My advice to the hon. Members of Parliament is to study and extract, in order to assimilate, what the Government has planned to deliver for the people of Zambia, including themselves.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: There is no other Government to take development to all the 150 constituencies in the next five years apart from the New Deal MMD under the leadership of President Mwanawasa, SC.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, those in doubt are wasting the time of the people who voted for them. You are not in this august House to make unnecessary remarks. You are here for the purpose …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: … of influencing development in your respective constituencies, Chisamba inclusive, in areas of service delivery.
Madam, this Government is extremely focused and serious. How can you, hon. Members, doubt a leadership that has scored successes in various programmes? For example:
This New Deal Government reopened the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia which others closed.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: This Government reopened mines plus two big mines which others closed and failed to implement.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: This Government has reopened the House of Chiefs which others closed;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: This administration has achieved the HIPC completion point. The records are there at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. Let us congratulate Hon. Magande and the Government.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Katyetye mwenda nuuma!
Interruptions
Mr Muteteka: This is the only Government in Africa which has a President fighting corruption. The only problem is that the Opposition is frustrating a meaningful programme which will benefit all of us.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: This is the Government which has made the Kwacha to appreciate.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Because of attaining the HIPC completion point, today we have free education up to Grade 9.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: It is this Government which has now introduced free medical fees in the rural areas.
Interruptions
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: It is this Government which has approved K40 billion for youth empowerment.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: It is under this Government that the 60 per cent Fertiliser Support Programme is active.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, because of the good agricultural policies which this Government has put in place, the pamelas that others introduced are no longer there.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam, this is the Government which has reintroduced cattle restocking, particularly in Southern Province. The records are there.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, these are some of the achievements my Government has scored and I am in Parliament today because I am inspired by these achievements. That is why I want to be part and parcel of this leadership.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, I want to advise hon. Members that we have a legitimate Government which is working and ready to provide solutions to many demands made during the just ended tripartite elections.
Mr Muteteka: This Government, now, is illegitimate.
Laughter
Mr Muteteka: This Government is legitimate.
Laughter
Mr Muteteka: I will concentrate on what I am saying so that you can understand. As for those who want to frustrate me, I am not the kind of person that gets frustrated. I prepared for what I am doing right now.
Madam Speaker, as for my constituency, I want to put it on record that I am here to influence development, especially regarding what has been promised in the speech of His Excellency the President and what has been included in the Fifth National Development Plan. This is a Government which is working and the MMD is the party which has a manifesto. We are not talking about parties which were campaigning based on ideas and cannot plan. To them, implementation or manifestos do not matter because they do not know them.
Madam Speaker, we are talking of a Government which has an idea which it can turn into a plan and implement. The things I have mentioned are things which we have planned and implemented.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, in Chisamba, I will ensure that, together with the Government, the most productive road from Chisamba town passing through Malula, Kalangwa, Chipembi, Chamuka Palace and Lifwambula up to Kabwe town is worked on. I will work with the Government of the day to ensure that we draw from the European Union Fund for road sector projects to have the road made into a tarmac road.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, the second major project in Chisamba is the construction of a high school for both girls and boys. As of now, we only have Chipembi Girls High School, therefore, there is need for the people of Chisamba, the Government and I to construct a high school. I know that this Government is capable of doing that.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, the Rural Electrification Programme started in Chisamba Constituency last year, but during my tenure of office, we will ensure that electricity goes to all the schools, clinics, commercial farmers and the palace. This is a project which is on-going under this Government.
Interruptions
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, the other programme under local Government in Chisamba is the upgrading of Chisamba into a district in order to maximise or influence development within Chisamba. Chisamba must become a district because it has the necessary infrastructure. It has a Grade 1 police station with an Officer in Charge, a Magistrate’s Court, Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL) facilities, Telecel facilities, an airstrip, silos, railway station, bus stop, council market and rest house. This is why Chisamba must be upgraded to district status.
Madam Speaker, on agriculture, I would like to inform this august House that as of today, all farmers in Chisamba have received their money for the maize sold to FRA. I am very grateful to FRA because, in Chisamba, they have fulfilled their task. As I speak, they have bought and paid for all the maize.
Interruptions
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, maize marketing in Chisamba is one of the success stories of FRA at the moment. However, I wish to inform this …
Interruptions
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Let us not pass running commentaries when an hon. Member is on the Floor. It is important that we listen and only acknowledge or refuse to acknowledge in the acceptable manner and that is by saying, ‘Hear, hear!’ or ‘Question!’.
May the hon. Member continue.
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Business was suspended from 1045 hours until 1100 hours.
Mr Muteteka: Madam Speaker, when business was suspended, I was just mentioning some of the programmes that we have lined up in Chisamba. One of them is that of working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives to see to it that the allocation of fertiliser is increased. I know that this is an on-going programme, but due to the fact that the population of Chisamba is increasing, the allocation should not remain static. This is one area where we will work with the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives in particular, to see to it that the fertiliser allocation for the people of Chisamba is increased.
Madam Speaker, equally, I am going to work with the women’s clubs to ensure that they obtain certificates which will enable them access funding from the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and outside the Government.
Madam Speaker, I will also work with the youth, especially that this Government has put aside K40 billion for the development of the youth. As the youth in Chisamba, we are planning to get into carpentry. We also have a programme in Chisamba that we would like the Government to assist with and this is fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic through sports.
Madam Speaker, when the rural electrification programme is completed in Chisamba, we want to introduce adult education. This will enable the people of Chisamba learn the basics in business and agriculture. This is the programme that the Government is going to embrace very soon.
Madam Speaker, I want to remind hon. Members of this House that each constituency has something in common. This is the more reason we should work together for the benefit of those who voted for us. To those who are here by chance …
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
The hon. Member’s time has expired.
Ms Limata (Luampa): Madam Speaker, in the first place, I would like to thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to make my maiden speech and debate the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to this House.
Hon. Opposition Member: Very good.
Ms Limata: I also wish to congratulate you, Madam Speaker, the Speaker and the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on their election as presiding officers of this august House. I further wish all hon. Members of Parliament the best and God’s blessings.
Special thanks go to the leadership of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the President of the UDA, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for adopting me as the candidate for Luampa Constituency. The great people of Luampa deserve big thanks for electing me as their Member of Parliament. I promise not to betray or fail them. I have dedicated myself to them and stand ready to work with them and bring their needs to the Government’s attention.
Madam, I also wish to thank the Republican President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for having delivered his State of the Nation Address, which gives direction on how the Government should operate.
Madam Speaker, Luampa Constituency has had numerous problems since independence. I wish to only highlight a few areas that need urgent Government attention. I am happy that the President, in his speech to the House, said that the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads countrywide would continue to be high on the agenda for the Government. Feeder roads in Luampa are in a very bad state. I have in mind the Luampa/Sichili Road. This road must be attended to as a matter of urgency.
Other areas that need to be improved on are the delivery and distribution of farming inputs. Because of the poor state of roads, farmers find it difficult to access fertiliser and seeds. It is encouraging that the President said that small-scale farmers will continue receiving support under the Fertiliser Support Programme. There are several areas in my constituency that need agricultural support. These include Naliele, Mbanyutu, Nkenga, Lui, Luampa Central, Mulwa, Namando and Nyambi which have never benefited from the programme.
Hon. Opposition Member: Shame!
Ms Limata: On the education sector, schools in my constituency are dilapidated. I have in mind schools such as, Lui, Nakayembe, Levu, Milumbwa, Chacha, Kanyenze and Namando. I appeal to the Government to embark on the expansion of infrastructure so that many children have access to schools.
Madam Speaker, on health care and facilities, there is need to provide medicine, equipment and qualified staff to Luampa Mission Hospital and other clinics in the constituency.
Madam Speaker, the need to have clean water supply cannot be ignored. The Government must, therefore, provide boreholes and construct dams in most of the wards in Luampa.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I wish to salute the people of Luampa for electing me as their Member of Parliament.
Thank you, once again, for giving me this chance to present my maiden speech.
I thank you, Madam.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear! Quality.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development (Mrs Mulasikwanda): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the motion. Allow me to thank His Excellency the President, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for nominating me as Member of Parliament and subsequently appointing me as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Quality.
Mrs Mulasikwanda: I also wish to thank so many other people whom I have been working with in politics whose support has made it possible for me to be where I am today. I thank His Excellency the President for having confidence in me. I pledge to support him and do my best to help implement his promises and the MMD’s manifesto which is the key to national development for the people of Zambia. I also want to extend the same gratitude and thanks to the people of Zambia for the overwhelming support they gave His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, in the just ended tripartite elections. As a Deputy Minister, I will support my Minister and other Cabinet Ministers in implementing the promises that, as a party, we made to the people.
Madam Speaker, may I also have this honour and privilege to congratulate you on your re-election as Member of Parliament and also on your election as the Deputy Speaker of this House. May I also extend the same gratitude and congratulations to the Speaker of this House and Hon. Mkhondo Lungu on their election as Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House respectively.
Madam Speaker, I wish to join the other hon. Members of Parliament in thanking His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for his elaborate, inspiring and visionary speech delivered to the nation, through this House, on 27th October, 2006. It is, indeed, gratifying that His Excellency has given us a vision and direction for the next five years.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mrs Mulasikwanda: Madam Speaker, the Presidential Speech touched on a number of critical issues aimed at improving the quality of life of the Zambian people. Let me dwell on my ministry as I am confident that other hon. Ministers will ably deal with their portfolios.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mrs Mulasikwanda: I wish to, particularly, thank the President for prioritising issues of children and the youth in an elaborate and passionate manner.
Hon. Government Member: Tell them.
Mrs Mulasikwanda: Madam, the significance of this sector, need not be over emphasised as clearly outlined by is Excellency the President in his speech. The population of Zambia comprises about 68 per cent children and youth. Because of their large number, the problems associated with this age group are also many. These include, lack of education opportunities, unemployment, child abuse, defilement, HIV/AIDS, orphan hood, poverty and many others. Yet, this is the age group which will shoulder the responsibility of developing our nation in the near future.
Madam Speaker, to address the problems of children and the youth, there is need for comprehensive policies and legislation. I am pleased that, this year, we launched the revised National Child and Youth policies. These policies outline the Government’s programmes regarding the development of children and the youth. Apart from the revision of the policies, the Government is determined to update all Acts and legislation pertaining to the sector in order to enhance child and youth development, protection and survival and to make sport more accessible to the population.
Madam Speaker, as you know, health is the most vital thing to a human being. My ministry has also included sensitisation programmes on the HIV/AIDS pandemic so that this deadly disease can be eradicated completely because the future of this nation lies in the youth.
Madam Speaker, in 2003, the Government embarked on a programme of promoting self-reliance in young people by providing vulnerable children from the streets with skills. This programme has been very successful in that 204 former street children have been transformed into useful citizens capable of contributing to national development. The Government is expanding this programme so that more young people can benefit.
This programme is multi-faceted as it is aimed at removing children from the streets, rehabilitating them through the provision of skills and resettling them. Currently, the Government is setting up centres of excellence where these young people will be given an opportunity to put their skills into practice under expert supervision before they can be settled in co-operatives.
Additionally, Madam, the Government has embarked on a programme to establish, at least, one youth resource centre per district in the next five years. In this way, we shall bring youth empowerment closer to the community where many youths are found. Let me take this opportunity to appeal to hon. Members of Parliament and local authorities to urgently identify and surrender disused buildings in their localities so that they can be used for the purpose of empowering young people. I am very grateful to some communities which have already surrendered disused buildings to my ministry.
Madam Speaker, I also want to appeal to the Constituency Youth Development Committees to prioritise the issue of infrastructure for youth empowerment using the K40 million for each constituency which my ministry has already disbursed through the office of the Provincial Permanent Secretaries.
Madam, sport is an integral part of national development. That is why the Government is committed to supporting all sports discipline. There are a number of benefits that can be derived from sport. For example, sport has the ability to bridge political, social, economic and religious gaps through its convening powers in addition to employment creation and revenue generation.
Madam Speaker, the revised National Sports Policy aims at increasing people’s participation in sport. It also aims at making sport more inclusive and in line with international and local developments. As the President said in his speech, the policy has also prioritised sports infrastructure development and inclusiveness of people with disabilities.
Madam, the intention of the Government is to construct three ultra-modern sports complexes because the Government realises that without modern sports infrastructure, sports development in the country will lag behind. Construction of these modern complexes will enable the nation benefit from the spill-over effects of the 2010 Football World Cup to be hosted by South Africa. In addition, these infrastructures are critically needed as Zambia will be hosting the 2011 All Africa Games.
Madam Speaker, in addition to the construction of new sports facilities, a programme has been worked out to rehabilitate existing infrastructure, such as, the Independence Stadium, where work has already commenced on the Grand Stand, and other provincial stadia. Further, I am delighted to report that the policy on the reintroduction of physical education in schools has now gained full recognition and a number of schools are implementing this programme.
Madam, all these programmes have been included in the Fifth National Development Plan. I would like to thank the Government for including a chapter on children and the youth in the National Development Plan because in this way, resource allocation to the sector will be guaranteed.
Madam Speaker, my observation of the last Parliament was that there was a lot of antagonism between the Government and the Opposition. A lot of time was wasted because of this friction. As a Government, we shall endeavour to work with the Opposition for the sake of developing our country. For example, this Parliament is hardly one month old and, already, people are agitating for a new Constitution when they know too well that a road map has already been put in place. Let us work in harmony and take some rest from political battles. There has been goodwill from the Government and, therefore, a road map on the Constitution will soon be announced by the Government after studying the recommendations of the technical committee which His Excellency the President appointed earlier this year. A lot of people on my right are friends, cousins, sisters and brothers and husbands. Therefore, we need to work in harmony.
Hon. Members: And wives!
Mrs Mulasikwanda: Finally, Madam, allow me to commend all the young people who were elected as hon. Members of this august House …
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mrs Mulasikwanda: … among whom are ministers. We look to you to support us in providing leadership in debating issues affecting the youths. Together, we can make a difference.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}
Mr Kayula (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, in the first place, I would like to congratulate you and your team. I would also like to thank the people of Kabwe Central Constituency for giving me this chance to represent them.
Madam, it is humbling for me to stand before you today, as a representative of Kabwe Central Constituency. My desire is to be an effective representative not only in my constituency, but in the rest of the country since all issues of development have to have the blessing of this august House.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kayula: Madam Speaker, as the New Deal Government, we are not going to work in isolation. We will work with all the stakeholders in development, as indicated by His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, in his Official Opening Speech. In that speech, he made an appeal to all hon. Members of Parliament to adopt a non-partisan approach in dealing with issues regarding the welfare of the people.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kayula: Madam, Kabwe Central Constituency is at the centre of Kabwe District. It is also at the centre of the Central Province. Central Province is also at the centre of the country, sharing boundaries with all the eight provinces in the country.
Madam Speaker, my constituency is important because, to a large extent, it is a gateway to all the provinces as one travels from one end of the country to the other.
Madam Speaker, in terms of development, Kabwe Central Constituency is the centre of most of the activities in the district and almost all the existing industries are located there. The railway industry has, since 1967, had its headquarters in my constituency which was also once the headquarters for Central Africa Road Services (CARS). However, the ideal location of Kabwe District did not do much to help its growth in terms of industries. Kabwe District is also one of the earliest municipalities in the country having become one in 1954. If all things had worked well, today, Kabwe District would have been among the few cities in the country. However, this could not be because it appears that from 1964, all the governments neglected Kabwe District and directed all development either to Lusaka or the Copperbelt.
Madam Speaker, this unfortunate situation was made worse by the economic decline which many towns, such as, Kabwe, Livingstone, Ndola and Luanshya experienced during the 1990s. The situation was so bad that towns like Kabwe even earned themselves the name of ‘ghost town’.
Interruptions
Mr Kayula: As a district, Madam Speaker, our hopes for development were raised when the MMD came up with initiatives that were meant to revive the economies of the depressed towns, Kabwe inclusive. These initiatives included making towns, such as, Kabwe tax free zones as well as the establishment of export processing zones. However, this has not taken place today. Therefore, I appeal to the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry to help us with regard to this issue.
Hon. MMD Members: Hammer, mdala.
Mr Kayula: My desire is to see these initiatives either reactivated or replaced by workable solutions which will help our beautiful town of Kabwe to be revived economically. The town has potential in the agricultural industry, in general, and in agri-business industries, such as, textile and the cotton industries in particular.
Madam Speaker, the town is also an important education centre with institutions, such as, the Nkrumah College of Education, PAID-ESA, Prisons Training School, National Service Skills Training School, National Fire Service Training School, which is one of the largest in Central Africa, the Army Training School and, the soon to be a university, National College of Management and Development Studies, which has one of its campuses in Kabwe town.
Madam Speaker, with the diminishing of social distances, the town has potential to become an important residential centre for the greater City of Lusaka. Additionally, Kabwe still has land for further development and because of this, I would not rule out the possibility of the town becoming the future capital city of Zambia because of its central location. With all these advantages, my desire is to direct my energies towards the promotion of activities which will ultimately promise the growth of Kabwe town as it seeks to contribute to the general development of the entire country.
Madam Speaker, in the area of HIV/AIDS, Kabwe District has not been spared by the pandemic. The National HIV/AIDS Council of Zambia’s figures of 2004 showed that Kabwe had an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of23 per cent which is higher than the national average of 16 per cent. This may have been influenced by, among other things, the economic decline experienced in the town. This is because the information available indicates that poverty contributes to the spread of this pandemic. In this vein, my efforts will be directed towards the improvement of the economic situation in the district so as to help reduce poverty levels in the district which will ultimately help reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Additionally, Madam Speaker, the residents of the constituency and the district at large will be encouraged to fully utilise the HIV/AIDS information desk which has been set up at our parliamentary office in the district. I am fully convinced that all this can be achieved within the first five years of my stay in this august House so that my second term of five years will be for consolidating the developments of the first term.
May the Lord bless you.
With these few remarks, I thank you.
Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!
The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (Mr Kaingu): Madam Speaker, let me add my voice to the voices of many who have congratulated you, Mr Speaker and the Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House. I also want to thank the people of Mwandi for electing me and, indeed, the MMD for selecting me to come to this House. I would also like to thank the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for appointing me a Deputy in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources.
Madam Speaker, I also want to recognise the efforts the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff have made to organise the affairs of the National Assembly. However, I would like to state, on behalf of my fellow hon. Members, that the budget of five years ago cannot purchase a vehicle of today. In addition, the models have changed.
Before I proceed with my contribution, I would like to say that the President talked about unity and reconciliation. Unity should start from this House. We should not practice partisan politics. In fact, words like Alexander the Great and Shaka the Great, which I am hearing here, should not be pronounced. What is great in this House is the unity of hon. Members.
Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kaingu: Before we can criticise the MMD Government, we must, first of all, look at where we have come from. Hon. Members should not forget the UNIP days or the Second Republic when essential commodities were nowhere to be found. In fact, even to travel to Mansa, you had to go through the famous Pedicle Road and you know what the Zairean people did to our people. You will remember the days our people spent at bus stations like the Kitwe Main Bus Station (KMB) just to catch a bus to their various destinations.
When the MMD came into power, we tried our level best to bring sanity to the lives of our people and to business. It was almost difficult in the Second Republic for anybody to do business. However, when the MMD came into power in 1991, our shops were flooded with essential commodities, which was good. The period that I do not really want to remember is 1996 to 2001. That period must be erased from our history. During that period, innocent people were beaten in Chawama, ministers were seen with suitcases of money and caught with game meat at road-blocks. We do not want to remember that era.
Interruptions
Mr Kaingu: The period 2002 to 2006 has been the best era in our economy. When the President, Mr Patrick Levy Mwanawasa, SC, came into power, he found a serious drought. That was the time when Anglo-America also pulled out of our mines. During the same period, we had to meet certain conditionalities in order to reach the HIPC initiative completion point.
Madam Speaker, the MMD Government worked very hard during this period to reduce inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate, thereby, making it possible to do business in Zambia.
With regard to agriculture, before the year 2002, there was no agriculture in Zambia.
Hon. Opposition Members: Where was it?
Mr Kaingu: It was in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Today, Zambia can export maize to Zimbabwe and South Africa because of our good policies.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kaingu: I would like to echo the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central’s call that we have to seriously consider our food reserves. The marketing of agro-produce cannot be left to FRA alone. It is important that even hon. Members of this House complement the efforts of FRA.
Hon. Opposition Members: How?
Mr Kaingu: They can help their constituencies form co-operatives to help store and market their farm produce. It is not the responsibility of this Government to sell pumpkins in your constituencies.
Hon. UPND Members: Kozo!
Mr Kaingu: Madam Speaker, mining has never been better than it is today. As you have already heard from the hon. Deputy Minister of Lands, the MMD Government has re-opened some mines that had closed and opened new mines. In fact, that is not all. The MMD Government has also introduced a fund to help small-scale miners. This is the only Government that has done that so far.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kaingu: Tourism has mushroomed and resulted in the opening of many lodges like Kozo Lodge.
Laughter
Mr Kaingu: In tourism, we have also introduced a fund which is given to our people. I urge all hon. Members of Parliament to organise people in their constituencies so that they can access this fund. A lot has already been said about this fund. The hon. Member for Kalomo Central who said that this fund must be availed to hon. Members of Parliament. If this fund is availed to all hon. Members of Parliament, I am not sure whether the forms will leave this House and whether they will leave this side of the House (Right) to that side (Left). It is better that the fund is given to our people in the constituencies.
Interruptions
Mr Kaingu: In fact, the same fund can help our Local Government Authorities, the councils, come up with eco-tourism since Zambia is endowed with so many rivers and animals. I am sure that those who do not know what eco-tourism is can go and research in the library.
Madam Speaker, we really have to work hard to improve in the area of technology. To borrow the hon. Member of Parliament for Bangweulu’s call, we really have to work hard. Technologists will tell you that a country cannot develop without technology; we cannot just end up trading. We really have to work hard to improve in that area.
Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the last Parliament for the Parliamentary reforms. I would like appeal to the Clerk of the National Assembly to help us establish the much wanted constituency offices so that we can be closer to our people.
With regard to Local Government, councils must be helped to create wealth for our people. They are close to the people since they are in the constituencies. These are the people who should work very hard to provide for our people. If they do not already have one, they must create a department to deal with commercial issues.
I would also like to appeal to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to help the Government departments or ministries which can generate funds with the collection of revenue. In fact, that will help in tax rebates. They should help them collect revenue and allow them to retain 20 to 30 per cent of the generated funds.
Madam Speaker, you can see that Zambia is really progressing. If you went out, you would see the mushrooming houses, hypermarkets and lodges. In fact, the construction industry is the first indicator that the economy is actually improving. Therefore, as we sit and deliberate in this House, let us seriously read and understand the Presidential Speech. As the hon. Deputy Minister of Lands said, this will enable us help our constituencies. If we do not understand the speech and do not work in unity, we will not achieve anything. If some hon. Members of Parliament have just come here to shout me down or shout down whoever rises to debate up, I am afraid, they will not deliver on their promises.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Puma): Madam Speaker, allow me to join my colleagues in congratulating you and the Speaker on being overwhelmingly elected into your important offices. I would also like to congratulate the Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on his election.
Madam Speaker, I take this rare opportunity and honour to congratulate the newly elected and re-elected hon. Members of Parliament of this National Assembly. In the MMD, I would like to say, ‘congratulations,’ to all my colleagues’. I would also like to congratulate the opposition for trying very hard to get into Government. Suffice to say, the MMD was too strong for all the opposition.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Lufwanyama Constituency
Dr Puma: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the people of Lufwanyama Constituency for voting me into this very respectable House. I, therefore, call upon all the people of Lufwanyama and key stakeholders to work together and develop the constituency and the whole country. The people of Lufwanyama gave me an immediate run away vote to the extent that no opposition member could claim to have come second in reality. I may say that the next opposition member was number ten as numbers two to nine were missing.
Madam Speaker, similarly, the people of Lufwanyama gave His Excellency the President such a big margin that no opposition party could claim to have come second. I would, again, say that the immediate opposition for His Excellency came number thirteen. This is because number one to twelve where missing due to the wide margin. This clearly demonstrates the high level of confidence the people of Lufwanyama have in His Excellency, the Government and myself.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Madam Speaker, I would like to highlight some of the issues on which I am going to work with the people of Lufwanyama.
Interruptions
Dr Puma: We intend to tar the road that connects Kalulushi through Lufwanyama to Kasempa. Secondly, since I am in Government, we have planned to upgrade…
Madam Deputy Speaker: Order!
Can I remind hon. Members of Parliament not to debate from their seats. Wait for your turn and listen to your colleague who is on the Floor.
The hon. member may continue.
Dr Puma: Schools
Madam Speaker, we have identified some schools that together with the community and the Ministry of Education we will upgrade. This will enable us have more high schools in the constituency.
Hospitals
Madam Speaker, next year, construction of a hospital for Lufwanyama Constituency will begin.
Electricity
Madam Speaker, this Government has started electrifying the district. So far, Chief Nkana and Chief Shimukunami have already got power in their respective areas. During my term of office, I am going to work closely with the locals and the Government to electrify the palaces of the remaining chiefs.
Allow me to commend His Excellency the President, Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, for a speech very well pronounced. In my view, the Presidential Address was very promising and covered critical areas for Zambia’s development.
Agriculture
Madam Speaker, the importance of agriculture in Lufwanyama and the whole country cannot be over emphasised. The 40 per cent input cost is commendable and will lead to more bumper harvests as has been witnessed in the past years. The initiative to export maize to other countries should be encouraged as it will give more money to our peasant and commercial farmers. I recall that agriculture was almost destroyed before the New Deal Government came into office. However, due to the good policies of this Government, agriculture is now flourishing. There is need to expand on the gains that we have made so far by establishing more purchasing points and also opening up markets outside so that whatever we produce, can be consumed within and also sold outside the country.
We also need to extend the animal restocking exercise from Southern Province to other provinces. Southern Province has benefited from animal restocking and we want other provinces to benefit as well.
Madam Speaker, I would like to commend the Government for doing wonders also in the mining sector. The nation was almost being made to believe that copper had finished, when, in fact, that was not true. The New Deal Government’s policies have revitalised the mining industry in this country to the extent that the improvement of the economy is being felt in one way or another.
Madam, even Ndola and Kabwe, which were becoming ghost towns, are now slowly picking up. Long live the MMD!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Education
Madam Speaker, it is clear that the MMD is a listening Government. Already, the issue of teachers is being addressed seriously. This can be seen from the plans to employ 8,000 teachers by the end of 2006, 6,500 by 2007 and 5000 by 2008. This is commendable.
In addition, the plans to construct additional classrooms and upgrade middle basic schools to upper basic and the construction of day high schools is very welcome.
Madam Speaker, the MMD is a listening Government. I foresee a situation where all the views will be incorporated and the Opposition will have nothing to talk about.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Madam Speaker, coming to the health sector, the plans which are underway to construct five more hospitals in Kaputa, Lufwanyama, Chienge, Mufumbwe and Lusaka are commendable.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Further, the plans to construct forty more health posts in various parts of the country are also commendable. This is an on-going programme. When a health facility or hospital is opened, it is very rare that it gets closed. Therefore, when we build forty health posts and five or ten hospitals in a year, we will find ourselves in a situation where, maybe, by 2020/30, we are going to have a health post, health centre or hospital in almost every section of the country.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Madam Speaker, coming to the issue of human resource in the health sector, permit me to discuss the issue of shortages of staff in our health facilities. It should be appreciated that the exodus of health workers to developed countries, especially the United Kingdom, is prevalent in the entire Southern African Region. It has been established that English language skills in many African countries combined with good nursing skills and an acute shortage of nurses to care for an aging population in the United Kingdom makes the region a major recruitment ground.
In addition, current projections from the United States of America show that the shortfall of nurses in the United States will swell to 800,000 by 2020. Therefore, the pressure to recruit abroad is likely to grow.
Madam Speaker, the Government has been making concerted efforts to address the issue of brain drain. For example, in 2006, K42 billion was set aside for the recruitment, retention and repatriation of health workers. So far, 690 health personnel have been employed. This includes thirty-two doctors and 658 nurses and paramedics.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: In addition, the Cabinet has officially approved the Ministry of Health’s new establishment. This structure has increased the establishment in the health sector from the current 16,900 to 51,000. This will facilitate the recruitment and replacement of graduating students in the Ministry of Health. We should take note that moving from an establishment of 16,000 to 51,000 is not something that can be achieved over night. Therefore, as a starting point, the ministry and the Government, in general, has decided that all graduating students from schools of nursing and schools of paramedics will be employed by the Ministry of Health. This is a commendable decision.
Madam Speaker, further, I would like to say that the President’s Speech was reconciliatory. On page 3, in referring to concerns raised during the elections, the President said:
‘We will reflect seriously on their concerns with a view to implementing those that can be implemented immediately. Those that are feasible, but require more time due to resource and other considerations will also be implemented in due course.’
I would, therefore, like to urge the Opposition to take advantage of this reconciliatory tone. Otherwise, they will just be building castles in the air.
Madam Speaker, with regard to HIV/AIDS, in mid-2005 the Government introduced the provision of free Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in all public facilities. This was due to the Government being a listening one. After getting information that people were failing to pay the K40,000 required every month for ARVs, the Government decided to provide them for free. Therefore, a policy directive was made to remove user fees.
I, further, wish to remind my hon. Colleagues that before His Excellency the President came into office, it was very difficult to access ARVs. Most of us lost relatives despite hearing about ARVs. They were very expensive, but now they are free. This is a job well done by His Excellency and the MMD.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Puma: Madam Speaker, the introduction of the free ARVs policy has led to an increase in the number of people on Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) from 24,000 in 2004 to 65,000 as at June, 2006. In fact, to put the statistics correctly, it is from zero in 2003 to 65,000 in 2006. This is a lot of work which needs to be commended.
Madam Speaker, in order to increase further access to ARVs, the Government is, at the moment, contemplating scaling up the provision of ARVs through private health facilities.
Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to commend the MMD Government for stabilising the economy and putting policies that have rekindled hope in our people, for revitalising mining and agriculture and also embarking on rural electrification projects. I know that more needs to be done, but we should commend what has been so far done.
Madam Speaker, I end here.
Thank you, Madam.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
_____
MOTION
ADJOURNMENT
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services (Mr Mwaanga): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Question put and agreed to.
____
The House adjourned at 1200 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 7th November, 2006.