Tuesday, 30th June, 2015

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_______

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

UPGRADING OF SHIMUMBI-NKOKI ROAD

561. Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    when the Shimumbi-Ndoki Road in Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency would be upgraded to bituminous standard;

(b)    what the cost of the project was; and

(c)    what the time frame for the project was.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Dr Mwali): Mr Speaker, the feasibility study and detailed designs for the Shimumbi/Ndoki Road will be considered for inclusion in future Road Sector Annual Work Plans (RSAWPs). For now, the Road Development Agency (RDA) has concentrated its efforts on the Luwingu/Nsombo/Chaba/Chilubi Road in the same area, whose designs were completed and the procurement of a contractor is on-going.

Mr Speaker, the cost of the project will only be known when the design has been completed.

Mr Speaker, the time frame for the project will only be determined once the designs have been completed.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has not given us the time frame and it appears that the people of Lubansenshi in Luwingu will have to continue suffering even when funds are borrowed on their behalf.

Mr Sikazwe: Which funds?

Mr Mucheleka: The question is: If it is not possible to upgrade the road to bituminous standard, is it possible that you can just consider grading and gravelling the road? If that is possible, how soon can that be done? Is it possible that it can be included in next year’s …

Mr Chungu: Awe, iwee!

Mr Mucheleka: … Budget?

Mr Speaker, I need your protection from someone making comments there (pointing at PF hon. Members).

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, our understanding is that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing is currently re-gravelling the Shimumbi/Chepeshi Road, which is part of the road mentioned.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION STAFF IN THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE

562. Mr Katuka (Mwinilunga) asked the Minister of Home Affairs;

(a)    what the total establishment of the Immigration Department in the North-Western Province was;

(b)    what the current staff shortfall was; and

(c)    when the additional staff would be deployed to the province to address the shortfall.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Chanda): Mr Speaker, the staff establishment of the Immigration Department in the North-Western Province is fifty-seven.

Mr Speaker, the province currently has a shortfall of twenty-two officers. The shortfall is as a result of staff attrition.

Mr Speaker, the Government will deploy additional Immigration Staff to the province after the next recruitment exercise scheduled for the first quarter of 2016.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the answer. However, could he tell me,  according to that establishment, how many officers are supposed to be at every entry point.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, we will recruit 200 officers in the first quarter of next year and the twenty-two vacancies in the North-Western Province and others in other provinces will be filled as soon as that is done.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I rarely rise on points of order, …

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mbewe: … but I am compelled to raise this one because of the things that are happening.

Mr Speaker, my point of order is on the way the nation is being run. I remember that, last year, I asked the hon. Minister Mines, Energy and Water Development a question to which he replied very clearly that shed loading …

Interruptions

Laughter

Mr Speaker: We are still following you.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Thank you, Sir. It is the same difference.

Sir, he said that load shedding was a thing of the past. However, it has now worsened. Further, we appreciate the statements that hon. Ministers make to update the House on issues in their various ministries. So, is the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development in order to keep quiet when we are waiting for his statement on the load shedding that has worsened? Zambians need that information.

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development has actually been communicating with my office and I expect him to make a ministerial statement latest by Friday, 3rd July, 2015. So, the matter has the hon. Minister’s full attention.

Hon. Member for Monze Central, you may continue.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I was about to say that the hon. Minister has not responded to the follow-up question from the hon. Member for Mwinilunga, which was about the number of immigration officers who are supposed to be stationed at every entry point.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, each station has a different level of traffic. Some entry points have very dense human traffic while others have less. Therefore, the number of immigration officers at every entry point varies from day to day, depending on the level of human traffic.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister saying that the staff establishment at every border post changes on a daily basis, whereby there may be five on a particular day because many Congolese and Zambians are coming and going out, respectively? I want clarification. Does it yoyo or is it established?

Mr Speaker: The word you used is not parliamentary.

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I withdraw it. Does the number of immigration officers change depending on the traffic at a particular border post?

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, before you respond, please, indicate whether you have the data or not so that we can make progress.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, I think that her question only needs clarification. Traffic at some stations gets concentrated depending on the business activity taking place and the grade of the entry point. On some days, 1,000 people may pass through a particular point while, on others, it may be 5,000 people. Therefore, based on the traffic we anticipate at a particular border post, we position the number of officers there that we think will be adequate to handle that level of traffic.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, if I got the hon. Minister correctly, he said that there would be a recruitment of officers in the first quarter of 2016. What method will be used in recruiting the officers, considering that people in rural areas, such as Chadiza, are never employed?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, let me allay the hon. Member’s fears. Chadiza is part of Zambia and, when we plan, we plan for the whole country. How we distribute the staff, once they have been screened, identified and recruited, depends on the level of traffic and staff establishment at that time. The question of where the officers are recruited does not arise.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

GRADING OF MPONGWE DISTRICT ROADS

563. Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    when the following roads in Mpongwe District would be graded:

(i)    Ndubeni-St Anthony;

(ii)    Kanyenda-Kasamba; and

(iii)    Mpongwe-Shingwa; and

(b)    what had caused the delay in commencing the exercise.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mr Speaker, the ministry has already completed the evaluation process for all the roads in question and is awaiting Treasury authority to sign the contracts. Therefore, the works will commence as soon as Treasury authority is granted.

Mr Speaker, the commencement of works has delayed because Treasury authority for the contracts to be signed has not yet been granted.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the valuation was done in 2014 …

Mr Mucheleka: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I apologise to the hon. Member for Mpongwe for disturbing his thought process.

Sir, the farmers in Lubansenshi Constituency, in Luwingu District, and other rural parts of Zambia depend on feeder roads to transport their commodities to access markets. Today is 30th June, 2015, and we have come to the end of the first half of 2015 and the second half of the year begins tomorrow. So, in Lubansenshi, it will start raining in the next two months or so. So, is the Government and, in particular, the hon. Ministers of Local Government and Housing, Finance, and Transport, Works, Supply and Communication in order to sit quietly without indicating how soon they will be able to disburse funds to the Rural Roads Unit (RRU), which maintains the feeder roads on which our rural constituencies depend? Is the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, in particular, in order not to inform us on how soon he will be able to disburse the funds to the RRU?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Mr Speaker: My ruling is that you raised this matter in your question and a response was given. However, if you want to seek more and specific details than have been supplied this afternoon, please, do not hesitate to file another question so that you can get a specific response from the concerned ministries. That is my ruling.

Hon. Member for Mpongwe, you may continue.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, before the point of order was raised, I was saying that, last year, the ministry did the evaluation in Kabwe, but no contractor was picked. The hon. Minister is now saying that the ministry is waiting for Treasury authority. Does it mean that there is no funding in 2015 or is the ministry expecting to receive funding from the contingency fund? What Treasury authority is the ministry waiting for when the funds were allocated in the 2014 Budget and the project was for 2014?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, indeed, the conditional survey was done in 2014. However, Mpongwe is one of the areas in which projects were not funded in the last financial year, but carried over to 2015.  So, we are still waiting for Treasury authority to be given for the project.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister indicate to this House …

Mr Namulambe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Just hold on, hon. Member for Chipata Central. I hope this point of order is not on the current question because, if it is, it might not be competent, hon. Member for Mpongwe.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the point of order is in relation to the question because it has not been answered.

Mr Speaker: I have ruled already.

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister update us on the status of the graders in the councils. Is the ministry supporting the councils enough for them to procure sufficient graders so that the roads in Mpongwe and many other areas can be worked on?  
 
Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, before 2014, the constituencies, through the councils, were allowed to procure earth-moving equipment. However, in 2014, there was a directive from the ministry to the effect that the local authorities could purchase earth-moving equipment from their budgets, except for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). That is still the status quo. If the local authorities are able to buy earth-moving equipment through their budget, they can do so.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mtolo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, my question to the hon. Minister was: Could he update us on how many graders we have so that our roads are graded?  We all have problems. In his answer, he did not touch on that. Instead, he educated us that we can no longer use the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to buy graders et cetera. I wanted to know the status of the ministry with regard to the graders.

Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister in order not to answer my very simple question?

Mr Speaker: I am getting concerned about hon. Members following up questions through points of order and you may have sensed that this is the reason I did not permit the hon. Member for Mpongwe to raise his point of order. I know that you are restricted to a single question, as it were, but if we were to permit the following up of questions through points of order, it would present a special challenge of its own. I have always encouraged that, if you have to follow up questions, please, ask your colleagues to do it for you. I think, that is a better approach because, otherwise, points of order would be raised ad infinitum or indefinitely, until you exact whatever information you want. There would be no point at which one could draw the line.

On account of the reasons I have given, I do not grant that point of order.

Hon. Member for Kasempa, you may continue.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, if I got the hon. Minister correctly, he indicated that the project was funded in 2015 and that what is being awaited is Treasury authority. I cannot understand that. What comes first? Is it Treasury authority or funding? What I know is that you cannot fund a project before Treasury authority is granted. Treasury authority is first granted, then, the project is funded. So, how was the project funded before Treasury authority was granted?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, there was Treasury authority for the project. However, the ministry has not been authorised to sign the valuation so that the works can start. The Ministry of Finance has not released the finances. So, the signing has been put on hold.

I thank you, Sir.     

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, maybe, the hon. Minister can educate us further. Where is the money stuck? Is it at the Ministry of Finance?

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Dr Phiri): Mr Speaker, as stated by the hon. Deputy Minister, the works were budgeted for under the 2014 Budget. However, the money was not released to effect those works. So, we have gone back to ask the Ministry of Finance to release the money so that these works can start. That is the position of the ministry. We hope to get feedback from the Ministry of Finance as soon as possible because these works are long overdue.

I thank you, Sir.

RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE CROP LEVY

564. Mr I. Banda (Lumezi) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to re-introduce the crop levy in order to boost revenues for local authorities; and

(b)    if so, when the plans would be implemented.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Ching’imbu): Mr Speaker, yes, the Government is seriously considering the re-introduction of the crop levy in order to boost revenues for the councils.

Mr Speaker, once consultations are concluded, the Government will state its position on the crop levy.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr I. Banda: Mr Speaker, looking at the financial difficulties that the local councils are facing, when does the hon. Minister think the consultations will end so that councils can be given that mandate of collecting more funds from this levy?

Mr Ching’imbu: Mr Speaker, I cannot state exactly when consultations will be concluded, but I can give the background to this situation.

Sir, the Government is aware that councils are having difficulties collecting revenues. That is why we have established the Local Government Equalisation Fund (LGEF) to supplement the councils’ revenue. Unfortunately, during the enactment of the Local Government Equalisation Fund Act, No. 12 of 2014, grants to councils were abolished. The Government, however, through a Cabinet Memorandum, is consulting stakeholders on the possibility of re-introducing the grants so that the LGEF can just be a supplement to the revenues of local authorities. The plans to re-introduce the crop levy will depend on the outcome of the consultations.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister said that the Government is consulting through a Cabinet Memorandum, which is only circulated to hon. Ministers. Could he tell us which stakeholders the Government is consulting.

Dr Phiri: Mr Speaker, we have realised that we created a problem for ourselves by abolishing the grants to the councils because, now, most councils are paralysed. In an effort to address that, we decided to re-introduce the grants that used to go councils. However, in order to do that, we have to circulate a Cabinet Memorandum to members of the Cabinet so that we hear their comments, particularly the hon. Minister of Finance. Thereafter, we can propose an amendment in this august House, which I hope will be supported. In the event that this is not done in time, however, we are also discussing the re-introduction of the crop levy with various stakeholders.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister has indicated to this House that the Government created the Local Government Equalisation Fund (LGEF) to boost revenues in the councils. However, the hon. Minister directed that 80 per cent of the fund be used to pay salaries, leaving only 20 per cent for capital projects. So, what does he mean when he says that the fund is there to boost revenues when it is a substitute for a salary grant that was not going to councils in the first place?

Dr Phiri: Mr Speaker, we are speaking the same language. The purpose of the equalisation fund was to help councils meet their financial needs. However, there was a directive that 20 percent of the fund be used on capital projects. That was due to the assumption that the fund would supplement the existing grant which, unfortunately, was scraped off. So, like I said, we are trying to amend the relevant Act, once again, so that the grant is restored. If that happens, most councils will have enough money to finance capital projects and pay emoluments. That is the situation in which we find ourselves and it is what the hon. Deputy Minister was trying to put across. I am hopeful that we will help councils in dire need of money for basics like salaries and other salary-related expenses. Most of our councils are not in good shape and, instead of helping them, we have destroyed their resource base. However, we are looking at re-introducing the grants and the crop levy.  

Mr Speaker, I thank you.
 
Mr Speaker: I will take questions from the hon. Members for Chongwe, Sikongo and Chadiza, in that order.

Mrs Masebo (Chongwe): Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to help me appreciate his answer to this question. What does he mean by saying that the idea of the Local Government Equalisation Fund (LGEF) was to supplement the other grants that were going to the councils, which were, unfortunately, scraped off? I also want to understand what he means when he says that a Cabinet Memorandum has been circulated to hon. Ministers on the possible re-introduction of the grants. He has also said that he hopes that the grants will be re-introduced because the councils are currently having financial difficulties due to the abolition of the grants.

Sir, my understanding is that grants to local authorities are provided for in the Act. So, it is not something that might be done but, rather, something that will be done. The Government will give specific grants for water and sanitation, road maintenance and rehabilitation et cetera. What law is the hon. Minister using when he says that the matter will be considered by the Cabinet? He is already empowered by the Act to simply go back to the hon. Minister of Finance and ask for the money.

Dr Phiri: Mr Speaker, I was hoping that you would tell the hon. Member that she has sufficiently debated her question, ...

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I have not said that.

Laughter

Dr Phiri: ... but who am I to guide you?

Laughter

Dr Phiri: I can only appreciate the …

Mr Speaker: It is a solo function, hon. Minister.

Laughter

Dr Phiri: ... knowledge expulsed by Hon. Masebo.

Sir, to cut a long story short, we are working on amendments that we would like my colleagues in the Cabinet to appreciate before we present them to Parliament. If our decision to circulate the amendments to our Cabinet colleagues seems strange to you, please, forgive us for not seeking your wisdom. However, I think that what is important is that amendments to the Local Government Act of 2010 will be proposed to this House.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, I must say that your response is very informative and relevant.  We needed that clarification.

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, if the grants to the councils are re-introduced, is the hon. Minister sure that this broke Government will have money to give to the councils?

Laughter

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

Dr Phiri: Mr Speaker, this question is difficult for me to answer. As you know, I am not responsible for the Treasury. However, I can say that this Government is committed to the welfare of our people. So, I do not think that I will accept the claim that it is so broke that it can abdicate its responsibilities.

Sir, we need the co-operation of our colleagues. As they seek answers from the Government. they should not have a position that they think they must portray to the country. Zambians are our people, and it is in their interest that the Government finds money to run the small governments called councils. That is the position. We must always push positive agenda because, in the end, we will all lose if we lose the confidence of our people by carelessly speculating that the Government is broke.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, in 2013, the then hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing announced that councillors would start getting an allowance of K750 or more, depending on the position they held. However, most of the councils, particularly ours in Chadiza, have failed to meet that commitment. Could the current hon. Minister state very clearly whether councils should use the Local Government Equalisation Fund (LGEF) fund to pay councillors’ salaries and allowances.

Dr Phiri: Mr Speaker, on my many tours of councils, and I am pleased to say that I was in his council, although he was absent when I visited, many have complained that they are being forced to use part of the LGEF to pay allowances or salaries. However, even when they have done that, it has not been adequate to meet the demands of the councils. In fact, many councils have arrears related to the K750 allowance that the Government awarded councillors. The matter is exercising our minds. So, we need to get over this grant and levy issue as quickly as possible so that we help our councils to realise their development efforts on behalf of our people. As you know, the Central Government is far away from the people, in Lusaka, but the councils are near them and meet their needs. Therefore, the hon. Member should rest assured that the ministry has the interests of the councils at heart and is aware that they are enduring many hardships. If it pleases him, he should assure them that they have in us a very proud custodian of their interests.

Mr Livune: Question!

Dr Phiri: Sir, we will do what we can, now and in the near future, to help them out.

I thank you, Sir.

REFUNDS FOR NANGOMA FARMERS

565. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock:

(a)    whether small-scale farmers in Nangoma Parliamentary Constituency who paid deposits on inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme for the 2014/2015 Farming Season, but were not given the inputs would be refunded;

(b)    if so, when the  refunds would be effected; and

(c)    if the refunds would not be made, why.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Ng’onga): Mr Speaker, the small-scale farmers in Nangoma Parliamentary Constituency who did not collect farm inputs under the 2014/2015 Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) after making their bank deposits will not be refunded because cash refunds are not provided for in the FISP programme.

Mr Speaker, the co-operatives deposited their members’ contributions in a one-way account from which no withdrawals can be made to refund the farmers. However, the affected farmers will be given the quantities of inputs they paid for in the 2015/2016 Farming Season.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, since the hon. Minister is aware that the deposits were made, will this Government give them a little more fertiliser for wasting their time? Further, will they be given food as compensation?

Mr Speaker: Those are two very specific questions.

Laughter

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, the Government did not deliberately decide not to give the farmers their inputs. Therefore, we ask them to just be patient because they will be given the inputs for this farming season in good time.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Deputy Minister, the questions were two-fold. The first one was: Will the farmers be compensated the delayed or non-delivery of the inputs? The second is: Will the farmers be given food, presumably, because they were not able to grow their one food as a result of the Government’s failure to deliver the inputs for which they had paid?

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, the farmers will not be given any food as compensation.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, why were the farmers not given the inputs when they had paid for them?

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, the main reason was that there was a shortfall in the quantity that was distributed to Mumbwa District because a number of bags were damaged and the supplier did not supply beyond the requested quantity. The damaged inputs were repacked after the season ended. So, they could not be given to the farmers.

I thank you, Sir.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, would it not be more desirable that the hon. Minister visits that farming community to assess whether there has not been a disaster occasioned by the failure to deliver inputs to them and consider asking the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU) to assist the affected farmers instead of giving them answers like, “There will be no compensation”?

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Lubinda): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister was responding to the question on whether a decision had been made by the Government to give food to the affected farmers, specifically. That was the reason why the answer was in the negative. However, any community, including the people of Nangoma, that suffers food insecurity will access food relief regardless of whether they were affected by that non-release of fertiliser or not. As long as the District Commissioner (DC) and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) make the necessary assessments, the community will access food relief. Let me also state that the Nangoma incident is very regrettable. On behalf of the Government, I sincerely apologise to the affected farmers. It was not by design and it was not our wish for them to suffer. The 181 farmers who did not receive the fertiliser certainly suffered irreparable damage to their household food security. Therefore, this responsible Government has made an undertaking to give them the number of bags of fertiliser they paid for irrespective of what the price for those inputs will be this year. That, in a way, is a form of compensation. However, we are aware of the fact that we shall not be able to compensate them to the extent of the loss of their crop.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, let me put it on record that it was not only Mumbwa District that was affected by the non-delivery of inputs, but also two wards in Situmbeko area. Would it not have been better for the issue to be sorted out without waiting for the next farming season so that the farmers can be given the inputs in time? That way, they can better plan and prepare for this farming because fertiliser is usually delivered very late.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I appreciate the question and thank Hon. Shakafuswa for it.

Sir, the Government only reacts when it is provided with information. In the Nangoma case, I commend the area hon. Member of Parliament because he brought the matter to the attention of the ministry, albeit towards the end of the farming season. As for the case of the area referred to by Hon. Shakafuswa, I am afraid, that that information was not availed to the ministry. However, I want to state that we have already instituted a countrywide exercise to get a consolidated report on the performance of the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) and the private sector in the 2014/2015 Farming Season with regard to the delivery of fertilisers. When that report is prepared and presented to us, we shall share it with the hon. Members of this House.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, it is very magnanimous of the hon. Minister to apologise to the farmers. So, he has pre-empted my question.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that we need to provide him with information. However, the information is with him because the District Agricultural Co-ordinating Officers (DACOs) and Agricultural Assistants belong to his ministry. How does he expect us to give him information that he already has? Does he have the number of co-operatives that did not receive fertiliser? If he does not, what measures will he put in place so that such a thing does not repeat itself next year?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, when I commended the hon. Member of Parliament for Nangoma, I indicated that he had brought that information to my attention and that of the ministry. That meant that, for any number of reasons, the District Agricultural Co-ordinating Officers (DACOs) may not have provided that information to the ministry. One of the reasons could be that it is only at the end of the distribution of the fertiliser, that is, towards the end of the season, that it becomes apparent that there are some people who have not received the fertiliser and the DACO might not have deemed it necessary to inform me or the ministry. With regard to what the Government is doing to avoid a recurrence, I thought that I made it very clear, and I am sure that my hon. Colleague, if he was not thinking about Tom and Jerry, must have heard …

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, …

Laughter

Mr Speaker: … please, withdraw that remark.

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I made that remark because I normally watch Tom and Jerry with him, but I withdraw it anyway.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Very well. You can discuss those matters during the tea break.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: I will, Sir. We shall share the stories during the tea break.

Sir, I indicated that the ministry has instituted a countrywide survey to come up with a consolidated report on the performance of the NCZ and the private sector in the distribution of inputs, particularly fertilisers, in the 2014/2015 Farming Season. From that report, we shall draw lessons to avoid a recurrence.

I thank you, Sir.

PAYING EUROPE-BASED DIPOMATS IN EUROS

566. Mr Namulambe asked the Minister of Finance whether the Government had any plans to pay emoluments for diplomats working in Europe Euros instead of United States (US) Dollars.

 The Deputy Minister of Finance (Mr Mvunga): Mr Speaker, according to the Foreign Service Regulations and Conditions of Service, 2007, diplomats working in missions abroad have to be paid in United States (US) Dollars in their respective missions. The diplomats are, then, expected to convert the US Dollars into local currencies. That policy has not changed. One of the considerations under the regulation is that the US Dollar is the most tradable foreign currency in the world.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the Pound Sterling has more value than the US Dollar. So, a person who is paid in dollars has less money to spend in Europe than the one who is based in the US. The Dollar’s purchasing power is lower in European countries. Can the Government make a deliberate policy to pay those people in Europe the dollar equivalent of the currency of their countries of station? If anything, they are being underpaid. The cost of living in Europe is higher than in the US, where they use the dollar.

Mr Mvunga: Mr Speaker, from my little understanding of currencies, a currency can be converted from one to another. So, if a salary, for instance, is US$10,000, you can convert it into Euros and get the same purchasing power. So, unless the assumption of the hon. Member for Mpongwe is that the rate between the United States (US) Dollar and the British Pound is the same, the salary will be converted accordingly. That does not marginalise the civil servants in any way because the salaries are quoted in dollars and converted into Euros.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

DEPLOYMENT OF POLICE OFFICERS IN MITETE

567. Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West) asked the Minister of Home Affairs when police officers would be deployed to Mitete District.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Kaunda): Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Zambia Police Force, is currently putting logistics in place to facilitate the deployment of officers to Mitete District on a rotational basis. This is because the area has no office and staff accommodation.

Sir, to ensure a permanent police presence in Mitete District, the Government has advertised a tender for the construction of a police station and ten medium-cost staff houses. The construction process will commence once the procurement process has been concluded and a successful bidder selected.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, when will the rotational deployment commence?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, the rotational deployment will commence next week.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I would like to take advantage of the question that has been asked by the hon. Member of Parliament for Lukulu West.

Sir, we have been informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs will recruit police officers and that it has advertised the recruitment in the newspapers. Could the hon. Minister inform the House why his ministry is abrogating the provisions of the Zambia Police Force Act, which requires the ministry to recruit from the provinces and the districts instead of recruiting centrally, as it has resorted to doing?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, I do not know where the hon. Member for Monze Central got that information that he is giving us. The truth is that we will recruit from the provinces.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has said that he will deploy the officers next week. Can he show us proof that the deployment will be done next week.

Mr Speaker: I will not ask the hon. Minister to answer that question. He is an hon. Minister.

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, how many officers does the ministry intend to send to Mitete District next week?

 Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, the number of officers to be sent to Mitete District will depend on the operational needs of that area.

 I thank you, Sir.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, I am getting concerned because the hon. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs has indicated that the recruitment will be done in the provinces. However, when his colleague, the other hon. Deputy Minister, was answering the question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Chadiza, he said that the Government would recruit centrally. May I have clarification over these contradictory statements by the hon. Ministers.

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Mwila): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform that hon. Member for Mumbwa that the recruitment will be done at the provincial headquarters. Those in the Western Province, such as Lukulu and Mitete, will apply through the headquarters in Mongu.

Mr Speaker, let me also take this opportunity to clarify the response given by the hon. Deputy Minister to Question 562. It is important that we put the record straight. The recruitment of immigration officers will begin in the next two weeks and the number of officers to be recruited is seventy-three. The 200 that was mentioned by the hon. Deputy Minister was just a projection of the number we will recruit between now and 2016.

I thank you, Sir.

DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS TO SCHOOLS IN LIUWA

569. Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa) asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education when teachers would be deployed to the following schools in Liuwa Parliamentary Constituency:

(a)    Luoke East;

(b)    Lukoko;

(c)    Kalumbu;

(d)    Mushukula;

(e)    Sikunde;

(f)    Libilingoma;

(g)    Litapuya;

(h)    Mutunda;

(i)    Mutaa;

(j)    Muchicha;

(k)    Lukondondo;

(l)    Liuwa; and

(m)    Maoma.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, the Government plans to deploy teachers to Luoke, Lukoko, Kalumbu, Mushukula, Libilingoma, Mataa, Muchicha and Liuwa schools in Liuwa Parliamentary Constituency during the recruitment of 5,000 teachers expected to be undertaken by the ministry this year. The deployment of teachers to Sikunde, Litauya, Mutunda, Lukondondo and Maoma community schools will only be considered after the schools have been gazetted and provided with a staff establishment.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that answer.  

Sir, is the ministry aware that there is actually appropriate infrastructure at Maoma and Sikunde, which was constructed using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) that the ministry has been encouraging us to use? However, six months after the completion of that infrastructure, no teachers have been deployed to the schools and they have not been opened. The reason we have been given is that the schools are not Government schools. What will the ministry do to provide teachers to the schools?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, I thank Hon. Dr Musokotwane for bringing that information to the attention of the ministry. I assure him that I will speak to the Provincial Education Officer (PEO) so that, if there are any schools with excess teachers in the province, those teachers may be deployed to the new schools as an interim measure while we await the recruitment of 5,000 teachers.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, …   

Mrs Masebo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to raise this point of order.

 Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, I rarely raise points of order, but this one is on a matter that is a bit worrying and compelling. So, I thought I should ask for the sake of saving public assets.

Sir, two weeks ago, I asked a Question of an Urgent Nature to the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing. Basically, my question was on whether the hon. Minister was aware that the Lusaka City Council had disposed of some assets, particularly the property next to State House. In his response, he said that no property had been disposed of. Instead, he spent a lot of time talking about another property.

Mr Speaker, I have with me some extracts from a council report that shows that, in fact, the property that I was asking about has since been surveyed, numbered, sub-divided and valued.

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious ruling on whether the hon. Minister of Local of Government and Housing was in order to categorically state that no council property was being disposed of even after the hon. Member of Parliament for Mafinga tried to assist him appreciate the issue by asking a question on the matter. This is an issue of public interest and the plot in question is near State House. So, there are concerns that border on State security. Further, that land is an asset within the statutory functions of the Lusaka City Council (LCC), and there can be no council without a nursery. So, it was our hope that the hon. Minister would use the opportunity to investigate the matter and prevent the City of Lusaka from losing that important asset. I will lay this document on the Table of the House.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Masebo laid the paper on the Table.

Mr Speaker: My ruling is that the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing should issue a ministerial statement on the status of that property by the close of this week.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, what is the ministry doing to stop teachers from leaving the far-flung areas for urban areas? For instance, in my constituency, at a school called Kapopola, pupils have not been learning for the past one year because there is only one teacher after thirteen others were transferred to other schools. This information has been brought to the attention of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) and the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), but nothing has been done to correct the situation.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, Hon. Shakafuswa’s question is very interesting. As hon. Members are aware, we have to do with infrastructure challenges in our rural areas. So, teachers who are posted to rural schools shun them and opt to move to those in urban areas. However, to me, that is also an indictment on our local leadership because the people in those rural areas also need education services and the local leadership can help us by not facilitating the transfer of teachers from their schools. We have, in many cases, tried to stop some of the transfers. However, some cases have been very difficult to prevent, especially those concerning female teachers. For example, a female teacher can ask for a transfer on the grounds that she is married and needs to join her husband. If she comes with documents that prove that she is married, it is very difficult to stop her from being transferred from one school to another. However, I want to assure this august House that the ministry does not allow all the transfer requests that it receives. Otherwise, many rural schools would have no teachers. We try our level best to retain teachers in rural schools. The Permanent Secretary (PS) has, in many cases, issued circulars to the Provincial Education Officers (PEOs) to stop some of the transfers. However, like I have said, it is very difficult to stop all of them. I assure my colleagues that we will continue doing our level best to develop our infrastructure so that teachers can stop leaving the rural schools.

I thank you, Sir.

LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT AT LIVINGSTONE GENERAL HOSPITAL

570. Mr Lufuma asked the Minister of Health what measures had been taken to ensure the sustainable operations of the new laundry equipment at Livingstone General Hospital, considering that the equipment was electronic and highly sophisticated.

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, to ensure the sustainable operations of the new laundry equipment at Livingstone General Hospital, the Government has entered into a service contract with suppliers of the new laundry equipment. It has also provided for factory training of the Provincial Medical Equipment Officer (PMEO) in preventive and corrective maintenance of the new laundry machine.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, is the training already being implemented or is it in the pipeline?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the PMEO has been trained. However, the staff under him is yet to be trained.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

_______

MOTIONS

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do adopt the Report of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs for the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 22nd June, 2015.

Mr Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Kosamu (Serenje): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order No. 157, your Committee considered three topical issues, namely:

(a)    the operations of the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship;

(b)    Zambia’s preparedness for terrorist attacks; and

(c)    the operations of the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees.

Sir, your Committee also considered reports from Parliamentary delegations.

Mr Speaker, since hon. Members have read the report, I will only dwell on a few salient issues therein.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the operations of the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, your Committee discovered that the department was not considered as an entity of security interest. It was, therefore, not treated with the seriousness it deserved.

Mr Speaker, your Committee was also informed that there was no co-ordination between the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, and the ministries of Health, and Community Development, Mother and Child Health, in the provision and collection of birth and death certificates that should facilitate the compilation of vital statistics to help citizens acquire national identities easily. The other challenges that the department was reported to grapple with were a lack of office accommodation, poor staffing levels and inadequate transport. In terms of infrastructure, the department is one of the most poorly accommodated in the Ministry of Home Affairs, especially at the district level. At provincial level, the department operates in rented office accommodation, mostly belonging to the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), while others are accommodated by provincial administrations.

Sir, your Committee was informed further that, at the district level, the department was normally situated in the central business district, which is usually far from the communities. That meant, therefore, that only the outreach programmes, such as the mobile sensitisation and registration exercises, could increase accessibility to the services offered by the department. Unfortunately, the mobile registration exercise was not consistent. Your Committee was further informed that the mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) had been politicised by being associated with Presidential and General Elections.

Sir, with regard to the foregoing, your Committee recommends that the department be treated as part of the nation’s security system in order for it to receive the attention it deserves from the Government. Further, your Committee recommends that the department facilitates the provision of birth and death registers to various health facilities to facilitate the collection and compilation of these vital statistics. The department should also work closely with the ministries of Health, and Community Development, Mother and Child Health in putting in place mechanisms that will ease the production of vital statistics and processing and issuance of birth and death certificates. Additionally, your Committee strongly recommends that adequate transport and office accommodation be made available to the department. There is also a need for the department to have waiting halls for members of the public, who usually stand in the open while waiting to access the services of the department.

Sir, your Committee agrees that the mobile issuance of the NRCs has been politicised and recommends that the exercise be a continuous one, with or without elections. It must also be considered as a national security issue.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the second topical issue, ‘Zambia’s Preparedness Against Terrorist Attacks,’ your Committee was informed that the threat of transnational terrorism in the Horn of Africa, and on the rest of the continent, Zambia inclusive, had evolved since the attacks on United States of America (USA) Embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam on 7th August, 1998. While those attacks almost solely involved foreign al-Qaeda operatives, the recent terrorist events in Kenya indicate an increasing threat of terrorism to other countries outside Eastern Africa. In view of this, your Committee recommends that the Anti-Terrorism Act No. 21 of 2007 be amended to bring it in tandem with modern trends in the fight against terrorism and a national anti-terrorism centre be created to co-ordinate counter-terrorism activities. The Committee further recommends increased co-ordination between the security wings and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) in countering cyber terrorism.

Mr Speaker, pertaining to the “Review of the Operations of the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees,” which was your Committee’s third topical issue, your Committee was informed that Zambia had no written refugee policy, although there is a policy on the local integration of refugees, which was in use. The Office of the Commissioner for Refugees relies on the Refugee (Control) Act, Cap. 120 of the Laws of Zambia, and the United Nations (UN) 1951 Refugee Convention, to which Zambia is party, in handling matters regarding all refugees. Your Committee was also informed that one of the challenges the office faced was inadequate funding, which is why it has continued to engage the international community to help fill the financing gap. The provision of funding by the international community has been on the understanding that Zambia is offering this humanitarian service on behalf of the international community. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government comes up with a comprehensive national policy on refugees and improves funding to the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees to enhance its operations and reduce reliance on donor funding.  

Mr Speaker, your Committee also undertook a local tour during which it interacted with the Prisons Service Command and toured Mukobeko Maximum Prison. During the tour, your Committee was informed that, although the Prisons Service was regarded as a security wing, it was not recognised as such when it came to remuneration and other conditions of service. As a matter of fact, the Prisons Service was ranked lower than the Zambia Police Force, to the extent that the Commissioner of Prisons was at the same level as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police. Your Committee was further informed that the Prisons Service, though integral to the maintenance of internal security, was not represented on the Central Joint Operations Committee of Service Chiefs, of which, ironically, the Commissioner of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) was a member. In order to address this matter, the Harmonisation and Rationalisation of Salaries and Conditions of Service for the Defence and Security Wings Committee was constituted by the late President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, may his soul rest in eternal peace, on 10th October, 2011. This was followed by a meeting of stakeholders convened by the Permanent Secretary (PS), Public Service Management Division (PSMD) on 15th June, 2012. Unfortunately, to date, that process has not been concluded. Your Committee, in this regard, recommends that the Prisons Service be considered an integral part of national security and be included on the Central Joint Operations Committee of Service Chiefs. Further, the harmonisation and rationalisation of the conditions of service for defence and security wings personnel, which have stalled, should be revamped to bring the Prisons Service to the level of other security wings, such as the Zambia Police Force and DEC, with regard to its establishment and conditions of service, in order to avoid despondency in the service.

Mr Speaker, with regard to Mukobeko Maximum Prison, your Committee discovered that one of the biggest challenges that the prison faced was overcrowding of the cells. Cells that were meant to accommodate one prisoner at the Condemned Section of the prison were occupied by eight prisoners while, at the Ordinary Section, a cell meant for forty prisoners housed 170 prisoners. As a consequence, the inmates slept in shifts, that is, others stand whilst some sleep for some time before swapping. There is also a lack of beddings and uniforms for the staff and the inmates. Your Committee was also informed that there are a number of difficulties arising from the high prisoner-warden ratio which, in an ideal situation should be 1:4, but was 1:22 at the prison. What made the situation worse was the fact that officers who looked after the prisoners did not have accommodation within the facility. That posed many security difficulties, especially in an event of mobilisation, especially at night, in which it became necessary to have the officers near the facility. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that, in order to improve service delivery, staffing levels at the Mukobeko Maximum Prison and other State prisons be improved. Further, in order to decongest prisons, the law should be revised to provide for non-custodial sentences. Further, more facilities like the Mwembeshi Maximum Prison should be replicated in selected provincial centres.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the integration of former Angolan refugees, your Committee was informed that the people in the chiefdoms surrounding Maheba Refugee Camp had gladly accepted the programme and integrated them even before the Government had started the formal process. They had already lived with them for a long time and even inter-married. In return, the local people have benefited from the development of infrastructure, such as schools and clinics, by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in their chiefdoms. Notwithstanding the largely positive feedback, your Committee discovered that there was some resistance on the part of the chiefs, headmen and Zambians when asked to take up the land that has been given out as resettlement area. For many Zambians, that was due to a lack of information on the matter, as they did not know what it meant to go into the resettlement areas. That was compounded by the fact that some chiefs and headmen were resistant to allowing, let alone, encouraging their people to move into the resettlement area for fear of losing control. Your Committee observes that, unless something was done to entice Zambians to move to the resettlement areas, there was a danger of creating an enclave of Angolans. So, your Committee recommends that the Government mounts a comprehensive sensitisation campaign for chiefs and headmen, and their subjects on the benefits of the resettlement exercise.

Lastly, Mr Speaker, let me comment on the projects that are being undertaken in readiness for the integration of refugees.

Sir, most of the projects that your Committee visited were progressing well. However, the works at Kamiba Rural Health Centre, which were being undertaken by a company called Stout One, had stalled and the workers had not been paid for two months. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the UNHCR, pursues the contractor to pay the workers and complete the project.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I thank you for the guidance and support that you have given to your Committee during its session and execution of its duties. I also thank the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the institutions that made submissions before your Committee. I further thank the members of your Committee for their co-operation and dedication to duty, without which the work of your Committee would have been difficult and unfruitful. Lastly, but not the least, I extend the Committee’s gratitude to the Clerk of the National Assembly and her excellent staff for the support rendered to your Committee.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Kosamu: Now, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the chance to second the Motion on the Floor of the House.

Mr Speaker, in seconding the Motion moved by the Chairperson of your Committee, I will highlight just a few issues contained in your Committee’s report.

Mr Speaker, regarding the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs), your Committee was informed that some foreign nationals who had two or more wives and among whom was a Zambian were using the Zambian wives to register children from the non-Zambian wives.

Laughter

Mr Kosamu: That was largely because there were no birth records and the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship relied on affidavits, which may not be reliable. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that reporting tools from various institutions responsible for the collection of birth and death statistics, including village registers from village headpersons, be strengthened and harmonised.

Mr Speaker, the other matter connected to the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship was the issuance of birth certificates. Your Committee discovered that this process had been over-centralised, the scenario being that only the Registrar-General was authorised to issue and sign birth certificates. That meant that all applications countrywide had to be sent to Lusaka for the Registrar-General’s signature, which made the process slow and long to the extent that many people did not even want to start it. In rural districts, by the time the certificates got there, the applicants would have given up and many did not even collect them. That was what had caused the department to rely on affidavits for the issuance of the NRCs, which is not fool-proof. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that this process be decentralised, at least, up to the district level so that the District Registrar is empowered to sign birth certificates instead of the Registrar-General alone.

Mr Speaker, with regard to communication and transport, your Committee was informed that many district offices faced many challenges, particularly in the verification of records for those who intended to replace lost or damaged NRCs. Clients were asked either to provide airtime for the officers’ mobile telephones or to avail their own so that the offices where their NRC was originally obtained could be contacted. What had made the situation worse was the non-digitalisation and computerisation of the NRC issuance system. Officers at the office of initial registration had to plough through old books in order to trace the relevant records, which took very long. In some cases, the verification forms had to be posted, which made the process even longer. That situation created desperation, which resulted in citizens falling prey to corrupt practices. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the computerisation and digitalisation of the issuance of the NRCs be expedited.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the prisons services at Mukobeko Maximum Prison and other facilities, …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Kosamu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to say that, with regard to prisons services at Mukobeko and other facilities, your Committee discovered that there was no legal or policy framework for addressing the plight of babies born to female inmates. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government comes up with a policy on this matter.

Further, Sir, your Committee came across a case of an inmate who had been imprisoned in Mauritius and had served a number of years. However, when she was transferred to Zambia, those years were not discounted from her sentence. It appears that there is no clear policy on matters of this nature. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government provides clear guidance on the issue.

Mr Speaker, in concluding, I thank the Chairperson of your Committee for the able manner in which he presided over the business of your Committee. I also thank all members of your Committee for their co-operation and dedication to duty.

Mr Speaker, I beg to second.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I thank most sincerely the mover and the seconder of the Motion for the able manner in which they have presented the report to this august House. My debate will be anchored on the functions of the Committee, as provided for and reported on Page 1 of your report.

Mr Speaker, this Committee is very important because it provides safety and security to members of the public and us. So, I appeal to it to ensure that the officers under its jurisdiction conduct themselves in a very professional manner and ensure security in this country.

Mr Speaker, we will have elections next year if the High Court does not rule otherwise. The issue I would like to raise relates to the conduct of the Zambia Police Force, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Through the Committee and the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, I call upon police officers to conduct themselves professionally as they provide security to this nation.

Sir, of late, we have witnessed a very sad development, namely, the total abrogation of the laws of this country. I am aware that citizens are not allowed to take the law into their own hands. We are aware that, in the past, the police used to apprehend any member of the public who discharged a firearm to injure another person. Unfortunately, what is now obtaining is that, when members of a specific group discharge firearms and maim others, the police are quick to say that those individuals were acting in self defence. However, I have no doubt in my mind that you, as an eminent lawyer, scholar and Judge, are aware that the police have no mandate to defend a person who commits an offence. It is the court that determines whether one acted in self defence.

Mr Speaker, of late, we have witnessed known individuals, senior members of our society, fire pistols and injure others in public but, instead of arresting them the police arrests the victims.

Mr Ndalamei: Sure!

Mr Mwiimbu: This has happened not once, but twice, with the latest incident occurring yesterday.

Sir, the conduct of the police is giving the impression to the public that, if you are aggrieved and armed, you can use the firearm and that, if someone confronts me and I have a licensed gun, I should shoot that person and nothing will happen to me. This is a very unfortunate situation. Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and your Committee should collaborate and curtail this sad scenario forthwith. Otherwise, members of the public will start taking the law into their own hands, citing the precedence that is being set by senior members of our society and genuinely believing that they will get away with it. Since the police has not taken action against the two individuals who discharged firearms and injured some people, members of the public who will be arrested by the police for doing the same will cry foul and talk of double standards on the part of the police.

Mr Speaker, for the sake of peace in this country, I earnestly appeal to the police to be professional in the manner it conducts the affairs of the nation. If we do not do this, I shudder to think of what will happen in the future. Members of the public will start feeling that they can take the law into their own hands instead of reporting to the police, which will be very unfortunate.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs is listening, and I think that he will take appropriate action on the issues that I have raised. I also urge your Committee to take special interest in ensuring that these issues are abated.

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the Motion.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the Motion.

Mr Speaker, having served in the last Administration before the Patriotic Front (PF) took office, I feel that, collectively, we failed the people of Zambia. I say this in the hope that those who now have the power to do something about the issues that I will raise can use that power to improve the lives of some sections of our society. They should also  use their time, no matter how short, to make a difference so that they will not be condemned for having failed the people of Zambia, too.

Mr Speaker, I feel duty-bound to comment on what has been reported by your Committee on the plight of prisoners, especially those at Mukobeko Maximum Prison.

Mr Speaker, when we talk about prisons and prisoners, we must remember that anyone of us can be found on the other side of the law. We are talking about people in Mukobeko Maximum Prison using a facility that was meant to hold a third of its current inmate population.

Sir, Page 18 of your Committee’s report states that Mukobeko Maximum Prison has 349 prisoners in the Condemned Section. These are people who have been condemned, but have remained in that state for many years without any idea whether their sentences will be carried out or not. Basically, they have to squat as they await execution. Three hundred forty-nine men, and I want to believe, women, too, are waiting to be executed and nothing is being done about it. Presidents, particularly the late Dr Mwanawasa, SC., may his soul rest in peace, have refused to sign death warrants for condemned prisoners and there is no clarity from the Government on whether the death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment or not. Can you imagine a condemned person in prison not knowing when they will be executed? I want to believe that we have failed the prisoners, especially those who are in the Condemned Section.

Mr Speaker, Page 19 reports the challenges that prisoners sleep in shifts. Surely, this calls for action from those in power. These are human beings. So, we should not allow a situation in they are deprived of their basic rights. I can only imagine how a person who wants to sleep for five hours is told that they should sleep only for two hours because their sleeping shift does not allow them to sleep longer. This is not only inhuman, but also our failure, as leaders, to provide facilities that our people, including those in conflict with the law, need.

Mr Speaker, on kitchen facilities, your Committee reports that there is no stand-by generator at the prison. Surely, how much does a generator cost? If we look around, can we not find money to give to the Ministry of Home Affairs to buy a generator for Mukobeko Maximum Prison? I am sure that we can.

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I have heard someone say that I was once in the Government. That is why I started by saying that we have failed our people. However, this is a chance for the PF Government to do something about the situation.

Sir, Page 20 of your report refers to the lack of a legal framework to protect children born in prisons. As a result, babies, who did not ask to be born and had no choice of which people they are born to, are serving prison sentences. So, if a child is born to a mother who is in prison, it is the duty of society, especially the Government, which has the instruments of power, to provide as normal an upbringing as possible for it.

Mr Speaker, regarding the report on the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, I have in the past bemoaned the fact that children born in rural areas have no birth certificates. As a result of this, it is very difficult to ascertain the age of a child in cases of defilement, for instance. If you read through this report, you will see that access to a birth certificate, National Registration Card (NRC) or death certificate is a privilege. Many of our people are born, but not known because their birth is not recorded. Some people, as old as twenty-five years, do not have the NRCs and their deaths are not certified. Consequently, there is no record of this person having been born in Wiya, Mafinga District, because there is no birth certificate or the NRC to record their nationality. Then, they die at home, instead of a health facility, and are buried in a village somewhere in Mafinga District. So, there is no record of their having existed at all.

Sir, sometimes, people die and their NRCs end up in the wrong hands of foreign nationals. Should we not have a clear policy that requires the NRC of a dead person to be surrendered somewhere? Should the NRC not be a property of the State that reverts to the State when a person dies? That way, abuses will reduce.

Mr Speaker, as I sit down, I want to, again, mention to the people running this Government, as human beings, to consider the plight of people in prisons and make prisoners’ lives as bearable as possible.

With those words, I support the report of your Committee.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, in the first instance, I thank your Committee for the excellent report. Allow me to also commend the mover and the seconder of the Motion on the Floor this afternoon.

Sir, there are several issues that have been raised in your report, but allow me to single out …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the right!

Mr Lufuma: … one, namely, the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) to the citizenry of this country.

Mr Speaker, an NRC is a very important document. As the hon. Member for Mafinga has indicated, it identifies you, in the first instance, as a national. Otherwise, you could be associated with any country other than Zambia. Therefore, it is important that every citizen is issued with this very important document. Secondly, it is a requirement of our school system that Grade 12 pupils have the NRCs for them to register for examinations. Thirdly, in order for people to be employed after school, they must have the NRCs. Fourthly, you need an NRC to register as a voter and participate in the political affairs of this country, and it is on this aspect that I wish to hinge my debate. It is no longer a privilege, but a right that must be guaranteed by the Constitution, to participate in the political affairs of a country.

Mr Speaker, let me now comment on the mobile issuance of the NRCs countrywide, which this Government has initiated. Correct me if I am wrong, but I hear that the programme will commence in October, 2015, and run through to December, 2015, especially in the North-Western Province. This is the time frame that we have been given. However, the registration of voters will run from August to October, 2015, and that is where I have a bone to chew with the Executive because the people of the North-Western Province would not have had the opportunity to be issued with the NRCs by the time the issuance of voters’ cards ends in October, as that is the month in which the issuance of the NRCs will start. That will basically exclude the majority of North-Westerners from participating in the political affairs of this country ...

Mr Antonio: Hear, hear!

Mr Lufuma: … because it is through elections that democracy thrives.

Sir, we strongly object to the infringement of the right of the people of the North-Western Province to vote, for whatever reason, by not issuing them with the NRCs in time for them to register for voters’ cards. The two processes should be synchronised. Essentially, what I am saying is that the Government must look into this issue seriously because it is an anomaly. Otherwise, it will already have disenfranchised the people of the North-Western Province, and that is how rigging starts. So, it is absolutely necessary that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs looks into this issue and, accordingly, adjusts the programme for issuance of the NRCs, especially in the North-Western Province.  

Mr Speaker, it is also absolutely necessary, as the report indicates, to make the issuance of the NRCs a continuous process. Otherwise, again, the Government will disenfranchise many citizens. So, the continuous mobile issuance of the NRCs should be a norm rather than the exception. We have seen that, whenever we have elections, the Government realises that the majority of the people of Zambia do not have the NRCs because it wants people to register and vote, if possible, to its advantage. If the registration was done on a continuous basis, the Government would not be able to skew the process to its advantage. Therefore, it is my recommendation that, every year, the Ministry of Finance avails funds to the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out, at least, one mobile registration exercise per district. In this way, we will ensure a continuous issuance of the NRCs and the issuance of voters’ cards are in sync. Additionally, we will avoid panicking each time we have General Elections.

Mr Speaker, with those few words, I definitely support the report of your Committee and urge the Government, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs, to reschedule the mobile issuance of the NRCs so that the people of the North-Western Province have the opportunity to get the NRCs before the end of the issuance of voters’ cards.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, let me start by thanking your Committee for a thorough report and the excellent manner in which it has been presented to this House.

Sir, I think that you will agree with me that the world is not a safe place anymore. If you watch the news networks, you will see acts of terrorism and people killing one another every day. Your report indicates that we, too, can be victims of terror attacks on our soil. Let me concentrate on this threat of terrorism.

Sir, people have attributed the increasing incidence of terrorism to the spread of radical Islam, whose followers are killing the so-called infidels as a way of promoting their beliefs.

Sir, we should be very careful because, as the report has shown, in Kenya, terrorism is planned from refugee camps. Some refugees, especially those from Somalia, have terrorised that country. So, while Zambia is a Christian nation that, nevertheless, tolerates other religions, I think that we should put our intelligence system on alert to detect the preaching of radical messages because it can easily be detected. I propose that we start with Mandevu Constituency, which has become a very big haven for refugees from Somalia. I do not propose that we turn the refugees back when they come into our country but, rather, that we monitor what they preach to prevent what happened in Kenya from happening in Zambia.

Sir, it is unfortunate that the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs is not here to listen to my debate. We have been asked to dedicate a part of our meagre resources to anti-terrorism programmes. However, I think that the Western countries must fund our fight against terrorism because they are the ones that foment these terror threats in countries under the pretext of spreading their democracy. I say this because we did not experienced religious extremism until the Americans and the West went into Iraq and Libya and overthrew Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, respectively. We did not see extremism before they started fighting Assad in Syria. Yes, these men were dictators. However, in Egypt, there is a dictator today who is being condoned because he was sponsored by the Americans and the West to take over from the so-called Morsi regime. Saddam Hussein kept a lid on the different ethnic groups in his country and was able to contain the spread of terrorism and sectarian groups. So did Assad and Gaddafi, whom they accused of being involved in the Lockerbie Bombing. However, recent investigations have shown that the guy who was arrested and imprisoned in …

Mr Speaker: Avoid reference to the word ‘guy’.

Mr Shakafuswa: I beg your pardon, Sir.

Sir, the suspect who was arrested in connection with the Lockerbie Bombing was nowhere near the bomb that was planted on that plane and that intelligence units deliberately admitted falsehoods in their investigations so that they could pin Libya down. Today, Libya is a failed State and people with devious intentions are now spreading terrorism to the world in the name of Islam. Again, this is happening in the Middle East because of failed Western interventions and their making of the Palestinians a Stateless people in preference to Israel. Today, because of these issues, the whole of the Islamic world is on fire. Mind you, Gaddafi and Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction. Their only crime, in the eyes of the West, was their support for the Palestinian cause. Now, the whole world is suffering because there are people who are more human than others who kill people in Gaza and are supported by the West. I think that we should stand up and say that we have had enough of this Western backwardness. Today, Mr George Bush, not the African leaders, should stand trial at The Hague for crimes against humanity and the suffering of the people in Iraq. Even if they give us aid, they stole a lot from our country when they were our colonial masters.

Mr Speaker: You have to withdraw the word ‘stole’ and the assertion.

Mr Shakafuswa: I withdraw the word and the assertion, Mr Speaker.

Sir, it is unfortunate that we should allocate resources from our troubled Treasury to programmes meant to put our security forces on alert and prepare to fight a threat whose origin is not among us, but is rather as result of the so-called super powers’ mishandling of the policing of this world.

Mr Speaker, I think that it is high time we, as Zambians, became active in global politics through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the past, I attended some meetings in which we were told that the British and the Americans did not want to hear certain things. When will we be heard, as African leaders? The Government has a huge demand on its resources for the development of our country, but the hon. Minister of Home Affairs now has to beef up the security budget for Zambia to be prepared for terror attacks because it currently is not. That requires a lot of money.

Sir, I want to put it on record that the Western powers, especially the British and the Americans, think that they were given the right by God to police this world and impose their will on earth as it is in heaven, which is a wrong attitude. So, it is high time we stood up …

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, I think that you have to moderate your debate.

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I think that this terror fight is not our fight and it should go where it belongs because they asked for it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, I would like to join other hon. Debaters who have commended your Committee’s report and state that I fully support it. As is customary, I will not be long.

Sir, in supporting your Committee’s report, I urge the Executive to duly consider your Committee’s recommendations.

Mr Speaker, governments come and go. Any given Government can achieve certain things and it is incumbent upon those who take over to consolidate the achievement because we have only one constituency, that is, the Zambian people.

Sir, the issue of vital statistics, that is, the registration of births, marriages and deaths, in particular, must be considered as a right. The Convention on the Right of the Child and other international treaties have spelt out that the name and nationality of a child is a right. So, when we are not able to facilitate the registration of our people, as identified by their names, we are denying children the right to recognition under our laws and, by that, we are contributing to the estimated 230 million number of children under-five who have not been registered at birth. I am sure that, when we get our act together, as recommended by your Committee, we can somehow reduce or influence the reduction in their number.

Sir, it has been stated that the Department of National Registration Passport and Citizenship has not been adequately resourced to undertake the mammoth task of registering our citizens, considering that we now have 103 districts on our land mass of over 740,724 km2. Perhaps, to avoid the duplication of tasks, I would like to suggest that, yes, the digitisation of our National Registration Card (NRC) is on the cards, but why not introduce biometric cards that will capture information not only about birth on the same card, but also marriages, the passport, driving licence and other facts so as to reduce on the number of certificates issued and enhance the security of our country? I hope that, when the hon. Minister comes to wind up debate on the Motion, he will tell this House what plans he has with regard to this suggestion.

Mr Speaker, I note that your Committee has stated that if birth registration will be done at health facilities, it is important that the Executive recognises the importance of accurate and timely data. Hence, it must consider reviewing the Health Management Information System (HMIS) so that it encompasses the vital statistics. For that to happen, there must be an increase in resources allocated to the department.

Sir, your Committee’s report has also bemoaned the narrow structure of the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship. Clearly, if we want it to operate efficiently, then, we need to review its structure. Granted, technology will help us, but we will still need physical bodies to feed information into the computers. I hope, too, as recommended by your Committee, that decentralisation will be a key aspect in the department.

Sir, I keep noting, and it has been stated in your Committee’s report, that the National Registration Offices (NROs) are tiny little rooms in the corner of buildings, yet they always have many people waiting for hours to be attended to. Surely, if having an NRC is a right, should its issuance be administered in such a manner, as if it is a punishment? A lot needs to be done and, I am sure, there is an opportunity now.

Mr Speaker, I also want to comment on your Committees report on terrorism. Your Committee has stated that there is a lack of policy framework, yet we have a number Acts that deal with various aspects of terrorism.

Sir, the gallant people of Mumbwa and I would like to see this as an opportunity for the Executive to come up with a policy on terrorism. We have improved in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) but, as your Committee observes, there is no co-ordination in the various wings of the Government that manage the security of our nation.

Mr Speaker, one aspect that caught my eye in your Committee’s report is the issue of the pillars upon which security is anchored and noted the issue of discrimination, either intentionally or unintentionally. Your Committee’s report has stated that one of the hallmarks of peace is that a group of people or a nation should live in harmony with one another and that all groups of people be made to feel that they are part of the Central Government. It further states that they must feel that they are having a fair share of the resources of that country. When there is discontent, as observed, some people will become agitated and think that the only way they can have a fair share of the national cake is to take up arms or be disorderly. It is, therefore, important that, as the Executive takes into account this report, the decisions that are made to develop our country are tempered with equity.

 Mr Speaker, I support your Committee’s comprehensive report and urge that the Executive’s policy developments should be guided by it now and in the future.

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Mwila): Mr Speaker, I thank the members of the Committee for overseeing the functions, operations and activities of the some of the departments in the Ministry of Home Affairs. I further wish to acknowledge the observations and recommendations of the Committee in its report. We will take the recommendations seriously, as they will assist the ministry to improve its operations.

Mr Speaker, I have noted that the Committee has identified the need to improve office accommodation for the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, and shelter for the public seeking national registration documents. I wish to inform the House that the ministry undertook to construct office accommodation for the department. The infrastructure projects include four provincial offices. I think the Committee Chairperson visited Mongu, Chipata, Solwezi and Kasama and some district offices, namely, Senanga, Lukulu, Mkushi, Mporokoso, Kalabo, Kitwe, Chadiza, Lundazi, Chama, Kaoma, Mufulira, Kalulushi, Luanshya, Chembe and Chililabombwe. This is part of Phase I of the Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP).

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Department of National Registration Passport and Citizenship, has been consulting the relevant stakeholders on how to enhance the collection of vital statistics and decentralise the issuance of birth records and death certificates to the provinces and districts. A Zambian citizen should be confirmed and conferred with citizenship at birth, instead of depending on affidavits. A statutory instrument (SI) will be issued after all the consultations have been concluded. This matter will be tabled before the Cabinet for approval.
 
Sir, with reference to the integration of refugees, the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, in collaboration with the Department of Resettlement in the Office of the Vice-President, will continue to interact with chiefs and their subjects on the establishment of resettlement schemes. Eventually, the resettlement schemes will be run by the Department of Resettlement like all the other schemes in Zambia, and Zambians will be encouraged to take up pieces of surveyed land alongside the eligible former refugees on a fifty/fifty basis.

Mr Speaker, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees has been processing permits for former Angolan refugees. However, when some parents were applying for their permits, some of their children were below the age of seven. Those children are now above the age of seven and are, therefore, entitled to their own permits. I wish to emphasise that the ministry will continue sensitising the parents so that their children can apply for their own permits. The refugee officers, who are resident in the two refugee settlements will continue sensitising parents on the need to present their children aged seven years and above to apply for their own permits.

Sir, in order to decongest the prisons, the Prisons Service constructed Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, Luwingu Prison, Kalabo Prison, Monze Prison and a Female Section at Livingstone Prison. Further, the ministry has embarked on the rehabilitation of the Kasama-Milima Prison. The Government will continue the rehabilitation and construction of new prisons to further decongest the prisons and make them more habitable.

Mr Speaker, on terrorism, I will present a Bill to this House this week so that hon. Members can debate the matter and enact an appropriate legal framework. On acquiring a power generator for Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, we will need to involve the Commissioner of Prisons. I think that the Prisons authority can afford a power generator.

Sir, on the mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs), I issued a ministerial statement informing the House and the nation at large that the exercise would be carried out in three phases. I explained that the first phase would cover the Central, Northern and Muchinga provinces. We started the exercise in May, 2015, and it will be concluded in July, 2015. We are now preparing for the second phase, which will cover the Southern, Eastern, Western and Lusaka provinces from August to October, 2015. The last phase will cover Luapula, the Copperbelt and the North-Western provinces.

Mr Speaker, let me clarify what the hon. Member for Kabompo West said. The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will start the voter registration exercise on 14th September, 2015, not August, 2015. I stand to be corrected by the hon. Minister of Justice if that is not the case. So, those areas that will be covered in the second and third phases will have an advantage because the ECZ will be carrying out the voter registration exercise during the same time that the mobile issuance of voters’ cards will be taking place. So, once a person gets an NRC, they can also get a voter’s card. That is the advantage that I am talking about.

Sir, currently, the mobile issuance of the NRCs is going on well. Overall, we are above our target of issuing 245,000 NRCs in the three provinces. So far, 106,000 NRCs have been issued in Central Province, as at yesterday, against our provincial target of 95,000. So, we have exceeded our target by 11,000. In the Northern Province, 79,000 NRCs had been issued, which was 91.7 per cent of the work. By next week, the target will be met. In Muchinga Province, 64,000 NRCs have been issued. So, the total number of the NRCs that have been issued, so far, is 249,000, with a month still remaining before the first phase comes to an end. This is not a party programme, but a Government one. Let me also commend all the hon. Members of Parliament, and civic and traditional leaders for sensitising their people on the need to acquire the NRCs.

With those few words, I thank you, Sir.

Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, I would like to place on record your Committee’s gratitude to all the hon. Members who have debated your report. I also thank the hon. Minister for clarifying a number of the issues raised.

I thank you, Sir.

Question put and agreed to.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services for the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 26th June, 2015.

Mr Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Chungu (Luanshya): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, as guided by the terms of reference set out in the National Assembly Standings Orders, your Committee undertook a study on community radio stations in Zambia with the intent of appreciating their operations and identifying the challenges that affected their development. In its quest to share experiences in the promotion and development of community radio stations, your Committee undertook a benchmarking tour of the United Republic of Tanzania. Concerned with the operational problems facing public print media houses in Zambia, your Committee also carried out an inquiry on the causes and magnitude of the challenges with a view to finding the way forward for the sector. The House might wish to note that concerns have been raised on the infringement of the deaf citizens’ rights to access information, principally by the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and other private television stations. Stakeholders from various associations for the deaf lamented that, despite paying the television levy and the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 6 of 2012 being in place, the public service broadcaster and other private television stations have continued to contravene Section 49 of the Act. In this regard, your Committee resolved to undertake a special study on accessibility of public media to deaf persons in order to appreciate the concerns raised. As hon. Members are privy to the contents of your Committee’s report, I will merely highlight a few pertinent issues.

Sir, during your Committee’s deliberations on community radio stations in Zambia, stakeholders informed your Committee that Zambia has no clear policy to guide the operations of community radio stations, thereby making it difficult to implement co-ordinated interventions to address the challenges affecting the development and operations of the sector. Arising from that, your Committee strongly recommends that the Government formulates and implements a national community radio policy that will recognise the unique role the sector plays in society. Additionally, the policy should aim at making this sector sustainable.

Sir, community radio stations, by design, are non-profit making. Therefore, they have a weak revenue base. That impacts negatively on their capacity to deliver their services. It is in this vein that your Committee urges the Government to expand the mandate of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to allow it to create a community media fund to support community radio stations. Additionally, the local authorities should come up with a deliberate policy to allocate an annual grant, possibly a percentage of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), to progressive community radio stations to help them meet their operational costs. Further, the Government should formulate a deliberate policy for the public sector to also advertise on community radio stations in order to support them financially. Overall, the Government should encourage commercial local and international agencies to support the development and operations of community radio stations as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Mr Speaker, your Committee also learnt that the education curricula for journalists do not have a strong component on community radio management. In this regard, your Committee urges the Government to revise the current journalism and mass communication curricula so that it takes into account the concept of community radio in order to enhance the capacity of radio stations.

Mr Speaker, during its tour of the United Republic of Tanzania, your Committee discovered that one of the conditions for establishing a community radio station in Tanzania was that it must be owned and managed by a registered board of trustees or non-governmental organisation (NGO). That arrangement has contributed to the actualisation of community ownership of the radio stations. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the IBA ensures that community radio licences are not granted to individuals, but to registered boards of trustees or co-operatives in order to ensure communal ownership of the radio station.

Mr Speaker, your Committee also learnt that the process of registering community radio stations in Tanzania is made easy because only one institution is responsible for regulating the broadcasting industry and management of the national frequency spectrum. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government seriously considers creating a single institution to both regulate the broadcasting industry and manage the national frequency spectrum, among other functions, as opposed to the current situation whereby the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the IBA are mandated to license different aspects of community radio stations.

Mr Speaker, while in Tanzania, your Committee also appreciated the noticeable strides the country had taken in the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting in order to meet the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) global deadline of 17th June, 2015. The country boasted of being the first to conclude the first phase of the programme on 31st December, 2012, in Dar-es-Salaam, thereby meeting the deadline set by the East African Community (EAC) member States. That was ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) deadline of 31st December, 2013. Based on that finding, your Committee observes that the approach used by the Tanzanian Government in achieving the ITU deadline by devising a clearly-defined roadmap and having the political will to allocate resources to the programme is very progressive. Further, the plan by the Government of Tanzania to use the same approach in the 2020 deadline of radio digital migration has the potential to yield similar results as those witnessed in the television digital migration. In this regard, your Committee strongly recommends that the Government urgently establishes a roadmap for the migration of radio terrestrial broadcasting from analogue to digital in order to facilitate the allocation of the much-needed resources. Further, the Government must zero-rate duty on digital equipment to allow community radio stations to procure such equipment and partner with the private sector in migrating community radio stations from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Mr Speaker, allow me to also highlight a few points on the study undertaken by your Committee on the operational problems facing the public print media houses in Zambia.

Sir, your Committee was saddened to note that the board of directors and, ultimately, the State-owned print media companies did not enjoy operational independence, and that that had prevented them from exercising their business acumen in running as viable entities. It is in this regard that your Committee strongly recommends that the Government ensures that the public print media houses draw their mandate from an independent board of directors. The Government is also urged to reinstate the Appointments Committee, as was provided for in the Zambia National Broadcasting Authority Act prior to its amendment in 2010. The Appointments Committee will appoint members of the boards of directors from a cross-section of society, independently of the Government, thereby diffusing the Government’s control over the public print media, as the board will act as a shield against Government interference mechanism for accountability to the public.

Sir, it is unfortunate that the Government, as the sole shareholder of the companies, has not recapitalised the Zambia Daily Mail and Times Printpak Zambia Limited for a very long time. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government recapitalise the two media houses. In this regard, the Government must allocate substantial amounts of money in the National Budget towards the recapitalisation of the two public print media and ensure the timely disbursement of the funds to enable the companies to, among many things, diversify from their reliance on newspaper sales and advertising as sources of revenue for their operations. Your Committee further observes that public print media houses generate their revenue through sales and advertisements. Unfortunately, Government ministries and departments owe them huge sums of money for advertising services provided. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, recovers the money owed to the public print media houses by Government ministries and departments before the money is disbursed to the recipient institutions. Furthermore, in an effort to avoid future debts, the Government must formulate a deliberate policy that bars its ministries and departments from advertising in the two institutions’ publications on credit. Additionally, the Government must provide adequate funds in the National Budget dedicated to its ministries’ advertising needs. The money should be deducted at source every time a ministry or department advertises in the two newspapers.

Mr Speaker, the House might be interested to know that the Zambia Daily Mail and the Times Printpak Zambia Limited owe the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) substantial amounts of money in statutory obligations. In view of the foregoing, your Committee recommends that the Government converts the two institutions’ statutory debt into share capital. Overall, your Committee strongly recommends that, once the toxic debt of the two institutions is offset by the Government, the Government completely privatises one of the two companies and maintains the other because the Zambia Daily Mail and the Times Printpak Zambia Limited are both Government media companies performing the same function.

Mr Speaker, allow me to also make a few comments on the study undertaken by your Committee on the accessibility of public media to deaf persons.

Sir, the stakeholders consulted on the accessibility of public media to the deaf lamented that private and public television stations had challenges in adhering to Section 49 of the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 6 of 2012 because they had no budget lines to employ full-time sign language interpreters. The sign language interpreters at both public and some private television stations are volunteers. Your Committee further learnt that television stations had difficulties in identifying the legitimate sign language, as there was no standardised or recognised Zambian sign language. Furthermore, there was no standardised or recognised Zambian sign language interpretation certification body. That had made it difficult for the television stations to identify competent sign language interpreters.

Mr Speaker, stakeholders further informed your Committee that most private television stations contravened the provisions of Section 49 of the Act because they were not aware of its provisions.

Sir, your Committee is saddened to also note that associations of sing language interpreters were disorganised, which delayed the recruitment of a sign language interpreter at the ZNBC. The Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health had authorised the recruitment of a sign language interpreter at the ZNBC and the public service broadcaster advertised the position. However, various associations of sign language interpreters caused confusion in the recruitment, each stating that its interpreters were the better trained. In view of the foregoing challenges, your Committee strongly recommends that the Government ensures that both public and private television media institutions include on their staff establishments full-time and part-time sign language interpreters. The Government is further urged to recognise and develop one official sign language. Additionally, it must ensure that the decision on the official sign language is made in consultation with the deaf community and other relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the Government should develop a standard curriculum for sign language interpretation and identify a body that will oversee the certification and licensing of sign language interpreters. The Government should also provide a list of accredited sign language interpreters to guide both the public and private institutions. Finally, your Committee also recommends that the Government sensitises the boards and management of both the public and private television stations on the need to adhere to the provisions under Section 49 of the Persons with Disabilities Act, No.6 of 2012.

Sir, let me conclude by taking this opportunity to thank you for the guidance you provided to your Committee during the session. I also thank all the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee. Allow me to also thank the members of your Committee for their co-operation and input into the deliberations of your Committee’s work. Lastly, but not the least, I thank the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the unwavering support they rendered to your Committee.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Chungu: Mr Speaker, now.

Mr Speaker, thank you for affording me the opportunity to second the Motion to adopt the Report of the Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services ably moved by the Chairperson of your Committee on the Floor of this House. In doing so, I will restrict my comments to matters that were not adequately covered by the mover.

Sir, your Committee observes with concern the fact that the licence fees for community radio stations are unreasonably high, thereby hindering the development of the sector. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reduces the licence fees for community radio stations in order to allow them to operate at minimal cost, given the prohibitive administrative costs associated with community radio stations.

Mr Speaker, your Committee is concerned that the import duty on broadcasting equipment in Zambia has remained relatively high, resulting in most community radio stations not affording to procure such equipment. It is in this vein that your Committee recommends that the Government urgently zero-rates duty on all equipment imported by community radio stations. This will significantly help to grow the sector and enable the radio stations to purchase modern equipment that will respond to current media demands.

Sir, pertaining to the operational challenges faced by the public print media in Zambia, your Committee regrets to observe that the price of news print keeps rising, thereby cutting the profit margins of public printing companies. Premised on that, your Committee strongly urges the Government to consider subsidising the production cost of newspapers in order to cushion the Zambia Daily Mail and Times Printpak Zambia Limited from the ever-rising cost of news print.

Mr Speaker, it was disheartening for your Committee to note that the Times Printpak Zambia Limited had suffered low worker morale, as both unionised workers and management staff had gone four months without remuneration. Further, the company owed retirees terminal benefits amounting to K22.6 million. It is your Committee’s considered view that the terminal benefits arrears should be cleared by the Government as a way of recapitalising the institution.

Sir, your Committee is further concerned that the Zambia Daily Mail ran an unfunded benefit-defined retirement scheme, which is very costly to the company, as it hits the company in both liquidity and profitability. It is in this regard that your Committee recommends that, upon liquidation of the accrued benefits, the Government changes the pension scheme from the benefit-defined to a contribution-defined one, especially for new entrants. This measure will, among other benefits, reduce the huge financial burden that the institution currently faces.

Mr Speaker, your Committee also urges the Government to address the outstanding issues contained in the Action-Taken Report for the Third Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.

Sir, let me conclude by taking this opportunity to thank you and the Clerk of the National Assembly for the guidance rendered to the Committee during its deliberations. Allow me also to thank the members of the Committee for giving me the opportunity to second this Motion.

Mr Speaker, I beg to second.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, I will be very brief.

To start with, Sir, I thank the Chairperson and the members of your Committee for a well-written report.

Sir, one issue that is raised in this well-written report is that we are not taking good care and paying attention to our friends who are challenged in hearing, speech or sight. I say this because, in a number of countries, sign language is always one of the official languages. Let me, therefore, take advantage of this privilege to appeal that sign language be recognised as one of the major languages in our country. If we have seven, let it be the eighth; if six, let it be the seventh. I hope that the Government will take this seriously and I am comforted that Her Honour the Vice-President is here and can support this issue.

Mr Speaker, let me also state that it is not only an issue of recognising the language of our friends who are hearing-impaired, but also looking after them from infancy. In Chipata, we have a special school for the deaf, dumb and blind. If, by any chance, hon. Members went to that school to see what is happening, they would feel sorry. We are not looking after our colleagues very well. At that school, to find the bathrooms or a classroom is a problem even for one with sight. What about our friends who are vision-impaired? So, I appeal to the Government to recognise our friends and treat them as Zambians. Any of us can lose sight or speech anytime. So, let us, who are able, take care of our friends.
 
Mr Speaker, on issues of the media, the Government should be very happy that we have community radio stations because the impact that they are having on the community is huge and a positive step for this country.

Mr Speaker, I heard the Chairperson of your Committee indicate that we should use our Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to support community radio stations. I am not sure if our guidelines would allow this because community radio stations are segregated to either a family or an individual even though they are called community radio stations. However, I appeal to the Government to support them not by giving them money, but by, for example, reducing licence fees almost to zero. Why not let community radio stations operate free of charge when they only do good to the country and are not established to make profit? I think that the Government can avoid getting this small income from community radio stations. Let anyone who wishes to open a community radio station do it free of charge. Zambia needs community radio stations right now.

Mr Speaker, coming to the issue of our major media organisation in the country, the Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC), I would like to say that it is a shame that the media house is unable to simultaneously cover six major functions. Would it not be good that, as we go out to seek loans to support most of the sectors, especially the growth sectors, we also ask for cameras for our national broadcaster so that it can have a sufficient number of them? If it could have even twenty cameras, then, we would not be clamouring and fighting for the few available. You should see how ZNBC personnel work. This morning, we had Her Honour the Vice-President at the amphitheatre and ZNBC personnel were there covering her. I can imagine that, immediately she left, they had to dash to cover another event because of a lack of equipment. I think that, fifty years after Independence, we can do better as a country. We only have one ZNBC.

Mr Speaker, with those very few remarks, I support this very good Motion on the Floor.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services (Mr Kambwili): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me the opportunity to say a few words on the Motion on the Floor.

Sir, from the outset, I want to appreciate the Committee and its Chairperson for a well-thought-out report, which has been accepted by the House.

Sir, we will pay positive attention to all the issues that have been raised in the report. I also assure the House that we are doing everything possible, as a Government, to support the media houses in Zambia, including community radio stations. Having said that, let me make it clear that it is not possible for the Government to fund community radio stations, as it is already struggling to fund the public broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), the Times of Zambia, the Zambia Daily Mail and the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS). So, it will be an added burden on public coffers to formulate a policy to support community radio stations.

Mr Speaker, community radio stations, as implied by their name, are supposed to be driven by the community. Further, media houses worldwide thrive on advertising revenue. So, I encourage private radio stations to be aggressive in garnering money from advertisements. We agree that, in certain areas, there are no economic activities that would result in people paying for advertisements but, by and large, when community radio stations are set up, we ask them to prove that they will be able to sustain their operations and to assure the ministry, through the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), that their stations will be sustainable. So, it would be very difficult for the Government to financially support community radio stations.

Mr Speaker, as regards the proposal by my brother, the hon. Member of Parliament for Chipata Central, that community radio stations should not be charged licence fees, it must be noted that this House created the IBA and, for that institution to operate, it must raise some money. If we say that community radio stations should not be charged licence fees, then, we might as well say that the IBA should be disbanded because it will have no money for operations. So, we encourage radio stations to work hard and pay the licence fees.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of removing duty on broadcasting equipment, I agree with the hon. Members, and I think that the ministry has already written to the Ministry of Finance on the possibility of providing a window, even for one year, in which duty will be waived so that we can help the radio stations to build capacity. However we cannot provide that window indefinitely because the Government needs money to run the social sector of the economy. Doing that would have an adverse effect on the coffers of the country.

Mr Speaker, with those few words, I thank all the hon. Members who have supported this report.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, I thank the House, particularly Hon. Rueben Mtolo, for the overwhelming support, and the hon. Minister for assuring us that what has been said in the report will be implemented. May I just mention to the hon. Minister that community radio stations are not allowed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to commit more than 25 per cent of their air time to advertising. If that restriction is removed, then, some of them can aggressively advertise and raise enough resources.  

I thank you, Sir.

Question put and agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

_________

The House adjourned at 1808 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 1st July, 2015.

 

 

WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION

UPGRADING OF SIMWATACHELA RURAL HEALTH CENTRE

568. Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya) asked the Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to upgrade Simwatachela Rural Health Centre in Zimba District to a district hospital;

(b)    if so, when the plans would be implemented; and

(c)    if there were no such plans, why.

The Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Ms Kabanshi): Mr Speaker, the Government has plans to upgrade Simwatachela Rural Health Centre in Zimba District to a district hospital.

Sir, the ministry intends to include the upgrading of Simwatachela Rural Health Centre to a district hospital in the 2016/2017 infrastructure plans. In the meantime, plans are underway to extend the maternity wing at the health facility.

Mr Speaker, part (c) of the Question falls off in view of the responses to parts (a) and (b).

I thank you, Sir.