Friday, 10th July, 2015

The House met at 0900 hours

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER
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ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES

ZESCO PRESENTATION ON THE POWER DEFICIT

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that the National Assembly of Zambia, in conjunction with the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), has organised a presentation for parliamentarians on the power deficit that the country is currently experiencing. The presentation will take place in the auditorium at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, 14th July, 2015, from 0900 hours to 12 hours. All hon. Members are expected to attend this important presentation.

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Sir, I rise to acquaint the House with the Business it will consider next week.

Mr Speaker, on Tuesday, 14th July, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will then debate the Motion on the Report of the Reforms and Modernisation Committee. After that, the House will deal with the Committee stage of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, No. 2 of 2015.

Sir, on Wednesday, 15th July, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will, then, consider Private Member’s Motions, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider the Second Reading stage of the following Bills:

(a)    National Pension Scheme (Amendment) Bill, No. 8 of 2015; and

(b)    The Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (Amendment) Bill, No. 9 of 2015.

Thereafter, the House will consider the Committee stage of the following Bills:

(a)    The Urban and Regional Planning Bill, No. 3 of 2015;

(b)    The Referendum (Amendment) Bill, No. 5 of 2015; and

(c)    The Forests Bill, No. 4 of 2015.

Mr Speaker, on Thursday, 16th July, 2015, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will, then, debate the Report of the Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs. Thereafter, the House will consider the Second Reading stage of the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2015.

Sir, on Friday, 17th July, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with the Vice-President’s Question Time. That will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer, if there will any. After that, the House will deal with the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will debate the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Auditor-General on the Accounts of Parastatal Bodies and Other Statutory Institutions for the Financial Year Ended 31st December, 2013. Then, the House will consider the Second Reading stage of the following Bills;

(a)    The Gold Trade (Repeal) Bill, No. 12 of 2015; and

(b)    The Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill, No. 13 of 2015.

The House will, thereafter, deal with any other business that might be outstanding.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

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HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME

Mr Kunda (Muchinga): Mr Speaker, there has been a lot of politicking by the Government instead of reducing the poverty levels in the country. Could Her Honour the Vice-President tell us how the Government intends to reduce the increasing poverty levels in this country, which are alarming?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the poverty levels that we are experiencing in the country today did not come in one day. They are a result of a historical process that has merely caught up with us. The previous governments also witnessed the rise in poverty levels. As a matter of fact, this Government has tried more to reduce the levels of poverty, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: … particularly for the rural poor, by increasing the threshold of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme to cover many vulnerable families than were covered in the past. Additionally, through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, many Zambian entrepreneurs have accessed loans to start businesses in rural areas, something that was not done before. The same ministry also decentralised the registration of businesses to all the provinces, unlike in the past when that was only done in Lusaka. That shows that this Government is concerned about reducing poverty levels in the country.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, the people of Kalabo have been waiting for the much-talked-about 650 health centres that are supposed to be constructed throughout the country, three of which were allocated to Kalabo District. To date, none has been built and the sites that had been cleared for the construction of the clinics have become thickets. Where are we on those projects?

 The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the construction of the 650 health posts has started in many parts of the country. Unfortunately, for some parts of the Western Province, which experience flooding every year, the process started late. However, as I speak, quite a number of rural health posts have been constructed in areas like Luampa and Kaoma, which are easy to access. In Nalolo, we are experiencing the same scenario as the one we are experiencing in Kalabo, namely, that of accessibility challenges. However, since the floods have receded, I assure the hon. Member that he will soon see some development in his area.

Sir, I think that it will be prudent for us to update the country on the status of the 650 rural health centres. Therefore, the hon. Minister of Health will come back to the House and issue a statement again. Alternatively, Hon. Miyutu should file in a question as soon as possible.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, there have been many shoddy works done by contractors. What measures has Government taken to bring all the erring contractors to book, especially the one constructing the Trauma Centre at Kabwe General Hospital?

 The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, this Government has accelerated construction projects in the country. In fact, all of Zambia is a construction site.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: I am sure that hon. Members will agree with me on that.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Further, the Government realises that Zambian contractors should participate in the construction business. In fact, Zambians should be the owners of the construction companies and learn as much as possible from the big foreign contractors. Therefore, the Government decided that 20 per cent of some of the contracts be awarded to Zambian contractors. Unfortunately, in some cases, some of our contractors have not performed to our expectations. Such contractors, who leave works half-done or not done at all, will definitely be blacklisted and should really worry about the prospects of getting future contracts. Further, the Government will ensure that all jobs are completed by following the contractors who do not do their work properly.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, is it possible for Her Honour the Vice-President to use her influence to persuade Cabinet Office, particularly the hon. Ministers of Finance; Transport, Works, Supply and Communication; and Local Government and Housing, to prioritise the disbursement of funds to the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which are very important to the livelihoods of our people in Lubansenshi and elsewhere, especially as we get to the crop marketing season? The Cabinet should do that instead of only prioritising by-elections, which are not important for poverty reduction in our rural areas.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, holding regular elections is part of the governance system and democratic dispensation that we have chosen in this country.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: On prioritising the disbursement of funds to the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the hon. Member of Parliament for Lubansenshi knows that, only a few days ago, the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing informed the House the number of constituencies that had received the 2014 CDF.

Mr Speaker, as long as there is no proper accountability in the utilisation of previous CDF allocations, I do not think that the hon. Minister of Finance will entertain the requests from erring constituencies. So, if the hon. Member is a member of the Constituency Development Committee, he should avail this information to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing so that his constituency receives its CDF. However, if his council did not complete the works and the disbursement of the funds for the previous year, and did not account for those funds, it might be difficult for the ministry to release more funds.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Ms Lubezhi (Namwala): Mr Speaker, I noticed that, during the just ended by-elections, the Patriotic Front (PF) had changed its slogan of ‘Pamaka’, which means, “Power to the people,” to ‘Wako ni Wako’, which means that he who comes from the same clan, area or province is your own. This was most pronounced in the Eastern Province. My question is: How does Wako ni Wako fit in with the ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ slogan?

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

If Her Honour the Vice-President has an answer, she may choose to give it.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I choose to answer because I want to put things straight.

Sir, His Excellency the President did not imply that ‘wako’ is the only one you can work with. What he meant was that, among the candidates in the by-election for that constituency, there was one who belonged to the Patriotic Front (PF). That person is one of us because he/she belongs to our party.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 The Vice-President: He further said that, once that person had won the election, the whole constituency would be taken care of by Government because that person would then represent everyone in that constituency. Therefore, the PF party has not changed its slogan of ‘Power to the People’ because that is where our power generates from.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, first of all, I congratulate His Excellency Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda on winning his court case. Seeing as the former President has been declared innocent by the courts of law, when will the Government restore his immunity?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, that question will be answered at a later and appropriate time. Suffice it for me to say that the immunity of the former President was removed by this House. So, perhaps, the same process might take place in restoring it. Since I am …

Mr Mucheleka: There is no provision in the Constitution.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Hon. Member for Lubansenshi, you have no right to speak while seated.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, since I do not have the answer on my fingertips, I would defer the question to the next sitting.
 
I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chansa (Chimbamilonga): Mr Speaker, the Government embarked on the promotion of tourism in the Northern Circuit. However, that cannot be done without completing the rehabilitation of Kasaba Bay Airport, which is at 50 per cent. What are the Government’s plans for that project?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I request the hon. Member to file in a question on that matter with the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, sometime last week, Her Honour the Vice-President promised to issue a statement on the remarks attributed to the Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary-General, Mr Davies Chama, on the people of the Southern Province. We have read in the press that the President said that Mr Chama had called the Southerners by their name. Is that the Government’s official position?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I fail to understand why educated people like hon. Members of Parliament can take for granted everything that appears in the press.

Mr Speaker, indeed, when I was in Livingstone, I said that a statement would be issued on the remarks attributed to Mr Chama, and I still stand by that promise. However, what is important, now, is that the President would like to dialogue with the chiefs in the Southern Province because many things have been taken out of context. For example, the President never referred to Tonga chiefs in his speech or interaction with the press at the airport. However, it was reported that he talked about them. So, let me just repeat that His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu would still like to dialogue with the chiefs in that province. He has already met them, but would still like to do so again so that all these issues that seem to be dividing us can be put to rest.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, when the Patriotic Front (PF) came into power, a lot of Zambia’s money was spent on commissions of inquiry that were constituted. Will Zambians ever know the findings of those commissions of inquiry? It is now over four years since they were constituted.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it is true that there have been quite a number of commissions of inquiry. However, if the hon. Member is interested in the findings, which the country will be interested in, too, I request him to file in a question to the House as quickly as he can.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Sayifwanda (Zambezi East): Mr Speaker, from 2006 to 2014, when Her Honour the Vice-President was hon. Minister of Gender and Child Development, the ministry had a very important title, namely, the ‘Ministry of Gender and Women Development’. That title has since been changed to Ministry of Gender and Child Development. Seeing as all the countries on this continent have a specific ministry for women because women are a critical component of every nation, does the Government have plans of reinstating that title? If not, does the replacement of ‘Women’ with ‘Child’ indicate the Government’s wish to forget about women?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, most women are mothers. As such, I did not see any contradiction in merging the children’s component into the gender component of the ministry. As a matter of fact, even the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health still has the mother and child component. So, if the House feels that the child part should be taken away from the ministry, then, it can be done. However, if the mandate that has been given to the Ministry of Gender and Child Development adequately covers both children and women’s needs and empowerment of the latter, then, I think that it should continue on those lines.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sianga (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, the people of Sesheke are crying over the works being done on the Sesheke/Livingstone Road. When will the Government renovate it?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Livingstone/Sesheke Road is one of the provincial roads. It is also a very important road in the southern part of our country because it facilitates the movement of people and goods between Zambia and Namibia, through Sesheke. So, the Government is doing everything possible to renovate it. As a matter of fact, contractors for the project have already been identified. So, I will only advise the hon. Member to visit the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication to ensure that the contractors who have been given that work are doing their work properly.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, climate change has become a topical issue globally and our country is already experiencing the effects of the phenomenon. How prepared is our country to face and mitigate the effects?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, climate change is, indeed, an issue that, perhaps, we did not take so seriously, as a country. However, now that we are literally wallowing in its effects, we do realise how important the phenomenon is to the lives of the people.

Coming to the issue of preparedness, Sir, yes, the country is prepared as can be seen in the way the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is handling issues of food security in view of the devastating effects of climate change. It can also be seen in the way the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development apportions power to various sectors of our society. However, we need to do more to prepare our country and its people to be resilient to the devastating effects of climate change.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi): Mr Speaker, we hear that some citizens of this country have gone to court to seek interpretation of the law concerning the tenure of office for the President. Can Her Honour the Vice-President tell the nation the position of the Government on the matter?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I understand that this case is in the courts of law. However, let me assure the nation that His Excellency the President, Mr Chagwa Lungu, had nothing to do with it. We only started reading about it in the newspapers like everyone else. We do realise that the Zambian Constitution is silent on the by-election of a President, but this has nothing to do with what is going on today. Our party and Mr Edgar Lungu are ready to go through an election in 2016.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, these are machinations of individuals who may be collaborating with other individuals to put the President into disrepute and we refuse to accept that. Like I said, the matter is in court, but I do not think that the courts will rule against what the Constitution states. The Constitution of Zambia, since 1991, has followed the precedence of full elections every five years and that will continue.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, the kwacha has continued to rebel against the temporary measures that were put in place to mitigate its depreciation. What factors are causing the continuous depreciation of the local currency? Further, what measures is the Government putting in place to help our currency to appreciate?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, as long as Zambians are conditioned to conspicuously consume, the problem will continue.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: This country is not exporting much. We are a country of importers and we import things in dollars, not kwacha. If we exported more products, we would bring more dollars into our economy and, consequently, perhaps, stabilise the kwacha. For now, the fluctuation will continue. Additionally, the price of our copper has gone down, which means that copper production might go down, too.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr L. J. Ngoma (Sinda): Mr Speaker, not long ago, the hon. Minister of Justice announced on the Floor of the House that the non-contentious issues in the Constitution would be presented for amendment to the Floor. Seeing as we are about to adjourn sine die, could Her Honour the Vice-President tell us what has caused the delay and when the non-contentious issues will be brought before the House for amendment.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, Government matters do not just happen in a day. There are processes to be followed. The Bill has to be gazetted, and that takes time. However, the hon. Minister of Justice will still update the House before the House rises.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, I am aware that Her Honour the Vice-President is an ardent supporter of, and believer in, freedom of expression and freedom of information. Given that fact, why did the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) suspend the live transmission of the proceedings of the Public Account Committee (PAC) as …
 
I think that it is okay. I cannot finish my question due to time.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Just finish.

Interruptions

Mr Lufuma: Why was the live transmission abruptly stopped?

Laughter

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, …

The Deputy Chairperson: It is now time for Questions for Oral Answer.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

CONSTRUCTION OF CLASSROOMS AT MPONGWE CONSTITUENCY SCHOOLS

604. Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe) asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education:

(a)    when the construction of 1 x 3 portal-framed classroom blocks at the following primary schools in Mpongwe Parliamentary Constituency would be completed:

(i)    Chinwa;

(ii)    Buyantanshi; and

    (iii)    Butikili; and

(b)    what the cause of the delay in completing the projects was.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, the construction of 1 x 3 portal-framed classroom blocks at Chinwa, Buyantanshi and Butikili primary schools in Mpongwe Constituency will be completed in 2016.

Mr Speaker, the delay was due to a lack of community mobilisation and participation.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the portal frames …

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

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, thank you for according me the opportunity to raise a very serious point of order, which borders on being factual and debating from an informed position to avoid misleading the House and the nation.

Mr Speaker, yesterday, Hon. Mwiimbu, Member of Parliament for Monze Central, while debating the Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation, made some insinuations that the Government, through my office, had warned chiefs in the Southern Province over some matter, as reported in The Post newspaper.

Mr Speaker, it is becoming fashionable in this House for hon. Members to discuss issues without facts and without substantiating their claims. Let me quote from the statement I made on behalf of the Government on the secession plans in the Southern Province. Paragraph 1 reads:

“The Government wishes to strongly warn advocates of the secession of the Southern Province from the rest of Zambia that they will face the full wrath of the law if they continued with their schemes because their plans are treasonable.”

Mr Speaker, this is what the Government said, through my office. Was Hon. Mwiimbu in order to mislead the House by insinuating that the Government had warned the chiefs in the Southern Province, and to call the Government all sorts of names on the basis of that?

Mr Speaker, if we are not careful, we will put this country on fire.

Interruptions

Mr Kambwili: Issues of tribalism must not be tolerated.

I seek your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kambwili laid the paper on the Table.

The Deputy Chairperson: I reserve my ruling to enable me to study the paper in question and what was debated in the House.

The hon. Member for Mpongwe may continue.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the communities around the three schools had mobilised all the required materials as far back as 2006 and I have written several letters to the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, but no response has come forth. Why has the project taken so long? I am aware that funds were released in 2012, but later diverted. So, why is the Government still blaming the communities that have been ready since 2006?

The Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Dr Kaingu): Mr Speaker, before I answer the follow-up question, allow me to give some information on the clarification that I was trying to make yesterday when the hon. Member of Parliament for Namwala asked whether the academic staff in the two schools at the Copperbelt University (CBU) that continued to offer services were on the same conditions as those who had gone on strike. I promised to investigate the matter and bring to this House impeccable information. I did that and my finding is that the two schools are on the same conditions as those whose academic staff went on strike.

Mr Speaker, as regards Hon. Namulambe’s question, we regret that those schools, whose expansion was planned in 2006 as a way of quickly addressing the lack of classroom space in our country, have taken so long to be completed. In fact, I thank Hon. Namulambe for this question because it has helped us to realise that we have far too many schools that have not been completed.

Sir, I regret that the communities, according to Hon. Namulambe, have gathered material, but could not finish the three schools. I wonder why because the arrangement was that the Government would make the portal frame and the community would mould the blocks and provide labour. Now that we are aware that the community made an effort to mould the blocks, we will investigate why the schools were not built.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, time and again, during campaigns, we hear about free education in Zambia. However, we have seen, in these schools, the contributions of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) and the community. In certain areas, some of the materials, such as sand, require the hiring of trucks to ferry them from faraway places. Hon. Namulambe has said that he has written letters to the ministry, which I, too, have done. Why has the ministry not responded? Further, why does the ministry not look into the free education aspect?

Dr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, I have already apologised and assured the House that we will take stock of those classrooms whose construction was initiated using this mode.

Mr Speaker, as regards free education, we have agreed, as a nation, that there will be participation from the community. The Government will not provide everything. It has to work in partnership with the parents through the Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs). Frankly speaking, the Government is doing a lot to contribute to education from early child to tertiary education. If you look at our budget, it is about 20 per cent of the National Budget. Such a big allocation is meant to make education as affordable as possible.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Sianga (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that there are too many stalled projects in the construction of classrooms and houses for teachers. Is there any deliberate plan to complete them within a short period of time?

Dr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, I have promised the House that we will take stock of the portal-framed classrooms. The mode was chosen in 2006 because the then Government felt that it would help alleviate the lack of classroom space quicker. For those who do not know the mode we are talking about, the Government would build the slab, erect a steel framework and put the iron sheets. The community was, then, expected to make the blocks and use them to complete the frame.

Sir, again, we will take stock. We still have about K212 million in our budget for the primary sub-sector. So, we will discuss within the ministry whether we could use that money to complete those classrooms.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION OF DAMS IN CHADIZA DISTRICT

605.  Mr Mbewe (Chadiza) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development:

(a)    how many dams were earmarked for construction and rehabilitation in Chadiza District in 2015; and

(b)    what the cost of rehabilitating each dam was.

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy, and Water Development (Mr Zulu): Mr Speaker, the ministry has not planned to construct any dams in Chadiza District in 2015. However, it has planned to rehabilitate one dam, namely Luli, and maintain three, namely, Chamandala, Chamuchenga and Chazombe.

Mr Speaker, the estimated cost of rehabilitating Luli Dam is K266,250 while the estimated cost of maintaining Chamandala, Chamuchenga and Chazombe dams is K87,500.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, we are now in July and have five months before the end of the year. Can the hon. Minister be kind enough to tell me when the works on the dams will start.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I am sure you are aware that, as we get closer to 2016, people will start suffering from diarrhoea of the mouth ...

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Zulu: ... and constipation of the brain.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Can you withdraw that, please.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, Hon. Mbewe knows. We had a discussion outside ...

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

If your discussion related to diarrhoea of the mouth, you should withdraw it unconditionally before you proceed to answer.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I withdraw that one. Hon. Mbewe is my mulamu.

The Deputy Chairperson: There is no ‘mulamu’ here. We are all hon. Members of Parliament. Just answer the question.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, we will follow up that issue. Our intention is to ensure that this work starts as soon as possible. I am sure that we will sort out Hon. Mbewe’s problem before the five months period he has talked about elapses. The dams will be worked on. I ask him to get in touch with me so that we can sit down and make a plan.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma): Mr Speaker, the Government has been promising to give dams to all the rural areas. Now, it seems as if it is not ready to provide those dams, even to Chadiza. When will we have dams in all the constituencies?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member of Parliament that the whole country should be taken care of. That is our intention, as the Government. However, we have a budget in place that we follow. If there is no money for a particular project, there is no way we can move on site. Our intention is to deliver safe water for livestock by constructing dams. We will follow our programme, which I gave to every hon. Member of Parliament here.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, let me take advantage of the response by the hon. Minister to the follow-up question asked by Hon. Mbewe.

Sir, the practice of responding by saying, “We will begin soon” has become so common, and I do not think that is the accurate way of portraying when the works will start. Why can the hon. Minister not state the exact time frame? Is he guessing that the Executive will start the work soon? In church, we hear that Jesus will come soon.

Laughter

Mr Namulambe: That is fine for the Church to say. However, these works we are asking about are planned by human beings.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, that is why I advised Hon. Mbewe to come to my office. We will call the officers in the ministry and tell him exactly when the works will start.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has been talking about money and when it will be available. When Hon. Mbewe goes to his office, will the money be available there?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, yes, I am sure that the money will be available. I have stated already the amounts of money required to rehabilitate the dams. That means that money is available.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kazabu (Nkana): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy, and Water Development has informed the House and the nation that the Government has not planned to construct dams in Chadiza Constituency. Where, then, has the Government planned to construct dams under the 2015 Budget? We all know that the problem of a lack of water is countrywide.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, when preparing our answer, we were looking specifically at Chadiza Constituency.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF POLICE POST AT NYENGO

606.     Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    when the construction of a police post at Nyengo in Sikongo Parliamentary Constituency would  commence; and

(b)    what the total cost of the project was.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Kaunda): Mr Speaker, the Government has plans to construct a police post at Nyengo in Sikongo Parliamentary Constituency, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs Medium-Term Infrastructure Development Plan (MTIDP). The construction of the police post will commence in 2017.

Mr Speaker, the estimated cost of the project is K8 million.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mufalali (Senanga Central): Mr Speaker, why will the police post be built in 2017, when crime is increasing in Nyengo? Further, what interim measures has the Government put in place to curb crime in the area?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, as I said, we have an MTIDP in which the programme for the construction of the police post in Nyengo has been scheduled for 2017. Meanwhile, we intend to patrol the area to keep the crime levels low.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, quite a number of hon. Members of Parliament are assisting the Ministry of Home Affairs in building police posts using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). However, I have noticed that the police posts being constructed are of different designs. What measures is the Ministry of Home Affairs putting in place to standardise the design of the police posts?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, it also worries us that the police posts have varying designs and standards. So, we have sent a standard design to all hon. Members of Parliament, which they must follow when they build police posts.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, how does the hon. Minister hope to send patrol officers to Sikongo when the vehicle for Kalabo Police Station has broken down? Has he sent patrol vehicles there?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, we have a programme of procuring vehicles. In fact, a few days ago, Hon. Mwiimbu asked about the vehicles we were buying. Those are the vehicles that we will use for police patrols.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, given the high incidence of cattle rustling in Sikongo and Kalabo, does the Government intend to increase the number of police officers there so that they can conduct the mobile patrols?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, we have a shortage of police officers in the country. However, we hope that the 1,500 officers we are recruiting will be sent to some of the areas that are in critical need of officers.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that the police posts will be built in 2017 and that patrols would be used as a stop-gap measure. However, after further questioning, he said that the ministry is still waiting for vehicles. If there are no patrol vehicles and the ministry cannot build the police posts until 2017, it means that the patrols will not be effectively conducted. So, what actual measures is the ministry putting in place, given the fact that it has not even bought vehicles? Will it urgently send a vehicle so that the patrol can be conducted?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, I spent fifteen years in the army and we used to patrol on foot.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Sianga: Mr Speaker, since the hon. Minister mentioned that the police posts will be constructed in 2017, ...

Mr Antonio: Commando!

Mr Sianga: ... how much will they cost?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, as I said in my answer, the current price estimate is K8 million.

I thank you, Sir.

COPPER PRODUCTION FROM 2011 TO 2014

607.    Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development:

(a)    how many tonnes of copper and cobalt were produced from 2011 to 2014, year by year; and

(b)    what the Government’s projection for each mineral had been in the same period, year by year.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker the production of copper and cobalt from 2011 to 2014, year by year, was as follows:

Year    Copper (tonnes)    Cobalt (tonnes)

2011    666,539.00    1,166.00

2012    697,910.66    280.79

2013        763,805.00            4,729.00

2014        712,320.00    3,502.08

Sir, the Government’s copper and cobalt projects for the period 2011 to 2014 were as follows:

Year    Copper (tonnes)    Cobalt (tonnes)

2011    730,000    Nil

2012    750,000            Nil

2013    775,000            Nil

2014    800,000            Nil

Sir, the Government had no projections for cobalt production because the mineral is a by-product of copper mining.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, when you compare the actual copper production in 2013 and 2014 with the projected production figures, you will see that there was a big difference. What caused the reduction in copper production that caused the difference between the projected figures and the actual production figures? Further, what serious efforts does the Government intend to make to ensure that the Government projections of production are realised or surpassed in view of the power load shedding and its impact on copper production? Through the hon. Speaker, can you answer?

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: It is not necessary to add the last words because it is their obligation to answer all questions put to them.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, generally, copper production has been increasing, except in 2014. We agree with you on that. In 2014, copper production declined to 712,320 from 763,805 in 2013 mainly due to the following reasons:

(a)    planned shutdown of the smelter in Mufulira, which lasted months;

(b)    breakdown of a conveyor belt at Lumwana Mine for three months; and
 
(c)    power restrictions and eventual flooding at Nchanga Mine.

Sir, copper production has been below the annual targets due to the following reasons:

(a)    lower-than-expected grade of ore;

(b)    power outages; and

(c)    labour disputes;

(d)    other unexpected challenges.

Mr Speaker, as regards power outages, it is beyond the control of the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Limited and the Government. We keep saying that the load shedding is caused by the low water levels at Kariba North Bank, which is a result of natural causes. We should all explain to our people when we go back to our constituencies that the load shedding is caused by neither the Government nor ZESCO, but natural causes.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has just indicated that one of the reasons for the reduction in copper production is the power outages. Seeing as the power outages are getting worse, does the hon. Minister think that production will reduce further? If he does, what would the impact be on the economy of the country?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, of course, production will go down and the impact on the economy will be very negative.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Konga (Chavuma): Mr Speaker, for foreign investors to come and invest in this country, they will first look at our infrastructure. Given the challenges in the generation and distribution of electricity, does the Government not think that there is a contradiction when it talks about wooing investors to come to our country?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I agree with Hon. Konga, to some extent, but I do not think that we are contradicting ourselves. As a Government, we go out to woo investors to invest in this country. The challenge in this country is that all of us are against ZESCO increasing its tariffs. We do not attract investors because the tariffs are very low. So, as a ministry, we are for ways of addressing this tariff issue. For example, in countries like Rwanda and Kenya, the unit tariffs are 24 ¢ and 30 ¢ respectively. In Zambia it is only 7 ¢. We must, therefore, put our heads together and agree on suitable tariffs, then, woo investors.

I thank you, Sir.
 
Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, are the figures the hon. Minister gave for concentrated or refined copper and cobalt? Further, he has talked about electricity generation. I was in Livingstone and saw that there is a lot of water.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Sir, this electricity situation has never been experienced in this country. Why is the hon. Minister not explaining to the people of Zambia what his Government has done to the generating plant at Kariba Dam? Why is he not telling us that the Government installed poor quality Chinese generators there, which are failing to cope with the generation level of the power plant? The issue of water is neither here nor there because there is a lot of water in the dam.

The Deputy Chairperson: Since the hon. Member has asked two questions, take your pick, hon. Minister.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I will talk about energy. It is possible to generate power on a twenty-four hour basis. However, our fear is that, if we continue doing that, the water levels will further go down and we will end up being in darkness countrywide.

Interruptions

Mr Zulu: The issue of someone bringing in poor equipment from China is neither here nor there, Hon. Muntanga. Our problem is that the water levels have gone down, and we must accept that. The problem has a natural cause.

Interruptions

Mr Zulu: Yes it is. Unless you want this Government to create rain, which is not possible.

I thank you, Sir.

REHABILITATION OF KATETE DISTRICT AIRSTRIP

608. Mr Phiri (Mkaika) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to rehabilitate the airstrip in Katete District;

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

(c)    what the estimated cost of the exercise was.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Siamunene): Mr Speaker, yes, there are plans to rehabilitate the Katete Airstrip in 2017.

Sir, the cost estimate will only be known after feasibility studies have been carried out.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, what measurers has this Government put in place to safeguard the airstrip from encroachment by the surrounding community?

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, governance is a responsibility for all of us, including the hon. Member of Parliament who has asked this question. We shall also involve the local authority in securing the area.

I thank you, Sir.

________

BILL

FIRST READING

THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY BILL, 2015

The Minister of Justice (Dr Simbyakula): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill titled the Tourism and Hospitality Bill, 2015.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to provide for the sustainable development of the tourism industry, through effective tourism planning, management, promotion and co-ordination; provide for an enabling and facilitating environment for the growth of the tourism industry by ensuring that Zambia responds to changing tourism trends in the macro and competitive tourism market environment; provide effective mechanisms for co-ordination amongst the Government, private sector and local communities for the sustainable development of tourism, through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and community participation; provide for integration of tourism into national development planning, budgeting and decision-making processes related to infrastructure development, environmental management and protection, and empowerment of local communities; strengthen linkages and co-ordination between tourism development and key sub-sectors, such as arts and culture, heritage, transport, education, energy, forestry, fisheries, wildlife and water resource management, using a whole-of-Government approach; ensure that the tourism value chain is enhanced by positive linkages between tourism and supporting services and sectors, including police, immigration, customs, health and safety; establish the Zambia Tourism Agency and constitute its board and provide for their functions; regulate tourism enterprises and tourism-related services, and enforce standards of operation and service; establish the Tourism Development Fund and provide for its administration; repeal the Tourism and Hospitality Act, 2007, and the Zambia Tourism Board Act, 2007; and provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: The Bill stands referred to the Joint Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Friday, 24th July, 2015. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

________

MOTIONS

DEATH OF MR HUMPHREY IDDOH MWANZA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SOLWEZI WEST

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House do place on record its deepest regret at the sudden death of Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency, together with its appreciation of his distinguished and patriotic service to this country and the people of Zambia, and that the deepest sympathies and condolences of the National Assembly be conveyed to his family.

Mr Speaker, in moving this Motion, I wish to put on record my deepest regrets and anguish over the sudden death of Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency, who passed away at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in the early hours of Friday, 3rd July, 2015, following an operation to remove a stomach tumour.

Sir, allow me to use this very sad moment to say a few words about our beloved colleague, whose demise is a terrible loss not only to his family and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), the party on whose ticket he was elected to this House, but also to the Government and the people of Solwezi West Parliamentary Constituency, in particular, and the people of Zambia in general.

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Mwanza was born on 22nd April, 1949, in Solwezi District, the North-Western Province. He started his education at Kampande Primary School in 1958 and later moved to Mutanda River School, where he completed his Grade 7 in 1965. In 1966, he proceeded to Chingola High School on the Copperbelt Province, where he obtained a Form II Certificate. He finally completed his secondary education in 1970 at Mwense Secondary School in Luapula Province and obtained the Cambridge School Certificate. In 1971, he proceeded to Nkrumah Teacher’s College in Kabwe, where he studied for a Diploma in Education and graduated in 1972. The late hon. Member believed in advancing his education. Therefore, in 1984, he enrolled at the Wolsey Hall College in the United Kingdom (UK), where he pursued a Diploma in Administrative Management. In 1995, he went back to Wolsey Hall College and obtained an Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management.

Sir, the late Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, MP, started his work career with the Ministry of Education, as a secondary school teacher, from 1973 to 1976. He, then, changed careers and joined the National Agriculture Marketing Board (NAMBOARD), as Training and Development Officer, from 1977 to 1979. Between 1984 and 1988, he worked as Senior Personnel Officer for the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZISC). He also worked as a Personnel Manager for Savoy Hotel, under the National Hotels Corporation Limited. Between 1993 and 2000, the late hon. Member worked as a Human Resource Controller for the Zambia National Provident Fund (ZNPF). His last job before joining active politics was as Director, Human Resource and Administration, at the North-Western Water Supply and Sewerage Company (NWWSSC) from 2001 to 2006.

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, MP, joined the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) as an ordinary party member in 1990. From 2002 to 2006, he was Secretary for the Solwezi West Parliamentary Constituency. He was elected Member of Parliament for the same constituency during the 2006 General Elections. He was, then, appointed Deputy Chief Whip for the MMD, a position he held from 2006 to 2011. During the 2011 General Elections, he was re-elected as hon. Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency, a portfolio he held until his death.  

Sir, as hon. Member of Parliament, Mr Mwanza served on various Parliamentary Committees, including the Committee on Delegated Legislation and the Reforms and Modernisation Committee. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF).

Sir, during his distinguished career in Parliament, the late Hon. Mwanza contributed to the development of Parliamentary democracy in this country. He was active and contributed effectively and fearlessly to debates in the House. He was also a member of the Zambia Institute of Human Resources Management (ZIHRM), the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM), Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Zambia Chapter, Institute of People Management (IPM) and the Lions Club of Mulungushi. In all the positions he held, the late Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, MP, served the country with utmost diligence.

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Mwanza happened to be a member of my church and we were in the same small Christian community.

Mr Shakafuswa: Which church?

The Vice-President: The United Church of Zambia (UCZ).

Sir, on 1st July, 2015, Hon. Mwanza underwent an operation at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in which doctors removed a tumour from his stomach. Unfortunately, the late hon. Member died on 3rd July, 2015, in the early hours. He was buried in Solwezi on Tuesday, 7th July, 2015.

Sir, Hon. Mwanza’s death is a loss not only to his family and friends, but also to the nation as a whole. The late Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, MP, leaves behind a wife and nine children.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, I thank Her Honour the Vice-President for the statement that she has made concerning our dear colleague who is no longer in our midst. This is, indeed, a very sad moment in our community, as Parliamentarians, because we have lost a dear colleague, Hon. Humphrey Mwanza.

Sir, as Parliamentarians, we all come to the House to represent our people in the best way possible. So, the statement from Her Honour the Vice-President is a correct description of the late Hon. Humphrey Mwanza. He was truly a strong and fearless representative of the people of Solwezi West and the North-Western Province, as a whole. He openly, independently and unreservedly spoke his mind and had no apologies to make when he thought that what he had to say on behalf of the people was right. That is a very admirable legacy that a representative of the people ought to leave in this House and it is worth emulating.

Sir, I met the late Hon. Mwanza for the first time when I came to this House in 2006, and what struck me most about him was the humility of the man, and his approachability and friendliness to his colleagues. As our Deputy Chief Whip, he made every effort to ensure that the quorum was always formed. He would ask us in a humane way to come to the House. If there was any problem, he talked to any of us like a friend. That is a kind of a person we have lost.

Mr Speaker, I was in the Reforms and Modernisation Committee with the late Hon. Mwanza. What was most admirable about him, as Chairperson of that Committee, was his commitment to the reforms and modernisation of our institution, the National Assembly. He was fully committed to ensuring that the institution realised its reform and modernisation agenda, which is necessary to our institution’s achievement of its desired goals. He spoke very passionately about the reform and modernisation of our Parliament.

Mr Speaker, those of us who listened to Hon. Mwanza’s questions and debates on the Floor of the House know that he also established a very admirable legacy of being very passionate in the way he articulated the problems that he saw affecting his people in Solwezi West, the North-Western Province and Zambia, as a whole. He was very forceful because at the back of his mind were very strong principles that he thought should have been upheld by those who had the power and opportunity to address the problems of the people.

Sir, behind his questions and debates were strong principles of equity, fairness and justice. He believed that development should be equitably distributed and touch the lives of many people. It was for this reason that he kept emphasising, for example, that the wealth generated from the exploitation of the natural resources in the North-Western Province should have an impact on the people in that area. It was not a fight against anybody, but a manifestation of his strong commitment to the principles of justice, fairness and equity in the way that we, as a nation, managed our resources. That is a fair position espoused on behalf of the people. For these convictions, he did not make any apology, at all, when he stood on the platform of justice and equity to articulate the needs of the people. Those who cared to listen to him speak and those who care to read what he has said in this House will have a lot to learn from the man.

Mr Speaker, I can remember very well that, in our last meeting at the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Secretariat, which was called to discuss the suspension of some hon. Members of Parliament and others from the party, Hon. Mwanza demonstrated the kind of attributes he had. He stood and very strongly told the party President that he did not like the use of the word ‘apology’ or ‘pardon’ at all, suggesting that what the meeting was supposed to talk about was reconciliation. When he said that, I said to myself that, that was the kind of man I knew Hon. Mwanza to be. He was fearless and spoke his mind without apologising to anybody. That was his admirable attribute, and I am sure that all of us who interacted very closely with him will miss our dear colleague. We shall miss his broad smile and friendliness.

Sir, it is very sad that life has to come to an end. It is our hope that our dear colleague and friend will be accorded a peaceful resting place. May his soul rest in peace. May his legacy and positive attribute of passionately representing the people of Solwezi West live forever. Finally, may the people of Solwezi West remember him forever.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I join my colleagues who have moved this Motion for us to celebrate the life of our colleague, Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency, and to express our deepest regret of his death.

Sir, I have known Hon. Mwanza since 2006, when he joined Parliament as a representative of the people of Solwezi West. Without any fear of any contradiction, I would like to state that Hon. Mwanza was a very principled man. He had convictions and values that he cherished so much that he could not trade them for any interest. He was also very fearless, candid and meticulous in discussing issues on the Floor of the House.

Mr Speaker, as I pay glowing tribute to my dear elder brother, Hon. Mwanza, I would like to recall some of the issues that he raised on the Floor of this House, those that still linger on my mind.

Sir, Hon. Mwanza persistently raised the issue of the throne of the Chitimukulu. He passionately and fearlessly appealed to our brothers in the Patriotic Front (PF) to stop persecuting the current Chitimukulu. Eventually, the Government relented and recognised Henry Kanyanta Sosala as Chitimukulu. Unfortunately, our dear brother will miss the ceremonial installation of the Chitimukulu in Malole. Were he alive, I have no doubt that Hon. Mwanza would have travelled to Malole, Kasama, to witness the coronation of the Chitimukulu.

Sir, I also recall how he once scrutinised a Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation when it was tabled. The Speaker currently in the Chair was the Chairperson of the Committee then. Hon. Mwanza ensured that the Chairperson did not just look at whether some statutory instruments (SIs) were in conformity with the Constitution, …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1045 hours until 1100 hours.

[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON in the Chair]

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was informing the House that Hon. Mwanza was very particular in scrutinising SIs issued by various institutions in Zambia. He did not only believe that an SI should comply with the Constitution of Zambia and other laws, but also that it should be made under the Constitution, and be fair and in the interest of the people of Zambia. On a number of occasions, he recommended amendments, which were usually taken on board. I salute him for his belief that dictators use laws to champion their dictatorial tendencies. So, he never just supported laws as they were being made, but ensured that there was Parliamentary scrutiny and oversight over them.

Sir, the late Hon. Mwanza, as has been mentioned, believed in equity; that developmental projects must be spread across the country. He was very passionate about that. I do recall that he coined the phrase ‘two universities in one village.’

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: He consistently implored the Government not to discriminate against some parts of Zambia in distributing the meagre resources the country has. He, especially, spoke passionately for the people of the North-Western Province, Solwezi, in particular, imploring the Government to develop the town from which we generate the bulk of the wealth of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwanza has died leaving many of his wishes for Solwezi unfulfilled. I hope that the Government will listen to his cries, now that he is gone, and implement developmental projects in the North-Western Province.

Mr Speaker, I would be failing in my duty, having been a Member of Parliament for fourteen years, ...

Mrs Masebo: Only?

Mr Mwiimbu: … during which I have frequently stood on the Floor of this House, if I did not lament the failures of this Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to look after their leaders.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I am aware that a number of our leaders and cadres on your right …

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: … have been given preferential treatment. They have been evacuated to better hospitals outside Zambia at a great cost to the country. Alas, when it comes to those who are in the Opposition; those who do not belong to the royal family, they have been neglected.

Mr Muntanga: The royal family?

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwanza was allowed to die in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), where the facilities are below par.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, there is no doubt in my mind that all of us who have been visiting the UTH know that its conditions are atrocious, …

Ms Kawandami: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwiimbu: … and that a lot of effort …

Mr Mucheleka: Iwe, ikalafye!

Mr Mwiimbu: … needs to be put in place to ensure that the UTH offers the requisite health facilities.

Mr Speaker, I am aware that some among us, like the one who wants to rise on a point of order, have not been going to the UTH of late. However, those of us who do have realised that the standard of health care in that institution, the highest medical facility in this country, has gone down.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, everyday, not less than ten dead bodies …

Mrs Masebo: It is more than that.

Mr Mwiimbu: … are released for burial from the UTH alone.

Mr Speaker, it is only in this country where you come into contact with a funeral procession every hour and that means that our health facilities have collapsed. So, we need to do more not just for ourselves, but also for the poor people in Zambia. We have been consistently told that the health care facilities in the hospitals have improved but, alas, the opposite is the case. Why do we allow our dear brothers and sisters to wallow in such unsightly conditions?

Mr Muntanga: Uh!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, today, if you go to the UTH and you are diagnosed with a problem, in most instances, you will be given a prescription to buy medicine because there is no medicine in the hospitals. If you go to the general wards, the first thing that will meet you is the stench emanating from the there. It is an unfortunate situation. The standards have fallen even in the so-called Very Important Persons (VIP) Wing of the UTH. So, this unfortunate death is a wake-up call to the hon. Minister of Health. We must do something to improve our health care system.

Mr Speaker, it has become a norm in Government hospitals that patients’ relatives are the nurses.

Mr Kalaba: Debate the Motion.

Mr Mwiimbu: If the patients have no relatives to look after them, no one takes care of them.

Mr Kalaba: Debate the death of Hon. Mwanza.

Mr Mwiimbu: I know you are saying, “Mwanza,” but I am saying …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The Motion is about placing on record our deepest regret of the untimely death of Hon. Mwanza and expressing our sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family.

With that guidance, please, come back to the Motion.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I am expressing my condolences that he was put in …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

A ruling has been made and guidance given. As much as possible, desist from cross-country debating.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I will avoid cross-country debating and confine myself to the death of Hon. Mwanza.

Mr Kambwili: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, Hon. Mwanza was put in a very deplorable hospital with no decent facilities that could have preserved his life.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, as we speak, if the hon. Ministers of Health and Finance had listened to the need to amend the law to provide for health insurance, Hon. Mwanza would have been treated in a better hospital outside the country. Unfortunately, we have a laissez-faire attitude. So, we have discussed the issue for the last ten years without making any practical progress.

Sir, why have we not allowed a facility that would accord our leaders and members of the public to access better health services? Even if it was his time, Hon. Mwanza would still have died in a better hospital. That is the point I am making.

Mr Habeenzu: Yes!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, as we discuss this issue, we have to realise that Hon. Mwanza served as Deputy Chief Whip of this House.

Mr Muntanga: The equivalent of an hon. Deputy Minister.

Mr Mwiimbu: He served at the level of hon. Deputy Minster. So, I do not see why he was not accorded a State funeral. We have noticed that the leadership of the PF has accorded State funerals to people who have not made the same contribution to this country as Hon. Mwanza did.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Mufulira District Commissioner (DC)!

Mr Mwiimbu: Why should we discriminate? A District Commissioner (DC), who is a very junior civil servant, can be accorded a State funeral, but not an hon. Member of Parliament.

Mr Kampyongo: Where?

Mr Muntanga: In Luanshya.

Mr Mwiimbu: … in Mufulira.

Mr Shakafuswa: In Mufulira.

Mr Mwiimbu: Do not ask where.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Just address the Chair.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, there was a question.

Sir, the DC for Mufulira, a person who was junior to Hon. Mwanza, was accorded a State funeral. We have noticed that the funerals of hon. Members of Parliament have not been accorded the dignity they deserve, but ordinary citizens’ have. What is the criterion? Why are we discriminating against Hon. Mwanza? He deserved the respect that this House and the nation should have accorded him.

Mr Kalaba: Ule campaign’a, iwe.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, this is an issue on which all of us must reflect. Those who are now making running commentaries are doing so because they have no respect for the memory of Hon. Mwanza. I hope that the people of Solwezi West are listening.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, we need to reflect on this and change the relevant regulations so that we are not seen to be discriminating against our own leadership in this country.

Mr Muntanga: Until you die.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mukanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order.

Sir, is the hon. Member of Parliament in order to canvass for a State funeral to be accorded to him when he dies? Is also in order to do it in this way?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: To the extent that he is still alive, he is not in order to canvass along those lines.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I may not need to canvass for it because I might be entitled to it by being on the other side.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, finally, I just want all of us to search our souls and think about the health facilities in this country. Is the health care we provide mitigating against death and sickness in this country? Are the facilities in this country what the people of Zambia deserve?

Sir, as we mourn Hon. Mwanza and reflect on his life, let us think about his children. What will the State do for his family? What will happen to them now that the bread winner is gone? Is there anything that this Parliament and the Government can do for his family?

Mr Speaker, I have no doubt in my mind that the Chief Whip has listened and will do something about it.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to pay tribute to the late Hon. Humphrey Mwanza, Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency. I join the people of Solwezi West, the North-Western Province and Zambia at large in remembering the gallant son of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, I stand here to mention that Hon. Mwanza taught me a lot when I came to Parliament. He was my leader, as Chairperson of the Reforms and Modernisation Committee, for two sessions. I currently have the honour and privilege of chairing the Committee as a result of what I learnt from him. He was a reformer who was very instrumental in spearheading the reforms that we are talking about, namely, ‘Taking Parliament Closer to the Zambian People’.

Mr Speaker, I remember our Committee touring Uganda coincidentally with another Committee and he was the delegation leader. In the other Committee was one member of the delegation whom Hon. Mwanza warned me to stay away from because he was bound to mislead me.

Laughter

Mr Mucheleka: I persuaded him to give me the opportunity to know the other people on a personal level. Today, that hon. Member, true to Hon. Mwanza’s words, has turned out to be a betrayer, a Judas Iscariot. That person knows himself.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwanza told me that, when these reforms were started, there were some people who were on the other side …

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Let us not debate each other, but stick to the Motion. This is a sombre Motion that should not be used as an opportunity to throw missiles at one another.

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

Sir, as I said earlier, the reforms that we are implementing in this Parliament were largely spearheaded by Hon. Mwanza. Personally, as we continue to reform Parliament, I will always remember what he stood for.

Mr Speaker, I also remember Hon. Mwanza as a person who stood in solidarity with the people of the Northern Province, especially when His Royal Highness, Henry Kanyanta Sosala Kanyanta Manga II, was under siege.

Hon. Government Member: By whom?

Mr Muntanga: By you.

Mr Mucheleka: You all remember how, seated on my right, he fought so gallantly and asked many questions in solidarity with the Bemba people until, finally, His Royal Highness the Chitimukulu was able to enjoy some peace. The battle for the recognition of Mwinelubemba was not only fought by the Bemba people. Hon. Humphrey Mwanza stood strongly with them. You all remember that. He stood with them in this House and outside. So, I wish to put it on record that I will convey to His Royal Highness Mwinelubemba the information that one of his supporters has passed on. There is a traditional way in which we convey information to our chiefs, and I will do that on behalf of the people of Solwezi West, who stood in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in the Northern Province.

Mr Speaker, I remember Hon. Mwanza as a Pan-Africanist and gallant son of the soil, who fought very hard to push for equity in resource allocation. I remember him standing in this House and vehemently fighting to represent the people of Solwezi West and the North-Western Province, who were beginning to feel marginalised in the allocation of resources.

Mr Speaker, there was a paradox in that the North-Western, despite being the richest province in terms of natural resources endowment, had very high poverty levels.

Mr Speaker, Hon. Mwanza fought for equity in resource allocation until his untimely death. He talked about and fought for feeder roads and the Chingola/Solwezi Road. In this regard, I appeal that we start celebrating people when they are still alive and not only speak well about them when they have died. There are many positive contributions that Hon. Mwanza made to this House and the development of this country. I have just heard that he was Deputy Chief Whip in the previous Parliament. Therefore, I believe that he deserved better care during his illness than we accorded him. From the time he fell sick to when he died, I believe that there was something that could have been done for him. We could have tried to help him to live much longer. There are lessons to be learnt from this event.

Mr Speaker, today, those of us on your left are lamenting and complaining. However, it is not true that we will perpetually be on this side. It is possible that those who are on your left could be on your right in 2016. In 2001, the people of Luwingu District believed in Mr Sata when the rest of the country did not. Everyone else said, “Chi Sata chilishilu, chalipena. Ba Patriotic Front (PF), ...

Hon. Government Members: Question!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Mr Mucheleka: I will translate, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: Can you, please, withdraw that statement and debate the Motion.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I withdraw the statement.

Mr Speaker, some people used to say that it was not possible for the PF to ever get into power. However, the people of Luwingu District, where I come from, gave the PF its first seat. Ten years later, the PF formed Government.

Sir, those who have read the Bible know that there is a story about somebody who stole a child.

The Deputy Chairperson: I hope you remember that, according to our rules, we rarely quote from the Bible. Therefore, if you are done, it is better you wind up and give other people a chance to debate.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I have not yet finished.

Mr Speaker, one writer wrote about a child that had been stolen by one woman and was being claimed by another. The woman who had stolen the child was the loudest in claiming that the child was hers. This is what we are seeing today. Those who have stolen ...

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Hon. Member, I think that you are done.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I have not finished.

The Deputy Chairperson: The hon. Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province, you may take the Floor.

The Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province (Mr Kafwaya): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the time to contribute to the debate on this important Motion.

Mr Speaker, with great sadness and sorrow, allow me, as the Minister responsible for the North-Western Province, to say a word on the late Hon. Humphrey Mwanza, who died on 3rd July, 2015, in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Mwanza served in many portfolios and worked tirelessly for the people of his constituency. He initiated many programmes in the North-Western Province, and Solwezi West Constituency, in particular. He was a gallant leader, who contributed greatly to the development of Solwezi, Solwezi West Constituency and the North-Western Province, as a whole, as was demonstrated by the faith that the people of Solwezi West showed in him when they re-elected him Member of Parliament in the 2011 General Elections.

Sir, the late Hon. Mwanza was a true servant of the people who had entrusted the responsibility of representing their interests to him. He was hon. Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency, which hosts two big mines, that is, Kalumbila Minerals Limited and Lumwana Mining Company, and managed to initiate many development projects that have been implemented in his constituency. He negotiated for the opening of Kalumbila Minerals Limited, which has helped to create employment for many local people and reduced poverty in his constituency.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of the North-Western Province, and Solwezi West Constituency, in particular, allow me to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for facilitating the transportation of the remains of the late Hon. Mwanza from Lusaka to Solwezi by air. I also wish to inform this House that four Royal Highnesses in Solwezi West, namely, Chief Mumena, Chief Matebo, Senior Chief Musele and Senior Chief Mukumbi, expressed their appreciation of His Excellency the President’s providence during the burial. The President’s gesture was a clear demonstration of how well he has come to work with the people of the North-Western Province.

Mr Speaker, let me also talk about some of the projects Hon. Humphrey Mwanza used to talk about.

Sir, Hon. Mwanza used to talk about the Solwezi/Chingola Road, Solwezi/Mwinilunga Road, Lumwana District Hospital and township roads. All these projects are being implemented because we have a listening President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. As I speak, the contractors contracted to work on the Solwezi/Chingola Road are on site and the works are progressing very well. The construction of township roads in the five districts of the province has also commenced and Lumwana District Hospital has been electrified. I wish that he had lived to see the fruits of the projects that are being implemented in the North-Western Province.

Mr Speaker, the people of the North-Western Province have seen the good leadership of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: ... under His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Therefore, the people of the North-Western Province will work with the PF Government  ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: ... to develop this country.

Mr Speaker, the people of the North-Western Province believe in development, not political parties. Therefore, any leader who takes development there is embraced by the people there.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, as a litmus test, the PF will scoop the Solwezi West Constituency to order to continue ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

This Motion is not about campaigning. There will be time for that. The Motion is specific. We cannot campaign during breakfast, lunch and supper.

Hon. Deputy Minister, continue with that guidance in mind.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, I was saying that the people of the North-Western Province believe in the development that Hon. Mwanza stood for. His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is also always talking about development.

Sir, I wish to put it on record that the PF Government understands that we are ‘One Zambia One Nation’ …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kafwaya: … and believes in development. The people who vote for us in our constituencies want us to take development to them. It is not just about political parties, but …

Mr Muntanga: Resign!

Mr Kafwaya: … also about development in our areas.

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Mwanza will be remembered by the people of Solwezi West, and the Government, in general, and the provincial administration, in particular, will continue providing support to his family in Solwezi.

May Hon. Mwanza’s soul rest in peace.

I thank you, Sir.

The Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office and Deputy Chief Whip (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, thank you for affording me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President. I stand here as Deputy Chief Whip, the office Hon. Mwanza held until 2011, I share my sympathies with his family, which I knew before I came to this august House.

Sir, sometimes, it shocks me to see how we, politicians and leaders, want to take advantage of straightforward matters, such as the Motion on the Floor, to seek political capital.
 
Mr Speaker, when a team of hon. Members of Parliament, along with the Chief Whip, went to visit the widow, the family briefed us that things had happened very suddenly. Hon. Mwanza had gone to Zimbabwe as part of a Parliamentary Committee. That is where he began to feel unwell and was attended to. He came back feeling slightly better. However, it was not long after he returned that he was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Sir, this Parliament must be commended for what it has been doing for its hon. Members of Parliament. It might not be enough, but we should learn to appreciate the little that is being done. We have a clinic at Parliament and a scheme through which hon. Members are assisted with their medical requirements. Apart from that, we have a fast-track service at the UTH.

Mr Speaker, what the hon. Minister of Health is doing at the UTH to improve the conditions there is clear for everyone to see.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: Therefore, we should not come here and peddle innuendoes when we are in a situation like this.

Sir, the procedure that is followed in evacuating people for further medical attention, when there is a need, is well-known. The hon. Minister of Health or the Clerk of the National Assembly cannot lift people and take them to hospitals anywhere they want. There are specialists who recommend evacuations when further specialist treatment outside the country is necessary.

Mr Speaker, as you all know, before I was appointed His Excellency the President was Deputy Chief Whip until he was elevated by Zambians from this Chamber to State House. So, when this funeral happened, the President was personally involved and the late’s family can attest to the President’s personal commitment to giving him a befitting send-off. That was demonstrated by the presence of Her Honour the Vice-President, in her capacity as Acting Head of State, at the requiem mass before Hon. Kabinga Pande and I escorted the late hon. Member’s remains to their final resting place in Solwezi. In that regard, I commend the team of hon. Members that travelled with me to Solwezi for the unity of purpose that they exhibited. We were faced with a few challenges, including the wish of the members of the family and the constituents to have their son buried in the land. The Government and the National Assembly met that demand and others, and it made the people very happy to receive their son. The people equally demonstrated a unity of purpose because there was peace and tranquillity as we put the late Hon. Mwanza to rest.

Mr Speaker, when I spoke at the funeral, representing Her Honour the Vice-President, I said that the Government expected to see peace and calm at the funeral and asked the people to seek God’s guidance in their quest to find a suitable replacement for the late Hon. Mwanza. I echo the hon. Member of Parliament for Solwezi Central’s statement that the development that has started trickling down to Solwezi and the North-Western Province can be partially attributed to Hon. Mwanza’s efforts.

Sir, we shall remember Hon. Mwanza for his candid debates because that is what his people chose him for. However, we must not politicise his death like that one hon. Member, who tried to bring issues of chiefs into this straightforward debate.

Sir, when I came to the House, Hon. Mwanza was one of the people who always came to me after my debates and advised me not to take things personally here. I equally went back to him and told him that the Bemba people have never politicised the issues of Mwinelubemba. Hon. Chikwanda can attest to that. When I told him that, he was very appreciative.

Mr Speaker, all in all, I appeal to our citizens in various constituencies to show their elected representatives the love that we saw the people of Solwezi West show their leader after his demise. If they had shown him the love that I saw in Solwezi West, it would have given him the much-needed impetus to serve them even better while he lived.

Sir, I convey my condolences and assure the family that the National Assembly will always be there to serve the families of people who die on duty within the confines of the provisions set out by this Parliament. This House sets the rules of State governance. Therefore, if people want to have State funerals, then, they can enact the laws that will facilitate that.

Mr Speaker, may Hon. Mwanza’s soul rest in peace.

I thank you, Sir.

The Minister of Health (Dr Kasonde): Mr Speaker, I was anxious to debate only so that I could place on record my dismay at hearing the inaccuracies over medical issues that crept into this important Motion of paying our last respects to the late Hon. Mwanza.

Sir, I think that it does no good to this House when we make remarks on a subject about which we have limited knowledge. The circumstances of the pathology and death of the hon. Member of Parliament are matters that we have not brought to the House. This is out of respect for this House, which is assumed to only debate in truth and nothing but the truth. It is not in the interest of the family of the late to hear that there was a lot of misrepresentation of the circumstances of his death. It is fortunate that the hon. Deputy Minister has set the record straight. It is also not in the interest of the health service that matters of this nature be discussed by people who have not bothered to make the necessary background checks of the circumstances.

Sir, I know that funerals in our country can sometimes result in differences, to the point of fighting, when people are accused of witchcraft or killing someone. That is not the level of debate that we, in this House, should accept. So, my plea is that accuracy to be respected in matters of a medical nature, especially when our colleague’s life has comes to an end.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LANDS, ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism for the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 9th July, 2015.

The Deputy Chairperson: Is the Motion seconded?

Mr Mwewa (Mwansabombwe): Yes, Mr Speaker.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, let me begin by highlighting some salient issues contained in your Committee’s report.

Sir, your Committee undertook a study on ‘The Role of Arts and Culture in National Development’. Based on its findings, your Committee notes that the various aspects of arts and culture are strewn across several ministries, thereby rendering the administration of the sector ineffective and diminishing the value of resources going to the sector, as they are not pooled into one ministry. For example, museums and heritage are under the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs; the National Archives are under the Ministry of Home Affairs; and art and music education are under the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education while the administration of copyright and intellectual property rights protection is under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.

Mr Speaker, there is equally a fragmented legal framework governing the arts and culture sector, which poses a challenge to the well-co-ordinated regulation of the sector and burdens it. Legislation that governs the various aspects of the creative sector is spread across different functions of the Government. Additionally, in Zambia, legislation is normally tied to a particular ministry and each ministry gets funding for specific projects under its remit. In the case of a fragmented sector, resources are thinly spread across various Government ministries and departments instead of being pooled into one basket for effective use. A fragmented regulatory framework also makes it difficult to effectively monitor the impact of regulation. It is also challenging to develop a regulation strategy that is focused on common results in such a case. Your Committee, in this regard, urges the Government to place the various aspects of arts and culture in one ministry. Additionally, your Committee recommends that the Government reviews all legislation relating to arts and culture with a view to either consolidating the laws or bringing them under the administration of one ministry.  

Sir, your Committee observes that there is a general lack of infrastructure to support the development of the arts and culture sector in Zambia, which hinders the production and marketing of culture at the local and international levels, thereby eroding the capacity of cultural institutions to effectively contribute to national development. Therefore, your Committee recommends that the Government facilitates the creation and construction of the necessary infrastructure for the arts and culture sector.

Mr Speaker, your Committee undertook a foreign tour to Ghana and notes that the arts and culture sector has an important role to play in national development which, if well harnessed, can bring benefits to communities and the country, as a whole. It can create jobs, attract investment, generate tax revenues and stimulate local economies through tourism and consumer purchases. Arts and culture can help in enhancing the quality of life of people and are an important complement to community development. Your Committee further notes that Ghana has, to a greater extent, recognised the potential of arts and culture to contribute to national development. Arising from its study tour, your Committee observes the following:

(a)    arts and culture play a major role in Ghana’s tourism sector; and

(b)    the importance attached to arts and culture in Ghana is evidenced by their incorporation into the school curriculum from elementary school to tertiary education. The University of Ghana, School of Performing Arts, bears testimony to the importance attached to arts and culture in the education curriculum.

Mr Speaker, your Committee, therefore, recommends that arts and culture be well-packaged as part of the tourism product of the country because they play a vital role in the tourism sector. Further, while noting the introduction of arts in the school curriculum, your Committee still strongly urges the Government to ensure that the programme is rolled out to all the levels of the education system, and that departments of cultural studies and creative and performing arts be established in the country’s public institutions of higher learning. Your Committee also recommends that the Government promotes and supports research and development (R&D) in the arts and culture sector, as these are dynamic, not static, concepts.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to express your Committee’s gratitude to you and the Clerk of the National Assembly for the support and services that were rendered to your Committee during the session. I am also indebted to all the witnesses who appeared before your Committee for their co-operation in providing the information that was requested. I further thank all my fellow Committee members for giving me the chance to lead them in the past one year.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

The Deputy Chairperson: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

Mr Mwewa (Mwansabombwe): Now, Sir.

Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism for the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 9th July, 2015.

Sir, let me take this opportunity to celebrate and thank my Chairperson, while he is still alive, for the good leadership qualities that he possesses ….

Interruptions

Mr Mwewa: … and exhibited when we were in Ghana. I salute you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Muntanga: Thank you.

Mr Mwewa: Sir, since the Chairperson has ably put your Committee’s views in general perspective, I will cite a few specific issues.

Mr Speaker, your Committee notes that the lack of education and training institutions for art-related disciplines, especially at the tertiary level, has hindered the development of all forms of artistic expressions, such as music, film and designing. Your Committee had an opportunity to visit the University of Ghana and came to appreciate the importance of having a school of performing arts at the university.

Mr Speaker, the Ghana School of Performing Arts has produced many artistes, who are contributing to the arts and cultural industry of Ghana. Today, we enjoy watching the actors and actresses in Zambia, with some becoming household names in our country. Our maids and children even imitate them.

Sir, the impact of all trained artistes contributes to the growth of a country’s economy. Apart from actors and actresses, the school also trains fashion designers. The Ghanaian fabric is cherished by everyone because it is very rich in texture. When people visit Ghana, they get excited about buying that country’s fabric and carrying it back home as a souvenir. The members of your Committee were no exception to that, as they all bought the fabric from the markets. Further, all of Ghana’s rich history is embedded in their paintings, sculptures or, generally, visual arts. The Ghana School of Performing Arts has produced musicians who are able to play the guitar and piano, and beat drums. As a result, the Ghanaian music is rich and of such a high quality that it is able sell to the outside world and contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Ghanaian economy. In Zambia, today, our so-called musicians are actually singers because they are not trained in music. They can hardly play a guitar or beat drums. As a result, when they perform at an event, they request the Disc Jockeys (DJs) to play their songs as they mime.

Laughter

Mr Mwewa: So, we must train our artistes from the primary school to the postgraduate levels.

Sir, the music industry can change Zambia if we invest in arts and culture education. Further, it employs a cross-section of careers. For example, a singer needs a guitarist, drummer, dancer, hair dresser and composer, among others. So, it can take up to twenty people to produce one song.

Mr Speaker, we are overly dependent on copper, a fluctuating and depreciating asset, for the growth of our GDP. We should invest in art and culture, which is not a depreciating asset, and the Committee is fully convinced that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, especially the hon. Minister of Tourism and Art, will take that into account. I know, for sure, that they will do it. In this regard, your Committee urges this able Government to ensure that all aspects of art and culture are sufficiently integrated and provided for in the school system and that a relevant curriculum is developed, especially at the tertiary level.

Sir, your Committee was informed that the Government plans to create another statutory body to co-ordinate all the various institutions that deal in art and culture-related issues in addition to the existing ones, such as the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC), National Arts Council (NAC) and National Museums Board (NMB). Your Committee recommends that the Government urgently creates such an institution. Your Committee further urges the Government to explore other options of enhancing co-ordination in the arts and culture sector.

Sir, your Committee notes that the various heritages sites around the country generally lack appropriate infrastructure, such as roads, pools, viewing points and visitors’ accommodation. These are demotivating factors to the many tourists who desire to visit sites in remote areas. Therefore, the Government should extend its infrastructure development to heritage sites around the country to make them accessible and attractive to more visitors.

Mr Speaker, while on its tour of Ghana, your Committee observed that the establishment of centres of culture in every region of the country is an effective means of promoting the development of the creative arts industry and supporting the industry at the grassroots. That, in turn, leads to local and, ultimately, national development.

Sir, at the heart of the creative industry are individual artistes. So, supporting them brings about entrepreneurial opportunities both in the region and beyond it. This offers many economic development possibilities. Arts and culture and other related industries provide jobs, attract investment and stimulate local economies through tourism, consumer purchases and tax revenue.

In this regard, the NACZ should be supported to decentralise its operations and set up cultural centres in all the provinces of Zambia. This will enhance the development of region-specific polices, strategies and investments. Your Committee is of the view that this will foster local cultural and economic development and, ultimately, national development. Your Committee also urges the Government to devise a robust system of monitoring progress in the arts and culture sector so that investments in the sector are guided towards the achievement of intended results.

Mr Speaker I beg to second.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo (Chongwe): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the report of your Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism. I also want to commend the mover and seconder of this important report.

From the outset, Sir, I would like to say that I fully support all the recommendations of your Committee.

 Mr Speaker, the role of arts and culture in the development of any nation and creation of employment cannot be over-emphasised. As it has been articulated by the seconder, this is a sector that has become an industry, that is, the creative industry.

 Mr Speaker, if you look at Nigeria, you will see a country that has a big creative industry that has created many jobs. That industry is referred to as Nollywood, just like there is Hollywood in the United States of America, which is an important sector of the economy of that continent.

 Sir, coming back to Zambia, you can recall that the sector that was said to have created jobs between 2011 and 2013 was tourism and arts. That shows you how important this sector is.

Mr Speaker, fragmentation is the only challenge that the creative industry has faced in this country. The money allocated to the arts and culture sector in the Budget is spread across a number of ministries. So, in the end, there is very little impact.

Sir, when I read the report, I noticed that your Committee had not been given some information that could have assisted it as it dealt with the issue of fragmentation. I, therefore, want to provide some information to the august House. Hopefully, the Chairperson of the Committee can look at it later. The Patriotic Front (PF) Government was very clear on the issue of culture and arts in its manifesto. Simply put, the PF recognised the need to bring all the arts and culture factors together by harmonising the relevant policy, legal and institutional issues. That would address the challenges that the Committee identified.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased that the Committee toured Ghana, which has a very traditional culture and rich tourism. Whilst in that country, the Committee was also able to see that what was articulated in the PF Manifesto, in terms of how the sector should be organised, is exactly what obtained in Ghana. I am aware that there is a Bill that the relevant ministry had already started working on. So, it might address some of these issues.

 Sir, the House might recall that, in September, 2012, the late President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, may his soul rest in peace, on the Floor of this House, directed the then hon. Minister of Tourism and Art to establish the National Heritage, Museum and Culture Commission. Consequently, the ministry started preparing the Bill, which was later presented before the Cabinet and adopted. All the relevant sector ministries mentioned in the report were consulted and all the procedures completed. What remained to be done was to take the Bill back to the Cabinet for it to be approved for presentation to this House. Therefore, I advise the hon. Minister of Tourism and Art to check on that Bill and push it forward because what it contains is exactly what the Committee has articulated and recommended. Expediting the processing of the Bill will help us to avoid wasting time discussing these issues again in the future. It will also help us create employment for our children.

Mr Speaker, I want to mention on the Floor of this House that the Cabinet and this Parliament approved the 2015 Budget in which the money was allocated for the creation of a national heritage, museum and culture commission, including funding for structural reorganisation. So, what is lacking is the political will to present the Bill before this House. The recommendation of your Committee has budgetary support.

 Sir, running a country is not easy. Additionally, many a time, many of us, leaders, think that when we are in a particular position, we will be there forever. Therefore, we look at our individual interests and ignore the bigger picture. I think that the issue at hand is one of individuals not looking at the bigger picture. I truly hope and pray that those now in power can start looking at the sector as an important sector that can create employment in this country, as determined by the PF Government. There is so much unemployment in the country, yet there is so much opportunity in this sector. If the Government could take the steps that I mentioned, you would see many of our young men and women employ themselves, and many things would improve for our children. I am belabouring this point because I can see that somebody deliberately did not help your Committee with the vital information contained in the Bill. If that Bill was presented before your Committee, it would have had all the answers in detail because everything that has been said is there. In fact, the minute that Bill is passed, all the policy gaps and legislative duplications will be resolved. In short, everything will be resolved and, within a year, there will be a huge improvement in the sector and more jobs will be created. You will also see the effective utilisation of the money that is currently scattered across various Government institutions in this sector.

 Mr Speaker, the Chairperson said that there was a recommendation on the creation of another statutory body, apart from the National Arts Council of Zambia (NACZ), National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) and the National Museums Board (NMB). I want to tell this House that the information is not true. The Bill and the decision of the Government of the day were very clear. The policy was that all the archaic Acts that created the existing institutions would be repealed so that all the statutory bodies would be departments of one umbrella commission. In fact, there would only be one statutory body, not four, as implied by the report in its reference to another body.

Sir, the problem I see in the arts and culture sector is that individuals who run some of the institutions want to preserve themselves without looking at the bigger picture. As a Government, hon. Ministers and Parliamentarians, we must sometimes dig a little deeper to understand what the real issues are and do what is good for our country and our children. Many times, we continue making mistakes because of being misled by individuals who have personal interests to protect. Such people will mislead either an hon. Minister or the entire Committee so that they maintain the status quo. I want to put it to this august House and, especially, the Committee and ministries of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, and Tourism and Art, that our agenda should be to make sure that this sector is properly harnessed for economic development and job creation. That is what we need to push for so that we make a big difference in our country.

Mr Speaker, you will note from the report that your Committee did not look at the functions stipulated in the statutory instrument (SI) that created the Ministry of Tourism and Art, which clearly states that both the wildlife, and arts and culture policies be under that ministry. The only problem was that even as statutory bodies, the NMB and the NHCC remained under the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. The main consideration for that was the question of what would remain of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs if these bodies were taken where they were supposed to be. However, it should not have been about what would be left for someone to do, but what was right and good for the country. These institutions have always been under the ministry responsible for tourism. The Department of Culture was under the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. Later, it was re-aligned to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. As I speak, it is under the Ministry of Tourism and Art. So, we now have a situation in which the National Dance Troupe is under the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, but the Department of Culture is under the Ministry of Tourism and Art, which is very confusing, especially considering that these are straightforward issues. I do not know what the problem is.

Sir, people should not try to make themselves important by holding on to functions that do not fit in well with their portfolios. Rather, we should make ourselves important by doing what is good and right for the country. I am happy that I am not an hon. Minister and am, therefore, able to speak freely and truthfully. I am also glad that this Committee went to another country to see how things are done there. So, let us stop confusing straightforward matters. That is why even the Decentralisation Policy could not move forward for many years in this country. People did not look at what was good about the policy. Instead, they looked at who was where and the prospect of losing their powers to the provincial centres, such as Mongu or Kasama. So, the point I am making is …

Ms Kapata: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for allowing me to raise this point of order.

Sir, is the hon. Member on the Floor in order to debate in that manner when it is a fact that the current confusion in the Ministry of Tourism and Art is the result of the fight for those functions between her and another hon. Minister? They both wanted the functions to be put under their ministries.

Sir, I need your serious ruling.

The Deputy Chairperson: The hon. Member is in order to debate in the manner that she is debating because she is a Back Bencher. Further, bear in mind the fact that the hon. Minister will have an opportunity to respond to all the issues that she is raising.

Continue, hon. Member for Chongwe.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I am trying to help my sister there to do her work properly. Unfortunately, she does not even understand what I am saying.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Continue with the debate. The hon. Minister is listening attentively to all your submissions.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance.

Sir, the submissions from the various stakeholders were very clear. Everything that was supposed to be said was said, except that there was one lacuna in that they did not state that the recommendations made by your Committee had already been made, and that what is needed is just the political will to implement them. So, my submission is that this fact be taken into account. Hopefully, the Ministry of Tourism and Art will, at least, present another Bill so that the hon. Member for Namwala does not start saying that this Administration is not working because it has presented less than two Bills to this House. There are many Bills that can be pushed through so that they can make us all look like we are serving our country the way we should.

Sir, I agree that infrastructure is very important. I also I note that it has been suggested that the NACZ should decentralise its functions. I also want to state that the Ministry of Tourism and Art is in the process of decentralising some of its functions. When that has been done, the harnessing of arts and culture can be properly done at the local level through the local authorities. Further, the duplication of expenditure by different sectors will be reduced because there will be harmonisation, and the money will be spent where it is intended.

Mr Speaker, I also want to say there is nothing wrong with arts and culture education being under the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education because that is the ministry responsible for education. In fact, it was agreed that the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education must facilitate the introduction of, at least, one degree course in tourism at the University of Zambia (UNZA). There were also plans of opening a tourism and hospitality university. I, however, note that, when your Committee was in Ghana, it found that training was under that country’s ministry responsible for education. So, let us not confuse ourselves by talking about so many segregated roles of the arts and culture. The only confusion is simply that which exists between two ministries. As you know, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs used to be a department under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. The only Act that supports the existence of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs is the Chiefs Act, which gives it the one mandate of advising the Government on customary matters. That does not mean that we have to lumber it with functions that it cannot execute or just create more confusion. So, I appeal to the Ministry of Finance to release the money needed for the establishment of the National Heritage, Museum and Culture Commission under the relevant ministry after the Bill has been passed by this House.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Lubezhi: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, I also rise to support report of your Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism.

Mr Speaker, to start with, I want to say that all us, those in Government and those of us outside it, have contributed to the neglect that the very viable arts and culture sector has suffered over the years.

Mr Speaker, in 2003, the Government formulated the Cultural Policy, which clearly articulated the role of the cultural sector in our social and economic development. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of appreciation of that role by all of us in both the private and public sectors. The Government, for instance, has not streamlined the implementation of the policy. Just as Hon. Masebo and the report stated, there is a fragmentation of many activities in the sector. For instance, when I was Minister of Community Development and Social Services, the Department of Culture, which was supposed to develop the arts and cultural sector, was under my ministry and actually concentrated only on traditional ceremonies and, to some extent, women’s issues. We neglected the creative arts and the development of our national identity through our culture. There were also found that some activities in the then Ministry of Tourism that dealt with culture. In fact, when I went to the Ministry of Tourism, I realised that the Department of Culture belonged there. When the Patriotic Front (PF) got into power, I noticed a re-alignment of the department to the Ministry of Tourism and Art, where it rightfully belonged. However, again, confusion has come in because some functions were taken to the newly-created Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs cannot hold the functions of museums and heritage because heritage sites are a tourism product that should fall under the ministry responsible for marketing the country’s tourism. I hope that the Government is listening and will do the needful. In my opinion, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs should be scrapped …

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Ms Namugala: … and its functions taken to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing because the only thing it does is look after the welfare of chiefs while neglecting the museums and heritage sites that can contribute to the growth of the economy through tourism. I really do not see the need for the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.

Mr Speaker, we have talked about infrastructure development over the years, but the relevant policies have not been fully implemented. So, my suggestion to the Government is that, once the National Heritage, Museum and Culture Commission has been created – and I hope that the hon. Minister will, indeed, endeavour to create it – it should be responsible for heritage conservation, museums and the creative arts, in short, culture. The commission will, then, work with the private sector to ensure that all the malls developed, for example, have an area reserved for cultural products. That way, those coming into the country and our children will be able to learn something about Zambia’s culture, which we are beginning to lose. Additionally, the construction of cultural villages should continue. However, it should not end at the provincial level, but go down to all the districts in the country, where the people are so that, indeed, our people can uphold their identity.

Mr Speaker, another issue that the report has mentioned is our lack of capacity to market our cultural products. However, working with the private sector, we can create partnerships through which our products can be marketed. I note that the hon. Minister will present to this House a Bill on hospitality and tourism. I hope that a tourism levy will be enshrined in it so that we can collect revenue to promote the marketing of our cultural products.

Mr Speaker, Page 11 of your Committee’s report states that:

“Some of our heritage sites have been destroyed through illegal land allocation, and title has, in most cases, been issued by the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.”

Sir, the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is a culprit, yet again, because it is not sensitive to the fact that heritage sites are sensitive areas where you cannot just give title and allow development because that violates the integrity of the particular environment and, ultimately, destroys what is supposed to earn us income as a country. The report notes, on the same page, that heritage structures are being destroyed. Where there is a structure that was built in the colonial era, for example, you may find that, in the desire to develop our economy, an investor comes and puts a modern structure there, thereby destroying the initial structure. Those who have travelled know that, in most countries, especially in Europe, those kinds of structures are preserved or restored. Developers are told not to depreciate the heritage value of structures that they intend to develop.

Mr Speaker, on lessons learned from Ghana, I note that your Committee has done a wonderful job. Our friends, the Ghanaians, tell us that a country without culture is a country without identity. True to that maxim, our friends even managed to preserve their culture during colonisation. In our case, almost all our children were given the names of our colonial masters. I see that Hon. Chikwanda has gone out. I was about to mention ‘Alexander,’ ‘Catherine,’ ‘Margaret’ and ‘Brian’ among the examples of names of our colonial masters that had no meaning …

Laughter

Ms Namugala: I will include ‘Request’ to that list, ...

Laughter

Ms Namugala: ... whatever it means.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: We could not even uphold our identity by giving ourselves names that had meaning.

Ms Lubezhi: Given.

Ms Namugala: Yes, ‘Given’.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: Except my brother, Hon. Ngosa …

Dr Simbyakula rose.

Ms Namugala: At least, he was not given a colonial master’s name.

Dr Simbyakula resumed his seat.

Mr Lubinda: Ah!

Interruptions

Ms Namugala: ‘Jean’ and ‘Edgar,’ yes, of course.

The Deputy Chairperson: The examples are many. You do not have to mention them all.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, they are many, yes. Equally many are the examples of those who upheld their cultural heritage. They include, ‘Chifumu Kingdom’ …

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Do not bring the Chair into your debate.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, we got confused in the process and just lost it. Due to colonisation, we failed to uphold our culture and ended up without the ability to give ourselves correct names. After colonisation, an attempt has been made to correct matters. We started giving our children local names like ‘Kondwani’, …

Hon. Member: ‘Pumulo’, ‘Namakau’ ...

Ms Namugala: I am looking to see who has a local name here. They all do not qualify.

Mr Lubinda: There is Hon. Kabinga here.

Ms Namugala: ‘Kabinga,’ ‘Temwani’ and many other local names. However, speak to the child called Kondwani in Tumbuka and they will not answer. They will just giggle because they do not know the language. They have the right name, but not the language. We have lost our languages and identity because we failed to pass it on to our children. So, we have expatriates in our homes with local names, but without language or identity. Our children with local names literally belong nowhere. They cannot go to Mulekatembwe because they cannot speak Nyika. Even if they went to the United Kingdom (UK), they would not be accepted because they do not belong there. So, what are we raising? It is children without an identity because, as a nation, we have failed to uphold our identity.

Mr Speaker, our friends in Ghana have a day on which all Public Service workers have to wear local attire or traditional dress. We, on the other hand, have nothing. We do not even have traditional dress. We have nothing to identify …

Hon. Member: We have musisi.

Ms Namugala: Yes, maybe, the musisi, but that is only for one part of the country. I have not seen people from the north wear siziba or musisi.  

Sir, we need to start thinking about who we are, as Zambians, and come up with what identifies us so that we can start …

Mr Sing’ombe: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Sing’ombe: Mr Speaker, I apologise for disturbing Hon. Namugala’s debate.

Sir, the hon. Member listed local names, but forgot one proper Zambian name, ‘Chinga Miyutu’. Is she in order to have left out Hon. Chinga Miyutu?

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

The Deputy Chairperson: The serious ruling is that the hon. Member was ably guided by the Chair not to give more examples than she had already given.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Member for Mafinga, you may continue

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, before the point of order, I was talking about how our friends in Ghana have managed to identify themselves even through dress.

Sir, we need to come up with a national dress, especially for women and men. In fact, when you look here, you see ties, bow-ties and jackets, and you really wonder whether that is our dress. I know we were brought up this way. However, we need to start creating an identity for ourselves.

Mr Pande: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, at the risk of becoming unpopular with the women, there are very few who are not wearing wigs here. My sister-in-law, Hon. Mwanakatwe, and my daughter-in-law, Hon. Sayifwanda, look very African. As for the rest of us, when you look at us from behind, you do not know whether we are Indian, Brazilian …

The Deputy Chairperson: Look behind and see whether you have another example to give.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, ...

Male hon. Members: Eeh!

Ms Namugala: ... when you look at us from behind, ...

Male hon. Members: Eeh!

Ms Namugala: ... you cannot tell whether you are looking at a Brazilian, Indian, African or European because we have lost our identity.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: We are confused and business people from all over the world are making a lot of money because of this confusion. They have created industries that manufacture wigs for us to wear and hide who we really are, as African women, and this is a tragedy that demonstrates our problem, the lack of identity. If you go to Rwanda, the women walk proudly in their natural hair. There is nothing wrong with it.

Mr Speaker, without an identity, we cannot even raise children who will have the levels of confidence necessary to compete globally. Look at the Ghanaians and Nigerians today. They can go anywhere in the world and stand out. When they want to eat foofoo, they eat it. Equally, when they want to wear their Nigerian attire, they do it. The point I am making is that they have been raised with an identity to the extent that they are not ashamed to show who they really are. Look at how we dress, as African women, today. You find a gigantic woman squeezed in a pair of trousers, looking terrible. Where is our African identity?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, what can we teach our children? As Africans and Zambians, we need to start building an identity that we can proudly pass on to our children and grandchildren. Without doing that, we will remain a confused lot.

Sir, wherever you may go and find Zambians. However, you will fail to identify them by their accent because wherever Zambians go, they adopt an accent and get lost. If you go to the United States of America (USA), you will find a Zambian from Muyombe speaking like an American. They will be talking about how they are ‘gonna’ do this or how they are ‘gonna’ do that. This is a Zambian for you.

Laughter

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, we are a lost nation because we have not prioritised the development of our culture so that our children can grow up and compete globally because they have a foundation called identity, through culture. So, I urge the hon. Minister of Tourism and Art, who, ultimately, will be in charge of this function, to make sure that we promote our identity through the creation …

Mr Mwenya: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwenya: Mr Speaker, I thank you for awarding me this point of order. I apologise to the hon. Member of Parliament, who has been debating so well. However, is she in order to debate in the manner she is debating without giving us a practical example of how an African woman is supposed to dress?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: The hon. Member is in order to continue debating the way she is debating, and she still has more time to do so. Maybe, she will address your concern later.

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Continue, hon. Member for Mafinga.

Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, I think that, if we do not criticise ourselves, we cannot progress. The self-criticism that I have just demonstrated, through my condemnation of wigs, is a result of my realisation that wearing wigs is contributing to our loss of identity and, when we, leaders, lose our identity, what will happen to those we lead? They will emulate us. If Hon. Namugala wears a wig, the women in Mafinga will also wear wigs because they want to be like their hon. Member of Parliament …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: However, if she starts showing her natural hair or covering her head with chitambala, then, they will do that, too. After all, …

The Deputy Chairperson: What is chitambala?

Ms Namugala: ... the hon. Member of Parliament would be leading by example.

Sir, ‘chitambala’ is a headdress.

Mr Speaker, as for how an African woman should dress, there is Hon. Mwanakatwe. She is properly and beautifully dressed as an African woman.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Namugala: Sir, even with all that I have said, and considering the many tribes we have, we can still uphold our tribal cultures and have unity in diversity.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, I join my colleagues in commending your Committee for an excellent report that has articulated issues well. I will pick my debate up where Hon. Namugala left off, which is that we are a nation in a crisis of identity.

Sir, your Committee went to Ghana and learnt a lot there. The Ghanaians learnt, in the 1960s, that there is a struggle between eurocentrism and africentrism. Eurocentrism looks at the world through the lenses of Western culture instead of African culture. In the 1960s, West Africans learnt that Africans must be themselves, culturally, not caricatures ...

Mr Muntanga: What?

Prof. Lungwangwa: ... of other cultures, especially Western cultures. We should not be caricatures to be laughed at for our pretensions of distorted Western standards of culture. That is clearly where Zambians are and it is the essence of what Hon. Namugala has said. We know more about Western culture than we do about our own.

Mr Speaker, I request all hon. Members of Parliament to read a book titled Decolonisation of the Mind by Prof. Outback. You can google it. It is a very important article. Alternatively, you can google an article written by a Nigerian journalist a few weeks ago titled The West Owes Africa Nothing. You can also read a very interesting novel titled The Ambiguous Adventure written by Cheikh Hamidou Kane, a West African writer. In the novel, the author writes about the journey into the West and the uprooting of Africa. It talks about Africans who are made more Western than African, through education, the journey to the West.

Sir, we clearly need to do a lot, as a nation. We need to learn more about ourselves, through our culture, and understand our culture and languages. We need to understand the way our people lived so that culture can be the basis of our development. Currently, that is not the case. That is why we are an import-oriented economy. If we were to compute and see how many dollars have been spent on the suits, ties and shoes that we wear every day, we would find that it is lot of money, when we could be dressing in a manner that reflects the products we produce locally. Following the establishment of Mulungushi Textiles, by now, we could have been wearing locally-made dresses. For example, Parliamentarians in other countries wear their national attire. However, here, even if I have siziba, I cannot wear it.

Mr Hamududu: Hear, hear!

Prof. Professor: We cannot wear misisi.

Mr Ntundu: Hon. Lubinda was punished.

Mr Lubinda: Hon. Mwanza is the one who punished me.

Laughter

Prof. Professor: Mr Speaker, liziba and misisi should not be considered as belonging to the Western part of Zambia. They are simply Zambian. We can develop others, but those two are part of our identity and development.

Sir, the challenge we have is that we have now entered the digital era, an era in which information and communications technology (ICT) is the basis of development. The question that begs an answer is: Where will the content for the various television channels that will be established come from? This is a big challenge for Zambia. Other countries are laying their cultural and environmental foundation necessary to produce the content for their ICT infrastructure. For example, what will our children learn from programmes like The Muppet Show, which are not tailored for the local cultural environment? Those of our children who are ICT-proficient could design programmes that draw on our traditional ceremonies, languages and various aspects of our culture to produce content for the ICT infrastructure, television and radio, and produce videos. We need to create locally-relevant content for our ICT infrastructure. How much of that are we doing as a nation? None. So, we will continue to add to our list of imported goods.

Sir, this nation is in a dilemma even with regard to things that we can produce using our culture. That is why your Committee mentions the aspect of research. By now, we must have established a flourishing and vibrant research programmes on our culture in our universities. We should also have been on our way to producing different aspects of the content for the digital migration programme. What a challenge we have, as a country.

Mr Speaker, this report is very important and must be taken very seriously by the Executive.

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

__________

The House adjourned at 1255 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 14th July, 2015.