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Debates - Friday, 18th September, 2015
Friday, 18th September, 2015
The House met at 1000 hours
[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]
NATIONAL ANTHEM
PRAYER
_______
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
The following hon. Members took and subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance:
Anthony Kasandwe
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order!
_______
TIME OF THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President: … will arrive at 1025 hours to declare the causes of his calling the House to meet today.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Business was suspended from 1006 hours until 1038 hours.
His Excellency the President entered the Assembly Chamber escorted by Mr Speaker.
(Assembly resumed)
The Clerk read the proclamation.
______________
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
The President (Mr E. C. Lungu): Mr Speaker, it is a great honour and privilege for me to address this august House and, through you, the people of Zambia. This is my first Address to this House as Republican President. It comes in the wake of our last October’s Jubilee Celebrations when the country marked fifty years of Independence. The celebrations were a fitting tribute to our founding fathers and mothers, as well as other men and women who have contributed in various ways to make Zambia what it is today.
I say thank you to the multitudes of Zambians who turned up for the celebrations across the country and to those who contributed their time, resources and talents to make our Jubilee Celebrations such a special occasion.
Mr Speaker, unfortunately, on 28th October, 2014, our celebrations were cut short by the sad passing on of our beloved Republican President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata. This was a trying moment for the nation as we had, once again, lost a sitting President. The late President was a gallant leader who served the people of Zambia selflessly and with great passion. His legacy will, indeed, live on.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the nation also lost two hon. Members of Parliament during the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly. These were Hon. Chifita Matafwali, Member of Parliament for Bangweulu Constituency and Hon. Humphrey Iddoh Mwanza, Member of Parliament for Solwezi West Constituency.
May I request the House to rise and observe a minute of silence in honour of our dear departed President and the two departed hon. Members of Parliament.
Hon. Members of Parliament stood in silence for a minute.
The President: May their souls rest in eternal peace.
Mr Speaker, arising from the deaths of the mentioned hon. Members of Parliament, the Chawama By-election caused by my election as President and from court nullifications of some of the seats won during the 2011 General Elections, by-elections were held in thirteen constituencies.
Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!
The President: Mr Speaker, allow me now to recognise the thirteen elected and two nominated new hon. Members of Parliament. I wish to warmly congratulate them and welcome them to the House.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, it is, however, regrettable to note that incidences of violence recurred in some constituencies during the by-elections. I urge political parties and players to adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct each time there are elections. I direct, once again, the Inspector-General of the Zambia Police Force to develop and strictly enforce new measures to prevent violence during elections.
Mr Nkombo: She is weak.
The President: Mr Speaker, it has been eight months since I assumed office. Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Zambia for the support which I have received so far.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Opposition Members: Hmm!
The President: Sir, I look forward to their continued support in the years to come.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: The Post, waumfwa!
The President: Mr Speaker, I come to address this House at time when the nation is facing the most challenging energy shortage since the founding of this great nation. The power rationing due to reduced water levels in our power-generation dams has impacted negatively on the lives our people. I hear the cry of that welder whose income has dwindled due to power load-shedding. I also hear the cries of the marketeers and chicken growers who cannot put up with repeated power disruptions.
I feel the frustrations of those workshop mechanics in Chawama, ...
Hon. Opposition Members: Only?
The President: ... barbershop and market stall owners who are countrywide and whose income has declined as a result of the power shortage. I feel their pain and frustrations. No one feels the anguish of the current power shortages more than I do.
Mr Mwiimbu: Hmm!
Mr Nkombo: Yaluma!
The President: Sir, the burden of their frustrations fall squarely on my shoulders. Let me assure the nation that my Government, your Government, our Government, ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... has rapidly moved to address this power shortage. I will later on in this speech announce the specific measures to deal with this problem.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, during the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, the hon. Members debated serious and, at times, delicate matters of importance to the nation in a way which upheld transparency and accountability. The House considered a total of 847 Questions for both Oral and Written Answers, seven Private Members’ Motions, thirty-two Parliamentary Committee Reports, forty-seven ministerial statements, fifty annual reports and passed twenty-two Government Bills.
I would like to express my gratitude to you, Mr Speaker, the Hon. Deputy Speaker and the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House for the diligent, efficient and impartial manner in which you presided over the Business of the House.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Well done.
The President: Sir, I also wish to thank the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the services rendered to the nation.
Mr Speaker, let me also congratulate Zambia’s first ever female Leader of Government Business in the House, Her Honour the Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs Inonge Wina.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, her able leadership is a source of pride to the House, the country and Africa as a whole.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker, this session of the National Assembly is unique for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is the final session of the Eleventh National Assembly before the next General Elections in 2016. Secondly, it is during this session that this House will consider the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2015. Thirdly, having attained fifty years of Independence, Zambia has entered a new phase of socio-economic transformation for the next fifty years.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, this is in tandem with the African Union Agenda 2063 which highlights our aspirations as follows:
“To build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”
Mr Speaker, this I must say compels us to reflect on the destiny of our country as ordained by God. We must apply our talents to fulfil that destiny. Let us, therefore, create the future that we want.
Mr Speaker, it is against this background that we, as a nation, need to be adaptive, innovative and determined to change the way we do things. In this regard, the theme for my Address is:
“Embracing a transformational culture for a smart Zambia now.”
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kalaba: Bwekeshenipo!
The President: It is: “Embracing a transformational culture for a smart Zambia now.”
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Not tomorrow.
The President: Mr Speaker, for us to attain a transformational culture, we need to change the way we think, behave and do things.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, Zambians deserve the very best. We are determined to ensure that this is achieved.
Mr Speaker, transformational culture should be adopted by each and every one of us. In this transformation, we must leave the past behind and embrace positive attitudes in all our endeavours. We must transform ourselves by:
(a) embracing innovation and entrepreneurship;
(b) adopting a new paradigm to resolving our current and future challenges;
(c) embracing technology to simplify and quicken the provision of services;
(d) re-aligning our institutions where necessary to make them more responsive to the
needs of the nation;
(e) being patriotic and putting the nation before our personal interests;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Repeat that, Sir.
The President: Only Mr Speaker can order me here.
Laughter
Mr President:
(f) promoting cost-effective operations in Government to eliminate waste and the abuse of public resources;
(g) embracing high aspirations and the courage to achieve them with a strong sense of vision and mission;
(h) promoting and maintaining a clean, healthy and safe living and working environment;
(i) transiting towards a green economy;
(j) fostering win-win partnerships within and outside the country to achieve national development and fulfil the needs of our people;
(k) creating smart institutions and smart budgeting that promotes a whole-of Government approach to Public Service delivery;
(l) promoting a culture of saving among citizens to promote investment and growth;
(m) promoting punctuality and efficiency to enhance productivity;
Hon. Opposition Members: Hmm!
The President: Promoting punctuality and efficiency to enhance productivity.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
The President:
(n) promoting and nurturing talent; and, lastly, but not the least;
(o) promoting long-term planning.
When I walked in, I whispered to Mr Speaker that I was glad that Parliament still maintained the culture of time keeping. I wish Members of Parliament could promote this culture countrywide. Here, they are very punctual. Elsewhere, they are not.
Mr Speaker, let us all use this transformational culture to make our country more prosperous, graduating from a lower middle-income level to a developed country by 2064 in a spirit of equity and inclusiveness.
Mr Ntundu: Hmm! 2064?
The President: You heard me right. “2064 in a spirit of equity and inclusiveness.” Unless, you do not want us to plan.
Mr Speaker, I would now like to address the critical issues our nation is currently facing. We meet today at a time when the nation is going through a difficult phase. I meet Zambians from all walks of life who share their frustrations with me regarding the on-going load-shedding, and how this is negatively affecting their lives and businesses, whether big or small.
No one is spared. That includes me.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hmm!
Mr Livune: Question!
Mr Nkombo: How are you affected?
The President: Sir, a few days ago, I was in the National Heroes Stadium ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... when there was a power failure. I know how it feels to come back home and find that there is no electricity.
Mr Namulambe: Which home?
The President: State House.
Laughter
The President: Mr Speaker, I know how it feels to see children fail to do their homework because there is no electricity or a mother who has no access to alternative sources of energy to prepare a meal for her family. I am also aware that the current power shortage has negatively affected those running small businesses like salons, barbershops, welding workshops and bakeries.
Sir, there are short-term measures that we, as a country, can take to minimise the demand for electricity. These include the use of energy-saving bulbs, alternative sources of energy for cooking and heating. Additionally, the use of solar geysers as opposed to electric geysers can help to minimise the demand for electricity.
Mr Speaker, to cushion the impact of the power shortage, the Government has taken measures which include the importation of electricity from neighbouring countries, ...
Mr Livune: Shame.
The President: ... adjusting the price of electricity for commercial entities to attract increased investments in electricity generation and developing alternative sources such as solar and thermal energy.
Mr Speaker, apart from the low water levels in Lake Kariba and Kafue River, the power shortage has been occasioned and exacerbated by Zambia’s inability, over the years, to attract new investment in the electricity generation sector on account of the low electricity tariffs. To address this, the Government has revised the tariffs upwards from an average retail tariff of 5.64 to 10.35 cents per kilowatt per hour.
Mr Nkombo: Question!
The President: Sir, that move will attract investments in the energy sector, particularly those interested in renewable energy such as solar, wind and waste-to-energy projects. In view of our abundant deposits of coal, thermal energy, in particular, is going to be a very viable source of energy.
I am certain, Mr Speaker, that with these measures we have taken, we will soon have a gradual reduction of power shortage leading to an eventual surplus. In fact, in just twelve to eighteen months from now, Zambia shall become a net exporter of energy.
Mr Livune: Question!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, to protect low income households from high electricity tariffs, a certain proportion of electricity will be reserved for them. In this regard, the Government has increased the lifeline electricity consumption from 100 to 500 kilowatt per hour. This will result in a reduction in the amount of money spent on electricity bills by low income households while enabling them to use electricity for basic necessities.
Mr Musukwa: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, hunger has been stalking some of our people due to the crop failure that followed the poor rains in the 2014/2015 farming season. In places like Sikongo, the situation has been like this for the past two consecutive seasons. The drought experienced in these places means that our people face not only food, but also water shortages. I would like to take this opportunity to assure our people in the drought-hit areas that their lives matter and that this Government will not forget about them.
Mr Nkombo: Are you sure?
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government has carried out an in-depth vulnerability and needs assessment in forty-eight districts in Central, Copperbelt, the Eastern, Luapula, Muchinga, the North-Western, Southern and Western provinces. Our immediate interventions includes the provision of food relief ...
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: ... to 131,158 households, covering 798,948 people in thirty-one districts, rehabilitation and sinking of 1,581 boreholes in all the forty-eight assessed districts and provision of water supply through dams and water schemes.
Mr Speaker, going forward, the Government will provide agricultural inputs to 45,079 affected households in twenty-seven districts, strengthen conservation farming implementation and provide appropriate technologies for small-scale farmers. Additionally, the Government will strengthen epidemic preparedness and scale up supplementary and therapeutic feeding programmes in selected districts where malnutrition is high.
Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to assure the nation that the country has enough maize stocks to support the 2015/2016 Food Relief Programme and that the Government will, through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), ensure that adequate food and water provisions are made available to all vulnerable households.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: Mr Speaker, in our cities, we have the ever present challenge of children in distress who are forced to live a rough life on the streets by circumstances hardly of their making. These are our children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. At a very tender age, they are exposed to begging and various anti-social vices and abuses. They are also stalked by perpetual hunger and disease. We, as a people, cannot allow this to continue.
Mr Speaker, it is time we turned a new page on the plight of street kids. To this effect, I am directing the hon. Ministers responsible for gender, youth, child development and community services to expand the intake levels of street kids at our Zambia National Service camps for skills and entrepreneurship training. We need to give them hope again and, most importantly, opportunities for a better life.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker, hardly a day passes without having to hear or read about insinuations of tribalism.
Mr Nkombo: It is yourselves.
Hon. Opposition Members: Where?
The President: Sir, this country was not founded on divisive thinking or behaviour that celebrates disunity and anarchy among us. It was founded on the firm principle of unity in diversity, and hence, our national motto, “One Zambia, One Nation”.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, I wish to call upon all Zambians to live and work in unity regardless of tribe. That is why I have embarked on an ambitious crusade to promote the unity of our people and our nation. In this regard, I have met and will continue meeting and enlisting the wisdom and support of our traditional rulers and other stakeholders on this critical issue. This is important if our country has to move forward in its socio-economic and political development. I also wish to encourage other political leaders to join me in this crusade against tribalism in our society.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, as a practical measure to resolve the issue of tribalism, I am directing the hon. Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to work closely with Their Royal Highnesses in resolving outstanding wrangles between chiefdoms. It is important to promote exchange visits between Their Royal Highnesses as well as joint ventures in uplifting the lives of our people.
Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, in my interaction with ordinary people, I am always reminded of the difficulties that families go through each time the price of mealie-meal goes up. Yes, I fully understand the frustrations of a farmer who works hard year in, year out, and still struggles to sell his or her produce and has to wait for months before getting paid.
Mr Nkombo: FRA
The President: Sir, I am also alive to the despair felt by young men and women who are constantly seeking, but not finding jobs. These are not just individual, but also national challenges that we must resolve with urgency in our quest for greater prosperity and inclusiveness.
Mr Speaker, we are dealing with the high cost of mealie-meal by establishing thirteen milling plants throughout the country. The milling plants will be managed by the Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) and the Zambia National Service. The objective of these measures is to produce affordable mealie-meal for the citizenry. This will also take the market for maize closer to the farmers.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: Sir, the Government is promoting skills development and employment opportunities for young people by establishing a school of milling technology under this initiative. It is, indeed, disheartening to see that the co-operative movement in Zambia, despite having been once upon a time so vibrant and the envy of countries within East and Southern Africa and beyond, is now struggling to make any notable contribution to our country’s economy. I am aware that in the 1980s, East African countries were sending their government officials to the ZCF to undertake a study on how the Zambia co-operative movement had managed to reach that level of development.
Sir, it is also worth mentioning that during the period prior to 1991, the ZCF was the next largest single employer, only coming third to the Civil Service and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM). This could have meant that the co-operative movement was the second largest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Can you imagine where we could have been, as a country, and how much we could have gained economically had we continued with that level of development driven by the co-operative movement. I do not understand therefore, why as Government, we decided to do away with this important development vehicle, all in the name of liberalisation. During that era, the challenge of crop marketing was not an issue to talk about because co-operatives were engaged in crop marketing in general, buying maize and all sorts of crops from all small-scale farmers. Once the co-operative movement has been revived to drive rural development, there will be a lot of jobs which will be created.
Sir, in 1969, President Kenneth Kaunda, through his Chifubu Declaration, declared co-operatives a mass organisation to be used for mass economic empowerment amongst Zambians, through the promotion of community based entrepreneurship amongst our citizens, using the co-operative model.
Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, there is a need, therefore, to embark on a restoration process in order to revamp the co-operatives movement in Zambia so that we can have a balanced job creation roadmap, covering the whole country.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government will endeavour to re-instate the co-operative model of enterprise by building the capacities of the co-operative structures in the country so that they stand on their feet again and provide employment to many of our women and youths. Vibrant co-operatives, world over, have been known to play a vital role in national development both economic and social. Co-operatives are contributing immensely to the economies of Europe, Asia, America and some African countries. I do not see why they cannot do the same here in Zambia. There is a need for us to embrace co-operatives in our national development agenda because it is a sustainable means of addressing high levels of unemployment and poverty.
Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, most of us think that co-operatives are only for agriculture-related activities associated with maize and fertiliser. This is a wrong understanding of how co-operatives should operate. The activities which co-operatives should engage in must cut across all sectors of an economy.
Let me list some sectors where co-operatives can go a long way in helping job creation:
(a) Trading: Co-operatives can engage in general trading by opening multi-purpose shops.
Mr Kapeya: Yes!
The President:
(b) Tourism: Co-operatives can venture into hotel businesses.
(c) Transport: Co-operatives can venture into both passenger and commercial haulage.
(d) Service sector: Our graduating nurses and doctors can form co-operatives and provide nursing and medical services to the general public as opposed to looking for employment in Government hospitals. The nurses can form a nursing care co-operative society and become proud owners of that business. This is true for all other services such as teaching, legal practice and engineering.
Mr Speaker, we shall engage the ZCF and put measures in place that will ensure that co-operatives across the country are revamped and in return, we expect to achieve the following:
(i) massive and balanced employment creation;
(ii) poverty reduction;
(iii) an increase in revenue collection arising from an increase in the tax base;
(iv) to address the rural urban migration challenge; and
(v) to address the challenges of agriculture marketing.
Now, in order to steer development of all forms of co-operatives, I have decided to remove the agriculture veil from the face of the co-operatives in Zambia by moving the Department of Co-operatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, I have found it necessary to place co-operatives in a ministry with a generic face rather it being seen through agriculture or any other narrow perspective.
Mr Speaker, to address unemployment for our youths and women, the Government is actively pursuing the implementation of the Industrialisation and Job Creation Strategy. The Government is also implementing various empowerment schemes under the Ministries of Gender and Child Development; Youth and Sports; Commerce, Trade and Industry; Tourism and Art; and Transport, Works, Supply and Communication. The combined provision for empowerment in general is K130 million for 2015.
Sir, after broad-based consultation, the hon. Minister responsible for labour will bring to this House the Employment Amendment Bill aimed at regulating the casualisation of labour, short-term contracts of employment and undue termination of employment.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Sichone: The Post is in trouble.
The President: Mr Speaker, there have been concerns that Zambia is sliding back into a debt trap.
Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!
The President: For an economy that has grown from a US$ 3 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2005 to US$ 28 billion today, we are well within the acceptable international threshold ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
The President: ... of 40 per cent of the GDP.
Mr Kampyongo: Yes!
Tell them, Sir.
The President: Sir, the Government has borrowed mainly to finance road and ...
Hon. Government Members: Yes!
The President: ... energy projects as well as other long-term infrastructure ...
Hon. Government Members: Yes!
The President: ... investments that will spur accelerated economic development across sectors.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, the enhanced economic development will create the needed capacity to meet our debt obligations.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, to ensure that we repay our Eurobonds, the Government has established a Sinking Fund which is a special account for the sole purpose of meeting our Eurobond obligations as they fall due.
Mr Nkombo: Question!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government remains committed to the attainment of the Vision 2030 of Zambia becoming a prosperous middle-income nation. Beyond 2030, we aspire to be a developed country by 2064 through our transformational agenda which prioritises seven thematic areas. These include diversification and sustainable development, infrastructure development, human capital development, democracy and good governance, gender and social protection, economic diplomacy, global partnerships and national defence and culture re-modelling. I will now proceed to discuss each of these areas.
Diversification and Sustainable Development
Mr Speaker, Zambia’s economy has been registering favourable GDP growth rates over the past decade ...
Mr Nkombo: Where?
The President: ... averaging around 6 per cent. However, the Government is aware of the fact that there is a need for the economy to register at least a 10 per cent GDP growth rate that can have an effective impact on reducing poverty which is currently around 60 per cent. Our aim is to move towards a smart economy which is characterised by access to capital, markets, talent, infrastructure and, reliable and predictable regulations. In addition, we need to promote a functional culture and social networks. Furthermore, we need to promote ethical behaviour in public and private sectors anchored on zero tolerance to corruption.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Livune: RDA at State House.
The President: Sir, the Zambian population is projected to reach 52.1 million in 50 years time. To attain our aspiration to be a developed country by 2064 and be able to support a population of that size, the economy needs to grow at a sustained double digit GDP growth rate. A double digit GDP growth rate can be achieved if we embark on strategic and focused diversification interventions that create and generate new growth possibilities. History has examples of countries like Singapore and South Korea that have transformed into developed countries within a generation. This was as a result of their strong will and determination. It is, therefore, equally possible for us to attain this aspiration as long as we remain focused and determined as a nation. To implement our transformational agenda, we need a visionary leadership at all levels, a clear master plan for sustainable development and a merit-based Public Service.
Mr Speaker, the starting point in promoting dynamic and strategically focused diversification and rapid growth is the realignment of our institutions to promote synergies in the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and coordination of national programmes.
I have, in this respect, decided to make the following changes:
(a) the National Planning function will be moved from the Ministry of Finance to form the new Ministry of Development Planning;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President:
(b) the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education will be split into the Ministry of General Education and Ministry of Higher Education;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President:
(c) the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health will be called Ministry of Community Development, this is after its ‘Mother and Child Health’ function is reverted to the Ministry of Health;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
The President:
(d) the Ministry of Gender and Child Development shall be re-designated as the Ministry of Gender while the function of Child Development moves to the Ministry of Youth and Sports which now becomes the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President:
(e) the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development will be split into two: the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development and the Ministry of Energy and Water Development;
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President:
(f) the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication will be split into the Ministry of Works and Supply and the Ministry of Transport and Communication; and
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President:
(g) the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will be split into two:
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, the Co-operatives function shall now fall under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry at a directorate level. The name for the ministry will remain as it is.
Mr Nkombo: Where is the money for all this?
Mr Mwila: The boss has spoken.
The President: Mr Speaker, ...
Interruptions
The President: ... in order to complement Government efforts in the delivery of public infrastructure, there is need to work with the private sector to find alternative ways of financing development. It is for this reason that a strong partnership is a necessity between the Government and the private sector as we seek to utilise private sector resources for national development.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: It is in this regard that I direct that an autonomous body be created to professionally deal with public-private partnership matters.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: To this end, State House, in liaison with Cabinet Office and the relevant stakeholders, must spearhead the formation of this body which will eventually be transferred to Cabinet Office.
Mr Lubinda: Mwadabwa!
The President: Sir, it is not right that well-meaning PPP policies be on our statute books for years without any tangible project seeing the light of day. It has been six long years since this august House passed the Public-Private Partnership Act, 2009. It is for this reason that I do not expect the Government red tape to hinder this pronouncement. I expect all civil servants the in relevant sector ministries to work towards the harmonisation of the legal and institutional framework to actualise this pronouncement.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the record of our Diversification Programme in the last fifty years has not been satisfactory. About 80 per cent of our export earnings still come from copper, making the country highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the global economy. We need to draw lessons from countries that have succeeded in diversifying their economies. There are other copper producing countries that have managed to diversify away from copper mining and exporting by establishing complete new industries and gone further to create sovereign wealth funds.
Mr Speaker, prioritisation is key to successful diversification. In this connection, the Government will focus on promoting tourism and value addition to mineral and agricultural products which have the greatest potential to contribute to the rapid diversification of our economy. Our manufacturing sector must be driven by growth in agro-processing and forestry products which will ensure that we do not export raw materials, but add value to all our primary products.
Sir, I am, therefore, directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Tourism and Industry to develop a strategically focused programme of diversification in these priority areas and to fast-track the establishment of the Northern and Southern tourism circuits which have high potential to increase tourist arrivals and earnings. Further, I am directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Tourism and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to set up a special purpose vehicle through which all public tourism investment assets will be owned. Furthermore, the two hon. Ministers should work with local authorities to put in place measures that promote local tourism at district level. Local authorities should be championing the development of local tourism products in all our towns to expand foreign and domestic tourism.
Mr Speaker, to further promote tourism, the hon. Minister responsible for Tourism and Art will bring to this House the Arts, Culture and Heritage Bill aimed at harmonising institutional arrangements in arts, culture and heritage to reduce overheads and promote cost effectiveness. In addition, the hon. Minister will table the Zambia Institute of Tourism Studies Bill aimed at transforming the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute Trust into a council and make it more accountable to stakeholders.
Mr Speaker, Zambia will soon ratify the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement which will make us part of the largest free trade area in Africa with a GDP of 1.3 trillion United States dollars and a population of over 650 million people, stretching from Cape to Cairo. We are also part of the negotiations for the establishment of a continental free trade area which will create an even bigger market. These agreements will offer market access to Zambian entrepreneurs and innovators. To exploit these emerging opportunities, we must implement measures that will re-shape our export earnings so that not less than 50 per cent of our export earnings come from non-traditional exports by 2030. This will be achieved through transforming the country from being one of the largest exporters of copper in Africa to being one of the largest exporters of value added products.
Mr Speaker, it is, therefore, incumbent on us to ensure that our participation in regional integration does not result in Zambia becoming a market for the continent at the expense of local industry. We should be able to produce quality products that will compete favourably across the continent. Accordingly, our standards, standardisation and quality assurance systems must be restructured to provide traceability services that will be recognised and respected by all our trading partners.
Sir, the country must industrialise rapidly. This will entail rationalising and strengthening the regulatory, legislative and institutional framework to make Zambia a premier destination for foreign direct investment.
Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister responsible for Industry will bring to this House, the Zambia Development Agency Bill aimed at aligning it with the new Industrial Policy. Further, a new Companies Bill will be presented to this House aimed at strengthening corporate governance and providing for the start-up and functioning of small companies.
Mr Speaker, access to capital is a challenge for most of our entrepreneurs and innovators who wish to establish or grow their businesses. The cost of capital needs to be made affordable. I, therefore, urge the hon. Minister responsible for Finance to put in place measures that will allow for long-term financing at affordable rates. I also call upon the private sector to establish venture capital funds that will facilitate the establishment of greenfield investments. Let me urge the private sector to partner with the Government to promote business incubation to enable our young innovators to commercialise their ideas.
Agriculture
Mr Milambo: Ah!
Again
The President: Yes, again.
Mr Speaker, with its vast arable land and abundant water, Zambia has the potential to attain lasting food security at household and national levels. We can also capitalise on these resources to make our country a regional agricultural hub and global exporter of processed agricultural products. To transform this potential into a competitive advantage, the Government will continue introducing a broad range of policy reforms in the agricultural sector starting with crop diversification.
Mr Speaker, as a push for crop diversification, the range of crops in the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) has been expanded from maize to include rice, sorghum, cotton and groundnuts. Further the number of beneficiaries has increased from 500,000 in the 2013/2014 agricultural season to 1,000,000 this season. The Government is in the process of implementing the electronic voucher system in the distribution of subsidised seed and fertiliser initially on a pilot basis in thirteen districts during the 2015/2016 agricultural season. To promote efficiency and cost effectiveness in the supply and distribution of inputs under the e-voucher system, farmers will source inputs directly from agro dealers. The e-voucher system will also give farmers a wider choice of inputs including those of livestock and fisheries.
Mr Muntanga: Question!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government is concerned with the inability of the FISP beneficiaries to become self- sustaining. Our objective is to help our small-scale farmers become self-sufficient and eventually graduate from Government support.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to direct the hon. Ministers responsible for Finance and Agriculture to come up with a mechanisation programme for small-scale farmers working in collaboration with the private sector and civil society. For agriculture to be transformed, we need to address the high cost of agricultural inputs. Our dependence on imported inputs makes our farmers uncompetitive in the region. The local production of inputs is critical in controlling and managing costs. Therefore, the Government remains committed to ensuring the success of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia and other private sector manufacturers in order to broaden the country’s manufacturing base for agricultural inputs. I call upon the private sector to invest in the production of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs.
Mr Speaker, in 2014, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) purchased 1,031,303 metric tonnes of maize and 1,115 metric tonnes of paddy rice at a cost of 1.4 billion kwacha. The Government’s objective is to leave the bulk of commodity trading to the private sector.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: In this regard, I am encouraging farmers to form producer and marketing co-operatives to enable them to negotiate from positions of strength when dealing with private agricultural commodity dealers.
Mr Speaker, I would also like to call upon the hon. Minister responsible for Co-operatives to come up with measures to strengthen the institutional framework for co-operatives in the country. Let me take this opportunity to thank the hardworking Zambian farmers who have, yet again, met the challenge of producing enough food to feed our people. This was despite the partial drought that affected most parts of the country. It is for this reason that the grain produced under very difficult weather conditions should be safeguarded and stored in appropriate storage facilities to avoid wastage. The Government, through the Food Reserve Agency, has embarked on providing over-roofing facilities for storage sheds in ninety-eight strategic locations across the country. This project, which is under way, is expected to be completed in 2016.
Mr Speaker, to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture, the Government will bring 5,000 hectares under irrigation each year. By 2030, we should have over 75,000 hectares under irrigation. This would place a fifth of irrigable land under irrigation and expand production. In this respect, I urge the hon. Minister responsible for Agriculture to ensure the speedy utilisation of the US$ 115 million under the Irrigation Development Support Programme.
Mr Speaker, livestock development is critical to diversification. It is for this reason that I have created the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, to increase the population of livestock, the Government will double the number of livestock breeding centres from the current ten to twenty by 2023 which will provide optimum services nationwide. The breeding centres to be established will be mostly for goats and sheep, which have a huge market in Africa and the Middle East.
Mr Ntundu: What about cattle?
The President: Sir, I know somebody wants to know what will happen to the cows. You will be advised.
Mr Speaker, there is a rapid depletion of fish in our rivers and lakes due to intensive and unsustainable harvesting. The Government is investing in the sustainable management of the natural fisheries resources through restocking and working with the local communities in promoting sustainable fishing methods.
Mr Speaker, to ensure that fish farming grows, the Government is establishing two fish hatcheries in each province and promoting private-owned hatcheries. Further, the Government will establish one community fish fingerling nursery in each district. The Government will also train 1,400 fish farmers in fish feed production. This will result in the production of 80,000 tonnes of farmed fish and 90,000 tonnes of fish from natural fisheries and achieve self-sufficiency within the next three years.
Mr Speaker, the Government has a duty to ensure that the agricultural products being sold on our market are safe and of good quality. I am, therefore, directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Trade to ensure that sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards are strengthened and strictly enforced.
Our diversification agenda will not be complete without agro processing. I am encouraged by the efforts of some private sector agro processors who are now exporting to parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. I would, however, like to see an increased number of agro processing companies establish business in Zambia. I am greatly concerned with the lack of progress on farming block development. I am, in this regard, directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Industry, working in conjunction with the IDC, to urgently come up with measures to speed up farming block development.
Broad Based Citizens’ Economic Empowerment
Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to inclusive growth.
Mr Nkombo: Question!
The President: Sir, as part of the transformational agenda, our economy must progressively be controlled by citizens. The Government will, therefore, prioritise broad-based citizen economic empowerment. The Government shall, in this regard, put in place interventions that will ensure that citizens have significant control of economic activities in the agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors. This will be achieved through partnerships and joint ventures between foreign investors and our citizens. We must, therefore, facilitate access to affordable finance, technology and entrepreneurial skills for our people to effectively participate in joint ventures and partnerships. Our citizens’ economic empowerment programmes must be reformed to help Zambians establish small and medium enterprises.
Mr Speaker, the Government is a major consumer of goods and services in the economy. Despite measures to advantage citizen-owned enterprises through preferential procurement, many of our small and medium enterprises still lack the capacity to deliver quality products and services at competitive prices. I am, therefore, ordering the hon. Minister responsible for Commerce to come up with measures for the capacity building of our citizen-owned enterprises to become more competitive.
Mr Speaker, another measure to empower our citizens is to enable them to own shares in some of the State-owned companies in the country. The IDC will be an important tool in achieving this goal. All State-owned enterprises must ultimately get listed on the Lusaka Stock Exchange within the next five to ten years so that we create opportunities for citizens to own these companies.
Mr Speaker, the Government has transferred its shares in all State-owned enterprises incorporated under the Companies Act and the Banking and Financial Services Act to the IDC. The IDC will hold the shares on behalf of the Government and supervise these State-owned enterprises. In this regard, State-owned enterprises will no longer be funded through the National Budget.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: This action will reduce the burden on the Treasury significantly and help contain the fiscal deficit whilst freeing up the available scarce resources towards poverty reduction programmes. All State-owned enterprises shall contribute to the Sovereign Wealth Fund through dividends.
Employment and Productivity
Mr Speaker, in our effort to diversify the economy and create jobs, the Government is committed to ensuring that our people have access to decent jobs. In the last four years, the economy has created over 480,000 jobs in various sectors. However, too many of our people still remain outside the formal employment sector. It is, therefore, necessary that the Government, working with the private sector enhances the formalisation of the economy so that many of our people can have access to decent jobs. Our diversification agenda must, therefore, include a set of measures that will facilitate the formalisation of micro and small business in all sectors. The Government is implementing measures that will result in street vendors forming co-operatives in order to participate in public procurement. These co-operatives will participate in interventions such as the Pave Zambia 2000 km Road Project and establishment of industrial clusters.
Mr Milambo: Oh!
Niya Sichinga iyo.
The President: Further, the Government will invest in capacity building of these co-operatives to ensure that the work is durable and of good quality.
Mr Speaker, the transformation agenda requires worker productivity to significantly improve. This, therefore, calls for a change in the work culture.
Mr Speaker, the Government is, therefore, committed to having a productive workforce as a precondition for sustainable development and the improved well-being of the people. The Government has established the Kaizen Institute and is also considering establishing a national productivity centre which will promote continuous improvement throughout the economy. To make use of the Kaizen Institute, I have directed the Secretary to the Cabinet to ensure that continuous improvement is institutionalised in the Public Service.
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Mr Speaker, despite their economic potential and dynamic nature, the arts, and culture sectors have, thus far, been either overlooked by policymakers or inadequately addressed with piecemeal or traditional approaches. This has created a challenge in the area of co-ordination, proper planning and optimal resource allocation and application. Consequently, opportunities have largely not been effectively utilised in not only creating a vibrant national identity, but also in tapping into a sector that can contribute meaningfully to our economic growth and become a major contributor to the job or career market. The co-ordination of regulations, licences, policies and conventions has proved to be a challenge and sometimes an obstacle in the development of this sector. Some of these regulation and policy challenges have proved to play a significant role in the apparent disconnect between the arts and cultural sector from the larger economic and development sector.
Sir, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is thinking creatively and boldly about using all the pillars of development in the most effective way. The decision for this Government to use tourism, the arts, culture and heritage as one of the vehicles for local economic development, and job creation, is a bold and progressive one. This decision is in addition to building on our arts, culture and heritage foundation for a solid national brand and image that also underscores and embraces our heritage and culture of peace and unity.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to emphasise that our culture and heritage is a national asset and the cornerstone of our national identity. It must be said that this intervention is not only entirely in line with the PF manifesto on the creative sector, but also within the current strategic frameworks that are being adopted by progressive Governments the world over. As the PF Government, we have remained committed to our intention to place the creative economy in a strong position to contribute to the Government’s efforts to grow the economy, create jobs and build sustainable livelihoods.
Mr Mukata: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, in his speech during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Eleventh National Assembly on Friday, 21st September, 2012, our late President, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata, directed the Ministry of Tourism and Art to establish the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Commission in line with the PF Manifesto. That directive was intended to accelerate the creative industry’s contribution to economic development, among other considerations. In this regard, the repealing of the National Arts Council of Zambia Act, 1994, is fundamental to the successful implementation of the directive.
I am happy to inform you, Mr Speaker, and hon. Members, that my Government with the input of stakeholders in the creative industry, has worked hard to produce the Draft Culture and Heritage Bill which will be brought to this House as I have already indicated. This will have to be done before the end of the year. This House has already supported the initial funding to create a National Arts, Culture and Heritage Commission as reflected in the 2015 Budget in which an amount of K3,500,000 was approved by this Parliament for this purpose. The newly created commission will improve the co-ordination, administration and management of arts, culture and heritage sector in this country and reflect our collective commitment to building an inclusive and economically productive destiny for all the people of Zambia.
Infrastructure Development
Mr Speaker, economic and social infrastructure development is a catalyst for Zambia’s transformation to a developed country by 2064. In this regard, the Government remains firmly committed to rapidly developing its infrastructure. In recognising that infrastructure development cuts across all sectors, the Government will transform Zambia into a hub in areas of information communication technology, power generation and distribution, tourism and transport facilitation, among others. While infrastructure development remains a priority, the Government recognises that financing remains a key challenge. It is in this regard that the Government is exploring innovative means of financing capital projects, including PPPs. To facilitate integrated development and the maintenance of infrastructure, the Government will review institutional arrangements to make them more responsive to current and future infrastructure needs.
Let me now address specific infrastructure issues that the Government has prioritised to drive our transformation agenda.
Transport and Communications
Mr Speaker, Zambia's geographical location makes it a natural transport hub and transit point within the sub-region and beyond. It is, therefore, the Government's goal to ensure that Zambia becomes the preferred transit point in the region. To achieve this, the Government is investing in road, rail, air and water transportation.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The Government will develop an integrated, reliable and efficient transport system to leverage Zambia’s central location to ensure that 25 to 30 per cent of all cargo traffic south of the equator is processed through it by 2064.
Consequently, the Government is developing a transport master plan which will ensure that the development of the transport system in Zambia is done in an integrated manner, linking airports, harbours, dry ports and trade centres. This will ensure that goods and services are easily transported to markets within the country and beyond.
Mr Speaker, we are planning for the future because we have our children in mind.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Bauze!
The President: Mr Speaker, in the road sector, the Government will accelerate the implementation of road projects under the Link Zambia 8,000 km Road Network Project as a means of improving connectivity and the transportation of goods and services.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: This will be done by utilising the PPPs to finance selected roads. To this end, the Government has identified six commercially viable roads to be constructed under the PPP financing modality, with a total estimated length of 2,200 km. This will be in addition to the 2,700 km under implementation in Phase I of the Link Zambia 8,000 km Road Network Project. The Government is in a hurry to complete the road projects on time. To this end, I am directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Finance and Transport to ensure that the financing modalities I have referred to are streamlined.
Hon. UPND Member: Bottom Road!
The President: Further, the Government will review the operations of the Road Development Agency (RDA) with a view to enhancing its effectiveness in facilitating the construction and maintenance of road infrastructure.
Mr Speaker, the Government will commence the rehabilitation and construction of township roads on the Copperbelt through the C400 Road Project covering 408 km.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: A similar project, the Lusaka L400 Road Project, is progressing well and, so far, 147 km have been surfaced.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The areas which have been covered include Chawama.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, these projects will result into the decongestion of traffic and lead to the efficient transportation of goods and services. To safeguard the high investments in the road sector, the Government has developed and is implementing the Road Maintenance Strategy which runs from 2015 to 2024. To ensure that financing for road maintenance and rehabilitation is readily available, the Government commenced the implementation of the Road Tolling Programme in 2013. So far, K545 million has been raised using existing weigh-bridges.
Sir, I am ordering the hon. Minister responsible for Transport to accelerate the construction of toll-gates.
Mr Nkombo: Ordering.
The President: I am the only one who can order.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Boma!
The President: I am directing the hon. Minister responsible for Transport to accelerate the construction of toll-gates on our major high ways in order to improve revenue generation for road maintenance.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the combined installed freight capacities for the Zambia Railways and Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is 8 million tonnes per year. In order to fully utilise this capacity to transport freight to and from the sea ports, the Government has continued to invest in the railway sector. This is a more sustainable strategy to ensure competitiveness and prevent the transportation of heavy goods on the roads. In line with the objective of transforming Zambia into a regional hub, the Government has identified a number of greenfield railway projects which will link Zambia to the eastern and western ports of Africa. These include the Nseluka/Mpulungu Spur, linking Zambia to the Great Lakes Region; the Livingstone/Katima Mulilo Spur, linking Zambia to the Walvis Bay Port in Namibia; the Serenje via Petauke Spur, ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... linking Zambia to the Port of Nampula in Mozambique;
Mr Kosamu: Serenje one!
The President: ... and the Chingola/Jimbe Railway Network, linking Zambia to Lobito Bay in Angola.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government is expected to invest about US$6 billion to construct these greenfield railway lines. The implementation and completion of these projects will not only contribute to increased revenue generation for Zambia, but also contribute to job creation.
Ms Kalima: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government has also prioritised the construction and rehabilitation of feeder roads as these form the basis for the development of rural areas. In order to accelerate the implementation of the National Feeder Roads Programme, the Government has transferred the functions of the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) to the ZNS.
Mr Livune: Question!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Further, the ZNS has been appointed as a local roads authority and mandated to rehabilitate approximately 10,000 km of primary feeder roads over a period of four years.
Mr Speaker, the Government remains committed to the development of inland waterways to promote efficient and safe water transportation. The Government has procured some cargo and passenger vessels as well as marine patrol boats to be distributed to designated areas. The Government has also procured and is distributing dredging machines to those areas which require water canals to be cleared.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Additionally, Mr Speaker, the Government is working in collaboration with neighbouring countries to develop water transport infrastructure on shared water bodies such as the modernisation of the Mpulungu Port, the Zambezi-Shire Waterways and Shang’ombo-Rivungu Canal.
Mr Speaker, the aviation sector has the potential to contribute to tourism development, increased business and the transformation of Zambia’s economy. In this regard, the Government has commenced the modernisation and upgrading of airport infrastructure which includes international airports, provincial and selected district aerodromes at an estimated cost of US$1.7 billion.
Mr Speaker, the Government has made significant progress in establishing a national airline which is scheduled to start operating in 2016.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: This will greatly promote business and tourism.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Additionally, new employment opportunities will be created for our young people.
Mr Speaker, in our quest to be compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, the hon. Minister responsible for transport will bring to this House, the Civil Aviation Bill aimed at the control, regulation and orderly development of civil aviation in Zambia. The hon. Minister will also table the Meteorological Bill to provide for meteorological and related advisory services. I hope he will be supported by those on the left.
Hon. UPND Members: Question!
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, to ensure the adequate supply of human resource for our aviation industry, I am, again, directing the hon. Minister responsible for Transport to come up with a revitalisation programme for the Zambia Air Services Training Institute (ZASTI).
Mr Speaker, Zambia has joined the digital global village and has successfully migrated from analogue to digital terrestrial television transmission. In this regard, Phase I of the digital migration exercise has been successfully completed. It covered the line of rail.
Mr Livune: It failed!
The President: This has made Zambia one of the four countries in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region to have met the June 17, 2015, International Telecommunications Union deadline. Phase II and III will commence before the end of the year is to cover the rest of the country. The digital migration exercise will provide a platform for ensuring the maximum flow of information across the country, citizen participation in governance issues and creation of new opportunities for employment. I am sure Hon. Chishimba Kambwili will answer questions associated with the exercise on the Sunday Interview programme on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation television channel.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, the digital migration exercise will require a lot of local content for our television programming. This will be yet another window for the development of talent and job creation.
Mr Speaker, Zambia will continue to enhance e-governance as a critical component of our transformational culture for a smart Zambia now. Our people are now able to access some Government services and information on-line without having to queue up or wait for months to be served. The services include application for passports and title deeds. In addition, it provides for payment for selected public services, registration of companies as well as filing of annual returns.
Mr Speaker, the Government is making annual savings of about K16.8 million on the cost for internet services since the Governmentwide area network was implemented in 2014. Furthermore, the Government has implemented cost saving measures which include the establishment of the Civil Service Travel Office, abolition of administrative committee allowances and creation of motor vehicle schemes to replace the personal-to-holder motor vehicle scheme.
Energy
Mr Speaker, earlier, I addressed the short-term solutions to the current power shortages being experienced across the country. Let me now turn to the long-term solutions which are in line with the Government's long-term goals on energy. The Government has partnered with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe to explore the possibility of developing ...
Interruptions
The President: ... a 1,800 megawatt power station at Batoka Gorge in the Southern Province by 2019 at an estimated cost of US$4 billion.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The Government has partnered with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... to explore the possibility of developing a 1,800 megawatt power station at Batoka Gorge in the Southern Province.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Yes, in the Southern Province ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... by 2019 at an estimated cost of US$4 billion.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Additionally, Mr Speaker, the Government is working with the private sector to expand power generation at the Kafue Lower Hydro Power Plant which, upon completion in 2018, will generate an additional 750 megawatts of electricity.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The installation of two generators at the Kariba North Bank in 2013 and 2014 was a strategic investment which increased power generation by an extra 360 megawatts. Other long-term measures include increasing power generation at Chishimba and Musonda falls ...
Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!
The President: ... from the current 6 to 14.8 megawatts ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... and from 5 to 10 megawatts respectively. The Government is also upgrading the Lusiwasi Hydro Power Project in Serenje in order to increase its generation capacity from the current 12 to 101 megawatts upon completion.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: The Government will also commission the coal-fired power plant at Maamba Collieries and the Itezhi-tezhi Hydro Power Station very soon. The two projects will contribute an extra 420 megawatts to the national power grid by January, 2016.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: In Luapula Province, the Government has engaged the private sector to construct the 150 megawatts Kalungwishi Hydro Power Station.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, alongside the construction of new hydro power stations, the Government is also rehabilitating the old power stations. This has seen the up-rating of the Kafue Gorge Power Station from producing 900 to 990 megawatts. The re-instating of the Victoria Falls Power Station to its full generating capacity of 180 megawatts and the up-rating of the Kariba North Bank Power Station from 600 to 720 megawatts are all part of the robust Government interventions to increase Zambia’s installed hydropower capacity.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, in line with the diversification agenda, the Government has begun to actively pursue alternative sources of energy such as thermal, solar, wind and bio-mass. The Government, through the IDC, is implementing a solar-based renewable energy programme to redress the current power deficit. This solar project will add 600 megawatts to the national power grid. In the same vein, the Government has decided to promote the use of natural gas as an alternative source of energy. To this end, the Government is engaging neighbouring countries on the possibility of accessing natural gas for both industrial and domestic use. I have been assured by Mozambique and Tanzania that they are ready to help us in this respect.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, this is in addition to the exploration of natural gas sources within the country. I, therefore, once again, direct the hon. Minister responsible for Energy to quickly move to facilitate the exploration of gas resources ...
Mr Nkombo: He will resign.
The President: ... by the private sector. This is an emergency that should be treated with the necessary urgency that I and all Zambians attach to it. I will accept no excuses whatsoever by those charged with the responsibility to implement this directive. Cabinet has, in recent weeks, been undertaking wide-ranging interventions to speed up the procurement processes in respect of new power initiatives, especially for renewable energy.
Sir, I have examined several proposals that have come to me directly, others through Her Honour the Vice-President and through the ministry responsible for energy generation. I wish to share my frustration that a number of the initiatives have remained unattended to for months and years at the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development and other relevant institutions dealing with energy.
Mr Nkombo: Why not just fire them?
The President: Sir, I, therefore, wish to direct further that the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), which has been mandated to deal with the procurement of alternative sources of energy, moves expeditiously to conclude these processes. As this matter is a national emergency, I direct the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development to bring to Cabinet all necessary memoranda to ensure that the procurement processes are completed in no later than three weeks from now.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Government Member: Boma!
The President: Sir, we must abandon the business-as-usual approach when dealing with matters of grave importance to the nation. Those who are afraid to venture into new ways of doing things must not hold the system hostage by their fear. I want action and tangible results.
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: Otherwise, I promise action against those delaying us from moving forward, including my friends on the other side.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, I am pleased to inform the House that a refined petroleum multi-product pipeline worth US$2.5 billion will be built from Lobito Bay in Angola to Lusaka under an ambitious private-sector initiative which my Administration fully supports. In case you missed this one, I am pleased to inform the House that a refined petroleum multi-product pipeline worth US$2.5 billion will be built from Lobito Bay in Angola to Lusaka under a very ambitious private-sector initiative which my Administration fully supports.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The pipeline, Mr Speaker, whose construction will commence in 2017, will deliver refined petroleum products as well as gas for power generation for the country estimated at 500 to 1,000 megawatts. This massive project will also generate jobs.
Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!
The President: It will make Zambia a distribution hub, as I have said before, for petroleum products in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The hon. Minister responsible for Energy will bring to this House the Energy Regulation Bill aimed at strengthening legal provisions and the Electricity Bill aimed at promoting private sector investment in electricity generation and distribution. Those who doubt our resolve to confront the challenges that confront us must watch out ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... as I lead a credible response to make Zambia transition from the current energy deficit to a nation which will have a power surplus in just over a year from now.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. UPND Members: Question!
Mr Kambwili: Sosa! Ichalo chilekumfwa!
The President: Mr Speaker, we move on.
Housing
Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to the provision of affordable and quality housing for our citizens by facilitating investment in cement production and embarking on the construction of at least 10,000 housing units annually countrywide.
Mr Livune: Where?
Hon. Government Member: Ahh?
The President: I am, however, Mr Speaker, concerned by the inability of the National Housing Authority (NHA) to build affordable houses according to its mandate. I am, therefore, requesting the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing to restructure and realign it to its original mandate.
Mr Nkombo: Is it a directive?
The President: It is a directive. When I request, it is a directive.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Boma! Boma!
The President: Mr Speaker, I have to be polite at times.
Laughter
The President: Sir, I move on.
Health
Mr Speaker, as a demonstration of the success of the Government’s investment in health, there is progress in the overall indicators of the health status of our people.
Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!
The President: The latest statistics, Mr Speaker, indicate that child and maternal health indicators have improved significantly. The maternal mortality ratio has declined from 591 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2007 to 398 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014. Similarly, the Under-Five mortality rate has declined from 119 per 1,000 live births in 2007 to 75 per 1,000 live births in 2014. Infant mortality rate has declined from 70 to 45 per 1,000 live births over the same period. Similarly, neonatal mortality rate has declined from 37 per 1,000 live births to 24 over the same period. These indicators demonstrate that we are moving in the right direction.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the construction of the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka has been completed. This will not only cater for treatment of local cancer patients, but also promote medical tourism from the region and beyond.
Mr Speaker, the Government has transformed the Livingstone General Hospital to central hospital status which will also be a teaching hospital. In addition, modern specialised medical equipment has been installed at Mansa, Kasama, Chipata, Lewanika, Solwezi and Kabwe General hospitals. Furthermore, the Government is expanding the Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital by an additional 800 bed capacity facility which is expected to be completed in 2018.
Sir, the Government has commenced the construction of eight new district hospitals. These include Vubwi, Ikeleng’e, Mufulira, Mafinga, Mansa, Nalolo, Limulunga and Chilubi Island. This brings the total number of district hospitals under construction across the country to thirty-eight. The Government is also constructing staff houses alongside the hospital construction projects.
Sir, I am happy to report that the work on the construction of the 3,000 student capacity facility in Lusaka at the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital commenced in March, this year. Additionally, the construction and rehabilitation programme has been extended to other health training schools across the country.
Mr Speaker, as a country, we have not paid adequate attention to the challenge of mental health. Accordingly, the hon. Minister responsible for Health will bring to this House the Mental Health Bill aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of persons with mental disorders ...
Hon. Government Members: Livune!
The President: ... as well as repealing the 1949 ...
Laughter
The President: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister responsible for Health will bring to this House the Mental Health Bill aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of persons with mental disorders ...
Laughter
The President: ... as well as repealing the 1949 Mental Disorders Act. The hon. Minister will also table the Food Quality and Safety Bill aimed at protecting the public against food-related health hazards and fraud in the sale and use of food as well as registration and regulation of food outlets.
Education
Mr Speaker, education is important to developing a skilled work force required for socio-economic development. The Government continues to invest in universal and quality education infrastructure. In 2014, a total of 1,526 early childhood education centres were operationalised countrywide, with an initial enrolment of 70,000 learners. These centres were constructed mainly in the rural and remote areas where, previously, there were virtually no such facilities.
Mr Speaker, the Government is expanding the secondary school sub-sector by constructing new boarding and day schools countrywide.
Mr Nkombo: Question!
The President: The Government is also upgrading 220 basic schools into secondary schools. This will result in the creation of over 100,000 spaces for learners.
Sir, the Government will continue with its programme of ensuring that every province has, at least, one university. So far, the construction works at Lubwa, Chalimbana and Palabana universities are progressing well.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, the construction of the Robert Makasa University in Muchinga Province has been completed. The Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education is actively working on its operationalisation. The Government will, before the end of the year, commence the construction of the King Lewanika University in Mongu and Luapula University in Mansa.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Mr Speaker, we move further on.
Human Capital Development
Laughter
Hon. Government Members: Sosa! Ichalo chilekumfwa!
The President: Hon. Ntundu is reminding me of my late President. Your friendship with the late President is different from mine. We are still friends.
Laughter
The President: Mr Speaker, human capital development, through education and skills training, is instrumental for the transformation of any country. This is particularly so now, given the global competitiveness, rapid advancements in technology and sustained demands for high productivity and performance. It is in this regard that the Government has re-prioritised education, skills development as well as science, technology and innovation. The Government is reviewing the policies on Education, science and technology as well as the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training in order to make them more relevant to the current and future needs of our country. The hon. Minister responsible for education must ensure that this process is concluded by June, 2016 and this he will certainly do.
Mr Speaker, mathematics and science lie at the core of innovation, our future competitive advantage and progress. In recognition of the importance of mathematics and science, the Government is training 2,700 teachers who are undergoing fast-track continuous professional development in mathematics and sciences at various universities. This will help reduce the acute shortage of suitably qualified teachers of mathematics and science in our secondary schools. This investment in training must go hand in hand with a deliberate policy to equip all our schools with information communication technology (ICT) facilities. Our children must be computer literate.
Mr Speaker, further, to deepen our children’s interest in mathematics and science, the hon. Minister responsible for Education has been directed to revamp and strengthen the Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists clubs, popularly known as JETS clubs in secondary schools. This should be followed by an effective tracking system of the budding scientists as they progress in their education and strong career guidance programme. A deliberate effort must also be made to award scholarships to deserving students with a strong leaning in mathematics and science.
Mr Speaker, I have approved an initiative for transforming the education sector through e-learning by using an innovative education tablet called the Zedupad developed by the late Mr Mark Bennett in consultation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education. The Zedupad tablet is pre-loaded with lessons, learning materials and extension agriculture and health information. I expect that by 2017, 50 per cent of our children in schools will have access to the Zedupad and put us on a path of smart education.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: I, therefore, call upon the Ministers responsible for Education and Industry in conjunction with the IDC to initiate a programme of locally manufacturing affordable tablets.
Mr Speaker, our renewed interest in mathematics and science also calls for the revision and resuscitation of the role of the National Technology Business Centre in nurturing and commercialising local innovations and inventions.
Mr Speaker, the Patents and Company Registration Agency (PACRA) should also take a lead in building linkages with our learning, research and development centres to make sure that all local inventions and innovations are duly patented. In addition, the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) must take keen interest in linking the Zambian pool of inventors and innovators with both local and foreign investors and business people.
Mr Speaker, the Government also remains committed to empowering the Zambian people with lifelong and survival skills by constructing, at least, one trades training institute in each district.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Over the years, Mr Speaker, most of our trades training institutes have abandoned their original mandates and focused on business courses. This has deprived the country of critical artisanal skills required to drive industry. This has also contributed to the high unemployment rate in the country. I am, therefore, directing the hon. Minister responsible for Vocational Training to ensure that the trades training institutes revert to their original mandates.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
The President: I am also directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Industry and Labour to develop and implement an apprenticeship programme to enable our young men and women acquire vital skills on the job. In the same vein, I am calling upon the hon. Ministers to closely involve the private sector in the development of curricula so that they meet the needs of the industry.
Democracy and Good Governance
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: Mr Speaker, the Government’s commitment to delivering a people-driven Constitution is unwavering. To this end, the Final Draft Constitution was released to the general public in October last year to enable them to study it and make comments. As a follow-up, the Government has published the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015, containing non-contentious clauses. The Bill is scheduled for presentation to the House during this sitting. I urge all Zambians to take keen interest in this Bill and engage their hon. Members of Parliament to ensure that their views are well represented and taken into account when the Bill is debated. Hon. Members should take into account the views of the people they represent and not their own views when the Bill is debated.
Mr Speaker, the decision to present the non-contentious clauses for enactment by Parliament is informed by the real danger of losing even the progressive and non-contentious provisions of the Draft Constitution if the entire document was subjected to a referendum.
Mr Speaker, let me repeat this. The decision to present the non-contentious clauses for enactment by Parliament is informed by the real danger of losing even the progressive and non-contentious provisions of the Draft Constitution if the entire document was subjected to a referendum. I think hon. Members know that the referendum is only a yes or no kind of vote. If the majority of the voters say ‘no’, then the whole document is lost, including the good clauses.
Hon. Government Members: Lawyer!
The President: Sir, to demonstrate the Government’s commitment to delivering a people-driven Constitution, the Referendum Act has been amended in anticipation of the referendum to be held alongside the 2016 General Elections. This amendment expressly mandates the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to be the referendum commission and institutionalises the conduct of referenda. Further, it is necessary to hold the referendum alongside next year’s General Elections as a way of enhancing the chances of the referendum being successful and to ensure a cost-effective process.
Mr Speaker, the Government will continue the fight against corruption.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Hon. UPND Members: Question!
The President: To this end, despite Zambia making headway in reducing levels of corruption, I would like to re-affirm the Government’s commitment to zero tolerance to corruption. I have heard people say that I am not doing enough to fight corruption. The question is: What should I do? Should I come and arrest you? I do not arrest or prosecute people. I only facilitate the operations of public institutions. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is being supported by me and my Government.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: We never tell officers from the ACC them to arrest or investigate anybody. We only facilitate their work. I think that this is what we should be doing. Let us give them a free hand to investigate corruption at all levels. I will not direct them to investigate or prosecute any matter.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: I will not protect anyone serving in public office found wanting in our anti-corruption drive. The Government also remains committed to ensuring that it fulfils its obligations of protecting and respecting human rights. I would like to re-affirm the Government’s commitment to the preservation of the freedom of expression and association. To this end, I am directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Justice and Home Affairs to consult widely and prepare and present a Bill to this august House to amend the Public Order Act where need be.
Hon. UPND Members: Abolish it.
The President: I am further directing the hon. Minister responsible for Justice, after consultation with political parties, through the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue, to prepare and present a Bill to this august House to regulate and protect the right of political parties to freely associate and assemble.
Ms Imenda: Hear, hear!
The President: I am also directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Information and Justice to consult as widely as possible on the possible amendments to remove archaic provisions that impede on media freedoms. Let me assure the House that the Government also remains committed to meeting minimum standards of the United Nations (UN) for the treatment and care of prisoners.
Gender and Social Protection
Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to protecting the marginalised in our society, especially women, children and persons with disabilities. To this end, the Government is implementing the following social protection programmes: the Social Cash Transfer Scheme, Food Security Pack, women and youth empowerment, to mention, but a few. To demonstrate this commitment, the Social Cash Transfer Programme has increased the number of beneficiary households from 145,000 in 2014 to 191,500 this year, of which about 19,000 are persons with disabilities. This signifies the inclusive nature of the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
Mr Speaker, the Government is currently developing the single registry of beneficiaries of social protection programmes to enhance targeting and transparency. I am, therefore, ordering the hon. Ministers responsible for Community Development and Home Affairs to speed up the development and implementation of the single registry mechanism. That registry mechanism will enable the Government to monitor and evaluate beneficiaries with a view to promoting graduation.
Sir, the Government has embarked on reforming the social security system aimed at establishing a comprehensive and responsive social protection system to address, among others, the plight of the retirees. The Government is also developing a National Social Health Insurance scheme to enable all citizens access quality health services timely and without financial hardship.
The hon. Minister of Justice has been directed to prioritise and expedite the finalisation of the Social Protection Bill. The hon. Minister responsible for Gender will bring to this House the Children's Code Bill aimed at aligning the ideals of all children's rights with our domestic laws.
We have to align the ideals of all children’s rights as perceived by the United Nations (UN) and all other stakeholders internationally with our domestic laws.
Mr Speaker, the Former Presidents’ Benefits Act does not take into account the issue of long-term sustainability. I am, therefore, directing the hon. Ministers responsible for Justice and finance to review the Former Presidents’ Benefits Act to take into account our ability to pay as a nation and international best practices.
Mr Livune: Abolish the house construction.
The President: I have said that you should review this Act. I am not abolishing it. You are the ones who abolish and make laws. Therefore, if this law is not, like I have said, sustainable, you abolish it.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, we move on to partnerships.
Diplomacy, Global Partnerships and National Defence
Mr Speaker, the rapid socio-economic transformation of our country will depend on access to foreign markets, transfer of technology and attraction of foreign investment as well as the promotion of tourism. Zambian missions abroad play a critical role in facilitating these pursuits. In this regard, the Government is promoting economic diplomacy as the key lever of our foreign policy. To implement economic diplomacy, the Government is committed to developing a professional Foreign Service manned by officers with the necessary expertise and strong sense of patriotism. I am, accordingly, directing the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs to bring to this House a Bill creating a career Foreign Service.
Mr Livune: Question!
The President: Mr Speaker, the need for strong global partnerships cannot be over-emphasised. The Government will, in this connection, continue to promote bilateral and multi-lateral engagements. The Government values the support of our bilateral and multilateral partners who continue to provide finance and technical assistance. We look forward to the continued warm relations with all our co-operating partners.
Sir, the Government further recognises the importance of creating opportunities for those of our people that are in the Diaspora in order for them to contribute effectively to our development agenda. In recognition of the importance of this constituency, the Government is developing a Diaspora Policy, which will enhance the participation of Zambians living abroad in the development of our country.
Mr Speaker, Zambia is committed to promoting peace and security at home and abroad. I am glad that our Defence Forces continue to play a pivotal role in national defence as well as peace-keeping missions around the world. The Government is modernising our Defence Forces to become more relevant to national development. Recently, I launched the 48 Marine Unit in Kawambwa to bolster our defence capabilities.
Culture Re-Modelling
Mr Speaker, to implement our transformation agenda, we need to change the way we think, like I have said before, behave and do things. There is, therefore, a need for strong determination, integrity and respect for the tenets of good governance across the Government and private sector institutions. This is critical if we are going to improve our individual and national productivity levels to transform into a prosperous nation in the next fifty years. Accordingly, I am requesting the Secretary to the Cabinet to ensure that this change is institutionalised in the Public Service.
Mr Speaker, in the same vein, I am calling upon all leaders, including those on my left, local authorities and the general public to join this journey of national transformation.
Mr Kambwili: Hear, hear!
The President: In this regard, there is a need to strive towards living and working in a clean environment.
To this effect, the hon. Ministers responsible for local government and environment have been ordered to work with the private sector and civil society organisations to resuscitate the Keep Zambia Clean Campaign and implement a name and shame campaign for the dirtiest towns in our country. We should also recognise the cleanest towns. Our desire is to have a situation where some of our towns and cities join the league of smart cities of the world within the next five to ten years.
Parliamentary Business
Mr Speaker, as we embark on our transformation process to create a smart Zambia, the Government will come up with several policy reform initiatives which will translate into legislation. The Government is committed to facilitating the smooth flow of the Business of this House. In this connection, I would like to under-score my commitment to see to it that all hon. Ministers submit on time fully researched annual reports as well as responses to the Government assurances. Further, hon. Ministers should provide answers on time and in full to all questions arising from this House including those from Parliamentary Committees.
Mr Speaker, the firm commitments that I have made to this House should signal to the Public Service my desire to see its transformation into a high performance service that should enable me to fulfil my commitments to this House and the Zambian people.
I will, in this respect, Mr Speaker, not tolerate any complacency by any member of the Public Service. I am accordingly directing the Secretary to the Cabinet to come up with a Bill that will regulate Public Service employment, including a performance-based management system.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: I am humbled to be doing this job because as your elected President, you effectively made me in charge of ensuring that ...
Hon. UPND Members: No!
The President: Yes, you elected me.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: I am humbled to be doing this job because as your elected President, you effectively made me in charge of ensuring that:
(i) your hospitals have enough drugs and beds so that our babies and their mothers do not die needlessly;
(ii) the maize produced by our farmers does not go to waste;
(iii) that the farmers have in-puts delivered to them at a good price and a good time and this we have done;
(iv) that the roads leading to the points of production and points of consumption are properly maintained, which we are doing;
(v) that law and order is observed so that there is no anarchy in the country; and
(vi) that we have no shortages of essential commodities such as diesel, petrol and deficits in electricity supply to mention, but a few.
I am doing very well.
The President: This is the part you have been waiting for.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, I implore this House and the nation at large to embark on a new journey of cultural transformation for a smart Zambia in order to consolidate our Independence and accelerate socio-economic progress.
In pursuit of the virtues of equity and our aspirations for a smart Zambia, Mr Speaker, I wish to announce changes to the law that provides for benefits for retired Presidents. I do not think that it is fair and equitable that the State must build a house for a retired President and not for others like the Vice-President, the hon. Ministers and hon. Members of Parliament. I do not work alone. I work with a team. If I am the only one who is going to be looked after, then it must be in an equitable manner so that we all retire in peace.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chishimba: Boss!
The President: We have to demonstrate a strong commitment to cost-saving measures for now and for the future. I am proposing that this forfeiture takes effect starting with me.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: This is very clear and simple English. The need for reform of pension packages for all constitutional office holders is a matter that we must collectively interrogate because these pensions were fit for purposes at the time when they were passed, but not any longer. Let us, therefore, interrogate these laws with an open mind with a view to streamlining them with the realities of today. Imagine if we had ten surviving former Presidents on that package. Which economy can sustain that?
Hon. UPND Member: Where will you go?
The President: I do not mind going back to Chawama.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Laughter
The President: Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to, once again, call upon all Zambians at home and in the Diaspora to focus and align their energies with a sense of common purpose, urgency and resilience to fulfil our national aspiration to be a developed country by 2064.
For those of us in the political arena, Mr Speaker, my appeal is that let us conduct issue-based politics.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr President: Let us reject politics of character assassination and the culture of insults, tribalism and regionalism which have crept into our politics.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: These vices are unchristian and very un-Zambian.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Let us put a stop to this and concern ourselves with real issues that affect the greater majority of our people.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: We have a duty to rapidly transform Zambia into a thriving society that assures all its citizens of expanding business, education, training and employment opportunities. This will, in turn, deliver rising productivity, incomes, greater prosperity, inclusiveness and national cohesion. Like our forefathers and mothers who pioneered the struggle for Independence and self-determination, let us be pioneers in rapid and inclusive socio-economic and cultural transformation for a smart Zambia. This is the historic mission of our generation.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Sir, a fair, just and humane society is possible. We are an aspirational nation that has risen above major challenges in the past. We have to work towards building a fair society united in peaceful commerce, a Zambia which will offer a rendezvous of opportunity for all. We must all aspire for a Zambia that speaks to the interest of all Zambians. Let us put Zambia first and self second.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Ms Kalima: Hear, hear!
Mr Chishimba: Kasenengwa!
The President: Mr Speaker, at the stroke of midnight on 24th October, 2064, Zambia should awaken to one undeniable truth and reality: That ours was a generation of achievers, a generation of men and women who, propelled by the energy of patriotism, changed this country forever.
Co-existence is the key word here and the spirit of our founding father of the nation, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who encouraged us to always live by the motto of: “One Zambia!
Hon. Members: One Nation!
The President: One Zambia!
Hon. Members: One Nation!
Laughter
The President: Let us concentrate, fellow countrymen and women, on that which unites us and not that which divides us. We inherited this beautiful country for our children and not for ourselves. Let us work together to make it better for them.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Let us heal its defects and make it a better place.
Sir, hate, bitterness, contempt and envy are evil.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: They are vices that have no place in a society like ours. We are above that. We are a Christian nation.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: Let me take this opportunity to announce that I have proclaimed today, 18th October, 2015, a month from now as a day of national prayer and fasting for reconciliation, ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: ... forgiveness and generally to encourage the nation to seek the face of God.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: The proclamation order will be published later today.
Interruptions
The President: Mr Speaker, I have absolutely no doubt the living God who guided our forefathers and mothers will guide us in our current endeavours. We are an aspirational nation. We are a nation of faith. We are a Christian nation.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The President: It is now my honour and privilege, Mr Speaker, to declare open, the Fifth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.
May God bless our great nation, Zambia.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
His Excellency the President left the Assembly Chamber.
Mr Speaker took the Chair.
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MOTIONS
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that at its rising today, the House do adjourn until Tuesday, 22nd September, 2015.
Sir, may I begin by expressing on behalf of this House and, indeed, on my own behalf, sincere gratitude to the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for an inspiring ...
Mr Nkombo: Question!
The Vice-President: ... and well-thought-out speech.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the President has provided to this House the direction the country will take for the next one year and through the House, the nation. No doubt the President has raised very important issues which require critical analysis by this august House before the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Speech is debated starting next Tuesday.
Mr Speaker, considering the significance of the speech and given our tradition in the House regarding the President’s Opening Speech, I wish to move this Motion. Adjourning now will accord the hon. Members of Parliament ample time to study the speech in detail and to come back to the House on Tuesday next week fully prepared to make contributions to the debate on the Motion.
Sir, I beg to move.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chungu (Luanshya): Mr Speaker, allow me to place on record my profound appreciation for the opportunity accorded to me to be the first one to speak on the Motion that Her Honour the Vice-President has moved.
Sir, I agree with Her Honour the Vice-President that hon. Members need time to study and digest the important message in the speech which is the first Address to this House by His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Mr Speaker, the adjournment is necessary because most of the issues that have been raised in the President’s Speech hinge on the many concerns and problems prevailing in our country. Therefore, hon. Members need time to critically analyse the speech and raise specific issues and proposals for the improvement of the welfare of our people.
In this regard, I fully support the Motion and urge all my colleagues to do the same.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I am very grateful to the House for its unanimous support of this Motion.
Hon. UPND Members: Ahh!
Mr Mwila: The Adjournment Motion.
The Vice-President: I hope the weeks ahead will be as constructive and to the point as today’s debate has been.
Mr Speaker, with those few words, I thank you.
Question put and agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
The Vice-President: Sir, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Question put and agreed to.
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The House adjourned at 1250 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 22 September, 2015.
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