Friday, 27th November, 2015

The House met at 0900 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the House that the National Road Fund Agency will hold a sensitisation workshop for all hon. Members of Parliament on Wednesday, 2 December, 2015, in the auditorium, Parliament Buildings, at 09:00 hours. The aim of the workshop is to acquaint the hon. Members of Parliament on the National Road Tolling Programme. I urge hon. Members to attend this important workshop.

I thank you.

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the House some idea of the business it will consider next week.

Sir, on Tuesday, 1st December, 2015, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answers, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Then, the House will resolve into Committee of Supply on the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and will continue to consider Heads 88 and 90-98, Office of the President – Provinces.

Mr Speaker, on Wednesday, 2nd December, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answers, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider Private Members Motions, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider the Report of the Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs Affairs on the audited accounts of local authorities for the financial year ended 31st December, 2013. The House will then resolve into Committee of Supply on the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and will continue to consider Heads 88 and 90-98 Office of the President – Provinces.

Sir, on Thursday, 3rd December, 2015, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider the Committee Stage of the Constitution of Zambia Bill, 2015 and the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2015. Then, the House will resolve into Committee of Supply on the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and will continue with the consideration of Heads 88 and 90-98 Office of the President – Provinces.

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 4th December, 2015, the Business of the House will commence with Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning’s Question Time. This will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. After that, the House will deal with presentations of Government Bills, if there will be any. Then, the House will resolve into Committee of Supply on the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and will continue with the consideration of Heads 88 and 90-98 Office of the President – Provinces.

I thank you, Sir.

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HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT PLANNING’S QUESTION TIME

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, as the Leader of Government Business in the House, Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning is witnessing the process of Parliament approving allocations of funds for different programmes. I am sure she hears the answers which are given by hon. Ministers whenever they are asked about excessive and unrealistic expenditure. The hon. Ministers usually attribute the excessive expenditure to increased activities.

Sir, is Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning happy with the current process of approving the Budget?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, we currently use an activity based budgeting system. Only Parliament can change the process of approving the National Budget.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, yesterday, when His Excellency the President, Mr Lungu, was announcing measures to cut costs, he forgot to talk about one cost centre which is the excessive travels of his wife.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Livune: Sir, most of the things that she does are a duplication of the responsibilities of the different line ministries?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

We want to hear a response.

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, it is a standard all over the world that First Ladies participate in community service. Some First Ladies opt to stay home as house wives, but others decide to support the communities through their voluntary work. In this country, the First Lady has solicited for support from well-wishers and the donations given to her are taken to the communities so that the communities also, can benefit from her contribution and work as a First Lady of the country. There is very little or minimum contribution from the Government coffers.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi): Mr Speaker, charcoal burning in this country has led to depletion of trees in most of our forest reserves. What measures has the Government put in place in as far as reforestation of the affected areas is concerned?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, I think in the second week of December, we shall experience a national tree planting exercise. This is an indication that the Government values our forest resources which our Almighty God has provided to this country. At the Ministry of Development Planning, we will ensure that reforestation is incorporated in the planning process for the next few years. We are encouraging provinces and districts to acquire land from traditional leaders so that we can have a lot of space on which to plant trees. Our trees have been depleted due to charcoal burning and unscrupulous merchants that feast on our timber and export it in raw form. Eventually, it will be the Government policy to ensure that no raw timber leaves this country before we add value to it. Tree planting is a priority of this Government and will be effected as from this year.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, 1st December, 2015, which falls on Tuesday, next week is World AIDS Day. It is a very important date on the global calendar, especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This is the time that Governments and individuals renew their commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS. In Zambia, we have made remarkable gains to the extent that our prevalence rate now has fallen to 13.4 per cent. Unfortunately, most of this fight has been financed largely in the recent past by international co-operating partners. What is the Government doing to ensure that the fight is financed by our own local resources?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, this Government has prioritised the minimisation of the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in our country. It is not true that we heavily rely on donors in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Government has allocated a lot of resources to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Even in next year’s Budget, there are some resources which have been allocated to the fight against HIV/AIDS. We do appreciate our donors’ co-operation with the Government in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Definitely, we will continue to engage our co-operating partners so that they can support our fight against HIV/AIDS. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that our country is made free from HIV/AIDS by contributing significantly to the budget of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutale (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, the Government is insisting on stopping early marriages in our communities even when some cultures allow this type of scourge, especially in places such as Chadiza.

Mr Mbewe: Aah!

Mr Mutale: Sir, what is the Government going to do …

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Mutale: … in order to educate our communities to change their mindsets?

Laughter

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, early marriages have a cost to the country.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Sir, many young girls are dying during the child bearing stage simply because they get pregnant when they are not mature and are forced into marriages when they are not ready. I think this is also a violation of the girls’ rights. We know that at the age that some of these girls are married off, they are denied of the right of choice as to who they can marry and as to when they can have children. It is very important that girls continue with their education in schools until such time when they can decide to marry and have children.

Mr Speaker, some hon. Members of Parliament have insisted that marrying off girls at an early age is a cultural practice that should be continued. Such hon. Members should realise that by accepting such traditional practices, they are sending a large group of our population of young girls to their early deaths and poverty. If you look at statistics of poverty in our country, you will realise that the majority of the poor, especially in rural areas are women, who could not finish their education because they were married off early. We need to do away with some cultural practices in order to ensure that progress is given space to mushroom in our country.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: The conservations are rather loud both on the left and right. So, I am struggling to follow the questions and answers.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, as reported in one of the newspapers today, the inflation rate is at 19.5 per cent from 14.4 per cent. This means that the poverty levels will accelerate and the people in the villages will not afford to buy soap and other essential commodities. The cost of living in terms of rentals and food has gone up. Further, it is expected that with the removal of the subsidy on fuel, there will be an increase in fuel prices and electricity tariffs. Is the Government going to mitigate the impact of the increments by adjusting the salaries of the Government workers who include teachers, nurses and police officers?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, we are aware of the consequences of inflation on our population. Unfortunately, the inflation rate in the month of November has gone high enough to trigger increments in the prices of food and non-food items. The Government is not sitting idly. It has released over 500,000 metric tonnes of maize to millers so that they can reduce the price of the mealie meal which is being offloaded on the market.

Sir, the workers’ unions and Government recently engaged in discussions regarding the increase of salaries. The discussions were concluded. The civil servants will receive salary increases of between 4 and 19 per cent. As such, we hope this will cushion …

Mr Livune: Question!

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: … the effect of inflation on the civil servants.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, firstly, I condemn the people who attacked the home of the relatives of Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning in Nalolo. Can she confirm or deny that in actual fact, her relatives in Nalolo were not physically attacked since there were three policemen and officers from the Royal Establishment who were guarding the house. Will she allow an independent investigation to be carried out so that we can know the truth as people are now threatening the lives of others?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, this question directly concerns me. Thus, I find it very difficult to answer it. However, let me inform the House that my house in the village is not guarded by the police or security personnel from the Barotse Royal Establishment. That is why the incident in question took place. My house is near the Kuta and the palace of the Litunga Labwela. Thus, it is very easy to see the activities taking place in the yard from the palace. Without going into details, all I can say is that my family members were attacked. I cannot cook up a story because it does not help me in any way as the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, I have …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order on the right!

Let her complete her response.

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: … calmed down our party members in Nalolo who felt the urge to undertake revenge attacks. Some of the people who were involved are known while some are not. I think it is time for us to, once again, condemn violence, especially by our political cadres wherever it happens. I feel very sad to see young men and women incarcerated in prisons because of violence emanating from politics that we, as leaders, force them to engage in. It is extremely unfortunate. I am very thankful for the goodwill that has been expressed from all over the country regarding the incident. Please, let us close the chapter. If some cadres were arrested, let the law take its course.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, I come from the Copperbelt Province. It is always sad when miners lose their jobs. It is expected that at some point, our copper will finish. Arising from the job losses, will the Government consider starting the diversification programme on the Copperbelt so that the miners can form co-operatives and engage in activities that will help improve our economy through value addition?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, I believe the hon. Member for Mpongwe listened to the Press Conference held at State House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia yesterday where he talked about the Copperbelt and what he intends to do regarding the retrenched miners. The President talked about how the Government will support them particularly by engaging them in agriculture activities. There is already a programme on the cards through which the District Commissioners on the Copperbelt have been requested to identify land and allocate it to the retrenched miners. Thereafter, the Government will help the retrenched miners to settle on that land. Secondly, the agriculture sector is actually being diversified by the Government. The fisheries and livestock areas as well as agriculture and irrigation schemes are being prioritised.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to join many hon. Members who have condemned the attack on the residence of Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning.

Sir, I would like Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning to tell us whether she expects the e-voucher system, which the President of the Republic of Zambia launched in Mbabala last month, to succeed considering that in some of our constituencies, we have faced a lot of challenges surrounding the migration from the normal the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to the new system.

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, I will ask the hon. of Agriculture to come to the House to give the facts on the new scheme. However, I wish to state that it is in the interest of many Zambians to experiment with the e-voucher system as a start. Every new project has teething problems. I believe that with time, we will overcome the challenges of the e-voucher system.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

The rest is administrative.

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, last month, Rufunsa received earth-moving equipment. We, indeed, appreciate that gesture. We need the equipment in order for us to work on the bad roads such as the Chomba/Shikabeta Road, which is within the Luano Valley, which also separates Mkushi District and Rufunsa. Unfortunately, the equipment came without diesel.   What we did, therefore, was to put together some funds so that we could start working on the roads. The problem that we have at the moment is that we have run out of fuel. How can the Government come to our aid?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, some of the issues are in-house and can be solved at constituency and district levels. Therefore, I would like to request the hon. Member for Rufunsa to get together with other stakeholders such as the Zambia National Service (ZNS), the District Commissioner (DC) and all other hon. Members of Parliament in the province, including the Provincial Administration and come up with a programme which will prioritise the work on certain roads.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, recently the Republican President announced the construction of an inter-denominational Church building and asked Zambians to contribute generously to the works. So far, a paltry amount has been contributed indicating that the Zambians are not interested in the project. Given that fact, could I know how the Government intends to fund this project, which has no blessings of the Zambian people.

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Sir, I am surprised that the hon. Member has said that the project has not received any support from Zambians.

Sir, the project has been overwhelmingly supported by many Zambians. The big temple in Jerusalem was built over several years, maybe, 30 to 40 years. The construction of the cathedral will also take a long time to build. What the President wants to see is a place of worship where people from different denominations can congregate. People will use that facility just like the University of Zambia Chapel and similar facilities, where even non-believers sometimes go and reflect on their lives.

Mr Kambwili: Non-believers like HH!

Hon. UPND Members: Ah!

The Vice-President and of Development Planning: Sir, this cathedral will be for all Zambians.

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

 Mr Speaker: Order!

 No points of order during this segment. Can the hon. Minister for information and Broadcasting, please, withdraw his statement.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I wish to withdraw that statement (while seated).

Hon. UPND Members: Stand up! Stand up!

Interruptions

Hon. UPND Members left the Assembly Chamber.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza):  Mr Speaker, I would like to know how Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning rates the performance of the economy of Zambia. Is it good or poor?

The Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning: Mr Speaker, the economy of this country is good although it may be passing through some challenges at the moment. This is not the first time that this country has experienced some economic challenges.

Sir, if the hon. Members may recollect immediately after Independence, this country went through a very difficult period, when the then Government of Southern Rhodesia closed borders to Zambia. As the House may be aware, since this country is landlocked, it had no outlets to the ocean. Therefore, the country was hemorrhaged and enclosed. We had to fly in all types of commodities including fuel. During that period, the population underwent very difficult times which it managed to come out of. Even in the 1990s, during the Structural Adjustment Programme, the people of this country went through very hard times which they pulled through. So, even now, I can guarantee that this country will triumph over its economic challenges.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

CONSTRUCTION OF HEALTH POSTS IN MITETE

190. Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West) asked the Minster of Health:

(a)    how many health posts, under the 650 Health Posts Project were under construction in Mitete District;

(b)    at what stage of construction each health post was, as of 30th September, 2015; and

(c)    when the construction of all the health posts in the district would be completed.

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, six health posts will be constructed in Mitete under the 650 Health Posts Project that the Government is implementing. These are Mbangweta, Chinonwe, Mambungo, Lupui, Manjolo and Washishi.

Sir, at present the contractor has done two slabs at Mbangweta and Manjolo and is in the process of constructing another slab at Lupui. Two boreholes have been done at Mbangweta and Lupui respectively. All the six health posts in the district will be completed by the end of April, 2016.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, since we are in the rainy season, Washishi and Lupui will soon be cut off from the rest of the country. What assurance does the Government have that the construction of a clinic at Washishi will be completed by April, 2016?

Hon. UPND Members entered the Assembly Chamber.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, we have taken a keen interest in Washishi for obvious reasons. That place gets cut off when the area is flooded. So, the contractor has been directed to mobilise in Washishi. We have since been assured that the contractor will mobilise in Washishi within the next three weeks.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (while pointing at Hon. Kambwili) He should not provoke me, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Mazabuka Central.

Mr Nkombo: He should not provoke me.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Order, hon. Member for Mazabuka Central. Let me make an appeal to the House. Let us exercise self control.

Hon. UPND Members: Both sides.

Mr Speaker: I am addressing the House. Can you wait, hon. Members.

Mr Nkombo interjected.

Mr Speaker: I am speaking. You know the rules. When the Speaker is speaking, nobody else speaks.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, I am innocent.

Mr Speaker: No, no, no, no. You may be innocent, but I am speaking.

These are the rules. Nobody speaks when the Speaker is speaking. Sometimes, we confuse issues. Even when you are on a high moral ground, you still need to follow the rules. I am making an appeal to the House. The House does not mean one side. It means both the left and the right. Let us exercise self control. I know where we have come from. We have come from a very charged background. Let us exercise self control. This is all emanating from what we always deprecate and, that is, making running commentaries while seated. Some of the running commentaries are very provocative. If we averted these running commentaries, we would not be getting to these points. We have always counselled you on running commentaries. If you have an issue, indicate. This is coming from running commentaries and it is a perennial problem. When you are a victim, you forget that you are also an author of running commentaries.

Hon. Government Members: Yes!

Mr Speaker: I am addressing the whole House here because this is not limited to a particular side. I have been in this House for some time now and this is my fifth year. I am not a new person. As long as these running commentaries continue, I am afraid that these problems will not end. The discipline of the House should be supported by mutual respect amongst hon. Members. I will not go further than that. Hon. Deputy Minister, did you complete your answer? I am afraid I had to digress.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, I did. Unless the hon. Member did not get the answer, then I can repeat it.

Mr Mutelo: I did not get the answer.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Deputy Minister, could you repeat the answer.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, I had indicated that as the Ministry of Health, we have taken a keen interest in Washishi. We are aware of the geographical difficulties when it comes to accessing Washishi. So, the contractor has been accordingly directed to mobilise immediately. The contractor has since given us an assurance that he will do that within two to three weeks.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the Government has taken a keen interest in Washishi to ensure that the health post there is completed by April, 2016. Is that the situation throughout the country?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, that is the case throughout the country. In our relentless pursuit of strong primary health care, we would like to see infrastructure anchoring primary health care services in every part of this country. Since our guiding principle is equity, we are distributing the health posts equitably countrywide. So, we are as interested in every part of this country as we are in Washishi. I want to reassure the House that Angelique Limited, the contractor which had challenges in constructing health posts, particularly in the North-Western, Luapula, the Northern and Muchinga provinces will be back in the country on Monday, 30th November, 2015. We have resolved the issues that we had with the company.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, if these health posts are being distributed equitably as the hon. Deputy Minister has said, why were we given only three health posts in Lukulu District?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the health posts were distributed per district. Lukulu District got nine health posts. After the division of Lukulu into two districts, where we had Mitete as one of the off-shoot districts, Mitete got six and the other part of Lukulu got three. We looked at the population distribution and the need for these health posts. In Lukulu West, where the hon. Member comes from, we have a state-of-the-art hospital that has been operationalised. Right now, another phase of the hospital is under construction. Besides that, the old mission hospital is on that side of Lukulu District. So, clearly, in terms of access, Mitete was disadvantaged, and so, it was only logical for us to give it six health posts.

I thank you, Sir.

  Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, can you allow Hon. Mwenya, Hon. Kambwili and I to meet in a boxing ring so that the running comments can stop?

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Continue, hon. Member for Chadiza.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, may I find out from the hon. Minister …

Mr L. J. Ngoma: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr L. J. Ngoma: Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to raise a point of order. Rarely do I stand on points of order, unless a matter is very serious. A few days ago, Hon. Livune, hon. Member of Parliament for Katombola, was chased out of this House for passing some very irritating comments, contrary to the rules of this House.

Mr Speaker, today, when Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning was answering a question on the National House of Prayer to be constructed in this country, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, passed a very irritating comment regarding Mr Hakainde Hichilema (HH), president of the United Party for National Development (UPND), who is not even here to defend himself. Hon. Kambwili is still happily seated in his seat without any admonition. Is this House in order to practice such biasness when it comes to order in this House?

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: My ruling is very simple and short. It is reserved.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, when will these health posts be completed and opened to the public?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the end date for this project is April, 2016. There is notable progress in the construction of health posts across the country. As we speak, twelve health posts are complete and ready for opening. One of them is actually in Katambo, Chipata in the Eastern Province. We also have one in the Central Province and three on the Copperbelt Province. The rest are in Lusaka and Western provinces.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the left!

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, 300 slabs are already complete while 412 super structures have also been done. In fact, if we combined the slabs and super structures which are already complete, we could say that we are active in 412 sites. With five months remaining, we expect to complete the whole project by April, 2016. So there is notable progress in the construction of health posts. We are already seeing the health posts being handed over to our Infrastructure Department in the ministry. We will open them up to the public very soon.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Kalaba: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to rise on a very serious point of order. This is a House of very serious decorum. Of late, the decorum of this House has constantly been put on trial by hon. Members of this very august House, who should be the ones protecting it. It has become habitual for hon. Members of the United Party for National Development (UPND) to walk out every time they are dissatisfied with any issue. Are the hon. UPND Members in this House in order to always walk out of the House whenever they are aggrieved, like they did a while ago, and then return?

Hon. Livune: Question!

Mr Kalaba: Sir, are they in order to continue behaving in such a manner that keeps on putting the decorum of this House on trial?

I seek your very serious ruling on this very serious matter.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr ruling, again, is reserved.

Interruptions

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the 650 health posts were scheduled to be constructed in two years. If we will have good rains this season, it means Mitete and some sites will be unreachable by April, 2016. What means are at that the contractor’s disposal to ensure that works on such sites are also completed by April, 2016?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, for the benefit of the hon. Member of Parliament, I will repeat what I said earlier. We are conscious of sites that are geographically inaccessible during the peak of the rainy season. So, we have engaged our contractors to ensure that they preferentially mobilise to such sites. So like I said, in Mitete, such a site is Washishi. We have agreed that the contractor should be on site in Washishi within the next fortnight, or three weeks. That applies to all the other parts of the country where a similar problem, in terms of geographical access, exists.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mufalali (Senanga Central): Mr Speaker, three sites that I know of in Lukulu West that pose a challenge in terms of access in the rainy season are Chinonwe, Manjolo and Mambungo. How will these places, which are on an island, be reached because when the rains start to pour, the whole of North-Western Province will be flooded, especially on the Zambezi River side?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the three sites that the hon. Member is talking about are accessible now. In terms of rating, the one that gets totally cut off is Washishi. For Manjolo and Mambungo, we still have a little bit of time to get there. That is, however, not to say the contractor has been given leave or the luxury of time as to when to mobilise.

Mr Speaker, I must state that the Western Province has seen the most progress when it comes to construction of health posts. Out of the sixty-four health posts to be constructed in the province, thirty-six are already complete. This also means that the contractor can now focus on certain areas which have never been attended to. In Mongu, Sesheke and Senanga, the projects are at very advanced stages. The only two districts where there are issues now are Kalabo and Mitete. So, the contractor has enough time within the next five months to access these areas. As I said earlier on, at the risk of sounding monotonous, the contractor has been guided to ensure that mobilisation for areas where access is a challenge is done as soon as possible.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister right, he mentioned that the contractor has had challenges in the execution of works and, therefore, there have been delays in executing the works in the North-Western, Luapula and probably Copperbelt provinces. Does the hon. Deputy Minister still stand by the deadline of April, 2016, considering that the said contractor has had these challenges?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, as at now, we can safely say we are engaging with the contractor and seeing if he will still manage by engaging more sub-contractors to finish within the stipulated deadline. However, it should be understood that this contractor has lost, at least, two months due to the challenges that he had with the Indian Government and not with the Zambian Government. So, we are engaging the contractor to see how we can mitigate this loss of time. One of the proposals we have is for him to double the number of sub-contractors so that he could be present in more sites than previously planned. We are still targeting April, 2016. Our engagement will inform us of any change of date and accordingly, we will get back to the House to keep it informed.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kasonso (Solwezi West): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has informed the House that in the next five months, most of these health posts will be available. Can the hon. Minister confirm that come April, 2016, personnel and equipment for these health posts will be available because it will be frustrating and irritating for our people to have these health posts, yet they will not be operational.

The Minister of Health (Dr Kasonde): Mr Speaker, we have, from time to time, come to this House and stated the stage of activity and action regarding these health posts. Indeed it is my intention that before the House rises, I shall seek permission to update hon. Members on the state of action in this very important area. I think it is not fair to discuss details regarding the day to day operations of an individual centre in the House as a whole. We have always been ready, not only through visits, but also through personal consultations at our offices to go into the details.

Mr Speaker, we have already stated before on the Floor of this House that our contract includes the supply of equipment. Therefore, when we say a centre is complete, we are saying that its equipment is available. On the human resource front, we have already announced the number of health workers who have specially been trained for this purpose who are more than equal to the demands of the 650 health posts.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

REVISION OF TRAINING CURICULUM FORTHE ZAMBIA POLICE FORCE

191. Mr Mbewe asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    when the training curriculum for the Zambia Police Force was last reviewed;

(b)    when the curriculum was due for redesigning in order to equip the police officers with modern law enforcement skills; and

(c)    what added value was anticipated in fulfilment of the above mentioned exercise.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Chanda): Mr Speaker, the training curriculum for the police was last reviewed in 1994 during the Zambia Police Force Reforms.

Mr Speaker, the Zambia Police Force recognises the need to have well trained and competent officers to fulfil its mandate of maintaining law and order. The Zambia Police Force in collaboration with stakeholders, especially the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC), Copperbelt University, Law Association of Zambia, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, among other stakeholders, is in the process of developing a training curriculum for the Zambia Police Force. The process has reached an advanced stage with the draft training curriculum is already drafted. We are yet to validate the document. The modules will be developed in 2016.

Mr Speaker, besides enhancing modern day policing, the basic police training will be carried out in collaboration with progressive police establishments in the region and beyond. In addition, a recognisable diploma will be awarded to those who graduate from the police training institutions.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, it is common knowledge that us, politicians, when we have done something or are suspected to have done something wrong are always arrested on Friday in the afternoon so that we fail to get a lawyer and bail. This leads to one being kept in the police cells without food. Can the hon. Minister tell me whether the new curriculum which they are trying to come up with, will include information on human rights.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, the impartation of knowledge on human rights is a prerequisite for the training of our police officers. Human rights are part of the curriculum for police training. Human beings handle issues to do with human rights differently. Arresting or placing suspected persons in the cells on a Friday so that it acts as an extra-judicial punitive action is not the policy of the police. Only some overzealous police officers engage in such acts. We are taking every step possible to ensure that this is not done.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, those of us who were born before Independence can safely state that the conduct of policemen was completely different from what it is today. As the validation of the training document will be taking place, will the ministry take into consideration the enforcement of the police code of ethics?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, human beings in the same profession behave differently. The police force of the day that the hon. Member referred to were guided by certain principles and ethics which have evolved with time. However, we will endeavour to include in police training, for example, issues connected to the rights of individuals. The conduct of a police man or woman is important because it reflects on the image of the police force as a whole. We are concerned about this situation and will do our best to satisfy our masters, the Zambian people, whom we are meant to serve.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, when does the Ministry of Home Affairs envisage the operationalisation of the new syllabus, considering that the current one is archaic and was last reviewed 20 years ago? When will the new syllabus, which is currently being reviewed, be operationalised so that we can have the first intake being trained using modern policing methods in place?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member that 1994 to date is a long time. I stated that we are not an island and would like to take on board as many views as possible. We are consulting stakeholders so that we can come up with a more comprehensive document which will be in tandem with modern times. It is an ongoing process and we are aware of the people’s concerns. Therefore, when we deliver the final document, it will be to the satisfaction of the citizenry.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, one of the tenets of democracy is the upholding of the rule of law. As the ministry reforms the curriculum for the police, will it also consider reforming the laws so that police officers are held responsible for their actions rather than merely relying on how well trained they are? Is the ministry considering bringing amendments to the existing laws as regards the liability of police officers so that there is uniformity in the administration of justice?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, the importance of the law cannot be overemphasised. This House is part and parcel of the process of the enactment or amendment of the law. We would highly appreciate suggestions which may be brought forward on how best we should move to improve the operations of the Zambia Police Force. We do not have the monopoly of wisdom in this respect.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, part of my question has been asked by the hon. Member for Mumbwa. What happens to the overzealous police officers who neglect the need to respect the human rights of suspects? Can the hon. Minister tell this House whether the new curriculum will address the issue of sanctions?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, we acknowledge that overzealousness does not speak to a progressive police service. Even before the law is reviewed, we have taken action in certain cases where it has been brought to our attention that a police officer behaved in a manner that was unbecoming. I can assure the hon. Member that we shall intensify such actions. Human beings are difficult to change. That is why it is often said that bad habits die hard. We will do our best to cleanse the Zambia Police Force of the stigma that is prevailing. I agree that there are elements of overzealousness and, although this is an attribute of human beings, it will not be condoned in the police force.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

PROCUREMENT OF A PONTOON AT MESO-AKAWA CROSSING POINT

192. Mr Mutelo asked the Minister of Transport and Communication what the progress on the procurement of a pontoon for the Meso-Akawa crossing point on the Lungwevungu River in Mitete District was.

The Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Kapyanga): Mr Speaker, an Engineering Services Company (ESCO) crew is currently on site retrieving the drifted old Lukulu Pontoon. This pontoon will be re-assembled and installed at Watopa. The pontoon which is currently at Watopa will be transferred to Lukulu while the one at Lukulu will be moved to Meso-Akawa once the water levels rise on the Zambezi River.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mutelo: I am glad that ESCO is on site. Initially, the Zambia Army was working on the pontoon. Why have things changed?

Sir, the water levels in the Zambezi River should rise between January and February. Are we, therefore, going to see the pontoon taken to Meso-Akawa by that time?

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member is right. In fact, he met one of the engineers from ESCO. However, he should also consider that right now, movement would be very difficult as the waters are still very low. Therefore, we expect the whole programme to be completed by April when the water levels rise.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

UPGRADING OF TOWNSHIP ROADS IN MPOROKOSO

193.     Prof. Willombe (Mporokoso) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    when the upgrading of the township roads to bituminous standard in Mporokoso District would commence;

(b)    what the time frame for completing the project was; and

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

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Ching’imbu): Mr Speaker, the upgrading of approximately 15 km of selected township roads to bituminous standard in Mporokoso has been scheduled under the Annual Work Plan for 2016.

Sir, it is envisaged that the project will be completed within 18 calendar months, taking into account, the rainy seasons.

Mr Speaker, it is estimated that the project will cost around K120 million. The actual cost will be known once a contractor has been engaged for the works.

I thank you, Sir.

Prof. Willombe: Mr Speaker, last night I watched a programme for the Road Development Agency (RDA), on a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) channel, which showed the status of the road projects in the Northern Province, particularly in Mbala, Nakonde and Mporokoso and Kasama. I also listened to the debate by Hon. Mutati, on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Northern Province. Hon. Mutati showed the incompleteness of projects in the Northern Province. Can the hon. Minister assure us that we will not suffer from incomplete project processes anymore. This project for upgrading township roads in Mporokoso District was supposed to have been implemented this year, but now, it has been postponed to 2016.

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, regrettably, the Northern Province has suffered from the incompleteness of projects in the past. I am sure he hon. Member saw all the road projects which are being implemented in the province by the Road Development Agency (RDA) through the television programme which he has referred to . I can assure the hon. Member that we are certainly going to deal with the roads in his district.

I thank you, Sir.

STREET LIGHTING IN KASEMPA

194. Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (on behalf of Mr Pande) (Kasempa) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    when the street lighting project in Kasempa District would commence;

(b)    who the contractor for the project was;

(c)    what the time frame for undertaking the project was; and
 
(d)    what the total cost of the project was.

Mr Ching’imbu: Mr Speaker, the commencement date of the street lighting project in Kasempa has not been set because the project has not been procured by the local authority.

Sir, there is no contractor because there is no street lighting project.

Mr Speaker, the time frame for the project has not yet been set. The time frame will depend on the extent of the scope of work which the local authority will design to undertake.

Sir, the total cost of the project shall only be determined once the scope of the project has been determined and the procurement done.

I thank you, Sir.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether funding for this capital project has been availed to Kasempa District Council.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, municipal councils are responsible for mounting street lights. However, the ministry, from time to time, releases funds to various councils such projects. As for Kasempa District Council, funding has not been released yet, but the ministry is looking at the option of considering the contractor working on the township roads in Kasempa to also undertake this work of mounting street lights, as a variation on the current contract.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, does the ministry have a systematic plan of executing works to ensure that the districts which have not been attended to are attended to on time? I have observed that various districts have been lit, but there is no systematic way of lighting the districts. Does the Government have a systematic plan of executing the street lighting programme?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, like I indicated in my response earlier, the systematic plan for street lighting should come from individual councils. It is the responsibility of councils to plan for the lighting of the roads under their jurisdiction.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, in a situation whereby the money which was allocated for a council to mount street lights is not released to the council, as the case was for Kalomo Council, what can the ministry do?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member must be aware that the disbursement of funds first starts with the Ministry of Finance. There are times when other pressing needs arise, and so, money is not released to the ministry. It is difficult for my ministry to do anything about that situation, when money has not been made available to the ministry from the Treasury.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, since the hon. Minister has challenged councils to prepare street lighting plans, can he assure us that if the councils brought such plans to his ministry, he would give them money to carry out that programme? Can he give us that assurance?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I did stress the fact that the responsibility to come up with plans to mount street lights and implement those plans lies with individual councils. The ministry will certainly come in to help these individual councils.  I am aware of hon. Members of Parliament who have used their initiative and applied part of their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to mount street lights.

Mr Speaker, at the moment, the street lights that we have depend on power supply from the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO). We have requested our technical staff at the ministry to look at the different designs of street lights, particularly those that use solar power, so that we do not end up with non-working mounted street lights as a result of the power cuts that we are experiencing because this will defeat the whole purpose of putting up street lights. We are, therefore, looking at various sources and options of street lighting.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE ACROSS KAFUE RIVER TO LINK MUKUBWE AND NGABWE CHIEFDOMS

195. Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi) asked the Minister of Works and Supply when construction of a bridge across the Kafue River, to link Mukubwe and Ngabwe Chiefdoms in Kapiri Mposhi Parliamentary Constituency, would commence.

The Deputy Minister of Works and Supply (Dr Mwali): Mr Speaker, it is envisaged that the construction of this bridge will commence in the first quarter of 2017, after the detailed designs for the bridge have been finalised.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Musonda: Mr Speaker, at the moment, the people in Ngabwe are unable to cross the Kafue River because the pontoon is of no use due to the low water levels. What is the Government planning to do, in the interim, before 2017, to help the travelling public between the two chiefdoms?

The Minister of Works and Supply (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, currently, the evaluation of proposals is taking place under the procurement process. We expect the contracts for the designing to be issued early next year. This will take eight months, hence the year 2017 for the completion of the works.

Mr Speaker, indeed, there is a pontoon. However, when water levels go down, people improvise by using canoes. When water levels rise, the people will be able to use that pontoon.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, there are bailey bridges, which were meant for the Kalabo/Mongu Road, just lying idly in Mongu. Hon. Minister, why can they not get those bailey bridges from Mongu and erect a temporary bridge between these two chiefdoms so that the people can move easily?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, those bailey bridges have been earmarked for some of the crossing points in the Western Provinces. If the hon. Member would like to forgo one of the crossing points in the Western Province, we can use the material to erect a temporary bridge in Kapiri Mposhi Parliamentary Constituency.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister told us about several bridges that were to be brought into the country for installation across various rivers. Where are those bridges and why have they not been put up in areas like Kapiri Mposhi, for instance, where they are needed? Are you waiting for the United Party for National Development (UPND) to come into Government and undertake this programme?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I do not think that they will come into Government.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Mukanga: Sir, we will do the work ourselves. We have the on-going Acrow Bridge Project, which will provide about 144 bridges. We are doing some designs, which will be finished in March, 2016. Thereafter, the project will be implemented.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether or not his ministry encourages the usage of canoes. If it does, is he aware that the people who use this mode of transportation are not trained at all?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, at the moment, our inspectors are carrying out inspections on the water bodies to ensure that people know how to use the various water vessels. I am sure that the hon. Member is aware that canoes have always been used in the past.

I thank you, Sir.

LICENCING OF FIREARMS

196. Mr Mbewe asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    how many firearm licences were issued countrywide from 2011 to 2014, year by year, to:

(i)    individuals; and
(ii)    private security firms; and

(b)    what measures had been taken to ensure that the country was not flooded with illegal firearms.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that 1,734 individuals were issued with firearm licences between 2011 and 2014, broken down as follows:

Year    No. of Firearms

2011    406
  2012    310
  2013    632
2014    386

Mr Speaker, 120 forearm licences were issued to private security firms between 2011 and 2014, broken downs as follows:

Year    No. of Firearms

2011    39
2012    26
2013    26
2014    29

Mr Speaker, the following measures have been taken to ensure that the country is not flooded with illegal firearms:

(i)    firearms in Zambia are only bought from licensed dealers whose imports are checked by security agencies;

(ii)    a pin-marking machine was procured to mark all firearms in line with the United Nations (UN) guidelines, aimed at fighting the illegal trade of weapons; and

(iii)    there is an amnesty programme in place that allows those with illegal firearms to voluntarily surrender them without being prosecuted.

Mr Speaker, those who will contravene this statute will obviously attract the full wrath of the law, so that it can act as a deterrent.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, a gun is one of the most dangerous weapons one can have. When you are shot at and you hear the sound, then, you know you are alive.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Sir, what are the minimum qualifications for an individual or company to qualify to apply for a gun licence?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, one of the overriding considerations is that the applicant must not have a criminal record. Secondly, he or she must be conversant with the type of firearm for which he or she is applying for a licence. All this information is revealed in the process of interrogation at the time the applicant is making such an application.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, we had brought a Motion to this House to ban or control the issuance of licences for guns. Your answer indicates the seriousness of the careless use of guns. We are aware that our supporters were shot in Mongu and Mulobezi. What steps are being taken to curb the careless use of guns?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, most of the examples that are being alluded to are still under investigation by departments under my ministry. Suffice for me to say, it is true that a firearm is a very offensive weapon which must only be in the hands of those who deserve to own it. We have put stringent measures in place to ensure that only those who qualify to own fire arms are issued with licences.

Sir, the hon. Member may wish to know that we are coming from a very unfortunate background where the wars that were being conducted around us caused some illegal firearms to find their way into the country. It is the duty of the Zambia Police Force to try to ensure that it confiscates firearms which are brought into the country illegally.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, when one gets a firearm licence, it enables him or her to buy bullets for the firearm. In most instances, when people apply for a firearm licence they indicate that it is for hunting purposes. We usually have hunting bans, but dealers still sell a lot of bullets meant for hunting even when there are bans. Has the ministry found out where these bullets are actually used? If they are not used for hunting when there is a ban, where are the bullets going?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, the question seems to be suggesting that there is some illegality being perpetrated. When a licence is issued for a firearm, it specifies how many bullets one can have at any given time. If you have ammunition in excess of what is stipulated, then you are contravening the law. If you are found in that situation, the law will visit you and punitive action will be taken against you. If there are hon. Members who have some information about some elements in the country that are colluding with firms charged with the responsibility of selling the bullets, they should behave as responsible citizens and report them so that appropriate action is taken.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sing’ombe: Mr Speaker, Dundumwezi has been a victim of gun violence. The hon. Deputy Minister indicated that there was some amnesty in place for those who willingly surrender guns which are illegally in their possession. Is there any plan to also have an amnesty in place whereby those with illegal firearms can have them registered instead of surrendering them?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, the amnesty is only for those who surrender firearms which are not registered. If you have got a legally registered firearm, then the amnesty does not apply to you because you are ...

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1045 hours until 1100 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, the illegally acquired firearms are acquired in different ways. In the rural parts of the country, there are muzzle guns which are manufactured by the villages. Being in possession of such guns without a licence is illegal. It is our hope that during this amnesty period, such firearms will be surrendered without any prosecution. No questions are going to be asked for as long as they are surrendered within the time frame that had been put in place for the purpose of this exercise.

I thank you, Sir.  

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, in response to Hon. Muntanga’s question, the hon. Minister stated that the Government is confiscating illegally owned weapons.

Mr Speaker, in Nalikwanda Constituency, two people have in the last two months, been killed by karavinas. The police have been informed about the incident. Those involved are known by the police including the type of weapon which they used. The cleaning up and the confiscation of the weapons has not yet taken place in Nalikwanda despite several complaints have been registered several times. Can the hon. Minister assure the people of the Western Province in general and Nalikwanda, in particular that, this cleaning up and confiscation of firearms is real and will be intensified in that part of the country.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, I am particularly interested in the hon. Member’s part of the question where he says, “These people are known.” I would like to throw a challenge back at the hon. Member. He has the responsibility to take it upon himself and report the matter to the police. If they will not take any action, he should report the police officers as well. We need to take definitive action against the karavinas. We also take action against police officers who fail to take appropriate action.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, in giving out licences for firearms, I hope the ministry is taking into account cultural considerations. In Liuwa, for example, it is a fact that every man who has any pride of any sort feels duty-bound to own a gun. I am not saying this to maim anyone. All I am saying is that in some cultures, a man feels proud to own a gun or  spear. Can the hon. Minister assure us that in giving licences, the people of Liuwa who pride in having guns will not be disadvantaged because of a few criminal elements that abuse the guns.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, cultural practices cannot be taken as part and parcel of the law. The law is very clear. The procedures are spelt out that if those subjects that are being referred to in Liuwa want to obtain a gun or a firearm of any calibre, they should be subjected to the same law which everyone else follows. They must go through the same process of investigations or interrogations. If they qualify, they will be given gun ownership licences.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma): Mr Speaker, in other countries, people are allowed to buy guns without licences. Now, if someone comes into the country with a gun which has been bought in that manner, does the person need to surrender the gun and apply for a licence?

Mr Speaker: I hope the hon. Minister has followed that question.

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, anyone coming into the country from outside with a firearm which is unlicenced must surrender it to the relevant authorities at the port of entry. The law will visit any individual who sneaks an unlicenced firearm into the country.

  I thank you, Sir.

  Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, in responding to a question about the qualifications for one to own a firearm, the hon. Minister indicated that one should not have a criminal record.

  Mr Speaker, I think the qualification of not having a criminal record alone is not sufficient. I think a little bit more investigations on the people who are applying for firearms needs to be carried out. The mental state of the applicants needs to be ascertained. We have seen a lot of women getting killed by their husbands who have firearms. Should the Government not do a little bit more to ensure that licences for firearm ownership are not given to people who might abuse them.

  Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, that is a very good question. A person not having a criminal record is not the only prerequisite. There are several prerequisites. One, for example, must be of a sane mind. He must not be a mad person. Age factor also comes in. The minimum age at which you are allowed to own a gun is twenty-one. A minor cannot own a gun. There are several factors which are considered before a licence is issued. The officers who are charged with the responsibility of issuing out the licences use different psychological techniques when interrogating a person who is applying for a licence to own a firearm.

  I thank you, Sir.

STAFF ESTABLISHMENT FOR CHADIZA DISTRICT OFFICE

197. Mr Mbewe asked the Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare:

(a)    what the staff establishment for the district office in Chadiza was;

(b)    what the current staffing levels were;

(c)    if there were shortfalls, when more staff would be deployed to the district; and

(d)    when motor vehicles for the Chadiza District Office would be procured to enhance operations.
The Deputy Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare (Mr Chisala): Mr Speaker, at district level, the ministry has two departments, namely Social Welfare and Community Development. The two departments have the following establishment:

Department of Social Welfare    
        
Position                        No. of staff

District Social Welfare Officer            1

Assistant Social Welfare Officer            1

Typist            1

Office Orderly            1

Department of Community Development

District Community Development Officer        1

Assistant Community Development Officer        2

Community Development Assistant            7

Typist            1

Office Orderly        1

Mr Speaker, the current staffing levels are as follows:

Department of Social Welfare

Position    No. of Staff    

District Social Welfare Officer        1

Assistant Social Welfare Officer        1

Typist        1

Office Orderly        1

Department of Community Development

District Community Development Officer        1

Assistant Community Development Officer        2

Community Development Assistant        7

Typist         Vacant

Office Orderly        1

Mr Speaker, currently, the Chadiza Social Welfare Office has no shortfalls as the establishment is filled. The Chadiza Community Development Office has a shortfall of a typist which the ministry is in the process of recruiting.

Sir, the Chadiza Social Welfare Office has a Jeep which is grounded. The office is waiting for funds to procure the spare parts. The Chadiza Community Development Office has one Toyota Hilux which is a project vehicle under the Expanded Food Security Pack Programme. There are considerations of procuring a pool vehicle in 2016 when funds are available.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I do not have any follow-up question.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, I believe my brother from Chadiza is very disappointed with the responses. That is why he did not ask a follow-up question.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Mtolo: Sir, has the hon. Minister taken time to see the Jeep?

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, our Provincial Social Welfare Officer informed us that the vehicle is a wreck. That is why we are making frantic efforts to purchase a new vehicle for the department under discussion.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF FEEDER ROAD FROM THE SENANGA/MONGU ROAD TO ITUFA SCHOOL

198. Mr Mufalali asked the Local Government and Housing:

(a)    when the construction of the feeder road from the Senanga/Mongu Road to Itufa School in Senanga Parliamentary Constituency would be completed;

(b)    why the contractor abandoned the project;

(c)    what action had been taken against the contractor; and

(d)    what measures the Government was taking to ensure that the project is completed.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mr Speaker, the construction of the feeder road from Senanga/Mongu Road to Itufa School is planned for completion during the 2016 works programme for feeder and rural roads.

Sir, the contractor failed to complete the project citing financial constraints and that the rates were not favourable to sustain the works.

Mr Speaker, the action taken against the contractor was the termination of the contract.

Sir, the ministry has put the project in the 2016 Annual Work Plan.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out the length of the road that will be constructed when the ministry undertakes the project.

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, since the project was procured by the council, we have requested the local authority to come up with the bill of quantities (BoQ) for the works that the ministry will undertake.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the contractor failed to complete the project because the money he was given was not enough to sustain the works. The ministry plans to complete these works next year. Does the Government intend to increase the amount of money that it will give to the new contractor so that the job is completed well?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, let me state that the contractor bid a low price for the project. Therefore, he abandoned the works and the contract was terminated. Like I indicated, the ministry is waiting for the BoQ from the local authority to complete this project.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Habeenzu (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister give us the initial sum of the project.

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, the initial sum was K240,000.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to categorically state whether the only punishment that was meted out was the termination of the contract and nothing else.

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, the termination of the contract was one of the punishments given. The local authority also asked the contractor to pay back the money that was initially given to him. Unfortunately, the contractor passed on. Further, the local authority blacklisted his company.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that the contractor under quoted the value of the project. What prompted the council to pick on that contractor who under estimated the cost of the project?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, indeed, this case reflects the lack of capacity of the local authorities to do certain things. If there was enough capacity to scrutinise the bids and ascertain that the rates the contractor had put in his bid were not viable for him to execute the works, the council would not have even picked him in the first place. So, the ministry will try to help the local authority to identify a new contractor to execute the works. It is, indeed, regrettable that the works were not completed because the project was being funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). Unfortunately, DANIDA is no longer funding this project. The ministry will try to help the local authority to find a suitable contractor with commercial rates that will sustain the completion of the project.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION AT SUNKUTU CROSSING POINT ON THE LUANGWA RIVER

199. Prof. Willombe asked the Minister of Works and Supply;

(a)    when the construction of the bridge at Sunkutu Crossing Point on the Luangwa River in Mporokoso District would commence;

(b)    what had caused the delay in commencing the project;

(c)    what the total cost of the project was; and

(d)    what the time frame for completion of the project was.

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, Sunkutu Bridge is one of the bridges identified under the Acrow bridges projects. The works are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2016 upon completion of the detailed designs.

Sir, there have been no delays in commencing the project as the study for the designs is ongoing. The cost of the project will be known once the detailed designs have been finalised. Lastly, the time frame for completion of this project will be known once the designs have been finalised.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Prof. Willombe: Sir, in the leaflets that were issued by the Road Development Agency (RDA), the Sunkutu Bridge is item No. 1 on the list of the works to be undertaken by this Government. It is now four years since this project has been penidng. I have been to the RDA several times trying to inquire over the same project, but to no avail. If the bridge is the first item on the list of the Acrow bridges projects, I would like an assurance that no works on other bridges will commence before that project takes off.

Dr Mwali: Sir, the works under the Acrow bridges projects will definitely commence. Since the works on a bridge at the Sunkutu Crossing Point is the first item on the list, definitely, it will be the first item to be worked on. We are confident that the studies will be completed in February, next year. Thereafter, works will commence in the second quarter.

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

________

BILLS

REPORT STAGE

The Gender Equity and Equality Bill, 2015

Report adopted.

Third Reading on Tuesday, 1st December, 2015.

THIRD READING

The following Bill was read the third time and passed:

The Lands (Amendment) Bill, 2015

________

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the
 Chair]

VOTE 88 – (Muchinga Provinces – K50,625,853), VOTE 90 – (Lusaka Province – K60,533,931), VOTE 91 – (Copperbelt Province – K68,773,031), VOTE 92 – (Central Province – K64,656,749), VOTE 93 – (Northern Province – (K63,924,668), VOTE 94 – (Western Province – K69,401,741), VOTE 95 – (Eastern Province – K61,063,176), VOTE 96 – (Luapula Province – K60,771,073), VOTE 97 – (North-Western Province – K59,303,719), and VOTE 98 – (Southern Province – K80,642,037).

(Consideration resumed)

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Chairperson, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the Vote for the Copperbelt Province.

Sir, before I commence my debate, I would like, once again, to convey my condolences to the people of Senior Chief Ndubeni for the loss of their chief. I want to thank the hon. Deputy Minister for the province for having stayed with us at the funeral house.

Mr Chairperson, let me also thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia for the statement he made yesterday during the press conference …

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: … because, at least, it gave the people hope of how we are going to recover from the economic shocks. I, therefore, hope the people who have been mandated to implement what the President pronounced will deliver. I know that some of the pronouncements were very difficult to announce. A man must make the difficult decisions sometimes in life.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Chairperson, I want to state that during the current year, the people of Mpongwe and the Copperbelt, in particular, have not seen much development, especially in the rural Copperbelt because of the late release of funds for this province by the Ministry of Finance. I hope that there will be some improvement in the coming year. It is our hope that the money will be released monthly to the province so that the people can be able execute their functions effectively.

Mr Chairperson, I am glad that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has heard the cries of the people of Mpongwe and responded by taking back the polling stations that had earlier been removed. We are so grateful for that. Right now, the officers from Mpongwe Parliamentary Constituency are busy with the voter registration exercise in which people are actively participating.

Sir, let me also thank the Office of Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning, through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), for sending a team of officers to go and assess the Lwankuni Bridge. I am sure that a report regarding works on that bridge is being compiled. However, I would like to appeal to that team to quickly go back and start constructing the bridge. I do not want the Government to engage any private contractor. It should use the Zambia National Service (ZNS) or the Zambia Army. That way, we will avoid time wasting by the so-called contractors who, most of the time, over-charge for their services and we still do not get value for their works.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to also comment on the much-pronounced Pave Zambia 2,000 Kilometres Road Project. I do not know in which Copperbelt town this project has kicked off from. I know we were told that in Mpongwe Parliamentary Constituency, this project would commence in 2019. I have, however, not seen it anywhere in the ten districts on the Copperbelt. The C400 Kilometres Road Project has only benefitted the seven urban districts. I want a categorical statement made on the Floor of this House that the Government will cut 20 km from each of the seven districts and then take those kilometres to the three rural districts. I was just being told by my council secretary that the council has been told to submit 15 km of roads to be done in 2017. We are not interested in 2017. We want roads to be done now under the C400 Kilometres Road km Project. This project is on-going and so, we would like to see something done from that. The Copperbelt has ten districts. Masaiti, Mpongwe and Lufwanyama are part of those districts on the Copperbelt. So, we also want to benefit from the C400 Kilometres Road Project. It is not for the urban areas only. If you leave us out, then you must tell us where we belong. I am confident that you are going to give us, at least, 20 km each under this project.

Sir, we appreciate the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) being moved to the Zambia National Service. However, as the RRU collaborates with the provincial administration, it must give priority to the rural parts of the Copperbelt. For instance, there were some roads that were assessed and contracts for their rehabilitation signed, but the contractors did not move on site. So, can the Government see to it that the roads in these areas that produce food are properly attended to. The roads in Masaiti and Mpongwe parliamentary constituencies are pathetic because the contractors who were engaged to work on them have not done that. We have not even been told why that was so even after they signed contracts with the Government.

Mr Chairperson, I have also noticed the rampant charcoal burning which is taking place in the province. I am worried that if this is not checked, all the trees will be cut down. That will affect the rain pattern. So, can the forest officers control the charcoal burning. Depleting our forests will also affect the water sources such as rivers. This will affect our agriculture. So far, it is raining well on the Copperbelt and so, we should not let charcoal burning destroy our rain pattern.

Sir, I have also noticed that the Copperbelt Province has had its funding reduced. I am aware that although the implementation of projects is done in the provinces, the disbursement of most funds is centralised. Is it possible, therefore, to ensure that there is a close link between the ministries and the provincial administration, which is fully aware of the people’s suffering. If the Ministry of Local Government and Housing embarks on any projects, it should ensure that the provincial administration is made aware of those projects so it can co-ordinate those projects depending on which areas need those services the most.

Mr Chairperson, I am also cognisant of the fact that teachers, especially in Masaiti and Mpongwe, do not have accommodation. They are now being forced to go and rent houses in Luanshya. As a result, they have very few hours of work. So, when the Ministry of General Education starts looking at the employment of teachers and teachers’ accommodation, could it also ensure it works hand in hand with the provincial administration, so that the Provincial Education Officer (PEO) and his team do what is best for the people of the Copperbelt rural.

Sir, the boreholes which are sunk are not adequate. We need as many boreholes as possible so that we can prevent water-borne diseases. So, could we have more boreholes sunk in the rural parts of the Copperbelt, more especially that we do not benefit from the services offered by the water and sewerage companies operating in those areas. So, it is for this reason that we are asking to be given more boreholes as opposed to the Government sinking boreholes in places which are serviced by the water and sewerage companies.

Mr Chairperson, I have also noticed that under the Vote for the Copperbelt Province, there is a provision for traditional ceremonies. Unfortunately our Royal Highnesses do not receive any such funds. So, where does this money go? Is it allocated so it can pay officers’ allowances? When there is a provision for traditional ceremonies in the Budget, we expect that some of that money will go towards the hosting of traditional ceremonies. Can we see funds being released towards the ceremonies. Otherwise, it becomes very difficult for me to approve the budget for a Vote whose benefits I do not see. It is on the Copperbelt Province where we have chiefs, but the people benefitting from such allocations are officers who live in town. This money is not meant for them, and so, I want to see chiefs benefitting from this funding through traditional ceremonies.

Sir, I was happy with the answer that Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning gave regarding the loss of jobs in the mines. This is a serious issue and we must bear in mind the fact that copper is a diminishing asset. I know that our people from the rural areas earn their living from selling agriculture produce to the people who work in the mines, and I think they have been providing a good market. So, the job losses in the mines will also result in the loss of income for people from the rural areas. This is because they will no longer be able to sell their produce to the mine employees. I want to appeal to the people who are losing jobs. I wish to tell them that not all hope is lost. When one door closes, another one is opened.

Mr Chairperson, copper is a diminishing asset and at times, even as the Government, we must move away from depending on copper. So, what we need is to think about the future. We need to think outside the box and find out what other sources of income the country can venture into. We must also think that at some point, copper will finish and the mines will close. So, when that happens, are we going to cry out to God so that he can put more ore in the soils of the Copperbelt? The answer is no. So, we should take this opportunity to diversify our economy. I remember in the past, there used to be an allocation for diversification under the Copperbelt Province’s budget. That allocation has now been removed, but we are still talking about diversification. It is very important that we diversify from copper.

Mr Chairperson, we have a lot of land that can be used for agriculture. For instance, in Lufwanyama, as much as 100,000 ha can be opened up for a farming block. People can take advantage of this and produce various goods which can be sold to countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has a ready market. I would also like to appeal to the Copperbelt Provincial Administration to take advantage of the joint permanent commission that exists between Zambia and the DRC to market our commodities. We should also curb smuggling so that people use the proper channels to sell their goods and allow the nation to earn some revenue.

Mr Chairperson, people in the rural part of the Copperbelt Province need the Government’s support to continue being productive. The Government should increase the amount of fertiliser it gives to us in the rural areas. Mpongwe is the bread basket of the Copperbelt Province. I would also like to appeal to the hon. Minister of Energy and Water Development to ensure that load-shedding is reduced in farming areas. For instance, Mpongwe has got big farms that need electricity for irrigation. Reduced load-shedding will lead to increased productivity. That way, we can do away with importing certain goods that we can produce locally. I think our people on the Copperbelt are trying to be productive. Let us ensure that we support them by releasing funds in a timely manner.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Chairperson, as I contribute to the debate on the Vote for the Southern Province, I want the hon. Deputy Minister for this province to be allowed to listen because, as you can see, there are some distractions where he is seated. He is a good hon. Deputy Minister whom I want to hear me out.

Sir, the people of the Southern Province are hardworking. They generate their own money. All they need is for the Government to provide social services. In this regard, we have been talking about the rehabilitation of feeder roads so that people who depend on farming can easily transport their produce. For instance, Chikanta has got a lot of farmers because the land is still very fertile. These farmers do not actually need the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).  However, the road from Kalomo to Chikanta is terrible.

Mr Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, we need graders to work on the entire stretch of this road, instead of going halfway to Chibomboma, as is the case at the moment. What we have heard is that the equipment broke down. The hon. Deputy Minister for Southern Province should ensure that the Rural Roads Unit (RRU), which is now under the Zambia National Service (ZNS), goes back to work on this road. There are a lot of farmers that depend on it.

Sir, the road from Nakatala, through Nkandazovu to Ngoma, also needs urgent rehabilitation. The people in the area need this road to transport their produce, especially now that the e-voucher system has now been introduced. I will come and talk about that later. The bridge on the road between Nkandazovu and Chizuni also needs to be worked on. When we lost ten lives on that bridge, we were assured that it would be one of the bridges to be rehabilitated with the equipment from the United States of America. We were excited that this problem would be solved. The hon. Deputy Minister needs to follow up that matter.

Mr Chairperson, there is a need to work on various feeder roads that link the famous Bottom Road to other areas. The Bottom Road, which seems to get many people excited, starts from Siavonga all the way to Kalomo. The hon. Deputy Minister needs to go and check on what is happening with the works on this road.  Only 25 km of the Bottom Road have been rehabilitated. That is not good enough. Our colleagues should not wait for us to work on this road when we come into power. They need to make a name for themselves. This is a catch twenty-two situation. If they do not do it, we will be very happy because it will contribute to our winning the next general election. If they do it, however, they will leave a good legacy.

 Sir, as we all know, the Monze/Niko Road is being tarred.  Since the road is important, works on it need to be hastened. Other roads in Monze and Choma are also being tarred. We are waiting for this exercise to come to Kalomo, which was one of the first towns in this country. Unfortunately, not a single road in Kalomo has ever been tarred. The bridge on the road linking Kalomo to the district headquarters is very narrow. I took the hon. Deputy Minister to go and look at it. We need that bridge expanded.

Hon. Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, we are building a beautiful hospital in Kalomo, and the hon. Minister of Health knows this. However, due to the bad state of the roads in the area, people will be dying on the way to the hospital. The road linking Kalomo to Itezhi-tezhi, through the game park, should be tarred. There was an allocation for the rehabilitation of this road some time back, but it was not done.

Mr Chairperson, let me now come to the e-voucher system, which I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, my good friend, the hon. Minister of Agriculture, has left the Chamber. Why are trials for this programme being done in an area that is highly productive? The e-voucher system is causing us headaches. I agree that it has managed to curb fraud in administering the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). The officers in the Ministry of Agriculture that were benefiting from the previous arrangement have now become bottlenecks to the success of the e-voucher programme. They do not issue the e-voucher cards to people. Every time farmers go to collect their cards, they are told that they have run out. One farmer was not given a card because it had only an initial instead of his full first name. He was told that the name must be complete. What makes people think like that? The officers who were benefiting from FISP are now frustrating the farmers. The ministry needs to go and check what is going on.

Mr Chairperson, while farmers are still battling to get e-voucher cards, the rains have started. They need to plant early. If they delay, then that is it. They will not get another chance. To start with, the allocation under FISP to each farmer is not enough, as we have stated before. I know the hon. Minister announced that it would be increased, but to date we have not seen that increment. The allocation is K1,400 per farmer when fertiliser is K450 per 50 kg bag. How many bags of fertiliser can be bought from that amount? That is a terrible way of doing things. It is like the people along the line of rail from Kalomo, Choma to Monze in the Southern Province are being marginalised. Some areas, however, where maize is not even grown are receiving free fertiliser so that the Government can come and claim that there is a bumper harvest next year.

Sir, whenever the Southern Province experiences a minor drought, the whole country suffers. It is raining now in the North-Western and Northern provinces. If nothing is grown in these places, everybody will be complaining about the drought in the Southern Province. This brings me to the issue of dams. There are only four dams being constructed in the Southern Province. We need many. The dams are not only for the cattle’s drinking water, but can be used for irrigating crops. The hon. Deputy Minister for the province should look into this matter.

 Mr Chairperson, one thing I find unacceptable is the idea of encouraging former miners to become farmers. Farming should be treated like a dumping ground for anybody. How do we expect someone who has been a miner his/her entire life to become a farmer just because he or she has lost a job?  These are the people who just sub-divide the land they are given, sell it and go back to the townships. These are the facts that we must face. If our colleagues on your right hand side are not sure of what they are doing, they should get a programme like we have in the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, those losing jobs in the mines might be interested in other fields, other than farming. Therefore, merely giving them land to farm is not helpful. Those that were given farm land in Serenje have already sold it because farming is not their way of life. Farming is inborn. For us, whether we are given fertiliser or not, we will still farm. What we want is the Government to be responsive to agriculture activities in the Southern Province.

Mr Mwiimbu: It has failed.

Mr Muntanga: The e-voucher system has failed. I have realised that it is only going to bite us in the Southern province. You cannot dig a borehole or make a dam without permission. For the benefit of the hon. Minister, in the Southern Province we have had several dams made before Independence. When we made that law, we were made to understand that for two years, the Government would give funding to build and repair damaged dams. Now, the farmers are complaining. Those who built their own dams are not getting any support in as far as repairing them is concerned. What do they want us to do?

Mr Chairperson, in the Southern Province we pay more for land because most of it is under title. Most chiefs in the Southern Province have no land. From Livingstone up to Kafue, you see a lot of fences around most of the land. The people who own the land pay ground rates, but cannot be assisted by way of repairing their dams. The Government should take stock of all the old dams which were made by individuals and see how it can help repair them.

Mr Chairperson, the issuance of the National Registration Cards (NRCs) and registration of voters has been causing a lot of problems. Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning indicated here clearly that those issuing NRCs will work together with the ones who are registering voters. The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has done something very well by putting up so many teams for the current voter registration exercise. For example, in my constituency, I have eleven teams which are registering voters, but only one team issuing the NRCs. The exercise will not succeed, especially with the council secretaries who are there. They cannot intervene so that the teams issuing out the NRCs can go to unserviced area. I appeal to you, hon. Minister of Home Affairs, to send more teams for the issuance of the NRCs. If they are going to have eleven teams for voter registration, let us have eleven teams for the issuance of NRCs.

Mr Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, if the problem which is there is that there are too many teams from the ECZ, then we should also increase the teams issuing voters’ cards. That way we will manage the process properly unlike what is happening now. We still have voters’ registration centres in places where people have not been issued with the NRCs.

Mr Chairperson, I have a lot to say for the Southern Province. Let me now talk about the provision of electricity. We are now talking about the Kariba Dam being dry. However, even when it was not dry, we were not given the electricity coming from Siavonga.

Mr Mwiimbu: But we should urinate.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Yes, a suggestion was made by someone that we must urinate in the Kariba Dam to make it full again. That is total craziness.

Mr Chairperson, the solar plants which are being put in place should be connected to schools. We do not want our children to be illiterate. The children without computers in rural areas were being examined. How do you examine a child without a computer at night around 0300 hours? I am talking about this because I witnessed it. We want to be helped in the Southern Province. We know that the Government officials are now talking about the solar hammer mills. Can the hon. Deputy Minister fight so that we get a fair share of those hammer mills. We know that there is already one in Kasama which is a big machine and the price of mealie meal has reduced to K45 per bag.

Mr Chairperson, why do we pay high prices for mealie meal, but are lowly paid for growing maize? If solar milling plants are put in place in the Southern Province, the people there will have access to cheap mealie meal. The solar milling plants should also be made available in the Southern Province. Let us not be just a talk shop.

Mr Mwenya: Question!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, someone is shouting the word ‘Question,’ because he is so selfish.

Sir, contrary to what we were promised, the dip tanks have not been put up in the Southern Province. The hon. Deputy Minister should follow up that matter. There is a dip tank at Siachitema which was poorly done. They should consult us when doing such works. The quotations of hundreds of kwacha for a dip tank are not correct. We can construct better dip tanks.

Mr Milambo: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: Not those dip tanks for hundreds of kwacha.

Mr Mwiimbu: 20,000.

Mr Muntanga: We can construct a good dip tank for K20,000. They should just pay us and we will construct the dip tanks.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: So, hon. Deputy Minister let them release the money to you. You and us will do a good job. Then our cattle will be safe and we shall export beef. Botswana exports beef. The only people who can do this in this country come from the Southern Province and our friends and brothers from the Western Province …

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Mr Muntanga: … who may not necessarily need dip tanks, but spray laces. The people from the Western Province talk about spraying laces. For the Southern Province, we want dip tanks because then, you will be sure that people will not have to worry about repairing machines to pump water.

Mr Chairperson, due to time, I want to accept that I should surrender discussing further.

I thank you, very much.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!   

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me a chance to debate on the Vote on the Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, from the start, I will state that the Western Province is a forgotten province. Since the PF Government came into power, it has done nothing in the Western Province ...

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: … apart from arresting people.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, let me start by talking about the Link Zambia 8,000 Kilometres Road Project. There were roads which were supposed to be part of the project like the Kalongola/Kalabo Road, Sioma/Shang’ombo Road, Luampa/Machile/Simungoma Road, Kaoma/Kasempa Road, Limulanga via Mushituwambumu to Lukulu Road, Katunda/Lukulu Road and many other roads. However, none of the roads have been worked on in the four years of the PF Government. None of these roads which are in the Link Zambia 8,000 Kilometres Road Project has started. Yesterday, His Excellency the President said no more new roads will be started which means the people of the Western Province have lost. The Patriotic Front (PF) projects have failed the people of the Western Province because no road has been worked on for four years in the area.

Mr Chairperson, the hunger situation in the Western Province is very serious. We have been told on the Floor of this House that no one will starve in Zambia. The people in the Western Province are feeding on roots. They are digging up roots to eat while this PF Government is claiming that it is a caring Government.

Mr Chairperson, if this Government has no capacity to feed the people, why can it not just declare a disaster so that other people can come in and feed the people who are starving?

Mr Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: What type of Government is this?

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, its officials have kept on saying that no one will starve when people are starving. The price of mealie meal in Mambolomoka Ward is K150.

Hon. Government Members: Hmm!

Mr Sing’ombe: Yes!

Mr Ndalamei: Ask Hon. Njeulu. He will tell you.

Interruptions

Mr Kambwili: Ask who?

Mr Ndalamei: Ah!

Hon. Njeulu.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Ask him.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: People in Mambolomoka are buying a bag of roller meal at K150.

Mr Chilangwa: Address the Chair.

Mr Ndalamei: In Lueti, it is K130.

Mr Milambo: Can you imagine.

Mr Ndalamei: Clearly, this Government is just sitting here …

Mr Mwenya: On a point of order, Mr Chairperson.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwenya: Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me an opportunity to raise a point of order.

Mr Chairperson, is the hon. Member of Parliament on the Floor who is trying to debate and raise issues about his constituency in order not to remove whatever he has in his mouth…

Laughter

Mr Mwenya: … so that he can come out very clearly?

Interruptions

Mr Mwenya: Sir, we need to hear what he is saying so that when the time comes for us to respond, we address the issues which he is raising properly.

I need your serious ruling, Mr Chairperson.

The Chairperson: That is how the Member speaks.

Can the hon. Member debating, continue.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, I think that he is hearing me clearly. This is the system of the Patriotic Front (PF). This is why it is failing.

Laughter

The Chairperson: Order!

Hon. Member, I have already ruled. Just debate.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, there are twelve wards in Sikongo, but the PF Government took 400 x 50 kg bags of maize to Tuwa Mambolomoka Ward because there was a by-election and left the other eleven to starve. It was all done to buy votes. This is the type of Government we have. The PF Government is a failed project.

Mr Ndalamei laughed.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, let me talk about the education sector in the Western Province. The Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) completed the construction of the Sikongo High School in 2011, but the PF Government has failed to just procure a transformer for it. It is the same for Nakanya in Nalikwanda and Libonda schools in Liuwa. This Government has failed to procure a transformer to connect Sikongo to the national grid in four years. The same is the case for Musilwamba in Kaoma. Sikongo High Schools is not opened because of not having a transformer. Libonda High School is still where we left it. The Government has not provided any money to complete the school, yet it is saying that there is development all over the country. Where is the development?  

Mr Chairperson, there are no teachers in schools in Sikongo.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, when they recruited teachers, they never gave any to any of the schools which had requested for them. There are schools where there is only one teacher. At Lumbamba, for example, one teacher teaches classes from grades one to seven. Is he a magician? How can one teacher teach grades one to seven? When he goes to collect his salary, he closes the school.

Mr Miyanda: Bauze, mbuya.

Mr Ndalamei: They come here and say that the PF is a caring and pro-poor Government. All those slogans of more money are no more, now.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, where is the money they promised the people? They promised the people that there would be more money in their pockets. Where is it? They are now quiet. They can no longer say more money in people’s pockets because they are ashamed. There is no money in the pockets of the people now. People are losing jobs everywhere. They have destroyed the economy of this country because they are a wasteful Government.

Laughter

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, this Government did a ground breaking ceremony for a stadium in Mongu, wasting tax payers’ money.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, they wasted tax payers’ money to do a ground breaking ceremony for a stadium that had no contractor and no money. There is just a bush now. That is the PF Government for you. The site for the stadium is now a bush. I do not know what they will tell the people.

Mr Chairperson, the Judiciary in the Western Province is worse. There are court sessions that are conducted under trees, even in Nalolo.

Mr Muntanga: Nalolo?

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, it is everywhere. There was a question here, if you remember, and their response was that they would construct a court in 2017. There is no staff in the local courts. For example, at Situwo Local Court in Sikongo, the court clerk and the messenger just get salaries every month for nothing. They do not work.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister of Health is doing his job and I will praise him for that. He has completed the health posts that the MMD left because he is a listening hon. Minister, unlike the others. The hon. Minister of Health has done his job. He has completed Mabuwa and Mutala health posts which were left by the MMD. We give praise where people do well.

Mr Muntanga: What of tourism?

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, I normally become disturbed when I hear the PF boasting that it is doing the Kalabo/Mongu Road, a project it found with a contractor on site. It has failed to initiate even one project. It is like a man who marries a pregnant woman and claims the child.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Initiate your own projects.

Mr Antonio: Marrying a pregnant woman?

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, there is tourism potential in Liuwa, but there is no road heading there, not even a gravel road so that tourists can go and view the wild beasts there.

Hon. Member: The hon. Minister has failed.

Mr Muntanga: There is no tourism.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Chairperson, in 2011, without anyone asking, this Government promised the people of the Western Province that if they voted for it, it would restore the Barotseland Agreement of 1964. No one asked the PF members. They promised, on their own accord, but have been arresting whoever has been reminding them about this promise.

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: Sir, just reminding them of the promise gets people arrested. As we speak, people are in prison. During the week of reconciliation, they released some of them, but others are still in prison for reminding them of what they were promised. I do not know what you will tell them next year. So, I would only urge the people of the Western Province who are listening to just get voters’ cards ...

Laughter

Mr Ndalamei: ... and use them next year because the PF members have failed to deliver what they promised.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Chairperson, thank you for allowing me to add my voice to the debate on the North-Western Province. I am glad that we have an indigenous hon. Deputy Minister who is Kaonde and my traditional cousin. I want him to pay particular attention to my contribution. I listened attentively to Hon. Kasonso’s debate yesterday and he was not far from the truth. He told us exactly what is happening in the North-Western Province.

Sir, it would be deceitful for the hon. Deputy Minister to stand here and give a different picture about the North-Western Province. These ministerial jobs come and go. One day, he will have to go back where he came from. So, it is better for him to remain truthful about the situation in the province. The people of Zambia are listening. We are here as representatives of the people of Zambia.

Mr Chairperson, today, the North-Western Province is a great province because of its contribution to the economy of this country. It deserves a huge share of the country’s resources. The resources which this Government has given the province are nothing to talk about. To make matters worse, yesterday, the President said that no more new contracts for infrastructure development will be signed. Yet, the Mwinilunga/Jimbe (T5) Road is still dilapidated. Privately, the hon. Deputy Minister told me that a contract had been signed for works to start on this road.  I went and talked to the hon. Minister of Works and Supply, but he had no clue about that contract. If a contractor has been assigned to work on this road, I want to know his name, how much the contract is worth, and when he is going to start working on the road. The name of the contractor should not be a secret. It should be brought out in the open. That road is very critical not only to the people of the North-Western Province, but to the economy of this country as well.

Sir, when President Lungu visited Ikeleng’i, Government officers in the province mobilised some equipment to be used to work on roads around Ikeleng’i Township. They put some gravel on the roads. The people of Ikeleng’i appealed to the President to let the road leading to Jimbe be gravelled by the equipment which was mobilised by the Government officers. However, the moment the President left Ikeleng’i, the equipment was mobilised at night, and it disappeared. That was a deceitful action by the Government officials. My colleague, the hon. Deputy Minister of Works and Supply, whom I am very proud of, went to Ikeleng’i, but could not reach Jimbe because the road to Jimbe is impassable. It is in a terrible condition. We need the road to be, at least, gravelled. I have been talking about this issue for four years, but the hon. Ministers in the Patriotic Front (PF) Government have not heard me. Maybe, they have got wax in their ears. I do not know what I can use to remove that wax. Maybe I should use a hammer or a drill bit so that they can hear me. When that road is repaired, the people will be able to export goods to Angola. That is why that road is very critical. I will be surprised if the hon. Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province will stand here to defend what is happening in the province just because he wants to appease the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. I will de-campaign him in the province. He has to be brave and tell this Government the truth. This Government poached him for nothing. I was in that position, and I achieved nothing. Now he is there, and he is achieving nothing. I ended up in prison after being in that position.

Laughter

Mr Muchima: Mr Chairperson, in Nyakaseya ...

Mr Muntanga: You were incompetent, mwana.

Mr Muchima: Mwana, I was ...

Mr Chilangwa: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Chilangwa: Mr Chairperson, I thank you for granting me this point of order. I rise on a very serious point of order. Is the hon. Member of Parliament who was on the Floor, in order to blackmail the hon. Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province, who is doing a wonderful job in that province?

Sir, I need your serious ruling.

The Chairperson: Order!

Hon. Muchima, take that point of order into account as you debate. Somebody thinks that you are blackmailing the hon. Deputy Minister, which should not be the case.

You may continue with your debate.

Mr Muchima: Sir, there are some schools in the province, whose roofs have been blown up. Some classrooms at Nyakaseya Primary School have had no roofs for the past four years. I have been an hon. Minister for a long time and so I know that the hon. Deputy Minister for the province has the money to disburse in the province. We need his presence in the province. He was educated in Mwinilunga. Chinyazhi Primary School has only one classroom block for all the pupils. Mukang’ala and Muzenzi Primary schools also do not have roofs, and they do not have enough classrooms. They only have a 1 x 2 classroom block to cater for Grade 1 to 9 pupils.  As all this is happening, the hon. Deputy Minister is here very proudly saying that the PF is working.

Mr Chairperson, for the past four years, I have been singing about the lack of proper bridges in the province. There is a bridge between Kanong’esha and Mwininyilamba. No vehicle can pass on that bridge on Lwakela River. When the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) was in power, there was money assigned for that bridge to be repaired, but that money was diverted away from this project by the hon. Deputy Minister’s Office in Solwezi. The hon. Minister should look for those people who diverted that money because we need that bridge to be repaired. On the Zambezi River, there is Kalamba Bridge, which is also in a poor state. That bridge will be washed away very soon. I saw it three weeks ago, and it was in a very poor state. The Government should pay attention to it now. It will be difficult to repair it later. There is also Kasalamulombe Bridge in Ikeleng’i. A person died in Sachibondu because of the bad state of the bridge in that area. People are crying for bridges. They are even using planks to cross the river. I have talked about this issue for four years, but nothing has been done. However, the hon. Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province is busy escorting friends to launch the start of work on projects in their provinces. I am even surprised that Hon. Chilangwa stood up to question why I am saying these things, when the other day, he was complaining that there is no development in his constituency. I am speaking on his behalf, about the things which his Government has failed to deliver.   

Sir, in Mwinilunga, there is only one bank, which is the Finance Bank, servicing the people of Ikeleng’i. Why can the hon. Deputy Minister not influence the hon. Minister of Finance, our very kind uncle, to open a branch of the National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) in Mwinilunga, to serve the teachers, nurses and other professionals? The hon. Deputy Minister for the Northern Province once worked for NATSAVE. We need more banks to be established in the province so that people can stop travelling long distances to get to a bank.

Mr Chairperson, Ikeleng’i District has been in existence for the last six years. However, we do not have veterinary officers. We need a veterinary officer in the district. My colleague from the Southern Province was boasting about the number of cattle he has. I want to challenge him by telling him that I have got the best cattle in Ikeleng’i. I am a farmer, and I have got animals, which are better than his. His animals are starved.

Sir, does the Government have time to inspect the quality of work which the contractors are producing in the province? I went to a school which was built by a certain contractor, and I was disappointed to find that that the floor was cracked. The Government needs to consider hiring local contractors to carry out work in the province. We have quality contractors in the province, but the problem is that the Government wants to favour cadres by giving one contractor four or more contracts. As a result, these contractors are failing to do their work properly. They are producing poor quality work.

Mr Chairperson, let me come to ...

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Muchima: Muntanga, I am your friend, young man.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, with deep sadness, I rise on a point of order. Is the debater from Mwinilunga, in order to challenge me on the number of cattle I have, instead of talking about the little chickens he is keeping?

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, he asked me to give him an animal. However, because I have delayed to give it to him, he has dragged me into his debate.  He wants to compete with me over cattle which he does not have.

Sir, is he in order to try to turn his goats and chickens into cattle?

The Chairperson: Continue debating, but take that point of order into account.

Laughter

Mr Muchima: I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chairperson, the poorly conducted voter registration exercise in my area was not caused by the people, but by the Government, which was in a hurry. There was no need for the voter registration exercise team to rush to the area, and leave the National Registration Card (NRC) issuance team behind. If they had waited, it would have worked out well.

Sir, the teams are doing a commendable job. The problem is the voter registration team will withdraw from the area leaving the NRC issuance team. This means that the people will be forced to travel to the Boma to register as voters. Why can we not synchronise the projects so that the teams finish these exercises at the same time? This will be more sensible. If the voter registration team leaves the area, then goes back, again, more money will be wasted. The two teams did not start the exercises at the same time in my area as was the case in other areas. The voter registration team went ahead of the NRC team.

Mr Chairperson, the introduction of computer programmes in schools is a good idea. However, the people of Zambezi West, in the North-Western Province, only dream about electricity. They do not know about electricity. I do not know how this programme will be undertaken in this area, without electricity.

Sir, these are issues that we have discussed with the hon. Minister of Energy and Water Development. I would like the hon. Deputy Minister for the North-Western Province to keep in touch with the hon. Minister responsible for energy and water as well as the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, who are quite promising. He needs to work in tandem with them. Schools have to be electrified so that the computer programmes, which are now examinable, are available in these areas as well.

We want schools and clinics to be electrified. In Ikeleng’i, there is a private hydro station which, if linked, could supply power to schools, including those in Chief Mwinyilamba’s area.  

Mr Chairperson, the area has many towers. However, we need more towers, especially in border areas. For instance, for the past five days, MTN and Airtel have had no network in the area. If the Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (Zamtel) could come to the area, it would be good for competition.  

Mr Chairperson, the North-Western Province is critical and requires particular attention, even though the Patriotic Front (PF) Government only has a few months left.

Mr Mushanga: Where are we going?

Mr Muchima: Sir, by being arrogant and not doing anything in the province, they are de-campaigning themselves. This is one province that houses a lot of mines. It has potential for hydro power generation because of the Zambezi River Source. The Zambezi River Source is a source of money. If the Mwinilunga/Jimbe Road can be worked on, many tourists would move from Livingstone to the North-Western Province, specifically to go and see the source of the Zambezi River. At the moment, we do not have a proper airstrip and roads.

Sir, the hon. Minister, whom I know, has promised me that the national grid will reach Jimbe. I will follow up on his promise. It has to reach Jimbe so that we can connect to Angola. I do not know why they are hesitating to give the North-Western Railway Company a licence. Nothing has been done for years, yet this would open up your province, hon. Deputy Minister. You are still very young and we need you.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mumba (Mambilima): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me this chance to add my voice on the Vote for Luapula Province.

Mr Chairperson, two or three weeks ago, I met one senior citizen from Kalomo, Southern Province, who was last in Luapula Province some five or six years ago. He was actually very surprised to find that the Luapula Province had transformed within the very few years that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has been in power.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapeya: Bebe!

Mr Mumba: This is a very senior person.

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Mumba: This man is not in this House but outside.

The Chairperson: No, Hon. Muntanga, he is talking about someone from the Southern Province.

Laughter

The Chairperson: He did not mention your name.

Interruptions

Mr Mumba: Mr Chairperson, for twenty plus years, the only project that the people of Luapula Province had benefited from is the Mwanawasa Bridge, which the previous Government erected. This is the only project that the people of Luapula Province ever received in twenty years. In the four years that the PF has been in power, so many things have happened in the province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mpundu: Mention them!

Mr Mumba: I will mention them.

Mr Chairperson, I will start with infrastructure, particularly roads. The Chembe/Mansa, Mansa/Nchelenge and Mukando/Samfya/Mansa roads were in a terrible state due to potholes. Immediately the PF came into power, these roads were resurfaced, and as I speak now, they are in good state.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Mr Chairperson, the Mansa/Luwingu via Chipili and the Kawambwa/Luwingu roads have been upgraded from gravel to bituminous standard. The Musaila/Lubwe/Kasaba Road is also being worked on in the province. The contractor has fully mobilised, and currently, earth works are on-going.

Mr Chairperson, on township roads, we have works going on in Samfya, Mansa, Mwense, Nchelenge and Kawambwa districts.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Mr Chairperson, these districts have been transformed. If you went to Mwense, which is my district, you would be surprised. So many things have happened in four years. There is no dust. When you go to Mwense from Lusaka with a polished shoe, you will come back to Lusaka without having polished the shoe.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Sir, it is heaven on earth.

Mr Chairperson, works on the feeder roads are on-going in almost all the districts. The re-alignment of the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) to the Zambia National Service (ZNS) will help us a lot.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order!

There are too many loud consultations. Continue.

Mr Mumba: The Rural Roads Unit (RRU) has been fused into the ZNS and as a result almost every district has feeder roads being worked on.

Sir, when you go to Mansa, which is our provincial capital, by air, you will be very surprised because it has the best rural airport in the country. Those who have been to Mansa by air will attest that Mansa is the best airport in a rural area.

Mr Sikazwe: People are happy.

Mr Mumba: Sir, we lagged behind for almost fifty years, but immediately the PF Government came into power, it started looking at these infrastructural issues and we have benefitted a lot. The people of Luapula are thankful to the PF Government for giving us the best airport.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Mr Chairperson, previously, the civil servants in the province used to have a lot of problems in terms of accessing their salaries. However, as we speak, most districts have got banking faculties. You will find Cavmont Bank, Finance Bank, Investrust Bank, Barclays and Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco) branches in almost all the districts. All this has happened within four years.

Mr Mwamba: Well done, PF!

Mr Mumba: Sir, the civil servants no longer have to travel long distances to collect money anymore. Someone from Lambwe Chomba just has to go to the nearest district, which is Nchelenge, and that person will be able to draw his/her salary.

Sir, the hon. Minister of Finance was recently in Nchelenge to commission a new building which houses the National Savings and Commercial Bank (NATSAVE) and soon, he will be going back to Mwense to commission another NATSAVE branch there. A lot has happened in the last four years that the PF has been in power.

Mr Chairperson, on water and sanitation, His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu was recently in Mwense District where he commissioned a number of boreholes and water schemes in the province and also for Central Province. The commissioning was done in Mwense, in Lukwesa to be specific. There are villages which had never experienced running water from taps, but when you go to villages like Lubunda, Kashuba, which is in my constituency, villages like Lubimba where Hon. Kawandami comes from, you will see that there is running water from taps.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Sir, there has been no running water in those places for the past forty-five years. People used to cover long distances to draw water from the rivers for domestic use. Apart from the district level, we have water schemes dotted around the province.

Sir, in terms of tourism, when you go to Mumbotuta Falls, Mumbuluma Falls, Mambilima Rapids, Ntumbachusi, Lumangwe and Kabwelume Falls, which is along Kalungwishi River and lakes like Bangweulu, Chifunabuli and Mweru Wantipa, you will see that things have changed. There are a lot of attractions for tourists. We need hon. Members to visit these places so that they can come here and give a report.I was actually, part of the previous Committee on Agriculture which undertook a tour and we passed through the Luapula Province. We were very surprised to see how the Luapula Province had changed. The developmental projects which have been going on in that province are also creating employment for the people. All this is because of what the PF Government has done in the four years that it has been in power.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Sir, Luapula Province was neglected for a long time, but now, even the poverty levels are reducing. It is still amongst the poorest provinces, but there is great improvement in terms of development. This is because of the good policies of the PF Government.

Sir, I also wish to thank the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and other co-operating partners for having taken the initiative of putting up small water schemes and the sinking of boreholes in various parts of the province. This will help the people of that area avoid diseases such as cholera.

Mr Chairperson, in terms of fertiliser and seed for the farmers, this Government has really done a recommendable job. Currently, small-scale farmers are paying for their inputs for the 2015/2016 Farming Season. As the people of Luapula Province, we also wish to thank His Excellency the President for the establishment of the 48 Marine Unit.

Mr Mpundu: Where?

Mr Mumba: In Nchelenge.

Mr Mpundu: Hear, hear!

Mr Mumba: Sir, we now have the 48 Marine Unit in Nchelenge and Kawambwa. This will help us secure our boundaries and also, protect the breeding grounds for the fish. Certainly, we expect a lot of improvement in terms of fish restocking, but we might not even go that route because of the establishment of this 48 Marine Unit.  

Mr Chairperson, with these few words, let me just thank His Excellency the President and the PF Government at large for having shown commitment in assisting the people of Luapula Province.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba (Lubansenshi): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate the Vote for Northern Province. Professionally, I am a teacher and I know that I cannot debate the Northern Province without looking at its history. From 1964 to 1991, the Northern Province had only one road from Mpika to Mpulungu. The policy of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) was to link only places which were considered to be economically productive. In its own policies, it thought Mpulungu was the only place which was economically viable. Therefore, there was a need to construct a tarred road in Mpulungu because goods were transported on Liyemba Road from Tanzania to Zambia. In Luapula Province, there was only one tarred road which linked Nchelenge to Lusaka. That was the policy everywhere.

Mr Chairperson, I do not think I can link the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government to road development. The PF Government has a policy of providing a good road network to the people …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: … in order to enhance development in most areas. Therefore, in the Northern Province, we have more than one road. We have tarred roads from Kasama to Luwingu, Luwingu to Mansa and Kasama to Mporokoso.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Sir, my paramount chief is very happy with the road projects that have been undertaken by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Sir, I can boast that the Northern Province has been opened up and since people in this province grow beans and groundnuts, the production levels have gone up. A lot of people from the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces now travel to the Northern Province to buy beans because they can easily and quickly transport this commodity and other items produced in that province to available markets. So, I am very grateful to the PF Government. The roads which I have mentioned were not there in the two previous regimes. I can see that development …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: … is now taking place and I would not want to call a bull by another name. I, therefore, commend the PF Government for bringing development to the Northern Province. One of the hon. Members who debated yesterday mentioned that a lot of projects in the Northern Province have not been completed. It is unfortunate that he sees things that way.

Interruptions

Mr Mwamba: Mr Chairperson, I once worked in the MMD Government. It commenced the construction of a road from Kasama leading to Luwingu in 2001, but failed to complete it.

Interruptions

Mr Mwamba: Sir, it also commenced the construction of Mporokoso/Kasama Road, but only constructed 10 km of the road.

Interruptions

Mr Mwamba: Sir, I salute the PF Government …

Mr Mukanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: … because it continued the projects and has since completed them. I am now able to travel in a luxury coach from Lusaka to Mporokoso which never happened in the past. So, I commend the PF Government for the great work.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Mr Chairperson, as a teacher, I would not travel from Luwingu to Kasama wearing a suit because I used to fear that it would change the colour to brown before I got to Kasama. Therefore, I used to pack it in my suitcase and could only wear it after arriving in Kasama. In short, I never travelled in a suit like I am doing this time around.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Sir, I can now go to Luwingu and come back to Kasama in my suit without it changing its colour. Gentlemen, we need to be appreciative.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Sir, this Government needs to be commended for doing a lot of things. Why are we only dwelling on the negatives? Let us talk about the positives first and then, if we want to criticise the Government, we can then give the other side of the story. All of us have two faces. Not all of the hon. Members in this House will say that I am a good person. Some hon. Members might say that I am a bad person.

Mr Chairperson, let us call a spade, a spade because this Government has done a lot of things. Things are happening everywhere. Why can we not come out and tell the truth?

Mr Chairperson, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) failed to complete the construction of Lunte Girls Technical Secondary School. The MMD Government failed to finish the construction of Lupososhi Secondary School.

 Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: A point o order is raised.

 Mr Muntanga: Sir, it is advisable for any hon. Member to talk about developments in the area that such an hon. Member represents in order to avoid confrontation from other hon. Members. Is the hon. Member on the Floor in order to avoid mentioning the roads in his constituency such as the Luwingu/Nsombo Road and instead concentrates on the shortcomings of the MMD when it is the PF that took over from the MMD which needs to continue developing the country? Is he in order to drag us in the quarrels that he has with the party that they took over from?

I need your serious ruling.

The Chairperson: Can the hon. Member on the Floor take that point of order into account as he debates and concentrate on what is happening in the province, which he represents.

Mr Mwamba: Mr Chairperson, I am looking at the Northern Province as a whole and not Lubansenshi Constituency where I come from.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Sir, actually, I am looking at what has happened in the Northern Province at a large scale. Let me now switch on to Lubansenshi, the constituency, which I represent.

Mr Chairperson, Lunte Girls Technical School, which was opened this year, was completed by the PF Government. I am forced to talk about what is happening in other areas because someone said that most projects have not been completed in the province. Chilubi Secondary School was not complete, by the time the PF was taking over, but it is now been completed.

Sir, it takes three to four years to produce a teacher. It is unfair to state that the PF has failed to produce teachers when it has only been in power for four years. How has the PF failed when it has just been in power for a few years? The PF inherited gaps from the previous Administration, which it is filling up. Therefore, the inadequacies which the PF Government found are being slowly filled up in the Northern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

If it is not happening elsewhere, we can confirm that it is happening in our province and we are very grateful.

Mr Mwamba: Sir, we also have a few gaps and inadequacies in our province.

Hon. UPND Members: Ah!

Mr Mwamba: Yes, I have to acknowledge that. If anything, we still need more to be done.

The Chairperson: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

_______

HOUSE RESUMED

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

(Progress reported)

______

The House adjourned at 1257 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 1st December, 2015.