DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 24th February, 2015

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

__________

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

The following hon. Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance:

Margaret Dudu Mwanakatwe
Mulenga Chikonkolo Sata

__________

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER
    
ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

Mr Speaker: In the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other important Government business, the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, and Chief Whip, Mr Yamfwa D. Mukanga, MP., has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Tuesday, 24th February, 2015, until further notice.

Hear, hear!

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, MP., Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office, has been appointed Government Deputy Chief Whip to assist Hon. Yamfwa D. Mukanga, MP., Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, and Government Chief Whip.

Hear, hear!

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES MEMBERSHIP

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, following the constitution of the Cabinet, appointment of hon. Deputy Ministers and the nullification of two seats by the courts of law, the following hon. Members have been appointed to Sessional Committees in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 131:

Standing Orders Committees (1)

Mr W. C. Simuusa, MP

Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services (1)

Mr G. Namulambe, MP

Public Accounts Committee (1)

Brig-Gen. Dr B. Chituwo, MP

Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs (3)

Mr E. T. Chenda, MP
Mr P. Kosamu, MP
Mrs I. Mphande

Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour (3)

Mr N. Chilangwa, MP
Mr W. C. Simuusa, MP
Ms M. Miti, MP

Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism (1)

Prof. N. G. Willombe, MP

Committee on Agriculture (3)

Mr G. Namulambe, MP
Mr L. Evans, MP
Mr J. Shakafuswa, MP

Committee on Information and Broadcasting Services (2)
    
Mr G. B. Mwamba, MP
Mr M. Ndalamei, MP

Committee on Estimates (2)

Dr. G. L. Scott, MP
Mrs I. Mphande, MP

Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs (1)

Mr L. S. Kazabu, MP

Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs (3)

Mr M. Kapeya, MP
Mr H. Kunda, MP
Mr S. Masumba, MP

Reforms and Modernisation Committee (1)

Mr K. Pande, MP

Committee on Education, Science and Technology (1)

Mr M. Mumba, MP

Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply (1)

Mr M. A. Malama, MP

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

______ 

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Chief Whip, and Acting Leader of Government Business (Mr Mukanga): Sir, I rise to acquaint the House with the Business it will consider this week. However, before I do so, I would like to welcome all the hon. Members to the Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly. I, especially, welcome the hon. Members who are joining us for the first time and wish them a very momentous stay in the House. 

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on both my right and left!

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, as indicated on the Order Paper for today, Tuesday, 24th February, 2015, the Business of the House will deal with Questions for Oral Answer. 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 25th February, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions, if there will be any. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. 

Sir, on Thursday, 26th February, 2015, the Business of the House will commence with Questions, if there will be any. That will be followed by the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will, then, consider the Report of the Select Committee on the Presidential Appointment of Mrs Irene Chirwa Mambilima as Chief Justice of the Republic of Zambia. 

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 27th February, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with the Vice-President’s Question Time. 

Interruptions

Mr Mukanga: She will be here. 

That will be followed by Questions for Oral answer, if there will be any. After that, the House will deal with the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will deal with any other Business that may be outstanding. 

I thank you, Sir.

_______

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT 

MEALIE MEAL PRICES

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Lubinda): Mr Speaker, allow me to start by thanking you for giving me this opportunity to present to this august House a Ministerial Statement on mealie meal prices.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Sir, given the fact that I am taking the Floor for the first time since the Presidential By-election held on 20th January, 2015, let me start by commending all Zambians for the peaceful manner in which the elections were held. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Secondly, let me congratulate His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for being elected the Sixth President of this great nation. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Sir, it would be amiss if I did not use this House to thank the President for appointing me to serve his Government as Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. This is a very rare privilege, which I pledge to use to contribute to the uplifting of the lives of our citizens. 

Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House and, through it, the nation, that I have had two consultative discussions on the prices of mealie meal and wheat flour with stakeholders in the agricultural sector on 18th and 19th February, 2015.

Mr Speaker, as you may recall, Zambia produced a record 3,350,000 metric tonnes of maize in 2014, resulting in a surplus of 1,152,505 metric tonnes. The country still has sufficient stocks to meet domestic consumption requirements with a significant surplus for export. The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has 1.281 million metric tonnes of maize stocks. The private sector also has over 156,000 metric tonnes of maize.   

Mr Speaker, from the figures I have given, it is quite clear that the current mealie meal prices are not a result of insufficient stocks of maize in the country. Rather, they are a result  of other production-related factors, such as:

(a)    the purchase price of maize;

(b)    the cost of milling;

(c)    transportation, logistical and financing costs; and

(d)    demand and supply forces in Zambia’s neighbouring countries. 

Mr Speaker, realising that the majority of Zambians depend on nshima as a staple food, my ministry has done the following to stabilise mealie meal prices: 

(a)    ensured that the FRA will continue to make maize available to the private sector at K76 per 50kg bag;

(b)    got the millers to agree to maintain the wholesale price of Roller Meal at no more than K44 per 25kg bag and Breakfast Meal at not more than K61 per 25kg bag along the line of rail. The Government commends those millers who are already selling mealie meal at these prices and urges them to continue doing so;

(c)    encouraged some millers to established retail outlets in townships, through which they are selling their mealie meal at prices lower than the retail prices; and 

(d)    continued consultations with millers to find ways of further lowering mealie meal prices.

Mr Speaker, I emphasise that K61 per 25kg bag of Breakfast Meal and K44 per 25kg of Roller Meal are not uniform prices but, rather, the maximum prices. Further, I appeal to our retailers across the country to stick to the recommended retail margin of K3 per 25kg bag of either Roller or Breakfast Meal so that they pass the benefit of the price reductions on to the consumer. I am aware that some retailers have, in the past, not done that. So, for them to benefit from this intervention, I encourage the consumers to purchase mealie meal from milling company outlets wherever they have been set up, and from other establishments that stick to the recommend prices.

Mr Speaker, the ministry will continue to closely monitor mealie meal prices and ensure that the benefits of their reduction are passed on to the consumers. 

Sir, with your permission, I would like to come back and acquaint this House with the measures that are being taken to stabilise the price of wheat and wheat products in due course. 

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the statement just issued by the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, may I know from the hon. Minister …

Mr Nkombo: Congratulate him first.

Mr Muntanga: Sir, I must first congratulate the hon. Minister on being reprieved from the Gona Kuzingwa Bench by being appointed hon. Minister and, thus, to the Front Bench. 

Laughter 

Mr Muntanga: I welcome him to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. 

Sir, the hon. Minister mentioned that one of the reasons the prices of mealie meal are very high are high production costs. What measures has he taken to lower the production costs so that the millers can agree to lower the prices? We do not want this price reduction to be a cosmetic one. The prices should not go up after two are three days. 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I mentioned four different factors to which the escalating prices of mealie meal can be attributed, one of which is the cost of milling. 

Sir, the Government recently reduced the prices of fuel costs and, as Hon. Muntanga must have heard, put a cap on increases in electricity tariffs. These measures will lower production costs, and it is our hope that the millers will respond to the reduction in the cost of production by passing the benefits on to the consumers.

Sir, another factor to which I attributed the high prices of mealie meal is the high price at which the maize is sold to the millers by the FRA. That is, obviously, a result of the high price at which the FRA bought the maize from the farmers. So, I encourage agronomists like my good friend, Hon. Muntanga, to join my ministry in helping small-scale farmers to improve their productivity because the cost of producing maize is currently too high. We ought to improve the productivity levels of our farmers so that the cost of producing maize is reduced.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwewa (Mwansabombwe): Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to congratulate my elder brother, Hon. Lubinda, on his appointment as hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. We look forward to good fruits being borne by the ministry.

Sir, apart from negotiating with the millers to reduce the prices of mealie meal, has the ministry considered setting up milling plants in districts of the country, which could be run by the Government or co-operatives so that we avoid depending on the goodwill and co-operation of the millers in making mealie meal affordable to our citizens? I ask this because, after the millers reach some agreements with the Government, they still go and set prices that suit themselves without regard to what they have agreed to.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I thank Hon. Mwewa and Hon. Muntanga for their kind words of congratulations on my appointment. 

Sir, His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, traversed this country and lamented the high cost of mealie meal during the run-up to the Presidential By-election on 20th January, 2015. He partially attributed the situation to the limited milling capacity in Zambia. We have seventy-one mills in the country, most of which are along the line of rail, causing the need to transport mealie meal to the rural areas. This makes prices in the rural areas to be quite high. So, the Government is considering setting up mills in the peripheral areas. Whether this will be done by the Government through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the co-operative movement or the private sector will be decided after the Government has studied the matter.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Kapata: On a point of order, Sir. 

Hon. Opposition Members: On whom?

Mr Speaker: It is premature.

Hon. Opposition Members: Tutorial!

Interruptions

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, I would like, first of all, …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. 

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

Sir, is Hon. Nkombo, the Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central, in order to be in this House? I am raising this point of order because, during the last sitting of Parliament, he mentioned that he would resign if Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu became President of the Republic of Zambia. Now that Mr Lungu is in State House, as President of Zambia, when will Hon. Nkombo honour his word?

I need your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member is in order, to the extent that I have not yet received a letter of resignation from him.

Laughter

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate Hon. Given Lubinda on being appointed back into the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned the quantity of maize stocks we have in Zambia for both domesticate consumption and export. If he has been reading the skies the way I have, is he aware of the looming drought this year, which means that there will hardly be any harvest to talk about this year? If he is aware, is he still thinking of exporting the extra maize rather than putting it in the strategic reserves?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, a full crop forecast for 2015 is yet to be done. However, the ministry is aware that the western part of the Southern Province is facing a drought. That notwithstanding, we have no worry about that localised drought having a huge impact on the overall national harvest. We are actually worried that the hardworking farmers of Zambia may, again, register a huge harvest and struggle to find a market for their produce. 

Sir, the required national strategic reserve for Zambia is 500,000 metric tonnes and we currently have 1,281,000 metric tonnes at the FRA. The millers have 156,000 metric tonnes of additional stocks. With such large stocks as we have, and given the fact that we are on course to harvesting another crop in five months, surely, we should be thinking about whether we will manage to have storage capacity for all that grain and whether too much grain will not impact negatively on the prices at which the farmers will sell their crop. That is what we are currently concerned with. Therefore, I would like to allay the fears of my sister by affirming that Zambia has adequate strategic food reserves. There cannot be a day on which we will run out of maize.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Masebo (Chongwe): Mr Speaker, let me join my colleagues in congratulating the new hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock …

Mr Chenda:  And his Deputies.

Mrs Masebo: … and his Deputies, of course, ...

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, a real point of order is coming your way, which is a matter of urgent nature in our Standing Orders.

Mr Speaker, I have a number of documents to which I wish to refer as I raise my point of order. Let me begin with the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, the one we call the old one as we agitate for a new one. 

Mr Speaker, Article 21 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia says: 

“Except with his own consent, a person shall not be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and, in particular, to form or belong to any political party, trade union or other association for the protection of his interests.” 

Mr Speaker, on Page 1 of the Sunday Post Newspaper of 22nd February, 2015, Edition No. 6701, SU688, there is the following excerpt:

“And President Lungu thanked Rupiah Banda and the MMD for helping him to win the January 20 election, adding that he was a man who keeps his words and promises.”

Mr Speaker, under the heading: 

“Those who do not accept me as President should go away from Zambia – Lungu.”

The Head of State said:

“Those who accept me as President, I will work with them and give them support. I am Head of State. I am Head of the Republic of Zambia. Those who do not accept me as President should go away …

Hon. Opposition Members: Where to?

Mr Nkombo: 

“... from Zambia.”

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Nkombo: Sir, he went further to say:

“The reason is simple; because, if you don’t accept me as President, you are likely to offend me by breaking the law,” read the article in part. 

Hon. Government Members interjected.

Mr Nkombo: I said that it read in part, in case English is a challenge …

Mr Speaker: Just continue addressing me, Hon. Nkombo. 

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, in case English is a challenge to certain colleagues, I said that it read in part. Those who wish to read the whole article can do so later because we have business to expend.

Mr Speaker, in The Post Newspaper of 24th February, 2015, Edition No. 6703, under the headline: 

“Zambia is not Lungu’s Farm. If he is not able to govern, let him get out-Nawakwi,”

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: Sir, I have a very sad story that I am connecting to Article 21 of the Constitution, which addresses the issue of freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of movement. The article that, again, I will quote in part, was headlined:

“Suspected PF cadres stab Mtendere East UPND cadre to death.” 

Sir, as I speak to you, Mr Crayzer Matapa’s body is lying in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Mortuary, having been killed in cold blood by suspected Patriotic Front (PF) cadres. 

Sir, I was listening very attentively to what the President was saying today before he left for South Africa. He came out very strongly in defence of his political party cadres and admonished some media houses for purporting that it is PF members who killed our Branch Chairperson, who will be buried on Friday. 

Sir, as one of your main pillars and supporters in this Legislative Assembly, I thought that this point of order qualifies as one of an urgent nature so that we do not lose any more lives at the hands of the PF.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Nkombo: Sir, to me, the President’s pronouncements seem to suggest that the late Mr Matapa deserved what was done to him. So, if I were the police, I would be very slow to bring the PF cadres who were implicated in the murder to book to account for the alleged crime. Therefore, is the Government, through the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Mwila, who is my friend, in order ...

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: … to remain quiet when we have recorded five deaths of youths at the hands of the PF in three-and-half years? I seek your serious ruling on this matter before more people lose their lives at the hands of this party, the PF. 

I thank you Sir for the opportunity to raise this very serious point of order because, today, it might be Grayzer Matapa but, tomorrow, it might be my son or, indeed, yours.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Speaker: My ruling is very simple. If there are any genuine concerns regarding the manner in which law and order is being maintained and you would like to hold your colleagues on the right to account to that extent, you are at liberty to do so in the established manner. You can put in a question, which will be processed by my office and forwarded to the appropriate line ministry and someone will address your concerns. 

That is my ruling.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: Sir, I was about to ask the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock whether the Government has any plans to further lower the price of mealie meal by selling maize to the millers at a subsidised price.

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the Government bought maize from farmers at K70 per 50kg bag. When you add transport, warehousing, fumigation and all other attendant costs, the price of a 50 kg bag of maize at the FRA is more than K120, yet we sell it to the millers at K76. That is already at a great cost to the State. The maize is already heavily subsidised. So, the Government has not thought about giving any further subsidy. Besides, we ought to prepare ourselves for the purchase of the next crop.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to also congratulate my younger brother, Hon. Lubinda, …

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Lufuma: … on being appointed hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.

Sir, we live in a liberalised economy, which basically means that various production units are free to cost and fall as they so wish. We know that fuel prices have been reduced, but the actors in the transport sector have not passed the benefit on to the consumers. So, yes, the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock had discussions with the millers about the reduction of mealie meal prices, but what makes him so sure that the millers will adhere to what was discussed and pass the benefits of the agreement reached in that discussion to the consumers? If they do not do that, what instrument will he use to assist the consumers benefit from that discussion?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I am sure that the hon. Member heard correctly when I said that I held consultative discussions with the millers. I did not, in any way, state that the Government imposed the reduction. The reduction was arrived at through negotiations between my ministry and the millers. As such, the only assurance I have that the millers will stick to the agreed prices is their goodwill, and that is why, on behalf of Zambians, I thank the millers for their understanding because the reduction in prices is a reduction in their profit margins.

Sir, with regard to the cost of transport in the wake of reduced fuel prices, I think that my hon. Colleague responsible for that sector can address that matter better than me. It is my hope that the transporters will respond to the reduction in fuel prices and reduce the cost of transport so that the benefits of lower fuel prices can be passed on to the people. However, I cannot delve into that because I am not for that sector.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I will take questions from the hon. Members for Ikeleng’i, Lukulu West, Chadiza, Kasama Central, Liuwa, Nchelenge, Mpongwe, Monze, Mumbwa and Mazabuka Central, in that order.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, let me join my colleagues in congratulating this friend of ours on getting back into the Cabinet, a job he missed so much.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I do not think that you should appoint yourself his spokesperson because you may end up misleading the House.

Laughter

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister told the nation that the maximum prices of mealie meal are K61 and K44 for Breakfast and Roller Meal, respectively. Will these prices be uniform in Lusaka, Chingola, Solwezi, Mwinilunga and Ikeleng’i? If not, what will he do to protect the people of Mwinilunga and Ikeleng’i, who are usually exploited?

Mr Speaker: Let me remind the House that hon. Members should limit themselves to one question. The hon. Minister is at liberty to ignore subsequent questions, anyway. That is my directive.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I have already stated that the prices are not uniform, but they are the maximums along the line of rail. The prices in the rural will obviously be different. Our only appeal is that the millers will reduce the prices of mealie meal in the rural areas by the same margin by which they have reduced along the line of rail. That is the protection that we are giving to all our citizens across the country.

Sir, like I said earlier, the reason for the difference in the pricing is that of our limited milling capacity, which is highly localised along the line of rail, not in areas like Solwezi. For example, when the price of mealie meal in Lusaka was K70 per 25 kg bag, it was K80 in Kasama. So, I can only hope that the step that the millers have taken to reduce prices along the line of rail will be emulated by millers and retailers in Kasama.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister telling us that we will live on the goodwill of the millers when we have a Government? What will the Government do to save the nation if the millers backtrack on the agreement to cut the prices? Imagine, …

Mr Speaker: Order!

The hon. Minister can answer the question.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, the Washishi people of Lukulu, in the presence of …

Interruptions

Mr Mutelo: Will we survive on the goodwill of the millers?

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member! 

You are repeating yourself.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, thank you for saving me from further harassment by my brother from Washishi.

 Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, business people operate on goodwill. If the millers in Zambia so desired, they would form a cartel and increase prices because we are a liberalised market. Seven days after being appointed Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, I managed to negotiate with the millers on behalf of Zambians and that was a good gesture that demonstrated the millers’ goodwill. So, I am confident that the millers will not change the prices we agreed on. 

Sir, I also indicated that we should improve the productivity of our farmers so that the cost of producing maize is reduced, and that the Government was looking at the possibility of setting up milling plants in areas away from the line of rail to cut on the double transportation of maize so that the prices can be reduced.

 I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, I congratulate Hon. Lubinda on his appointment as hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. His Excellency the President made a good choice in appointing him. In the same vein, I welcome some of my brothers and sisters to gona kuzingwa because it is a very healthy and interesting place to be.

Mr Speaker: Order!

 Hon. Member, what are you referring to?

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I am at a loss to understand what you mean.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Remember that our proceedings are transcribed.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister …

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

What did you refer to earlier?

Mr Mbewe: Sir, gona kuzingwa is the place in which the former hon. Ministers who have been dropped by the President find themselves, that is, the Back Bench, where former hon. Ministers sit, starting from the last bench on your right all the way to where I am.

 Laughter

Mr Speaker: You can proceed with your question.

 Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that he is protecting the consumers, not the millers. Will his Government allow the millers to export as much mealie meal as they want so that they can also make a profit?

 Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, currently, there is no ban on the export of either maize or mealie meal. Actually, the Government is encouraging the millers to expand their production capacity beyond Zambia’s requirements so that they may export mealie meal. As I am speaking, a number of millers are happily exporting mealie meal from Zambia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Katanga Province, in particular. Therefore, I encourage my good friend, the hon. Member for Chadiza, to consider setting up a milling plant in Chipata so that he can capture the Malawi mealie meal market, not the maize market because, then, we will be employing our youths in the milling plants rather than exporting the maize and, in so doing, exporting jobs.

 I thank you, Sir.

 Mr Mwamba indicated.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear! GBM! 

Mr Mwamba (Kasama Central): Mr Speaker, let me also join the long queue of hon. Members congratulating my good friend, Mr Lubinda, on his appointment as hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. I hope that we will remain friends, my brother.

 Laughter 

Mr Mwamba: We should not change goalposts.

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba: Mr Speaker, year in year out, millers have been accused of selling their mealie meal at high prices. It is for this reason that I would like to defend the millers, although this is not the right platform.

Sir, my question is: …

Mr Kambwili: On a point of order, Sir.

 Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member, being a miller, in order to start defending millers without declaring interest?

I need your serious ruling.

 Mr Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member for Kasama Central has not completed the question. So, I am not in a position to discern any conflict of interest. I do not think that his interests are likely to be conflicted simply because he is a miller. I am sure that he is honourable enough to declare any conflict of interest should it arise.

May Member for Kasama Central continue.

 Mr Mwamba: Mr Speaker, I think that I will, very soon, start …

Laughter

Mr Mwamba: Anyway, …

Laughter

Mr Mwamba: Mr Speaker, is the Government considering lowering the price of agricultural inputs so that the price of maize and, subsequently, that of mealie meal can come go down?

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in particular, and the Government, ...

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Lubinda: ... in general, are always looking for interventions to make the production of not only maize, but all crops, less costly and more profitable. It is for this reason that the Government allocated some money in the 2015 Budget towards …

Interruptions

 Mr Speaker: Order, on my left!

Mr Lubinda: ... conservation farming. Yes, indeed, I assure the hon. Member for Kasama Central that we are looking for interventions to reduce the cost of production.

Sir, let me take advantage of this question and assure my friend that we shall remain friends. Hon. Mwamba can testify to that because, even when he decided to campaign for another party, we still remained friends. Neither did I abandon him nor he me. So, he can rest assured that we shall continue to be good friends. 

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, I will not join the long queue of those congratulating the hon. Minister on his appointment because I have already sent him a note. 

Sir, the hon. Minister has decided to reduce the price of mealie meal for people in urban areas and those along the line of rail, but left it astronomically high, at K78 per 25 kg bag, in places like Kalabo, where the poorest people in the country live. Is this a confirmation that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is for rich people in urban areas and does not bother about poor people in rural areas like Kalabo?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, Hon. Dr Musokotwane was right where he is when I responded to an earlier question concerning the differentiated pricing between urban and rural areas. So, I am sure that he heard me clearly when I said that most of the millers are concentrated along the line of rail. In my negotiations with them, we spoke about the prices along the line of rail and I urged them to make a similar reduction in the rural areas. So, we are not protecting the urban areas and neglecting the rural areas in the pricing of mealie meal prices. We hope to protect all citizens. 

Sir, for the sake of clarity, I repeat that I did not reduce the prices of mealie meal, but negotiated with millers to do so. So, the credit should go to them. They are the ones who agreed with us and reduced the prices.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Mpundu (Nchelenge): Mr Speaker, will the millers still make a profit at the prices that were mentioned by the hon. Minister?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, millers are in business for profit. For them to have agreed to reduce the prices of mealie meal by the margins mentioned, it means that they are still able to make a profit. All we are doing is passing on a small percentage of their profits to the consumers. I do not think that any of them would have agreed to reduce their price if they were going to be in the red. So, they will obviously be operating at a profit, albeit lower than it was before the reductions.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, first of all, I congratulate all the hon. Ministers on their appointments. 

Sir, my question is: What measures has the ministry put in place to ensure that retailers reduce the prices of mealie meal? I ask this because some of them may take advantage of the reduction by the millers to maximise their profits.

Mr Lubinda: Sir, there are various steps we have taken. One of them is publicising the outcome of the negotiations I mentioned earlier so that the citizenry is made aware of that reduction. Her Honour the Vice-President instructed me to make this statement in the people’s Parliament so that, through this House, more people may be aware of the situation. Further, I have appealed to consumers to consider buying their mealie meal directly from the millers who have opened outlets in their areas and any other outlets that will stick to the recommended prices. That is how we intend to ensure that retailers do not maximise profits when the reduction is meant to benefit the consumers. May I take advantage of this question to appeal to all hon. Members of Parliament to use their constituency committees to sensitise our people on this matter.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is selling a 50 kg bag of maize at K76 when the actual price is supposed to be K120. This entails that the FRA is subsidising millers. Has the Patriotic Front (PF) Government acceded to the people’s demands for the reintroduction of the subsidies on maize that the Government had removed?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I do not think there is any hon. Minister in this Government who ever came and made a pronouncement that we would never subsidise mealie meal. We may have talked about subsidies on many other commodities, but there was no one who spoke about not subsidising mealie meal. I stand to be corrected if I am wrong. In fact, I would like to remind Hon. Jack Mwiimbu that, at the onset of the harvest season, last year, he was among those who pushed this Government to increase the price at which it was buying maize from farmers. So, since we pay farmers K70 for a 50 kg bag of maize and store the maize for as long as we have done, we expect the cost of the maize to escalate, not remain at K70. However, we are too responsible to sell the maize to millers at K120 because the price of mealie meal would be totally unaffordable for the majority of Zambians. That is why we decided to continue selling the maize at K76 per 50 kg bag despite the escalation of the cost of the maize. 

Sir, as you heard, some hon. Members of Parliament are already asking whether this Government will consider a further subsidy on the same maize. So, we are subsidising the maize because it is important for us to do so for the benefit of the Zambians who cannot afford any increase in the prices of mealie meal.

I thank you, Sir.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, I wish to join my colleagues who have mentioned that we will see the true character of Hon. Lubinda now that he is an hon. Minister.

Laughter 

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Sir, I listened very carefully to his statement on the pricing of mealie meal which, obviously, is affected by the price of maize. I also wish to tickle his mind by stating that, with the last bumper harvest, our silos are almost bursting. However, he has to rely on the benevolence of the millers to reduce the price of mealie meal. Could my colleague not consider other ways of reducing the price of mealie meal, such as encouraging the consumption of foodstuffs other than maize? There has been so much talk about diversification. Could we not consider encouraging our farmers and, subsequently, our citizens to have a wider choice of what they consider the staple food, which could be one way of reducing the prices of mealie meal?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the price of mealie meal will not change even if we diversify because it is dependent on the cost of producing the maize. I hope that Hon. Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo is getting this. The price of maize is not dependent on whether farmers diversify production or not. It is a direct derivative of the cost at which the farmers produce the maize. That is the reason I said that the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, is working hard to improve the productivity of our farmers. Currently, small-scale farmers produce two tonnes of maize per hectare, yet the average is between 8 and 11 tonnes per hectare. If farmers can be encouraged to produce 11 tonnes per hectare, obviously, maize will become less costly than it is currently. So, I appeal to the hon. Member to go out to Mumbwa and encourage the farmers there to increase their productivity. 

Sir, on the surplus maize stocks, we, as a Government, are thinking about encouraging diversification to reduce huge bumper harvests. Every year, we celebrate bumper harvests of 3.3 million tonnes of maize, yet that is a curse because we produce the 3.3 million tonnes of maize at an astronomical cost that is uncompetitive when compared with maize production costs in other countries in the region, which makes our maize extremely difficult to export. So, I hope that we can lower the production of maize and promote the production of other cash crops that are easier to export.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Let me also congratulate Hon. Lubinda on his appointment as hon. Minister of food.

Mr Lubinda laughed.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, I am glad that Hon. Lubinda has conceded that his Government is almost reinstating subsidies. It is a shame that he does not seem to recall his predecessor vehemently sticking to the position that consumption subsidies had to be removed. 

Sir, if there was a proper handover between him and his predecessor, he knows that there was a forecast that projected our harvest at about 3 million metric tonnes, and that we had demanded to be told the actual figure after the harvest. Unfortunately, we lost our dear President and those figures never saw the light of day. Could the hon. Minister care to tell us what the actual post-harvest figure was. I ask this because it is true that part of the price determinant is the relationship between demand and supply, granted that production costs play a part. Does he know our actual position in terms of our maize stocks in this country? Further, will the humongous K4 reduction that was negotiated in the prices of mealie meal be sustained?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I am repeating these figures for the sixth time. The harvest for last season was 3.3 million metric tonnes and the current stock held by the FRA is 1.81 million metric tonnes while the stock held by the private sector is 156 000 metric tonnes. I do not know what other figure my colleague is looking for because I also said that the crop focus for the 2015 Season is yet to be done. For the 2014 Season, I have reported the actual harvest figures, not the forecast.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo indicated dissent.

Mr Konga (Chavuma): Mr Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to raise this point of order. 

Sir, the question by the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central was on the final production figures. The figures given by the hon. Minister as the maize stock quantities, namely, 3 million metric tonnes and 1 million metric tonnes, leave a balance of 2 million metric tonnes. Our sought clarification from the hon. Minister on the actual post-harvest production figures, not the pre-harvest forecast. The then hon. Minister had promised to come back to this House with the post-harvest figures. 

Is the hon. Minister in order not to answer that question?

Mr Speaker: As the hon. Minister winds up his debate, I will give him the opportunity to clarify that issue.

Mr Konga: Mr Speaker, I would like to echo the sentiments of my colleagues who have congratulated the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock on his appointment. 

Sir, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is supposed to buy 500,000 metric tonnes of maize for strategic reserves but, in some years, especially last year, it doubled that figure to 1 million metric tonnes. My question is: Why does the Government have to incur this extra cost if the strategic reserves required are only 500,000 metric tonnes?

Mr Lubinda: Sir, let me start by addressing the issue of the post-harvest figures. 

Sir, I have indicated that the FRA bought a lot of the maize from the post-harvest figure of 3 million metric tonnes. The difference between the 3 million metric tonnes and the 1.2 million metric tonnes that is currently in FRA reserves was offloaded to the millers by the FRA. Added to these figures is the 156,000 metric tonnes that is held by private millers who bought directly from the farmers. So, if Hon. Muntanga would like to know our farmers’ actual production total, he must file in a question and I will come with the answer. I will even tell him how much maize the farmers reserved for themselves because they do not sell everything.

Mr Muntanga: Ah!

Mr Lubinda: Hon. Muntanga knows that, after he grew tombwe, ... 

Interruptions

Mr Lubinda: ... he reserved some for himself.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: What is that you are referring to, hon. Minister?

Mr Lubinda: It is tobacco, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Oh, tobacco.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: He reserved some tobacco for him to use on his farm.

Mr Livune: How do you reserve tombwe?

Mr Lubinda: That is how all farmers operate. They reserve some maize on their farms. So, the figures that I am talking about refer only to the maize that was bought from the farmers by the FRA.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

May the hon. Minister, continue.

Mr Lubinda: Sir, on the question about the strategic reserves, I have to agree that the decision was arrived at because of the pressure that was exerted on the Government by the farmers, farmers associations and hon. Members of Parliament, who all worried that, if the Government did not buy the maize, the farmers would suffer huge losses. That is why the Government decided to buy the maize. The decision was also due to some millers’ reluctance to partner with the Government to buy the crop. I want to say to the hon. Member that we are learning lessons from this situation, and I am sure that the Government will come and take a position on the 2015 harvest.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, I congratulate Hon. Lubinda on his appointment. That said, I would like to state that there is a very tricky situation here that does not seem to favour the people in rural areas like Kalabo. The Government, through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) subsidises the maize it sells to the millers from K120 to K76 per 50 kg. Secondly, fuel prices have been reduced, resulting in the possibility of the price of maize being reduced further. However, all the benefits go to the people in the urban areas. My question is: Why can the Government not take an interest in helping to lower the price at which the people in the rural areas buy mealie meal by having serious discussions with the millers so that the price is lowered further in the rural areas than in the urban areas?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I have belaboured this point.  All that remains for me to do is request my good brother to move a Private Member’s Motion to advise me on how else he thinks we can assist the people in the rural areas. I have explained that the price reduction, as far as we are concerned, is for both the urban and rural areas, and that we want to identify interventions to help us lower the cost of production of maize so that we can pass the benefit on to all citizens. However, if my dear colleague has a better idea, he is free to visit me and educate me. I will be very happy to embrace his ideas.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbewe: Viva, zayelo!

________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

        WIDENING OF GREAT NORTH ROAD

301. Mr Kunda (Muchinga) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to widen the Great North Road between Kapiri Mposhi and Nakonde;

(b)    if so, when the road works would commence; and

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

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Dr Mwali): Mr Speaker, yes, the Government has plans to widen the Great North Road between Kapiri Mposhi and Nakonde.

Mr Speaker, the widening of the stretch will be done in phases. The works on the section between Kapiri Mposhi and Serenje are expected to commence in the second quarter of this year and will be undertaken using a force account. The widening of the section between Serenje and Chinsali will be undertaken as part of the planned rehabilitation of that section. The works will commence as soon as resources are mobilised. Finally, the widening of the section between Chinsali and Nakonde are part of the planned rehabilitation works expected to commence in the first quarter of 2016, upon completion of the procurement process.

Sir, the cost of widening the stretch between Kapiri Mposhi and Serenje by force account is estimated at K1.5 million while the cost of the works on the other sections will be established after the contractors have been selected.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kunda: Mr Speaker, that road is of economic value and we expected the Government to move quickly and work on it. Why has it taken the Government so long to give it attention?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, what has taken long is the rehabilitation of the entire stretch. However, in the recent past, some sections have been worked on, such as the Serenje to Lukulu stretch. There are also emergency works being undertaken between Isoka and Nakonde. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, which other roads in Zambia, apart from the Great North Road, are earmarked for widening?

Mr Speaker: That is not a supplementary question.

Mr M. Malama (Chitambo): Mr Speaker, when the hon. Minister refers to the widening of the road, does he mean that it will be a dual carriageway or will it be mere widening?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, we are not talking about a dual-carriage way. The current width of the road ranges from 5.9 to 6.1 metres. What we are talking about now is widening it to 11 m, 3.5 m for each lane and 2 m for each shoulder.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, as the Government considers widening the road, will it also make a dual carriageway between Mandevu and Kabwe to cater for the heavy traffic that has resulted from people settling in the north of Lusaka?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, I am reliably informed that the idea is in our immediate future plans.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister assure me and the nation that the money for the road works is available. I ask this because I have seen many projects stagnate.

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, the Government is negotiating for the funding for the works. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like …

Mr Speaker: It is not possible.

Laughter

ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO ZAMBIA

302. Mr Kapyanga asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    when the number of immigration officers at all border posts countrywide would be increased; and 

(b)    what measures the Government had taken to curb illegal entry of foreigners into the country.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Chanda): Mr Speaker, it is the Government’s policy to increase the number of immigration officers at all border posts countrywide. This can be seen in the 2015 Budget, in which there is a provision for the recruitment of officers. So, the Government will increase the number of immigration officers at all border posts in 2015 once Treasury authority has been granted to recruit two hundred immigration officers, as per the provision of the 2015 Budget.

Mr Speaker, in order to curb illegal entry of foreigners into the country, the Immigration Department, in collaboration with other security wings, has been carrying out:

(a)    snap checks, which are sometimes called clean-up operations, in selected residential areas;

(b)    screening of visitors at all ports of entry;

(c)    sensitisation and educational programmes through the Public Relations Unit;

(d)    patrols along the borders; and
 
(e)    section checkpoints, which are set up jointly to monitor this scourge.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, the prohibited immigrants have congested our detention centres. What is the ministry doing about this?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, that sounds like a new question, but I will offer a bonus answer. 

Sir, the congestion caused by the presence of illegal immigrants in our prisons countrywide is a matter of grave concern to the Government and, naturally, all steps are being taken by my ministry to expedite the due process of the law leading to the repatriation of the offenders to their countries. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that his Government will increase the number of immigration officers by recruiting new officers in 2015. Has this Government lifted the recruitment freeze?

Col. Chanda: Mr Speaker, some aspects of Government operations cannot wait for the moratorium on staff recruitment to be lifted. Besides, we will not undertake a full recruitment. This is a recruitment for a specific purpose.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I feel that the question in Zambia is not that of illegal immigrants coming into the country, but that of the number of foreigners who are being given permits to work in the country, and it looks like these foreigners may outnumber us very soon. What is the ministry doing to ensure that we do not have Chinese people coming to sell maize on the streets?

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Mwila): Mr Speaker, yes, permits are given to foreigners who want to come and work in our country, and there are various kinds of permits that are given to investors and those who want to come and work in the country. However, the Government normally screens people who want to come and work in this country, and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is concerned about those who want to come into this country to do jobs that can be done by Zambians. There is no compromise or negotiating on that issue. We have to protect Zambians by not allowing foreigners to be given work permits for jobs that can be done by Zambians.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, when was the establishment of the Department of Immigrations last reviewed?

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, I cannot be specific on that question, but I can inform this House that we are very concerned about the low number of immigration officers we have currently, and that is why we have K200,000 in the Budget for recruiting 200 additional officers this year.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, quite often, we have read in the newspapers about illegal immigrants passing through the borders hidden in containers in transit to Lusaka or elsewhere.  How does the ministry intend to handle this problem?

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, we have started a process to buy scanners so that we are able to detect who is in the containers that pass through our borders.

Laughter

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, we want to do what the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) does.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, what is the current officer-foreigner ratio? Further, what is the acceptable ratio?

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, I do not have the figures because that is a new question.

I thank you, Sir. 

CONSTITUTION OF SIKONGO DISTRICT HEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM

303. Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo) asked the Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health:

(a)    what had caused the delay in constituting the District Health Management Team in Sikongo District; and 

(b)    when the Team would be constituted.

The Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Mr Chisala): Mr Speaker, the constitution of the Sikongo District Health Management Team was delayed due to the non-availability of funds for the positions. However, the Western Province Provincial Medical Office, through an administrative arrangement, constituted it in December, 2014, and officers have been stationed in Sikongo.

Mr Speaker, the team was constituted on 22nd December, 2014.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, I ask the hon. Minister to go with me to Sikongo to show me the officers he has talked about. As I speak, those officers are not there in Sikongo. There are only two officers, who are based in Kalabo.

Mr Speaker: Order!

What is your question?

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, when will the hon. Minister constitute this team? I ask this because the officers he has talked about are not there in Sikongo.

Mr Chisala: Mr Speaker, just this morning, we confirmed the presence of the officers in Sikongo with the Provincial Medical Officer (PMO) for the Western Province and he indicated that the Planner, District Health Information Officer, Pharmacy Technologist, Mother and Child Health Co-ordinator and the Tuberculosis Officer are already in Sikongo District. The only officer who has not reported is the Human Resource Officer.

I thank you, Sir.

ENHANCEMENT OF POLICE OPERATIONS IN NSAMA DISTRICT

304. Mr Chansa (Chimbamilonga) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    when additional officers would be deployed to Nsumbu Police Station in Nsama District; and 

(b)    what measures had been taken to facilitate police patrols on Lake Tanganyika in the District.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Col. Kaunda): Mr Speaker, five police recruits will be sent to Nsumbu Police Station to meet the manpower requirements. The current strength of the police station is three.

Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Zambia Police Force has deployed two boats on Lake Tanganyika to enhance security operations on the lake. Both boats are modern and have high technology applications. They were launched by the Northern Province Permanent Secretary in September, 2014.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chansa: Mr Speaker, the boats were procured, quite alright, but there is no human resource to man them. When will the hon. Minister deploy officers to the area to facilitate operations on Lake Tanganyika?

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, as hon. Members may be aware, the Marine Department of the Zambia Police Force is a new unit. Currently, we are preparing officers who will man the boats. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that five police recruits will be sent to Nsumbu Police Station. The word ‘recruit’ ordinarily means someone who has not yet graduated from police or military training. Why is the hon. Minister sending people who have not yet graduated? Why is he sending recruits … 

Laughter 

Mr Mweetwa: … instead of officers, who are ready to police those locations? 

Laughter 

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, English is not my mother tongue.

I thank you, Sir. 

Laughter 

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, let me take advantage of this question, seeing as it relates to police patrols, and ask why, nowadays, police officers are only mounting roadblocks instead of patrolling this country looking for thieves. 

Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, that is a new question, but I will give the hon. Member a bonus answer. 

Mr Speaker, if the hon. Member for Katuba listens to the news, I am sure he has heard the hon. Minister of Home Affairs say that the number of police roadblocks will be reduced. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the fact that Hon. Col. Kaunda is not English, we expect answers that make sense. Is he sending recruits or officers that have graduated to Nsumbu Police Station? I need that clarification.

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, the Government has indicated that it will recruit 1,600 police officers this year. After they pass out, five of them will be sent to Nsumbu Police Station. 

I thank you, Sir. 

ELECTRIFICATION OF SOLWEZI WEST PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY AREAS

305. Mr Mwanza (Solwezi West) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development whether the Government had any plans to connect power to the following structures in Solwezi West Parliamentary Constituency:

(a)    Kulumazhiba Clinic;

(b)    Manyama Basic School;

(c)    Manyama Market; and

(d)    the private entrepreneurs along the Solwezi/Mwinilunga (T5) Road. 

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Zulu): Mr Speaker, the Government has plans to electrify the mentioned structures in Solwezi West Constituency. 

Mr Speaker, about seven months ago, the Manyama area was electrified at a cost of K2 million. A 9 km, 33 KV overhead line from Lumwana Mine 330/33 KV Substation was terminated in the 5 MVA 33/11 KV Substation at Manyama and switched on. A 1 km extension of the 11 KV …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on my left!

Mr Zulu: … overhead line now powers Lumwana Hospital together with the health staff compound. Reticulation has already been done in the market area and supply enquiry forms have been distributed to prospective clients.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was saying that reticulation has been done in the Manyama Market area and supply enquiry forms have been distributed for prospective clients to apply for connection to the new grid at 400/230 V.

Mr Speaker, Kalumaziba Clinic …

Laughter 

Mr Zulu: I beg your pardon. I am told it is Kulumazhiba Clinic, not Kalumaziba, …

Laughter 

Mr Zulu: … and the properties along the Solwezi/Mwinilunga (T5) Road will benefit from the new 33 KV overhead line being constructed to supply Kabompo Gorge from Lumwana. The line passes within a kilometre of the main road, making it suitable for opening up this area, which will be reinforced by supply from the Kalumbila Terminal. The caveat for the connection of any place, however, is that a formal application must be made to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) so that it forms the basis of an entity’s future business relations with the power utility.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, the clinic is actually called Nkulumazhiba. I should have made this correction when I posed the question. 

Sir, I am very thankful for the response by the hon. Minister. It was a good answer and I hope and trust that this Government will do as it has promised. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Clearly, there is no supplementary question. So, we move to the next question.

Laughter 

FURNITURE FOR ST PAUL’S MISSION HOSPITAL

306. Mr Mpundu (Nchelenge) asked the Minister of Health when St Paul’s Mission Hospital in Nchelenge District would be provided with furniture such as patient bedside lockers. 

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, the Government has budgeted for the procurement of medical equipment and furniture, such as patient bedside lockers, for public and mission hospitals countrywide in 2015. St Paul’s Mission Hospital is expected to benefit from that programme. 

I thank you, Sir.  

EXTENSION OF KAPIRI MPOSHI CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

307. Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing what measures the Government had taken to extend the Central Business District boundary to accommodate the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for Kapiri Mposhi District. 

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Ching’imbu): Mr Speaker, Kapiri Mposhi District Council has run out of land to accommodate an Integrated Development Plan (IDP). So, the Government, through the Provincial and District Administrations, has engaged their Royal Highnesses in the district, Chiefs Nkole, Chipepo and Mukonchi, to request more land for purposes of extending the township boundary in line with the provisions of Section 3, Sub-Section 2, of the Town and Country Planning Act, Cap 203, of the Laws of Zambia. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo rose unsteadily.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Mazabuka Central, I was not too sure whether you were standing or falling.

Laughter 

Mr Muntanga: He just woke up, Sir. 

Mr Nkombo: I lost balance, Sir. 

Laughter

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, Kapiri Mposhi, if not managed in a more prudent manner, could end up like Solwezi, which is a one-way street. Further, if we are not careful, the district could end up being a slum. The hon. Member of Parliament for Kapiri Mposhi is seeking a way to facilitate the implementation of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and circumvent the situation that has made Solwezi what it is today.

Sir, the sourcing of land from their Royal Highnesses that the hon. Minister refers to, to me, seems to be part of the IDP. My question is: Once the chiefs have given the Kapiri Mposhi District Council the land, which I believe they will, how soon will the IDP actually be implemented?

Mr Nkombo left his microphone on.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mic!

Mr Nkombo: Just talk like that.

Mr N. Banda: I do not know whether the hon. Member wants me to respond.

Mr Speaker: Of course, he does.

Mr N. Banda: Then, why is he telling me to answer when my microphone is off because of his being on?

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Mr Shakafuswa: You can shout.

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

Mr Speaker: Let us have some order!

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, that is an important question …

Interruptions

Mr N. Banda: Can we be honourable, hon. Members.

Mr Mucheleka: Iwe!

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Mr Muntanga: What is your problem?

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, can you respond to the question.

Mr N. Banda: Sir, the implementation of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is being done concurrently with the negotiations for more land. The area that was provided for in the IDP was already planned for in an integrated manner. However, it is too small to accommodate the planned projects. So, it was found necessary for us to negotiate with the chiefs and increase the IDP area.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, what do the locals get in return for the land that they will give to the State? The councils sell plots to pay for their recurrent expenditure. So, how will the locals, who are the owners of the land, benefit?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, unlike other developing councils, which are big, Kapiri Mposhi is still very small. So, its expansion will benefit the local people, who will be provided with municipal services.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr N. Banda: I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, apart from acquiring the land, what other plans does the Government have for Kapiri Mposhi in the IDP?

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister.

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister.

Mr Muntanga: Stand (pointing at Hon. Dr Phiri).

Mr Mucheleka: You are not happy? 

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, the plans are to promote the easy conduct of business in Kapiri Mposhi through the provision of all the necessary infrastructure, and development of Government business, which is currently not in place.

I thank you, Sir. 

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE ON NAMILANGI RIVER 

308.     Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when a bridge across Namilangi River to service Chivuli Community in Kaoma Central Parliamentary Constituency would be constructed.

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to construct a bridge across the Namilangi River to service Chivuli Community in Kaoma Central Parliamentary Constituency. However, the Government, through the Road Development Agency (RDA), will assess the crossing point in the second quarter of this year to determine the required intervention. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Antonio: Mr Speaker, the people of Chivuli have organised themselves and raised some funds to construct the bridge. Does that give the Government any ideas of how to help the community to construct the bridge?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, whatever contributions that the community can make are welcome. However, we are still interested in undertaking the assessment first so that it guides us on what intervention will be necessary. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to construct a bridge over the river, yet people need it to be able to cross the river and have access to the town. What is the Government’s immediate plan to help people cross the river without drowning during the flood season and being eaten by crocodiles? 

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, while we are alive to the dangers inherent in not having a bridge or some other intervention, we cannot proceed without conducting the necessary assessment.

I thank you, Sir. 

CONSTRUCTION OF LOCAL COURTS AND STAFF HOUSES IN SERENJE DISTRICT

309    Mr Musonda asked the Minister of Justice:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to construct local courts and staff housing units in the following areas in Serenje District:

(i)    Kabundi;

(ii)    Mapepala; and 

(iii)    Mulilima;

(b)    if so, when the construction works would commence; and 

(c)    what the estimated period of construction was. 

The Deputy Minister of Justice (Mr Mukata): Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to constructing local courts and staff housing units in Kabundi, Mapepala and Mulilima areas of Serenje District and intends to make provisions for these activities in the 2016 Budget.

Sir, the commencement date of the construction of the said infrastructure and the project cost will only be determined after feasibility studies have been completed. That will be before the presentation and approval of the 2016 Budget.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, there were promises in this House that there would be a rolling out of the construction of local courts countrywide. Now, we hear that feasibility studies for the programme have not been completed. When will they be completed so that we know when the construction will begin, especially in Serenje?

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, there will, indeed, be a rolling out of the construction of local courts in Zambia. Some areas, for instance, have just been designated as districts while others still need the plans and construction to be costed. Therefore, the rolling out implies an entire spectrum of activities, starting from feasibility studies, through costing to construction. What I can safely say is that there are local courts that are being constructed in the majority of our districts. In the last sitting, I stated that the Judiciary’s advertisements on local courts it intended to build had been appearing in the press. 

I thank you, Sir.
 
Mrs Masebo (Chongwe): Mr Speaker, I commend the hon. Minister for the good job they are doing in the ministry in terms of the construction, expansion and rehabilitation of local courts. 

Sir, seeing that Chongwe Parliamentary Constituency is now getting high-profile prisoners, when will the ministry upgrade Chongwe Local Court?

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, that question is too specific. However, I will answer it this way: it is highly unlikely that the high-profile prisoners you are getting emanate from local courts except, maybe, for contentious cases. However, if the hon. Member is talking about the subordinate court in Chongwe, for instance, that there is a need to expand it because of the volume of cases, then, definitely, that is something that needs to be considered. However, if it is the issue of prisoners, I think that what we should be talking about is more prisons than local courts. Again, if there is a requirement for prison facilities in an area, that is an issue that we need to look at with our colleagues in the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

I thank you, Sir. 

CONSTRUCTION OF MAIMWENE ROAD

310. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the construction of Maimwene Road from Maimwene School to Landless Corner/Mumbwa Road Junction  would be completed.

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, there are currently no on-going construction works on the road from Maimwene School to Landless Corner/Mumbwa Road Junction. However, the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) carried out maintenance works on the road between 2013 and 2014, which included bush clearing, grading and gravelling. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, the road is in a very bad state. Did the hon. Minister inspect it after the maintenance works that were carried out on it?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, the works that were undertaken by the RRU in 2013 and 2014 were according to the specifications we provided and inspections were done. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, what is the estimated cost of the project?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, I do not know the project that the hon. Member is referring to. Therefore, I do not have the answer to his question.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the principal question was on when the Government would complete the rehabilitation of the road. I believe that the hon. Minister is aware that the works have not been completed. Therefore, when will they be completed? 

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, the works were not a rehabilitation, but maintenance, and were undertaken according to specifications. 

I thank you, Sir.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the road is now in a worse condition than it was before the so-called rehabilitation? I say so because the contractors just put mud on the road. Further, is he aware that Maimwene is a very important agricultural area?

Dr Mwali: Mr Speaker, what we are talking about is a problem common to all earth and gravel roads. The roads do not last.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, just three days ago, I passed through that road and I found that it is in a very bad state.  If was maintained, why is it in such a state? 

The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, I am sure that there are many factors that may lead to a road degrading. What is important is that we realise that, between 2013 and 2014, there were maintenance works that were undertaken on the road. However, for us to consider putting the road in the 2017 Road Sector Annual Work Plan (RSAWP) so that it can be upgraded, it should be prioritised by the local authority. Then, we will have a road that will stand the test of time.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Speaker, the road is in a bad state. So, will maintenance works be undertaken on it this year?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, we can only do that if the road is prioritised by the local authority.

I thank you, Sir.

________

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, Chief Whip, and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn. 

Question put and agreed to.

The House adjourned at 1656 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 25th February, 2015.