Debates - Thursday, 2nd October, 2014

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DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 2nd October, 2014

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

__________

RULINGS BY MR SPEAKER

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR G. NKOMBO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MAZABUKA CENTRAL, REGARDING THE RESTRICTION OF SOME MEMBERS OF THE PRESS FROM COVERING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF PARLIAMENT INSIDE THE CHAMBER

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I have rulings to make on two points of order raised by the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central, Mr G. Nkombo.

Hon. Members will recall that, on Tuesday, 23rd September, 2014, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 1 and the hon. Member of Parliament for Lumezi, Mr I. Banda, was asking a supplementary question, Mr G. Nkombo, MP., raised a point of order in relation to the statements made by His Honour the Vice-President and the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting regarding the restriction imposed on some media organisations in covering the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament by His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, on Friday, 19th September, 2014. In his point of order, the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central stated that, while His Honour the Vice-President, Dr. Guy Scott, MP., had apologised to the press for the restriction of some media houses to covering the event from outside the Chamber, thereby taking responsibility for the action, the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Joseph Katema, MP., placed the blame on the National Assembly. According to Mr G. Nkombo, MP., His Honour the Vice-President and the hon. Minister issued contradictory statements on the matter. The hon. Member, therefore, sought a ruling on whether this was in order. The relevant part of the point of order reads as follows:

“Sir, I would like to find out whether Government officials are in order to contradict themselves as to who actually issued the instruction from a department under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to this Assembly, which is one of the three wings of Government, thereby declaring it subservient to ZANIS. Are the Government in order to show inconsistencies?”

Hon. Members, as I indicated in my immediate response, I needed time to reflect on the point of order. I have done so and now render the ruling.

Hon. Members, I wish to state, from the outset, that Hon. G. Nkombo, MP., went to great lengths to articulate his point of order. In so doing, he referred to Article 62 of the Constitution of Zambia and Standing Order No. 150 (4). However, the cited Standing Order, which refers to the Standing Orders Committee’s powers to examine matters relating to variations of Parliamentary procedure, has little or no relevance to Hon Nkombo’s point of order, as there was no variation of Parliamentary procedure in the matter he raised.  Be that as it may, Article 62 of the Constitution not only provides that the legislative power shall vest in Parliament, but equally lays down another seminal Constitutional principle, namely, that Parliament shall consist of the President and the National Assembly. Thus, on the ceremonial opening day, the National Assembly and the President, together, constitute Parliament. In this regard, as much as His Honour the Vice President was gracious in rendering his apology, and in spite of the explanation of the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting, the two did not explain the procedure of admitting the press in the Assembly Chamber during the Official Opening of Parliament.  I wish, therefore, to seize this opportunity to apprise the House and the public at large on the modus operandi of accrediting the media to cover the Ceremonial State Opening of Parliament by the Head of State. 

Hon. Members, Section 7 of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act, Chapter 12 of the Laws of Zambia, and Standing Order No. 208, give the Hon. Mr Speaker the power to control the admission of persons into the Assembly Chamber, including members of the press.  Additionally, as already pointed out, on the ceremonial Opening, the House sits as Parliament, with the President and the head of the other branch of the Government, the Judiciary, sitting in one place.  This state of affairs, inevitably, raises grave security concerns.

Hon. Members should further note that the Ceremonial Opening of Parliament is a State event.  As a result, the admission of members of the public and the press into the Assembly Chamber is undertaken in close collaboration with State House and State security agencies. During the last ceremonial opening, for instance, I received 129 requests for accreditation from Muvi Television, Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper, Times of Zambia Newspaper, Zambia National Broadcasting and Corporation (ZNBC), Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS), the Post Newspaper, Prime Television, New Vision Newspaper, Radio Phoenix, Joy FM, Hot FM, Q. FM, Five FM, Sky FM, Millennium Radio, Moon Newspaper, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Southern Time, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters, e-News and Xinhua News Agency, among others. As hon. Members are aware, the Assembly Chamber could not accommodate all the accredited media practitioners and, for that reason, and in the interest of State security, the coverage of the event on the Floor of the Assembly Chamber and in the Press Gallery was restricted to the Government media and one private media house. The rest of the accredited media organisations were only permitted to cover the event from outside the Assembly Chamber, that is, in the Presidential Dais within the National Assembly grounds, the walkway leading into the Assembly Chamber and the Media Centre which, at any rate, was constructed specifically for that purpose. More importantly, and in spite of the restrictions imposed on covering the event from the Chamber, the event was broadcast live on ZNBC Television, the public broadcaster  and, indeed, our own Parliament Radio. 

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR G. NKOMBO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MAZABUKA CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY, ON THE CONTINUED DEBATES ON THE CHITIMUKULU AND THE CONSTITUTION

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, you will recall that, on Tuesday, 23rd September, 2014, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 21 and the hon. Member for Mkaika Constituency, Mr P. Phiri, MP., was asking a supplementary question, the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central Constituency, Mr G. Nkombo, MP., raised the following point of order:

“Sir, I wish to draw the House to Standing Order No. 28, which says:

‘On reaching the orders of the day, the Speaker shall direct the Clerk to read them without question put.  Public business shall be disposed of in the order in which it appears upon the Order Paper.’

Sir, the key phrase in Standing Order No. 28 is ‘disposed of’.

Sir, Standing Order 29 states:

‘Questions shall be put only to Ministers and shall only relate to public affairs with which they are officially connected.’

Mr Speaker, there are two matters in this House which have continued showing their face on the Order Paper because they have not been disposed of. As we were departing in July, the issues to do with the Constitution and the Chitimukulu were not resolved.  Those two items have continued to appear on the Order Paper because we have not dealt with them exhaustively.

Mr Speaker, going forward, no matter how emotive the subject is, can this House consider following the Standing Orders so that matters are disposed of in order for them not to come on the Order Paper within a not too distant future.

Sir, I need your guidance."

In my immediate response to the point of order, I reserved the ruling to enable me to study the Standing Orders referred to.  I have since studied them and hereby render my ruling.

Hon. Members, in his point of order, the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central contends that, by continuing to debate issues pertaining to the Constitution and Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, the House is violating Orders No. 28 and 29 of the National Assembly Standing Orders, 2005, which requires matters to be discussed exhaustively and conclusively. I must hasten to state that a close scrutiny fails to establish the link between Standing Order No. 29 and the point of order. Therefore, I have based my ruling on Standing Order No. 28.

Hon. Members, Standing Order No. 28, under the Heading, “Reading of Orders’’ says:  

“On reaching the orders of the day, The Speaker shall direct the Clerk to read them without question put. Public business shall be disposed of in the order in which it appears upon the Order Paper.”

Hon. Members, to appreciate this Standing Order, one needs a proper understanding of the phrase ‘orders of the day’.  An order of the day is an item on the Order Paper that has been carried over from the previous day’s debate.  For instance, when a Motion is moved on a given day and the debate on it is not concluded on that day, it will appear on the following day’s Order Paper as an “Order of the Day”.  A classical example is the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, which has been appearing on the Order Paper as an 'Order of the Day' from Wednesday, 24th September, 2014, since it was not disposed of on Tuesday, 23rd September, 2014, when it was moved in the House.

Hon. Members, Standing Order No. 28 states that the orders of the day shall be read by the Clerk of the National Assembly, and that public business shall be ‘disposed of’ in the order in which it appears upon the Order Paper. The hon. Member for Mazabuka Central, in his point of order, seems to contend that the phrase ‘disposed of’ compels hon. Members to debate issues that are brought to the House exhaustively so that they are never debated again in the House. In this regard, it is obvious that the point of order necessitates a clear explanation of the phrase ‘disposed of’. 

Hon. Members, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners, Fifth Edition (2009), defines ‘dispose of’ as follows: 

 “Formal: to deal with something, such as a problem or question successfully”.

Hon. Members, it is evident that this is the definition the Hon. Member for Mazabuka Central had in mind when he arrived at the conclusion that Standing Order No. 28 compels hon. Members to debate issues exhaustively. However, the manner in which business is transacted in this House is guided by the Standing Orders, which provide various avenues in which hon. Members can present issues of concern to them and the people of Zambia. These include questions, Motions and petitions, and how matters brought before the House through these avenues, can be disposed of by the House.

Hon. Members, as far as our procedures are concerned, matters are disposed of by the House once they have been dealt with in accordance with the relevant Standing Order. Thus, questions are disposed of once the hon. Minister to whom they are directed gives a response in the House and Motions are disposed of once the House passes a resolution. Clearly, this is what the phrase ‘disposed of’, in the context of Standing Order No. 28, means. 

Hon Members, with respect to the issue of Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people, the House will recall that, during the last session of the House, several questions were asked to the hon. Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, which the hon. Minister answered. Similarly, some questions were asked to the hon. Minister of Justice relating to the enactment of a new Constitution and were answered.  Additionally, Hon. Nkombo, MP., moved a Motion to urge the Government to provide a road map for the enactment of a new Constitution and expedite the process, considering that the Technical Committee on Drafting the Constitution had completed its task. That Motion was disposed of by a resolution in the negative. Therefore, in the context of what this House can and cannot do, the two issues were properly disposed of within the meaning of that term as used in our Standing Orders. The fact that a question relating to the recognition of Paramount Chief Chitimukulu has been asked in this session of the House does not imply that the issue was not properly disposed of in the last session because, while Standing Order No. 39 proscribes a Motion, subject or amendment of the same substance to be presented twice in a single session, it allows hon. Members to raise questions or Motions on issues that were debated in the previous session in a new session. As hon. Members are aware, the 4th Session of the 11th National Assembly began on Friday, 19th September, 2014. We are, therefore, in a new session, and it is possible that some issues that were raised during the 3rd Session of this National Assembly shall be the subject of questions or Motions in the House.

In conclusion, I wish to seize this opportunity to, once again, urge hon. Members to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the Standing Orders, which are the rules that govern the conduct of business in this House. A clear understanding of these rules is essential if we are to conduct our business effectively and efficiently.
 
I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

__________{mospagebreak}

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER 

SOLAR POWER FOR MWINILUNGA RURAL HEALTH CENTRES 

102. Mr Katuka (Mwinilunga) asked the Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health:

(a)    how many rural health centres in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency had solar power;

(b)    of these centres, how many of the solar installations were fully functional;

(c)    when those which were non-functional, if any, would be repaired; and 

(d)    when those centres without solar power would be provided with the same. 

The Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Mrs Mphande): Mr Speaker, there are eighteen rural health centres with solar power in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency.

Sir, sixteen of the rural health centres have fully functional solar installations. 
 
Sir, Sakapoti Health Centre’s solar system will be fixed by November, 2014, while the system at Chiwoma Health Centre will be repaired by the end of 2014. 

Sir, solar power will be procured for Kawiko Health Centre by the end of 2014 while Kanzinza and Ntambo Sachitolo health centres will be considered after the construction of new health facilities. 

Mr Speaker, Angelique Company has already been contracted to construct these facilities. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma): Mr Speaker, when will solar power be provided to all the health centres countrywide without electricity? 

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, in the fourth quarter of 2014.

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions 

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister categorically state that all the health centres in Zambia will be electrified by the fourth quarter of 2014. Can she confirm that.

Mr Speaker: For avoidance of doubt, are you able to confirm that, hon. Minister?

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, I will not confirm it until logistics have been put in place and we are able to identify which health centres will have the solar panels by that time.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is now contradicting herself. She has informed the House and the nation that all those health centres will have been electrified by the fourth quarter of 2014. We are already in the third quarter and are only remaining with two months before this year ends.

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, the principal question is about rural health centres in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, you may not have got the supplementary question correctly because it referred to the entire country. Would you want to put this matter to rest?

Mr Mphande: Mr Speaker, the response I gave was specific to Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency, not the entire country. 

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, as a member of the House, I would request the hon. Minister to clarify this issue again. I am not satisfied.

Mr Speaker: In what terms? Can you put a question.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has now changed her statement, restricting her answer to Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency, not the whole country. If that is her position, I would like to know how much it will cost to electrify those rural health centres in Mwinilunga?

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, do you have that data?

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, I do not have an answer to that. We will need to research and come with the accurate details later.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Habeenzu (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, the question that the hon. Member for Nangoma asked referred to rural health centres countrywide and the hon. Minister answered that their electrification would be done in the fourth quarter of 2014. Now that she has restricted her answer to Mwinilunga, is it possible for her to withdraw that answer or correct it?

Mr Speaker: The Speaker has done that already.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, I am very knowledgeable about the rural health centres in Mwinilunga. Could the hon. Minister name the rural health centres that will be electrified in this quarter so that we account for them and remove all doubt.

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, there are a number of them, but three of them are Sakapatu, Kanzenzi and Ntambo rural health centres.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

MAINTENANCE OF CHASEFU ROADS

103. Mr I. Banda (Lumezi) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    when the following roads in Chasefu Parliamentary Constituency would be graded:

(i)    Emusa/Munyukwa/Chifunda; and

(ii)    Egi Chikeni/Mtwalo/Kamuone;

(b)    when the Chasefu/Sangu Mine Road would undergo periodic maintenance; and

(c)    what had caused the delay in commencing the maintenance works.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Let us listen to the answers.

Hon. Member: Maka maka Egi Chikeni.

Laughter

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mwimba H. Malama): Mr Speaker, there are no immediate plans by the Road Development Agency (RDA) or the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) to rehabilitate Emusa/Munyukwa/Chifunda Road. However, the rehabilitation of the road might be considered for inclusion in the 2016 Road Sector Annual Work Plan (RSAWP) if prioritised by the respective local road authorities. However, that will also be subject to the availability of funds. The Egi Chikeni/Mtwalo/Kamuone Road has been submitted to the RRU for consideration for possible inclusion in its 2015 Budget, subject to the availability of funds. 

Sir, the periodic maintenance of 26 km of the Chasefu/Sangu Mine Road has already been completed. 

Mr Speaker, there was no delay in commencing maintenance works on the Chasefu/Sangu Road, as it started on the contract commencement date. However, there has been a delay in completing the works, which was caused by the contractor. To that effect, the contractor was penalised by being charged liquidated damages.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr I. Banda: Mr Speaker, let me first correct the pronunciations of the names of the roads.  The road in question (a) (ii) is supposed to be pronounced as ‘Edi Tikeni’/Mtwalo/Kamuzole.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Is it not ‘Egi Chikeni’?

Laughter

Mr I. Banda: Mr Speaker, the pronunciation is ‘Edi Tikeni’.

Interruptions

Mr I. Banda: Mr Speaker, the grading that was done on the Emusa/Munyukwa/Chifunda Road by RRU was quite shoddy. Owing to that fact, waiting for 2016 to work on the roads would make the road too dilapidated to be used. Is it possible to re-grade the road before 2016?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, it may not be possible in the sense that we follow what has been submitted. If the local councils feel that there is a need to work on that road, then, it will be considered. We depend on information from the local governments.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mwila (Chipili): Mr Speaker, there have been complaints that the performance of the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) in most of the provinces has not been good. If the hon. Minister is aware of that, what is he doing to correct the situation?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, there are plans to put the RRU under the RDA so that they start collaborating in the provinces. However, that has not been implemented yet. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, this is a follow up on the supplementary question by the hon. Member for Chipili. The supervision of works on most of the roads by the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) is very poor. What is the hon. Minister doing to change that so that quality work is done?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the RRU does not have enough members of staff to supervise some of the works. Therefore, we need to recruit more engineers so that we can have a good number of qualified people to supervise the projects.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Habeenzu: Mr Speaker, the machinery that was bought under the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) seems not to be strong because it keeps breaking down. Is the Government thinking of purchasing more equipment so that it can help in the grading of roads, especially in rural constituencies?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the Government will continue buying new machines because the exercise of working on roads will continue. This is an ongoing exercise. I want to believe that even some councils are buying earth-moving machines.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, I heard the hon. Deputy Minister make what would ordinarily be a very important policy pronouncement, namely that the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) will be merged with the Road Development Agency (RDA). Is that the true position of the Government? If it is, has the Government considered the rationale behind the creation of the RRU? If it has, does that rationale still hold?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I think, I said that there are plans to do so. The idea is under discussion and, if it is adopted, the hon. Minister will come here and announce.

I thank you, Sir.

REHABILITATION OF KABWE VENUS THEATRE

104. Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central) asked the Minister of Tourism and Art:

(a)    what the name of the contractor engaged to rehabilitate the Kabwe Venus Theatre was;

(b)    what measures the ministry had taken to ensure that the materials bought for the rehabilitation of the theatre do not go to waste; and

(c)    who supervises the rehabilitation exercise.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Art (Mr Evans): Mr Speaker, the Kabwe Venus Theatre Building was built during the colonial era and belongs to Kabwe Municipal Council. The building has been dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance. The Kabwe Municipal Council has since leased it to the Ministry of Tourism and Art, which intends to use it as a cultural theatre. In rehabilitating the building, the ministry followed the standard procedure of engaging the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication to carry out the works. It is only when the Buildings Department is not able to carry out the works on behalf of the Government that a private contractor is engaged. In the case of the Kabwe Venus Theatre, the Buildings Department is able to do the rehabilitation and is doing so.

Mr Speaker, to avoid wastage of materials at the site, the ministry procures them in phases so as to avoid stockpiling. The Buildings Department has provided the ministry with a schedule of works and materials bought according to the schedule. 

Sir, the supervision of the rehabilitation works is done by the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, since the ministry has taken over the rehabilitation exercise, what is the time frame for the project?

Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, all works are being done and will be completed in January, 2015.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

REHABILITATION OF MASAITI FEEDER ROADS

105. Mr Katambo (Masaiti) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    of the amount of money budgeted for rehabilitation of feeder roads in Masaiti Parliamentary Constituency in the 2014 Budget, how much had been released, as of June, 2014; and

(b)    which feeder roads had been worked on, as of July, 2014.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Kufuna): Mr Speaker, we planned to rehabilitate 52 km of feeder roads in Masaiti in the 2014 Annual Work Plan (AWP), namely 34 km of the Lamba/Lima Road and 18 km of the Chakunte/Mutaba Road.

Sir, as of July, 2014, no road had been worked on, as the ministry was still waiting for the release of funds by the Ministry of Finance to enable the signing of the contract for the Lamba/Lima …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: … Road, which was successfully evaluated.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Katambo: Mr Speaker, what guarantee is the hon. Minister giving the people of Masaiti Parliamentary Constituency that the project will be included in next year’s Budget as he has stated?

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, the guarantee is in the fact that the contractor has already been identified and the project budget is known.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, arising from what the hon. Minister said regarding the work plan for Masaiti, what plans does he have for other districts, such as Ikeleng’i?

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, if the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i has a specific question about his district, he should file it in as a new question and we will answer it.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Sir, the money for the projects was appropriated and approved by this House. Why is there no money for this project when the Budget was passed? May the hon. Minister clarify that.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, I said that the money has not been released because we have just reached the stage at which that is supposed to happen. The project had to be advertised and evaluated. We are now at a stage when we are waiting for money to be released.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwanza (Solwezi West): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mweetwa: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I thank you. As you know, I rarely rise on points of order.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mweetwa: Sir, is Hon. Kapata in order to dress the way she is dressed, in a school girl’s uniform, ...

Laughter

Mr Mweetwa: … thereby enjoying the privilege of looking like a young girl and misleading the unsuspecting would-be?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I can only measure the orderliness or otherwise of the dress in terms of the Standing Orders. As far as this case is concerned, the Standing Orders have been complied with. The other matters are extraneous.

Laughter

Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of orders is raised.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing in order not to answer the question by the hon. Member for Chipata Central Parliamentary Constituency?

Mr Speaker: In what way?

Mr Mbewe: Sir, the hon. Member for Chipata Central asked why the Ministry of Finance did not release the money to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Solwezi West, you are on the Floor. 

Hon. Minister, as you respond to the hon. Member for Solwezi West, please, clarify the issue that has been raised in the point of order.

Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, the year has now ended because we will begin a new Budget Cycle next week. So, when will the Government work on the roads?

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, I would like to correct the hon. Member that the year has not yet ended. This is October. So, the roads will be worked on when the money is released.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I indicated that there was also a point of clarification.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, could the hon. Member repeat the question.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister has told the House that the Ministry of Finance did not release the money for the road works. Thereafter, the hon. Member for Chipata Central asked him why that was the case. That is the question that he did not answer.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, I said that we are waiting for the money to be released by the Ministry of Finance. When that has been done, the project will commence. That is the stage at which we are. We are done with all the other stages. I also said that there is a stage at which the project was advertised. Even human life has stages. Before you are born, you have to be an embryo.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, I think that you have already made your point clear.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: You are simply waiting for the money. I think that is sufficient.

Mr Kunda (Muchinga): Mr Speaker, this is October, and the hon. Minister is still talking about the releasing of money. When will this money be released, since we will soon start dealing with the 2015 Budget?

Mr Speaker: In all fairness, I think that the hon. Minister has been clear. He is waiting for the disbursement of the money by the Ministry of Finance. That is the stage he has reached.

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, how much will be spent on the two roads that the hon. Minister has mentioned, one of which is 34 km and the other 18 km?

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, the estimated cost is K8 million.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

CONSTRUCTION OF A UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE

106. Mr Mwanza asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education when a university would be constructed in the North-Western Province.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, as it was announced, it is the Government’s policy to construct a university in each of the ten provinces of Zambia. In 2015, as part of the ministry’s Annual Work Plan (AWP), feasibility studies will be conducted on the construction of public universities in four provinces, namely, the Eastern, Southern, Northern and the North-Western. However, due to budgetary limitations, the universities will be constructed in a phased approach.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, I agree with the hon. Deputy Minister when he says that this is the policy of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. However, can he explain why the PF Government found it fit to have two universities in one village.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, although the hon. Member has not mentioned which village he is referring to, I will still answer him. 

Sir, I do not think that it is peculiar to have two universities in one village. For example, if you look at the Copperbelt Province, Kitwe in particular, there is the Copperbelt University (CBU) and the up-coming Mukuba University. In Kabwe, there is Mulungushi University and Kwame Nkrumah University. So, I do not see any peculiarities. We can even have three universities in one town depending on whether we deem it appropriate or not. However, that is our commitment. The argument of our colleagues is that they probably need a university in the North-Western Province, like he had asked, and I have responded that there are plans to conduct four feasibility studies in the provinces where we do not have public universities, starting next year.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has specified the four provinces where the phased construction of universities will be done. In which provinces will the first and last projects be implemented?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, what I have stated is that we will conduct the feasibility studies. I have not stated that we will implement the projects. Once the feasibility studies have been conducted, the ministry will be able to decide which province to begin with.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, the people of the North-Western Province are asking for a university, but they are being told that a feasibility study must be conducted first. Could the hon. Minister tell us whether there is any university among those currently under construction for which a feasibility study was conducted.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, we undertook feasibility studies on all the universities that we are constructing and this is the document (lifting a document up). However, this is an internal document for the ministry. So, if Hon. Dr Musokotwane wants, he can come and see that all the universities we are building are in it.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Sayifwanda (Zambezi East): Mr Speaker, is it possible to upgrade the Solwezi Teachers Training College, which is the only college in the North-Western Province, into a university so that you fast-track the programme and we get a university in the province quickly?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, like I have said, some colleagues will be conducting the feasibility study until next year and that is one option that they could consider, but it is not for me to state, now, that we can proceed and upgrade it. So, let us have the experts look at the options and, then, they will recommend the way forward to the ministry.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simbao (Senga Hill): Mr Speaker, since the hon. Minister has referred to a feasibility study that he has in his hand, is it possible for him to lay it on the Table so that we can have access to it easily?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, no, I cannot because this is our internal document. We need to work as a team here. There is nothing that we can hide. Those who are interested can come to the ministry and we will show them this information.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Sir, there is a big difference between a classified document and an internal one. I take it that the document he keeps waving at us is a public document, and there are those of us who contend that there was no feasibility study that was conducted when our colleagues made pronouncements about converting Mulakupikwa College into a university. What difficulty does the hon. Deputy Minister have laying it on the Table so that we can catch him well?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, there is no issue of catching anyone. I think that I have tried to give very measured answers to my colleagues since I came into this House.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mabumba: Like I said, this is an internal document for the ministry and, I think, the issue ends there. The fact of the matter is that a team was constituted between October and November, 2011, and this is the report that it submitted to us.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I think, for progress’ sake, he has made an invitation …

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Unless you want to deal with the same question over and over.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Deputy Minister correctly, he said that there will be feasibility studies on the construction of universities in the Eastern, North-Western, Western and Southern provinces. As I understand the term ‘feasibility’, the results can either be positive or negative. In the event that the results will be negative in the North-Western Province, what will the ministry do?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, when the report will be submitted, depending on whether the feasibility study will be negative or positive, the ministry will make a decision. However, the feasibility studies are limited. For example, we have to ensure that land is available and the mapping is done. Thereafter, the colleagues on that team will tell us what sort of programmes and schools should be in those universities, the staff establishment and costs associated with the programmes.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I appreciate what the hon. Deputy Minister is saying. However, is he aware that starting with the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government, there have been pronouncements that a university would be established in Solwezi because of the agricultural potential of the region? If he checks the ministry’s records properly, he will find that this has been said many times. Further, not long ago, when we were burying my late uncle, Dr Matoka, in Solwezi, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs also announced that a university would be built in the North-Western Province and that the money was available. Can the hon. Deputy Minister clarify this point.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, probably, what Hon. Muchima is referring to is a separate matter from what I am presenting on here. The three university colleges that were announced during the burial will be built in Solwezi, Nalolo and Katete and, yes, the money for that is available, as a loan was secured for that. So, we will proceed with the project. However, what I was talking about earlier are public universities, which are in addition to the university colleges.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kaingu (Mwandi): Sir, the hon. Deputy Minister referred to a document that hon. Members are asking to be laid on the Table. Is he in order to refuse to lay the document that he has referred to on the Table when hon. Members want it laid on the Table?
 
Mr Speaker: That should have been raised as a point of order.

Laughter 

CONSTRUCTION OF A COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN NCHELENGE

107. Mr Mpundu (Nchelenge) asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education:

(a)    when the construction of a college of science and mathematics in Nchelenge would commence; and

(b)    why the construction of the institution was omitted from the 2014 Operational Plan for Educational Infrastructure.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, a feasibility study on the construction of a college of mathematics and science in Nchelenge will commence in 2015. 

Sir, the ministry did not include the construction of the institution in the 2014 Operational Plan for Educational Infrastructure due to budgetary constraints.

I thank you, Sir.

ACCESSIBILITY OF LUBANSENSHI HEALTH FACILITIES

108. Mr Mucheleka asked the Minister of Health:

(a)    what the proportion of rural households living within a 5 km radius of the nearest health facility in relation to the population in Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency was; and

(b)    what measures the Government had taken to reduce the distance to health facilities in rural areas in the constituency.

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, according to the current District Health Information System, Version II, Geographical Information System Component, the proportion of rural households within a 5 km radius of the nearest health facility in Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency is 25 per cent. 

Sir, the Government has taken the following measures to reduce the distance to health facilities in rural areas in Lubansenshi Parliamentary Constituency:

(a)    construction of a maternity annex and staff house at Ndoki Rural Health Centre, which is intended to increase access to maternal health services in the area. This facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2014; and

(b)    construction of four health posts at Mulenga Pasa, Malekani, Menga and Kasonde Kombo Kombo, respectively. The construction of these health posts is being done as part of the national programme to construct 650 health posts.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, while I appreciate the hon. Deputy Minister’s answer, I want to say that the four health centres he has referred to are certainly not sufficient for the people of Lubansenshi Constituency. Our people still have to cover long distances to access health facilities. That said, can he indicate exactly when the construction of the four health centres he has referred to will start? We have been hearing about the intended construction of 650 health centres but, in Luwingu or Lubansenshi, we have not seen anything to date pertaining to the commencement of the project. 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the contractor for the Northern Province is in Kasama as we speak and will be mobilising next week, starting with Kasama and, within two months, will be in Luwingu. I appreciate the hon. Member for Lubansenshi’s concern over the inadequacy of health infrastructure in his constituency. However, we have taken the first step with the 650 health posts and intend to build on that number, which is expected to reduce the distances our people cover in search of health services. So, his concerns are well noted.
 
I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I apologise to my cousin for disturbing the flow of his debate. 

Mr Speaker, I am always compelled to raise points of order because of what is happening around. Is the hon. Minister, who I like very much, …

Mr Mwila: Which one?

Mr Mbewe: … the Hon. Minister of Finance, in order to walk in so majestically and quietly, talk to His Honour the Vice-President and look at me without seeing me? Is he in order not to have seen that I am looking at him?

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I was about to use one word, but …

Laughter

Mr Speaker: … I, myself, have banned it.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: So, let us make progress.

Laughter

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister made reference to a maternity annex being constructed in Ndoki so that the people of Lubansenshi can access maternity services. What measures have been put in place to provide the human resource to attend to the people of Lubansenshi in Luwingu District as soon as the annex has been completed?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the human resource for the maternity annex at Ndoki has already been identified and we will deploy it as soon as the structure is complete.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I just need clarification. The hon. Deputy Minister said that the contractor for the Northern Province will be there for only …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is a follow-up on what ought to have been a question by the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwandi, who presented it as a point of order and, because it was presented wrongly, we did not address it. I also realise that it should have been raised contemporaneously and apologise because I had to read the Standing Orders in order to inform my desire to seek guidance from you on whether the hon. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, Mr Mabumba, who says he gives measured answers to hon. Members of Parliament on your left, is in order to refuse to lay a document that he has referred to on the Table.

Mr Speaker, I invite all to refer to Standing Order No. 213 of 2005 so that we can unlock this impasse. Standing Order No. 213 (1) states:

“All persons shall be entitled to read and, if they so desire, to take the extracts from or copies of, all papers laid upon the Table except such papers as are declared confidential to Members by the hon. Minister when laying them.”

Mr Speaker: Sorry, which Standing Order?

Mr Nkombo: No. 213, on Page 70. 

Your Members, …

Mr Speaker: Just a moment.

Mr Nkombo: … Sir, are desirous of ensuring that, in their performance of their duties of providing checks and balances on the Executive, they are satisfied that the feasibility studies that the hon. Deputy Minister referred to were duly conducted. There was an innocent request by the hon. Member of Parliament for Senga Hill that the document be laid on the Table. I also followed up on his request by asking the hon. Deputy Minister whether the document was internal or confidential and he said it was just internal. Is he in order, then, to continuously refuse to lay that document on the Table, contrary to the dictate of Standing Order 213? He should not have referred to the document if he did not want to lay it on the Table.

I seek your guidance, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I think, the issue here is the structure of Standing Order 213 (1). If you look at it very closely, maybe, for the benefit of the House, let me read it, in case some hon. Members do not have the Standing Orders in front of them:

“All persons shall be entitled to read and, if they so desire, to take extracts from, or copies of, all papers laid upon the Table except such papers as are declared confidential to Members by the Minister when laying them”.

I would like to emphasise the word ‘laid’ in that statement. 

In this case, firstly, the document has not been laid. So, Standing Order 213 (1) does not aid the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central. Secondly, the hon. Deputy Minister has not declared the document confidential, anyway. Instead, he has made an open invitation to all those who desire to verify his information to engage him. They are at liberty to see him. 

On the hon. Member for Mwandi’s issue, he raised a question, not a point of order. He meant it to be a question to the hon. Minister, which was inappropriate. I am sure, if you ask him, he will concede.

Hon. Member for Ikeleng’i, please, continue.

Mr Musukwa: Mr Speaker!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, before the point of order, I was trying to make a follow-up on the answer from the hon. Deputy Minister of Health, which was that the contractor for the Northern Province was already on site and would be there for only two months before moving to Lubansenshi Constituency. My question is: Can the hon. Deputy Minister assure this House that the contractor will do a good job in two months? I do not know how many health centres will be built there before the contractor goes to another constituency and how many constituencies the contractor will cover in the province.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the contractor will cover all the constituencies in the province. The contractor has also provided a provisional plan of action that shows that the project will start in Luwingu within two months, that is, by December, 2014. 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

KAPUTA LOCAL COURTS STAFF ESTABLISHMENT

109. Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa) asked the Minister of Justice:

(a)    what the staff establishments for the following courts in Kaputa District were:

(i)    Local Courts; and

(ii)    Magistrate’s Court;

(b)    how many positions were vacant, as of May, 2014; and

(c)    when the vacancies would be filled.

The Deputy Minister of Justice (Mr Mukata): Mr Speaker, the staff establishments for the local courts and Subordinate Court in Kaputa District are as follows:

Kaputa Local Court – Grade B

Number    Position    Status

01    Presiding Justice    filled

03    Local Court Justice    2 filled, 1 vacant

01    Assistant Court Clerk    filled

Mukupa Katandula Local Court – Grade B

Number    Position    Status
    
01    Local Court Justice    filled

02    Local Court Messenger    1 filled, 1 vacant

01    Assistant Court Clerk    filled

Nsama Local Court – Grade B

Number    Position    Status

01    Presiding Justice    vacant

01    Local Court Justice    filled

02    Local Court Messenger    1 filled, 1 vacant

01    Assistant Court Clerk    vacant

Nsumbu Local Court – Grade B
    
Number    Position    Status

01    Presiding Justice    vacant

01    Local Court Justice    vacant

02    Local Court Messenger    vacant

01    Assistant Court Clerk    vacant

Kaputa Subordinate Court

Number    Position    Status

01    Magistrate, Class 1    filled

01    Clerk of Court    filled

01    Registry Clerk    filled

01    Assistant Clerical Officer    vacant

01    General Worker    filled

01    Watchman    filled

01    Driver    filled

Mr Speaker, eleven positions were vacant, as of May, 2014. The Judiciary will consider filling them once the Ministry of Finance grants the Treasury authority for recruitment in the 2015 Financial Year. Please, note that Nsumbu Local Court is non-operational the court building collapsed.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, I know, for sure, that Treasury authority was granted for the recruitment of some court officers for Luapula Province, in which Kaputa District is, but the district was not included in that authority. Why was that the case? We also need this service.

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I am not privy to the details of why Kaputa was left out in terms of the order of coverage. However, like I indicated, the authority will definitely be given because the portfolios are in the establishment. The reason for the delay could be a lack of resources. So, in due course, once the resources have been mopped up, Kaputa will be catered for.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Rev. Lieut-Gen. Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, is it possible for the hon. Deputy Minister to lay his answer on the Table so that I can access and study it?

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I am a very junior Member of Parliament but, in the short time I have been in the House, the understanding I have gained is that this answer will be taken by an officer of the National Assembly to the registry. The hon. Member can rest assured that he will have a copy. However, I can make a copy for him. I have a duplicate at the office that I can take personally to his office.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mweetwa (Choma): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister of Justice has said that he is not personally privy to some intricate details. Has he consulted his boss, who is busy chatting, as to whether, as hon. Minister, …

Mr Speaker: Order!

 Hon. Member for Choma Central, please, let us proceed in an orderly manner. Many people chat here. Where I sit, I see many people chatting every single day and we allow that for as long as the conduct of our business is not disturbed. If the chats become too loud, I often invite those involved to go out. So, let us not make an issue of this. Just put your question objectively. By the way, the management of the House is my business. You can raise a point of order, of course, to assist me. However, if you are putting a question, do just that.

You may continue.

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister has stated that …

Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Deputy Minister in order to refuse to lay a document on the Table as requested by an hon. Member of Parliament in this House, considering that the business of this House is yours?
 
Mr Speaker: I reserve my ruling.

The hon. Member for Choma Central may continue.

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, seeing that the hon. Deputy Minister is personally not privy to certain intricate details, would he care to tell us whether his boss, the hon. Minister, is also not privy to the same, especially that he is in the House and, apparently, not concerned with the question, which relates to his ministry.

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I will not go too deep into those issues. However, my usage of ‘not privy’ is attendant upon the question. It was in reference to the specific question that was put.

Mr Musukwa: Counsel!

Mukata: Sir, a new question was asked about why local courts in Luapula were left out of some programme. When I said ‘intricate’, I meant ‘specific’. It was a specific question. So, when I said “privy”, I meant that those particular details were not exposed. It could have been that we were not prompted, but the information exists and, in the common order of things, the lapse could be on account of the fact that the ministry has to line up financing for the local courts to fill their vacancies. There are many vacancies in the courts across the country.

Hon. Government Member: Ema lawyer aba.

Mr Mukata: The Ministry of Finance will line them up and finance them accordingly.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chansa (Chimbamilonga): Mr Speaker, in view of the hon. Deputy Minister’s confirmation that Nsumbu Local Court collapsed, can he tell us when it will be reconstructed. 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, the project is one of the activities in the 2015 Budget. As to whether the financing for that line will be approved, that remains to be seen because we have ceilings. Definitely, it is one of the projects that we have lined up for 2015.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

ABANDONED WORKS ON KELONGWA/NYOKA/LUFWANYAMA ROAD

110. Mr Pande (Kasempa) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    what action had been taken against the contractor who abandoned the works on the Kelongwa/Nyoka/Lufwanyama Road;

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

(c)    how much money was paid to the contractor.

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, no action has been taken against the contractor. However, the ministry is following up the matter to ascertain what happened. Thereafter, it will determine the way forward.

Mr Speaker, the total cost of the project was K1,152,802.

Mr Speaker, the contractor was paid K348,508 as interim payment certificate No. 1.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, this case has taken too long, and I wonder why the ministry has not taken any action. In view of the fact that this road is in a very bad state, can the ministry consider engaging a new contractor to finish the works?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, that will be the next step after the conclusion of the current issues surrounding the project, which I indicated the ministry is looking into. Therefore, we will look for an alternative contractor to work on that road.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, would the hon. Minister be in a position to say when the contract for this work was signed and when the contractor abandoned the work so that the time frame that the hon. Member is asking about is clear.

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I will only give the information that I have, that is, when the contractor moved on site to start working, which was on 1st January, 2013.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, there are a number of contractors throughout the country who have abandoned works, especially on the rehabilitation of roads, just like Kelongwa Road. Has the ministry been receiving this information and compiling it with the view of following the culprits up and making them answerable?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, yes, the Government has actually been following up these matters and, in fact, the same issues that we are talking about are included in the contract. The contracts actually outline the penalties that apply when a contractor abandons works.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Speaker, for us to appreciate the answers being given by the hon. Deputy Minister, we need to know when exactly the contractor abandoned the contract. If he is unable to tell us the date, is he willing to come back and do so later?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I do not have that information. Since similar questions are asked almost on a daily basis in this House, we will bring the answer to the hon. Member later.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Katambo: Mr Speaker, the contractor abandoned this work …

Mr Mutelo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, I thank you and apologise to the hon. Member who was on the Floor.

Mr Speaker, because the issue of contractors is being discussed, I would like to add that there was a contract for the construction of the 20,000 seater Mongu Stadium but, by 15th September, 2011, the contract had been cancelled. Is the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, together with the hon. Minister of Youth and Sport, in order not to come to this House to tell us why they cancelled the contract?

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious ruling.

Mr Speaker: My ruling is predictable. You do not expect the hon. Ministers to have that information now. In order for them to give you the information, they need to receive a question from you and research the answer. In that task, they are assisted by technocrats in the ministries. Once they have been supplied with that information, they come back with an answer. Therefore, you initiate the process by filing in a question, and that is what you should do.

That is my ruling.

Hon. Member for Masaiti, please, proceed.

Mr Katambo: Mr Speaker, the contractor abandoned the works twelve months ago. Surely, is the ministry still ascertaining what happened?

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, it is good that I have just been given the information that the contractor left the site in June, 2013. There are many issues involved in the contracts. When the contractor abandons the work, you cannot conclude the issues there and then and make a decision. You have to study the matter.  When I stood here earlier, I indicated that the matter is about to be concluded. So, very soon, we will know the next step.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, in a contract, there are penalties for both the contractor and the Government when either of them fails to fulfil their part. If you have seen the contract, what is the penalty in that contract if the contractor abandoned the work? 

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I have not seen the contract. As I said, all those things will be known when the matter is concluded. I have also indicated that this will be done very soon. The contract was signed between the contractor and the Government, and we are not a careless Government to just keep throwing money here and there. We are aware that the Government had spent money on this contract. Therefore, we will follow it up so that we take the correct measures.

I thank you, Sir.

Rev. Lieut-Gen. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, is there not a consultant employed by the Government to provide information, rather than waiting for twelve months?

Mr Mwiimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, there are some contracts in which consultants can be involved, depending on the volume of the works. There are also other works that do not need a consultant, which was the case in this contract. The works were being supervised by the RRU in the North-Western Province. We are waiting for the report that we are talking about. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you. 

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the contractor was not paid in full. Is the money that was withheld after the termination of the contract with the contractor still available to be used to pay the contractor who will take over the works in Kasempa? 

Mr Mwiimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I cannot confirm whether the money is still available because, sometimes, monies for some works come from a force account. A force account is like a pool in which money, if available, is drawn and paid to the contractor upon signing of the contract. However, there will be other projects that are financed from the same account. Therefore, I cannot confirm, for now. Suffice it for me to say that, if this matter is concluded, the Government will work on the road. I think that this is what is important, for now.  

Mr Speaker, I thank you. {mospagebreak}

CONSTRUCTION OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE IN SESHEKE

111. Mr Sianga (Sesheke) asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education:

(a)    when the construction of a vocational training centre in Sesheke Parliamentary Constituency would commence; and

(b)    what progress had been made regarding the project. 

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr P. Ngoma): Mr Speaker, the tendering process for the construction of the vocational training institute in Sesheke District has been completed and the draft contract has been submitted to the Attorney-General for ratification. The contract is expected to be signed after the ratification within 2014. Afterwards, the contractor will be given a period of one month in which to complete the process of mobilisation, prior to the commencement of work.

Mr Speaker, since construction works have not commenced, no progress has been made. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, what is the project sum in the contract? 

Mr P. Ngoma: Mr Speaker, unfortunately, I do not have the figure. Maybe, I can come back with it in the future.  

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours. 

[MR DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Deputy Speaker: When business was suspended, the hon. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education had just concluded his response to Hon. Antonio’s follow-up question on Question 111. Next question, please.

PROSPECT POLICE POST

112. Mr Mushanga asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to turn Prospect Police Post into a fully-fledged police station and, if there were no such plans, why;

(b)    when Prospect Police Post would be provided with a vehicle for operations; and

(c)    when a police ambulance would be provided to Prospect Police Post for emergency rescue operations of road traffic accident victims on the Great North Road.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs: (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, Prospect is actually a Grade B police station, not a police post. It is run by an Assistant Superintendent and has fifty-five police officers. Liteta and Kembe Police posts both fall under it. People are only misled to think that it is a police post by to the size of the building. 

Mr Speaker, Prospect Police Station has two vehicles for operations, namely, a Land Rover 110, Registration Number ZP 2222B, used for general operations, and a Nissan Tiida, Registration Number ZP848B, used for traffic operations. 

Sir, the Traffic Section of every police station across the country is supposed to have a police ambulance. However, due to financial constraints faced over the years, none has managed to acquire one. Funds permitting, the Government will progressively provide ambulances to police stations, including Prospect but, even more so, to stations in accident-prone areas. I must state that we are comforted by the fact the hon. Minister of Health has since put up a trauma centre at Kabwe General Hospital, which has two ambulances equipped with advanced life-saving equipment. The ministry has further placed two ambulances at Liteta and Chibombo, respectively. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you. 

Mr Mushanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister said that people are misled into thinking that the station is a post because of the size of the structure. Are there any plans by the ministry to put up a modern structure at Prospect Police Station befitting its status?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, it is the desire of the ministry to provide suitable infrastructure for the station. However, we are constrained by the non-availability of resources.

Sir, let me take this opportunity to thank the hon. Member who has asked this question for the support he is rendering to the station. He has made some commitments towards helping the station in erecting a structure. Hon. Member, that is the spirit.

I thank you, Sir. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I congratulate the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health on what they have done in Kabwe.

Sir, during by-elections, the Government spends a lot of money mobilising police officers. When you calculate how much it costs to mobilise police officers during the by-elections, do you not think that it would be wiser to buy each province ambulances, which are life-saving tools, instead of wasting money on the mobilisation of police officers?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, all operations of the police are conducted at an unavoidable cost. However, like I have stated before, it is the desire of the Government to provide these life-saving vehicles to police stations. Let me take this opportunity to inform the hon. Member that the hardworking Patriotic Front (PF) Government …

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: … has made progress in procuring three helicopters for the Zambia Police Force, the first ever, with the assistance of a co-operating partner. Before the end of the year, these very aircraft, which will be used for rescue operations, will be in the country.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, I appreciate the answer given by the hon. Minister in relation to the procurement of ambulances, especially in accident-prone areas. I would like to state that Rufunsa is really an accident-prone area. We had an accident even today and it is almost every day that there are accidents in the area. Is there a way by which you can lend assistance to the constituency, as a matter of urgency, to have an ambulance placed there exclusively for transporting injured people?

The Minister of Home Affairs (Dr Simbyakula): Mr Speaker, we will consider that.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Bwacha asked a question to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, which has not been satisfactorily answered.

Sir, there is need a need to have an ambulance at Prospect Police Station because of its location, in order to transport accident victims. The hon. Minister, in his response, said that the hon. Member of Parliament for Bwacha has made some commitments, but did not disclose what those commitments were. What are those commitments?

Mr Deputy Speaker: I know that we, sometimes, have many questions to ask but, at times, we have a lot of work on our programmes to do and I recall that the hon. Minister was commending the hon. Member for assisting in the implementation of a project. Now, you want to know what it is that the hon. Member for Bwacha does. That is okay but, next time, we should avoid questions of that nature. 

Hon. Minister, can you answer?

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Bwacha has pledged to commit part of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) towards the rehabilitation of Prospect Police Station and we commend him for that.

I thank you, Sir. 

OIL PROSPECTING IN WESTERN PROVINCE

113. Ms Imenda (Luena) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development:

(a)    whether any exploration for oil was ever conducted in the Barotse Plains or in any other part of the Western Province between 1993 and 2013;

(b)    if so, what the results of the exploration were; and 

(c)    if not, when the Government intended to undertake the exploration exercises. 

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Musukwa): Mr Speaker, the Government, through its Geological Survey Department, prospected for oil and gas in the Western Province from June to August, 2008, using the Microbial Prospecting for Oil and Gas (MPOG) technique.

Sir, the results of the prospecting established that there was potential for oil and gas. 

Mr Speaker, the Government has no intention to carry out further exploration for oil and gas because we have already got the preliminary information that private companies may need for them to carry out further explorations. 

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I am not a mining expert, but I would like to find out what the next stage would be in establishing the existence, quantity and quality of the oil and gas in the area, since potential has been ditected? 

Mr Musukwa: Mr Speaker, our role, as a Government, is to provide preliminary data, which we have done through our Geological Survey Department. From there, we have opened up all these areas that had potential to private bidders so that they can increase the level of exploration and, consequently, provide the detail that will lead to the starting of operations. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister able to provide us with the preliminary data so that we know where we can get oil in Barotseland?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Yaluma): Mr Speaker, the companies that were contracted to conduct the explorations are not yet ready to give us full detailed data on the blocks. As soon as it is available, it will be availed to the public.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simfukwe (Mbala): Mr Speaker, recently, the hon. Minister was quoted in one of our newspapers saying that Zambia has oil. If he was not misquoted, could he tell us on what basis he issued that statement?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the answer given by Hon. Musukwa, the Deputy Minister, indicates that the investigations done in the Western Province show the presence of hydro-carbons. However, that is just an indication. We have to carry out a full detailed exploration so that we can determine the extent of the resource and start extracting oil from there. We are saying that it was just an indication and, based on that, we have involved people with the relevant skills and expertise to look deeper into the wells and see whether there is gas or oil. That is where we are currently and it is a promising stage.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to get the views of the hon. Minister on the prospecting of oil and gas in the Western Province. How would he describe the pace of the response of the bidders or companies?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to put it on record that oil and gas exploration is capital-intensive compared with exploration for copper, nickel and base metals. We have given these people quite some tight time frame in which they should be giving us quarterly reports. The companies that was contracted in the Western Province, which Hon. Imenda might have been referring to, defaulted extensively and we are about to revoke the licences from them. Currently, I am talking about the people we engaged last year. These people are experienced in gas and oil exploration and have even done it in other countries. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe): Mr Speaker, any country that discovers oil turns into heaven on earth. Going by the current understanding of the Zambian people, the Central Government should have a say, especially, in the big industries, such as the mines, like it is in Chile.  Regarding what you have discovered, leaving everything in the hands of the private sector might not bear fruits. Would it not be prudent for our Government to take the centre-stage in this important programme?

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order, on my right!

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I think that the hon. Member is pre-empting what the Government is doing. As a Government, we do not want to go into exploration with these oil giants because it is a highly risky business. Whatever you push in will be a cost by the end of the exploration. We have told the private sector to do the exploration and, after that, we will go in and partner the private companies and hold some stakes in the ventures. That is the idea. 
  
I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, would the hon. Minister care to paraphrase for the House the difference between gas and oil.

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I do not want to go into details because, if I break down the components, I will write a very long formula. The difference is that you can see oil in its full entity. Gas is a little misty and you can or cannot see it depending on its viscosity.  

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

CONSTRUCTION OF KATETE MAIN POLICE STATION

114. Mr P. Phiri (Mkaika) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a)    why construction works at the Katete Main Police Station had stalled;

(b)    who the contractor of the project was; and

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

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the construction of Katete Main Police Station stalled because the project was undervalued due to human error and the consequent prospect of having an inferior structure. The project has been re-evaluated and the Provincial Permanent Secretary, Eastern Province, has been advised by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) to re-advertise the works on the re-evaluated Bill of Quantities (BoQs). The construction will continue soon after this exercise has been completed.

Mr Speaker, the initial contractor of the project was SKAD Investments. Now that the contract will be re-advertised, the contractor will be known after the contract is re-awarded. 

Sir, the time frame for the contract that was discontinued was twenty-one working weeks.

Mr Speaker, I thank you. 

Mr P. Phiri: Mr Speaker, will that contract also include the housing units?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, unfortunately, the housing units were not included in the contract. The hon. Member may wish to know that we will be rolling out a housing project to old and new stations, and Katete Police Station is a potential beneficiary of that project.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, how much was the undervalued project worth?

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, the initial Bill of Quantities (BoQ) was K1.8 million. The re-evaluated BoQ is K4.9 million.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, when a project is re-advertised, there is no guarantee that the former contractor will be re-awarded the new contract. You may give it to a new contractor. Was the old contractor paid for the shoddy work that they did?

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, the contract was not terminated because of a fault of the contractor’s but, as my colleague has pointed out, due to human error. So, the contractor was paid on the basis of what we call quantum meruit or amount of work done. The contractor executed some works for which he has been paid for.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Well, I thought, the hon. Member also wanted to know how much the contractor was paid for the work that he had done.

Mr Chipungu: Yes.

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, he was paid K320,000. I am sorry about the incomplete response.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr W. Banda: Mr Speaker, as much as we appreciate this development, the police post in question is just opposite the Cotton Ginning Company, hence it is exposed to pollution. Would it be fair to continue with the project at the current site?

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, that is a good question. We will ask the Provincial Permanent Secretary to brief us on that and the possibility of finding a new site.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

ESTABLISHMENT OF CAMP EXTENSION OFFICERS

115. Mr Mucheleka asked the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock:

(a)    how many camp extension officers were employed by the Government, as of 31st December, 2013;

(b)    what the total establishment for camp extension officers countrywide was; and

(c)    what measures the Government had taken to reduce the extension officer-farmer ratio.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Kazabu): Mr Speaker, as of December, 2013, there were 1,488 camp extension officers employed by Government.

Sir, the total establishment of camp extension officers is 1,848. 

Sir, the ministry intends to employ more extension officers to fill vacant positions once Treasury authority has been granted by the Ministry of Finance. It is also in the process of expanding the camp extension officers’ establishment through the re-demarcation of camps, especially in the newly-created districts. Further, it is working with farmer groups as a way of mitigating the high extension officer-farmer ratio.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Next question.

Mr Mucheleka rose.

Mr Deputy Speaker: When you take too long before asking a follow-up question, I assume you do not have one. So, please, indicate as soon as the person answering has resumed their seat.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I expected the hon. Minister to give me the extension officer-farmer ratio, but I am not sure that he did that. That said, if you look at the figure of 1,488, you will see that it is very low, relative to the many farmers across the country. Given the importance of agriculture in economic well-being and poverty reduction, this is simply a drop in the ocean. So, when does the hon. Deputy Minister think that the ministry will obtain Treasury authority to employ more extension officers and, indeed, increase their number, given that extension services are very important, especially to the small-holder farmers?

Mr Deputy Speaker: Before the hon. Minister responds to that question, I just to want encourage all of us to practice asking brief follow-up questions. If you have to preface your question, please, be brief.

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, for the benefit of the hon. Member of Parliament for Lubansenshi Constituency and the other hon. Members of the House, the standard officer-farmer ratio is 1:400, that is, one officer to 400 farmers.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Currently, the ratio stands at 1:1000. That is the mainly why, in my initial response, I explained that we are already in the process of re-demarcating the existing camps. The idea is to push the establishment up so that we can bring down that very high officer-farmer ratio. In addition, because of the small number of officers on the ground, we also use the farmer group avenue, namely, we group together farmers in two or three villages and arrange meetings at which officers go to teach the farmers how to improve their farming activities.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Antonio: Sir, how are the 1,488 extension officers deployed, province by province?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, I would have to be a magician to provide an answer to that question now. Unfortunately, I am not. So, I promise the hon. Member that I will come back to him with a correct answer. I hate to start dreaming figures.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, we all know that one of the greatest challenges in our extension services system is that of mobility of the very few extension workers among the many farmers they service. Are there any plans to alleviate this challenge of our extension officers so that, few as they are, they can cover the many farmers?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, we are aware of the problem of transport for our officers in the field. As we speak, we have already ordered 150 motorcycles, and that is just the beginning. Going forward, we will keep increasing the fleet of motorcycles so that our officers can be more mobile and reach the farmers for whom they exist.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kunda: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Deputy Minister satisfied with the performance of the extension officers, looking at the high officer-farmer ratio?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, it goes without saying that we are not satisfied because the number of farmers that one officer has to attend to is currently too big. That is the more reason measures are being taken to bring down the ratio.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, in Liuwa, I think that there are only two extension officers who, few as they are, do almost nothing because they do not have working tools and money for transport or any other purpose. What is the ministry doing to empower those officers with the necessary working tools?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, we are aware of that problem. Our hope is that, in the future, there will be an increase in the allocation of resources through the national Budget so that the officers on the ground can reach the farmers they were employed to serve. We are aware of that problem and measures have been taken to address it.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, considering the importance of this sector and the mention by the hon. Minister of the demarcation of the extension camps, when will the ministry start the process?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member is talking about demarcating, but we talked about re-demarcation because some of the camps are just too big for the extension officers to be able to serve our farmers satisfactorily. As we speak, we have already started re-demarcating some camps in some areas and the process will go on until we finish.

I thank you, Sir.

RAIL TRANSPORTATION OF CARGO

116. Mr Mutale (Kwacha) asked the Minister of Transport, Works Supply and Communication what measures the Government had taken to encourage transportation of cargo by rail in order to preserve the life span of the roads.

Mr Mwimba H. Malama: Mr Speaker, in order to encourage transportation of cargo by rail, the Government is putting in place the following measures:

(a)    financing the rehabilitation and construction of railway lines, and procurement of locomotives and wagons in our two railway companies, namely, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL). This will help increase the speed at which the trains move from the current 40 km to 80 km per hour, eliminate derailments and help link the network to industrial areas, such as the inter-mine. Consequently, railway efficiency will increase which will, in turn, encourage business houses to use railway transport once again;

(b)    the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication will soon introduce a quota system that will permit only a certain amount of cargo to be transported by road. This will encourage business houses to transport cargo beyond our legal limit by rail; and

(c)    construction of new rail lines on the various development corridors. In order to further make railway transport one of the best methods of transportation in Zambia, the Government is constructing new and modern rail lines on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis linking Zambia to sea ports. This will encourage cargo designated for international markets to be transported by rail.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Deputy Minister for that elaborate answer. 

Sir, we are in a hurry to see the rail line function, especially when one looks at the damage that is being done to our roads. How long does he estimate the rehabilitation of the rail line will take?

Mr Yaluma (on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, the rehabilitation of the railway system has started. As you are aware, the Government set aside US$120 million to look at the inter-mine rail lines and rehabilitation of the wagons so that we can just get the basics and ease the operations of the limping railway system. However, like it was highlighted in an earlier explanation, we have embarked on a serious rehabilitation programme and creation of other rail network systems, which are green fields, to cater for some unserviced routes. So, we are committed to rehabilitating the railway system, which process is going on smoothly. We are also cognisant of the time aspect. So, we will not lose any time. The trucks from Tanzania are really wrecking our roads, but we can only get them off our roads if we provide a reliable rail system. In the absence of that, we cannot shut them out because they will have no alternative. So, as soon as we get the rail running at, at least, 75 per cent, we can even ban some kinds of cargo of a certain tonnage from our roads. As things are currently, we have no choice, but to see such a thing happen.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Katambo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that one of the measures the Government is taking is to increase railway efficiency. Is the ministry also considering increasing the number of railway stations?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, yes. For example, we said that all the inter-mine railway systems are being rehabilitated. We are also looking at the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). If you want to bring in cargo by rail from the Eastern corridor, we must rehabilitate TAZARA, which is far from even reaching 50 per cent of the desired operational capacity. Once we do that, everybody will prefer to transport their cargo by rail because it is a cheaper mode. However, we must improve on the speed, too. As indicated, the current speed is 40 km/h but, in normal circumstances and with new technology, trains can move at 80 km/h to 120 km/h. So, we want to improve on that.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, since you do not want me to preface my, …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Please, you have to understand the guidance of the Presiding Officers. I said that you should learn to ask questions without making your preface long. That is not to say that you should not preface your questions. So, with that correction, you may continue.
 
Mr Mucheleka: Mr Speaker, I appreciate your guidance. 

Sir, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has really become a white elephant and those of us who drive along its corridor see its sorry sight. Could the hon. Minister specify where we are in rehabilitating it and making it viable so that it can relieve pressure off our roads.

Mr Deputy Speaker: I commend you for doing exactly what I guided. Your preface and question were very short.

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. Member of Parliament about the extent of the damage or neglect of the TAZARA rail line, which means that we have to pump in a lot of money to bring it to the desired standard. Unfortunately, funds are not easy to come by. Be that as it may, we have just pushed in a drop of funding to retro-fittingly repair critical segments of the rail so that we can start moving the finished wagons, which are currently running, on those rails. They are taking people to their destinations though not on a very reliable schedule. Unlike in the past, they are now running. That is a good point to start from and we are still assailing to get better. We want the TAZARA rail system to reclaim its old status by moving away from being a white elephant. So, the hon. Member of Parliament should know that we are doing everything possible. Within the next two years, we want the trains to achieve the 120 km/h speed so that people will be willing to spend their money on rail transport as the best means of ferrying cargo to the East TAZARA corridor or into the country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, Hon. Boniface Mutale’s question to the hon. Minister was on the issue of planning and the timetable for completion of the rehabilitation of the rail track. In his response, the hon. Minister laboured to speak about his Government’s commitment without answering the essence of the question. If he does not have the estimated date of completion, is it possible for him to favour this House by coming back with the answer after he finds out?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, first of all, I have just said that the constraint is funding. We can finish rehabilitating TAZARA in the next two years, but that is dependent on the availability of financial resources. I also said that we have started spending the few resources we have on only the rehabilitation of the critical segments to allow us to kick-start the running of the rail system. We know how much the rehabilitation of the entire infrastructure would cost, both our Tanzanian side and ours, but we currently do not have the money.  So, that is the catch on the issue. Nonetheless, we are doing whatever we can with the few available resources.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Sir, if I got the hon. Minister correctly, he said that a restriction on the ferrying of cargo on our roads will be introduced. What is the time frame in which that measure will be put in place? I ask this because that is very good news.

Mr Yaluma: Sir, yes, I indicated that. However, other than taking a wholesale approach in condemning the transportation of cargo by road, we must provide an alternative. In this case, the alternative is to get the TAZARA rail line running properly, that is, at the right speed and efficiently. We can, then, tell the transporters that they have no option, but to use rail transport in carrying heavy cargo. We can even legislate that. So, everything is dependent on how fast we rehabilitate TAZARA.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, what measure is the Government effecting to prevent encroachment on land along the line of rail? For rail transport to be safe, encroachments must cease, taking into account the fact that the rail line …

Interruptions 

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

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I am saying this taking into account that the area along the rail line going to the south, especially near Lusaka, is now an open supermarket and people have built barely two metres away from the rail line. I know Hon. Kambwili is trying to be the consultant, but I am addressing the hon. Minister.

Laughter 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I concur with Hon. Mwiimbu’s sentiments. Over the past ten years, there has been a lot of encroachment by people, some even building structures within the servitude of the Zambia Railways rail line. The TAZARA rail line is less affected by this scourge.  However, we have started demolishing those structures. I want to say that any structure found within the servitude of the rail line will be demolished without compensation. Therefore, we warn those people who are building on rail line land to stop immediately.

I thank you very much, Sir.

______________ {mospagebreak}

MOTIONS

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

Mr Zimba (Chama North): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Motion on the Presidential Speech delivered during the opening of this session. I will not even labour much on this speech because I know that there is nothing new about it to us. It is a tradition that every time Parliament opens, the President must give a speech. 

Sir, to start with, this speech, to me, is like what we do at the domestic level. Every intelligent husband …

Laughter 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … must be able to provide a vision for his house so that his wife and children can follow. Sometimes, however, even our wives cannot understand the visions that we provide.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: That makes things very difficult for them, but they have no alternative to being part of our visions.

Laughter 

Mr Zimba: That tradition also exists at the national level and that is the situation we are in right now. 

Sir, let me say one thing before I continue debating. When the President brings his vision to Parliament, to me, it simply means that there is nothing that he can do alone. If he was capable of doing things alone, he would not have to bring his vision for the country here. That is the first point. Therefore, I see myself in this Parliament to be very important. So, I must have an opportunity to scrutinise the vision of my father and see where I understand and where I do not. Even as I am talking, I expect my father, wherever he is, to listen to me and know my views on his vision so that, at the end of the day, we can move in one direction.

Interruptions 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwale: Bapalile!

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, that is how we scrutinise visions.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, each statement I will make here has got five minutes. I will be time-conscious in my debate.

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Yoyoya, mwanangwa.

Mr Zimba: The President’s Speech, on Page 3, Paragraph 2, says: …

Mr Deputy Speaker: Which volume?

Mr Zimba: 

“Sadly, some of the by-elections were characterised by incidents of violence. Once again, I strongly condemn violence during elections because it is a danger to our democracy. Let us call upon the youth not to be used an agent of violence. Equally, I appeal to all political parties to be civil in their campaigns”.

Mr Speaker, violence is not caused by a person, but the word uttered. No one is interested in violence. Even here, violence can come depending on the way we fire words at each other. For me, as a Parliamentarian, wherever I am, whether at home or in the constituency, I choose my words carefully. I do not want to say things that other people will condemn because doing so will mean that I am not fit to be here, and that I am not representing anyone. So, for us to tackle violence during elections, I urge our President to be at the centre of the fight. When you are in the Government, you behave like you are parents.

Hon. Members: Yes.

Mr Zimba: Those of us who are in the Government must take note of this statement and ensure that nothing comes out of our mouths that is provocative to society.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Then, the violence will stop.

Interruptions

Mr Lubinda: Yoyoya, mwanangwa.

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, when you look at the Opposition, to me, and I am not saying that is what it is, is like our children …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … who want to learn from us.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: That is how it is.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: We can either provoke …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … or counsel them.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: That is how we will deal with violence. That is the first aspect.

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chama North, please hold on a minute. 

Our rules here are that, if you agree with what the hon. Member is saying on the Floor, you say, ‘Hear, hear’, not this, “Yah yah” I am hearing.

Laughter{mospagebreak}

Mr Zimba: Sir, the fight against political violence has two elements. When I, as a parent, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … put things in order, my children must be able to oblige.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Baphalile, mwanangwa!

Laughter

Mr Zimba: That is very important. So, I urge all political party members, whatever our affiliation, whether in the ruling party or the Opposition, to stop saying words that are anchored in bitterness.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: We did not come here to start firing at each other.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Why should we do that? I come from Chama and it is only me who knows where Chama is exactly.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: You do not know what I passed through in Chama …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … to get here just for somebody to shout at me. I cannot accept it.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: So, those are the situations we are looking at. Let us all grow up in Zambia and start saying helpful words to all who are listening to our communication.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: That is the end of my take on violence.

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: Sir, the President also talked about Parliamentary Affairs, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … and I was very happy. You know, one thing I love about my President is that …

Hon. Opposition Members: Eeh!

Mr Zimba: … he does not hide anything.

Ms Kalima: Aha!

Mr Zimba: To tell you the truth, a vision is never achieved in a day. That is why, sometimes, you may see things to be repetitive when they are not. A vision takes long to be achieved.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: I have had visions that, to date, I have not achieved.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: It does not mean that I do not know what to do.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: These are things we go through in life.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Sir, on Parliamentary Affairs, which is on Page …

Mr Mwale: You are running out of time.

Mr Zimba: If time is not with me, I will leave some things out. 

Laughter

Mr Zimba: I know what to leave out.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Parliamentary affairs is on Page 4.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: The President said:

“During the last session, the House dealt with matters of great importance affecting the welfare of our people. Members of this august House ably debated on serious and, at times, delicate matters of national importance in a way which upheld transparency, accountability and good governance.” 

Sir, when I read that, I said, “Oh, this is what is supposed to happen in the House, ...

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: … but why do political parties victimise people when they are debating impartially?

Ms Kalima: Aha!

Mr Zimba: Why do political parties victimise people when they vote?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: The President wants good governance from this House.

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: Let us give him that.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kalima: Eastern Obama.

Mr Zimba: If the statement was from another President, it would have been different, but this is very categorical.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: If there are contentious issues in our political parties, let us go and address them outside.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Here, we are representatives of the people.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Let me quote another statement from the President.

Ms Kalima: Quality.

Mr Zimba: 

“You, the hon. Members of Parliament, deserve our gratitude for representing the interest of the electorate in the House well”. 

That is the President.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: He is confirming that we are representatives. We do not come here for our own personal interests. If we put our personal interests first, we will finish each other here …

Laughter

Mr Zimba: … because everyone is different from the other.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Go on, mudala, go on.

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, this means that this Parliament is very important.

Hon. Members: Yes!

Mr Zimba: Let us put aside all our personal and partisan political interests and come on board as people who can think and understand that they were elected by people.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: I never elected anyone here in their constituency.

Interruptions
 
Mr Zimba: It is the people who elected us.

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: If an hon. Member of Parliament is victimised for being impartial or having a heart for his people, I do not think we can develop.

Mr Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: It is like a person bearing children and, then, telling a relative to care for them.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Then, what is the purpose of bearing children?

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: So, whether in the Ruling Party or the Opposition, these are the realities.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: All of us are victims of circumstances.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: We do not need to be buried in the sand when we are here. We have to show that we are here for a purpose, which is to speak for our people.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Let us not bring our personal interests here. Such issues should be debated outside this House.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Here, we have the core duty of developing Zambia.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

That is why I like this speech. I want us to uphold these very important statements.

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, on economic affairs, on Page 7, the President stated that:

“Indeed, the country has managed to stay the course and continued to post robust economic growth since the Patriotic Front assumed office.”

Mr Speaker, this is very true and I support the statement. He goes on to state the following:

“The economic growth rates …”

The person who was typing this did not leave spaces …

Laughter

Mr Zimba: … and, sometimes, it is difficult to read.

Mr Kampyongo rose.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Sir, I continue with the quotation:

“The economic growth rates have been in excess of 6 per cent over the …

Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, as you see me standing here, I am enjoying this debate.

Mr Livune: That is right. We all are.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: What has prompted me to rise on a point of order is that we have an Acting Government Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu, who is Hon. Steven Kampyongo. 

Sir, the debater, a second ago, tried to remind us of how we should uphold our freedom to speak about issues that affect the people we represent. Hon. Kampyongo stood up on a point of order, but his colleagues decided to stifle him, saying, “Ikalapanshi”. 

Hon. Members: Meaning?

Mr Nkombo: It means, ‘sit down’. 

Sir, are they in order to stifle their Whip, who wishes to raise issues in support of the debate …

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: … coming from Chama North when we have freedom of expression in this House? Are the hon. Ministers surrounding him in order to even go to the extent of holding him by the hand and telling him to sit down? 

I need your ruling, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: From where I am seated, I did not see Hon. Kampyongo trying to rise on a point of order. Neither did I see the others asking him to sit down. However, if they did, it is not in order. Let us listen to the hon. Member on the Floor of the House because he has some visions, some of which he has not achieved. So, let us give him the opportunity to debate.

The hon. Member for Chama North may continue.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, I was just finishing a statement on economic affairs. Let me quote:

“The economic growth rates have been in excess of 6 per cent over the past three years driven by remarkable performance in the agriculture, mining, energy, construction and transport and communications sectors.”

Mr Speaker, I will let my President listen to one statement, which he also confirmed somewhere.  In paragraph 3, he said that the exchange rate ... (perused through the President’s Speech).

Mr Zimba:  I want to confirm.

Interruptions

Mr Zimba: Just listen.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mr Zimba: On the stability of the exchange rate, he said that:

“In the long term, the solution lies in increasing productivity in the economy”. 

Much as we may say that the economy is growing, the President confirmed that we are lagging behind in the production sector, and that is very important. If we are not careful, Zambia will continue to be a dumping place.

Mr Speaker, the structures you see around, such as Manda Hill and Arcades shopping malls are dumping places. They look beautiful, but they do not benefit us much. I cannot go further on this statement because I studied economics. So, if I go deep into the subject, I can take a whole lot of time.

Mr Speaker, I think that the President and the hon. Minister of Finance are very credible people. That is why the President has highlighted the fact that the exchange rate depends on the production sector and that we have to sit down and see how we can embark on growing that sector. If we do that, we will never be the same. 

Mr Speaker, we appreciate what is happening. Look at the roads, for example. Let me tell the Executive that, even if people say that you are not doing anything, do not even worry. You do not need to tell anybody that you are doing something. Just do it. If you listen to detractors, you will be confused along the way.

Laughter

Mr Zimba: Just do it and all the politicians who are disputing development will be digging their own graves because the people are seeing what is happening in their areas.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba:  In Chama, for instance, there is a tarmac for the first time and people are looking at it as if they are catching birds …

Laughter

Mr Zimba: … or have been told that there is food and that they will die if they do not get there. They scramble to see the tarmac. 

Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: That is development and something that has been on the drawing boards since 1976. Do I need anybody to tell me that you are doing well there? It is done and everybody is seeing it. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Zimba: We appreciate that the President, the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, and the Minister of Finance have taken keen interest in our area. 

Hon. Government Member: Tell them!

Mr Zimba: Let me now conclude.

Laughter{mospagebreak}

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, I have a bone of contention over the agricultural sector.

Mr Zimba: Sometimes, when I talk, it is like I am out of my mind.

Mr Simfukwe: No, you are free to talk.

Laughter

Mr Mbulakulima: No, you are a very fair debater.

Mr Zimba: This is the reality. The President wants the agricultural sector to benefit our country. However, there are things that we want to put across.

Firstly, in his speech, the President mentions the need to keep a strategic reserve, which is very important. Then, he also mentions, and we must read these things, that, for any excess, the onus is on the private sector because the market is liberal. A liberal market is a free market. The Government does not coming because it has done its part and, for the rest, it lets the people to sort out. The only thing I can tell you is that there is a need to sit down and let our people know that that is the policy. Even now, we are struggling with the excess produce and saying that the Government is still looking for money to buy it. If the market is liberal, why is the Government still looking for money to buy the excess? Let us explain the policy properly so that people can understand from the beginning. When we do that, we will never have problems with our people. Our farmers will understand. The strategy of purchase must also be outlined.

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Miti (Vubwi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity that I have been given …

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Let us listen to the debate.

Ms Miti: ... to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the President’s Speech, which I support.

Sir, let me open my maiden speech by paying tribute to my late mother, who went to be with the Lord on 18th September, 2014. She was my mother, hero, best friend and an African woman who taught us hard work and self-reliance. She is the reason I am here today.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!    

Ms Miti: She also contributed a lot to my campaign efforts. So, for everything, I say, “Mother, rest in peace”. To my family, I say, “Thank you for your support, availability and encouragement each time the going got tough”. To God, my creator, I say, “Ebenezer”. His time is, indeed, the best.

Mr Speaker, my profound gratitude goes to His Excellency, President Michael Sata, for according women an equal opportunity to participate in the governance of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, this is in line with the Patriotic Front (PF) Manifesto’s commitment to giving women an equal opportunity to hold decision-making positions. I feel proud to be one of the women of valour in this august House who seized the opportunity accorded them to defend the interests of their people in the respective constituencies.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to thank my party, the PF, for believing in me and for its support before, during and after the elections. To the party officials in Vubwi, I say, “Job well done”.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: “You remained focused even when the going got tough. We all had one purpose, to win, and we did it”.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, contrary to the reports of vote buying reported by our Kasenengwa friends, the PF in Vubwi gave the people …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: … the message of development and continuity, and the people believed in us. So, we won the seat genuinely.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, I can never thank the people of Vubwi enough. I also extend my special gratitude to my campaign manager, Hon. Prof. Nkandu Luo, who co-ordinated very well with all the other hon. Ministers who came to help us with the campaigns.

Mr Mucheleka: Ewalepela indalama kabili.

Mrs Miti: You encouraged us and kept us afloat …

Mr Mucheleka: Ewalechita dish out indalama.

Mrs Miti: … when we felt like giving up. To Their Royal Highnesses, Chiefs Mwangala, Pembamoyo and Zingalume, I say, “Thank you very much for believing in me and the PF Government …”

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: “… I shall forever value your advice”.

Mr Speaker, I have listened, sometimes with a very heavy heart, to hon. Members castigating the PF Government in their debate on the President’s Speech.

Ms Kalima: We do not debate ourselves.

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to say that the people of Vubwi would get annoyed if they were to sit here …

Mr Livune: Question!

Mrs Miti: …and listen to some of the debates. There can never be 100 per cent success in everything. Besides, the PF has only been in power for three years. So, it is very unfair to compare its performance with those who were in power for twenty-seven and twenty years, respectively.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, some spent twenty years planning until their time was up and the whistle …

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Continue, hon. Member.

Mrs Miti: ... blew for them to leave the pitch.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the people of Vubwi call this Government a working Government and President Sata, Moses.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, in 2011, President Sata visited Vubwi and saw how the place had been neglected. So, he promised that, immediately after he was elected President, he would declare Vubwi a district.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, barely six months of his being in office, President Sata declared Vubwi a district.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, is this not keeping campaign promises?

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member who is now on the Floor of this House is a product of that creation. That is why the people of Vubwi could not vote for any other party in the just-ended by-election. It is written all over me: “Thank you, Mr President”.

Mr Livune: Corruption!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, people who wanted to take advantage and experiment with leadership on the people went to Vubwi with huge sums of money, but the people gave them the message of development.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the people who can stand up, today, and ridicule our chitenge materials as being cheap went with what they considered expensive materials, but the people of Vubwi said that they wanted development, which they had already seen coming.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, Vubwi was a forgotten and neglected place and its people were only remembered during elections. Once they had voted, they were forgotten. I thank the Government of President Michael Sata for considering us as people who also deserve development.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the PF Government does not choose where to take development based on votes. The people of Vubwi did not vote for it in 2011, but they were remembered. The PF’s development programme is need-driven.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, I hope that, after my maiden speech today, hon. Members who debate and condemn unconstructively will change their mind-set and start looking at this Government positively, offer constructive criticism and give credit where it is due.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the declaration of Vubwi as a district has taken development closer to the people of the district and I will mention some of the benefits.

Mr Speaker, Vubwi now has a fully-fledged Civil Service structure. There are operational Government departments and services have been taken closer to the people.

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, you are drowning her speech. Give her the opportunity to be heard.

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the people of Vubwi do not need to go to Chadiza, which is 80 km from Vubwi, to access services as they used to do. For example, the National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) had never been in the area since time immemorial. I invite my predecessor, Dr Kazonga, wherever he is, to go and open an account at the NATSAVE agency in Vubwi …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: … to promote banking services.

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, in the recent past, we have seen many of our people get employed and some of them can testify that they had never been employed in their lives before. They can now earn a salary and sustain themselves. Why would the people of Vubwi not vote for the PF in the just ended by-election?

Mr Speaker, Vubwi is an agricultural area. Initially, farming inputs used to be collected from Chadiza, which is more than 80 km away. Co-operative heads would spend weeks before they were given the fertiliser and spent money on food and accommodation. Now, Vubwi is a district and I want to inform this House that we currently have the fertiliser in our sheds ready for distribution to our farmers.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, as a new district, Vubwi has a number of on-going projects, including the Chipata/Vubwi Road, which links Chipata to Vubwi. The road had for many years been neglected, but will soon be tarred.

Mr Speaker, it is important to mention that Vubwi has potential to attract investors. For those who do not know, the district has mineral deposits, with confirmed deposits of gold. As I speak, there are investors who are prospecting for minerals there. It took the PF Government to open Vubwi and put us on the market. So, we shall forever remain indebted to this Government and the President.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the Vubwi/Chadiza (Nyamandevu) Road, which the previous Governments neglected, links Vubwi to Chadiza. Before Vubwi was declared a district, it was difficult to access Chadiza as people had to go through Chipata, which is more than 60 km, and cover 70 km more to reach Chadiza. I am glad to inform this House that the PF Government has opened the Nyamandevu Road and it now takes only forty minutes to drive from Vubwi to Chadiza.

Mr Speaker, we are proud of the Government’s initiative to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Vubwi by opening this important road, which is a cost-effective shortcut to Chadiza.

Mr Speaker, Vubwi has also embarked on a programme of grading all feeder roads using the two new graders that the PF Government bought for the district.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, the graders are at the district council office, something that has never existed happened since time immemorial. Does this House still wonder why the people of Vubwi voted for the PF in the just-ended by-elections?

Mr Speaker, fifty years after Independence, most people in Vubwi still do not even know what electricity is. Our women travel about 40 km on open Canters to access electric grinding mills in a place called Feni. Hon. Zulu can bear me witness on that one. Now, Vubwi is a proud beneficiary of the Rural Electrification Authority (REA)’s Rural Electrification Programme (REP). As I speak, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) poles have already been delivered to Vubwi. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: It is all thanks to the PF Government. 

Mr Livune: Question!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: The declaration of Vubwi as a district has also seen a lot of infrastructure built. In the past few months, the construction of workers’ houses and an office block for Government workers have been in progress. Beautiful pieces of structure are being constructed and Vubwi has new face. A post office is also under construction and works are very advanced. This will accord our people postal services that they could initially only obtain from Chipata. 

Mr Speaker, the people of Vubwi access radio stations from Malawi and Mozambique, but have no access to news on Zambia’s current affairs. They lag behind as far as access to information is concerned. So, it is no wonder that, in the 2006 General Elections, the people were duped into thinking that Dr Kenneth Kaunda was still the President and ended up voting for United National Independence Party (UNIP) candidate.

Hon. Government Members: Mawe!

Mrs Miti: Even now, the “Vote RB” campaign materials are still being used and people think that Mr Rupiah Banda is still President and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) is still power. 

Hon. Government Members: Mawe!
Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, this Government saw it fit to take communication facilities closer to the people of Vubwi, as they are also …

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Mrs Miti: … citizens of this country who need …

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order! 

Mrs Miti: … such facilities.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Vubwi. 

Hon. Members, I think that you are degenerating, particularly those on my extreme right, when you begin to say, “Mawe”. This is not what we are supposed to do. Let us give her the chance to be heard because the people out there are also listening. 

Hon. Member, you may continue.   

Mrs Miti: Mr Speaker, this Government saw it fit to take communication facilities closer to the people of Vubwi, as they are also citizens of this country who need such facilities. I am proud to report that the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, under the PF Government, has given the people of Vubwi a community radio station, which the locals call “Kwathu” and will be operational soon. 

Mr Speaker, when I hear people condemn this Government, my heart bleeds. I can understand if those who feel neglected and forgotten criticise the PF Government. Vubwi did not have a secondary school despite having a population of more than 40,000. I do not know if at all it was ever mentioned to this House that children in Vubwi are still learning in tobacco sheds, which become unbearably hot during the hot season. However, I am proud to report to this House that I belong to a working Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Barely three years of being in power, the PF Government is building a beautiful boarding secondary school with modern facilities in Vubwi. 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: The school, once completed, will give our children a decent learning environment, something the people of Vubwi had never experienced. 

Mr Speaker, Vubwi has two …

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order, on my left!

Mrs Miti: … referral centres and the nearest hospital is about 40 km away. I have personally witnessed patients dying on their way to Mwami Mission Hospital due to a lack of transport and bad roads. Mothers also delivered on their way to hospital when referred. However, the district recently received one brand new ambulance and utility vehicle. These have reduced incidences of people dying on the way to the hospital and infant mortality rates. Health posts are also being constructed, which will reduce the distances our people cover to access medical facilities. 

Mr Speaker, as a new district with developmental programmes, Vubwi has a few challenges it still faces. It is disheartening that, even when my predecessor was once the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing, he failed to give boreholes to the people of Vubwi. I will use my office to lobby the line ministries to help us dig more boreholes for our people, even through the provincial office. 

Mr Speaker, the youth in Vubwi lack empowerment skills. So, we need more youth training centres to be built to help them. 

Sir, as I conclude, allow me to mention that I intend to change the perception of the former regime, which believed that the Constituency Offices belonged only to the Ruling Party and made it impossible for other parties to access it. The Constituency Office in Vubwi belongs to the people of Vubwi, regardless of their political affiliation. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: I want to assure this House and my party that, come 2016, there will be no Opposition in Vubwi …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: … because of the development that is being taken there. I want to remind my fellow hon. Members that our people back home, especially in the rural areas, do not even understand what a Constitution is. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: Ask them what they want in order of preference and they will tell you they need boreholes, roads, stations and clinics. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Miti: So, let us be constructive in our debates and remember that the people back where we come from need feedback. God will surely hold us accountable. 

Mr Ng’onga: Quality!

Mrs Miti: Finally, allow me to thank the people of Vubwi, again, for conducting a very peaceful campaign. Even when our friends provoked us in our camps, …

Mr Livune: Question!

Mrs Miti: … and threatened our hon. Minister and ordered her to leave the constituency, we did not hit back. People of Vubwi, I say, “God bless you. I am proud of you”.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ng’onga: Quality!

Mr Mushanga: Mukazi okongora!

Mr Matafwali (Bangweulu): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor of the House. Like all the other hon. Members who spoke before me, I would also like to begin by congratulating all the newly-elected hon. Members of Parliament. To you, hon. Members, I say, “Welcome”.

Secondly, as an individual with a life-threatening medical condition, I drew a lot of inspiration from seeing my dear President come to this House to deliver his speech to the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, that action by my dear President spoke volumes about his commitment to driving this country forward. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: It is an indication of how committed this son of the soil is to moving this country forward. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: It is my wish that all of us in this House who hold the people’s power in trust will emulate our dear President, ... 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: … a person who is able to sacrifice his welfare for the betterment of his people. 

Mr Speaker, in my contribution, I will be very brief and specific. Firstly, I will talk about the welfare of former freedom fighters. 

Sir, on Page 2 of Volume II of his Speech, my dear President stated that: 

“On this occasion, allow me, on behalf of the people of Zambia, to express many thanks to freedom fighters for everything they did to enable all of us to enjoy the freedom of our Independence, which many in our country take for granted.”

Mr Speaker, the freedoms that we are enjoying were actually fought for by people. Unfortunately, we do not have any policy to look at the welfare of those people. If we look at countries like Zimbabwe, there are specific policies to promote the welfare of the people who fought for their countries’ independence. The message from the President, therefore, is for us to enact legislation that will take care of the welfare of the freedom fighters. 

Mr Speaker, on agriculture, the President said that the long-term objective of the sector is to increase productivity. He is not talking about an increase in funding only, but also ways and means, such as passing legislation, that will allow us to increase productivity amongst our farmers. In this respect, I have in mind the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Many countries around us in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region have reviewed their policies on GMOs and are using genetic modification (GM) technology to increase productivity. Could we not take the same route?

Mr Speaker, research and development (R&D) should be considered in agriculture. In addition, the President made reference to the Farmer Input Supply Programme (FISP), saying that we should wean some farmers off the programme. This requires us to garner political will. We should not just talk about it, but also push for it. 

Sir, in the health sector, we have embarked on the construction of a lot of infrastructure, but my view is that we should balance between constructing new infrastructure and making the existing ones operational. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: There are many health facilities all over the country that we inherited from the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD). Some of us are completing these buildings using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) but, unfortunately, they are not operational. Let us slow down on building infrastructure and strike a balance. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaliteta: Slow down.

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, in addition, it must be recognised that there is an increase in renal and cardiac diseases in the country and that this calls for an increase in the allocation of resources. I propose that there be Budget lines dedicated to cardiac and renal problems be implemented.

Sir, the President also talked about reviving the Industrial Development Corporation (INDECO). This is a very wise move, especially to some of us from rural constituencies. The private sector is driven by the profit motive. So, there are many gaps that were created by the privatisation of the parastatals companies. We should, therefore, be mindful of the pitfalls that led to the failure of the parastatals. There were things like the appointment of incompetent people to run the companies, bloated workforces and weak corporate systems, which we should guard against. 

Mr Speaker, on the governance issue, there is an ongoing Constitution-making process. Let me take this opportunity to remind my Government, especially the Front Bench that, when the Zambian people gave us the mandate to govern this country, they did it for us to govern it properly. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: In this respect, we should not let the Opposition or the non-government organisations (NGOs) frustrate this process. Let us take our time. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwila: Landa!

Interruptions 

Mr Matafwali: The President has come out to categorically tell us to remove personal interests from the process. 

Mr Mwaliteta: Yes, you are right.

Mr Matafwali: Calls to tie the Constitution to issues of elections should not arise. Things like the Fifty Per Cent Plus One Clause are spiced with partisan elements and should be done away with.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, we should be in a position to make hard decisions. 

Interruptions 

Mr Mwila: Landa!

Mr Mwaliteta: Just explain.

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, as I conclude, let me talk about unity in the nation. 

Sir, it is a well known fact that our President is not well. 

Interruptions 

Mr Matafwali: All of us Zambians have a duty to help our President recover, …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: ... and the antidote for the problem is very simple. If we remain united, he will recover quickly. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, it is important for us on the right to accept that there is a problem amongst ourselves. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: Our party is split and it is very depressing for somebody who is not feeling well to govern in such an environment.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, we all need to help our President. I also plead with the press not to drag my dear President into their trade fights.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions 

Dr Lungu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this chance, on behalf of the people of Chama South, …

Interruptions 

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Dr Lungu: … to add my voice to the support of the President’s Speech, which was delivered on 19th September, 2014, in this august House. I know that I will break my debate because we will soon suspend business but, when I return, I will continue.

Mr Lubinda: No, just go on.

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I want to start by saluting …

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order! 

We are making loud consultations.

Dr Lungu: … those who have just joined us through the recently held by-elections, that is, the six new hon. Members of Parliament. Three are from the Patriotic Front (PF), …

Hon. Government Members: Four.

Dr Lungu: … four are from the PF while two were split between the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and the United Party for National Development (UPND). Well done, you have joined a society that speaks on behalf of the people.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech is split into Volumes I and II, and my debate this afternoon, though I am speaking very late, will also be divided into two parts. The first part will target the President’s Speech and how he intends to address the challenges to development and what has already been achieved since we came into power in 2011, three years ago. In the second part, I will try to react to colleagues who have spoken before me, both in the Opposition and the Ruling Party, … 

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours. 
{mospagebreak}
[THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEE in the Chair]

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to say that words fail me not only to agree, but also appreciate that the President’s vision to develop this country, as contained in the two volumes of the speech, is enormous. 

Sir, perhaps, before we get tired, I should remind the House the meaning of the word ‘vision’. I will define what a vision is because I believe that President Michael Chilufya Sata of Zambia has a vision to develop this country.

Mr Livune: Question!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Sir, how will he manage to accomplish the vision? That is the other area I want to dwell on very briefly. 

Sir, Dr Oyedepo in his book, In Pursuit of Vision: Exploring the Virtues of Divine Guidance (2008), published by Dominion House of Nigeria, on Page 12, explains a vision thus:

“Contrary to what some believe, a vision is not that dream one has at night. Neither is it what transpires in a trance or what obtains in moments of ecstasy”.

Dr Lungu: 

“A true vision, ...”. 

I repeat, 

“A true vision …”

Mrs Mphande crossed the Floor.

Hon. Opposition Members: Order!

Dr Lungu: 

“... is the unfolding of divine plans and purposes”. 

In the same book, Dr Oyedepo has observed that one of the greatest tragedies in life is to lack the knowledge of where you are going and not knowing how to get there. Our President has given us the indicators of development in his vision. 

Sir, in Volume II, the President talks about education; health; agriculture; local government; rural electrification; land; employment, which is subdivided into construction, investment, infrastructure development, the Link Zambia 8,000, Pave Zambia 2,000 and Link Lusaka 400 projects; mining; and democracy and good governance. This list is expanded in Volume II to include the extension of mobile communication coverage, social protection, tourism and good foreign policy.

Mr Speaker, those are the indicators our President has given us of how he intends to develop this nation. Being given a vision and divine guidance is not an ordinary thing. So, we need to support him.

Sir, out of the many things that have been recorded in the two volumes, I will isolate two and dwell at length on them. I will look at education and democracy. 

Sir, I am interested in education because it has been close to my heart, having been a practitioner for the past forty years. 

Mr Speaker, it is mentioned in this volume that some secondary schools have been completed while others have been started. The information is there. There are also universities being built and bed spaces being created at the University of Zambia (UNZA), Copperbelt University (CBU), Mulungushi University and Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce. When we increase bed spaces, we are enabling students to go into those higher learning institutions at a higher rate and actually expanding tuition at a free zone. That is very important and what vision is all about. It is not about just dreaming about things, but about a plan that unfolds. The purpose for which God created our President was to develop this country, eliminate poverty and implement plans and programmes that will help him to actually develop the nation and share the wealth equally.

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about democracy and good governance. The President has acknowledged democracy and good government. By the way, he uses anaphoric and cataphoric reference.  

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! 

May we consult less loudly.

Dr Lungu: Sir, if you turn to Volume I, on Page 1, the President says:

“In the circumstances, Mr Speaker, my address this morning will be in two parts, the first being the highlights of the Patriotic Front Government’s development programmes to date, its challenges and the way forward, whilst the second part will deal with details and statistics of these programmes and the way forward, which second part, I will lay on the Table for consideration by the hon. Members and, ultimately, for consideration by the public.”
 
Mr Speaker, he also goes on to say that, in 2011, he had said this to the House. That is referring backwards. In English, we call that anaphoric reference. You cannot progress without looking at what you did in the past. The President also looks at the future, and that is what we call cataphoric reference. 

Hon.  Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, he is explaining what he intends to do in the next thirty or fifty years. So, the topic here is very simple and audible. It is about development. Who develops and how do you develop? These are the intricacies we have to plough around. Are you with me?

Laughter

The Deputy Chairperson: Order! 

Let him continue with his lecture.

Laughter

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, the President has acknowledged that the Draft Constitution has been received and that there is a process we must follow.

Mr Livune: Question!

Dr Lungu: Sir, the President has not said that there is no Constitution. The Constitution is there and it is up to us to wait. This reminds me of a family. When this family is gathered for dinner and the father says, “Let us pray” and everyone closes their eyes, the younger ones start eating. That is what it is all about. We are saying that the Constitution will follow a process, but you want to eat before we give it to you. 

Laughter

Dr Lungu: That is not the way. There is a process.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, there is a process that we will follow. 

Sir, I have explained the vision of the President, and I would like to agree with Dr Oyedepo that, if you do not have a vision, there are challenges in accomplishing anything. So, the President has set his pace. 

Sir, we have a very clear five-year development plan in the PF Manifesto.  So, we have only gone three years. In the next two years, that is the cataphoric reference, we will still come back and tell you the same things because we will be continuing.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: So, that is very important. 

Sir, let me now turn to my colleagues who have debated before, both in the Opposition and the Ruling PF, who are also either supporting or disagreeing with the President’s Speech. I took notes as I sat here to listen to these debates and want to say that I enjoyed most of them.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Member of Parliament for Namwala said that the President did not have anything new to offer. She also stated that the policy on education was misguided and that the Government should resign.

Ms Lubezhi: On a point of order, Sir.

The Deputy Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Ms Lubezhi: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the chance to raise this point of order. 

Sir, I am seated here, struggling to make sense of what the …

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Ms Lubezhi: … green horn is trying to say …

Interruptions

Mr Nkombo: The green horn.

The Chairperson: Order!

Ms Lubezhi: … and I know that he is failing in his debate. Is he in order to bring me into his dry debate when I had my chance to bring out my own opinion as a seasoned debater? 

I need your serious ruling.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

The simple ruling is that the hon. Member debating continues to debate and we must listen attentively to what he has to say. It is now time for others to comment on what has been said hitherto.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, if democracy means having the right to be wrong, then, I may not be part of it.

Laughter

Hon. Back Benchers: Doc.

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, we were told that we must listen to what is being spoken from the other side so that we react, …

Hon. Government Members: Yes!

Dr Lungu: … and I am merely expressing how we, as the PF Government, see what was being thrown at us.

Hon. Government Members: Yes!

Dr Lungu: It is as simple as that.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Namwala stated that the President must resign. Imagine a trained soldier goes to the warfront and, on hearing the sound of a gun, he starts crying and running back. Do you want us to run back because you are throwing mud at us? We shall be here even beyond 2016.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: We shall not relent.

Mr Speaker, I will now generalise my debate so that I am not pin-pointed. Some debaters even had acronyms like SLEPTE, which stands for social, legal, economic, politics, technology and environment. They said that the President did not talk about gender-based violence (GBV). Honestly, do we read what we are given? In Volume II of his Speech, the President said that GBV is not permitted. So, I do not know what speeches some people have.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Maybe, they are different from mine.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, in mine, the President is very clear in rejecting GBV. 

Interruptions

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I acknowledge the fact the area of agriculture is quite big and has challenges.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order, on the left!

Dr Lungu: However, we have performed much better than our colleagues did in twenty-seven years.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, this is because, in three years, with three hon. Ministers of Agriculture and Livestock sharing a year each, we have actually attained very high productivity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: We are riding on performance and achievement …
 
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: … right, left and centre. If you fly, you are missing it. Go by road and you will see stacks and stacks of maize.

Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!

Dr. Lungu: That is what we call a bumper harvest.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Do you want me to explain the meaning of ‘bumper’?

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: It means ‘more than enough’, in very basic English.

Mr Speaker, I am sure that my colleagues have thoroughly and exhaustively debated this issue. I appreciate the debate by Hon. Chitotela, who preached peace. I equally appreciate the debate by Hon. Ng’onga, who also preached peace and stated that we should celebrate our fifty years of Independence. One cannot ask what there is to celebrate.

Ms Lubezhi: Question!

Dr Lungu: Have we ruled this country for fifty years? We have only ruled for three years.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: So, we are actually celebrating twenty-seven years, twenty years and our three years.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: That is the idea. 

I am saying that we have over-performed in three years and that is why there is a need to celebrate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: You have the right to stay at home if you are tired but, please, I urge you to come and join us.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, we are enjoying peace here. On 2nd August, 1964, there was a skirmish and the Lenshina group rose against the United National Independence Party (UNIP) in the Northern Province. I was in Standard 4 and quite young then, but I remember being a refugee in the bush for one month, and the reason was simple: the colonialists knew that Kenneth Kaunda came from the Northern Province and made sure that the Lenshina group rose against him so that they could say that the blacks had failed to govern themselves and use that excuse to take over again. That was the reason. We began killing each other for no reason at all. My level of intelligence actually went down, …

Dr Kaingu: Yes!

Dr Lungu: … and that is why, in 1965, when we sat for the Standards 5 and 6 examinations,  I was not able to pass to go to Form 1 because I had spent one month in the bush.

Laughter

Dr Lungu: However, I made up and, in 1966, I qualified to Chizongwe Secondary School. For the rest of the story, you can ask Hon. Mtolo Phiri, although he went to the school many years after I had left.

Laughter

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, this is an august House and my message to it is: Let us not pretend because, in Africa, Opposition means rejecting every good thing that the Ruling Party is does.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Yes, you must provide checks and balances, but you should also appreciate the good things we do.

Interruptions

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

Dr Lungu: Mr Speaker, as far as the PF is concerned, we are on course. Forward with President Micheal Sata for development!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: Forward with the PF.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: One Zambia, one nation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Lungu: One Parliament, one Speaker, and may God bless us all. We are on course to developing this nation.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Chairperson: Order!

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Home Affairs (Dr Simbyakula): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

___________

The House adjourned at 1849 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 3rd October, 2014.