DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE THIRD SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 14th November, 2013 

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

______________

RULING BY THE HON. MR SPEAKER 

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR C. MWEETWA, HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR CHOMA CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY ON 31ST OCTOBER, 2013

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I have a ruling to render in relation to the point of order raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Choma Central, Mr C. Mweetwa.

The House will recall that, on Thursday, 31st October, 2013, when the House was considering the Motion of Supply, and the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry was debating, the hon. Member for Choma Central, raised the following point of order:

“Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise this point of order, which I consider to be very important. It borders on the procedures and traditions that govern the conduct of business in this House.

Sir, the traditions of this House, by and large, arise from the rulings of the Hon. Mr Speaker, which become precedents that, later, customise themselves as part of the governing laws of the House. That said, is this House in order to entertain double standards and ignore its own precedents without nullifying them so that they no longer serve as platforms from which to draw the direction of its proceedings? I ask this because this House, a year or two ago, following a point of order that, if my memory serves me well, was raised by the hon. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Chilangwa, on whether Former President, Mr Rupiah Banda, was in order, in accordance with the Former Presidents’ Benefits Act, to continue enjoying the benefits prescribed in that piece of legislation when he was still involved in active politics, as President of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

Mr Speaker, this House has a ruling on record in which the Hon. Mr Speaker ably and aptly interpreted the Former Presidents’ Benefits Act and, immediately, that caused Mr Rupiah Banda to cease to be the President of the MMD in order to continue receiving his benefits. 

Further, Sir, when debating the lifting of the immunity of Former President, Mr Rupiah Banda, objections and points of order were made and raised by hon. Members on your left, who contended that the matter was before the courts of law and, therefore, this House could not debate it. The ruling was that this House enjoyed unique powers in relation to proceedings on the Floor of this House. As elected representatives of the people, here gathered, who swore to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of this Republic, lately, we have raised points of order that border on the interpretation of the law by this House. Without nullifying the precedent of interpreting the Former Presidents’ Benefits Act, this House has referred such matters to the Judiciary. 

Sir, is this House in order to entertain double standards?”

In my immediate response, I reserved the ruling.  I have studied the point of order and will now render my ruling.

Let me state, from the outset, that my authority and responsibilities as Speaker of the House is largely drawn from the following sources:

(a)    the Constitution;

(b)    the Standing Orders; and

(c)    the conventions of this House.

In this regard, Article 86 of the Constitution provides that:

“Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the National Assembly may determine its own procedure.”

Through the Standing Orders, the House devises its own rules and also develops its own practices. In other words, the House is a master of its own proceedings and the Speaker is the authoritative counsellor in all matters of procedure. It is, therefore, my duty to interpret the Standing Orders. In the course of doing so, rulings are rendered and applied. The rulings that I render eventually form part of the body of practices that continues to govern the operations of the House. They are, in fact and effect, regarded as binding although, even then, the Speaker has the latitude to render rulings that take into account new factors or considerations.  

Hon. Members, the rulings that I have rendered and referred to above are usually in response to points of order, in which an hon. Member queries or challenges, in some way, an aspect of the proceedings or debate. In that regard, I have repeatedly stated and guided that points of order must be used to bring to my attention any breach of order or transgression of any rule of the House. However, the unfortunate trend in the House is that points of order have been used to raise issues unrelated to the Business of the House. That is a misuse and abuse of points of order that must end forthwith. Therefore, I wish to reiterate that points of order should be raised in the following circumstances:

(a)    for the general maintenance of order and decorum in the House;

(b)    on a question of procedure in the House, especially if it is felt that procedure has been violated; and

(c)    when it relates to business before the House at a particular moment.

In the event that hon. Members wish to bring to my attention important and urgent national matters, recourse should be had to the following mechanisms or avenues:

(a)    questions of urgent importance under Standing Order No. 30;

(b)    His Honour the Vice-President’s Question Time on Friday mornings;

(c)    ministerial statements by hon. Ministers, as directed by the Chair at its discretion; and

(d)    Private Member’s Motions.

Hon. Members, the gist of Hon. Mweetwa’s point of order is that I have been inconsistent in my rulings regarding matters that the House is competent to deal with. On the contrary, the following examples demonstrate that the rulings I have rendered in the past on matters touching on the doctrine of the separation of powers have been consistent:

Point of Order Raised by Hon. S. T. Masebo, Member of Parliament For Chongwe. 

This ruling was on a point of order that questioned whether the Government was in order to continue paying the Former President, Mr Rupiah Banda, his emoluments despite his alleged continued involvement in active politics. In my brief ruling, I highlighted the various provisions of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act, after which I advised that the matter be dealt with by the relevant arm of the Government. I stated as follows:

“Therefore, the law is clear on this matter, and it is up to the Executive to implement the law accordingly. Where there are issues on how the law is being implemented, there are other arms of the Government specifically mandated to deal with breaches of the law.”

Point of Order Raised by Hon. R. Muntanga, Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central Parliamentary Constituency

This ruling was on a point of order raised by Hon. Muntanga on a letter of complaint by a Lundazi Church Parish Executive, which alleged that Hon. E. C. Lungu had misinformed the House that Fr Banyangandora had been deported for grave misconduct. Hon. E. C. Lungu was alleged to have uttered the statement when responding to a question on the Floor of the House asked by Hon. Namugala on the reasons for the deportation of Fr Banyangandora. The point of order, thus, sought a ruling on whether the hon. Minister was in order to mislead the House on what had led to the deportation of Fr Banyangandora.

Hon. Members will recall that I took time, in this ruling, to explain the discretionary powers given to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, pursuant to Section 35(2) of the Immigration and Deportation Act. I further explained, in detail, the doctrine of the separation of powers, the rules of procedure in the House and the Parliamentary Privilege that is accorded to hon. Members. 

In my concluding remarks, I stated the following:  

“The hon. Minister’s exercise of the discretionary power under the said legal provision cannot be questioned by the House, as it lacks legal jurisdiction and competence to do so.  In view of this, the power to question the hon. Minister’s use of his discretionary power is vested in the Judiciary, which has the jurisdiction to interpret the law and vindicate individual rights.”

Hon. Members, I would have wished to dwell more on the subject of the separation of powers with regard to matters that the House is competent to deal with and those that fall within the realm of the other arms of the Government. That examination, however, cannot be undertaken without delving into the doctrine of exclusive cognisance and the sub judice rule.  However, the resolution of this honourable House to lift the legal immunity of Former President Banda is currently the subject of litigation before the Supreme Court. Therefore, I cannot deal with this matter in any detail because doing so would be sub judice. 

Point of Order by Hon. Nkombo, Member for Mazabuka Central Constituency

Hon. Nkombo’s point of order was on freedom of association and assembly in relation to his constituency. In the ruling, I highlighted the importance of Article 21 of the Constitution and referred, in detail, to the provisions of the Public Order Act (POA). After that exercise, I made the following observation:

“In view of the foregoing legal provisions, it is clear that, where any person is aggrieved on issues relating to the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, their appropriate recourse is to the High Court of Zambia, as provided for under Article 28(1) of the Constitution. Therefore, the Legislature is not a suitable branch of the Government to adjudicate and make pronouncements on the sundry and specific issues brought to my attention by the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central in his very detailed point of order.”

Hon. Members, in these rulings, it can be discerned that I did not make any conclusive decisions on matters raised in the points of order, which decisions could bind the Executive or, indeed, any person or entity. Instead, I merely enlightened the House on the matters that were raised. In the rulings I have used as examples, I simply provided guidance to those who were aggrieved to seek redress from the appropriate arm of the Government, namely, the Judiciary, so that their matters could be dealt with conclusively. Therefore, it is misleading to suggest that I, as Speaker of the House, have ably and aptly interpreted the Former Presidents Benefit Act and, immediately arising from that ruling, Mr Rupiah Banda ceased to be President of the MMD in his preference to continue receiving his entitlements as Former President. This is not correct and accurate because, based on the doctrine of the separation of powers among the three arms of the Government and, indeed, our laws, the jurisdiction to interpret or enforce the law does not lie with me, but with the Judiciary and the Executive. 

Hon. Members, the rulings in the examples cited all point to the fact that I have conformed to the sacrosanct doctrine of the separation of powers among the three arms of the Government and, thus, protected this House from delving into matters outside its jurisdiction. These matters can be distinguished from those that fall directly under the charge of this House, and on which the House has a full mandate, such as the regulation of our own procedure, as provided for under the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act.

Hon. Members, before I conclude, I want to state that Hon. Mweetwa’s point of order and many others raised in the House of late demonstrate that most hon. Members are, unfortunately, not fully familiar with the powers and duties of the Legislature vis-à-vis other arms of the Government. In this vein, I implore all hon. Members to take a keen interest in understanding the functioning of the three arms of the Government by studying, first, the Constitution to see how different obligations are placed on each arm and, then, other relevant pieces of legislation and the Standing Orders. The Parliament Library is well stocked with books and other literature that explain these doctrines in detail. I, therefore, urge you to call on our Library Department for assistance in undertaking research. I also urge you to engage our lawyers in the Journals and Legal Services Department. Equally important, I wish to categorically state that it is my duty to interpret the Constitution only in so far as it relates to the functions and operations of the House. I repeat: It is my duty to interpret the Constitution only in so far as it relates to the functions and operations of the House. It is certainly not my duty to interpret and adjudicate on general points of law or, indeed, other technical interpretations of legality. It is, of course, also not my duty to proffer general legal counsel to hon. Members.

Lastly, I would like to point out that, in our jurisdiction, the Speaker or any other temporary occupant of the Speaker’s Chair occupies an exalted position. As such, he or she must be respected and treated with deference. Any statement or conduct in the House reflecting a lack of deference to the Speaker or, indeed, other presiding officers, either directly or indirectly, constitutes contempt of the House. In this regard, I wish to draw the attention of hon. Members to Standing Order No. 61, which provides that the rulings of the Speaker cannot be questioned, except on a substantive Motion, which may not be debated in the House unless the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services has so resolved and it can, then, be tabled before the House. Therefore, in the future, I will not allow points of order that cast aspersions on the decisions of the Chair because there is a laid-down procedure in our Standing Orders for challenging those decisions.

I thank you, hon. Members.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

__________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

ELECTRIFICATION OF KASEMPA HEALTH CENTRES

181. Mr Pande (Kasempa) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development when the following health centres in Kasempa Parliamentary Constituency would be electrified:

(a)    Njenga;

(b)    Mpungu;

(c)    Nyoka;

(d)    Kamakuku; and

(e)    Kankolonkolo. 

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Zulu): Mr Speaker, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) plans to conduct feasibility studies on the listed rural health centres in 2014 to determine the scope and cost of electrifying them.

Sir, it is important to note that subsequent electrification of the health …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the left!

Mr Zulu: ... centres will depend on the availability of funds.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that …

Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to raise my point of order, which is on the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. It will be a bit long but, please, allow me —

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, before you continue, I ask you to summarise so that I determine whether I should allow you to proceed or not.

Mr Mbewe: I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker, Zambians always want to get the truth from the Government. The Government is not there to mislead the people of Zambia. 

Sir, on 27th February, 2013, …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Is that a procedural point of order?

Mr Mbewe: Yes, Sir. It is of national interest.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Take your seat. I have just indicated how we will channel matters of national interest and urgent matters. 

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, it is procedural.

Mr Speaker: Let us see the procedure.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, on 27th February, 2013, the hon. Member for Kamfinsa, Mr Chishimba, asked the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the Government would resume the rehabilitation of the Presidential Lodge in Kamfinsa Parliamentary Constituency because there was money allocated for the project in the 2011/2012 National Budget. He also tried to find out who the contractor was, what the cost was and what the time frame for the project was. The answer from the hon. Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, Mr M. H. Malama, was as follows:

“Mr Speaker, the rehabilitation of the Presidential Lodge in Kamfinsa Constituency has been going on since contract commencement on 23rd May, 2011.

Sir, the contractor is Mercury Lines Limited of Lusaka.

Mr Speaker, the cost of the project is K4,367,117.76. 

Sir, the scope of work includes the construction of a 4km palisade fence, improvement of water supply and refurbishment of the lodge.

Sir, the project is expected to be completed within the Second Quarter of 2013.”

Mr Speaker, in today’s Post Newspaper, there is an article under the heading, “Sata Threatens to Fire Mukanga.” On Page 4, the story reads:

“The President, Mr Michael Sata, says he will get rid of Ministers and Government officials who are not performing to his expectations.”

Sir, towards the end of the article, the District Commission (DC) for Kitwe has implicated the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) in this contract. If I go back to the Parliamentary Business, there was this follow-up question by Hon. Dr Kalila:

“Mr Speaker, works on the Presidential Lodge commenced in May, 2011, and are scheduled to finish in the Second Quarter of this year. That means that the project will take two years to implement. If the contractor doing the works is credible, why will it take two years just to rehabilitate the roads?”

Mr Speaker, the answer was:    

“Mr Speaker, this time, we will supervise the works closely to make sure that they are completed on time. We do not have information on why the contractor will take two years, but we will ensure that works are completed on time.”

Mr Speaker, is the Government in order, despite being warned by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kamfinsa, to fail to ensure that the project is completed on time and, then, implicate the MMD in a project that the Government had promised to complete by the second quarter of this year?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbewe laid the papers on the Table.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: In my judgment, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: ... the issue you have raised could best have been addressed if you had put a question to the relevant ministry, in this case, that of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication. I do not see anything that has violated our rules of debate from what you presented. It is, really, on a substantive issue regarding the execution of that contract, issues like the history, the individuals involved and performance of the contract. If you want to put this (right) side of the House to task, then, file in an urgent question, in fact, just a question.

Laughter 

Mr Speaker: Continue, hon. Member for Kasempa.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious procedural point of order pertaining to the conduct and deliberations of this House.

Sir, we have heard many assurances on the Floor of this House on how the Government has proceeded with specific issues. In this case, I would like to cite the example of the hon. Minister who just spoke and made a general comment.

Mr Speaker, if it happens that the hon. Minister has been misleading this House …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: … will it be that, from now onwards, no one will be sanctioned for misleading us in statements made on the Floor of this House? Should we continue asking questions and expect deliberately misleading answers? 

We need your serious ruling.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: This point of order is hypothetical, but I will still rule on it. The question was what the position of the House would be if it was established that the hon. Minister was misleading the House and, as the Speaker, my position is very simple. Hon. Members are not permitted or expected to mislead the House, plain and simple.

Mr Speaker: Continue, Hon. Pande.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the health centres will be electrified after some feasibility studies in 2014, funds permitting. However, in some of the health centres, women lie on improvised grass mattresses when giving birth. Are you happy that this situation will continue until funds are made available? Is it not possible for the ministry to effect some emergency measures so that some of the centres are electrified, even by solar power?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, we are obviously not happy that these health centres use candles or whatever, and that is why we remain committed, as a ministry, to electrifying all rural health centres and chiefs’ palaces. That is why REA is on the ground. We will conduct feasibility studies next year. Some of the centres have been in this state for more than forty years but, in our two years in office, we are already thinking about conducting feasibility studies on them.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Zulu: We are committed to electrifying all health centres. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I recall that the Government had commissioned the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) to conduct a feasibility study on points where power could be delivered with a view to electrifying institutions similar to the ones the hon. Member has asked about. How far has that particular programme gone?

The Minister Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Yaluma): Mr Speaker, if I may go back to the question by Hon. Pande, the electrification of health centres is on-going under the co-ordination of the Ministry of Health. We are also electrifying schools using solar power where we cannot extend the National Electricity Grid (NEG). Therefore, if we are given a site, we can electrify it after it has been evaluated.

Sir, to answer Hon. Mwiimbu’s question, JICA provided us with the master plan for the electrification of the entire country. The points that were identified are the ones we are currently electrifying. Whatever we are doing, through REA, has components extracted from the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP) developed by JICA. This excludes projects involving solar power because JICA specifically looked at the extension of grid connection.

I thank you, Sir

ELECTRIFICATION OF SESHEKE SCHOOLS 

182.    Mr Sianga (Sesheke) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development when the schools and clinics on Nakatindi Road and the Zambezi West Bank in Sesheke would be connected to NEG.

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, REA plans to conduct feasibility studies in 2014 to determine the scope and cost of electrifying the schools and rural health centres on Nakatindi Road and in the Zambezi West Bank in Sesheke. However, it is important to note that the subsequent electrification of the schools and clinics will depend on the availability of funds.

I thank you, Sir.

SURVEYING OF MITETE DISTRICT 

183.    Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West) asked the Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection when land surveyors would be sent to Mitete District to prepare the area for development.

The Deputy Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Mr Chingimbu): Mr Speaker, our ministry is working with the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to source funds to enable the Surveyor-General’s Office to send land surveyors to Mitete and other newly-created districts across the country to undertake survey works there.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, the question is about when the surveyors will be sent to Mitete. I heard the hon. Minister talk about other newly-created districts, but my question is specifically on Mitete.

Mr Chingimbu: Mr Speaker, I said that the surveyors will be sent to Mitete when funds are made available.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, how did the Government determine the boundary of this district if it has not been surveyed and marked?

Mr Chingimbu: Mr Speaker, the determination is made through the Provincial Administration. After land has been given, the surveyors will develop a layout plan. Thereafter, with help of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, the land survey will be done.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, we do not appreciate the practice of hon. Ministers saying that something will be done when funds are made available. Is there a provision for the surveying of Mitete District in the 2014 Budget?

The Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Mr Kalaba): Mr Speaker, resources are made available under the auspices of the Land Development Fund (LDF). So, districts are encouraged to apply for those funds. I am sure that Katombola and, indeed, any other constituency or district are very free to do so.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, are land surveyors paid by the councils or the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection?

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, I just said that, when districts apply for the funds under the LDF, there is a component for surveying.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Belemu (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, I just need a bit more clarity. Mitete is a gazetted district with boundary beacons. How were the beacons placed without surveys being done?

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Mbabala knows, like most hon. Members of Parliament should, that the creation of districts starts with stakeholders sitting together and looking at their areas in totality. Of course, constituency boundaries play a pivotal role in this regard.

I thank you, Sir.

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

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Let us follow the rules.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, the creation …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection in order to mislead the House that districts in this country have been created after consultations with stakeholders when, in fact, they are created through pronouncements by the President?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, clarify that concern as you respond to other questions. 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that councils must apply for funding from the LDF. How does the Government expect that when the districts were created without the consent of the councils?

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, I invite Hon. Jack Mwiimbu to be attentive when we are answering questions because the answer that I provided was to a question on district boundaries, not the creation of districts, which is a prerogative of the President. The determination of boundaries involves stakeholders who use the auspices of constituencies. 

Sir, to answer the hon. Member for — 

Where are you from? 

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Kalabo Central.

Laughter

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, I can simply say that it is not true that councils are not consulted when we make these decisions because they are important stakeholders.

I thank you, Sir. 

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, we have the Provinces and District Boundaries Act. Which should come first, …

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mtolo: Mr Speaker, is the respected hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection in order to ask a fellow hon. Member of Parliament where he comes from directly, instead of going through you?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: The short ruling is that all responses and questions must be channelled through the Chair. Decorum demands that. 

Continue, hon. Member for Mumbwa.

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, we have the Provinces and District Boundaries Act. Is the Presidential prerogative to create districts and provinces absolute or subject to the steps prescribed in the Act?

Mr Kalaba: Mr Speaker, a prerogative is a prerogative. It is an inalienable right or duty for the President to create districts as he deems fit. In that regard, what comes first? Is it a chicken or an egg? I think that it is a difficult question to answer but, if His Excellency says that there will be another district tomorrow in Mumbwa, then, of course, other processes will be set in motion.  

I thank you, Sir.

___________{mospagebreak}

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

VOTE 14 – Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development – K353,211,807).

Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe): Mr Chairperson, when we adjourned yesterday, I was emphasising the point that there were three extremely poor provinces in this country, namely, the Western, North-Western and Luapula.
 
Mr Chairperson, according to my own assessment, the North-Western is making a lot of progress.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbulakulima: With the enthusiasm that has been demonstrated by the hon. Members of Parliament, I can see that, very soon, …

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my left!

Mr Mbulakulima: … the province will be out of the poverty trap, leaving the Western and Luapula provinces. We have debated on the Floor of this House, but I think that there are certain issues that we must regard as non-partisan. If there was a way and, indeed, there must be one, even when it comes to allocation of national resources, there must be a deliberate policy of allocating more to the two provinces so as to scale up development there.

Mr Chairperson, according to the policy statement, the hon. Minister acknowledged that energy provides the backbone to all development efforts. It is the engine. Hon. Minister, your constituency is very close to Luapula and, looking at your background, you especially know the difficulties that the province faces. Out of the ten provinces, if there is one that is badly hit by an energy deficit, I think, it is Luapula. While we have load shedding, maybe, twice in a week in some areas of Lusaka and the Copperbelt provinces, in Luapula, there is load shedding four to five times from 1600 hours to 2200 hours. Electricity literally does not exist. It only covers a radius of about 3km to 5km from the town centre. So, there must be a deliberate policy to enhance the electrification of Luapula Province. Hon. Members of Parliament for constituencies in the province have gone to your ministry and the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) many times to try and map the way out of this problem. If there is one area in which the PF must work hard, it is this one.

Mr Chairperson, if the people of Luapula Province had been asked to choose between having electricity and the Pedicle Road or any other infrastructure, they would have gone for electricity as the first priority. The Movement for Multi-party Democracy’s (MMD) direction was to resolve the electricity blues by December, 2013.

Mr Mwanza: Correct.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Chairperson, the Musonda Falls Hydro Power Project and other new projects were earmarked for upgrading. However, we are entering 2014, but no hope seems to be in sight. So, I call upon the ministry to critically look into this area. There will be no meaningful development in Luapula unless we improve on electricity supply. The jobs that you are talking about on the Chembe/Mansa Road are not quality ones. We need industries in Luapula. We have the best manganese, maybe, in the whole region, if not across the globe. Just like the emeralds in Lufwanyama, our manganese is the best, but there is no industry to process it. It is exported in its raw form. How do you expect to create jobs? If you talk of value addition, you must improve electricity supply. We must create jobs through the industries that follow the provision of electricity.

Mr Chairperson, Luapula is endowed with many water bodies. Some of the waterfalls are Mumbotuta, Mumbuluma, Mambilima, Ntumbachushi, Kabwelume and Lumangwe. If you talk about potential, I think that Kabwelume is second only to the Victoria Falls. In the case of the Mambilima Rapids, a feasibility study has clearly indicated that there is potential for production of more than 500MW there while Mumbotuta has potential for more than 600MW. So, we have all that potential. I am not being partisan, but I want to say that you are lucky that the foundation was laid for you. All you need to do is take off.

Mr Chairperson, I wish to tell the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development that the people of Luapula look forward to this ministry solving the problem of the power cuts that are the order of the day, the inadequate supply of electricity, which has led to a lack of industrial development. These problems must be looked into. We cannot have investor confidence with the current situation. There are many people who are willing to go and invest in Luapula, but the energy deficit does not favour that.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister has said that rigs had been purchased for boreholes and that there would be a programme to prevent trachoma. There is also the tendency to believe that Luapula has plenty of water in its lakes and that this means that water is not a problem. However, what we are talking about is clean and safe drinking water. In that regard, one of the worst hit provinces is Luapula. You can check the records. We rarely get any help from the Government, apart from some few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the province. So, I urge you to give Luapula electricity because it deserves a stake in this regard. The water situation in the province is very pathetic. I do not want to expose the hon. Minister for Luapula Province. However, when you go there, you should go to his office. You will see that, despite the Mansa River flowing nearby, his office block has no water. We use the drums we call ‘fibers.’ Hon. Minister, we need water. I want Hon. Zulu, who is listening attentively, to look into that area.

Mr Chairperson, I also want to talk about rural electrification vis-à-vis Milenge. We have been told that the electrification will start from Musaila and go to Milenge. However, I think that there was no need to re-invent the wheel because we have the Mumbotuta Falls, which is just about 30km to 35km away from the Boma. It would have been much easier and faster to take electricity to Milenge using that avenue. The 150km to 170km stretch that you have embarked upon might take not less than three years. So, there will be no development in our area unless power is provided for the people of Milenge. The falls can cater for the surrounding areas. 

Sir, I want to believe that you will tell us about your good plans in your response. You have talked about the geo-mapping of Luapula, Kawambwa and the rest, but I think that the people of Luapula want you to walk the talk. We have had these promises for a long time and it is now time to implement what you have been promising. The electricity situation in Milenge and Luapula in general is extremely bad. 

Hon. Minister, if I got you right, in terms of copper production, you are likely to produce about 913,000 metric tonnes per year by around 2014. So, I think that you also need to pick up the vision of the MMD, which was to hit the 1 million tonnes mark by December, 2012. Evidently, you are not making progress in this direction. There is a need for us to double the effort and go above 1 million tonnes. We almost got there, having gone above 850,000 metric tonnes. Therefore, for us to talk about the 913,000 metric tonnes that is yet to be achieved is going backwards. There is a need to expedite the process because, as you know, copper has been the backbone of our economy. 

Mr Chairperson, with these few remarks, I want to thank the hon. Minister for his policy statement and emphasise that, if there is one area in which Zambians are willing to help one another, it is that of electrification. In Luapula, especially, the situation is extremely pathetic. I want to believe that practical solutions will be seen on the ground before June, 2014. 

Sir, with those few remarks, I thank you. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Vote on the Floor of the House. 

From the outset, I want to state that I support the Vote, albeit with a few reservations. I also want to confess that I will struggle to draw a distinction between the ministry under discussion and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, especially considering that I will dwell much on the water sub-sector. 

Mr Chairperson, the last time I debated on a similar topic, I lamented the short-changing of the people of Siavonga after they had sacrificed a lot for the generation of electricity for this country. Today, I will talk about the water sub-sector, which is another area in which we have been deprived of what we deserve. 

Sir, as the adage goes, “Water is life.” Water is life for human beings, livestock and crops. We are fortunate in Zambia to have this very important resource under the stewardship of a very capable hon. Minister. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Hamudulu: Sir, it goes without saying that, without water, no meaningful development can be achieved. In this regard, I will discuss the possible sources of water that we must cherish in this country, as well as urge the hon. Minister to critically look at this resource with regard to the facilities that I will talk about. 

Sir, we need water for drinking, and for our livestock and irrigation. Dams, rivers, streams, lakes, canals and wells are in our midst but, somehow, Zambia has not utilised these facilities to the fullest due to poor management. It is for this reason that I ask the hon. Minister to take a few things from what I have to say into consideration. 

Sir, I want to give the example of the opening of the Kariba Dam Spillway Gates in Siavonga around April/May. This is one spectacular event watched by many people. The spillway gates are opened to release the water when it swells up in the dam. The event is magnificent and gives a lot of people joy, but little do many know that we are actually wasting water that we so dearly need because, just a few metres upland of the lake, people are thirsty and have no water. We are letting this abundant resource run its course to the ocean, yet the technology for harvesting water is there. 

Mr Chairperson, I urge the hon. Minister, in his quest to avail the people of Zambia with this very important resource, to consider water harvesting, which is the collection of run-off water, mostly rain water, using different technologies and techniques. For example, we can trap rain water from rooftops and small gullies that collect water from mountains in order to conserve it. This is one area I would like to urge the hon. Minister to look at very critically. Our colleagues in Swaziland have used this technology very well. I am happy to mention that, not too long ago, farmers in Manyonyo Farming Scheme in Chikankata were taken to Swaziland to learn how their friends in that country harvest water. In our quest to harvest water, I would like the ministry to consider involving communities, which can work in conjunction with its officers. A number of new technologies have come up lately and those who were trained in the 1970s or 1990s may not be abreast with them. I, therefore, appeal to the hon. Minister to avail his staff these skills, which are so dearly needed.

Mr Chairperson, water is used for drinking, taking care of livestock and irrigation. Apart from all that, it has other uses in society. For example, it is very sad that the people of Siavonga, Chirundu, Mapatizya and Chiawa have no access to the waterfront. They cannot access the water. All they hear is the sound of waves hitting the shoreline because investors who have bought land along the banks have fenced it off. That is understandable and legal because it is their property. However, the people who gave out those tracts of land to investors – and I am not blaming anyone – did not consider the plight of the people who live there. There are no passages for people to take their animals to drink water or for them to wash. Worse still, no provisions have been made to tap this water from the rivers upland, where people have been forced to go. In Siavonga, we cannot even talk about boreholes. We have a few here and there but, by September, most of them dry up. On wells, how can we even still be talking about them forty-nine years after Independence? We will soon be celebrating fifty years of Independence. We cannot allow people to continue using wells. It is unacceptable. 

Sir, the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development, in liaison with his counterpart at Agriculture and Livestock should re-visit the agreements that were signed between the Government and the investors. I am sure that, given the assertiveness that we now see in this Government, we can talk to these small investors. If we can shake up the big ones, we can talk to the smaller ones and see how they can avail our people access to the waterfront. 

Mr Chairperson, in Siavonga, we have an accident every other week. We do not even call them accidents anymore. They are human-animal conflicts, crocodiles, to be specific. People have lost lives because they cannot have water upland. So, they go to the rivers and the lake to access it, but the rivers and Lake Kariba are infested with crocodiles. Hon. Minister, when we cry for water, we are crying for life. If you want to preserve our lives in Siavonga, Chirundu, Chiawa and Mapatizya, give us water. When our forefathers went to settle in those areas, they were following the water. Now, however, they are being denied access to it. I am sure that your capable staff will not find it difficult to avail us this resource, which is already there in the area. What we are asking for is facilitation. Please, give us the water that we are entitled to.

Mr Chairperson, as I talk about water, I also want to state that — 

Maybe, I should reserve that for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock because I want to talk about crops that we can cultivate as a result of water that is not available at the moment. Suffice it to say that our livelihood has been greatly affected. There is a saying in the valley currently that, for us, relief food should be planned for every year because it is a known fact that, year in, year out, we cry for relief food. This is because, as I said earlier, the water that we used to grow our crops with is no longer available to us.

Hon. Minister, I know we have had discussions outside this forum before but, for the sake of putting this on record, let us speed up the initiatives that we have been arranging behind closed doors so that our people in Siavonga and elsewhere can have water. In Gwembe, for example, the problem is not that of the waterfront being fenced off, but that of the general topography of the area. The place is mountainous and, therefore, does not offer easy access to the river. All that is needed is collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication to improve people’s access to this resource that God has given them.

Mr Chairperson, may I just quickly turn to the mining sector as well. 

Sir, those hills you see in Siavonga have minerals but, somehow, we see these small Chinese companies coming, talking to the chiefs, who are given bottles of whiskey and a few other things, which they accept them.

Mr Nkombo: And Sumo biscuits.

Mr Hamudulu: Of course, Sumo biscuits and Jiggies, and there goes our mineral resource. Hon. Minister, I urge your ministry to critically look at this area. Some hon. Members can bear me witness that, when you travel to Siavonga, you find boys standing by the roadside advertising stones. That is a resource that the Government can also gain taxes from. Hon. Minister, I urge your ministry to look into that so that people can also benefit from whatever can be realised.

Mr Chairperson, finally, when we talk to the hon. Minister like this, it is because we know that he is capable. Sometimes, we ruffle some feathers here, but the ultimate goal is to get the people what they deserve. Please, do not be like one ministry that is very segregative. We can understand that ministry because we can do without some of that money, but with water, …

Mr Livune: Tell us which ministry is segregative.

Mr Hamudulu: … please, I plead with you, give it to us. There are some ministries, of course, that we have debated that have not done very well but, so far, it is thumbs up to yours.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Chairperson, I thank the hon. Minister for the policy statement that he made yesterday. I do support this Vote for many reasons. 

Sir, in his statement, the hon. Minister indicated that his ministry was in charge of the three most important economic sectors, namely, mines, energy and water. The three are basically found on the land, which is one of the factors of production. I was taught by my teachers that there are three factors of production, namely, land, capital and labour. This ministry superintends over land on which there are water bodies from which we generate energy and get minerals. I want to put it to the hon. Minister that every story has two sides. He has given us his side of the story. I ask him to accept mine as well so that, when we put the two sides together, maybe, we can uplift the standard of living of those people whose interests and aspirations we represent.

Mr Chairperson, land is our God-given equity. I want to take a cue from the hon. Member for Siavonga’s statement that it is “our God-given endowment,” which we must use prudently in order for us to benefit from it. I want the hon. Minister to start by sympathising with the horrid story of the Nkana Chiefdom, where mining started a long time ago. However, when you go there, what you see glaring at you is …

Mr Mufalali: Poverty.

Mr Nkombo: … poverty, yet we have argued, time and again, that Salisbury and some parts of London in the United Kingdom were built from what is being mined in Nkana. What I am about to say regarding mining is basically just to caution ourselves that, as we accept the investors who come here, we should put in front of our conscience the equity that we hold in trust on behalf of the ordinary Zambian, which is the land.

Mr Chairperson, not so long ago, there was controversy that was superintended over by his ministry, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs and the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection with regard to the construction of the Chisola Dam in Kalumbila area. There was a protection order against the project because it was going to displace many people. What I am told, and I stand to be corrected, is that the mining right that the investment wanted to put on title, if they have not already done so, covers in excess of 50,000 hectares. Am I correct? Do you know how big France is, you can make your own comparisons. I am sure that you understand where I am coming from.

The Chairperson: Can you address the Chair.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, the hon. Minister understands what I am talking about. He also understands how big Italy is.

Mr Speaker, going back home to Mazabuka, we have had bitter experiences. They say that experience is not what you go through, but what you do with what you go through. Those of us who have gone through what we went through at the Albidon Munali Nickel Project will always caution this Government that the traditional owners of the land, the Zambian people, the ones whose birth on this soil was not by mistake, need to be considered first, as investments come to this country. No matter who these investors are, no matter how much capital they have, as long as they do not have the God-given natural resource endowment, the first and foremost consideration must be Zambians, for example, the Kaonde people from Kalumbila area, the Lunda people from Chief Musele’s area or the Tonga people from Chief Nalubamba’s area.

As I speak to the hon. Minister, Mr Chairperson, it has been seven years since Albidon Mine acquired the mining rights and the title deeds to that piece of land. However, I still have about sixteen families there whose status was changed by the stroke of a pen by the late President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Levy Mwanawasa, may his soul rest in peace, to that of squatters. There were initially 145 families there. Of course, a few have been moved, but sixteen are still there seven years later. What that means is that they cannot develop at domestic level. They cannot sink a borehole to get water to drink from because they are squatters made so by someone in authority signing a document giving a title deed to a buyer without due consideration for the people living there. This time, the interests of the people who live around the Chisola Dam must be considered first by the hon. Minister. 

Sir, the hon. Minister also said that he would put some money into a Vote for purposes of establishing the purported disadvantages that have accrued from the mining activities in Kankoyo in Mufulira. I would like to put it to him that the negative effects of the in situ leaching type of mining have already been established because water is contaminated. In Mufulira, people think that, maybe, it is an act of God, but it is not. If one cooks beans using that water, the beans do not get cooked. It can be boiled for ten hours, but still remain raw. That is sufficient evidence that there is a problem there, yet someone is only concerned about counting dollars as they export minerals to the London Metal Exchange (LME), leaving some relatives of mine devastated. I do not know, what tribe is found in Mufulira?

Sir, coming to the energy sector, Zambia has about 1,800MW of installed power capacity, through ZESCO. Then, there is the Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Station in Kabwe, which has now been upgraded. That is fair enough. However, against the backdrop of that capacity is the unending song of rural electrification. I think that the answer to the electricity deficit lies in the establishment of mini hydro power stations that the hon. Member of Parliament for Chembe spoke about. However, I will belabour that, suffice it to say that the energy sector, particularly electricity, requires heavy capital investment. These are big projects that cannot be done overnight. I waited to hear from the statement the exact stage this PF Government has reached in developing the Itezhi-tezhi Hydro Power Station, located in what it perceives as part of the Central Province, but which is, in fact, in the Southern Province.

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: Last year, I stood on the Floor of this House, and I think that I am on record, and said that there was a prerequisite to the successful development of the Itezhi-tezhi Hydro Power project. Mr Chairperson, allow me to speak for the people of Itezhi-tezhi Constituency.

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Since they do not have an hon. Member to represent them

Mr Nkombo: We have asked you, time and again, to prioritise the D619 Road in the Link Zambia 8,000 Project. If I am not mistaken, the road is less than 100km from Itezhi-tezhi. If that is done, the delicate equipment needed to develop the power station will be transported safely. We have told the hon. Minister that it is not possible to fly turbines in a helicopter the way he and his colleagues fly around. That road has got to be upgraded to a standard that will facilitate the smooth transportation of delicate equipment. The equipment will help to add a much-needed 120MW to the country’s electricity supply.

Mr Chairperson, let me also delve into the issue of load shedding, which has become a thorn in the flesh. Today, at 1000 hours, just before I came to a meeting here, at Parliament, I went to a barbershop and the barber had cut half of my hair before there was a power failure. The Chair chaired that meeting, but did not see my half-shaven head because, luckily, he did not look at me closely.

Laughter

Mr Hamududu: Inga mwacita buti, mudala?

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: All I did was wet my hair and pat it to look even. 

My substantive point, Sir, is that the barber probably has a family the size of yours and needs to feed them. The people at ZESCO must go to the drawing board and come up with a clear programme for load shedding so that we avoid situations like the one I went through, whereby I was forced to leave the barbershop with only half my head shaven. I looked like a mad man. 

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: It is simply not fair. Coupled with that has been the general trend, from the days of United National Independence Party (UNIP), the Kaunda days they call them, through the days of the MMD to the current Government, MMD Part Two, of giving preferential …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: … tariffs to big mining companies at the expense of people like the barber, the majority of whom leave in abject poverty, yet they must also buy a loaf of bread for their children. After that, you start fighting with the investors, they call your pronouncements mere rhetoric and you decide to deport them, drawing everyone’s attention to the undignified fight between the Head of State and Mr Kumar. Also, it is strange seeing the hon. Minister of Home Affairs sign a deportation order when the subject of the deportation had gone for a meeting out of the country. I have never been an hon. Minister. So, I do not know how possible it is to deport a man who is already out of the country.

Laughter

Mr Nkombo: It happened.

Sir, let us strike a balance on the issue of tariffs. There are extremely poor people in this country, such as those who make popcorns on the street corner, who depend on electricity. Some have now resorted to using charcoal and braziers. Then, the same hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development comes and says that the Government wants to promote renewable energy sources and preserve the flora and fauna, our forests.

Sir, the issue of water harvesting and canals, specifically in the Southern Province, must be among the first ten issues on your priority list. You know that the Southern Province is getting desertified and, because of that, we need to harvest as much water as we can. We have a lot of workable programmes, such as the one that the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock went to commission in Manyonyo not so long ago. Zambia Sugar Company PLC has decided to take many outgrowers on board and that has now become an economic mainstay for the people of the northern part of the Southern Province. So, I think that damming should be a priority in this country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Yaluma: Mr Chairperson, I have just been put in a position to see how the water, energy and mines could be split or their pie shared across the constituencies. Be that as it may, we will always endeavour to tackle the issue in a more structured manner if at all it has not been very transparent. 

Mr Chairperson, going back to Hon. Simbao’s debate, although I do not know if he is here, I am looking at what we are currently doing to electrify the entire nation. However, that is a mammoth task that requires financial, human and other resources too many to be quantified.

Sir, it is the desire of the Government to connect the entire nation to the NEG. However, it is constrained by the requisite means to do so. The process started when the Kariba Dam was constructed around 1956. The Federal Government had caused a lot of misery to the people who were displaced to pave way for the construction of the dam. To date, we are still chewing the bone, enforcing and accelerating our efforts to electrify the nation. Be that as it may, the Government is moving forward to address the hurdles it faces in doing that. It is working to build the capacity to connect the entire nation in future. Apart from building capacity, we need to develop a reliable network to channel the additional power that is generated. The current capacity is totally incapable of affording us the power and the network we need to connect the whole nation to the electricity supply grid. However, the Government has embarked on a serious project to enhance the generation capacity of the country. Just as Hon. Mbulakulima said, the MMD established some plants when it was in the Government and the PF Government has picked it up from there.

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

Mr Yaluma: Mr Chairperson, before business was suspended, I was just telling the House that the major constraint to our efforts to electrify the nation was an inadequate generation and transmission capacity. So, in order to address that problem and expand power supply in the future, the Government has embarked on some serious generation, transmission and rehabilitation projects. For example, we are upgrading the Kariba North Bank, which will increase the generation capacity to 360MW. The first 180MW should be completed by the end of this year. The second 180MW unit will be commissioned in February, 2014. 

The second project which, I think, will please Hon. Nkombo, is Itezhi-tezhi, where we are advancing very steadily —

Mr Muntanga interjected.

Mr Yaluma: I will come to that, Hon. Muntanga.

We will add 120MW to the generation capacity. The first 60MW will be completed in June 2014. We hope to add another 60MW towards the end of 2014.

Mr Chairperson, I wanted to reserve the issue of the road to Itezhi-tezhi for later, but I can still talk about it now. Indeed, Hon. Nkombo, we have highly sensitive equipment for the power stations that should be transported on that road. We cannot afford to just push such equipment on such a road. If we do that, we will end up losing huge sums of money due to losses of calibration and accuracy, and other kinds of damage. So, we have already discussed that and will work on the road before the first unit goes into operation. The Road Development Agency (RDA) is working with us on that.

Further, Sir, we are looking to generate 40MW from the Kabompo Gorge. That project is being undertaken by an independent power producer, the Copper Energy Corporation (CEC), and works are progressing well. From the recent plan I saw, I think that the project will be fully implemented before March, 2014, when the rainy season would have ended. 

There is also the Kafue Gorge Lower Power Project, which is currently the largest project and is expected to generate 750MW. Procurement of the needed equipment has advanced significantly and we intend to bring it on stream around 2018. That will be a big bonus for us.

Mr Chairperson, there is also the extension of the Lusiwasi Power Station, from which we look to generate 80 MW. It is unbelievable that we can generate this huge output from Lusiwasi, yet it was just a disregarded little power station somewhere in Muchinga Province.

Sir, it is a pity that Hon. Mbulakulima is not here because he wanted to know what is going on in his area, Milenge. I hope that he is listening wherever he is. In that area, there is the Mambilima Power Project, which will have phases from one to five. The project will be constructed on Luapula River on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. We are looking at a total of output of 1,200MW, which will increase our generation capacity. We also have the Batoka Gorge Project, which is also a trans-boundary joint venture on waters between Zambia and Zimbabwe. We will harness about 1,600MW. This output will be split into 800MW for Zambia and 800MW for Zimbabwe. The works on this project are advancing very well.

Sir, having highlighted the few projects we are implementing, I think we should be comforted by the thought that we will be in a very good position in the next couple of years as far as electricity generation is concerned. We will be very well set.

Sir, Hon. Simbao talked about the need to development alternative energy sources and asked why I did not talk about Maamba Collieries in my policy statement. I would like to let the House know that we have made a lot of progress in Maamba. We have got two coal-fired power stations coming up there. One is the Maamba Collieries Power Station, which belongs to Navabharat Power (Pvt) Limited, an Indian company, from which we expect to generate 300MW. It will come on stream next year. We will start with 150MW and, in the following year, get another 150MW, bringing the total to 300MW. Within close proximity to this project is another project by an Indian-owned company called MCoal Corporation to produce power using coal from Maamba Collieries. The first phase of the project is expected to produce 300MW. So, out of the coal-fired power stations, we are looking to produce 600MW. If these two companies extend their projects in the future, we should be able to get 900MW from the coal-fired power stations. 

Sir, indeed, like it was suggested, we need to harness the mini hydro power stations for rural electrification. This will help us to solve the electricity problems in areas that we cannot connect to the national grid. In the interim, we can run isolated mini hydro power stations, whose potential is great in the North-Western Province, which we have not connected to the national grid. However, I would like to state that we will do so in the next five years.

Mr Chairperson, we have small-scale solar projects but are, at the same time, moving ahead to large-scale projects. The installation of a 30MW solar system is about to be completed in Luapula Province. So, we are trying to have a spread mix of energy sources. Therefore, what I have, so far, highlighted should address hon. Members’ concerns with regard to power generation. 

Sir, we are also strengthening the network to end the load shedding that hon. Members have talked about. We have initiated a 330kV project to run from Pensulo to Musolo just to strengthen the Eastern Province Power Grid. At the same time, we are running another 330kV line from Pensulo in Serenje to Kasama in the Northern Province. In the future, this line will form part of the Zambia/Tanzania/Kenya Interconnector. 

Mr Chairperson, we are also looking at our distribution network, the 66/33 to 11kV. We are reinforcing it just to ensure that we have solid lines that will carry that additional load by the time we will have increased our power generation capacity. 

Sir, I now come to Hon. Hamududu’s remarks. I agree with him that one of the biggest problems we have in mining is the unavailability of credible data. We do not have credible data to help us to monitor or project the performance of the mines in their production and other issues. The data is very poor. 

The International Council on Mining Metals (ICMM) was contracted, through the Chamber of Mines of Zambia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development, to conduct an audit on how capable the mining industry was of using credible data to forecast our business performance. The results portrayed a very poor picture. Nonetheless, these results are the platform on which we will start building on the data to manage the industry. So, people are not getting credible data on mining. The data differs from mine to mine, as stated by Hon. Hamududu. However, I assure you that our eyes have been opened and, from now onwards, we will start managing and keeping credible data which will be accessible to anybody who would like to study or research the performance of the mines. 

Mr Chairperson, I acknowledge that the Government is losing a lot of potential revenue due to illegal mining. It is also a risk to the people who do it and it damages the environment. So, we are trying to bring all the small-scale miners together into groups to form companies. We shall fund and train them, through the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) so that they can also employ those small boys who go to the mine dumps or pits to try to get some rocks. That way, we will control the situation and, at the same time, get some proceeds from the formalised mining activities. Therefore, it is our intention, as a Government, to look into that and protect the small-scale miners to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the mining industry.

Sir, for Hon. Muchima’s information, we endeavour to put the right people on the boards. That is the only way we will effectively manage the performance of the institutions. At the same time, we will train the new people on the boards for them to know, exactly, why they are on the boards. That programme has already started. The Secretary to the Cabinet has started arranging for all board members or directors to go through some induction so that they can be trained and assessed for their capability to sit on boards. 

Hon. Miyutu, I can assure you that we will take bottled water to Kalabo. 

Laughter

Mr Yaluma: On a serious note, we need to make water available. As for the canals, I wish I could do say more. Suffice it to say that my colleagues from the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication have ordered the dredgers needed to open up your canals. For drinking water, we will send researchers to your area to check the suitability of the water in your area for human consumption. We are engaging people from the University of Zambia (UNZA) for that exercise. On their recommendation, we will do what we can to correct the situation because water is life. 

Hon. Mbulakulima, Luapula Province is not the only place that is experiencing serious load shedding. The problem is a countrywide phenomenon. The line to Luapula goes from Pensulo into Mpika and Kasama. There is an in-feed back into Luapula. Yes, you may experience the worst because you are at the tail-end and we have a very bad situation currently. Maybe, I should acknowledge that it is not managed properly, and that is what we can look at. We should structure it well and share the burden fairly among the customers after every two hours. Unfortunately, that timing is not followed. However, I assure you that, with the interventions that we have put in place, …

Mr Ng’onga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: I would rather the hon. Minister winds up his debate so that we can move on. However, a point of order is raised.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise this procedural point of order. 

Sir, we know very well that hon. Ministers start with policy statements before we debate the Heads, after which they wind up the debate on the Votes. In doing so, hon. Ministers answer questions that are raised mostly by our colleagues on your left. As you can see, the benches that are supposed to be occupied by hon. MMD Members are now occupied by hon. Members from other parties, as most of them were unoccupied, yet the hon. Minister is answering very serious questions that they raised. Are the hon. Opposition Members in order to be absent? 

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: What that point of order points to is the fact that we should be in the House to transact business. That is a good reminder to all of us. However, we have made the quorum. Therefore, we will proceed. 

Continue, hon. Minister.

Mr Yaluma: Mr Chairperson, I have been requested to wind up. In general, with the interventions we have put in place, there will be no load shedding by the end of next year. That is a calculated and modelled projection.

Hon. …

An hon. Member interjected.

The Chairperson: Please, do not engage him.

Mr Yaluma: Hon. Hamudulu, I assure you that we will look into your water problems. Rain harvesting is a technology that is widely used and staff from the ministries of Mines, Energy and Water Development, and Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection have been to Brazil to learn the practice. Therefore, it is something that we are trying to go into so that we can utilise the collected water in dry days. We can conserve that water for consumption.

Hon. Nkombo, let me wind up on the issue you raised regarding Kankoyo. The issues of pollution in Kankoyo in Mufulira are historical, and the current investor, Mopani Copper Mines, is doing a lot to alleviate the suffering of the people due to the sulphur dioxide fumes. It is putting up a new plant to capture the sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere in order to reduce the pollution. That will be operational by next year. The people of Kankoyo will have a better life.

Finally, Sir, I thank the debaters for the information contributed to my policy statement. I would also like to assure them that the successes of my ministry were not a result of my effort alone. Behind every successful man is a woman. I have the ladies over there, who did and are doing a commendable job.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Where are the ladies?

The Chairperson: Order, hon. Minister!

You do not have to mention that you have ladies over there.

Laughter

Vote 14/01 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 14/02 – (Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development – Geological Survey Department – K13,227,674).

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Page 177, ... 
The Chairperson: Order!

Which Head are you referring to?

Mr Mutelo: Page 177, Head 14/02, Programme 1003, Activity 022 – Long-Term Training –K56,000 and Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – K409,500. 
 
Sir, there is little money for long-term training and a huge amount for short-term training. I think that you should have put more money into long-term training than in short-term training. 

May I have an explanation.

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Musukwa): Mr Chairperson, Programme 1003, Activity 022 – Long-Term Training – K56,000 is intended for payment of training charges, tuition fees and allowances for officers to undertake long-term courses within the country. As for Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – K409,500, Hon. Mutelo, the provision is intended for payment of training charges and allowances for officers to undertake short courses within the country and abroad. The increase is due to an increase in the number of officers to be trained in order to ensure that they are kept abreast with the latest technology.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Page 177, Unit 01, Programme 1003, Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – K144,000. Why has the amount for next year been increased to K409,500? Further, on Page 178, Unit 02, Programme 1003, Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – K242,303, why is there no provision for next year? Why do the figures differ?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, on Unit 01, Programme 1003, Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – K409,500 and Unit 02, Programme 1003, Activity 034 – Short-Term Training – Short-Term Training – Nil, the values differ because of the groups of people targeted are different.

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 14/02 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 14/03 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 14/04 – (Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development – Mines Development Department – K19,420,501).

Mr Mulomba (Magoye): Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Page 187, Programme 1002, Activity 033 – Regional and International Conferences/Meetings – Nil. This year, K139,525 was allocated but, next year, there is nothing. Why? Have we done away with this programme?

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr C. S. Zulu): Mr Chairperson, there is no provision because the activity is catered for under Programme 1095, Activity 007 – International Trade Shows and Investment Conferences – K129,141.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 185, Programme 1159, Activity 004 – Technical Services to Small-Scale Miners – K714,000. Why is there such a huge increase from the K176,000 allocated this year to K714,000 allocated for next year?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, this provision is intended to cater for expenses for technical services rendered to small-scale miners. This huge increase, as rightly observed by Hon. Mutelo, is due to the ministry’s resolve to intensify compliance, in terms of inspections, and provide technical services to small-scale miners to improve their productivity.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya): Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 186, Programme 1036, Activity 701 – Survey and Demarcation of Mining Plots in Mapatizya Area – K92,000. This year, there was nothing allocated, but K92,000 has been allocated for next year. How many plots does the Government intend to demarcate?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, this provision is intended for surveying and demarcation of thirty active mining plots in Mapatizya so that they are compliant with the cadastral polygons and co-ordinates. In short, we want to regularise what is already obtaining on the ground so that the hon. Member of Parliament can easily identify the plots.

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 14/04 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.    

VOTE 14/05 – (Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water Development – Energy Department – K47,702,139).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 190, Programme 1035, Activity 007 – Biomass Resource Assessment – K2,083,534. Why has this allocation been increased by more than 100 per cent from the K712,070 for this year?

Mr Zulu: Mr Chairperson, this provision will cater for wood fuel demand survey activities. The increase is due to a scaling up of activities.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 191, Programme 1112, Activity 002 – Promotion of the Use of Cleaner Fuels – K539,725. In this year’s Budget, we have K152,000 allocated while the proposed amount for next year is K539,725. Why this increase?

Mr Zulu: Mr Chairperson, the K539,725 will cater for awareness campaigns on the use of cleaner fuels. The increase is due to a scaling up of activities.

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 14/05 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 14/06 – (Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Water Development – Water Affairs Department – K64,806,058).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 194. What is the difference between Unit 02, Programme 1012 – Infrastructure Development – K18,238,844, which is on top of the page, and Unit 04, Programme 1012 – Infrastructure Development – 2,050,500, at the bottom of the same page? Why do we have the same programme appearing twice?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, we quickly perused through the Yellow Book so that we were on the same page with the alert hon. Member of Parliament.

Sir, Unit 02, Programme 1012 – Infrastructure Development – K18,238,844 and Unit 04, Programme 1012 – Infrastructure Development – 2,050,500 are different programmes under different Units. I would like to advise Hon. Mutelo to quickly peruse through.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyanda: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 194, Programme 1012, Activity 036 – Construction of Earth Dams. The amount for next year has increased to K14,645,971 from this year’s K11,008,000. How many dams do you intend to construct with this amount?

Mr Zulu: Mr Chairperson, the K14,645,971 will cater for the construction of four small multi-purpose earth dams in Mporokoso, Isoka, Chinsali and Chipata districts to increase access to water for irrigation, livestock and fisheries, flood mitigation and water conservation. The increase is due to the up-scaling of activities to cover more provinces. This is an on-going activity.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 195, Programme 1012, Activity 188 – Water Resources Development for Health, Education and Strategic Institutions – K5,196,000. This year’s allocation is K7,000,000 while next year’s has been reduced, yet water is required in all these institutions. Why is there this reduction?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, the K5,196,000, as rightly observed by the hon. Member of Parliament, is meant for expenses related to water resources development, that is, boreholes, streams and rain water harvesting for health, education and other strategic institutions. Some funds have been moved to Programme 1302, Activity 003, to support the purchase of drilling rigs, compressors and accessories, which are used to sink boreholes. The reduction is due to many re-alignments of funds towards the purchase of borehole drilling equipment.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Page 195, Unit 05, Programme 1012, Activity 382 – Ground Water Resources Mapping, Construction of Exploratory and Monitoring Boreholes – K1,500,000. We were talking of increments but, now, there is a total reduction, yet Lukulu West has no boreholes. Why have you reduced the money when we need more boreholes?

Mr Zulu: Mr Chairperson, the decrease is due to the re-alignment of funds to support capacity for borehole construction, through the purchase of drilling rigs, compressors and accessories.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Belemu: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Page 195, Programme 1302, Activity 382 – Purchase of Rigs, Accessories and Support Vehicles – K9,911,184. Out of this proposed amount, how much will go to actual rigs and where will they be deployed?

Mr Musukwa: Mr Chairperson, the K9,911,184 will cater for the purchase of drilling equipment to facilitate ground exploration and development. The equipment includes drill rigs, compressors, utility tracks, light vehicles (4 x 4) and geophysical equipment. This is an on-going activity.

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Vote 14/06 ordered to stand part of the Estimates

Vote 14/07 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 85 – (Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection – K324,008,996).

The Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Mr Kalaba): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to present to this august House the 2014 Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. I also wish to emphasise that the programmes outlined in my ministry’s budget …

Interruptions 

The Chairperson: Order, on my right!

Please, give the hon. Minister a chance to be heard.

Please, continue, hon. Minister.

Mr Kalaba: ... are prioritised in line with the PF Manifesto and the Revised Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP).

Mr Chairperson, the priority areas of my Government include job creation, and human and infrastructure development focused on rural development through targeting strategic investments in key areas of the economy, such as agriculture, tourism, mining, energy, construction and manufacturing.

Mr Chairperson, for the above investment to succeed, there is a need for the ministry to mainstream land issues in all sectors of the economy in order to ensure effective and efficient management of land resources whilst protecting the environment from degradation. It is for this reason that my ministry has set for itself a very clear mission statement, which is: 

“To administer and manage land, the environment and natural resources in a transparent and sustainable manner in order to contribute to socio-economic development.”

Mr Chairperson, the ministry is mandated to perform the following portfolio functions stipulated in Government Gazette No. 183 of September 2012:

(a)    boundary beaconing;

(b)    undertaking cadastral surveys;

(c)    controlling unauthorised settlements;

(d)    drafting environmental policies;

(e)    protecting the environment and controlling pollution;

(f)    conducting environmental research and training;

(g)    developing the forestry policy;

(h)    developing the forestry sector and extension;

(i)    administering land;

(j)    implementing the land policy;

(k)    undertaking land surveys and mapping;

(l)    undertaking natural resources research and training;

(m)    developing the natural resources policy;

(n)    registering land and deeds; and 

(o)    implementing integrated environmental management activies.

Mr Chairperson, in view of the above, the programmes in next year’s Budget are aimed at achieving the ministry’s objectives in the mission statement so as to ultimately contribute towards a better Zambia for all, through the provision of quality and equitable services as close to the people as possible. 

Sir, the ministry has the following eight departments:

(a)    Human Resources and Administration;

(b)    Lands and Deeds;

(c)    Lands; 

(d)    Survey;

(e)    Planning;

(f)    Environmental;

(g)    Natural Resources Management; and

(h)    Forestry.

The ministry also runs the Zambia Forestry College and is also responsible for three grant-aided institutions, namely, the Lands Tribunal, the Survey Control Board and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

Mr Chairperson, in 2013, my ministry was allocated K115,602,474 for various programmes. With this provision and subsequent release of funds by the Ministry of Finance, my ministry has been able to execute the following programmes:

International Boundaries

Mr Chairperson, this year, my ministry undertook the mapping of the Zambia/Malawi International Boundary at scale 1:20,000 and harmonised the map database. It also verified the Zambia/Tanzania International Boundary and assessed the pillars. Additionally, the development of mapping indices and guidelines has been undertaken in readiness for the re-affirmation, densification and mapping of the common boundary, which should start before the end of 2013.

Forestry

Mr Chairperson, my ministry has embarked on seedling production in readiness for the National Tree Planting Programme, which will commence in December, 2013, for the 2013/2014 Planting Season. So far, eleven large-scale tree nurseries have been established throughout the country, each with a capacity to raise 1.3 million seedlings. Currently, there are more than 6 million tree seedlings growing while more are in germination boxes and beds. This programme will promote the production of several forestry by-products and ensure that there is enough forest cover to mitigate the effects of climate change. In addition, the ministry revised the National Forestry Policy of 1998 and the Forestry Act of 1999. The Forestry Bill of 2013 will soon be tabled before this august House.

Land Identification and Alienation

Mr Chairperson, my ministry continues to liaise with councils, which are its agents and planning authorities, to make more land available for residential, commercial, industrial and other uses. Between January and October, 2013, 6,723 offer letters were issued. Further, my ministry and the Ministry of Justice are working on a Bill to ensure security of customary land tenure. 

Sir, during this year, my ministry has undertaken cadastral surveys countywide in order to facilitate the processing of title deeds. It has also procured consultancy to develop a new and robust land information system called the Zambia Integrated Land Management and Information System (ZILMIS), which will replace the current Land Information Management System (LIMS), which is unable to generate good statistics relating to land utilisation patterns and is prone to data manipulation. The new system will be operationalised in January 2014. The ministry has also continued to register various properties throughout the country. From 1st January to 31st October, 2013, 18,222 title deeds were issued. 

Sir, the ministry has also been able to develop the Draft Climate Change Policy while consultations with the stakeholders are on-going on the development of the Wetlands Policy.  

Sir, the ministry has also completed the construction of a 1 x 4 double-storey student hostel, established a geographical information system and refurbished the science laboratory. 

Programmes for 2014

Mr Chairperson, the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection’s Budgetary allocation for 2014 is K324,008,996, compared with the K115,602,474 for 2013, which represents an increase of 180 per cent. Out of that allocation for 2014, K25,858,951 will be for personal emoluments while K207,119,551 will be for recurring departmental charges. In terms of sources, the Government will provide K232,797,002 while donor pledges amount to K91,211,994. With this allocation, the ministry intends to undertake the following major programmes:

(a)    Land Audit: this is the systematic collection of data on different variables, which will help in the development of the Land-use Master Plan, which will aid effective planning and decision-making and, subsequently, lead to proper utilisation of the land in the country. The programme will be implemented in a phased manner starting in the first quarter of 2014;

(b)    National Titling: this is a systematic land regularisation and registration of various pieces of land across the country to ensure that people have title deeds and are able to access credit from financial institutions, among other benefits. The programme will contribute to revenue collection, as more properties will be captured by the Government and, subsequently, billed. It will also be implemented in a phased manner, starting with Lusaka Province, in the first quarter of 2014. It is important to note that countries that have invested in real estate have made better economic strides;

(c)    National Tree Planting Programme: my ministry will continue to implement the National Tree Planting Programme to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and the high rate of deforestation and degradation; 

(d)    Policy Development: the ministry is working on the Lands Policy, Wetlands Policy, National Environmental Policy, Bee-Keeping Policy and Timber Export Policy, amongst others;

(e)    Land Development Fund: the ministry will continue to implement the Land Development Programme through disbursement of funds to help councils open up new areas for development. New districts like Mitete are encouraged to apply for these funds;

(f)    Infrastructure Development: the ministry will undertake various infrastructure development projects, such as the designing of the Lands Tribunal Offices, rehabilitation of student hostels at the Zambia Forestry College, construction of offices at the Lusaka Forestry Nursery and construction of the Customer Care Centre at the Ndola office;

(g)    Demarcation of International Boundaries: my ministry will finalise the demarcation of the Zambia/Malawi International Boundary.

(h)    Collection of Non-tax Revenue: the ministry will continue to collect non-tax revenue in the form of ground rent, lease fees, concession licence fees and others; and

(i)    Environmental Protection: the ministry will continue to implement programmes aimed at protecting the environment, through environmental protection awareness campaigns.

Mr Chairperson, in conclusion, I wish to thank the Ministry of Finance for increasing the Budgetary allocation to my ministry in 2014. Further, I urge all hon. Members of Parliament seated here to support the 2014 programmes and budget for my ministry.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate this very important issue.

Sir, land is very important because, without it, we would all not be here. We are here because the land of Zambia belongs to us. The third stanza of our National Anthem says, “One Land and one nation”. That is what defines who we are. We are called Zambians because we occupy the land of Zambia. We are not called British, Congolese, Rwandese or Moroccans. Therefore, land is very important and should be looked after. However, I will not dwell much on the issue of land because so much has already been said on it. 

Mr Chairperson, there is one concern that I raised concerning land. There was a reason the authorities then decided to give land on a ninety-nine-year lease. In Zambia, I think, we do not have what is called the free-hold land like in Britain. We have a lease-hold, the reason being that, after ninety-nine years, that land should revert to the State, which will, then, decide if there will be a need to re-issue the lease to the holder. The other reason is that, maybe, economic, population and other dynamics change, which requires that the Government re-distributes the land according to the prevalent needs. 

Sir, recently, the lease for one massive piece of land within Lusaka came to an end. The holder, instead of going to re-apply for another at the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, just decided to demarcate the land and sell it at very exorbitant prices just before the lease ended and even told the buyers to apply for leases in their individual capacities. The owner of that land usurped the State’s mandate by re-distributing the land. I do not know if that land is still available. However, if it is, or there are other people who have that intention, the Government should take very serious steps to discourage such unscrupulous behaviour. It is wrong for people to make a lot of money from our land. Some of us have never had free land, yet we are entitled to it. That is very unfair and immoral. The Government should have protected its people. Of course, the Government has got some civil servants and politicians who are corrupt and may not have wanted to see that issue handled correctly. I believe that the people who dealt with that case must have received advice from civil servants on how to beat the system. I am glad to hear from the hon. Minister that there are programmes that the ministry wants to implement to address land issues, including re-visiting the wrongdoings of the past. 

Mr Chairperson, I would also like touch on the issue of our natural resources. We know that there are three factors of production in basic economics, namely, land, labour and capital. What is capital? For a long time, we have accepted the idea that we cannot have capital, as a country, because capital is defined as wealth in the form of money or other assets, which is available for re-investment. Hence, we get expressions like “returns on capital employed,” “capital markets,” like our Lusaka Stock Exchange (LUSE), where you can raise money for investment, “capitalism” and “private ownership,” with profit as the main motive. However, under the Earth Summit or Global Concern for the Environment, there is another emerging definition, which emphasises the concept of natural capital. We do not even know what is under this building, but all the things under our land, such as the mineral wealth, are our natural capital. So, too, are the forests. Even now, we need to re-define capital. We should not accept the idea that we are poor because we do not have capital. Do we not have minerals and forests? That is our natural capital, and we should look after it.

Sir, the concept of natural capital brings me to the issue of forests. Of late, our forests are being depleted at an alarming rate. Therefore, I was very glad when the then hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Hon. Simuusa, banned logging. However, I was soon very disappointed because he lifted the ban without effecting any measures to protect the forests.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Chairperson, it was a temporary ban, which he lifted because of pressure from those who are benefitting from where they did not sow.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Chairperson, if you travelled to Mongu in the night, you would meet many trucks carrying timber from forests in Luena. I do not believe that all that timber is licensed. If you give them a licence for one log, they cut ninety-nine more because there is no monitoring of these people. If the Forestry, Fisheries and other departments are not doing their work, then we do not need them. It is high time we set up local neighbourhood watch organisations and abolished the Forestry or Fisheries Department. In fact, the other issue I want to talk about is the issue of overfishing. 

Sir, currently, there is no fish in the Western Province, I do not know about the other places, because people are freely using destructive fishing methods. We have now run out of fish. So, I would like to suggest that we abolish the two departments and employ neighbourhood watch committees to do the monitoring. The money that is allocated to these departments should be given to the local people, who will look after their assets and, in turn, get the benefits. Currently, they are not benefitting in any way. 

Sir, the civil servants are busy giving licences to the Chinese, whose country also has got forests. Why do they come to ours? It is because they are preserving theirs. After some time, when all our forests have been depleted, we will have to import timber from them. The hon. Minister talked about honey but, if you do not have trees, where will you harvest the honey from? We have rivers in the Western Province and travelling can, sometimes, be a challenge. We depend on canoes. However, what will we use to make the canoes when we will have no forests to get the wood from? Will we import rocks from China to make the canoes with? We have the maoma and, if you have seen them, you would know that they are massive things requiring big trees to get wood from for them to be made. Currently, however, you would be lucky to find a tree that big in the province. Another reason we need to preserve our environment is that trees provide us with benefits like the preservation of the water table, provision of shade and protection from storms and strong winds.

Mr Chairperson, I thought that I needed to talk about those issues. On condition that we dissolve the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the Fisheries Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock because they are not serving their purpose, I support the Motion.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for according me this opportunity to support the Vote on the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. 

Mr Chairperson, out of the issues outlined in the policy statement, I will look at only a few. I will look at the land as it relates to rural development and job creation and the forestry industry and how it impacts on the rural population and rural life. Lastly, I will talk about ZEMA, a key agency in the ministry.
 
Mr Chairperson, as my other colleague has ably debated, land, as a factor of production or as capital, is very critical to all Zambians, especially those in rural communities. There can be no development without land. In fact, rural development or the empowerment of rural communities is only possible when they have access to land, which they can use as a means of production, to grow crops and as a means to raising finances to support their children. The typical example that I usually give is that of Kaputa District, 95 per cent of which is in a national park and three quarters is covered by Lake Mweru. Therefore, the land that is left available to the people is very limited, yet the population has been growing. I have written to and visited the ministries of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and Tourism and Art to try to get my colleagues to appreciate the need for the people of Kaputa to be given access to the land they need to continue growing their crops and be empowered. I am very hopeful that this able Government will facilitate this so that the people of Kaputa, like the other people in this nation, can derive their development and resources from their land.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to comment on the forestry sector, and I gladly adopt Hon. Imenda’s debate as mine. However, I will add a few points. The forestry resources in this country are being depleted at an alarming rate. If nothing is done or the communities do not take it upon themselves to face this challenge that we have in our midst, our children and grandchildren will have no trees. 

Sir, those who travelled to the Copperbelt in the 1990s will remember that there were forests along the route but, now, there are no trees on both sides of the road. We are de-foresting these areas because we have allowed people to make charcoal in order to sustain their livelihoods, but we need to find more sustainable solutions and preserve our forests. I am very grateful to the hon. Minister for indicating that there is a programme at national level that is addressing this challenge. However, I would like that programme to be scaled down to the district and community levels. If it is possible, hon. Members of Parliament should be very instrumental in implementing it because they are directly linked to the communities that they come from and are influential. However, we need to be empowered financially and in terms of the programme outline so that, as we go to our communities, it is not only the seedlings that we carry with us, but also the resources that we can use to get communities involved. If the communities are not involved in the tree planting exercise, it will remain at the national instead of filtering down to the communities where we want it to be. 

Sir, if we have thriving forests, it will be very easy to also have programmes like bee-keeping in almost all areas, that people will be able to use to sustain their livelihoods. However, most places, including Kaputa, which once had trees almost everywhere, could actually be equated to deserts. As I indicated earlier, there is limited access to land in Kaputa. Forests have been depleted, and that has resulted in the drying up of water sources. Rainfall patterns have also changed due to climate change, making the lives of the people miserable. Therefore, we need to support the national programme that the ministry has embarked on so that our people can live on their land and produce their food from it.   

Mr Chairperson, let me also briefly talk about ZEMA. This agency does not only comprise experts and consultants in issues of environmental management, but it is also mandated by the Government to have a strong inspectorate wing. In as much as we need jobs and investment in this country, if this institution is not well-funded to monitor what the investors are doing, we will be left with a degraded environment. For instance, as you drive into Mazabuka, there is a mammoth hole on the left where soil was dug during the construction of the road to the Munali Nickel Project. That hole remains an environmental hazard. I am also mindful that we will grapple with these environmental problems in the North-Western Province, where most mining houses are operating. 

Sir, it may not be in our generation that will face the consequences of degrading our environment but, surely, our children will, especially if we do not have an effective environmental protection institution. My suggestion is that this ZEMA be capacitated both in terms of manpower and resources to effectively do the commendable job it is doing. There are many other environmental issues that the agency manages, such as pollution and toxic substances. Therefore, if the agency does not have enough inspectors on the ground, it will not work effectively. 

With those few words, Mr Chairperson, I thank you. 

Mr I. Banda (Lumezi): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me this chance to support the Vote. 

Sir, first and foremost, I thank the hon. Minister for his ably-delivered policy statement. However, I have a few concerns, especially concerning the demarcation of international boundaries. 

Mr Chairperson, I would like to inform the hon. Minister that many families suffer after border re-demarcation. I am talking about the people of Mwase Mphangwe in Lundazi, on the border with Malawi. Before the border re-demarcation was done, the people of this area were not warned. So, they stayed put because those affected did not even know that they were supposed to move out of the area. As a result, many were cut off from their country. In February, this year, many of our people had problems because their counterparts on the Malawian side forced them out of the area when they had already planted their fields. Fortunately, our Government negotiated with the Malawian Government to allow our people to relocate in July, 2013. 

Sir, on the eastern side of Chief Mwase Mphangwe’s area is the Malawi Border while, on the western side, is the Lukusuzi National Park. There is no clear demarcation between traditional land and the park, and that is where my concern is. When the people finally moved out of the Malawi Border area, the chief moved them farther to the western side, on the edge of the park. The problem with that is that Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officers push them back to the eastern side. The chief is finding it difficult to accommodate these people because land has become scarce. My appeal is that the hon. Minister and his counterpart at Tourism and Art go to solve that problem for the people. They should establish a clear demarcation between the national park and the customary land. Currently, there is a big chunk of land on the western side, 100km from Chief Mwanya’s area, …

Laughter 

Mr I. Banda: … where there are hardly any animals. We, therefore, ask you, if possible, to de-gazette part of that land so that people can have a place to settle. That is my concern. I do not know how we can keep a big chunk of land idle or reserve it as a national park when there are hardly any animals there and people are suffering due to a lack of access to land. My appeal is that you re-demarcate the boundary and leave a good chunk of land for the people to settle on. 

Mr Chairperson, those were my concerns, and I hope that they will be addressed in the shortest possible time so that people can, at least, have somewhere to settle. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Chairperson, land is the first thing that any person should own. If you have no land and nationality, you are nothing.

Mr Muchima: Stateless!

Mr Mutelo: You are stateless.   

Mr Chairperson, land issues are very sensitive and, if we do not handle them with care, they will bring chaos. Land is the only property that poor people own. History has taught us that a poor man can inherit very fertile land but, when a rich man comes along, the poor man will be driven out of his land. Read your history for the stories. Where is the land of the Lambas and Chief Lusaka’s people? Where do these people bury their dead these days? The Tongas who were initially in the Zambezi River Valley, but are now in Siavonga, had one inheritance from their God, and that was land. When we talk of land, let us be considerate of the poor people, who happen to be the owners and custodians. Otherwise, we will end up chasing our people, grouping them together and, at the end, killing them.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I appeal to the hon. Minister to handle this ministry properly. We need to have proper records and boundaries. If there is land that one may think is idle, let us go and check it out with authorities. Otherwise, we will continue to see the same wrangles we are now seeing. I repeat, let us have proper records for our land. 

Mr Chairperson, there are people who had this name I learnt. They are called Bushmen. The Bushmen had land, but where are they today? Who is on the land they used to live on? When you get land, get to know the people who owned the land by consulting. If there is an investor coming, sit down with the land owners. Otherwise, you will end up empowering the investor at the …

Mr Nkombo: Expense.

Mr Mutelo: … and impoverishing the owners of the land. That should not be the case. 

Mr Chipungu: Yes.

Mr Mutelo: I do not want to cite examples but, if you want, I can cite the example of our neighbouring countries. 

Sir, you chase the owners of the land and, when they want to reclaim it, you say that they should pay with interest. What for? People use land deeds to get loans. Why are you not giving us the title deeds so that we can use them to borrow money to develop our land? Why are you not empowering us that way? If the title deeds are the same ones that other people used to obtain loans and build Manda Hill Shopping Mall, Arcades Shopping Centre and mansions, can Zambians fail to build shopping malls? 

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, let us not leave land issues in the hands of cadres. We are making the police have running battles with cadres over land because we have entertained cadres —

Mr Kunda: PF.

Mr Mutelo: Some people are saying PF cadres. It is the unfortunate party because it is the Ruling Party. So, let us handle the PF cadres with care ...

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: … over land issues. Otherwise, the chairpersons will be busy demarcating land in the belief that they are the Government or Boma. Later, it will be discovered that the land belongs to somebody else. That is why I say that we should have records of our land. Let us be clear or we will end up killing ourselves. We recently lost our former hon. Member of Parliament. May his soul rest in peace.

Interruptions.

Mr Livune: Let us have a minute of silence.

Ms Kapata: Was he an hon. Member of Parliament?

Mr Mutelo: Have we not lost one? Was it not over land? On the Copperbelt, we have land problems there, too. I will repeat: Let us have a proper database for our land and give the poor people’s land back to them so that they can go into partnerships with the investors. If someone comes with money, let that person partner with locals who are the owners of the land. Then, you will be empowering our people.

Mr Belemu: Yes.

Mr Mutelo: Then, our status will also go up because we have ownership of land. A previous debater said, “One land and one nation is … 

Hon. Opposition Members: Our cry.

Mr Mutelo: … our land.” “Our own motherland.” Mr Chairperson, through you, to those helping the hon. Minister, let them take this seriously. Are we happy with the Kampasa issues?

Hon. Opposition Members: No.

Mr Kalaba: How can you be happy?

Mr Livune: It ‘can’t never!’ 

Laughter 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, let us also empower our own people by adding value to our timber. What is wrong with us? We get our own rosewood, take outside the country and, then, they bring it back at an expensive price. What is that? Why can you not empower the people who own the Muzauli, Mushibi and Mukwa, whatever you call them in your mother language? Let us add value to our timber, even though it is finishing. We are exporting the timber at our own peril. 

Mr Chairperson, through you, I appeal to the hon. Minister and his staff, sometimes they sale documents behind the backs of the owners of the land.

Mr Muntanga: Aah!

Mr Mutelo: That tendency should end. People sell plots of land without the knowledge of its custodian. Let us put this to an end. It is our own land we are talking about. 

Mr Chairperson, I will repeat: the Bushmen are no longer inheriting their God-given land. The poor people, I will repeat, the Mwalusaka people ...

The Chairperson: Order! 

Repetition is not allowed. If you have exhausted your debate, we can give the time to somebody else.

Mr Mutelo: Thank you for your guidance, Sir. 

Mr Ntundu: He is winding up.

Mr Mutelo: I am winding up, Sir, with these very few words. 

Sir, there is only one inheritance and one property for a poor man, and it is known as land. When you find land on which there is a poor man, do not just push that person around. It might look as if I am repeating, but I am emphasising. Otherwise, our poor people will remain poor, as if they do not have land.

Interruptions

Mr Mutelo: That is the only asset they have. Sir, at the risk of repeating, they … 

Laughter

The Chairperson: I think that you have exhausted your debate.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate on this important Vote. I will just dwell on one particular issue that is affecting the people of Chadiza and, maybe, also refer to other areas where people are also affected in a similar manner.

Sir, when we talk about land, we are talking about life. The voice of Chadiza is saying that land should belong to the Zambians.

Sir, let me discuss the land belonging to Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ). More than half of the people of Chadiza live on the TBZ land, whose title deeds are kept by the Government, since TBZ now belongs to the Government. However, this company is non-viable and is winding up. It is barely surviving and going towards extinction. What do we see? It is a situation in which the farmers living on this company’s land are disadvantaged because they cannot get loans from financial institutions since they do not have titles deeds. Could the hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, together with …

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my left!

Mr Mbewe: … with the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, look at this issue seriously. The Government should empower people with land and title deeds. There is a need to review the title deeds held by the TBZ so that individual farmers on that scheme can have their individual titles that they can use to acquire loans.

Mr Chairperson, the land situation in Zambia is changing. In the early sixties or seventies, big tracts of land were given to some individuals, who got ninety-nine-year leases. All land is vested in the President. Therefore, there is a need for a review of land administration practices because the population of the country has grown. The unfortunate land situation needs to be checked. In some areas of this country, there is vast land that is just lying idly, yet it is supposed to be used. Hence, there is a need to check those people who got ninety-nine-year land leases. It is the President’s responsibility to ensure that every Zambian has access to a piece of land. The issue of land, particularly that belonging to the TBZ, should be seriously looked at. The hon. Minister should work together with the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock and ensure that those individual farmers are assisted to get land and title deeds.

Mr Chairperson, with those few words, I thank you.

Mr Mwenya: Ikaleni.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Chairperson, I stand to support the Vote for the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. I am glad to see that the allocation for 2014 has been increased by nearly 40 per cent, from K115 million, last year, to K324 million.

Sir, I would like the hon. Minister to take note that we have been talking about the land audit for a long time now. I believe that this exercise must be concluded. There have been a lot of uncertainties on the actual sizes of State and customary land. I once wanted to know from the ministry why it was not possible to reduce the tracts of land that have been converted from traditional to State land. Despite having reached some understanding, and following what is going on, I think that the deliberate move to cause confusion in the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is still there. It occurs because mistakes that have been made by the Surveyor-General’s Office have not been corrected. I wonder why it takes so long to correct an anomaly. I am aware that we do not have enough Government surveyors and have entrusted this responsibility to private surveyors, who are not honest. They have done a lot of harm to the drawings and surveying maps for the various pieces of land. As much as we understand that the Commissioner of Lands is sincere and can work well, he depends on getting correct information from the Surveyor-General’s Office. 

Mr Chairperson, I think that we should do the land audit properly. Like the hon. Member of Chadiza has mentioned, it will help us to know whether those pieces of land owned by the TBZ are on State land. I know, for sure, that some of the pieces of land owned by the TBZ were not on State land, but on traditional land. When the TBZ was given those pieces of land, it put up some structures there, but no efforts were made to normalise and make the various drawings to have titles. Otherwise, I am aware that, in the schemes where there were titles, the farmers got the titles for themselves. However, it does not mean that we cannot listen to the advice about surveying these pieces of land.

Mr Chairperson, I am aware that the Surveyor-General is not found in his office. He is always out surveying on the boundaries here and there. I think that it is high time he concentrated on his department and looked at it seriously. People end up taking survey maps and site plans to an examiner at the ministry, who takes up to two months to examine the documents from the various districts. We tried to straighten that so that people did not crowd there, but that has not solved the problem. The people from the districts are still running to Lusaka. We heard in this House that there was going to be decentralisation in the ministry, but this is not helping at all. For certain information, you will find duplication. For example, I have a famer in Kalomo, who paid his land fees in Livingstone but, then, there were some bills coming from Lusaka showing that he had not paid. He brought his receipts and showed them his receipts …

The Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, before business was suspended, I was saying that the various people who are either private surveyors or just camouflaged as surveyors are causing many problems relating to the maps that are given out. There is a need, therefore, to get to the bottom of the problem. For example, in Choma, you have the Regional Surveyor, whose duty is to verify survey maps. However, there are other people in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock who believe that they are also surveyors and even produce maps. Somehow, we should find a way of controlling these agriculture officers because, once the maps they produce are signed, stamped, taken to the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and title is given, even if an error is noticed later, it takes long for the situation to be corrected. We have to find a way of incorporating land surveyors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock into the Lands Department because that unit is not performing as expected. The people there are beginning to be used to mislead other people in the preparation of title deeds. My appeal is that, when something like that is noticed, the cancellation of the title deed should not be a problem. You should be able to act so that the perpetrators see that we mean business. 

Mr Chairperson, I am aware of a case in which the Surveyor-General had to suspend one surveyor. He took that action because the man had caused many problems. Zambians, including we, hon. Members, need to understand that it is not every Jim and Jack who should be used as a surveyor. There are too many people purporting to be land surveyors and people who buy land are issued with invalid pieces of paper. So, I think that the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection should go out and explain in detail the procedure one has to follow when acquiring both State and traditional land because people are being cheated.

Sir, I acknowledge that, four years ago, the situation was more chaotic. At least, these days, I can go to the ministry and see secretaries with their books on the table where they indicate who has taken what document and to whom it is addressed. That shows some kind of organisation. However, we need to identify other bottlenecks in the sections we oversee. Some of the workers in the ministry are sincere and very committed. So, I just want to state that there is a need to explain clearly what is involved from the time land is sub-divided to when one gets the title. That is why I appeal that those bottlenecks be sorted out. 

Mr Chairperson, on international boundaries, I want to say that the money that has been allocated to this activity is not enough. We needed to allocate more money to this activity so that disputes relating to international boundaries are sorted out once and for all. We always talk about border disputes and how people from other countries are encroaching on Zambian land. Once, there was a huge chunk of land referred to as no man’s land somewhere way past the Zambia/Malawi Border. However, when I went there recently, I found that the Malawians had moved onto the Zambian side of that land. So, I wonder whether that land was really ours. We fought for Independence because of land. There is no single factor that has as much potential to cause problems as land if not properly handled. That is why those who were present during our struggle for Independence, like the young man there with grey hair (pointing at Hon. Col. Kaunda) remember that we used to sing that, “Eyi nyika taili yama bbunu, nja chikanda chinichini, nja chikanda chisiya, nja chikanda chini chini ...

The Chairperson: Order!

Mr Muntanga: Eyi nyika ya Africa, nja bana ba Africa,” meaning that this land is for Africans.

The Chairperson: Order! 

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: This land is a serious matter for the people. We need this …

The Chairperson: I said, order!

Laughter

The Chairperson: Why do you want to ignore the Chair? Singing is not allowed here, Hon. Muntanga. 

You may continue.

Laughter

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, I thought I should emphasise the importance of land. You saw that, immediately I sang this song, the whole House joined in.

The Chairperson: No, no!

Mr Muntanga: It shows that …

The Chairperson: Do not justify what you did. I have said that singing is not allowed here. So, do not take that route. Go back to the subject matter.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, I would have wanted to have the hon. Minister of Finance present in the House so that I could tell him that, next time, the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection should not be considered as a junior ministry because it is an economic one. The hon. Minister of Finance said that he wanted the money that is generated in the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection to go to the Central Treasury so that it could be better accounted for. That shows you that there is money there. 

Sir, people are making money from the current speculation on land. A person may be given 10ha, but he has no money to develop it. So, the next day, that man will make a lot of money by selling the land. Why should we allow this to continue? We should catch all these people who are selling land like this and are not even followed up by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). Today, someone might sell land for K3 million but, when he takes papers to the ministry, he will say that he sold it at K600 million because he does not want to pay a lot of money to the ZRA. Let us go back to the days when people acquiring land were not compelled to pay the whole property transfer tax at once. They were allowed to pay only 10 per cent and wait until the assessment of the value of the land by a Government valuator was completed. We have reached a level where the country is losing out in the sale of land. No wonder, chiefs are now selling land. It is the easiest way to make money. I understand that chiefs are only supposed to allocate 250ha of land. However, there are people getting 1,000ha? As you leave Kazungula to go to Mwandi, you will see that the land, going all the way to Kasaya, and all the people there are fenced in. Why is that so? Land does not grow as the population increases. That is why we need to take care of every piece of it. I challenge you, officers, to work out the correct amount of land each Zambian can potentially own. Let us agree on that instead of allowing a situation in which one person can have as much as 10,000ha. In China, it is 1ha and one bull per person. 

Mr Zimba interjected.

Mr Muntanga: If you have not been to China, my friend, ask your President to send you there. You will find that the policy in China is 1ha and one cow per person. Therefore, even if land is in abundance in this country, we need to properly manage it so that we do not get to a similar situation. We also need to teach our friends who practice the Chitemene System, which leads to deforestation, to engage in sustainable agricultural practices. 

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

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate on this Vote. In the first place, I should declare interest because, not long ago, I worked in this ministry. That is important because I will be speaking from an informed position, having been an insider.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to congratulate the hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection on his appointment. He has not gone to that ministry for the first time. He has been there as a civil servant, and I know him very well. Now is his time to correct the wrong things there because of his background. 

Mr Chairperson, this ministry is very important. That is why I have insisted that on debating it. The ministry is charged with the responsibility of protecting our environment, forestry and land. These are very critical to all Zambians; the poor, middle class and the rich. Let me begin with environmental protection. 

Sir, environmental protection is very important, although we have taken it casually in Zambia. We do not know that pollution is affecting us in many ways. However, I am happy to note that the hon. Minister has capable and adequately-qualified officers in the ministry to discharge its mandate effectively. If he manages them very well, they will help him to protect many lives. 

Mr Chairperson, in Lumwana, the North-Western Province, where we have Lumwana Mine and Kalumbila Mine, uranium is being mined and there is a lot of toxic waste that is discharged into the Lumwana River all the way downstream. This is the same water that people drink. I would like this ministry to go and examine some people in that area to see if they are not affected. As you are aware, uranium is quite dangerous, but this challenge has not been addressed since the mine opened. We do not know how safe the water that flows in the Lumwana River is. The Government should look into this serious issue. This problem is also on the Copperbelt. I am sure that you have heard us talk about that since time immemorial. The Government should prioritise protecting our people in these matters, and it can only do so by empowering the relevant department under the ministry. Give it …

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my left!

Mr Muchima: We need to provide all the tools and adequate financial resources. I am sure that the hon. Minister of Finance, I wonder if he is around, has a very soft heart for this ministry. He will give it enough money so that it can control the pollution that is affecting us.

Mr Chairperson, I am happy that the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing is here. The Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is the main custodian of land, on behalf of the President, and appoints local authorities under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing as its agents in land administration. However, we have seen that councils are the source of most of the problems in this area. Often, when the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection gives a piece of land to an individual, an agent of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing sub-divides it. Therefore, the two ministries need to sit down and harmonise the process of land allocation. We need to revisit Circular No. 1 of 1985 because it is now twenty-eight years since it was issued. We need to normalise issues. The Public Workers Department (PWD) at the Ministry of Local Government and Housing should also be looked at. We need policies that will protect our people. Currently, land issues are very critical because people are getting it from the State and selling it to fellow citizens. It is now a matter of making money.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my left!

Mr Muchima: We need to be careful in handling the land issue. Currently, people who champion the cadre mentality in political parties are the ones who surround the offices of this ministry. There is always a minimum of twenty party cadres surrounding the offices of the Commissioner of Lands, the Surveyor-General and the hon. Minister. This problem can be traced back to the time of the MMD. Therefore, since it has continued to date, we need to correct the situation. Party cadres should only be entertained by the PF Secretary-General (SG), Hon. Kabimba, SC., seated there. If they want favours, they should see him instead of going to the office of the hon. Minister, where they block other people who want to see him. The hon. Minister and his officers are servants of the people, and I would like him to know that, when I was in this ministry, whenever I picked up the telephone, an officer would rush to my office. The moment you are dropped …

Mr Mushanga: Where?

Mr Muchima: I have been an hon. Minister for years, not only in the PF …

The Chairperson: Order!

Laughter

The Chairperson: That is why I insist that you address the Chair.

Mr Muchima: I am speaking through you, Mr Chairperson.

The Chairperson: No, I do not want you to speak through me. I want you to address the Chair.

Mr Muchima: Let me address you, Mr Chairperson.

Laughter 

Mr Muchima: The gentleman who asked, ‘Where?’ should remember that I have been a Minister for many years, starting with the late President Mwanawasa’s Administration. I have also been a civil servant …

An hon. PF Member interjected.

The Chairperson: Ignore him.

Mr Muchima: Sir, it is his first term in this House.  

Mr Chishimba: Where have you been an hon. Minister?

Laughter

Mr Muchima: In Zambia.

The Chairperson: Order!

I think that the hon. Member on the Floor really needs to be protected from some people on my right. That is why I keep saying that you need to address the Chair so that I can protect you. Once you begin a dialogue with the people on my right, it disturbs my concentration.

Mr Muchima: Mr Chairperson, what I was saying is that we need transparency …

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Mwaliteta went from his seat.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwaliteta moved back to his seat.

Mr Livune: Mr Chairperson, I wanted to raise a point of order on the hon. Deputy Minister, but he has gone back to his rightful place. 

The Chairperson: Continue, Hon. Muchima.

Mr Muchima: Mr Chairperson, what I was saying is that we often say that the officers in this ministry are corrupt, but they are not. They are just taking advantage of the weak policies that have not been reviewed in a long time. You can go to Kabompo to apply for land today and get it the following day because there are no economic activities there. However, in Lusaka, Solwezi …

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, is the hon. Member in order to suggest that people who take advantage of the situation to do wrong things are not corrupt?

The Chairperson: As you debate, Hon. Muchima, clarify that statement.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, what I meant is that there is pressure on the officers. Some other people, including politicians, are using short cuts. Corruption comes in many ways, not only through the exchange of money. In short, when given the opportunity and protection by good policies, the officers can do a good job. Not everyone in the ministry is a bad egg. There are very few who have cartels with other people. Land is always in the hands of a few people who speculate on it. Those are the people I am talking about. However, let me move away from that. 

Sir, my interest is to protect the poor. In Zambia, it is very difficult to apply for a piece of land directly to a council and be allocated one. However, if we took an audit of all councillors present and past, it would reveal that they are the ones who get pieces of land and speculate on them most of the time. If you do not have the right connections, it becomes totally difficult for you to access land. Land speculators are the ones who make the work of people in that ministry very difficult. I urge the hon. Minister, as he stabilises in the ministry, to devise systems, maybe, in liaison with all of us here, to help him manage that institution because it is big. One way to handle it is through decentralisation. 

Sir, cases of missing files are common in those offices. After some people swindle you out of your plot, your file goes missing only to re-appear after the process of transferring the land to someone else has been completed. When the illegality is in Lusaka, the file will be taken to Ndola, for example. It will only be returned after the illegal transaction has been completed. A file should never go missing in the Civil Service. We should be able to track files to the person who last handled it. The cases of temporary loss of files are a result of deliberate mistakes, which are costing the ministry.

Mr Chairperson, let me come to the issue of forests. I am sure that we are talking about deforestation. As you revise your policies, have a human heart. You and I grew up in the villages, where we depended on firewood and caterpillars. Even the way we bury people in the villages is not like we do in towns. We do not buy coffins. It has happened in villages that, sometimes, people who cut down trees merely to make coffins in which to bury their dead have been arrested by forest rangers. People are arrested for small things like that, yet that is our tradition. When you want to move people from forests, provide alternative sources of livelihoods so that people can stop eating caterpillar to eating T-bone, as you do. They need money. If you do not provide the money, then, forget about moving them. They will continue to depend on the forests. As you protect the forests, remember that the local people are the ones who can best protect them. However, you have to provide an incentive for them to do so.

Mr Chairperson, I have worked with the officers in that ministry and need to say that they do a commendable job. They only need to be protected. The hon. Minister needs to have a hands-on approach to his work and to decentralise operations as quickly as possible so that people do not have to move from rural areas to towns to access services. Land should be available to everyone. 

Sir, the ministry has the money to buy equipment for the Surveyor-General. Computers and other equipment are now available. Therefore, the issuance of title deeds should not be a problem. The cases of double allocations should be dealt with immediately. I know that you have very intelligent staff. The current Commissioner of Lands is an encyclopaedia on land matters. He knows everything about that ministry, and the hon. Minister will do well to work with people like him to make land available to every citizen. Cadres should be stopped from visiting the ministry early in the morning. Let them go to the relevant party officials, such as SG of the PF. That is where they should be queuing up, not at the ministries. Those are Government institutions that should serve the public, instead of being hijacked by cadres. I have seen them there every now and then. 

Mr Chairperson, before I conclude, I would like to urge everyone to support this ministry because it is important. We want it to provide employment in the villages. Hon. Minister, you should be as good as you were when you were being supervised by the muzungu, His Honour the Vice-President. You worked very hard then. This time, you head a ministry. So, we want to see a change in that ministry. You need to work very well with hon. Members of Parliament and …

The Chairperson: Order! 

Please, address the Chair.

Mr Muchima: Mr Chairperson, I want the hon. Minister to work very well with us here, unlike what we see in other ministries, where only PF members are benefiting. We are here to provide a good service to all the people of Zambia. I come from a province that has become very rich. If you introduce divisions in the nation, I will also introduce them in the North-Western Province and make it a no-go area for some people. 

With those few words, I support this Vote.

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr Kalaba: Mr Chairperson, I would like to pay tribute to the hon. Members of Parliament who have contributed to the debate on this Motion.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order! 

Let us listen to the hon. Minister as he winds up debate.

Mr Kalaba: I am very grateful to Hon. Imenda, Hon. Ng’onga, Hon. Banda, Hon. Mutelo, Hon. Mbewe, Hon. Muntanga and Hon. Muchima, who have raised many pertinent issues in their debates. Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to summarise them or go into the nitty-gritty of their debates. However, I have heard them and I am sure that my colleagues in the ministry have also taken note of the anxieties expressed. We will ensure that we do that which we should do. 

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Imenda was not really specific when she talked about some person who owned huge tracts of land and, after 99 years, began to demarcate it. If there is such a person, the hon. Member should avail us the details. However, I think it is important for the House to know that, before Independence through to 1st July, 1975, there was free-hold land tenure in this country. It was after 1975 that the ninety-nine-year land lease system was introduced. If you take, for instance, Mr Galaun, who had a free-hold tenure before Independence, he has used the land for only thirty-eight years from 1975 to date. So, he still has fifty-one years on his lease. That is why the ministry is reviewing the Lands Act of 1995.

 Sir, Hon. Muchima talked about Circular No.1 of 1985. We are also calling it into question because it cannot be effectively applied today, in 2013. The times have changed. In 1985, the population was much smaller than it is today. So, we have to drag it to deal with the challenges of the times. Therefore, my ministry is actively looking into that.

 Mr Chairperson, yes, concerns have been raised about the forests. Again, my ministry is working hard to protect our forests. I agree with Hon. Muchima that the communities are the best protectors of forests. It is important to note that we come from twenty years of neglecting the forests. Nothing much was being done. Even ba kapenda mabula we had were removed and the forests were left unprotected. Of course, they have been getting depleted and we are now trying to start almost from nothing. Today, the Forestry Department is beginning to tick again.

Sir, our ministry is trying to give credence to the people living on customary land. The PF Government has scored a first in this regard because, for the very first time in this country, we are considering giving title deeds or customary land record cards to our people living in rural areas. We want to give them the credibility to go to financial institutions to borrow money and emancipate themselves economically. Yes, it is difficult to say that we are doing very well as a ministry, but I think that we are trying to meet the challenges of the times. So, we appreciate your contributions and your insights. We will continue checking ourselves so that we faithfully execute the mandate of serving the people of Zambia well. That is what we desire to do and that is what we will do. As the one steering the ship, for now, I will ensure that we become responsive. 

Sir, some of the cadres who go to the ministry in the morning are MMD and United Party for National Development (UPND) members.

Hon.  Opposition Members: Ah!

Mr Muntanga: Question!

Mr Kalaba: Mr Chairperson, at the end of the day, cadres are Zambians, too. Therefore, they, too, deserve to be heard, regardless of their regalia. The important thing is that they are fellow Zambians. That is why the PF will work across political boundaries. We will accommodate people from the UPND, the MMD and the PF, and everybody so that hon. Members of Parliament continue smiling.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you and the House for supporting my ministry’s estimates.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

The Chairperson: We now move on to individual items under this Head. However, let me seize this opportunity to advise hon. Members of the Executive to emulate the hon. Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection when winding up debate. I noticed that some of the hon. Ministers take too long in winding up, as if they are debating all over again. I know that it is important for you to respond to issues raised. However, it may not be possible to respond to every individual who debates. You can always summarise without losing any point.

Vote 85/01 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/02 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/03 ordered to stand part of the Estimate.

Vote 85/04 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/07 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/08 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/09 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 85/10 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 68 – (Ministry of Tourism and Art – K97,818,234).

The Minister of Tourism and Art (Mrs Masebo): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the 2014 Ministry of Tourism and Art Budget policy statement.

Mr Chairperson, allow me to begin by commending His Excellency, the President Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, for prioritising the tourism industry as one of the four key drivers for economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction alongside agriculture, manufacturing and construction. I also want to congratulate the hon. Minister of Finance on formulating a well-balanced and pro-poor Budget that will definitely help us to create jobs in the tourism sector, considering the massive allocations to infrastructure development in the various sector ministries.

Mr Chairperson, His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, in July, 2012 re-established the Ministry of Tourism and Art by bringing together the portfolio functions of tourism from the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, and culture and art from the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. These functions are outlined in Gazette Notice No. 561 of 2012, issued in Lusaka on Friday, 31st August, 2012. This Gazette Notice gave birth to the new-look Ministry of Tourism and Art.

Mr Chairperson, His Excellency the President made the wise decision to re-establish the ministry in order to streamline and prioritise the functions and operations of the tourism and cultural sectors. This was to realise the PF’s vision of addressing the fragmentation of the art and culture sectors. The creative and cultural industries include advertising; architecture; crafts; designer furniture; fashion clothing; film industry; video and other audio-visual productions; graphic design; education and leisure software; live and recorded music; the performing arts and entertainment; beauty and massage parlours; cinema, television, radio and internet broadcasting; visual arts and antiques; writing and publishing; and heritage and museums. The tourism industry is a high consumer of these cultural and creative products.

Mr Chairperson, in his Speech during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Eleventh National Assembly on Friday, 21st September, 2012, His Excellency the President directed my ministry as follows:

“… to enhance the creative industry’s contribution to economic development by establishing the National Arts and Cultural Heritage Commission in line with the PF Manifesto.”
 
Sir, the process of establishing the National Arts Culture and Heritage Commission, as directed by His Excellency the President, has commenced and the relevant Bill will be presented to this Parliament for enactment before the end of December, 2013. It is my hope that the hon. Members of Parliament will support that Bill.

Mr Chairperson, earlier, I tried to quote the Gazette Notice that His Excellency issued, which created the new-look Ministry of Tourism and Art. The mandate of the ministry is drawn from the portfolio functions stipulated in this Gazette Notice (holding the Gazette Notice) as follows:

(a)    regulate accommodation establishments;

(b)    regulate casinos;

(c)    manage national parks and wildlife;

(d)    regulate safari operators;

(e)    enforce the Tourism Policy; 

(f)    regulate travel agencies;

(g)    promote and regulate arts and cultural centres;

(h)    promote cultural industries;

(i)    develop a cultural policy; and

(j)    conduct research in arts and culture.

In addition, Mr Chairperson, the ministry is responsible for the following Statutory Bodies or institutions, namely:

(a)    the Hotel Managers Registration Council;

(b)    the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (HTTI);

(c)    the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB);

(d)    Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA); and

(e)    the National Arts Council (NAC).

Sir, besides the portfolio functions, the ministry is mandated by the Law to implement the following legislation:

(a)    the National Arts Council Act, Cap. 170 of 1994;

(b)    the Tourism and Hospitality Act No. 23 of 2007;

(c)    the Zambia Tourism Board Act No. 23 of 2007;

(d)    the Zambia Wildlife Act No. 12 of 1998.

Sir, in terms of structure, the ministry is represented in all the ten provinces and in twenty-two districts in respect of the culture and arts functions, and in four regions in respect of the tourism function.

Mr Chairperson, in order to cover the whole country, the ministry will delegate its functions to the councils countrywide in line the with the PF’s Revised Decentralisation Implementation Plan (DIP). As you know, my ministry is one of five that have been earmarked to pilot the implementation of the DIP in 2014. We have agreed with the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing that my ministry will be the first to decentralise its functions to the district councils.

Sir, in executing the ministry’s mandate, we shall collaborate closely with key Government ministries and institutions, and stakeholders who contribute to the development of the tourism industry. Further, to enhance co-ordination of this multi-sectoral industry, His Excellency the President has specifically created a Standing Cabinet Committee on Tourism consisting of key sector ministries, which is chaired by the hon. Minister of Tourism and Art.

Mr Chairperson, as a consequence of the assigned statutory and portfolio functions and mandate, the ministry now has the following departments:

(a)    Human Resources and Administration;

(b)    Planning and Information;

(c)    Tourism; and

(d)    Arts and Culture.

Mr Chairperson, the ministry has since developed a strategic plan for the period 2013 to 2016, which is meant to guide implementation of the assigned statutory and portfolio functions. The main objective of the plan is to re-focus the ministry’s operations so that they are in tandem with the new mandates, the SNDP and the PF Manifesto.

Sir, the ministry’s strategic plan has specific objectives and strategies to enhance performance in six of its central domains, namely:

(a)    policy and legal framework;

(b)     infrastructure development;

(c)     research and product development;

(d)     tourism and cultural entrepreneurship training;

(e)     human resource management;

(f)     planning;

(g)     co-ordination; and 

(h)    monitoring and evaluation.

Mr Chairperson, the ministry’s strategic plan is what guided our Budgetary allocation for 2014. In short, the 2014 Budget Estimates are a reflection of our ministry’s priority and programmes articulated in the strategic plan. By linking the strategic plan to the Government’s Annual Budgeting system, the ministry will ensure that the activity-based budgeting is followed and the strategic plan is implemented. In this regard, our ministry’s budget for 2014 is K97,818,000 compared to K95,000,000 in the 2013 Budget, reflecting a marginal increase of K2.8 million.

Mr Chairperson, in pursuing our vision, mission, goals and, ultimately, our mandate, we shall uphold integrity, excellence, transparency, impartiality, courtesy and team support. Our vision for the tourism sector is to be among the top five destinations of choice in Africa by 2030. Our mission for the next four years is, 

“To facilitate and promote sustainable tourism and art development and preserve culture for social economic development.” 

Our goals are to achieve the following by 2016:

(a)    attract 1.3 million visitors annually;

(b)    raise the average length of stay from three days in 2008 to seven-and-half days;

(c)    increase the tourism, arts and culture sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) from 2.1 per cent in 2012 to 6 per cent; and

(d)    raise employment opportunities from 30,000 in 2012 to 300,000 in 2016.

Sir, these goals will be achieved by adopting a mixed strategy of promoting both low-volume high-cost and high-volume low-cost tourism. The ministry has put in place these targets because tourism has been recognised as a powerful tool for economic development the world over. In short, it is important for job creation and rural upgrading.

Sir, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism sector is directly and indirectly responsible for 8.8 per cent of the world’s jobs, which amounts to about 258 million jobs; contributes about 9.1 per cent of the world’s GDP, equivalent to US$6 trillion; 5 per cent of the world’s export, which amounts to US$1.1 trillion, and 4.5 per cent of the world’s investments, amounting to about US$256 billion.

Mr Chairperson, in respect to the Sub-Saharan Africa, the WTTC estimates that 3.8 million jobs, including 2.4 million indirect jobs, could be created by the tourism industry over a period of ten years.

Sir, in 2011, Zambia recorded 920,000 tourists’ arrivals with direct earnings of US$216 million, which accounted for the creation of 20,000 direct jobs. According to the 2011 Report by the Department for International Development (DfID) and the World Bank, nature tourism, alone, contributed nearly 16 per cent of Zambia’s exports, 6.5 per cent of the GDP, 7 per cent of Government revenue and 10 per cent of formal sector employment, both directly and indirectly. However, according to the 2014 World Bank Tourism Report for Africa, tourism is growing faster in developing regions than in the rest of the world. It is said that tourism accelerates policy and economic reforms that can help develop our small to medium enterprises and stimulates foreign investments. The report also says that tourism triggers infrastructure improvement and domestic consumption, and diversifies exports. It also creates demand for non-tourism goods and services, such as transport, gasoline, retailing, finance, real estate, agriculture and communication. Further, tourism empowers women and the marginalised in society, stimulates cultural heritage and environmental conservation, adds value to historical buildings, heritage and fine and performing arts, and provides an avenue for the preservation of culture, especially considering that culture is under threat across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Zambia.

Mr Chairperson, tourism promotes public-private partnerships in conservation, infrastructure development and investment promotion. It can also improve the national image and change the external perception of the country, improve inter-cultural understanding and create a positive internal frame for a country.

Sir, tourism’s main comparative advantage over other sectors is that visitor expenditure has a catalytic effect across the economy in terms of production and employment creation. Similarly, it can act as a catalyst for the development of small businesses involved in production and services and provide an economic base for a region whose only development options are natural and cultural resources, whether costal, mountains, wildlife or a combination of all three. However, catalytic effect of tourism on an economy and its multi-sectoral nature are also the reason for its complicity. The sector is dependent on numerous actors, both domestic and international, for its success, with very different interests, including, in most cases, the international visitors who determine its success.

Mr Chairperson, although it is evident that global international and regional tourist numbers have been growing steadily, it is also evident that Zambia’s tourism sector, despite having great potential for job creation and poverty reduction, is under-performing both in relation to other countries in the region and to its own potential. For example, Botswana receives three times more tourists in comparison with Zambia while Zimbabwe receives twice as many tourists as Zambia. The number of tourist arrivals in Zambia is just close to 1 million, against the background of abundant resources that include sixteen major waterfalls; four major rivers; eight freshwater lakes; watersheds; a pristine wilderness and abundant wildlife; adventure activities; fantastic climate conditions; seventy ethnic groups; rich diverse culture; rich colourful traditions and cultural heritage; traditions of art, music and dance; more than 7,000 National Heritage Sites; mining sites; friendly and warm people, who are, unfortunately, becoming violent; and a safe and secure environment.

Mr Muntanga: PF Cadres!

Mrs Masebo: Sir, the under-performance of the tourism industry has been due to a number of constraints that it has faced, which include inadequate legal and policy framework, inadequate tourism infrastructure, such as inadequate bed spaces and high costs of accommodation, low levels of tourism and hospitality skills, limited and expensive air connectivity and inaccessibility of many tourist attractions due to poor road networks. There is also the European Union (EU) ban on Zambian air carriers from flying in Europe and carrying EU citizens due to regulatory concerns. We also have public health and environmental concerns that include, for example, inadequate solid waste management mechanisms. Another constraint is the classification of the country as a yellow fever high-risk destination by South Africa, although it is worth noting that Zambia has never recorded a single yellow fever case.

Mr Chairperson, although Zambia is not on the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of countries with the risk of yellow fever transmission and has never recorded a single yellow fever case, it was recently downgraded from non-risk to low-risk by the WHO Working Group. 

Mr Chairperson, the requirement by South Africa for all those visiting or transiting that country from Zambia to be vaccinated for yellow fever has been a disaster in the industry. The downgrading was based on outbreaks of the disease in Zambia’s neighbours, such as the DRC and Angola. Zambia has never had an outbreak. There were also surveys conducted in the 1950s that indicated some exposure to yellow fever in the North-Western and Western provinces of Zambia. 

Mr Chairperson, the other challenges we have are that relatively undeveloped tourism products; high cost of finance for investments; limited tourism marketing and promotions due to inadequate budget and, in some cases, poor marketing strategies; limited developed product base, largely dependent on natural resources; issues of land tenure and communal land; a restrictive visa regime in comparison to our neighbouring countries; issues of red tape and bureaucracy, especially in the issuance of licences; the perception that Zambia is an expensive destination; and some administrative problems at border crossings when tourists are crossing and, sometimes, police roadblocks. 

Mr Chairperson, Zambia’s tourism industry will come closer to reaching its potential, through increased domestic and foreign investment, increased visitor arrivals, increased length of stay and increased expenditure, by addressing the foregoing constraints. This would, in turn, create more jobs and contribute to improved living standards. 

Mr Chairperson, in 2013, the ministry embarked on a number of programmes meant to address some of the constraints that continue to stifle the growth of the sector. These included the successful co-hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (UNWTO-GA), which enhanced Zambia’s visibility on the international travel market. With the unprecedented level of advertising and promotion that penetrated key global media platforms, Zambia was visible for most of this year on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN), National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor and in many global tourism publications, such as Forbes Magazine, Diner’s Club and In-flight magazines for most airlines that flew into Zambia. 

Sir, we have also commenced a review of both the tourism and wildlife policy frameworks with support from our partners, such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). We have also reviewed the National Arts Council Act of 1997, the Museums Act of 1966, the National Heritage Conservation Act of 1998, and the Theatres and Cinematography Exhibition Act of 1932. This resulted in the drafting of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Commission Bill of 2013, which will see the repeal of all the other Acts to create the National Arts Culture and Heritage Commission, which will be responsible for the implementation of the new Act. 

Mr Chairperson, in 2013, there was a waiver on import duties on selected goods for use in the tourism industry until December. The unfortunate part was that the implementation of the policy only started in June, 2013. The waiver should have ended earlier. So, we are thankful to the hon. Minister of Finance that it has been extended to December, 2013. I just want to use this opportunity to appeal to those that are in the sector to make use of this incentive because it will not be there in 2014. 

Sir, we have also identified some land to facilitate investments in the sector in Livingstone and the Northern Circuit. In particular, we also have chosen the site for a convention centre in Livingstone. Another thing we have done, through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), is facilitate affordable financing for local to small-scale entrepreneurs. The ministry is also collaborating with the World Bank to attract large-scale investors in the industry. We are particularly targeting some hotel brands that we want to attract to Livingstone, the Northern Circuit and other tourism sites.

Mr Chairperson, we have also conducted a scooping study of the creative and cultural industry in readiness for the scaled-up national study in 2014. Further, we have commenced the review of the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute Curriculum to upgrade it and introduce a degree programme. As you know, currently, Zambia only offers certificate and diploma programmes in hotel and tourism. Additionally, a modern library was built while classrooms, guest rooms and public areas were rehabilitated at Fairview Hotel in 2013, and this programme is on-going with the activities at various stages of completion. A number of them will be carried over to 2014.

Mr Chairperson, the 2014 Budgetary allocation to the ministry is in line with our national strategic focus of job creation. Therefore, programmes with the capacity to create employment and improve the welfare of the people have been allocated more resources. The programmes include grants to upcoming artists and artistes aimed at developing their skills. The amount allocated to this programme is K5.3 million. We also intend to support the development of cultural and theatre houses and spaces with K5.4 million. We have also allocated K3.5 million to the establishment of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Commission. Community-based tourism will be supported with K2.5 million. We have also allocated resources not just at national level, but also at provincial level. The ministry is also establishing a Tourism Development Fund (TDF), for which K775,000 has been put aside. This fund is where the money generated from the tourism levy announced by the hon. Minister of Finance will go. The ministry, in collaboration with the private sector, will use this money to train people in tourism marketing.

Mr Chairperson, the ministry has allocated about K1.097 million for tourism product development and diversification. We have also set some money aside for assessment of accommodation establishments for the purpose of classifying and grading them. This work will require us to enhance our capacity by working with private-sector associations and the local authorities. We need to grade our establishments so that we can guarantee the quality of services.

Mr Sikazwe: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: Mr Chairperson, this year, we have allocated K12 million to tourism promotion and marketing, just like we did last year. For tourism policy formulation development, we have provided K500,000 while K6 million has been allocated to tourism skills training. So, you can see that we have been very focused in the manner in which we have allocated resources in the 2014 Budget, compared with the 2013 Budget. The prioritisation of arts and culture as a driver of tourism and the creative industry will enable the ministry to construct and rehabilitate cultural spaces and infrastructure so that our people can acquire skills and have access to employment and market opportunities. The resources directed towards the development of the arts and culture sub-sectors are unprecedented in quantity, and will be used to promote entrepreneurship, cultural and artistic skills training and to provide innovative possibilities for creating employment and boosting the incomes of our people at all levels. It is important to note that the 2010 Census of Population and Housing states that about 95,000 people out of a total of 3.9 million worked directly in the creative occupations. That should tell you that this is an important sector which, if properly harnessed, can raise the employment ration. 

Mr Chairperson, as I conclude, I would like to state that air and road transport are crucial enablers of tourism development. Inadequate physical infrastructure, on the other hand, limits access to key tourism assets, increases travel times and reduces the time spent site-seeing or participating in tourism activities. In order for tourists to be enticed to visit the outlying areas of the country, improvements to the affordability and convenience of both air and road travel are crucial. I am happy that the PF Government’s programmes, such as the Link Zambia 8,000 and the railway and airport rehabilitations and expansion, will address the constraints associated with inadequate transport infrastructure.

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order!

Hon. Members on my right, can we listen. She is concluding. 

Laughter 

Mrs Masebo: In addition, the policy of encouraging strategic airline connectivity between key tourist destinations, such as the introduction of the Kenya Airways Nairobi/Livingstone route this year, will be encouraged. 

Mr Muntanga interjected.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Chairperson, the major policy for tourism development is diversification of the product from the mainly nature-based to the arts and culture. 

Mr Mwale interjected.

The Chairperson: Order!

You are disturbing the House. 

Mrs Masebo: That notwithstanding, wildlife will continue to be one of the main drivers of Zambia’s tourism. In this regard, ZAWA’s ability to protect and manage twenty national parks and thirty-six game management areas (GMAs), which represent 31 per cent of the country’s total land mass, is severely constrained by chronic financial incapacity and inadequate wildlife police officers to patrol the large wildlife estates. The responsibility that has been placed on ZAWA is, therefore, not matched by adequate resources, resulting in encroachments, poaching and degradation of protected areas. 

Mr Chairperson, as you are aware, the Government banned hunting in early 2013 to allow for stock-taking of wildlife populations, and I am glad that the hon. Minister of Finance released money to ZAWA to fund a survey to help us know exactly how much animal stock we have in the various national parks. Once this survey is completed, the findings will help the Government to make informed policy decisions on strategic direction. 

Sir, a new ZAWA Board was appointed in 2013 to lead the reform programme in the organisation. It is a well-known fact that, since its inception in 1998, ZAWA has struggled to effectively enforce the law in national parks and in the GMAs. In addition, it has not lived up to the provisions of the ZAWA Act No. 12 of 1998, which sets out a progressive framework for working in close collaboration with the communities. It is clear that the assumption that revenue from wildlife tourism would be adequate to fund the protection and development of our national parks and the GMAs was erroneous. The current financial position of ZAWA is very weak, making it difficult for it to fulfil its mandate. 

Mr Chairperson, therefore, the allocation of K4.7 million to wildlife management in the 2014 Budget does not reflect the total financial requirement of the institution. In 2013, the Government approved unprecedented supplementary funding to ZAWA amounting to K79,719,756. The funds were used to pay salaries for the period January to December, 2013, finance field operations and law enforcement activities, conduct aerial surveys of large mammals, enforce the Government’s policy on hunting, pay village scout their arrears from 2008 to 31st December, 2012, pay village scouts for the period January to December 2013 and clear the 5 per cent arrears owed to chiefs from 2008 to 31st December 2012. 

Sir, in 2013, ZAWA undertook the following activities that are worth reporting:

(a)    enforced the wildlife law, which resulted in 807 arrests of suspected poachers; 

(b)    recovered 325 firearms from suspects, of which fifteen were military weapons;

(c)    removed over 6,000 wire snares, which were used to trap animals;

(d)    attended to 3,262 human-wildlife conflict reports, which resulted in about forty-seven problem animals being controlled;

(e)    re-structured ZAWA to make it more responsive to the expectations of Government and other key stakeholders by decentralising some of its staff from Chilanga to the provinces.

Mr Chairperson, my ministry is in the process of negotiating for more sustainable funding to enable ZAWA operate in a more efficient manner to meet its aims of conserving the environment and developing rural communities in our GMAs. A Cabinet memorandum will soon be submitted to the Cabinet for a long-term solution to ZAWA’s operational challenges. The memorandum will seek to establish the policy direction and institutional framework. It is expected that the decision by the Cabinet will necessitate a supplementary budget for ZAWA. We hope that Parliament will support that measure as doing so will increase the manpower necessary to arrest the high poaching levels and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. It will also create the much-needed employment for our rural communities.

Mr Chairperson, tourism training is cardinal in mainstreaming the competitiveness of any tourism destination.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Masebo: The HTTI, which is responsible for tourism training, has been allocated K5 million to meet recurrent costs and K1 million to continue programmes from the past two years. The institute received funding to expand classroom and students’ room spaces. In 2013, 274 students graduated with certificates and diplomas from the institute, which also had an outreach programme to impart skills to as many workers in the hospitality and tourism industry as possible. That programme is still running.

Hon Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Masebo: The outreach was done in Chipata, Siavonga, Ndola, Kasama and Livingstone. Many more districts are targeted until the entire country is covered. 

Sir, the HTTI is a trust under a trust deed. This has been a challenge to the development and growth of the tourism training sector —

Mr Muchima: When are you finishing?

Ms Masebo: One more page.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Masebo: This has been a challenge to the development and growth of the tourism training sector because the deed does not allow for the appointment of a board, and is very rigid on the administration and resource mobilisation. Therefore, it is the intention of the Government to review the structure and legal framework of the HTTI to make it more collaborative towards the private sector and responsive to the sector’s needs.

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

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, I rise on a very serious procedural point of order. 

Sir, yesterday, the hon. Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, when delivering her policy debate, also addressed us on the issue of national heritage and claimed that it was under her ministry. Today, my sister on the Floor has also claimed that national heritage is under her ministry, and that the ministry had reviewed the relevant Act. Is the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House in order to allow this confusion to prevail in this House? Two ministries have presented budgets for the same institution. Are they in order to confuse us to the extent of passing a budget for the said institution under the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs yesterday just for another budget to be brought today? Are they in order to continue misleading us and causing confusion on the Floor of this House?

The Chairperson: The difficulty I have with that point of order is that, while it is procedural in one aspect, in the sense that it questions what the hon. Minister is saying, in another, it is unprocedural because it refers to what was said yesterday. According to today’s ruling by the Hon. Speaker, the issue was …

Hon. Opposition Member interjected.

The Chairperson: That is what complicates my ruling. 

Having said that, hon. Minister, maybe, as you continue, take that point of order into account. However, the reason I said that it puts me in a predicament is that hon. Members should get used to the ruling that was made this morning. If we refer to events that are not before the House, it makes our rulings a bit difficult.

May the hon. Minister continue.

Mrs Masebo: Thank you, Mr Chairperson. I will take the point of order into account as I articulate my policy statement to help my brother, who is an intelligent lawyer.

If you noticed, Sir, I was very careful, from the beginning, and tried to specify the date of the statutory instrument (SI) issued when this ministry was re-created. It was issued after the creation of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. The functions of Tourism and Art, if you will recall, were initially Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources. Now, there are only Tourism and Art. Two functions were taken from two different ministries to create the Ministry of Tourism and Art. That was meant to bring it in line with the PF Manifesto, which urges product diversification in tourism to include culture and the arts. I am sure that my brother, the ‘Professor’ of arts and culture, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwandi, can help the hon. Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central to understand that the word ‘culture’ include arts and many other forms of human expression. Maybe, he can help you to appreciate these products that the President, who has the power and mandate to create ministries and allocate statutory functions, in his wisdom, mentioned. I have also said, in my policy statement, that a Bill meant to create the Arts, Culture and Heritage Commission, which will be responsible for all the scattered functions in the arts and cultural sector, will be brought to Parliament for you, hon. Members, to consider. These will now fall under the Ministry of Tourism and Art.

An hon. Member interjection.

Mrs Masebo: The commission has not yet been established, but we have prepared and put money for the 2014 activities. I hope that I have helped the hon. Members to understand clearly but, if they want more clarification, …

Hon. Opposition Members: You have worsened things.

Mrs Masebo: I have worsened it?

The Chairperson: Order!

Laugher

Mr Muntanga: Amulyolele!

Laughter

The Chairperson: Hon. Muntanga, please, do not say that.

Laughter

Mrs Masebo: He said something. What does it mean?

The Chairperson: No, that is why I ruled him out of order.

You may continue.

Mrs Masebo: Thank you, Mr Chairperson, for your protection.

Can I continue?

The Chairperson: Yes.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Chairperson, the PF Government is working very hard to address the challenges of both domestic and international tourism promotion and marketing. As I said, K12 million has been allocated. Although the current funding levels may not be as high as it is in other countries of the sub-region, I think that, looking at what we did during the UNWTO-GA, it will suffice. We will be able to achieve positive results.

In 2014, Sir, our tourism and promotion efforts will diversify product offerings to include arts and culture products, business tourism, through promotions of meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE), and adventure tourism. This will translate into an increased length of stay for our tourists. So, it will also be ZTB’s key strategic focus to target high-growth emerging markets, such as China and the Far Eastern countries, in order to increase arrivals.

Mr Chairperson, Zambia’s strategic link to eight neighbours presents a great opportunity to tap into the growing intra-regional tourist market. Equally important is the need to stimulate the growth of domestic tourism, arising from a growing middle class. We hope to encourage civil servants to start taking holidays, bearing in mind that their salaries have been increased. Therefore, we have allocated a substantial amount of money to domestic tourism promotion in the 2014 Budget, through the ZTB. The impact of growing arrivals from the region and home should stimulate higher earnings in the sector. A key focus of tourism marketing in 2014 will be the increased use of e-marketing platforms, such as websites, Facebook and Twitter, and phone applications that are now used by most of our target markets to choose travel destinations. In this respect, the ZTB’s skills and administrative capacity will be enhanced. 

Sir, as I conclude my statement, I wish to reiterate my ministry’s vision to be among the five top tourism destinations of choice in Africa by 2030. Our goal is to create 300,000 jobs …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, according to the Standing Orders, all hon. Members shall wear dignified shoes in the House. An hon. Member may also, with leave of Mr Speaker, wear footwear that would be allowed. Is the hon. Minister on the Floor in order to be barefooted as she addresses us? If you asked her to walk this side (pointing to the left), you would see that she is barefooted. 

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

The Chairperson: I want her to conclude her policy statement, but I hope you appreciate the fact that the hon. Minister was recently discharged from hospital. So, it could be that the hospital advised her —

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Mushanga: Long live the Chair!

The Chairperson: I cannot see from here, but I hear that she has shoes, except that, when she rose to deliver her policy debate, she took them off for the reasons that I have explained. Maybe, she is not supposed to stand for too long in shoes.

Mr Muntanga: Hon. Wina.

The Chairperson: Oh, are you referring to Hon. Wina?

Laughter

The Chairperson: Hon. Wina, could you, please, put on your shoes.

Laughter

The Chairperson: Hon. Minister, you may continue. Hon. Members, please, allow her to finish her policy debate.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Chairperson, before the point of order was raised, I was just concluding my statement by reiterating our ministry’s vision to be among the five top tourism destinations of choice in Africa by 2030 while our goal is to create 300,000 jobs and increase the sector’s contribution to the GDP from 2.1 per cent to 6 per cent by 2016. I wish to further emphasise that the 2014 Budget Estimates for my ministry are not a business-as-usual affair. Prudence has been exercised in the use of the limited resources by discontinuing programmes that did not result in meaningful . . .

Mr Mtolo rose.

The Chairperson: Order!

Please, no points of order. Let the hon. Minister finish her policy statement.

Hon. Back Benchers: Long live the Chair!

Mrs Masebo: … and tangible benefits on the ground. That is demonstrated by the allocation of resources to those programmes that will only stimulate the creation of the much-needed jobs for our people. We have also ensured that, this time around, the money does not remain at the ministry, but that it goes to the provinces and districts. I, therefore, urge hon. Members of this House to support the Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Tourism and Art.

Mr Chairperson, I beg to move.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Belemu: Mr Chairperson, thank you very much …

The Chairperson: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

_________

HOUSE RESUMED

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

(Progress reported)

_________

The House adjourned at 1957 until 0900 hours on Friday, 15th November, 2013.