Friday, 4th November, 2016

Printer Friendly and PDF

Friday, 4th November, 2016

 

The House met at 0900 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_____

 

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I rise to acquaint the House with some idea of the business it will consider next week.

 

Sir, on Tuesday, 8th November, 2016, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider the Second Reading stage of the following Bills:

 

  1. The Securities Bill, 2016;
  2. The Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies Bill, 2016; and
  3. The Compensation Fund (No.2) Bill, 2016

 

After this, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Mr Speaker, on Wednesday, 9th November, 2016, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will any. Thereafter, the House will debate a Private Member’s Motion entitled “Amend the Constitution”, to be moved by the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwansabombwe Constituency. Thereafter, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Sir, on Thursday, 10th November, 2016, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will debate a Motion to suspend relevant Standing Orders to enable the House to sit in the afternoon on Friday, 11th November, 2016, to enable the hon. Minister of Finance to present the 2017 National Budget. Thereafter, the House will conclude the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Sir, on Friday, 11th November, 2016, the hon. Minister of Finance will present the 2017 Budget Speech, starting at 1415 hours.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_____

 

HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, with the on-set of the rains, what is the Government doing to avert diseases, such as cholera, given the amount of garbage around our cities and towns in the country?

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, this is a question that should be posed to relevant ministries that deal with environmental protection, particularly the newly created Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Health and Local Authorities. These are the institutions that must ensure that the spread of disease does not happen during the rainy season.

 

 I am sure that these and others will get together and work out modalities on how to clean up the cities before the on-set of the rains. I would like to urge the new hon. Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection to inform the country how this exercise will be undertaken.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Ms Chisangano (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, 24th October is usually a very sad day for the people of Gwembe Constituency and I. On this day in 2014, twenty-six school going children drowned in Lake Kariba. The people of Gwembe would like to know whether the families of the victims will ever be compensated as these children were on their way to a State function.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, a number of accidents of a similar nature have occurred in the country. I do not believe that it is the responsibility of the Government to compensate the families of that tragedy.

 

The Government did its best in the aftermath of the accident to send the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) staff to ensure that the schools around that area were allotted some protective swimming equipment to use when crossing the lake. Further, a lot of support was given to the families at the time of the disaster. So, with regards to the compensation of the families, I need to look into the matter because this has not been considered before.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President whether the Government has got any plans to come up with a law that can empower the Auditor-General to arrest those that misappropriate public funds.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, any officer who misappropriates the Government resources is at risk of arrest and imprisonment. The Auditor-General, however, has no powers at the moment to order the arrest of ailing officers. However, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the law enforcement agencies and the Office of the Auditor-General to ensure that those found wanting are penalised by the law.

 

I thank you, sir.

 

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, my question is fairly linked to the question that the hon. Member for Milanzi asked. It is with reference to the statement that was made by the Head of State, Mr Edgar Lungu on 1st November, 2016. He made very alarming revelations that members of the Cabinet, controlling officers and directors have been engaged in corrupt activities. I would like to quote from the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper:

 

“President Lungu said he has noted with concern a growing trend in corruption by some ministers and directors, including clerks in ministries. ‘There are constant huge deposits of money in people’s accounts yet they are not engaged in any business. Very soon, I will fire some ministers if what I hear is true. ”

 

In the face of this revelation, all hon. Ministers, apart from the three who were sworn on this day of the revelations, are suspects of this corruption the President spoke about. When does Her Honour the Vice-President intend to reveal to the country who these suspects are, among the colleagues who are seated with her in front?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the President did not mention the names of the hon. Ministers. He indicated that he had received reports of corruption. So, he cannot act on hearsay. The President has instructed the investigative wings to look into this issue to ascertain whether some of his hon. Ministers are involved in corrupt practices. If this is confirmed, then necessary action will be taken by the President and the law enforcement agencies.

 

As to your colleagues in the House, please, do not paint them black that they are part of the culprits. We do not know that yet. The matter is still being investigated and so, we should await the results of the investigative wings to confirm what has taken place.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government talked so much about the Link 8,000 km Road Project and the L400 township roads. How many districts in the North-Western Province have had their township roads constructed? I come from Ikeleng’i and I have not seen any township roads constructed.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I do appreciate that the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i is a champion of the people of Ikeleng’i. I can assure him that the process of tarring township roads has started. Solwezi is already experiencing some upgrading of township roads and the programme will continue with other towns including Zambezi and Chavuma. The programme might have stalled, but it will be recommencing in the near future.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Siwanzi (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, our Government is working on the water reticulation project in Nakonde. Currently, works on this project have stalled. The people of Nakonde would like to know when this project will be completed so that they can access clean water twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I am told that the works remaining on the water project are very minor and I believe that after the passing of the National Budget on Friday, there will be some resources allocated for the completion of that water project in Nakonde.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Mr Speaker, there was a statement from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) about the inflation rate. It reflected that the inflation rate has fallen from 18.9 per cent to 12.5 per cent. That fall of 6 per cent looks huge to me. I am wondering whether the CSO was sponsored by Independent hon. Members to give a wrong impression of the inflation rate in the country. What does Her Honour the Vice-President make of the statement by the CSO?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I can assure the hon. Member that figures do not lie. So if the hon. Member is unsure about the findings of the Central Statistical Office (CSO), I think he should wait for the National Budget to be presented on Friday, and that will outline the trends of the economic status of the country. Then, we will be assured whether those figures from the CSO about the inflation rate falling from 18.9 per cent to 12.5 per cent were fictitious. I look forward to this question being answered by the hon. Minister of Finance when he addresses the House.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, today, there is a media report that a named political party had a news conference yesterday and informed the nation that the Government intends to increase the price of fuel to K21 a litre. I find that news conference alarming, especially that the hon. Minister of Energy categorically stated to this House and the nation that subsidies on fuel were removed completely. Is Her Honour the Vice-President in a position to state to the nation whether those remarks by the named political party are alarming, considering the economic tension and hostility that is in the country?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government gives bulletins to the public to inform the country about the status of the various sectors of the economy. Only recently, the Minister of Energy came to the House to explain the issue of the fuel subsidy in the country. The country should not thrive on hearsay. I did not hear the statement made at a press briefing, by whoever made it, that fuel would be increased to K21 per litre. It is not true and I do not know where these figures were collected from. Perhaps there is another Ministry of Energy elsewhere where these figures were collected from.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: New Kasama.

 

Mr Mwale: Mwaona ka?

 

Mr Mbangweta (Nkeyema): Mr Speaker, the Government has accepted that our economy is challenged, but at the same time when the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing made his ministerial statement on Tuesday, he said that the Government intends to keep the office of the District Commissioners (DC) alongside the new salaried officials who are Mayors and District Chairpersons. What then will be the job description of the DC and is this decision prudent? Further, between the District Chairperson and the DC, who is more senior in your hierarchy if both of them go to a function?

 

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the answer to that question was given to this House by the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing only a few days ago.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: If the hon. Member was not in the House, I encourage him to read the Hansard and he will find the whole statement.

 

Sir, the District Commissioner (DC) is the highest ranking official in a district. The decentralisation policy we have adopted entails that some of the ministry functions will be devolved to the districts and the local councils, but there will be some ministries whose functions have not been diverted to local councils. The DC has to be in charge of the Government Programmes in a district, particularly with regards to the ministries that are not being handled by the local councils.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: In any case, the DC is answerable to the President and there is a link between the DC, the provincial administration and the Secretary to the Cabinet in Lusaka. We cannot break that link abruptly just for the sake of political expedience.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chanda (Bwana Mukubwa): Mr Speaker, in many countries, tax evasion and tax avoidance are very serious economic crimes and a lot of celebrities and corporations have actually been fined huge sums of money and sent to jail. In Zambia we seem to have the opposite situation where certain media corporations can avoid tax with impunity in the name of press freedom. When does the Government intend to stiffen tax laws so that these avoiders can be punished severely?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government can tighten laws around tax evasion, but it is upon the public to realise the importance ...

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The Vice-President: ... of paying taxes. People need to understand why they need to pay tax and where the Government gets money to run the country. We need a lot of sensitisation in our communities for our people to understand the importance of paying tax and also the punitive measures that are taken against those who evade tax.

 

Sir, the case of The Post Newspaper is still in court and the operations of the company are under liquidation so we cannot say much on that subject.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, in the last session of Parliament, I had raised a Point of Order on Her Honour the Vice-President pertaining to the provisions of Article 147 of the Constitution of Zambia, in particular, the functions of Central Government and the local authorities. You had ordered that the Vice-President come back to this House and make a statement on that Point of Order, but it has not been responded to.

 

Sir, what the Government is doing about the provisions of Article 147 vis-a-vis the Constitutional provision that requires local authorities to be providing road tax .Furthermore, the provision under Article 147 to giving the functions of the provision of electricity to local authorities. What is your comment your Honour?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, some of the issues that the hon. Member is asking the Vice-President may require Acts of Parliament again. This is a question that cannot be handled during this question and answer time. We will have to come back to the House with a full answer.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mukumbuta (Senanga Central): Mr Speaker, prior to the August 11 General Elections, the Republican President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, ordered the Government tabloids such as The Zambia Daily Mail to publicise the Barotseland Agreement and promised that he is now considering this agreement. How far has he gone in recognising this thorny issue or was it another attempt to give an illusion to the people concerned that this Government is considering this issue?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

I can see you.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the issue of the Barotseland Agreement has had questions asked around it in this House many times. There was no way the President could engage anyone in meaningful discussions during elections. Now that elections are over, we all look forward to a time when a roadmap will be given on how this matter will be handled. So, the hon. Member should be patient and wait for this case to be considered by the Government and the Barotse people through the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE).

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Chiteme (Nkana): Mr Speaker, it has been reported in the media that Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) has failed to pay the September and October salaries for the workers .This is due to poor in flow of funds resulting from low copper prices on the international market as well as the failure by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to pay back the Value Added Tax (VAT) to the company. What is the Government doing about this matter?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: There are too many conversations on the right. I do not know how the Vice-President can respond in this atmosphere.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government is aware of the delayed salary payments to the management and staff at KCM but I can assure the House that the salaries have been paid as of today. However, the issue of VAT refunds to mining companies and other related tax matters will be answered through a ministerial statement by the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, may Her Honour the Vice-President note that in addition to fuel levy, toll gates have been included as well as the removal of subsidies on fuel. This entire burden is to be borne by the users who are the poor people. Is it not too much that these things were done almost simultaneously? Would it not have been prudent to deal with these matters, gradually?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, any Zambian who is driving a vehicle which is latest on the Japanese market is not poor.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, we have some relatively poor people such as taxi drivers who go through these toll gates. It is to the advantage of the country if money is collected from these toll gates and that money will be used to repair roads so that vehicles could last longer with less repair works on them. This will save on some of the money being taken from people’s pockets.  So, we look forward to erecting more toll gates especially, on economic roads. We know that the money which will be collected will contribute to the maintenance of roads and also, to the economic development of the country.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, Tongas say, “muchende uona kumaulu, umutwe ulayeya.”

 

Mr Speaker: What does that mean?

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, this means that a serious man will only sleep with his legs and the brain will be thinking even in his sleep.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, this Government has hit the ground running.

 

Mr Nguluba: Ya! The brain is thinking.

 

Mr Malanji: Sir, in the President’s Speech to this House, the desire to explore the avenue of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) was in black and white. There are so many accidents on the Ndola/Lusaka Road. Even as I was coming, the truck belonging to Hon. Jack Mwiimbu which was going to deliver animals to the Copperbelt hit a very small vehicle.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mwiimbu rose.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Order! Hon. Member for Kwacha, please, do not drag your colleague in that fashion.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Talk to him. I hope it does not belong to him.

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, what is the Government doing to explore that avenue seeing that the traffic between Ndola and Kitwe is good enough to attract any investor who would want to come and do a PPP with us, considering the toll gates are now order of the day worldwide?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, a PPP is one mode of accelerating economic development in the country that the Government is considering very seriously. Partnerships in the road construction with private companies have taken quite an upper hand. The Government is already in discussions with some contractors that want to partner with the Government to build roads. We will therefore, see a lot of activity and development in the road sector in the next few years to come and in other sectors of the economy as we partner with the private companies.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, there is a report from the executive in Kapombo that a certain plane called Nyela has a mysterious fire which is threatening the livelihoods of the people there. Can I know what the Government is doing about this situation.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government is not aware of the plane the hon. Member is talking about. Perhaps we need to have more information in order for the Government to act. Can the hon. Member report this matter to the police.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

________

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Mr Speaker, before we adjourned yesterday, I was saying that I thank the people of Moomba for entrusting me with the responsibility of being their spokesperson for the next five years. I will obviously strive to do the best for my constituency. The amount of support they gave to the United Party for National Development (UPND) as a party and indeed, me as their candidate is proof that their hope lies in the UPND. My aim is to liberate the people from the economic hardships that they continue enduring everyday as a result of bad governance that is prevailing currently. I know that the UPND is the only party that can move Zambia forward.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: Mr Speaker, Moomba Constituency is a rural constituency located in the Eastern side of Monze District. It has a total of four vast wards. Two are on the plateau namely, Mwanza West and Mwanza East. The other two which are in the valley are Moomba and Chona Wards. The constituency was expected to have a total of 32,861 people as at …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order on the left.

 

Mr Chaatila: …June, 2016 going by the Geometric Annual Birth Rate of 1.5 per cent estimated for Monze District for the period 2011 to 2020. The constituency has two chiefdoms and these are Chief Chona and Chief Mwanza.

 

Mr Speaker, the main economic activity of the people of Moomba is agriculture through farming and livestock. While some people in some constituencies are just learning how to keep cattle, as they have always been used to consuming meat, my people have been herdsmen since time immemorial. The people of Moomba are hardworking, resilient and persistent. These attributes can be seen through the many years in which they have continued to contribute positively to the food security of this nation, as well as even under extreme and trying conditions imposed on them as a result of the lack of foresight by those entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs of this land.

 

Mr Speaker, listening to the speeches of those who have already spoken amongst my colleagues in the PF, I wonder whether they serve two constituencies where one is that of wonders they claim the PF has done and the other destitute. Mr Speaker, I will remain truthful about what is obtaining in Moomba. In as much as my people have been hard working, destitution is slowly, but surely encroaching. This is a very sad situation given the fact that Moomba, just like any other constituency in Zambia, is endowed with resources that, if given an enabling environment, the people of Moomba would be enjoying life today.

 

Mr Speaker, let me address some of the challenges among many that my constituency continues to face.

 

Mr Speaker, if this House allowed me, I was going to lay before you a container of water that I was given by the people of Kaumuzya. The water was drawn from a stream where human beings share the same water with cattle, pigs and goats. The water is not fit for human consumption, but my people are subjected to this type of life fifty-two years after Independence.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Chaatila: Kaumuzya is just along the line of rail, near Monze Town.

 

Hon. PF Member: Question!

 

Mr Chaatila: Mr Speaker, given this picture, you would wonder what type of lifestyle, my people who are very far away from the line of rail are subjected to.

 

Sir, it is disheartening to see women ...

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Members on the right!

 

The hon. Member may continue.

 

Mr Chaatila: Mr Speaker, it is disheartening to see women with their babies, as young as one month old on their backs, traverse the dry rivers of Nadongo, Kayola and Namungolo digging through the sand in search of water.

 

Mr Speaker, Chona and Moomba wards have no single dam. Boreholes are very few and in most places not functional. As for Mwanza West and East Wards, the only dams available easily dry up as they have never been rehabilitated from the time they were constructed and Poles are not adequate either.

 

Mr Speaker, Moomba has three main link roads and these are Monze/Chivuna Road, Monze/Chona Ward and Monze Moomba Road. Whilst the Monze/Chivuna Road has been graded at times, the other two roads have never been graded since the late seventies. Almost all the bridges which were constructed have been washed away.

 

Mr Speaker, I call upon the Government to tar the Monze/Chivuna Road as it links the other roads. This is also a road that is used by many school children who go to St Josephs Secondary School whose lives now continue being endangered due to the bad state of the road. The Government should also, as a matter of urgency, grade and construct bridges on the roads leading to Chona and Moomba Wards.

 

Mr Speaker, as alluded to earlier on, the people of Moomba are hard working and have largely depended on agriculture as their main source of income for years. However, it is painful to find that all those glorious days when they would wake up early in the morning with joy to carry out their agriculture business are now, but history. They are now being subjected to receiving farming inputs a year after they are due. When the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) borrows the maize with a promise of paying back the farmers in form of cash, farmers have to wait for a longer period of time before being paid. As for Chona and Moomba wards, they have no FRA depots to talk about.

 

Mr Speaker, as a result of the above challenges, parents are now failing to educate their children. Moomba Constituency has intelligent pupils and has, in the past, produced some of the best students who are currently contributing positively to society in different sectors. It has now become a common trend to have few or no single pupil passing straight to grade eight in the whole constituency. For the few who manage to get selected to boarding schools, they end up finding themselves in basic schools due to the lack of funds.

 

Mr Speaker, the clinics that are in the constituency are very few hence patients are subjected to walking long distances to access medical attention. Even when they reach these health centres, they are, most of the times, not treated properly due to the lack of medicines and inadequate number of qualified medical personnel.

 

Mr Speaker, the whole constituency has no ambulance to help in transporting patients who are in need of emergency treatment to a nearby hospital in Monze.

 

Mr Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government and other previous Governments have been emphasising the key roles that traditional leaders play in the management of the affairs of their chiefdoms as, this helps the Government in the implementation and regulation of policies. However, it is sad that of the two chiefdoms in my constituency, the Mwanza Chiefdom has had no chief for the past ten years after the death of the chief. I would like to call upon the Government, especially the hon. Minister of Justice, Hon. Given Lubinda, to take keen interest in such issues to ensure that the succession wrangles...

 

Mr Lubinda: I do not belong to that chiefdom.

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister of Justice.

 

Hon. PF Member: Question!

 

Mr Chaatila: ... that arise in such cases are resolved as a matter of urgency.

 

Mr Speaker, with all the above challenges highlighted, I believe that the people of Moomba Constituency are justified to have voted in the manner that they did as the PF Government wiped away the little trust that the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) had left.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: It is justifiable for only 182 people to have voted for the PF out of the more than 13,700.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: This is a clear demonstration that my people are not happy with in the way the PF has treated them in the last few years.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Chaatila: Mr Speaker, allow me now to comment on some of the national issues. I am calling upon the PF Government, in the little time that they have, to work closely with organisations such as the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the private sector and other developmental...

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Chaatila: ... institutions in promoting the financial inclusion agenda through the creation of a favourable and flexible environment for these players. This, Mr Speaker, is on the backdrop that the Government has made clear that, its focus in growing the economy will start with the Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs) and upwards leaving the micro entrepreneurs behind. The NGOs and most developmental institutions historically have been known to work very well with the low end structures of the economy. This can cover the failure by the PF to put in place the structure that will help the micro entrepreneurs who constitute most of the people in Moomba Constituency.

 

Mr Speaker, Zambia has not been spared from the straits of climate change. Everyone needs to be involved in the fight against climate change by protecting our environment. There are things that harm our environment which do not need rushing for external help as we have gotten used to doing in Zambia.

 

Zambia has become a very dirty country through the plastic bags littering. Not only is littering unattractive, but is also a very serious environmental hazard. The uncontrolled cutting of trees for charcoal is another source of concern to the degradation of our environment. I implore the Government to ban the use of plastic bags and also to put in place stringent measures to reduce the cutting down of trees as a start in the fight against climate change.

 

Mr Speaker, finally, let me join my colleagues who have spoken before me in denouncing the violence in the country that is being perpetuated by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, especially during the just ended elections. I join my colleagues in denouncing the PF Government that is violating day in and day out, the basic rights of the people of Zambia …

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: … such as freedom of expression, freedom to information by suppressing the media houses and freedom of movement. I call upon the PF Government to use institutions such as the law enforcement agencies, the Judiciary and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for the purposes of which they were created for and not for suppression, intimidation, manipulation, and corruption in an effort to silence the many voices of the people who have dissenting views from that of the PF. I call upon the PF to stop harassing and beating up marketeers who belong to opposition parties.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: They should give them back their stands so that they can continue with their businesses.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Yes!

 

Mr Chaatila: Mr Speaker, I urge the PF to provide water to the people of Zambia. Urban areas have now joined the rural areas in the lack of water due to lack of foresight by the PF. In the morning we now see women with buckets going in search of water. Let the PF provide electricity to the Zambian people. How else does the PF expect the economy to grow when the simple drivers of economic growth are lacking? It is now time for the PF to stop singing and dancing to dununa reverse

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chaatila: … and double decker songs both locally and internationally, but in the little time they have, strive to better the living conditions of the Zambian people.

 

Mr Speaker, Zambia is a Christian nation, therefore, we are all expected to be Christ-like in our conduct. Hence as we carry out our duties, let us ask ourselves this question. Have my actions of today reflected a Christ-like person in me? May God bless you all.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe (Lufwanyama): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for according me this rare opportunity …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … to deliver my maiden speech to this august House.

 

Sir, to begin with, I would like to congratulate you on your re-election as Speaker of the National Assembly. I would like to also extend my congratulations to the First and Second Deputy Speakers respectively on their election. Congratulations also go to my fellow hon. Members of Parliament who worked hard to win the 11th August, 2016, general elections which was not easy as it was competitive and also very expensive.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to give tribute to my great party, the United Party for National Development …

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … (UPND) …

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … National Executive Committee under the leadership of a great president, Hakainde Hichilema (HH) …

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … and the Vice-President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba,

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … popularly known as GBM, for sponsoring me to stand as Lufwanyama Member of Parliament.

 

Mr Speaker, I further extend my gratitude to the Copperbelt Provincial Committee under the leadership of the Provincial Chairman, Mr Elisha Matambo, who is in prison at Kamfinsa in Kitwe, the district leadership of Lufwanyama, the constituency leadership, the sixteen ward committee officials as well as all branch officials.

 

Sir, may I also express my special thanks to my strong and dedicated campaign team which worked tirelessly day and night and managed to conduct sixty-seven successful public meetings around Lufwanyama Constituency. These men and women include, but not limited to Chishimba Mbuyu, Mweemba Obed, Muwaya Grace, Felix Chinyama, Chimbalasepa Pephias, Mulenga, Nswama, Nyendwa and many others. May our Almighty Jehovah God protect them and be with them all the time because it was not an easy task to take upon myself.

 

Mr Speaker, my other special thanks go to my wife Memory, my children, my father, who is one of the six chiefs in Lufwanyama, my mother, brothers, sisters and all my friends for their moral, material and financial support towards my successful campaigns. Without these people, I would not have made it to Parliament to represent the majority people of Lufwanyama. Special thanks also go to their royal highnesses, Chiefs Lumpuma, Fungulwe, Nkana, Mukutuma, Shibuchinga and Chieftainess Shimukunami for the parental guidance and support they rendered towards my election.

 

Sir, I thank all the Churches around Lufwanyama for their moral and spiritual support. I cannot just go without thanking some former hon. Members of Parliament, namely, Dr Lwipa Puma, Mr Kasukumya and the former hon. Member of Parliament for Masaiti, Mrs Gladys Lundwe, for the massive support they gave me. May our Almighty God bless them all.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: Mr Speaker, allow me to ultimately express my special heartfelt and profound gratitude to the great people of Lufwanyama for voting for my great President Hakainde Hichilema …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: … and Vice-President, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, myself as Member of Parliament, the Council Chairperson and the fourteen UPND Councillors, out of sixteen. To the people of Lufwanyama, I am very humbled for the memorable outright win. I am in this House because of the people of Lufwanyama, therefore, I will not let them down. We shall work together to develop Lufwanyama. I would like to inform the people of Lufwanyama that I am very approachable and they should feel free to approach me anytime to discuss issues affecting the constituency. I am ready to be criticised where they feel I am wrong because by so doing, we shall move together as a team.

 

Sir, the most important thing I wish not to do is to stay away from my people who voted for me. The people of Lufwanyama are great and I respect them for voting for the UPND. The reason for the overwhelming votes we received in Lufwanyama is because of the underdevelopment in the area. It is surprising that despite the constituency housing mining companies such as Kagem Mining Ltd, Grizzly Mining Ltd and other emerald mines, it is still very underdeveloped.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me now to bring to your attention the challenges that the people of Lufwanyama have been going through for a long time.

 

Sir, as you may be aware Lufwanyama contributes a significant percentage to the National Treasury. This, therefore, means that the constituency has substantial wealth that can benefit its people if properly allocated and utilised. It is, however, sad to note that despite its wealth, the constituency lacks basic infrastructure. For instance, the road network is pathetic. Most of the roads look like we live in a war tone country. The roads are impassable especially during the rainy season.

 

There is no way we can develop without a good road network. As such, it is important that the road infrastructure is worked on in Lufwanyama. Kalengwa Road is one of the roads that need to be tarred all the way up to Kasempa connecting the North-Western Province. This project was started by the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: Mr Speaker, the people of Lufwanyama are requesting for the money which President Mwanawasa left for this road so it can be completed without further delay. The people of Lufwanyama knew that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government...

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order! Order!

 

There are far too many conversations going on.

 

Mr Fungulwe: ... was deceiving them when they saw road machinery being displayed on the roadsides during campaigns. At the moment, nothing is happening and the rainy season is just around the corner. I am appealing to the PF Government to ensure the national cake is shared equally. The People of Lufwanyama are comparing what the MMD did in relation to the development that is taking place now. This is why in Lamba, the PF is referred to as Penga Fyakulifwaila. This means suffer it is your choice for having voted for the PF.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question.

 

Mr Fungulwe: Sir, if completed, the Kalengwa/Kasempa Road will boost the economic activities in the area. As you are aware, this is the shortest route to Kasempa compared to the Chingola/Solwezi Road, hence the need for the PF Government to work on the road as soon as possible. Bad roads contribute to high transport charges by public transporters. If the roads were good, transport charges would have been reasonable and tear and wear on the vehicles would be reduced.

 

Mr Speaker, there are many other feeder roads that need the Government’s attention such as roads in Bulaya Ward, Kansoka, Fungulwe Road, Mukumbo, Lufwanyama, Milopa, Kambilombilo and many others. For the Nkana/Kagem Mine Road, there is a need to engage the emerald mine owners to put up a tarmac as they are the main users of this road.

 

Mr Speaker, what surprises me is that the road where trillions of kwacha are coming from cannot even be considered to be important. This same road is used by a lot of ministers when they visit these mines on official duties as well as personal visits due to the interest that they might have in emeralds.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Fungulwe: Sir, do not get surprised if you hear that people have protested because of being neglected by the PF Government. However, when some leaders express concern on behalf of their people, then the Government says such leaders are attacking it. It is not an attack on the Government. The Government must fulfil its obligation by giving the people of Zambia the development they deserve, Lufwanyama included.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Fungulwe: Mr Speaker, I would like to begin my debate by talking about the mining sector in my constituency. Let me first thank a few emerald mine owners for their contribution in terms of corporate social responsibility. However, this is not enough, especially for Lufwanyama Parliamentary Constituency which has six chiefdoms. Some of these chiefdoms do not even benefit from these activities, and so because of that, the chiefs, together with the people of Lufwanyama are asking the PF Government to revise the Mineral Royalty Act so that the royalty is given to the chiefs and their people for developmental projects.

 

Mr Speaker, this is what happens in other countries. Research shows that this practice has worked elsewhere. So, why can we not emulate what our colleagues in other countries do?

 

Sir, there are about 600 emerald mines which need to be revamped to, re-boost the employment opportunities for the locals, revenue collection as well as contribute to poverty reduction amongst the people of Lufwanyama.

 

Mr Speaker, Lufwanyama is one of the constituencies which performs well in agriculture despite facing many challenges. Lufwanyama would be a food basket if the Government could do the following:

 

  1. early distribution of farming inputs;

 

  1. provide more farm inputs to cater for a larger number of farmers;

 

  1. empowering farmers by providing loans to buy farming equipment;

 

  1. electrifying the Lufwanyama and Mushingashi Resettlement areas;

 

  1. provide transport for field officers in form of motorbikes;

 

  1. encouraging fish farming as Lufwanyama has  many rivers that do not dry up;

 

  1. construction of dip tanks;

 

  1. gazetting more land, especially the land near Luswishi River in order to attract more investors in the sector; and

 

  1. the FRA paying the farmers on time as they depend on these monies to plan for the next farming season.

 

Mr Speaker, the country cannot develop without education. It is for this reason that education must be taken very seriously. Lufwanyama people need as many schools as possible in order to reduce the distance the children cover from their homes to schools. It is important that the Government builds more boarding schools and ensure that each chiefdom has a boarding school. It is envisaged that this would impose reasonable school fees, which even a poor person can afford. Further, quality education will only be attained if the teachers are motivated by, giving them their entitlement such as allowances, proper accommodation and not shared houses, as well as electrifying all the schools.

 

Sir, I am sure you are aware that the new curriculum is encouraging every school going child to use computers. However, these schools are not electrified and they do not have computers. How then can quality education be attained under these circumstances? An exacerbating situation is the high teacher/pupil ratio where one teacher has to attend to eighty pupils thus depriving pupils of receiving individual attention from their teachers. Considering the current situation of high numbers of enrolment of pupils and few classrooms, it is important that the Government builds more classroom blocks to the already existing ones in order to control the teacher pupil ratio in schools as well as recruit more teachers.

 

Mr Speaker, primary schools are also facing financial challenges because pupils from Grade one to Grade seven do not pay any fees. As a result, these schools have no means of raising funds. Therefore, the Government should consider giving grants to these schools if they are to operate efficiently.

 

Sir, there have been cases when certain head teachers run schools that are not gazette therefore, there is no assessment of suitability of such persons to head schools. It is my earnest appeal to the Government that it gazettes such schools so that they become part of the Government establishment.

 

Mr Speaker what is compounding the education situation in the constituency is the issue of teacher recruitment. The process works in such a way that the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) submits selected names to Lusaka. However, it is sad to note that most of these names are left out and replaced by other people. This is a serious situation that has to be urgently addressed.

 

Sir, with regard to health, Lufwanyama has one district hospital catering for six chiefdoms. There are also some clinics which are in remote places where communication is a problem. It is very difficult to transport patients from these clinics to the district hospital especially that the ambulance is stationed at the hospital and not at the clinics. My appeal, therefore, to the Government is that it should provide each chiefdom with at least one ambulance to lessen the difficulties the communities go through when transporting patients to the district hospital. Lufwanyama District Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in the country, and so, it would be a good idea if the Government was to establish a health training school so as to have more health personnel.

 

Mr Speaker, I am not happy with the way the mining companies in Lufwanyama employ workers. It is painful to see what is happening. Much as we cannot run away from the fact that skilled manpower may be there, do we need to import unskilled labour from urban areas leaving out our local people? We will engage the mine owners to dialogue and see the way forward on this problem. Most of the people who work in these mines come from urban areas. The local people must benefit as well. If this issue remains unchecked, the youths may go to the streets and protest for denying them the chance of sharing the ‘Lufwanyama cake’.

 

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Fungulwe: Mr Speaker, communication in most parts of Lufwanyama is not there, hence the need for the network providers to come to our aid by providing or installing network systems in the needy areas of Lufwanyama.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Fungulwe: In addition, even the ones installed by the Zambia Information and Communication Technology (ZICTA) do not perform as expected because they just cover short distances.

 

Mr Speaker, shelter is very important.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Fungulwe: The urgent construction and completion of the housing units at Lufwanyama Town Council will not only boost the morale of government workers but, also alleviate the suffering these people go through. The public workers should be respected by providing them with decent accommodation. Most of them travel long distances every day when going for work from the nearby town, Kalulushi where they rent houses.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Fungulwe: Mr Speaker, Lufwanyama is a rural constituency and most of the community areas do not have access to safe drinking water.

 

Mr Ngulube: In conclusion.

 

Mr Fungulwe: In view of this, about fifty boreholes per chiefdom must be sunk to reduce the suffering of the people of Lufwanyama go through in terms of water.

 

Mr Speaker, Lufwanyama is one of the largest constituencies in this country, bordering Masaiti, Mpongwe, Kalulushi, Kitwe, Chingola, Solwezi and Kasempa. My appeal to the Government is to speed up the delimitation of the constituency.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion …

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member for Kabwe Central, that is not honourable conduct.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Fungulwe: This country is for all of us. I am, therefore, requesting the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to share the national cake equally. I once again thank the people of Lufwanyama for giving me this rare opportunity to represent them in Parliament.

 

I thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mukata (Chilanga): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to present my maiden speech. I will preface my presentation by congratulating you on ascending yet again to the position of Speaker of the House. Let me also congratulate Hon. Namugala and Hon. Malama on being elected as the First Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker respectively. On a lighter note, I did whisper to him that I was eying that particular position and that perhaps in the near future, if he develops cold feet, he can call me so that we discuss him handing over to me.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukata: Let me also thank, not in any general priority, the president of the United Party for National Development (UPND), his entire management committee …

 

Hon. PF Question: Question!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear! Hammer!

 

Mr Mukata: … Lusaka Province, district, …

 

Ms Kalima: Are you sure you are happy there?

 

Mr Mukata: … constituency and ward party structures of Chilanga who went out of their way to deliver a resounding victory for the UPND.

 

Mr Speaker, I also wish to congratulate and thank my opponents that were adopted on different party platforms for giving me a good run for my money. They should perhaps not lose hope. If they can go back and check where they went wrong, especially in the area of philanthropy where I have excelled more than the average person in Chilanga, they may have a chance. Otherwise, I might end up being the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilanga until kingdom come.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, Chilanga is a very special constituency in that it is multi-facetted in terms of economic activity and orientation. We have mining, farming and government departments that operate there. Unfortunately, despite Chilanga being so close to Lusaka, the levels of development, especially in terms of infrastructure, leave much to be desired.

 

Sir, I will be the first one to thank the late President Michael Sata, may his soul rest in peace, for declaring Chilanga a district upon my request. I was one of the first hon. Ministers from the defunct Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) to serve under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

 

Hon. PF Members: Question!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, you know you are under obligation to be factually correct in your debate. We have an hon. Member just close to you there from that party.

 

Mr Kunda stood up.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: He is actually the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee. Let us be factual. I do not want to go to issues of profession.

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I hear you. It is just that the silence from the MMD is too loud and I have seen more of the MMD in the PF than anywhere else.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukata: I think there has been some migration. This is, however, very good in a democratic dispensation and I am hoping going forward we can see more of the PF also in the UPND. That will be nice.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order! Let us have order!

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I would like to categorise and present my speech in terms of portfolios. The people of Chilanga have one message which is imbedded in lack of infrastructure development and basic services that we rather see on the other side of Lumumba Road. Talking about roads, when you get into Kanyama, you will find a tarred road that will reach Linda Compound. Around a farming community, however, you will go into gravel roads. With due respect to the people of Kanyama, Chilanga has more economic activity than Kanyama. If the trajectory of road construction is to look at economic zones, then perhaps we have our priorities in reverse and would ask the hon. Minister of Works and Supply to relook at that issue.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, Chilanga has a comparative advantage in terms of quarrying because we do a lot of mining activities. In fact, in the whole of Lusaka Province, Chilanga produces more aggregate than any other district. Since bituminous standard roads are very expensive, I would make a plea to the hon. Minister of Works and Supply to consider concrete roads, which are seven times cheaper than bituminous standard roads, as a stopgap measure. This will help to service the farming communities all the way to Mwembeshi and Kacheta. These areas supply over 60 per cent of agriculture produce to Lusaka. The produce you see at Soweto Market comes from Chilanga. It is extremely important that we support the farmers who are in fact retirees. Former generals, judges, Secretary to Cabinet and many others are engaged in farming activities in Chilanga.

 

Mr Speaker, one of the difficulties, as a district council found in terms of the grading of roads was the realignment, the closure of the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) under the Provincial Minister which took the functions and the equipment to the Zambia National Service (ZNS). That is more of centralism than decentralisation. One would think that it would have been better to take those functions to the district councils. In Chilanga, we only have one grader which we procured from Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The grader that we had from RRU was taken away and given to the ZNS and now we have to pay over K400 000 sometimes, to have a gravel road like Mpampamano, graded. So, we need the Government to relook at that decision of taking away the grader because it is causing a lot of hardships. We are going into the rainy season, as my colleagues have indicated, for a farming community it is extremely difficult when the roads are not graded. Children walk ten km to schools and in the rainy season it is almost impossible to navigate around these roads.

 

Mr Speaker, the topography of Chilanga being a farming community we have commercial farms and that means one has to walk long distances to access these health posts like Mwembeshi and Chilanga. We would be grateful, hon. Minister of Health, if we could have a district hospital set up. Right now, we are only accessing health services at Chawama Clinic. We have the Mother of Mercy Hospice in Chilanga which is not receiving much attention but, it is servicing over 3 000 patients who are on Anti-Retroviral (ARVs). This hospice has to also cater for colleagues in Chawama and Kanyama. We would expect that the Government would respond to their plight. They do not have a mortuary and sometimes bodies decompose. This hospice is just opposite Larfarge Cement Plant.

 

Mr Speaker, we managed through Human Service Trust which is privately run by Mrs Patel, to finance the hospice in Kacheta. At least that is growing through community effort. I would like to congratulate the community on responding to that need.

 

Mr Speaker, in the area of education, the Government introduced computer lessons. We notice that there has not been a response in terms of equipping these schools with computers. I intervened by buying 100 computers which were distributed from Parklands to Mwembeshi High School but those are not enough. This time around children are going to write examinations. Last year, children had to sit from morning, took turns to do the examination, up to the following morning spending the whole night at school to write examinations. Even where there computers, in places like Mano, there is no electricity. Again that defeats the whole purpose of providing computers. We did a strategic plan and quantified the needs, in terms, of cost for electrification of Government infrastructure in Mwembeshi. It will cost almost K2 million. The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has not been forth coming but we will be grateful, perhaps through the Ministry of General Education and REA, if they could assist to have these schools electrified.

 

Mr Speaker, I did allude to the fact that Chilanga, is predominately agriculture in nature, we have not really tapped into that resource. The Government has not taken advantage of our comparative advantage by enhancing co-operatives and value addition. We are growing a lot of tomatoes which are supplied sometimes to Soweto Market and it goes to waste. Maybe through the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, who have assisted in the past to set up the Mapepe Daily Co-operative, we could through innovative strategies try to look into how we can enhance agriculture.

 

Mr Speaker, water and sanitation is a huge problem in Chilanga. This has been partly occasioned by quarrying activities. There is a lot of blasting that goes on in Chilanga because of the proliferation of quarrying. Houses are cracking and so on. We would expect the Ministry of Lands to put a Cap on the number of quarries in Chilanga. Sometimes the District Councils and the communities would object to the setting up of these quarries but then they will be overridden. If you go to Nyemba Ward around Rocky Gardens, which is predominately a farming area, the District Council wrote to object the quarry being set up stating that these poor people are engaged in farming, but a licence was given for quarry carte blanche. The people were over ruled. Now, the problem we have there is that we are not even benefiting from employment but there is a lot of pollution. In Mwembeshi, there is another quarry where I have received a report that houses are falling. We expect Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) for instance, to be proactive and go and deal with some of these issues.

 

On labour practices, Mr Speaker, we have our colleagues who have invested in agriculture in Chilanga, for instance, the Chinese but, the conditions under which they keep our people leaves much to be desired. I had an opportunity of visiting a pig farm where this particular investor locks up his workers for the whole week in the farm for fear that they would steal the pigs. These workers are exposed to inhuman conditions. They are not even allowed to go out. Hon. Minister of Labour, we would urge your office to be proactive and go and do an on the spot check on some of these people. These are neutral issues that concern every one of us.

 

Mr Speaker, I think the problem of youth unemployment cuts across the country. Hon. Minister of Youth and Sport, the distribution of Youth Funds has not been equitable. As a suggestion we would expect, like CDF that, whatever monies that are appropriated for youth empowerment should be shared across the 156 constituencies then we can go and identify who we can empower rather than having it centralised. Over the past five years, I think in Chilanga, maybe only ten youths have benefited. That creates problems of perception that there is an issue of favouritism and so on and so forth.

 

Mr Speaker, we have the only botanic and animal garden in Zambia called Munda Wanga that has been underplayed. I was privileged to visit a botanical garden in the Seychelles which is predominately reliant on tourism.

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: It is pronounced Saychelles.

 

Mr Mukata: The botanic gardens I visited are the size of the Lusaka Province with a population of 250 000 people. They have a state-of-the-art botanic garden. Yet at Munda Wanga the only thing you can see is graffiti of all sorts and adverts of taverns and many other things.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mukata: Let us be proactive ladies and gentlemen. That particular facet, yes, I thank Hon. Namugala when she was minister and I was representing Munda Wanga, I was not even a politician then, she started the process of yoking off Munda Wanga from that concession and finally under Hon. Jean Kapata it was detached. Now, it is under Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) a Government department which is underfunded.

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: But you are the Member of Parliament.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker that is the problem when you take sherry in the morning…

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, continue with your debate.

 

Mr Mukata: So, we will need to revisit that issue. I remember even Chongololo Club of the Air, an educational programme for kids. Today, most of our children will tell you they have never seen a lion. They will probably see a lion on television and yet we have an ideal platform where we can have people react. People spend time drinking, quaffing, eh! Than going over the weekend to fellowship with their children, picnic and watch animals. So, we need to help such people to wean them off the juntas, the Sherries and so on, so they can go to Munda Wanga.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukata: I am just being patriotic.

 

Laughter

Game and Fisheries

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I would like to tell the hon. Minister of Agriculture that the game and fisheries projects are misplaced in Chilanga. These two projects must be positioned in areas that have water, and where there is fish.

 

 Laughter

 

 Mr Mukata: We need that land for development, but instead, they are occupying a massive piece of land. Chilanga clinic lies by the hill and, therefore, we cannot expand it because at the back there is a compound and fish ponds although, I have never seen a single fish even what the Bemba call tombolilo, which grows into a frog.

 

 Laughter

 

Mr Mukata:  I have never seen anything like that in Chilanga.

 

Sir, we would like to build a market, but there is no enough land. I would like to appeal to the hon. Minister of Agriculture to take the much loved game and fisheries projects to Kafue River. They can easily find different species of fish in that place, as we need that land.

 

Mr Speaker, we are all Zambians. We were elected in areas own precipitous by the people out there and therefore, we have a responsibility not to ourselves, but to those people. That responsibility is under pinned by the need to co-exist, the need to have a thick skin to withstand constructive criticism.

 

Mr Lufuma: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukata: There is no need to engage in unnecessary squabbles that do not serve our people out there. We always talk about rural problems such as roads and so on, but undermining each other as well as character assassinating will not help us.

 

 Mr Speaker, surprisingly, I notice that during break time, hon. Members sit in corners, talking and laughing, when they are from different political parties. The moment business resumes, they turn their backs on each other and speak ill of others. The venom that comes out of their mouths, casting their colleagues to the gallery and the people leaves much to be desired, when they are just from sharing a cup of tea. The hatred that exists is too much and would make the others think someone has already been poisoned by his friends. Why do we have double standards? Let us walk the talk.

 

If you do not like Hon. Mukata, just come and tell me in my face. Do not come and smile at me and when you turn your back, you start telling people that he is this and that. Let us sit as a family. We found this Parliament and we will leave it.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Mukata: Let us improve this Parliament.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukata:  Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Chilanga and myself, we shall not engage in trivial matters. I am the only hon. Member of Parliament in Chilanga who has won and bounced back twice.

 

Ms Mulenga: What is back to back?

 

 Mr Mukata: I have said that this is my second term. It is my first and probably, the last.

 

Sir, I am not going to take the people of Chilanga for granted. I would lik the people of Chilanga to congregate and become good friends with the people of Kanyama because of the good relation between myself and the hon. Member for Kanyama Constituency.

 

Ms Mulenga: Ema lawyer aba!

 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I would like Hon. Kampyongo’s people to be good friends with my people. We are the ones who are responsible for causing rifts among our people.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukata:  Sir, I just want to urge my colleagues that this is work in progress, and therefore, let us live up the aspirations of our people because they have no time for these squabbles.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Mukata: Let us stop it. We will differ because it natural to differ.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear! Ema lawyers, aba!

 

Mr Mwiinga (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank my God for giving me an opportunity to represent the people of Chikankata. Secondly, I would also like to thank you, Sir, for permitting me to stand on the Floor of this august House to deliver my maiden speech. I consider it a privilege.

 

Sir, allow me to salute with profound gratitude a gallant son of the soil, a father, a successful businessman, farmer and a politician, my humble leader and mentor, full of wisdom, a God fearing man and President of our great party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), President Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate, Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, it is not how much a man falls that determines his real character, but how well he rises up and achieves his goals in life. It is not how much you are persecuted, but how much courage you have to move on. Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the position you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Sir, Nelson Mandela had this to say:

 

‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadows of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.’

 

Mr Speaker, President Hakainde Hichilema has the best interest of Zambia at heart.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwiinga: He is the cornerstone to Zambia’s political and economic resurrection. In other words, he holds the key to Zambia’s economic emancipation. I salute him not only for his resilient leadership and lifestyle, but also for his passion to see us as youths take up leadership positions in the country. I am indebted for that.

 

Sir, I will be failing in my duties if I do not express gratitude to the people of Chikankata for the confidence they have shown by electing me as area Member of Parliament. I salute them!

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to pay special tribute and love to my dear wife, Bwalya Mwiinga and our children; Chris, Tricia and Anita for their encouragements and unmatched words they spoke to me at heart. They are the reason for my living and source of energy to move on.

 

Sir, posthumously, I would like to thank the founding leader of our great party, the late President Anderson Kambela Mazoka, may his soul rest in eternal peace. Soon his spirit will rest to see his dream of forming an inclusive Government, that his respect for human rights, that will earn respect internationally, free of corruption, that will never close universities abruptly, that will be tolerant, with the best interest and respect for Zambians and one that will listen to Zambians when they speak.

 

Mr Speaker, I would also like to pay great respect to the hon. Members of this august House, some of them senior to me and with great reservoir or wisdom especially those of my own party, the UPND.

 

Sir, let me now come to the matter of my heart, the nitty-gritty about Chikankata Constituency.

 

Mr Speaker, when I hear Chikankata Constituency, my heart bleeds. The constituency is pregnant with solvable issues and I will be itemising these issue as I move on.

 

Sir, first and foremost, Chikankata is mostly a farming area. Our people depend on agriculture for their livelihood and to take their children to higher learning institutions which are mostly concentrated on the Copperbelt and Lusaka Provinces. To that effect, I would like a university to be built in Chikankata too. I will be approaching the hon. Minister of Higher Education to find out if my tribal triumph card will work over that.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, I did not get you. What did you say?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Malama: It is tribal time.

 

Mr Kabamba: Tribal, tribal, all the time!

 

Mr Speaker: Let him speak for himself.

 

Ms Chilumba: Speak for yourself.

 

Mr Speaker: Reiterate what you stated.

 

Mr Mwiinga: It is my time to debate, kindly let me be.  

 

Mr Kabamba: Question!

 

Mr Mwiinga: I want a university in Chikankata. I will be approaching the hon. Minister of Higher Education to find out if my tribal tramp card will work.

 

Mr Speaker: Meaning what?

 

Interruptions

 

Ms Chilumba: Meaning?

 

Mr Mwiinga: I think that this is very clear.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: It is not clear to me.

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, I will skip that for now.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: A better option, if it is not clear, is to withdraw it. 

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, this beautiful constituency has no …

 

Mr Speaker: Withdraw that portion.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Kabamba interjected.

 

Mr Mwiinga: I think that Mr Speaker is there to guide me.

 

Mr Speaker: Withdraw that portion.

 

Mr Mwiinga: I withdraw the statement for now.

 

Mr Speaker: Already.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, I said that for now, I have withdrawn the statement, and wish to carry on. 

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, the beautiful constituency has no access roads for farmers to transport their produce to the nearest market. It breaks my heart that fifty-two years after Independence, the road to Chikankata, from the turn-off, has not been tarred. The situation gets worse in the rainy season.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Mr Speaker, delivering to a country is not just making roads in Lusaka and the Copperbelt. I have seen that even roads leading to nowhere have been tarred in these two cities. On a serious note, do you know what this is doing to the poor people of Chikankata, my constituency? Is it not killing them?

 

A pregnant mother cannot access medical services because of bad roads.  A farmer cannot sell his produce, many man hours are lost travelling on the so-called roads that have ditches, if not trenches. Something must be done to alleviate the suffering of our people. Give us roads. I humbly request the Government to give my people roads. 

 

Last farming season our people received the farming inputs in February. Sir, this kind of negligence that affects people’s livelihood should come to an end. There is no magic in growing maize. It simply follows the season. The agriculture policies of this Government are at worse, a disaster. I would like to appeal to the hon. Minister of Works and Supply and the hon. Minister of Agriculture to quickly attend to these matters. 

 

Mr Speaker, water is another problem that the constituency is grappling with. In 2010, the United Nations (UN) Assembly recognised that water and sanitation should be a human right. Clean drinking water is a human right. Water, as a human right, is as much about the quality, making sure that the water is clean and you do not get sick from drinking it, as it is about access. Water is a basic necessity according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.  

 

Mr Speaker, it is said that people are sharing water with animals. However, in my constituency, the opposite is true. It is actually the animals that are sharing water with the people. What a shame. Despite my constituency having plenty of natural resources and collection of deposits, people still move long distances in search of clean water. The few boreholes available are drying up due to prolonged droughts. This leaves the people with no choice but to share the water with animals. This is a shame of the century for this country and for this Government of the Patriotic Front (PF). The areas that are critically hit with water shortages in my constituency are Simwambwa, Kasengo, Chikani, Mukwela, Hampande and Nadezwe.

 

Mr Speaker, a borehole costs less than K10,000 to drill and yet this Government is spending millions of kwacha to hire musicians to dance chikokoshi in America, ...

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mwiinga: …charter planes and pay for cadres to go and watch football matches. Simple documents that can be signed at State House are signed in the stadium where people from all over the country are invited to attend, just for prestige, …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mwiinga: …when my people …

 

Hon. PF Members: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1045 hours until 1100 hours.

 

 [MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Mwiinga: Madam Speaker, before I forget, the people of Chikankata want their money from hon. Ministers who illegally feasted on public coffers. Bring back the money.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

You have been in the House long enough now to know that this particular matter has gone back to court, and therefore, is subjudice. You, therefore, cannot discuss it in this House. You may continue.

 

Mr Mwiinga: Madam Speaker, I thank you for your guidance.

 

Madam, another critical area in dire need of attention in my constituency is health facilities. Chikankata has only one hospital built by the missionaries. It is distressing to note that since then, the successive Governments slacked in building hospitals, for reasons known to them alone. It is sad that people are made to walk long distances to nearest health facilities.

 

The mission hospital, which is the only referral hospital, is overwhelmed with patients thereby putting unimaginable pressure on the few health personnel available. I will be silent no more until my people get access to decent health care to avoid being sent to an early grave. The situation in my constituency is so pathetic that mothers in labour and others of curable diseases are dying.

 

This forced my wife and I to contribute our meager resources to build a small clinic for our people to access health facilities.

 

Hon. PF Members: Ah!

 

Mr Mwiinga: What a shame. For how long will our people wait? This Government must deliver on its promises.

 

Madam Speaker, another issue of concern in my constituency is banking facilities. You may wish to know that Chikankata Constituency despite having a mission hospital and other Government facilities has no banking facilities. With the rising cost of living, people’s savings are being wiped off as they have to travel long distances to access their salaries or payments as the case may be. The danger is that apart from depleting their resources in travelling expenses, they risk their lives daily carrying money on bicycles from the banks. With the cost of living skyrocketing in Zambia coupled with the Government’s tactic of delaying in paying civil servants, the “More money in your pockets” slogan of this Government has now turned into “No money in your pocket.”

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Perhaps “Dununa Reverse,” the new slogan, puts this into context.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Madam Speaker, Chikankata urgently needs banking facilities otherwise, the district will become unattractive to civil servants because of the highlighted issue.

 

Madam Speaker, let me move to the drama unfolding in our beautiful country Zambia. What is happening in our country is making most of our youths fear for their future. A long time ago, tribalism was a myth only known to our forefathers. Our forefathers used to insist that people should marry only from their own tribe or from tribal cousins. Our forefathers fought primitive tribal battles for territorial dominance in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. When they settled, they came up with a beautiful concept for tribal cousinship to foster unity and co-existence. They also fought wars to liberate Zambia without looking at tribe in order to defeat the colonialists. They stood as One Zambia, One Nation. This slogan is now rhetorical on the so called national broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), which is also the Patriotic Front (PF) propaganda mouth piece...

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Mwiinga: I do not know whether the station is still a public institution with Hon. Kambwili as the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia was more important than any tribe and I still believe that Zambia is bigger than any tribe. I fear and tremble at how this generation is becoming so intoxicated with tribal evil. It seems to me that this agenda is being pushed by this current PF Government without remorse, restraint or shame. They are doing it with a straight face. Some of the hon. Members in this august House are on record, issuing inflammatory tribal statements even on this Floor of the House. Surprisingly, some of them have been rewarded by those who are supposed to reprimand them. The tribal agenda that was started by one politician who does not have any courage to admit, let alone retract his tribal statement and be remorseful, has permeated to the youths who are now speaking openly about their hate for other tribes. They have been intoxicated with tribal wine poured from the politicians who are listening to me right now in this august House. My fear is not for today. My fear is for tomorrow, especially after I saw youths exchanging insults face to face, on social media and disrespecting leaders on tribal and political lines while the President and his Cabinet are smiling. This must stop, but who must stop it? Some of the current leaders are the culprits and for as long as this situation serves their interests, they will not speak out against it. They may even be the ones fuelling it for their survival.

 

Madam Speaker, politics of personal survival must not divide us on tribal lines. We have all gone astray in this. Politics has moved from being about service to the people, giving positive influence to the people, to simply commercial. We have commercialised politics and I have no apology to make for saying this.

 

Madam Speaker, power is not dominance. Power is service. Power is about being a servant to the people. Power is about having a positive influence on the majority ...

 

Mr Ngulube: Power is pabwato.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mwiinga: ... tribalism must be criminalised because we are One Zambia, One Nation.

 

Madam Speaker, I have also noticed a trend where principles in the book Animal Farm by George Orwell are at play in Zambia.  For instance, animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.

 

Madam Speaker, something is definitely wrong with the way our police is dancing to the tune played by the Patriotic Front (PF) leaders and cadres. The PF cadres are having a field day. They can drive on the wrong lane of the road, bully the police and give instructions to the police ...

 

Mr Ngulube: So What?

 

Mr Mwiinga: Shut up Tutwa.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, withdraw what you have just said.

 

Mr Mwiinga: Madam Speaker, I withdraw it.

 

Madam Speaker, PF cadres can give instructions to the police to make arrests even on wild allegations as the case of Trevour Mwiinde and the recent Martha Mushipe case show. Belonging to the opposition in is now of criminality. Harry Truman had this to say on 8th August, 1958:

 

“Once a Government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go and that is down to the path of increasingly repressive measures until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.”

 

Madam Speaker, this Government has deliberately chosen the path of repression and it is very dangerous for our country to continue on that path. I am pretty sure that their downfall has come. It is knocking seriously and quickly opening their exit door.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Mwiinga: Madam Speaker, as I summarise, let me end with the wise words from Suzzy Kassem:

 

“Choose a leader who will invest in building bridges not walls. Books, not weapons. Morality, not corruption. Intellectualism and wisdom, not ignorance. Stability, not fear and terror. Peace, not chaos. Love, not hate. Convergence, not segregation. Tolerance, not discrimination. Fairness, not hypocrisy ...”

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Chikote (Luampa): Madam Speaker, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to deliver my first maiden speech in this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, in the first instance, let me thank the Almighty God for his grace and favour granted to me during the past election in which I emerged the winner among the competitors. The race was not an easy one, especially for some of us who competed against those who do not relinquish their ministerial positions until the court ruling.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, may I take this time to thank our gallant President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema...

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: ... and his Vice-President, Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba of the United Party for National Development (UPND) for adopting me and for their support during my campaign. They were my inspiration during the general election ...

 

Interruptions

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Let us listen to the debate.

 

Mr Chikote: They were my inspiration during the general election and they remain so now.

Things were easy for me because of our two leaders.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank our senior party officials in the UPND at national, provincial, district, constituency, ward and branch levels for their support during the party’s adoption process and during campaigns. May God bless them for all their good work.

 

Madam Speaker, I also thank my colleagues who were contesting for adoption by our party for the good fight they put up and even for supporting me although they were not adopted. In this regard, I wish to sincerely thank Mr Moris Mukobeko and Kambaja Chingumbe for their maturity and discipline.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, let me further thank the campaign team led by George Malasha for their hard work which resulted in my victory. May God grant them wisdom and kindness as they lead the party to greater heights.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, I would be failing in my speech not to mention the well wishers who came on board with various donations to facilitate smooth campaigns in Luampa. Without them I would not have realised this success. Further, I thank my wife Catherine Chikote, my children and my relatives for their support without which I would not have made it to this House.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

      

Mr Ngulube: Question!

              

Mr Chikote: Special thanks go to my son Makozo Makozo who was disliked by the PF cadres and was injured for his courage to stand by me. I thank him for his outstanding behaviour and being a role model among the youth.

       

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate you on your election to oversee the affairs of this august House.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: It is our hope that you will guide the House with diligence in an impartial manner for the good of all Zambians.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: I once again congratulate you, madam.

 

Mr Ngulube: eh ma congratulations

 

Laughter

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, Luampa Constituency is a rural constituency which has ten wards that are faced with many challenges. The people of Luampa have been supported in their livelihood by missionaries under the Evangelical Church in Zambia (ECZ) since 1923. The little development which is there is from the same missionary who came from overseas. The church has played a big role in Luampa by providing medical service, ...

 

Mr Ngulube: Services!

 

Mr Chikote: ... education, employment and many other things for the youth

 

Madam Speaker, the departure of these missionaries has left a big negative impact on the people of Luampa. The structures that the missionaries left have helped a lot in settling the new Civil Servants in the new district declared by the late President, Mr Michael Sata, may his soul rest in peace.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: The Evangelical Church has really helped the PF Government in this regard.

 

Madam Speaker, Luampa Constituency needs a listening ear that will share the national cake equally amongst all its citizens. The church needs Government support being the pillar of all that is in Luampa. The church runs the only hospital and secondary school in the Constituency which is now a district.

Madam Speaker, among some of the serious challenges faced by the people of Luampa are health, is a cardinal service to our communities if they are to be productive. Luampa Mission Hospital is the only hospital in the constituency and it is struggling to render health services to the whole constituency with only one doctor. The proportional ratio of patient to doctor is not conducive and some people wish this to be normal in Luampa.

 

Hon. Government Members: Wish!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hammer!

 

Mr Kundoti interjected.

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, this is the only constituency where people are walking 15 to 25 km seeking medical services or to get panado and coatem.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: This is the more reason the PF performed poorly in these areas ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Chikote: ... and the people opted for the UPND under the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema who has a good message full of hope.

 

Mrs Fundanga: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: No points of order, please sit down.

 

Mrs Fundanga resumed her seat.

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, in view of the above, it is our demand that health posts be established in Makuyu, Ngimbu, Shipungu, Noki, Sangenjo, Kankulu, Chiyowe, Katolo, Shikela, Ilombe, Lunamba and Ngulube in order to alleviate the suffering of the people and the burden placed on Luampa Mission Hospital

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the constituency has serious challenges in infrastructure development. Most of our farming areas such Shipungu, Namando, Nyambi, Chiyoee, Mbale and Mulwa have no access to proper roads to facilitate the movement of farm produce.

 

Mrs Mulenga: Kavotedwe.

 

Mr Chikote: Farmers in these areas find it difficult to increase their production due to these difficulties. These areas produce a lot of maize, cassava, groundnuts and sorghum. The PF Government has neglected these areas which could have added value to the well-being of our country.

 

Madam Speaker, the Link Zambia 8,000 km project does not include a single road in this constituency ...

 

Mr Chiyalika: Kavotedwe

 

Mr Chikote: ... and this leaves much to be desired. The Luampa/Machile Road has been a song for the people of Luampa, but that has been falling on the deaf ears of the PF Government. The road is an important one as it is the shortest route to the mining areas of the North-Western Province. This is a strategic road which would add value to our economy. The movement of cargo that comes to and from Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and other countries into the North-Western Province can be moved to this road instead of the Lusaka/Kitwe/Solwezi route.

Madam Speaker, this could also help to decongest the highway from Livingstone, Lusaka, and Kitwe to Solwezi. The Government with good economic plans could always consider such serious ideas in order to uplift the living standards of citizens. Once the Luampa/Machile Road is constructed, it will contribute to this country’s economy.

 

Madam Speaker, most of our schools in the Luampa Constituency just exist there by names, otherwise, there is literally nothing that can qualify them to be called schools.

 

Mr Mwale: Question!

 

Mr Chikote: There are no houses and classrooms for teachers and pupils, respectively. If you find a classroom structure in the area, it means that it was constructed on a self-help basis by the community. We have about 130 pupils who sit on the Floor even when our friends on your right are saying that there is development in this country

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, is this a fair way of running the country where only one side of the country is enjoying the national cake? Others have nice classrooms and good housing for teachers while in Luampa, some schools such as Inkunikila, Shikela, and Levu do not even have teachers. Only a few schools in Luampa have a maximum number of three teachers who teach Grade one up to seven. Surely, can we expect quality future leaders from such schools?

 

Hon. UPND Members: No!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, these are some of the factors that led to the poor performance of the Patriotic Front (PF) in the past election particularly, in this area. Education is a basic right for every child in Zambia. People voted the way they did as protest for their suffering. This is unfair because other parts of the country are benefiting from the national cake while Luampa is still left behind.

 

Madam Speaker, Luampa Constituency has only one mission secondary school that benefits all the children from the constituency’s ten wards. Sadly, even the new school has no boarding facilities for pupils who come from far places. For this reason, pupils have to squat in the nearby villages in order to access education. This has resulted into serious issues of pupils misbehaving. Due to this shortage of teachers in these schools, a few teachers that are there find it difficult to guide these pupils.

 

Madam Speaker, this has affected most of the pupils and some of them have dropped out of school. This mission school needs financial support from the Government in order to improve the standards that will help even the poor children in this area. The constituents also need the Government to construct two secondary schools in Lui and Mbanyutu in order to decongest the only school in the area.

 

Madam Speaker, in this new era, for a place to develop, there is need to change our traditional way of doing things if production is to be increased. Both farmers and civil servants need to be introduced to communication technology.

 

Madam Speaker, people in Nyambi, Inkunikila, Mulwa and Namando Wards still live as if they are in a federal Government. They do not even feel like they live in Zambia. Even when civil servants are deployed to these areas, they are reluctant to take up their jobs. These areas need network towers to motivate the people that live there. This will even change their way of doing things. Most pupils in these areas are disadvantaged in terms of technological skills…

 

Laughter

 

Mr Chikote: …because they cannot even access these facilities. It has been unfair for the PF’s ministry responsible for education to subject these pupils in these areas to computer examinations when these children have never seen a computer before. It is difficult to understand how this country is being run under some of these policies.

 

Madam Speaker, Luampa Constituency is amongst the key constituencies that contribute to the national food basket of this country. It is therefore, unfortunate, to see how the PF Government is looking after the farmers in Luampa. I am saying so because the roads in this area are not accessible. Our farmers lack information pertaining to agriculture due to poor policies or negligence by the Government.

 

Madam Speaker, Luampa was projected to be connected to the national grid in 2004 but since then, the project has never received any serious attention to be completed. The Government has been changing from one contractor to another and nothing tangible has been seen. The project has run for years without being completed. What we heard from the PF Government each time they came for campaign was the rescheduling of dates. This type of governance has left the people of Luampa with anger.

 

Mr Mwale: Question!

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, the benefit of democracy and good governance are measured by the degree of respect of the laws stipulated in the Constitution of the country. You find one arm of the Government, such as the executive, in the name of the ruling party violating the Constitution with impunity that, is just like a failed state. Today, in Zambia, …

 

Mr Ndalamei: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chikote: …the system of governance is poor, especially under the PF Government. Our people from Luampa bring their items to Buseko for sale but are subjected to illegal taxation by the PF cadres. You will find that those who fail to comply with these illegal tax collections by the PF cadres are victimised.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Chikote: Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to assure the people of Luampa that I will carry the mandate which has been tasked on me as their servant with God’s guidance and wisdom. I promise to unite the constituents based on principles of democracy and good governance.

 

Madam Speaker, if we work together, we can change the face of Luampa and improve the lives of the people.  May God bless this august House.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ndalamei: Amen!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene (Mangango): Madam Speaker, I thank you most sincerely for giving me an opportunity to present my maiden speech. Allow me to join the many who have spoken before me in congratulating Mr Speaker, the First Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker on your election to those senior positions in our land.

 

Madam Speaker, you are at the helm of this exalted House at a time when the nation is strongly looking up to this House to help both the executive and judiciary discharge the mandate within the confines of the Laws of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to start my speech by firstly thanking the Almighty God, despite financial and material campaign challenges, for making it possible for me to stand here as a Member of Parliament for the good people of Mangango Constituency. I would like to also thank the people’s party, the United Party for National Development (UPND) and its leadership under our president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his Vice-President, Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba for considering me for adoption out of the many learned people of Mangango Constituency. I feel much humbled and honoured for that good gesture by the party.

 

Madam Speaker, my victory would not have been possible without the favour of the wonderful and determined citizens of Mangango who turned out in numbers to vote for me and their favourite party, UPND because of its clear ten point plan campaign tool aimed at developing and uniting the country. 

 

The people of Mangango had high hopes in the UPND’s free education and pro-poor agriculture policies. However, their dreams have been shattered and they continue to doubt if the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will ever be able to rise and meet their expectations.

 

Madam Speaker, may I also take this opportunity to thank my victory giants, my beloved wife, Namakau Liyali, relatives, friends and my powerful campaign team. Together we formed a consolidated winning team. To the many that I have not mentioned, I thank them.

 

Madam Speaker, I am humbled that the people of Mangango have entrusted me with a big responsibility to be their hon. Member of Parliament. This is a rare privilege which I will take with care and humility.

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) which, through its support staff, conducted free and fair elections in Mangango constituency where my President, Hakainde Hichilema and I came out first ...

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Mwene: ... and subsequently for declaring me the winner and duly elected hon. Member of Parliament under the United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: Madam Speaker, Mangango Constituency has ten wards and all of them were won by the UPND leaving the PF with zero.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: I, therefore, take this opportunity to extend an olive branch to colleagues from the loosing political parties, the PF, the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and Rainbow to come and work with me for the common interest of the people of Mangango regardless of the political, ethnic and religious affiliation.

 

Madam, I wish to congratulate my predecessor Hon. Roger Lingweshi Lyambai ...

 

Hon. PF Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: ... who demonstrated that an individual shall never be bigger than the constituency and no single politician owns the people. After serving for only two years as a Member of Parliament, Hon. Rogers Lingweshi relinquished his political aspiration believing that leaders come and go. This should be the same for the other constituencies.

 

Madam speaker, I shall be equally committed to the task to represent the people of Mangango efficiently and diligently. I must mention that winning the Mangango seat is a milestone for the UPND because I am the first UPND Member of Parliament. The PF only survived for two years after the 2014 by election.

 

Madam, may I also state that the UPND’s victory in Mangango is a clear testimony that the people of Mangango have found it irrelevant to adopt the PF’s economic policies of discrimination. The PF has failed to fulfil its promises as seen in their 2014 campaigns where they cheated the people of Mangango that they were going to upgrade the Katunda/Lukulu Road.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Cheating is unparliamentary. Please, withdraw it.

 

Mr Mwene: Madam Speaker, I withdraw the word cheated and replace it with deceived. The PF has failed to fulfil its promises as seen in their 2014 campaigns where they cheated the people of Mangango that they were going to upgrade the Katunda/Lukulu Road to bituminous standard.

 

Madam Speaker, I am personally disappointed with the attitude of the PF Government towards development in Mangango especially when it comes to road networks, education and health infrastructure, radio and television signal, mobile service communication, women and youth empowerment and the way the social cash transfer scheme is being implemented.

 

Madam Speaker, as people of Mangango, we demand from this PF Government equitable distribution of national resources. Madam, there is plenty of quarry stones and timber in Mangango Constituency yet these stones are loaded and transported to other parts of the country where they are used to construct admirable roads to bituminous standards. The timber is also transported as raw materials denying the people of Mangango further benefits.

 

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to appeal to the Ministry of Housing and infrastructure development to maximise these quarry stones so as to make the Katunda Lukulu Road a reality.

 

Hon. UND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: Madam, it is disheartening to note that Mangango’s God given wealth is being enjoyed by the people outside Mangango.  Madam Speaker, my development agenda in my constituency will constitute water and sanitation, rural electrification, road network, quality education and health, sustainable agriculture and gender and child development.

 

Madam Speaker, under water and sanitation, the Constituency Development Committee (CDC) shall implement water reticulation projects and sink boreholes. Three areas have been identified under the water reticulation project and these areas will have piped water. The rest of the constituency will benefit from the borehole sinking. This will be facilitated by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and co-operating partners.

 

Madam, with the use of solar energy, some schools and health posts have been identified to be models where water would be pumped from the existing boreholes into the water tanks. Pipes will run from the tanks to all points of need. These will include teacher’s houses, pupil’s restrooms and classrooms.

 

Madam Speaker, under rural electrification, my office will work closely with the ministry of Energy through the ZESCO Department in the district to expand the electricity connectivity from the existing power line in the constituency to some eligible households, schools, health posts and palaces.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Mwene: Those outside this electricity connectivity will benefit from the solar energy project.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: Madam Speaker, the road network in Mangango Constituency is very poor. Allow me to state that it is a serious farming constituency and a good road network will positively open the constituency and encourage many people to venture into agriculture.

 

Hon. UPND Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene: Madam Speaker, I intend to work closely with the ten UPND councillors to ensure that we improve the state of feeder roads so that the collection of farm produce and the distribution of farming inputs are made easier. In order to achieve this, I hope to engage with the Zambia National Service (ZNS) which is established in Mangango by using its earth moving equipment to improve our feeder roads across the constituency.

 

Madam, I hope that a lot of our locals, especially the youth, will be directly engaged as a way of creating employment for them with this venture.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to propose to the Executive Mangango Constituency the need to split it into two constituencies namely, Mangango and Luambwa and let the proposed two constituencies form a new district called Mangango. Let me state that this proposal to declare Mangango a new district has been there since 2012.

 

Madam Speaker, the benefit of the Link Zambia 8000 km Road Project has not been realised by the people of Mangango who have often questioned the PF’s inherited slogan of One Zambia, One Nation.

 

Madam Speaker, the PF Government has therefore a mammoth task ahead of it of ensuring that this country is, once again, united by sharing the national cake equally. Allow me therefore, to take this opportunity to request the office of the Vice-President through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to quickly come to the aid of Luambuwa and Winda Wards to ensure that the dilapidated Kafwasonyi-Mwito Bridge is constructed. This bridge connects Mangango to Lukulu main Road.

 

Madam Speaker, during the rainy season, the people in the western part of Mangango Constituency are cut off from the main road and that is the Lukulu/Kaoma Road. A lot of lives and valuables have been lost, especially during the rainy season when the Luena River floods as people cross the river to get to either Lukulu or Kaoma districts.

 

Madam Speaker, in order to achieve quality education, my office shall ensure that people’s demand to construct three more secondary schools with enough staff houses at Kafwasonyi, Mwanambuyu and Chilombo is accomplished. To achieve this, I shall work closely with the Ministry of General Education through the Provincial Educational Officer (PEO’s) office for technical and financial support.

 

Madam Speaker, increasing the number of secondary schools from the current two to five will positively increase the number of places in higher grades hence absorbing more pupils and subsequently, improving the pupil progression rate. The issue of ghost teachers in the Ministry of General Education cannot be ignored because I have schools in my constituency with good staffing levels, but when you go on the ground, the reality is different. In some cases, a school which runs from Grades one to seven is managed by a single teacher.

 

Mr Muchima: Shame!

 

Mr Mwene: Madam Speaker, I will ensure that the District Education Board Secretary (DEDS’s) office is held accountable and accurate information is placed on record. My office will conduct a quick teacher count and correct the issue of ghost teachers. This will be extended to other Government ministries in my constituency. To conduct this exercise, I will apportion part of my salary and pledge my parliamentary vehicle.

 

Madam Speaker, like many other constituencies, Mangango Constituency is faced with a number of challenges in the delivery of health. The people in some parts of the constituency still continue to walk long distances to access medical services. To address this challenge, my office will always allocate some monies from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) towards the completion as well as the construction of new health posts. I intend to ensure that the construction of Kafwasonyi and Mushwala Health Posts is completed. Furthermore, I will advocate for the construction of new health posts at Mulundu and Namimbwe. My office will also work closely with the Ministry of Health to upgrade Mwanambuyu Clinic to a referral clinic and also put a functional mortuary at Mangango Hospital. Infrastructure alone cannot bring quality health delivery. Therefore, my office will continue to lobby for qualified and adequate health personnel to run these institutions.

 

Madam Speaker, human rights are very fundamental in any given and well organised society. My office will endeavour to promote gender and child development in Mangango Constituency. Therefore, Gender Based Violence (GBV), child pregnancies and early marriages will not be tolerated. I hope to work with the Royal Highness Mwene Mutondo and his subjects, and together we shall make sure that we put in place stringent measures to protect women and children from all forms of abuse. Allow me to take this opportunity to invite non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come to Mangango and work with my office in the promotion of women and children’s rights.

 

Madam Speaker, I note with great displeasure the way our youths have been addicted to methylated spirits, famously known as speedo. Indeed as the term implies, the country is likely to lose many youths through deaths at a high rate. I bring this issue to this august House so that the ministry responsible will take urgent measures to correct this health situation in Mangango Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to commit myself in the hands of the Almighty God, to protect and guide me during my tenure of office so that I discharge my responsibility with wisdom. I further want to also place on record that I will continue to vigorously ensure equal justice in the developmental needs of the people of Mangango.

 

Madam Speaker, finally, let me conclude by stating that as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Mangango Parliamentary Constituency, I pledge to work with all the key stakeholders in order to take development to the people of Mangango Constituency. I will represent the people of Mangango Constituency accordingly through lobbying for funds from the Government to develop the constituency which has vast economic potentials. My appeal to the Government is for it to open the doors of its ministries to every hon. Member of Parliament regardless of political affiliation so that development projects can be implemented in all the constituencies.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Imbuwa (Nalolo): Madam Speaker, I thank you most sincerely for allowing me deliver my maiden speech to this august House today. Allow me to congratulate Mr Speaker on his re-election as well as the First and Second Deputy Speakers.

 

Madam Speaker, my victory was almost a miracle because I only campaigned for three weeks since I was in employment.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Imbuwa: For this, Madam Speaker, I would like to deeply thank the Almighty God for the guidance and allowing me to work with the people of Nalolo as their area Member of Parliament.

 

Hon. PF Members: Ema Independent.

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, as alluded to earlier, it was almost an insurmountable task to rise to this occasion of being elected as an Independent Member of Parliament for Nalolo as I was in the race with big guns like the PF and the main opposition party, UPND.

 

Hon. PF Members: FDD!

 

Mr Imbuwa: To crown it all, the PF fielded a perceived rich man as their candidate.

 

Mr Ngulube: Billionaire!

 

Mr Imbuwa: It was, therefore, a very big achievement to emerge as a winner.

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to further recognise the following people for their support without which I was not going to win namely, my campaign team made up of the campaign manager Mr Charles Mulonda Malimba, the secretary Mr Namaya Pumulo Kamonga, the finance manager Mr Nyumbu Chikapa, the youth chairman Mr Joseph Chiyuka and the sub campaign teams in all the ten wards of Nalolo.

 

Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the following friends for moral and financial support namely, Mr Ashok Kumar Chawla, Mr SharadChagan, Mr Elisha Nyangulu, Mr Edgar MundiaSililo, Mr MuliaMushimbei, Mr Dean Chanda, Mrs Mary Bwalya, Mr Patrick Mungandi and Mr MoolaMilupi. I also thank my family for the moral and financial support namely, my wife Mrs Ushe Mweemba Imbuwa, my sister LiywaliSifanu …

 

Mr Ngulube: Sister in Christ!

 

Mr Imbuwa: … my mother, uncles, sisters, brothers, children, nieces …

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Imbuwa: … cousins and relatives.

 

Further, I will be failing in my duties if I do not thank my employers as Member of Parliament for Nalolo, and these are the great people of Nalolo Constituency. To them, I say thank you a million times for giving me an opportunity to work with you in fostering the much needed development in the area.

 

Madam Speaker, Nalolo, like a number of constituencies, will need development in the following areas:

 

  1. education;

 

  1. health;

 

  1. agriculture;

 

  1. fisheries and livestock;

 

  1. water and sanitation;

 

  1. electrification;

 

  1. communication;

 

  1. road infrastructure; and

 

  1. tourism.

 

Madam Speaker, with regard to education, our schools in Nalolo are few and very far from each other. This has resulted in reduced attendance by pupils as they have to undertake long distances on a daily basis. Currently, the constituency only has one secondary school against forty five primary schools. This makes the facility inadequate, considering the number of graduates from these primary schools. How then, do we expect our children to further their education beyond primary level?

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, there is a need for the Government to consider building more schools in the area. We have a few community schools, which we would request the Government to adopt in order to enhance the quality of learning from qualified staff.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hammer, hammer.

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, we will be engaging the ministry responsible to see how best we can be assisted with a lasting solution. The number of classrooms is inadequate for the school going population. This has resulted in pupils learning for a few hours as they have to share the limited number of classrooms. This impacts negatively on the quality of learning. Further, some of our structures are not strong enough as they are built out of mud.

 

Ms Kalima: Really?

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, we would like to urge the Government to consider building cement block classrooms for our children.

 

Ms Kalima: Cement?

 

Mr Imbuwa: Yes.

 

Madam Speaker, these will guarantee the safety of learners in these facilities. Further, our schools have inadequate desks. As a result, some of our children learn while seated on the floor. This makes concentration very difficult. We would like to appeal to the Ministry of General Education to consider sending facilities such as desks to our affected schools. We shall soon approach the ministry with the relevant information on the same. It is our hope that this request shall receive a favourable response from the ministry. The other issue we would like to see addressed is the number of few teachers compared to the pupil population with some cases where two to three teachers manning a school with classes from Grade one to Grade seven. This has led to poor pass rates as the teacher/pupil ratio is very high. I wonder why the Government has not recruited teachers who have graduated to mitigate this dire situation.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hammer, hammer!

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, could the hon. minister responsible please help. I stand to be guided on whether the Government has done away with the position of inspector of schools or not. This department was very useful to the Ministry of Education as it highlighted all problems stated above.

 

Madam Speaker, our teachers have inadequate housing. This has made it very difficult for those that are posted to these schools to take up their new positions. Being a rural area, I would like to urge the Government to build quality houses as a means of attracting teachers to go and work there. Currently, the few houses that are available are in deplorable conditions.

 

Madam Speaker, health is another area that requires urgent attention by the hon. Minister responsible. For instance, we have few medical personnel in our clinics. In some cases, there are no qualified members of staff. Some of our clinics lack essential drugs most of the time. Given the long distances that our people have to cover to reach these facilities, there is a need to consider building some wards for admitting patients as patients can be on a scotch cart for almost the whole day to reach the clinic only to find that there is either no medicine or no qualified personnel to attend to them. This should be addressed. Further, the quality of the majority of the infrastructure is of low standard. This tends to demotivate our workers at these clinics. We hope that the minister will consider us in the 650 health posts that the Government is currently constructing

 

Madam Speaker, it has become a trend to provide relief food to our people on annual basis. This is because of lack of adaptation to climate change. Previously, the rainy season period was longer than it is. People used to grow different types of crops such as maize, millet, sorghum, groundnuts, cassava, etc on the higher grounds. Due to the climate change factor, where the rainy season has become shorter, growing such a wide array of crops has become a challenge for our people.

 

Madam Speaker, there is need to introduce hybrid seeds to our farmers such as planting early maturing crops or seeds as well as planting drought resistant crops. The Government needs to assist in the provision of such crops. Our people who have settled along the highlands of the flood plains used to grow various types of crops by the edge of flood plains. This was because stagnant water, used to be drained by canals that existed then. Therefore, the Government, through the Ministry of Finance’s Climate Adaptation Programme must quickly assist us with funding for the construction and maintenance of our canals, which have not been serviced for a long time now. Most of our land could be reclaimed for farming purposes if we open up these canals.

 

Further, agriculture extension officers who used to educate our people on new farming techniques seem to be absent. There is a need for the Ministry of Agriculture to recruit more of these officers for deployment to these areas to assist our people. Once we address these issues, there will be no need for the Government to be sending relief food on a yearly basis because our hard working people will be able to grow their own food for consumption as well as selling the excess to earn an income for themselves.

 

Ms Kalima: Mwanikoni manzi.  Drink some water.

 

Mr Imbuwa: I will just have to skip some of the things in my speech.

 

Madam Speaker, the Western Province used to be one of the power houses in terms of cattle population. This is no longer the case due to numerous cattle diseases that have ravaged our cattle stock. We used to have adequate veterinary officers, dip tanks and enough medicine for our cattle. Given the reduced population of animals in the area, there is a need for the Government to consider restocking cattle and other livestock such as goats and pigs. This must be accompanied with the establishment of relevant infrastructure such as dip tanks, site offices and houses for veterinary staff. This will certainly curtail the current poverty level existing in Nalolo Constituency because our people shall have enough animals for milking and meat for consumption and sale.

 

Mr Speaker, despite having enough lakes and rivers, our fish stocks have been depleted due to bad fishing methods. One would wonder why we should spend colossal sums of money making fish ponds when we can just restock our numerous lakes and rivers as well as ensuring that the culprits employing bad fishing methods are brought to book. We need to explore ways of restocking fingerlings in our lakes so that we again start having enough fish for consumption and sale. These activities have the potential to engage the majority of our people thereby reducing the current high unemployment levels. This can make Zambia a bread basket for the region.

 

Mr Speaker, people in my constituency have challenges in accessing clean water as they have to walk for a number of km to get the commodity. For instance, Shekela Ward has no access to clean water. The majority of the boreholes installed are non-functional. This is due to the fact that boreholes are sunk and installed with no training extended to the local people for maintenance purposes.

 

Going forward, we should be training locals where ever such installations are undertaken. Further, we hope to seriously approach relevant houses for more borehole installations so that all schools and other government institutions can have at least a borehole each and eventually extend this exercise to the villages.

 

Mr Ngulube: I thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Imbuwa: No.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Members: Hammer!

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, the Western Province has three palaces in the flood plains and these are:

 

  1. The Litunga’s base at Lealui;

 

  1. The Litunga la Mboela’s place at Nalolo; and

 

  1. Senior chief’s base at Libonda.

 

We appreciate that the Government has been able to connect Lealui and Libonda palaces to the national power grid. Sadly, however, the Litunga la Mboela’s palace in the flood plains is not yet connected to the national power grid. May I take this opportunity to urge the Government to consider connecting the palace to the national power grid as well.

 

Madam Speaker, the new district town for Nalolo should as well be on the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) grid to power institutions such as schools, hospitals and district administration offices. This will promote smooth running of these institutions as they will be able to power their computer equipment, access piped water and all other equipment that depend on electricity for operations. All schools on the western part of Nalolo District have no power. As we may all know, pupils in Grade nine require computers to write their examinations. We, therefore, urge the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) through the Ministry of Energy to consider electrification of these government facilities.

 

Ms Kalima: Hammer, hammer!

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker, communication is a very important component in our daily lives. Incidentally, the new district town and the western part of Nalolo is completely cut-off from the rest of the country in terms of land and mobile phones and television facilities. Our people are really suffering as one has to climb a tree to get a signal for making a phone call. This could be as a result of the two towers in the area that are too short for the signal to reach a wider coverage area. There is need for the relevant ministry through the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) to consider elongating these towers to enhance service delivery to the community.

 

Madam Speaker, Nalolo is one of the newly created districts. As such, we shall require roads to be built linking all Government Departments, shopping centres and residential areas in the new district town. Further, the road to the new district town is neither gravel nor bitumen, making it very difficult to quickly access the area. Access to the new district town for Nalolo can only be possible through the use of a rugged 4 x 4 vehicle.

 

Hon. Members: Hammer, hammer! Continue.

 

Mr Imbuwa: More time is required.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Imbuwa: Madam Speaker …

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, your time is up.

 

Mr Daka (Msanzala): Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you for according me this opportunity to present my maiden speech for the third time, as well as to make contributions to the Address on the Official Opening of Parliament by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate His Excellency the President and Her Honour the Vice-President, Madam Inonge Mutukwa Wina, on their well-deserved victory in the last presidential and general elections. I, further, wish to congratulate Mr Speaker on his re-election to this high office and the two honourable First and Second Deputy Speakers on their election to their respective positions, not forgetting the Chief Government Whip and his deputy as well as the Leader of the Opposition of the House and their Whip.

 

I wish to pay special tribute to His Excellency the President and the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership for allowing me to stand in Msanzala Constituency on the PF ticket. I also wish to thank the people of Msanzala for the trust and confidence bestowed on me by voting for me and the party. The support I got from Senior Chief Kalindawalo, Chief Nyamphande and Chief Sandwe and village headmen in Msanzala as well as party officials at branch, ward, constituency, district and provincial levels was superb. In particular, I wish to pay tribute to the members of the PF Central Committee for adopting me to stand on the party ticket, especially the former PF Secretary General, Mr Davies Chama, and his deputy.

 

I further wish to thank my campaign team headed by my campaign manager my wife, Priscilla Daka, that helped me under the slogan ‘Latapo pamene wa sebenza’, which translates in English to ‘point where you have work’. I pointed out what has been done in Msanzala by the PF Government during the campaigns.

 

Madam Speaker, I must point out that it was not an easy road but God has been faithful, a miracle working God, a God who never lives nor forsakes his children. I say a miracle working God because just before my campaign kicked off, I lost my son on 23rd July, 2016. He had just finished his Grade twelve at Rhodes Park School. He was nineteen years. His name was Vians Daka.

 

Hon. Members: Condolences.

 

Mr Daka: It was not an easy road because he was in and out of hospital, at the time of his death, I was scheduled to go for my campaigns and this made it difficult for me and the rest of my family. This, therefore, meant that I only had a month in which to campaign but I believe that my son is one of my guardian angels and I know his spirit was with me throughout that trying time. I have a big thank you to my father in heaven for his strength and love. As if this was not enough, earlier on, in 2013, I lost another son in a road accident. He was an immigration Officer in Chinsali. I believe that all this happens because God loves me.

 

On this day we gather here Madam Speaker because we have chosen hope over fear and unity of purpose over conflict. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit for a better Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, before I delve into the main issues that need attention in my constituency, let me also talk about salient issues that were raised by His Excellency the President in his Speech to this august House. Contributing to the President’s Speech, as most of you hon. Members will agree with me, the President’s Speech was wide ranging covering all aspects of subjects which if implemented with the seriousness they deserve would go a long way in transforming this nation into the bread basket of Africa given the abundant natural resources such as land, rivers and wild life. I am referring to subjects like agriculture, livestock and fisheries, tourism, mining, job creation and industrialisation. There is a need for private sector participation to enhance our economy, issue of climate change etcetera.

 

Madam Speaker, the importance of the agriculture sector cannot be overemphasised. It is an established fact that the small-scale farmer in Zambia produces well over 90 per cent of our country’s food requirements. As His Excellency the President clearly pointed out in his speech, it is from agriculture that school fees are paid from, health bill are met and food is put on our table. The question is, how do we create opportunities for the hard-working farmers so that they can derive maximum benefit from their labour? I find it a paradox that while the small-scale farmers produce the bulk of the country’s food requirements, he or she remains generally poor. Such a situation cannot and should not be allowed to continue.

 

Madam Speaker, as leaders we need to take deliberate measures that will ensure the small-scale farmer to increase their income and truly prosper through mechanisation and hard work.

 

Madam Speaker, available statistics indicate that Zambia has well over 1.7 billion cubic metres of underground water resources. Surface water resources on the other hand read from 137 million cubic metres per day in a drought year to 337 million cubic metres per day in average year. This is about 40 per cent of the surface water resource in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Zambia can also take full advantage of its vast water resources by promoting irrigation among its citizenry through construction of dams and sinking of boreholes throughout the country so that the small-scale farmer can produce the staple food, maize, and other crops like rice at least twice a year. There is no earthly reason why Zambia should continue to rely on rain-fed crops when it can harness its water resources to produce the same throughout the year.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia is currently the only country in this region which has [produced enough maize to feed its citizens while her neighbours are suffering the effects of severe drought and have had to import maize from Zambia and other countries. Admittedly, Zambia produced this maize surplus despite it also being affected by drought in some parts of the country. This is not as if God loves Zambia more than other countries. We can easily fall into the same situation that our neighbours are in today if we do not take adequate measures to prepare for the needy day. The time for preparing for that needy day is now and not tomorrow.

 

Madam Speaker, it should be pointed out that farming is not just applying chemical fertiliser only. We need to reduce overdependence on chemical fertiliser and instead promote conservation agriculture which has a win-win situation for both farmers and the environment.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia currently possesses 423 000 hectares of land suitable for irrigation for which only 100 000 hectares is actually irrigated among large-scale, emergent and small- scale farmers. This means that we still have 323 000 hectares of irrigable land which can be used to irrigate food crops like maize and rice during the dry season.

 

Madam Speaker, energy constitutes the engine of our development process because without it nothing can be achieved. Just as we can make full use of our underground and surface water resources to boost our agriculture production through irrigation schemes, we can use the same for the purpose of power generation so that we lessen our dependence on available hydro-electric schemes like Kariba Dam, Kafue, Itezhi-tezhi and the like. As we all know, the source of the Zambezi River is right here in Zambia but we have had to import power from Mozambique as part of the measure taken to offset the power deficit in our country. Do we know where Mozambique gets its power from which it exports to us? From Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique, Tete Province and where is Cahora Bassa Dam situated? On the Zambezi River whose source is in Zambia in the North-Western Province. Mozambique is making millions of United States Dollars each year through exports of power to neighbouring countries including South Africa. This ironic situation should give us some food for thought.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia is really a blessed nation. We have abundant underground and surface water resources to boost agriculture production and power generation even in times of drought, we also boast of many sunny days in a year. In Zambia there is no time when the sun completely ceases to shine. Even during the rainy and winter seasons, the sun shines, thereby making solar energy an ideal resource worth promoting. In December, 2015, French energy group, Neon, inaugurated a 300 mega watts solar farm which is situated on 250 hectare site south of Bordeaux. The plant, which is the biggest in Europe, was expected to produce power to over 300 000 people and cost €300million. It will sell power to €105 per mega watt hour for twenty years and well below the cost of our power from nuclear power generation.

 

Madam Speaker, with present political leadership of Edgar Chagwa Lungu, solar energy can go a long way in alleviating the problem of energy crisis in the country. Our Government can work together with the private sector and the donor community to encourage investment in this energy resource.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me at this time to highlight some of the issues that affect my constituency Msanzala.

 

Mr Daka: Madam Speaker, Msanzala has a total of twenty-four roads mainly feeder roads. All these roads are in poor state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. In fact, most of them require rehabilitation or complete reconstruction. These include the road from Petauke via Chief Nyampande’s Palace to Chieftainess Mwape in Nyimba District.

 

Madam, the second road runs from Petauke via Ukwimi to Chief Sandwe’s headquarters connecting to Chief Malama in Mambwe District. This is the shortest route to the South Luangwa National Park. The third road is from Ukwimi via Mwanika to Sinda District to Sinda District. The fourth road is Misolo/Mkonda while the fifth road is from Petauke via Chipungu and Chikuse linking Zuze Village in Petauke central.

 

Madam Speaker, the sixth road is form Sasali turn off via Chilowa Day high School. The seventh to be constructed is the road going to Chingolo and Chiwa farming areas. These areas are quite productive in terms of agriculture output.

 

Madam, all these roads are critical as they serve schools, clinics and potentially rich agriculture and game reserve areas including South Luangwa National Park. However, whenever the rainy season approaches, these roads become virtually impassable even to 4 X 4 vehicles and trucks, which deliver crucial agricultural inputs and produce.

 

Madam Speaker, I want appeal to the Ministry of General Education to turn the newly built high school, Chikowa into a boarding school. The school is located in a game reserve area, and therefore, there is a lot of animal/human conflict. It is, therefore, not safe for our children to walk to and from this school. We also need more schools to be built in my constituency because of the distances children have to cover between the areas.

 

Madam, in summer, most boreholes and wells get dry. For instance, people in Nyamphande and Sandwe areas have no choice, but to drink water from the same rivers with wild animals, pigs and goats. In view of this scenario, it is important that dams should be constructed in order to have triple effects for irrigation, humans and animals.

 

Madam, we have received Government intervention in terms of clinics and schools, but much more needs to be done in terms of staffing levels. Out of the 650 health centres, Msanzala has received only three health posts; Sichilima Makale, Misolo. We need much more than this especially when you look at the population of 60,000 people. I am appealing to the Ministry of Health to provide at least one maternity referral centre for every 5 km radius. This can be done either through upgrading some of the existing health centres.

 

Madam speaker, Msanzala has been connected the National grid, but this has not trickled down to the ordinary people other than the schools and clinics. We therefore, appeal to the Government to intervene so that the people can use electricity for development purposes.

 

Madam Speaker, please allow me now to turn to the situation currently prevailing in the nation. Following the recent held general elections, Zambia is a divided country. The country lived under the banner of “One Zambia, One National” since Independence and we cannot allow the current situation to continue. Our forefathers coined this slogan bearing in mind the fact that Zambia had more fifty tribes with seventy-three different languages who needed to live in peace and harmony if the country was to achieve any meaningful development.

 

Madam, tribalism like is a cancer which can easily destroy a nation. We have seen it for ourselves, and we are still seeing it for ourselves what tribalism has done and can do once people stop thinking.

 

Madam Speaker, a prosperous country is reduced to rubble just because one tribe thinks it is more important than the other. Inter-tribal marriages have now become common in Zambia. For example I am married to a Lozi, which means that our children have grandmothers and grandfathers who are Nsengas and Lozis. I also have children whose grandparents are Bemba and Lunda-Luvale. So, where do you put me?

 

Madam, fortunately, in the main tribalism exist only in the fertile minds of the politicians who want to use it for their own selfish ends.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Daka: Go to any compound or township in Zambia, your will not hear the ordinary man or woman in the street talking about tribalism.

 

Hon. Government Members: No!

 

Mr Daka: They do not have time to even think about it. If you find an ordinary man or woman insulting or attacking another person on tribal lines, then, you can be almost 100 per cent certain that there is a politician behind that scuffle. In any case, political affiliation is not alien to our contemporary democratic dispensation.

 

Madam Speaker, let me close this topic by quoting an excerpt from the “I have a Dream” speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr.:

 

‘In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow creative protests to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.’

 

Madam Speaker, although my time is running out, we live in denial as hon. Members of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time has expired

 

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to render my maiden speech and also have an opportunity to contribute to the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency, the President’s Address to this august House and to the nation.

 

Madam, since I was away last week when we held the memorial service for our late founding father of the might Patriotic Front (PF), Mr Micheal Chilufya Sata popularly known as “King Cobra”, I would like to start by paying tribute to this gallant son of the soil whose accomplishments in the career of politics are there for everyone to see. I wish he could come back and see how his seed has germinated and how many fruits it has accrued.

 

Madam, I stand on the side of the Floor of this House making my second maiden speech. The last time I was making my maiden speech, I was at the back bench, but today, I am standing here, at the Front Bench. This is all due to this gallant man I am talking.

 

Madam Speaker, when we lost him, we had a dark cloud and we did not know what was going to happen at some point, but we came together. My mother sitting next to me (The Vice-President) provided the much needed leadership. We were demonised in this House over his death. We had lamentations of others saying “chabwino ayende, meaning that “let him go,” and they thought at that time, that was going to be their red carpet to State House, but alas, we stood firm against those that dined with this gallant son, but opted to betray him.

However, it came to pass that the man he had mentored to take over this great party, the Patriotic Front (PF), Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was equal to the task and took up the challenge. All of us gallant men and women on this side of the House , …

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …resolved to make sure that the dream of Mr Michael Chilufya Sata was not betrayed. He was like a father who left an estate to a responsible child who made sure that the estate did not go to waste.

 

Madam Speaker, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata’s love for this nation is now being seen in the man he left the mantle to, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Even in his last days, when he was getting closer to the call of the Almighty God, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata came to this House to make sure that he did not create a constitutional crisis. Indeed, as they say, what followed is history.

 

We are very proud, …

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …as his children, that we identified whom to soldier on with and make sure that we deliver that which he would have loved to deliver to the people of this country.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: The development agenda will continue under the mighty leadership of Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, ...

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …so loved by his people. Indeed, he has shown the same courage, affectionately referred to as Mr walk the talk.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: He wants to work without looking at personal preservation. We have had presidents in this country that have been reluctant to give the people a Constitution that would take certain powers from certain people.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: We have had leaders who were scared to face the majority decision of the people in the 50 per cent Plus 1 Clause. There was so much talk but he was very brave.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: The issue of running mate had so much discussion. However, when President Lungu was assenting to the Constitution, he had already made up his mind. I would like to congratulate him because he settled for a suitable candidate for a running mate, ...

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mrs Simukoko: A woman for that matter!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …Her Honour, Madam Inonge Wina, the first ever female Vice-President of this nation.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Congratulations, ma’am.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: While other parties had twenty Vice-Presidents or so and others were still being promised the position. For instance, in 2011 some party had more than five people …

 

Mr Ngulube: Nine!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …queuing up for the vice-presidency.

 

Mrs Simukoko: What a dream!

 

Mr Kampyongo: For the PF, by the time the President was assenting to the Constitution, it already had a running mate in waiting.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Canisius Banda!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate my President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and Her Honour the Vice-President …

 

Mrs Simukoko: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: …for assembling this national team.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, here, where you are seeing us, you are seeing the nation. All the ten provinces are represented.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: This is how the Government is formed.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: You cannot think that one corner of the country can be so popular that it can form the Government. A national team such as this one forms a country.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: When I look back, I am able to see Hamukale representing the Southern Province people. Next to me is Boma and next to her is the hon. Minister of Justice representing the people of the Western Province. The North-Western Province is properly catered for as well.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, where I come from, they say that Lesa nima lyotola.

 

Hon. Members: Meaning?

 

Mr Kampyongo: It means that the God we all love has got his own way of teaching sinners who doubt him.

 

Madam Speaker, the President is a very humble Christian even if others in here doubt him. That is why some people are still on your left hand side and will continue to be there for many years to come because I cannot see what miracle they will perform to end up here on the right.

 

Madam Speaker, let me thank the people of Shiwang’andu. My beloved people of Shiwang’andu have continued to show me love and trust. Shiwang’andu was one Constituency which was not known. Now, it has been transformed into a fully-fledged district.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, this is a constituency which has many surviving freedom fighters. In Shiwang’andu, people do not accept to be intimidated by those who think that by moving with so much accrued fat and some ill gotten money, they can buy people. There, people are resolved. You need to respect them and they will respect you in turn. They are very good and that is why when my President was getting 200 votes in some corner of the country, they were giving other people more than a thousand votes. They do not look at what they call Wako ni Wako from Hon. Mwale’s province. 

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker:

 

Hon. Member, translate Wako ni Wako.

 

Mr Kampyongo: It means that you can only vote for your own tribesmen. The people of Shiwang’andu do not believe in that. I will remain indebted to the people of Shiwang’andu and will make sure that the development agenda continues.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank all the hon. Members of the Patriotic Front (PF) starting from the central committee under the leadership of His Excellency the President and Her Honour the Vice-President, my older brother here, the former Secretary-General (SG), the constituency leadership, the district leadership and my dear wife, Wanziya Chirwa Kampyongo.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Wako ni Wako!

 

Mr Kampyongo: That is how we marry.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Wako ni Wako!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker:

 

Order on my left.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Like my brother said, we are nationalists. We do not look at who is who in terms of ethnicity. 

 

Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank my colleague who was number four in the last elections. We had seven people competing in the parliamentary elections. My colleague who stood on the United Party for National Development (UPND) platform Mr Elias Mubanga was number four. He was deceived that he could petition the election so that he could find himself in the Chamber. However, he realised that it does not work in that manner and opted to withdraw the petition...

 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: ... because it would have been terrible to go and tremble in court.  People decide which candidate comes to the Chamber and not the court. So, to the gentleman from the UPND and all the others who competed with me, I say bravo. That is how it is supposed to be.

 

Madam Speaker, let me briefly comment on the speech which was made to this House by His Excellency the President. All my colleagues who have spoken before me alluded to the fact that the President’s Speech was very inspiring and could not have been any better than it was.

 

Madam Speaker, I get baffled when people say that the President wants to increase his term of office. This is a man who is loved by the people and we know that he is going to deliver. If the people of Zambia say they still need him then they will still have him...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: ... because the Constitution provides for that.

 

Madam Speaker, the late man I was talking about taught us that politics is like a tree and you cannot only climb it from the bottom and not the top. It does not matter how rich you are. We have seen some Presidents in some countries who have come in that way and you can see how it is catching up with them.

 

Madam Speaker, the President is still loved and looking at the way he is moving, he is untouchable.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Those who are still in denial must understand this.

 

Mr Ngulube: They must commit suicide!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, the President was very categorical when he said that to ensure there is sustainable development, the country and its people must be secure as well as their liberties protected.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: Therefore, all this is underpinned by our robust internal security which allows economic actors, in particular, to work hard in a free and peaceful environment. The President has given me a responsibility...

 

Mr Michelo interjected.

 

Mr Kampyongo: When I arrest you will not talk. I know there are some people that are still being pursued even here.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kampyongo: The responsibility that I have is to make sure that this nation continues to live in peace.

 

Mr Ngulube: And harmony!

 

Mr Kampyongo: My pledge to his Excellency the President of Zambia is that I will discharge my duties accordingly.

       

Madam Speaker, now that we have the Government in place under one recognised President...

      

Interruptions

 

Mr Kampyongo: ... those who want to go into the bush and masquerade should know that we will not get tired. If you break the law ten times we will arrest you ten times.

       

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Kokolapo!

 

Mr Kampyongo: I want to make it very clear that we are going to ensure that the law enforcement agencies are disciplined accordingly so that they discharge their functions according to the way the people of Zambia expect them to.

 

Madam Speaker, I was officiating the pass out parade yesterday at Lilayi where we had 683 young women and men who have now become police officers. It was impressive to see how much they have been drilled and prepared. I was impressed to see young ladies riding motorbikes ready to serve this country. All this is done to make sure that we have the necessary number required to ensure that rule of law and order is maintained.

 

Madam Speaker, I warned public workers through this House before elections and those who were trying to get into politics must resign from their positions. I heard someone yesterday say that people are being fired for belonging to a certain tribe, but that is not correct.

 

Madam Speaker, we are talking about those that have been misled and are indiscipline. We said that people should not be misled by those who say they will give them positions when they are in the Government. If one accepts that as a public servant, they are just pressing caveats on their prospects to prosper. What should make them prosper in whatever they do is their hard work, dedication to work and loyalty to the Government of the day. 

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, if they decide to be disloyal to the Government of the day, we will show them the door so that we see if those misleading them can protect them. Everyone who wants to come and form the Government should know that they do not tamper with the instruments before they legitimately become the authority.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, when I say I am going to superintend over a disciplined ministry and all the agencies, I mean that those who could have been misled, it is time for them to change. If they do not, certainly, they will have to be on the streets. There are so many young men and women. For each and every job they have, I have more than a thousand people who are still walking on the streets. So, if they do not want to take the privilege and respect it, we shall help them to go and do something else. All in all, I am saying that I am going to serve the nation in all the ten provinces. My role will be to make sure that all the citizens of this country have got their properties protected. Those that will continue breaking the law, I am also responsible for the correction service facilities, where we keep law breakers. I will be extending those facilities so that I can accommodate more law breakers.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

_______

 

The House adjourned at 1253 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 8th November, 2016.