Tuesday, 21st February, 2017

Tuesday, 21^st February, 2017

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

__________

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the House some idea of the Business it will consider this week. However, before I do so, let me welcome all hon. Members to the Legislative Meeting of the House.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Sir, as indicated on the Order Paper for today, 21^st February, 2017, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer and end with presentation of Government Bills.

Mr Speaker, tomorrow, Wednesday, 22^nd February, 2017, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider Private Member’s Motions, if there will be any.

Sir, on Thursday, 23^rd February, 2017, the Business of the House will commence with Questions, if there will be any, followed by presentation of Government Bills. Thereafter, the House will consider the Report of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs appointed on 26^th October, 2016, to consider the National Assembly Approval of the Proposal to Ratify the National Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, for the First Session of the Twelfth National Assembly.

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 24^th February, 2017, the Business of the House will begin with the Vice-President’s Question Time, which will now be 45 minutes long.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: That will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

_________

MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

HOSTING OF THE UNDER-20 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development (Mr Mawere): Mr Speaker, I thank you most sincerely for giving me this opportunity to make a statement to this august House and the nation on the preparations for the hosting of the 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Tournament.

Sir, the Under-20 AFCON is a biannual youth football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in countries that win hosting rights. It is the fourth most important football tournament in Africa and Zambia will host the 20^th edition from 26^th February to 12^th March, 2017. The tournament has been hosted by thirteen countries before Zambia, among them Egypt, Rwanda, Senegal, Congo, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Algeria, Mauritius, Benin and South Africa. Eight countries will participate in the tournament to be hosted by Zambia. Zambia has participated in the tournament eight times since 1985 and has reached the semi-final stage in 1991, 1997 and 2007.

Mr Speaker, in 2013, Zambia applied to CAF to host the 2017 tournament and provisional approval was granted pending the Government’s approval. In September, 2015, the Cabinet approved the decision and CAF has since visited the country twice to check on facilities like stadia, training facilities, hotels and hospitals. The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), with the technical and financial assistance of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development, started preparations for the tournament in November, 2016, which included the establishment of an organising committee to co-ordinate the preparations. The committee consists of representatives of the football fraternity, government institutions and the corporate sector and has nine sub-committees on the different functional areas of the preparations, namely Finance, Infrastructure and Venue Management, Football Delegation and Protocol, Accreditation, Security and Safety, Entertainment, Transport, Medical and Health, and Marketing and Publicity. Further, a secretariat was also established for the day-to-day management of the preparations.

Mr Speaker, the K60,906,500 budget for the preparation and hosting of the tournament has been used mainly on the rehabilitation of the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium and Heroes National Stadium, procurement of equipment and furniture for Heroes National Stadium, camping our team locally and in Spain, preparing the training grounds, hotel reservations, preparations for the official opening and closing ceremonies, and publicity.

Sir, the games will be held at Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka and Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. The training venues in Lusaka will include Nkoloma Stadium, Sunset Stadium, Barclays Bank Sports Complex Grounds, Woodlands Stadium, Queensmead Grounds and Edwin Imboela Stadium. The training venues on the Copperbelt will be the Annex to Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Musa Kasonka Stadium, Trade Fair Grounds, Kanini Sports Ground and Ndola Trust School.

Mr Speaker, the match fixtures have been prepared and included in the brochures that have been distributed to all hon. Members of Parliament. The Very Important Persons (VIP) Tickets for the first round of the tournament will cost K200, Lower Deck Tickets will cost K20 while the Open Wing Tickets will cost K10. For the semi-final matches, the VIP Tickets will cost K300, Lower Deck Tickets will cost K40 while Open Wing Tickets will cost K20. For the final game, the VIP Tickets will cost K400, Lower Deck Tickets will cost K40 while Open Wing Tickets will cost K20. I hope people will find the charges affordable.

Sir, the eight participating teams will include Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Mali and Zambia. Zambia is with Egypt, Guinea and Mali in Group A.

Mr Speaker, the opening and closing ceremonies will take place in Lusaka at the Heroes National Stadium on 26^th February, 2017, and 12^th March, 2017, respectively. The delegates and participating teams will be accommodated at Radisson Blu, InterContinental, Southern Sun, Protea Tower and Protea hotels in Lusaka, and Protea, Michelangelo, Mukuba and Kabelenga hotels in Ndola. This accommodation has been secured.

Mr Speaker, works at all match venues and training grounds have been completed, equipment and furniture procured, health and related response systems put in place and transport mobilised from within the Government system and the private sector. The tournament has also been publicised widely and the effort is ongoing using various media platforms that include radio, television and print. Further, brochures and posters have been sent to all the provinces through the provincial administrations while billboards have been mounted in strategic locations in Lusaka and Ndola. It is our expectation that the stadia will be filled to capacity as a result of that publicity.

Mr Speaker, the Zambian team has been preparing for the event since early 2016, having participated in and won the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) JuniorTournament in December, 2016, in South Africa.It also recently camped in Spain, where it played friendly matches against Tenerife, Barcelona and Basel football clubs.The will be in camp until the commencement of the tournament.

Sir, we are grateful that Her Honour the Vice-President found time to visit the team at the training ground and encouraged it to lift the trophy. The tournament is important because it will increase Zambia’s chances of hosting high-profile international tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. Further, it has contributed to the improvement of sports facilities in the country and will expose the team to high standards of international competitions. In addition, the hosting of the competition will bring foreign exchange into the country, promote tourism, create business opportunities for many Zambians and inspire many youths in the country to get involved in sports, thereby helping in keeping them busy. That will, in turn, contribute to a reduction in illicit activities, such as drug and alcohol abuse, especially among the youth.

Sir, this event is a very important national event that requires the concertedefforts of all Zambians to succeed. Therefore, we should all participate in publicising it in the spirit of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’.

Sir, I urge all hon. Members of this august House to publicise the tournament in their respective communities and constituencies. I also urge all Zambians to turn up in large numbers to watch and cheer our national team.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, you are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the statement issued by the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development.

Mr Mutale (Chitambo): Mr Speaker, I welcome all hon. Members of Parliament to this Session.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Ngulube: Ema Minister!

Mr Mutale: Sir, where can people in the rural areas access tickets for this tournament?

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Is that a question? Maybe, it is.

Laughter

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, our people in the rural areas can buy the tickets from the nearest Shoprite Store.

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister and the entire Government for helping the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to organise this important tournament. When a tournament of this magnitude is being hosted, there are usually some landmark decisions that are made, especially on the day before kick-off.

Mr Speaker, just a few days ago, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Mr Issa Hayatou, visited South Africa and met the Head of State of that country. As we are aware, Mr Hayatou, who became CAF President in 1988, is seeking an eighth term of office. Should I take it that he is on his way to the tournament in Zambia to seek another mandate for the March elections? If so, would the hon. Minister share with us what FAZ’s position is on the CAF President’s term of office.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: I have difficulties allowing the hon. Minister to respond to that question.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr C. Zulu (Luangeni): Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister tell the House where the finals will take place?

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

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, I beg you to kindly exercise a bit of patience because this point of order is of an extremely urgent nature and borders on a violation of the laws of the land.

Mr Speaker, on 7^th December, 2016, I, Gary Nkombo, Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central Constituency, raised a point of order on the Patriotic Front (PF) Government in relation to a statement that had been issued by the hon. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in October, 2016, on illegal occupation of private land across the country. I will lay the statement on the Table. I am very interested to know whether this facilitates closure on our part, we, who make these laws, or I will, again, be asked to ask a question. I must declare, as I did earlier, that I failed to ask a question in the first instance.

Mr Speaker, kindly allow me to quote from the hon. Minister’s Speech.

“Madam, the Patriotic Front Government is concerned about the current rate of illegal land occupation, demarcation and allocation across the country by persons purporting to be cadres. This illegal trend has led to law-abiding citizens being displaced from their lawfully acquired land. In some instances, land owners have been injured by illegal land occupiers in the process of being forced to vacate the said land.”

Mr Speaker, my second quotation is from the PF Secretary-General (SG), Mr Davies Mwila’s address to his cadres and the Copperbelt Provincial Minister, Hon. Lusambo, on the Copperbelt.

Sir, Mr Mwila issued what I think was a threat to the hon. Minister of the Province, Mr Bowman Lusambo. Let me cite today’s The Mast newspaper, in which the hon. Copperbelt Minister of the Copperbelt Province is quoted saying, “Fire me for doing the right thing.”

Mr Speaker, my point of order was on whether the Chief Executive of the Ruling Party could advise the Provincial Minister to collaborate with cadres of the province in the face of the statement that had been issued by the hon. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources. The SG words were:

“You must never walk alone. You must also be with the cadres, for even when you are doing correct things, they will think you are doing the wrong things.”

Mr Speaker, the Chair’s wise ruling was as follows:

“I have heard the hon. Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central and I am of the considered view that the subject matter does not really qualify as a matter of extreme urgency to warrant the kind of intervention that you would expect from my office and I, therefore, urge that such a point or order is not one of extreme urgency. If you perceive some contradiction between the Government and the party in the administration of land, you are at liberty to take the Government to account. You can do so by simply asking a question. Thereafter, you can interrogate your colleagues on the right on the matter.

“That is my ruling.”

Mr Speaker, this House is where laws are made. What I have in my hand is the Markets and Bus Stations Act No. 7 of 2007, and I am privileged to say that when this law was enacted, a number of us were here, although a number of us were equally not here. This is the law of the land.

Sir, upon reflecting on your advice to me to ask a question on the matter, I found it extremely difficult for me to do so. I have been compelled to raise a point of order on a similar matter, in which Mr Davis Mwila counselled the hon. Minister for Central Province to co-operate with party cadres when addressing his people at Hindu Hall in Kabwe. Let me quote what he said, and I will lay this paper on the Table:

“PF Secretary-General, Mr Davis Mwila, on 7^th January, 2017, directed PF cadres to take control of markets and bus stations, and ensure that every cadre benefits from plots allocated by local authorities. Contrary to the message of transparency that the party has been propagating, Mwila, in a closed-door meeting today, told party cadres in Kabwe’s Hindu Hall not to allow UPND members in being nearer these institutions because they (the PF) were in power and, as such, in control of things, failure to which he would bring the notorious PF cadres known as commandos to start running the bus stations in Kabwe.”

Interruptions

Hon. Member: Question!

Mr Nkombo:

“Let me, again, quote the PF Secretary General:

‘“When you have 500 plots, make sure that you put aside 200 and then the other 300 are the ones you make available to the public so that every member of PF must have a plot and avoid being ridiculed by the Opposition UPND. Earlier, I asked Mr Chisopa (former Central Province Minister) as to how he could allow UPND to get closer to bus stations. Do you want me to bring commando here?”, said Mwila amidst jubilation from members.”’

“Last week, PF cadres fought running battles with various bus operators and police officers as they demanded to take over one of the bus stations in Kabwe, but one of the directors at Kabwe Municipal Council has condemned Mwila for his comments, saying it will be very difficult to make the councils to be financially viable if leaders continue to incite cadres to take over public institutions and facilities.

“The municipality has contracted a loan from the Zambia National Commercial Bank to build bus stations, but with the directive from people like Mwila inciting cadres, it is difficult for councils to become financially viable. I wish he never said that because, through and through, the PF has been preaching against politicising markets and bus stations. Now, their SG is preaching the exact opposite.”

Sir, I wish to let you know, if you do not, that just yesterday, members of the United Party for National Development (UPND) were brutalised very badly in the Lusaka markets, I suspect, because of the statement by the PF Secretary-General.

Mr Mwewa: Order!

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

You have no right to do that.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear! Shame!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Mazabuka Central, you may continue.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Sir, members of the UPND were shown on public television with blacked eyes after they were beaten up beyond recognition by PF cadres.

Sir, when Hon. Syakalima debated in the last Meeting, he said that Zambia was at war, and I am sure that we, sitting here, …

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Mazabuka Central!

Resume your seat.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: I have been very liberal with you, but I do not want to say much. So, just get to your point of order.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, it is a fact that our people have been brutalised, and my point of order is on the Leader of Government Business in the House who, I believe, has her conscience right in the fore of her head.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: Sir, is the Government in order to disregard a law we made in this House, the Markets and Bus Stations Act of 2007, by allowing cadres to prevent Zambians who do not affiliate with the PF from freely patronising, let alone, trading in public facilities?

Sir, I seek your ruling.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing is already scheduled to issue a ministerial statement on the management of markets and bus stations. I direct him to address this issue in that statement.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, where will the final match of the tournament take place?

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, the final game will be played at Heroes National Stadium here, in Lusaka.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, has any Zambian referee been selected to officiate at this very important tournament?

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, I am not yet privy to that information.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that the budget for the tournament is about K60,906,500. Considering that the tournament is an international showpiece that will catch the attention of the continent and the globe, have we marketed our tourism products to ensure that our country reaps maximum benefits from the tournament?

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, we have taken care of the hon. Member’s concerns. As I indicated in my statement, the country will benefit from increased foreign exchange inflows and improved infrastructure, especially stadia. We also expect the private sector to benefit through the provision of various services to the people who will come to our country. The Government will also use the tournament to market our tourism sector and the soccer lovers who will come in their thousands to not only enjoy the tournament, but also visit many of the tourist attractions in the country.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Zimba (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, my question is more or less related to the one by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chama South.

Sir, the Under-20 Tournament is an international venture. Taking a leaf from South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup, in which there was massive advertising, with an entire airport transformed into ‒

Laughter

Mr Zimba: I am sorry, Sir, there are running commentaries from behind me.

Sir, this is the best we can do in as far as hosting tournaments is concerned. So, have we done enough to advertise the tournaments at airports and border points so that it is positioned at the global level, not just restricted to Zambia?

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, we have done enough publicity on this tournament. We have put up bill boards in strategic positions like airports, where various delegations will be entering the country. We have also distributed posters, fliers and stickers all over the country to ensure that every Zambian and those visiting Zambia are aware of our hosting this tournament.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kopulande (Chembe): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that part of the K60,906,500 has been used on the rehabilitation of sporting infrastructure. If my memory serves me well, the two stadia being used for this tournament, Levy Mwanawasa and Heroes National stadia, are relatively new facilities. What is the nature of the rehabilitation works that have been undertaken and at what cost? Could the hon. Minister also specify the type of furniture that has been procured and at what cost.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I remind you that you are only allowed to ask one question.

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, I may not have the specific figures, but I will summarise. The rehabilitation works about which we are talking are on the two stadia in which the games will be played and the training grounds. As I already stated, we will use about six training grounds in Lusaka and four or five on the Copperbelt and they needed a level of facelift. That is what most of the money was used on. For Heroes National Stadium, the CAF Committee that inspected it raised concerns over the lack of furniture in the stadium. So, we had to procure suitable furniture for the two stadia, and that took much of the money.

Mr Speaker, in terms of how much money has been spent on rehabilitations, I seek your indulgence to come back to avail the figures to the House at a later date.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Jere (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, has the hon. Minister procured a machine to detect the ages of the players to prevent age cheating?

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, CAF has a mechanism for checking the age of players.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, how motivated are those young men in terms of allowances they have been offered?

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, our young men who are participating in the tournament are well taken care of by the Government and FAZ. We are also giving them a platform on which their potential can be exposed to the outside world. The players will also play for the senior team and that will further help them to be signed on by teams from abroad, where they can earn a lot of money. For Zambia, we have standard remunerations with which the players are comfortable.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mukumbuta (Senanga Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has told us how prepared our team is to win this tournament and how ready we are to host this important tournament. However, I did not hear him talk about how prepared we are to handle the traffic pressure that will build up, since all roads will be leading to the two stadia.

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that question.

Sir, we are mindful of the fact that many people will be heading to the two stadia during the tournament and my ministry has engaged line ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Police Traffic Division and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), to help it control traffic during the tournament.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Ms E. Phiri (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, looking at the communities around the stadia and the vending that takes place there, what measures has the hon. Minister put in place so that we do not embarrass ourselves by exposing the bad aspects of our society to people from other countries?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, my ministry and other line ministries have designated specific places where our vendors trade so that they can also tap into this very important tournament.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

MEASURES TO REDUCE ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN ZAMBIA

The Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Mushimba): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to issue a statement on the measures that my ministry is implementing to reduce road traffic accidents in Zambia.

Mr Speaker, the country has, in the recent past, experienced tragic road traffic accidents involving public service vehicles (PSVs) in which many lives have been lost. It is, therefore, with a heavy heart that I address this august House on this subject. Fresh on our minds is the road traffic accident on the Great North Road involving a Mazhandu Family Bus and a semi-truck, which killed ten people. My heartfelt condolences to the families that lost loved ones and a speedy recovery to those who were injured. The accident could have been avoided, especially since a mechanical fault was the cause.

Sir, traffic accidents have become one of the most common causes of death and injury in Zambia. In 2016, 32,350 road traffic accidents were recorded, compared with 33,672 in 2015. That represented a 4 per cent reduction. Even with the slight reduction, however, the figures are still too high and pose a challenge to our vision of reducing road traffic accidents by 50 per cent by 2020, as stipulated in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020. Further, although the number of accidents reduced in 2016, the number of fatalities increased from 2,113 to 2,206 over the same period, representing an increase of 4 per cent.

Mr Speaker, over the last five years, the significant road accidents were attributed to the following causes:

poor road conditions;

inadequate road safety measures;

inadequate load carrying capacity due to increased motor vehicle population;

poor vehicle condition resulting from inadequate motor vehicle testing equipment;

unregulated systems regarding the repair of motor vehicles and a lack of inadequately qualified automotive mechanics; and

inadequately trained drivers, as it is not mandatory, in Zambia, for drivers to undergo formal training before applying for a driver’s licence.

Mr Speaker, in due course, I will present to this House the 2016 Road Traffic Accidents Report, which has statistics on accidents, fatalities and injuries.

Mr Speaker, since research shows that there are many contributory factors to the occurrence of road traffic accidents in Zambia, my ministry and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) will implement the following interventions to address the problem:

issuance of road safety statutory instruments (SI) and preparation of the required amendments to the Road Traffic Act of 2002;

regulation of driving schools, with the primary aim of building capacity and making driver training programmes more responsive to current times by reviewing the curriculum;

prosecution of all road traffic offenders, especially through the fast track courts;

formulation of a national road safety policy, strategy and action plan, and realigning our focus from policing to ensuring that drivers and vehicles being licensed are adequately trained and roadworthy, respectively;

adoption of the greater use of technology and information communication technology (ICT) platforms like accident information systems, mechanised vehicle testing equipment, driver simulators for all weather conditions and other traffic tools in road safety management;

designing, engineering and construction of better road infrastructure with all safety requirements considered;

annual certification and accreditation by the RTSA of any institution providing driver training in an effort to regulate, standardise and enhance driving training;

the requirement by the RTSA of all transporters with one or more vehicles to have regimented road safety programmes that will prioritise road safety over profits;

sealing of gaps and enhancement of the system for re-issuance of PSV drivers’ licences, with increased emphasis on retraining and retesting of drivers. The frequency of renewal of licences will also be addressed;

introduction and integration of applicable smart modules that will be used jointly by the RTSA, Zambia Police, insurance companies, Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ), which will create a common portal for monitoring, tracking and supervising the road sub-sector to highlight the bad aspects and inefficiencies that have contributed to the mayhem on our roads;

introduction by the Government of a drivers’ database on which all incidents pertaining to individual drivers will be recorded. On the basis of the road behaviour patterns of drivers deduced from the database information on them, any appropriate sanctions will be meted out on bad drivers; and

the random use of breathalysers on motorists will be intensified on the road checkpoints and at designated toll gates.

Sir, lastly, I wish to state that the measures put in place by the Government, so far, have yielded some positive results, as can be seen in the slight overall decline in road traffic accidents in 2016. So, I urge members of the public who use PSVs to continue assisting the Government in its road safety agenda by reporting bad driver behaviour to the RTSA and the Zambia Police Service on the toll-free lines provided. I also urge those who drive private vehicles to abide by traffic laws.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

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

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, thank you for according me an opportunity to speak on the vexing issue of the state of our roads and, indeed, the resulting road accidents that we witnessed in the recent past.

Sir, will the proposed measures actually reduce the accidents? It appears, to me, that we have been shooting in the dark. For example, we outlawed buses moving at night, but accidents still occur during the day.

Laughter

Mr Kabanda: Surely, have we done enough research to understand the intricacies of the accidents in the nation?

Sir, the other issue the hon. Minister ‒

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Serenje!

You have already asked your question.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the proposed measures have been well researched and some of them have borne fruits in other jurisdictions. Therefore, as we roll them out and complement other measures already in place, we hope that our road safety profile will change for the better.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Munkonge (Lukashya): Mr Speaker, one of the post-accident causes of death is our country’s poor emergency services. Are there plans to improve them so that those who survive accidents can be taken to hospitals quickly? Further, could the hon. Minister tell us the most dangerous roads in Zambia. Perhaps, that is where the emergency response services should be concentrated.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member has asked a very important question.

Indeed, Sir, the ministry, through the RTSA, intends to provide emergency and rescue response facilities and equipment in areas where accidents mostly occur, especially on the line of rail and in the major hospitals. The RTSA has budgeted for the procurement of more facilities to improve our response services and survival chances for accident victims.

Thank you, Sir.

Ms Chonya (Kafue): Mr Speaker, is there any relationship between Unlimited Gift Company and Mazhandu Family Bus Services?

Mr Ngulube: Question!

Ms Chonya: Further, what is the status of the licence for the latter?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the first company, which travels to South Africa twice a week, and Mazhandu Family Bus Services are owned by different members of the same family, and have different licences with different conditions. There was a bit of confusion when Mazhandu Family Bus Services’ licence was suspended and a bus similar to those in its fleet was seen on the road. The RTSA impounded it, but further investigations showed that the bus did not belong to Mazhandu Family Bus Services.

Sir, as you may be aware, Mazhandu Family Bus Services appealed against the suspension of its licence through my office and, in accordance with the Road Traffic Act, I forwarded the appeal to the Tribunal Chairperson, who will hear the case and listen to the merits of the appeal before a final decision is made.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Daka (Msanzala): Mr Speaker, what has happened to the programme of putting speed governors on buses and trucks, and the equipment that checks the fitness of public service vehicles (PSVs)?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the installation of speed governors was a pilot project. We have completed the pilot phase and now know what we need to do. One of the SIs that I signed is on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and speed limiting on PSVs. The sector is being sensitised on the SI before it can be fully operationalised. Therefore, you will, in the near future, see speed limiters on all PSVs.

Sir, some time back, we procured four machines for automated testing of vehicles for road worthiness. However, when they were installed, we realised that they needed customisation to Zambian standard because according to what I have been told, it failed all the vehicles tested with it. The customisation and writing of software has already been done and, since January, 2017, the testing of all vehicles at Mimosa is done using that equipment. We are doing the same in Ndola and two other locations, and plan to procure more of such equipment so that the testing of vehicles for road worthiness is no longer subjective, but automated.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, I totally agree with Hon. Kabanda that we are shooting in the dark.

Sir, the hon. Minister said that road traffic accidents are a result of poor road infrastructure and road design, among others factors. How close we are to implementing internationally-accepted standards of road width in Zambia? Further, how do we rate ourselves in driving behaviour?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member has touched on what I consider to be a long-term solution to the challenges in road safety.

Sir, some of the measures we are implementing are immediate while others are medium and long-term measures. The long-term measure is making sure that our design, engineering and construction of roads cater for all the safety provisions. To that effect, the RTSA, the institution tasked with road safety management, sits on the board of the Road Development Agency (RDA), which constructs roads. We have emphasised the need for the RTSA’s voice to be heard on safety measures and provisions for each road when contracts are given, and that before a particular contractor is paid, the RTSA must conduct an audit on whether all the safety provisions stipulated in the contract have been met. So, we will construct roads that meet international standards so that they are safe for use in the long term.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, how close are we to meeting the international standards?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the design standards of the roads vary from place to place because the conditions that prevail in each area vary. The engineers at the RDA design our roads based on the Zambian traffic counts, soil types, climate and all the other parameters peculiar to an area. However, as we move forward, we want to challenge ourselves to identify other provisions that we may need to incorporate in our designs so that we attain standards higher than the current ones.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, to start with, I agree with those who are saying that we seem to be shooting in the dark in responding to these calamities.

Sir, I represent a constituency where poverty levels are high and people engage in trade to end poverty. Initially, my people used to drive from Kalabo to Lusaka overnight, conduct their trade during the day and head back in the evening, thereby avoiding hotel bills and thieves at the Intercity Bus Terminus. Life was good then. Now, the Government has shot in the dark by banning buses from moving at night. Could the hon. Minister assure us that the people of Kalabo and, perhaps, Mongu will be exempted from the ban because of their poverty. In any case, there are no accidents the places I have mentioned. The accidents are in Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi and other areas.

Laughter

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the SI to which I referred is SI No. 76 of 2016, which restricted PSVs from moving at night, which was signed because the accident statistics spoke of the need to act. The accidents that occurred during that window were very frequent and severe. So, the Government could not sit back and just watch. That SI was a stop-gap measure while we worked on the other measures we wanted to roll out. Our hope is that the accidents that were occurring during that time will be addressed by the measures we are putting in place, such as the GPS, speed limiting, fatigue management, the seat belt SI and car seats for children, after which ban on night travel will be overtaken by events.

Sir, the SI does not exempt any region because we want it to be uniformly applied so that we preserve lives where we need to preserve them. The fact that we have not been having accidents on some roads is commendable. However, it is not a guarantee that we cannot have them there.

Sir, I emphasise that as part of road safety management, collaboration between the RTSA and the Zambia Police Service has been very good under the guidance of Hon. Kampyongo and I, who have been meeting to provide a lot of support to the two institutions, which are doing a very commendable job of managing safety on our roads.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chisopa (Mkushi South): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his elaborate statement.

Sir, what criterion is used in suspending operator licences?

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

Mr Chisopa: Is it the frequency or magnitude of the offence? I have asked this question because some transporters have killed fifty people in one accident while others killed ten in four or five road.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the Road Traffic Act of 2002 gives the RTSA power to determine which licence should be suspended based on the circumstances of the accident. The agency exercised that power when it suspended the licence for Mazhandu Family Bus Services. According to the information I was given, the move was largely necessitated by both the severity and frequency of the accidents and the history of apparent gross negligence of the operator.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Mr Speaker, I see that we are reactive instead of proactive. You would be amazed to see how trucks and buses speed on the Great North Road at 0500 hours. We are facing a death trap. Has the ministry undertaken a diligent study on whether we can provide for the trucks to move at night while the buses move during day time? It is futile for traffic police officers to be on the roads at 0800 hours when the buses and trucks start moving at 0500 hours. Even the last accident involving a Mazhandu bus happened around 0500 hours.

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ngulube:Ema Independent, aba!

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, before the SI was issued, there was extensive consultation with stakeholders, and many aspects of it were changed to accommodate their input, bearing in mind that we were trying to address a very gruesome picture of the accidents that we were experiencing, especially between those hours. We further commissioned a task force that continued to gather information on the interaction of the SI and the economy, transporters and other stakeholders. The study was concluded and a report submitted to my ministry. We have since reviewed it and sent it back for correction and clarification of some issues. Currently, we are waiting for feedback.

Mr Speaker, we do not have immediate plans to allow trucks and buses to move at different times. However, if the report advances compelling reasons for that to be done, we may consider doing it.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Siwanzi (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) is represented at Intercity Bus Terminus and my consultations have revealed that its officers check the state of drivers and buses that leave the station. However, the agency is only present at Intercity Bus Terminus, not in the other stations. Taking the example of a bus going to Nakonde, which is 1,000 km from Lusaka, surely, can we expect the state of the driver, on his return, to be the same as on his departure? So, the lack of presence of the RTSA in the other stations across the country defeats the purpose of what is done at the Intercity Bus Terminus. What is the ministry doing about this issue?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, we recognise that, currently, the RTSA’s reach is not in all parts of the country. If you recall, in the budget I presented for my ministry, the RTSA’s budget line was a bit higher because we are trying to ramp up its presence in all the districts and areas it needs to be. Hon. Members should also know that this is one Government in which there is a lot of inter-ministerial collaboration.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mushimba: As you are aware, the Zambia Police Service has a much wider reach than the RTSA. So, we have been working collaboratively with it to tackle the challenges on our roads. In doing so, we try to build on each other’s strengths. So, in areas where the RTSA is not present, we rely on the police.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, I appreciate the co-ordination and collaboration between the ministry and other stakeholders, including the bus owners. I believe that the people on the ground are the drivers. Has the ministry engaged the drivers to find out what contributes to these accidents? If it has, what are the issues that they cited for the problems on our roads?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, yes, we continue to interact with the bus drivers, who are a key stakeholder in this conversation. Not too long ago, I had representatives of the Bus and Taxi Drivers Association of Zambia in my office and we discussed the SI to which I referred earlier. Generally, the association is very supportive of our efforts. From what I have gathered, there is a gap between the owners and drivers that needs to be closed because the priorities and interests of the two parties are not always aligned. You may find an operator who incentivises speed because he wants to cover more ground and make a little more profit and a driver who is fatigued and resentful of doing what the owner wants, with consequence being that the driver is relieved of his duties. Part of the reason the ministry is asking the RTSA to implement safety programmes in organisations where there is one or more drivers is for the two mentalities to start being aligned so that the right behaviour starts being incentivised by both the owners and the drivers.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his elaborate statement.

Sir, my concern is that we will host a very important international sporting event for about two weeks and I foresee a lot of excitement and misbehaviour on the roads. Has the hon. Minister sat down with his counterpart at the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development to come up with a strategy for preventing accidents so that we continue to merit the confidence of the international community in hosting such events and increase the benefits that we want to accrue from the events?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the tournament we will host will generate behaviour similar to that usually exhibited during the festive season. You may recall that over the Christmas and New Year period, we issued a statement encouraging people to avoid driving while drunk as they celebrated, and to manage fatigue and all the other factors that impact on one’s ability to drive correctly. Our attitude to this event will be similar. So, like we do during similar periods, we will obviously increase road patrols, police and RTSA presence on our roads to make sure that vigilance and policing are enhanced to match the festivity of the period. Therefore, we will protect the lives of the people as we host and celebrate the tournament.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Tambatamba (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, I appreciate the statement issued by the hon. Minister.

Sir, in various conversations, the word ‘consultation’ has been used quite extensively and the hon. Minister has also said that consultations with stakeholders were done to enrich the measures that have been put in place in the past. However, we continue to see those measures fail. What new information has come to the table that he and the rest of the members of the strategy team will use to sharpen the new measures that will be put in place so that the measures are a little more, unlike the frequent changes of strategy that we have seen in the past?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that important question.

Sir, I have been hearing the comments around that, maybe, we are not as strategic as we should be in our thinking and implementation of these measures. Perhaps, we are not thinking through many of these things before we implement them. So, let me defend the ministry and the RTSA a little on this call.

Sir, what we have done is to understand the sector and see where the issues are coming from. Apart from that, we have to pilot certain things to see what would work. In that regard, we have gone outside the country to see what is working for our friends. We are, then, adopting and customising some of those measures. Hence, we have split them into immediate, medium and long-term measures. So, we feel that we are on the right track in terms of rolling out the measures.

Sir, to answer the hon. Member’s question, maybe, one thing that will change slightly is the strategic orientation of the RTSA. The agency’s focus has been a little more on policing, which is commendable. If the hon. Members read the Act, however, he would find that it is very limited on the policing aspect because the Government already has a police service. So, we only need to facilitate the police into help us with the policing aspect while the RTSA will focus on the issues surrounding the licensing of individuals and vehicles to operate on the roads. If you look at the curriculum for drivers’ training, the proliferated driving schools and how they are credentialed, and the garages that work on the vehicles before they are recertified for road worthiness, there are gaps to be closed and make sure that a driver who gets on the road fully understands the responsibility of driving and a vehicle that gets on the road can operate there safely. So, we will see that strategic reorientation as we continue battling road carnage in this country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, I appreciate the statement issued by the hon. Minister. It is quite comprehensive and the answers are also very articulate.

Sir, the hon. Minister rightly said that there are many causes of accidents on our roads. Among them, he outlined them a lack of skills, bad roads and non-roadworthy vehicles. He also included cited driving at night, hence the issuance the statutory instrument (SI) that banned night driving.

Mr Speaker, I am not aware of a country that has banned night driving because of accidents. Maybe, the hon. Minister is. I know that it is regrettable to lose human life, but accidents will always be there. Further, the economy runs during the night.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Member: Question!

Mr Lufuma: Yes!

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Ask your question.

Mr Lufuma: Sir, the banning of night driving means that the Government is banning economic activities …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lufuma: … that should drive this ‒

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

What is your question?

Mr Lufuma: Sir, has the Government conducted study on the negative impact on our economy of banning night driving? If such a study was conducted, could the hon. Minister tell us the findings.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, SI No. 76 of 2016 was a difficult instrument for the ministry because we understand where we are coming from and knew that restricting driving at night would negatively impact the economy and transporters who prefer to drive in the night. It is for that reason that I started my statement by talking about the collaboration and stakeholders engagements that preceded the issuance of the SI. I also talked about the task force that has continued to gather more information after the SI was issued. Further, I reported that the task force has concluded its work and presented its report to the ministry, which has studied the report and sent it back with feedback.

Sir, with regard to the hon. Member’s concern about how we can help the economy by allowing night driving, I would like to state that once the situation that necessitated the issuance of the SI is addressed by all the other measures about which I spoke, the SI might be overtaken by events.

Sir, I have had engagements with many of the economic players who have been impacted negatively by the SI. I have since challenged them to be part of the solution instead of sitting on fence and complaining.

Mr Speaker, if I transport maize in the night, I should ask myself what I am putting on the table in terms of addressing the problem that necessitated the issuance of the SI. Let us engage one another so that I understand that you have instituted a training programme in your institution, all your drivers have gone through defensive driving and speed limiters have been installed on your vehicles. Those are the solutions that they can come to me with and be part of the solution. Thereafter, we can have a conversation about lifting the ban. Otherwise, this engagement will continue until we get to that happy medium where the economy is not drastically impacted. Life is precious and cannot be equated to profits or some of the considerations that have been forwarded. As a Government, we have a responsibility to protect the lives of our people.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, the concerns of the House, so far, have bordered on credible validated information. The hon. Minister’s reference to causal factors and the measures to address the road carnage is inextricably related to research. Unfortunately, he has not clearly informed the House on whether the research apparatus is well-established enough in his ministry to give him credible validated information on road accidents and their causes. Can the hon. Minister shed some light on that because it is important.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, before I answer that question, I would like to go back to the previous question because I forgot to address the aspect of whether there are other jurisdictions where the ban on night driving has been imposed.

Sir, it might interest the hon. Member to know that public buses are restricted from moving after midnight in Tanzania while trucks do not move after 1800 hours in Botswana. Going farther afield to America, there is a restriction on the age at which a person can drive without a parent or guardian. So, yes, there are similar restrictions in other jurisdictions in which I think the restrictions are used as a means of normalising bad situations that may have been experienced.

Sir, getting back to research, the RTSA has an information-gathering arm and can hire external researchers whenever it feels inadequate to conduct some specific research internally. Even much of the information I have shared today on the causes of accidents and the measures we have implemented, to which the hon. Member has referred, was actually derived from the research that has been conducted by RTSA staff or hired researchers. The research has helped us to drive the road safety profile in the direction we want, which is zero accidents.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukumbuta: Mr Speaker, yesterday, around 2100 hours, when I was driving from Kitwe to Lusaka, I saw trucks moving at night and was very surprised to see how traffic officers have become active at night to bargain and allow trucks to pass through check points. Were it within my means, I would have impounded both the trucks and the traffic officers.

Laughter

Mr Mukumbuta: Sir, my question is: Is the statutory instrument (SI) or semi-law applied selectively?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the laws of the land are applied across the board, not selectively, and I would like to report to the House that the information we have looked at indicates that compliance with the SI has been very good. When violations like the one the hon. Member witnessed are reported, we ensure that they do not recur through increased vigilance. I, however, repeat that compliance to the SI has been very good, as far as the ministry and the RTSA are concerned.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, it is clear that the ban on public buses travelling at night is a bad decision that must be reversed.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: When coming up with this decision, did the ministry take into account such things as public health? For instance, if a bus travelling from the Western Province reaches Kafue National Park at 2100 hours, it has to stop and people have to sleep on the bus. However, we know that public buses have no toilets, children’s nappies have to be changed and some passengers may need to change sanitary pads.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: In light of the ban, how is the Government taking care of hygiene issues like these during travel?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, I think that the process we went through before we enacted this law included a lot of stakeholder engagements, ...

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mushimba: … sensitisation and discussions with transport operators to ensure that as the law took effect, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the right!

Mr Mushimba: … the scheduling of trips would be adjusted accordingly so that we did not have people reaching national parks at 2100 hours and having to sleep there. To a large extent, the transporters have accordingly adjusted their schedules. So, if a bus services the Lusaka-Copperbelt route, the operator knows that it has to start off by 1400 hours in order to reach the destination by 2100 hours. That is what is happening. Further, as we look at the reports from the task force, we will continue to address any other issue that will negatively affect people outside the intention of law and any other measures on which we are working.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, on 5^th October, 2016, about five months ago, a bus operator drove all the way from the Copperbelt to Lusaka into the Woodlands area to the residence of the Marist Fathers. That bus is still parked in front of the gate, obstructing the priests from going in or driving out of their residence. The priests have reported the case but, to date, no attention has being paid to the matter. What law is being applied in causing the hardworking Marist Brothers to suffer in that manner?

Mr Speaker: I have a problem with that question because it is not related to the ministerial statement.

Laughter

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, regarding Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 76, earlier, I heard the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development say that he wanted soccer fans to flood our stadia and give support to our team during the Confederation for African Football (CAF) Under-20 tournament being hosted by Zambia. Now, we have just been told that the last bus from the Copperbelt to Lusaka must leave at 1400 hours. My concern is about the Copperbelt-based football fans who will want to watch games starting at 1530 hours. It means that they cannot travel back home at the end of the games. Will the SI not restrict the number of people who will watch the games?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, I think I touched on the issues that we have to take into account as we make preparations for this tournament. The SI is law and we have to respect it. So, it is incumbent upon all of us who want to go to Ndola or come to Lusaka to watch the game to plan accordingly so that we can get to the venues without violating the law.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwamba (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, currently, it is a hell run to drive at night on our roads from Lusaka to Ndola and Nakonde via Kapiri Mposhi. Sometimes, I drive on the opposite lane without knowing that I have done so simply because the road markings have been erased.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwamba: What is the ministry doing to ensure that the road markings are maintained at all times of the day?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the issue that has been raised by the hon. Member is well-known to all of us who use the roads. In certain areas, the roads could have better signage and markings, and I spoke about the collaboration between the RTSA and the RDA to ensure that all the safety measures that need to be on the roads are factored into some of the contracts that we sign with road contractors. We will also ensure that the safety measures we have prescribed are implemented by the road contractors before we give them their final payment. Further, the RDA will endeavour to repaint all markings that are reported to have been eroded.

Sir, the last time I had a conversation with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RDA, we brainstormed around the type of materials we use to mark our roads, which erode after a short time and he informed me that the agency was looking at ways of making sure that the materials used for road markings be ones that will last much longer than the ones used in the past.

Sir, many safety measures will be operationalised as we move forward because they are a key component in our fight to make our roads safe.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Mwashingwele (Katuba): Mr Speaker, listening to the questions that have been asked, I have realised that the issue of consultation has come up several times. Out of interest, is the hon. Minister able to tell us which stakeholders were consulted, seeing as hon. Members of this House, whom I believe to also be stakeholders, were not consulted?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, obviously, not everyone can be consulted.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Mushimba: When you think about it, all of us are stakeholders in one way or the other in many of the laws that we enact. However, the ones we consider are those who are directly linked to the issue. In this case, we have met the associations for vehicle owners, drivers and pedestrians. In fact, many of the associations are represented on the RTSA Board. So, the conversation on safety took place internally. Apart from the direct stakeholders, there are indirect ones, such as people from the mining and agricultural sectors, who were also consulted because they are impacted upon by the decisions of the RTSA. So, wide consultations took place and are still taking place to ensure that we do not make decisions in a vacuum or act as though we know it all. Wisdom is not a preserve of a few people.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: What about hon. Members of Parliament, hon. Minister? Were they consulted? The question was on whether hon. Members of Parliament were part of the stakeholders consulted.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, thank you for reminding me to address the question directly. However, I will need to reference the documentation in the ministry to see if hon. Members of Parliament were consulted. As you are aware, this SI was implemented before I joined the ministry. So, I beg to be allowed to do that before I can answer this question.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has mentioned that we have got a machine that is used to tell how good a vehicle is. Can that machine tell when the steering wheel, ball joints, shocks and tie rodends are finished on a vehicle? I ask because those are some of the parts whose malfunctioning cause most of the accidents.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, many of those parts he has touched on are looked at when vehicles are tested by the machine, but the tests go further than that to include tail lights. The machine is a very good. I have taken time to inspect one in Mimosa and I was thoroughly impressed by the battery of tests to which it subjects vehicles before certifying them roadworthy.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Zimba (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, I asked the Director of the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) what the agency’s criterion for suspending the licence of a transport company was and his response was that licences are not only suspended based on the number of traffic accidents in which a company is involved in, but also on other criteria, such as driver fatigue and training workshops for drivers. However, I have not heard of the RTSA suspend a company’s licence as a preventive measure. Whenever the agency has suspended a licence, it has been after an accident has occurred, meaning it is reactive instead of proactive. Does the agency have the mandate to suspend a company’s licence before an accident occurs?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, that is an interesting question from the hon. Member.

Sir, I think that being proactive is an area in which we can all do better. Speaking for the RTSA, that is an area in which it can do better, in terms of, maybe, conducting inspections on licence holders to see whether they have road safety programmes that they should have, whether their drivers have the necessary training and whether the vehicles are kept perpetually roadworthy. So, I will take the message of proactiveness to the agency because we need to focus on being proactive rather than reactive.

Sir, to answer an earlier question, I have been informed that hon. Members of Parliament, through the Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply for the Eleventh National Assembly, were consulted when SI No. 76 of 2016 was enacted,.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that there was a 4 per cent reduction in the number of accidents in 2016, compared with 2015. Are there any measures to which he can attribute that reduction?

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, the ultimate objective of the measures we have been putting in place is to turn the trajectory of accidents in the direction we want. Like I mentioned earlier, many of the measures have been well-thought-through and researched. Further, their positive impact has been referenced in other jurisdictions where they have been implemented. Take the example of the seat belt laws. In many countries where they have been enforced, the accident survival rates drastically increased because a person who is restrained in his or her seat when an accident occurs has an increase chance of surviving. So, I want to believe that the 4 per cent reduction in accidents we have seen has been a result of the measures we have implemented and continue to implement.

Sir, let me just put the reduction in accidents in context. If you look at the numbers of vehicles that were on our roads in 2016, compared with 2015, you will see that the reduction is by much more than 4 per cent because of the continuous increase in the vehicle population. Had the vehicle population remained static, the reduction would have been relatively higher because the probability of the occurrence of accidents falls and rises with the vehicle population. That said, the 4 per cent reduction is still good and we will take it any day, even as we hope to continue seeing the number go down as we roll out new measures to improve road safety.

I thank you, Sir.

________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, it is now time for Questions for Oral Answer. However, but before we begin, I wish to remind you that in accordance with Order No. 30(7) of the Revised Standing Orders of 2016, you are now allowed to ask two follow-up questions instead of one.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Copies of the Revised Standing Orders of 2016 were distributed to all of you through your pigeonholes. I, therefore, urge all of you to check your pigeonholes for your copies. Anyone of you who will not find a copy should immediately contact the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly. I urge you, once again, to familiarise yourselves with the Revised Standing Orders.

CONSTRUCTION OF MOTHERS’ SHELTER AT LUBUSHI CLINIC

63. Mr Kafwaya (Lunte) asked the Minister of Health:

(a) when the construction of a Mothers’ Shelter at Lubushi Clinic in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency would be completed; and

(b) what the cause of the delay in completing the project was.

The Minister of Higher Education (Prof. Luo) (on behalf ofthe Minister of Health(Dr Chilufya)): Mr Speaker, the construction of a Mothers’ Shelter at Lubushi Rural Health Centre in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency will be completed this.

Sir, the project was funded in 2009 under the Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EMONC), a pilot project to construct mothers’ shelters and maternity wards in four districts that included Kasama, and was administered by the Public Service Management Division (PSMD) at Cabinet Office in Lusaka. The contract was awarded to Gladal Engineering Limited. However, due to the contractor’s delay in completing the works, the contract was terminated. Unfortunately, the EMONC Project came to an end before a new contractor could be engaged. Luckily, the Ministry of Health has prioritised the completion of the project, which is currently at the roof level. The funding has been provided for in the 2017 Infrastructure Operational Plan.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the effortless grace in her response, and for informing me that the Mothers’ Shelter will be completed this year 2017. However, I would like to find out whether the Ministry of Health will ensure that the issues that led to the previous contractor’s failure to deliver this project on time and within the budget that was provided for in 2009 will be avoided in awarding the contract to the next contractor.

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, I know that we usually like to celebrate success, but failure is also important because it teaches us lessons on how to avoid failures in subsequent projects or phases. For this reason, I assure the hon. Member for Lunte that we have learnt lessons and we will ensure that this project is successfully implemented.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that this was a pilot project in four districts. What happened to the phases of the project in the other districts? Have the contractors abandoned the works there, too? Further, when will this important project be rolled out?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, unfortunately, since there was no question asked on what happened to the project in the other districts, I have to ask that I be given time to consult before I can answer. However, I can assure the hon. Member that EMONC was a pilot project and, depending on the needs of other districts in the country, the ministry can consider rolling out the project

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMA MAGISTRATE’S COURT

64. Mr D. Mumba (Chama North) asked the Minister of Justice:

when the construction of the Chama Magistrates Court would be completed;

what had caused the delay in completing the project;

what the cost of the project was; and

what the time frame for the completion of the project was.

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Mr Speaker, the date of completion of the construction of the Magistrate’s Court in Chama will be established after the contractor, Jonda Construction, submits a revised programme of work to the Judiciary.

Sir, the construction of Chama Magistrate’s Court was planned to be completed on 30^th June, 2015, and take forty-eight weeks. The project, however, stalled due to non-payment of K1,377,257.44 to the contractor after the certificates of work were issued. The contractor has since been written to extend the contract period.

Sir, the cost of the project was K4,915,036.82.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, it is worrying that the Government failed to pay for the certificates for a project that had an allocation in the Budget. What happened to the money that was allocated for the project?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I, like the hon. Member, wondered whether there had been a budgetary allocation for this work before the contract was signed. However, the information on record is that the Judiciary had signed the contract in anticipation of the disbursement of money from Government for that project. Unfortunately, the money was not released, and that is the reason the Judiciary did not pay the contractor.

Sir, let me rest my colleagues’ anxieties by stating that the Judiciary has assured me that it has provided for the project in the 2017 Budget and that works will be completed during the course of the year.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, we all know that having a budgetary allocation does not necessarily guarantee that the funds will be disbursed when the time comes to execute the project. What guarantee do we have that the Government will pay the contractor now when it does not seem to have money?

Laughter

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I will leave the issue of whether the Government has money or not to the relevant authorities because I do not think it is in the remit of anyone who is not in charge of the Treasury to determine that.

Sir, regarding the other part of the question, I already indicated that the Judiciary assured me that the money is available and that the project will be fully financed during the course of this year.

I thank you, Sir.

ELECTRIFICATION OF MKUSHI NORTH

65. Ms Mwape (Mkushi North) asked the Minister of Energy when electrification of the following institutions in Mkushi North Parliamentary Constituency by the Rural Electrification Authority would commence:

Fiwila Mission Hospital; and

Fiwila Mission School.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, according to the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP), the electrification of Fiwila Mission Hospital and Fiwila Mission School in Mkushi North Constituency is earmarked for 2020.

Sir, to provide context, on 2^nd January, 2017, Hon. Mwape, the Member of Parliament for Mkushi North, and I toured Fiwila Mission Hospital and Fiwila Mission School.

Ms Mwape indicated assent.

Mr Mabumba: Subsequent to our tour, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) conducted a feasibility study on 12^th January, 2017, and estimated the cost of electrifying that area to be K6.3 million. Therefore, I assure the hon. Member, just like I assured the people of that area, that the Ministry of Energy will electrify that area before 2021.

I thank you, Sir.

COMMUNICATION TOWERS FOR FEIRA CONSTITUENCY

66. Mr S. Miti (Feira) asked the Minister of Transport and Communication:

when the Government would facilitate the construction of communication towers to cover the entire Feira Parliamentary Constituency;

what the cost of the project was; and

what the time frame for the completion of the project was.

The Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Mushimba): Mr Speaker, the construction of communication towers in Feira Parliamentary Constituency will be implemented under Phase II of the Communication Towers Project, which will commence immediately after the Government concludes its discussions with the Export and Import (XIM) Bank or as soon as the rainy season ends.Three towers are earmarked for construction in Kaliva, Kaboo and Kaona areas of the constituency.

Sir, the estimated cost of Phase II of this project is K280,764,601.55.

Sir, the project is expected to be completed in three-and-half years after commencement.

Mr Speaker, as you may remember, I laid the map for the proposed siting of communication towers in Phase II on the Table and all questions asked by hon. Members on that map are being addressed by the ministry, but that consideration will not impact on the commencement date of the project.

Sir, further, I will issue a comprehensive statement on Phases I and II of the construction of communication towers in the near future.

I thank you, Sir.

DEPLOYMENT OF CLINICAL OFFICERS AND NURSES TO LUPOSOSHI CONSTITUENCY AND REPLACEMENT OF LUWINGU DISTRICT HOSPITAL AMBULANCE

67. Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi) asked the Minister of Health:

when the Government would deploy clinical officers to the following health centres in Lupososhi Parliamentary Constituency:

Tungati;

Nsombo;

Chungu; and

Katuta;

when nurses would be deployed to the following health posts in the constituency:

Fikonkota;

Lundu

Mutondo; and

Mumba; and

when an ambulance would be procured for Luwingu District Hospital to replace the one which was involved in a road traffic accident.

The Minister of Higher Education (Professor Luo) (on behalf of the Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, the Government will continue deploying clinical officers to Tungati, Nsombo, Chungu and Katuta in Lupososhi Parliamentary Constituency in 2017 during the current recruitment exercise. So far, seven clinical officers have been deployed to Luwingu District.

Sir, the Government has deployed twenty-four health workers to Luwingu District under which Lupososhi Constituency falls. The facilities at Fikonkota, Lundu, Mutondwa and Mumba will benefit from the twenty-four nurses.

Mr Speaker, the ambulance for Luwingu, which was involved in an accident will be replaced through the insurance claim. However, the process has delayed because the insurance company is awaiting disposal of the court case involving the driver of the ambulance.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, there were, indeed, a number of clinical officers that I found on the ground, as I have just returned from there. However, soon after I left Chungu Health Centre, the clinical officer who was there was transferred and that has left some members of the public wondering whether the deployment was just a window-dressing act. When will we see additional officers deployed to Luwingu?

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Speaker: When I suspended business, the hon. Member for Lupososhi had just asked a follow-up question on the Acting hon. Minister of Health’s answer to his principal question. May the Acting hon. Minister of Health respond.

Prof. Luo: Sir, I assure the hon. Member that was not mere window-dressing, but a demonstration of our desire to deploy clinical officers to all our health centres.

Sir, let me take advantage of this question to explain what happens at the district level. The distribution of clinical officers and transfers are usually based on the needs of particular health facilities, the distances to the nearest facility with the officers in question and the desire to put qualified health professionals in particular places of the district.

Sir, the transfer of the clinical officer was not meant to deprive the health centre in question of his services, as another clinical officer will take over from the former. We had another centre that did not have any medical staff. So, we just had to deploy him there. Sooner than later, the hon. Member will have a replacement for officer. As I had said earlier, the recruitment will continue in 2017.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kufakwandi (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, in my constituency, there are two health posts that were completed last year. Seeing as a number of health posts have been completed in many parts of this country, when will the recruitment and deployment of medical staff be completed so that the centres can start delivering the services for which they were built?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, the recruitment of staff is an on-going exercise. However, as soon as we finalise the recruitment, the members of staff will be deployed to the health centres.

Sir, let me hasten to say that the country is in a dire need of health professionals and that is why the ministry has a programme to continuously recruit staff and ensure that all the institutions that are under-staffed are equipped with appropriate staff.

I thank you, Sir.

ELECTRIFICATION OF CHIEFDOMS IN MPIKA DISTRICT

68. Dr Malama (Kanchibiya) asked the Minister of Energy when the following Chiefdoms in Mpika District would be electrified under the Rural Electrification Programme (REP):

Chiundaponde;

Kabinga;

Kopa;

Mpepo; and

Luchembe.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, the electrification of Chiundaponde, Kabinga and Kopa are earmarked for 2019 in the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP).

Mr Speaker, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is currently implementing a project to connect public institutions in Mpepo Chiefdom at a cost of K1 million. The beneficiaries of that project are Chief Mpepo’s palace, the market area, Mpepo Primary School and Mpepo Secondary School. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Mr Speaker, according to the REMP, the electrification of Chembe is scheduled for 2017 and REA has already conducted a feasibility study whose projected cost is K5 million.

Sir, the implementation of all these projects will depend on the availability of funds.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE KALABA/KAKOMA/KATAI FEEDER ROAD

69. Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa) asked the Minister of Local Government:

when the construction of the feeder road from Kalaba to Katai via Kakomo in Kaputa District would commence;

what had caused the delay in commencing the project; and

what the time frame for the completion of the project was.

The Minister of Local Government (Mr Mwale): Mr Speaker, the construction of the feeder road from Kalaba to Katai via Kakomo in Kaputa District commenced in January, 2016. The contractor is A Plus and progress is at 10 per cent.

Sir, the works stalled due to budgetary constraints and will only resume when the contractor is paid. So, what has caused the delay is non-payment of the contractor, not non-commencement.

Sir, the time frame for completion of the project is twelve months.

Mr Speaker, for the information of the hon. Member, the project is under the Road Development Agency (RDA).

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, I just came from Kaputa last weekend and wish to report that A Plus or Mr Majura, the contractor, is not on site as I speak. Will he get back on site when the rainy season comes to an end or will it be an issue of starting all over again?

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, we defaulted by not paying the contractor enough money to stay on site and execute more than 10 per cent of the works. However, we hope that the Treasury will be able to source the money to pay this contractor through the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development, and the RDA so that the work is completed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, it appears as though there is a problem between the contractors and the Treasury. When the ministries make their budgets for programmes, what assurances do they get from the Ministry of Finance? I am asking this because people are being given empty promises. We have been hearing of massive developments in Kaputa. So, I am surprised to learn that only 10 per cent of the work was done there.

Interruptions

Mr Muchima: What assurance will this Government give to the people of Kaputa that the project will be completed in the 2017 Budget Cycle?

Interruptions

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the 10 per cent we are talking about only relates to this particular road. All the other projects, including some on water reticulation and health, are progressing well. So, the Government is working and it is important for the hon. Member to take note of that.

Mr Speaker, the Treasury is doing everything possible to raise funds for all the on-going contracts and it has done a lot to clear the debts it owes contractors. A lot of money has been poured into infrastructure development in general. I, therefore, assure the people that this project will be completed.

I thank you, Sir.

ELECTRIFICATION OF CHIEFDOMS IN LUNDAZI DISTRICT

70. Ms Jere (Lumezi) asked the Minister of Energy:

(a) when the electrification of the area from Chief Chanje to Chief Zumwanda along the Chipata/Lundazi Road would commence; and

(b) when the following Chiefs’ palaces in Lundazi District would be electrified:

(i) Chieftainess Mwase Mphangwe;

(ii) Chief Chikomeni;

(iii) Chief Zumwanda;

(iv) Chief Mwanya;

(v) Chief Chitungulu;

(vi) Chief Kazembe.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, Chief Chanje’s palace was electrified under the 2014 Rural Electrification Programme (REP).

Sir, according to the Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP), the electrification of the area from Chief Chanje to Chief Zumwanda along the Chipata/Lundazi Road was supposed to commence in 2016. However, due to the lack of funds, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) was not able to implement the project.

Sir, according to the same plan, the electrification of palaces for Chiefs Mwase Mphangwe, Chikomeni, Zumwanda, Mwanya, Chitungulu and Kazembe in Lundazi District was earmarked for 2016. However, due to a lack of funds, the palaces for Chiefs Chikomeni and Chitungulu were the only ones electrified using solar home systems in 2008 and 2016, respectively.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Jere: Mr Speaker, I am surprised by the hon. Minister’s response. As we speak, there is a Chinese company in the area that is supposed to electrify the areas from Chanje via Lundazi to Chama. Is the hon. Minister not aware of that project?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, I am not too sure to which project the hon. Member is referring. However, the contract for the project that is supposed to be implemented by REA has not been awarded to a contractor. Maybe, she is referring to a project we were implementing from Pensulo to Chipata, which is a high-voltage transmission line that goes into Chama and the contractor is a Chinese company. That project has nothing to do with the one involving the area along the Chipata/Lundazi Road.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Jere: Mr Speaker, according to the map, the power line will go along the road and some Government institutions are supposed to be connected. Is the hon. Minister not aware of the document about which I am talking?

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: I saw that coming.

Laughter

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, for the information of my hon. Colleagues, you cannot tap power from a 300 KV high-voltage transmission line to distribute to schools or households. You will need a step-down transformer. So, the only project that we can implement as part of our distribution system into Chanje along the Lundazi Road is to step down the high-voltage power to 11 KV or 66 KV lines to which we can connect the institutions. So, the high-voltage line that will ultimately go into Chama is not meant to electrify the palaces and areas in Chanje and along the Lundazi Highway.

I think that I will chat with the hon. Member after this sitting to get more information from her.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Speaker: That is what you need to do.

Laughter

REHABILITATION AND ELECTRIFICATION OF PALACES FOR CHIEFS SHIBWALYA KAPILA AND MUKUPA KAOMA

71. Mr Kafwaya (Lunte) asked the Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs:

(a) when the rehabilitation of the palaces for the following chiefs in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency would commence:

(i) Shibwalya Kapila; and

(ii) Mukupa Kaoma; and

(b) when the palaces would be provided with solar power.

The Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs (Mr Sichalwe): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs wrote to the provincial administration office requesting it to assess the state of dilapidation of the palaces and, thereafter, provide the ministry with a bill of quantities (BoQ). We have since received the BOQs from the Northern Province Administration and have permitted the provincial administration to commence the tendering process. So, the works will be executed in 2017.

Mr Speaker, the ministry has written to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to consider providing solar power to the palaces of Chiefs Shibwalya Kapila and Mukupa Kaoma.

I thank you, Sir.

DEPLOYMENT OF ADDITIONAL AGRICULTURAL CAMP OFFICERS TO CHAMA DISTRICT

72. Mr Miti (Feira) asked the Minister of Agriculture:

(a) when additional agricultural camp officers would be deployed to Chama District, where fifteen camps had no officers; and

(b) what had caused the delay in deploying camp officers to the district.

The Minister of Agriculture (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, there are twenty-eight camps in Chama District, of which only ten have camp officers, leaving a deficit of eighteen, not fifteen. The ministry is aware of the deficit in the staffing levels, especially at the block and camp levels.

Sir, the country has 1,842 agricultural camps and 369 agricultural blocks. Of these, 1,486 camps and 297 blocks have staff, leaving 256 vacancies for agricultural extension officers. In order to address the staffing challenges in a holistic manner, the ministry will, through a Cabinet Memorandum, seek authority to employ the required number of extension officers. Further, the ministry is aware that extension staff require the some essential amenities to operate effectively, particularly housing and transport. So, through the annual budgets, it will procure motorcycles for extension staff in 2017 and deploy agricultural camp officers once Treasury authority has been granted by the Cabinet.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

HUMAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT IN LUANGWA DISTRICT

73. Mr Miti asked the Minister of Tourism and Arts:

what measures the Government was taking to stop the human-animal conflict, particularly to stop elephants from attacking villagers and destroying their crops in the following villages in Luangwa District:

Kavalamanja;

Amolo and Chilombwe;

Chidada and Kabila;

Kamba;

Mandombe;

Chiendeyende;

Kakaro;

Mphuka;

Mwantigora;

Kapoche;

Nyankindi; and

Yapite and Janeiro; and

when the measures would be implemented.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (Ms Kapata) (on behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Arts (Mr Banda)): Mr Speaker, human-animal conflicts have apparently increased in some parts of the country, primarily because people have encroached on, settled and cultivated in wildlife habitats and corridors, thereby increasing human-animal encounters. As a result, humans have been killed, injured and/or their property damaged while animals have been killed, disturbed or displaced from their habitats. In response, the Government has instituted the following measures to address the problem, and protect people and their crops in Luangwa District:

the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, with the support of Child Fund International, has put up a solar fence around a farming block in Kavalamanja. The project is ongoing and will be extended to other affected communities;

the Department of National Parks and Wildlife buys fireworks for deterring elephants on a regular basis and distributes them to villagers in the affected areas;

the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Luangwa responds to all human-wildlife conflict reports and deploys officers to scare or cull problem animals to stop crop damage or predation on livestock;

the Department of National Parks and Wildlife sensitises community members in the affected areas not to move after 1800 hours, especially after drinking beer;

the possibility of relocating communities, such as Kabila and Ludaka, which are situated in the elephant corridors, to other areas is being explored; and

with the election of new Community Resources Boards (CRBs), we will engage communities in community-based human-animal conflict mitigation, which will be implemented soon. As you may know, the department has been having challenges in adequately responding to reports of problem animals countrywide due to inadequate manpower and transport.

Mr Speaker, the measures are already being implemented and their implementation will be continued and expanded in 2017 as an on-going programme.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Miti: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the Community Resource Boards (CRBs) in Luangwa are not effective because they are not funded?

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, the funding of CRBs is actually community-based. The communities raise money and pay the CRB members allowances.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miti: Mr Speaker, the Acting hon. Minister of Tourism and Art has rightly said that the solar electricity fencing of a maize field in Kavalamanja was done by Child Fund International. Does this mean that the Government has nothing on the table for Feira Constituency in terms of controlling human-animal conflict? I say this because we have just been relying on mentioned non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, in my answer, I stated that the ministry gives fireworks to villagers for use ‒

Mr Mwiimbu: Fireworks?

Ms Kapata: Yes.

Mr Speaker: That is what the hon. Minister said.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Continue, hon. Minister.

Hon. Opposition Members: Fireworks?

Ms Kapata: Fireworks, yes. I said that in my response.

Sir, we give fireworks to villagers for them to use to scare away animals that pose a threat to people or their crops. We also recommend other methods for keeping animals away, such as growing chillies around fields to keep elephants and beating drums, which scares animals away.

Interruptions

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, since the Government’s methods are not working and the community wants additional funds, my sister, the hon. Minister ‒

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Ikeleng’i!

Reserve that address for interactions off the Floor of the House.

Laughter

Mr Muchima: Sir, the people of the area, through the hon. Member, who is ably representing them, are saying that they need the Government’s hand. Is the Government not sympathetic? I know that it is broke, …

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Interruptions

Mr Muchima: … but will it not help in another way, since the fireworks and other means are not working?

Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, I thank Hon. Muchima for that question.

Sir, I have said that we are looking at other options, such as relocating the people away from animal corridors. We only have to look for places where those people can be taken.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR CHIEF KABINGA’S AREA

74. Dr Malama (Kanchibiya) asked the Minister of General Education:

whether the Government had any plans to construct a secondary school in Chief Kabinga’s area in Kanchibiya Parliamentary Constituency;

if so, when the plans would be implemented; and

if there were no such plans, what the reason was.

The Minister of General Education (Dr Wanchinga): Mr Speaker, there are no immediate plans to construct a secondary school in chief Kabinga’s area in Kanchibiya Parliamentary Constituency. However, the Government will construct secondary schools in areas that are currently not adequately served by existing secondary schools, including Kanchibiya Constituency, once the schools currently under construction are completed.

Sir, in view of my answer to part (a) of the question, part (b) falls off.

Mr Speaker, as regards the last part of the question, we shall consider constructing new secondary schools in his constituency in the future.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Dr Malama: Mr Speaker, the chiefdom has a big population of children and we all know that function informs structure. What will the Government do about higher education for the children in Chief Kabinga’s area?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, I am not sure whether the hon. Member is referring asking about increased access to secondary or primary schools when he uses the term ‘higher education,’ which is the preserve of the hon. Minister of Higher Education. However, I will answer on the assumption that he is referring to more space at the secondary and primary school levels.

Sir, my ministry is in advanced discussions with the World Bank concerning the intended construction of eighty-two secondary schools, and we hope that Kanchibiya Constituency will be a beneficiary of the initiative.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Dr Malama: Mr Speaker, I thank you for the Revised Standing Orders.

Mr Speaker: They are not mine.

Laughter

Dr Malama: Mr Speaker, the question I have for the hon. Minister, who has been very active, and I am grateful that my constituency has benefitted a lot from his efforts, is: How will the children in Chief Kabinga’s area progress from Grade 7 to Grade 8 when there is no secondary school in the area?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, we are in the process of upgrading a number of schools around the country and Kanchibiya Constituency is being considered under the programme. So, the hon. Member can tell the people of Kanchibiya that the ministry will upgrade some schools in the constituency.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is not being categorical in his answers.

Mr Ngulube: Question!

Mr Muchima: The hon. Member of Parliament for Kanchibiya wants an answer to the lack of a secondary school in Chief Kabinga’s chiefdom and he has identified that as a great need. In response, the hon. Minister indicated that eighty-two secondary schools will be constructed in the country. Could he assure us that a new secondary school will be constructed in Chief Kabinga’s area.

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, the easiest way of meeting the need of higher education in Chief Kabinga’s area is upgrading schools in the chiefdom. However, I also said that there might be an opportunity for the chiefdom to benefit from the programmes we are discussing with the World Bank.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

CONSTRUCTION OF FIVE HEALTH POSTS FOR KAPUTA DISTRICT

75. Mr Ng’onga asked the Minister of Health:

when the construction of the five health posts in Kaputa District would commence;

what had caused the delay in commencing the project; and

when the casual workers engaged to clear the sites for the construction of the health posts would be paid their wages.

Prof. Luo(on behalf ofthe Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya)): Mr Speaker, the five health posts in Kaputa District are part of the 650 health posts that the Government is constructing throughout Zambia through the Indian line of credit.

Sir, the construction of the health posts in Kaputa District will commence as soon as funds are released to enable a new contractor to move on site. The Ministry of Health is currently engaging the Ministry of Finance on the issue.

Sir, the delay in commencing the project is a result of the termination of the contract that was awarded to Angelique International Limited, who was the contractor for project in the North-Western, Northern, Muchinga and Luapula provinces.

Mr Speaker, the Government was not party to the agreement between the contractor and the casual workers. Hence, it is difficult for me to say when they will be paid. However, the ministry notes that money is still owed to Angelique International Limited for the work done prior to termination of the contract and the Ministry of Finance is discussing modalities for settling the debt.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, I thank for hon. Minister for the good answer. However, since Angelique International Limited did not construct the five health posts for the people of Kaputa, is there any possibility of the ministry finding some resources somewhere to facilitate the construction of one or two health posts, seeing as the existing ones are far apart?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, the ministry is aware of the long distances that people have to travel in order to access health services. Therefore, it has rethought the whole approach to health care delivery in the country. As you know, hospitals and clinics are an endpoint. When people get sick, they go to the hospital to seek health care. Therefore, the current approach is to create health teams that will deliver health services at the community level so that we minimise the need for patients to go to hospitals and clinics.

Mr Speaker, you may recall that in 1984, we started closing down all the tuberculosis (TB) hospitals in preference of using a community-based approach to tuberculosis care and we were able to deal with the disease that way. It only re-emerged because of its association with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic. Therefore, the ministry intends to start training more community-based nurses, clinical officers and social scientists so that they can work with people at the community level to keep them healthy, and advise them on good nutrition and dietary behaviour, and how to on access clean water and on good sanitation.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, has any progress been made by the ministry in mobilising the counterpart funding of US$5 million, since we were informed that is one of the main reasons the health posts cannot be constructed, especially in my constituency?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, the Indian Government advised us to terminate the contract and, currently, the Ministry of Finance is discussing the modalities of how we can move forward on those resources.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chisopa (Mkushi South): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the Government owes the contractor some money. What led to the termination of the contract?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, the funding of the project was through an Indian line of credit. The reasons for termination of the contract are very clear. As the Government, we insist on getting value for money. Therefore, if we see unsatisfactory works, we have the right to terminate the contract like we did, and discussions are going on for the engagement of another contractor.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Musonda (Kamfinsa): Mr Speaker, how far has Jaguar Overseas Limited gone in equipping the already-completed health posts? I have asked this question because, to date, one of the health posts in my constituency has remained unequipped despite the structure having been completed a long time ago.

Prof Luo: Mr Speaker, since this requires a bit of computing, I ask your leave to come back to the House and give you a more detailed answer after talking to the procurement team.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, we were assured on the Floor of this House that the construction of the 650 health posts countrywide would be completed and that the money was available. Today, the hon. Minister has contradicted herself and the Government on the funding of this project. Could she clarify where this money is. Is it still in India or is it with the Ministry of Finance? Is the latter the one failing to release the money so that the project can be completed? How will the health posts be completed if the money is not available in the country?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, (pointing at Hon. Muchima) indeed, I am going to be very clear.

Laughter

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Prof Luo: Mr Speaker, the delay is not because of a lack of money, but because the contract was terminated and that we are in discussions with the Indian Government on the engagement of a new contractor. When we have a new contractor, we will release the money for the works to commence.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simbao (Senga Hill): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister’s answers are very encouraging. However, this problem affects the whole of Muchinga, Luapula and Northern provinces. Having said that the Government is holding discussions with contractors, could the hon. Minister categorically tell us who the contractors the Government is engaging are because we want to be very sure about that.

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for his desire to seek clarification.

Sir, I did not say that we are having discussions with contractor. What I said was that the hon. Minister of Finance, who holds the purse, is having discussions with the Indian Government over the termination of the contract. As soon as those discussions are over and we are clear, the works will commence.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mbangweta (Nkeyema): Mr Speaker, the last time the issue of health posts was discussed, the hon. Minister assured us that they would be completed during the first quarter of 2017, which is almost coming to an end, yet we still have the same problems. As a matter of fact, to me, it appears that there has been no movement. Is the hon. Minister in a position to tell us when these issues will be resolved?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, if we were able to predict what would happen to us in the next one hour, this world would not be as interesting as it is.

Sir, we contracted Angelique International Limited to do the work. However, if we had allowed the works to go on despite seeing that there was no value for money, this very House would have taken us to task. So, we are protecting Zambians’ money by terminating contracts that are non-performing. Remember that the project is being financed through a line of credit.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is speaking very eloquently. However, I want to think that when the hon. Minister of Health stood on the Floor in the previous Meeting and addressed this House on the health posts, he had gone past the Angelique International Limited contract. So, to speak about that again is sort of retrogressive.

Sir, the hon. Minister of Health had indicated that the Zambia National Service (ZNS) had been contracted to do the job and complete it by April, 2017.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Jamba: Sir, I feel that even if the hon. Minister is speaking so well, the information that she is giving us is inconsistent with what we were told in the past. Could she comment on the issue of the ZNS executing the works by April, 2017, instead of brining in Angelique International Limited.

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that question.

Sir, the use of the Zambia National Service (ZNS) is still an option. However, when you terminate a contract, there are things that you have to take care of. The lawyers among us can attest to that. There are always legal issues to settle. So, as soon as those are resolved and the ZNS happens to be the preferred contractor, it will definitely be engaged to execute the works. If there is another contractor that will offer the services for less, then, the contract will be awarded to that contractor. The important points here are that we have protected the Zambians’ money and we will go ahead and complete the project.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Tambatamba (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, Hon. Jamba has dealt asked about the matter regarding the Zambia National Service (ZNS) as a contractor and the works being completed by April, 2017. Is the hon. Minister saying that the positions on those two issues have changed?

Prof. Luo: Mr Speaker, I think that I was very clear when I said that the ZNS is still an option and that there are legal issues with which we have to deal before we take the next step. How I wish that we could get over this so that we start with the works. As a Government, we value the health of our people and want to make sure that this work is done.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION OF ROADS IN LUMEZI CONSTITUENCY

76. Mrs Jere (Lumezi) asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development:

when construction works on the Chisengu/Nabwalya Road, which links Lundazi District to Mpika District, would resume;

what the time frame for the completion of the works was; and

when the rehabilitation works on the following roads in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency would commence:

Lundazi/Chitungulu;

Lundazi/Kazembe; and

Lundazi/Mwanya via Chikomeni.

The Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development (Mr Chitotela): Mr Speaker, the works on the Chisengu/Nabwalya Road are expected to resume when funds are made available. This road is part of the project for to upgrade the Mpika/Nabwalya/Mfuwe Road (RD49) in Muchinga Province. The contract for the project was signed with Raubex Construction Limited and China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited.

Sir, initially, the works were scheduled to be completed in February, 2017. However, due to erratic funding by the Treasury, there has been a delay. So, the Government is engaging the contractor to negotiate the change of the contract from the Government-financed mode to contractor-financed mode.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Jere: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister only responded to parts (a) and (b) of the question. He has not responded to part (c), which concerns the rehabilitation of the Lundazi/Chitungulu, Lundazi/Kazembe and Lundazi/Mwanya via Chikomeni roads.

Mr Speaker: What is your question, hon. Member for Lumezi?

Mrs Jere: Hon. Minister, will you not respond to part (c) of the question?

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has plans to upgrade the Lundazi/Chitungulu, Lundazi/Kazembe and Lundazi/Mwanya via Chikomeni roads in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency this year. Currently, we are looking for a contractor who can finance the project because we seem to have many competing pressures on the Treasury.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Jere: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the areas I have mentioned host two national parks that can generate a lot of revenue for Zambia?

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, this Government is very much aware of the potential of the two areas. That is why we signed a contract with Raubex Construction Limited valued at K540 million, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) and 10 per cent contingency.

Sir, the contractor has executed works amounting to K144,917,317.74, inclusive of VAT, of which we have paid this contractor K26 million, so far.

Sir, the second lot of the road, whose contract value is K429 million, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) and 10 per cent contingency, has been given to China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited because we want the project to be completed in time due to their importance because of the two national parks that can be money spinners for this country. Further, we are negotiating with the contractors the option of turning the project into a contractor-financed one.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that the Government has decided to finance this project through contractor financing. The question that begs an answer is: Does the hon. Minister honestly believe that there is a financier who will fund the project with private money and recover his money from it?

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, contractor financing is not private financing. It is an initiative in which the Government engages a contractor to raise money and execute the works. Thereafter, the contractor transfers the liability to the Government which, then, starts liquidating the debt according to some agreed long-term plan, not immediately.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that the project in Lumezi, a quite remote place, will be funded through contractor financing. I am concerned about that and I need clarification.

Sir, previously, the hon. Minister said that the Road Development Agency (RDA) had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to work on feeder roads. He was even shown on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Television. Have we gone back to contractor financing and abandoned the ZNS option? If so, Chikwa Road in Lundazi needs to be worked on, but I do not think that contractor financing is viable for that road. Have we abandoned the use of the ZNS, which has a Land Development Department that has all the machinery we need to do this work? The RDA signed an MoU ‒

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

Are you answering your question?

Laughter

Mr Mung’andu: Sir, has the partnership with the ZNS been abandoned?

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the partnership with the Zambia National Service (ZNS) has not been abandoned. The road in question and the township roads in Lumezi will be worked on.

Sir, the Chisengu/Nabwalya Road, whose contract was awarded to Raubex Construction Limited and China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited, provides the shortest link between the people of the Eastern and Muchinga provinces. Currently, for people of the Eastern Province who go to Nakonde have to come to Lusaka, then, connect to Mpika. So, once the road is upgraded, it will make travelling between the two provinces easy and faster and the people of Lundazi will not be required to pass through Lusaka when going to Nakonde or the northern part of the country. They will be able to go straight to Mpika and, then, connect to the other parts of the Northern Province. So, it is not a road in the bush. I remember once explaining the potential of areas that may initially be thought to have no potential for development. Once the areas are developed and we put the primary social services and amenities, the private sector will be attracted to invest in those areas. That is the only way we can develop Zambia. It is also the easiest way to take meaningful development to rural areas like Nabwalya and Lundazi.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, we need policy clarification. In responding to Hon. Mwiimbu’s question, the hon. Minister said contractor financing is a mode in which the contractor finances the works and, then, the Government pays for the works over a period of time. Is he saying that the contractors are now lending money to the Government? Is that the policy position?

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, let me begin by citing the example of a contractor who mobilised money, executed the project and, then, transferred the liability to the Government. The Mongu/Kalabo and Mansa/Luwingu roads are two projects that benefited from this mode of financing. We feel that this is the surest way of doing things because, currently, the Government has many development commitments. It would be very difficult for us to finance all the projects using public funds. In fact, contractor financing is the preferred trend globally. I challenge anyone who is differently inclined on this to name any country that developed using its national budget because it is impossible to do that. All the countries that have developed have done so using externally-sourced funding.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his elaborate explanation of what the Government is doing. I commend him for that.

Sir, I must hasten to mention that sort of financing can only happen when ‒

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

You are now explaining on behalf of the hon. Minister.

Mr Mumba: No, Sir. I just want to add something.

Sir, contractor financing can only happen when the business community has confidence in the Government’s ability to pay. That said, what his ministry doing to prevent over-pricing of contracts because, obviously, we are vulnerable to that when we ask contractors to finance projects?

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, we created an Integrity Committee in the ministry and are making sure that when the private sector comes in and asks to partner the Government in developing infrastructure by bringing in their resources, we give them the bill of quantities (BoQ), which is prepared by the Government. Therefore, they will quote according to the information in the BoQ. Thereafter, the tender will be evaluated. The Tender Committee also scrutinises the tender. When the decision to sign the contract is made, the contract is sent to the ‘Antoney’-General …

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: … for scrutiny. After the ‘Antoney’-General, the AG has scrutinised ‒

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: The Attorney-General, Sir. I am sorry. That was mother tongue interference. It is the Chishinga way of speaking.

Laughter

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, I do not want to hide because I am a proud Chishinga.

Sir, once the Attorney-General has gone through the proposed contract and is satisfied that it meets international standards, the contractor is engaged by the Ministry of Finance to negotiate what is called the “Term Sheet” to agree on the repayment period and interest rate.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

REPAIR OF LULI PRIMARY SCHOOL ROOF

77. Mr Kafwaya asked the Minister of General Education:

when the roof of a 1 x 3 classroom block at Luli Primary School in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency, which was blown off in 2014, would be repaired; and

what the cause of the delay in repairing the rood was.

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, the Government is aware that a 1 x 3 classroom block at Luli Primary School in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency had its roof blown off and that repairs works have not been done.

Sir, we hope to repair the roof this year, as the ministry has provided money for the repair of blown off-roofs in the 2017 Budget. So, once the funds are released, we will repair all the schools countrywide whose roofs were blown off.

Mr Speaker, the delay in repairing the roof was due to financial challenges faced by the ministry.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the assurance that the roof will be worked on this year.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Kafwaya: However, Sir, the population of Lunte Constituency is growing exponentially, leading to increased demand for education opportunities. Since the ministry has upgraded three primary schools, namely Mulenga Mapesa, Sambala and Kufubu, into secondary schools, how long will it take the ministry to construct additional classrooms for the upgraded schools if it takes two years to repair one blown-off roof?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, it is the policy of the Government to reduce the distance that every child has to walk to school to less than 5 km.

Sir, the hon. Member has referred to the fact that it has taken too long to address the problem of blown off roofs and says this is evidence that the Government will not be able to build new schools. However, I assure him that the Government has allocated enough resources in the 2017 Budget for that purpose. Therefore, I am confident that it will be able to finance not only the repair of blown-off roofs, but also the construction of new schools.

Sir, let me also say that we have had some challenges in the recent past. For instance, in the last quarter of last year, only 3.7 per cent of the amount ‒

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1810 hours until 1830 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was explaining that the construction of primary schools and repair of roofs are not mutually inclusive, as the budget for the repair of roofs is separate from the one for construction of primary schools.

Sir, like I said earlier, the reason it took two years to repair the classroom roofs is basically that of budgetary constraints. You will recall that the last two years were very difficult for the country because of the many commitments we had.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, I am comforted by the hon. Minister’s assurance on this matter. However, can we say that the three secondary schools will be constructed this year, since the two activities are not mutually inclusive?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member’s principal question was about primary schools. He has now changed the goal post.

Laughter

Dr Wanchinga: However, I will still answer his question.

Sir, like I said earlier, we have a programme for constructing new secondary schools, one of which might be built in his constituency.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I feel vindicated in my position that this Government is broke. When said that, I heard some colleagues murmur.

Sir, the hon. Minister is talking about building secondary and primary schools and other things. Surely, how is that possible when the Government has failed to repair the roof of a certain school to date? Can the hon. Minister tell me which is easier between repairing a roof and building a school?

Laughter

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I want him to clarify so that I know why the roof in question cannot be repaired.

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, superficially, it might look easier to repair a roof than to build a school. However, we have been consolidating all cases of blown-off roofs in schools and policy is to approach that problem as one challenge. So, it will be attended to.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. UPND Members: When?

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

You cannot ask questions while seated.

MINERAL EXPLORATIONS IN SITWE

78. Mr D. Mumba (Chama North) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

whether the Government had facilitated any mineral exploration in Sitwe area in Chama District;

if so, what the results of the exploration were; and

if the results were positive, when mining activities would commence.

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Yaluma): Mr Speaker, the Government facilitates mineral explorations in the country by issuing exploration licences to private companies. Some of the companies that have held exploration licences in Sitwe area in Chama District in the recent past are as follows:

Africa Energy Resources Zambia Limited, under licence No. 8302-HQ-LPL. This explored for uranium and coal, and held an exploration licence for this tenement from November, 2005, to November, 2012. The same tenement was held by Muchinga Energy Resources Limited, whose commodities of interest were coal, diamonds and uranium, from May, 2013, to May, 2015, under licence No. 18176-HQ-LPL;

Denison Mines Zambia Limited, under licence No. 15467-HQ-LPL. The mineral commodities of interest for this company were coal and uranium. The company held the licence from April, 2011, to April, 2013;

SEAM Investment Limited, under licence No. 17662-HQ-LPL. The mineral commodities of interest were silver, cobalt, copper, iron and graphite. The company held the licence from February, 2013, to February, 2015; and

Penetrative Exploration and Mining, under the licence No. 13707-HQ-LPL. The commodities of interest were gold, cobalt, coal, copper, limestone, manganese and uranium. The company held the licence from March, 2011, to March, 2013.

Mr Speaker, no exploration company ever reported discovering deposits of any of the metals mentioned above in the area.

Sir, since no ore deposits have been discovered in Sitwe, no mining activities are currently ongoing there.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mung’andu: Mr Speaker, from what the hon. Minister has just said, those companies went for specific minerals. As people’s representatives from Chama, however, we know that there are mining activities in that area, particularly for gemstones. I am sure you are aware that during the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government, there was an African oil company that opened up the entire Chama District. There are what we call Josos roads that were used during oil exploration. Has the exploration for oil stopped? If it has and we have forgotten about oil, what about the gemstone mining that is taking place in Chama District? Are we controlling the industry by ensuring that the people who are mining gemstones in the district are licensed?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the question was about mining in Chama under strictly licenced tenements. If there are other people who are mining emeralds or other minerals or prospecting for oil and gas, I do not think that they are licensed by the ministry.

Sir, as regards oil and gas, in the 1980s, there was prospection, but the results showed that there were no sufficient reserves to guarantee a viable economic extraction. We are currently exploring for gas and oil in other areas where the presence of hydrocarbons is quite prominent and we will soon make the results known to the public. Other than that, I will not speculate about illegal miners, but will take the hon. Member’s lead and look into the matter.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Malama: Mr Speaker, given the importance, sensitivity and properties of uranium, particularly when enriched, are companies that explore for this mineral accompanied by security teams?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, we are talking about Sitwe area, where there is no uranium. However, there are other areas where exploration for uranium is being done as we speak. Denison Mines and African Energy Resources, about which I have already talked, have continued with the exploration of uranium in the country, but not in Sitwe. Further, allow me to inform the House that the uranium mining rights of the two exploration companies are being acquired by another giant uranium mining company, Globex Mining of the United States of America (USA). So, yes, uranium is being prospected for in the country and we have advanced very significantly in that regard. However, there is no enrichment of uranium being done anywhere in the country because we have not started mining it. If there is enriched uranium, it is transiting our country from elsewhere. We do give permits for people to pass through Zambia with the commodity.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Malama: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that clarification. I have no doubt in that statement ‒

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Kanchibiya!

This question was asked by the hon. Member from Chama North. So, you are not entitled to ask a second question.

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the ministry has facilitated explorations in Sitwe area and when you check the tenements database at the ministry, you will note that there are people who get tenements for speculation purposes. The hon. Minister has said that some giant company from the United States of America (USA) is taking over the exploration rights of the two companies he has mentioned. What is the Government doing to prevent people from holding on to tenements without exploration and selling them to other people?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the Government is not allowing speculators participate in this industry and has started dealing with people who are not fulfilling the statutory requirements of their licences. There are stipulated time frames in which companies that are given licences must produce reports of their exploration works, failure to which we deal with them. Within four years, a company must give us some reports showing that it is indeed exploring or we revoke its licence. As I speak, we are closing in on speculators because we only want genuine investors to come and invest in our country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Malanji (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, as explorations are being done in Zambia, has the Government put in place any mechanism for conducting forensic audits to make sure that we know what is coming from those areas?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, there are two licences that we give. One is the exploration licence. After a company has met the requirements and shown that the tenement is worth continuing into mining, we give it another licence, which is the mining licence, which allows it start mining. Then, we follow up on whatever the company is extracting to know the kilogrammes or tonnes produced. Previously, we used to send people to check that and write the times and the figures on a sheet of paper. Now, the Mining Value Chain Monitoring Project, which is sponsored by the European Union (EU),enables us to know what and how much each mine is producing. This will help us to report and collect the correct revenue for the Government. The figures are captured electronically and can be used by anybody on the value chain. Further, nobody can temper with the figures, which will raise confidence in the data.

I thank you, Sir.

Prof. Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, in his response to the hon. Member for Chama North on the exploration of oil and gas in the 1980s, the hon. Minister stated that some reserves of oil and gas were discovered, but they were not sufficient to warrant exploitation. There are areas in the country with much higher hydrocarbons where exploration is currently ongoing. Is he confirming to the nation that Zambia has oil and gas reserves?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, there are hydrocarbons around the country. For example, we have seen oil seepage on the grass in Kabompo, which signifies the presence of hydrocarbons around the area. However, that does not justify, like the hon. Member said, serious funding for exploitation because the reserves may not be in significant quantities. For the hon. Member’s information, oil and gas exploration is costly and does not guarantee returns on investments. So, any investment is a sunk cost. People may take a chance and do it, but if they do not discover enough quantities of reserves to justify exploitation, they will make a costly loss. There are blocks in our country where we think there is potential for viable exploitation, but we cannot assure the country on that until exploration is concluded. For example, Block 31, located on Lake Tanganyika, coming through Luapula into Lake Mweru, has high potential for existence of oil and gas. I can say that there is an 80 per cent confidence level of finding oil there.

Sir, last week, I was in Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Governments of the DRC, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi met to work together and compare data on the presence of hydrocarbons around the Lake Tanganyika. From the presentations, we all reached the same conclusion. So, I can say that prospecting for oil in the area is imminent. However, we are way ahead of our colleagues because we have already started explorations. There is a company working on it Block 31. On another block, Block 54, the exploration done indicates a high probability of oil existing in the area. So, I would say that your guess is as good as mine. We may soon get our Eureka moment.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ng’ambi (Chifubu): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that there is nowhere in the country where uranium is being enriched. My concern is on the casual workers who are used in the explorations. My other concern is about the security measures the Government has put in place, particularly on the management of uranium stockpiles in the North-Western Province. Could he tell this House the measures that are in place to protect the casual workers and safeguard the uranium stockpiles in the North-Western Province, seeing as this mineral is highly radioactive?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I think the Member of Parliament for Chifubu, Hon. Nyimbiri, am I right?

Laughter

Mr Ng’ambi: Ng’ambi!

Mr Yaluma: Yes, Hon. Ng’ambi, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Mulenga:Nifyo fine!

Laughter

Mr Yaluma: My apologies, Hon. Ng’ambi.

Sir, the hon. Member is referring to Lumwana Mine, which has been mining uranium as a by-product of copper. Immediately the matter was brought to our attention, a team from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Safety Department from Kitwe visited the site. We have managed to secure all the uranium produced in accordance with the safety and statutory requirements. So, there is nothing to alarm the nation about what is going on in Lumwana. The stockpile is secured and kept away from coming into contact with the workers and, so far, there has not been any accident or anything to suggest negligence in the handling of that mineral.

Sir, the mine will start processing the uranium after it obtains the appropriate licences and we are convinced that the product will be secured and shipped out to other countries without any threat to our environment.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I am impressed by what the hon. Minister has told this House. That is as it should. The Government should not issue such statement in foreign countries before issuing them locally.

Sir, the Government has taken keen interest in the exploration for oil and gas ‒

An hon. Government Memberinterjected.

Mr Muchima: Whether you fight me or not, this is my country.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Muchima: Sir, the Government has taken keen interest in exploring for gas and oil in Luapula and is 80 per cent confident of positive results given the interest and collaboration of four other countries. That being the case, why has the Government left the explorations in Kabompo to freelancers instead of getting involved? Kabompo borders Angola, where there is oil. So, how possible is it that the oil in Angola cannot extend into this country? Why can the Government not extend its interest of exploration to Kabompo like the Angolan Government does in its territories?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the evidence of the existence of hydrocarbons in the north-western part of the country is not the same as that of the rift valley area that runs from Tanzania, through Lake Tanganyika, into Luapula, Zambia. That is a key guide to geologists who want to see how the incidence of hydrocarbons stretches from the north all the way down. Ghana, Uganda and Kenya, countries that fall within the East African Rift Valley have all discovered oil and that is the reason geologists have a lot of confidence that the oil must occur generally across that geological zone.

Sir, when I talked about Kabompo earlier, I mentioned the seepage that has been seen on the surface and we have been discussing this with the people of the area. The only problem is that is just an indication of possible presence of oil, but we do not know how much of the resource is actually there. The high cost of exploration makes people careful in spending money on projects. With their desktop studies, they can know whether they can find something that will indicate the presence of oil. That will, in turn, be the motivation for hastening into the area to carry out spot checks before doing anything else. Today, it is very easy to explore. One can fly at altitudes of less than 60 m from the ground and use electromagnetic equipment to pierce into the soil and see what is under the surface. Every mineral that is under the ground will be seen, unlike the traditional way of drilling holes and spot checks, which are being abandoned because the aerial surveys are more efficient, comprehensive and accurate.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Tambatamba (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, from a revenue collection point of view, last year, more than 600 licence holders had not paid their license fees. To what extent have the companies been made compliant?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, we reviewed the Mining and Minerals Development Act in the last two years. We reviewed the 2008 Act and came up with the 2015 Act. During that period, we suspended all transactions because we were trying to formulate regulations to support the operationalisation of the new Act. There was no mechanism for tracking licence holders and that is what created that backlog. No one was allowed to pay for a licence. When we fully operationalised the Act, we lifted the suspension. Currently, we default about 100 licences per quarter, meaning that by the end of this quarter, we will have defaulted most of those who are not adhering to regulations. The licences will, then, be made available to other people who are interested in mining.

Sir, if the hon. Member is one of the people who have exploration licences, she should go and check when her payment is due or we will bust her and revoke the licence.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chali (Nchanga): Mr Speaker, the terms and conditions for exploration licences stipulate a limited time in which a licence holder should do the exploration. However, we have noticed that when licences expire, their holders renew them. Does that not retard our economic development?

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the Act requires licence holders who know that they will default or otherwise not meet the requirements to renew their licence ninety days before the expiry of the licence. Any application for renewal after the three month window is not entertained. In this regard, let me advise those who have licences that their licences have a validity period. Previously, we would allow them to renew their licences, but also cut off 50 per cent of their licence. We have now increased the number of years. However, the applications for renewal must be done three months before the expiry of the licence.

I thank you, Sir.

THE LUANGWA DISTRICT PONTOON

79. Mr Miti asked the Minister of Transport and Communication when a pontoon that was taken to Kazungula Border in 2009 would be returned to Luangwa District for use on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, allow me to start by giving some historical context to this question.

Sir, in 2006, there was a request for the pontoon in question to be taken to Luangwa for use between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The pontoon was taken there and assembled, but not put to use because there was no landing bay and access road on the Zimbabwean side and the Zimbabwean Government had not granted the pontoon a landing permit to allow it to dock on its side of the border. In 2009, the need for the pontoon to be used in Kazungula arose and the Government felt that keeping an asset in an area where it was not being used when it was needed somewhere else was not prudent. As a result, the pontoon was moved to Kazungula. As we speak, the conditions that stopped the pontoon from being used between Zambia and Zimbabwe have not changed. Therefore, until we address those two issues, we do not have any immediate plans to move the pontoon back to Luangwa.

Sir, in November, there were talks between Zimbabwe and Zambia to explore ways of addressing the two issues so that the pontoon can operate between the two countries. I hope those conversations will be expedited so that the pontoon can be moved back.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, how important is that pontoon? How useful the money being collected at Kazungula is to the nation to justify keeping it where it is?

Laughter

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, having visited Kazungula with His Excellency the President not too long ago, I can attest to the fact that the pontoon is being put to good use pending completion of the construction of a bridge. So, we would rather keep it where it is being used ...

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

Mr Mushimba: ... than keep it idle in Luangwa, where we have not cleared some lacunas in its use.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL IN WACHITANGACHI WARD

Ms Jere asked the Minister of General Education:

whether the Government had any plans to construct a secondary school in Wachitangachi Ward in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency, considering that the ward was the largest and most populated in the constituency; and

if so, when the plans would be implemented.

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to providing secondary school education closest to the people. Like I said earlier on, the Government’s policy is to reduce the distance of every child walk has to walk to school to less than 5 km. Consequently, it plans to upgrade Chaomba Primary School in Wachitangachi Ward to a secondary school in order to provide local schooling for the children there.

Sir, the project will be considered after the on-going upgrading of twenty-two schools in the province has been completed.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Jere: Mr Speaker, I recently returned from my constituency and I wish to report that Chaomba Primary School has not been upgraded to a secondary school. Is the hon. Minister aware of that?

Laughter

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, to correct the hon. Member of Parliament, I did not say that Chaomba Primary School has been upgraded, but that there are plans for that to be done.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Dr Wanchinga: … after the on-going upgrading of twenty-two schools in the province has been completed.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

CONSTRUCTION OF MULAMBWA AND KAUNGA BRIDGES

81. Mr Miti asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development:

when the construction of the following bridges on the road from Luangwa Bridge to Luangwa Boma (D145) in Feira Parliamentary Constituency would be completed:

Mulambwa; and

Kaunga; and

why it had taken long to complete the two projects.

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the works on the Mulambwa and Kaunga bridges are scheduled to be undertaken as a variation order under the project for the upgrading to bituminous standard of 91 km of the D145 Road from the Great East Road at Luangwa Bridge to Luangwa (Feira) in Lusaka Province. The works will be undertaken during the course of 2017 by Messrs China Geo Engineering Corporation.

Mr Speaker, the implementation of the project has delayed due to non-availability of designs, a problem that has since been resolved.

I thank you, Sir.

UPGRADING OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN LUMEZI

82. Ms Jere asked the Minister of General Education:

whether the Government had any plans to upgrade some primary schools in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency to secondary schools;

if so, which primary schools would be upgraded;

when the plans would be implemented; and

when construction of new primary schools would commence.

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, the Government has already upgraded three primary schools in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency to secondary schools. The schools are Chasera, Kazembe and Chikomeni under Phase I of the project. Construction works have been completed at Kazembe while 90 per cent of the works at both Chasera and Chikomeni secondary schools have been completed. The House may wish to note that Mpingozi Primary School is also being upgraded in a driven-initiative, meaning that the local people are taking the lead in the upgrading of the school. For the time being, the secondary school section is using the existing infrastructure at the school.

Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to construct new primary schools in Lumezi Parliamentary Constituency. However, in the future, the idea will be considered for inclusion in the Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) of the ministry.

I thank you, Sir.

Ms Jere: Mr Speaker, will Lumezi not benefit from the construction of eighty-two secondary schools that the ministry is busy negotiating with the World Bank like other areas?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, to set the record straight, I have not made any wholesale promise to anybody about the new schools being constructed in their constituencies.

Laughter

Dr Wanchinga: All I have said is that some constituencies will receive new schools. However, I cannot rule out the possibility of a secondary school being constructed in Lumezi Constituency.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, in the last Parliament, the Government upgraded about twenty-two schools in each province, as a matter of policy. Further, earlier, the hon. Minister stated that the Government will consider upgrading some schools after it completes the on-going upgrading of twenty-two schools that were identified in each province. When will the current projects be completed so that people can know when to expect the upgrading of the next batch of schools?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, we have repeatedly said in this House that we cannot spend what we do not have. The pace at which we will construct and upgrade schools will be determined by the funding the ministry will be able to receive from the Treasury.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chisopa: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the ministry is actively negotiating the construction of eighty-two schools with the World Bank. Is the ministry not considering using some of the funds to complete the schools that are currently under construction?

Dr Wanchinga: Mr Speaker, our engagements with our colleagues at the World Bank our biased towards new school construction projects, not the completion of existing ones. However, we are also looking at other avenues options for ensuring the completion of the schools that are already under construction.

I thank you, Sir.

________

BILLS

FIRST READING

THE REFUGEES BILL, 2017

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Refugees Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

establish the Office of the Commission for Refugees and provide for its functions;

provide for the recognition, protection and control of refugees;

provide for the rights and responsibilities of refugees;

establish the Refugees Fund;

domesticate the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951 and its Protocol of 1967, and the Organisation of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugees’ Problems in Africa, 1969;

repeal and replace the Refugees (Control) Act, 1970; and

provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, which is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Thursday, 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE OF ZAMBIA BILL, 2017

The Minister of Agriculture (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Agriculture Institute of Zambia Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

establish the Agriculture Institute of Zambia;

provide for the registration of agricultural professionals and regulation of their professional conduct in the interest of the agricultural sector; and

provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Agriculture, which is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Thursday, 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE COMPULSORY STANDARDS BILL, 2017

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mrs Mwanakatwe): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled The Compulsory Standards Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

provide for the establishment of the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency and provide for its powers and functions;

provide for the administration and maintenance of compulsory standards for the purpose of public safety and health, consumer protection and environmental protection; and

provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour, which is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Thursday, 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE STANDARDS BILL, 2017

Mrs Mwanakatwe: Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled The Standards Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

continue the existence of the Zambia Bureau of Standards and redefine its powers and functions;

provide for standardisation and quality assurance of products and services through the setting of national standards and provision of conformity assessment services for products and services;

repeal and replace the Standards Act, 1994; and

provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour, which Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Thursday, 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION BILL, 2017

Mrs Mwanakatwe: Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National Technical Regulations Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

provide for the principles of, and a framework for, technical regulations that are compliant with best practices and regional and international obligations to which Zambia is a party;

establish the Department of Technical Regulation in the ministry responsible for trade;

provide for the development and implementation of technical regulations for public safety and health, consumer protection and environmental protection;

provide technical guidance to regulatory agencies on the development, implementation, administration and review of technical regulations;

domesticate international and regional trade agreements on technical barriers to trade in order to ensure that regulations, standards, testing and certification procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade, but implement legitimate policy objectives and measures; and

provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, which is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Thursday, 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

Thank you.

METROLOGY BILL, 2017

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mrs Mwanakatwe): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Metrology Bill, 2017.

Sir, the object of the Bill is to:

continue the existence of the Zambia Weights and Measures Agency, rename it as the Zambia Metrology Agency and re-define its functions;

establish the board of the agency and provide for its functions;

provide for the designation, keeping and maintenance of national measurement standards;

provide for the use of measurement units of the International System of Units and other units;

provide for consumer protection, health, safety and environmental management through legal metrology measures;

repeal the Weights and Measures Act, 1994; and

provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, which is required to submit its Report on the Bill to the House by Thursday 9^th March, 2017.

Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee.

I thank you.

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MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

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

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at 1926 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday 22^nd February, 2017.

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