Wednesday, 5^th October, 2016

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER

 

NOMINATION OF MR JACK J. MWIIMBU AS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND MR GARY G. NKOMBO AS UPND WHIP IN THE HOUSE

 

Mr Speaker: Hon Members, I have received communication from the Secretary-General of the United Party for National Development (UPND) to the effect that Mr Jack J. Mwiimbu, Member of Parliament for Monze Central, has been nominated Leader of the Opposition. I hereby formally recognise Hon. Mwiimbu as Leader of the Opposition in the House.  Furthermore, Mr Gary G. Nkombo, Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central, has been appointed UPND Whip in the House.

 

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES – MEMBERSHIP

 

Mr Speaker: In accordance with the provisions of Article 80 of the Constitution of Zambia and Standing Order No. 131, the Standing Orders Committee has appointed the following Members to serve on various Sessional Committees for the First Session of the Twelfth National Assembly:

 

Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services (8)

 

The Hon. 1^st Deputy Speaker (Chairperson)

The Hon. G. Lubinda, MP, Minister of Justice

The Hon. R. Musukwa, MP, Chief Whip

The Hon. J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, Leader of the Opposition

Mr G. G. Nkombo, MP

Mr M. M. Kabanda, MP

Ms E. Phiri, MP

Mrs G. Katuta, MP

 

Parliamentary Reforms and Modernisation Committee (10)

 

The Hon. 2^nd Deputy Speaker

The Hon. F. Mutati, MP, Minister of Finance

The Hon. G. Lubinda, MP, Minister of Justice

The Hon. V. Mwale, MP, Minister of Local Government and Housing

The Hon. S. Chungu, MP, Deputy Chief Whip

Mr H. S. Chansa, MP

Mrs R. C. Fundanga, MP

Mr V. Lumayi, MP

Mr J. Chabi, MP

Mr C. D. Miyanda, MP

 

Committee on Government Assurances (8)

 

Mr M. Ndalamei, MP

Mr S. Miti, MP

Mrs O. M. Phiri, MP

Mr W. Banda, MP

Mr E. Kamondo, MP

Mr L. K. Fungulwe, MP

Mr R. C. Mutale, MP

Mr D. Mulunda, MP

 

Committee on Delegated Legislation (8)

 

Ms C. C. Kasanda, MP

Mr B.  Kambita, MP

Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP

Mr A. B. Malama, MP

Mr J. Siwale, MP

Mr M. Mubika, MP

Mr O. S. Mutaba, MP

Mr A. Mundumbwa, MP

 

Committee on Estimates (9)

 

Mr L. A. Lufuma, MP

Mr S. K. Kakubo, MP

Ms N. M. Subulwa, MP

Mr P. Phiri, MP

Mr F. C. Chaatila, MP

Mr M. Simfukwe, MP

Mr D. Mumba, MP

Mrs K. C. Mulenga, MP

Mr J. Siwale, MP

 

Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs (8)

 

Mrs S. S. Mulyata, MP

Mr M. M. Kabanda, MP

Mr M. Chikote, MP

Mr E.  Musonda, MP

Mr L. M. Kaziya, MP

Mr N. Samakayi, MP

Mr K. Mukosa, MP

Mr G. Chiyalika, MP

 

Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour (8)

 

Mr G. G. Nkombo, MP

Ms M. Miti, MP

Mr E. M. Mwila, MP

Mr D. Livune, MP

Mr C. Chali, MP

Mr D. Chisopa, MP

Mr S. C. Kopulande, MP

Dr S. Musokotwane, MP

 

Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply (8)

 

Mr D. M. Syakailima, MP

Mr P. M. W. Daka, MP

Mr G. Zimba, MP

Mr R. Lihefu, MP

Mr G. Sialubalo, MP

Ms G. Katuta, MP

Mr Y. Siwanzi, MP

Mr A. C. Mumba, MP

 

Hon. Members, the composition of other Committees will be announced tomorrow. After I have completed announcing the composition of all the Committees and the Public Accounts Committee has been approved by this House, if any hon. Member finds that he/she does not belong to any Committee, he/she should inform the Office of the Clerk accordingly.

 

THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

 

Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the House that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Zambia National Group will commemorate the International Day of Democracy (IDD) on Monday, 10^th October, 2016, at Parliament Buildings under the theme, “Democracy, 2030”. The IDD is commemorated each year on 15^th September to raise public awareness about democracy. The IPU Zambia National Group is, however, commemorating the IDD on Monday, 10^th October, 2016, because the 12^th National Assembly had not been officially opened by 15^th September, 2016. Hon. Members are, therefore, encouraged to attend the commemoration of the IDD and to be seated by 0845 hours in the Auditorium, Parliament Buildings. Details of the programme of activities will be availed to hon. Members at the appropriate juncture.

 

 Thank you.

 

______

 

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

THE OUTBREAK OF ANTHRAX IN CHAMA

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, allow me to begin by congratulating you and the two Deputy Speakers on your election as Speakers of this House. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament on their well-deserved election to this House.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chilufya: Sir, I would like to thank you for granting me the opportunity to present a ministerial statement on the outbreak of anthrax in Chama District of Muchinga Province and to indicate the measures that the Government has taken to stop the spread of the disease.

 

Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that there is an outbreak of anthrax in Chama District of Muchinga Province. The first case of anthrax was reported on 22^nd of September, 2016. Currently, there are forty-four cases and no associated human deaths.

 

Sir, anthrax is a disease that affects animals and can be transmitted to humans. It is caused by a bacterium called bacillus anthracis which can last for long periods in nature. Animals and humans can become infected if they come into contact with the bacteria. There are three forms of anthrax in humans, namely:

 

1. cutaneous of the “skin” form of anthrax – this appears in the form of sores on the parts of the body that have come into contact with the anthrax bacteria;

 

1. inhalation or pulmonary anthrax – in this form of anthrax, the lungs get affected when the person breaths in the anthrax bacteria. The person develops a cough and has difficulty breathing. This can result in death if the patient is not treated in time; and

 

1. gastro-intestinal anthrax – in this form of anthrax, the bacteria is swallowed and the patient develops bloody diarrhoea. This can result in death if the patient is not treated in time.

 

Mr Speaker, my ministry, in conjunction with other Government departments and agencies, have been carrying out investigations from the time the first case was reported. It has been established that the source of the current outbreak in Chama is people handling, cutting, cooking and eating meat from hippos that have died of anthrax in the Luangwa River.

 

Sir, in the current anthrax outbreak in Chama, only the cutaneous or skin form of anthrax has been reported. It has been observed that all the people who are infected so far have handled either the carcasses of the hippos that have died of anthrax or handled or eaten meat obtained from the carcasses.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to discourage anyone who may be tempted to handle or eat meat from the carcasses of infected hippos or any other animal that may have died of unknown causes, as this could be a source of infection which could lead to severe illness or even death.

 

Further, I would like to urge anyone who may have handled or eaten meat from a hippo in Chama District that may have died of anthrax and the surrounding areas to urgently report to the nearest health facility for examination.

 

Sir, following the index case that was seen on 22^nd September, 2016, the following measures have been taken:

 

1. an emergency infectious disease task force has been constituted and dispatched to Chama;

 

1. a multi-sectoral team, including officers from the Department of Veterinary and the University of Zambia (UNZA) School of Veterinary Medicine, is due to travel to Chama to help with the response;

 

1. a mobile bio-safety Level III laboratory will be deployed in the area for quick confirmation of cases both in human and hippo populations;

 

1. sufficient medicines are available to treat those who are infected;

 

1. sensitisation of the community has continued through Radio Kwenje;

 

1. all health facilities in Cham South have been put on high alert. This includes Mapampa, Chifunda, Chikwa, Chigoma, Pondo and Fuluza; and

 

1. the health team has engaged the Zambia Wild Authority (ZAWA) officers in patrolling the place famously known as “Baghdad” to stop people from handling meat from hippos carcasses.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to reiterate that people in the areas where there is an outbreak of anthrax should desist from handling or eating contaminated hippo meat, as this is the source of the outbreak of anthrax in the area.

 

Secondly, those who may have already come into contract with hippo carcasses should present themselves to the nearest health facilities for medical examination.

 

Sir, finally, I would like to assure the nation that there is no need to panic, as the Government has sufficient capacity to respond to such outbreaks of disease and the situation is under control.

 

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Ordinarily, the only hon. Members who would be permitted to ask questions on points of clarification at this junction are those who have rendered their maiden speeches.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Speaker: Unfortunately, there are only four so far. So, because of the limited number of Members who have rendered their maiden speeches, I have decided to relax this particular rule. However, this does not mean that the interventions that will be made in relation to the ministerial statement will qualify as maiden speeches.

 

 Laughter

 

 Mr Speaker: Maiden speeches still have to be rendered in due course.

 

Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification on the statement given by the hon. Minister of Health.  

 

Mr Kunda (Muchinga): Mr Speaker, allow me to also congratulate the hon. Minister on his appointment. Taking into account the measures that the hon. Minister has outlined, I would like to find out other measures being put in place to eradicate the disease.

                                                                                                        

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the measures that have been taken to eradicate the disease have been spelt out. Firstly, the multi-sectoral task force has kept the area under surveillance. Secondly, information, education and communication materials are being distributed as a way of disseminating key information on how to prevent the disease. So, the most efficacious way of preventing the disease is that of educating the people to avoid contact with hippo carcasses.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, hippo meat is very nice.

 

Laughter

 

Dr Musokotwane: It is very tasty and appetising. So, the probability of the villagers who are normally hungry around this time of the year seeing a carcass of a hippo and not helping themselves to it is low. In the light of that, what measures has the ministry taken to ensure that the hippos are treated or that are all killed so that the human beings are not tempted to eat contaminated meat?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to state that hippo meat should not form part of the regular diet …

 

Mr Sikazwe: Why?

 

Dr Chilufya: … in Chama. When hippos are cropped legally, there is no evidence of disease. Meat from carcasses of hippos or any other animal should not be consumed without investigating the cause of death. However, I would like to assure the hon. Member that we, in conjunction with the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), have secured the areas where the hippo carcasses are in order to prevent people from coming into contact with them. The hippos contracted anthrax as a result of the low water levels in the Luangwa River. So, having officers from ZAWA in the area has reduced contact of human beings with the hippo carcasses and. There is no evidence of poverty levels having worsened in the area to the extent of tempting people to consume hippo meat that is contaminated.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, I would also like to congratulate my brother on his appointment as hon. Minister.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister has said that there should be no contact between hippo carcasses and human beings. However, he has not mentioned the contact between human beings. We would like to believe that the disease can also be transmitted through coughing. Does the ministry have plans to quarantine the infected people so that there is less contact between human beings?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, transmission from human beings to human beings is highly unlikely. The quarantine of people infected with anthrax is not part of the management of the epidemic. Secondly, I wish to state that there are three forms of anthrax. There is the cutaneous one which manifests as lesions on the skin. Then, there is one which causes pneumonia and coughing when one inhales the spores. So, there is no risk of human to human transmission. The people we saw in Chama today all had cutaneous lesions. They are all in a stable condition and are being treated as outpatients. They are responding well to the antibiotic that has proved efficacious against anthrax.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. Minister on his appointment. In his statement, he made reference to the distribution of communication and educational materials on anthrax to the people of Chama. I would like to find out whether the materials were translated into local languages for the people of Chama to understand.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the information was tailored to the target audience. So, the people of Chama are getting the information through the local radio stations and small information pamphlets that are translated into local languages. For those who do not understand the local language used in Chama, there are pamphlets in English.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Ms Mwashingwele (Katuba): Mr Speaker, pardon my ignorance. However, I would want to believe that hippos are mobile in the rivers. So, they are not just confined to Chama. What measures has the ministry put in place to ensure that anthrax does not spread to the surrounding districts of Chama?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, I would like to assure the hon. Member and the nation that the mapping of the disease has revealed that, so far, the problem is confined to Chama. However, there are other factors that promote the spread of anthrax amongst hippos. As I said earlier, the mass deaths of hippos was triggered by the low water levels. When there are low water levels, they compete for space and contract the bacillus in the small pools. In places where there is adequate water for hippos to roam freely, there is no evidence of hippos dying or human beings presenting with symptoms of anthrax of whatever form.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

__________

 

MOTIONS

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Mutale (Chitambo): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to present my first speech in this important House. I congratulate you and your two Deputies on your well-deserved and unopposed election to the Offices of Speaker. May I also congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament who have made it to this House.

 

Sir, let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for managing the affairs of this great party, the Patriotic Front (PF), and the nation diligently. I commend him for being a unifier and for distributing developmental projects across the country. My tribute also go to our beloved late President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, may his soul rest in peace, for teaching me to accept defeat; to congratulate the winners; and to have patience, and perseverance in politics.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kambwili: Kuti wabwekeshapo apo.

 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, the ‘Michael Sata Academy’ was, indeed, a great academy. Lastly, I wish to thank the PF under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for demonstrating political maturity by avoiding and restraining cadres from engaging in political violence. The party always preaches peace, love and unity.

 

Sir, I cannot forget the most gratifying thing that this party has done by giving me the opportunity to represent the people of Chitambo Parliamentary Constituency. I owe special thanks to the people of Chitambo for the trust and confidence bestowed on me to represent them in this august House. I wish to thank my loving wife for being my pillar and for the support rendered to me during the longest campaign period. Further, I wish to thank my family, children and friends for their support.

 

Mr Speaker, Chitambo is a rural constituency domiciled in the Central Province of Zambia. It is also amongst the constituencies that have had the opportunity to be given district status. The people of Chitambo are overjoyed at the award of this status because they know that this is the beginning of great things to come. Many thanks also go to the PF Government under the leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for continuing with the developmental programmes that his predecessor left.

 

Sir, agriculture is the mainstay of the people of Chitambo. Most of the people in Chitambo are peasant farmers who practice traditional farming methods and are dependent on the Government for the procurement of farming inputs. The transformation of the economy from a mining-based economy into an agricultural-based one is a great achievement. This will greatly benefit the people of Chitambo.

 

Mr Speaker, the PF Government, through the able leadership of His Excellency the President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has demonstrated that it intends to do what it says it will do. This Government has made agriculture a priority on its agenda. It has since transformed the agriculture sector tremendously. This can be noted by the timely delivery of farming inputs, the introduction of the e-Voucher System and the provision of a competitive and conducive marketing environment for the hardworking farmers.

 

Mr Speaker, the impact of global warming has not spared Chitambo which boasts of many perennial rivers. However, most of them have run dry due to the poor rainfall patterns. This has further resulted in a crisis in the provision of clean drinking water. However, we thank this working Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, for coming to the aid of the people of Chitambo by sinking forty boreholes across the constituency, hence providing the people with clean drinking water. At the moment, hand pumps are being installed.

 

Sir, there is a need to upgrade mobile telecommunication infrastructure in Chitambo in order to improve the network. There is also a need for bridges, clinics, schools and health facilities in some wards. The people of Chitambo have realised that the PF is the lever to the much-needed development, hence their voting for this great party and its leader, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who is walking the talk.

 

Mr Speaker, may I end by assuring the great people of Chitambo that we shall reciprocate the trust bestowed on us as a party by bringing development to the area.

 

Sir, let me now move onto the Motion of Thanks on the speech delivered to this House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

 

Sir, in his speech, the President demonstrated his determination and that of the PF to manage the affairs of this country today and beyond 2021.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, it has taken us fifty-two years to realise that copper is a wasting or diminishing asset. It is time we diversified the economy from one that is mining dependent to one that is agriculture based. On Page 6, paragraph 23 of his speech, the President said:

 

“The Agriculture Sector, Fisheries and Livestock will be the main focus around which other sectors will be developed in an integrated manner, ... and that agriculture will, therefore, be the major priority to our economic diversification.”

 

Mr Speaker, we have seen how foreign nationals make decisions on our minerals, determine the prices and even come in as investors and leave at will when they are dissatisfied with mining or when the prices of copper fall on the so-called international market. These people leave us bruised and in crises of high levels of unemployment and reduced domestic revenues.

 

Sir, once we transform this economy, such business trends will be a thing of the past. This is because the transformation will bring about more jobs, attract direct and indirect investment, enhance food security and, in turn, raise the gross domestic product (GDP) to the much- anticipated double digit, thus translating into a stable economy. The beneficiaries of this transformation will be the rural people who are, in this case, farmers.

 

Mr Speaker, we, as a country, shall administer the yields of this investment. This means that we shall determine how and who to trade with. We shall also set the market prices to would-be buyers. The President referred to the fact that there are already established markets in our eight neighbouring countries. The agriculture sector will not only benefit the rural population, but also the urban population because it shall be integrated with other sectors.

Sir, in order to scale up development in the agriculture sector, the President outlined solutions in his speech on page 7, paragraph 27, which read:

 

“This means we must now seriously look at building for every small and medium-scale farmer, a well-structured path from the field to the market, processor, exporter and importer, manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. The sector will need to become sustainable through access to clean energy, affordable financing, and links to market.”

 

Sir, if the above mentioned-solutions are correctly implemented, the agriculture sector will definitely improve.

 

Mr Speaker, on page 33, paragraph 139 of his speech, the President spoke about democracy and good governance. He said:

 

“We must aspire to make Zambia more stable, democratic and an inclusive society, united under the all-important motto of One Zambia One Nation.”

 

Sir, to achieve good governance, there must be political will, which entails having a corrupt-free nation. Corruption is a vice that has brought down great economies. With the path of transforming the economy that we have embarked on, corruption should not be condoned. If it is allowed to thrive, all the good investments that are earmarked for the agriculture sector shall definitely fail. Corruption negates hard work and also brings down the corrupt.

 

Mr Speaker, I applaud the President for embarking on this noble cause which calls for support from all well-meaning Zambians. In his remarks, the President said that there shall be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption. This is a timely warning and is good for an economy like ours that has taken a new dimension. This requires serious attention from every well-meaning Zambian because it anchors on the tenets of democracy and good governance.

 

Sir, with these few words, I beg to move.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: I know we are still getting to grips with Parliamentary practice. However, please, address the Chairperson as either Speaker or Sir. Secondly, the Motion was duly moved and seconded. So, you should just make your contribution in the form of debate.

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank you for the opportunity to present my maiden speech and contribute to the Motion of Thanks on the speech for the Official Opening of the First Session of the Twelfth National Assembly by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, presented to the House on Friday, 30^th September, 2016. The theme of the speech was:

“Building an Integrated Multi-Sectoral Approach to Development that Enhances Inclusiveness in Development without Leaving Anyone Behind.”

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to convey my sincere congratulations, on behalf of the people Kaputa, to the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina, on being given a five-year mandate from 2016 to 2021.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga: The people of Kaputa and I would like to wish them success and God’s blessings as they steer this great nation, Zambia, towards greater economic prosperity and political greatness.

 

Mr Speaker, I also wish to congratulate you and the two Deputy Speakers on your election to this august House to preside over the affairs of the House for the next five years. Thirdly, I would like to congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament, both elected and nominated, on their election. Their victory on 11^th August, 2016, cannot be taken for granted. I know that this was the longest election period in the history of this country and was probably the most expensive for my colleagues and I who went through the election process. I also wish to congratulate the mayors, council chairpersons and all the elected councillors on their deserved victory.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me now to sincerely thank the good people of Kaputa for choosing me to represent them in this House. I also thank the Patriotic Front (PF) structures at national, provincial, district, constituency, ward and branch levels. I also wish to thank the chiefs in Kaputa, namely Senior Nsama, Mukupa Katandula and Kaputa. Allow me to also thank my wife, Martha, my children, Max, Natasha and Daniel, my relatives and friends for their support before, during and after the elections.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga: I wish to promise the people of Kaputa that I will not betray their trust. I will, therefore, apply myself fully to the task given to me for the next five years in order of serving the people of Kaputa and the nation at large with all my abilities and without fear or favour.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me now to say a few things about Kaputa District. I know there are a number of hon. Members who may not know where Kaputa is, especially those from the far east of the country. Kaputa District is in the Northern Province of Zambia and not in Luapula Province as some may think. However, for administrative purposes, there are some Government departments in Kaputa that report to the provincial office in Luapula. The district is on the north-western side of Kasama, which is about 400 km away. Kaputa is located between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On the western side there is the border with Chienge District, on the southern side is Mporokoso District, on the south-western side, Nchelenge District, while the newly-formed Nsama District is on the eastern side.

 

Mr Speaker, the people of Kaputa depend on farming for their livelihood. They also conduct some farming activities on a small scale due to the depleted fish stocks in the surrounding lakes and rivers. Among the crops that are grown in Kaputa are rice, cassava, maize and groundnuts. In the Northern Province, we can boast of being one of the biggest growers of rice at the moment.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me now to bring to your attention and that of the Government some of the issues, concerns and challenges that the people of Kaputa would like this Government of Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu to address.

 

Mr Speaker, the road infrastructure and crossing points in Kaputa are still among the worst in the country. The trunk roads that feed into Kaputa, that is, Mporokoso/Kaputa, Kaputa/ Mununga and Kaputa to Chiengi via Lambwe Chomba, have not been worked on. The gravel roads have not yet been worked. Contractors were allocated in the 8,000 km Link Zambia Programme. However, no works have been done yet. The people of Kaputa remain optimistic that the works will be done soon.

 

Sir, despite Kaputa being surrounded by water, the people drink unsafe water. Those who have been to Kaputa can attest to this. There is a high concentration of chlorides in the water which poses a danger to the health of the people. In 2013, the PF Government gave Kaputa about K100 million to improve the water infrastructure. However, the infrastructure has not yet been completed. Nonetheless, the people of Kaputa remain hopeful that the works will be completed in due course.

 

Mr Speaker, on health infrastructure, Kaputa only has one district hospital and eight clinics serving a population of over 60,000. There is only one medical doctor who also serves as administrator at the district hospital. Kaputa District was allocated four out of the 650 health posts that were planned to be constructed nationwide. However, to date, no health post has been built. We shall continue ‘pushing’ and talking to the people concerned so that the health posts are completed in order to enhance health service delivery.

 

Sir, on the education sector, there has been an improvement in the availability of secondary schools in Kaputa. There was only one secondary school, but there are five schools now, four of which were upgraded between 2012 and 2015. This has brought a lot of joy to the people of Kaputa because their children are now able to access education within the district. Inadequate teachers and housing units are still a major challenge which needs to be addressed.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me now to comment on the President’s Speech that was delivered to this House on Friday 30^th September, 2016. I will start with agriculture, livestock and fisheries. Allow me to quote the President’s statement on page 6, paragraph 23 that reads:

 

“The agriculture sector, fisheries and livestock will be the main focus around which other sectors will be developed in an integrated manner under the Seventh National Development Plan. Agriculture will, therefore, be the major priority of our economic diversification agenda.

This statement gives hope to the people of Zambia because we all know that this great country can no longer depend on copper alone to provide the much-needed financial resources to develop the country. Zambia needs resources to invest in the agriculture sector. There is also a need to find resources outside the National Budget to invest in the agriculture sector and to encourage Zambians, especially youths, to embrace agriculture if the country has to develop.

 

Mr Speaker, we know that the agriculture sector currently contributes 20 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). It also employs more than 70 per cent of the labour force. We can safely say that more than 80 per cent of the rural population in Zambia survives on agriculture. This entails that we need to do more in order for agriculture to contribute more to the figures that I have mentioned. We can only thank the President for confirming, once again, to the people of Zambia that his Administration will focus on boosting agriculture, fisheries and livestock production and productivity. This will move this country to higher heights.

 

Mr Speaker, we have a President who is commonly referred to as, “Mr Walk the talk”.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga: Therefore, all of us in this House and the population at large have no doubt that he will change the agricultural landscape by ensuring that opportunities are created for the hardworking farmers, farmers get value for their produce and a market both within and outside Zambia will be created. There are countries in Africa whose populations are larger than ours and whose land mass for agriculture is far less than ours. Examples of such countries are Kenya and Malawi whose economies are agriculture based. I see no reason why Zambia must continue to depend on mineral resources as a major contributor to the economy.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to briefly comment on democracy and good governance. Democracy and good governance are a necessity if we are to achieve meaningful social justice and development. However, those in power should be able to respect the democratic rights of citizens. Good governance should also filter down and be appreciated by the rural population in Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, the fight against corruption in all its forms must not be left to the President alone. We all know that corruption is a thief in our midst, as it takes away resources from identified needs, thereby denying the people the development that they so much need. Corruption is a cancer that must be fought by all well-meaning Zambians. I believe that there is no corruption that can be termed good. The fight against corruption is not only for politicians, but also all ordinary Zambians. Many times, if a politician is corrupt, the country is up in arms. However, there is more corruption among the low-ranked officers and those in the private sector. Therefore, we must ensure that corruption is fought at all levels. Mechanisms should be put in place to protect whistleblowers and punitive measures taken against those found wanting. We need to eradicate corruption completely.

 

Mr Speaker, on peace and unity, I totally support the President’s concerns on the violence that was witnessed in the just-ended elections. Violence of whatever form has no victor or vanquished. All those who thrive on violence will forever remain losers.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga: Zambia has had a long period of peace both during and outside election periods. We, as Zambians, should, therefore, pride ourselves in having maintained this legacy of peace from the time of Independence.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to urge all hon. Members of Parliament and other national leaders to provide leadership on this issue. I also propose that the PF Government invests adequate resources and time in finding out the root cause of the prevailing hatred that is breeding violence. For example, hate speech is now heard even amongst children both in schools and outside. As the Zambian idiom goes, children are the future leaders. So, let us not pollute their minds. Otherwise, we risk having a more violent future generation.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude by saying that we have an able President in the driving seat of this country and a leadership comprising the Cabinet and all the hon. Members seated in here. The nation is looking up to us to provide the leadership that is required to leave Zambia a better country than we found it.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate. I am Hon. Joseph Malanji, a representative of the people of Kwacha Constituency.

 

Sir, let me start by expressing my profound congratulations to His Excellency the President and Madam Inonge Wina on their election as President and Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, and whose presence in this House makes it Parliament.

 

Sir, I would be failing in my duty if I did not congratulate you and your two Deputies who will be presiding over the Business of this House. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate my fellow hon. Members of Parliament on their election and nomination, including the hon. Member of Parliament for Dundumwezi.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear! He is absent.

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech was not a mere academic exercise because it is tangentially responding to the demands, desires and direction for the improvement of our social security and development in general.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, I will be quick to point out the desire for diversification before other inspiring notes in the speech. We have experienced the effects of copper price on our economy with pain, yet we have enabling conditions and climate to suite a big variety of crops and livestock whose demand has no limit even in our neighbouring countries.

 

Mr Speaker, the declaration of austerity measures by the President is a clear testimony that this is a Government of pro-poor-inclined service. The stable macro-economic situation will also create some shade for micro-based application.

 

Mr Speaker, the call for intensified exploration in other minerals and gases is long overdue. When we look at areas like Namibia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where there are diamonds, there is an indication that there is no way the belt would not pass through Zambia.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, the call for a combination of clean renewable energies alongside the National Electricity Grid should be pronounced loudly and given a platform for growth, considering the high demand for electrical power. We should note that in the 1970s, the demand for electrical power was only around 500 MW. At the moment, it is above 2,000 MW. Therefore, it is only in order that we equate supply besides the prevailing situation which is a force majeure.

 

Mr Speaker, the promotion of the use of co-operatives does not only spur development, but also increases the ‘appetite’ to use private-public partnerships (PPPs).

 

Mr Speaker, the call for diversification in tourism is long overdue because apart from arts and culture, which could help in the growth of the industry, Zambia has four seventy-three course golf courses, …

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji: … including the one at the Nchanga Golf Club, which was once rated 14^th in the World. This should be put in the books of our tourism call.

 

Mr Speaker, one item-picking spectacle is the skills training centres which should probably be more in some districts like mine which house five constituencies with each having more than 9,000 youths.

 

Mr Speaker, we should all commend His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for creating the Ministry of Religious Affairs because the Government has had many schools run by churches that receive huge grants from the Government. The putting up in our communities of skills and recreation centres that we are talking about can be done in conjunction with the churches through this ministry. This is also a viable avenue for the application of PPP. This co-ordination can well be harnessed by such a ministry.

Mr Speaker, the encouragement of the use of PPPs will not just end in one sector of investment because we can have PPP investment in road infrastructure, considering the current and projected traffic whose toll fees can sustain a repay plan.

 

Mr Speaker, the significance of this will, however, depend on our pragmatism and pro-activeness as agents in the execution of lined up key programmes.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, in view of the guidance from the President’s Speech and the aforesaid, it is my prayer that I shall leave no room for a vacuum in this parliamentary calendar. Please, allow me to go straight into my maiden speech.

 

Mr Speaker, I have come to this House with high hopes on behalf of the people of Kwacha Constituency who have given me the mandate to represent them to the best of my ability. This is a constituency comprising a cosmopolitan population whose ethnic belonging plays no role in its decision making as regards the selection of its leaders as seen from the overwhelming majority of votes in the 2016 General Elections.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malanji: Mr Speaker, I have inherited this constituency from a fellow Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, Hon. Boniface Mutale, onto whose performance I must add or improve. This is the constituency housing the second largest university in the country. Besides being one of the largest constituencies, it has many challenges, some of which include a lack of infrastructure in education, health and recreation.

 

Sir, I note the significance of the university in the constituency. However, as the incoming legislator of the area, I feel the university can do more than it is doing currently. An institution such as the Copperbelt University (CBU) should not only end at providing tertiary education, but should also be a pioneer in research and development. A university with a school of mining under the engineering faculty should be in the forefront of mineral exploration. By now, the university should have had mining rights and shares of its own which it could sell and help the Government with the payment of bursaries.

 

Mr Speaker, I wish to engage all the stakeholders in the constituency to make a visible contribution towards addressing these challenges. One worrying factor about this constituency is that it has more than 800,000 youths without secondary education because there are no secondary schools. Pupils have to trek to Helen Kaunda and Kitwe Boys secondary schools. So, my tenure in this House will not be a success if I do not build a secondary school. I think that I am equal to the task of building a secondary school.

 

Sir, the university in the constituency has no adequate hostels. So, many students end up leaving in boarding houses. I am glad that the Government of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is encouraging the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs). This is the method we shall use to bring in investment to build hostels and other infrastructure to increase enrolment and improve the standards at this university which will soon export knowledge to Robert Kapasa Makasa University in Muchinga Province.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, if you look at the population of Zambia, you will find that the chance of coming to Parliament is 0.001. Therefore, I would like to thank all the administrative structures in my party, from the branch level to the central committee, which is the apex body of administration in our party under the chairmanship of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for adopting me to represent the people of Kwacha.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkhuwa (Chingola): Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Sir, firstly, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and Her Honour the Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs Inonge Wina, on their election to the high offices of the land. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election to this House for the second time. I also wish to congratulate the hon. Deputy Speakers on their election.

 

Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in this honourable House for the first time and it is a great honour for me to do so. I owe this privilege to the gallant people of Chingola Constituency who elected me to represent them in this august House. Prior to my election, there were seven other hon. Members of Parliament from 1964 to date, namely Hon. Aaron Milner, the late Hon. Daniel Kapandula, Hon. Enock Kavindele, the late Hon. Paul Chansa, Hon. Dr Ludwig Sondashi, Hon. Chilufya Kazenene and last but not least Hon. Dr Joseph Katema. We, the people of Chingola wish to convey our gratitude for the effort these wonderful gentlemen put in making Chingola a better place for all. Special thanks go to Hon. Dr Katema who I grew up with in Lusaka’s Chilenje Township and who was an integral part of my campaign team. He handed over the constituency, including all the projects that are in the pipeline in a brotherly and magnanimous manner.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkhuwa: This is mature politics at its best coming from a candidate who was equally seeking adoption.

 

Mr Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the Patriotic Front (PF) national, provincial, district and constituency committees and my wife and family for the support they rendered to me during the campaign.

 

Sir, my inspiration to contest the Chingola Parliamentary seat came with great conviction to help bring back Chingola to its past glory of being the cleanest town in Zambia. As a matter of fact, some secondary school social examination papers of yesteryear carried the question, “Which is the cleanest town in Zambia?” The answer was naturally, Chingola. Sadly, this is no longer the case. I have lived in Chingola for almost forty years now and it is painful to see the town degenerate into its current state. I, therefore, pledge to put in my best effort and ability to work with the people of Chingola and all the stakeholders to restore the town to its previous status in line with the Chingola Municipal Council’s strategic plan and vision of attaining city status by 2020.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Sir, the most urgent and critical projects to be implemented in Chingola include road rehabilitation, refurbishment of health care facilities, improvement of the quality and availability of clean water, and rehabilitation and extension of the sanitation system.

 

Mr Speaker, Chingola has a high level of unemployment, especially among the women and youth. Addressing this issue is a priority as demonstrated by the launch of the 2015 National Action Plan for Youth Empowerment and Employment. My goal is to ensure that the youths in my constituency get maximum benefits from the planned programmes. For the women in particular, my aim is to ensure that they benefit from the alternative income-generation initiative under the World Bank (WB) funded Zambia Mining Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project.

 

Sir, in the last five years of the PF in Government, Chingola Constituency has had a total of 109 developmental projects undertaken, especially in the peri-urban areas. These include, the construction of health posts and construction and upgrading of schools, sinking of boreholes, construction of police posts, construction and refurbishment of court houses and teachers houses and many more. However, road infrastructure remains a great source of concern, as the works have come to a standstill. A vast majority of key roads require immediate attention. It is my sincere hope that the Government will prioritise these projects.

 

Mr Speaker, would I be in order if I asked the hon. Minister of Finance to hand me a cheque just now so that I go back with it on Friday?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Sir, I am reliably informed that 40 km of the road network in Chingola is earmarked for rehabilitation under the C400 Road Project.

 

Mr Speaker, there is a huge market potential, both locally and internationally, for agricultural products in Chingola. However, the sector remains overlooked, underutilised and is under-performing. Chingola is less than 50 km from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Border and about 400 or 500 km from the Angolan Border. I believe that with appropriate investment support and willpower this sector can greatly improve the welfare of our people and our general economy. There is a lot of arable land lying idly. However, with prudent allocation of land and facilitation of acquisition of mechanised farming implements, our people can be empowered tremendously.

 

Mr Speaker, the negative impact of the extractive industry on the environment in Chingola cannot be overemphasised. However, the inclusion of Chingola District in the Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to reduce environmental health risk for the people. As area Member of Parliament, I pledge my commitment to the strengthening of the environmental governance and the improvement of the environmental infrastructure. Top on the agenda will be the monitoring of waste water discharge from the industries and enforcement of pollution control standards in both the urban and peri-urban areas of Chingola.

 

It must be appreciated that a Member of Parliament is only, but a vessel or conduit to development and can only mirror the aspirations of the people who put him/her in office. The envelope of Government resources from which to share is always limited. Therefore, there will be some degree of dependency on local resources through the participation of investors and other stakeholders.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, allow me to reflect on the near Constitution lacuna that our beloved country was faced with a few weeks ago. One would be tempted to think that the new Constitution was developed with some ultra motive not meant for the good of the country. This House would be doing a serious disservice to this nation if it did not take immediate action to remedy this “crisis”. We have learnt our lesson and it is our duty, as leaders, to leave our children and our children’s children a Constitution that will stand the test of time and one that will not deliberately leave our beloved nation trapped in an unnecessary stalemate. The people who voted us into office deserve this honour.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Lastly, I wish His Excellency the President, his Cabinet, all the hon. Members of Parliament and the entire machinery a productive five years. You can rely on my family and I to diligently carry out this honourable assignment bestowed on me by the people of Chingola.

 

Mr Speaker, I now want to make comments on the President’s Speech. I have already highlighted a few issues. So, I will not take long.

 

Sir, on page 4, paragraph 17 of the Speech, the President states that:

 

“My administration will create an atmosphere where sectors will simultaneously work together to resolve developmental challenges such as youth unemployment and high levels of poverty by harnessing our youthful population into a productive one. This entails that the youths must embrace innovation and entrepreneurship, advanced technologies and actively participate in the economy.”

 

Mr Speaker, this has always been my dream. The President’s Speech makes me sleep comfortably, knowing that most of the developmental issues that I have been thinking about have been tackled by the President of the Republic who is honest and well-meaning.

 

Sir, in paragraph 28 of the Speech, the President states that:

 

“… we will steadfastly attract investment in farm mechanisation and introduce science and technology to stimulate production.”

 

   I come from an engineering background and I know that a lot can be done using mechanised farming. In Chingola, there is a lot of farmland. We can take most of our mothers and youths who are not doing anything in the urban areas to these areas so that they can become productive.

 

Mr Speaker, in paragraph 40 of his speech the President stated that the Government, through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) targets to create a total of one million jobs. Here, the President is like a locomotive engine and we are the wagons.  He is pulling us in the direction of job creation. We are very happy about this because if the jobs are created, we shall have fewer thefts in our homes and workplaces, as more people will be able to earn an income. Therefore, the creation of a million jobs in five years is a welcome move which I feel all hon. Members of Parliament and the people of Zambia should support.

 

Mr Speaker, the empowerment of youths through affordable loans to own buses, garages or car washes is a good idea. However, I have observed that we have a poor credit culture and fail to account for funds.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nkhuwa: The Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) had a scheme some time back where retrenched miners were given assets to administer as businesses.  Ten people were given one accountant to monitor their businesses and the businesses thrived. No sooner were the accountants withdrawn than most of the businesses collapsed. They were bankrupt after five years.  I can make an input on how to run the bus business because I come from that background.

 

Mr Speaker, as I mentioned in my maiden speech, the C-400 Road Project is welcome. I know that 40 km of road in Chingola is earmarked for construction and rehabilitation. So, we shall make sure that Chingola benefits from this project.

 

Sir, the introduction of tollgates is a welcome idea because of the money that has been realised from their use in a short period. I would like to implore the ministry responsible to prioritise the installation of tollgates because they are an income generator. I know that the Government is short of money and tollgates are an immediate source of income. So, their installation should be encouraged.

 

Mr Speaker, this was my last point. I am sure that other speakers will comment on the issues that I have not talked about. Generally speaking, the people of Chingola are happy with the President’s Speech.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chali (Nchanga): Mr Speaker, it is a great privilege to be called upon to make my maiden speech. My full names are Chilombo Chali, commonly known as Twende Nankwe.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Musukwa: Meaning?

 

Mr Chali: This means I walk with my constituents.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chali: It is undoubtedly a great joy and real privilege to represent Nchanga Constituency which is such a remarkable community.

 

Sir, before I delve into the core issues, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs Inonge Wina, on their election. I also wish to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, the First Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker on your election as well as all the hon. Members of Parliament and the Zambians who contributed towards the democratic process.

 

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, gave a profound and informative speech during the Official Opening of this House. The speech clearly defines the direction the country will take in the next five years and beyond. I shall partly comment on it in my speech and reserve most of my observations for the publication of the 7^th National Development Plan, as it has been referred to as a guide to some cardinal issues for the next five years.

 

Sir, it is by the Grace of God that I am standing on behalf of the people of Nchanga who have given me the mandate to do so. I am more than grateful for this. I believe that I was chosen by the people of Nchanga because I am a true resident of Nchanga; a true patriot; and a member of the Nchanga family known as Bashi Mine. I thank all my constituents for their vote of confidence, including the team that supported my campaign through thick and thin. May God bless them all.

 

Mr Speaker, in addition I extend my gratitude to my family and my dear wife Judith for their prayers, moral support and for ensuring that the team and I were fed. I also extend my gratitude to the Patriotic Front (PF) National Executive Committee, chaired by our President, the provincial, district and constituency committees for their recommendations that ultimately lead to my adoption. I would also like to thank all the wards, branches, sections and the cadres in Nchanga Township for their support. Last but not least, I congratulate my opponents for their efforts and recognise their maturity in promoting democracy. I hope that they will contribute, where possible, to the future that we all look forward to regardless of our political affiliation, religion and ethnicity.

 

Sir, Mr Speaker, I am a career miner who rose from the position of staff leaner to that of senior management. I have been a resident of Nchanga Constituency for almost four decades. Having mingled with the people in my constituency, I am aware of the challenges being faced. I believe it is for this reason that I was elected into office. Having me, a father, brother and fellow miner with such great experience as the voice of Nchanga in this august House has sparked a gleam of hope and high expectation amongst my constituents to have Nchanga restored to its former glory.

 

Sir, Nchanga constituency is predominately urban. It has ten wards of which seven are urbanised while three are peri-urban. The population of the constituency is dependent on mining. Thus, the majority of the residents are miners, mining contractors and ex-miners who mainly reside in the urban wards. The peri-urban wards are dominated by the retired miners who depend on farming.

 

Mr Speaker, the economy of Nchanga is dependent on copper. The closure of the Nchanga Underground Copper Mine in particular has resulted in job losses which have further resulted in hardships for the people of Nchanga. Further, the mine owners pay the suppliers services and goods at their own time. This has had a domino effect in the sense that every business or resident of Nchanga has been affected directly or indirectly. This chain reaction means that apart from the retrenched miners, the contractor can no longer get contracts, a taxi or mini bus driver has no passengers and a marketeer cannot sell his/her merchandise. Also, the constituents can no longer afford to send their children to school or college.

 

Sir, I believe a job is more than a seven-to-five shift, a cheque at the end of the month or statistics in a press release. A job is meant to provide a sense of identity and worth, foster self confidence and nurture God-given talents. The moral case put forward by the Government in striving for job creation and full employment is every bit as strong as the economic case and every bit as important. I welcome the creation of the 1 million jobs.

 

Mr Speaker, other than job losses, Nchanga Constituency has a low youth empowerment rate. No marketeer has benefitted from the Presidential Marketeer Fund. I, therefore, welcome items 98-109 of the President’s Speech which clearly give direction on the future our young people and the interventions in the form of empowerment which I expect to lobby for my constituency to be a core beneficiary.

 

Sir, I was born and bred on the Copperbelt. I have witnessed deterioration in the following areas:

 

Planning and development are nonexistent in my constituency. The rate of infrastructure development does not tally with the increase in the population. Crime is on the increase due to the non-availability of social and recreational facilities, coupled with a lack of law enforcement facilities, especially in the peri-urban areas. The youth have turned to alcohol drinking due to a lack of sports and recreational facilities and this has also contributed to moral decline.

 

Mr Speaker, the unemployment rate due to the non-creation of jobs has been worsened by the closure of the mine which is now under care and maintenance.

 

Sir, unhealthy living environment and poor state of the roads also characterise Nchanga. Despite the on-going infrastructure development by the PF Government, Nchanga has the worst road infrastructure on the Copperbelt. Those who have been there can bear me witness.

 

Sir, there is poor sanitation resulting from poor waste disposal facilities and low water supply. It is by the Grace of the Almighty that this constituency has not experienced a cholera outbreak.

 

Mr Speaker, the failure to send children to school due to a lack of resources has resulted in child labour, early marriages, childhood pregnancies, under-aged drinking and substance abuse, amongst others.

 

Mr Speaker, out of the 650 new health posts which have been built across the country, Nchanga has received three and one of them has been completed and is awaiting equipping and commissioning.

 

Mr Speaker, during my stay in Nchanga, I have witnessed its transition from the blooming town it once was when it was the cleanest town in Zambia to its current condition. I can describe this as disheartening or glooming. The vicissitudes of our town are disconcerting for those of us who have witnessed the ownership of the mines change from the Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Limited (NCCM) under the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited (ZCCM) to Anglo America Corporation and now Vedanta Resources Plc.

 

Mr Speaker, to honour the people of Nchanga who have put their confidence in me through the ballot, I pledge that I will do my best to transform Nchanga to its past state.

 

Sir, to spur development in my constituency, it is necessary to address the unethical issues that are currently hindering development. I believe that if we start by identifying the root cause of some of the problems the Government is faced with, we can manage to solve them. This will enhance the efforts that the Government is making in trying to better the lives of citizens.  

 

Mr Speaker, with my rich experience in mining, given an opportunity, I can constitute a team of mining engineers and miners who can run the closed underground mine profitably. This calls for an urgent review of the conditions under which the mine was sold.

 

Mr Speaker, to set a road map to prosperity for our children, grandchildren and the future generation, I believe that diversification is key as prescribed in the Patriotic Front Manifesto, the President’s Speech and the Integrated Land Management Reforms. Ownership of land should be in tandem with diversification, especially in agriculture. Diversification is crucial in the creation of a safe haven for our grandchildren. As a mining expert, I understand that copper is a wasting asset. Nchanga Mine has been in existence for the past eighty-six years. With an adequate capital injection and the current technology, it can run for another twenty-five to thirty years. Having said this, the question remains: “What will remain of our beloved Nchanga after that?”

 

Sir, in that regard, I would like to commend His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for allocating land to the 1,675 ex-miners of Chingola. Land ownership is not only a birth right, but is also cardinal in the diversification of the economy. For someone to diversify from mining to farming, there is a need for change of mindset. 

 

Sir, other than concentrating on mitigating the current economic issues that are affecting Nchanga Constituency, I will also spearhead diversification and industrialisation in accordance with the Patriotic Front Manifesto. Chingola is geographically well placed and has good access to markets. I, therefore, pledge to help the local businesses regain the confidence to borrow and expand. By so doing, people will be able to benefit from the economic recovery. 

 

Mr Speaker, these are some of the challenges that will be tackled in my constituency. I look forward to championing the cause for the issues I have referred to in the next five years in order to help Nchanga and the nation at large become more industrious, prosperous, peaceful, stable, united and democratic under the motto, “One Zambia, One Nation”.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Chali: Mr Speaker, when business was suspended, I was about to conclude my debate. I would, therefore, like to thank you, Mr Speaker, for according me the opportunity to debate. I also wish to thank the hon. Members of this august House for listening to my debate. I wish to emphasise that the sharing of the national cake must be transparent. I still fail to understand why Nchanga Constituency has not benefited from all the empowerment funds. Only two women groups received hammer mills. May God bless Nchanga Parliamentary Constituency and Zambia as a whole.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Siwanzi (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, I will start my debate by presenting my maiden speech. Thereafter, I will debate the Motion of Thanks to the Address to this august House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

 

Sir, let me congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your re-election to this House. I also wish to congratulate the First Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker on their election to this august House. The people of Nakonde have sent their warmest greetings to you, Mr Speaker, the First Deputy Speaker, the Second Deputy Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly. Let me also congratulate Her Honour the Vice-President and all the hon. Members for their respective victories in the 2016 Tripartite Elections.

 

Sir, I would also like to thank the President and the Patriotic Front (PF) for adopting me as the party’s candidate for Nakonde Parliamentary Constituency in the just-ended Tripartite Elections.

 

Sir, I wish to thank my beautiful wife, Leontinah, my father and mother, …

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: … my brothers, Pethias, Moses, Benjamin and Ali. I would not want to forget to mention some of my friends; Zenzo Kachingwe Chombela, Collins Ngoma, Martin Sikaona, Mabvuto Saini and Brian Chisha …

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: … for their support and spirited fight they put up.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: I also wish to thank all the electorate who voted for me.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: Mr Speaker, as a border town, Nakonde contributes significantly to the Treasury through various economic activities that enhance revenue collection, particularly through the payment of taxes for the goods entering and leaving the country.

 

Sir, there is a need to transform the town into one of the biggest contributors to the Treasury. In light of this, the people of Nakonde request for the implementation of the following developmental programmes to kick-start the necessary transformation of Nakonde:

 

1. developing a plan for a new town away from the border location. The proposed area for the new business town is Wulonga near the Mbala Road Junction. This will decongest the border area and make the town more attractive for tourism, as thousands of people pass through the border to do business in Tanzania. The border area is congested and unsafe for traders; and

 

1. upgrading Nakonde District Council into a municipal council. The need for this is as a result of its increased income returns per annum, population size and infrastructure capacity, among other things.

 

Hon. Government Members: Bwekashapo!

Mr Siwanzi: Okay! Let me say it once more.

 

•  

 

Mr Siwanzi: Nakonde District Council needs to be upgraded into a municipal council. The need for this is as a result of its increased income returns per annum, population size and infrastructure capacity, among other things. This upgrade will increase the council’s revenue streams and subsequently improve …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The consultations on the right are rather loud.

 

 May the hon. Member continue.

 

Mr Siwanzi: Sir, the upgrade will increase the council’s revenue streams and subsequently improve service delivery. It will further culminate in employment creation and enhance financial management. In addition, we envisage a district council with sub-council offices around old Nakonde and Chiyanga for us to have enough human resources to manage traders in the markets, waste management and reduce smuggling, especially at Chiyanga Black Market.

 

Mr Speaker, it is also worth noting that economic activities in Nakonde are not well managed and controlled. In order to improve trade in the district, we want business clusters where markets, transit and loading bays are established. In this regard, we have in mind the Tanzania-Zambia Railways (Tazara) Area and the newly-proposed town in Wulonga. This development will promote the transport business and, in turn, create employment for people in this sector. On the other hand, this will help fight human and drug trafficking, which is a major problem in border towns generally.

 

Sir, furthermore, transport infrastructure in the district needs to be improved by expanding the main road into a dual carriageway to reduce traffic congestion.

 

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: Mr Speaker, Nakonde residents find it difficult to drive on the main road and conduct their business due to the traffic that lasts for hours and can stretch up to 5 km from the border. This does not only delay the delivery of goods and services, but also endangers people’s lives, as some trucks carry flammable goods. Therefore, there is a need to construct two alternative highways from Chiyanga through Tazara to Stephenson Road at Nakonde Urban Clinic and Stephenson Road from Katozi  at the T-junction with Kanyala Road to Mwenzo at the Mbala T-junction. To make it easier for international and local business people to reach Nakonde, there is a need for the establishment of an international airport in the likes of Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: Mr Speaker, I am sure hon. Members of this House will agree with me on this issue because Nakonde is about 1,000 km away from Lusaka. If this proposition is considered, it will boost the hospitality and tourism industry which will, in turn, create employment for youths in both the hospitality and clearing, and forwarding industries.

 

Sir, it is unfortunate that many people do not know that Nakonde has a rich national heritage. It is in this area where the famous King Zwangendaba of the Ngoni people was buried.

 

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: Sir, if the proposed airport will be successfully established, it should be named after King Zwangendaba.

 

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: Mr Speaker, a healthy mother and child results in a healthy home and eventually a healthy nation. In Nakonde, there is one new district hospital, one urban clinic and four health posts while eight others are under construction. This is in line with the vision of delivering health services closer to the people. While this is the case, some communities in the district are still faced with the challenge of accessing health services. The people of Nakonde would like to see more rural health posts built, as this will ease access to health services, especially for mothers who have to walk long distances. The people of Nakonde are also calling for the upgrading of Nakonde Clinic to a fully-fledged urban clinic with facilities for admitting patients.

 

Sir, education has proved to be a palliative to the fight against poverty both at individual and national level. Apart from the famous Mwenzo Girls’ Secondary School, Nakonde District does not have a proper secondary school. The available secondary schools cannot accommodate the population of pupils at this level. Therefore, the desire of the people of Nakonde is that the construction of Donald Siwale Technical Secondary School be expedited to ease this pressure.

 

Mr Speaker, although Nakonde and Ntindi Primary schools were upgraded to secondary school, there is also a need for the infrastructure to be upgraded to a modern high school, which should include laboratories. In terms of tertiary education, the district requires a vocational institute accredited to the Technical Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) to offer training in relevant fields that will promote business and professional skills in tandem with the economic activities in the area such as clearing and forwarding, hotel and tourism, business and financial management studies just to mention a few.

 

Sir, agriculture development is also vital to both Nakonde and the country at large. As the country is working towards diversifying the economy into agriculture, the people of Nakonde do not want to be left out. In view of this, it is necessary that agricultural and industrial clusters be formed in each ward. This will enable them to engage in income-generating activities such as poultry and piggery farming, shelling and packaging of beans and the famous Nakonde rice which I am sure all hon. Members of this august House have tasted before, among others.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: This will also help enable them to have access to bigger and better markets for their produce. In the same vein, we shall establish a business and marketing committee under my office to help the co-operatives find bigger and better markets for their produce.

 

Mr Speaker, the provision of water and sanitation has been one of the biggest challenges in Nakonde. The Government has constructed a dam with borehole facilities to supply water to the new treatment plant which is under construction. However, there is a need to expedite the project which has since stalled.

 

At the moment, water reticulation facilities in Nakonde are poor. The drinking water can be mistaken for opaque beer.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Siwanzi: Mr Speaker, the population has outgrown the water reticulation, treatment and supply infrastructure in the district. There is a need to urgently build a new water supply facility and develop the human resource capacity to manage it. More boreholes should be sunk closer to households in the rural parts of the district so as to end the practice of fetching water in containers, particularly by school-going children. There is also a need for a modern sewer network, as the current system of septic tanks is a health hazard and impacts on the water table in the urban area of Nakonde.

 

Mr Speaker, the increase in population and business activities in Nakonde, coupled with the influx of business people from all over the world, calls for increased security services and human resource to go with it. There is a need for more police stations to be constructed, especially closer to the border in order to improve security and protect residents in this area. The crime rate is high around the border area, particularly at the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Market where there are a lot of trading activities. The lighting system at the markets also and along the roads also needs to be improved. This will not only enhance security, but also ensure businesses at both local and national levels.

 

Sir, the next five years will provide an opportunity for me as the area Member of Parliament and the people of Nakonde to join hands in turning around the fortunes of the town with robust, innovative and practical interventions. We, therefore, look to the future with great optimism and a mindset that collective effort is always a winning formula.

 

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I would like to thank everyone who believed in me and supported me on this arduous journey to Manda Hill. I pledge to support and implement the Government’s policies and remain loyal to the President, the PF and the great constituency of Nakonde in contributing to national development and advancing the spirit of “One Zambia, One Nation”.

 

Sir, let me now turn to the President’s Speech. In a few words, I would like to say that the speech by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is one which should be appreciated by all well-meaning Zambians regardless of their political affiliation, …

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi: … tribe or religion.

 

Mr Speaker, hon. Members of this House may think that I looked at the President’s Speech before I prepared my maiden speech. To the contrary, I prepared my speech before the President presented His Speech in this House. However, I have realised that most of the issues I talked about in my speech have already been covered in the President’s Speech.

 

With these few remarks, I beg to move.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to debate. Firstly, let me congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and his Running Mate, Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina, on their well-deserved victory in the just-ended elections.

 

Sir, I also wish to congratulate you and your two Deputies on your unanimous election. I think that the unanimity of your election spoke volumes in terms of your suitability for the role. Let me also congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament who have been appointed Ministers and Provincial Ministers and all the other hon. Members of Parliament on their election.

 

Mr Speaker, before I delve into my discourse, allow me to pay tribute to some individuals and groups of individuals who impacted my election positively. Firstly, I wish to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for expressing his unmistakable confidence in me by not only adopting me to contest the Lunte Parliamentary Seat on his party’s ticket, but also helping me campaign in the constituency.

 

Mr Chibanda: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Sir, I also wish to thank the then Secretary-General of the Patriotic Front (PF) and now the hon. Minister of Defence, Mr Davies Chama, and his Deputy, Madam Mumbi Phiri, and all members of the Central Committee for their support, …

                                                                                           

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!                    

 

Mr Kafwaya: … without which it was going to be difficult to be adopted. Let me also thank the Northern Province Committee, Mporokoso District Committee and Lunte Constituency Committee of the PF. I thank you all for your unequivocal endorsement.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to organise my thoughts into three or four themes. Firstly, I would like to say a few words about President Edgar Lungu. I will do so because he is our President. Secondly, I will speak a few words about the just-ended 2016 General Elections. Thirdly, I will talk about Lunte Constituency and, lastly, about our country Zambia.

 

Sir, let me now talk about the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. In the immediate past election, I do not think that there was anyone more qualified to be the President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces than President Lungu.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, I think of this President as one who was given to this country by the hand of God at a time when we acutely needed such a level-headed leader. This well-meaning man will go down in the history of our country as a pre-eminent advocate for non-violent campaigns.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Sir, President Lungu has clearly understood the dichotomy of peace and violence, in respect to their broader implications on the human condition and national development. He will be memorialised as a statesman who is full of love, courage, empathy, imagination, warmth and one who means well for all Zambians. I know our President thinks kindly of all of us regardless of who we are.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, the President does not think of anyone as a distracter, including the Opposition.

 

Mr Chibanda: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: In fact, he thinks of them as the very essence of democracy because we need opposing views.

 

 

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a few comments on the recently-held elections. I want to think of the election as one which provided important lessons for many stakeholders like us who were participants in the process and are now lawmakers.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Sir, the commission responsible for the management of elections could have learnt some lessons. Similarly, the Judiciary, the legal fraternity and both the winning and losing candidates at all levels of participation all learnt something from the elections. I feel that it is now time for all of us to draw useful inference from the lessons learnt and contribute, and not deduct from the gains that our democracy has made since 1991. We saw spots of violence in some parts of our precious country and, truth be told, we all understand the emotive nature of politics, its process and its results. In spite of this roller-coaster feeling, violence is not what we want.

 

Mr Speaker, violence and civilisation will always be an antithetical phenomenon. While violence promotes monologue and dictatorial tendencies, civilisation, on the other hand, promotes dialogue and democratic tendencies. I pray that going forward, all participants in our future elections will choose civility over the lack of it. Whereas, there may be more views to be expressed on the just-ended elections, may I simply say that we need to mature as a democracy. As we all may be aware, to rule in this system of governance, one must have the consent of the governed.

 

Sir, I am particularly thrilled at the prospect of making a meaningful contribution to the governance of this great country though not limited to doing so by my involvement in this dignified House. In doing so, I pray before the Heavenly Host and many witnesses, that the living God may order my steps. I hope that I will remain in harmony with my inner self.

 

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about Lunte Parliamentary Constituency. With an estimated total population growth rate of up to 11.9 per cent in Mporokoso District between 2016 and 2020, Lunte Parliamentary Constituency, which will not be the case in a little while, thanks to President Edgar Lungu for making it a district, provides a huge opportunity for supplementing the demand and factor conditions of our country, making Zambia more competitive in the attraction and retention of investors.

 

Sir, Lunte Parliamentary Constituency will not only have these resources that have been referred to, but also sufficient land and fresh water resources. The constituency is, therefore, well poised to seize the opportunity inherent in the new direction of diversification, leaning towards sustainable agriculture.

 

Mr Speaker, the people of Lunte Parliamentary Constituency understand that modern political practice is thoroughly permeated by a productivitist ethos. This understanding must be translated into reflective action if the people of Lunte Parliamentary Constituency are to accrue benefits from their support of our governing party, particularly me. In this respect, producing for the people of Lunte means:

 

1. sinking boreholes to bring sufficient clean drinking water closer to the people;

 

1. stocking health centres with adequate essential supplies to easily manage common diseases;

 

1. advocating for the expansion of educational facilities and employing adequate staff to improve the standard of education in the constituency;

 

1. promoting the rehabilitation and construction of planned for health and educational facilities and bridges on our rivers and streams to ease the movement of agricultural inputs and outputs; and

 

1. grading and gravelling of feeder roads to make them passable in all weather conditions.

 

Mr Speaker, we, the people of Lunte, are hopeful that a number of these things can be done. The authority we use, on which we lay our hope, is the 2016 to 2021 Manifesto of the Ruling Party, which promises developmental activities as a primary focus for the coming five years.

 

Sir, the listening President who shares the concerns of people has given Lunte the status of a district. For that, we are grateful.

 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, we are also grateful for the fact that the listening President has constructed a road between Kasama and Mporokoso.

 

Sir, concerning our beloved country Zambia, I like it when I hear almost everyone talking about the need for us to promote and market our country and make it attractive to investors. However, I am puzzled to observe that we have refused or failed to promote the peace that we have enjoyed for the past fifty-two years.

 

Sir, the Zambian people have made numerous investments. In my view, the biggest investment that we have made is peace. I, therefore, wish to urge all Zambians to continue promoting this peace. This is because without peace, no matter how much we woo investors, our persuasion will be in vain if there is no security because that is of paramount importance to investors. Where there is no peace, there is definitely no security, and so investment cannot be secure. In that sense, you will not see investors coming to invest in our country.

 

Mr Speaker, at this point, I would now like to comment on the President’s Speech. I looked at the speech keenly after the President had delivered it, and I must say that it was a comprehensive and well-thought-out speech. It contained many important issues.

 

Sir, let me draw your attention to page 9, paragraph 37 of the speech which reads:

 

“Diversification and industrialisation are important strategies the Government will employ to attain sustainable economic growth.”

Sir, I think that the very essence of diversification is to manage risk. Many people have spoken about this country having depended on copper for so long and emphasised the need to diversify. This means that we have to spread the risk so that in the event that copper does not do well, the country will still be able to earn an income from other resources. So, clearly, focusing on diversifying the nation’s economic risks away from mining to other sectors is the right direction to take if we want to promote sustainable development. It is also clear that this focus should be biased or skewered towards agriculture because our national factor conditions alone able to promote agriculture. We have sufficient land, plenty of fresh water bodies many people who can be employed in the agriculture sector. Therefore, I wish to agree with the President and support his call for the promotion of economic diversification.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I would like to start by joining other hon. Members of Parliament in congratulating you on your unopposed election. I should also mention that for the last four years, I have been listening to the deliberations of this Parliament closely and I have greatly admired how you have conducted business in this House. I would also like to congratulate the First and Second Deputy Speakers of this House on their election.

 

Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank Jehovah God for making it possible for me to be among the 156 hon. Members of Parliament elected to this House. I am happy to be part of the law-making process to make this country prosperous as we go forward. I would also like to thank my wife, Munkanta, and my two children for giving me the opportunity to campaign for what I believe in, that is, trying to bring prosperity to the people around me. They gave me the opportunity to go out, campaign and talk about what I believe is good for the country and my children’s future.

 

Mr Speaker, Kantanshi Constituency was previously represented by somebody who was privileged to be a senior hon. Minister. He ran his race. The first time I came to this House to listen to your briefing, you talked about sarcasm not being a solution or being part of the contribution to some of the many problems that we face as a country. During the campaigns, some people hurled insults at me and spoke negative words against me but, today, we are in the same House and expected to work together for the benefit of this country.

 

Sir, I think that it is important as we aspire to become leaders to be wary of the fact that leadership is drawn from God. There will always be a time to come into this House and a time to leave. Therefore, I know that I am not going to be area Member of Parliament for Kantanshi for the rest of my life. I will only be here for the period that God will allow me to be in this august House.

 

Mr Speaker, Kantanshi Constituency is in a mining area. One of the major challenges that we are faced with is job losses in the mining industry because our economic fundamentals have literary gone down. Therefore, we have been looking for other ways of survival. Fortunately, agriculture, which was talked about by His Excellency the President, will be one of our greatest solutions to provide food and resources for our people.

 

Furthermore, Mr Speaker, our health facilities have literary collapsed. Ronald Ross Hospital, which is our main hospital, only has one thermometer, one sugar testing machine, …

 

Interruptions 

 

Mr Mweetwa: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr A. C. Mumba: ... one blood pressure (BP) machine …

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

 Just a moment, hon. Member. I need to interject. Hon. Member for Choma Central, you may not have been present yesterday when I made a ruling that during this segment of our business there will be no points of order because they tend to distract the hon. Member on the Floor. You can imagine that now when he rises again, his train of thought will have been disturbed. He will have to begin reconstructing.

 

Mr A. C. Mumba: Mr Speaker, as I was saying, the main hospital in Kantanshi has one thermometer …

 

Laughter

 

Mr A. C. Mumba: … one BP machine, one sugar testing machine and the infrastructure of the hospital has totally collapsed. The hospital does not even have an intensive care unit. If a patient is critically sick, he/she has to be taken to Kitwe. If the ambulance is available, the patient has to buy the fuel.

 

Mr Speaker, I intend to change all that because I realise that there is enough money that is provided for in the National Budget. Of the 650 health posts being constructed nationwide, six are in my constituency, but they are all at slab level. I must also mention that I have been making frantic efforts to discuss with the Ministry of Health with regard to some of the problems that it has been facing with contractors and other obligations that the ministry has. I have been assured that the ministry will be able to help, which is very encouraging.

 

Mr Speaker, as regards education, there is one major secondary school that is being built in Kantanshi to cater for two peri-urban areas. That school has been under construction for five years. Unfortunately, I acknowledge the current fiscal situation in the country. In view of this, I do not see the school being completed any time soon. It is a huge project that has twenty-four houses, state-of-the-art laboratories and a police post. So, as I have been going round the constituency, I have been thinking of finding ways and means of upgrading certain basic schools to Grade 12 by building an additional three or four classroom blocks. We have already been talking to the Ministry of General Education about this.

 

Mr Speaker, in terms of water and sanitation, the people of Mufulira or Kantanshi in particular, receive bills up to K1,000 when they do not receive a single drop of water in a month. This also has to be rectified. We are charged for using the sewer lines when the sewer system is completely blocked. These are some of the issues that made me win the recent election, under very difficult circumstances.

 

Nonetheless, I must quicken to assure the people of Kantanshi that from the various interactions I have had, I believe five years will be adequate to turn solve some of these problems. I can assure you that as I during my stay in this House, I will not only be loyal to all the hon. Members of Parliament on both sides, but will also ensure that I am part of the solutions to some of the problems that my community and many others are facing.

 

Mr Speaker, I could have gone on to talk about the many challenges that we are faced with as a community but, I think, for now, what I have mentioned will create the cornerstone of my leadership. I would like to just debate the President’s Speech briefly. The speech was not only progressive, but also spelt out the vision of the President. The President also made it very clear in terms of areas where each one of us in here can assist in order to move this country forward.

 

Sir, the creation of 1 million jobs that the President talked about is possible. There is no need for debate on issues that we ourselves can handle. Nobody is going to build our economy other than ourselves. Nobody is going to change Zambia other than ourselves. Yes, we will need partners and investors, but the major drivers of the growth of our economy will be centred around the activities and decisions that we are not only going to make in this House, but also individual level as we interact outside the House.

 

Mr Speaker, I would also like to thank the President for identifying the fact that there is a need not only to talk about agriculture as a centre stage of our diversification, but also to do something about it. We have other areas of our economy like tourism which, for a very long time, has just been talked about and nothing much has been done about it. There are no incentives to create opportunities for us Zambians to visit some of the tourism sites. Many of us here might have been privileged in our previous lives before we got into this House to have travelled around the world. Many a time, when you visit the Great Wall of China, the Disneyland of France or the United States of America, you will discover that you have not visited your own tourism sites that God has given you, not even a place close to where we are in Chongwe.

 

Sir, emphasis should also go towards developing the tourism sector. There is also a need for all of us here to ensure that we visit tourism sites and become marketers of the sites rather than spending resources going round the world trying to attract investors or tourists to come and visit sites that we ourselves have not been to.

 

Mr Mutale: Point!

 

Mr Mumba A. C.: Mr Speaker, I would like to talk about the newly-created ministries. Under housing, for instance, it is unacceptable for people to suffer in this time and era where everybody is working so hard. A year ago, we had a population growth rate of 7 per cent, yet we have a housing deficit of 3 million. Our mortgage system does not function properly enough for people to be encouraged to be committed to their jobs because their lives are connected to shelter. This worked very well in the olden days when we had the mines providing accommodation. Our parents were motivated to work hard because they were provided with shelter. We are supposed to have a vibrant mortgage system in this modern era. As hon. Members of Parliament, if we are lucky to be in this House for ten, fifteen years, or for twenty years like Hon. Given Lubinda, one is able to have a mortgage …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mumba A. C.: … and live your life after leaving Parliament.

 

Mr Speaker, the President also talked about water and sanitation. My colleague from Nakonde also talked about the colour of the water in Nakonde. The creation of a ministry in charge of water will address not only water and sanitation, but also climate change which has affected this country even in terms of crop production. As we talk about agriculture, we should be concerned about climate change because without the rain that we are expecting, we will not have the desired food production that we have been talking about or looking forward to.

 

Sir, the President was very clear in his speech in line with the current change that we are facing as a country. As I stand before you, my role is to unflinchingly ensure that all the Government programmes are properly supported and carried out.

 

I thank you Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Nomba ulebelenga, boyi.

 

Mr Kalobo (Wusakile): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to debate the speech that was presented to this House on 30^th September, 2016, by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

 

Sir, on behalf of the people of Wusakile and, indeed, on my own behalf, I would like to sincerely congratulate His Excellency the President and his Running Mate, Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina, on their well-deserved victory. This victory is for the humble leader who has the interest of the people at heart.

 

Mr Speaker, I would also like to congratulate you on your deserved re-election together with your First and Second Deputy Speakers.

 

Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to congratulate both Whips from the right and left of the House and the vice of the right. Last but not least, I would like to congratulate my fellow hon. Members of Parliament on their election to this Parliament.

 

Sir, let me begin by commenting on the President’s Speech which should be commended for promoting unity. We are just come out of the General Elections that have left the country polarised. As an Independent Member of Parliament for Wusakile Constituency, I have taken great comfort in the President’s Speech to Parliament which echoed the following key words: tolerance, coexistence and inclusiveness. These words should be taken seriously.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwale: Ema Independents, aya.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kalobo: These words should also inspire us not to discriminate when it comes to national development. Development is about people. The people of Wusakile would like to have people- centred development. We will support the Patriotic Front (PF) Government in this project of investing in hope.

 

Mr Malama A. B: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: Hope for prosperity for all. Hope for bread for all.

 

Mr Speaker, we welcome the President’s vision of a Green Revolution in Zambia. Agriculture should take centre stage in our development priorities. This sector enjoys the lion’s share of employment according to the Labour Force Survey of 2014. Out of the 6 million employed persons, 50 per cent are in the agriculture sector. These workers have been productive as can been seen from the successive maize bumper harvests.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government’s support to the agriculture sector, through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and the Food Security Pack, has yielded positive results. At policy level, we seem to be failing our farmers. With eight neighbouring countries that are hungry, the Government should not fight farmers by sending them to jail for exporting their produce.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: Like what happened in the previous …

 

Mr Ngulube: Regimes.

 

Mr Kalobo: Yes.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

Mr Kalobo: Mr Speaker, we are in a private sector-led economy where tapping into the export market should be the priority of our economic policies. We know that the national food requirement for maize is just about 3 million metric tonnes according to the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, 2015. To achieve our vision of a Green Revolution, we should use resources from the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) to boost maize output to over 10 million metric tonnes and feed our eight hungry neighbouring countries.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) should also set up specific agro processing industries to actualise value addition to our agriculture products.

 

Mr Speaker, what gives Zambia a comparative advantage in agriculture is the fact that it has the right soils. It has enough water resources and good weather. It is also a demographically-divided country full of youths. Over 80 per cent of the population is aged thirty-five and below. Let us put our retirees and youth population to work. We need to create jobs and earn foreign exchange by commercialising agriculture.

 

Mr Speaker, we support the President’s call for the diversification of the economy from mining to other sectors. However, given the abundant mineral wealth that Zambia is endowed with, the extractive industry will remain the major economic activity in the country. Trucks after trucks laden with copper are leaving the country, leaving behind wastelands and an impoverished population.

 

Sir, the Government should share with the people the findings of the recent forensic audit in the mines. People want to know why they are not benefiting from the country’s mineral wealth. Despite copper mining suffering from external shocks such as falling commodity prices, the Government should not lose focus of the gemstone industry which has seen the price of gemstone soaring exponentially.

 

Hon. Independent Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: The IDC should work with the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission CEEC and commercial banks to support local mine suppliers to start small and medium-size enterprises that can manufacture locally the inputs required by the mining sector. This will create jobs, reduce poverty and inspire youth skills training centres that the President wants to set up in every province to offer tailor-made programmes to support the mining sector.

 

Mr Speaker, it is gratifying to note that the PF Government has scaled up social protection to seventy-eight out of the 106 districts. The President informed this august House that 242,000 households or 1.4 million individuals are benefitting from the Social Cash Transfer Programme.

 

Mr Speaker, with the informalisation of the Zambian economy, it means that 84 per cent of workers are not benefiting from the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) which only targets 16 per cent of workers in the formal sector.

 

Sir, the level of vulnerability is higher for the 5 million workers in the informal sector when old age, injury or death of the breadwinner strikes than that for the 944,000 workers in the formal sector who receive social security under NAPSA or the Worker’s Compensation Fund Control Board. This is the reason I commend the PF Government for successfully rolling out social protection to the most vulnerable households through social cash transfers.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. PF Member: Ema maiden speeches, aya!

 

Mr Kalobo: To further reduce incidences of poverty, I would like to urge the Government to introduce universal pension for persons aged 65 and above.

 

The 2015 Living Conditions and Monitoring Survey conducted by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) shows that only 2.6 per cent of our population is aged above sixty-five while 80 per cent is aged below thirty-five. Given such a small number of the aged in our population, it is feasible for the Government to implement universal pension. This will help to reduce the rural and urban poverty levels which are still high.

 

Mr Speaker, on industrialisation versus austerity, the vision of creating over 1 million jobs in the next five years, through industrialisation, is shared by all Zambians. It is a well-known fact that jobs are a direct way of reducing poverty. In his speech, the President mentioned that the Government will embrace austerity measures to stabilise the economy and restore investor confidence. However, to create a million jobs, the Government should give a clear perspective on the word austerity. Austerity in wasteful Government expenditure is one thing and austerity to boost the economy is another.

 

Mr Speaker, our economy is in a hurry to industrialise. This can be achieved by stimulating the economy. This is how the United States of America recovered from the 2008 global financial crisis. In Europe, where austerity measures were embraced to resolve the same problem, economies went into recession in countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece. Britain has even left the European Union in what is called the Brexit.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ema speech, aya!

 

Mr Kalobo: Mr Speaker, the bottom line is that you cannot expect the economy to grow when you stifle consumer spending due to austerity measures. As the Government approaches the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout, Zambia should not lose its policy space to implement pro-poor policies. We want the PF Government to deliver on the social contract it has with the people for the next five years.

 

Mr Speaker, the creation of a new ministry in charge of water, sanitation and environmental protection is welcome. It is heartbreaking to see our people still living as hewers of wood and drawers of water fifty years after Independence. Even in mining areas where there is an abundance of water that is pumped from the mines, we still see people struggling to have access to clean safe drinking water. If human development is measured by the number of people having access to basic things like food, water, education, decent housing and electricity, to mention but a few, then, Zambia is clearly off target when it comes to human development.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government should ensure that water and sanitation are accessible to the majority of our people. There is no justification for taps running dry in a country such as Zambia that has four major rivers that dissect our country, namely Zambezi, Luangwa, Kafue and Luapula.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: Access to safe clean water will reduce the disease burden in our communities.

 

Sir, to clean up our environment, the Government should encourage private-public partnerships (PPP) between local authorities and the private sector through waste recycling plants that can generate electricity and compost.

 

Mr Speaker, our industrial and household waste should not kill us. We should use our waste as part of the energy mix that the President talked about to generate renewable energy. This should be the starting point and not nuclear energy which will expose our capacity constraints in terms of expertise and nuclear disaster management preparedness.

 

Mr Speaker, housing in Zambia has become an industry. We commend the President for creating a ministry particularly for housing and infrastructure.

 

Many people continue to live in sub-standard houses while others are paying exploitative rentals due to a lack of accommodation for the increasing number of students. Having a specific ministry in charge of housing will benefit the country in many ways such as the enforcement of standards on what should be considered as decent accommodation, standardisation of rental value according to the value, size and location of a house, attracting investment in modern affordable student accommodation, broadening tax collection through withholding tax on rentals, having compulsory insurance on houses as is the case in Switzerland and encouraging the creation of PPPs to meet the 3 million housing deficit in Zambia.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: Mr Speaker, due to limited time, allow me to deliver my maiden speech. I would like to thank the electorate in Wusakile Constituency in Kitwe District who have sent me to Parliament to represent them as an Independent hon. Member of Parliament. This is a rare privilege given to me by the people of Wusakile for which I am greatly humbled.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: As a servant of the people, I will not fail them. I will continue from where my predecessor left.

 

Sir, I have been elected as an Independent hon. Member of Parliament based on my strong legacy to community service. Together with the people of Wusakile, I have toiled tirelessly to clean markets and the environment, unblock drainages and sewers, empower marketeers and the youth, rehabilitate some schools and playgrounds, empower some church organisations and health institutions and keep the youth from crime through cash for work community projects.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: The people of Wusakile want me to adequately represent them in Parliament by ensuring that the Central Government brings tangible development to the constituency. It is through capital projects that jobs can be created and poverty alleviated through wage labour.

 

Sir, Wusakile Constituency is divided into two regions, the urban mining-oriented sector and the peri-urban agriculture-oriented sector. The constituency lies in the copper-producing town of Kitwe where two multi-national mining companies, namely Mopani Copper Mines and Konkola Copper Mines are actively operating. Despite its immense wealth, Wusakile Constituency remains poor. Instead of creating decent jobs, the mines are leaving us with the problem of ex-miners who look worse off than when they were employed by the mines.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: This has to change. A growing economy should lift the masses out of poverty.

 

Mr Speaker, from the 2016 Presidential and General Elections, it has emerged that this Parliament has a total of fourteen Independent hon. Members of Parliament from five provinces.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: This simply confirms the people’s desire to elect true servants of the people as their representatives in Parliament.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: In 1991, Zambians embraced the multi-party system of governance.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Kalobo: Sir, due to limited time, let me go to the challenges that Wusakile Constituency is faced with.

 

Hon. Members: Ah!

 

Mr Kalobo: The following are some of the challenges that the people of Wusakile Constituency are faced with:

 

1. inadequate schools due to population growth, leading to a high pupil-teacher ratio;

 

1. poverty due to exploitation of mining companies;

 

1. unemployment;

 

1. the plight of ex-miners;

 

1. poor water reticulation and sanitation;

 

1. poor road network;

 

1. inadequate maternity wards, resulting in avoidable deaths of expectant mothers;

 

1. A lack of mortuary services ...

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Your time is up.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Please, we have got these facilities on the wall. Let us take advantage of them. They are very clear in their indication. You cannot go beyond your time.

 

The hon. Member for Mwembezhi can take the Floor.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the speech presented to this august House by the Head of State. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, Madam First Deputy Speaker and Mr Second Deputy Speaker on your election.

 

Sir, I have heard reactions to the speech, especially from the hon. Members of the Ruling Party that effectively describe it in glowing and positive tones. It is understandable that hon. Members from the Ruling Party should debate that way. At the risk of repeating what they have said, let me say that I found most of the speech positive and inspiring.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Jamba: But beyond that, the speech did not accomplish much.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah, iwe!

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, every speech that has been presented by each of the five men who have occupied the Office of the President at the opening of every session of Parliament has been positive and inspiring. In fact, the themes of the speeches have been pretty much similar. They have all been about diversification, yet fifty years after Independence, the development complexion of this country still remains dismal and depressing.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

 

Mr Jamba: Why? It is clear that the governments we have had failed to truly walk the talk. I am aware that the Ruling Party would want to refer to the enormous infrastructure development they have embarked upon to illustrate the fact that they do not only talk, but also walk the talk.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, this country has a tendency of taking one step forward and three steps backwards. For instance, how do we explain the fact that after the much-talked about infrastructure development in the past five years, we are back in the arms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)? This is a loud confirmation that there is something seriously wrong with our development trajectory. In fact, a real risk exists that we may not recover from this and all our gains shall be reversed.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

 

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, the Front Bench here must shoulder the blame for such development directions because they are the implementers of the President’s directives and policy pronouncements. We are back in the arms of the IMF because of poor performance and our uncritical approach to Presidents’ Speeches. What the Head of State is looking for is not praise singers, but men and women who can critically dissect his thoughts and open him up to other vistas of knowledge he may not have been aware of. This way, his leadership will be effective. However, I am afraid that the contributions from the hon. Members of the Ruling Party may not be so helpful.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, just take a seat. I did indicate yesterday and counselled at length, that the practice and convention of the House is not to debate your colleagues. So, if you have your point to make, just make it independently of the other hon. Members. I do not think it is fair anyway, to prejudge their contributions. They have their own contributions to make. They have got their own ideas. Therefore, I do not think you should sit in judgment.

You may continue.

 

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, allow me now, as an Independent Member of Parliament, to present my maiden speech.

Mr Mumba: To whom?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, kindly accept my sincere gratitude for the opportunity you have granted me to make my maiden speech to this august House. My standing here marks a momentous occasion in my life and that of my family. It is momentous because I attach significant value to it. It is momentous because several years back, I never imagined that the Zambian people could see in me something valuable enough to elect me to one of the most important chambers of the country.

 

It is a momentous occasion for another reason. I was born forty-four years ago into a farming community. My parents, Mr and Mrs Jamba, were peasant farmers with very few animals. With their meagre income, they managed to raise all their children and guarantee them a decent future. They did not also know that they were raising a lawmaker who would one day stand shoulder to shoulder with his countrymen and women to shape the legislative landscape of this nation.

 

Mr Speaker, I am sure that you understand that I have singled out my parents in order to thank them most sincerely. In addition, I want to thank my wife who has walked with me all my life, …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Jamba: … bearing with me some of the heaviest burdens and enduring all manner of hardship. Today is also her moment of pride. I have friends from my professional and religious life who have contributed to this success and to the lessons that have defined my life. To all of them, I say thank you very much.

 

Mr Speaker, this day is more about the people of Mwembezhi Constituency who decided to send me to this august House to represent them. These are the men and women, boys and girls whom I want to talk about and introduce to my fellow lawmakers. This constituency has fertile land and mining activities. It has immensely contributed to the economic development and growth of this country, yet its surrounding areas and the people have nothing to show for it.

 

Mr Speaker, Nampundwe Mine, which processes some of the copper from the Copperbelt, has been in operation for several decades. The closure of this indispensible mine could adversely affect the Zambian economy, which is still largely dependent on copper. In addition, the mine helps with the mineral component necessary for the production of steel in Kafue Town. The Head of State has realised that steel production needs a boost and has correctly declared Kafue as an economic processing zone with attendant tax incentives.

 

Mr Speaker, a significant player in the development of this country is universal mining. The indigenous people of this area have given to this country more than a fair share of their contribution and continue to do so. However, I wish to place on record that despite these gigantic contributions, the place and its people wallow in poverty. They are wallowing in a kind of poverty associated with a people that have nothing in terms of natural resources. How and why has this been the case? The answer lies in the policy development choices that have been pursued to this day in that part of the country. Clearly, these policies have not helped matters. As important as it is, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is not enough. I would like this Government to adopt an equity approach in which indigenous populations realise the benefits accrued from their God-given natural resources and thank Him.

 

We need to end the curse of the natural resources that has come about because of the frustrations suffered by populations gifted with these resources. The resources are not enjoyed due to questionable development approaches. I am aware that the Patriotic Front Government has intentions of developing rural areas. This is a welcome intention but, as the saying goes, “The devil is in the detail”.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Jamba: It does not matter how the Executive chooses to approach rural development. If our views, as Members of Parliament who are knowledgeable in the realities of these parts of the country, are not taken into account, there is a big possibility of failure.

 

Sir, far too long, the development of this country has been lopsided. The new Government with new faces in the Front Bench must signal the dawn of a new era in Zambia’s development trajectory. This new beginning must usher in politics of consultation and mutual respect, knowing too well that we are all here for the wellbeing of the people of this country we belong to, Zambia.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Jamba: Mr Speaker, Kafue has been declared an economic steel and iron processing zone. I wish to implore the Executive to consider extending this privilege to my constituency. Nampundwe Mine, which is in my constituency, produces the mineral component that is necessary for the production of steel, which has earned Kafue Town this new status. If it were not for this mine, Kafue may not have attained its current economic status.  The paradox here is like milking a cow and depending on it for an income, but failing to feed it. This development approach is not sustainable. Similarly, it is not sustainable to continue drawing natural resources from my constituency and failing to invest in its environment and people.

 

Mr Speaker, speaking of investment in human resource, it is hard to imagine how such an economically-important part of a country can carry on without a boarding school where future leaders of industries, who are indigenous to the area, can go. To secure the future of these industries, it is absolutely important that investment in appropriate education infrastructure is undertaken before anything else.

Sir, for the record, I wish to inform the Executive that my constituency, which is rural, has immense potential. However, it cannot afford to go on without a boarding school. It is not in the best interest of this country. This is my urgent appeal to the Government through the hon. Minister of General Education, who is also a Member of this august House.

In conclusion, Sir, the recent elections brought out concerns regarding the oneness of this country. Whatever examples may have been used to preach peace and unity, it is still important that we discuss peace and unity. This House can play a role in cementing ties across all kinds of divides, be it political, religious or tribal. In our debates, we can demonstrate unity of purpose, and thereby send signals to our respective constituencies that we are, indeed “One Zambia, One Nation”. In our interactions with the people we represent, we must assume, as our responsibility, the need to continuously remind our people that although we live in different parts of this country and belong to different constituencies, we are one people. 

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to refresh the memory of my fellow hon. Members of this House by recalling your wise counsel that speaks to the slogan of, “One Zambia, One Nation”. You reminded us that even if we belong to a political party and are expected to toll the party line, we need to bear in mind that the nation of Zambia is much more important than any political party. These were no empty words because they offer practical examples of how we can operate as a nation.

 

On my part, I will continue to remind my people, as their servant, that we should share our natural resources with others beyond our constituency borders because we are, “One Zambia, One Nation”.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

 

Hon. PF Members: Move where?

 

Mr Speaker: It looks like this is the most difficult lesson we have to render.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

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

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

__________

 

The House adjourned at 1755 hours until 1430 hours on Thursday, 6^th October, 2016.