Thursday, 14^th June, 2018

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

 

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received communication to the effect that in the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other Government Business, the Chief Whip, Hon. Steven Chungu, MP, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government business in the House from today, Thursday, 14^th June, 2018, till further notice.

 

I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

KEEP ZAMBIA CLEAN, GREEN AND HEALTHY CAMPAIGN

 

The Minister of Local Government (Mr Mwale): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to apprise the House and, through it, the nation on the relaunch of the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwale: In doing so, I will give the road map for the implementation of the cleaning programme for the last Saturday of every month.

 

Mr Speaker, the various commitments and actions being undertaken as part of the campaign in the immediate term are as follows:

 

1. His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, relaunched and rebranded the “Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign” on the 28^th of April, 2018, in order to provide leadership and show commitment to the programme’s implementation;

 

1. the ministry, other line ministries and the private sector are ensuring that the last Saturday of every month is reserved for communal cleaning of our premises and surroundings. This is in line with the President’s call for observance of a National Day of Service during the relaunch of the campaign;

 

1. the ministry has requested all provincial administrations and local authorities to spearhead the campaign activities using various media platforms and identify the cleanest premises for His Excellency the President to recognise every year;

 

1. His Excellency the President has been engaging our partners to help with the implementation of the campaign by appointing brand ambassadors or champions, mainly from the Church, traditional leadership, and entertainment and media industries, to help spread the message of behavioural and mindset change;

 

1. the local authorities have continued to enforce Statutory Instrument No. 12 of 2018, which compels citizens in institutions to take responsibility for keeping their premises and surroundings clean; and

 

1. the ministry and the Lusaka City Council (LCC) are working to establish a solid waste management utility that will provide an effective service and help to keep the environment clean to enhance public health in the City of Lusaka. To that end, this year, I will present a Bill that will provide the legal framework for solid management and the implementation of the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign.

 

Mr Speaker, using the 2017 National Budget, the ministry procured seven skip loader trucks and forty-nine skip bins valued at K7.2 million for cities and municipalities. In addition, local authorities, particularly in cities and big municipalities, procured refuse collection equipment at an estimated cost of K4.3 million using their own budgets. The equipment is being used to support the campaign.

 

Sir, the local authorities have continued to promote the involvement of corporate institutions in supporting the campaign through donations of litter bins in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt provinces. The private sector is also supporting community recycling initiatives like the Zambia Breweries-supported Manja Pamodzi Project, which is helping to clean up post-consumer packaging waste in Lusaka. The initiative will be rolled out to other towns.

 

Mr Speaker, the ministry and its partners are conducting provincial launches of the campaign to encourage ownership of the programme by citizens across the provinces and districts of the country. I, therefore, urge all hon. Members to partner with provincial and district administrations and mobilise communities for the campaign. Further, the Government wishes to sustain the campaign through Ward Development Committees (WDCs). Where there are no WDCs, we will promote their creation so that they mobilise communities and spearhead the cleaning of their localities.

 

Sir, the ministry and the Zambia National Service (ZNS) are constructing public trading places, particularly in Lusaka, Livingstone and some towns on the Copperbelt Province, to provide a conducive trading environment and promote good health for traders and their customers. Further, the ministry and the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection have finalised the development of a National Water Supply, Sanitation and Solid Waste Policy to strengthen the policy, legal and institutional frameworks for the efficient and effective provision of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management services in Zambia.

 

Sir, the main challenges being faced in the implementation of the campaign are as follows:

 

1. inadequate enforcement of statutes on solid waste management;

 

1. inadequate waste management equipment and infrastructure, such as engineered sanitary landfills for disposal and treatment of solid waste;

 

1. inadequate private sector financial support for the campaign;

 

1. inadequate finances and investments in the sector, which requires huge initial capital investment to kick-start and strengthen the business environment;

 

1. poor adherence to responsible waste management and disposal practices by citizens; and

 

1. unwillingness or inability by citizens to pay for waste collection services.

 

Sir, the challenges being faced in the campaign cannot be addressed without a collective approach and the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders in the programme. In this respect, we shall strengthen inspections, enforcement and sensitisation of the public on responsible waste management and promote behaviour change through the involvement of the private sector and civil society organisations (CSOs), among others.

 

Sir, once again, I implore hon. Members to join the Government in ensuring that the campaign achieves its objectives. I also wish to remind the nation that the ministry is addressing these challenges with a view to realising the vision of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his Government to create a clean, green and healthy nation.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

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

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, let me thank the hon. Minister for issuing this important statement to the House. The Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy programme is important, and it is our hope that it will be sustained, going forward.

 

Sir, one of the biggest challenges we have in this country, which is not only in the big towns like Lusaka and the Copperbelt, is the dumping sites, where waste is supposed to be disposed of safely. What is the ministry doing to create areas for the safe disposal of waste?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for this excellent question.

 

Sir, it is important to have properly engineered landfills throughout the country for the safe disposal of the waste collected from our communities. I am using the word “engineered” because not every dump site qualifies to be a landfill. A dump site can only qualify to be a landfill if it is properly engineered to ensure that it does not become an environmental hazard.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government requires enough money to establish well-engineered landfills. It is for this reason that the Government has decided to form solid waste utility companies so that, together, we can commercialise the programme and people pay for the services to be provided by the utility companies just like we pay for water and electricity. We must pay for the service to enable the utility companies to invest in properly engineered landfills, collect waste and process it so that we do not have health hazards in the country.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Jere (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign is a move in the right direction. Sadly, some men and women in uniform who were cleaning the City of Lusaka lost their lives, probably on account of some of them not having ‒

 

Mr Mwale: Where?

 

Mr Jere: We are informed that some officers did not have protective clothing.

 

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Livune: Question!

 

Mr Jere: Sir, we have seen ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister of Home Affairs!

 

I think you should let the hon. Member for Livingstone complete his question.

 

You may continue, hon. Member for Livingstone.

 

Mr Jere: Sir, during the launch of this programme, the hon. Minister’s team was in protective coveralls, gloves, helmets and boots yet, elsewhere, people were using bare hands to unblock drainage systems. Has the Government budgeted for the purchase of protective clothing for all district councils in the country?

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Before the hon. Minister responds, I would like to advise the hon. Minister of Home Affairs that there is a more appropriate alternative to the manner in which I am suspecting he wants to intervene. He can pass his concerns to his colleague, the hon. Minister of Local Government, so that they are taken care of. I have guessed what he wants to ask.

 

Hon Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, let me start by expressing disappointment that the hon. Member would insinuate that there were men and women in uniform who died in this country during the cleaning exercise without presenting any evidence to this House. This is unfortunate. I, therefore, seek the indulgence of this House to ask the hon. Member to withdraw the statement because the Government does not have any information of that sort. There were no men or women in uniform who were reported sick as a result of the cleaning exercise. So, it is unfortunate that we can allow such a statement to go on record, thereby misleading the public.

 

Sir, this campaign is different from the campaigns we have had in the past. Therefore, we do not think that the Government needs to provide work suits to people who will participate in cleaning their surroundings because these are the things that we do on a daily basis. If we started providing work suits, gumboots or tools, then, the whole campaign would fail from the beginning because it will not be sustainable. There is nowhere in the world where governments have successfully implemented cleaning programmes by providing such things to citizens. To be sustainable, the campaign must be cheap. We, therefore, expect the general public to use the tools they use on a daily basis to clean their surroundings, such as rakes, shovels, brooms and plastic bags. What the hon. Member saw was only for the purpose of launching the exercise.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: In response to the hon. Minister’s request that the hon. Member for Livingstone withdraws his assertion, firstly, let me make the general statement that our rules of procedure  and in recent past I have rendered a ruling to that effect  we are expected to be factual in our submissions. At this stage, I am not able to determine whether the hon. Member for Livingstone’s assertion is factual or otherwise. However, in the event that one side of the House feels that the statement is not factual, we have a clearly laid-down procedure for dealing with matters of that nature so that at the end of the day, the ends of justice are served.

 

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign is a very good programme. I think keeping a country clean and healthy is very good international practice because I know that countries like Rwanda have this kind of programmes.

 

Mr Speaker, during the campaign against the last cholera outbreak, which was contained very well, …

 

Mr Livune: Question!

 

Mr Bwalya: … the hon. Minister instructed that the refuse in certain compounds be heaped in designated places. However, what has happened over time is that the trucks that were supposed to be collecting that refuse have not been doing so. In areas like Garden Compound, the garbage is now piling up. What is being done to ensure that the trucks collect the garbage as planned?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, as long as the local authorities will have to use revenue from other sources to clear solid waste while the rate of collection is increasing daily, they will not succeed in performing this task. This is why the Government has decided to establish a company that will be able to deal with solid waste from end to end and collect some money from households as contributions to solid waste management. So, as long as the local authorities remain in charge of waste management, we will continue to face many challenges. However, even in the current situation, we will strive to do something, and we are helping the local authorities. Like I said in the statement, we bought trucks with many skip bins to boost the capacity of the LCC and a few other councils in this regard.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, keeping our environment clean is very important, and I want to admit that the war against filth was won during the last cholera outbreak. However, the greatest worry for many residents, especially in Lusaka, is that some of our greatest stakeholders, the vendors in this case, are slowly and tactfully going back onto the streets. Has the ministry observed this trend? If so, what are we doing about it, considering that a stitch in time saves nine?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, indeed, we see vendors slowly get back onto the streets. Daily, we talk to the councils to carry on taking them off the streets, but they keep getting back. So, we think that the best way to resolve this matter permanently is to complete the markets that we are constructing so that the vendors can trade from there. For example, Simon Mwewa Market will take up more than 3,000 vendors. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), under the leadership of Her Honour the Vice-President, is working with line ministries to do everything possible to expedite the construction of the market. Current indications are that the market will be completed by mid-August, 2018. Nonetheless, we are still trying our best to rid the streets of vendors permanently. This is not an easy task and it requires the support of all of us.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr C. M. Zulu (Luangeni): Mr Speaker, in this country, we come up with many good ideas, but we do not implement them. That is our main problem.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister mentioned that there is inadequate enforcement of waste management laws. What will the Government do to make sure that the laws are enforced? Further, when will that be done?

 

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the enforcement of the laws is an on-going exercise, but we obviously have challenges with the law enforcers. Either the number of council police officers is inadequate or the officers do not have a proper mandate or the respect of the people to be able to deal with these issues.

 

Sir, we have been talking to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to see how we can transform the Council Police into a metro police force that will have a few more teeth than it does now. We are getting somewhere in that regard. We are considering devolving some of the functions of the Zambia Police Service to the councils. As I am speaking to you, the LCC is conducting interviews for the recruitment of 140 council police officers. We can want to boost the numbers of council police officers in Lusaka so that the force can be equal to its task. This will happen in many other districts and more funds are being provided for the councils to have more manpower.

 

Mr Speaker, we have also taken a few individuals to court. A good number of vendors and those who buy from them have been taken to court to demonstrate to those who want to keep breaking the law that we are very serious about enforcing it.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, first of all, allow me to congratulate the newly elected Member of Parliament for Chilanga, Hon. Maria Langa, on winning two wards out of ten in the constituency. She is most welcome to this House.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Michelo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister’s statement was very good. I only hope that it will be followed by equally good action. My question is: How did the ministry decide to designate the last Saturday of the month for the cleaning exercise instead of the last weekend of every month? I am sure the hon. Minister knows that there are people who worship on Saturday and on Sunday. So, how are those who worship on Saturday expected to participate in the programme?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, I issued a press statement to address the issue the hon. Member has raised. We allowed the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church members to congregate on Saturday and take part in the cleaning exercise on Sunday. So, the SDA members have their own day on which they can participate. The media covered my statement very well.

 

Mr Speaker, I must say that I am very impressed with the way the SDA Church members have responded to the programme because, last month-end, they turned out on Sunday to take part in the cleaning exercise. I was on the Copperbelt and I witnessed it. In fact, the SDAs were much more committed than the rest of us who worked on Saturday. It was very impressive and the Government is encouraged.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwale: So, I think this matter has already been sorted out.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, sometime last year, the hon. Minister informed the House and the people of Mufulira that the Government had acquired skip bins for the local authorities and he has reiterated that message today. When will the skip bins be sent to Mufulira?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the skip bin we bought for Mufulira was being used in Lusaka because of the cholera epidemic we were experiencing here. In fact, all the skip bins and trucks we bought for the cities were retained in Lusaka to help us clear the garbage. However, I know that Hon. Dr Chilufya and I will soon make a very big announcement on where we are with the cholera situation. That statement will be made, I think, in the next one or two days. Thereafter, the trucks for the other councils will be released to them. 

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last four questions from the hon. Member for Luampa, the hon. Member for Mumbwa, the hon. Member for Bangweulu and the hon. Member for Keembe.

 

Mr Chikote (Luampa): Mr Speaker, among the challenges the hon. Minister mentioned, water is the biggest our people in markets and bus stations are facing. Is there any mechanism the Government is putting in place to improve water reticulation in markets and bus stations?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, we agree with the hon. Member on the importance of the issue he has raised. In this regard, I will humbly request my colleague, the hon. Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, to update the House on what is happening throughout the country regarding the provision of clean water and sanitation services. As a multi-sectoral team that has been dealing with the cholera outbreak, we discussed this matter and have been working with the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection to map the whole country and see what we can do to provide clean and safe water for drinking. I will leave this issue to the hon. Minister responsible for water to address the House on in more detail, although I know that something is being done in that area.

 

Sir, I issued a ministerial statement on markets and bus stations. Presently, there are people constructing new markets in sixteen districts. In total, we will build markets and bus stations in about sixty districts from the US$200 million I talked about in the statement on this subject.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister may be aware that some volunteers from Mandevu and Garden compounds participated in cleaning Lusaka during the cholera outbreak. In May, 2018, some of them demonstrated because they had not been paid for participating in that exercise. Why has the Government delayed in paying those poor people?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, luckily, I am sitting next to my colleague, the hon. Minister of Health and we are consulting each other on what that was all about. I am not sure it had anything to do with the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign or solid waste issues. It may have to do with the other issues we dealt with around the cholera outbreak. My colleague and I do not quite understand what work those people did, what dues they are owed and who they are. So, I am not able to give the correct position on the issue. I encourage the hon. Member to file in a question so that, maybe, we can research the issue.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kasandwe (Bangweulu): Mr Speaker, my concern is on the proliferation of booths for Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) and Airtel in town, which I think are a form of street vending by big companies. I also think they should be given specific areas where they can put up permanent structures. How does the Government intend to regulate and control the proliferation of the booths? 

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the council has already been assigned to take care of that issue. In fact, they have been having discussions with all the telecommunication companies and other companies that do business in booths. Only certain areas will be designated for booths. I agree with the hon. Member that it looks like we have got rid of one problem and allowed another to emerge. I thank the hon. Member for reminding me about this challenge.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Ms Kasune (Keembe): Mr Speaker, I noticed the last time I went on a Committee tour at night that bottles of alcohol from bars were discarded everywhere. In some cases, that litter was near schools and the Committee was informed that, sometimes, under-aged children got the bottles and drank the remnants of alcohol in them. Are there any measures being put in place to ensure that bar owners take care of the litter they generate as we try to keep our country clean?

 

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the Cabinet approved the Alcohol Policy a few weeks ago, which will help us regulate the alcohol issues in the country. We have hit the ground running. Just this morning, I met all alcohol manufacturers at the ministry to make them aware of the new policy and its provisions. We will soon ensure that everybody follows the guidelines and regulations in the policy. We do not want to see bars or night clubs close to schools and markets. The policy will also deal with issues like the packaging, contents and quality of alcohol. We will be very vigilant in fighting against illegalities. Now that we have a policy in place, I hope we can all work together to make sure that there is a change in our communities.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

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QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR TOBACCO CONTROL

 

277. Mr Mbangweta (Nkeyema) asked the Minister of Health:

 

1. whether Zambia is a signatory to the World Health Organisation  Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, which aims to stop tobacco production by 2010;

 

1. if so, which Ministry signed on behalf of Zambia;

 

1. whether the Government is implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC);

 

1. whether implementing the FCTC is not at variance with the Seventh National Development Plan, which depicts tobacco production as a very lucrative investment opportunity;

 

1. if so, how the two positions will be harmonised; and

 

1. what the livelihood of tobacco farmers will be when tobacco production is stopped by the year 2030.

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, I have difficulties responding to part (a) of the Question because it is fundamentally flawed.

 

Sir, while Zambia is a signatory to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), the convention does not aim at stopping tobacco production by the year 2020.

 

Sir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed the FCTC.

 

Sir, the Government is implementing the FCTC.

 

Mr Speaker, I must make it clear that implementing the FCTC is not at variance with the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) because the convention aims at protecting the public from the catastrophic effects of tobacco on their health, environmental degradation, and  social and economic impacts. It does not aim at stopping tobacco production. So, while we have promoted the production of tobacco, we have not relaxed the measures we have put in place to protect the health of the public. Zambia has prioritised the health of its people in all polices. The health of the people of this country is supreme.

 

Sir, tobacco production will not be stopped. In any case, the tobacco farmers who are being encouraged to diversify are being empowered in different ways.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbangweta: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the clarification.

 

Sir, is it possible for us, as stakeholders, to look at the document that was signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? I am interested in this issue because I am from a tobacco-growing constituency.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member can look at the document, although it just shows the Government’s assent to the treaty. It also has the technical details of what the treaty is all about. Like I said, the treaty purports to protect the public from the social, economic, environmental and health impacts of tobacco production.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, as I understood the hon. Member, he would like to have access to the document.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the document can be accessed by the hon. Member if he so wishes because it is a public document.

 

Mr Speaker: Very well.

 

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister emphatically stated that the Government was more concerned about protecting citizens from the harmful effects of tobacco. However, a law to ban smoking in public places was enacted, but people have continued smoking in public. Is the hon. Minister happy with the situation? We see people smoking in public, yet no action is taken against them.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, as part of the implementation of the FCTC, the Government enacted a law to ban smoking in public places. The law is still in effect, except we may not be doing so well in as far as its enforcement is concerned. However, we are working closely with our colleagues in the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure it this is implemented. It is still an offence to smoke in a public place.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: Are you, as the hon. Minister of Health, satisfied with the enforcement of that law so far?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, I am not satisfied. That is why we are working closely with the two other ministries I mentioned to strengthen the enforcement. A survey that was conducted showed that enforcement needed to be improved.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Ms Katuta (Chiengi): Mr Speaker, in view of the Government’s advice to tobacco farmers to start growing other crops, I would like to know what crops the Government has empowered them to grow in its quest to help them diversify. I ask this question because tobacco production is a quite lucrative business? Do the crops the Government wants the tobacco farmers to start growing have the same value as tobacco?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, University of Zambia (UNZA) researchers carried out a study titled Economics of Tobacco Production on small-scale growers of tobacco. As we considered diversification, we looked at other high-value crops and undertook a cost-benefit analysis of getting into the production of other crops. We also projected the difference, and the evidence adduced indicated that there would be no loss of income on the part of the small-scale tobacco growers, especially when we factored in the harmful effects of tobacco. Therefore, farmers can grow other high-value crops, and get the same, if not more, money and also avoid the harmful impact of tobacco both on the grower and the consumer. However, we have not specified the crops farmers should grow, but we are looking at a variety of high-value crops.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last two questions from the hon. Members for Luangeni and Nkeyema.

 

Mr C. M. Zulu (Luangeni): Mr Speaker, the production of tobacco causes a lot of deforestation. What are you and your colleague, who is in charge of natural resources, doing to ensure that tobacco farmers do not cut down trees? I am aware that the effects of this tobacco we are talking about are worse than those of marijuana because marijuana has health benefits. We are, on one hand, busy planting trees and, on the other, allowing people to keep cutting them down to produce tobacco.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, for a long time, I did not understand what was meant by the saying “ungoni nifwaka” but, today, I have learned that ungoni means dagga-smoking.

 

Sir, I assure the hon. Member of Parliament that our discussions on relation to tobacco control are cross-cutting and involve various stakeholders. The harmful impacts of tobacco growing include deforestation, like the hon. Member has said. As we talk about discouraging tobacco growing and shifting to other high-value crops in order to protect the public, we also talk about deforestation.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbangweta: Mr Speaker, what is the Government’s priority? Is it the promotion of tobacco growing through the Ministry of Agriculture, as indicated in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP), or the domestication of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as propagated by the ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO)?

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the Government is party to the WHO-FCTC and it has started domesticating the convention. Firstly, we have enacted the laws to protect the public from the harmful impact of tobacco, but we have to improve the enforcement of the ban on smoking in public places. Secondly, we have increased the tax on tobacco and made cigarettes very expensive. This is part of the ‘sin tax’ that is used as part of health care financing. Thirdly, we have put in place measures to train small-scale farmers to grow other high-value crops. Fourthly, we have even set up a desk at the Ministry of Health called the Tobacco Control Desk with support from the WHO. All these steps are part of the domestication of the FCTC and in line with some of the articles of the FCTC. I can cite a number of articles that we have already domesticated and a lot of research and surveillance we have conducted with other stakeholders at UNZA and other research institutions to generate the evidence required to push the agenda.

 

Sir, this convention is a priority and we are making progress. We know that tobacco use, if not controlled, will harm the health of the public and have a devastating impact on the environment. So, we are not relenting in the domestication of the WHO-FCTC.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

MOTIONS

 

DEATH OF HON. VICTORIA KALIMA, MP

 

The Chief Whip and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Chungu): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House do place on record its deepest regret at the untimely death of Hon. Victoria Kalima, Minister of Gender and Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa Constituency, and its appreciation of her distinguished and patriotic service to this country and the people of Zambia, and that the deepest sympathies and condolences of the National Assembly be conveyed to her family.

 

Sir, in moving this Motion, allow me to express my profound regret and anguish over the death of Hon. Victoria Kalima at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka on Monday, 11^th June, 2018. Her demise is a great loss not only to the Patriotic Front (PF) party, the people of Kasenengwa and the Government, but also the nation at large.

 

Mr Speaker, the late Hon. Kalima was born on 4^th October, 1972, in Kitwe on the Copperbelt Province. She did her primary school at Kabale Primary School from 1978 to 1984 before proceeding to Lwitikila Girls Secondary School in Mpika District for her secondary education from 1985 to 1989. Upon completion of her secondary school education, Hon. Kalima studied at the Natural Resources Development College (NRDC) from 1990 to 1993 and obtained a Diploma in Agri-Business Management. Later, she studied for a Postgraduate Diploma in the same field before obtaining an Advanced Certificate in Management Studies and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Cavendish University from 2005 to 2008.

 

Sir, the late Hon. Kalima worked for the Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) in the Commercial Department as Area Manager for Lusaka from 1994 to 1998. Thereafter, she established her own company called Plant Agri-Chem as owner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1999 until her death.

 

Sir, the late started her political career in 2001 when she joined the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD). She was elected Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa in 2011. In 2013, her election was nullified by the Supreme Court, but she reclaimed the seat in a by-election in 2014. She later joined the PF and was re-elected Member of Parliament on the PF ticket during the elections in 2016.

 

Mr Speaker, as a parliamentarian, the late served on various Parliamentary Committees, including the Committee on Labour, Youth and Sport; the Committee on Economic Affairs; the Committee on Government Assurances; and the Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs. She was appointed Minister of Gender in 2016, a position she held until her death.

 

Sir, during her distinguished political career, Hon. Kalima contributed immensely to the development of parliamentary democracy through her debates in the House and on the Committees where she served. She was, indeed, a vibrant debater who was never afraid to say what she believed in. She was also a devoted Christian who was not ashamed to declare her faith publicly even on the Floor of the House.

 

The late hon. Minister is survived by two children.

 

Mr Speaker, the late hon. Minister will be put to rest on Saturday, 16^th June, 2018, at the Leopards Hill Memorial Park in Lusaka. May the soul of our departed colleague rest in eternal peace.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

 

Mr Speaker: By agreement with the political groupings in the House, we will proceed in this fashion:

 

1. the Patriotic Front (PF) will be represented by the Members for Kaputa, Lunte; Mufulira and Lukashya;

 

1. the United Party for National Development (UPND) represented by the hon. Members for Nalikwanda, Mbabala, Katuba, Kafue and Choma Central; and

 

1. the Forum for Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and Independent hon. Members of Parliament will be at liberty to indicate if they so wish to contribute to the debate.

 

Dr Kambwili: What about from the National Democratic Congress (NDC)?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Let us have some order.

 

I believe I have covered all the major political groupings.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Malama: Consultant!

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity, on behalf of the people of Kaputa, my family and on my own behalf, to convey my sincere condolences to the family of the late, the Government, and the Patriotic Front (PF) family the nation on the loss of this gallant daughter of Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, I came to know Hon. Victoria Kalima around 1997 when she worked as an agricultural chemical sales representative under the Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF). She was a very vibrant, aggressive and hardworking young sales lady. At the time we met, I was also in the agricultural chemicals marketing field with Shell Chemicals and, later, with Cyanamid. I also chaired what used to be Zambia Agro Chemicals Association, now called Croplife Zambia, where we served on the same Executive Committee that worked to foster the development of agricultural chemicals and looked at the safety of the chemicals as people use them in the country.

 

Mrs M. Phiri: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Ng’onga: Even there, Mr Speaker ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Kaputa!

 

Give me a moment.

 

Due to the solemn nature of the Motion, …

 

Hon. Members: Yes!

 

Mr Speaker: … I am unable to entertain points of order.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: If there is any concern from any quarter, the Clerks-at-the-Table will note them.

 

Mrs M. Phiri: He is not debating the Motion.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Kaputa, please, continue.

 

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, when we served together in the association, Hon. Kalima was a very aggressive and hardworking leader. Those who are still in the agro chemicals industry will attest to the fact that she rendered an undivided service and put in all her best to ensure that the sector continued to grow. Later, Hon. Kalima, whom we fondly called ‘Vic’, formed her own company called Plant Agri-Chem after leaving the ZCF around 2003 or 2004. She started the company from scratch in her backyard and she excelled at it and the company grew to be a national brand. Even as I speak, the company still exists. This indicates that she was a leader or a person who would start something and see it to its completion.

 

Mr Speaker, as Members of Parliament, we met here in 2011. She was on the other side of the House as a member of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) while I was here as a PF member. I remember her as a hardworking, very efficient and fearless lady. At that time, she spoke out on many issues without fear or favour. If there is anything that we will remember ‘Vic” or Hon. Kalima for, it is her fearlessness when she stood to speak on issues that affected her people in Kasenengwa.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to express my gratitude to you and to the Government for giving me this opportunity to place my deepest regret and sympathies on the untimely death of our departed Minister of Gender, Hon. Kalima.

 

May her soul rest in peace.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Lunte the opportunity to offer their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Hon. Victoria Kalima. We, the people of Lunte, honour her memory.

 

Mr Speaker, it is an established practice to honour the memory of departed colleagues. The words I speak today are words that Hon. Kalima should have heard. However, life being what it is, she is not here to listen.

 

Mr Speaker, I am enabled to speak by my own conviction on the type of person Hon. Kalima was. Through our interactions, I came to learn the warmth that the departed hon. Minister possessed.

 

Dr Kambwili: Awe! Warmth futi?

 

Mr Kafwaya: She was courageous, open, hardworking, respectful and skilful. Lunte remembers Hon. Kalima, as she visited the constituency and made a donation in one of the chiefdoms there.

 

Mr Speaker, truth be told, there could be no Hon. Kalima, as we knew her, without the people of Kasenengwa. So, by extension, I would like to praise the people of Kasenengwa for giving us the leader whose memory we celebrate today. It is they who understood what sort of a leader they needed to have and gave us Hon. Kalima, the lady who did so much for us. She worked very hard for this country and did so much for everyone with whom she was able to come into contact. For that, we are grateful to the people of Kasenengwa. The people of Lunte sincerely hope that, by God’s grace, the people of Kasenengwa will find another leader like Hon. Kalima.

 

Mr Speaker, may the soul of Hon. Kalima, a good mother, politician and Minister, rest in peace.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Mufulira the opportunity to eulogise a great daughter of Mother Zambia. It is difficult to eulogise any man, especially such a brilliant young soul as Hon. Victoria Kalima, when it is taken away from this country. Going by her age, Hon. Victoria Kalima was at the peak of her political career. She was a gallant young woman politician who stood to add to the depleted number of women in the political sphere of this country.

 

Sir, Hon. Victoria Kalima was, indeed, a gallant soldier for the people of Kasenengwa. I came into contact with her in 2011, when we were in the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD). I happened to have served on the National Executive Council (NEC) of the MMD and was in the entourage sent by the former President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, to the Eastern Province to undertake an evaluation of the Members of Parliament in the province. That is how I found out how anchored and strong Hon. Victoria Kalima was in Kasenengwa. It was evident that she was a very strong person in Kasenengwa. Even when her seat was nullified, she went back to the polls and proved to the people of this country that she really owned Kasenengwa.

 

Mr Speaker, to the Kalima family, I wish to say, “Thank you for sharing her with Zambia”. The country is saddened to lose a woman parliamentarian in her. When you look at the composition of this House, in both the Ruling Party and the Opposition, the number of women is disproportionate. Therefore, when death robs us of a woman representative, it is, indeed, a very sad thing. I only pray that my party, the gallant Patriotic Front (PF), when the time to replace the late hon. Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa comes, will adopt a woman.

 

Sir, I can go on and on eulogising our dear departed colleague, but the bottom line of what I am trying to say is that we need, as a country, to look at ways of improving the gender ratio in this House. It is very difficult and sad when we lose a woman parliamentarian from among the few that we have.

 

Sir, Hon. Kalima, as already stated, is survived by children, two to be specific, and it is the hope and prayer of the people of Mufulira that the family will be looked after. Vicky, like my colleague said, I wish you were here to hear these words, honourable, but God Almighty has taken you. Go well. You played your part and won your race. May your soul rest in peace.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Munkonge (Lukashya): Mr Speaker, I am honoured to contribute to the debate due to the fact that as the Zambia Men’s Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality, we were making an effort to find ways of increasing women’s participation in our politics and, possibly, their election to Parliament. Inevitably, that made us to interact with the Ministry of Gender and it is that interaction that makes me brave enough to say something about Hon. Kalima.

 

Sir, I had a personal interaction with the late Hon. Victoria Kalima and know that she was an individual I could call even on selfish issues. There was a time I was trying to get some tractors from her and she entertained me to the extent of visiting my constituency when she toured the Northern Province. That interaction with her also made me feel that she was a person who could interact with a total stranger almost as peers. Needless to say, I got to see in her a woman who was very hard working.

 

Sir, the Hon. Kalima’s work and the distances she covered were considerable. She toured Muchinga Province and the Northern Province easily. I think I do not have to belabour this point too much because my interactions with her were limited. I just wanted to put it on record that I think we have lost an individual who would have made a tremendous contribution to the fight for gender equality. In that regard, I can only hope that the Lord will guide her family through this difficult time.

 

May the soul of Hon. Kalima rest in eternal peace.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I now move over to the left.

 

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to place on record our deepest regret of the demise of our colleague, Hon. Victoria Kalima.

 

Mr Speaker, when we find ourselves in a situation like this one, it is time to reflect on certain higher principles to which we aspire as a nation and as a community of nations on the African continent.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to make reference to the Maputo Protocol, which binds all of us on the African continent. The Maputo Protocol or Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa came into effect in November, 2005, and Zambia rectified it on 2^nd May, 2006. Article 9, Section 1 of the protocol states that:

 

“States Parties shall take specific positive action to promote participative governance and the equal participation of women in the political life of their countries through affirmative action, enabling national legislature and other measures to ensure that:

 

“a)        women participate without any discrimination in all elections;

 

“b)       women are represented equally at all levels with men in all electoral processes;

 

“c)        women are equal partners with men at all levels of development and implementation of State policies and development programmes”.

 

Sir, Section 2 of the protocol states that “State Parties shall ensure increased and effective representation and participation of women at all levels of decision-making”.

 

Hon. Victoria Kalima responded appropriately to the aspirations of our nation and the community of nations on the African continent by giving herself selflessly to represent the people of Kasenengwa and participating effectively in the political affairs of her nation. She mustered the courage, determination and commitment to selflessly serve the people of Kasenengwa and the nation as a whole.

 

Sir, I came to know Hon. Victoria Kalima in 2011 when she was elected to this House. I remember joking with her that she was born when I was a first-year student at the University of Zambia (UNZA). We often used to joke along that line.

 

Sir, there is no doubt that we all witnessed her resolve to be an effective politician in our country and debate issues very seriously without any fear at all. She was truly a representative of the people and even in her role as Minister of Gender, we saw her work very hard to enhance the representation of women in the development process of our nation.

 

Mr Speaker, it is, indeed, very sad that in our Parliament, which is highly disproportionate in terms of gender balance, we have been robbed of a woman representative in Hon. Victoria Kalima. Our Parliament has less than 20 per cent women participation and slightly over 80 per cent men participation. Clearly, it is very sad that we have lost Hon. Victoria Kalima.

 

Sir, we can only wish that her soul rests in eternal peace and that her family finds peace and comfort in the guidance of our Lord. We lay our deepest sadness over this loss to us as a Parliament and to the nation as a whole.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Belemu (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate this rare Motion on the Floor of the House. May it go on record that, on behalf of the people of Mbabala Constituency and the party of which I am a member, the United Party for National Development (UPND), I do convey my deepest sympathies to the President of the Republic and of the Patriotic Front (PF), the Leader of Government Business in this House, the Executive in general, the family and the associates of the late Hon. Victoria Kalima.

 

As my hon. Colleagues have already indicated, as her fellow parliamentarians, we consider her death a loss for a number of factors. Some of us who came to this House in 2011, as some may recall, became particularly close to her, as we shared many occasions with her both in terms of challenges and good times. In time, some of us acquired a number of virtues from her, including frankness and candidness expressing her beliefs whether political or religious.

 

Hon. Kalima’s second virtue was her resilience and ability to fight on regardless of what the challenge was. I do recall that at the point she faced political challenges in her constituency and the eventual nullification of her election, a number of us thought that she would give up. However, she fought on until she came back to the House.

 

The late’s other virtue was her willingness to volunteer on tasks even when they should have been performed by someone else. We had a number of political challenges on the Backbench and, sometimes, we challenged ourselves to take up certain tasks on behalf of our parties then. However, she would always volunteer even on things that we thought she would not. In this regard, I recall her lone protest over the issue of by-elections. That was a challenge to me because I saw an individual take up a challenge on behalf of society.

 

Sir, those of us who are in the political sector ought to emulate the virtues that Hon. Kalima exhibited, particularly now when many people think that those of us who are in politics do not possess the virtue of being honest when our views do not reflect the general consensus.

 

Sir, like my hon. Colleagues, I recognise the fact that the late Hon. Victoria Kalima was a female and relatively youthful parliamentarian when she came to this House in 2011. Therefore, this nation and this House have been deprived of a youthful parliamentarian and future leader in the political arena. However, as she goes, our solace is in the fact that those who believe in the Lord, though they may die, they will live and, on the appointed day, they will rise again, especially since our help comes from the mountain of the Lord. For this reason, I thank her family for offering her to public service. I also thank the parties to which she belonged, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), firstly, and the Patriotic Front (PF), secondly, for giving her the opportunity to serve as a parliamentarian and eventually, under the PF, as a Minister.

 

May the soul of Hon. Kalima rest in peace.

 

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Mwashingwele (Katuba): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice and the voice of the people of Katuba to this very solemn Motion.

 

Sir, Hon. Kalima was a woman like me, a mother, a wife and a friend. She was as strong as a feather and gentle at heart, but she never allowed anyone to trample on her beliefs and her work. Even when her health was failing, she still stood firm and fought for what she believed.

 

Sir, on behalf of all women in this country, and on behalf of the United Party for National Development (UPND), I would like to say that there are times when we, parliamentarians, may not look as close as we are supposed to be, the truth is that, on duty, we are a team to reckon with, and Hon. Victoria Kalima was a team player. However, if anyone stepped on her faith, she did not keep quiet. I remember her walking out on us in the Auditorium because she felt her Christian faith had been slighted, and I was challenged. So, when we met the next time, I asked her why she had embarrassed us like that and she answered, “For my Lord, I will embarrass everyone if possible. For that, I respected her differently.

 

Sir, as Hon. Kalima journeys on into the other world, I believe that she leaves behind a legacy. Forty-six years on this earth might look like a short time but, for her, she reached the pinnacle of her aspirations.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I pray that her children will be like her in providing an excellent service to the nation or even be better than her. I also hope that those of us who have remained behind to serve the people of this country in our various constituencies have learned something from her.

 

Hon. Victoria Kalima, may your soul rest in peace and may your ancestors receive you.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Chonya (Kafue): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also convey our messages of condolences on behalf of the people of Kafue and on my own behalf on the loss of our dear hon. Minister and Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa, Ms Victoria Kalima. Indeed, we join the family and the rest of the country in mourning our dear hon. Minister, whom I can only say has gone too soon given the fact that her short accomplished life came to a sad end this week.

 

Sir, I heard about Hon. Victoria Kalima in the media before I joined Parliament because she was a voice of the under-privileged in society. Listening to what has already been said about her here and at the funeral house when we visited yesterday, she comes out like a person who was very charitable in her works. Those of us who seek to serve in public office can only seek to emulate this and her other virtues.

 

Sir, we were of different political persuasions, definitely, but we were very united in the fight for gender equality and economic emancipation of women. Her fight for under-privileged women was a noble one. Her agenda towards that goal remains unfinished and it can only be a challenge for the person who will replace her to fit in her shoes given the dedication and passion with which she discharged her duties.

 

Hon. Kalima, to me, remains a role model and a mentor to many, especially to the youths. Looking at her great curriculum vitae (CV) today, I noted that she studied agriculture and, later, became an entrepreneur in the same field. That can only be an encouragement to our many jobless youths today not to wait upon the Government, especially upon governments that cannot deliver the jobs that they promised, but to look at possibilities for self-employment and liberate themselves from the shackles of poverty in which many of them are.

 

Sir, the late hon. Minister was a friend to the people of Kafue, and it is for this reason that I am grateful to have been given this opportunity to deliver this message on their behalf. The company that she ran, Plant Agric-Chem, had a branch in Kafue. So, her work in that regard supported our farmers. Her service, indeed, was distinguished in that she did not discriminate in the way she implemented Government programmes. Kafue, in particular, remains grateful that she did not look at who someone was, but was able to deliver that tractor to a chiefdom in Malundu Ward in Kafue and the people there were very saddened to hear about her untimely death. Her works of charity have been a great inspiration to the privileged people, including in this House, to always think of sharing what they have with the less-privileged in society. If one has a heart to share like Hon. Kalima, one will not spend time and efforts amassing wealth illegally while depriving others of their fair share of the national cake.

 

Sir, I mourn with the rest of the hon. Members here this distinguished lady who was an entrepreneur, a great politician and a charitable person. Indeed, the gender agenda that she championed remains unfinished business and has to continue being pursued until women take up their rightful place in the governance of this country and attain fair representation in decision-making positions.

 

Sir, as the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, we will dearly miss Victoria, and we can only pray that her gentle soul rests in eternal peace.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to add the voice of the people of Choma Central to this solemn Motion that is on the Floor of the House.

 

Sir, allow me to begin by stating, on behalf of the President of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the entire UPND leadership, the people of Choma Central and, indeed, on my own behalf, that we place on record our deepest sympathies on the untimely passing on of the late hon. Minister, Ms Victoria Kalima.

 

Mr Speaker, I came to this Parliament as a first-termer together with the late Hon. Kalima in 2011. However, that is not the only characteristic we shared, as we also came as members of the Opposition. As a member of the Opposition, there are a number of characteristics that the late Hon. Kalima exhibited from time to time, which are examples of how a Member of Parliament, especially one in the Opposition, should behave. I wish to cite only a few of her characteristics, as my colleagues who have already debated have mentioned some.

 

Sir, the late Hon. Kalima epitomised a principled politician. She came to Parliament as an Opposition leader at a time there was a ruthless Government ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Mweetwa: … that wished to deplete the numbers of the Opposition.

 

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

 

Please, resume your seat.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Member: They nullified seats. It is the truth.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

It is with a great deal of reluctance that I am intervening because of the nature of the Motion on the Floor. This is a very solemn occasion and we should remain united in our solemnity. We all know what statements are bound to get us where we are headed now. So, let us exercise judgment and avoid controversy. “Ruthless” is a controversial word, that is if you understand the word. Somebody is bound to have an opposite view of that characterisation, and I would not want a contest on an occasion like this. Whether there is veracity in the statement is beside the point. I do not want to belabour this point. Let us mourn our colleague with respect.

 

You may continue.

 

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I thank you for you kind guidance.

 

Sir, the point I am driving home is that the late Hon. Kalima exhibited resilience, tenacity, fearlessness and great enduring strength in resisting temptation. The facts cannot be changed. Therefore, there is no controversy over facts. After the late Hon. Kalima came to Parliament, her election was challenged in the courts and eventually nullified. During that time, some of our colleagues whose election was challenged in court and faced possible nullification ran to join the Patriotic Front (PF) as Deputy Ministers in order to save their seats. This is the area in which the woman we mourn today showed strength because she could not be compromised even by the prospects of election being nullified and the sight of her friends trekking to your right. She said, “If my election will be nullified, so be it”. That was the epitome of principled politics.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: It must be recognised by those of us who are still in politics that we need principled politics, not politics of the belly.

 

Sir, even in her decisions in this House, Hon. Kalima understood her role as a Backbencher and, especially, as an Opposition hon. Member, that is, to hold the Executive accountable. When we caucused to vote on a matter we believed was in the national interest, she always voted with the Opposition in line with the spirit of keeping the Executive checked so that it did what was right for this country. That is the woman we remember today. Her example is unlike what we have seen elsewhere, where the people who are supposed to keep the Executive accountable are the ones making merry with it. This woman has set an example from which we, the politicians of today, can learn lessons. For example, if one is in the Opposition, one must play one’s role of checking the Executive, and ensuring that it is transparent and accountable. One must not sing the song of the Executive because if we all joined in singing the same song, who would effect checks on the Executive on behalf of our electorate?

 

Mr Lufuma: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Sir, we recall that as a result of the nullification of her election in 2013, Hon. Kalima mounted a one-person demonstration from the Freedom Statue to the High Court Grounds and called on the PF to stop causing unnecessary by-elections because they were a drain on the resources of the country. She even asked the Chief Justice to resign. That was the strength of the woman we are talking about. This truth must be told on the Floor of this House.  

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Sir, Hon. Kalima fought against injustices and political persecution. She was also a defender of democracy and the principle that in a democracy, there is no need to sing the same song and that the Opposition needed to be given its rightful space to operate in order to complement the efforts of the Executive. Other than her, I do not remember the last time I saw a Member of Parliament demonstrate for justice alone.

 

Hon. Member: They were two. She was with Chishimba.

 

Mr Mweetwa: She was alone.

 

Sir, those of us who had the privilege to be in this House with the late Hon. Kalima know what a fearless debater she was. When she spoke on issues of women and farmers, especially those in the rural areas, she did it passionately. So, the people of Choma Central and Zambians will remember her for her tenacity in standing up for the disadvantaged and the voiceless.

 

Mr Speaker, I will also remember Hon. Kalima as a team player because we served together on the Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights, National Guidance, Gender Matters and Governance, which I had the opportunity to chair at that time, and I received a lot of support from her. She was a genuine team player and when we agreed on something with her, she kept her word. For instance, we agreed that the Constitutional amendments be deferred until after the elections so that there was no controversy. We, accordingly, voted against those amendments in the Committee and, when we came here, she did not somersault on the decision like some other hon. Members did. Those amendments have now led to a situation in which the country has to expend more of taxpayers’ money on further amendments that could have been avoided. So, Hon. Kalima will stand on the right side of history and be remembered as such. Those of us who are still alive have to ask ourselves what we are going to be remembered for ...

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: … on the timing of the amendments, which she opposed. She knew that if we amended the Constitution then and passed it, it would not stand the test of time. So, we remember a great woman.

 

Mr Speaker, of the many gifts of virtue that Hon. Kalima gave to this House and to the many people she interacted with, I will remember that both as a fellow Opposition hon. Member of Parliament and an hon. Minister, she never changed on one thing, that is, each time we met, even before I talked to her, she would smile at me. I would say, “Hi, Vicky”, and I will remember her as such.

 

Mr Speaker, the Secretary-General of the Zambia Men’s Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality, which I am privileged to chair, has indicated that it was during Hon. Kalima’s leadership of the caucus that male hon. Members of the Zambian Parliament decided to come together and form a network on gender issues to augment the work of the female parliamentarian’s caucus in advocating on gender-related matters. So, as a caucus, we consider her death at a time like this a very big blow because she was one of the proponents of the idea that it was high time men took up the responsibility of advocating for women’s rights. That was after the realisation that men were the culprits in cases of defilement, early marriages and pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV) and deprivation of resources, such as land. So, it was high time men, through the National Assembly, came out and began to speak about the vices of which they are the perpetrators. She believed that men were not supposed to leave the promotion of gender equality to women as if the agenda was to the detriment of men. Instead, men were to take up their rightful role on the understanding that women were part of the overall enterprise of national development.

 

Sir, it is very sad that only a few days ago, we received correspondence from Hon. Kalima’s office expressing her willingness to meet our caucus and discuss ways in which we could interact and, particularly, how she could support the network in augmenting the work of the female parliamentarians’ caucus. Unfortunately, the dark arm of death has robbed us of that opportunity. However, we will remember, for as long as our network exists, that it was under her leadership that, on 7^th March, 2018, you launched, here at Parliament, the Zambia Men’s Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality. So, her name remains indelible in the annals of history.

 

Mr Speaker, Hon. Kalima will be remembered not only for the years she has spent with us here on earth, but also for her achievements which, by far, outdo those of many of her age-mate. So, some of us consider it a privilege to have shared her life with her.

 

Mr Speaker, let me end by saying that those of us who were in the previous Assembly will remember Hon. Kalima as a very jovial person. For example, one day, while seated where she always sat even after becoming a Minister, she told one of the hon. Ministers who had the habit of speaking in a very low tone in the House to “stop bringing a bedroom voice to Parliament” and the whole House erupted in laughter. That is the woman we remember.

 

Sir, may the soul of Hon. Kalima rest in eternal peace.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Chienge and the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), whose president is a woman who is very passionate about women’s affairs, I would like to convey our deepest condolences to the family of Hon. Kalima. As a new politician, I used to hear about Hon. Victoria Kalima’s courage and tenacity on the Internet while I was outside the country. When I came to this House, I met what I can only call a smiley woman who gave me some counsel on how to behave in the House and take care of myself in terms of what I would get as an income. Hon. Kalima was a woman who never regarded anyone as an enemy, so to speak. She regarded everyone as a brother or sister. I remember her calling me and Hon. Tembo at the National Assembly Bar to give us guidance on what was expected of us in our constituencies.

 

Mr Speaker, the late hon. Minister was a woman who called me whenever she travelled to Chienge, a place some hon. Ministers shun. She also promised me that she would go to the farthest place in the constituency, an area called Lambwe Chomba, which is at the end of an impassable road. She, actually, took the trouble to go there and deliver tractors and tillers. I was very touched by that act of charity for some mothers in Chienge Constituency.

 

Sir, Hon. Kalima had the heart of a woman who understood what it meant to be in politics. She was a woman who knew that she was in politics purely to serve the people of Zambia, not herself or a particular political party.

 

Hon. Kalima, I will always remember you as a woman of valour who did not discriminate people on the basis of party affiliation and displayed a true Christian character.

 

Mr Speaker, I know that there is a time each one of us will depart from the earth. So, it is important to ask ourselves how we will be remembered as national leaders. Hon. Kalima encouraged me to do certain things in my constituency and take care of the needy. She represented a rural constituency and she helped the needy there. Indeed, she practised what the Good Book says. I believe she used to read it, since she was a Christian, and I believe she read where it says, “He who gives to the poor, lends to God”. In the same vein, I believe her family will not be neglected, as God will take care of it.

 

Sir, much has been said about Hon. Kalima’s character but, most definitely, she will always be remembered as someone who used to walk in this House and make some of us laugh by shouting “Question!” whenever somebody from the Opposition was on the Floor. She will always be remembered for being a jovial person. No wonder, the people in Chienge have said her passing on is truly a loss to the nation.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I ask the Good Lord to strengthen the family of our beloved sister and this House as we mourn. May the soul of this woman of valour, Hon. Victoria Kalima, rest in peace.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, thank you for affording me this opportunity to add my voice, on behalf of my colleagues in the Cabinet, to this emotional Motion ably moved by the Chief Whip and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, Hon. Chungu.

 

Mr Speaker, we, on your right, have been gripped by mixed emotions because just when we thought that we would celebrate the increase in the number of our female representatives after we ushered in Hon. Maria Langa as Member of Parliament for Chilanga, we were robbed of this gallant lady whose memory we are honouring today.

 

Mr Speaker, I got to know my dear colleague when I came here in 2011 as a Backbencher. I had the privilege to serve with her on several Committees on which you appointed us. My colleague who debated just a while ago was with us in most of those assignments.

 

Sir, I recall that Hon. Kalima was aggressive, and we once differed on some matter in a Committee. However, afterwards, she realised that she had been emotional about the matter and quickly approached me after we finished the business. That same day, Hon. Hamududu, who was chairing the Committee then, called both of us and said he had seen that we had issues with each other. He also asked us to go and represent Parliament in Istanbul, Turkey. At first, I thought he was joking and said that I would get back to him. However, when we came back to the House, he still wrote me a note saying that his decision to send the two of us to Istanbul on a trip sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) still stood. So, we went on that trip. However, we got the dates wrong and got to Istanbul too early. Therefore, we had to come back home. Hon. Kalima was tired. So, I ran around to arrange for the trip at the right time and come back home. When Hon. Kalima, who had slept, woke up, she found that I had done everything and that we were ready to come back. On our way back, she talked about how she thought she would come into the Government through the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), but ended up being in the Opposition. From that trip, we started relating with each other differently.

 

Mr Speaker, all I am trying to say is that Hon. Kalima was a lady who was aggressive about things in which she believed, but she was also quick to show remorse when she realised that she had made a mistake. I also think she realised that she did not need to play the politics of antagonism. Instead, I think she opted for politics that would be meaningful to her people in Kasenengwa. I think that is the reason we are mourning her as a Cabinet Minister today. She realised that she needed to be with the team that would deliver development to the people.

 

Mr Speaker, I came to know the late not only as an hon. Member of Parliament, but as a mother to many people. Her family members always said that she was the pillar of the family. I think this is the story they are still telling today. Some people are saying that she has left four children while others are saying two. She has left two biological and two adopted children. Further, apart from her family members, she had many more people who depended on her. In this regard, I agree with the hon. Member for Kaputa that she was an enterprising person. Indeed, she was enterprising, as she worked hard for her children.

 

Mr Speaker, Hon. Kalima was also very humble in terms of the way she connected with her fellow women. I remember that when I was the Campaign Manager for our dear sister, Hon. Siliya, in Petauke, Hon. Kalima came to join us, saying she wanted to join the campaign so that the number of women in Parliament could increase. She humbled herself by prostrating herself on the ground before the women. Consequently, the women got to believe in her.

 

Mr Speaker, just two weeks ago, she called to ask me to find someone she could take to Kasenengwa so that she could hand over the many women’s clubs she was running. I asked her why she had thought of doing that and she said that it was time she started preparing someone to help her in the constituency. I, then, told her that 2021 was still very far, and that the people of Kasenengwa still had her. I further told her that when the time came, she could do what she wanted –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was just talking about how passionate Hon. Kalima was about issues affecting women. Indeed, she was generous to her family and to people at large.

 

Sir, you will recall that in 2014, we were faced with a great difficulty after losing our President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, may his soul rest in peace, and the late Hon. Kalima was one of the people who stood with us and encouraged us. His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who was with us in this House then was always accommodating to her because she always wanted to sit with him and encourage him to soldier on.

 

Mr Speaker, I want to place on record the fact that when we were faced with a critical moment, a time to give the people of Zambia the Constitution, the Patriotic Front (PF) did not have in the House the numbers required to pass that document for the people of Zambia, and Hon. Victoria was among the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) hon. Members of Parliament who supported the Motion, as we could not handle that mammoth task on our own. I was then Deputy Chief Whip and my party was trying to make the numbers. The MMD was then rocked by challenges that eventually led to its being split. Hon. Kalima, Hon. Mutati here, and the Hon. First Deputy Speaker, sorry for dragging her into my debate, were among the many who decided that, for once, political barriers needed to be broken for the interests of Zambians to be served. On the day we needed to pass the Constitution, we had a sitting that went through the night and, since she was tired, she left to go and get some rest. However, she assured me that she would be present when the time to vote came. I just wanted to correct the impression that is being created that Hon. Kalima was opposed to the Constitution that we passed in this august House.

 

Mr Speaker, when Hon. Kalima was re-elected Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa Constituency and His Excellency the President gave her the opportunity to serve in his Cabinet as Minister of Gender, she was delighted. For her, that was a dream come true because she thought she had been placed where her heart was. She wanted to serve the women and the disadvantaged of this country. In all the Cabinet meetings that she attended, she always made it clear that she treasured being Minister of Gender and she always discussed with Hon. Prof. Luo, who was her predecessor in the ministry, on how best the ministry could reach women even in the remotest parts of the country. I agree with the hon. Member of Parliament for Chienge that the late tried to reach the farthest part of this country.

 

Sir, as you know, she was one of our traditional God-given wives. So, we will see to it that she gets a befitting send-off. Indeed, His Excellency the President’s remarks when he went to pay his respects at the funeral house were befitting. His description of Hon. Kalima was very correct. Therefore, we call on those who were closer to her to not abandon her family. I know that Hon. Vincent Mwale’s children were close to Hon. Kalima’s. I, therefore, urge him to do what he can for the children left behind by the late. We shall be there to support him.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we appeal to you that we see how we, as the Legislature, can make changes to the way we bid farewell to our colleagues who depart while serving as hon. Members of this august House. There are some practices that we can adopt. For instance, our departed colleagues can be laid in state in this House while we pay tributes to them. Thereafter, we could hold a special procession to send them off. We know your capabilities and the transformations that you are making to this Institution. Therefore, this is not too much to ask.

 

Sir, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister of Justice will close this debate.

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Mr Speaker, even for the most eloquent of speakers, this is one of the most difficult Motions to debate. The demise of one from among us is, indeed, an occasion of great solemnity.

 

Having known Hon. Kalima like many of us did, all that remains is for us to thank God Almighty for giving us the privilege of knowing and working with her.

 

Mr Speaker, since you said this would be the last debate on this Motion, the hon. Minister for the Eastern Province has asked me to covey his sincere condolences, on his behalf and on behalf of the two Paramount Chiefs, all the chiefs and headmen, hon. Members of Parliament and the councillors in the province, to Hon. Kalima’s family and the Government on the passing of a person the province considered their daughter and sister. 

 

Sir, the hon. Members who debated before me spoke about the various virtues that God bestowed upon Hon. Kalima. Those who knew her from the time she started her business which, today, operates in a number of districts in Zambia, recall that she started it like any other ordinary person. She was not endowed with much in terms of resources. Those who were there and know how she started speak about how Hon. Kalima had to travel across borders to bring plastic containers of agro-chemicals and eventually managed to grow her business from what we can call decanting of agro-chemicals from 10 litre containers to a business that was capable of importing larger quantities of agricultural chemicals. She, indeed, was a very determined person.

 

Mr Speaker, apart from being determined, Hon. Kalima had great foresight. Wherever she set goals she also set her sights and invested her energy. She was also a very principled person who knew when to speak, when to be quiet, when to quarrel and when to embrace. Further, if any success is going to be recorded in the Electronic Voucher (e-Voucher) System in Zambia, credit ought to go to the gallant Hon. Kalima because when many were highly critical of the programme and wanted it to fail, she pushed the agenda vigorously, notwithstanding the fact that she was an agro dealer. Further, the area in which she operated in Kabwe was affected by poor supply of e-Voucher cards and one would have expected her to criticise the system because it was impacting negatively on her business. However, that was not Hon. Kalima. She knew that the success of the programme was going to impact positively on her business and on the economy of Zambia in the long run. So, she stood firm and supported the implementation of the system.

 

Mr Speaker, nobody can doubt the fact that Hon. Kalima was a very principled gender activist. She did not pay lip service to gender activism. When she spoke about gender representation in leadership, you knew that she meant it and, whenever she had the opportunity to speak on behalf of her gender, she spoke vigorously. I am sure her colleagues in the Cabinet will remember that she would not allow anyone to recommend a board that did not have, at least, 50 per cent representation of women. She did not do that because she was Minister of Gender, but because she believed that Zambian women have a role to play in the leadership of this country. I am sure that many of us will remember her for that.

 

Mr Speaker, over the last few days, we have been commenting on how impressed we were by Hon. Kalima’s will to live. That demonstrated to us her great willpower. For example, she attended what was to be her last Cabinet meeting, as though to deceive all of us, full of life and with her usual smile. All of us hugged her passionately.

 

Sir, some of us did not participate in the exercise to clean up Lusaka in which the President was involved. However, Hon. Kalima, in her desire to contribute to the development of her mother country, was there in boots and gloves participating in that important programme. If people are going to talk about patriotism, then, it should be read from the history that should be written on Hon. Victoria Kalima.

 

Sir, I agree entirely with the hon. Minister of Home Affairs on how this House ought to honour its fallen heroes, particularly those who go to rest while serving. I think that is something all of us in this Parliament must agree to do. It is done in the legal and medical fraternities, and even among councillors. There are a number of our colleagues who have passed away while serving. In their honour, and particularly in honour of our departed sister, Hon. Kalima, I would like to second the proposal made by the hon. Minister of Home Affairs that we have requiem sittings when one departs from amongst us. For this particular occasion, may I move that you consider calling a sitting of the National Assembly on Saturday, the day when we shall put our sister to rest, so that all hon. Members can attend a dedicated sitting before putting our sister to rest.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lubinda: That is the only befitting send-off for one who contributed so much to this country. Even when many of us least expected her to contribute, she still stood firm and demonstrated her patriotism.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I would also love to join those who have called on those who are close to the Kalima family to take care of her children.

 

Mr Speaker, you visited the funeral house like many of my colleagues here and many of us could not help, but shed a tear or two at the site of Hon. Kalima’s mother. Those of us who have the means, let us help the family. Even those of us who can only pray, please, let us pray for Victoria’s mother. She was so heavily dependent on her dear daughter. The desperation in her is so vivid. So, she, too, will require the support of those who can render it.

 

Like I said, Sir, this is a very difficult Motion and debating it is very difficult and heart-breaking. All that one can say is “may the good Lord keep the soul of our departed colleague in peace”.

 

Thank you, Sir.

 

Motion carried nemine contradicente.

 

_______

                                                       

REPORT OF THE COMMMITTEE ON MEDIA, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

 

Princess Kucheka (Zambezi West): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technologies for the Second Session of the Twelfth National Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on 7^th June, 2018.

 

Mr Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

 

Princess Kucheka: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to move a Motion in this august House. It is the first time I am doing so.

 

Ms Mulenga: You are telling us.

 

Laughter

 

Princess Kucheka: Sir, in accordance with Standing Order No. 157(2), your Committee undertook a review of the Information and Media Policy. Your Committee also received an update on the Digital Migration Programme. In that regard, your Committee interacted with various stakeholders who tendered both oral and written submissions before it. Your Committee also undertook tours to selected districts in Luapula Province and the Northern Province.

 

Sir, it is my humble view that hon. Members of this august House have read the report. In this regard, allow me to just highlight a few salient issues raised during your Committee’s deliberations.

 

Mr Speaker, recognising the emergence of new methods of gathering and disseminating information, such as through Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, web logs (blogs) and online newspapers, and the need for the Information and Media Policy to keep abreast of these new developments, your Committee found it imperative to undertake a detailed study to determine the adequacy of the current Media Policy, which was formulated in 1996.

 

Sir, your Committee observes that the absence of access to information legislation might have encouraged people to turn to social media platforms to circulate information or even speculation. This is because people have, for a long time, waited for the legislation to provide for access to information. Your Committee is of the view that in the absence of that piece of legislation, people have no choice, but to use other means, such as social media platforms, to circulate information. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government speeds up the process of enacting the access to information legislation to enable to people have access to verified information.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee also considered the outdated Information and Media Policy. While commending the Government for commencing the review of the policy in order to bring it in tandem with new technologies, your Committee is concerned that the process has taken too long to be concluded, mainly because the Government has not given it the priority it deserves. In this regard, your Committee strongly urges the Government to finalise and operationalise the policy as a matter of urgency, and ensure that guidelines for the use of modern methods of information gathering and dissemination are incorporated into it.

 

Sir, your Committee notes with great concern that there is no Government programme to sensitise journalists and the general public on responsible use of social media platforms. Your Committee is concerned that in the absence of the guidelines, the stakeholders have been left to use the platforms in whichever way they like. In this regard, your Committee recommends that the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and other stakeholders carry out awareness campaigns on responsible use of social media platforms.

 

Mr Speaker, as the House is aware, the Digital Migration Policy provides for the current broadcasting licencing framework to be transformed into two broad categories, namely Content Service Provider Licence and Signal Distributor Licence. The policy further states that no single entity shall hold both types of licences at the same time. Your Committee is, therefore, concerned that TopStar Communications Company Limited is operating outside the parameters of the policy because it is operating as a single-carrier content distributor as well as a pay television service provider. Your Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to ensure that the operations of TopStar are within the parameters of the policy, which provides that the public signal carrier will only hold one licence for signal distribution. Your Committee is of the view that TopStar Communications Company Limited should forthwith cease from being a content and pay television service provider at the same time.

 

Sir, under paragraph 7(1)(f) of the Digital Migration Policy, the regulator has been instructed to develop and implement tariffs and universal access guidelines by switch-off date. Your Committee is concerned that contrary to the policy, TopStar Communications Company Limited proposes carriage fees to be paid by private broadcasters in different zones. Let me illustrate what I am talking about. For example, the broadcaster proposes that for Zone 1, which includes Lusaka, Kafue and Chilanga, content providers pay K16,000 per site per month. For Zone II, which includes ten provincial headquarters, TopStar proposes that private broadcasters pay K11,000 per site per month. In Zone III, which includes fifty-six districts off the line of rail, content providers be required to pay K9,500 per site per month. Your Committee agrees with the private broadcasters that the proposed tariffs are too high and that they should be reviewed.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee is aware that the regulator has been empowered by the policy to set tariffs. However, it is of the view that TopStar Communications Company Limited, as the public signal distributor, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), ZICTA, as the content regulator, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as the frequency regulator, the Consumer Protection and Competition Commission (CCPC), as the consumer competition regulator, and the financier of the project, the Ministry of Finance, should hold consultative engagements with the Zambia Independent Broadcasters Association (ZIBA) in order to find a lasting solution that will be acceptable and beneficial to all stakeholders.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, let me take this opportunity to thank you for the guidance rendered to your Committee during the session. I also thank all the stakeholders who tendered both oral and written submissions before your Committee. Lastly, but not the least, my gratitude goes to the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the invaluable support services rendered to your Committee during its deliberations.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!           

 

Mr Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

 

Dr Chibanda: Now, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Chibanda: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for according the people of Mufulira another opportunity to debate. Before I second the Motion, may I, once again, congratulate you on your attainment of a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. In the same vein, I congratulate my sister, Hon. Langa and the Patriotic Front (PF) on the resounding victory in Chilanga Constituency.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chibanda: Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of Mufulira and on my own behalf, may I, once again, convey my heart-felt condolences to the Kalima family, the people of Kasenengwa, the PF and Zambia as a whole on the demise of Hon. Victoria Kalima.

 

Sir, in seconding the Motion, which has been ably moved by the Vice Chairperson of your Committee, I would like to highlight a few issues that have not been covered in the mover’s remarks.

 

Sir, your Committee observes with concern that regulatory bodies, such the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), do not have the capacity to adequately regulate the use of social media platforms in the country. This concern was also highlighted by all the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee, including in the public hearings in Kasama and Samfya districts. In this regard, it is your Committee’s considered view that the Government should urgently strengthen the two agencies so that they can be effective in regulating the use of social media and the content disseminated without infringing on people’s rights to gather and disseminate information without interference.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee notes that there is no mechanism in place to continuously monitor developments in the media industry, thereby making the regular review of media policies and laws difficult. As you are already aware, technology is not static. Therefore, communication tools will keep changing. Your Committee, therefore, urges the Government to institute measures to facilitate the monitoring of developments in the media industry so as to always keep the media environment abreast of the advances in technology.

 

Sir, regarding the Digital Migration Programme, your Committee observes with great concern the policy providers for the two signal distributors. In this regard, a public signal distributor has been identified and a licence has been given to TopStar Communications Company Limited. However, the Government has not yet identified a private signal distributor in order to allow content distributors to have a choice on who should carry their content. In this vein, your Committee urges the Government to expeditiously identify a private signal carrier as provided for in the policy.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee notes with concern that much of the content provided by private broadcasters is of poor quality, mainly because they use obsolete equipment. Your Committee appreciates the economic challenges the country is facing, particularly the challenge of declining domestic revenue. This notwithstanding, it strongly recommends that the Government considers waiving duty on the importation of broadcasting equipment in order to reduce the cost of acquiring modern equipment so as to promote improved content quality.

 

Your Committee notes with great concern that erratic funding by the Government has contributed to the failure by the contractor to complete the Digital Migration Programme on time. Stakeholders raised the concern that while Star Times of China had been funding the project, the Government was regrettably still finalising the loan processes, which has taken too long to be concluded. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government expedites the loan procurement procedures in order to speed up the disbursement of funds for the construction of provincial broadcasting studios in order for the projects to be completed without undue delay.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I thank you most sincerely for affording your Committee the opportunity to interact with stakeholders both during the long meetings and local tours in order to appreciate what was obtaining on the ground. Allow me to join the Chairperson in thanking all the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee for their invaluable contributions. Lastly, but not the least, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Chairperson of the Committee for allowing me to second this important Motion.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for allowing me to debate the Motion. Let me begin by thanking the mover and the seconder of the Motion and put on record our gratitude to the Committee for the thorough work that it did. The ministry has taken note of a number of the issues raised.

 

In the last few weeks, we have occupied ourselves with looking at the mandate, nomenclature and structure of the ministry, and how best we can serve the nation. We are also very concerned about the delay in the enactment of the Access to Information Bill, which has been impacted on by thirteen pieces of legislation that need to be cross-referenced so that we can prepare the Bill adequately. The ministry is currently attending to this issue.

 

Sir, we have made a lot of progress in the Digital Migration Project, as you are aware. However, we also take note of the precarious position in which TopStar Communications Company Limited is. In this regard, I am happy to inform you that the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has written to TopStar Communication Company Limited to revert to being only the signal carrier, instead of being a signal carrier, content carrier and pay television, so that we do not crowd out the private sector in this industry.

 

 You may also wish to know that I met the Zambia Independent Broadcasters Association (ZIBA) and I am aware that another urgent stakeholders meeting has been called on Monday, 18^th June, 2018, to discuss some of the outstanding issues.

 

Sir, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) will be strengthened by the cyber laws to be enacted, particularly the Cyber Security Act, and the support of the Ministry of Transport and Communication so that it can police cyberspace in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of citizens or, indeed, media practitioners using the platforms.

 

Mr Speaker, like with all other pieces of legislation under the ministry, we are reviewing the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Act so that we can give the IBA more strength to license more efficiently and not hinder new entrants in the sector.

 

Sir, I assure hon. Members that the ministry has taken this report very seriously because the Committee did a good job. We will look at the report and take most of the recommendations on board because we are currently undertaking an exercise similar to what the Committee did.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Princess Kucheka: Mr Speaker, I thank the seconder for ably seconding the Motion. I also thank the whole House for unanimously supporting the Motion.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

_______

 

BILLS

 

SECOND READING

 

THE ANTI-TERRORISM AND PROLIFERATION BILL, 2018

 

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Sir, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

 

Mr Speaker, the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill, 2018, seeks to, among other objects:

 

1. prevent and prohibit the carrying out of terrorism financing and proliferation activities;

 

1. provide for measures for the detection and prevention of terrorism and proliferation activities;

 

1. provide for the continued existence of the National Anti-Terrorism Centre and redefine its functions;

 

1. provide for the offences of proliferation and proliferation financing;

 

1. domesticate the international conventions and treaties on anti-terrorism and proliferation;

 

1. repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2007; and

 

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

 

Sir, I beg to move.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, in accordance with its terms of reference, as provided in the Standing Orders, your Committee was tasked to scrutinise the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill, N. A. B. No. 4 of 2018. In order to fully appreciate the ramifications of the Bill, your Committee sought oral and written submissions from various stakeholders, including the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ).

 

Mr Speaker, the House may recall that the enactment of the Anti-Terrorism Act No. 21 of 2007 and its subsequent amendment in 2015 were meant to domesticate the United Nations (UN) conventions that relate to the fight against terrorism and terrorism activities. It was felt that by enacting this law, the country would reaffirm its desire to fight terrorism and terrorism activities. Further, between 2007 and 2017, there arose strong advocacy at international level for a treaty that would be legally binding and whose aim would be to prohibit terrorism and proliferation of terrorism-related activities. It is against this background that the need has arisen for Zambia, as a member of the UN, to take measures that signify her willingness to effectively implement the provisions of international conventions and treaties on anti-terrorism and proliferation. The Bill takes into account some of the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, but with redefined functions in some instances. With the enactment of the Bill, it is hoped that Zambia will, ultimately, join the Global Village in acquiring and sharing knowledge and skills necessary for combating the vice.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee is in full support of the Bill, as it is more progressive than its antecedent, the Anti-Terrorism Act, of 2007, which is being repealed. Your Committee considers the Bill a good piece of legislation which, if well administered, will enable Zambia to effectively combat terrorism and its related activities in collaboration with the international community. All the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee were also in support of the Bill and noted that by virtue of being a member of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), which is a regional financial action task force (FATF)-style group, and that by signing the ESAAMLG memorandum of understanding (MoU), Zambia agreed to adopt and implement measures to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and proliferation. The stakeholders, therefore, commended the Government for deciding to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act, No. 21 of 2007 and to replace it with the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill which, among other objects, domesticates the international conventions and treaties on anti-terrorism and proliferation.

 

Sir, while the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee supported the enactment of the Bill, they also cited some areas of concern. Allow me to highlight some of the key concerns raised and your Committee’s recommendations on the concerns.

 

Mr Speaker, stakeholders were of the view that although proliferation for non-legal means has been referred to in the Bill and since the Bill outlaws all forms of proliferation, it would be inconsistent to leave the title of the Bill as “Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill”. Your Committee agrees with the stakeholders and recommends that the title be amended to read “The Anti-Terrorism and Non-Proliferation Bill”.

 

Stakeholders further observed that Clause 5(2) provides for the establishment of the National Anti-Terrorism Centre as a unit based at the ministry responsible for national security and that the centre be under the control and supervision of the Minister responsible for internal security. Your Committee notes that the assumption that ‘Minister of National Security’ and ‘Minister responsible for internal security’ mean the same thing is erroneous and a recipe for possible confusion. Your Committee, in this regard, recommends that only one term, preferably ‘Minister responsible for home affairs’ be used in the Bill. Further, your Committee recommends that in keeping with modern trends, the National Anti-Terrorism Centre be established as an autonomous entity in the same standing as the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and other autonomous law enforcement agencies. This is particularly necessary because the Anti-Terrorism Committee, which has control over the policy direction and operational functions of the centre comprises representatives from various ministries, including the Office of the President, Special Division. Your Committee is of the view that placing the centre under a ministry would pose challenges in terms of command and reporting structures.

 

Sir, your Committee notes that Clause 7(c)(viii) provides that the President, as he considers necessary, may appoint other relevant institutions to the Anti-Terrorism Committee. However, your Committee is of the view that representatives of institutions like the Radiation Protection Authority (RPA), which is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of radioactive and nuclear materials, and the Zambia Revenue Authority, which has been assigned immense powers in Clause 48(7) to (11) should be expressly included in the membership of the Committee. Your Committee observes further that Clause 7(1) provides for ten members of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. This is likely to cause problems in making decisions, as there may be ties that cannot be broken because of the even number of members. Your Committee, in this vein, recommends that, as is the norm, an odd number of members be provided for.

 

Mr Speaker, lastly but not the least, your Committee is encouraged by the provision at Clause 54, which requires that a detention be video-recorded and that a detainee be kept at a place named in the detention order. Your Committee is of the view that these provisions will enhance the respect for the human rights of detainees and possibly reduce the much-talked about torture in detention facilities. Your Committee, however, is worried by the possibility that not all detention centres will be equipped with all the necessary facilities to give effect to this legal provision and, in this regard, recommends that all detention facilities be provided with the equipment.

 

In conclusion, your Committee expresses its gratitude to you for granting it the opportunity to scrutinise the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill, N. A. B. No. 4 of 2018, and to all the stakeholders who assisted it in its deliberations on the Bill. Your Committee also thanks the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly for the support rendered to it throughout its deliberations.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Thank you, once again, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to wind up debate on the Bill.

 

Sir, as I stated earlier, the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill of 2018 provides for, among other objects, the establishment of a specialised anti-terrorism centre, amendment of the definitions for them to conform to international standards, and powers and duties of an anti-terrorism officer. The Bill criminalises proliferation and proliferation financing.

 

Mr Speaker, terrorism is a global phenomenon that is dynamic in nature. When enacted, the Bill will bring the country up to speed with emerging trends and with international law. 

 

Sir, I thank your Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs for the favourable consideration of the Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Bill of 2018 for making a number of observations and recommendations on the Bill. One of the recommendations is that the title of the Bill be amended to read the “Anti-Terrorism and Non-Proliferation Bill”, and I am pleased to inform you that the ministry has no objection to the recommendation.

 

Sir, under Section 11(1), the Bill mandates the relevant service commission to prescribe the qualifications and qualities of a person to be appointed Director of the centre by the President. However, the recommendation by your Committee that the minimum qualifications for the Director of the centre be expressly stipulated in the Bill wll be considered.

 

Sir, the recommendation of your Committee in relation to the responsible ministry in Section 5(2) has been noted. Indeed, the Section must make reference to the ministry and Minister responsible for internal security, not national security. The term ‘Ministry of Home Affairs” is, in our view, not advisable because reference must be made to the mandate, not the name, of the ministry since names of ministries may change while the portfolio functions are fairly stable. Therefore, we are of the considered view that the proposal in the Bill must be maintained.

 

Mr Speaker, the observations on Section 6(2)(b) and on the number of members of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee have been noted and will be considered. The observation on the need to distinguish an authorised officer from an anti-terrorism officer will also be considered.

 

Sir, while I note your Committee’s observation on Section 38(1), the correct position is that the Section encompasses both private and public places. Section 38(1) uses the term ‘A place of public use’ whilst Section 38(1)(3) defines ‘Infrastructure Facility’ as meaning any publicly or privately owned facility.

 

Mr Speaker, the observation of your Committee on the installation of video recording equipment at the centre in relation to Section 45 is, in our considered view, an administrative issue within the scope of the Bill. The National Anti-Terrorism Centre, when fully operational, will provide the video recording equipment to be used wherever its detainees will be detained.

 

Sir, the Committee’s observation on Section 58(4)(e), namely that there be a provision for the protection of a whistle-blower, is valid, and we assure your Committee that we are with it on this matter. So, we shall amend the Section accordingly.

 

The observations in relation to Sections 43, 48(6)(c), 52(6)(d), 56(2) and 69 will be addressed under regulations of the Bill when the Bill is enacted.

 

Sir, let me seize this opportunity to, once again, thank your Committee for the commitment and the work it invested in the consideration of this Bill. Allow me to also sincerely thank all the hon. Members of this august House who have supported this Bill in silence.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Question put and agreed to and the Bill read a second time.

 

Committed to a committee of the Whole House.

 

Committee on Tuesday, 19^th June, 2018.

 

THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA BILL, 2018

 

The Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Mushimba): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

 

Sir, I would like to start by congratulating Hon. Maria Langa and the Patriotic Front (PF) party on the thunderous and well-deserved victory …

 

Mr Livune: Question!

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mushimba: … in the recently held Chilanga Parliamentary Constituency By-Elections. The seat is now safely in the boat where it will stay for a long time to come.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, let me also register my deepest condolences on the passing of Hon. Victoria Kalima. She ran her race courageously and admirably. Certainly, we shall miss her greatly. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

 

Mr Speaker, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Association of Zambia, formerly known as the Computer Society of Zambia, was founded in 1989 with a membership of over 1,200 registered and fully paid-up members. However, currently, there is no law that regulates ICT practitioners, and membership of the Computer Society of Zambia is voluntary, unlike that of other professional bodies like the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) and the Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ). Due to its unregulated nature, the ICT profession has been infiltrated by professional misconduct and unqualified practitioners. Further, no avenue is available for consumers of ICT services to have any recourse by law.

 

Sir, the aforementioned challenges are an impediment to the ICT sector’s ability to effectively contribute to national development. With ICT being at the centre of business and development, it is imperative that the profession is regulated. Otherwise, it will pose a great risk to the nation, including the risk of increased incidence cybercrimes. 

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1810 hours until 1830 hours.    

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was saying that if left unregulated, the ICT profession will pose great risks to the nation, including the risk of increased cybercrimes.

 

Mr Speaker, this Bill seeks to cure the cited ills in the sector. The proposed legislation is meant to facilitate the establishment of an ICT professional body. The Ministry of Transport and Communication proposes the enactment of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia Bill, 2018 by Parliament to:

 

1. regulate the ICT profession;

 

1. provide for the regulation of education and training of ICT professionals; and

 

1. provide for the setting of an ethical code of conduct and ICT professional standards in Zambia.

 

Sir, the objectives of this Bill are to:

 

1. continue the Computer Society of Zambia and rename it the ‘Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia’, and provide for its functions;

 

1. provide for the registration of ICT professionals and regulation of their professional conduct in the interest of the Zambian public; and

 

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

 

Mr Speaker, the enactment of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia Bill, 2018, will have a number of effects, some of which are as follows:

 

1. under economic ramifications, the Bill will have the following effects:

 

1. it is estimated that the number of specialised or ICT-enabled jobs will increase, especially with the major investments in the ICT sector that we are seeing today from both the public and private sectors;

 

1. well-regulated ICT professionals will be employed to manage ICT resources in various sectors to propel the development of the country; and

 

1. there will be an increase in ICT competence levels and a structured approach to the promotion of innovation and creativity among ICT professionals, and that will enable the production of high-value and exportable ICT products and services to already established technology companies.

 

1. the legal ramifications of the enactment of this Bill will:

 

1. provide for both judicial and administrative sanctions against those who breach the statutes of any undertaking of an act that is defined as an offence;

 

1. stipulate legal consequences of the negligent provision of ICT services that are harmful to the public;

 

1. provide for the rights of ICT professionals and establish the procedure for handling of ICT professional code of conduct matters; and

 

1. stipulate the consequences to incompetent or unethical practitioners whose acts are serious and costly;

 

1. individuals will benefit from the following:

 

1. the association will form a pool of ICT professionals in diverse fields of the sector;

 

1. the association will facilitate the effective provision of and access to ICT professional services;

 

1. improvement in the quality of training by ICT professionals. The association will establish the minimum level of education and experience required to practice in the ICT profession, define the functions of the profession and limit the performance of these functions to licensed persons; and

 

1. the society will legally regulate ICT practice for the professionals; and

 

1. the social ramifications of the enactment of the Bill will be:

 

1. improved quality of services provided and protection of the interests of un-informed ICT consumers from poor quality of service and incompetent or unethical practitioners;

 

1. availability of a good number of localised ICT skills; and

 

1. more responsible use of ICT platforms, increased service provision and enhanced efficiency in service delivery.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Princess Kucheka (Zambezi West) (on behalf of Mr Imbuwa (Nalolo)): Mr Speaker, in line with its terms of reference, as set out in the Standing Orders, your Committee was tasked to scrutinise the Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia Bill No. 5 of 2018. In its quest to appreciate the ramifications of the Bill, your Committee interacted with various stakeholders, who made both written and oral submissions before it.

 

Sir, the objectives of the Bill are to establish the Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia so as to:

 

1. continue the Computer Society of Zambia and rename it the ‘Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia’ and provide for its functions;

 

1. provide for the registration of information and communications technology (ICT) professionals and regulate their professional conduct in the interest of the ICT sector; and

 

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

 

Sir, your Committee’s observations and recommendations have been presented in its report. Allow me, therefore, to only highlight a few pertinent issues that emanated from the Committee’s interactions with the various stakeholders during its deliberations.

 

Mr Speaker, almost all the stakeholders who made submissions supported the Bill and were of the view that its enactment was long overdue. They also observed that there is no law that regulates ICT practitioners and that membership to the Computer Society of Zambia is voluntary, unlike what is obtaining in other professional bodies like the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) and the Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ). The stakeholders also noted that although the Computer Society of Zambia is governed by its constitution and is registered with the Registrar of Societies, the ICT profession has been characterised by unprofessional conduct and sub-standard services provided by unqualified persons holding themselves out as ICT professionals. In this regard, they were gratified that a law will be enacted to address the situation.

 

The stakeholders further submitted that ICT is an umbrella term that encompassed any communication device or application, including radio, television, cellular phones, computers, network hardware and software, satellite systems as well as various services and applications. Recognising that ICT is a global phenomenon, and that the use of ICTs is expanding rapidly, the stakeholders recommend that the sector be embraced, as it will play a key role in the socio-economic development of the country. However, consumers of ICT services in Zambia lack adequate information about the quality of services that ICT professionals are expected to provide. As a result, some unscrupulous ICT professionals tend to exploit unsuspecting consumers by providing low-quality services at higher prices.

 

Sir, though they supported the Bill, the stakeholders observed that the Bill has not clearly specified persons and organisations that qualify to be members of the association so as to avoid conflict as to which institution they should belong to between the EIZ and the Information and Communication Technology Association. Some stakeholders found it difficult to appreciate the distinction between an ICT professional and an engineer, considering the fact that some ICT professionals are registered as members of the EIZ and that some components of ICT are more inclined to the engineering profession. Your Committee, therefore, is of the view that the Bill should clearly spell out who a member of the ICT profession is and state what they do differently from engineers as defined in the Engineering Institute of Zambia Act No. 17 of 2010. This is critical because a number of ICT professionals and organisations or units are already registered members of the EIZ.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee also notes that the definition of the word ‘information’ has not been expanded to include results generated through mobile devices like iPads, tablets and smart phones, which may not necessarily be computer systems as defined under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act No. 21 of 2009. Considering that this Bill will regulate the ICT sector, your Committee recommends that the meaning of the word ‘information’ be expanded to include devices such as iPads, tablets, smart phones and all gadgets that can be used to generate information. This kind of information has not been included in the definitions found in the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act No. 21 of 2009, most of which have been used in the Bill under consideration. Regrettably, there has been no explicit mention of the mobile devices in this Bill. This is despite the fact that technology has advanced to the extent that programmes can be invented and administered on mobile devices, which are not computers, but can generate results.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee notes that Clause 22(1) prevents a person who does not hold a practicing certificate from partnering with an ICT firm. This provision will limit the growth of the sector, as people with resources, but who are not qualified ICT professionals cannot be allowed to enter into partnerships to establish an ICT firm. In this regard, your Committee urges the Government to revise the Bill and accommodate those who may be interested in investing in the sector by partnering with ICT professionals, as such a provision will contribute to the growth of the ICT sector in the Country.

 

Sir, Clause 1 of the Bill provides that the Act shall come into operation on a date to be appointed by the hon. Minister in a statutory instrument. In this regard, I would like to emphasise that the onus is on the Government to quickly operationalise this piece of legislation once it is passed by this august House so as to protect the general public and bring sanity to the sector.

 

Mr Speaker, let me end by thanking all the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee for their invaluable contributions. Your Committee also appreciates the services rendered by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly during its deliberations. Last but not least, allow me to thank you for according your Committee an opportunity to scrutinise the Information and Communications Technology Association of Zambia Bill No. 5 of 2018.

 

 I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mushimba: Mr Speaker, I thank the Committee that worked on this Bill.

 

Mr Speaker, the feedback provided has been well-noted. Essentially, I have taken note that the stakeholders were in support of this Bill and wondered why we have existed for so long without it. I want it put on record that as soon as we finish all the processes through which the Bill has to go through, we will expeditiously operationalise it to give consumers the protection that they should have.

 

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to congratulate you on your well-deserved graduation after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in theology. You deserve a round of applause for that.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Question put and agreed to and the Bill read a second time.

 

Committed to a committee of the Whole House.

 

Committee on Tuesday, 26^th June, 2018.

 

_______

 

MOTIONS

 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, WORKS AND SUPPLY

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to make one or two comments on the report that has been submitted to this august House by your Committee.

 

Sir, from the outset, I would like to state that I support your Committee’s report. I would also like to affirm the nobility of the creation of districts. I think that it is a good idea and that the rationale behind it, which is basically to deliver services as close to the people as possible, is noble and should be supported. However, we are not very pleased with the manner in which this noble programme is being implemented. It is in this regard that I support your Committee’s report because it brings out the challenges that this programme is facing.

 

Mr Speaker, from the report, there are two major challenges that I can decipher. The first is a lack of funds. There are literally no funds to implement this project. Similarly, all projects from the five districts that the Committee visited have not been completed. The Ministry of Finance is struggling to raise funds because the creation of districts is creating more demand for funding than the ministry can raise. The second challenge, which is even bigger, is the lack of a strategic implementation plan for the programme. So, the programme has been implemented haphazardly since it started in 2012. The Government just wakes up and announces that districts have been created without considering how funds will be mobilised and the programme implemented expeditiously so that the intended benefit, that of taking services to the doorstep, is realised.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, on Page 14 of your Committee’s report, you can see that projects like the construction of a district administration office block, police station, medium and low-cost houses, and a post office are all incomplete, and all these projects are in only one of the five districts, Chipili. However, the scenario is the same in all the districts your Committee visited and, by extrapolation, the situation regarding the implementation of this project is the same in the whole country. This means that we have sunk in a lot of money, but we are not getting benefits that are commensurate with the money we put in. Our goal has not been achieved from 2012 to date. None of the new districts can boast of delivering or having delivered the services for which it was created.

 

Sir, could we have done better? Is there an alternative? Yes, there is. The Government does not have to construct district Bomas to deliver. We are talking about the provision of water, health care, education and similar services. Does the Government need the Bomas for those services to be delivered? The answer is “No”. You do not need a District Commissioner’s (DC’s) Office for that, neither do you need a civic centre. We have been wasting a lot of money on the creation of districts that were not properly planned for. Had they been properly planned for, I would have no objections. However, since they were not properly planned, the nation is now diverting funds that could have been used on projects and programmes that directly and immediately benefit the local communities. If you want to travel to Lusaka from Kabompo, you do not have to, first, go to Angola, then, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and further on to Cameroon before you finally get to Lusaka. You can hit the nail on the head without wasting time spending the money on direct service delivery. That is the advice I would like to give to the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

 

Mr Speaker, we have messed up, sorry, not messed up. We have not done things the way we should have. As if the challenges we are facing were not enough, the Government went ahead and created six new districts in the Eastern Province. We have not completed the projects in any of them since 2012, yet the Government has created six new districts. My question is: Why are new districts being created when the ones that were created earlier remain incomplete?

 

Mr Syakalima interjected.

 

Mr Lufuma: The only logical conclusion is that the Government has seen something. If the communities have not seen any benefits, then, it should be the Government that has seen those benefits. The benefit, by deduction, has to be political expedience.

 

Mr Livune: Wako ni wako.

 

Mr Lufuma: The Government has introduced another expense through by-elections, which are costly, by creating six new districts.

 

Mr Speaker, we are currently struggling with an external debt of US$9 billion.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Lufuma: That is the amount the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting mentioned in today’s papers. When asked how the Government is going to pay the money back, she said we would cross the bridge when we came to it. That means there is no plan, which is very dangerous. We must have a plan on how we are going to pay our debts. We are supposed to pay the first instalment on the Eurobond in 2022, but we do not know how to pay it back. We were supposed to have established a sinking fund, but there is little to no money in that fund. How are we going to liquidate our external debt? We continue to incur more costs that could be avoided. There are many costs that we can avoid to enable us to move this country forward.

 

Sir, the construction of our Budget is such that 50 per cent goes to personal emoluments and 30 per cent to debt servicing, as interest on those huge loans we have acquired. These two expenditure lines add up to 80 per cent. There is also a 10 per cent that goes towards the operation of the Government. There are certain operations that the Government has to undertake, whether we like it or not. This means that 90 per cent of the Budget is dedicated to consumption. Do you, then, wonder why most projects, including those in new districts, are not being completed? Do you wonder why a mere gravel road from Kabompo to Kayombo has remained uncompleted after seven years? Do you wonder why roads in Kabompo Town cannot be rehabilitated? We are living as if we are in World War II. There are craters on most of our roads, yet the Government is doing nothing.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: You should not wonder because the 10 per cent of the Budget that remains is not enough to be used as capital expenditure. This means that our economy is not performing well enough to fund capital projects. This is why I recommend that we slow down on this programme, noble as it is. Let us try to complete the current projects and, then, move on to other ones. In fact, I fear that even the projects that are at 80 per cent completion or closer to completion will not be completed by the end of this year, next year or in 2021. The Government is doing this for political expedience. It wants people to think it is working hard just to get their votes. It is shifting the liability to the next Government. I just hope that the next Government which, as you know, will be the United Party for National Development (UPND), will be able to correct the situation and move this country forward.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: We know the Government has made mistakes, but we shall correct them and ensure that the country moves forward.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to make a few comments on the Motion ably moved by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chirundu.

 

Sir, yesterday, my colleagues articulated the matter of decentralisation very well. What this report is telling us is what is being done to implement the Decentralisation Policy. You cannot talk about decentralisation without infrastructure. Are you going to decentralise in a bush in Kabompo? How do you deliver?

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: This hypocrisy that we continue to exhibit is not fair to our people.

 

I wish the hon. Member who has just finished debating could have consulted the person to whom he is seated next, the hon. Member for Chirundu, whose constituency is a district, on the benefits that are being enjoyed by the people of Chirundu District.

 

Mr Livune interjected.

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Katombola!

 

I am sure you want to continue to be in the House.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Continue, hon. Minister.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I intend to be very brief.

 

Sir, as the saying goes, Rome was not built in one day. Further, where there is a will, there is a way. Where I come from, they say “amenshi akonka umufolo”, which means that water flows in a furrow.

 

Sir, what we are saying to those in doubt is that decentralisation needs to be anchored on structures. The creation of districts is not being done in the manner in which the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabompo is suggesting. Yesterday, the hon. Minister of Local Government tried to explain the methodology being used in the creation of districts. The population of this country has grown. The hon. Member of Parliament for Kabompo doubted us when we told him that the Chingola/Solwezi Road would be worked on, but he is quiet now that it has been done. Sometimes, we should come back to this House and thank the Government for the work it does.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Government Member: You can say that again.

 

Mr Kampyongo: The hon. Member for Kabompo and his colleagues were crying that the Solwezi/Chingola Road would not be finished but, today, they do not have the wisdom to thank Hon. Chitotela –

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister of Home Affairs!

 

Please, resume your seat.

 

Mr Kampyongo resumed his seat.

 

Mr Speaker: In the first place, we know very well that we do not debate ourselves. You can make the same point without referring to individual hon. Members. Further, it is not proper to cast aspersions on your colleagues. You have the freedom to criticise, but there is no need for aspersions.

 

Continue.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the point I am trying to make is that people can complain about projects not being completed as expected due to the challenges that the Government might be encountering, just like any other major undertaking. However, to say that the Government is starting the construction of infrastructure in districts without completing them is not being fair. That is why I am citing some examples from this House. The projects that we have embarked on are massive. We have to be ambitious to develop the nation, and that is why it cannot be business as usual. Sometimes, you must push yourself to the edge.

 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: That is what this Patriotic Front (PF) Government is doing.

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Where?

 

Mr Kampyongo: For those who are doubting, I ask them to watch the space. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to see our constituencies turned into district have seen the services the people had to cover long distances to access get closer to them, and the people are appreciating the change. Here, in the House, people ask us every day when we will build police posts and clinics in their constituencies. What we are saying is that when we turn their constituencies into districts, they will start planning their development and it will be easier for them to have social amenities. That is the way to go.

 

Mr Kamboni interjected.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I need to be protected. I cannot concentrate because there are some unruly people who are making running commentaries.

 

Mr Speaker: I was concentrating on your debate, hon. Minister. Continue with it. I will look out for the hecklers.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, this Government will be there for a long time to come because of its works. We are transforming the nation and the people are seeing it. That is why those who doubted and were running away from us are now coming back. I was surprised when I heard someone say we are going round paying people to defect from Opposition parties to the PF. The people are saying that they are tired of being antagonistic for nothing because they are seeing where development is coming from.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Start another topic.

 

Mr Kampyongo: They are coming back on their own because they want to be part of our development agenda.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order, on my left!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Sir, we understand and acknowledge the challenges that have been highlighted in the report. I know my colleagues, …

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Wakamba kwasila!

 

Mr Kampyongo: … the hon. Ministers of Housing and Infrastructure Development, and Finance, and the entire Cabinet are committed to making sure that even in Dundumwezi …

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Road mwakangiwa!

 

Mr Kampyongo: … where people were …

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Mwakangiwa road.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kampyongo: ... in so much −

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Dundumwezi, we will see you tomorrow.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Sing’ombe carried his bottle of water while leaving the Assembly.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Government Members: Water!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Mwakangiwa road kaili.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, please, continue.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, in Chilanga, where there is a new district, the people were used to the politics of lamenting and being promised sweet nothings, but they are now able to see. That is why they agree with us and are saying they want to be with us in the PF by giving us a representative. They have decided that they cannot continue being in a party that does not seem to be taking them anywhere. Chilanga, which is a district with infrastructure coming up, is going to be a beneficiary of the completed projects that Hon. Chitotela is now prioritising. When he says he is prioritising projects at or above 85 per cent completion, it does not mean he is going to forget about the other infrastructure. He will get to the others after completing the prioritised ones. That is how things are done.

 

Mr Speaker, we, as a committed Government, with this massive support that we are getting from the people, …

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

 

Mr Kampyongo: … are inspired to do a little bit more. You are seeing the creation of more districts because we know that we have this will and, with it, we shall certainly find a way of completing the projects.

 

Hon. Chitotela, please, do not be swayed by the armchair critics. You know people will criticise you −

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

I intend to give the hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development an opportunity to debate for himself.

 

Mr Kampyongo: He will debate for himself, Mr Speaker, but he deserves to be encouraged because the work that he is on is a mammoth one.

 

When one is being discouraged by people who see what you are doing and want to pretend that they cannot see, one needs to be encouraged. In the night, they want to come and ask for districts but, when they come here, they want to politick. Let us be realistic and represent our people with honesty and sincerity, for it is the people who are crying for these services.

 

Mr Speaker, we, as a party, shall continue growing so that we can serve our people even better. His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who is so loved by his people, spends sleepless nights to make sure that even the people who rejected him get development just like the rest of the country. That is what leadership is all about. So, those who want to continue criticising will remain irrelevant on the way and the country will move forward with or without them.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development (Mr Chitotela): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply on issues of infrastructure.

 

Mr Speaker, the mover of the Motion raised a concern on the policy on infrastructure. I must confirm that the ministry has finished drafting the policy that will guide us on infrastructure development in the new and old districts. All things being equal, before the end of this quarter, the policy could be approved by the Cabinet. The same applies to the Housing Policy. We are reviewing the 1992 Housing Policy so that it can be in tandem with the prevailing situation in the nation.

 

Mr Speaker, regarding the stalled projects in newly created districts, the reason was partly that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government takes development to all parts of the country. We created a number of districts and started projects simultaneously. We are working to make sure that all the projects are completed. Before me is a payment schedule for all the contractors in all the districts for May, 2018. These payments were made on the 15^th May, 2018.

 

Sir, there was a concern that Chisamba District was visited and projects had stalled. Indeed, the projects delayed to be completed, but if you go to the district today, you will find contractors working. Habitech Limited, which is constructing the civic centre, was paid all the outstanding interim payment certificates (IPCs) so that it can quickly complete the project. The news was even broadcast on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Television when the hon. Minister of Local Government was asked to commission the completed ten medium cost houses on my behalf. Civil servants have since occupied the houses. Additionally, Luvias Investment, which is still constructing ten low-cost houses, and Quemar Investment, which is constructing ten medium cost houses in Chilanga has also been paid and is back on site. The same applies to the contractor building twenty low cost-houses in Chisamba District.

 

Sir, the mover of the Motion also talked about the appraisal of projects. We do not move into a district without assessing the benefits that will accrue to the people. Implementation of projects is in stages. It does not mean that if we have not started a district hospital, then, the people of Chisamba will not have a district hospital. We start with the district administration, accommodation, police station, then, we go to infrastructure that will support education and health. What is beautiful about a new district is that a district hospital, a police station and other social and economic services will be taken closer to the people.

 

Sir, the mover of the Motion also raised a concern about co-ordination between the ministries of Housing and Infrastructure, and Finance. The Chairperson of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Council is the hon. Minister of Finance while the hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development is the Deputy. Further, the hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development is the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers on Infrastructure Development Implementation while the hon. Minister of Finance is the Deputy. So, the two ministries co-ordinate very well. Under the ministry, we do not do things without the approval of the Ministry of Finance. We do not even embark on any projects that have not been budgeted for.

 

Mr Speaker, when we say that we are only going to target projects that are at or above 80 per cent completion, it does not mean that the projects below that level will not be paid for. What we will do is, first, pay for the full interim certificate for the projects that are at or above 80 per cent. When we remain with some money, then, we pay for the remaining projects. For example, on 15^th May, 2018, when we received K60 million, we first targeted the projects we wanted to complete before the end of this year. After that, we looked at the projects that were slightly below 80 per cent complete. This process makes sure that all the people of Zambia benefit.

 

Sir, the seconder of the Motion mentioned the issue of access roads. Under the ministry, we plan before we start any projects. We decide on which projects we need to start with. If we are supposed to work on access roads, we do it so that our people can have access roads.

 

Mr Speaker, another member raised a concern about stalled works in Chipili District. All the contractors engaged on projects there, other than those whose contracts were terminated due to non-performance, are given advance payment by the Government. In some cases, the contractors move on site and do work that does not correspond with the money paid. Such contractors might be reminded to get back on site and do a better job, but still not do so. In such cases, we follow the legal process of terminating the contracts so that we secure the interests of the community. The desire of this Government is to give Zambians quality infrastructure because it believes in a leadership that provides goods and services to its people. We are aware that the people of Zambia need infrastructure in all the districts.

 

Sir, in every province of this country, there are traditional and political authorities. There are also hon. Members of Parliament and councillors who are all crying for the creation of districts. Therefore, if decentralisation has to become a reality, we need to support His Excellency the President’s idea of creating districts, taking into account the financial status of the country. This year, we approved a budget of K100 million to complete all the infrastructure projects in the new districts. Of course, after His Excellency the President visited Muchinga Province, he directed that we prioritise projects according to the percentages of completion at which they are.

 

Mr Speaker, a committee of hon. Ministers was formed and tasked to make sure that we pay more attention to infrastructure projects that are near completion in this country. This Government believes that if it ignored running projects and embarked on new ones, it would waste resources and not benefit the people of Zambia. I, therefore, assure the contracting community that if their works are not in or above the category of 80 per cent completion, it does not mean that the Government will not pay them.

 

Sir, by the end of July, 2018, we will update the nation on the stage at which we will be in the implementation of projects. Thereafter, in August, 2018, we will look at another category of projects so that all the contractors are paid. I must state that all the contractors on the district infrastructure projects are Zambian, and we need to empower them. There is no way we can ignore local contractors in this country. I am mentioning this because the previous speaker raised the issue of contractors complaining that if we just targeted those whose works are at or above 80 per cent, then, those who are below would end up getting into debt distress because they would use up all their money. We know that some contractors borrowed money from the banks. This Government is committed to empowering local contractors. No wonder we released K60 million in May, 2018, to pay the contractors in the districts. Before the end of July, 2018, we intend to release more funds to pay contractors in the districts. 

 

Sir, our target is to complete all the running projects in all the districts by the end of December, 2018. We want to begin commissioning the infrastructure. In January, 2019, we want to begin prioritising and implementing infrastructure development in the other districts that have not benefited yet.  We also need to speed up the implementation of projects in this country.

 

Mr Speaker, the ministry has embarked on negotiations with the international community, which has the capital, to come and partner with the Government under a programme called ‘Rent to Own’. This programme does not require the Government to spend any money, and three companies have already signed commercial contracts with us. They will also sign an off-take agreement with the Government. In these agreements, we are putting up 20,000 housing units in Zambia.

 

Sir, we wrote to all the Provincial Permanent Secretaries (PSs) asking them to identify land in various districts where we can build the housing units. Unfortunately, some PSs did not respond, but those who responded have been captured. The districts that were submitted are part of the commercial contracts that we have signed. We expect to do the ground-breaking to start construction of housing units for the Government and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that would want to occupy them under the Rent to Own scheme. This means that immediately someone takes up a house to rent, after the full rental is paid, it becomes theirs as long as there is a guarantee that the monthly rentals will not be defaulted. This project will be insured to secure the capital that the private sector is bringing in Zambia. We will see a number of newly created districts benefit from this programme in terms of housing units, administration buildings, schools and clinics.

 

Sir, there has also been a concern of under-performance by local contractors. Some hon. Members even said the reason might be that the Government engaged cadres. The Government’s procurement policy is to not consider individuals. We look at companies. If the company meets all the criteria set under the procurement processes, it can be awarded a contract and paid the mobilisation fee for it to move on site. In the event that the company fails to perform, we still do not look at the political affiliation of the owners. We do not even pay attention to the race, whether it be green, black, yellow or orange, of the owners. If the contractor is under-performing, we terminate the contract according to the provisions of the contract agreement.

 

Sir, I appeal to our people that when they are awarded contracts, they should move in and perform for the good of all the citizens, including that of our children and those to come. We want our people to start benefiting from the social and economic services that come with the newly created districts.

 

Mr Speaker, the newly created districts have come with many opportunities because our people are able to get employed. I assure Zambians that this Government will continue with a development agenda that will make things better for our people. We know that once things start working, many people will have something to talk about. Where I come from, they say, “Imbwa tashilwila mulembwe. Nga wamona imbwa shilelwa, ninshi pali ifupa”. This means that dogs cannot fight over delele. When you see dogs fight, just know that there is a bone or steak.

 

Hon. Members: Okra!

 

Mr Chitotela: Oh, yes, okra.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Chitotela: This encourages us to work extra hard. We know that we are working for the people of Zambia and the good of our country.

 

Mr Speaker, we have also taken note of the concerns raised in the report. As a Government, we promise, as I have stated, to ensure that the National Housing Policy is quickly approved by the Cabinet and published in the gazette for the people to know what we want to do.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Members for supporting the Report of the Committee on Transport, Works and Supply.

 

Thank you, Sir.

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The Chief Whip and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Chungu): Sir, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

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The House adjourned at 1932 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 15^th June, 2018.

 

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