Thursday, 22^ndJune, 2017

 

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 an announcement to make.

 

In the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other Government Business, the Chief Whip, Hon. Richard Musukwa, MP, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Thursday, 22^nd June, 2017, until further notice.

 

I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Ema VP, aba!

 

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RULING BY MR SPEAKER

 

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR E. BELEMU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MBABALA CONSTITUENCY ON WEDNESDAY, 14^TH JUNE, 2017

 

Hon. Members, the House will recall that on Wednesday, 14^th June, 2017, when the hon. Member of Parliament for Milenge Constituency, Mr M. Mbulakulima, was asking a question on a point of clarification on the ministerial statement delivered by the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development, Hon. R. Chitotela, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mbabala Constituency, Mr E. Belemu, raised a point of order on the ruling I had delivered on Tuesday, 13^th June, 2017, suspending forty-eight United Party for National Development (UPND) hon. Members from the House. In the point of order, the hon. Member for Mbabala Constituency said that the House suspended the hon. Member of Parliament for Namwala Constituency, Ms M. Lubezhi, when in fact, she had sought permission from the hon. Chief Whip to stay away from the sitting of the House on 17^th March, 2017, to enable her to attend a court session. To support his point of order, Hon. Belemu laid on the Table of the House a copy of Hon. Lubezhi’s approved application for leave of absence. Hon. Belemu further submitted that the reason I had given the House for his absence from the House on 17^th March, 2017, was not correct because he had not sought leave of absence from the hon. Chief Whip, but that his absence was due to ill health. To this effect, Hon. Belemu sought guidance on whether the House was in order to have passed a resolution that was based on incorrect facts, and which appeared to victimise hon. UPND Members on account of their political affiliation. He, thereafter, volunteered to be suspended from the House because he did not want to be given a reprieve on an unjustified basis.

 

In my immediate reaction to Hon. Belemu’s point of order, I reserved the ruling in order to check the records on the two specific issues regarding the hon. Member for Namwala Constituency and Hon. Belemu in order to render an informed ruling. As regards the allegation that my ruling victimised hon. UPND Members of Parliament, I made an ex tempore ruling that there was no truth whatsoever in the allegation.

 

Hon. Members, I have since reviewed the records regarding the two issues raised in Hon. Belemu’s point of order, and I now render my ruling.

 

From the outset, let me state that the point of order raised by the hon. Member for Mbabala sought to clarify my ruling rendered on 13^th June, 2017. I will, therefore, begin by addressing the issue relating to the hon. Member for Mbabala Constituency. The records reveal that on 16^th March, 2017, the hon. Member for Mbabala Constituency visited the National Assembly of Zambia Clinic where, upon being attended to, he was certified unfit for duty on account of ill health and accordingly granted two days’ sick leave. This was brought to the attention of the Chief Whip and eventually that of the Legal Department, which was processing the matter.  Therefore, he is deemed to have obtained permission to be absent from the House on 17^th March, 2017. Thus, on that basis, the hon. Member for Mbabala Constituency was correctly excluded from the list of hon. Members who absented themselves from the House without permission on Friday, 17^th March, 2017. 

 

Let me now turn to the issue pertaining to Ms Lubezhi, hon. Member for Namwala Constituency. 

 

Hon. Members, from the outset, I would like to confirm that the hon. Member for Namwala Constituency was expressly granted authority by the hon. Chief Whip to be absent from the House on 16^th and 17^th March, 2017, to enable her to attend a court session. Therefore, her inclusion on the list of the forty-eight suspended hon. UPND Members of Parliament was both inadvertent and regrettable. In this regard, you may wish to note that where a ruling contains a slip or omission, it can and should be corrected. It is in view of this fact that I hereby amend my ruling of 13^th June, 2017, to reflect the fact that the hon. Member for Namwala Constituency was absent with permission on 17^th March, 2017. I further direct the Clerk to ensure that the records are amended accordingly and remedial measures taken immediately.

 

Thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

STATUS OF OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN ZAMBIA

 

The Minister of Mines and Minerals Development (Mr Yaluma): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to update the nation on the status of oil and gas exploration in Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, oil and gas exploration in Zambia dates back to 1971 when some Romanian geologists assessed the potential for petroleum in Zambia and indicated that the Barotse Basin had potential. In the same year, the Geological Survey Department under my ministry carried out a reconnaissance geological survey over the Barotse Basin. This was followed by the drilling of some shallow holes to gather information on the underlying geology.

 

Following the geo-physical survey conducted across sedimentary basins in the country between 1982 and 1984, the country was demarcated into two oil and gas blocks, namely A and B. Oil and gas exploration was conducted in Blocks A and B, located in the Luangwa and Zambezi basins, respectively, which were granted to Placid Oil and Mobil. The two companies conducted geological, geochemical and geophysical exploration activities and acquired two-dimensional seismic data on the two blocks.

 

The exploration resulted in the drilling of two wildcard holes in the area. However, both holes were dry, possibly due to the fact that they did not reach the deepest parts of the Karoo, which could have potential. Consequently, exploration in the Luangwa Basin was abandoned in 1988.

 

Mr Speaker, following the discovery of oil and gas deposits in Uganda and Kenya in the Great East African Rift Valley, which is believed to have extended to Zambia, oil and gas exploration activities resumed in the 2000s. The discovery of oil and gas deposits in East Africa rekindled the interest of the exploration companies to explore in the basins of Zambia. The interest shown by the exploration companies, coupled with reports of oil seepages in the North-Western Province, prompted the Government to resume oil and gas exploration activities.

 

Sir, following a directive by the then President of the Republic of Zambia, the ministry embarked on preliminary exploration activities from 2005 to 2008. The activities started in the North-Western Province and involved the collection of soil samples and testing using a technique called microbial prospecting for oil and gas (MPOG). This technique was used on the understanding that oil and gas fields emit hydrocarbon gases on which micro-organisms known as hydrocarbons oxidising bacteria (HOB) depend as a source of energy. Therefore, the presence of the bacteria is an indication of the presence of hydrocarbons in the ground. The soil samples that were collected tested positive for the bacterium. This encouraged the Government to extend prospecting activities to other provinces and revise the legal framework. Prospecting activities were extended to the Western, Eastern, Southern, Northern and Luapula provinces. The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 1985 was repealed and replaced with the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 2008.

 

As the House may be aware, the role of the Government is not to conduct exploration activities, but to facilitate the private sector to conduct them. Therefore, the information generated using the MPOG was used to demarcate prospective areas into blocks in preparation for the participation of the private sector. In accordance with the law, the blocks are licensed through competitive bidding. Three licensing rounds were held in 2011, 2013 and 2016. Accordingly, seventeen licences were issued in 2011, nine in 2013 and two in 2016. Currently, twelve of fifty-six blocks are under licence. This is because twelve out of the seventeen licences issued in 2011 were cancelled in 2015 due to non-compliance with the conditions of licence and four were merged into one block. Of the twelve blocks under licence, six are active.

 

Mr Speaker, in order to continue attracting credible investment in the sector, the Government is reviewing the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 2008 and Petroleum Exploration and Production Regulations, 2011. The Act was found to be inadequate in attracting meaningful investment in the sector and ensuring an effective regulatory and institutional framework. The process commenced with the review of the legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks by a consultant. The findings and recommendations of the consultant were, then, discussed with various stakeholders. In addition, efforts are being made to benchmark with other countries that have made oil discoveries in the recent past. The process is expected to be concluded during the course of this year.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government is proceeding with making the investment climate attractive because the potential for oil and gas in Zambia is quite high. Zambia has a number of geological basins that have not been explored. The recent oil discoveries in Uganda and Kenya in the Rift Valley System of East Africa, which extends to Zambia, increase the possibility of discovering oil and gas in Zambia. That potential could be enhanced if the Government conducted regional seismic surveys to define the unexplored geological basins. That could attract more investment in oil and gas exploration. However, regional seismic surveys have never been carried out in the geological basins due to the non-availability of funds.

 

Sir, in conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity to state that the Government is committed to developing the oil and gas industry and will do everything in its mandate to ensure that there is a robust legal, regulatory and institutional framework in place to attract and retain investment in the oil and gas sector. Admittedly, the sector is a new area in which we do not have much capacity as a country. There is a need to develop relevant skills and build the capacity of both the Government and the private sector if we are to develop the sector to a level where it can contribute to the development of the country. This will require more resources and learning from other countries. Therefore, the support of this august House is required.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

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

 

Mr Mwewa (Mwansabombwe): Mr Speaker, I am happy to hear that there may be some oil deposits in Zambia.

 

Sir, could the hon. Minister tell the House, especially those of us who come from Luapula Province, whether there are some oil deposits in that province.

 

Mr Kabanda: On a point of Order, Sir.

 

 Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Kabanda: Mr Speaker, on page 4 of today’s Daily Nation Newspaper is a story that is attributed to a Mr Antonio Mwanza. It reads:

 

“In a separate development, Forum for Democracy and Development Secretary-General, Antonio Mwanza, has demanded for Parliament to revise and normalise emoluments for MPs in Zambia.

 

“Mr Mwanza said that the colossal amount of money paid to MPs was immoral.

 

“Mr Mwanza said it was immoral for an MP to be getting K12,000 a week in sitting allowances, K500 as accommodation allowance per day and a monthly salary of K31,000, upkeep allowance, tax-free food, beer and transport, sitting allowance of K3,000 per sitting. Multiply that by four sittings per week, it comes to K12,000 per week per MP. If an MP sits in two committees, he walks away with K9,000 per day. Forget about the tax-free vehicle, travel allowances, plus a staggering gratuity.”

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Kabanda: Mr Speaker, I would like know where Mr Antonio Mwanza got these figures from and why he cannot be cited for making such assertions.

 

Sir, is he in order to have made these assertions?

 

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kabanda laid the paper on the Table.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member for Serenje, can you repeat the last part of your point of order. I missed it.

 

 Mr Kabanda: Mr Speaker, I was asking whether Mr Mwanza is in order to mislead the nation by giving figures that he cannot substantiate.

 

Mr Speaker: Very well. I will reserve my ruling in order for me to study the article in question.

 

Hon. Member for Mwansabombwe, please, continue.

 

Mr Mwewa: Mr Speaker, I was almost winding up my question.

 

Sir, we have been hearing about the exploration activities for some time now. Therefore, I would like the hon. Minister to be categorical enough and tell us whether or not there are oil deposits in Luapula Province.

 

 Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to state that Luapula Province lies in Block 31, which has got high potential for the presence of oil and gas hydrocarbons. So, I cannot tell the hon. Member that there are oil or gas deposits in the province, but I can say that there is high potential for finding oil and gas in Luapula Province since it falls under Block 31. I do not want to raise a lot of expectation. However, the company that is conducting exploration activities is confident about striking oil in Block 31.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

 Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, I would like to agree with the hon. Minister’s statement because the exploration for gas and oil started as far back as the early 1970s.

 

Sir, I still recall that in the early 1980s, Dr Kaunda made a pronouncement that oil would be made from grass in the Luangwa Basin and Chiawa. Taking into account modern technology, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether any follow-up has been made on the new or old concept and whether we can make progress on Dr Kaunda’s concept. 

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, when Dr Kaunda made pronouncements on the production of oil from grass, there was a lot of criticism from many Zambians. Let me, however, put things straight. We can make oil or petroleum from grass. That is why we are pursuing the concept of making fuel from cassava, jatropha or biomass. Currently, the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) is running a pilot project on producing diesel from biomass and using it in vehicles at the company. I think the people of Zambia were somewhat primitive at the time and shunned the innovation.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Simfukwe (Mbala): Mr Speaker, I know that Zambians, including the hardworking hon. Minister, are tired of foreigners making money from our natural resources. In Bemba, there is a saying that goes “Ukutulila amasuku pa mitwe”.

 

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Simfukwe: That means some people enjoy eating the fruit of other people’s labour. In view of this, I would like the hon. Minister to assure the House that when the presence of oil deposits is finally confirmed, Zambians are going to own reasonable amounts of shares in the companies that will be extracting the oil so that we do not continue along this path where all the mining companies are owned largely by foreigners.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, in my ministerial statement, I talked about the revision of the Petroleum Act, which relates to exploration and production. Yes, we have taken bold steps to ensure that Zambians partner with any company that comes to prospect for oil in Zambia. I wish to attest to the fact that the company that is carrying out exploration activities in Block 31 has partnered with a Zambian company.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, having been in this House from 2006, I think this should be the twelfth or fifteenth ministerial statement on the exploration of oil. In this country, there is more talk than action. What is the ministry doing to accelerate the exploration of oil in order to improve the living standards of people? The hon. Minister has obviously been to oil-producing countries. So, he appreciates the value of oil. Are we, as a country, aggressive in exploring for oil? If not, what are we going to do?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I was not in this House fifteen years ago. So, I stand excluded from that comment. Secondly, aggressiveness is a relative term. However, I will try to give the Government’s standpoint on this programme.

 

I can assure Hon. Dr Chishimba Kambwili that the Government has all the support from His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to implement the programme of exploration for oil so that we know whether or not there is oil in the fifty-six blocks that are under surveillance. Before the end of July or August, 2017, we will know if there is oil in Block 54, the area around Lake Bangweulu going up north. Further, before the end of September or October, 2017, we will know if there is oil and gas in Block 31, an area along Lake Tanganyika that stretches into Luapula and Lake Mweru, which has the most potential. So, the hon. Member should mark my word. I will chop off my head if that does not happen.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: Did you say you will chop off your head?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker gave the Floor to Mr Kunda.

 

Mr Kunda (Muchinga): Mr Speaker, my question has been overtaken by events.

 

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, Zambia is a poor country because of our mistakes. The blocks the hon. Minister has referred to as potentially having oil are all in the poorest provinces of this country, including Luapula. With all this potential, can the hon. Minister assure the House that the Government of the Republic of Zambia is going to set aside some money for the implementation of this programme so that we own the exploration works? We do not want this programme to be funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), European Union (EU) or any other foreign organisation. This is because, and I stand to be corrected, the trend has been that as a country, we do not seem to own all the projects that are funded by, for instance, the African Development Bank (AfDB) or DFID.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, what normally happens is that firstly, we go out to invite bids from any oil company, which can be a Zambian company. In fact, let me put it this way. A Zambian company bid for some blocks in 2015. The bids come from private companies that fund the exploration projects. This is highly risky because there could be a sunk cost, as it is not known whether or not oil will be found. A company could lose money worth millions. So, it is not the Government that funds the exploration projects. We have made sure that we are not party to that risk. Therefore, we do not participate in the exploration activities. However, we take over a 35 per cent stake in operations once oil has been found and production starts. The Government only comes in at the production stage because exploration is a difficult and risky undertaking. However, we will review this in the upcoming Bill so that we embed it in the Act.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr C. M. Zulu (Luangeni): Sir, aerial surveys have been conducted in the Western Province in the past few years regarding oil exploration. Is the hon. Minister in a position to tell the House the findings of the surveys and when they were concluded?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, earlier, I catalogued the events that have taken place so far. I said that of the twelve companies that hold licences at the moment, six are inactive and the other six are proactive in exploration. So far, only one company, SAGASS Consulting, has conducted aerial geophysical surveys over Block 54. That is why I assured Hon. Dr Kambwili that we will have the data in the next few weeks.

 

Sir, the other aerial geophysical survey was conducted over Block 31. The Environmental Project Brief (EPB) has been approved by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), but the company had to wait until the end of the rainy season before commencing the surveys. So, the surveys will start soon. The Vice-president of Tullow Oil is in Zambia. I met with him today and he told me that the company will start flying over that block soon. The aerial surveys for the other blocks have not yet been conducted by the individual companies. However, we anticipate that they will all follow suit. Otherwise, it becomes costly if they procrastinate.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Sir, I am aware that under the current land laws, all minerals, oils and precious stones belong to the Government. They are actually owned by the President on behalf of all Zambians. Has the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development put measures in place to ensure that exploration works are done according to the law? Also, has the ministry assigned inspectors to exploration sites so as to ensure that there is no abuse and that exploration companies do not hide information in the event that their work yields positive results?

 

Mr Yaluma: Sir, the exploration period given to companies is not open-ended. Exploration companies have to report deliverables to the ministry and have been given schedules for reporting and completion of exploration activities. The licences have an expiry date and are revoked if the companies do not follow the conditions of the licence. The Petroleum Committee has sent warnings of revocation of the licences of companies that are not performing well. We have in place a programme that they committed to following and we use it as a yardstick to measure their performance. The exploration period cannot run into twenty years. We are strict with the exploration companies to ensure that they work within the stipulated time frame.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, what measures are in place to ensure that exploration teams do not exploit the diamond deposits in Kanchibiya, as they are only licensed to explore for manganese?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, oil exploration is totally different from mineral exploration. Presently, there is advanced technology for exploring oil. You do not need to drill to find oil, as it can be done aerially. There are electromagnetic instruments that are stuck on the plane and the plane flies close to the ground to get data on the presence of oil. Exploration teams do not drill in the ground. So, minerals like diamonds are safe. However, for the ‘guys’ doing illegal mining –

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

Withdraw the word “guys”.

 

Mr Yaluma: I withdraw it, Sir.

 

Sir, companies that explore for minerals drill in the ground. However, we should encourage the locals in the area to be alert enough to stop companies that are exploring for oil from drilling in the ground. We want the locals to be vigilant so that the companies do not loot our minerals.

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

Withdraw the word “loot”.

 

Mr Yaluma: They should not get our minerals illegally.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mrs Jere (Lumezi): Sir, the people of Lumezi Constituency, especially those in the Luangwa Valley, would like to know under which block Luangwa falls on the map for oil exploration.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, Luangwa is in Block 42 or 43, if I am not mistaken. I will give you the right block number later. In fact, I will put the map in the pigeon holes so that the hon. Member of Parliament can see whether their area is covered by the demarcated blocks.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Ms Subulwa (Sioma): Mr Speaker, the Copperbelt Province and our neighbouring country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are known to have copper. I also believe that there could be diamonds in the Western Province, since it borders Angola. There is no way the diamond deposits can just end in Angola. What is the Government doing about the untapped mineral deposits in the Western Province?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, firstly, I will talk about oil because that is what is under discussion. I would like to assure the hon. Member of Parliament for Sioma that there is high potential for oil and gas in the Western Province. By now, we could have gone far in our quest to discover the oil and gas deposits. However, we cannot do anything due to some issues pertaining to the licensees of exploration works who have not been active. There are good indications of the presence of hydrocarbons.

 

With regard to the presence of minerals in the Western Province, we have data dating back to the early 1950s and 1960s when traditional exploration was done through drilling holes in the ground. That data gives us 45 per cent to 55 per cent level of confidence of the presence of minerals. The chunk of the data, which has not yet been mapped, falls in Sioma and the northern part of Zambia and Luapula. We have been conducting aerial surveys in those areas to ensure that we update the data. We have also been conducting aerial surveys in areas that were already explored in order to update the data. Some years ago, exploration companies concentrated on the Copperbelt and went there to capitalise on the presence of copper deposits there. However, they ignored the North-Western Province because it had low-grade copper. In Bemba, there is a saying that “Imbwa kuti yalya no muntu nga ili nensala”.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Yaluma: This means that these ‘guys’ are now stranded.

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

Withdraw the word “guys”.

 

Mr Yaluma: The mining companies are now stranded because there is no steak on the table. So, they can even go for leftovers.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Yaluma: This is why they are now going into the North-Western Province to excavate large areas so as to collect the recoverable copper they can get. So, they will also move into Hon. Subulwa’s area. For instance, there is a company called Alluvial Diamonds in the Western Province. I am sure we are aware that it goes into the river in search of diamonds. For now, we just want to ensure that we map the area to know the extent of the resource in the Western Province so that we can go in and exploit the mineral wealth on a commercial basis.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, my question is a rider to the one asked by the hon. Member for Luangeni. I would like to find out whether any aerial geographical surveys have been conducted in the Western Province.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I did not get the question clearly.

 

Mr Speaker: Could the hon. Member repeat the question, please.

 

Mr W. Banda: Mr Speaker, according to the information I got from the hon. Minister for Western Province, some aerial geographical surveys were conducted in the Western Province. So, I wanted to confirm with the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development if that really happened.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, that information could have come from some individuals who were in the area to carry out conversance activities not mandated by the ministry. So, they have based their findings on that data. Currently, there are many people who carry out aerial surveys when they want to make a decision on a particular site for mining. They conduct aerial surveys to ascertain the presence of mineral deposits. So, I am unable to give the hon. Member a confirmation because such surveys happen on a regular basis. People get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) to conduct aerial surveys so as to get information to help them make decisions to invest in particular mines or oil blocks.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Jamba (Mwembezhi): Sir, I note that oil exploration is a very expensive venture. Further, there have been situations in which private companies discovered oil in some countries and conflicts arose between the local people and the investors. Is it not possible for the Government to invest in exploration works in one block like Block 31? How difficult is that?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, in my statement, I said that the Government is not involved in exploration activities and that it merely facilitates the private sector to undertake the activity. Hon. Members may recall that we, as a Government, have decided not to be part of mining activities. We have left exploration for oil and gas in private hands. However, we have to ensure that our interests are protected. For instance, we have given some blocks to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines-Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) to carry out some exploration activities. If ZCCM-IH has the money to go into mining, it can do so on its own or go into a joint venture with some renowned prospecting and oil exploration companies. So, we have said that we will participate through ZCCM-IH but, as the Government, we are not going to be involved.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Sir, in countries like South Africa and Tanzania, the Heads of State are trying to force foreign companies to relinquish, at least, 30 per cent shareholding to indigenous citizens. From the hon. Minister’s presentation, it is clear that the exploration activities are conducted by foreign companies, and I believe there are very few Zambians or Zambian companies that have capacity to do that, yet we talk about empowering Zambians. My question is: Is the ministry putting measures in place to ensure that indigenous Zambians own the mineral resources? If we do not do that, the future generations will fight for the resources.

 

Mr Yaluma: Sir, I have explained how difficult and costly it is to venture into exploration. That is why we have hung on to the blocks for quite some time. However, I mentioned that there are Zambians who have partnered with foreign companies. I also mentioned that in Block 31, there is a Zambian company that is in a joint venture with Tullow Oil International.

 

Like I have already said, oil exploration is an expensive venture. If the hon. Member wishes to participate, we can give him an oil block. We give priority to Zambians. However, it is quite costly. So, they need to look for people to partner with. We will allow the hon. Member to go into it if he so wishes.

 

I thank you Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Lumayi (Chavuma): Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to confirm whether there are oil deposits in Chavuma and Zambezi. If so, what is the Government doing about it?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, Chavuma has been demarcated and is classified under Block 1, which was given to ZCCM-IH. So, there is nothing the Government can do since it has given the mandate to ZCCM-IH to look for partners or enter into a partnership to venture into the exploration of oil on that block.

 

Sir, like I said in my statement, when a piece of land has been demarcated as a block, it means that there are hydrocarbon gases on the surface that contain micro-organisms or bacteria, which are an indication of the presence of oil. So, there is potential.

 

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

_________

 

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

REHABILITATION OF ROADS IN MKAIKA

 

273. Mr P. Phiri (Mkaika) asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development when the following roads in Mkaika Parliamentary Constituency would be rehabilitated:

 

(a)        Chimtende;

 

(b)        Vulamkoko;

 

(c)        Chinkhombe; and

 

(d)        Matunga

 

The Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development (Mr Chitotela): Mr Speaker, Chimtende Road will be considered for rehabilitation under the 2018 Road Sector Annual Work Plan (RSAWP), subject to the availability of funds. However, funds for the routine maintenance of the road have been provided for in the 2017 Budget and the contractor is expected to be engaged before the end of the third quarter of 2017.

 

Sir, Vulamkoko Road will be considered for rehabilitation under the 2018 RSAWP, subject to the availability of funds. However, we have provided for routine maintenance of the road in the 2017 Budget and the contractor is also expected to be engaged before the end of the third quarter of this year.

 

Mr Speaker, Chinkhombe and Matunga roads will be considered for rehabilitation under the 2018 RSAWP, funds permitting.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr P. Phiri: Sir, is the hon. Minister aware that Chinkhombe Road was last rehabilitated in 2011 and that it is currently impassable, making it difficult for farmers to transport their produce? In his response, he indicated that the road will be considered in 2018 but, by that time, its condition will be worse. Are there any plans to work on the road sooner?

 

Mr Chitotela: Sir, four roads have been mentioned in the Question. We have allocated funds for the maintenance of two of the roads and hope that the other two will be considered next year. If the local authorities feel that Chinkhombe Road should be worked on instead of another road, then, they can make a request through the Regional Roads Engineer, who would advise accordingly. If that is done, we can consider working on the road under emergency works.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

__________

 

MOTIONS

 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES

 

Dr Chanda (Bwana Mkubwa): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do adopt the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services for the First Session of the Twelfth National Assembly laid on the Table of the House on 15^th June, 2017.

 

Mr Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

 

Dr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, in keeping with its terms of reference as set out in the Standing Orders, your Committee undertook a study of Zambia’s preparedness in the implementation of the sustainable development goal (SDG) on heath, with special focus on sexual reproductive health rights.

 

Sir, sex and reproductive ill health is one of the most common public health problems among women aged between fifteen and forty-five in Zambia, with pregnancy, unsafe abortions, child birth, gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful customs being among the many dangers to the lives of women. To some extent, this can be attributed to limited access to health services, especially in rural areas, and the unequal power relations between men and women, which make it difficult for women and girls to make decisions over their bodies and negotiate for safe sex.

 

Mr Speaker, SDG No. 3, particularly Target No. 3.7, entails universal access to family planning, prevention of unintended pregnancies and reduction of adolescent child bearing through universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, which are critical to further advances in the health of women, children and adolescents. Specifically, women’s sexual and reproductive health is related to multiple human rights, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture, the right to health, the right to privacy, the right to education and the prohibition of discrimination.

 

Mr Speaker, despite Zambia having made strides in sexual and reproductive health rights-related millennium development goals (MGDs), the status of sexual and reproductive health, as a public health concern, lives much to be desired. It is saddening that women have continued to lose their lives as a result of pregnancy and child birth. Currently, maternal mortality in Zambia stands at 398 for every 100,000 live births. This is unacceptably high.

 

Sir, your Committee learnt that Zambia has one of the highest fertility rates in the world. The national fertility rate is 5.3 births per woman. However, the rural fertility rate has remained higher, at 6.6 births per woman, compared with 3.7 births per woman in urban areas. The high fertility rate in the rural areas can be attributed to a lack of access to modern contraception due to long distances to health facilities, coupled with the myths and misconceptions surrounding the use of modern contraceptive methods, low education levels and child marriages, among other factors.

 

Mr Speaker, the continued high school dropout rate of female pupils due to pregnancy is a matter that needs serious attention. On average, about 15,000 female pupils drop out of school as a result of pregnancy every year. The large number of female school dropouts is confirmation that young people engage in unprotected sex, which further exposes them to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). The increase in the rate of school dropouts reduces the chances of girls being educated. Consequently, they end up being trapped in poverty. They also tend to resort to unsafe abortions, which lead to other complications like injury, infection, disability and death. Regrettably, the comprehensive sexuality education currently being implemented in schools has not yet yielded a reduction in the number of pregnancies among school girls.

 

Mr Speaker, the successful implementation of Target No. 3.7 entails putting measures in place that will ensure that the most vulnerable in society are not left out. For Zambia, the need to ensure that women and children, who constitute the largest proportion of the poor, are taken on board in the development process cannot be over-emphasised. However, your Committee notes that the National Health Strategic Plan (NHSP) and the National Adolescent Health Strategic Plan (NAHSP), in which the respective indicators of the SDG Target under consideration should be enshrined, are outdated and need revision and, ultimately, publicity.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee recognises that Zambia has shown leadership in the way it co-ordinates the activities of development partners in the health sector and has been cited as the first African country to implement the sector-wide approach. The approach ensured more efficiency and equity in the distribution of resources, decreased duplication of work and reduced transaction costs, while ensuring sustainability and continuity in policy development and implementation. However, some stakeholders who appeared before your Committee felt that the current co-ordination mechanism is inadequate and biased towards Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), which is multi-sectoral and decentralised in nature.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee is very concerned about the indiscriminate distribution of abortion pills by some non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially in private health facilities and the community, coupled with poor monitoring mechanisms by the Ministry of Health. Your Committee wishes to recommend that emphasis be put on primary prevention of pregnancy through the use of modern contraception, not abortion.

 

Sir, while donors and other Government partners are assisting the country in the attainment of universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights, your Committee recommends that the Government takes full ownership and ensures sustainability of the programmes, most of which are donor-funded. The programmes include national HIV/AIDS programmes, which are 80 per cent funded by donors in an era of dwindling donor support. Further, innovative ways to fund the programmes have to be found as, currently, there are 1.2 million Zambians living with HIV/AIDS. Out of these, 800,000 are on anti-retroviral treatment (ART).

 

Mr Speaker, the local tour of selected health facilities in five provinces undertaken by your Committee revealed a serious shortage of human resource, health infrastructure and equipment in most communities. Your Committee further observed a misallocation of the available human resource in the health sector. For instance, Kanyama First Level Referral Hospital, which has between thirty-five to forty deliveries per day, has fewer midwives than other hospitals with fewer deliveries, such as the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Ndola Teaching Hospital (NTH).

 

Sir, your Committee wishes to express its disappointment with the weak referral system in the health sector. Your Committee is concerned that patients who do not require specialised health services are still receiving care at referral hospitals, the UTH and the NTH, resulting in unnecessary congestion and compromised efficiency and quality of services, thus worsening the shortage in health human resource. Your Committee strongly recommends that the Ministry of Health urgently takes steps to strengthen the referral system at all levels of the healthcare system by providing robust community awareness strategies on the need for patients to use the primary health facilities in their respective localities and, thus, help to decongest the bigger hospitals.

 

Sir, your Committee’s foreign tour to Rwanda revealed that the Rwandan Government places a lot of emphasis on medical and social health insurance, and has made it mandatory for every citizen to have health insurance cover. This provision is enshrined in the country’s Constitution. Your Committee also notes that Rwanda is way ahead in implementing national agenda and international commitments through a performance-based approach. The performance contracts reflect targets and indicators, which trickle down to the lowest level of the public sector.

 

Mr Speaker, Rwanda has a decentralised healthcare system, with the district as the main implementing unit. That can be seen in its efficiency levels and quality in service delivery. Your Committee further observed that all health centres in Rwanda provide comprehensive ART and nurses at various health facilities have been trained to administer it.

 

Sir, in view of the foregoing, your Committee recommends that:

 

(a)        the Government takes the lead in promoting a sustainable universal health access system by presenting the long-awaited Social Health Insurance Bill to Parliament;

 

(b)        the Government takes an interest in developing performance-based contracts for all levels of the Public Service, which should reflect the targets and indicators in the national agenda;

 

(c)        the Ministry of Health urgently decentralises the implementation of policies and programmes to the district level. The district should be the main implementing agent in order to increase efficiency; and

 

(d)        the ministry invests in task-shifting or sharing and trains nurses and other medical personnel in prescribing ART and other medications.

 

Sir, I wish to conclude by thanking you for the guidance you provided to your Committee during the session. I also thank all the stakeholders who appeared before your Committee. Last but not the least, I thank the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the support they rendered to your Committee.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, now.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to second this Motion ably moved by the Chairperson of your Committee, Hon. Dr Chanda.

 

Sir, let me state that during the session under review, your Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services deliberated on many important issues. Most of the critical issues have been referred to by the mover of the Motion. There are many other pertinent issues in your Committee’s report. So, I wish to implore all the hon. Members of Parliament and the public at large to find time to read the report in order to have full appreciation of these issues.

 

Sir, during the session under review, your Committee also considered some outstanding issues arising from previous Committee reports. In this regard, let me state that as the country is implementing the sustainable development goals (SDGs), it is cardinal to ensure that the unfinished agenda of the millennium development goals (MDGs) are not abandoned and that experiences, challenges and lessons learnt are taken into account in the implementation of the SDGs. The successful implementation of the goals calls for the setting up of a strong policy and legal environment that will enhance access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all women and adolescents, hence fostering the development of supportive social transformation in support of women rights.

 

Sir, to ensure the fulfilment of this commitment, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) should domesticate the goals through the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP), the health policy, the youth policy, the HIV policy, the reproductive health policy and any other relevant policies. Regrettably, some stakeholders who appeared before your Committee submitted that the lessons learnt in the implementation of the MDGs have not been properly documented. Your Committee, thus, urges the Government to institute a lesson-learning process to feed into the implementation of MDG Target No.3.7 at the national level, as sexual reproductive health is not only a health issue, but also a developmental one.

 

Mr Speaker, your Committee visited selected local health institutions and was disturbed by the state of some of them. The level of hygiene in the facilities visited left much to be desired. Your Committee wishes to recommend that hygiene in health facilities be prioritised and given the attention it deserves in order to avoid the spread of diseases.

 

Mr Speaker, it is hard to believe that the health sector is still faced with challenges of a lack of bed linen. The bed linen in most health facilities is inadequate and not suitable for use by patients. For example, at Kasama General Hospital, we found patients sleeping on lexine-covered mattresses without linen. That is unacceptable. At the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), we found a pothole right in front of one of the nurses’ desk. I was at the UTH two days ago and the pothole was still there.

 

Sir, I know that we have a very hardworking hon. Minister of Health in office. I wish to urge him to take time to visit health institutions. Kasama General Hospital can best be described as a chicken run, not a hospital.

 

Interruptions

 

Dr Kambwili: Sir, your Committee ...

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, ...

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: ... is that from the script?

 

Dr Kambwili: No. It is additional information, Mr Speaker.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: No, hon. Member! Please, resume your seat.

 

Whatever the condition of the hospital, we cannot reduce it to that level. We know what a chicken run is and, surely, people would not work or live in those conditions. Please, withdraw that term.

 

Dr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I withdraw the term and thank you for your guidance. I was trying to say that the hospital is in a deplorable state and needs urgent attention. Your Committee urges the Ministry of Health to seriously look into this matter and urgently procure and distribute bed linen to health facilities. In addition, the Committee expresses concern over the structure of the Kasama General Hospital, which is the biggest referral hospital in the Northern Province. The buildings have remained incomplete since the hospital was opened in 1974. Your Committee recommends that the Government prioritises the completion of the infrastructure and rehabilitates fully the old wing of the hospital.

 

Sir, let me emphasise that attention should also be paid to all the health facilities in the country.

 

Mr Speaker, the increase in incidents of gender-based violence (GBV) involving both women and girls is worrying. Allow me to cite an example of an incident that your Committee witnessed at the Michael Chilufya Sata General Hospital, where a thirteen-year-old girl was raped and impregnated by her step-brother. It was brought to the attention of your Committee that in most instances, cases are withdrawn, especially those relating to incest. Your Committee strongly recommends that an effective fast-track court for victims of sexual violence and rape be established urgently so as to ensure that cases are dealt with in the shortest possible time. Your Committee further recommends that each one-stop centre for GBV be headed by a paralegal officer.

 

Lastly, Sir, I thank the Chairperson of your Committee for the manner in which he presided over the affairs of your Committee during its deliberations for this session.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg to second.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, allow me to contribute to the last point that the seconder of the Motion highlighted. It is true that Zambia lacks the requisite legislation to compel members of the public and relatives of victims of gender-based violence (GBV) to report their cases to the police. That is why it has become difficult to fight against child abuse. In most instances, it is true that members of the community have made a business out of such cases, as they withdraw complaints of heinous crimes in exchange for money.

 

It is apparent that the recommendations of your Committee are valid. Therefore, it is important that the relevant authorities look at methods of bettering the environment in which GBV-related cases are handled. 

 

Mr Speaker, I have in mind the one-stop centre at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), which has been instrumental in combating GBV. The centre should be replicated in all the big hospitals around the country. There should be a police officer, psycho-social counsellor, social worker and health personnel at the first point of contact to attend to victims of GBV and ensure that they receive the necessary treatment.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to say that it is important that your Committee’s report is not just shelved, but put to good use. We have observed that in most instances, cases that are tried are those where the relatives of the perpetrator or the perpetrator has failed to meet the monetary conditions that I spoke about earlier. I wish to state that it is important that the Government begins to legislate against the withdrawal of complaints on certain offences and provide for penalties for people making business out them.  

 

Sir, a large number of GBV cases go unreported because once they occur, the first thing that people think about is how much money they can make out of them, notwithstanding the trauma that the victim will go through or the future of the victim, especially if it is a child. We have seen people abuse a few weeks or months old babies and no explanation has been given for such.

 

Sir, we have not seen much being done about traditional healers who prescribe remedies for diseases like Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Some people have actually been blinded into thinking that sleeping with one’s sister or blood relative can cure some diseases.

 

Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwamba (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank your Committee for report that has brought out a number of issues that I would like to comment on. From the outset, I wish to state that I support the report.

 

Sir, the report has brought out a number of issues relating to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and the challenges in the health sector. The maternal mortality rate is high while unsafe abortion practices and many other health problems are on the increase. The question I have been asking myself is: What do we do to reduce the high mortality rate and other health problems in the health sector? I have researched and found that it is easy to do this, but only if we take the policy of the Ministry of General Education of having institutions of learning within 5 km of the learners and apply it in the health sector so that we reduce distances to health posts.

 

Sir, long distances actually hinder people from accessing health services. I welcome the programme of constructing health posts in many areas, including my constituency. However, the programme has not taken off, as it is still on the drawing board. If we cannot speed up the construction of rural health posts, then, there will be no reduction in the mortality rate. To reduce the maternal mortality rate, it is important that we quickly mobilise resources and construct rural health posts.

 

Sir, the planned construction of rural health posts was announced and sites identified. People are anxious to see health posts built. People always ask us what the Government has done about the construction of health posts. We have heard statements on the Floor of this House indicating that the Government would construct health posts but, to date, nothing has happened. We should mobilise resources to construct the health posts so that we reduce the mortality rate and other health problems that have been highlighted in your Committee’s report.

 

Mr Speaker, I also feel that we are not helping the rural people, especially those from my constituency. I have read about and watched a programme on the upgrading of clinics in urban areas where there are bigger hospitals like the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Ndola Teaching Hospital where people can access specialised health services. Why do we not upgrade health facilities in rural areas? The Government can upgrade one rural health post at a time to a first-level hospital. That way, we shall solve the health problems that have been highlighted in your Committee’s report.

 

Mr Speaker, I wish to request the Ministry of Health to seriously look at the issue of upgrading health posts. The population in rural areas is high and, in some instances, as high as some urban areas. In my view, rural areas should be given priority in the upgrading of health posts. The mortality rate is higher in rural areas where there are limited health facilities dotted around. My appeal is that we should ensure that resources are mobilised to put up health infrastructure there. If resources are not enough to put up all the health posts at once, we can, at least, upgrade two or three health posts in each area. The Government should not concentrate on urban areas only. The people in rural areas also want to benefit from the construction of health posts.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion moved by Hon. Dr Chanda.

 

The focus seems to be on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) for women. In the past, the maternal mortality rate was high, but it has now reduced. However, there is still a lack of information for women, as some of them still believe in traditional methods of dealing with labour. In rural areas like my constituency, where the maternal mortality rate is high, when a woman is in labour, she will wait until the elders tell her when to go to the hospital. The other contributing factor to the high maternal mortality rate is the distance to the health posts and inadequate equipment in labour wards. Sometimes, there are no mattresses in the labour wards and women end up giving birth on the floor. Most women in rural areas would rather give birth in the village using traditional methods than walk long distances to health centres.

 

Sir, I would like to urge the Government to take this matter of poorly equipped health centres seriously. We are all aware that most votes come from rural areas. Most health centres in rural areas have been neglected. The reproduction rate is high in rural areas because of a lack of information. I would like to give an example of Chienge where there is a hospital with few health staff who should be taking health care information to the remote parts of the constituency, but cannot manage do so. People in rural areas think that information on health care is meant for women only because they rarely have contact with health workers. It is also against tradition for certain issues to be discussed openly. It is time the Government allocated money towards reproductive health activities so that people in rural areas can also appreciate the importance of family planning. They think it is a taboo to have few children and that having many children is a sign of wealth. So, someone should reach out to them.

 

Mr Speaker, let me talk about family planning. Currently, the emphasis is only on women. However, family planning for men should also be emphasised.

 

Ms Kapata: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Katuta: Women face many health risks. For instance, some girls get pregnant at the age of nine or eleven. So, for them not to have unsafe abortions, which contribute to the high maternal mortality rate, they should be on some form of contraceptive. However, there is the risk of their fertility being affected later in life, and I stand to be corrected. So, I would appreciate it if the Government could consider introducing a family planning programme for young boys in school. Maybe, they should be introduced to some pills or injections, not just condoms. I would also like to appeal to the Government to give contraceptives to young people regardless of their age because they are exposed to many vices through the use of cellular phones and television. We cannot continue casting a blind eye to this fact. This House should pass a law that will allow children who reach puberty to be on contraceptives.

 

Mr Speaker, I also wish to talk about the limited information on SRHRs. Most of the pupils in primary schools, especially in the rural areas, are deprived of information because it is considered a taboo to talk about SRHRs in their areas. This House should pass a law that will help headmen appreciate that it is not a taboo. Most pupils know about sex. We want to curb early pregnancies so that girls do not resort to unsafe abortions, which have led to many deaths.

 

Mr Speaker, I do not intend to take much of your time. So, lastly, I will talk about donor dependence. There is a need for us to raise funds to promote SRHRs so that adolescents, women and men can access contraceptives, like I mentioned earlier. This service should be introduced at the primary school level.

 

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I support the report.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Sir, I thank the hon. Members who have contributed to the debate on this important Motion. I also thank your Committee for its findings and recommendations.

 

Sir, I will talk about sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs), particularly in rural Zambia. I am concerned about how we are interrogating the issues before us. Let me give the example of Kanchibiya, which is almost 76 per cent the size of Rwanda, the country that was referred to earlier, but has no schools. The hon. Minister of General Education referred to the fact that the Government’s policy is for children to have schools within 5 km of their areas of residence. However, in the entire chiefdom of Kabinga, which is almost 100 km from Mpika Town, there is no secondary school. There is only one primary school, but it has no boarding facilities. So, some girls have to walk 50 km to get to the school. One can only imagine what besets them on the way. There is also no police station in Kanchibiya. Are we truly providing these services to the people? We have learnt that 54.4 per cent of people live below the poverty datum line, 76.6 per cent of whom are in rural areas. However, we have not introduced educational and police services in those areas. Who is going to do it for us if we do not do it ourselves?

 

Mr Speaker, the Chairperson of your Committee said that 80 per cent of the support to health and social services is provided by foreign governments. Zimbabwe and Rwanda came to learn from us. Yesterday, we talked about an issue that we have been talking about for many years in Zambia. Why can we not use 1 per cent of the revenue from road tolls or tax on airtime to fund health and social services? If we fold our arms, our country will not attain the Vision 2030, Africa Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Consequently, the future generations will say that we lacked a commitment to ensuring their wellbeing.

 

Mr Speaker, let me talk about the state of the roads. When we better the roads, they will be passable, pupils will be able to go to school and parents will be able to sell their produce and pay their children’s transport fares. Currently, the roads are in a terrible state. In the past, the United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) used to go to the rural areas. Currently, even mini buses cannot go to those areas. As a country, we should walk the talk. The previous speaker lamented the many statements that have been issued without corresponding action.

 

Mr Speaker, let me also talk about the Victim Support Unit (VSU). In 1996, the people of Zambia responded to the high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and were supported by law enforcement officers, the Judiciary, and social and health workers. However, places like Kanchibiya still do not enjoy that support. In places where there is support, there is probably only one type of service available. Why do we shun the rural areas when we know very well that Zambia continues to be a poor nation? When we ask ourselves this question, we will realise that it is because we have failed to unlock the potential that exists in those areas.

 

We have heard that there are some diamond deposits in Kanchibiya. If we do not work on the road network in the constituency, it will be difficult for the Government to monitor the criminals, some of whom are in the public sector, who will move in and illegally mine them. We should tap into those resources, as they can help us to build the road network in Kanchibiya and other constituencies, and do away with 80 per cent dependence on donor aid. 

 

Mr Speaker, in 1996, we introduced the Victim Support Unit (VSU). Later, in 2008, we introduced the Child Protection Unit (CPU) with support from the First Deputy Speaker, who played a key role in its establishment. At the time, there were no street children. The continued vulnerability of children is a mere indication of failure to fulfil promises. For instance, why should pupils at Macheleta Primary School continue learning in the open after the collapse of their classrooms? That is why parents think marrying off their girls is a better option. It was reported in this House that some classrooms in Lumbatwa had collapsed. However, no Government official has been to the area to date. I was grateful when the Her Honour the Vice-President sent some officers to the area. However, I am concerned about the lack of action by the officers who are supposed to look into these issues. When key services, such as education and health, are needed, the relevant officers forget that we need to invest in our people. However, when they hear of a workshop, they start off two days before it starts. This is no secret. 

 

Countries like Israel and Egypt, which are almost completely deserts, are doing far better than us because they look at the point of incident. I dare say that the elected representatives of the people and, indeed, the bureaucrats should ensure that efforts to develop rural areas and shanty compounds in urban areas are tripled. That will not be done by foreigners because they externalise their profits. We are grateful for their help, but development can only come from us.

 

Mr Speaker, in addition to the VSU and CPU, we can also establish a family support unit. In any society, one of the most difficult things to do is report an offence by a close relative. Relatives and religious leaders, instead, insist on dialogue. That is why we should capacitate officers with special skills to interrogate families so that the girl child is protected from GBV.

 

Mr Speaker, there is a need for us to come up with a sex offenders register so that when someone is convicted of a sex offence and sent to a correctional facility, when he is released, society should be informed about the presence of a sex offender in its midst. We should keep our communities safe. However, how can we do that when we allow foreigners with criminal records to come into the country, thereby putting young people at risk?

 

Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me the opportunity to debate the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services.

 

Mr Speaker, Zambia is a vibrant young nation. Currently, statistics show that 52 per cent of Zambia’s population comprises people below the age of eighteen. As a country, we need to invest in this age group because it will form tomorrow’s nation.

 

Sir, the fact that we have crossed the bridge does not necessarily mean that we should burn it. Zambia is renowned for producing excess food. So, it is a mystery how we can have maternal deaths. Why should our children die of malnutrition when we are able to export food to neighbouring countries?

 

Sir, as a country, we should find a buffer for the primary and secondary school levels. We have somewhere to take children who are unable to access university education. Statistics reveal that for every fifteen primary schools in a catchment area, there is only one secondary school. This …

 

Mr Kabanda’s microphone malfunctioned.

 

Mr Kabanda: Technology has failed us.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kabanda: Mr Speaker, most children are not able to complete secondary education, resulting in marriages amongst themselves. So, even if we criminalised child marriages, I am sure that we would not be able to build enough prisons where to incarcerate all the culprits. We should go back to the drawing board to find out what is wrong with our society. If society is failing to integrate children who are marrying one another, we should do something to protect them from child marriage. A lot needs to be done to invest in children. We should find money to put up skills and crafts training centres for children so as to keep them away from vices.

 

Mr Speaker, criminalising child marriage will not be a panacea to the current problems. We should, therefore, review the strategies for ending child marriage and direct money meant for social safety nets towards youth programmes because the youths are the future of this country.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Ms Phiri (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate.

 

Sir, as I support this well-articulated report, I would like to mention that Kanyama, with a population of over 1 million, has only one medical facility with no children’s ward. There is also one labour ward manned by two midwives who attend to forty mothers per day. Sometimes, there are two doctors and three nurses to attend to 3,000 patients. Often, when there is an emergency, we depend on standby ambulances, and that has resulted in some patients dying while waiting for an ambulance.

 

Mr Speaker, I feel that it is a misplacement of human resources to allocate more staff to hospitals that cater for 200 or less patients per day instead of Kanyama, which is a busy first-level hospital. Since your Committee visited Kanyama Hospital, I am sure it will agree with me that although the facility was upgraded to a first-level hospital status, no expansion works have taken place there.

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: I also feel that it is a misplacement of human and financial resources to put Kanyama on the waiting list while equipping other hospitals that already have better medical equipment.

 

Sir, there is no high school in Kanyama. Children have to go to places like Matero, Libala and other constituencies to access secondary education.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, let me now talk about the issue of security in Kanyama Constituency.

 

Sir, the police post in Kanyama is a sorry sight. Police officers operate from a house that was donated by a member of the neighbourhood watch during the First Republic.

 

Mr Speaker, Kanyama has remained poor despite housing many industries and the biggest market in Lusaka. There is also a lot of garbage in the constituency, which I feel has been neglected in terms of development. It is treated as though it is not part of Lusaka. Currently, there is nothing worth talking about there. Come rain, come sunshine, Kanyama has serious problems. During the rainy season, there are floods in Kanyama. In the dry season, garbage is ever piling up. As a result, there are all types of diseases that contribute to the high death toll. For the garbage to be removed, I have to fight with the Lusaka City Council (LCC).

 

Mr Mukosa: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!  

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, it is not a joke when I say that Kanyama should become an independent municipality. I feel that I can make Kanyama a better place.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: Sir, police officers work under difficult conditions. For instance, there is no office space or accommodation. In short, they are demoralised.

 

Mr Speaker, with those remarks, I support the report of your Committee.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: The last two hon. Members to debate will be the hon. Member for Lunte and the hon. Member for Kantanshi.

 

 Mr Kafwaya (Lunte): Sir, I would like to thank you sincerely for the opportunity given to me to support the Motion on the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services moved by Hon. Dr Chanda and seconded by Hon. Dr Kambwili.

 

Sir, I will talk about two issues that I consider important.

 

Sir, it is a difficult time for any hon. Member to represent a constituency in the Northern Province. From your Committee’s report, the House has heard the condition of Kasama General Hospital, which makes it even more difficult than ever for me to represent the people of the Northern Province. It is my hope that the hon. Minister of Health will expeditiously work on the only hospital in Kasama.

 

Mr Speaker, I was in my constituency three weeks ago, and I am the bearer of a message from my constituents.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I wanted to underscore the difficulty of representing the people of the Northern Province, particularly when you consider the developments in the health sector. I wanted to cite the example of what I was told in my constituency three weeks ago and about which I chatted briefly with the hon. Minister of Health.

 

Madam, when I visited Nkandabana in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency, I was told that as a human being, I could also fall sick and, if fell sick, they would take me to a sub-structure that was used as a clinic so that I could appreciate what they go through when they fall sick. I was struck by that and remembered the 650 health posts to be constructed countrywide. Clinics have already been constructed in some parts of the country. However, there is nothing for Lunte Constituency and the whole Northern Province. Instead, all that the people hear about now is how the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital is being upgraded to a teaching hospital and Livingstone General Hospital to a central hospital. So, the question I always ask is: What is there for the people of the Northern Province? What is there for Lunte Parliamentary Constituency in terms of health facilities? This is the question I was asked at Nkandabana, Chibelushi, Sambala and Chongo Chibimbi. Nonetheless, I know that the Government is doing its best to honour the promise of building 650 health posts. The construction of the health facilities should commence so as to give hope to the people of the Northern Province, particularly Lunte Parliamentary Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, my intention was not to speak for long, but to let the hon. Minister of Health know the agony I have to go through, as a representative of the people, in explaining the issues surrounding the construction of the 650 health posts. Let me end by supporting the Motion on the Floor.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Sampa (Kasama Central): Madam Speaker, I rise to debate especially because Kasama Central, where I come from, has been referred to by the debaters who have spoken before me.

 

Madam Speaker, Kasama General Hospital, which is a referral hospital for two provinces, three if we include Luapula Province, is in a deplorable state. I wish to inform the House that the structures at the hospital are incomplete. The construction of the hospital started in 1972. However, some buildings have remained incomplete since 1974, and that has affected the operations of the hospital. For instance, the cold room at the hospital has not been in operation for the past three years.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Kasama Central! Please, resume your seat. Let me give some guidance.

 

Hon. Members, we have before us the Report of the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services, but I have noted that those who have debated have veered off it and, instead, lamented the state of health facilities in their constituencies. Granted, that is part of the work of the Committee. However, let us bear in mind that we have a report before us and that the Committee made recommendations.

 

So, hon. Member for Kasama Central, please, bear that in mind as you debate.

 

You may continue.

 

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, forgive me. I get emotional because the situation in Kasama is too bad for me to bear. In fact, my blood pressure is high today.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, children in Kasama do not receive adequate health care because the vastness of the constituency makes it difficult for them to access health facilities. As we champion the rights of children, including the right to healthcare, we should also prioritise the most affected areas.

 

Madam, I thank the hon. Minister of Health for ensuring that K2 million was released for the rehabilitation of Kasama General Hospital. That is a step in the right direction. However, we need to do more. We are crawling, but we should run in order to meet the demand for certain facilities in our communities.

 

Madam, the welfare of children is important in any society. Therefore, we should aggressively advocate for health facilities to reach the many communities that are in need of them.

 

Madam Speaker, I support your Committee’s report.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to the report of your Committee.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank your Committee for the report and for bringing out the salient issues. Firstly, I will focus on issues that have been raised in the report. Thereafter, I will comment on a few issues that have been raised by the various hon. Members of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, the prevalence rate of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the subject of page 10 of your Committee’s report. Your Committee noted that the HIV incidence rate was high and appropriately recommended some interventions to be made to reduce it. Your Committee noted that there are 41,000 new infections per year, occurring mostly in young people. That is high, but I would like us to note that in 2007, the figure was 72,000. It has reduced to 41,000 because of the interventions that have been put in place by the Government with support from its partners. That is work in progress. The Patriotic Front (PF) Government, under His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has developed the National AIDS Strategic Framework, 2017-2021, which is focused on leaving no one behind and ensuring that those who are positive are enlisted on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). I would like to report that out of the 1.2 million estimated Zambians who are HIV positive, over 850,000 have commenced ART and, through the new policy of Test and Treat, and renewed focus on adolescents and enhanced community involvement, it is envisaged that the remaining 350,000 people will be put on ART. The new policy in the National AIDS Strategic Framework is to test and treat, and to never look at the T-cells (CD4) count or other parameters. We focus on those who are positive getting started on ART. 

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to emphasise that we are working closely with various stakeholders and development partners, brokering new relationships and leveraging resources to ensure that HIV is eliminated by the 2030. Our focus on adolescents is seen in our national health strategic documents and National Adolescent Reproductive Health Plan. We envisage control of HIV by 2021 and eliminate it by 2030. Adolescents are the face of HIV. So, we have introduced robust measures targeting them. We have engaged various stakeholders to ensure that we reach out to them.

 

Madam Speaker, partner co-ordination was the next subject that your Committee noted, and it recommended that the Government strengthens partnerships with civil societies and enhances co-ordination. This observation could not be more accurate. We have many partners working in the health sector and in our reorganisation of the health sector, we have introduced a new desk in the ministry whose focus is on partner co-ordination. This is working very well. Therefore, it is not true that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or partners are mainly concentrated in Lusaka. We have mapped the country and donor support. Donors focus on different areas. For instance, there is a project on maternal and child health that was supported by the Millennium Development Goal Initiative (MDGI), which focused on Lusaka and the Copperbelt. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports a project that focuses on four provinces only. Equally, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is focusing on two provinces only so as to ensure that there is no duplication of activities. So, there is co-ordination among our partners. We also organise meetings for them. Therefore, I assure the House and the nation that the Government has put in place measures to enhance co-ordination among its co-operating partners.

 

Madam, your Committee has acknowledged that most of our programmes are donor-supported. To ensure sustainability of the programmes, the Government has increased the Budgetary allocation to health. For example, in the 2016 Budget, only 7.1 per cent was allocated to the sector. However, in the current Budget, the allocation has been increased to 9.4 per cent. This is an indication of the Government’s commitment to increasing funding to the health sector and that donor support might be declining. We have remained steadfast in enhancing budgetary support to the health sector. I emphasise that Zambia is a signatory to the Abuja Declaration and aims to meet the target of allocating 15 per cent of the total Budget to improving the health sector. Further, the National Social Health Insurance Bill that is due for presentation on the Floor of this House will bring in a new revenue stream. This is an innovative way of raising resources to finance the health sector. The ministry has established the Health Care Financing Directorate, which is aimed at coming up with innovative ways of raising resources for the health sector. So, I assure the House that the ministry is implementing programmes that will ensure sustainability in resource allocation to and financing of the health sector.

 

Madam Speaker, your Committee reports that both the National Health Strategic Plan and the National Adolescent Health Plan are outdated. However, I would like to state that the National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021 has been finalised and awaits the unveiling of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP). The National Adolescent Plan has also been concluded and is available. So, the assertions of your Committee were not researched.

 

Madam Speaker, your Committee speaks about the need for decentralisation in the Ministry of Health so that most of the activities can be carried out at the district level. Health is the most decentralised sector in the Government. There are the headquarters, the provinces, which are the supervisory level, and the district, which are the implementation level that hosts all the health centres. Furthermore, some functions have been devolved to the cities and municipalities. For instance, Lusaka has been zoned and Kanyama has its own management team, hospital and public health team. Likewise, Matero has its own team that provides clinical care and public health services. Therefore, the health sector has been decentralised. Financial and human resources have been devolved to the front line.

 

Madam Speaker, I urge the hon. Members of this House and your Committee to engage more with us so as to ensure that decentralisation is entrenched. Otherwise, it is already paying dividends.

 

Madam, as I talk about decentralisation, I will focus on Kanyama. The decentralisation of health services in Lusaka City has resulted in our setting up of a new team that is managing the hospital and public health services in Kanyama, which has a population of about 367,000.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members on my right!

 

Dr Chilufya: There is a first-level hospital and a public health team in Kanyama. Health teams provide both clinical and public health services. Like at many other health facilities, there is an Adolescent Reproductive Health Services’ Corner at Kanyama Hospital.

 

Madam Speaker, we have gone beyond the district level and zoned the densely populated cities and municipalities, and constituted working teams like those in smaller districts. Decentralisation is the platform for universal health coverage, and the ministry is a key advocate of decentralisation. Like I said earlier, the ministry is the most decentralised institution in the public sector. So, I wish to urge your Committee to research more on this fact because the statement that there is a need for decentralisation is not researched.

 

Madam Speaker, your Committee raised the issue of negative attitudes among healthcare providers towards young women and adolescents seeking contraception and other sexual reproductive health services. I must state that there is a law that allows all women of reproductive age, from fifteen to forty-nine, to access contraceptives without getting consent from their parents or husbands. That law means that any woman who is of a reproductive age does not need to get permission or consent from anyone to access reproductive or contraceptive health services. So, there is adequate provision in the law for women to access reproductive health and family planning services.

 

Madam Speaker, to strengthen the provision of sexual reproductive health services for adolescents, we have introduced corners for adolescents at all health centres. The corners are manned by adolescents who provide reproductive health services to their fellow adolescents. We have realised some benefits from using this methodology. We also provide integrated services on HIV, family planning, adolescent and reproductive health, and many other aspects of health.

 

Madam, there are continuous professional development programmes for health workers in which we stress the need for them to have the right attitudes towards patients, new technologies in adolescent and reproductive health, and other interventions. Further, the World Bank is funding a project to improve health systems in support of the ministry. There is a three-month in-service training programme for nurses and other healthcare providers in which one of the areas of focus is adolescent reproductive health. We have already trained 410 newly recruited nurses and midwives and more than 400 in-service nurses.

 

Madam Speaker, your Committee talked about the decentralisation of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the need for the hospital to develop its own plans and budgets for 2018. That is as good as pushing an open door because the decentralisation programme is already under way and the segmentation of the UTH into five hospitals is already paying dividends. I can give US$100,000 to any member of your Committee who can show me one bed on the floor at the UTH. The hospital has now been decongested and there are empty beds. So, it is important that we acknowledge the progress the Government is making. Further, in the segmentation programme for the UTH, we have ensured that there is a management team that sets targets for each hospital. Currently, the major target is to improve service delivery. Many years ago, there were floor beds in the labour ward but, in the Government of His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, every night you go to the UTH, you will find empty beds in the labour and casualty wards. So, I find that allegation rather strange.

 

Madam Speaker, the decentralisation of the health sector in Lusaka has resulted in the sending of specialist doctors to peripheral hospitals. For instance, there are specialist doctors at Kanyama, Matero and Chilenje hospitals. If you checked the statistics today, …

 

Mr Mecha: Ema working Government aya!

 

Dr Chilufya: … you will find that obstetric referrals from Chilenje to the UTH have reduced to less than 7 per cent. Matero referred 200 patients in January, 2016 but, in January, 2017, there were only thirty-five referrals. In February, Matero referred thirty-three patients to the UTH as opposed to 175 patients in the same period last year. What has brought about the decline in referrals is that instead of all the obstetricians being stationed at Ndeke House or the UTH, they have gone to Matero and Chilenje where they are able to provide comprehensive services. Nowadays, patients are not referred to the UTH for caesarean sections or hysterectomies. Only patients who need intensive care are referred to the UTH. I emphasise that the Decentralisation Policy that we are implementing, including the empowerment of peripheral hospitals in Lusaka, has resulted in marked decongestion at the UTH. With regard to Ndola Central Hospital, I am glad to inform the House that there are no patients on the Copperbelt awaiting surgery because of the hardworking team we have placed there and the staff we have deployed in the provinces.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chilufya: Similarly, other health services have improved tremendously as a result of the redistribution of human resources. So, Madam Speaker, I wish to urge the hon. Members of this august House to support the reforms that President Edgar Lungu is pursuing in the ministry.

 

Mr Mwale: Mukazi mverako chabe, abena Luapula!

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, allow me to comment on a few issues raised by the hon. Members of Parliament.

 

Madam, Kanyama has a population of 368,000 and has a first-level hospital with a theatre and a children’s ward. The maternity ward was turned into the children’s ward. We have built a new maternity annex, which was commissioned not too long ago, with support from the European Union (EU) through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Project. Further, in the past, there was only one doctor at Kanyama Hospital, but there are ten now. Like a said earlier, the hospital no longer refers patients for caesarean section to the UTH. In short, the number of referrals to the UTH has reduced. There is also a paediatrician who is also a surgeon. Kanyama is also earmarked for the construction of an 800-bed hospital, which will be the biggest general hospital been built in the last five years. The hon. Member of Parliament has all this information because she frequents my office.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, we have already signed the loan agreement with a Chinese firm that will build the hospital in Kanyama and a first-level hospital in Early 85, which is a military canton. Another first-level hospital has been built in Chawama. Furthermore, as President Edgar Lungu was commissioning Matero Hospital, he mentioned that Phase II of the upgrading of first-level hospitals in Lusaka, which is worth K400 million, would commence under the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA). Kanyama will be the first to be upgraded. This information is also in the public domain.

 

Hon. Government Member: Ema President aba!

 

Dr Chilufya: Kanyama, Chipata and Chawama are the three first-level hospitals that will be given a facelift like Matero and Chilenje hospitals.

 

Madam Speaker, the argument that has been raised about prioritising Matero is hollow because we had to start somewhere. The statistics of morbidity and mortality determine where to begin from. Planning is a science. You have to assess and analyse the indicators and take actions that speak to your assessment. The projects that we begin with are determined through scientific due diligence.

 

Madam Speaker, I emphasise that Kanyama has been prioritised this year although it was neither the worst among the places in Lusaka nor the most densely populated. From our statistics, you will appreciate that it was important that JICA started with Chilenje and Matero.

 

Madam Speaker, Kanyama is also earmarked to receive three zonal facilities, including an 800-bed general hospital, which will be similar to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital. The three new facilities are already in the Infrastructure Operational Plan. Additionally, the existing hospital, where a new maternity annex has already been built, is being upgraded by JICA. The area hon. Member of Parliament and stakeholders have all this information. So, I am shocked that this should be a matter of debate on the Floor of the House.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government notes the high maternal mortality rate of 398 per 100,000 births. However, we should take into consideration the fact that the rate has decreased from 729 to 398 per 100,000 in the last five years. This is a work-in-progress.

 

Madam Speaker, child marriages are part of the problem. This is the reason President Edgar Lungu has championed the fight against the scourge. With teenage pregnancies come HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), and a rapture of the uterus because of the disproportion between the cephalos and the pelvic tract, which makes uterine rupture very common. Child marriages are a significant cause of increased maternal mortality. The Government has embarked on a programme to accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality, which also includes a campaign against child marriages. Our job in the health sector is to co-ordinate with other non-health sector players who will address many other aspects of child marriages and, therefore, reduce maternal mortality.

 

Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, the reorganisation of the Ministry of Health has resulted in the placement of a specialist at the hospital who focuses on adolescent reproductive health. There is also a community health specialist, but his work intersects with that of the adolescent reproductive health specialist.

 

Madam Speaker, abortion is regulated by the Abortion Act. The Government does not allow illegal abortions. So, while we say that we are reviewing the Act, there are enough legal provisions at the moment to deter people from conducting illegal abortions. We regulate private facilities through the Health Professionals Council of Zambia (HPCZ) to ensure adherence to the law on abortions.

 

Madam Speaker, like I said early, referral systems have improved with the decentralisation of services in cities on the Copperbelt and in Lusaka.

 

Madam Speaker, on the issue of bed linen, the Government has commenced the process of procuring linen worth K3 million to address the shortage of bed linen in various public health institutions throughout the country. This is only Phase I of the project. We shall procure more as we get more resources.

 

Madam Speaker, Michael Chilufya Sata Hospital is being upgraded to a second-level hospital because there are inadequate specialist services in Muchinga. As we build a hospital in Chinsali, Michael Chilufya Sata Hospital will be upgraded to a second-level hospital, although there is already one in Chilonga with inadequate infrastructure. The infrastructure at Michael Chilufya Sata Hospital is solid and the Government has commenced the procurement of equipment for it and other hospitals.

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to give a blanket statement on infrastructure and human resources. We have made it clear in our National Health Strategic Plan that for us to strengthen health systems, we need to solve the problem of inadequate human resources for health and distribute doctors, nurses and other paramedics to the frontline. This is why, for the first time, this Government has employed 7,400 health workers and distributed them countrywide. Furthermore, we are going to plan for more recruitment and training.

 

Madam, infrastructure expansion is important for us to increase access to health services. That is why we have started constructing the 650 health posts. However, it is common knowledge that the programme was faced with a number of challenges on the Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula and Muchinga provinces. We terminated the contract for Angelique Contractors because of concerns raised by the Indian Government. We, then, decided to engage the Zambia National Service (ZNS). However, the Indian Government came up with a proposal to refinance the project on the condition that the two contractors who were already working in the country completed the other projects. In view of that, the Government has decided to redistribute the incomplete works in the four provinces to the two contractors. The Ministry of Finance is currently finalising the agreements with the Indian Government and Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to add US$12 million to the initial loan amount. That, together with the counterpart funding that the Government was obliged to provide, will take care of the incomplete works.

 

Madam Speaker, we cannot give the commencement date for the construction of health posts because it is dependent upon the finalisation of the loan agreement. We shall come back to the House to give time frames in which the Ministry of Finance will conclude the loan negotiations and the procurement process.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to conclude by thanking your Committee for its work and encourage hon. Members of Parliament to engage the Ministry of Health so as to familiarise themselves with the transformational agenda that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has embarked upon. Then, they will see the amount of progress that has been made in the health sector. We have forecast to meet the challenges in the health sector within this mandate we have been given.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Dr Chanda: Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the members of your Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services for the great work done. I think we did a lot of work, going across the country and outside to look at best practices on health. I also wish to thank the staff of the National Assembly for their services during our tours. I wish to mention to the hon. Minister of Health that we worked well with his staff, the Permanent Secretary (PS) and the directors. We know that Parliament performs the oversight function while the Executive is the implementer. I wish to reassure the hon. Minister that we shall collaborate with his ministry because health is a priority for all of us.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS, GOVERNANCE, HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER MATTERS AND CHILD AFFAIRS ON THE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT, MR EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, ON THE PROGRESS MADE ON THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue with my debate. Before the House adjourned yesterday, I was talking about how employees have lost integrity and how they are not doing things in an ethical way. I gave an example of the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) where employees leak Grades 7, 9 and 12 examinations every year. We should not allow this situation. I urge the institutions that have members of staff who cannot adhere to confidentiality to discipline them. There are examination leakages in all the institutions of learning. Even at high institutions of learning like the University of Zambia (UNZA), we hear stories of students having leaked examination papers in their possession. We suspect that the papers are leaked by employees of the institutions. That should not be condoned.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding morality, we live in an era in which people do all sorts of things in the pursuit of money. Starting last year, there have been incidents of people being found dead with their private parts missing, and it is believed that people remove other people’s private parts to use them in rituals to make money. I wonder what kind of a person would kill a fellow human being to make money or acquire wealth. That should not be condoned in this country. I, therefore, wish to appeal to all the citizens to be humane.

 

Madam, most people in this country are not patriotic. When I was listening to a radio programme last week, I heard a Zambian citizen call for donors to withdraw their support to Zambia. He was also insinuating that there is dictatorship in Zambia, yet that is not true. A person who is patriotic cannot do that to his country. Zambian citizens should speak well about their country. They should not give wrong perceptions of their country. Some people go to international media, such as Aljazeera and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), to say things about Zambia that tarnish its image. I think people should learn to be loyal to their country.

 

Madam Speaker, during the 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Tournament, people praised the Under-20 National Football Team and condemned the Senior National Football Team calling it all sorts of names. Even during the recent match that we lost to Mozambique by a goal, people insulted the national team and called it many names for performing poorly.

 

Mrs Jere: Tamuleba pushing’a!

 

Mr Mukosa: Actually, even some leaders said many negative things. It is unfortunate that people have forgotten that the team won the 2012 AFCON. At least, we should respect it for bringing the cup to Zambia. However, this does not mean that it should not pull up its socks. I am suggesting that we should be on its side. When it makes mistakes, the best we can do is encourage it because it is our team. To be patriotic –

 

Mr Mawere gestured to Mr Mukosa.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development is signalling to me, but I do not understand what his signs mean.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, we are expected to give support to our team.

 

Madam Speaker, let me state that we should support our manufacturing companies, and we can only do that by buying things that are produced locally. We should also encourage manufacturing companies in Zambia to improve on the quality of their products in order to compete favourably with those from outside the country.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambian citizens have lost dignity. A few months ago, I read in the newspaper about a security guard who was accused of sleeping with school girls at Kasama Girls Secondary School. Such things should not be tolerated. These are some of the incidents that show that people in Zambia have lost human dignity. Therefore, the address by His Excellency the President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was timely.

 

Madam, as regards patriotism, people do not want to be objective. They do not want to do what is right because they are influenced by others. For instance, when there is an important event here, in Parliament, some people do not attend because their leader has asked them not to do so. Why do they do that? It is because they do not want to be objective and do what is right. Such people need serious counsel so that they learn to be objective and do the right things.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mukosa: Madam Speaker, talking of objectivity, there is a need to look at our Constitution. Even the President mentioned that there are many lacunae in the Constitution that need to be addressed. However, the lacunae can only be addressed by us, the Lawmakers. Unfortunately, if a Bill whose object is to amend the Constitution in order to cure the lacunae is presented, some malcontents or dissentients will still not agree or vote in support of the Bill due to a lack of objectivity. I wish to urge people to support the right things.

 

Madam Speaker, all these things that we are talking about cannot be done if we are not united. If they are not done, it will also promote division amongst the citizens of Zambia. I wish to say that we are lucky to have a President like Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu who always preaches about peace and national unity. We are also lucky to have Madam Inonge Mutukwa Wina, who also preaches peace and national unity, as Vice-President.

 

Madam Speaker, the two gallant leaders of this country need our support. So, we should support them in order to enhance their efforts in promoting peace and national unity.

 

Madam Speaker, with these few remarks, I support the Motion.

 

Madam, I thank you.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, the Motion on the Floor ends tomorrow. Then, hon. Ministers will be able to respond. So, for today, I have a list of hon. Members wishing to debate. In order for the people on this list to debate in the remaining one hour or less, we need to be mindful of the time. There are five people yet to debate.

 

Hon. Members, bear my guidance in mind. We do not have much time, and I am sure that all the hon. Members on the list would like to debate.

 

Mr Musonda (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank you for according me the opportunity to debate the Motion on the report of your Committee under discussion. Before I go into my debate, I wish to pay glowing tribute to those who have debated before me for the eloquent manner in which they debated the Motion.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Musonda: Madam Speaker, I can assure you that I will be prudent and adhere to your guidance on time-keeping.

 

Madam Speaker, the address to this House by His Excellency the Republican President on 17^th March, 2017, serves as a reminder to all of us of the importance of adhering to national values. This is a challenge to all of us to help His Excellency the President run this country using the values that he outlined in his address because that is the mandate the people of Zambia gave him.

 

Madam Speaker, I am at pains to accept that fifty years after Independence, the Head of State had come to this House to remind us about the importance of upholding national values. One would have thought the country, young as it is being portrayed to be, would have been ahead in understanding national values by now. Alas, the President, in his solemn nature, had to come to this House to remind us that this is a nation of values and appeal to this august House to help him to uphold the national values.

 

Madam Chairperson, I take it that His Excellency the President was appealing to us, as a House, to help him run the country. I wish to premise my debate on that.

 

Madam Speaker, yesterday, I followed the launch of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) for the country. That was an event for which, unfortunately, no invitation or notification was extended to hon. Members of Parliament. During the event, His Excellency the President and the second speaker, the United Nations Country Representative, referred to the fact that the plan, which is rated one of the pioneer plans in Africa, could not be implemented by the Executive alone without the Legislature and Judiciary. True to the facts, the three arms of Government have well-defined roles in the governance of our country.

 

Madam Speaker, in his Speech, His Excellency the President referred to a lack of patriotism in some citizens who seem to have a preference for foreign goods and services as opposed to local ones. The President instructed us to consider Zambia first. One area in which this House has a role to play is the 20 per cent of high-value procurements by ministries, provinces and other spending agencies reserved for local players which we have also talked about here. However, the million-dollar question that I ask the House is: Do we have a policy, legal framework or any guidelines to actualise this initiative?

 

Madam Speaker, the President has challenged us, the legislative organ of the Government, to come up with laws that will assist him to govern this country in accordance with the values that he elucidated in his Speech. I want to believe that the President does not come here to debate. Instead, he uses such solemn events to remind us that he needs our support.

 

Madam Speaker, when I was watching the event at Mulungushi International Conference Centre yesterday, the President correctly referred to the poor work culture in the country, especially in the Civil Service, which started before he came into office. When I talk about the Civil Service, I am referring to us too. To the best of my knowledge, we are civil servants. The President lamented the use of electronic gadgets in offices taking up a lot of time and resulting in inefficiencies.

 

Madam Speaker, the President did not talk about the culture of reporting late for work. Even after reporting late for work, some people want to be the first to leave the work place. As Legislators, we are being challenged to find ways of changing this culture. I know that there are private companies in this country that have fought the poor work culture. Businessmen are there to make money. So, if somebody who is supposed to work for eight hours only produces work that can be done in two hours, why should he/she be paid for eight hours’ worth of work? He/she has not earned the wage for eight hours. We should help the President to put in place policies that will improve our work culture. If you are supposed to put in eight hours of work, but you only put in two hours, it means the work that you should have done in one day will only be done after four days. Such inefficiencies are not helping the President to carry out the mandate that was bestowed on him when he won the elections.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear! In conclusion –

 

Mr Musonda: I will not conclude so soon. However, in conclusion, …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Musonda: … fellow hon. Members of Parliament, I look forward to a time when the Front Bench and both divides of the House will start pushing for legislation that will compel us, the citizens of this country, to start upholding the values of the country, which we all know. Where have we gone wrong? At the launch of the 7NDP yesterday, the Country Representative for the United Nations reminded us that the plan is the first of its kind in Africa and, probably, beyond. That was not the only time we have been the first in coming up with such a development plan. When I went to Uganda, I was told that the country had copied its National Decentralisation Policy from Zambia, yet it is far ahead of us in implementation.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Musonda: Where do we go wrong in this country? I appeal to you, fellow hon. Members of Parliament, to help the President by doing that which we were elected to do, that is, enacting laws that will compel Zambians to start upholding the values of this country.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

That is fifteen minutes gone, yet the proceedings are supposed to end at 1955 hours.

 

Business was suspended from 1810 hours to 1830 hours.

 

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the President’s Speech, which he rendered on 17^th March, 2017, when he addressed the nation through this House.

 

Madam Speaker, it is total aura for me –

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Kafwaya: It is a breath of fresh air to debate the President’s Speech this evening.

 

Mr Ngulube: Ema George Mpombo aba!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, the Speech by His Excellency the President to this House could not have come at a better time than this because he raised issues that we need to be reminded of as a people.

 

Madam Speaker, I will briefly talk about the issues under some of the headings I have been able to craft from the President’s Speech. His Excellency the President talked about morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, good governance and integrity, and sustainable development.

 

Madam Speaker, let me talk about morality and ethics. Your Committee agreed with His Excellency the President that there is moral decadence in this country. In fact, your Committee totally agreed with the President that moral decay is signified by people absconding from work, child marriages and many other negative habits. I agree with His Excellency the President that these habits should not be exhibited in our society.

 

Madam Speaker, absconding from work is immoral because employers inject finances into their undertakings in order to recoup dividends. When people purposefully do not to go for work, they are stealing from their employers. So, it is shameful for people to abscond work. It is more shameful, however, when leaders decide to abscond from work, especially when they caucus to do so. It is a real shame. Leaders are supposed to be good examples. However, today, we have leaders who have the audacity to caucus and agree not to go for work. The country is watching, and I have a big problem with that. Like His Excellency the President admonished us, we should be able to take heed and be counselled because every human being can be counselled. Let us take his counsel and begin to be sincere in our work.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to briefly comment on democracy and constitutionalism. His Excellency the President noted the achievements that this country has made in the recent past. He particularly talked about the amendment of the Constitution. That is a plus for his Government. I think he has done very well to assent to the Constitution in spite of the lacunae that we heard about earlier. That was an achievement on the part of the Government, and I would like to be very clear on that. However, the lacunae remain, and we are hopeful that this Parliament will do something to make the Constitution a good document for all.

 

Madam Speaker, I do not want to comment too much on constitutionalism because I am not a lawyer. However, let me briefly talk about democracy because, as a politician, I am interested in democracy. I wholeheartedly support the plea by the President that democracy be supported. This is because we want a democratic Zambia where political leaders are voted into office through the ballot. You have to be accepted by more people in order to ascend to the position you aspire for. In my constituency, there are twelve wards where all the twelve councillors were elected by the people and every councillor who was pronounced winner got more votes than his/her competitor. It was the same for me, as I got more votes than my opponent. The same thing happened at the Presidential level. All those who aspired to be President were subjected to the ballot and only one emerged victorious. When democracy is defined as a popular view of the Government, this is exactly what it means. During campaigns, each candidate is given a platform on which to showcase what he/she has to offer the people of Zambia. People use this platform to assess whether or not a candidate represents the views of the government they wish to support. If one’s views are contrary to those of the people, he/she will have fewer votes. In the past election, His Excellency the President emerged winner because his views on governance were the most popular. It, therefore, follows that every well-meaning Zambian should support him in bringing development in line with his campaign promises.

 

Madam Speaker, if a person’s views on governance are unpopular, he/she can re-craft or rebrand them and come up with views that are supported by the people of Zambia. We should continue to support the tenets of democracy in this country. 

 

Madam Speaker, governance, as we understand it in Lunte Parliamentary Constituency, is basically leading or controlling. As may be understood by those who are compelled to do the things they are not supposed to do, governance is not domination. We believe in leadership. However, this should be good leadership. It is the only way we can claim to have good governance. Further, there should be accountability and transparency, which are attributes of good governance.

 

Madam, if people have to critic what the Government is doing, this House is the best platform on which to do that. This is the platform on which to criticise bad governance. However, we want to undermine it. What, then, are we portraying to the nation? The fact is that we do not have opposition in the Executive because all the people appointed therein are supposed to assist the President to serve the people of Zambia. We do not have opposition in the Judiciary. The only place we have opposition is here, in Parliament. The only way to promote a diversity of views is for this House to be democratic. If, however, we undermine the platform on which we can have a voice, then, what exactly are we doing?

 

Madam Speaker, I call upon those who want to undermine the integrity of this House to engage in introspection because this is the apex of democracy in this country. It is in this House that good governance can be promoted. Consequently, this House should be dignified by all well-meaning Zambians.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to comment on sustainable development. Allow me to congratulate the hon. Minister of National Development and Planning on the launch of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) by His Excellency the President. I think that was a fantastic event.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: I have not yet read the document. However, the launch sets the pace for sustainable development. In my understanding, development is sustainable change from the status quo to a status that is aspired for. Sustainability is a concept that addresses self, others and future. That simply means that for me to stand here this evening and speak about sustainable development, I should be sustained. Therefore, I should be part of the national development plan document that was launched yesterday. The hon. Minister should have had in mind all the hon. Members and their constituents when crafting that document. Sustainability should consider other people. In fact, the theme of the document is development that does not leave anyone behind. All of us need to be considered, including future generations. We should ensure that our development agenda takes into account the ability of future generations to sustain their lives. That is why we should not be careless in the way we manage our natural resources.

 

Madam, when people passionately comment on issues of land, they have in mind future generations. When they comment on illegal mining activities, they are concerned about future generations. Therefore, it is important that we always have ourselves and others in mind as we develop our plans and execute them so that we have sustainable development or sustainable change. We do not need to change back. Yesterday, I was inspired by two of the speakers at the launch of the 7NDP who spoke fundamentally about how we, as a nation, should begin to think about ourselves. The United Nations (UN) and World Bank representatives sounded more patriotic about a country that is not theirs. They spoke like Zambians.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to heed your counsel on time and end by saying that I support the Motion.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate this wonderful Motion on the Report of The Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs on the Address by His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on the Progress Made on the Application of National Values and Principles.

 

Madam, Speaker, in order to not take much of the House’s time, I will only refer to good governance and its characteristics. I will also talk about human rights.

 

Madam, under national unity, His Excellency the President talked about how we should come together for the sake of this nation. He also listed the steps that should be taken in order to achieve the unity that we, as brothers and sisters, always sing about in the National Anthem. However, as I debate the Motion, I have some concerns to raise.

 

Madam, some politicians and citizens believe that if one belongs to an opposition political party, he/she is an enemy of the Ruling Party. If someone is in the Opposition and tries to voice out his or her concerns, he or she is regarded as an enemy. A Bemba proverb goes, “Munshebwa aile namashinshi kulinafyala”, meaning that a Mr or Ms Know-it-All –

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

 What does that mean?

 

Ms Katuta: Madam, it means that a Mr or Ms Know-it-All can never get counsel from anybody.

 

Madam Speaker, I also wish to talk about transparency and accountability. Your Committee has recommended that –

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

 

If you want to consult, but you cannot keep your voices low, please, go outside so that we have order in the House.

 

You may continue, hon. Member.

 

 Ms Katuta: Madam, one of the recommendations in your Committee’s report was on the steps that the Government should take to ensure effective implementation of the Decentralisation Policy. Your Committee further urges the Government to ensure that stakeholders, including the members of the public, are engaged and kept informed about what is happening in that regard.

 

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the hon. Minister of Finance talked about the debts that the country owes. We cannot turn a blind eye to the indebtedness of the country, which has affected everyone.

 

Madam, during the reign of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), the external debt used to be published on the website for the Ministry of Finance. However, the last time the external debt was published was 2014. If there is transparency and accountability, the nation must know where the money is coming from, the purpose for which it has been borrowed and how it has benefited the nation and the common man in particular.

 

Madam Speaker, on the bilateral and multilaterals agreements that are being signed by the country, I urge this House to, perhaps, come up with an Act that will compel the Executive to present them before this House before they are signed so that we know exactly what is contained in them and how they are going to affect the common man. Since we are here to represent the nation, it is not good enough to be told about the bilateral agreements that have been signed or hear about them in the news. We should know how beneficial they are to the nation. Suffice it to say that sometimes, we do not even know how exactly the loans are going to be paid and the impact they are going to have on the nation.

 

Madam, let me also talk about the rule of law, especially in the interest of children’s rights. We have seen girls and boys as young as twelve years being taken from the village to town by their elite families to work as helpers, popularly known as housemaids. In the event of this young girl or boy not being paid on time, he/she will take a cellular phone from the house and sell it in order to raise money for the pocket. I am not justifying crime, but trying to say that this child, who has not been protected from child labour, is forced to steal and finds himself/herself in remand prison without trial.

 

Madam Speaker, if you went to some prisons like Chimbokaila, you would find girls of between fourteen and eighteen years who are kept there on suspicion of stealing cellular phones or other items from their masters or mistresses. They remain in detention despite having not been tried, and it is for this reason that I urge this House to come up with an Act that will establish a fast-track court system for such crimes instead of keeping children in prison for months or years without trial because they end up learning how to commit more serious crimes from the hard-core criminals that they meet there. Ultimately, they come out of prison unreformed.

 

Madam, not to take much of the time of the House, I would like to support the report.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo (Wusakile): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the Motion on the Floor this evening.

 

Madam, let me take this opportunity to commend His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for his address to this august House on 17^th March, 2017, on how Zambia is fulfilling its constitutional requirement on the implementation of the national values and principles according to Articles 8, 9 and 86 of the Constitution.

 

Madam, from the President’s Speech, it is gratifying to note that Zambia has decided to ukuma akapi, meaning that it has joined hands with the global community in implementing the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). The goals aim at building a just, fair and inclusive society, which is in line with Zambia’s aspirations engendered in our national values and principles, such as morality, ethics, patriotism, democracy and social justice.

 

 Like the rest of Africa, Zambia has development priorities, such as peace, food security, education and health. We, as a people, have embedded national values and principles in our Constitution. When we speak of a value system, we are simply talking about a set of consistent ethical values and measures that are used to promote ethical and ideological integrity. A well-defined value system becomes a moral code. A value system can be for an individual, a group, a community or a society. Even at the corporate level, there are values such as honesty, integrity, transparency and commitment.

 

Mr Chiteme: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kalobo: By embracing these values, we can see modern society be not far from the Kingdom of God. These values are Biblical and should be desirable for any leader who seeks to serve others.

 

Madam Speaker, as politicians, we have the responsibility of setting a vision, inspiring others and motivating them to pursue the vision. That is what His Excellency the President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, did by updating this august House on the implementation of the national values and principles. From the President’s Speech, one can deduce that there are threats to our national values and principles, such as gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, defilement, juvenile delinquency, alcohol abuse and malpractice in land administration.

 

Madam, I am happy to note that His Excellency the President and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government are walking their talk when it comes to upholding national values and principles.

 

Mr Chabi: Question!

 

Mr Kalobo: Madam Speaker, to qualify that, let me highlight what this Government has done and has continued to do in that respect. The Government has:

 

1. promoted the recognition and involvement of women in development programmes through the provision of gender-equal conditions;

 

1. expanded social protection through  the Social Cash Transfer Scheme (SCTS);

 

1. introduced the School Feeding Programme;

 

1. empowered former miners with land;

 

1. introduced micro-credit schemes for youths and women;

 

1. taken education and healthcare closer to the people through infrastructure development projects;

 

1. built decent accommodation for security personnel;

 

1. promoted decent work for all by increasing the minimum wage by over 60 per cent;

 

1. banned casualisation;

 

1. made it a legal requirement for retirees to remain on the payroll until their pension benefits are paid in full;

 

1. embraced climate change mitigation policies, such as conservation farming, fish farming and reforestation; and

 

• improved access to justice through the introduction of specialised courts.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me now to highlight the areas that need improvement for us to guard against moral decay and rebuild our moral fabric so that we can remain responsible citizens. With your permission, I would like to make close reference to my notes because failure to do so would render my submission irrelevant.

 

Madam, Zambia is our common heritage. Therefore, putting Zambia first is not an option, but a requirement for all of us. One Bemba idiom is, “Akafumba ukunona katula kubwaiche”, meaning that progressive ideas should be nurtured from their infancy. It is often said that it is difficult to build credibility. Once someone loses credibility, it takes ten times more effort to rebuild it. To guide against moral decay, rebuild our moral fabric and become responsible citizens, we need to work hard at:

 

1. developing a multi-pronged approach to inculcating national values in our children at work and in our homes;

 

1. addressing constitutional lacunae that emerged during the 2016 Presidential Election Petition;

 

1. promoting coexistence across political parties;

 

1. addressing corporate greed, which is a moral scandal of our times, and curbing tax evasion and tax avoidance; and

 

1. promoting patriotism by reviving the “Buy Zambia and Build Zambia” Campaign.

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

Please, try to stand upright and speak away from the microphone.

 

Mr Kalobo: Madam Speaker, that is my submission.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Well done. We have made good use of the time.

 

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (Ms Kapata): Madam Speaker, I am grateful to be accorded this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Report of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs on the Address by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on the Progress Made in the Application of National Values and Principles, delivered to this House on 17^th March, 2017.

 

Madam, I thank the Chairperson and members of your Committee for an informative report, which has brought out a number of important issues aimed at ensuring that the nation appreciates the importance of upholding our national values and principles, as enshrined in the Constitution and outlined by the President in his Speech to this House.

 

Madam, His Excellency the President’s Speech to this House was timely, as it was delivered at a time the country has been witnessing a growing decay in morals and patriotism, among other vices. As he mentioned in his speech, the levels of moral decay and unpatriotic behaviour in some citizens has affected the socio-economic development of the country. This negative trend cannot be allowed to continue, as it has a detrimental effect on the development of the country.

 

Madam Speaker, as most of the hon. Members of this august House have observed, there have been many reports on negative and illegal practices with regard to land acquisition. Sadly, some unpatriotic Zambians have been at the centre of this practice, colluding with foreigners to illegally acquire land. While the current laws of the country provide conditions upon which a foreigner can own land, some Zambians have continued to be used as fronts by foreigners with financial muscle to facilitate the illegal acquisition of land without due regard for the laws, as observed by the President and the hon. Members of this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, my ministry is determined to root out the unscrupulous and unpatriotic behaviour of some Zambians in land administration. As guided by the President, who issued a directive that the Land Policy be finalised expeditiously and relevant pieces of legislation, such as the Land Act, be revised, I wish to inform this august House that my ministry is in the process of finalising the development of the National Land Policy to guide the administration of land and ensure, among other things, the protection of vulnerable groups of people who reside on customary land, for instance, and protect common grazing areas, burial sites and areas of ecological importance, such as water sources and forests. Once the policy is in place, my ministry will review various land-related pieces of legislation, including the Land Act, to tighten and stiffen the condition upon which foreigners can own land, among other issues. I wish to assure this august House that my ministry will ensure that the Land Policy is finalised before the end of this year. My ministry will also enhance sensitisation programmes to educate the public on the conditions for a foreigner to own land in this country and the procedures to be followed by Zambians and non-Zambians.

 

Madam Speaker, in order to improve the administration of land by the local authorities, my ministry is currently reviewing the Land Circular No. 1 of 1985, which has been a source of concern to my ministry. Some unpatriotic traditional leaders and local authority officials have abused the circular by recommending the allocation of huge parcels of land beyond the authorised limit, mostly to foreigners. This unpatriotic behaviour has resulted in some unfortunate incidences in which some locals living on traditional land have been evicted from their ancestral land. In this regard, my ministry is in the process of finalising the Customary Land Administration Bill, which will provide for the establishment of consultative bodies at the village level to ensure that the interests of local communities are taken into account in the allocation of land, among other measures. Further, my ministry is formulating land regulations that will replace the Land Circular No. 1 of 1985 so as to enhance good governance in the administration and management of land by traditional leaders and local authorities.

 

Madam Speaker, another issue the President raised in his speech, which hon. Members of this House have also referred, to is the unpatriotic manner in which Zambians have colluded with foreigners to unsustainably and illegally harvest our indigenous trees, especially the mukula tree, in the recent past. While the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has put in place measures to address the indiscriminate cutting, harvesting and trading of indigenous trees, there is still a lot to be done to curb this unpatriotic behaviour of some Zambians. In this regard, my ministry has commenced the recruitment of forest guards to protect our forests. The forest guards who have been recruited so far have been placed in hot spots across the country to protect our forests. In addition, my ministry has commenced the revision of the Forests Act No. 4 of 2015 of the Laws of Zambia in order to stiffen the penalties for forest offences so as to make them a deterrent to the commission of such crimes.

 

Madam Speaker, the PF Government recognises the important role forests and trees, particularly indigenous trees, play in the lives of people. The Government is also aware of the socio-economic value of forests and trees, especially in supporting the livelihoods of the rural population as a source of energy and food, hence contributing to poverty reduction. It is for this and other reasons that my ministry has decided to pay specific attention to the protection of trees, as they contribute to poverty reduction, and job and wealth creation.

 

Madam, in conclusion, I thank His Excellency the President for his guidance on a number of issues pertaining to the management of land and forests. I also urge the hon. Members of this House to continue showing interest in the management of natural resources and to sensitise communities on the importance of conserving forests and the need for patriotism in land administration. The Government is committed to ensuring that our land and forest resources are preserved for current and future generations. In order to continue supporting the livelihood of our people, I call upon all Zambians to be patriotic and support the Government in an effort to protect our land and forests, especially our indigenous tree species. I also implore all the Zambians to value our indigenous tree species so as to avoid the depletion and extinction of our high-value tree species. Finally, I thank all the hon. Members who have debated this Motion for their valuable contributions. I may not have responded to all the issues that have been raised, but I assure them that my ministry is committed to addressing the challenges in the land and forestry sectors.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of National Development and Planning (Mr L. Mulusa): Madam Speaker, thank you very much. Firstly, I must indicate that the Deputy Chief Whip had consulted me and we agreed that I should be the first take the Floor tomorrow morning. However, since I have been called upon, I will go ahead and debate.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr L. Mulusa: Madam, firstly, I thank the hon. Members of Parliament who have debated on the President’s Speech. I also commend them for raising many pertinent issues.

 

Madam, I wish to start by responding to the hon. Member of Parliament for Kamfinsa, Mr Musonda, who spoke about the need for people to receive value for money in terms of service delivery from the Government. I assure him that we have come up with a system that will accompany the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP). What will be different from the past is that, now, there is a national performance framework. This means that we are going to identify the deliverables, when they should be met, how they should be met and who will be accountable for them.

 

Madam Speaker, the national performance framework is at the institutional level. However, we are now taking it down to the level of individual civil servants. What this means is that civil servants are going to have performance contracts with their employer, the Government, and the contracts are going to identify the key performance areas. In short, we are saying that we are going to start by identifying the work that should be done, given the value chain of the jobs in the bureaucracy. Once that has been done, we are going to assign particular segments of a job to particular workers. Therefore, that worker will have key performance areas clearly identified. Thereafter, we are going to come up with key performance activities, after which we are going to identify key performance indicators. In short, if an individual’s key performance area is to generate a policy, the key performance activity will be how many policies he/she should generate over a particular period, probably in a quarter of the year. Thereafter, there will be a review system for rating the performance of a particular individual. What this means is that in the development of the 7NDP, we examined the contributing factors to the failure of previous national development plans. What we noticed was that the there was no accountability in the previous plans. Nobody was held accountable for non-implementation of what was indicated in the plans. Now, we want to hold people accountable. For instance, if we say that we are going to diversify the economy or decentralise our administrative system, then, we are going to apportion tasks to particular individuals and have timelines for them. If we do not do that, the 7NDP will be an academic exercise, and we do not want that to happen. This is confirmation that the President’s call for a smart Zambia is being answered.

 

Madam, let me talk about the patriotism that several speakers have spoken about. I agree with them that there is a problem of a lack of patriotism in Zambia. This problem is being driven by a lack of awareness of the implications of what we do at the individual level.

 

Madam Speaker, when I worked at State House, Hon. Chikwanda invited me to be part of the delegation to solicit for the last Eurobond that we were issued. Each time we spoke to the investors, there was always a stage when we issue a bond and we have to do a price whisper. During the price whisper, you ask why you should pay such a price. So, what happened is that from the previous issuance of the Eurobond, for the first issuance of the bond, we paid about 5.4 per cent, for the next issuance of the bond, we paid about 7 per cent and, for the last issuance, we paid over 9 per cent, and the reason we were given for that emanated from the comments of Zambians on their country. So, behind their tablets or computers, or hiding in their houses, they happily make negative comments about their country on sites that investors visit. Investors factor in such things.

 

When a Eurobond is being issued, Madam Speaker, the price is determined by the rating agencies. For instance, the price of the bond could be 3 per cent, but the premium risk, which is driven by the negative comments from the citizens of our country will, in turn, drive the price upwards to more than 9 per cent. So, Zambia is paying a huge price for borrowing as a result of the negative comments against the Government.

 

Madam Speaker, this is what Zambians should reflect upon. I have noticed that there are two stages to this. The first one is when there is a challenge and Zambians do not comment on it. The second stage is when the Government or international community reacts to a situation and, then, Zambians start condemning the innocent person who had nothing to do with the first stage.

 

Madam Speaker, we are now faced with a situation where we, Zambians, need to engage in introspection. We need to ask ourselves how our actions affect our nation. I had a chat with the head of one of our co-operating partners. This lady is from an African country, but I will not name the country because of your earlier guidance. She told me that her country is about to hold elections and she intended to go to her country to put things in order and quickly get back to Zambia because it is a peaceful nation. What does this tell us? We do not appreciate our disposition or the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. We are careless in the way we talk. We do not respect our leaders. We call them thieves, criminals and people who do not have morals. This culture of name-calling should come to an end.

 

Madam Speaker, some hon. Members of Parliament gave up extremely good careers to come and provide a service.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr L. Mulusa: Why are they being insulted on a daily basis?

 

Mr Chabi: By Antonio Mwanza!

 

Mr L. Mulusa: Madam Speaker, this nation needs healing and that should start with the citizens. Before the citizens attack us, they should re-examine themselves. What has their participation been?

 

Madam Speaker, it is important that we go back to the genesis of the status quo before we attack the Government. We should ask ourselves what we did when the problem started. We are being attacked for the lacunae in the Constitution, yet we forget that President Sata refused to enact it because it was problematic. We had people sitting on the Floor, demanding the Constitution to be enacted in its raw form. I wish to thank the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, although I was not a part of it at the time, for attempting to remove some of the lacunae. The PF’s hands were tied. It was forced to enact the Constitution.

 

Madam Speaker, the people who called for the enactment are now crying about the lacunas in the Constitution that they wanted enacted. They are the same people who told the House that they had been drinking. One of them said, “I only drank two shots”, while the other said, “I was drinking Black Label”.

 

The First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Minister, can you see the direction you are taking now? You have debated almost everyone and now you are debating yourself and the shots that you took. That is clearly the reason we do not debate ourselves. Do you have a written statement?

 

Mr L. Mulusa: Madam Speaker, you have allowed us to use iPads. Thanks to my children, I am now computer literate, and I am glad you have not asked for evidence.

 

Laughter

 

Mr L. Mulusa: Madam Speaker, what I am trying to say is that the citizens should engage in introspection. They should establish the genesis of the problems, not just react when there are consequences. The people who are crying today created that problem. They should ask themselves why they did not see the lacunae in the Constitution when they were enacting it.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Ministers who came to give us support and the hon. Members of Parliament who accepted the invitation on the radio and came to support us. I assure the nation that the 7NDP is an active document under the guidance of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. It is not the product of an exercise of compliance. It will be our Bible.

 

Madam, we are enacting a law that will ensure that the hon. Minister of Finance does not present a Budget in this House that is not premised on the principles of the 7NDP. So, I urge all hon. Members of Parliament to partner with the Ministry of National Development and Planning.

 

Madam Speaker, the President has urged us to read this document. Zambia does not have a good reading or writing culture. Otherwise, there would be so many books written about former Presidents. Our leaders are almost being forgotten because we neither read nor write. 

 

Madam Speaker, hon. Members should find time to identify their constituencies in this document, as we consulted them when drafting it. This means that their constituencies have been taken care of in the document. The ministry has decomposed the gross domestic product (GDP) figures per province. We are going further to decompose the GDP figures for each district so that we know how much each district and province is contributing towards the GDP. This is very exciting. Let me give the example of Hon. Chilangwa, who was shocked to learn that Luapula Province has the potential to produce almost 1,000 MW of electricity. However, the province’s current contribution to the GDP in the energy sector is zero. However, he has come up with an investment exposition for the province and my ministry is assisting him by bringing in international investors. The province will be transformed in the next five years as a result of the information that we have provided about its natural wealth.

 

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow hon. Members of Parliament to visit our offices and partner with us. We can find the money to invest in various constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to get away with some of the things that I said.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Laughter

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to debate the Report of The Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs on the Address by His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on the Progress Made on the Application of National Values and Principles.

 

Madam Speaker, on page 6 of the report, your Committee notes the call by His Excellency the President to all parents, teachers, and religious and traditional leaders to take the lead in inculcating morals and ethical values in our children, especially the young, in families, schools and places of worship. The call is the first prong in the multi-faceted approach to combating HIV/AIDS. It is a high-impact intervention and the most efficacious in reducing or eliminating the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Beginning at child formation, inculcating values and nurturing children appropriately protects them from conduct that is likely to transmit HIV. In the religious setup and villages, behavioural change will contribute to stopping the spread of HIV. So, your Committee is spot-on.

 

Madam Speaker, like I said earlier, to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the best opportunity is at conception. If conception is occasioned by two parents who are HIV-negative, then, definitely, there will be no HIV in the offspring, and that is the best hope of having an HIV-free generation.

 

Madam Speaker, our re-engineered approach to health places a premium on school health programmes. This means that we have introduced HIV/AIDS training and many other subjects related to health. This will help us to ensure that our children grow into healthy adults and become productive and contribute to national development.

 

Madam Speaker, in our new Directorate Of Health Promotion and Social Determinants, we are empowering communities through health education in various congregate settings, such as churches, villages and schools.  This has created a platform on which we empower and engage the community to ensure that people change their behaviour and contribute to the drive to eliminate HIV. So, the call for us to place emphasis on values must be supported.

 

Madam Speaker, on page 7 of your Committee’s report, your Committee acknowledges the landmark directive to relevant ministries to accelerate the control or reduction of the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Your Committee notes this call and is spot-on when it says that we should urgently design policies that will protect the public from the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government has done the following through the Ministry of Health:

 

1. resolved to reinforce a number of public health laws to regulate the manufacturing of alcohol, that is, regulating the percentage of ethanol, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and other ministries;

 

1. decided to reinforce laws on smoking in public. We shall not tolerate smoking in public places in order to protect the public from passive smoking. Passive smoking and active smoking are causes of cancer of the respiratory system;

 

1. concluded stakeholder consultation and crafted the first draft of the National Alcohol Policy (NAP). This is now awaiting Cabinet approval before presentation to Parliament. This is a milestone; and

 

1. entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an international pharmaceutical firm to commence a de-addiction Programme where addicts of alcohol and drugs will be rehabilitated so that they can become productive citizens of the society. The alcohol policy and de-addiction programme will culminate in:

 

1. improved productivity for the people who will be redeemed so that they can contribute to economic development;

 

1. a reduction in the spread of infections like hepatitis and HIV because drug addicts share needles. Drug addicts and alcohol abusers become reckless when intoxicated. So, the reduction in the spread of HIV and hepatitis is envisaged with proper application or implementation of these policies; and

 

1. a reduction in the burden on our health systems.

 

Madam Speaker, evidence shows that redeeming citizens from alcohol addiction actually saves thousands of dollars.

 

Madam Speaker, finally, His Excellency the President spoke about decentralisation. The Ministry of Health is highly decentralised. Through government-to-government funding from donors, the resources go directly to the district to support programme implementation at that level. Budgetary lines have been devolved from the headquarters to the districts. This, again, is aimed at supporting decentralisation.

 

Your Committee, Madam Speaker, has correctly noted that decentralisation offers the best opportunity for us to develop this country, and we need to move beyond rhetoric. Equally, human resources have been devolved in consultation with the Ministry of Local Government.

 

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, allow me to thank your Committee for the thorough job it has done and to support its report.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development (Mr Mawere): Madam Speaker, first and foremost, may I thank you for according me the opportunity to debate the President’s address to the nation on the progress made in the application of national values and principles in this August House on 17^th March, 2017. May I also take this opportunity to commend your Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs for a well-articulated report it has presented to this House.

 

Madam Speaker, hon. Members of this august House may agree with me that a nation without values and principles is a nation without direction. The Zambian Constitution outlines the values and principles for citizens to uphold individual and collective aspirations. Therefore, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, should be commended for ably highlighting the progress made on the implementation of the national values and principles as provided for in Articles 8, 9 and 86(1) of the Zambian Constitution.

 

Madam Speaker, my contribution to the Motion on the Floor of the House will be more on how the values and principles are being applied in my ministry. As you are aware, young people aged from zero to thirty-five years constitute 85 per cent of the country’s population. With the progress in technology and globalisation, young people are being exposed to different values and principles, some of which are not in line with our national values and principles. Therefore, there is a need to sensitise young people at the family, community and national levels on the values and principles that the nation takes pride in.

 

Madam Speaker, the President directed that Public Service workers sign up to the Public Service Code of Ethics in order to underline their commitment to abiding by the provisions of the code of ethics in both their official and private lives. In this regard, my ministry has circulated the code to all Public Service workers and will continue to sensitise them on the need to adhere to it. Further, the ministry has in place a diary register book for officials to log-in when they report for work in order to reduce incidences of late coming. Disciplinary measures are taken against erring officers.

 

Madam, in an effort to reduce streetism and vulnerability, my ministry has been removing children from the street and reintegrating them into communities and families. From January, last year, 435 children living on the streets have been mobilised and taken to drop-in centres in Lusaka. The effort is ongoing and requires the support and collaboration of all stakeholders.

 

Madam, on patriotism and national unity, the President directed that all citizens make an effort to understand and interpret our national symbols and monuments, which include the Coat of Arms, National Flag, Fish Eagle, Motto and National Anthem. In this regard, my ministry has circulated all the three stanzas of the National Anthem to all staff and grant-aided institutions, and will continue to sensitise them on the need to know it and sing it at appropriate times.

 

Hon. Member: Especially in Bemba!

 

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, I am being told that the Bemba version of the National Anthem should also be circulated.

 

Mr Mawere: Madam Speaker, in line with the President’s directive on the need to promote entrepreneurship among the youths for wealth creation and poverty reduction, my ministry is co-ordinating the implementation of the National Youth Policy, the National Sports Policy and the National Child Policy. The policies advocate for empowerment programmes and the establishment of recreation facilities for youths, children and sports personnel. My ministry has further signed up to various international treaties and conventions that support programmes aimed at uplifting the welfare of children, youths, and sportsmen and women.

 

Madam Speaker, under good governance and integrity, the President directed the Public Service to promote entrepreneurship through the implementation of micro-credit programmes, especially those targeted at the womenfolk and the youth for wealth creation and poverty reduction. In this regard, my ministry, in collaboration with various stakeholders, is implementing various empowerment schemes, among them the Youth Development Fund, the Youth Street Vendors Empowerment Scheme and the Youth Bus Drivers Empowerment Scheme. The implementation of these schemes and others to be brought on board is ongoing.

 

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, my ministry remains committed to promoting adherence to national values and principles based on our conviction that doing so will positively contribute to the attainment of the Vision 2030 and a Smart Zambia. Therefore, it is my humble appeal that all well-meaning Zambians uphold our national values and principles for collective benefits.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Minister for Muchinga Province (Mr Sichone): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor.

 

Madam Speaker, I must say ...

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate adjourned)

 

_______

 

The House adjourned at 1955 hours until 0900 hours on Friday, 23^rd June, 2017.

 

____________

 

 

WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION

 

SCHOOLS IN NGABWE

 

272. Mr Chiyalika (Lufubu) asked the Minister of General Education:

 

1. when a boarding school would be constructed in Ngabwe District; and

 

1. when the rehabilitation of classroom blocks and teachers’ houses at the following schools would commence:

 

1. Luamala Primary;

 

1. Chilwa Island Primary;

 

1. Mutenda Primary;

 

1. Lwanyanshi Primary;

 

1. Iwonde Primary;

 

1. Mumbachala Secondary; and

 

1. Ngabwe Secondary.

 

The Minister of General Education (Dr Wanchinga): Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to construct a boarding school in Ngabwe District. In 2017, the Government will focus on completing most of the incomplete projects countrywide. However, once the funding situation improves, the Government will construct secondary schools in areas of need, including Ngabwe.

 

Sir, the rehabilitation of classroom blocks and teachers’ houses at Luamala, Mutenda, Chilwa Island, Lwanyanshi and Iwonde primary schools, and Mumbachala and Ngabwe secondary schools will be undertaken once the projects are incorporated into the Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) for the ministry and funds are made available. However, the ministry acknowledges the urgent need to rehabilitate classroom blocks and staff houses at the above-mentioned schools so as to create a conducive teaching and learning environment there. The office of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) has since engaged the community, through the Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs), to help in supporting the schools in infrastructure development, particularly accommodation and learning facilities.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.