Friday, 21^st September, 2018

 

The House met at 0900 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the House an idea of the Business it will consider next week.

 

Sir, on Tuesday, 25^th September, 2018, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

On Wednesday, 26^th September, 2018, the Business of the House will start will Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider a Private Members’ Motion entitled: “Take Measures to Avoid Debt Crisis" to be moved by Hon. S. Kakubo, Member of Parliament for Kapiri Mposhi. The House will, then, continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Sir, on Thursday, 27^th September, 2018, the Business of the House will commence with debate on the Motion to suspend the relevant Standing Orders to enable the House to sit in the afternoon on Friday, 28^th September, 2018, to allow the hon. Minister of Finance to present the 2019 National Budget. This will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer. Thereafter, the House will consider Government Bills, if there will be any. Then, it will conclude the debate on the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 28^th September, 2018, as already indicated, the hon. Minister of Finance will present the 2019 National Budget, starting at 1415 hours.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

THE VICE PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME

 

Mrs Jere (Lumezi): Mr Speaker, all of us here are aware that during the previous rainy season, some parts of this country, especially Lumezi in the valley in Chiefs Mwanya, Chitungulu and Kazembe, were badly hit by drought. Currently, people feed on raw mangoes and wild fruits.

 

Mr Chabi: Working Government!

 

Mrs Jere: What measures has Her Honour the Vice-President’s Office put in place to ensure that people are given relief food before the onset of the next rainy season?

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, before I respond to the hon. Member for Lumezi, allow me to say a word or two over the Zambians who died in South Africa.

 

Mr Speaker, I convey our sincere condolences to the families of all those citizens who lost their lives in the road traffic accident that occurred in South Africa on Monday, 17^th September, 2018. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Further, His Excellency the President has directed that …

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Mm!

 

The Vice-President: … the Government takes over the funeral. In this regard, he has directed the hon. Minister of Defence to make arrangements for the repatriation of the remains of the departed citizens from South Africa back to Zambia on Sunday, 23^rd September, 2018, and to take care of all the burial arrangements.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: She is wasting time.

 

The Vice-President: Sir, I hear murmurs that I am eating into the time meant for questions, but I think it is important for us to remember the citizens who have perished in South Africa.

 

Mr Speaker, coming back to the question asked by the hon. Member of Parliament for Lumezi, a vulnerability assessment that has been concluded revealed that Lumezi is not the only constituency that has suffered the impact of the drought of the last season. In fact, there are fifty-eight districts that require relief support through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). Lumezi will be one of the districts to be considered for support.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Princess Mwape (Mkushi North): Mr Speaker, as Her Honour the Vice-President might be aware, the number of women in Parliament in this country has been very low since Independence, and there is a need to close the gap and meet the benchmark of 30 per cent women representation. We have been using a system that is not working, and there is a need to introduce a quota system like is done in other countries like Rwanda as a temporary measure to close the gap. Does the Government have any plans of introducing a quota system in this country?

 

Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, Zambia is party to gender-equality international, continental and regional protocols, including the protocol that calls for fifty-fifty representation between men and women, particularly in political representation in councils and in Parliament. The Government of Zambia is addressing this issue through the Electoral Act. It wants to engender the Electoral Act to ensure that the quota system is provided for. However, the consultations are still ongoing and we hope that the political parties, especially those that are represented in Parliament, will take it upon themselves to ensure that they are also engendered and that they adopt the quota system, which is the easiest way of getting more representation of not only women but also other marginalised groupings in society.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, my question is pursuant to Cap 12 of the Laws of Zambia, which deals with immunities and privileges of hon. Members of Parliament, including the Head of State.

 

Sir, on 14^th September, 2018, the President came here and issued a statement to the country. On page 23 of the statement, paragraph 78 addressed poverty and vulnerability reduction. However, what the President said regarding the performance of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme has turned out to be very untrue. While the President has immunity, Her Honour the Vice-President, the Leader of Government Business in the House, does not enjoy the same immunity. In trying to restore the dignity and honour of the President, who made a statement that is untrue, is Her Honour the Vice-President in a position to expunge that part of the speech?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Mr Nkombo: We would like to think that the inconsistency is either because the President was not aware of the true situation or he deliberately issued incorrect information. Does Her Honour the Vice-President intend to bring what the President said in line with Cap 12 of the Laws of Zambia?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, when delivering his speech to Parliament, the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was absolutely correct and very clear on the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme. Therefore, there is no justification for taking away that part of the speech because the scheme has been a success.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: It is being implemented and will still be implemented.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: It is only that we had a problem that the Government noticed and took remedial measures to ensure it did not continue. Our co-operating partners came on board after the Government had instituted some internal investigations on what had happened regarding the scheme in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. Therefore, the President was very right in saying what he said to the House and to the nation in his address.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Lundazi Central.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chabi: Idi Amin!

 

Mr Nyirenda (Lundazi Central): Hold your fire.

 

Mr Speaker, cases of corruption and abuse of office are rampant in this country, especially among civil servants, …

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Nyirenda: … including Permanent Secretaries (PSs), Directors and procurement officers.

 

The PSs, ‘Madam Speaker’, are the major culprits ‒

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Nyirenda: Hold your fire.

 

They protect their juniors, and do not tell the hon. Ministers and the President the truth. The President hears about most cases from the media. Does the Government have any plans of reintroducing the position of Deputy Ministers to reinforce …

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

 Continue hon. Member but, please, ask your question.

 

Mr Nyirenda: … the hon. Cabinet Ministers, who run the Government administration and fight corruption among civil servants, but are few in number?

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Just for the record, it is not Madam Speaker presiding.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the power to change the Constitution lies in this House. If the House feels that the position of Deputy Ministers should be reintroduced, it is up to it to so decide. Let me also clear the notion that all civil servants are corrupt, starting from the Permanent Secretaries (PSs). There may be some bad fish among our public workers, but not all civil servants are corrupt.

 

Sir, in view of certain anomalies detected, the Government wants to strengthen control measures in the line ministries and other spending agencies. The Act that the hon. Minister of Finance referred to is one of the measures that the Government is taking.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, we welcome the announcement by the hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security on the increased minimum wage for domestic workers, especially looking at the economic conditions prevailing in the country. However, the domestic workers are employed by civil servants who get meagre salaries and have not had salary increments over a long period of time. What is the Government doing to extend this gesture to civil servants as well so that the domestic workers do not lose jobs due to their employers’ inability to pay them?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government’s mandate is to protect the most vulnerable in society, including the Zambians who are lowly paid. That is why the minimum wage was increased. Regarding the conditions of service and salaries for civil servants, that is a matter that is usually negotiated between the trade unions and the Government.

 

Mrs Simukoko: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: I think that is what is happening currently.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwila (Chimwemwe): Mr Speaker, the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, directed Cabinet Office to do the right thing by sending on forced leave the senior technocrats in the three ministries that are at the centre of the investigations into the misapplication of donor funds, namely the Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare and Ministry of Transport and Communication. When is the Government going to send the officers on forced leave to pave the way for thorough investigations?

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government follows certain procedures of employment and disengagement in the Civil Service, and that is exactly what it is doing. In the case of the Zambia Postal Services Corporation (Zampost), I know that some top employees in the institution, including the Postmaster-General, have been put on suspension. So, let us leave the investigative wings and the auditors, including those from the Auditor-General’s Office, to delve into the matter before criminal prosecutions are commenced.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, the people whom Her Honour the Vice-President’s Government loves more than Zambians, the Chinese, have resorted to killing our people.

 

Dr Chibanda: Question!

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member of Parliament for Bweengwa, …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: … I do not think you are proceeding in the correct manner. Do not make such imputations.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Opposition Member: They are your darlings!

 

Mr Speaker: Withdraw before you proceed?

 

Mr Michelo: Though it is difficult to withdraw the truth, Mr Speaker, I withdraw.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah, question!

 

Mr Michelo: What is Her Honour the Vice-President doing about the Chinese nationals who we have heard that they have killed Zambians in the Northern Province and Eastern Province? How far has she gone with the investigations? Zambians and Parliament want to know exactly what the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is doing about those Chinese nationals.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it was only two days or so ago that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs issued a statement on the Floor of this House to explain the death of a Zambian in the Northern Province. He clearly indicated that no one in Zambia was above the law. Whether one is a visiting or resident Chinese businessman or a Zambian, one will face the law when one commits a crime. That is the situation in which the people the hon. Member is referring to have found themselves. They have been arrested and are waiting for their cases to be taken to court.

 

That said, Sir, this issue of singling out Chinese nationals is not good. I think we are setting a very bad precedence because this is how xenophobic wars start.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: I, therefore, beg, especially the leaders in this House, who are knowledgeable about international affairs, and know a lot about what is happening in the region and in other countries of the world, to refrain from stigmatising other human beings, especially those of foreign origin.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, this morning, I was asked by the people of Kaputa to ask Her Honour the Vice-President about the Mporokoso/Nsama/Kaputa Road. Is there a commitment on the part of the Government to fulfil the promise it made to the people of Kaputa to work on that road?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the road in question is an important one, and the Government considers it one of the roads that should be attended to. In fact, the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development has already signed a contract for it and the procurement processes have now been put in motion. We are all delighted that there will be some work on the Kaputa Road.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’ambi (Chifubu): Mr Speaker, international credit or capital markets only extend their credit to countries that have a visionary, committed, prudent and dedicated leadership, as they aspire to protect the interest of their investors. So far, Zambia has accrued some debt from such institutions. Over the years, the country’s key economic variables have remained very strong. My question is: Why does there seem to be an outcry from some minority part of our society?

 

Hon. Government members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order on the left!

 

Ms Katuta: Do not call others a minority!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Can we, please, have some order.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: I can hear a feminine voice, but I cannot locate the face yet.

 

Laughter

 

Hon. Government Members: Chienge! FDD!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Let us have some order!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, many countries, including the biggest economic power in the world, the United States of America (USA), have accessed loans from China.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! True!

 

The Vice-President: If I recollect well, the USA alone has borrowed US$1.1 trillion, South Africa is negotiating for a US$5 billion loan, Kenya has borrowed US$3.6 billion, while Senegal has borrowed US$1 billion or just over US$1 billion. Therefore, the issue of Zambian’s debt is being dramatised. Let me inform the House that Zambia’s debt has been taken out of proportion. The country’s debt has become a tool for destabilising the people of Zambia’s confidence in their Government and championing a regime change in the country. The cordial relations between China and Zambia are at the core of the fight, and there is a heightened campaign, slander and a smear campaign for that matter, to paint Zambia red. The champions of international capital will stop at nothing to destroy this country simply for their interests because the interests of Zambians mean nothing to them. They are tarnishing the image of this country in the hope that Zambians will rise and get rid of this Government.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: It is very unfortunate, and I hope that the champions of foreign capital will reflect on my few words. The country is at peace, not in a crisis. The crises are being created by people on whom I do not want to use more adjectives.

 

Mr Mwiinga: Question!

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Zambian Government will trade with any country in the world, especially with countries that offer concession loans, such as China.

 

Ms Kapata: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: We look forward to seeing Zambians accept the cordial and good relationships that His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has created around the world with friendly countries that want to support Zambia’s development agenda.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Finance has stated that Zambia is not in a financial crisis. However, Government operations in many ministries are at a standstill. For example, many District Education Boards under the Ministry of General Education have not been funded to conduct examinations for 2018. Further, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has not been released to many constituencies, yet both funds are supposed to benefit the rural masses of this country. What, then, would signify a crisis in Zambia in the view of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, there is no crisis whatsoever …

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: … in the economy of Zambia. For those who trust in international organisations, the World Bank confirmed that there is no crisis in the country.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order on the left!

 

The Vice-President: Sir, on the 28^th of September, 2018, the hon. Minister of Finance will present the 2018 Budget to the House. Surely, if the country was in a crisis, where would we get the money for the National Budget?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Your Honour the Vice-President, just give me a minute.

 

Hon. Members, including the hon. Ministers, can we avoid making running commentaries.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: How does an hon. Minister make running commentaries when Her Honour the Vice-President is on the Floor? It is inconceivable. Can we have some order?

 

You may continue, Your Honour the Vice-President.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, Zambia is not in a crisis.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kintu (Solwezi East): Mr Speaker, it is close to two years now since the Government procured Mercedes Benz ambulances at the outrageous cost of US$280,000 each.

 

Mr Mwamba: Question!

 

Mr Kintu: To date, the ambulances have not been delivered. When is the Zambian Government going to deliver the ambulances to the people of Zambia?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister responsible for health will be requested to issue a statement to the House.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Phiri (Mkaika): Mr Speaker, I would like to appreciate the Government for working on the road from Luangwa to Mwami Border.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Phiri: However, the stretch on the Chanida Border that connects Katete to Mozambique is really in a bad state although it is only 56 km. Does the Government have plans to work on it?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I assure the hon. Member of Parliament that works on the road in question are being executed. The contractor is already on site in Chadiza.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, of late, there has been a lot of hate speech in the country and xenophobic statements made by the Opposition, especially the United Party for National Development (UPND), against Chinese nationals.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

 

Dr Chibanda: The hate has gone to the extent of being broadcast on private television stations. What is the Government’s intention against organisations that propagate xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the law enforcement agencies usually follow cases of hate speech. So, leaders or politicians who have a propensity to use hate speech should not be surprised when they are visited by the law.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: The Government takes such actions because it wants to prevent conflicts in the country. How many times have we, in this House, talked about the genocide in Rwanda, which started with a few remarks, but spread to many parts of the country and became a rallying cry for those who wanted to get rid of another section of the community? Let us avoid that in our country. This country does not know how to fight a war because we have never experienced war. Therefore, we should keep things this way. We are using words carelessly either to scare away investors or to woo voters. However, I can assure you that the more we use hate speech, the more we will lose the confidence of the people of Zambia.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: We have already seen in by-elections how some political parties have lost because of using hate speech and, sometimes, violence.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: The people of Zambia are watching us, the politicians.

 

Hon. UPND Members: We are watching you.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Continue, Your Honour the Vice-President.

 

The Vice-President: If we want to deplete our membership, we should continue with hate speech but, one day, we will realise that it does not pay to use hate speech, especially in politics. When the law visits us, we should not be surprised.

 

I thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Sir, cases of murder, mainly arising from suspected witchcraft, have been on the increase in Serenje District. However, when pathologists are called in, the relatives of the deceased choose not to have the money to pay for post-mortems. Is the hardworking Government …

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

 

Mr Kabanda: … of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, contemplating introducing a fixed allowance for pathologists so that they can be conducting post-mortems without charging the families of the deceased?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order on the left!

 

The Vice-President: Sir, the science of pathology is not very popular in Zambia. As a result, we have very few doctors who are specialised in that field. That is why the Ministry of Health is increasing training in the area of pathology and forensic sciences so that the current cost of those services can be brought down and our communities are served as they should be. For now, we still have challenges because there are few Zambians who have trained in forensic science.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, we have just been told by Her Honour the Vice-President that the United States of America (USA) and other countries are borrowing from China just like Zambia. She has also told us that there is no crisis in this country and that everything is normal. However, we are aware that some donors, namely the British, Swedish, Irish and Finnish, have withheld their funding for various programmes in Zambia. Apart from the issue of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme, there is a bigger can of worms in the Ministry of General Education. What measures are being put in place to ensure that the Zambian Government instils confidence in the eyes of donors? Donor confidence has been eroded because of corruption, and misappropriation and misapplication of money in Government ministries.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it is true that the British Government, through its international aid agency, has suspended funding to the SCT scheme. However, yesterday morning, I was visited by three British hon. Members of Parliament. After we discussed the matter, they were very happy with the measures that the Government is taking to address the discrepancies in its financial management system.

 

Mr Speaker, whenever the Auditor-General’s Report is published, the Government does not sit idly, but metes out administrative punishment on some of the people who are found wanting, while others are taken to court. The Government does not condone what is going on in certain ministries where there have been reports of misappropriation of Government funds. So, the confidence of investors will be there if only Zambians stop posting sensationalised bad news about what is happening.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Kambita (Zambezi East): Mr Speaker, the Mukula tree has been a subject of discussion for some time now. We had a situation in which some youths decided to invoke their right to effect a citizen’s arrest, but they ended up being arrested. Zambians would like to know how the proceeds of the trade in the Mukula tree are being accounted for. Is there some kind of a policy on the Mukula trade that all of us can use to hold the Government to account over the proceeds of the trade?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who is responsible for forests and related matters, will respond to some of the queries that the hon. Member has raised.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Mr Speaker, our country has experienced many problems to do with chiefdom boundaries and succession wrangles. Has the Government put measures in place to ensure that chiefdom boundaries are resolved and conflicts that are likely to arise from such disputes avoided?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, Zambia’s population is growing and the demand for land is becoming acute. However, we still have a lot of land over which chiefs preside. So, I do not see the reason people have to fight over boundaries.

 

Sir, on several occasions, the Government has said that there are some guidelines that govern chiefdom boundaries and can deal with boundary disputes, that is, the 1958 Chiefdom Boundary Map. We have to abide by the 1958 chiefdom boundaries until such time that the boundaries are re-demarcated. Perhaps, that is when the boundary disputes will come to an end. The chiefs know their territories, and they can advise their village headmen to preside only over land that belongs to them instead of encroaching on other chiefs’ land.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

DEVELOPMENT OF MANTAPALA REFUGEE SETTLEMENT

 

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, I sincerely thank you for according me the opportunity to issue a statement on the development of Mantapala Refugee Settlement in Luapula Province. 

 

Sir, Mantapala Refugee Settlement was established in August, 2017, in response to the influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The establishment of the settlement is in accordance with the Refugees Act No. 1 of 2017, which requires the Government to secure refugee settlements in Zambia. The Government, through the generosity of Her Royal Highness Chieftainess Kanyembo, acquired 6,000 ha of land in Mantapala area for the settlement of the refugees. The new Mantapala Refugee Settlement can hold up to 20,000 refugees.

 

Sir, since August, 2017, Zambia has received more than 20,000 refugees from the DRC. The refugees cross into Zambia through Chienge, Kaputa, Nsumbu, Kipushi, Kakoma, Mokambo, Kasumbalesa and Mpulungu. Mantapala Refugee Settlement, which is in Nchelenge District, hosts only 10,000 refugees because some of the refugees were relocated to Maheba and Mayukwayukwa refugee settlements in the North-Western Province and Western Province, respectively.

 

Sir, at the end of August, 2018, the total number of refugees in the country was 74,641. The majority of them, representing 54 per cent or about 40,000, are from the DRC. The rest, constituting about 45 per cent, are from Rwanda, Angola, Burundi and other parts of the world.

 

Sir, after his visit to Kenani Transit Centre in Nchelenge District on 28^th October, 2017, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, appointed an inter-ministerial steering committee to oversee the development of a new refugee settlement in Luapula Province. It was essential to establish a new refugee settlement in the province because there was overcrowding in the transit centre, as it had limited space and facilities. The inter-ministerial steering committee was made up of hon. Ministers drawn from the Office of the Vice-President, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, and the Luapula Province Administration. The committee has since successfully overseen the establishment of Mantapala Refugee Settlement.

 

Sir, Mantapala Refugee Settlement has been established in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework which was launched last year. The framework ensures that the needs of the refugees are addressed in a co-ordinated and comprehensive manner. My Government is, therefore, implementing various interventions with a view to ensuring that the livelihoods of the refugees and the host communities are sustainable. The framework also ensures that the refugees’ responses feed into the broader development programmes and address not only their development needs, but also those of the host communities.

 

Mr Speaker, my Government has had the support of the UN agencies in responding to the needs of the refugees. In that regard, allow me to take this opportunity to thank the UN Country Co-ordinator, Madam Janet Rogan; the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR); the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF); the World Food Programme (WFP); the World Health Organisation (WHO); and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the support extended to the refugees. International relief agencies, especially World Vision; the Zambia Red Cross; and other partners have also been instrumental in responding to the various needs of the refugees, including the need for basic and life-saving things like food, clean water, tents and health services. To meet the basic needs of the refugees, about US$6.6 million was mobilised under the UN’s Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The money has since been disbursed to various agencies and partners to meet the various basic needs of the refugees.

 

The works undertaken at the settlement include drilling of boreholes to provide safe water, and construction of schools and health and security posts.

 

Sir, while the refugees have been successfully settled at Mantapala, the mobilisation of resources for the sustenance of some of the programmes remains a challenge. The construction of roads to and within the settlement, for example, is yet to be completed. It should be noted that the road from Nchelenge Central Business District (CBD) to Mantapala is in a deplorable state. As a result, service providers are forced to use the longer route through Kawambwa to supply requisites to the settlement. However, I must hasten to mention that the Government, through the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA), has responded by disbursing some funds for that very important road.

 

Sir, there is an urgent need to repair the Nchelenge/Mantapala Road to improve access and ensure efficient delivery of requisites and services. However, owing to limited resources, my Government cannot develop the settlement without the support of other stakeholders. I must, therefore, appeal to the international community, the private sector, humanitarian organisations and, indeed, all people of good will to work with my Government to ease the suffering of the refugees by providing essential infrastructure and services to the settlement.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

Mr Mecha (Chifunabuli): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his statement.

 

Sir, ‒

 

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order on Her Honour the Vice-President.

 

Sir, we, the Opposition Backbenchers are extremely annoyed with the hon. Ministers as well as the Management of Parliament because we feel that we are not protected. The hon. Backbenchers in the Ruling Party are equally not happy with the hon. Ministers. So, why should we maintain peace when we have so many unresolved issues?

 

Sir, I seek your ruling principally on whether we are in order to allow so many injustices in this House. We are extremely annoyed.

 

Hon. Backbenchers: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

This so-called point of order is totally misplaced because this House has a leadership that is well-structured. Firstly, there is the Speaker, who is supported by the First Deputy Speaker and Second Deputy Speaker. The First Deputy Speaker is in charge of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services. On the right, we are led by Her Honour the Vice-President who is the Leader of Government Business in the House. There is also the Chief Government Whip. On the left, there is the Whip for your party, Hon. Dr Musokotwane, who is supported by his deputy, the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabompo Constituency. Above the two, there is the Leader of the Opposition, and all these are channels of communication.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: They do not listen.

 

Mr Speaker: There are structures in Parliament, such as the House Business Committee, which I chair, and you are represented on it.

 

Hon. Opposition Backbenchers interjected.

 

Mr Speaker: Yes, we meet. By the way, ‒

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Let us have order before I send you out of the House.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: The House Business Committee meets three times in each Meeting of the House, namely at the beginning, in the middle and at the end.

 

Hon. Member for Katombola, this is not your place to vent whatever frustrations you are going through.

 

Hon. Opposition Backbenchers: We are very annoyed.

 

Mr Sing’ombe interjected.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Dundumwezi, leave the House.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Sing’ombe left the Assembly Chamber.

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Chifunabuli may continue, please.

 

Mr Mecha: Mr Speaker, some of the refugees who have been trooping into Zambia from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are clearly potential voters in their country and, very soon, the DRC will be going to the polls. I am wondering whether the Ministry of Home Affairs has plans to expedite the repatriation of potential voters among the refugees so that they can go back to the DRC and exercise their right to vote.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I sincerely thank the hon. Member of Parliament for that interesting follow-up question.

 

Sir, the hon. Member and the nation may wish to know that Zambia is chairing the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. As such, Zambia desires to see the DRC go through this transition in an environment that will allow all the eligible voters to exercise their right to choose their leader. So far, we are very happy with the progress that has been made. As you already know, President Kabila will not participate in the election. Therefore, there is a commitment to the roadmap that was agreed upon. There could be some challenges here and there, but it is our hope that some of the outstanding challenges can be addressed before December, 2018, when the Congolese people are expected to go to the polls.

 

Sir, with regard to our Government facilitating the repatriation of refugees so that they can go and take part in their country’s election, I want to say that it is against international conventions to force people to go back to countries where they ran away from due to fear. The repatriation can only be done through formal international mechanisms facilitated by the UNHCR. We have to be cleared, as a host nation, to let the people go back to their countries of origin. There are only two options we can pursue. One is voluntary repatriation, in which the refugees willingly go back to the countries from which they were uprooted. The other option is local integration, which we implemented in the case of the former Angolan refugees, for example, as well as other refugees who have opted to stay in Zambia. There is no provision for the facilitation of refugees’ casting of votes in elections in their homeland.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, –

 

Dr Musokotwane: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Dr Musokotwane: I thank you, Mr Speaker, for according me the opportunity to raise this point of order on Her Honour the Vice-President. I apologise to the hon. Member who was on the Floor. 

 

Sir, on Fridays, there is an opportunity for hon. Members of Parliament to interact with Her Honour the Vice-President through a question-and-answer session. Today – and I am sorry I could not raise the point of order contemporaneously because it is not allowed – I noted that we lost three to four minutes of The Vice-President’s Question Time because she was conveying condolences to her – I cannot remember who it was.

 

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, is it in order for us to lose valuable time for questions and answers in that way when the statement Her Honour the Vice-President made could have been made at some other time so that your hon. Members could be accorded more time to interact with her? At the end of that session, I saw many hon. Members who still wished to ask questions. Was Her Honour the Vice-President in order?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: This point of order, like the previous one, is not competent. As you have already indicated, you could not raise it as it was not opportune. It is worse doing so now. You know what I have said about points of order being raised contemporaneously. So, your point of order cannot qualify. We are deep into some other business already.

 

Let me also repeat what I said earlier. There are leaders and channels of communication here. My door is open. We should not create a crisis where there is none. If you have concerns, you just approach my office and we will discuss them with ease. I now understand where the previous inexplicable point of order ‒ so-called ‒ came from. Again, my doors are open. We can discuss these issues, but this is not the occasion for that.

 

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, what is the Government doing regarding the challenges being experienced, especially in relation to logistics for the District Joint Operations Committees (DJOCs) that play a very important role in the handling of refugees who cross into our country? I am not only speaking about the DJOCs in Kaputa but also for the others in Luapula that face critical challenges with the transport and fuel needed to immediately take refugees who enter the country to the centre that the hon. Minister is talking about. What are we doing to provide logistics to the officers who are doing a very commendable job?

.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I commend the hon. Member and other hon. Members who represent constituencies in the border areas because they play a role when there is an influx of refugees, especially those from the DRC.

 

Sir, let me take this opportunity to say that we, Zambians, should be proud of the peaceful record that we have. It is not pleasing to see people trek over long distances –

 

Hon. Opposition Member: Question!

 

Mr Kampyongo: You can say, “Question!”, but you can run to your hills –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, maintain your temperament.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, it is very interesting –

 

Mr Speaker: Just maintain your temperament still.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, it is sad when violence breaks out in a nation because there is no sitting like we are sitting here to preside over the affairs of the state. People take to their heels regardless of their status in society. Just two weeks ago, we received a gentleman who had just filed in papers to contest in the same elections we are expecting across the border in the DRC, but had run for his life from his country. These are not matters to joke about. So, we must preserve our peace. We can differ politically, but we must understand that we are one people.

 

Sir, it is a challenge to deal with refugees, as the hon. Member has stated. We find children, mostly females, having walked long distances and, sometimes, by the time they get to places where they can get help, they are already in a bad state of health. The Provincial Joint Operation Committees (PJOCs) are the first point of call because they have to screen even the people running away from conflict to ensure that the agitators in the conflict are not among them. After screening the refugees, the PJOCs also have the responsibility of moving the refugees to dignified places where we keep them temporarily before taking them to the refugee settlements.

 

Sir, what we are doing with our co-operating partners is to provide logistical support to the PJOCs in the districts that border countries from which there are regular influxes of refugees.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kasonso (Solwezi West): Mr Speaker, the assistance the hon. Minister is talking about giving to the refugees should, perhaps, be extended to other areas that host refugees. In my constituency, where Meheba, one of the largest refugee camps, is, all the social amenities, such as schools, clinics, hospitals and the small police station there, are overstretched. Are there any means by which the Government can deliberately assist all the refugee-hosting communities to prevent the social amenities from completely breaking down?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Sir, I equally commend the hon. Member for Solwezi West because he has been quite instrumental in the handling of refugees in the area. He and Their Royal Highnesses in the area, Senior Chief Mumena and the others, have been quite supportive of us in hosting refugees in their area for a number of years. I also commend them for participating in the Local Integration Programme for Former Rwandese Refugees that we are currently implementing.

 

Mr Speaker, what we are now doing with the UNHCR is implementing what we are calling the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. Under the framework, we are saying that when we host refugees, we must not forget the host communities. So, through the framework, we are going to address the issues that the hon. Member of Parliament has raised. You must have heard me talk about Mantapala. The social amenities that we are establishing in that settlement, which include schools, clinics and water reticulation facilities, are meant to cater for the host communities as well so that there is easy integration with the refugees they host. Going forward, we shall be well-supported by our co-operating partners.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Malama (Nchelenge): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister was spot-on when he talked about the Mulwe/Mantapala Road. The total estimated budget for working on the road was K1.8 million, but the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has only released K500,000 to date. I would like to find out if the committee that was appointed by His Excellency the President, which is chaired by the hon. Minister, can help us to get the balance from the NRFA. With the onset of the rainy season, we will go back to square one. So, I would like the hon. Minister to expedite the process of securing the funds from the NRFA so that the stretch of road he talked about can be completed.

 

Mr Speaker: That is not a question. Did you intend to ask a question?

 

Mr Malama: Yes, Mr Speaker. Maybe, let me put it this way: I would like to find out from the hon. Minister when the committee will source funds to complete the Mulwe/Mantapala Road.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I sincerely thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Nchelenge for playing a critical role in sensitising the citizens in his constituency to appreciate the challenges that our brothers and sisters face when they cross into the country in huge numbers at one point. That is how it should be, and I think that we should find a role for him to play on the very important committee.

 

Mr Speaker, indeed, the stretch I mentioned in my statement, which is the shortest route from Nchelenge to the settlement, has been bad, and the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development had committed the Government to expediting the works on it. We are discussing with the hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development the possibility of prioritising using the funds that have been released on the crossing points where there are challenges because we could not even access the settlement the last time we went there.

 

Mr Speaker, we are still discussing how the release of the balance can be expedited because if we cannot work on that stretch of road before the onset of the rainy season, it will be very difficult to do so afterwards. So, we are doing everything possible to ensure that the release of the remaining amount of money that was assessed for the project is expedited.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last four questions from the hon. Members for Chasefu, Kabwe Central, Livingstone and, lastly, Mufulira.

 

Mr Zimba (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, I know that screening measures have been put in place in border areas. However, my worry is in areas where people can pass without being detected. Is every refugee or person who comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounted for? Has there ever been a situation in which somebody was diagnosed with Ebola in the process of being screened? 

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the screening is obviously meant to determine who the asylum seeker is in the first place. Mind you, many people take advantage of the influx of people. So, during the screening processes, we are able to isolate people. Like I said, there are combatants among the refugees, sometimes carrying undesirable objects and weapons. So, we have to screen so that only those who qualify to be granted asylum, as stipulated in the relevant Act, are accepted. We also have to determine whether the immigrants are illegal or legitimate. That is why the Immigration Department is critical. Apart from screening people at the entry points, they also monitor their inland movements. You know that we have a huge challenge, especially with the DRC, with which we share the longest border. Where there are illegal entry routes, it is very difficult to monitor the entry of immigrants. However, the issue of immigrants inland is the responsibility of the Immigration Department. So, we hear them everyday saying that they have rounded up people who could have entered Zambia illegally without documentation. They do all that to ensure that all those who cross into our country are documented and accounted for. These are the measures that are in place. The operations continue inland to ensure that those who want to stay illegally are weeded out.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, it appears that there are different sets of rules that we apply when it comes to political asylum seekers. For example, in the same week, we saw, on the southern side, a politician from Zimbabwe who tried to come into Zambia be treated in a certain way while to the north, on the Copperbelt, we saw a politician from another country come into the country and interact freely with the people. As a student of refugee law, I am stuck as to whether we follow what the law says or whether the Immigration Department acts independently. I ask because Zambia has been put on the spotlight.  We have hosted the biggest number of refugees, but there are now questions of whether we have selective laws under the United Nations (UN) regulations and rules. Do we have one set of rules or do we choose who should come in as a political refugee?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I assure Hon. Ngulube, and I know that he, as a legal practitioner, knows very well that everything we do is done within the confines of the law. We have the Refugees Act, which is aligned with international conventions that regulate the movement of people running away for fear.

 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Member has cited two examples of asylum seekers, and I will explain them in their context. I know he must have been referring to the incident involving Mr Tendai Biti. With your permission, I will refer to his incident.

 

Mr Speaker: I am hesitant to grant that permission. I think that you can just outline the policy and the law as briefly as you can and to the extent that the two relate to your statement, if at all.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Yes, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the guidance.

 

Sir, indeed, whatever we do is within the confines of the law. To make things very clear, we hold elections in SADC, of which Zambia is a member, and the elections are observed before, during and after. As I said, we chair the Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. Before chairing the Troika, we were the in-coming chair. As such, we were party to the monitoring of elections in SADC. So, if, for example, Hon. Ngulube, a Zambian politician who lives in Zambia −

 

Mr Ngulube: What an example.

 

Mr Kampyongo: It is the easiest I can think of.

 

Imagine an election held in Zambia is declared free and fair, and everything is done accordingly, but Hon. Ngulube incites the people to take to the streets and cause chaos and a breakdown of law and order, and something happens to those people. I do not think it will be wise, in the first place, for Hon. Ngulube to run into, for example, Tanzania because he will be asked what he will be running away from.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

 

Mr Kampyongo: One must show that one’s fears are justifiable and that one is not running away from the law. If one is running away from the law, there are international treaties, especially with our neighbours, that we follow. That is the reason we go to what we call Joint Permanent Commissions (JPCs) and agree on how to deal with law-breakers, regardless of their status in society. What do you do with a citizen of a neighbouring country who runs away from his country, claiming to be in fear of something? We have memoranda of understanding (MoUs). So, those are what we apply. In short, we bounced off the information to confirm whether it was true. Mind you, we communicate as member states. When we checked with our neighbours, we were given assurances that the subject would be safe and that he would be subjected to the normal processes of justice. We were also asked to send him back. Therefore, we relied on that assurance in sending him back. On the other hand, this country has hosted many people who went on to become Presidents in their countries. You must have seen how President Mnangagwa found himself among his former colleagues in Zambia with whom he was at the University of Zambia (UNZA). He even went to a place where he has relatives. Similarly, if you go to South Africa, some people will tell you how they lived in Mtendere. The former President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, will tell you how he lived in this country.

 

Sir, if a presidential candidate or participant in an election has not committed any crime and is a free citizen of his/her country, there is nothing we can hold against him/her if he/she comes into our country. He/she can come here. However, if we are given what we call a persona non grata by another nation asking us to not allow a person into our territory, then, that is a different matter. There are some people who have lived here, although I think it is not good to mention names. There is someone who went to the Copperbelt, where he had lived for a long time before he went to another country and became a senior politician. So, he is free to come here. However, if we are told that he should not be allowed into Zambia, we can accordingly. Nations communicate through formal channels, including through embassies. In short, there is no selective application of rules when it comes to assessing who should be granted political asylum. They are all treated according to their categories. Procedures are followed when dealing with such cases.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Jere (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, I could see the hon. Minister labouring to answer questions, especially the one by the hon. Member ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Livingstone, what is your question? You are not a commentator.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Jere: Sir, in responding to the question asked by the hon. Member for Chifunabuli, the hon. Minister stated that it is against international law to hand over or force back any person seeking asylum. Was the Government in order to force back one opposition leader to his country of origin?

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, even when I permitted the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to respond, I was very clear that he was to respond to the extent that his response was relevant to his statement. If you want to pursue the subject you are raising outside the context of the statement, ask the hon. Minister a specific question. Let us not bring in another subject. The subject of the hon. Minister’s statement was very clear. Maybe, we have elected to introduce a new subject because we have no further questions on this subject.

 

Mr Kampyongo: That is right!

 

Mr Speaker: I will not permit it.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for his timely statement. However, I want to find out from the hon. Minister what level of preparedness we are at as a nation in terms of the elections that will take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in December, 2018, given the internal politics of that country, which has barred a few politicians from participating in the election?

 

Mr Speaker: I will not allow that question because it also has nothing to do with the ministerial statement.

 

_______

 

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

OUTBREAK OF MYSTERIOUS DISEASE IN CHIFUNABULI

 

34. Mr Mecha (Chifunabuli) asked the Minister of Health:

 

(a)        whether the Government is aware of a mysterious disease that has broken out at Miponda in Chifunabuli Parliamentary Constituency and has so far claimed the lives of teenagers and children below the age of 10;

 

(b)        if so, what the name of the disease is;

 

(c)        what measures the Government is taking to contain the disease; and

 

(d)        how many deaths arising from the disease were recorded from 1st July to 12th September, 2018.

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health and the District Health Management Team (DHMT) received a claim that a mysterious disease had affected Miponda in Chifunabuli Parliamentary Constituency and that it had claimed the lives of teenagers and children below the age of ten. Consequently, the ministry instituted investigations and the results were released by the DHMT with the support of the provincial team. The investigations found that the cases were presenting with fever, headache and vomiting. Laboratory diagnosis revealed that the cases were of severe malaria. This was also confirmed by laboratories of higher accreditation. Therefore, the disease that killed a number of teenagers in Miponda was severe malaria.

 

The following measures have been taken to escalate our response to the disease:

 

1. we quickly escalated the response for malaria elimination in the area by distributing mosquito nets;

 

1. the community was sensitised and community volunteers employed to assist facility staff in promoting health-seeking behaviour;

 

1. in-door residue spraying will be conducted beginning this quarter of the year;

 

1. more human capital was deployed, including clinical officers; and

 

1. we have continued to monitor the situation at Miponda.

 

Mr Speaker, three deaths occurred at Miponda due to severe malaria between 1^st July and 12^th September, 2018.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mecha: Mr Speaker, ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended at 1040 hours until 1100 hours.

 

[MADAM FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Mecha: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to ask a follow-up question.

 

Sir, allow me to thank the hon. Minister for quickly addressing the situation. We are very happy that we now know the disease that rocked the area. In his response, the hon. Minister made reference to two important exercises in Miponda, the first being in-door spraying and the second being the distribution of mosquito nets. Again, I thank him for the fact that most of the people in the area now have mosquito nets. However, I am aware that the utilisation of mosquito nets is very low. According to a survey that the ministry conducted, only two people out of ten use mosquito nets, and that points to weaknesses in the outreach mechanisms that have been put in place. I am also aware that although the in-door spraying exercise has been undertaken in Chifunabuli, Miponda, which is the area in question, was not covered. What mechanisms has the ministry put in place to enhance the outreach programme for the purpose of improving the welfare of the people there and data capturing so that deaths that are recorded outside the rural health centres are also captured by the ministry?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, the elimination of malaria is a top priority for the Government. The distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) is part of our integrated vector control measures. We are engaging the community at various levels, and would like to appeal to hon. Members of Parliament to participate in community sensitisation so that people use the mosquito nets appropriately. We are working with traditional and religious leaders, schools and the communities directly to sensitise them on the need to use mosquito nets only to prevent contact with mosquitoes so that we can eliminate malaria. Yes, we have had surveys conducted, and the utilisation of mosquito nets is very high in some places, but low in others. However, we are not relenting in engaging our people.

 

Madam, we are implementing all the interventions in integrated vector control to scale. Therefore, we are targeting 100 per cent of the population, and Miponda will be one of the areas that will be sprayed. We are going to spray the whole country. The only difference will be in the kind of chemicals that we will use in the different areas. Therefore, we are ensuring that no area is left behind, including Miponda.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Madam Speaker, I was questioning myself over the issue of eradicating malaria by in-door residual spraying and distribution of mosquito nets. The two strategies are used indoors. However, a mosquito breeds outdoors, somewhere in the vegetation, yet nothing is done there. We wait for it to come indoors so we can kill it. Is this the best approach the Government can employ to eradicate mosquitoes? Would it not be better to also follow the mosquito and eliminate it from the ponds, vegetation or bushes where I believe it comes from to bite human beings for survival?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, that is a very intelligent question and I appreciate it very much.

 

Madam, there are many methods we are using to eliminate malaria. However, they can be summed as integrated vector control measures. The ultimate is to prevent contact between the vector of the malaria parasite and the human being. So, we are going to follow the vector wherever there is possible contact, but we are going to target, especially, areas where there is evidence of transmission occurring.

 

Sir, we are confident that transmission through mosquito bites is quite rampant during the night when people are sleeping because the state of alertness of a person then is not the same as when one is awake. That is why we urge people to cover the bed spaces where they sleep with mosquito nets so that there is no contact with mosquitoes. They should also ensure that their households are sprayed so that the presence of the vector there is reduced. However, we know that in the life cycle of a mosquito, the larval stage will probably be in a pond or swampy area. So, we also do what we call larval source control by larviciding or putting chemicals that kill the mosquito larvae at that stage of its life cycle. The control of the vector at that stage is one of the integrated vector control measures. Further, when we insist that people cut long grass, it is for them to remove breeding areas. That is why cleanliness is very important. When there was a cholera outbreak in Lusaka, as we drained the ponds, the mosquito population also slumped and we saw a corresponding decrease in the incidence of malaria. So, the malaria elimination programme integrates measures that include controlling vectors both indoors and outdoors. So, the hon. Member is on terra firma in saying we must follow the mosquito to the source and that is something we are doing. You will see programmes in which council workers or health staff spray chemicals in certain areas just to eliminate the parasites.

 

Madam Speaker, we also undertake mass drug administration exercises in which we give people medicine either in anticipation of an attack or to clear an existing infection. Community-based surveillance requires us to test and treat the contacts of people who come to the hospital and, sometimes, just people in the communities.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: On this Question, I will take the next follow-up questions from the hon. Members of Parliament for Solwezi East, Kabwe Central, Kaputa and Milenge, and I will end with the hon. Member for Sikongo.

 

Mr Kintu (Solwezi East): Madam Speaker, the people of Chifunabuli called the disease mysterious. You know, just as I do, that malaria is a common disease. My question is: Is it the infrastructure that is lacking in Chifunabuli or the incompetence of the clinicians that stopped them from detecting malaria, which is a common disease?

 

Dr Chilufya: Indeed, Madam Speaker, there is inadequate infrastructure to provide primary healthcare services in Chifunabuli. That is the reason the constituency will benefit from the 650 health posts to be constructed. Furthermore, there is a hospital due to be constructed there, and we expect the works to commence in October, 2018. We are dotting infrastructure in strategic places and we rely on outreaches. So, the outreach staff will pick surveillance or intelligence data and report on follow-on actions. Is it a matter of incompetence? No.

 

Madam, severe malaria presents itself in very unique and different ways. It can present with what we call blackwater fever, in which case there is just bloody urine. Severe malaria can also put somebody in a coma. It can be diabetic coma or a coma due to many other effects in the head. It is a differential diagnosis in many conditions that appear in that severe state. Therefore, I would not say the members of staff were incompetent. They merely needed a little more support to pin-point the real disease. If there is hyperparasitemia, that is, a heavy presence of the parasite in the blood; hyperpyrexia, a high fever; or a person is already comatose, there are too many things that run through the health worker’s mind. The competence levels match the care provided at any given level. So, it was a case that needed to be investigated the way it was investigated.

 

Madam, the Government is already responding to the issues of infrastructure.

 

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, the disease, which was called “mysterious”, claimed the lives of innocent children. I do not know why the hospital staff could not detect that it was malaria. If it was really malaria, why were the patients not just given malaria treatment? Was it because the disease broke out at the time when there was an allegation that the hospitals did not have any drugs for curing such diseases?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, it is important for me to state that the report calling the disease mysterious came from the affected community, not from healthcare staff. We have had reports from communities of suspected Ebola or other diseases that we, then, move in with our staff to investigate. Our members of staff respond to the information they get from the community. Unfortunately, the community in question did not report the cases to the clinic first. Also, they reported after the fourth case. When we investigated that case, we realised that it was just severe malaria. Then, we went backwards to investigate previous cases. 

 

Madam Speaker, when patients were taken to the hospital, we started giving them anti-malarial drugs. The ones who died in the community died before contact with health workers.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Madam, malaria can be very serious, especially among children and pregnant women. We have had experiences with it in Kaputa, and I know that it is possible for people to call it a mysterious disease. However, the challenge that we faced was that many people get infected and so many of them go to the clinics and hospitals that the facilities run out of drugs for curing the disease. What has the ministry done to ensure that clinics in areas where there is an outbreak of the disease do not run out of the first line of defence, which are the required medicines?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, there are framework contracts that we use to manage the supply chain for many drugs, including anti-malarial ones, of which we have adequate stocks in the country. Additionally, to ensure that at the last mile, that is, at the clinic, there is consistent supply of anti-malarial drugs, we have decentralised Medical Stores Limited. Now, the provincial capitals do not have to send staff to Lusaka to collect drugs because there are Medical Stores Limited hubs in various provinces. So, the distances have been reduced and, therefore, there is efficiency in delivering medicines to the clinics. Furthermore, we have prioritised anti-malarial drugs. In the medium to long term, we are targeting elimination so that we do not just fire-fight by treating. We are taking measures to eliminate malaria while managing the supply chain to ensure the consistent availability of drugs at the last mile.

 

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Madam, I am compelled to ask this question as a follow-up on the hon. Member for Chifunabuli’s statement that out of ten mosquito nets distributed, only two are used effectively, which is a ratio of 1:5. That is a very serious concern. The Government has done its part and cannot be blamed. Sensitisation has been done. It is just like the word of God. Everybody has heard it. Equally, the importance of mosquito nets is known. In the President’s Speech, it is said that over 10,000,000 mosquito nets were distributed. The use of mosquito nets for fishing is not only unacceptable but also very embarrassing. Is the hon. Minister in a position to call for a meeting so that all of us, hon. Members of Parliament from Luapula Province, can come up with punitive measures against those who use mosquito nets for fishing?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, with your permission, we are in the process of arranging a workshop for hon. Members of Parliament to sensitise them and equip them with information and methodologies to help us at the frontline in sensitising the public to the use of mosquito nets. The problem the hon. Member has raised is grave, and I must state that it is worse in fishing areas. We will engage Parliamentarians as key stakeholders in the dissemination of this information as soon as we finish with the administrative procedures of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Madam Speaker, when patients go to most health institutions, they find that there are no drugs. Is the hon. Minister sure that there were drugs in the health facilities in Chifunabuli? Further, are there any guidelines on how health staff can manage severe cases of malaria in a health institution? Are there guidelines that can be followed even by those who do not know how to handle malaria cases?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, first of all, there is no clinic in Miponda. The people go to whichever clinic is nearest to them. Those who initially succumbed to the disease had not even sought health care.

 

Madam, I must emphasise that there are guidelines on how to diagnose and treat simple malaria, and what to do when there is a case of severe malaria. Therefore, a health worker at a primary healthcare facility will carry out a rapid diagnostic test. If he/she picks out malaria and determines that there are no signs of severity like high fever, high density of parasites, coma or convulsions, which I talked about earlier, then, the patient will be started on the first-line treatment. If there are any symptoms that suggest severity, the patient is not only to be given the initial doses, but is also to be referred to the next level, where competences are higher and the supportive equipment is more advanced because severe malaria can cause kidney failure, and one cannot find renal dialysis machines at primary health care facilities. Therefore, a patient needs to be in a general hospital to have support for the kidneys. In case of coma, again, the patient needs the support of health staff in a higher-level health facility.

 

Madam, the medicines for treatment of simple malaria and start doses for severe cases are available at primary health care facilities. This is because before severe cases are referred, the patients are administered with the start dose. This is the reason most general hospitals in all the provinces are installing renal dialysis machines and intensive care units. Human capital at the level of consultant is also being deployed there so that the referrals from the lower levels do not need to get to Lusaka or the Copperbelt, as they can be dealt with at the local level.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS AT KALENGWA MINE

 

35. Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe) asked the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development:

 

1. when operations at the Kalengwa Mine in Mufumbwe Parliamentary

Constituency will commence;

 

1. what has caused the delay in commencing the operations

 

1. what the name of the investor is ; and

 

1. which minerals will be mined?

 

The Minister of Mines and Minerals development (Mr Musukwa): Madam Speaker, operations will commence at Kalengwa Mine once the company conducting exploration in the area finds a mineral resource of economic value. The House may wish to note that any mining activity is preceded by exploration and that only when a deposit of economic value has been discovered can a mining operation commence.

 

Madam, the delay in commencing operations has been largely caused by legal challenges over the ownership of the mine.

 

Madam, the name of the investor is Euro Kalengwa Mine Limited.

 

The mineral being targeted by the investor is copper.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Kamondo: Madam Speaker, of late, a company called Moxico has been going round Mufumbwe purporting that it is going to open a mine in that area. Is the Government aware of the mining firm?

 

Mr Musukwa: Madam, like I have indicated, the mine in question has been shrouded in many legal challenges arising from the dispute over the true owners of the mine between Euro Kalengwa and Hetro Mining vs Lunga Resources. What we have on our platform is that Euro Kalengwa, who are the actual owners of the mine, are discussing with Moxico Resources with a view to transferring the share before the operations can start. The Government’s focus is on ensuring that any exploration activity leads to a mining operation. In this case, the exploration has gone on over ten years, which is not consistent with the law. Therefore, we are in a hurry to find an amicable solution so that a mining operation can start in Mufumbwe and people in that area can be supported with jobs. The Government can also generate the much-needed revenue.

 

I thank you, Madam, Speaker.

 

Ms Tambatamba (Kasempa): Madam Speaker, there have been quite a few tenements where there have been similar problems of wrangling between potential owners. Katoka Mema in Kasempa is one of them. Has the ministry put in place any measures to resolve those kinds of wrangles in good and economic time? I ask because the wrangles are causing a loss of potential benefits in terms of job creation as well as other economic benefits likely to accrue to the communities where such operations are supposed to take place?

 

Mr Musukwa: Madam, like the hon. Member has indicated, it is regrettable that there are many disputes over the ownership of mining licences, especially in the North-Western Province. However, I wish she had raised the issue of Katoka Mema on its own because it is a huge undertaking that involves many chiefs and locals. Suffice it for me to state that the Government is engaging all the stakeholders because most of the issues are in the courts of law. Actually, that is what has delayed the decision-making process. We have been waiting on court processes.

 

I am glad that as of last week, Friday, there had been a court ruling on the Katoka Mema Mine case. I hope that the operation, in terms of the mine plan, will begin quickly. It has delayed in terms of the economic value for our people and, in the process, promoted a lot of illegal exploitation of the resources in the area. I hope that the hon. Members from the good province of the North-Western will sit with Their Royal Highnesses and the communities so that we can continue to promote the exploitation of the resources just like we have developed the three big mines that are already operating in the province. I am sure we can develop more mines of that nature, which can help develop the province.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube: Madam Speaker, if we look at the country’s cadastral map, most of the small-scale mining licences, large-scale prospecting licences and large-scale mining areas in Zambia have been taken up. However, the number of operational mines is almost zero. In Zambia, there is the practice that even people without money can just lock up a place and keep investors from mining or doing any business there because the chiefs or the community will fight for a mine when they do not even know the cost of the excavator. Does the ministry have in place a deliberate policy to ensure that all the minerals that we are sitting on are exploited? I am sure the ministry is aware that it is pointless for people to continue fighting to hold on to mining areas when the investors who should be employing them and paying taxes to the Government are kept away. Further, does the hon. Minister not see the possibility that in the future, we will be like some countries whose mining sectors no investor wants to invest in?

 

Madam Speaker, one thing I know is that even if the case is in court, the ministry can still decide as to who the owner of the area is. What we have now is a situation in which almost the whole of the North-Western Province has only two mines that are operating. The rest of the areas have court ‒

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: What is the question, hon. Member?

 

Mr Ngulube: Madam Speaker, the question is: Does the hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development have a deliberate plan to ensure that people without plans or money and just want to hold on to areas for a very long period do not continue doing that? Such people even take others to court and block proper investors who are willing to exploit minerals, thereby depriving the Government of revenue. They are also depriving communities of jobs, and the country of development.

 

Mr Musukwa: Mr Speaker, as a preface, I would like to state that the Government of the Republic of Zambia would like to ensure that the exploitation of our mineral resources by both local and foreign investors is supported. Much more importantly, it would like to see foreigners partner with Zambians to develop mineral resources. I want to state further that, yes, there are many licences held by various mining houses, both foreign and local, which have not been developed. They are being held for speculative reasons. In fact, for most of them, people are using them to make money by trading them on the stock exchange and the money they make does not come to Zambia. It is externalised. These are the leakages in financial flows that the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development would like to seal.

 

In terms of the provisions of the law, we are on firm ground. When we issue mining and exploration licences, there are conditions of grant among which is the provision that if an operation does not start within ninety days, the ministry has the mandate to cancel the licence. That is what we have started doing. We are cleaning up all the licences that are not active whether they are held by locals or foreigners.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Madam, I just want to make a follow-up on Hon. Ngulube’s question.

 

Madam, it is very annoying that we cannot make progress because people are holding on to mining licences for speculative reasons.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mbulakulima: As the hon. Minister has said, those licences have expiry periods. Why have we not taken advantage of that to cancel the licences when they expired? The hon. Minister has tried to explain that, but when are we going to see action taken so that the North-Western Province, for example, is freed? Only two mining companies are operating in the province while the rest of the area is locked up. The same is the case with Luapula Province and many other places.

 

Mr Musukwa: Madam, the hon. Member is right to say that for a long time, most of these mining houses that we are talking about, including Euro Kalengwa Mine, are in this situation. They have gone beyond their time threshold in terms of the provisions of the licence. This has been a result of the abuse of court processes. Most of them have put legal caveats on the licence areas and, as a law-abiding Government, we have been respecting the provisions of the law. However, we feel very strongly that the abuse of the court processes to keep the mineral resources from being exploited cannot go on unchecked. The Government is in a hurry to mobilise resources locally from the mining industry, which must make a huge contribution to our gross domestic product (GDP).

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF LUMANGWE AND KUNDABWIKA HYDROPOWER PLANTS

 

36. Mr Ng’onga asked the Minister of Energy:

 

1. when the construction of Lumangwe and Kundabwika Hydro Power plants will commence;

 

1. what the cause of the delay in commencing the projects is;

 

1. who the contractor for each project is; and

 

1. what the time frame for the completion of each project is.

 

The Minister of Energy (Mr Nkhuwa): Madam Speaker, Kundabwika Falls and Kabwelume Falls Hydropower Scheme (Kalungwishi) was awarded following a tender process in 2007.

 

Madam, the project was being developed by a private company called Lunzua Power Authority. An implementation agreement granting development rights to the developer was signed on 22^nd August, 2011. I wish to state, however, that a letter of termination was written to the developer on 31^st July, 2018.

 

The Lumangwe Falls has not been earmarked for a power generation project and is not part of the projects the ministry is co-ordinating.

 

Madam Speaker, the developer could not meet certain benchmarks prescribed in the implementation plan, such as the documentation relating to the power purchasing agreement (PPA), Government support agreement (GSA), water permits from the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA), land lease agreement and a concession agreement with the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC).

 

The construction period for the Kalungwishi Hydropower Scheme is supposed to be four years.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ng’onga: Madam Speaker, I ask this follow-up question as a very disappointed Member of Parliament.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’onga: Madam, the people of the Northern Province, those in Kaputa, Mporokoso, Kawambwa, Nchelenge and Chienge, have been waiting for the development of the Kalungwishi Hydropower Project since 2007. Even our chiefs were very excited when people went to tell them that the project would go on. Therefore, I am taken aback to be told that the project was terminated in August, 2018. What plan, therefore, is in place for the development of the project, which is very important to the people of the Northern Province and Luapula Province?

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Madam Speaker, the contract was actually terminated on 31^st July, 2018, as there was no work being done. The developer failed to meet the benchmarks. However, the ministry is in the process of preparing tender documents to bring in a new company that can develop the project. I also want to say that the President of the Republic of Zambia is equally concerned about the project and follows up with the ministry to ensure that it works on the project very quickly. The plant is projected to produce about 240 MW.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Ng’onga: Madam Speaker, the people of Kaputa, Mporokoso and Kawambwa want to attract huge investments to their areas. However, their areas lack sustainable power supply. Is there anything that can be done about power supply in the immediate future before the power plant comes on-stream so that big investors can be attracted to those areas?

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Madam, we have plans to extend the electricity grid around the country so that the power that will be generated by the power plant will be enjoyed even by people in Livingstone. Also, even when there is no power from that plant, the people in the area will be able to enjoy power from Kafue Gorge Power Station. The Kafue Gorge Lower Power Project is at 65 per cent completion and should be completed by 2020. Therefore, we are going to add 750 MW to the grid and, when we do that, we will definitely have to ensure that there are off-takers, and the areas to which the hon. Member has referred will be among the off-takers.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: I will take the next questions from the hon. Member for Solwezi West and the hon. Member for Nalikwanda, and end with the hon. Member for Chifunabuli.

 

Mr Kasonso (Solwezi West): Madam Speaker, the issue of completing hydropower projects is not restricted to the two power stations under discussion. There is also a challenge with Kabompo Hydropower Station, where close to 40 per cent of works were executed. The station should have been operating and providing power to the people of Zambia by 2014. However, to date, no progress has been made beyond the 40 per cent stage. The project has stalled despite the promoters having spent money on it, yet the ministry is not engaging sufficiently with the promoters and various other stakeholders to resolve the various challenges that the project faces. The people of Solwezi and Mwinilunga were very excited about the project but, to date, they have not benefitted from it. What is going on?

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister of Energy, answer the general question concerning the non-engagement of stakeholders and the delay in the implementation of the project.

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Madam Speaker, thank you for the guidance. Maybe, I can give the hon. Member a bonus answer to the question he has asked. 

 

The situation with the developers of the project he has referred to is ‒ and I will just give of-the-cuff figures, not exact ones ‒ that they want to supply their power to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (Zesco) at 14 cents per kWh and that Zesco must, then, sell it back to them at 8 cents per kWh. Practically, what they are trying to do is not attainable. It is not a business model that the Government can accept. If people are going to come up with tariffs that the general public is not going to accept, then, the Government is not going to accept them as well. So, only at such a time that the developers redesign their power plant to produce electricity cost-effectively shall we get back to the table and discuss. We want to procure energy at an acceptable price so that tomorrow, the hon. Member will be happy and not ask me how the Government could have procured power at 14 cents per kWh and, then, resold it at 8 cents. So, the Government is trying to protect the public at large.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Madam Speaker, –

 

Mr Ngulube: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Ngulube: Madam Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to raise a point of order.

 

Madam, two days ago, we heard that the President had decided to terminate the services of the hon. Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare. Following that decision, yesterday, we were informed that the Board of Directors at the Zambia Postal Services Corporation (Zampost) had also decided to suspend four directors following what we can call a scam relating to the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme.

 

Madam Speaker, my point of order is on the hon. Minister of Transport and Communication. Is he in order to remain silent when members of the Board of Directors at Zampost who are supposed to be investigated as culprits in the SCT scheme scam, have suspended four directors? Are they in order to suspend the four officers of Zampost when, in fact, the investigation must also be extended to them?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: My ruling is that, yes, there is a need for the Government to come to this House and clarify the action that has been taken concerning this issue, which has led to the President taking action on one or two members of the Executive. We now see that different quasi-Government institutions are also taking action related to the same issue. In this regard, I would like the Government, through Her Honour the Vice-President, to come and update the House on the measures that are being taken as well as the Government’s position vis-à-vis the many different quasi-Government institutions.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Your Honour the Vice-President, it will be in the best interest of the Executive to update the nation, through this House, so that the public is properly advised of the actions the Government is taking. Your Honour the Vice-President, please, we would like to have a statement issued to the House.

 

That is my ruling.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Prof. Lungwangwa: Madam Speaker, like the hon. Member for Kaputa, I am disappointed because a 31 per cent coverage of power means that the greater part of our country is in the dark. When we go to most of our rural constituencies, we find they are in the dark. Further, the development of energy in our country is a national development programme that we have been wrestling with for quite some time. The hon. Minister has been directed to look at it comprehensibly and come up with a plan that will increase coverage. Can he inform the House whether his ministry has a comprehensive energy development plan on which he can report to the House from time to time to appraise us on how the country would be doing in developing energy comprehensively for increased coverage of our country? I know that in 2007, all the hon. Members of Parliament then were requested to indicate areas in their constituencies they wished to see electrified, and a big document was compiled by the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). That is the document the authority is currently using. However, the Government has not been reporting to the House on the programme. When can we see the plan in the House, assuming it exists?

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Madam Speaker, it looks like we have now gone into general questions from the initial Question that was raised. Nonetheless, I will answer.

 

Madam, there is a plan of the projects that we are working on in the ministry. Like I said earlier, we are engaging more people and tendering for some more works. There are three more hydropower stations that we want to develop. There are also the renewable energy projects that we are working on. I promise that before the end of this Session, I will issue a ministerial statement and lay on the Table a list of the projects we are working on.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Mecha: Madam Speaker, I stand to be corrected if I got the hon. Minister wrong. In his response to the principal Question on when the construction of Lumangwe and Kundabwika Hydropower plants will start, the hon. Minister clearly indicated that the Government had no immediate plans to commence those projects. However, in responding to a follow-up question asked by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kaputa Constituency, he indicated that the Government was about to start processing tender documents for the projects, which he had indicated were not in the plan. Where has the ministry derived the authority to process tender documents for projects that are not in the plan?

 

Mr Nkhuwa: Madam Speaker, I think I need to correct the hon. Member. I said that the Lumangwe Falls has not been earmarked for a power development project and that it is not part of the projects that the ministry is co-ordinating. The Kundabwika and Kabwelume Falls Hydropower Scheme or Kalungwishi Hydropower Scheme is the one whose contract was cancelled and the one that we are going to re-tender. That is what I said.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

_______

 

MOTION

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Madam, from the outset, allow me to pay tribute to the late hon. Member of Parliament for Mangango, Mr Naluwa Mwene, may his soul rest in peace.

 

Madam Speaker, let me now move on to the President’s Speech and interrogate it in its entirety.

 

The speech presented to this House by His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu on Friday, last week, was a mere academic exercise to fulfil a constitutional requirement.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Michelo: There was absolutely nothing in it. The entire speech was not even backed by figures.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Michelo: So, I can only liken it to a Tom and Jerry type of presidential speech.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, the entire President’s Speech was leaking and not inspiring at all. I am sure that there is no person in his/her right frame of mind who can start praising it. When I listened to this speech, I developed goose bumps because our economy is currently suffering from a negative energy balance, which the Patriotic Front (PF) has limited capacity to bring to normalcy.

 

Madam Speaker, the theme for this year’s President’s Speech is:

 

“Working Together to Achieve Vision 2030”.

 

I do not think that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his team, which is on your right, can manage to bring development to this country because they lack the capacity.

 

Hon. Government Member: Question!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, my colleagues can question me, but the fact remains that they are not going to manage to bring development.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Michelo: Anyway, for people of Malawian origin, I understand.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Bweengwa!

 

May you withdraw that statement and debate through the Chair.

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

 

Hon. Government Members: Withdraw what you said.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Withdraw the reference to a country that is a neighbour of Zambia.

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, let me withdraw the truth. I withdraw.

 

Madam Speaker, the vision of the PF is to make Zambia a more industrious, prosperous, peaceful, stable, united, democratic and inclusive society under the “One Zambia, One Nation” motto. However, what is happening currently is a total shame. The country is in a shambolic state. I say so because most of the development is going one side of the country.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Mr Michelo: Even the motto of “One Zambia, One Nation” no longer makes sense in Zambia because the motto has now become ‘One Zambia, One Chipata’.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

 

Mr Michelo: I will justify that.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Bweengwa, you are really not helping yourself. Your debate should flow. When you bring in insinuations − take your seat. I am addressing you.

 

Mr Michelo resumed his seat.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Your debate should flow. However, it will only flow if you focus on the President’s Address and avoid becoming personal and bringing in insinuations that are helpful neither to you nor to the House. So, I will allow you to debate but, please, focus on the statement and avoid bringing in negative issues that are going to attract reactions from the right. We want to hear your view on the statement.

 

Please, continue with your debate.

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, thank you for your advice. I welcome it. However, what I am trying to debate are the facts in this country.

 

Mr Mukosa: Which facts?

 

Mr Michelo: The fact is that there is no development in the areas we come from. We have only seen some of the infrastructure like tarred roads, but there is no way one can start beautifying or constructing tarred roads that lead to places where one can only sell rats by the roadside. One cannot do that.

 

Mr Mukosa: On a point order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chinsali, take your seat.

 

Mr Michelo: Our colleagues cannot continue developing social roads. Let them go to the Southern Province and build the Kafue/Mazabuka and Monze/Namwala roads. Those are economic roads, not the social roads that the Government is building, which are full of people selling mwanja on the roadside. We cannot allow that as Zambians.

 

Dr Chibanda: Mwalacitenshi?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, the way this Government and its leader, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, have become international beggars is not helping our country.

 

Ms Subulwa: Which beggars?

 

Mr Michelo: There is no way the President and all his hon. Ministers can become international beggars. Imagine, fifty-four years after Independence, they are still trotting from one country to another asking for money when we can manage on our own.

 

Hon. Opposition Member: Shame!

 

Mr Michelo: Shame, indeed!

 

Mr Mukosa: How is that related to the speech?

 

Mr Michelo: It is 100 per cent related to the speech. Anyway, I forgive the people of Malawian origin.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister, take your seat. Points of order are not going to be allowed, as earlier stated by the Hon. Mr Speaker.

 

I am listening to you, hon. Member for Bweengwa.

 

Please, continue.

 

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Michelo: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, this is one Zambia, one nation, and we should not turn it into one Zambia, one Chipata. This is our country. There are some people currently, even in this honourable House, who are saying that when Edgar Lungu is out of State House in 2021 –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: You address him as ‘President Lungu’.

 

Mr Michelo: He is “President Lungu” as well, Madam. That is what I have been saying.

 

Madam, there are people who think that when President Lungu is out of office in 2021, we would do better to have a Chinese for a President instead of a Zambian, which is a shame to this country.

 

Hon. Government Members:  Ah!

 

Mr Michelo: We, Zambians, are not going to allow that.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Take your seat, hon. Minister.

 

Hon. Members on my right, you are not helping the situation. Granted, the hon. Member for Bweengwa is giving the House a little discomfort, but he is expressing his opinion.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: As long as he is within the rules of the House and is not using unparliamentary language, he will be allowed to continue with his debate. So, I urge you to take note of what he is saying so that you can, at the right time, correct the impression he is creating.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: He has said that there are some people who are saying they would like to have a Chinese for a President. That is his opinion.

 

Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, the hon. Member for Bweengwa has the right to come to this House and debate just like everybody else.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: My role here is to help him to debate within the rules of the House, which I have just explained. So, let us allow the debate to continue. The time will come, sometime next week, for the right to respond. As I have said repeatedly, the hallmark of leadership is to be able to sit while things that you do not like are being said, but listen, anyway.

 

Hon. Member for Bweengwa, continue with your debate. I think by now you know the rules of debate. Ensure that you debate within those rules.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, I thank you for your wise counsel to some of our friends who have been here for some time –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Continue with your debate or I will curtail it.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Michelo: Madam Speaker, what I was trying to bring to the attention of the honourable House is that the leadership that the PF is providing to the people of Zambia is not inspiring. The entire PF Government, starting from the President to the last man, is failing this nation. We are not going anywhere and if we, the people of Zambia, allow this Government to rule us beyond 2021, I think even dogs will start eating better than us.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: That reference to us must be withdrawn.

 

Mr Michelo: I withdraw it, Madam Speaker. However, the fact is that some of the hon. Ministers’ dogs eat better than the poor in Zambia.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Bweengwa, take your seat. We will give the Floor to the hon. Member for Mulobezi.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chabi: Ema maiden speech, aya!

 

Mr Mandumbwa (Mulobezi): Madam Speaker. Let me start by paying my respect to the memory of our colleague, the late Hon. Naluwa Mwene, Member of Parliament for Mangango, may his soul rest in peace.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ngulube: Maiden Speech!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Madam Speaker, I thank you for granting me the opportunity to deliver my maiden speech in this august House ...

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chabi: After two years!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: ... not only on my behalf but also on behalf of the hardworking people of Mulobezi Constituency.

 

I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to the people of Mulobezi for entrusting me with the responsibility of representing them in Parliament. I assure them that I will strive to channel their aspirations, views and concerns to this august House. I will not disappoint them because they showed courage in electing me as an Independent Member of Parliament, which is an indication of true democracy, and the willingness and courage of the electorate to choose their representative, regardless of whether that representative is standing on a political party ticket or as an independent, as long as they feel confident that  he/she is the right person to do the job they want done in Parliament.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Madam Speaker, allow me to also thank my family, particularly my wife and children, for their unwavering support. They tirelessly toiled with me and patiently helped me during my campaigns until the very last minute when the ballots were cast. They also rejoiced with me when I came out victorious.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: I will remain forever grateful to them for their support and understanding.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Member: Ema Independent, aba!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Even when I am far from them here, in Lusaka, I still benefit from their encouragement.

 

Madam, the support I got from my campaign team cannot go without mention. Those who walked for miles on end in all parts of the constituency to campaign for me are the true winners. Their names may not be known publicly across the nation, but without them, I would not be here.

 

Madam Chairperson, other people deserving special mention include those who supported me financially. I thank all my friends and supporters sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

 

Madam Speaker, Mulobezi, like most rural constituencies, has a number of challenges that include poor road infrastructure, inadequate health and education facilities as well as a lack of personnel in those facilities.

 

Madam Speaker, poor road facilities make it difficult for farmers in my constituency to access markets for their produce.

 

Hon. PF Member: Question!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Inadequate health facilities place on my constituents the burden of walking long distances to access health care. In this regard, my constituents need more health facilities. In addition, more schools are needed so that children do not have to walk long distances, thereby risking their lives in order to get an education to better their lives in the future.

 

Madam Speaker, for the duration I will remain in this august House, I intend to keep talking about the issues to be addressed by the Executive so that the people in my constituency can benefit from the national cake and the developmental efforts of the Government.

 

Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Madam Speaker, I thank you, once again, for giving me the opportunity to present my maiden speech.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. PF Members: Now, to the President’s Speech.

 

Mr Mandumbwa: Not today.

 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to debate on the President’s Speech, which was delivered to the House on Friday, last week. May I begin by commiserating with the family of our late colleague, Hon. Bruce Naluwa Mwene, on his untimely demise. May his soul rest in peace. Blessed be his soul.

 

Madam Speaker, let me begin by saying that Zambia is faced with a multitude of problems and challenges that must be met head-on. The Government must address them with speed because we have no time. If we delay, this country will collapse economically, socially and politically.

 

Madam Speaker, the purpose of the President’s Speech, which is presented before the Budget Speech, is simply to set the tone and provide the framework and policy direction within which the Budget that will be announced on Friday should fall.

 

Madam Speaker, for me, the urgent challenges that must be addressed include, to start with, the debt crisis. I know that the Patriotic Front (PF) does not want to hear the phrase ‘debt crisis’. Unfortunately, they have to hear it because it is a reality today. Another challenge is corruption. Corruption is so rampant in this country that it has become a culture. The “natolafye, ukutola tekwiba iyo” culture must stop because it is destroying Zambia.

 

 Hon. UPND Member: Ubomba mwibala!

 

Mr Lufuma: The other challenges this country is facing today are poverty, hunger and unemployment. There is also a lack of equitable distribution of the resources of Zambia in terms of development. The last challenge I will talk about if I will have time relates to good governance, democracy and the rule of law. I would like to make special reference to political dialogue, which has eluded this nation since 2016. Those are the issues I will talk about.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to share with my colleagues here, especially the PF hon. Members, a quotation I found very interesting. It reads:

 

“Whereas a fool spendeth all that which he earns and even squanders that which he hath borrowed on top, a wise man saveth and spendeth prudently”.

 

Madam Speaker, the wise save and spend prudently. The question that comes directly to Zambia is: Are we wise? Have we been saving and spending money prudently? Let me give an example: At the time the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) left power, in August or September, 2011, we had foreign exchange reserves equivalent to four months of import cover.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: Today, we have reserves equivalent only to one-and-a-half months of import cover. This is a fact. How does the PF Government value its performance?

 

Hon. UPND Members: Zero!

 

Mr Lufuma: Is it going up or down? My colleagues need not answer me because they know what it means. No wonder, they sing the popular “Dununa Reverse” song. They are going in reverse gear.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, this country is going in reverse.

 

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, at the rate we have been borrowing, it seems that we shall soon drown in debt. We are already swimming in debt. Soon, we shall drown in it. Is this what Zambians want?

 

Hon. UPND Member: No!

 

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, according to the figures provided by the hon. Minister of Finance, public debt is almost at 60 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). It might be above 50 per cent, but let us say it is 60 per cent because our colleagues have not been as transparent as they are supposed to be in disclosing the debt levels. However, we have our own sources and know that the debt is almost 60 per cent of the GDP. That is colossal. Put in context, the structure of the PF’s 2018 National Budget is 50 per cent salaries and 10 per cent Government operations. If one adds the two, one comes up with 60 per cent of the Budget. Further, 30 per cent to 35 per cent of the Budget is for debt servicing. How does the hon. Minister of Finance hope to provide the socioeconomic infrastructure that is yearned for by citizens using the remaining 5 per cent of the Budget? Only 5 per cent of the Budget is left for the provision of goods and services, and for socioeconomic infrastructure like schools, teachers, health centres and drugs in hospitals. When you go to hospitals, you hardly find any drugs. If you find drugs like anti-retrovirals (ARVs), they are already expired. Further, pupils sit on the floor because classrooms have no desks. Some classrooms are pole-and-daka, fifty-four years after Independence. Honestly, does the Executive think it is doing a good job? Does it think Zambians will be happy with this situation? 

 

Madam Speaker, the President talked about the recruitment of 2,000 teachers in his speech. He also says that we will recruit 3,000 more before the fall of this year to take the total to 5,000. However, the attrition rate of teachers is 10,000. So, how do you hope to provide quality education with no teachers? There is no teacher in Mbulundu and Chifuwe South, and hardly any at Lunyuwe Primary School. Those schools are in my constituency, yet you expect the pupils in those areas to go to school. How can that happen? In certain primary schools, there is only one teacher who is also called the headteacher. For heaven’s sake, how can you be a headman without villagers? How can you be a headboy or headgirl without fellow pupils?

 

Laughter 

 

Mr Lufuma: You call such teachers headteachers without shame. These are symptoms of a failure of this Government’s leadership. People must think about what should be done.

 

Mr Mutale: Question!

 

Mr Lufuma: This is a challenge to the people listening; the citizens. The PF came in and told them sugar-coated words about more money in the pockets. You are there (pointing at the Frontbench) happy and saying, “This is it”. What we forgot to ask is: More money in whose pocket?

 

Mr Mwiinga: In their pockets.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Corruption!

 

Mr Lufuma: We have seen more money in the leadership’s pockets.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lufuma: We have seen people who were with us, as poor as I am, amass unimaginable amounts of wealth beyond their means within one year. The question is: How and why? This is what is causing what is called the debt crisis. There is a lot of greed, selfishness and avarice. In case you do not know the meaning of the word ‘avarice’, I will explain. It is an insatiable appetite for wealth. That is what is causing the debt crisis. No wonder you are refusing to acknowledge the debt crisis. Everybody else has seen the crisis except the PF Government. You are living in denial.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Mr Lufuma: Wake up, smell the coffee and start acting accordingly. Otherwise, we will not have a country worth talking about in two years. You will be bankrupt. Even the Chinese on whom you are depending will not be there to assist you. I heard some people defend the loans from China and saying that the Chinese are good. However, the Chinese of yesterday are completely different from the Chinese of today. Those of the past were communists, but those of today are capitalists, hon. Members.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Mr Mweetwa: What are you questioning?

 

Mr Lufuma: The modern Chinese give you huge loans, but loans do not come free. They have conditionalities. As soon as you fail to pay back, the Chinese will come and get something. You cannot go to the bank and get a loan without offering collateral, and when you fail to pay the loan, the bank will get the collateral. That is what will happen and that is the reason citizens are complaining. Their land is being annexed by the Chinese left, right and centre, as if land acquisition is going out of fashion.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Mr Lufuma: You are seated there and saying, “Question!”. You must be serious.

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Kabompo, it is because you are not addressing the Chair. Can you, please, debate through the Chair.

 

Mr Lufuma: You go about talking about debt sustainability and throwing debt thresholds here and there. We have reached the thresholds set by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of 40 per cent of GDP. External debt is almost at 60 per cent of the public debt. These are the thresholds, and you know them. To the common man, debt sustainability means the Government being able to meet its obligations. Are there teachers, schools, health centres and feeder roads? You just talk about tarred roads going to Ministers’ private houses and call that developing the country. The Copperbelt Province and Lusaka Province are not Zambia. In Kabompo, there are some roads on which we have not seen a grader.

 

Mr Kampyongo interjected.

 

Mr Lufuma: I am talking about Kabompo, hon. Minister. Generally, you are not developing the rural areas. You said that agriculture would be the centre of activities and growth, yet you deny the rural areas the necessary feeder roads. How are you going to open up the market? You do not maintain any bridges. So, how are you going to open up the market? You have reduced the price of maize from K85 to K65, yet you expect the farmer to engage in agricultural production. You are doing everything possible to ensure that the farmer fails and that there is no diversification. As a Government, these are some of the issues you should be looking at. It is like a father who has borrowed money from Mr Sakuhuka and is able to pay back every month in instalments. The children in the house are starving because there is no food. In addition, they cannot go to school, do not have cloths and do not have other basic necessities, yet the father boasts that he is paying the loan on a sustainable basis. Do you think your children will be happy? Do you think that Zambia is happy? You are using all the domestic revenues to service the debt, which was not even used prudently. You used the borrowed money to buy fire tenders costing 1 million ‘bucks’ each.

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: On a point of order, Madam.

 

 Mrs Muchima: No point of order!

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: Who are you?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Lufuma: You also used the money to buy ambulances valued at US$70,000 −

 

Madam Second Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

Withdraw the word “bucks”.

 

Mr Lufuma: Madam Speaker, I mean money in United States (US) Dollars.

 

Madam, the cost of each ambulance was US$70,000, but our colleagues inflated the price and paid US$288,000 for each. Come on, give me a break! Do you think that we will be happy? The Lusaka/Ndola Road, a 300 km stretch, will cost this country US$1.2 billion to construct, while Kenya is constructing a 600 km road at only US$600,000. There is the evidence of corruption, lies, greed, selfishness and avarice. Please, the Executive, desist from this trend and serve this country. Let us not wait for the donors to tell us that we are corrupt and that we are misusing the people’s money.  Let us do it now.

 

 I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me this rare opportunity to join the rest of your hon. Members who have so far debated the President’s Speech, which was delivered to this August House on 14^th September, 2018.

 

Madam, allow me to begin by conveying my sincere and deepest condolences to the family of our late brother, Hon. Bruce Naluwa Mwene, on his untimely death. I am sure this House will miss him. May his soul rest in internal peace. Allow me also to take this opportunity to commend Hon. Sensio Banda, somebody I consider a young person, for having the courage to serve the people of Kasenengwa Constituency and the people of this country. It is not an easy job and it requires courage. It is just saddening that the by-election was not competitive. It was like Hon. Banda was unopposed because the United Party for National Development (UPND) did not participate.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: We look forward to a time he can test a real democratic election. Let me also take this opportunity to lament the tribal campaigns by the surrogates of the Patriotic Front (PF) that, unfortunately, marred his election.

 

Hon. PF Members: Question!

 

Mr Mweetwa: In this age and era in which we are to forge ahead with the much-cherished “One Zambia, One Nation” motto and view ourselves as one, it was very saddening to see tribalism being mulched in an election like that one. How I wish the PF could realise that going forward, if we are to work together to achieve the Vision 2030, we need to begin stemming out the things that currently prevent us from doing so. We only have one country we proudly call home, which is Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, my submission this afternoon is under the rubric, “Hope to Despair” or “Hope to Hopelessness”.

 

Madam, 14^th September, 2018, for me, had represented a day of hope when His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Lungu, who rarely comes out in public to address the nation through press conferences, had a constitutional obligation to address the nation. Therefore, expectations among citizens abounded. However, I have to report to this House that rather than being a day on which issues affecting the citizens of this country would have been brought to the fore on the Floor of this House by the President, that day, sadly, ended up being a national address in defence of China.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: This is my eighth year as a Parliamentarian, and I have listened to addresses in this House by various Presidents. If I were to grade this one, I think I would give it three out of ten.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mweetwa: In fact, the three marks I have given are because, firstly, the President satisfied a constitutional provision, secondly, he appeared and, thirdly, he read what was written for him.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mweetwa: This President’s Address was below par and anybody who is serious about the development of this country was not inspired by it. It is a shame that leaders –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: The word “shame” is unparliamentary. I know that it has been allowed, but it is unparliamentary. Withdraw it.

 

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that some leaders who ascend to positions that epitomise what should give citizens hope can begin to ululate and praise the speech given on that day. A dark cloud lingered over this House and the whole nation, and still lingers on to date. Where can this country go with a leadership of this calibre, whereby a speech like this can be delivered at the level of the Presidency in a country that is in an economic crisis?

 

Madam Speaker, the citizens of this country had expectations of things to be addressed by the President on that day because he does not address them through press conferences like former Presidents to keep the people abreast of the happenings in the nation. Therefore, when he had to meet a constitutional requirement like he did on Friday, citizens thought he would use the opportunity prudently. However, that opportunity was not used as expected. It was wasted.

 

Madam Speaker, the citizens of this country know that all is not well in this country, ...

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: ... and they expected that the President would come to this House to, inter alia, talk about, firstly, the proposed Constitution amendments, which his Government has flagged off and has held various seminars on. The Constitution is very important because that is the grundnorm that sets the foundation of governance, thereby providing a platform from which development can take off. This is because it clothes the arms of the Government with the necessary powers with which to operate. Every citizen in this country, including those on the right, these PF members, ...

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mweetwa: ... agree that the Constitution the PF gave to the citizens of this country in 2016 is not the one the citizens wanted. The Constitution the citizens wanted is that which would stand the test of time. Now, we have a Constitution that they want to amend. The Government was the first to say, “Let us amend it”. So, the citizens thought President Lungu would tell the nation the stage at which the process is because the amendment of the Constitution is key to the governance of this country. The President was, I should have said, uncharacteristically mute. However, it is usual for him to be quiet on such important matters as this one, which has gripped the attention and conscience of the nation. The Official Opening of the Third Session of the Twelfth Assembly was turned into a national address in defence of China. From hope to hopelessness.

 

Madam Speaker, secondly, the citizens of this country expected President Lungu to use the occasion to state his position on the question of national dialogue. Mr HH (Hakainde Hichilema), the President of the UPND, has told this nation publicly that he is ready to dialogue unconditionally and that message is covered by the media regularly. All those who are serious about this country; we, who are privileged with this rare opportunity to sit here, in this House; we, the 161 who sit here out of about 16 million people, should be concerned about what country we will hand over to our children and generations to come. We should not come here to joke around and make unnecessary and childish comments.

 

Madam, the President missed an opportunity to tell the nation where his Government stands on issues like national dialogue, which does not only concern the conscience of citizens, but is also an issue the international community is interested in. The international community is wondering how this country will proceed with national dialogue, yet the President was quiet because he is not serious about handing over the country we inherited, that is, a peaceful country in which people loved one another, unlike the division that this PF is promoting in order for it to continue holding on to power while failing to deliver to the expectations of the people. This is very sad.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, thirdly, the citizens of this country expected the President to be cognisant of the fact that 2021 is approaching. Any good leader would have given hope to the people that the country would sail smoothly through the next hurdle that it would face. So, the citizens expected President Lungu to talk about electoral reforms, but he did not. Sometimes, I sit here and spend a lot of time agonising about being party to a leadership of this nature; a leadership that is likely to hand over to its children and generations to come a country that is not united and a leadership that is likely to hand over a country shackled by poverty. The citizens think we are going to open the doors of opportunity for a better Zambia but, under the PF leadership, that is not likely to happen anytime soon. Even if it were a dream, I would wake up because such a nightmare is bad to continue having.

 

Madam Speaker, how can the President make such an address in a country where council workers have not been paid for six months and where there is a liquidity crunch? The country has no money, and vendors have been chased from the streets even though the Government has not built markets where people can trade from. Furthermore, in this country, thousands of young people graduate every year from institutions of learning and are unleashed onto a labour market where there are no jobs. There are also retirees who have not been paid for decades. Apart from that, there are citizens who earn a living from crushing stones and women who leave their homes to go to a market to sell tomatoes worth, if they are lucky, K2. For those engaged in business, there are more sellers than buyers. There are more shopping malls than there are people to buy from them. In such a country, one would have expected a serious president to use an opportunity like President Lungu had to show the nation where his Government stood, and how ready it was to confront the challenges and give hope to a nation. That is the job of a leader.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: That opportunity was lost.

 

Madam, the cost of living is skyrocketing, the majority of Zambians who live in urban areas rent houses while Zambian businesses now rent office space from the Chinese when it should be the other way round.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government comes to this House to talk about Vision 2030, which is about attaining a middle-income state. However, how are we going to attain that state if in the opportunities that are there or are supposed to be created, the Government is neglecting its obligation to defend the interests of its citizens.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government contracts huge loans and the country that lends it the money is also the country that is given the contracts, and brings in the materials and labourers to build infrastructure. Additionally, the foreign labourers start selling chickens, cellular phones, sand and building blocks on our streets.

 

Mr Miyutu: Zambian sand!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Those who do not think would ask why Zambians do not do those things. It is because the Government is not empowering them.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government comes here to defend China.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Shame!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Who has told the Government that we, in the UPND, and the rest of the country do not want Chinese investment? What we are saying is that the investment should be beneficial to the host citizens. We cannot have a situation in which even caterpillar drivers and security guards at construction sites are Chinese. How, then, can the Government come here to defend China?

 

Madam Speaker, many are the times I mourn in this House because we have a leadership that will make me hand over to my children a country –

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Sad!

 

Mr Mweetwa: This PF leadership ‒ Like I said last time, if I somehow had the opportunity to go back to 2011, I would vote for the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) because it had sensible leaders.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mweetwa: We are in a situation in which we do not know where we are going. Inequality and disparities are widening, and there is no hope under this PF Government for a better Zambia. Look at the farmers, traders and even the hon. Members of Parliament, who are now part of the suffering.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Question!

 

Mr Mweetwa: Madam Speaker, we should stop trivialising national leadership. These are not games. We only have one country that we are going to hand over to our children and the generations to come. Let us be found on the right side of the arc of history. Then, the time we spent in this House will be cherished by those we hand over the country to.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Chonya (Kafue): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to make, on behalf of the people of Kafue, a few reflections on the speech delivered last week by His Excellency the President. However, before I do that, let me join my colleagues in conveying my sincere condolences to the family of our colleague, Hon. Naluwa Mwene, on his timely demise. May his soul rest in peace.

 

Madam Speaker, like my colleagues, I waited for the President’s Speech with a lot of enthusiasm, hoping that many new policy pronouncements would be made that would benefit the people of Kafue. Unfortunately, I listened to a speech with the same old kind of issues, which reminded me of a comment made by a colleague last year about the speech being tired. I thought then that he was being too critical, but –

 

Madam First Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate adjourned)

 

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The House adjourned at 1256 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday 25^th September, 2018.

 

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