RULING BY THE HON MR SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR C CHALI, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NCHANGA PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY AGAINST HON R MUSUKWA, MP, MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT, ON WHETHER THE HON MINISTER WAS IN ORDER TO REMAIN SILENT WHEN HE STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT ON THE LIQUIDATION STATUS OF KONKOLA COPPER MINES (KCM)

 

Hon Members will recall that on Thursday, 12th November, 2020, when the House was considering question for Oral Answer No. 62 on the Order Paper, and Hon J J Mwiimbu, Leader of the Opposition, and Member of Parliament for Monze Central Parliamentary Constituency was asking a follow up question, Mr C Chali, Member of Parliament for Nchanga Parliamentary Constituency, raised the following Point of Order: 

 

“Mr Speaker, three weeks ago, after a question that I asked in Parliament on the liquidation of the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Plc, the Hon Minister of Mines and Minerals Development gave a response in which he promised that he was going to come back to Parliament with a detailed statement.

 

Mr Speaker, the people in Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe have been anxiously waiting for the statement, which is not forthcoming. Is the Hon Minister in order to keep quiet whilst people are still waiting for the statement? I seek your serious ruling, Sir.”

 

Hon Members, in my immediate response, I reserved my ruling to enable me peruse the verbatim record of the proceedings on the material day. I have since perused the relevant verbatim record, and will now render my ruling.

 

Hon Members, the verbatim record of the proceedings of the House for Tuesday, 6th October, 2020, reveal that the genesis of the Point of Order is the response to Question for Oral Answer No. 42, which was asked by Mr C Chali, MP, to the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development.  The relevant part of the question read as follows: 

 

“42. Mr Chali (Nchanga) to ask the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development: 

(a) what the status of the liquidation process of Konkola Copper Mines was, as of July, 2020;…”

In response to this part of the question, Hon R Musukwa, MP, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, responded as follows: 

 

“Mr Speaker, the Government will present a comprehensive statement over the liquidation of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) at an appropriate time at the instance of the Hon Mr Speaker’s authority…” 

 

Hon Members, from the foregoing, it is self evident that the Hon Minister undertook to give a comprehensive report to the House on the status of the liquidation of KCM, at a later date. What is also clear is that the Hon Minister did not indicate the day when he would render the said Ministerial Statement to the House. In view of this, I find that the Minister was not out of order for not having rendered the Ministerial Statement to date.  However, given the time lapse since the undertaking was made and in order to expedite the process, I hereby direct the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development to render a comprehensive statement on the status of the liquidation of KCM to the House on Thursday, 26th November, 2020. 

 

I thank you.