Tuesday, 16^th February, 2021

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

LOCAL COURT CONSTRUCTION IN SOLWEZI EAST

 

134. Mr Kintu (Solwezi East) asked the Minister of Justice:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct a local court building in Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency;
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and
3. if there are no such plans, why.

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Sir, I welcome you back to the House. I have not seen you in a long time.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I wish to inform the hon. Member and the House that the Government has plans to construct a local court building in Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency. Therefore, the Government has since secured land for that purpose.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government will accommodate the estimates of the proposed construction of the local court building once funding is available. The construction cannot be undertaken at the moment because, as all are well aware, the Government’s policy currently dictates that only capital projects that are at 80 per cent or above completion should be budgeted for and completed. However, I would like to encourage the hon. Member of Parliament for Solwezi East, like I have encouraged all other hon. Members of Parliament before, to consider encouraging his Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committee to allocate resources from the CDF towards the provision of this very important infrastructure for the people of Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kintu: Mr Speaker, where is the land that the hon. Minister talked about that has been secured for the construction of the local court? Could the hon. Minister tell the people of Mushindamo, the chiefdom or area where this land is?

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I am sorry to register my total ignorance about chiefdom demarcations, particularly in Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency. I am not aware of which chiefdom the land is. All I know is that it is within the boundaries of Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency. If the hon. Member would like to get more details, he may kindly visit Solwezi District Council and he will be given the details because the land was secured in co-operation with Solwezi District Council.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Ng’ambi (Chifubu): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Chifubu an opportunity to ask the hon. Minister of Justice a follow-up question. I also thank the hon. Minister for the encouragement that he has given to the people of Solwezi East that the Government has plans to construct a local court in the area.

 

Sir, local courts are a mechanism that the Government has put in place to dispense primary justice in this country, which in my view, is a challenge that cuts across all constituencies where local courts are not in existence right now. Maybe as a bonus answer, could the hon. Minister inform me whether or not going forward, the ministry intends to come up with a plan that can be circulated to all hon. Members of Parliament to ensure that all constituencies in this country have a local court. Besides, it is important that the hon. Minister assures the nation that even in areas where these institutions are dilapidated, there will also be budgeted for so that the dispensation of justice is across the country. So, does the ministry intend to come up with a list of how it intends to holistically handle the construction of local courts, not only in Solwezi East?

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I thank the hon. Member for that very important question. With regard to the plan, I indicated that currently, the Government’s policy is that we do not undertake new projects. Therefore, if I was to come up with a plan, it would be kept on ice until such a time that that policy is reversed.

 

However, I would like to inform the hon. Member, and to actually remind him, of what I have said on various occasions on the Floor of Parliament that the Government’s ideal is that there is a presence of a local court at least in every constituency in Zambia and, progressively, in every ward in Zambia. That is the Government’s ambition. In the meantime, I want to say that it has come to my attention that quite a number of hon. Members of Parliament have responded to my call for them to use the CDF to either rehabilitate or construct local courts within their constituencies. This has happened in many constituencies, and I am sure that if members of the CDF Committees in various constituencies were presented with the need for the provision of local courts, they would respond favourably.

 

Sir, I want to emphasise that, indeed, most of the court cases that are handled in Zambia are handled through local courts and it is desirable that we bring court infrastructure as close to the people as possible. It has happened in Kabwata Constituency and I am sure it can happen in Chifubu. I have no doubt it can also happen in Solwezi East Parliamentary Constituency. All it requires is the will of hon. Members of Parliament to encourage their CDF Committees to allocate some of the CDF to this very important cause.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mutelo was inaudible.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: We will get back to you, hon. Member for Mitete. We now move to hon. Member for Moomba.

 

Mr Chaatila (Moomba): Mr Speaker, as hon. Members of Parliament, we are seeing a trend where the Government is advising us to use the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in response to all the questions that we are asking about infrastructure. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs, the hon. Minister of Works and Supply and other hon. Ministers have done the same.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister knows that there are other needs in our constituencies, small as they may be which also require the use of the CDF. Each year, the Ministry of Justice has a budget to ensure that it undertakes works such as the construction of a local court in Solwezi East. Does this cause any anxiety on hon. Ministers when answering questions? In fact, we are competing for our CDF. So, does this not cause any anxiety on hon. Ministers?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, does it not create any anxiety amongst us, hon. Ministers? The answer to that question is a categorical no. It does not create any anxiety whatsoever because we made a well-informed decision that we should not undertake new projects before we complete ongoing projects. On the other hand, we are also happy to have the CDF which is funded by the Government for and on behalf of the people of Zambia, and this is a channel that can be used to finance smaller undertakings.

 

Sir, in the court system, we would like that the Government focuses on providing infrastructure for superior courts. On various times, I have stated that one of the ideals of this Government of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is to ensure that it provides subordinate courts in all the new districts and, progressively, provides the presence of High Courts in every provincial headquarter. Here in Lusaka, some of the superior courts do not even have court rooms. So, the Government would like to focus on that. In the meantime, and because we are aware of the fact that the CDF is being released, the Government’s only passionate appeal is that we prioritise local courts. We say this because it has been done. It is not as though we are asking for something that is impossible. Some hon. Members of Parliament have done what we are asking them to do. I have no doubt that even the people of Moomba would benefit a great deal if part of the CDF was used to construct court infrastructure in Moomba to avoid them moving long distances to access justice.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Kintu: Mr Speaker, the people of Kikola and Makunka Wards in Kikola Chiefdom have never had any infrastructure pertaining to local courts. However, the hon. Minister has told us that the ministry chose a place at which a new local court would be constructed but he did not mention that place. Could the hon. Minister be categorical and tell the people of Mushindamo if at all, the people of Kikola Chiefdom will benefit from the local court that is planned to be constructed in Mushindamo.

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I did indicate early and I regretted my ignorance about the chiefdoms in Solwezi. I do not know them. However, listening to the passion with which the hon. Member of Parliament is asking on behalf of the people of Kikola and Makunka Wards, I would like to request him that he should please, use the passion for this ward, not only by asking a question here but by encouraging the CDF Committee to go and place a court there.

 

Sir, he has to go to Solwezi District Council and ask which piece of land they provided for a court. If it is not in Kikola Ward, let the hon. Member of Parliament take advantage. I did indicate that progressively, we would like to find a local court in every ward. So, he must be happy that the Government has taken up the responsibility for providing one local court in his constituency. I hope it is not in Kikola Ward, with the intention that he uses CDF to provide to Kikola Ward so that the people of Solwezi, will eventually, have two local courts. I encourage him to do that.

 

I thank you, Sir.                                                                                            

 

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has requested the hon. Member of Parliament to consider allocating Constituency Development Fund (CDF) so that a local court can be constructed in his constituency. Since the hon. Minister has continued talking about CDF, is he in a position to tell the hon. Member for Solwezi East, and indeed all hon. Members, how much a local court will require, in terms of budgeting from CDF.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, obviously the cost will be dependent on the design. There are some court rooms that have very basic infrastructure. Some of them are developed on community based initiative where people provide bricks and sand, while others are quite complex. So, the cost varies. However, I can also indicate that the model design of a local court that I have seen from the Judiciary, without the associated housing, is an infrastructure that should be built within K200,000. So, hon. Member for Dundumwezi, it is only K200,000, and he is off the ground. You will have a local court. I am sure that all of us hon. Members of Parliament who really put premium to the delivery of justice to our people would consider sparing K200,000 or K300,000 to put up a court infrastructure for local courts.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, I just want to find out the plan of the Government on the local court infrastructure since he has indicated that it is the wish or plan of the Government to make sure that these local courts are spread across the country and in all the wards. I want to know whether the hon. Minister has a plan in mind when constructing local court infrastructure which comes with housing and toilets. I ask because I have seen certain local courts that have been constructed in my constituency and in Nyambo Ward of Itezhi-tezhi Constituency. The local courts were built in 2014 but up to now, they have no housing infrastructure and are not used. I want to know what the plan of the Government is for the people of Mushindamo in relation to local courts.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the desire of the Government is that wherever a local court is provided, housing must also be associated. Obviously, ablution facilities are a must. However, when a community comes together and they decide that they are going to provide a court room and they do not have sufficient resources to province housing, the Ministry of Justice would not stop the people from doing that because we know that the other facilities could be added on with time.

 

Mr Speaker, but wherever the Government itself, either directly through the Ministry of Justice or through the Judiciary, is constructing these facilities, they are complete with housing and ablution facilities.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the answers. However, in his response to the first question by the hon. Member for Solwezi East, the hon. Minister indicated that the Government has plans to construct a local court in Solwezi East. Today, the hon. Minister has made a Government assurance but when you look at the assurances that have been made on the Floor of the House under his ministry, there are many assurances that are still outstanding because the Government has a policy of completing projects that are above 80 per cent. I take this from his words. Now that he is adding more Government assurances to his list without money, how does he intend to achieve the construction of Mushindamo Local Court because, according to his own words in response to the hon. Member for Solwezi East, he indicated that this can only be done once funds are available? The hon. Minister has too many assurances yet he has no money.

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, my response to the second part of the question was as follows: “The Government will accommodate the estimates of the proposed construction of a local court building once funding is available”. What is the intention of the Government? The intention of the Government is that every ward must have a local court. When will that happen? It will happen when resources are available. The desire and the execution are clear. The execution will depend on the availability of resources. One channel of those resources is the CDF. If every hon. Member of Parliament was to commit oneself for one year only to provide a local court, there would be no constituency in Zambia without a local court. Some would even have two or three because there are some constituencies that already have local courts. Some of which were built by the Judiciary, others were built by the Government, and yet others were built by hon. Members of Parliament, and others were also built by well-wishers.

 

Mr Speaker, I am aware of a local court that is coming up in Sioma which is not even from CDF but from well wishers. So, there are many channels through which we can achieve these intentions. So, my hon. Colleague from Mapatizya must not fear that the Government is making too many assurances. Assurances are not made in this fashion. Assurances would go with a date but in this particular case, I indicated that the plan or the desire shall be implemented when resources are made available. That will be after the Government has reversed the policy decision that only projects that are at 80 per cent and above shall be completed.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Daka (Msanzala): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to ask the hon. Minister of Justice this important question.

 

Mr Speaker, I happen to have visited some State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), among them were some local courts, around the country through your Parliamentary Committee. As the Government looked at the issue of trying to retain the money that –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me to raise this very important point of order on the Minister of Justice, hon. Given Lubinda. The United Party for National Development (UPND) has just successfully held its general assembly. Mr Hakainde Hichilema is duly elected president of the UPND. Obviously, he is our candidate for the August 2021 elections.  The National Executive Committee (NEC) of UPND has also been constituted.

 

Sir, is hon. Given Lubinda in order not to acknowledge this important fact in this Republic and congratulate the UPND for leading the way so that many political parties, like Patriotic Front (PF), can follow suit and hold the general assembly’s? Is the hon. Minister in order to pretend as if nothing very important in this country has happened? Sir, I seek your serious ruling as this border on governance of this Republic.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.                                   

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: The hon. Minister who is on the Floor is very much in order especially that you have pre-empted him. Obviously, he is still providing answers. Maybe by the end of answering the questions, he would have brought out the issue. Since you have pre-empted, I am sure the hon. Minister is very much in order. The hon. Member for Msanzala was raising the question.

 

May he continue, please.

 

Mr Daka: Mr Speaker, before I got interrupted, I was saying that in our portfolios in the Committee, we have visited several local courts around the country. Today, you will find many people sitting outside because space is not available.

 

Mr Speaker, has the Government realised that the retention money that is paid by people who go to court must remain with the courts that generate more money in order for them to improve their infrastructure other than all of the money going to control 99. Are we looking at that as the Government? When we look at the projects that are under or about 90 per cent complete, you will find that they, too, are being vandalised before the money is allocated.

 

Mr Speaker, are we looking at retaining some money for the courts that have done so well in terms of accumulating money, instead of forwarding it to control 99, to ensure that we finish the projects?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I would like to inform the hon. Member that there is some money that is allowed to be retained by the Judiciary to finance operations. However, this money is so little that it cannot manage to meet the needs for infrastructure development. This is the kind of money that the Judiciary is using for the maintenance of some of these court infrastructures, but it is certainly not enough to build new ones.

 

Sir, this is the reason the Government is continuously looking for possibilities for providing additional resources to the Judiciary. Also, we ought to be a little bit careful that we do not encourage this as a way of replacement of the Government’s duty to provide infrastructure. This is because if we said that local courts must raise this money and provide their own infrastructure, we may again upset the ideal of providing justice and giving access to justice to all our people because  that would create an appetite for increasing court fees and charges. That should not be the route to take.

 

Mr Speaker, we must ensure that every citizen has access to justice and must not be hindered because of the cost.

 

Sir, concerning the issue that you commented on already raised by my friend, hon. Member for Katombola Constituency, I wish to say hearty congratulations for this very novel idea of having an elective conference called a ‘WhatsApp Conference’. It is the first in the world. It is very innovative, however, as you are all aware, conventions require a quorum, and one would like to know how the quorum counted in this WhatsApp Group? How many people voted?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Hear, hear!                            

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, when I heard about that WhatsApp Conference, I was very excited that finally, after fifteen years since the last time I was elected as chairperson for information in the United Party for National Development (UPND) –

 

The Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister will take a seat.

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, thank you.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: I will take the last two questions from the hon. Members for Kanchibiya Constituency and Serenje Constituency.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, I take note that after a long and relented call from our colleague to have an elective conference, they have just held one since 2006. Well, I hope the next one will not be in 2036.

 

 Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for answering the question very ably. I think he has answered my question.

 

  Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has belaboured a lot on what the Government is doing to restore the infrastructure that has been ran down throughout the country, as well as constructing new ones where they do not exist. Is it possible that the hon. Minister could come up with a robust program to undertake this very important assignment? Am sure the hon. Minister is aware that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is inadequate to mitigate the construction of local courts in the country.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: That question was raised by someone else unless the hon. Minister has something else that he has remembered.

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, indeed I responded to that question. I only want to say that the Government will certainly come up with a robust plan after the policy decision on the 80 per cent completion projects is handled and reversed. In the meantime, even if we were to come up with a robust plan, it will only be gathering dust until such a time when resources are availed to undertake new projects.

 

  Mr Speaker, as I wind up, I just want to say that I am very happy and looking forward to handing over to the new chairman for information the UPND because I was the last to be elected to hold that position.

 

   I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nalolo, you need to unmute your microphone.

 

Mr Imbuwa was inaudible.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Nalolo, we cannot get you, therefore, your question lapses.

 

CASES OF ASSAULT AND MALICIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY DURING ROAN BY-ELECTION

 

136. Mr Chishala (Roan) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

 

1. how many cases of assault and malicious damage to property were reported to the police during the by-election in Roan Parliamentary Constituency in April, 2019;
2. how many people were arrested for assault and causing damage to property;
3. how many people have since been convicted; and
4. if no arrests were made, why.

 

 The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, since there was a point of order and before I respond to the question, let me congratulate the hon. Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition Whip for appearing on a list of elected officials without portfolios.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kampyongo: Sir, there were eleven reported cases of assault and six cases of malicious damage to property during the by-election in Roan Parliamentary Constituency in April, 2019.

 

Mr Speaker, one person was arrested for assault and two persons were arrested for malicious damage to property.

 

Sir, no convictions have been made as the cases are still before the courts of law.

 

Mr Speaker, as alluded to in part (b), arrests were made.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Chishala: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that no convictions have yet been made because the cases are still in court. What could have led to the delay because I do not expect the process to last for more than two years?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, as Minister of Home Affairs, it is beyond me to answer as to why it has taken long for these cases to be concluded in the courts. That can probably be ably answered by the hon. Minister of Justice. However, sometimes, the delays are as a result of various factors. The police did their part and they arrested the suspects and forwarded the dockets to the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), who then took up the matter in the courts of law.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, are the suspects, who were arrested for assault and damage to property, political cadres? If they are, which political party do they belong to?

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, are you able to tell?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I equally acknowledge the follow-up question from my dear colleague, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mumbwa, who I should also congratulate because I have also seen his name on a list without portfolios.  However, my response is that I am unable to tell. The police arrested the suspects, but I am unable to tell which political party they belong to. All they have are suspects who are Zambian citizens.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate the United Party for National Development (UPND) and its leader, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for having conducted a very successful general assembly. I also note that the Patriotic Front (PF) Party will have its appointment general assembly this coming weekend, where appointments will be announced. There are never elections at the PF General Assembly; they just appoint. So, they should continue with the appointments.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

I will not allow anyone to comment on the general conferences. So, when you stand, you should go straight into the business of the House.

 

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, having noted the appointments which will take place later, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Home Affairs as to what measures his putting in place to ensure that there is no discrimination pertaining to the prosecution of the people who are involved in criminal activities during by-elections?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I know you have restricted us from commenting on other matters. However, allow me to commend the Inspector General of Police and his Commands in all the divisions across the country, who monitored the activities of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and ensured that peace prevailed during the virtual conference.

 

Sir, using this as an example, we are encouraging the police to treat the citizens equally. As said, no one is above the law. So, let me assure the people of Zambia that in enforcing the law, especially when dealing with people who engage in lawlessness, political violence or any other lawlessness activity, the police must be impartial, professional and serve the people without fear or favour because every citizen is equal to the prescribed laws.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, I remember that one life was lost in Roan during the by-election. Were the people who killed that National Democratic Congress (NDC) member arrested or are they still under investigations? 

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I appreciate that follow-up question from my dear colleague, the hon. Member of Parliament for Dundumwezi. However, I would like to urge him to avoid making alarming statements that cannot be proved. The question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Roan is very clear and he was specific in what he was seeking to know.  Therefore, it is mischievous, first of all, for the hon. Member of Parliament for Dundumwezi to create another question which was not included on the Order Paper by the current hon. Member of Parliament for Roan, whose election was as a result of that by-election. Secondly, he is alarming the nation by saying that a person was murdered in that constituency. The police have no such record.

 

 So, I just want to advise him as a leader and as an hon. Member of Parliament to only present facts in this august House.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Sioma, we get back to you. I am sorry for skipping your name on the list.

 

Ms Subulwa (Sioma): Mr Speaker, it is good to see you.

 

I have noted that in his response, the hon. Minister has indicated that he has no control whatsoever on the court rulings. However, as a matter of urgency, is the Government considering taking such matters to fast-track courts, so that they are resolved as soon as they happen?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I appreciate the follow-up question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Sioma. Yes, indeed, from the law enforcement point of view, we would like to get suspects who are involved in activities such as political violence to account for their actions as quickly as possible. However, the wheels of justice sometimes may grind slowly, but surely. So, we have to respect the institutions of justice and acknowledge the challenges that could be there. However, we have a robust justice system which ensures that the dispensation of justice is done thoroughly, despite the delays that could be encountered along the way.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to assure the people of Kanchibiya that I am following up on the issue of drought and the houses that have fallen. At the moment, I am here at the office of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).

 

Sir, the people of the Copperbelt, and Roan, in particular, are very peaceful. Most of them are followers of the Patriotic Front (PF) Party and other parties, and are admirers of our founding party leader, President Michael Chilufya Sata, a good catholic, and his successor, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. They do not like violence. Did the hon. Minister establish what precipitated that act of violence? Who brought that violence in Luanshya?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I certainly appreciate the follow-up question from the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanchibiya. I agree with him that, indeed, the people of Roan in Luanshya are peace loving people and are supportive of their Government.

 

Sir, we have been preaching to our people to avoid ferrying cadres from other areas to areas where by-elections are taking place because the people in those constituencies such as Roan, for example, know each other. They would not want to fight because, at the end of the day, the by-election passed and they have still remained as one people of Roan. They co-exist and know each other. So, even in diversity, they are able to live in harmony.  To some extent, that violence was caused by the people who came from outside Luanshya and went to Roan for various reasons. As we know, there were also silent pacts of parties and some of the parties who were in pacts are very well known for violent activities. So, that was one of the reasons.

 

Mr Speaker, I want to emphasise, just like His Excellency the President emphasised on Friday when he came to address this august House and through it, the nation that, indeed, elections are just a process for Zambian citizens to choose who their leaders should be for a particular period of time, which is five years. So, it is not about physical contestation, but ideas. Those who are in the Government, such as we are, should tell the people of Zambia what we have been able to achieve when they gave us the opportunity to superintend over the affairs of the State. Projects are there for everyone to see and I know how others are struggling to find a manifesto to give to the people. So, we would like to see an environment where people can contest ideas. If it is debate, let us engage in debate and let us get our people to understand who means well for them. That is how it should be. I do not think people would want to vote for a person who only talks about bloodshed or Armageddon because they do not like Armageddon.

 

Mr Speaker, under my ministry, we look after people who ran away from other countries or the refugees. They were uprooted from places they called home and they came here to look for sanctuary. We would not want our people of Zambia to run anywhere because this is their heritage. There is only one home called Zambia. So, it is important that all of us who are in political leadership take note of this fact. August is very near and we all have to go back to our people and peacefully engage them. It should not take physical oppression of our people in terms of sending messages. So, that is what I can say and I thank the hon. Member of Parliament for that very important follow-up question.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Chishala: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for acknowledging that what could have led to the violence that happened in Roan was due to the ferrying of cadres and most of them came from other areas to be part and parcel of the campaigns. It is also in public domain that the entire Patriotic Front (PF), including the whole Cabinet, came to Roan. Therefore, I believe they were also part and parcel of that violence.

 

Sir, could the hon. Minister assure us …

 

Mr Lubinda: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Chishala: … that the coming election on 12^th August, 2021, will be a free and fair election.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for this opportunity and I acknowledge the follow-up question from the hon. Member for Roan.

 

Sir, I would like to advise him that he has been a Member of Parliament for less than a year or so. Therefore, he must focus on how he is going to get back to the people of Roan and show what he has been able to do within the short period they have given him. However, to try and insinuate that the hon. Ministers who went to Roan to campaign are the ones who took violence there is a misplacement of facts. He should learn to be sincere as hon. Member of this august House. He should also learn from senior hon. Members like the veteran hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwata, that when we are here, we only debate facts. I know that he did not have proper orientation at the time he came.

 

 Laughter

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

 

Mr Kampyongo:  Sir, as his senior elder colleague, I am appealing to him to focus on going back to the people. However, he should be assured that if he has delivered, he will go and campaign peacefully against those he will be competing with a few months from now because the people of Luanshya, Roan to be specific, have been waiting patiently to see deliverables. He can be assured, and we also want to assure the people of Roan, that there shall be peace just as the Republican President and Commander-in-Chief assured them on Friday.

 

Sir, yesterday, I was demonstrating how much the Government has done to ensure that the people of Zambia have a guaranteed public security. We are not just lamenting, but placing premium on the safety of our people prior to, during, and after elections. Therefore, my dear colleague should feel safe and free to go and renew his mandate which might be a mammoth task.

 

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Laughter

 

 Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity. First of all, I want to start by thanking the hon. Minister of Home Affairs for giving able responses to the questions from hon. Members.

 

Sir, drawing from the experience the hon. Minister has ably explained that it has taken and it will continue taking some time to dispose-of some the cases in the courts of law, and also considering that these crimes or minor offences, as I would want to call them, occur within the environment of elections and electioneering. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister of Home Affairs whether it has been considered, to utilise the code of conduct under the electoral process and ask the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to guide in resolving some of the cases so that we can, maybe, complete some of the disputes within a short time.

 

Mr Speaker, I ask this question bearing in mind that we are now going to have General Elections. Further, having in mind what the President said last Friday that we would like to see a free and fair election, has it been considered that we are going to utilise the ECZ Code of Conduct to resolve some of the issues which arise during elections?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I forgot to join my hon. elder senior colleague in welcoming him this year. We have not seen him. This Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has really separated us. So, it is good to see him in good health.

 

Sir, I want to sincerely thank and commend the hon. Member of Parliament for Lukashya for that very important question. Once again, I would like to congratulate him for having emerged victorious because I know that despite the short period he has been elected, the people of Lukashya do not regret because he has remained connected to them. So, I can only wish him all the very best going into August.

 

Mr Speaker, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), working with other stakeholders, is trying to strengthen conflict resolution mechanisms during election activities. They are doing everything possible and, I know that they are revising their Act and the Electoral Code of Conduct Act. Therefore, all of us must support the ECZ and ensure that they put the mechanisms which will allow them to act in real time and punish perpetrators of malpractices in the electoral processes. It is incumbent upon all of us to render the maximum support to ECZ as our referee institution.

 

Sir, it is our sincere hope that the conflict resolution mechanisms which will be put in place by the ECZ which will be supported by the Zambia Police Service, will enable us have a conducive environment for all of us to participate in the electoral processes.  This will allow the people of Zambia to make independent free decisions on who they wish to govern them starting from the President, hon. Members of Parliament, and the lower positions of councillors and others.

 

Mr Speaker, we are hoping that we will play an active role in supporting the ECZ to achieve a successful electoral process. They have already shown that they are equal to the task because when everybody doubted that they were going to conduct the voter registration using the new voters register in the advent of the COVID-19, they have proven the armchair critics wrong. Those who supported them will continue to support them because they still have the confidence that they are equal to the task in terms of ensuring that the people of Zambia participate in the elections without violence, and that those little conflicts which will emerge will be dealt with in real time.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

 Mr Second Deputy Speaker: We will end with three hon. Members: two through Zoom facility.

 

Mr Chikote (Luampa): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the responses.

 

Sir, my source of concern is the would-be offenders who are observing what is happening to the people who have already committed crimes such killing other citizens. It should not take long to punish the offenders so that even the would-be offenders would be able to learn lessons. From the way the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is treating the current criminals, what indications are the potential offenders going to learn from them in the remaining few months?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I do not know if my colleague was following me when I was giving responses. I have partially addressed that issue. I have just finished talking about conflict resolution. However, I want to assure him that there are a number of perpetrators of violence who are now languishing in Correctional Service facilities. It is not every case that takes long. What we have done as the Government in order to ensure that there is transparency in the administration of justice, is to strengthen the institutions and ensure that there are oversight checks along the way. The prosecution of offenders who are engaged in criminal activities, be it violence or other related cases, will first be investigated by the police who will put up a docket which they will pass on to a different independent institution. The National Prosecutions Authority will then take up the matter to the courts of law to prosecute. All this is done in order to ensure that there is transparency and that checks and balances in the system are strengthened. My hon. Colleague should not be under the impression that those would-be offenders will get away with the wrong doing. They will end up in our correctional facilities.

 

Mr Speaker, I am speaking like this because I know and can give statistics of how many people in our facilities are convicted of offences related to political violence and political lawlessness. They are there. Certain cases may delay but it is not the case with every matter that is taken before the courts of law.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Sampa (Kasama Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for such a timely presentation to Parliament. My concern is with regards to these political parties that have perpetuated the violence with regards to them participating in the political arena. I would love to know from the hon. Minister how possible it is that any political party that is setting a very bad precedent when it comes to violence be deregistered. Our people are getting very concerned especially that we are going towards elections and the only way they would be comfortable is to have these political parties deregistered. I do not know what your ministry is doing towards that?

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I appreciate the follow up question coming from the hon. Member for Kasama Central. I want to commend the hon. Member for Kasama Central, who is also the leader of the youth league in the Patriotic Front because he has pronounced the party’s position with regards to misconduct of youths and that within your ranks, you are not tolerating lawlessness and indiscipline. It is our responsibility as leaders to do that, and that should be emulated by everyone because it starts with the message that we give and the actions that we take against these vices.

 

Sir, I want to assure the hon. Member for Kasama Central that just as he made the law take its course against some of the youths who want to hide behind the party, the Patriotic Front, in committing crimes are dealt with is how we are appealing to everyone, including those parties that seem not to understand that violence is violence whether they condone it or want to pretend about it. It may come to haunt them.

 

Sir, we are working with the Ministry of Justice in trying to revise the Registrar of Societies Act which is an old law, which when amended and repealed, should speak to the principles enshrined in Article 60 of the supreme document of the land, the Constitution.

 

Mr Speaker, those political parties that think we will continue condoning violence, will have themselves to blame because the law will certainly catch up with them at some point. Apart from perpetrators of violence, political parties might find themselves wanting and that may include being deregistered because all these are provided for in the law. We can only advise leaders to be responsible and ensure that we preach peace just like our President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has always been preaching. He makes it very clear that there shall be no sacred cows when it comes to dealing with perpetrators of violence. We have had our youths that thought they could get away with misconduct but they have been caught.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mukosa (Chinsali): Mr Speaker, I wish to thank and commend the hon. Minister for the clear responses that he has been providing. I also wish to commend him for the excellent answer that he provided especially to the hon. Member for Roan. From the way the hon. Member for Roan phrased his question, it is clear that there are many people like him who want to mislead the public that senior members of the PF or Members of Cabinet, support violence. So, what I want to find out from the hon. Minister are the measures the ministry is putting in place to ensure that the perception is corrected so that we do not allow such people to mislead the public.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Hon. Minister will answer the question and ignore the part of dragging the person who raised the question into debate. It is an innocent question and we should look at it as such.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, let me appreciate and acknowledge a very important question posed by the hon. Member for Chinsali, Hon. Kalalwe Mukosa, who is like my young brother.

 

Mr Speaker, the measures we are putting in place are that of capacitating the Zambia Police Service, and making sure that they are oriented in the operations of the machines or equipment that we have procured for them. We have also made sure that we have transformed the public security sector by embracing Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in making sure that we monitor lawlessness activities.

 

Sir, using the hon. Member of Parliament as an example, I know that there are so many youths that are looking up to him as he is a youthful leader. We would like him to be one of those shining examples because what we did ourselves, with elderly leaders here, was to ensure that we brought on board, the youths to participate in decision making and governance of the nation. Every productive youth should be a law abiding youth. So, if the hon. Member of Parliament for Chinsali opted to be engaging in lawless activities as a way of showing those in leadership that they can only contribute by being violent or unruly, I do not think he could have been a hon. Member of Parliament at his age. However, because he understood that he can only be a leader by being a law abiding citizen. Many should emulate him and others that we have, especially on your right hand side. I think, we are balanced brand, where we have the elderly and the youths providing service to the nation.

 

Mr Speaker, on the Government’s part, the President assured the nation that we will not allow lawlessness, which is a threat not only to freedom but to democracy as well, to take route as we head towards the campaigns and elections. So, the hon. Member should continue preaching peace among the youths in his constituency and beyond. The youths should know that they can still be recognised in the party structures of their political parties by being disciplined, law abiding and productive, without naming any political party. So, that is what I can say to the hon. Member, my young brother, and I wish him well as he serves the people of Chinsali Constituency.

 

I thank you, Sir.

_______

 

BILLS

 

FIRST READING

 

THE NATIONAL HIV/AIDS/STI/TB COUNCIL (Amendment) BILL, 2021

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chanda) Sir, I beg to present a Bill entitled the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (Amendment) Bill No. 8 of 2021. The object of this Bill is to amend the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council Act of 2002 so as to revise the composition of the council.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Service. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 3^rd March, 2021. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee. 

 

Thank you.

 

THE PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS (Amendment) BILL, 2021

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Sir, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Public Service Pensions (Amendment) Bill No. 11 of 2021. The object of the Bill is to amend the Public Service Pensions Act so as to revise the composition of the Public Service Pensions Board.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Cabinet Affairs. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 3^rd March, 2021. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee. 

 

Thank you.

 

THE TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH CENTRE (Amendment) BILL, 2021

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chanda): Sir, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Tropical Diseases Research Centre (Amendment) Bill No. 13 of 2021. The object of this Bill is to amend the Tropical Diseases Research Centre Act so as to revise the composition of the board.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: The Bill stands referred to the Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services. The Committee is required to submit its report on the Bill to the House by Wednesday, 3^rd March, 2021. Hon. Members who wish to make submissions on the Bill are free to do so within the programme of work of the Committee. 

 

Thank you.

 

_______

 

MOTION

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

Mrs Phiri (Chilanga): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the thanks of this Assembly be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in His Excellency the President’s Address.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

 

Mrs Phiri: Mr Speaker, let me begin by thanking you for according me this rare honour and privilege to move the Motion of Thanks to the Speech by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on the progress made in the application of national values and principles, delivered to this august House on Friday, 12^th February, 2021. 

 

Sir, allow me to congratulate the President for delivering an inspiring and timely speech. The speech provided hope and assurance to the people of Zambia as the country grapples with the challenges caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to time constraint, I will speak on a few points raised by the President.

 

 

Morality and Ethics

 

Mr Speaker, in paragraph 11 of the President’s Speech, he stated and I quote:

 

“These values and principles provide the moral compass for our country. They guide every decision we make; every policy we formulate; and every law we enact.”

 

Sir, the House will agree with me that this is important if development is to take place as one cannot separate people’s moral values and ethics from their development. The President was, therefore, on point when he stated that acts that can destroy our country’s moral fabric such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), rape, defilement, early and teenage pregnancies, as well as alcohol and substance abuse, should be rooted out of our society. These acts tend to undermine the health, dignity and self esteem of the victims, especially women and girls.

 

Patriotism and National Unity

 

Mr Speaker, the President encouraged all of us to be patriotic and promote national unity.  He highlighted the many ways in which we can all do this. For example, in keeping with our national motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation,’ we should refrain from and condemn all acts of negative sentiments based on narrow sectarian interests. Further, we must not allow hate speech, tribalism or any form of discrimination to flourish in our nation. 

 

In fact, we should always remember that such acts are not only illegal under the Constitution of Zambia, but clearly go against our declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation and, indeed, our motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation.’

 

Sir, on promoting patriotism, the President reiterated the need for us to be devoted to, and be positive about our country, Zambia. This is important as we only have one country we can proudly call our home. In this regard, we are all duty bound to promote the good image of our country, especially with the advent of social media. I join the President in condemning some people who are using social media to denigrate fellow citizens and to spread falsehoods. As a woman, I know that social media has been used as a tool for cyber bullying, especially against women and girls. To this end, I welcome the Government’s move to introduce the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill No. 2 of 2021. Once enacted, I believe that the Bill will go a long way in protecting people against cyber crime, especially women and children.

 

Democracy and Constitutionalism

 

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, reiterated the fact that Zambia was a constitutional democracy in which general elections were held every five years as the Constitution stipulates. In this regard, I applaud the President and his administration for the work so far done in preparing for the next general election to be held on 12^th August, 2021. In the same vein, I wish to echo the President’s call for political players to practice politics of tolerance towards one another.

 

Sir, I am elated by the President’s commitment of ensuring that the August 2021 Elections are free of political violence and his directive to all law enforcement agencies to sternly deal with perpetrators, regardless of their standing in society. I, therefore, urge all stakeholders to work with the Government in ensuring that law and order prevails before, during and after the August 2021 General Elections.

 

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, allow me to urge my fellow hon. Members to take a lead in the application of national values and principles as expressed by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. As leaders, we should always remember that we have a solemn duty to lead by example and ensure that we leave behind a better Zambia than we found it, for the sake of our children and our children’s children.

 

Mr Speaker, with those few words, I beg to move.

 

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

 

Ms Katuta: Now, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this rare opportunity to second the Motion that has been ably moved by the hon. Member of Parliament for Chilanga, Mrs Maria Langa Phiri. I would also like to thank the President for delivering a comprehensive speech on the application of national values and principles in our nation.

 

Sir, allow me to speak about three points being morals, ethics and patriotism, and I will also talk about human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination.

 

Mr Speaker, we have seen moral decay in our country. Some politicians use most of our children to insult their fathers in the name of politics thereby misusing social media, and the President also bemoaned this in his speech.

 

Sir, I would also like to talk about patriotism. Most of the young ones are being mislead in our country. Whenever they are not happy about some issues, they destroy state property and they forget that they will need it tomorrow.

 

Mr Speaker, let me also talk about how the Patriotic Front (PF) Government through the able leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is passionate about empowering women and seeing to it that the women in this country are not discriminated. For example, during the PF Government’s rule, we have seen how women have been empowered and encouraged to go back to school. In the past, when a girl child got pregnant, she was discriminated from continuing with her education, while the male child would continue with his. So, I thank the President and this Government for what they have done in our country and for encouraging women to realise their value by empowering them and retrieving young girls from early marriages and sending them back to school. This is the sign that human dignity is being restored especially in women in our country.

                  

Sir, I thank this Government for taking good care of the vulnerable through the Social Cash Transfer Scheme. I also thank the President for fulfilling his promise to the nation of empowering everyone regardless of his/her political affiliation and who he/she is. That is true patriotism, unlike instances where some people would like to sideline others.

 

Mr Speaker, with those few remarks, I second this Motion.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Evg. Shabula (Itezhi-tezhi): Mr Speaker, the speech the President delivered on Friday is out of reality and does not inspire hope.

 

Ms Katuta: Question!

 

Evg. Shabula: Sir, in his speech, the President deliberately failed to address the current difficulties and happenings faced by more than 17 million Zambians.

 

Mr Speaker, when an elephant is killed in the village, on that day and in that week and month, every villager will talk about it and not about the rats that eat groundnuts in the headman’s house. The elephant that the President ignored to bring on the table and the Floor of Parliament are the disturbing corrupt activities at the Ministry of Health. The nation wants to know what is happening at the Ministry of Health because they have a right to know. 

 

Mr Speaker, for a long time, the President and his PF Government knew about the corrupt activities at the Ministry of Health. However, as usual, they deliberately failed to –

 

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, thank you so much for allowing me to raise this point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament currently debating.

 

Sir, as hon. Members of Parliament, we are expected to be knowledgeable about the contents of the supreme document of the land, the Constitution. The President’s Address to this august House on Friday was not a mere exercise of coming to this august House to address the House and the nation. It is a constitutional mandate. The Constitution clearly stipulates the matters that His Excellency the President was to address on that day.

 

Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member of Parliament on the virtual Floor in order to express his ignorance about the provisions of the Constitution and go into a cross-country debate without focusing on the matters addressed by the President in line with the Constitution? Is he in order to start talking about elephants and rats that are running around in his house as he is addressing the people of Zambia?

 

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious ruling because here we come for serious business. The President came here as per constitutional requirement, which specifies the matters that he needed to address, and not the rats and elephants the hon. Member is talking about. So, is he in order to start his debate like that?

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Well, my ruling, hon. Minister of Home Affairs, is that the issue to do with elephants and rats was part of his introduction and he just started debating. We are yet to listen to the rest of his debate. However, I want to take advantage of this opportunity to say that for those who will follow to debate on this Motion, should ensure that we study the speech so that we do not bring in issues which were not raised by His Excellency the President of this Republic. It is important that we follow the rules of the House. It is important that we get our points from the speech. I will take it that the hon. Member was doing his introduction and that he is yet to begin to look at the President’s speech. That is my ruling.

 

May the hon. Member for Itezhi-tezhi continue.

 

Evg. Shabula: Mr Speaker, I think the hon. Minister of Home Affairs must be educated. I want to educate him that when we use the word ‘morals’ –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member, I am sure you are very much aware that after the ruling of the Chair, your task is to continue from where you ended, that is if you are not stopped. You have to concentrate on your points and not to drag someone who raised a point of order into your debate. I, therefore, urge you to move on with your debate.

 

Evg. Shabula: Mr Speaker, I have followed your guidance. However, we are talking about morals and ethics. For a long time, the President and his PF Government knew about the corrupt activities at the Ministry of Health, but as usual deliberately failed to take action until when pressure was mounted by the citizens who knocked on his door.

 

Sir, we may want to ignore and forget, but citizens are asking how a responsible Government can import expired drugs and leaking condoms and give them to its citizens by distributing them to hospitals. Is this a caring Government? How many tonnes of expired drugs and leaking condoms were imported and at what cost? Were those expired drugs and leaking condoms in our hospitals and health centres recalled so that they can be destroyed? How much of this is happening in this ministry and for how long? How many people have taken expired drugs and used expired condoms? How many do we expect to see falling sick in a few months or years to come?

 

Mr Speaker, the second point that I want to find out from the Government, which the President ignored deliberately, is the exorbitant purchase of ambulances. On the Floor of this House, hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition have debated and highlighted the extravagant cost on the purchase of ambulances at the Ministry of Health.

 

Sir, as usual, the President and his Government and its hon. Members of Parliament decided to deliberately ignore the matter. As hon. Members of Parliament, we have brought this matter on the Floor of this House, but we were called crybabies. For the PF Government, this issue is now dead. Our hon. Colleagues have buried it and forgotten it, but the people of Zambia are very much aware of what is happening and they need an explanation about it. Are these the morals and ethics we are talking about?

 

Sir, the last point is on the accountability for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) funds by the Ministry of Health. To-date, the Ministry of Health has failed to account for the COVID-19 funds received from millionaire Jack Ma and other donors. Funds have been transferred from one account to another without express authority of the Ministry of Finance. Is this a Government we can trust?

 

Mr Speaker, as I end, let the people of Zambia on 12^th August, 2021, replace this uncaring Government with the government of Hakainde Hichilema (HH) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) so that people –

 

Ms Katuta: Question!

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, in the first place, let me congratulate the United Party for National Development (UPND) for holding its convention peacefully. We also thank the police for being there for the UPND.

 

Sir, I listened carefully to the speech by the President and I was touched with the issues to do with equity and non-discrimination. He also touched on the issue to do with dialogue and values and principles, in general. He also talked about development and democracy as well as issues to do with violence.

 

Mr Speaker, on the issue of violence, everyone is very clear and everybody has seen that the Patriotic Front (PF) is the architect of violence. Our people were recently beaten by PF cadres. When cadres just see you with regalia for the UPND, they attack and beat you. PF members misbehave everywhere because they know that the police will not do anything. This is because the police support the PF. This Government has captured the police. It works as if the police are a wing of the PF. So, where is the democracy in such an environment?

 

Sir, violence is supposed to be condemned in the strongest terms by the Government. It is supposed to be stopped by the Government. However, look at how the cadres of the PF behave. They are the kingmakers of this country and so they can do anything. Look at the branding of vehicles, for instance. Immediately after elections, you are not supposed to be branding vehicles, but look at what the PF cadres do. This is all because they say nobody can touch them. They are untouchables.

 

Mr Speaker, let us talk about empowerment. There is an empowerment fund which is going around, but the PF is using it as a campaign tool. The PF is only giving funds to its supporters, but our hon. Colleagues on your right are saying that there is no discrimination. Where is the equity in the disbursement of these funds?

 

Sir, when you look at the development in the North-Western Province in particular, they are only interested in the money coming from North Western Province, but not developing the province. When you look the Solwezi/Mwinilunga Road, the Mwinilunga/Jimbe Road or just the whole Province, it is a shame. However, when they hear there is gold, they become interested and Statutory Instruments (SIs) are put in place. Where is equity there? They must be ashamed to even come up with such a speech.

 

Sir, the nation has been divided. The First Republican President, Dr Kaunda and his team tried to unite this country, but the Patriotic Front (PF) has divided this country. To get a tender or carry out anything at the moment, one has to be a PF cadre and yet, taxes are coming from every corner of the country. Even in the Bible, it is written that Jesus came for sinners so that they could be served. So, a leader who comes and discriminates people openly does not deserve to be called a leader. The motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ is completely rubbed off. All they are interested in is see the United Party for National Development (UPND) shrink. They want to run this country like a one party state. Everyone is seeing what is happening. Nobody is happy.

 

Mr Speaker, for instance, I, as a Member of Parliament, is not allowed to go round in my own constituency, Ikeleng’i, but they allow PF cadres to be going round and distribute things. Where is equity here? The President is supposed to go every corner of Zambia. The President was saying that we need to develop the nation without leaving anyone behind. Let him go to the North-Western Province where I said that Zambia has been left behind especially to where the Opposition won.

 

Sir, whenever we ask for the construction of the bridges and other things, they just agree. Some hon. Ministers have even stopped answering phone calls from us. Where is equity? Is this the way they are supposed to run the principles of democracy? This Government should know that this country is not only for the PF, but for the Opposition and the Ruling Party. However, we have seen that the sinners, the wrong doers, and the violent party is the PF. We should not run away from the fact. The PF is very violent because they think they are above the law, but the law will follow them because a criminal case does not die. We are warning them that they should not be worried to be arrested if they are not stealing or doing wrong things.

Mr Speaker, first of all, they should look at their sins.

 

I thank you, Sir.  

 

Mr Chikote (Luampa): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for the opportunity given to me to also contribute to the Presidential Speech delivered on Friday.

 

Sir, I have been in Parliament several times when the President has addressed the nation on a number of issues. However, I am one of those hon. Members of Parliament who is really disappointed especially with the Patriotic Front (PF) Government under President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to start with good governance which was the first item which the President talked about in his speech. We have been hearing about good governance many times, but the actions which are being demonstrated are contrary to what the President said. As we are talking now, many bad things are happening in our country.

 

Sir, firstly, in a country where there is good governance, things are governed on the basis of equity. At the moment, you would find that when it comes to the use Government resources to empower our people, the PF Government is being very selective. For example, the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) money is given selectively to those people who are singing their songs instead of addressing real clients who are supposed to benefit from the SCT. These things are happening in our country and yet our President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, pretends as if he is not seeing what is happening.

 

Sir, I am still on good governance. When Hon. Muchima and ourselves want to go and speak to our people, we are told that we cannot go round our constituencies because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). They are saying that people should respect the health guidelines and yet, PF members are busy going round, holding rallies in thousands and busy distributing money to people forgetting what the health guidelines which have been put in place. Where is good governance from the PF on the issue of equality and non-discrimination? Why should the Government be selective when giving the empowerment fund to the youths or women? Only PF supporters are benefiting from the fund and yet, His Excellency the President and his government are seated quietly, pretending as if there is nothing happening.

 

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the issue of civil servants. Civil servants who want to professionally carry out their duties, they are labeled as UPND sympathisers, and are even transferred. As we are talking now, there are a lot of disturbances and frustrations in councils where the CDF is being managed by Opposition hon. Members of Parliament. Civil servants are scared to follow professional ethics as they carry out their duties. They are being guided and they have to listen to the PF authority because they have to do things according to the way the PF Government wants. So, this is quite frustrating.

 

 Sir, how can somebody be proud to say that the PF is governing this country without discrimination? They are discriminating non-PF sympathisers when it comes to the implementation of developmental programmes. As we are speaking today, the Western Province was denied the opportunity to have their children get National Registration Cards (NRCs). The system was selective because they were choosing who to issue with the card. They were even limiting qualified citizens to get NRCs. This is what was happening in our province and yet the President was just quiet and nothing took place to sort out this issue.

 

Mr Speaker, a few weeks ago, a woman was beaten in Lusaka by known people, but Zambia Police Service has completely done nothing about it. The PF Government is just quite about the whole issue. Whoever puts on the United Party for National Development (UPND) regalia are beaten. Where is democracy? The PF is pretending by talking and fail to walk the talk. Let us not only be talking, but we should make –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.  

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: We have two hon. Members indicating through Zoom. We will start with the hon. Member for Serenje.

 

The hon. Member for Serenje is not available. So, we will move on to the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Hon. Siliya.

 

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, thank you so much for this opportunity to contribute to the statement on national values and principles as espoused by His Excellency the President last Friday in Parliament.

 

Sir, it is good to remind ourselves of the values we have in this House. In view of what the hon. Minister of Home Affairs was trying to put across in his point of order, people must be factual, and this is why one of our values is that of discouraging people to bring written statements so that they do not continue with the issues in their written statements that are not factual.

 

Mr Speaker, as a country, we have agreed on national values, and in agreeing with those values, we agreed on how to govern ourselves. One of the ways of governing ourselves is having an Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary. The Executive has systems and these systems include an eco-system (inaudible). So, in espousing national values, we cannot isolate one item and put it out of context, and this is why I totally disagree with the hon. Member who was debating from Itezhi-tezhi and the two who followed thereafter. In this eco-system of governance whether it is the Executive, Parliament or the judiciary, we have systems that govern us. In governance, you do not expect the President to sit at the Ministry of Health to address issues. The President is elected by the people through our value system of democracy. In that value system, you now come down to levels of management. It is all part of our national values and morals.

 

Sir, one of the good things that we should actually be highlighting is that, as a country, our systems work. The fact that they work is because we quickly identify when something goes wrong. In particular, the eco-system which is part of our national values in terms of governance is able to quickly pinpoint when the system is not working and the need to correct it. When that is done, it is actually a good thing. As part of our national values in terms of our governing eco-system, what would not be a good thing is not being able to identify when something goes wrong. However, in view of the fact that we are able to do that, we should actually be very pleased that our systems work. This is why we have investigative agencies at the Judiciary to ensure that they address issues until somebody goes to court. However, that does not mean that the rest of the country is not operating as insinuated by other speakers. The rest of the country has to continue to operate.

 

Sir, the Government or the Executive has to continue providing for the citizens in terms of education, health and roads, and the Judiciary has to continue operating. Parliament in particular, also has to continue operating and to do what it is there to do in this eco-system of national governance in terms of our national values at which we have agreed to govern ourselves. So, I think it is a bit folly for people to say that the country has come to a standstill because of one highlighted issue whether it is at the Ministry of Health or anywhere. Make no mistake; I am not saying that that should be encouraged. However, one of the things that I am pleased about is that our system is actually working and we are able to quickly identify the problems in the system. If the system did not work, that would even be worse.

 

Mr Speaker, the national values have to be brought down to family level. At family level, people who go to work, come to Parliament or do whatever they do in their life as work come from a home and these values have to continue being espoused at family level, and I think that was the President’s message. We should understand that the national values are not out of context. These values have a clear context in our country, Zambia. It is we, the people, in 2016 who said that the President should come to Parliament every year to tell us, as a country, what our values are. The values to become wealthy will ensure that we sing good things about our country and not bring it down all the time and teach our young people that in Zambia you cannot make it, for there is nothing good in Zambia, are the values that the President came to talk about in Parliament. As a country, let us love ourselves.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s Speech was very inspiring, to say the least.

 

Sir, as a father of the nation, the President clearly highlighted what the nation is supposed to do and he clearly outlined the roadmap. For instance, on pages 1 and 2 of his speech, he talked about the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the national economy and the lives of us Zambians, in general. He also lamented the lives of the people whom we have so far lost as a result of COVID-19, particularly the beloved ones whom we have lost in the recent past.

 

Mr Speaker, you will note that where we come from, most projects are on ice simply because the costs of those projects have gone up. The costs have tremendously increased because of the challenges that the country and the world at large is going through.

 

Sir, on pages 5 and 6 of the President’s Speech, the President bemoaned the low levels of morals and ethics in our country. It is, indeed, disheartening to notice the low levels of patriotism and morals in our youths. We need to heal the effects of a lot of things that have actually swayed the minds of our youths. For instance, social media has actually spoiled the country to a level where our youths cannot do without the small gadgets.

 

Mr Speaker, as regards patriotism and national unity, the President is referring to us citizens to exercise patriotism, especially with regard to national unity because this country has never witnessed a single civil war since inception. So, it is up to us leaders especially, to inculcate a sense of patriotism, national unity and love for fellow human beings in the minds of the youths so that together, we can drive this beautiful country to prosperity.

 

Sir, there has been civil wars in Rwanda as a result of hate speech. We, as politicians, should tame our tongues and language, and the manner we say things because hate speech can actually be a matchstick which would blow this country into fire. So, we should be mindful of these issues.

 

Mr Speaker, we are heading towards elections. On 12^th August, 2021, we shall have a general election and we can already see that our friends in the political arena are charged. We need the Church to come on board and to pray for our leaders to ensure that we harmonise our differences and come together as members of one family in order to ensure that peace prevails before, during and after elections because it is the little things, the politics, which have divided the country.

 

Sir, it is important to note that Zambia is bigger than any one of us or any political player. So, we need to harmonise our relationships. The ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ motto should be embraced and nurtured so that we identify ourselves with –

 

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

  Mr Chisanga (Lukashya): Mr Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to debate the President’s Speech.

 

Sir, I would like to preface my debate on the speech by reminding the House that the President’s Address to the nation, through the National Assembly, and the debate that arises from it are guided by Part 2 of the Constitution, particularly Articles 8, 9 and 86(1) of the republican Constitution. So, I urge hon. Members of Parliament to objectively analyse the President’s Address, and where possible, convey the President’s message to the electorates because that is what that provision in the Constitution was designed to achieve.

 

Mr Speaker, my few take home notes from the President’s Speech mainly border on what the President addressed the nation on, such as Gender Based Violence (GBV) and the need for us to end child marriages. As a Member of Parliament, I am elated that the President came to the House and highlighted the strides that the Government has made in stemming the fight against GBV. The President went ahead and gave statistics of the cases that have been handled over a period spanning four years. The Republican President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, further explained the indicative of the responses that have been received from the public, which were all indicative to the fact that the sensitisation campaigns that the Government has been running have been well received and have been bearing fruit. We will only win the fight against GBV if we take note of the President’s Speech and make a joint effort to get involved in this noble fight as hon. Members.

 

Sir, regarding child marriages, the President advised the nation, through the National Assembly, that guidelines to protect young people from child marriages and GBV have actually been formulated in ten chiefdoms. The President gave an example of Chief Chamuka’s Kingdom, where there has been a robust fight against GBV, as well as child marriages. I must authoritatively state that following the guidance given by the President, as Member of Parliament, I have personally engaged with His Royal Highness, Chief Chamuka, whom I have had several meetings with to try and learn the efforts that he has put in place in the fight against GBV. I have learnt a great deal in my interactions with Chief Chamuka and I intend to replicate the efforts that he has made in terms of implementing the guidelines and by-laws. Chief Chamuka also showed me the institutions he has put in his Chiefdom in a quest to fight GBV and child marriages.

 

Mr Speaker, I am elated that the President was able to advise the nation that we have made the fight against child marriages a central role in the Patriotic Front (PF) Government by returning children who were forced into marriages home and giving them an opportunity to go back to school. Some of these children will become champions against GBV as well as child marriages.

 

Sir, the President also made a very informative statement regarding the Social Cash Transfer Scheme. I have been a Member of Parliament for a short period of time, but I can authoritatively state that in my constituency, I have seen the benefits of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme. These benefits are in line with what is included in the PF manifesto of ensuring that we bridge the gap between the haves and the have not’s.

 

Mr Speaker, I have seen people in my constituency who have benefitted immensely from the implementation of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme. I can only thank the Republican President and the PF Government for the efforts they have made in implementing this robust process that has benefitted so many people in the constituency. I disagree with the notion that there has been a deliberate effort to ensure that the Social Cash Transfer Scheme only benefits PF strongholds. I was privileged to chair an Audit Committee that dealt with the Social Cash Transfer Scheme on a country platform and I can attest that this process applies to everyone, regardless of his/her political affiliation.

 

Sir, the President also advised us on the need to join the fight against alcohol and drug consumption. These vices have the potential to cripple our nation and the President has given us timely advice on the need for us to fully get involved so that we can help the nation fight these vices, together with the offshoots of mental disorder and lately suicide cases. We can only win this fight if we heed the President’s advice to the nation through Parliament.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mrs Kucheka (Zambezi West): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to add the voice of the people of Zambezi West to the President’s Speech delivered to the House on Friday, 12^th February, 2021.

 

Sir, the people of Zambezi West and I feel that the President’s Speech is a failed speech, coming from a failed Government. I say so because the people of Zambezi West are complaining about the unequal distribution of wealth by this Government. I can give a lot of examples, but one example I can give is the distribution of communication towers. Zambezi West was one of the constituencies in the first phase, but up to date, not even one communication tower has been erected in Zambezi West. However, in some constituencies, there are ten communication towers. Is that fair? Can I say that the President’s Speech is inspiring to the people of Zambezi West? No.

 

 Mr Speaker, when a country is struggling, there are a lot of negative indications. One will find that the positive things are going down whereas the negative things are going up. For example, the President mentioned a list of things which are going wrong in our country. There are a lot of mental health problems. Mental health problems are increasing because the Government has failed. People are getting depressed. People are suffering and they cannot have three meals per day. In the end, people are pressured and they start running around like they are crazy. That is why I am saying that this Government has failed; it is a failed Government. The President talked about alcohol and substance abuse, which is increasing, meaning that this Government is a failed Government. People are now engaging in wrong activities to make themselves feel better because there is nothing for them.

 

Sir, why do you think there is a high rate of suicide? We should not pretend and say that the problems have increased because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is not true. There is a high rate of depression, early pregnancies, Gender Based Violence (GBV), unemployment, inflation, violence in general, corruption and nepotism, and there is lack of drugs in hospitals. Is it normal to be given a prescription to buy paracetamol at a Government hospital? Can people be normal or happy? It is sad. This Government has to do something about it. What is happening is not fair. The cost of living has increased. The President even talked about moral decay. Why do you think this is happening? The Government has to find the root cause of these problems. It is not just rhetoric or blah, blah, blah, but let us find the problem.

 

Let us not just come to Parliament and tell the people of Zambia that, “Oh! No, we are going to do this and that,” when nothing is happening. In most cases, we only hear lip service with no action.

 

Mr Speaker, I beg this Government, if it wishes to stay in power, which is not about to happen, to change. I do not know what it is going to do, for it to remain in power. Otherwise, the only hope for the people of Zambia right now is the United Party for National Development (UPND) with its President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

 

Ms Katuta: Question!

 

Ms Kucheka: I thank you, Sir.

 

The Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Kafwaya): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for allowing me to contribute in support of the speech rendered to the House and to the nation at large, by His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to state that I really appreciated His Excellency for his inspirational speech, which had proper content, as well as a well-delivered content to the Republic. It is very important for us to understand that the President did not come to address issues that are in our heads, in our minds, and issues that we wished he would address. It is not for anyone of us to require the President to address issues that we think is a priority in our minds. That was a constitutional requirement. The President obeyed the Constitution by coming to the House to say what burdens the Constitution has placed upon him as a Republican President and give account because it is required of him to give account in that prescribed manner. Therefore, congratulations to His Excellency for obeying the Constitution.

 

Mr Speaker, I particularly intend to contribute on the fact that the President warned those who abuse social media and said a Bill is coming. Indeed, the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill is coming and it will deal with all the people who abuse social media and cyber space in all sorts of ways.

 

Mr Speaker, I tend to wonder why some hon. Members of Parliament from the United Party for National Development (UPND) are so transactional in their mindset. They are so transactional that they cannot differentiate all levels of governance, from policy level, strategic level, and management level and so on. No wonder their highest body is called the National Management Committee. Listen, you cannot think about management at policy level. Policy level is different from management level and indeed strategic level.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, they cannot be talking about corruption at the Ministry of Health, and wish the President to talk about transactions. President Lungu is not transactional, he is at policy level to direct policy so that hon. Ministers, like myself and Hon. Dora Siliya, are able to implement that direction and create policies to respond to the desires of his Excellency the President.

 

Mr Speaker, I think it is embarrassing now, for hon. Members of Parliament to be talking about towers and refer to the President’s speech.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Mr Speaker, if hon. Members have a problem with the manner in which towers have been distributed, some of their friends who are more effective have come to our offices and we have discussed. People are getting towers because emergency towers are still available.

 

Mr Speaker, it is the same with hon. Members talking about drugs at the Ministry of Health. Why not go to the Ministry of Health and understand what could have gone wrong so that you can provide a solution, instead of wanting the President to come to the House and start explaining transactions to the citizens. The role of the President is to uphold the Constitution and what he did was clear; he upheld the Constitution by coming to do what the Constitution has prescribed for him to do once a year.

 

Mr Speaker, instead of congratulating His Excellence the President, hon. Members are busy talking about ambulances, drugs, perceived corruption, hatred, and that a UPND cadre was beaten up. I am sorry if the UPND regalia are so frustrating to many people, but people should not beat others. Let those who wear the UPND regalia wear freely. I know it is a bit frustrating, when you do not like the regalia and people are passing wearing it. Now, no matter how frustrated you may be, whether you are PF or any other thing, do not beat the UPND. Let them wear their regalia freely. Those who choose to support the UPND this is their country too. I think that even us who have –  

 

The Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate Adjourned)

 

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The House adjourned at 1656 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 17^th February, 2021.

 

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