Tuesday, 12^th February, 2019

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER

 

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received communication to the effect that in the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, the Chief Whip, Hon. S. Chungu, MP, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, 12^th February, 2019, until further notice.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES – MEMBERSHIP

 

Mr Speaker: I also wish to inform the House that in accordance with Orders 131(11) and 135(3) of the Standing, I have made changes to the composition of some Standing Committees as follows:

 

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES

 

Committee on Parastatal Bodies

 

Mr G. Putu, MP, replaces Mr M. Kafwaya, MP.

 

Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resource

 

Mr S. O. Mutaba, MP, replaces the late Mr N. Mwene.

 

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

 

Budget Committee

 

Mr R. Nakachinda, MP, replace Mr M. Kafwaya, MP.

 

I thank you.

 

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ZAMBIA SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, the National Assembly of Zambia, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), will conduct a capacity and performance self-assessment exercise from 22^nd to 25^th February, 2019, at Parliament Buildings. 

 

The overall objective of the exercise is for the National Assembly to undertake a comprehensive analysis of its capacity and performance in view of the Parliamentary Reforms that commenced in 2002. The specific objectives are to:

 

1. enable the National Assembly to undertake a systematic analysis of its capacity and performance; and
2. identify the strengths and weaknesses in the National Assembly’s performance, with emphasis on oversight; and
3. formulate recommendations for reform and development.

 

The exercise will contribute to the attainment of Strategic Objective No. 2 of the National Assembly of Zambia Strategic Plan 2015-2019, which is to strengthen the Legislature’s capacity to provide effective oversight over the Executive. The expected outcomes of the exercise include the following:

 

1. an analysis of strengths and weaknesses;
2. recommendations for further reform;
3. articulation of reasons for what has or has not worked; and
4. compilation of results into a tool for resource mobilisation.

 

To this end, a sample of sixty hon. Members of Parliament and fifty selected senior National Assembly members will participate in the exercise. The hon. Members to participate in the exercise have been carefully selected to ensure that the sample reflects the current composition of the House in terms of political party and gender representation.

 

The exercise will be accomplished by means of two self-assessment tools, namely:

 

1. the 2008 Self-Assessment Toolkit on Parliament’s Capacity and Performance; and
2. the 2018 Self-Assessment Toolkit on Parliamentary Oversight.

 

The toolkits were developed by the IPU, but have been domesticated to reflect the Zambian situation.

 

The hon. Members will be split into two groups. The first group, comprising forty-two, will respond to the 2008 self-assessment toolkit while the second group, comprising eighteen chairpersons of portfolio Committees will respond to the 2018 self-assessment toolkit. In addition, today, 12^th February, 2019, questionnaires will be distributed to all the hon. Members who have been selected to participate in the exercise. The questionnaires are expected to be completed and returned to the Office of the Principal Clerk ‒ Research on or before Friday, 15^th February, 2019. This is to enable the hon. Members to provide individual responses prior to the group discussions that will be held during the self-assessment.

 

I urge all the hon. Members who have been selected to participate in this exercise to be objective and fair in their responses to the self-assessment questions. This is the first time that the National Assembly is undertaking such an exercise. Let us, therefore, seize this opportunity to conduct a thorough and objective analysis of both our strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for further reforms.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

The Chief Whip and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Chungu): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the House an indication of the business it will consider this week. Before I proceed, however, let me take this opportunity to welcome hon. Members to the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Twelfth National Assembly. I hope they all had a restful festive period and that they are ready to proceed with the Business of the House.

 

Mr Speaker, as indicated on the Order Paper for today, Tuesday, 12^th February, 2019, the House will consider Questions for Oral Answer.

 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 13^th February, 2019, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any.

 

Sir, on Thursday, 14^th February, 2019, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any.

 

On Friday, 15^th February, 2019, the Business of the House will start with the Vice-President’s Question Time. That will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer. Thereafter, the House will consider Government Bills, if there will be any.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL HEALTH POSTS IN KASONGOLE WARD

 

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

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct a rural health post at Shimalingu or Mweshilungu in Kasongole Ward in Chifunabuli Parliamentary Constituency; and
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, I am glad to be with Hon. Mecha in the House, not in the hospital.

 

Welcome back, Hon. Mecha.

 

Mr Speaker, we would like to emphasise that the Zambian Government, led by His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is determined to achieve universal health coverage by putting up infrastructure in every part of the country that requires it. Therefore, the Government has plans to construct rural health posts at both Mweshilungu and Shimalingu in Kasongole Ward in Chifunabuli Constituency, and this is part of our capital investment plan. The health posts will be constructed within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period of 2019 to 2021, depending on the availability of resources.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

VILLAGE BANKING PROGRAMME

 

161. Mr Mwila (Chimwemwe) asked the Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare:

 

1. who administers the Village Banking Programme at district level;
2. what the criteria for identifying beneficiaries of the programme are;
3. what the maximum loan amount an individual is eligible to borrow is;
4. what the interest rate for the loans is; and
5. how many people per ward have access to the funds in Chimwemwe Parliamentary Constituency.

 

The Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare (Mrs Mwansa): Mr Speaker, the Village Banking Programme is administered by the District Community Development Officer at the district level.

 

The criteria for identifying beneficiaries of the programme are as follows:

 

1. vulnerability ‒ poor but viable women are given priority;
2. residence ‒ beneficiaries should either be permanent inhabitants or must have resided in the area for not less than six months;
3. surety ‒ it is usually confirmed by group members that the beneficiary is a member of the group; and
4. compatibility ‒ members should have a shared understanding of the group, be of similar economic condition and show a willingness to co-operate amongst themselves.

 

Sir, the maximum amount an individual is allowed to borrow is K2,000.

 

The interest rate is 20 per cent.

 

Sir, the Village Banking Programme is implemented in catchment areas called sub-centres. In Chimwemwe Constituency, the programme is only being implemented in Itimpi Ward and Itimpi Centre, where fifty-four women are the beneficiaries.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, the Community Development Officers in Kitwe give out loans at 20 per cent interest for six months. Is that as it should be or should the loan period be a year?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, yes, the repayment cycle for the loans is six months.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, is the programme being implemented throughout the country? I ask because I do not see it in Kabompo.

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, the programme is being implemented in only fifty-eight districts.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwila: Sir, the 20 per cent interest rate for every six months translates into 40 per cent per annum, and the marketeers at Itimpi Market of Chimwemwe Constituency disengaged from the programme, lamenting that the interest rate of 40 per cent per annum was too high for them to pay back the loans. How does the ministry hope to fight poverty, especially among the womenfolk, including marketeers, when it offers loans at such a high interest rate?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, I think it is only in Chimwemwe Constituency where the interest rate is high. In other areas, it is at 20 per cent, and the women groups accessing the loans have increased. Initially, we started with, maybe, ten women, but the numbers have now grown.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Sir, the hon. Minister has said that fifty-eight districts are benefiting from the Village Banking facility. From how many provinces are the fifty-eight districts drawn?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, the districts are in various provinces, but they are primarily those that do not benefit from the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) Project. The districts may be in the Southern and Eastern provinces simply because the ministry picked the two provinces at random.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, does the ministry intend to roll out the programme to districts where people do not receive the loans?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, we look forward to scaling up the programme if funds will be made available by the Ministry of Finance.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr A. Mumba (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, the rate at which we borrow money from banks is now 23 per cent per annum, but the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare is lending to financially challenged people, marketeers and the physically challenged in particular, at 40 per cent per annum. From the economic point of view, that is a very serious irregularity. Is there a way the ministry can lend at a lower rate? I ask this because the 40 per cent per annum interest the borrowers pay is totally out of this world?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, I ask time to go and research the answer to this question. I will update the House later.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Chimwemwe’s cry is about the high interest rate of the loans, and I am glad that the hon. Minister has said that she will research this issue further. The poor who need this money need it on time and when it is required. However, my question is: Will the loan amount be raised from K2,000 in the near future?

 

Mrs Mwansa: Mr Speaker, the ministry also thinks that the amount is very little. So, if funds will be made available, the ministry will consider increasing the amount so that women can engage in bigger businesses.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

MORAL STANDING OF CHURCH LEADERS

 

162. Mr Sampa (Kasama Central) asked the Minister of Religious Affairs and National Guidance what measures the Government is taking to improve the moral standing of church leaders following negative reports in the print and electronic media about their alleged misconduct.

 

The Minister of Religious Affairs and National Guidance (Rev. Sumaili): Mr Speaker, in order to improve the moral standing of the church leaders, the Government is working very closely with the Church and other religious mother bodies to counsel and guide the concerned clergy; facilitate capacity building programmes that will help to strengthen governance, accountability and other areas of need, such as leadership; develop a self-regulatory framework that will, among other objectives, lead to the development of standards and regulations that will guide the conduct of the clergy. The framework is also helping the ministry to develop policy and legal frameworks.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Chabi (Chipili): Mr Speaker, would the hon. Minister (pointing at Rev. Sumaili) tell the nation what her ministry and the Government at large are doing to improve the moral standing of people in political positions …

 

Mr Lusambo: Order!

 

Do not point at the hon. Minister.

 

Mr Chabi: … who circulate obscene materials and, thereafter, claim to have been used by demons?

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, let us confine ourselves to the question.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: I have, on several occasions, explained what a supplementary question is.

 

Mr Chabi: It is on morality!

 

Mr Speaker: It must be related to the main question. Here, we are talking about members of the clergy, not political leaders or actors.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Sir, there have been reports in the media on the clergy and, several times, the ministry has strongly condemned the men of God who engage in practices contrary to the beliefs of the holy book called the Bible. I am aware that some men of God have appeared in and circulated pornographic videos and that, when their actions are reported in the media, the ministry just condemns the culprits. What action does the ministry take after condemning the condemnation? We do not want to be a nation that just condemns wrongdoing. We want to see the ministry taking action to deter would-be offenders from engaging in similar activities.

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Kabwe Central for this follow-up question.

 

Sir, our desire is to see the clergy change their conduct. We do not want to just condemn them. As such, as I have already reported, the ministry, working with religious mother bodies, has embarked on capacity building programmes for the clergy. The programmes are not only aimed at changing their conduct, but also building Christian values and principles in them and strengthen their leadership. More so, we are looking at how they can mainstream in the congregation what they are being taught.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out more about the negative reports in the media concerning the offences that the church leaders have committed. I ask this because the nation, I am pretty sure, is in the dark just as I am. I do not understand the alleged misconduct by the church leaders the question is referring to. Could the hon. Minister explain.

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, we have received several complaints and reports on the clergy. For example, there have been media reports about sexual abuse of young people in the Church and money stolen from members of the congregation, such as a widow who sought help. Some of the reports are mere allegations, but there are others reports that are founded on truth. We have taken steps to ensure that the concerned clergy are counselled and put on programmes to strengthen their character.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr C. Zulu (Luangeni): Si, apart from the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) for the Catholics, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), which are well known, are there other Church mother bodies?

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, yes, there are other Church mother bodies. For example, there is one that represents independent churches and another that represents the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA). There is another that represents other churches. Therefore, there are about seven Church mother bodies.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Sir, is it compulsory for independent churches to belong to the mother body that represents independent churches? Are such churches accountable?

 

  Rev. Sumaili: Sir, it is very important for all churches to belong to mother bodies because that is the only way they will be accountable, and be helped in building capacity and training. There are benefits in belonging to a Church mother body, as there is a lot of help that is channelled through those bodies. So, I encourage churches to belong to them.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, let us be focused on the question at hand.

 

Mr Mung’andu (Chama South): Sir, to address the problem of immorality among the clergy, does the Government plan to introduce minimum qualifications in theology for one to become a pastor or leader of a church?

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, as I said earlier, the ministry is working on a legal and regulatory framework that will spell out all the minimum requirements for somebody to be a pastor. We have engaged the Church mother bodies to work with us in coming up with the minimum standards because it is very important for people to be protected. Men and women of the collar offer spiritual support to the people, and it is very important for the Government to ensure that they are qualified to provide such a service.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Zimba (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, other than the laws in the Constitution of Zambia that provide for pastors who commit straightforward offences like defilement to be punished, what authority does the ministry have over churches that teach wrong doctrines? For example, recently, a pastor asked his congregants to eat grass. 

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, Part II, Article 8 of the Constitution of Zambia clearly states the values, principles and ethics to which church leaders need to adhere. Those values, principles and ethics are strong enough to empower the pastors with the mandate to supervise the churches.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last three questions from the hon. Members for Kasama Central, Serenje and Kasenengwa.

 

Mr Sampa (Kasama Central): Mr Speaker, moral decay among pastors has become rampant that the nation cannot ignore it. Is the ministry considering working on other protocols or with professionals like psychologists to thoroughly investigate the problem and find solutions to it?

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, it has become clear that from the time this nation took a step to actualise the values and principles it has set for itself, people have become enlightened on issues of values, principles, ethics and morality, and that is why they have lifted their voices in complaining against immoral practices they see. These issues affect all of us, starting from the family through the community to the nation. That is why the ministry is working with all other ministries to address them. There is an inter-ministerial committee that looks the progress the nation is making in implementing the values and principles. Further, once every year, His Excellency the President reports to Parliament how the nation is doing in respecting the values and principles.

 

Sir, I agree with the hon. Member that the ministry cannot work alone on this issue, and that is why it is working with the civil society, other ministries and other stakeholders.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, does the ministry plan to regulate the dress code in churches to protect men of God from falling?

 

Rev. Sumaili: Sir, when we talk about issues of morality, we encompass everything, including the way people dress not only in churches but also everywhere they go. I am sure you have heard us talk about this issue, and we are discussing it with church leaders and chiefs. Hon. Members of Parliament also need to be concerned this issue and talk about it. Zambia is a dignified Christian nation. So, the way we dress should communicate who we are. We cannot just wake up and say that we will impose regulations on dressing because this is a moral issue. However, I believe that as we improve our Christian standing as a nation, we will also improve the way we dress.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr S. Banda (Kasenengwa): Mr Speaker, does the Government have a mechanism for ensuring consistency in data collection to enable the Government to quantify media reports of immoral acts committed by church leaders and better understand the problem? Such data would inform interventions to be made by the ministry?

 

Rev. Sumaili: Mr Speaker, it is important to ensure that all steps taken by the ministry are documented. This is why the ministry is about to embark on a baseline survey of the problem. Thereafter, we will know how to tackle the issue. We are not just talking about the values specified in the Constitution but our cultural values, too. Therefore, it is important that we do things properly in terms of research, consultation and documentation.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

DESIGNATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AS EXAMINATION CENTRES IN KALABO DISTRICT

 

163. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of General Education:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to designate all schools that were upgraded to secondary schools in Kalabo District as examination centres; and
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

 

The Minister of General Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, the Government plans to designate all the schools that were upgraded to secondary school in Kalabo District as examination centres. This commitment is in keeping with the theme of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) of not leaving anyone behind.

 

Sir, the time frame for the implementation of the plan will largely depend on the development of appropriate infrastructure, such as examination strong rooms, and adequate classrooms and desks.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has mentioned the conditions that need to be met for a school to be accorded an examination centre status. However, is it not the mandate of the Ministry of General Education to provide education to all Zambians who seek it regardless of their economic status? Could the hon. Minister to clear the air on that.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member has already stated that it is the mandate of the ministry to provide education to our people irrespective of their geographical locations, and that is exactly what we are doing.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Sir, the people of Kalabo are like the people in other districts. My question is: Who is supposed to provide the desks and safes for the schools in Kalabo? Is that not the responsibility of the Ministry of General Education? If the ministry does not provide such things, does it mean that the schools will not be accorded examination centre status?

 

Mr Mabumba: Sir, like I said in response to Hon. Miyutu’s supplementary question, it remains our mandate to provide the mentioned facilities. However, if I may provide additional information, while having laboratories, adequate classrooms and strong rooms is a prerequisite to any school becoming an examination centre, I assure my colleagues that as the ministry reforms examinations in public schools, some things will change. For instance, currently, many schools are required to have strong rooms. Under the proposed reforms, however, examination papers will be stored at the provincial, district and zonal offices. Therefore, there will be very few lone centres, and it is my expectation that many schools that have not yet been designated examination centres will be given that status when the reforms are implemented.

 

Mr Speaker, we are having discussions on these issues and, if all goes well, we may see some schools, including those that applied in 2018 but were denied examination centre status, qualify due to the waiver that the ministry wants to make. In this regard, the hope I can give my colleagues, including the hon. Member for Kalabo Central, is that under the proposed arrangement, schools like those in Kalabo are likely to be given examination centre numbers.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

REVAMPING OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

 

164. Mr Kaziya (Matero) asked the Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to revamp sports activities in learning institution countrywide;
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and
3. when talent identification programmes in learning institutions will commence.

 

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development (Mr Mawere): Mr Speaker, first of all, allow me to wish this august House a happy new year.

 

Sir, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development, in conjunction with the ministries of Higher Education and General Education, has been revamping sports activities in schools and tertiary institutions countrywide for some time now. Further, the Ministry of General Education has incorporated sports and physical education into its curriculum. The ministries of Higher Education and General Education hold sports competitions at weekends in order to avoid disrupting lessons. Additionally, to effectively improve the implementation of sports activities in schools and tertiary institutions, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development has continued training sports administrators, athletes, coaches and teachers in charge of sporting activities at various levels. The University of Zambia (UNZA) now has a Department of Physical Education and Sports that awards a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.

 

Sir, the sporting activities held in schools are also organised in the Community Sports Programme that was launched by the ministry in 2015 as a vehicle for promoting sports activities children who are out of school.

 

As regards part (b) of the question, I wish to state that plans are being implemented. Furthermore, the ministries of Higher Education and General Education have fully-fledged sports programmes in which various sporting activities are held every year. The activities culminate in national school sports competitions.

 

Sir, the hon. Member may wish to note that sporting competitions in which talent identification is done are being promoted at all levels of the school system. For instance, the competitions begin with the inter-house games in schools and move on to inter-school, and inter-district games. Next, the competition is at the zonal, regional and, ultimately, national levels. This happens in both schools and tertiary institutions. The talents identified are nurtured at various levels. The various sports associations, which have been incorporated in this programme, are fully involved in talent identification at the different levels. At the national level, there is the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC), which is the centre of excellence for promoting elite athletes in this great nation.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

                                                                                                  

Mr Zimba: Mr Speaker, it is good to know that the Government is revamping sports programmes countrywide, as the hon. Minister has said. In rural constituencies like mine, we have been crying about the bias towards urban areas in the promotion of sports activities. We want to see sports activities in rural constituencies because that is where there are early marriages and teenage pregnancies due to the absence of recreational facilities. My question is: Where do the sports activities the hon. Minister has mentioned take place?

 

Mr Mawere: Sir, there are advisory committees charged with the responsibility to promote all sports disciplines in all the districts of Zambia. I believe that even in Chasefu, there are primary and secondary schools that are actively promoting sports. Actually, I would like to see hon. Members of Parliament visit the various schools in their constituencies and sit down with the school managements to see how they can promote sports in the schools. In the past, we had neglected this important activity in schools, and most sports facilities were redesigned or turned into residential areas. However, we have been urging all schools to reclaim those pieces of land and put up sports facilities. Where we have spaces in communities, district advisory committees are promoting sports among children who are out of school. This is because when schools close, we do not want the sports programmes to be interrupted.

 

Mr Speaker, I remember that in 2017, the ministry distributed sports kits to almost all hon. Members of Parliament in the quest to promote sports in communities. I hope that Chasefu is one of the areas where community sports were promoted.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, is it the hon. Minister’s wish to encourage the Ministry of General Education to either come up with a sports grant or to instruct schools to allocate funds for sports from the grants they receive quarterly or annually? Does the Government plan to provide a fixed and regular grant for sports activities in all school so that the activities can continue running without schools having to beg for money from the communities?

 

Mr Mawere: Mr Speaker, the ministries of General Education, Higher Education, and Youth, Sport and Child Development are working very closely to promote sports in schools. Actually, I am happy to mention that unlike in the past, most schools have started including sports and physical education in their budgets. So, they are doing exactly what the hon. Member is requesting. If some schools are not doing that, the hon. Member can bring that to our attention so that we can make a follow-up.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development recently distributed sports equipment and kits. Will it do the same in 2019 so that hon. Members can organise inter-school sports festivals with the support of his ministry and the Ministry of General Education?

 

Mr Mawere: Sir, it is the desire of the ministry and, I believe, of every Zambian, including hon. Members of Parliament, to promote inter-school sports festivals. I am happy to see that hon. Members are very eager to be part of the important crusade for physical education and sports in schools and communities.

 

Sir, we have budgeted for various school sports programmes in 2019, and we hope that the Ministry of Finance will fund us so that we can meet the aspirations of everyone. Once funded, we will definitely continue with the programme of providing sports equipment and kits to communities through hon. Members of Parliament and other avenues.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

PROCUREMENT OF MORTUARY EQUIPMENT FOR MUMPANSHYA MISSION HOSPITAL IN RUFUNSA DISTRICT

 

165. Mrs Mulyata (Rufunsa) asked the Minister of Health:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to procure mortuary equipment for the Mumphanshya Mission Hospital in Rufunsa District; and
2. if so, when the equipment will be procured.

 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health is modernising all health facilities, including mission health facilities. The modernisation programme includes the procurement of modern medical equipment for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, and improvement of mortuary facilities. Mumphanshya Mission Hospital is expected to benefit from this Government procurement initiative earmarked for the second quarter of 2019.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF TRADES SCHOOLS COUNTRYWIDE

 

166.  Mr Miyutu asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development:

 

1. how many trades schools were constructed countrywide between September 2011 and December 2017;
2. what the total number of trades schools which had not been completed as of December 2017 is; and
3. what measures are being taken to expedite the completion of the projects.

 

The Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development (Mr Chitotela): Mr Speaker, there were ten trades training institutes under construction countrywide between September 2011 and December 2017, namely:

 

1. Chipata Trades Training Institute;
2. Kalabo Trades Training Institute;
3. Isoka Trades Training Institute;
4. Lundazi Trades Training Institute;
5. Milenge Trades Training Institute;
6. Mumbwa Trades Training Institute;
7. Mwense Trades Training Institute;
8. Mporokoso Trades Training Institute;
9. Sesheke Trades Training Institute; and
10. Ukwimi Trades Training Institute.

 

Sir, of the ten trades training institutes, seven, namely Kalabo, Isoka, Lundazi, Milenge, Mumbwa, Mporokoso and Sesheke had not been completed as at December 2017. 

 

Mr Speaker, the Government has prioritised the completion of projects at or above 80 per cent and intends to use the Skills Development Fund to complete the construction of the remaining institutes in the first quarter of 2019. The details of the projects on trades training institutes that commenced between September 2011 and December 2017 include the following:

 

1. works at Mwense Trades Training Institute have been completed and the institute has been operationalised;
2. the construction of Milenge Trades Training Institute has stalled at 4 per cent;
3. works are ongoing at Mporokoso Trades Training Institute although at a very slow pace due to inadequate funding. The project is at 40 per cent;
4. the construction of at Isoka Trades Training Institute is at 90 per cent, and the ministry hopes to operationalise the institute in the first quarter of 2019;
5. the construction of Mumbwa Trades Training Institute has been very slow due to inadequate funding. The project is at 70 per cent;
6. the construction of Kalabo Trades Training Institute is ongoing, and works are at 90 per cent. The ministry hopes to operationalise the institute in the first quarter of 2019;
7. the construction of Sesheke Trades Training Institute is going on very well and is at 65 per cent;
8. the construction of Lundazi Trades Training Institute is at 56 per cent;
9. Phase I of Ukwimi Trade Training Institute is complete while Phase II, which includes the dormitories for the students, is under implementation; and
10. Phases I and II of the Chipata Trades Training Institute are complete. Phase III is on dormitories for the students.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, skills training is very important in this country, considering the high unemployment rate among the youth. Will the Government prioritise the completion of the trade schools regardless of the level at which the works are so that the youth are able to get skills and have a means of earning a livelihood?

 

Mr Chitotela: Sir, I agree with the hon. Member, and the Government has made completing the projects a priority. Of the remaining seven, it hopes to operationalise two in the first quarter of 2019 and finance the remainder using the Skills Development Fund. This will enable the Government to give children the skills they require to venture in different business activities.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned that the Government has prioritised the completion of trades schools that are at or above 80 per cent. However, most of the projects seem to be below that threshold. You will recall that the construction of Milenge Trades Training Institute was started in 2011 yet, like the hon. Minister has said, the project is at 4 per cent. What we see there is elephant grass. Since we are in February 2019, what hope can the hon. Minister give the people of Milenge that the important project will materialise?

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member and sympathise with the people of Milenge. However, I assure them that the legal issues that the institute was embroiled in have been resolved. The hon. Member might not be aware that we are moving forward.

 

Sir, in my response, I stated that projects that are below 80 per cent will be funded using the Skills Development Fund. The construction of Milenge Trades Training Institute started a long time ago, but there were several issues that caused the delay. Those issues have now been resolved and the situation will be normalised. In short, the Government will ensure that the people of Milenge have access to quality education.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF SCIENCE LABORATORIES IN MILENGE DISTRICT

 

167. Mr Mbulakulima asked the Minister of General Education:

 

1. when the Government will construct science laboratories at the following secondary schools in Milenge District:

 

1. Kafwanka;
2. Mulumbi; and
3. Chibanda;

 

       b. what the effects of not having science laboratories in schools are; and

 

     c. what immediate measures the Government is taking to counter the above effects.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the Government has no immediate plans to construct laboratories at Kafwanka, Mulumbi and Chibanda secondary schools because of budgetary constraints. However, the ministry will continue to supply mobile laboratories to schools in need, including Kafwanka, Mulumbi and Chibanda.

 

Sir, without science laboratories in schools, pupils will get theoretical knowledge without hands-on experience.  Therefore, we will not prepare a cadre of future scientists.

 

Mr Speaker, regarding the immediate measures, as I said in my answer to part (a) of the question, we have been providing mobile laboratories to many schools over the years. As the cost of mobile laboratories at our National Science Centre is not very high, we will continue using the mobile laboratories as an immediate measure, but when funds are available, we will construct physical structures.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has not addressed the issue of examination centres. The biggest fear of many teachers in Milenge is that if a school does not have science laboratories, it does not qualify to be an examination centre. How will the hon. Minister allay those fears? In relation to that, how does he feel about the fact that the entire district has to rely on mobile laboratories when other schools have got fixed ones?

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member’s question is similar to Hon. Miyutu’s, and my answer was that the provision of mobile laboratories is one of the short-term measures to enable the schools to be given transitional examination centre numbers. The hon. Member should note that a fixed laboratory and a mobile one can both serve the purpose. Those who invented the mobile laboratory knew that there would be cases when we would not be able to build fixed laboratories. With advances in technology, mobile laboratories are cheaper, but they can work the same way as fixed ones, and I am sure that many schools that have been provided with mobile laboratories have been able conduct science experiments without any challenges.

 

Sir, Kafwanka Secondary School is one of those that have been helped, if I am not mistaken. Once the other schools in the constituency are provided with mobile laboratories, I will ensure that they are also given examination centre numbers. Like I said earlier, there are already discussions on this issue, and the ministry has asked all the Provincial Education Officers (PEOs) to submit names of all the upgraded schools and their status in terms of laboratories so that if possible, it can waive some of the requirements for award of examination centre status. This is meant to ensure that as many schools as possible are given transitional examination centre numbers while we await the construction of fixed laboratories.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, I think the people of Kabwe Central are in the same boat as the people of Kafwanka and Mulumbi. Whose responsibility is it to provide mobile laboratories? Some children are in Grade 9 while others are in Grade 12 and are supposed to write their examinations at the end of 2019. Should we just wait for the laboratories to be provided? Is that his answer to us, although he used the term word “hon. Colleagues”? Will the hon. Minister provide the mobile laboratories or should we just forget about everything? It appears that this issue of mobile laboratories –

 

Mr Speaker: I think you have asked your question. You are now debating.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the responsibility to provide mobile laboratories is the mandate of the Ministry of General Education, but that does not stop other stakeholders from partnering with the ministry in providing the laboratories. Let me give an example that my hon. Colleagues sometimes do not like to hear. When my colleagues receive the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), nobody can stop them from going to the National Science Centre to buy mobile laboratories. Like I said earlier, the laboratories are not very expensive. If my colleagues visited the centre, they would confirm that the laboratories are not very expensive. So, let us approach this issue from a multi-sectoral point of view. The mandate is ours, but our colleagues should partner with us in a small way as we do everything possible to solve the problem. Not too long ago, the Committee on Education, Science and Technology visited the centre, and it can attest to what the ministry has been doing in there.

 

Sir, it is our mandate to provide the laboratories, and we will continue to do so. However, where our colleagues can help us, we will be very grateful if they do so.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister keeps referring to some consultations his ministry is making. How long will those consultations take? Further, how effective will they be?

 

Mr Mabumba: Sir, the consultations are twofold in the sense that under the Public Examinations System Reforms, there are some short-term, medium-term and long-term measures. In the short term, given our experiences last year, we want to focus on distribution, security and examination centre numbers for schools. We expect to implement some measures around these issues before the 2019 examinations are written. The others will be implemented in 2020. So, I believe that some of my hon. Colleagues’ concerns will be addressed before the examinations are written this year.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwamba (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, the problem of a lack of science laboratories does not only affect Kafwanka and Mulumbi secondary schools but also other schools all over the country. Further, it is true that no school can be given an examination centre number without a laboratory, and the hon. Minister has assured us that the ministry is working on providing schools with mobile laboratories from the National Science Centre (NSC). When will the ministry give the laboratories to the people of Mulumbi and Kafwanka whose children will soon be preparing for examinations?

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the only hope I can give to my colleagues is that we are currently making consultation. In fact, this question was pre-empted me because I expect to render a ministerial statement on issues of examination centre numbers in which I will specify the schools for which we will waive some requirements for award of examination centre numbers before examinations are written this year. I am sure my hon. Colleague agrees with the proposal that I issue a statement on examination centre numbers at an appropriate time between now and March 2019. That will be better from my point of view because I will speak with facts.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: The last questions will be from the hon. Members for Mkushi North and Kafue.

 

Princess Mwape (Mkushi North): Mr Speaker, who is the hon. Minister consulting? Has he consulted hon. Members of Parliament?

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the consultations are ongoing, and there are various groups we are consulting on the public examinations system. I believe that between now and March 2019, they will be consulted because they are a key stakeholder in the reform of the examination system. However, I am not sure what form the consultation will take. It could be through a ministerial statement or by other means. When we are ready to engage with the hon. Members, we will tell them. For now, we are consulting educationists.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Ms Chonya (Kafue): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned that in the absence of fixed science laboratories, mobile ones will be used as a stop-gap measure. Is he in a position to tell us the unit cost of one mobile laboratory?

 

Mr Mabumba: Sir, I think mobile laboratories used to cost about K5000. However, with the advances in technology, we have changed the design and are fabricating the new laboratories. So, the price has not been set, as we have not yet sold any. When I issue the statement to which I referred earlier, I should be able to indicate how much the new laboratories will cost.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF GOTA GOTA SECONDARY SCHOOL IN CHIAWA

 

168. Ms Chonya (Kafue) asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development:

 

1. why the construction of Gota Gota Secondary School in Chiawa area in Kafue District has stalled;
2. when the works will resume;
3. what the total cost of the project is;
4. who the contractor is;
5. how much money had been paid to the contractor as of September 2018; and
6. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the construction of Gota Gota Secondary School has stalled due to a road traffic accident that involved the transporter of the building materials, which led to the loss of a life and building materials. However, the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) at the school has remobilised building materials and the works have resumed, and a 1 x 3 classroom block is substantially complete while the staff house is at the cable installation level.

 

Mr Speaker, in addition to the community’s contribution of materials and labour, the Government contributed K454,545.45 to the project.

 

Sir, the contractor is Nchifar Enterprises.

 

Sir, as of September 2018, the contractor had been paid K83,590, is broken down as follows:

 

1. K71,538  for the 1 x 3 classroom block; and
2. K12,052 for the staff house.

 

Sir, the time frame for the remaining works is six months.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

OPERATIONALISATION OF THE ZAMBIA CREDIT GUARANTEE SCHEME

 

169. Mr Daka (Msanzala) asked the Minister of Finance:

 

1. when the Zambia Credit Guarantee Scheme will be operationalised; and
2. what the cause of the delay in operationalising the scheme is.

 

The Minister of Finance (Mrs Mwanakatwe): Mr Speaker, the Zambia Credit Guarantee Scheme (ZCGS) Limited was incorporated on 12^th September, 2018, following the recruitment of staff, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and the appointment of a board. Further, the policies, systems, processes and procedures have now been put in place, and it is expected that the scheme will start issuing guarantees by the end of the first half of 2019.

 

Sir, the delay in operationalising the scheme has been caused by the need to recruit the right calibre of staff and put in place the governance structure, documents and modalities for the guarantee scheme to be effective and sustainable. The areas that remain to be finalised include:

 

1. the procurement of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), a software that is essential to the efficient and effective operation of the scheme; and
2. conclusion of negotiations with financial institutions that have been brought on board to partner the ZCGS Limited. It is expected that the negotiations with the first financial partner institute will be concluded early this year to facilitate the issuance of the first guarantee.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Daka: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that good answer. Has the ministry identified the anchor houses that will be lending this business house?

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: Mr Speaker, yes, we have identified the anchor partners, which include the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO), Stanbic Bank and the Zambia Industrial and Commercial Bank (ZICB) Limited. We are also in discussions with the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the French Development Co-operation (FDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) for possible support with regards to technical assistance, grants and equity.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Ngulube: Sir, for the sake of our brothers and sisters who do not know what the institution is, what benefits will it bring to the people of Zambia, especially the business persons and those who want to borrow money? What value will the institution add to the already congested system of banks and all the foreign institutions that currently give loans in our country?

 

Mrs Mwanakatwe: Mr Speaker, it is important to ensure that we accrue benefits from the ZCGS Limited. The main benefit will be a reduction in interest rates because the credit guarantee scheme will offer to the banks a partial guarantee that the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will pay back loans. Actually, we are arranging loans in three tiers. The first tier is for loans between K1 million and K5 million, the second tier is for amounts between K50,000 and K1 million, and the third tier is for amounts up to K50,000.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

NATIONAL ELECTRICITY GRID PROJECT IN LUANGWA DISTRICT

 

170. Mr Miti (Feira) asked the Minister of Energy:

 

1. why the project to connect Luangwa District to the national electricity grid has stalled;
2. when the project will resume;
3. what the name of the contractor for the project is;
4. what the total cost of the project is; and
5. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

The Minister of Energy (Mr Nkhuwa): Mr Speaker, the implementation of the project in Luangwa stalled due to financial challenges. However, a financial clause that will resolve the challenges the project has faced was achieved in the first week of February 2019.

 

Sir, the implementation of the project is expected to resume by the end of February 2019.

 

Mr Speaker, the contractor for the sub-station component is Howell Energy Systems while the one for the transmission line is KEC International Limited.

 

Sir, the cost of the project is US$40.1 million, which is broken down as follows:

 

1. US$16.2 million for the sub-station component by Howell Energy Systems; and
2. US$23.9 million for the transmission line component by KEC International Limited

 

Mr Speaker, the project is estimated to be completed by November 2019.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX

 

171. Mr Kasonso (Solwezi West) (on behalf of Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central)) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:

 

1. whether the Government is aware that the Zambia Police Service is ranked as one of the leading corrupt institutions on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index;
2. if so, what measures the Government is taking to reduce corruption in the police service;
3. whether there are any police officers that were prosecuted for corruption-related offences from January 2015 to August 2018; and
4. if so, how many were prosecuted, year by year.

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda) (on behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo)): Mr Speaker, the Government is aware of the Transparency International of Zambia (TIZ) Corruption Perception Index, which ranks the Zambia Police Service as one of the leading corrupt institutions in Zambia. The Zambia Police Command and the Ministry of Home Affairs read the report with dismay.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government has put in place a number of measures to curb corruption in the Zambia Police Service. Some of the measures are as follows:

 

1. the establishment of integrity committees responsible for promoting ethical conduct and professionalism in the Zambia Police Service. The committees conduct sensitisation programmes on corruption both in the service and the communities. Police stations also have weekly discussions on ethics and ethical conduct meant to curb corruption and promote professionalism in the service;
2. introduction of the direct debit payment system in which fees and fines must be deposited into bank accounts in order to prevent officers handling cash payments. This will promote transparency, reduce the perceived corruption and build public confidence in the police service;
3. introduction of regular rotation of officers among divisions, such as General Duties and Traffic, to avoid officers overstaying in the same place and position and, consequently, becoming too familiar with the duties and some members of the public;
4. abolition of the mounting of unauthorised traffic patrols and checkpoints on road sections that have been covered by speed surveillance cameras; and
5. officers who fail to charge officers under their charge who commit offences within forty-eight hours will be charged with negligence of duty and may be dismissed from the Zambia Police Service.

 

Mr Speaker, yes, some police officers were prosecuted for corruption-related offences between January 2015 and August 2018, as follows:

 

Year                             Number of Officers Prosecuted

 

2015                                                 11

 

2016                                                 08

 

2017                                                 11

 

2018                                                 09

 

Total                                                 39

 

Sir, of those arrested under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012, thirty were convicted, five where acquitted while four are still appearing in the courts of law.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Kasonso: Mr Speaker, does the hon. Minister not think that one of the major reasons police officers are so corrupt is the low salaries they receive compared to other security wings?

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, many studies undertaken globally point to the fact that emoluments for officers have no effect on the levels of corruption. Some people with low income levels are not corrupt because of their high moral standing. On the other hand, there have been many cases of highly paid people being caught up in the vice. Therefore, it is not right to state that just because police officers are lowly paid, they are corrupt. Corruption has to do with many other factors, the most important of which are the ethical and moral standards of the involved officers.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, the most important factors in corruption are the levels of ethics and morality. Why is it that police officers are particularly lacking in these values?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, again, there are many factors to which the existence of corruption in the police can be attributed, and this is the reason the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed that various measures be taken to curb the perceived rampant corruption in the police, including training in ethics and morality, and reducing the opportunities for engaging in corruption, such as offenders’ payment of fines in cash. Such opportunities have been exploited by those who are of a low moral standing. We hope that the reduction of the opportunities will lead to a change in the perception of the Zambia Police Service as corrupt. We are determined to continue with these measures and inculcate the value of ethics and morality in police officers at the Lilayi Police Training School so that when the next perception index is prepared, an improvement in the perception of the Zambia Police Service will be reported.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has stated that ethics and morality are the major causal factors for corruption in the police service. Does he not think that by the time someone is recruited into the police training, he/she would already have some moral and ethical background? If the ethics and morality of recruits are faulty, then, probably, the recruitment criterion is equally faulty. Does he not think that could be the problem?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, questions on ethics and morality are among those asked in interviews during the recruitment of officers. However, there is no way of telling then the levels of morality and ethics of people. Various hon. Ministers, including the hon. Ministers of Religious Affairs and National Guidance, General Education and Higher Education have stated that we have to inculcate these values in our children in primary and secondary schools but more importantly in our homes. We, the parents, must teach our children to be of high moral standing so that they can observe these values in society. That way, we will clean up our society of corruption.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, on behalf of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, I have two questions. However, I am trying to see which one the hon. Minister will answer if –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Kabwe Central, are you suggesting that you are posing questions on behalf of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs?

 

Mr Ngulube: I want to pose two questions so that the hon. Minister can choose which one to answer.

Mr Speaker: No, no. I do not follow you. How do you ask questions on behalf of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs?

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, I am not asking on behalf of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs. I am saying that the hon. Minister of Justice is answering on behalf of the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, but –

 

Mr Speaker: Anyway, just ask your questions.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, when will the Zambia Police Service get rid of all the checkpoints the hon. Minister of Home Affairs said were illegal? The hon. Minister of Home Affairs came with a list here and said only the checkpoints on the list would be maintained. However, from the time that announcement was made, nothing has changed. The checkpoints were removed for just two hours and, then, put back. Right now, if you went to Kabwe, you would find almost six checkpoints, speed traps and such things. So, when will the police implement the hon. Minister’s directive?

 

The hon. Minister of Justice can say that there is no corruption because illegal checkpoints but, at the end of the day, nothing has been done about those checkpoints. Hon. Minister of Justice, if you went to Kabwe, you would find ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister of Justice, please, answer the question.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I am answering the question as the Minister of Home Affairs.

 

Sir, the hon. Member for Kabwe Central has asked when illegal police checkpoints will be got rid of. However, the fact that he has called them illegal, and that the hon. Minister stood on the Floor of the House and declared them illegal means that they are not supposed to be there. They should have ceased on the day the hon. Minister declared them illegal. If they are still there, the hon. Member for Kabwe Central should kindly report them to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs who I am sure will swing into action.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, high moral and ethical values are, indeed, an ingredient for a corruption-free society. However, providing quality accommodation is a way of reducing the perceived corruption. What is the Government doing to improve the wellbeing of our men and women in uniform?

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Lupososhi, did you pose a question?

 

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, yes I did.

 

Mr Speaker: What was the question?

 

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister confirm that the Government is making an effort to provide better living conditions for our men and women in uniform as an attempt to reduce corrupt practices?

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the Government is endeavouring to provide the best working conditions for all Public Service workers, not so much in relation to the fight against corruption, but because the workers deserve good conditions of service. The interventions against corruption are totally different and include using parliamentarians, through the African Parliamentarian’s Network Against Corruption (APNAC), to inculcate values into hon. Members of Parliament and inform them on what they can do to educate their children and their constituents on how to curb the vice of corruption. I am glad that my hon. Colleague is the Secretary-General of APNAC, whose Treasurer has, unfortunately, been out of this Parliament for more than ten years, and has not been replaced. I hope the Secretary-General will quickly call elections for the network so that more hon. Members can join it and make it more effective.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last two questions from the hon. Members for Solwezi West and Chienge.

 

Mr Kasonso: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister considering taking measures like the ones our colleagues in Kenya are taking, such as providing uniforms without pockets to police officers in view of the fact that high incidences of corruption occur at checkpoints?

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I do not mean to be sarcastic, but I urge the APNAC Zambia Chapter to start working so that questions like this one will not be asked because I am sure my colleague will be informed that money does not necessarily have to be put in pockets. It can be put in head dresses, as we have seen in the past. It can also be stashed in boots and bags. So, the hon. Member’s suggestion is far from the agenda of the Zambia Police Service because we do not think that we can fight corruption using such simplistic measures. There is much more that requires to be done, including inculcating values and ethics into hon. Members of Parliament.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Ms Katuta: Mr Speaker, in one of his answers, the hon. Minister said that if any hon. Member or any member of the public finds an illegal roadblock, he/she should report to relevant authorities. However, if you drove on some roads, especially Kafue Road, you would find the illegal roadblocks. Could the hon. Minister avail the nation a number that people can call to report such roadblocks. I do not think the nation knows the number on which members of the public can reach the Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the toll-free number for the Zambia Police is 991. When you call the number you do not pay irrespective of the mobile service provider you use. Anyone can use the number to inform the police of the existence of an illegal roadblock or any incidence in which a police officer solicits for a bribe.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

PROCUREMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR NDOLA CITY COUNCIL

 

172. Dr Chanda (Bwana Mkubwa) asked the Minister of Local Government:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to procure the following equipment for the Ndola City Council in order to enhance service delivery:

 

1. graders;
2. front-end loaders;
3. tipper trucks; and
4. skip bins;

 

  b. if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

 

    c.  if there are no such plans, why.

 

The Minister of Local Government (Mr Mwale): Mr Speaker, the Government has not budgeted for the procurement of equipment to enhance service delivery in Ndola in 2019. However, there are plans to procure the equipment through a supplementary budget when funds will be available. The local authority also expects to raise funds once the new valuation roll is approved and implemented. It can use the extra funds it will raise on supplementary expenditure.

 

Sir, the plan will be implemented when the valuation roll is approved.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

DISTRIBUTION OF DESKS TO SCHOOLS COUNTRYWIDE

 

173. Mr Lufuma asked the Minister of General Education:

 

(a)        whether the Government has any plans to procure desks for distribution to schools countrywide;

 

(b)        if so, when the plans will be implemented; and

 

(c)        how many desks are earmarked for procurement.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, yes, the Government plans to procure desks and distribute them to schools countrywide.

 

Sir, as soon as funds are released by the Ministry of Finance this year, the procurement process will commence, with a focus on the production of the desks in the provinces.

 

Mr Speaker, the number of school furniture to be procured will depend on the tender process that will be employed.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, the nation is ‒ I do not want to say ‘fed up’. However, year in and year out, it has been fed with the answer that desks will be procured and distributed. Every year, the same story has been told. It is very disheartening and unacceptable that we live –

 

Mr Speaker: What is your question, hon. Member for Kabompo?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Ngulube: Hear, hear!

 

Ema questions, aya!

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, when will the hon. Minister turn this song that he has been singing year in and year out into reality? Pupils sit on the ground while learning.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, if my hon. Colleagues remember very well, I said that we needed to focus on the procurement of school furniture in 2019. I also said that I would mobilise a coalition of people to support the process. So, we sought Cabinet approval to produce school furniture locally instead of importing it. Hon. Prof. Luo and I are collaborating in mobilising the coalition. The two ministries will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a view to commencing the process. So, I know that the promise has been repeatedly made in this House, but the most important decision was that of having school furniture made in the provinces. Surely, it will be great for Hon. Lufuma to get school furniture from Solwezi or Kabompo? He has made this lamentation before, but I assure him that we are more focused on implementing this process.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Lihefu (Manyinga): Mr Speaker, the lack of desks in Government schools, especially in rural constituencies, is not good. Why has the ministry taken long to procure desks?

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister has just provided the information you seek in response to the hon. Member for Kabompo’s question, and I do not want him to repeat himself.

 

Mr Nanjuwa (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that the ministry plans to procure desks for schools in 2019. How many schools are earmarked to benefit from the procurement?

 

Mr Mabumba: Sir, like I said in my answer to part (c) of the question, we will have to go through the tender process. So, the number of schools that will benefit will be determined. At an appropriate time, I will inform my colleagues on the technical colleges and secondary schools in the respective provinces that will be involved in the production of school furniture. Hon. Colleagues, I ask you to give ministries of Higher Education and General Education a bit of time to work. Hon. Kapata knows that we want to get the mukula tree on board.

 

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mabumba: I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, during the procurement process, will the ministry take into consideration desks for early childhood education centres? The size of desks the children in those centres use is not the same as that of children in higher grades.

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the advantage of producing school furniture locally is that it takes into account all types of school furniture required, from early childhood education to …

 

Mr Mwale: University!

 

Mr Mabumba: … university and college. So, it will be a total package. The local production of school furniture will not only focus on desks but also tables and sofas. That is what we want to do, and I am sure that once the project is fully implemented, other ministries, such as the Ministry of Health, will come on board and procure furniture locally.

 

Mr Speaker, the other advantage of manufacturing school furniture locally is that we will empower our youths some of whom will be able to supply timber, and nuts and bolts while others will participate in the assembling process. So, it is a broad empowerment programme that will go beyond the mere supply of school furniture to our schools.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Prof. Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, the idea of producing desks locally in the provinces is good. However, is it still at the incubation stage or is there a time frame for its implementation?

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the idea is not at the incubation stage. Like I said earlier, we wanted to galvanise support from the Cabinet, which we have done. We also went round the provinces and got their support. So, we are currently at the implementation stage. In the next few weeks, the ministries of Lands and Natural Resources, Higher Education and General Education will sign an MoU on the implementation of the process. Thereafter, the tendering will be done, and the participating secondary schools and colleges will be identified. So, we have made a lot of progress. Prototype school furniture has already been made. What is remaining is implementation of the project with the support of our colleague in the Ministry of Finance.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, we have many trade schools, for example, Kabwe Skills Training Institute and Lusaka Business and Technical College, which all have equipment for fabricating desks and other school furniture. Why does the ministry waste Government money on advertisements for tender processes and all sorts of things? Why can it not identify a trades school in each province that can be capacitated and provided with the planks, which are everywhere, and other materials to fabricate school desks instead of using the money to advertise tenders and many other things? Why not simplify things?

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, for the comfort of Hon. Tutwa Ngulube and my other hon. Colleagues, I would like to state that the tender process will be simplified. However, even as we pursue that, we still need to comply with the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) Act. Otherwise, the hon. Members will be the ones blaming us for not complying with the Act. In complying with the Act, we will use a method called direct bidding, which is provided for in the Act, in the identification of participating institutions.

 

I thank you Sir,

 

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo): Mr Speaker, the last time desks were distributed was about seven years ago. So this is an urgent matter, but the hon. Minister is generalising his response. Could he tell the House when the ministry will prepare the memorandum for the process of procurement and when the memorandum will be implemented? Pupils are still waiting for desks.

 

Mr Mabumba: Sir, for the comfort of my hon. Colleagues, the production of school furniture will start in the provinces by April 2019, but it will be a gradual process, meaning that the ministry will launch the project, but the implementation might not start in all the ten provinces. Between now and April 2019, the ministry will put all things in place. My hon. Colleagues will, then, start getting school furniture in the respective provinces.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Musonda (Kamfinsa): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the progressive plan, which will go a long way in alleviating the shortage of school desks. However, do the ministries of General Education and Higher Education have plans to reclaim the huge number of steel frames that are lying around in schools so that they can be used in the programme?

 

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, as the ministry begins the local production of school furniture, one of the  key resources it wants to use are the steel frames that are lying idly in schools because it will reduce the costs in the initial stage. So, all the steel frames lying idly in schools across the country will be claimed, and the ministry will tell hon. Members where they will be taken. The frames will be rehabilitated and sent back to schools.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

GRADING OF SERENJE FEEDER ROADS

 

174. Mr Kabanda (Serenje) asked the Minister of Local Government:

 

1. when the grading of the feeder roads in Serenje Parliamentary Constituency will commence;
2. which roads are earmarked for grading; and
3. what the total number of kilometres to be graded is.

             

Mr Mwale: Mr Speaker, the grading of feeder roads in Serenje Constituency has already commenced. Currently, works are ongoing on the Serenje/Chisomo Road.

 

Sir, the roads are earmarked for grading are:

 

1. Nganswa/Mapepala Road (72 km); and
2. Mulilima/Chibale Road (26 km).

 

The total number of kilometres to be graded is 188 km.

 

I thank you, Sir

 

           REHABILITATION OF KABOMBO/KATUNDWA/KAYOMBO ROAD

 

175. Mr Lufuma asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development:

 

1. why the rehabilitation of the Kabompo/Katundwa/Kayombo Road has been abandoned for more than five years;
2. when the rehabilitation works will resume; and
3. what the time frame for the completion of the project is.

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the project on the Kabompo/Katendwa/Kayombo Road has not been abandoned. The works stalled due to a lack of funds. The works were undertaken under the Rural Road Units (RRU), which only executed works to the value of the funds that had been released for the project.

 

Sir, the rehabilitation works will resume once the contract has been signed. The Road Development Agency (RDA) is currently procuring routine maintenance contracts on the entire stretch, and the scope of the contracts will include gravelling and grabbing for the worst section of the road. The routine maintenance contracts are expected to run for three years after which, depending on the performance of the contractor, they may be renewed for another three years.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Lufuma: Sir, presently, with the heavy rainfall that we are experiencing, the road is inaccessible, yet there is a secondary school in the area, and every time pupils go to school, people do not know if they will be able to go back home.

 

Sir, in five to six years, the hon. Minister has failed to allocate funds for completing the road, which is almost at the gravel level. What is the Government doing? What does the Government expect the people of Kabompo Constituency to do in that regard? What is the hon. Minister doing?

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, I commend the hon. Member for Kabompo for appreciating what the Government is doing when I visited his constituency last month.

 

Sir, the Government is working in Kabompo, and it has just finished the section that was being cut off. The hon. Member, the technical team on the ground and I agreed that we should, first, work on the township roads in Kabompo so that we make the movement of the people easy.

 

Sir, the Government is working on the procurement of the routine maintenance for the road. As I have already stated, the routine maintenance will include gravelling and grabbing on the worst spot. Therefore, I will sit down with the hon. Member and also speak to the regional manager as soon as he finishes grading bad township roads. If the road is as bad as it was put forth by the area hon. Member, we can request the regional office to work on the worst potion so that the children at the school alluded to can have access to their school and the civil servants who work at the school can have access to the Boma for their various needs.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last two questions from the hon. Members for Manyinga and, again, the hon. Member for Kabompo.

 

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, the issue of abandoning projects is new in this country. The Kayombo/Kabompo Road connects the country to Angola. Was the project budgeted for?

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Lihefu: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was about to ask why the abandoning of projects is becoming rampant in the country. We are now talking about the Kabompo/Kayombo Road, and not the Kabompo township roads. Did the ministry sign for the project without money or the money for the project was diverted to other areas?

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, there are relative and subject words one can interchangeably use. Had the hon. Member paid attention to my response to part (b) of the question, he would have heard me say that the rehabilitation works will resume once the contract has been signed and that the RDA is procuring routine maintenance contracts for the entire stretch. I also said that the scope of the contract will include gravelling and grabbing for the worst section. As for part (a) of the question, I stated that the works on the Kabompo/Katendwa/Kayombo Road had stalled due to a lack of funds. It is not that the funds were diverted.

 

Sir, let me affirm that there is a difference between project abandonment and financing. When the project is financed, then, the works are carried out according to the available finances. In this case, the project could not be completed because of erratic financing, not abandonment. The money that was released for the road project was not enough to enable the RDA and the RRU, in particular, to finish the entire stretch. That is why, this time, we intend to advertise routine maintenance works to enable us work on the entire stretch. Furthermore, I appeal to the hon. Member for Manyinga to be present when such projects are inspected. I wish he was present when I went to inspect some projects in the district like the hon. Member for Kabompo with whom we toured the district and covered a number issues that we intend to resolve.

 

Sir, I assure the people of Kabompo and the North-Western Province, in general, that the RDA is procuring tenders for the entire stretch of the road. Therefore, it will be rehabilitated. We are also working on scaling up the programme of rural connectivity so that we can accelerate the implementation of the Feeder Roads Project in Zambia.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, it looks like the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is desperately in need of some praise, especially from the leaders of the Opposition.

 

Mr Ngulube: Question!

 

Mr Lufuma: It seems our colleagues are looking for praises where none are due.

 

Mr Speaker: What is your question?

 

Mr Lufuma: So, let us restrict ourselves to what we are talking about here.

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

I will not permit that to continue.

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your guidance.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister has stated that the contract will be signed and the whole stretch of the road, which has been under construction for seven years, will be worked on and completed. When, precisely, will the contract be signed and the works completed? We have been waiting.

 

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, when somebody has commended something, it is important to appreciate the commendation. I suppose that is our African culture. If somebody says, “Job well done”, but there is no appreciation, he/she will not make commendations again. Since I was there, we needed to appreciate and work together as one Government, that is, the Executive, the Legislature and Judiciary.

 

Sir, in response to the hon. Member’s question, I want to say that the procurement will be completed this year and the woks will begin within the year. As I stated earlier, our target is to roll out the Feeder Roads Connectivity Programme across the country. This is not only going to happen in Kabompo or the North-Western Province, but in Luapula and the Eastern Province as well. We have been working closely with the Ministry of Finance to enable us come up with a robust programme under which we intend to attend to 10,000 km of feeder roads in all the ten provinces of the country. We are just at the tail end, and I will soon issue a statement on when the programme will kick off. We want to open up Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, hon. Members have been appealing to the Government to work on the rural roads since it has already done a lot in the urban areas. So, we needed to go rural. In addition, His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and his administration has resolved that it is time to go to the rural areas, and we are almost concluding on a programme beside the World Bank-funded project. The Government is rolling out a programme for 10,000 km of feeder roads covering all the ten provinces with more attention on the rural areas. The programme will be distributed equitably. So, provinces that have received a fair share of bituminous roads will not receive as much as those that have not benefitted equally in the past.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN MKUSHI DISTRICT

 

176. Princess Mwape (Mkushi North) asked the Minister of Gender:

 

1. whether there are any empowerment programmes earmarked for women’s clubs and co-operatives in Mkushi District;
2. if so, what the programmes are; and
3. how many women’s clubs and co-operatives will be empowered in 2019.

 

The Minister of Gender (Ms Phiri): Mr Speaker, before I respond to the question, I just want to inform the House that Zambia has been given an award on gender in the category of Mainstreaming Gender in Fighting Corruption. I also want to inform the House that our lady, the former Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has been elected to the African Union Advisory Board on Anti-Corruption. So, may the House join me in congratulating Zambia and the lady who has been elected.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, coming to the question asked by ‘Madam Mwape’ of Mkushi North ‒

 

Mr Speaker: Please, address her properly in accordance with parliamentary etiquette.

 

Ms Phiri: Sir, in response to Hon. Princess Mwape’s question, I wish to state that thirty-four women’s clubs start-up capital for various projects in Mkushi were given in 2016. In 2017, a tractor was given to women’s co-operatives under Chief Mulungwe for the Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) Project.

 

Sir, the answer to part (b) of the question is as stated above.

 

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Gender will not implement empowerment programmes in Mkushi District in 2019.  As you are aware, Zambia is vast. Therefore, the ministry will concentrate on areas where it has not empowered any woman. It is not advisable for us to go back to a place where we have already implemented the programme. So, we will concentrate on areas where we have not been.

 

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Princess Mwape: Mr Speaker, Mkushi North is a vast constituency, and the number of women the hon. Minister’s predecessor, may her soul rest in peace, empowered was very small. So, for the ministry to say that it cannot go back there –

 

Mr Speaker: What is your question?

 

Princess Mwape: Mr Speaker, my question is: How many women will the ministry empower in 2019? I ask this because this should be an on-going exercise.

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I still stand by my earlier answer. Zambia is huge and, in the spirit of equity, we have to consider the places that we have not been to.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

 Mr Mbulakulima: Sir, as much as we appreciate that there must be equity in the distribution of our wealth, I think the hon. Minister of Gender will agree that the poverty levels are normally quite high in rural areas like Mkushi. However, empowerment programmes, be they for women or youths, are tilted towards the urban areas. In her answer, the hon. Minister said that the ministry will not go back to Mkushi and that it will proceed to other constituencies. How did the ministry evaluate the poverty levels in regard to the thirty-four women’s clubs empowered in 2016? How happy is the ministry with the clubs’ performance? Further, how has the programme helped to reduce poverty levels in the areas where people were empowered?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I know that poverty levels are high in nearly every place of Zambia.

 

Sir, my officers have been going round the country auditing the people who were empowered to see how they are doing. Some people’s lives have improved. I agree with the hon. Member that those who were empowered are few, but it will not be right for the Government to empower people in one area. We need to spread across the country. This does not mean that the Government will not go back to areas that have been empowered in the near future. All I am saying is that in 2019, Mkushi is not on the list of beneficiaries of empowerment programmes of any kind because the places the ministry has not visited are more than those in which it has implemented empowerment programmes. 

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, there are clubs in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi that were funded by the ministry in the past. Should we equally forget about the empowerment programme in 2019, since the hon. Minister is saying that the ministry is shifting focus to other needy areas? For now, it looks like the Central Province will not have any empowerment programme for co-operatives and women’s clubs under the ministry. Should hon. Members start using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) or their allowances to run those clubs?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, in 2019, there is no budget for the ministry to go back to places where it has already visited. However, there could be people who have not been empowered in the areas that have been visited, maybe, in Mkushi. Therefore, ministry has to look at the distance between the places it has visited and those it is yet to visit. However, it will consider places to which it has not been, not those to which it has been.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister is repeating herself. I hope we have questions in other areas.

 

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I listened very carefully to the hon. Minister on the empowerment programme in Mkushi North. Will she bring the schedule of the programme for the whole country to this House so that all hon. Members can see which number their constituencies on the schedule and know whether to expect anything in 2019?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I encourage my fellow hon. Member of Parliament to visit my office to get the programme and be guided by one of the officers. It is easier for him to go to the ministry and go through the programme with an officer there than for me to bring the programme here ...

 

Interruptions

 

Ms Phiri: … because there are offices where programmes can be found. We are here to make laws, not to bring development programmes from our offices. Hon. Members should go to our offices and find out about our programmes. There are Bills to debate here. Therefore, we cannot be discussing development. We are a working Government that has technocrats who can look at these issues.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker. 

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, do you have a national programme?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, I am addressing you. Do you have a national programme?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, yes, there is one at the office.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Very well. I direct you to make it available to my office.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I oblige.

 

Mr Speaker: Very well.

 

Mr S. Banda: Mr Speaker, we appreciate that the hon. Minister is rolling out programmes in new areas. However, to ensure impact and continuity of interventions in areas that have been left out, has the ministry considered collaborating with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, which is implementing the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) Project?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, the ministry is working with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare in the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) Project, and is ready to continue working with the members it has already supported. However, my ministry only monitors the operations of the GEWEL Project.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Princess Mwape: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister in a position to know how many women’s clubs and co-operatives were empowered in 2016 and 2017 in Mkushi North?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I advise the hon. Member to go to the ministry and verify the names because she knows the people and the clubs in her constituency better.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kabanda: Sir, what criteria does the ministry use to choose areas or clubs to support? 

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, firstly, the clubs or co-operatives have to be registered. Then, they have to submit bring their registration certificates and project proposals to the ministry. Without the registration certificates, even if an hon. Member feels that a certain club or co-operative should be empowered, it will not access funds because it is not known by the ministry.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, I think the challenge the ministry faces is that it does not have the resources required. Does the ministry have partners who support it?

 

Interruptions

 

Mr C. Zulu: Is the question not clear?

 

Sir, my question is on whether the ministry has partners who support, and I ask this question because the resources from the Government are not enough.

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, our partners are the ones who are funding the GEWEL Project, which is being implemented by three ministries, namely the ministries of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and General Education. The Government does not have enough resources for empowerment programmes, and this is the reason the ministry is going to places where it has not been.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL DIP TANKS IN MPUSU WARD

 

177.  Mr Nanjuwa asked the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock:

 

1. whether the Government has any plans to construct additional dip-tanks in Munungu and Mpusu Central in Mpusu Ward in Mumbwa Parliamentary Constituency; and
2. if so, when the plans will be implemented.

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Ms Mulenga): Mr Speaker, the Government has plans to construct dip-tanks to combat tick-borne diseases. However, my ministry is not constructing new dip-tanks following the President’s directive for ministries and Government institutions to concentrate on completing on-going works that are at or above 80 per cent.

 

Sir, with regard to Mpusu Ward, my ministry is constructing Kawama Dip-Tank. So far, the pit has been dug and a borehole sunk. However, due to unsatisfactory works by the contractor, the contract has been terminated, and the district has requested for authority from the provincial office to re-tender the remaining works.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Nanjuwa: Mr Speaker, in the meantime, what measures are being put in place to guard against the outbreak of tick-borne and other diseases so that the animals in Mpusu Ward are protected?

 

Ms Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the ministry has intensified surveillance and vaccination programmes countrywide. That is the immediate measure we are taking. When we get authority from the provincial committee that looks at the construction of dip-tanks, we will do more.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

TEENAGE PREGNANCIES IN CHIPATA DISTRICT

 

178.  Dr Chibanda (Mufulira) asked the Minister of Gender:

 

1. whether the Government is aware that more than 5,000 teenage girls in Chipata District were impregnated in the third quarter of 2018;
2. if so, what factors led to the huge number of teenage pregnancies; and
3. what measures the Government is taking to avert teenage pregnancies in the district and the rest of the country.

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, the Government is aware of the report that 5,000 girls were impregnated in Chipata District in the third quarter of 2018.

 

Sir, the Government is not in a position to state the specific reasons that led to the 5,000 girls being impregnated. However, research has shown that in Zambia, teenage pregnancies are caused by factors that include the following:

 

1. high poverty levels, which force girls to engage in transactional sex;
2. peer pressure;
3. a lack of boarding facilities in some schools, which forces pupils to rent insecure facilities near their schools in order to attend school regularly; and
4. inadequate information on sexuality.

 

Mr Speaker, in order to reduce teenage pregnancies, not only in Chipata District but also in the whole country, the Government has put in place the following measures:

 

1. provision of support to vulnerable girls in form of secondary school fees under the GEWEL Project in rural areas;
2. implementation of the National Action Plan on Ending Child Marriages and Teenage Pregnancies. The plan contains interventions to influence positive change in prevailing attitudes, behaviours, beliefs and practices to reduce the incidences of teenage pregnancies and child marriages, among other objectives;
3. expansion of boarding facilities in order to accommodate more girls in more secure facilities; and
4. implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme for young people in schools in order to equip them with knowledge, attitudes and values that will empower them to protect their health, will-being and dignity.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Dr Chibanda: Sir, when I asked a question on this subject in of the last December 2018 in the last Meeting, I did so with a heavy heart. Unfortunately, in January 2019, when we were on recess, the then Permanent Secretary (PS) for the Eastern Province, Mr Kasolo, went on air and said that the figure for the whole province had risen to about 24,731 teenage pregnancies in one quarter. Is the hon. Minister in a position to tell the nation, through this House, how many of the 5,000 teenage girls who fell pregnant in Chipata were school-going and how many were not?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I will have to come back with a response to that question because I did not prepare for it.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, 5,000 is not a small number. So, it does not matter whether it was 5,000 or 24,000 and, being the hon. Minister of Gender, one would think that this has set an alarm off in her office. However, she has stated that she does not even have a report on this issue. Why has it taken her so long to compare notes with her counterpart in the Ministry of General Education? I would like to believe that many of the girls are school-going. Why has this issue not raised that concern in her, as the hon. Minister responsible? By now, she should have instituted investigations and received a report. Is she not concerned? What does she intend to do, going forward?

 

Ms Phiri: Sir, the question was on how many of the girls who fell pregnant were school-going. I have the statistics for the districts that have high rates of early marriages and teenage pregnancies, and when I look at the statistics for Chipata District, they are not among the highest. The highest is for Chama in Muchinga Province at 44 per cent. The prevalence rates for the districts are as follows:

 

District                        Province                      Percentage     

 

Chama                         Muchinga                          44

 

Mpulungu                    Northern                            43.5

 

Chilubi                        Luapula                             40

 

Lundazi                       Eastern                              39.8

 

Katete                         Eastern                              39

 

Mbala                          Northern                            38.2

 

Kaputa                        Northern                            38.1

 

Nyimba                       Eastern                              37.8

 

Mungwi                       Northern                            36.9

 

Mafinga                       Muchinga                          33.3

 

Petauke                       Eastern                              35.2

 

Lufwanyama               Copperbelt                        34.4

 

Chinsali                       Muchinga                          33.8

 

Luwingu                      Northern                            33.8

 

Samfya                        Luapula                             33.7          

 

As to the question on how many of the girls were school-going, like I said, I need time to prepare the answer.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, the question from the hon. Member for Milenge is two-fold. Firstly, are you concerned about this issue? Secondly, what are you going to do?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, the statistics came to light because of the ministry’s concern. Secondly, we are already doing something about the issue. For instance, we are working with traditional leaders and the police. As you can see, the numbers for the Eastern Province are a blessing in disguise to us because behind each victim is a perpetrator. It is very easy to overcome this vice because we can easily use the victim to lead us to the perpetrator.

 

Mr Speaker, the leadership in the Eastern Province gives us these statistics because the police and traditional leaders are working with us. In this regard, allow me to inform this House that we went to launch the traditional by-laws for Petauke and Chadiza. All the chiefs in those areas made their own by-laws to punish perpetrators of the vice. That shows that people are working in the Eastern Province. You can see that in the districts where the statistics are not coming out, the figures are higher than where we are getting the statistics. The collection of these statistics is an indication that the ministry is doing something, or that the Government at large is fighting this vice. Let us not forget that our President, His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is a champion of the fight against child marriages.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Order on the right Backbench!

 

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of General Education provides statistical bulletins on these figures, and we know that annually, there are between 13,000 and 16,000 cases of girls dropping out of school as a result of pregnancies. This is a very high number. You could fill up Woodlands Stadium with those girls on an annual basis, and this is very bad for the country because not only are we consigning the girls to poverty, ...

 

Mr Speaker: What is your question, Hon. Dr Kalila?

 

Dr Kalila: ... but we are also putting their health at risk. I think that as a Government, we need to come up with a policy measure on this issue. My question is: Is the hon. Minister considering contraception as a means of reducing pregnancies among teenagers and pupils?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, this is a national issue, not one that can be decided upon by the ministry. We can be guided by the Ministry of Heath on how healthy it is to give a child ‘constra’ –

 

Laughter

 

Ms Phiri: I don’t even know the name because it is not fit for children.

 

Laughter

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, contraceptives are not meant for children. We will need guidance from medical experts on whether children can be given something to protect them from –

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mung’andu: Hammer, hammer!

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I need your protection.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, can we listen in silence.

 

Laughter

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, the answer to the question asked by the Hon. Doctor will depend on the medical advice. I cannot give a definite answer for now.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, part (b) of the question is, “If so, what factors led to the huge number of teenage pregnancies?” In her response, the hon. Minister said that she has no answer for this question. If the hon. Minister does not know the root cause of this problem, then, whatever we are doing is in vein. Therefore, the question still remains: What major factor could have led to 5,000 teenage girls being impregnated?

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Mitete, the answer has already been given. The hon. Minister said that she cannot place her hand on any single factor. There is really no point in pressing because she has responded already.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I will read the question. It reads: “Whether the Government is aware that more than 5,000 teenage girls in Chipata District were impregnated in the 3^rd quarter of 2018”. Did the hon. Minister do any research on whether the 5,000 teenage girls were pupils or not? I ask this question because the principal question is a bit confusing, and it might be misleading to take it that the 5,000 girls were all pupils. We do not know who were pupils and who were not.

 

Sir, further, could the hon. Minister of Religious Affairs and National Guidance guide on whether contraceptives would be adequate to remedy the problem of teenage pregnancies, considering that the girls may not even be pupils. Some children finish school at the age of nineteen. So, when the hon. Minister is talking about teenage girls, is it not a bit misleading to just assume that we are talking about school-going children?

 

Mr Speaker: That part has already been answered. The hon. Minister indicated that she will come back with an answer after the research that you are referring to has been done. It looks like we have exhausted this subject.

 

Interruptions

 

Dr Chibanda: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the ages of the teenagers who were damaged in the Eastern Province are between twelve and twenty? Further, is she aware that the age group of some of the girls makes their cases criminal offences? Is she working with her colleague, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, to get hold of the children below sixteen who were impregnated?

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister has already said that the ministry will work with the police as part of the solution to the problem.

 

I will take the last four questions from the hon. Members for Chama South, Serenje, Mkushi North and Gwembe, hoping that they will not be repetitive or cause the hon. Minister to repeat her responses.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Sir, the hon. Minister has rightly indicated that Chama is number one in cases of teenage pregnancies. When I went round my constituency and Chama District in general, people told me that parents were unable to pay schools fees for the brilliant young girls. The girls pass quite alright, but they cannot proceed with their education because their parents cannot pay school fees. I asked the hon. Minister’s predecessor, may her soul rest in peace, a question in this House, which I will ask it again. Will the ministry consider extending the good programme of sponsoring the girl child to Chama so that the cases of early pregnancies can be mitigated?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member should help us identify the poorest of the poor in his constituency. One of the qualifications for a girl child to be sponsored is that she comes from a very poor family that is not able to pay school fees. The Government depends on hon. Members to bring their people’s problems on the table. The programme is there, but the Government cannot know what is happening in Chama South. I, therefore, advise the hon. Member to help us identify the children who should be sponsored.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kabanda: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister might have heard the recent pronouncement by Chief Mpezeni deterring teenage girls from attending the Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony in brassieres. Could that be one of the measures that have been taken to avoid teenage pregnancies?

 

Mr Speaker: I will not ask the hon. Minister to respond to that question.

 

Laughter

 

Princess Mwape: Mr Speaker, has the hon. Minister considered working with her colleague in the Ministry of General Education to can find out if teachers are responsible for some of the teenage pregnancy cases?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, I mentioned that an investigation is being conducted by three ministries, namely the ministries of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and General Education. So, we are working as a team.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Chisangano (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, in Zambia, some health facilities offer youth-friendly corners or reproductive health services to the youths. Does the hon. Minister intend to work with the Ministry of Health?

 

Ms Phiri: Mr Speaker, for sure, we are working as one Government, as there are no two Governments in Zambia. We are, therefore, working with the Ministry of Health. When we want to certify whether a girl is pregnant or not, we take her to the hospital, and the Ministry of Health takes over from what the police identifies.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members:  Hear, hear!

 

PASS RATE AT ZIALE

 

179. Mr Ngulube asked the Minister of Justice:

 

1. what led to the low pass rate in the 2018 Legal Practitioners’ Qualifying Examinations at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE);
2. what the prescribed minimum entry requirements for enrolling at ZIALE are; and
3. whether the Government is aware that some universities engage unqualified personnel to teach law students.         

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, the following observations were made about the 2018 final examinations:

 

1. students performed poorly on 60 per cent of the heads examined with only nine out of the total of 377 students passing Head 7(I), namely Civil Procedure High Court, which was the worst performing examination. This poor performance, especially, could be attributed to the fact that students failed to fully grasp the demands of the Legal Practitioners’ Qualifying Examination (LPQE) Course;
2. students failed to perform well in questions that required drafting. From the examination scripts examined and feedback from academic staff, there was a general feeling that the students failed to apply themselves on most of the questions in the examination; and
3. the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) has always recorded lower performance at the first attempt of examinations. In the 2016/2017 examination, only forty students passed on first attempt while 312 passed the repeater’s examination.

 

Sir, measures are currently being put in place to ensure that teaching and learning through curriculum and syllabi reviews reinforce the knowledge and lead to better results at the first attempt.

 

Mr Speaker, a recent review indicated that the poor performance of students at ZIALE can be attributed to a number of factors, some of which are:

 

1. high student-lecturer ratio;
2. short students-lecturer contact time;
3. limited supervision by legal practitioners during student attachments; and
4. congested examination programme in which ten papers are written one after another.

 

Mr Speaker, the Legal Practitioners Act, Chapter 30 of the Laws of Zambia, under Part II, Rule No. 5 of the Student Rules, which covers enrolments, states that a person should satisfy the Council that the person:

 

1. is a qualified lawyer in any estate;
2. has obtained or is in a condition to supplicate for a degree from a university recognised by the Council;
3. is qualified for entry into the School of Law of the University of Zambia; and
4. possesses education qualifications that, in any particular case, the Council considers to be, at least, equivalent to the qualifications referred to above.

 

Sir, when the institute advertises for students to enrol into the LPQE course, the following are the minimum entry requirements:

 

1. possess of five ‘O’ Level subjects with credits or better, which must include English Language;
2. a Bachelor of Laws Degree from a university recognised by the Council of ZIALE; and
3. a Bachelor of Laws Degree from a foreign university recognised by the Council of ZAILE.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government is not aware of any universities engaging unqualified personnel to teach law students. However, ZIALE, by virtue of Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 86 of 2015 and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between it and the Higher Education Authority (HEA), has been given the mandate to accredit institutions that offer legal education or training in Zambia. The Accreditation Committee has the mandate to inspect institutions that provide legal education to certify that they meet the training standards set out in the SI. The areas of inspection include the details of staff employed by the institutions, which include the academic qualifications of the staff. The SI requires a legal education institution to maintain adequate numbers of qualified academic and support staff who, at undergraduate level, must have, at least, a Master of Laws Degree and, for postgraduate students, at least, a Master of Laws Degree and a proven post-Masters level experience.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ngulube: Mr Speaker, there was a strong debate regarding the qualifications of lecturers training law students but, since the hon. Minister has said that he is not aware of this matter, I will leave it at that.

 

Sir, does the Government intend to put in place guidelines on the qualifications of lecturers in universities offering legal studies so that we do not have the problem of low pass rates at ZIALE, and a spill-over into society of very poor quality lawyers who will become a danger to society?

 

Hon. Members: Like you!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Ngulube: I am aware that universities like the University of Zambia (UNZA) and University of Lusaka are strictly regulated while many others have some unqualified lecturers.

 

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, as I indicated, SI No. 86 of 2015 provides for the qualifications of people who can teach law students. For the avoidance of doubt, let me repeat that at the undergraduate level, one needs, at least, a Master of Laws Degree to teach while, at the postgraduate level, a person must have not only a Master of Laws Degree but also proven post-Masters qualification experience. So, the guidelines are already there. Further, I would like to state that the Ministry of Justice, through ZIALE, will conduct regular inspections of the various schools that provide legal education to ensure that they all satisfy the guidelines of SI No. 86 of 2015.

 

Sir, although I said that we are not aware of unqualified lecturers in law, it does not mean that the problem does not exist. Most likely, it does, and it is our duty to enforce the law.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I am sure that the hon. Minister is aware that examination results at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) have been a serious public concern in Zambia. However, but in 2018, the whole country was shocked by the drastic fall in the pass rate just after a high pass rate had been recorded in the previous year. Has the hon. Minister investigated what could have led to the diminished pass rate? Medical students at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) who look after the lives of people do not fail their examinations in this manner, neither do students in other fields, such as accountancy. Why should this problem be only at ZIALE?

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister has already referred to some of the principal factors. If he knows of any other factors other than those he has already mentioned, he can mention them.

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I think that what I have already said suffices.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Justice will not scare me although my question is similar to the one asked by the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Iwe, ikalafye!

 

Laughter

 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, legal education is very important. There are some fields like accountancy, medicine and engineering in which students used to have very low pass rates, but the rates have improved. The pass rate at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) seems to be below the acceptable standard. Does this not concern the hon. Minister responsible for that school? He has given very good technical answers. So, as a layman, let me ask this question: When will ZIALE have an average pass rate that the country will say is good?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I indicated that we have identified a number of reasons for the low pass rate at ZIALE, and the Government is working to address them in order to improve the performance of law students. However, we should bear in mind that on one hand, we do not want to compromise the quality of lawyers who are admitted to the Bar and, on the other, we do not want students to fail because of their learning environment not being conducive. So, we want to provide a good environment in which we can produce quality lawyers.

 

Mr Speaker, like I have said before, as the Minister of Justice, I not want to be associated with decisions that will culminate in the production of quacks in the legal profession. Rather, I want to protect the legal profession.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last three questions from the hon. Members for Kabompo, Luangeni and Kasama Central.

 

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, the production of quality lawyers is very important, and the hon. Minister has stated that two of the impediments to a high pass rate are the high lecturer-student ratio and short time in which lecturers and students interact. These reasons are within the control of the Government. So, what measures will the hon. Minister take to ensure that the Government employs enough lecturers so as to lower the lecturer-student ratio and lengthen the time students spend with their lecturers?

 

Ms Kapata: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, the the ZIALE Council is currently developing a strategic plan in which it is proposed, among other steps, that we invest in the construction of a new campus because the current campus is too small and has a small lecture theatre although it takes more than 300 students at every sitting. Naturally, to teach in that environment is a tall order. That is one of the measures the Government is taking through the ZIALE Council. The second measure is an investigation into whether ZIALE should change from hiring part-time lecturers to hiring full-time ones so as to increase the student-lecturer contact period. The third option that ZIALE is thinking about is delegating training to universities so that it can only retain the responsibility of examining students. That, again, is in an attempt to increase lecturer-student contact time.

 

Sir, once ZIALE finalises its strategic plan, it will present the document to the hon. Minister for approval, and I will inform Parliament and, through it, the nation because I know that this matter is of great concern to people of our country. It is also a matter of concern to legal practitioners.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr C. Zulu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister’s response to the part of the question on whether the Government is aware that some universities engage unqualified personnel to teach law students was that he was not aware. I am sure that for the hon. Member to ask such a question, it he has information on that. Is the hon. Minister ready to engage the hon. Member so that, maybe, he can get information from him on which universities engage unqualified staff?

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, do you want to respond to that?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Lubinda: Sir, I do not think that I should engage any individual to get information on the qualifications of lecturers. As I indicated, the ZIALE Council is mandated by law to visit all universities. So, instead of depending on information given to me by Hon. Tutwa Ngulube, I think it will be more formal if I asked the ZIALE Council to inspect all the schools that offer law studies.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Sampa: Mr Speaker, what led to the low performance of students from our public universities compared with students from some private universities?

 

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, at this stage, we have not interrogated the reason for the poor performance of the individual universities from which the students went to ZIALE. What we are concerned about is ZIALE. Later, we will start asking the questions about the quality of education in the various universities. For now, what is worrisome is that the general performance in the first sitting is not impressive, and that is what we want to focus our attention on. By the way, much as it is a concern of the Ministry of Justice, it is also a concern of the Ministry of Higher Education because this is a reflection of the quality of education generally, not only of the legal profession. The hon. Minister of Higher Education has on several occasions talked about ways of improving the performance of our students in institutions of higher learning in the same manner that the hon. Minister of General Education has talked about improving the quality of education offered to our children generally.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

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MOTION

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

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

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

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The House adjourned at 1810 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 13^th February, 2019.

 

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