Wednesday, 12^th May, 2021

 

The House met at 0900 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

 

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 UPDATE AND PREVENTION AND CONTROL BEFORE AND DURING THE NATIONAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS AND PROCESSES

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chanda): Mr Speaker, may I start by thanking you for according me this opportunity to update the august House and the nation at large on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its prevention and control before, during and after the national election campaigns and processes relating to the 2021 Elections.

 

Sir, the Government, under the able leadership of His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, continues to place public health security for the people of Zambia high on its agenda. This is in an effort to continually prevent and mitigate the various emerging and re-emerging public health threats and emergences in our country. The Government, through the nation’s disease intelligence arm, the Zambia National Public Health Institute, launched a multi-sectoral programme to control and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to devastate countries globally, affect many lives and livelihoods and countries’ economies, and upset health systems even in developed countries.

 

 Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat to the globally and, indeed, in Zambia, and is currently characterised by increasing numbers of cases and deaths, dubbed the ‘second’, ‘third’ and even ‘fourth’ waves in some cases, especially among countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, and in the United States of America (USA). The horror we see on our television sets in Asia, particularly in India, and the Americas, particularly in Brazil, is concerning, and lessons learnt from previous cycles indicate that a possible third wave threatens Zambia and many other countries in the Southern African region, especially with the onset of the cold season.

 

Sir, the Ministry of Health remains committed to its mandate of safeguarding the health of the people of Zambia and, as such, is continuously revising its strategies to align them to the changing epidemiology of COVID-19 and, indeed, other health threats. I must mention that the COVID-19 response in Zambia has been ably led by His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, with very successful outcomes in terms of reduced numbers of cases, hospitalisation and deaths.

 

Mr Speaker, the Government has in place the following high-impact interventions for preventing and mitigating the disruptive and catastrophic effects of COVID-19:

 

1.  heightened disease surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing at points of entry into health care facilities in communities. Recently, we established partnerships with private health care facilities to provide COVID-19 testing facilities in major towns, including border districts, to increase efficiency in timely detection and management of COVID-19 cases; and
2. enhanced COVID-19 cases isolation and management capacities in all provincial centres to allow for local management. To facilitate this, responders are continually trained to build capacity in critical care as well as infection prevention and control; equipment of, and provision of oxygen facilities in, health facilities across the country; and establishment of high dependency units to manage critical care for non-COVID-19 cases, as the existing intensive care units (ICUs) have been used mostly for isolation of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

 

Sir, following Cabinet approval on 24^th March, 2021, Zambia recently launched the Zambia COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. In this regard, I am elated by, and appreciate, the supportive leadership shown by many hon. Members of Parliament, various community leaders in the religious and traditional sectors as well as civil society in the vaccination campaign. Even the marketeers, bus drivers, ordinary members of the public and the private sector have led this effort of ensuring that the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme succeeds. I must mention that the COVID-19 vaccines are available at health facilities and various community vaccination sites in all ten provinces and all the districts.

 

Mr Speaker, the mobilisation of resources to safeguard adequate medical supplies and consumables, including the much-needed vaccines, is ongoing. The National Multi-Sectoral Contingency and Response Plan, which provides for a co-ordinated multi-sectoral preparedness and response mechanism, is revised and updated to align it to current trends. Community engagement remains key, especially in this season when many members of the community have dropped their guard and relaxed their compliance with prescribed preventive public health measures. Many citizens do not wear masks in public and crowed places, and engage in super-spreader events.

 

Sir, the epidemiology of COVID-19 keeps evolving, and we are now out of the second wave of the pandemic, which affected us from January to about April, 2021. However, with the approaching of the cold season, we remain cautious of a looming third wave.

 

Mr Speaker, in the last twenty-four hours, Zambia has reported fifty-nine confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 4,800 tests conducted, representing a positivity rate of 1.2 per cent. The infection rate has been consistently below 5 per cent for the past few months, showing reduced community transmission of the virus. We continue to record cases in some remote districts, which is a cause for concern, as that indicates on-going community transmission and a generalised pandemic.

 

Sir, currently, there are thirty-six patients admitted to our isolation facilities countrywide, compared with 510 patients at the peak of the second wave in January, 2021. Thirty-one of the thirty-six patients are on oxygen therapy, with nine in critical condition. All the patients in isolation have no history of COVID-19 vaccination. Let me repeat that: all the patients who are admitted in isolation facilities have no history of COVID-19 vaccination, which means that they have not been vaccinated. Sadly, we recorded one death in the last twenty-four hours, but we discharged thirty-eight patients among both the hospitalised and those under home management.

 

Mr Speaker, as of 12^th May, 2021, Zambia had recorded a cumulative figure of 92,211 cases out of 1,453,013 tests conducted, showing an overall positivity rate of 6.4 per cent. We also had a cumulative figure of 1,259 deaths and 90,539 recoveries, which shows a recovery rate of 98 per cent.

 

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic affected all districts in the country, with Lusaka Province contributing the largest number of cases, followed by the Copperbelt Province.

 

Sir, I am elated to report that, so far, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Zambia has been very progressive. The nation has evidently moved from COVID-19 denial, and vaccine scepticism and hesitancy to vaccine acceptance. For example, in the last twenty-four hours, we have vaccinated 5,058 persons with the AstraZeneca vaccine, bringing the total of those vaccinated in the past twenty-eight days to 90,916. This indicates that we will reach the 100,000 mark of people vaccinated in the next few days, and is evidence that Zambians have discarded the social media myths, conspiracy theories and misinformation, and that science, which is empirical evidence, has triumphed over those myths. A quarter of those vaccinated are healthcare workers, who are our frontline personnel.

 

Mr Speaker, we are happy to note that although a number of people have reported minor side effects from the vaccine, there have been no critical adverse events following immunisation, and all the events reported so far have been resolved because they were minor. So, we have not heard of any clotting or bleeding side effects, and this has also been the case in the thirty-eight other African countries that are using the AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

Sir, I wish to take this opportunity to, once more, reassure the nation of the safety, efficacy and suitability of the AstraZeneca vaccine that we are currently using in Zambia. Further, the Government continues sourcing for more vaccines, considering those cleared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and our local regulatory agency, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA), using the following facilities:

 

1. Pillar 1 – the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, which will provide AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. There is the possibility of adding the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, which was only listed by the WHO a few days ago and approved for emergency use;
2. Pillar 2 – the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) and private sector financed acquisition, as outlined in the co-sponsored Cabinet Memorandum by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, and as guided by the Ministry of Health, to ensure that there are no backroom deals and, therefore, no substandard vaccines brought into the country; and
3. Pillar 3 – donations from other countries through vaccine diplomacy channels. These vaccines will still have to meet the set criteria for safety, efficacy and suitability.

 

Mr Speaker, I wish to emphasise that, for now, COVID-19 vaccines, alone, will not be adequate to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia. Therefore, we are all implored to continually adhere to the prescribed five golden rules that we know, which are masking up correctly and consistently, maintaining physical distance, washing hands frequently with soup and water or using hand sanitisers, avoiding crowded places if possible, particularly super-spreader events or staying at home, and seeking medical attention early if symptomatic. We must maintain adherence to all the facets of the public health guidelines until such a time that the country reaches what is called herd immunity, whereby 70 per cent or more of the eligible adult population is vaccinated.

 

Sir, we will soon go into heavy campaigning for the August, 2021, national elections. In this regard, a number of countries have held their elections during the COVID-19 pandemic and we have been observing closely the outcomes and learnt lessons from their experiences. A technical committee led by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was established to draw guidelines and support the safety of members of the public from COVID-19 and other events. The Ministry of Health Headquarters and the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) have been providing technical guidance towards strategies for averting an upsurge due to poor compliance with prevention and control measures.

 

Mr Speaker, I note that, last night, the ECZ Chairperson addressed the nation and all political players on the COVID-19 prevention measures during and after the 2021 elections. The technical team has developed guidelines, and engaged political party representatives and other stakeholders for their buy-in. Successful meetings have been held, with all political parties pledging their support for, and adherence to, the public health guidelines as the country heads to the polls in August this year.

 

Sir, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, under the able leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, remains committed to saving lives, livelihoods and the economy under the new normal. Allow me to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia for showing his resilience and exceptional stewardship by enhancing the health security of our country. I also thank you and the National Assembly Management for your commitment and objective input into the COVID-19 response at Parliament Buildings. We have seen you lead the fight against COVID-19 here in terms of testing and the vaccination campaign. It is imperative that I also thank the multi-sectoral response teams and the Co-operating Partners who have put a lot of effort into the fight against COVID-19. The concerted efforts of the multi-sectoral partners in the response is applauded by the Government.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

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

 

Mr Mwila (Chimwemwe): Mr Speaker, the people of Chimwemwe in Kitwe would like the hon. Minister to shed some light on media reports to the effect that all those who are getting the first jab of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine have to prepare themselves for the second jab, which is the second dose due in about two months after getting the first jab. How true is that? If it is true, could the hon. Minister shed more light on what the consequences of missing the second jab when it falls due would be.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I think that it is the standard practice, and we announce it every day, that all COVID-19 vaccines given globally, with the exception of the Johnson & Johnson one, are given in two doses. One gets the initial dose and then gets the second one in ten to twelve weeks. That is the science. What the initial dose does is to boosts one’s antibodies almost immediately. So, one will have many antibodies that will protect one if one got infected by the Coronavirus. The second dose is supposed be a booster that increases one’s antibodies. It is like having 100 soldiers in a war and then augmenting them with 100 more soldiers. So, I encourage everyone who is vaccinated to also get the second dose, and anyone who is vaccinated has been told that and issued a certificate showing the date when they are due for the second dose.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, if you do not take the second jab, what are the consequences?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, like I said, the consequence is like fighting a war with 100 soldiers and, instead of supplementing them, you keep the number static. The science shows that when one gets the booster jab, one is more protected because one has many antibodies. Therefore, we want people to have more antibodies against COVID-19. I must mention that COVID-19 is a novel disease globally, and that is why science has generally agreed that, apart from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, all the other eleven or twelve should be given in two doses. So, the consequence of not getting the second dose is that one has less protection.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: Can you take the second jab in a shorter period?

 

Dr Chanda: Sir, people do not determine when they get the vaccine; the health authorities do and, in Zambia, the intervening period is ten weeks while in other countries, it is twelve weeks, and that is the standard. Ten weeks after your first vaccine shot, you should get a second dose.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Ng’ambi (Chifubu): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has given us an overview of the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally, focusing more on Asia, from where we are getting reports of a third wave of COVID-19. He also mentioned the overall protection or prevention measures at points of entry. Does the country have in place specific measures for people coming from countries in Asia, such as India, where COVID-19 has become rampant? What measures have we put in place to ensure that the people coming from those regions are thoroughly scrutinised?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, that is the public health security we are talking about, and I alluded to it. At our entry points, the borders and airports, we have classified countries as high-risk, medium-risk and mild-risk, and India and some Asian countries are high-risk countries.

 

Sir, we have instituted four measures at our entry points, one of which is that no one can enter the country without evidence of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that is between twenty-four and seventy-two hours old. The second one is that our surveillance teams are on the ground, including at the Kazungula Bridge that was opened a few days ago. The index of suspicion is very high. So, we have to check people for symptoms, such as high temperature, and  have in place all the prevention measures at the airports and borders. The third is that in relation to high-risk countries like India, apart from demanding the PCR test result, the ministry, working with other partners, tests people again because we cannot take chances, as there have been a few cases of forged COVID-19 test certificates showing negative results. We also quarantine such people while awaiting their results. However, we want to avoid racial profiling or targeting one group even as we try to prevent the importation of variants from high-risk countries. We know that in India, the reason the pandemic is so severe is that there are two variants of COVID-19, and we have to stop those variants from coming into the country with the measures I mentioned. Lastly, we collect samples and do genomic sequencing for all people who test positive for COVID-19 in the country. Genomic sequencing means identifying the variants that are prevalent in Zambia. We are trying to prevent the South African, Indian and the United Kingdom (UK) variants from coming into Zambia. Those are some of the public health security measures we have instituted in addition to the other things we have been doing.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, in addition to the indications on the e-Chamber, I have also received requests on the Zoom platform from the hon. Members for Lukulu East, Chienge, Kalabo Central, Liuwa, Kanchibiya, Chilanga and Msanzala. So, I will alternate between the two lists.

 

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for delivering a very timely statement on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic before we go into the election campaigns in the next few days.

 

Sir, undoubtedly, the pandemic in India is ravaging that country, and we have been informed that the variant currently ravaging India is extremely deadly, and that often, it shows no symptoms and progresses very rapidly to death. Are there cases in isolation facilities involving those who recently travelled from India? Is the deadly variant from India already in Zambia?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, currently, there is no evidence of the deadly Indian variant in Zambia. Like I said, so far, the genomic sequencing that we have done has not found any evidence of the Indian variant. I know that there is a lot of social media speculation to the effect that some Indians came into Zambia; like at the beginning of the first wave when it was said that some Pakistanis had come to Zambia on a certain flight. I advise the people of Zambia to have trust in the health authorities; we are going to enforce public health security for everyone, whether from India or Pakistan.

 

Mr Speaker, in a globalised world, one can be in India today and then fly to Tokyo, New York, and then come to Lusaka. That is why most of the measures have to be generic rather than targeted at a particular country. As I said, if we have evidence to the effect that a person has come from a high-risk country like India, we test them again irrespective of their PCR test results because we have to be very sure and, while they wait their results, they are quarantined. If they test positive, we collect the sample and do genomic sequencing to know what variant they are carrying. The idea is to prevent that variant from seeping into our community.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Zimba (Chasefu): Mr Speaker, as we head towards the election campaigns, there is the worry of spreading the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and, to that effect, I heard the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) issue a cautionary statement to the effect that we need to observe the COVID-19 regulations. You have also done so. What measures have been put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during elections? Further, will there be any repercussions to would-be abrogators of those measures?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, like I said in the statement, the technical committee constituted to look at the conduct of elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is led by the ECZ, the institution with the mandate to conduct elections. Ministry of Health officers sit on the technical committee only as advisors to the ECZ, and I have interacted with the ECZ Executive Director. Last night, we heard the ECZ Chairperson address the nation on the measures that have been taken.

 

Sir, I will not talk about what punitive measures will be taken because the process is led by the ECZ. However, let me say that we are in a new normal in which many things have happened. Zambia has not been put on lockdown, but we have emphasised adherence to public health measures, and that is what the ECZ Chairperson emphasised: if we conduct meetings, how can we ensure that our people are safe? The question is more about putting safety first and less about sending in the police or the army because we know of countries in Africa where policing the virus has not worked. We can send in the whole army and have more people dying from bullets than from the virus. So, the approach in Zambia has been to appeal to the people to follow public health measures. 

 

Mr Speaker, political parties have been engaged by the ECZ and, as I said, they have committed themselves to working with the commission in ensuring that campaigns and elections are conducted safely to protect the health of Zambians, including the political players.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Ms Katuta (Chienge): Mr Speaker, I have heard of the efficacy of the vaccine, but the nation has not been told the percentage of efficacy. Further, people in rural areas like Chienge are being told that they cannot be attended to if they do not get the jab. I must declare interest because my mother was forced to get the jab in Ndola when World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations make it mandatory for people to freely consent to the vaccination. What is the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine? Further, why are people being turned away from clinics in rural areas like Chienge and in Lubuto? I have got the video clip showing that happening to my mother.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I think I have belaboured the point, and the Cabinet was very clear in stating it, that the vaccination programme will be carried out in a cautious and phased manner on a voluntary and pilot basis. That is the language we have used in the Cabinet, on the Floor of the House and in the daily updates that we have given to the nation.

 

Sir, no report has come to me of anyone being mandatorily vaccinated. Actually, were we conducting mandatory vaccinations, we would have vaccinated millions already. However, we have been appealing for people to volunteer to be vaccinated.

 

Mr Speaker, I have been on the Copperbelt, including the area that the hon. Member is talking about. I was at main Masala Market, where there is a vaccination centre, and we were using a public address (PA) system to sensitise and educate the people. I also went to Chisokone Market in Ndola, Chisokone and Chamboli markets in Kitwe, and Soweto Market and Intercity Bus Terminus in Lusaka and found that the vaccination campaign is voluntary. I do not think any Zambian has come forward saying they are being forced to get vaccinated. However, in case the hon. Member knows of a case in which one of our health workers might not have understood the approach to vaccination, she can send me that video clip on WhatsApp immediately, since she has my phone number, and we will act accordingly. Let me re-emphasise that there is no mandatory vaccination in Zambia.

 

Sir, I have talked about the efficacy over and over; it is about 80 per cent for AstraZeneca. In many studies that have been conducted, the safety and suitability of the vaccine have been proven. The advantage of vaccination is that when you are exposed to the virus, you will not be severely affected by it, be hospitalised or die, and the wheels of the economy will continue to turn. Therefore, the benefits far outweigh any risks of both being vaccinated and not being vaccinated.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mbulakulima (Milenge): Mr Speaker, there is apprehension among people who got the first vaccination that they may not get the second dose because India, which is the biggest manufacturer of the vaccine, is under heavy attack of the virus. The Permanent Secretary, Technical Services, at the Ministry of Health also mentioned that there is the possibility that we may ration what we have in the country in case we do receive more vaccines. What assurance can we get from the hon. Minister that those who got the first jab will get the second dose?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, we got 228,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Since everyone is supposed to get two doses, dividing the number we got by two gives us 114,000 complete vaccinations. There is the chance of vaccine loss, such as through bottle breakage or spillage, and we factor that in at about 10 per cent. So, we have 100,000 or so full doses.

 

Sir, the uptake of the vaccine in Zambia has been rapid, and the country will reach 100,000 vaccinations in the next few days. However, I assure all who have been vaccinated that they will get the second dose. By the time we reach the 100,000 mark, a number of people who were vaccinated first, including me, since I was vaccinated the first day, will be eligible for the second dose, and we will ensure that everyone is fully covered because we do not want to have problems of people only getting one dose and then being left to chance. So, we will have to manage with what we have. That said, the Cabinet approved a vaccination programme with different pillars, and the COVAX we are talking about is only one of the pillars. We have been approached by various countries that want to donate efficacious and safe vaccines to Zambia, and that will be the second pillar. 

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, I want to get some clarification from the hon. Minister concerning the rural parts of Zambia like Kalabo. The hon. Minister talked about Chisokone and other compounds –

 

Ms Kucheka: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Ms Kucheka: Mr Speaker, my point of order is on the system.

 

According to the list, Kalabo Central is behind me. In front of me, there is Kamfinsa and Zambezi West. However, somehow, we have been omitted. Is the system in order?

 

Mr Speaker: My ruling is that you have not been omitted. Just be patient. I have your name in front of me, and I am not in a hurry. You may be aware that we have suspended certain Standing Orders, meaning that we can be here until tomorrow morning. So, be patient.

 

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, I was referring to the hon. Minister’s comment regarding compounds like Chisokone, which are in towns where there is a lot of sensitisation while in the rural areas there seems to be none. What effort are the hon. Minister and the Government making to sensitise the people in the villages, who seem to be in isolation because there is no publicising of matters relating to vaccination apart from the normal way of receiving information. There are no vehicles with public address (PA) systems spreading information relating to the vaccination programme.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, like I said, the vaccination campaign is a national programme, not a Lusaka or Copperbelt one, and that is why it is being implemented in all the ten provinces and districts. The way the system is structured is such that in Lusaka, there are the headquarters of the Ministry of Health; at the provincial level, there are Provincial Health Directors; in the districts, there are District Health Directors; and, at health facilities, there are community and public health specialists. That is the way the programme works.

 

Sir, I must commend our traditional leaders in rural areas who have done very well by getting vaccinated. A few days ago, I was with Their Royal Highnesses the Ngoni Chiefs, who have all been vaccinated. We also saw His Royal Highness Paramount Chief Chitimukulu be vaccinated, as did many chiefs in Luapula Province and Senior Chief Chiwala in Masaiti District. So, the traditional leaders all over the country have taken the lead in getting vaccinated.

 

Mr Speaker, one of our roles, as hon. Members of Parliament, is representation and, as representatives of the people, apart from getting vaccinated, we should also sensitise our people. A year ago, after COVID-19 came to Zambia and before I was Minister of Health, I remember going to every ward in Bwana Mkubwa Constituency with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) van sensitising and teaching people about the pandemic. So, I urge the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalabo Central to work with the relevant district and provincial health offices to ensure that our people in his constituency are sensitised. He should also work with the traditional leaders, who have really taken the lead in this fight.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Sing’ombe was not available.

 

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the statement.

 

Sir, I think it is now a well-established fact that the extent of attack of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the population in Sub-Saharan Africa has been much lower compared to elsewhere in the world. We have seen countries with first-class medical and public health facilities in Europe and in the Americas record deaths in hundreds of thousands while in Africa, where the facilities are very rudimentary and where, I must also admit, there is carelessness in terms of personal conduct, the disease has not been that catastrophic. Given that fact, does the hon. Minister understand the biological factors that have led to this situation in which the most vulnerable and careless are less severely affected? Further, how will the vaccine affect the biological factors that may have spared us the effects of the disease so far? Will the vaccine make us more vulnerable or less so? By the way, I have also been vaccinated.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Liuwa for this question and for stating that he has led by example by getting vaccinated, which is very commendable. I urge everyone to get vaccinated like he has done.

 

Sir, like I said, COVID-19 is very dynamic because it is a novel virus and a new disease. A few months ago in India, the people were celebrating that they had overcome COVID-19, and they held religious festivals and everyone was happy. What then happened in that country is the current situation, in which there are over 400,000 new cases and 2,000 to 3,000 deaths every day, and the situation changed in a very short time. The same happened in South America, and India, Latin America, Africa and Asia have similar demographic profiles in terms of the age profiles of the populations. Further, India has 1.4 billion people while Africa has about 1.3 billion people.

 

Mr Speaker, yes, there could be some factors that have led to this situation in which the most vulnerable are less affected, such as genetics, a predominantly youthful population or a lack of global travel. However, even here, in Zambia, the first wave that hit us last year, between July and September, was not as aggressive as the second wave one, which hit us from January to about April, 2021. The second wave has been much more devastating because it is the result of a much more aggressive variant of Covid-19. No wonder, some people got sick and died, and the country lost many high-profile people, including many religious and traditional leaders, and ordinary members of the public. Initially, some people had been saying that there was no COVID-19 and asking to be shown a COVID-19 patient but, during the second wave, I did not hear a single COVID-19 denier; no one talks about that now.

 

Sir, we are dealing with a disease that can change anytime and there can be a variant more aggressive than the one that caused the second wave, and that is why the Government has put in place public health security measures like vaccination. I think that prevention is better and cheaper than cure.

 

Sir, in terms of the effects of the vaccine on our inherent biological systems or immunity, the vaccine protects the one who gets vaccinated and those around that person. So, like I said, the benefits of being vaccinated are much more than any associated risk. So far, there is no evidence that the vaccine will alter the immunity or any inherent biological systems in the body.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Musonda was not available.

 

Ms Kucheka (Zambezi West): Mr Speaker, there is speculation, mostly on social media, to the effect that in some countries, vaccinations using the AstraZeneca vaccine has been suspended. Does the hon. Minister have that information?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Zambezi West for that information.

 

Sir, I think we have belaboured the point about the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca Vaccine. Yes, there were initial concerns in Europe, for example, when a few cases of blood clotting were reported, and I think I said that in the statement I issued when we were receiving. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) later found out that of the seven out of 40 million cases, none could be directly linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine because some people had underlying conditions. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, people still had thrombotic conditions like deep vein thrombosis, with some being on Prosole. All those diseases have been there; they did not come with COVID-19. If a person who is prone to a certain disease gets vaccinated and then something happens, everyone will ascribe the result to the vaccine rather than to the disease that the person has had. That is why the EMA lifted the temporary suspension of AstraZeneca, and the vaccine is being used in other countries. I think almost all the countries in Europe, except a few countries like Denmark, which has a sovereign right to make such a decision irrespective of what EMA says, are using it.

 

Sir, as we saw recently, the European Union (EU) sued the AstraZeneca Company for failure to deliver honour a contract for supply of millions of AstraZeneca doses due to too much demand in Europe. The EU is actually demanding more of the vaccine because Europe is lagging behind the United Kingdom (UK) in vaccinations. Over 100 countries in the world and over thirty-eight in Africa have been using AstraZeneca to vaccinate their people, and cases of adverse events have been negligible. The benefits far outweigh any associated risks, and that is why they have continued using the vaccine. By the way, AstraZeneca is the most widely used vaccine in the world.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Malama (Kanchibiya): Mr Speaker, I thank the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, through the hon. Minister, for the leadership it has shown in ensuring that the vaccine maximally reaches our people. I also appreciate Her Honour the Vice-President for the leadership she has shown by getting vaccinated. That is why I have continued advocating that all those contesting at Presidential level in this year’s general elections should be gender sensitive enough to ensure 50/50 gender representation. If a male stands as President, a female should be the running mate and vice-versa.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister said that the Parliament Clinic offering the vaccine. Has the uptake been to his expectation? If it has, we can surely have political role models disseminating the message in the countryside as we head towards the elections.

 

Mr Speaker: The Speaker has been vaccinated. 

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for making my job easy by getting vaccinated as the head of the Legislature. I also thank Her Honour the Vice-President for also getting vaccinated. Further, my colleagues in the Cabinet, hon. Members of Parliament, civic leaders, the business community, traditional leaders, the clergy and many other people have been vaccinated. Like I said, there has been vaccine acceptance in Zambia. I do not have the statistics on those who have been vaccinated at Parliament but, as we know, Parliament has been meeting virtually and the hon. Members are spread across the country. So, we have advised them to get vaccinated in the areas where they are because every district now has a vaccination site.

 

Sir, I urge hon. Members to not only get vaccinated, but to also sensitise their constituents because people listen to what hon. Members of Parliament say. I am happy to say that some Opposition hon. Members got vaccinated at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) on the first day of the vaccination programme, and I received many phone calls from hon. Members from the Ruling Party and opposition parties, and Independents asking to get vaccinated. So, no one is still questioning the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.  I think we have all come to the realisation that we need to be vaccinated to protect our people.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Musonda was not available.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, how ready is the Government to secure the lives of the people of Zambia in case we are hit by a third wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, in terms of being prepared for the third wave, we are at a better place than we were when we were hit by the first and second waves. During the second wave, the magical drug and life saver has been oxygen, and that is why Zambia has a recovery rate of 98 per cent, which is high. Without oxygen support, we would have lost many patients and, in this regard, I thank the Co-operating Partners who have come on board to support us with a lot of oxygen. There are oxygen plants at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital and Maina Soko Military Hospital, and we are trying to construct one at Kitwe Teaching Hospital on the Copperbelt with the support of the Swedish Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). We have also trained our people, and there is surveillance.

 

Sir, we emphasise, however, we emphasise that the third wave is not inevitable; its occurrence is not written in the scriptures. We, as a country, can mitigate or, possibly, prevent it if we all adhere to the public health guidelines that we talk about and get vaccinated when given the opportunity. So, there are many measures we can take as a country. Yes, we are much more prepared for the third wave, but my message to the people of Zambia is that they should adhere to the public health measures and get vaccinated, which is not mandatory, but voluntary, when one gets the right information.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: For the benefit of the hon. Member for Kanchibiya, 250 of us have been vaccinated here, at Parliament. 

 

Mrs Phiri (Chilanga): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for the well-articulated statement on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and I congratulate him on doing the good job of keeping COVID-19 at bay under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. I also congratulate Her Honour the Vice-President on the leadership she has shown by getting vaccinated and leading the way in encouraging us, the women, and the nation at large to get vaccinated. That said, the people of Chilanga are concerned that even after being vaccinated, they have continued wearing face masks. Will it be after getting the second jab that they stop wearing face masks?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Chilanga for her gracious words.

 

Sir, like I said in the statement, there is what we call herd immunity, which means vaccinating a minimum of about 70 per cent of the eligible population. In Zambia, the population is estimated at 18.3 million people, of which only those above the age of eighteen are supposed to be vaccinated. The estimated population of those above eighteen is 8.3 million people. So, 70 per cent of 8.3 million have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, like we have seen happen in Israel and the UK, two countries that have achieved that, and the results are very clear for all to see. When one gets vaccinated, one may still get the virus, but one may not experience the serious effects of the diseases while an unvaccinated person who gets close such a person will get the virus and suffer very serious effects of the disease or even die. That is why I am saying that the majority of the population has to be vaccinated for the country to reach herd immunity before we start talking about relaxing the measures and being not strict about wearing of face masks. In the UK, people are now allowed to go to stadia because, probably, over 60 per cent or 70 per cent of the adult population in that country has been vaccinated. Israel has also done the same.

 

Sir, we are in the early days of the vaccination programme and, for now, we emphasise that even when one is vaccinated, one has to follow the other public health measures until such a time that the health experts advise that we have reached herd immunity.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister to clarify the speculations to the effect that some countries have suspended the vaccinations and that children and people below forty years old are not supposed to be vaccinated. The hon. Minister said that people above eighteen years are supposed to be vaccinated. Further, there is a speculation to the effect that the second dose is not available because India has problems manufacturing it. Could the hon. Minister clarify these assertions that are making the rounds.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i for this question.

 

Sir, the hon. Member has referred to speculations, and I advise people not to pay much attention to speculation, especially on social media. Anyone can wake up and post something on WhatsApp or Facebook. For example, there is the myth about people who get vaccinated needing to abstain from drinking alcohol for forty-five days. That is from social media, not health experts.

 

Mr Speaker, I must mention that we have seen more men get vaccinated than women for one simple reason: many myths have targeted women, such as the myth that a woman who gets vaccinated will not have a child for two years or that their breastfeeding children will be harmed. All these ideas are neither true nor based on science. So, I advise people to listen to health experts. The vaccines have nothing to do with one’s drinking of alcohol, although we want people to drink responsibly. For breastfeeding mothers, when they get vaccinated, the vaccine will protect both them and their babies. That is what has been proven by science. So, I that we should avoid speculations.

 

Mr Speaker, we know that the situation in India is a humanitarian disaster and that apart from the Serum Institute of India being mandated to manufacture the COVAX Vaccine, which is AstraZeneca, the Indians are also getting vaccine donations, like we have seen, from European countries and the United States of America (USA) because India’s population size is like that of the whole of Africa, at 1.4 billion people. So, the vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India cannot be enough for that country, and that is one of the challenges. However, I have already given comfort to those who have been vaccinated by saying that the Ministry of Health will, firstly, ensure  that everyone who has been vaccinated gets the second dose. Secondly, we are in talks with the WHO in Geneva and other offices on how we can circumvent this issue by getting AstraZeneca from other sources apart from the Serum Institute of India. Thirdly, I talked about the pillar under which we have other vaccines, apart from AstraZeneca, that have been proven to be safe and efficacious, and a number of countries, including China, are willing to donate a number of doses of those vaccines. The nation will be updated in due course, but let us avoid speculations, myths, conspiracy theories and innuendos.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last four questions from the hon. Member for Msanzala, Mufulira, Mitete and, lastly, Senga Hill.

 

Mr Daka (Msanzala): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity (Interference) –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Msanzala, can you switch off some appliance.

 

Mr Msanzala: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to ask this question. From the outset, I must declare that I got vaccinated in the presence of my chiefs in Lusangazi, Petauke District.

 

Sir, what I want to find out from the hon. Minister is how long the vaccine will stay in our bodies before we get revaccinated and, more so, how likely we are to have the  Johnson & Johnson vaccine in our vicinity.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, in Zambia, there has been COVID-19 for only one year, the first cases having been recorded in March, 2020, and this being April, 2021. So, basically, it has just been over twelve months. Worldwide, COVID-19 has been around for only about two years because the first cases were recorded in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019, before the pandemic became global. So, there are many unknown unknowns, but we know that science and vaccines work. I can give an example of the routine vaccination of children at the under-five clinic. We vaccinate a three-day-old baby against tuberculosis (TB) using the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. We also routinely immunise people against measles, rubella, poliomyelitis and many other diseases, especially viral ones. We now also vaccinate adolescent girls against the human  papilloma virus (HPV), and all vaccines work on the same principle of stimulating the formation of anti-bodies so that a person is protected. For now, what we know is that the vaccines will produce anti-bodies and protect us. Of course, we will monitor regionally, continently and globally how long the vaccine will last. Whether people will need a booster dose in future is a question that science will answer in future. We cannot speculate.

 

Mr Speaker, for now, what we know is that when you get vaccinated, almost immediately, your anti-bodies increase because of the booster. So, we are hopeful that the vaccines for COVID-19 will also work like the other twelve vaccines that we already give in Zambia for other diseases, including cholera. People may wonder why, with this record high rainfall we have had in Zambia, there have been no cholera cases. Apart from what the Government has done in terms of improving water and sanitation, we have also been very aggressively implementing the Oral Cholera Vaccine Programme in cholera-prone areas. So, yes, vaccines work, and we should have that assurance.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, I am aware that the vaccines that are being used around our country came from the World Bank and other Co-operating Partners. When should we expect  to see the stocks beefed up to cover a bigger number of our people, especially given that we are headed for the cold season?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, I should mention that the AstraZeneca is not from the World Bank; I think it is accessed through the COVAX facility, which is funded by the United Nation (UN) agencies like the WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI), many European countries, the EU, the USA Government and other funders. That said, I must repeat that the vaccine programme approved by the Cabinet took into consideration what the hon. Member for Mufulira is asking by anticipating that Pillar One, the COVAX facility, which is free, we would vaccinate 20 per cent of the illegible population. So, what we got are just the initial doses; there are many more coming because COVAX targets to vaccinate about 3.6 million Zambians for free.

 

Sir, the second pillar, like I said, are the Government and the private sector. We have engaged the private sector in Zambia and many have shown interest in bringing in vaccines. However, we are insisting on that being done in a transparent and accountable manner; we have to know the source of the vaccines and then use the mechanism that the Government is using, namely ZAMRA and the Ministry of Health. The Government has given to the Ministry of Health the mandate of protecting our people from the fake or backroom vaccines that I talked about. So, there are many other pillars, including vaccine diplomacy with countries that are willing to donate. That said, the ministries of Finance and Health co-sponsored a Cabinet Memorandum, and that is why the hon. Minister of Finance, Dr Bwalya Ng’andu, and I work closely together. The Government has also secured resources to bridge the gap that might occur in the vaccination programme.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mutelo (Mitete): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for doing a great job of refuting the many speculations doing the rounds.

 

Sir, some people on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs are afraid of taking the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. I would love the hon. Minister to allay this fear. Secondly, some people are saying there is a vaccine specifically for black people and another for white people. In as much as the hon. Minister is doing a good job, could he, please, also shed some light on these speculations.

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, in the Cabinet Memorandum approved by the Cabinet, the priority groups are very clear. The memorandum talks about frontline health workers; the men and women in uniform; the security forces; immigration officers; traditional leaders; the clergy; and people with underlying chronic medical conditions, which are long-lasting or untreatable conditions like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure and cancers. We have prioritised the vaccination of those with underlying medical conditions are a priority group because the effects of COVID-19 are worse on them when they get infected with it. We have also prioritised those above the age of sixty-two.

 

Mr Speaker, there are no contra-indications, and I encourage everyone on anti-retrovirals (ARVs) and those not on ARVs, but with any underlying condition to get vaccinated so that they protect themselves against a second enemy called COVID-19.

 

Mr Speaker, the second issue, which is that of there being a vaccine for black people, a different one for white people and another for Asians or whatever race, again, that is mere speculation. I remember, the first Republican President, Dr Kaunda, used to say, “It does not matter whether you are black, white, green, yellow or blue; you are just human”. Similarly, this virus we are dealing with is blind to race, tribe and political affiliation; it infects human beings, makes them sick and kills them. Further, like I said, the vaccine we are using in Zambia, AstraZeneca, is manufactured in India and Europe, and is also used by the UK, by and large. I know the Canadians and many countries in Europe and the Middle East are also using it. These countries are inhabited by people of different races. So, the vaccine is colour blind.

 

Mr Speaker, the first few days after the vaccination programme started, I received complaints about white people and Indians rushing to queue up at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ndola Teaching Hospital and other hospitals and getting the vaccine? If the vaccine was for black people only, why did Zambians of Asian, European and other origins rush to get vaccinated with it? These vaccines are not about races; they are about human beings.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Simbao (Senga Hill): Mr Speaker, what is the rate of depletion of the stock of vaccines we have? I am worried because the hon. Minister keeps insisting that people take the vaccine. What is the shelf life of the vaccines? Are we in danger of seeing some of the vaccines we have received so far expire before they are used?

 

Dr Chanda: Mr Speaker, in accordance with His Excellency the President’s guidance, we have been very transparent and accountable to the people of Zambia in the vaccination programme. For example, we when the vaccines arrived at the airport on an Emirates flight, we invited the media, members of the public and diplomats to witness.

 

Sir, during the launch, I announced that the vaccines’ expiry date is 29^th July, 2021. That is not a secret. When one gets the vaccine in April, one is expected to get another dose in three to four months. However, like I said, at the rate at which we are getting vaccinated, we will exceed the number of vaccines received. So, what we should be concerned about is that the demand will outstrip the supply, and that is what we are trying to address. Probably, in the next two to three days, the number of people vaccinated will reach 100,000. Then, we will start giving the second dose. So, we are not in a hurry to worry about the vaccines expiring. In fact, no country has had the challenge of vaccines expiring. Our neighbour, Malawi, is one of the countries that also have vaccination programmes.

 

Sir, in Zambia, we are not likely to have the problem of the vaccine expiring because the demand is for the vaccine is high. In fact, I think the number of vaccinated people may reach 100,000 by the end of today, since it is already above 90,000. So, we should be assured of getting to 100,000. All the information is available, and the hon. Member can check the date of expiry written on the bottles of the batch of the AstraZeneca we got, which is “29^th July, 2021”.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

BILLS

 

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

 

THE INSURANCE BILL, 2021

 

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

         

CLAUSE 2 – (Interpretation)

 

The Minister of Finance (Dr Ng’andu): Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause two by,

 

1. the insertion in the appropriate places of the following new definitions:

 

1. “citizen owned company” means a company where one hundred per cent of its equity is owned by citizens and in which citizens have significant control of the management of the company”; and

 

1. “Medical Scheme Fund Management Business” means the business of undertaking liability in return for contributions from members to partially or fully discharge the expenditure incurred in connection with a member, or that member’s dependents for health services received from health services providers, and includes the provision of a personal medical saving facility;”

 

1. on page 12, after line 34, by the insertion of the following paragraph:

 

“Act No. 41 of 2016

(m)     the Securities Act, 2016;

1. on page 16, in line 2, by the deletion of the word “reinsurer” and the                                         substitution therefor of the word “reinsurance”;

 

1. on page 18, in line 21, by the deletion of the word “Insurance” and the substitution therefor of the word “Reinsurance”; and

 

1. on page 18, in line 29, by the deletion of the word “periodic”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clause 3, 4 and 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 6 – (Prohibition on Carrying on Insurance Business without License)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 6, on page 21, in lines 15 to 17, by the deletion of sub-clause (1) and the substitution therefor of the following:

 

“(1)      A person shall not carry on insurance business or hold oneself out as an insurer, reinsurer, intermediary, assessor, claims agent, loss adjustor or risk surveyor unless the person is licensed under this Act.”

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 6, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clause 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 18 – (Accepting Insurance Business from Unlicensed Person)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 18, on page 25, in line 26, by the inclusion of the words “subject to section 166” before the words “A licensed”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 18, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 19 – (Entering into Insurance Contract with Unlicensed Person)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 19, on page 25, in line 34, by the deletion of the words “a contract of insurance” and the substitution therefor of the words “insurance business”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 19, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clause 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 21 ˗ (Insurance broker to transmit premium)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 21, on page 26:

 

1. in line 21 by the insertion of the following marginal note:

           

“Insurance broker to transmit premium”; and

 

1. in line 36 by the deletion of the word “contravenes” and the substitution therefor of the word “continues”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 21, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

   Clauses 22 and 23 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 24 – (Form of policies)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 24, on page 27, in line 24, by the insertion of the words “as prescribed” after the word “font”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.       

 

Clause 24, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 32 – (Naming of beneficiary in a policy)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 32, on page 29,

 

1. in line 32, by the deletion of the marginal note “Naming of beneficiary in a policy” and the substitution therefor of the following:

 

                                     “Customer due diligence to life insurance policies”; and

 

1. in line 35, by the insertion of the words “as provided under any relevant written law” after the word “policy”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 32, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 48 – (Premium rates on life policy)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 48, on page 37, in line 31, by the insertion of the following marginal note:

 

               “Premium rate on life policy”.              

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 48, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 49 – (Shareholding)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 49, on page 38:

 

1.         in line 34, by the insertion of the words “or a citizen owned company” after the word “citizens”; and

 

1. in line 37, by the insertion of the words “or a citizen owned company” after the word “citizens”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 49, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 50 – (Principal office for insurance business)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 50, on page 39, in line 11, by the insertion of the following marginal note:

 

               “Principal office for insurance business”.       

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 50, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 58 – (Restriction on holding shares)

 

  Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 58, on page 43:

 

1. in line 4, by the deletion of the word “the” and the substitution therefor of the word “a”; and

 

1. in line 7, by the deletion of the word “the” and the substitution therefor of the word “a”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.        

 

Clause 58, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 59 – (Board of directors of insurer or reinsurer)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 59, on page 43:

 

1. after line 14, by the insertion of the following new sub-clause:

 

1.  

 

1. in lines 15 to 20, by the renumbering of sub-clause (2) as sub-clause (3).

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 59, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 69 – (Licensee to appoint actuary)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 69, on page 46, in lines 31 to 36, by the deletion of sub-clause (1) and the substitution therefor of the following:

 

“(1)      A licensed insurer shall appoint a qualified actuary who shall be accredited as a Fellow by the Zambia Qualifications Authority to carry out the duties imposed or conferred on the actuary under this Act before commencing insurance business.” 

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 69, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 77 – (National Reinsurance Company)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 77, on page 50, in lines 6 to 11, by the deletion of clause 77 and the substitution therefor of the following:

 

“National Reinsurance                        77. (1)  The National Reinsurance Company shall be Company     designated by the Minister and shall be an entity in

which the Government of the Republic of Zambia holds an interest as prescribed.

 

                                                           (2)   Mandatory cessions shall be made to a National Reinsurance Company according to thresholds prescribed by the Minister.”

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 77, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 and 97 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 98 – (External auditors report)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 98, on page 60, in line 1, by the deletion of the word “Board” and the substitution therefor of the words “board of directors”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 98, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clause 99 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 100 – (Regulation of external auditor)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 100, on page 60, in line 13, in the marginal note, by the deletion of the word “Regulation” and the substitution therefor of the word “Resignation”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 100, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 111 – (Publication of returns and statements).

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 111, on page 64, in line 34, in the marginal note, by the insertion of the word “Unauthorised” before the word “Publication”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 111, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 119 – (Co-operation with other supervisors)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 119, on page 68, in line 23, in the marginal note, by the deletion of the word “supervisors” and the substitution therefor of the word “institutions”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 119, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162 and 163 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 164 – (Appointment and convening of appeals tribunal)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 164, on page 87, after line 4, by the insertion of the following new sub-clause immediately after sub-clause (2):

 

“(3) A person aggrieved with a decision of the Tribunal may appeal to the Court of Appeal.”

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 164, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 and 180 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Title agreed to.

 

THE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT BILL, 2021

 

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 2 – (Interpretation)

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 2, on page 6, in lines 18 and 19, by the deletion of the words “Act No. 3 of 2021”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 3 and 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 5 – (Establishment of electronic Government Division)

 

Mr Lubinda: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 5, on page 8, in line 32, by the deletion of the words “in the office of the Division President” and the substitution therefor of the words “in the Office of the President”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 5, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 21 – (Identity and authenticity)

 

Mr Lubinda: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 21, on page 16, in lines 20 to 21, by the deletion of the words “Restriction on use of personal information Act No. 3 of 2021”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 21, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Title agreed to.  

 

_______

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

The following Bills were reported to the House as having passed through Committee with amendments:

The Insurance Bill, 2021

The Electronic Government Bill, 2021

 

Report Stages today.

 

REPORT STAGE

 

The Insurance Bill, 2021

 

The Electronic Government Bill, 2021

 

The Land Survey (Amendment) Bill, 2021

 

Report adopted.

 

Third Readings today.

 

THIRD READING

 

The following Bills were read the third time and passed:

 

The Insurance Bill, 2021

 

The Electronic Government Bill, 2021

 

The Land Survey (Amendment) Bill, 2021

 

The Cannabis Bill, 2021

 

The Zambia Correctional Service Bill, 2021

 

The Lands and Deeds Registry (Amendment) Bill, 2021

 

_______

 

MOTION

 

ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Sir, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn sine die.

 

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned accordingly at 1111 hours on Wednesday, 12^th May, 2021, sine die.

 

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