Tuesday, 14^th September, 2021

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

OATH AND AFFIRMATION OF ALLEGIANCE

 

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

 

The following hon. Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance:

 

Mr Peter Chibwe Kapala

 

Mr Elisha Matambo

 

Ms Mutinta Mazoka

 

Charles Milupi

 

Elias Mubanga

 

AFFIRMATION OF ALLEGIANCE

 

The following hon. Member made and subscribed the Affirmation of Allegiance:

 

Likando Mufalali

 

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

 

The following hon. Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance:

 

Felix Mutati

 

Doreen Mwamba

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

 

APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF WHIP, DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND PF WHIP

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform the House that the United Party for National Development (UPND) has appointed Mr Stafford Mulusa, MP, as the Government Chief Whip and Ms Princess Kasune, MP, as the Deputy Government Chief Whip.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Similarly, the Patriotic Front (PF) Party has appointed Mr Brian Mundubile, MP, as the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Stephen Kampyongo, MP, as its party whip.

 

I thank you.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

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COMPOSITION OF SESSIONAL COMMITTEES

 

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES – MEMBERSHIP

 

Madam Speaker: In accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution of Zambia, Cap 1 of the Laws of Zambia and the provisions of Standing Order No. 188 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders 2021, the following hon. Members will constitute the Standing Orders Committee:

 

HOUSE-KEEPING COMMITTEES

 

Standing Orders Committee (12)

 

The Hon. Madam Speaker (Chairperson)

The Hon. M. Nalumango, MP, Her Honour the Vice-President and Leader of Government Business in the House

The Hon. A. Chisangano, MP, First Deputy Speaker

The Hon. M. Moyo, MP, Second Deputy Speaker

The Hon. Dr S. Musokotwane, MP, Minister of Finance

The Hon. S. Mulusa, MP, Government Chief Whip

The Hon. B. Mundubile, MP, Leader of the Opposition

The Hon. S. Kampyongo, MP

The Hon M. Jamba, MP

The Hon. Amb. J. Malanji, MP

The Hon. N. Chilangwa, MP

The Hon. G. Chonde, MP

 

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I rise to give the House an indication of the business it will consider this week. However, before I do that, let me welcome all hon. Members, particularly those coming to the House for the first time.

 

Madam, I congratulate them all on being elected or nominated to the Thirteenth National Assembly. I am confident that despite having divergent political views, the House will work harmoniously in order to spearhead the development of our great nation in the next five years.

 

Madam, let me also take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to the people of Zambia for turning up in large numbers to vote in the General Elections of 12^th August, 2021. The people demonstrated the true spirit of ‘One Zambia One Nation’ across the breadth and depth of our country. We, once again, proved to the world who we are; a united people across the political divide.

 

Madam Speaker, may I also pay tribute to my predecessor, Her Honour, Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina, who, in the Twelfth Parliament, held the position of Leader of Government Business in the House. It is gratifying to take over from a fellow woman. In this regard, I would like to encourage the women of Zambia to come out and offer to serve their country in positions of responsibility whenever available.

 

Madam, let me now come back to the business the House is expected to transact this week. As indicated on the Order Paper for today, 14^th September, 2021, the Business of the House will start with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, which he made to the House last Friday.

 

Madam Speaker, Tomorrow, Wednesday, 15^th September, 2021, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. The House will, then, continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

 

Madam, on Thursday, 16^th September, 2021, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. The House will, then, continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks.

 

Madam Speaker, on Friday, 17^th September, 2021, the Business of the House will begin with the Vice-President’s Question Time. This will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. The House will, then, deal with the presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

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MOTIONS

 

APPROVAL OF GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Nalumango): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that in line with Article 92(2)(d) of the Constitution of Zambia, this House approves the dissolution, re-alignment and the establishment of Government ministries established by the President, as appended hereto.

 

Madam Speaker, under Article 92(2)(d) of the Constitution, the President is empowered to establish, merge and dissolve Government ministries, subject to the approval of this House. As you may recall, the Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, in his official address to this august House on Friday, 10^th September, 2021, made reference to the establishment of some Government ministries. We have, accordingly, brought this Motion to request the House to approve the proposed establishment, merger and dissolution of Government ministries.

 

Madam Speaker, the proposals by the President are intended to rationalise and enhance existing structures to ensure prudence in the quest of our Government to provide improved services to its people. This will foster development and growth of industries as well as support scientific research that will yield benevolent dividends for current and future generations.

 

Madam Speaker, the ministries that are being proposed for dissolution are the following:

 

1. Ministry of Home Affairs;
2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
3. Ministry of Finance;
4. Ministry of National Development Planning;
5. Ministry of Higher Education;
6. Ministry of Local Government;
7. Ministry of Tourism and Art;
8. Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environment Protection;
9. Ministry of General Education;
10. Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development;
11. Ministry of Works and Supply;
12. Ministry of Transport and Communication;
13. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services;
14. Ministry of Gender;
15. Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs;
16. Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development; and
17. Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs.

 

Madam Speaker, the ministries that are being proposed for establishment and merger are the following:

 

1. Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security;
2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation;
3. Ministry of Finance and National Planning;
4. Ministry of Technology and Science;
5. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development;
6. Ministry of Tourism;
7. Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation;
8. Ministry of Education;
9. Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development;
10. Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development;
11. Ministry of Transport and Logistics;
12. Ministry of Information and Media;
13. Ministry of Green Economy and Environment; and
14. Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art.

 

Madam Speaker, the ministries that are being proposed to remain unchanged are the following:

 

1. Ministry of Defence;
2. Ministry of Justice;
3. Ministry of Agriculture;
4. Ministry of Health;
5. Ministry of Energy;
6. Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock;
7. Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development;
8. Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry;
9. Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources;
10. Ministry of Labour and Social Security; and
11. Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.

 

Madam Speaker, the portfolio functions of the ministries proposed to be dissolved and established are at Appendices I and II of the Motion, respectively. At Appendix III, is the complete schedule of the allocation of portfolios and statutory functions to all ministries.

 

Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that there are three ministries that are entirely new, namely:

 

1. Ministry of Technology and Science;
2. Ministry of Green Economy and Environment; and
3. Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development.

 

Madam Speaker, additionally, nine ministries have been re-aligned by merging some existing ministries while three have been re-named.

 

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

 

Thank you, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, let me guide the House on the issue of maiden speeches. In terms of Standing Order 69 of the National Assembly Standing Orders, 2021, it is a requirement that before a Private Member moves, seconds or debates a Motion that is before the House, he/ she must, in the first instance, present a maiden speech. In making the maiden speech, an hon. Member shall not speak for more than ten minutes. The requirement for the presentation of maiden speeches does not apply to the Frontbench. In other words, hon. Ministers are not required to make maiden speeches.

 

Hon. Members, let me also draw the attention of the House to Standing Order 59, which provides for time limits for debates. Under this Standing Order, the maximum amount of time for an hon. Member to make a maiden speech is ten minutes. In case of debate on a Motion, each hon. Member has a maximum of eight minutes. However, an hon. Member moving a Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address may debate up to ten minutes.

 

Hon. Members, this means that the mover of the Motion of Thanks has up to ten minutes to present the maiden speech and another ten minutes to move and debate the Motion of Thanks. Other hon. Members have ten minutes to present a maiden speech and eight minutes to debate the Motion of Thanks or any other Motion.

 

I thank you.

 

Mr Chitotela: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, we want to start debating in reference to the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President and, of course, make our maiden speeches but we are unable to indicate because the microphones are off. Is it in order for us to be denied an opportunity to participate in the debate in this House?

 

Madam Speaker: Actually, the technocrats were supposed to work on it. However, the Leader of the Opposition has given us a list which we will follow as we wait for the technicians to come to attend to the microphones.

 

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Mundubile): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity accorded to me to deliver my maiden speech and, indeed, contribute to the debate on the Motion on the Floor of the House on the approval and establishment of Government ministries and departments.

 

First and foremost, as members of the Patriotic Front Party (PF), we are starting the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly with heavy hearts, having gone through an election that was characterised by unprecedented levels of violence.

 

Madam Speaker, an occasion such as this would have been one where we would have been exchanging congratulatory messages, having been re-elected or elected to Parliament, but we find it extremely hard to congratulate our colleagues because of the many families that are still mourning, having lost their beloved ones ...

 

Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Madam

 

Mr Mundubile: ... due to the violence that occurred during elections.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, no points of order can be raised when an hon. Member is making his/her maiden speech.

 

Mr Nkombo: He is not supposed to be reading. He is supposed to talk.

 

Hon. PF Members: It is a maiden speech

 

Mr Mundubile: Madam Speaker, I thank you for the protection.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, for purposes of guidance, an hon. Member can read a maiden speech. Let us also avoid interrupting hon. Members as they deliver their maiden speeches. I am guiding accordingly.

 

Mr Mundubile: Madam Speaker, thank you for the guidance and, indeed, for educating hon. Members of the House on how to proceed on maiden speeches.

 

Mr Mutale: Madam Speaker, on a point of procedure.

 

Mr Mundubile: Madam Speaker, as I proceed­ –

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I have already guided. Let us observe some decorum in the House.

 

Mr Mutale: Madam Speaker, it is a point of procedure.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Leader of the Opposition, please, proceed.

 

Mr Mundubile: Madam Speaker, as I pointed out earlier, it is, indeed, very difficult to stand here and congratulate hon. Members of Parliament on their election to Parliament when families are still mourning their departed beloved fathers, mothers, daughters and sons all because of electoral violence.

 

Madam Speaker, no decent society can cast a blind eye to what transpired before, during, and after elections and gloss over the loss of life of fellow citizens who were merely exercising their democratic rights of belonging to political parties of their choice.

 

Madam Speaker, the death of Jackson Kungo, a Member of the Patriotic Front Central Committee, and many other citizens whose lives were lost during the past election, including the killing of two of our members in Kanyama, cast a dark spell on our democracy.

 

Madam Speaker, there is neither a political position that is worth dying for nor any political position that is worth killing for whatsoever.

 

Madam Speaker, as political leaders, we need to set a standard that will be based on Christian values even as we conduct our political activities; a standard that will allow every Zambian to choose his/her leaders without fear or favour; and a standard that will not include militia groupings in the name of political cadres. Therefore, we expect the President of this Republic to put an end to this electoral violence.

 

Madam Speaker, when His Excellency the President delivered his speech to this House, Zambians expected him to condemn political violence. We also expected him to comment on what exactly transpired during these elections, including the killing of members of our political party that I mentioned earlier.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to continue by thanking the people of Mporokoso for giving me this opportunity to serve them, again, as their Member of Parliament. I wish to further thank my party, the PF, for adopting me to stand on the party ticket. I, once again, wish to pledge my total loyalty and commitment to the party going into the future. I shall forever remain proud of being a member of the PF party because of the many developments that it achieved whilst in the Government.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Mporokoso shall forever be indebted to the PF party for the development that this party took to them.

 

Madam Speaker, within five years, we were able to deliver health posts and schools in each of the twelve wards, complete in excess of 400km of roads and build two secondary schools in the constituency. Today, 85 per cent of the villages in Mporokoso are electrified. We have constructed two fuelling stations, something that had never been done in the past fifty years. We have new water reticulation systems and fifteen communication towers, among other things.

 

Madam Speaker, the PF party has delivered to the people of Mporokoso and they shall forever be indebted to the party for the development and the modernisation of the district of Mporokoso.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the former Head of State, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for being magnanimous in conceding defeat and allowing a smooth transfer of power. Given the violence that I pointed out, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu had every reason to petition these elections. However, he decided to look at the bigger picture, which is Zambia. Therefore, he decided to meet with his brother, President Hakainde Hichilema, to allow for a smooth transfer of power. What a statesman.

 

Madam Speaker, the former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has set a high standard such that, going forward, even leaders in the not too distant future should follow the standard in conceding whenever they lose elections. We look forward to seeing that happen not too long from now.

 

Madam Speaker, I now wish to proceed and comment on the Motion on the Floor, as I support the establishment of the new ministry for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), I wish to state that it is very important for us to focus our energies on strengthening SMEs. Coming from a business background, I understand the challenges these businesses face. Therefore, it is very important that we begin to look at the SMEs with affirmative action. 

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister must be very deliberate when looking at SMEs by deliberately providing opportunities using backward and forward integration. They must be given an opportunity to trade with the Government. It is not enough to create a ministry such as this and come here to speak about SMEs, yet not give them the necessary support in practice.

 

Madam Speaker, under the PF Government, we came up with legislation such as the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) Act, which looks at giving preferential treatment in terms of procurement to local companies like SMEs. This is one sure way in which these small businesses predominantly owned and run by Zambians will begin to grow.

 

Madam, like I said, we have to be very deliberate by also setting up and creating financial institutions within the existing banks so that these companies can have access to finance. The biggest challenges the SMEs have are, firstly, access to business, and, secondly, access to finance. Therefore, the creation of this ministry must look at harmonising legislation relating to institutions such as the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) so that the intention of this ministry can be actualised.

 

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I wish to support the creation and the establishment of these ministries and Government departments.

 

 Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Chilangwa (Kawambwa): I would like to thank you for according me this opportunity to deliver my maiden speech to this august House for the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly of Zambia.

 

Madam, may I start by congratulating you on ascending to the seat of Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia. I equally congratulate your two deputies and wish you all God’s wisdom and blessings, as you preside over this House.

 

Madam Speaker, as I deliver my maiden speech, first and foremost, I want to thank God for making my election possible. As it is said, “In all things, we should thank God. In all things, we should praise Him. In all things, we should wait upon Him.”

 

Madam, I want to further thank my President, His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the Central Committee, and the entire party structures of our party, the Patriotic Front (PF), for giving me a third opportunity to represent the wonderful people of Kawambwa Central Constituency. I will remain forever indebted to all of them.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank my wife, Mwamba, our children; Kampamba, Kabwe, Nsama, Christine, and Esther;; and not forgetting my parents, Mr and Mrs Chilangwa senior; and my sisters for coming through to render their support.

 

Madam, I will be failing if I do not thank  my entire campaign team, starting with the campaign manager, Mr Mathews Lukupwa and his family; the Mayor for Kawambwa, Mr Kalumba Chifunmbe and his family; Mr Paul Lengwe, Mr P. P. Chama, Mr Amos Matanda, Mr Mungu Mwape, Mr Chola Nkonda, Mr Fabian Mwenya, the Kucha Team, Mr Chewe and his constituency team; Mr Kaniki and Ba Chibwe Musantu Kaniki, and the entire team that was in  the field day and night  to ensure that this became possible. I am very grateful.

 

Madam, my special thanks go to their Royal Highnesses; Senior Chief Mushota, Chief Munkanta, Sub-Chiefs Kabanda, Chitondo, Mutondolo, Chisheta, Ntenke, Kabila, Lusambo, and their headmen.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank the Church in Kawambwa for its continuous counsel and prayers for really standing in the gap. The marketeers at Chimfwembe, Matero and Lengwe markets were awesome. I thank them.

                                                              

Lastly, but not the least, the people of Kawambwa are the owners of this victory. I love them all, and may God continue blessing each one of their endeavours.

 

Madam Speaker, my journey, as a Parliamentarian, started in 2011 when I was first elected as Member of Parliament for Kawambwa Central, and I stand here in my third term. This is not easy. Thus, I do not take this rare favour and privilege for granted.

 

Madam Speaker, I know that the people of Kawambwa did not vote for me because of rhetoric or falsehoods, but because of my past performance, which has laid a firm foundation for future development. I know that their expectations are very high and I will not let them down because I am not in that class of people who let other people down or change goal posts every day. I do not belong to that school.

 

Madam Speaker, when I first became Member of Parliament in 2011, the health sector in Kawambwa had six clinics and a very old hospital but today, Kawambwa has added eight new clinics, two mini-hospitals, and two brand new hospitals though one of them is still under construction, at 90 per cent completion.

 

Madam, in the education sector, we have built three brand new primary schools and two new secondary schools. We have also added 20x3 classroom blocks, and 8 per cent of them are funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The rehabilitation of old school infrastructure and school furniture are on-going programmes.

 

Madam, we have taken electricity to new areas, namely Lengwe, Kani and Katungulu, Musambeshi, Shikalaba, Chitondo, Muyembe, Chumfuntu, Ntulo, Lusambo, Matende, Kalamba, Ntenke, Mufwaya, Shinonde and Kala through the Rural Electricity Authority (REA).

 

Madam Speaker, water and sanitation infrastructure is being expanded to ensure that P Compound, Matelo, St. Mary’s, Ntulo, and New Town are all on reliable water supply whilst continuing with the sinking of boreholes and servicing old ones in outlying areas. We have continued improving Chimfwembe Market whilst constructing a brand new state-of-the-art market for the good people of Kawambwa. They deserve it. We have running contracts for the rehabilitation of Kolwe to Munganunshi Feeder Road, Ntulo/Kapulo to Katungulu Feeder Road, Lengwe/Chitondo to Muyembe Feeder Road. The United Party for National Development (UPND) Government must ensure that Munangushi Road, Kani Road, and Old 47 Road are also taken care of.

 

Madam Speaker, economic activities have improved in Kawambwa Central Constituency, and as a district, due to the following projects we have embarked on such as the revival and expansion of Kawambwa Tea Company, the establishment of the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) Forest Project, the establishment of the Sunbird Bio-energy Project, the  establishment of Workman Compensation Control Board (WCCB) Forest Project, the Green 2000 Project and the establishment of 48 Marine Kala Military Barracks. Many more projects are in the offing and these projects are not only providing jobs for our people, but are also equally providing other benefits such as markets for our people’s produce and products and out grower schemes. This is the way to go, and the UPND Government will do well to copy this template. 

  

Madam Speaker, during my last tenure as Member of Parliament for the good people of Kawambwa, I also served as Provincial Minister for Luapula Province. We started the Luapula Exposition, which has raised the profile of Luapula Province, and to an extent brought in investment in excess of one hundred investments, and these are projects that must be pursued by our colleagues who have taken over.

 

Madam Speaker, there are various road projects like the rehabilitation of the Tuta, Valley and Pedicle roads that must be taken on by our colleagues, and they will do well to do that. If the UPND fails to deliver, the people of Zambia are warming up a player called the PF. We will come and complete those projects when we come back in 2026 and there is no question about it.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

 

Mr Chilangwa: Madam Speaker, coming to the Motion on the Floor of the House, I believe it is non-controversial and it is a straight forward issue. The Government must create ministries and we are here to support that.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Chitotela (Pambashe): Madam Speaker, let me start by congratulating you. You are welcome to the House of laws. I also congratulate the First Deputy Speaker, whom we were with during the last Session of Parliament, and the Second Deputy Speaker. Let me also congratulate all the hon. Members of Parliament who have returned and are serving the third term like myself, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, who is serving the fifth term, Hon. Gary Nkombo, who is serving the fourth term, and all those who have come for the first time.

 

Madam Speaker, in making my maiden speech, allow me to begin by thanking the people of Pambashe Constituency for depositing their authority in me. They have given me this solemn responsibility for the third time and I happen to be the first child of Chishinga, in Pambashe Constituency, to break the record by being elected a third time. It is not by chance, but the trust and confidence that the people of Pambashe have deposited in me, and I assure them that I will serve them to the best of my ability. I will provide leadership that is like that of a candle that burns itself in order to give light to others and that is of service above self.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank my wife, Lillian, and my children, who have stood with me under difficult circumstances and have been there for me. They have encouraged me to soldier on and even at a point when I have felt so low, they have encouraged me to remember service above self and that it is not about a smooth passage, but a safe landing. I thank the Church in Kawambwa, Luapula Province, my church, the Seventh Day Adventist, and my pastors who have been praying with me and encouraging me during the over twenty years of my political journey, which I began in 1998 on the Copperbelt, as the first Provincial Treasurer for the United Party for National Development (UPND). The hon. Minister for Energy was my youth chairperson, and Hon. Nkombo was in the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and we defeated him in Mazabuka.

 

Mr Nkombo: Why did you leave?

 

Laughter

 

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, in 2001, I joined the Patriotic Front (PF) and began the journey of aspiring to become a Member of Parliament. We lost by 117 votes and, in 2006, we were given an opportunity to support someone elderly and we campaigned. I was the campaign manager. In 2011, my opportunity came and the people of Pambashe gave me the mantle to represent them.

 

Madam Speaker, I also thank my party, the PF, for believing in me for the third time, beginning with His Excellency the former President, who has been superintending over the Central Committee. I thank the late President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, and the immediate past Republican President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who gave me the mandate to serve in various portfolio functions in the Cabinet. I thank the PF party in Pambashe Constituency in Kawambwa District, Luapula Province. During our journey, we have achieved that which we have done as a team.

 

Madam Speaker, Pambashe was seen as a Cinderella constituency and, in 2011, when I began to aspire to become Member of Parliament, I remember the late President Sata telling me that, “mwaiche uko uleya ukayasanga bashimatilimu. Just stand in Nkana,” because I happen to come from the Copperbelt.

 

Mr Nkombo: Meaning?

 

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, meaning, you will find people who would want to aspire to be Members of Parliament where you are going. So, why can you not stand in Nkana Constituency? I told him that my father told me that a man must go through a thick forest and from that journey must come out as someone people will refer to as having come from somewhere worthwhile.

 

Madam Speaker, that is the responsibility I took on and, today, the people of Pambashe are able to testify that ninety-nine years of the existence of Chimpepe Mission, under the Seventh Day Adventist, they have been connected to the national grid. They had never seen a tarred road in the constituency but today, they can boast of seeing a tarred road connecting Luapula to the Northern Province via Senior Chief Mushota. This is due to their hard work and encouragement.

 

Madam Speaker, we worked together with the community to put up teachers’ houses. There was no Government secondary school in the constituency but today, we boast of having three Government secondary schools and one which is almost complete. That is leadership of service above self. That is leadership of a candle that burns itself in order to give light to others. Today, we boast the biggest state-owned farm in Zambia called the Green 2000 located in Pambashe Constituency because of the hard work of the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank His Excellency the former President for giving me the opportunity to serve in various capacities as minister. The former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is a statesman. He must walk with his head high. We cannot talk about infrastructure development in Zambia, today, without mentioning the former President, His Excellency, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and Ronald Chitotela.

 

Madam Speaker, when we talk of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, it will go down in the history of Zambia as bearing his name and my contribution. We cannot talk about the Kazungula Bridge without mentioning Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and my name. There is a modern village in Kazungula called Lumbo Village that was built and mordernised. When we talk about the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, is the first sitting President to have established a brand new international airport.

 

Madam Speaker, I remember in 2018, we went to China and the Chinese Government gave us a grant to build Mulungushi International Conference Centre at a cost of US$31 million. Next year, Zambia will host the African Union (AU) conference because of hard work. Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu gave me the opportunity to serve in various capacities. I know Hon. Mutati will agree with me, having been his deputy in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit, and I sat on the Zambia Procurement Authority Board. The Act was amended because of the opportunity, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, gave me to superintend over that unit. I can boast that we have done a number of things for the good of this country.

 

Sir, you have delivered.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Madam.

 

Mr Chitotela: I am talking about President Lungu. He has delivered.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

 

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, the former Government transformed Lusaka to be amongst the top five fastest growing cities in Africa.

 

That is a great achievement and I encourage His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, to continue developing Zambia for the good of that poor villager in Chitotela Village and poor woman in Kalabo, who is looking for development. Politics of vengeance and retribution will not take us anywhere. We sat and did what we did to the best of our ability. Ask my successor, the hon. Minister of Tourism. I appointed him on the board as a licensing officer and board chairperson. Ask him. He is here. So, when we talk about developing Zambia and bringing everybody on board, some people who are here and whom we worked with can testify.

 

Madam Speaker, we look forward to a Zambia that is united and not a Zambia of persecution and a politically induced fight against corruption. Some people went to Kawambwa to investigate the Green 2000 Agriculture Project, a state-owned farm, on allegations that it belonged to Chitotela and Lungu. It is a shame. Pictures of a house that was built in 2012 were obtained and Zambians were told that it was a fight corruption. It is a Shame. We look forward to a situation where you must be able to – how can building a house –

 

Madam Speaker, let me come to the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Time!

 

Mr Chitotela: I am coming to the Motion. I still have eight minutes.

 

Madam Speaker, it is the duty of the President to create and establish ministries and we support that. One of the ministries that has been recreated is the Ministry of Tourism and Art to being the Ministry of Tourism. It is a good idea, but for the purpose of supporting domestic tourism, I thought that art is a greater component of the promotion of domestic tourism because it acts as a catalyst. However, I have heard proposals that art has been moved out of the Ministry of Tourism to the Ministry of Youth and Sport. I hope there will be a better collaboration so that we do not kill our promotion of domestic tourism. As we may be aware, domestic tourism is the key promotion globally.

 

Madam Speaker, since 1964, Zambia was for the first time given the privilege to rise to the helm of becoming the Chair for the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on the continent of Africa for the past two years. We managed to put in a bid and, today, Zambia sits in the Executive Council on the global level. I hope the people who have been given the mandate will continue marketing Zambia both domestically and internationally. As I stated in my maiden speech, the new hon. Minister of Tourism is a very good person. We worked very well with him. He sat on the licensing committee and was the Chairperson for the Tourism Development Fund, and we hope that he will continue to work well.

 

Madam Speaker, as regards the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, we support and welcome it because we know that Zambians hate corruption. However, the fight against corruption, through character assassination, will not take us anywhere. The fight against corruption, through the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), with politically induced intentions will not take us anywhere. The institutions of governance must be left to perform. I am speaking like this because I have been a victim. Some officers came to apologise and explained how they had been instructed to pursue innocent people.

 

Madam Speaker, as we continue supporting the creation of ministries –

 

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to raise a very serious procedural point of order.

 

Madam Speaker, in this House, the rules are very categorical. Your debate must be relevant to the issue under discussion and the matter that is under consideration now is the creation and merging of ministries. Now, the hon. Member has brought in the issue of character and he is talking about how he is being accused of being corrupt, when that is not under consideration. Is he in order to start discussing himself outside the Motion?

 

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Pambashe will stick to the Motion on the Floor and resist from debating himself.

 

Mr Chitotela: Madam Speaker, I referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security because I have checked that the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) falls under it, and that is why I am emphasising on good governance. Good governance dictates that institutions of governance must perform their duties without politically induced influence, and that is what I am talking about.

 

Madam Speaker, in supporting the creation of the ministry, we look forward to doing things in a methodical way and through the right procedure. The hon. Minister of Justice should guide the Executive and not what we saw where hon. Ministers were sworn in before the ministries to which they were appointed were created and approved. It is important that the Executive is guided because we want to demonstrate good leadership, as the Opposition. We did not want to play to the gallery because it is a breach of the Constitution. We are beginning a new dawn and we must begin it on a good note. Therefore, I advise my brother, the hon. Minister of Justice, to advise the Government. Justice must be seen to be served through the eye of the Opposition and that poor villager in Monze.

 

Madam Speaker, as I continue supporting the re-establishment and creation of ministries, one ministry that also comes to my attention is the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, which has been given more responsibilities. I superintended over that ministry and I was saying to myself that, surely, the new hon. Minister must be a super human being because despite having a huge portfolio, more portfolios have been added on. I superintended over that ministry and I know that it will be a difficult task to superintend over the ministry, but I do not underrate the new hon. Minister. I wish him well and I pray that he succeeds because his success is success for Zambia. However, it will be a difficult task with added responsibilities of urban planning, the functions and responsibilities of works and supply and the existing structures. Surely, we pray that he succeeds.

 

Madam Speaker, it is the responsibility of the Head of State to create ministries and I commend His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for creating a ministry responsible for a green economy. We need to start thinking of how we can begin to introduce the energy mix, solar system and off grid network so that we can grow our economy for the good of our people in rural areas who may not have access to such. For us to develop our country and to be a productive nation, we need to begin to invest in the energy sector.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I want to emphasise that I do not know what has happened. I was looking at the Office of the Vice-President and discovered that now it has the responsibility to carry out the functions that were under the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs. I hope the Christian body out there will have access to Her Honour the Vice-President and will engage church leaders regardless of where they are so that they can give guidance to the Government because, as a country, we must build our principles on the fundamental principles of the Bible.

 

Madam Speaker, I have seen that the functions of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs have gone to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. My brother, Hon. Nkombo, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, must make himself available to the traditional authorities because they have so many challenges that they would want their Government to hear about and not just be heard, but attended to. I pray that we succeed together. If the new Government does not succeed, the negative effects will also affect us. I want to encourage the hon. Government Members that as we, in the Opposition, begin to provide checks and balances, we promise to be a responsible opposition political party. We shall provide checks and balances for the good of the people of Zambia out there. I assure them that we will do that. We shall remind the Government of its shortcomings and promises. We shall remind the hon. Minister of Justice of the promise to dispose of the presidential jet. The people of Zambia are waiting. The people of Pambashe are waiting for a bag of mealie meal to be sold at K50 and maize at K250.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order! Let us make progress.

 

Mr Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu): Madam Speaker, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to deliver my third maiden speech.

 

Madam Speaker, it is gratifying to be here a third time. I would like to start by thanking His Excellency the former President of the Republic of Zambia and Patriotic Front (PF) President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the entire leadership of the Patriotic Front Central Committee, and the leadership of the constituency or district of Shiwang’andu for giving me an opportunity to contest as Member of Parliament this year.

 

Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank my immediate family, my wife, Wanziya, and our children for being supportive all the times I stayed away from the family on my tour of duty. I cannot forget to thank my mother, Rosaria Bwalya Kampyongo, who spent all the time of the campaign period on a hospital bed, but continued praying and supporting me spiritually. By the same token, I would like to thank my dear sister, the late, who succumbed to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the same time I was on the campaign trail. I know that I could have had her vote had she survived.

 

Madam Speaker, like my hon. Colleague, the Leader of the Opposition said, we must thank His Excellency, the former President of the Republic of Zambia, for his magnanimity in the way he handled the post general election transition. That kind of statesmanship is very rare on the African continent. Many countries have protracted conflicts as a result of mismanaging election transition periods. This type of magnanimity in handling the election transition must be encouraged in this country going forward.

 

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank our traditional leaders in Shiwang’andu; the chiefs, sub-chiefs and village headmen I closely worked with in the past ten years of being the area hon. Member of Parliament. I cannot forget the people of Shiwang’andu Constituency who turned up in large numbers to vote. The number of votes they cast for me and His Excellency, the former President, was an affirmation of the confidence they deposited in our leadership. We may be on this side of the House, but we shall continue to perform to the expectations of our people and provide the necessary checks and balances on the current Government. I want to assure the general membership of the PF that we shall continue with the dream left behind by Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, may his soul rest in peace, who was our founding leader of the PF. Indeed, losing an election could be a setback, but this is what democracies are about, they evolve. So, we should not despair. It is time to look forward, prepare ourselves and unite, as members of the PF.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to assure my people in Shiwang’andu that we shall continue the prudent application of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which has seen us implement a number of projects in critical sectors such as the education, health and road sectors. Their support, as community members, in providing building materials such as bricks to construct schools when required is exactly what they should continue doing because that way, our children in the constituency will be given an opportunity to have access to quality education. I know that we have projects that have not been completed, such as the Chinsali/Safwa Road, which was started under the PF Government. It is my desire to engage the new Government in ensuring that the project is completed. Similarly, the Chachacha Road, which has been on the cards, will be pursued to ensure that our people benefit from that linkage in the road network.

 

Madam Speaker, Shiwang’andu is one of those rural constituencies where farmers are very hard-working. It is important that the Ministry of Agriculture embarks on the transformation of the agriculture sector, which we were supposed to do, as the PF. We were supposed to revisit the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). We cannot continue with the same way of handling it. Obviously, we were very reasonable not to disrupt what the previous Government, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), had left behind. We ran with that programme to ensure that our farmers were not destabilised. Of course, reforms had started to ensure that our farmers were given a better deal so that they could maximise their production. Therefore, we shall make sure that we follow up the new Government’s implementation of its manifesto in the agriculture sector. It will be interesting to see our farmers get a bag of fertiliser at K250, as promised, and their produce sold at very reasonable prices in order to encourage them to continue farming.

 

Madam Speaker, my commitment to the people of Shiwang’andu is to work with them the same way we have worked together before. They may be concerned that after they cast their votes, they are hearing of going to the courts. That is part of the justice system that we have. Their votes are their votes, and they should not be worried about what happens.

 

Madam Speaker, lastly, I want to assure all the Public Servants that we have been working with in the constituency that we shall continue working together to ensure that we deliver to our people of Shiwang’andu and continue to grow the constituency. Shiwang’andu is a new district which requires a lot of attention. To make it fully operational, we need most of the incomplete infrastructure to be completed so that we can have a full-fledged district.

 

Madam, let me take this chance to comment on the Motion moved by Her Honour the Vice-President and Leader of Government Business in the House on the creation and realignment of some ministries.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to start by welcoming Her Honour the Vice-President back to this august House where she served as a presiding officer. We hope that she will ensure that such Motions, which hinge on the Constitution, are followed through and procedures are equally adhered to.

 

Madam, we take note that His Excellency the President acknowledged his omission of getting his hon. Ministers sworn in before this Motion was moved in this august House. I hope we have learnt lessons from there. Going forward, we want this institution to perform its duties without fear or favour.

 

Madam Speaker, Article 92 provides for the executive functions of the President of the Republic of Zambia. However, similarly, Article 94 also provides that this institution does its work where there is a need for the approval of the executive functions of the President by Parliament.

 

Madam, we will ensure that we give them offside checks. We will not be antagonistic, but we shall offer them effective checks and balances. We had issues on Friday which we could have raised, but we decided that we needed to be progressive. Some of the colleagues who were being sworn in today, as a remedial measure by Madam Speaker, should have been sworn in before taking seats in this august House. We could have treated them as strangers in this august House on Friday. Learning from this, it is important that we follow procedures and ensure that this institution is given the respect that it deserves.

 

Madam Speaker, coming to the functions that are being realigned, I would like to advise Her Honour the Vice-President and the Executive that it is a good thing to realign and change portfolio functions of ministries, but it is important, first of all, to look at the rationale of the creation of some of them.

 

Madam Speaker, for example, there was the Ministry of Higher Education. The education sector has evolved. Today, we have a large number of public and private universities, and colleges. It is not like it used to be in the past when it was easy to put one ministry to manage this sector. It is important that we look at the rationale which necessitated the split of this very important ministry into two. We will be available should the Government review and find that it may still need to have these two ministries standing as they used to be because it is very important.

 

Madam, I note that the aspect of technology has been brought in. The global world is changing and technology is anchoring the development of various countries, but we must not forget the institutions from where we should get the potential to tap into the technology evolution. It is very important.

 

Madam Speaker, the other matter is that of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. If you go to Article 165, which establishes chieftaincy and traditional institutions, you will see that our rationale to create this ministry was derived from the Constitution. This portfolio used to be at the Ministry of Local Government before where it has been returned. It is important, again, to review why we decided to follow what is provided under Article 165 of the Constitution, which establishes chieftaincy. Traditional leadership should be seen as part of the Government. We should not only respect chiefs when we need their land, as there is no place in this country that is not under a chiefdom. The chieftaincy is a critical institution that the Government will need. As the Government realigns it, let it pay particular attention.

 

Madam, the Government should have made consultations as well. Chiefs are very serious stakeholders that the Government should have engaged before a decision was made to abolish the ministry. We have heard the President say that he will be consultative in making State decisions. It would have been reasonable to engage these traditional leaders and the institution of the House of Chiefs to find out how they were engaged before we came up with this ministry.

 

Madam Speaker, similarly, the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs was abolished. I am sure that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs should be ready because the only option now will be the Registrar of Societies, which falls under his ministry. The constituency of religion has grown. When we say religion, we are not just looking at Christianity, but also other faith groupings. If we do not manage this aspect, therein is potential danger. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs must ensure that he prepares to manage several issues.

 

Madam, the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs was created to ensure that this large constituency came up with a self-regulatory framework in order to manage itself. We have foreign nationals who come into this country in different forms as messiahs. They have ended up duping our people and, in some cases, they have ended up committing serious crimes which the hon. Minister of Home Affairs is going to discover. We can do away with this ministry, but we should not ignore that large constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, lastly, I want to emphasise the need to follow procedures and ensure that things are done in order. We expect Her Honour the Vice-President, having been here, to be the custodian of the procedures of this very important institution.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa): Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by congratulating you on your well-deserved election to this very important office.

 

Madam, exactly fifteen years ago, I made a decision to join mainstream politics when I contested local government elections, as area councillor in Kitwe at the young age of twenty-one years. In my journey, I have been privileged to have gone on to serve two terms at ward level and one term as Mayor of the great City of Kitwe. My last portfolio presented me with an even greater opportunity to represent all the 116 local authorities in Zambia, as president for the Local Government Association of Zambia.

 

So, when I project my eyes to the far left and right, I do not see the United Party for National Development (UPND) or the Patriotic Front (PF) hon. Members of Parliament. I see fellow Zambians who have been given the mandate as representatives of residents from various constituencies.

 

Madam Speaker, when I look at the name tags across the Floor of the House, I do not see Bembas, Tongas, Kaondes, Lenjes, Luvales and neither do I see Chewas. I simply see elected and nominated hon. Members of Parliament, whose job is to carry the dreams and hopes of the bigger population out there into the National Assembly. Before I venture into amplifying the need for profound and genuine unity of purpose amongst ourselves from either side of the House, allow me to thank the wonderful and hard-working people of Kamfinsa Constituency for electing me as Member of Parliament on 12^th August, 2021.

 

Madam Speaker, I promised the people that I will be their voice. I want to assure them today, through this platform, that I remain the same genuine person I was twenty-nine years ago when I enrolled as a Grade 1 pupil at Justin Kabwe Basic School in my childhood neighbourhood of Ndeke in Kitwe. I still carry with me, today, the same compassion and care for the community I represent because St. Augustine Catholic Church taught me the value of caring for the poor and the needy in society.

 

Madam Speaker, may I take this opportunity to thank His Excellency, the Sixth Republican President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for not only allowing me to serve as Mayor of Kitwe, but also ensuring that my many progressive ideas of transforming the city were supported financially by the Central Government at that time. I succeeded because I was ably supported. When we wanted to tar the road from Mulenga Compound to Ndeke Changa Changa, we were given the resources. The same was done when funding was required for ten market shelters at Chisokone Market, Chamboli Market, Nakadoli Market, Racecourse Market and, more recently, Mulenga Compound Main Market, which is located in Kamfinsa Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, to the Zambians across the nation and in the Diaspora, they can count on Christopher Kang’ombe in the House to debate objectively when time presents itself on issues to develop the right legislation on matters affecting both our mother land as well as our global ambassadors out there in other countries.

 

Madam Speaker, I would be failing in my Parliamentary duties if I did not remind the new administration in the Executive arm of the Government that young people out there are expectant of the many opportunities for jobs and business undertakings they were promised. I pledge to be their ambassador in this House when it comes to enacting legislation that seeks to achieve this very genuine objective to advance the interests of the youths in Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, in the coming weeks, we will begin debate on estimates for income and expenditure under the 2022 National Budget. Allow me, therefore, to make reference to the eight priority projects for the people of Kamfinsa Constituency and these are as follows:

 

1. upgrading of health facilities starting with Ndeke Village, Zamtan Clinic, Ndeke Clinic and Mulenga Compound into fully-fledged mini-hospitals;
2. upgrading of four unplanned settlements, namely Mulenga Compound, Zambia Compound, Chankalamo Compound and the old section of Zamtan Township;
3. construction of a modern skills training centre to be centrally built in Ndeke;
4. implementation of the water and sewerage project;
5. support towards both start ups and already established business men and women in all the four wards;
6. transformation of the Kamfinsa Farm Block into a commercial farm block that will create jobs for the skilled and the unskilled;
7. upgrading of educational infrastructure; and
8. construction of the first ever health post in Zambia Compound at Mashula.

 

Madam Speaker, let me end by stating that the right to freedom of expression does not begin and end in a national document called the Republican Constitution, neither does it depend on how well it is crafted in subordinate legislation of any nation that seeks to guarantee it. It actually starts in the mind and must, therefore, sit in the mind. If one has no control over their thoughts, then, they will have no control over their words and eventually, no control over their actions.

 

Madam Speaker, in saying the foregoing, I am reminded of the many socio-economic challenges the people who voted for me in Kamfinsa Constituency are faced with. That reminder and the expression of the needs by the people places a responsibility on me to perform a noble duty to represent them effectively because they spoke on 12^th August, 2021, that Christopher Kang’ombe will be their voice in Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, as I end my maiden speech, allow me to add a few words to the debate on the Motion on the Floor.

 

Madam Speaker, I have paid attention to the objectives of the Motion on the Floor and I want to make a few very important observations in its regard. My first observation relates to the many Government departments that have to be re-aligned in ensuring that the new ministries perform their intended duties. I will be interested to get feedback from Her Honour the Vice-President on how soon the re-alignment process will be concluded because, obviously, with so many departments needing re-alignment, we do not want these ministries to take forever before they can begin performing their duties. So, the first observation is with regards to the timeframe for the re-alignment process to be given.

 

Madam Speaker, secondly, when a ministry is abolished or created, obviously, there are reasons that are given. It will be necessary, again, to amplify the reason for abolishing a very important ministry called the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. The bigger majority of Zambia still remains under traditional leadership. We all agree that many chiefdoms in our country still require a bigger voice in the governance structure of our country. So, even as we support the creation of the new ministries, we need justification for the abolishment of this very important ministry called the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. All of us seated here, as Parliamentarians, always pay homage to where we come from. When we are having elections, traditional affairs and ceremonies, whether on the Copperbelt or any other district, we always acknowledge that there is what is called traditional leadership in a particular district. If we pay homage to the traditional leaders, why are we abolishing such an important ministry in our governance structure?

 

Madam Speaker, my third observation is for the attention of Her Honour the Vice-President. We are mindful that the current Government has a manifesto to implement. I believe that in implementing its manifesto, it has done the realignment process of all these important ministries. We are ready to support it in this agenda and see to it that these ministries achieve what they have to achieve for the people of Zambia. However, it should not be at the expense of slowing down other activities that have successfully proceeded over the last couple of years.

 

Madam Speaker, as we may all know, the Ministry of Higher Education has served its objectives very well and one of its objectives was to ensure that there was clear interaction between the industry and the academia. For the academia to interact with the industry, we needed a ministry to focus on higher education. We hope that the new Ministry of Education, which I believe will be responsible for higher education, will rise to the occasion in implementing the already existing objectives under higher education. So, I hope that Her Honour the Vice-President will get an opportunity to respond and comment on some of the many observations we have made. As we sort out one problem, let us not create another one.

 

Madam Speaker, as we desire to see science and technology achieve its objective in anchoring the modernisation process of our developmental agenda, let us not forget why some of these ministries were created in the first place. I believe the records which show why some of these ministries were created are available at Parliament Buildings, where we are. So, I wish the new Government success, but I hope that we do not live to regret the abolishment of some of the critical ministries that were once established.

 

Madam Speaker, I place on record my support for the creation of the three very important ministries, namely the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, the Ministry of Technology and Science and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development. I hope that the National Council for Scientific Research, which falls under the new Ministry of Technology and Science, will receive adequate funding. When the hon. Minister of Finance presents his Budget and there will be no funding for research and innovation, I will stand here to request that a budget line be included. There is no need to create a ministry whose objective cannot be achieved. I beg to submit.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Lusambo (Kabushi): Madam Speaker, thank you very much. Let me begin by thanking the Almighty God for giving me this opportunity to serve the people of Kabushi for a second time. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on the well-deserved victory.

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my beautiful wife, Nancy Natasha Lusambo, and my children, Kezia Lusambo, Sibongile Lusambo, Shekinah Lusambo, Edgar Chilosha Lusambo and Esther Natasha Lusambo for the support they rendered to me during the campaign period and from the time I joined politics. May I also recognise my campaign manager, comrade Mathews Ngosa, and the entire campaign team for its contribution to this victory. The victory which we are enjoying, as Kabushi Constituency, is the victory for the people of Kabushi Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also thank the members of different congregations or churches in Kabushi Constituency who supported us during our campaign period. This is a Christian nation and in all the things we do, we have to put God first. In Kabushi Constituency, we always remember the Almighty God in whatever work or things that we do.

 

Madam Speaker, I am a very proud Member of Parliament for Kabushi Constituency, having retained the seat. I have made history as the first Member of Parliament to retain the seat for the second time since Independence. I owe this victory to the people of Kabushi Constituency. We have initiated so many developmental projects. I have created a strong bond with the people of Kabushi Constituency and that is why they decided to give me another term to preside over the affairs of Kabushi Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, Kabushi Constituency is one of the constituencies on the Copperbelt Province, and in Ndola in particular. We do not have any industry in Kabushi Constituency but we provide human resource to other constituencies within the Copperbelt Province, especially constituencies that are near our constituency such as Ndola Central, Bwana Mkubwa, Masaiti and Kafulafuta. There are industries in those constituencies, and our people work there. We have initiated so many developmental projects in Kabushi Constituency through the Central Government and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). I want to assure the people of Kabushi Constituency that we shall continue working on the developmental projects which we initiated. We will initiate new ones using the CDF and we will continue lobbying the Executive so that the people of Kabushi Constituency can have an equal share of the national cake.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank His Excellency, the former President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who gave me an opportunity to serve in his administration. In 2016, after the victory in Kabushi Constituency, His Excellency the former President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, appointed the people of Kabushi to preside over the affairs of the Copperbelt Province. During my tenure as Minister for Copperbelt Province, we embarked on unprecedented projects on the Copperbelt Province. We constructed the Kitwe/Chingola Dual Carriageway and we started the Ndola International Airport popularly known as Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport as a Greenfield project. We managed to relocate the people who were farming in that area by giving them another suitable area of farming.

 

Madam Speaker, I am a proud member of the Patriotic Front (PF). President Edgar Chagwa Lungu embarked on unprecedented development in this country. He gave me another opportunity to serve the people of Zambia by transferring me from the Copperbelt Province to Lusaka Province, as Lusaka Provincial Minister.

 

Madam, during my tenure in Lusaka Province, we managed to construct roads and expanded some important roads such as the Great East Road. Today, when one moves in Lusaka, one feels proud, as a Zambian. When one moves around Lusaka, one feels as if they are in Chicago or Los Angeles because of the good road network which President Edgar Chagwa Lungu constructed.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambia, Lusaka in particular, has been transformed. In Bemba they say, “the United Party for National Development (UPND) ni ba katyetye mwendamwalimwa.” This means that the PF has already created a foundation for the UPND. If the UPND fail to deliver to the expectations of the people of Zambia, I can assure this House that it will be very shameful for the entire Executive of the UPND because the foundation has already been laid for it by what the people, through the former Government, under the leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, did in the last ten years.

 

Madam Speaker, as I speak, as a Member of Parliament for Kabushi and a Zambian, having lost the Presidential election, I am very proud because President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has registered his legacy in development. The legacy is that it will be very difficult for any President after him to ignore the unprecedented development which he has given to the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, people in Dundumwezi were failing …

 

Mr Sing’ombe: Question!

 

Mr Lusambo: … to communicate because they had no communication tower. Today, my brother from Dundumwezi is even boasting because he is able to communicate with me, and has been calling me saying that he wants to sell his maize in Lusaka.

 

Madam, as I conclude, I would like to say that the Motion which has been presented by Her Honour the Vice-President this afternoon is non-controversial because the powers to create and merge ministries lie with His Excellency the President because even when I become President, I will create other ministries …

 

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

 Mr Lusambo: … to enable me to give my friends jobs just like His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema has created ministries to give jobs to his friends like Hon. Mutati and others.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

 Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Amutike (Mongu Central): Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I wish to sincerely thank you for according me this rare privilege and opportunity to deliver my maiden speech to this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, firstly, let me congratulate you on your election as first woman Speaker of this House. I stand here to congratulate you on behalf of the people of Mongu Central Constituency and the people of Mongu town where you, Madam, and I come from. The people of Mongu are very proud of you and they wish you well in your new role. We have no doubt, as your home people, that you will serve the people of Zambia …

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Amutike: … with prudence, dignity and honour. Congratulations once more.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me also to seize this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the United Party for National Development (UPND) for emerging victorious in the 12^th August, 2021 General Elections. Indeed, this is the people’s victory. Vox populi, vox Dei, meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God.

 

Madam, allow me also to congratulate all hon. Members of Parliament from all political parties who were elected to represent the people in their respective constituencies. To you all I say congratulations. I look forward to a warm working relationship with you. Your guidance will be very valuable, especially to those of us who are joining you in this august House as hon. Members of Parliament for the very first time.

 

Madam Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not thank the Elections Committee of the UPND, led by the able Hon. Gary Nkombo for the trust bestowed upon me by adopting me the Parliamentary candidate for the Mongu Central Constituency seat. May I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the people of Mongu Central Constituency, the women, men and particularly, the youth, for giving me, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND Alliance an overwhelming vote,, which translated into our party forming Government.

 

Madam, I sincerely thank my campaign team for being the foot soldiers who effectively efficiently delivered the message of hope to the people through their door-to-door campaigns and distribution of masks under the prohibitive circumstances occasioned by the global Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic and compounded by the dictatorial Patriotic Front (PF) Government, which did not give us any space to campaign freely.

 

To my campaign team in Mongu, our work does not end at securing the victory, it beings now as the UPND led Government seeks to deliver development to the people of Mongu, to the entire Western Province, and the country at large. To the women, men and the youth of Mongu Central Constituency, I pledge to be your torch bearer, equal to the task of representing you in Parliament.

 

To my dear wife, Ruth Tembo Amutike, my children and the entire family, I say thank you for the support rendered to me in various forms. You were always with me even when the light at the end of the tunnel appeared bleak. Today, as I look back, I can only realise how great a support system you all have been to me.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to highlight a bit on the potential of my constituency. Mongu Central, just like the rest of the Western Province, is heavily endowed with natural resources such as Mangoes, rice, fish, timber, cashew nuts, and water reservoirs. As we seek to take development to the people of Zambia, we need to take advantage of the already low-lying fruits by creating industries which will process our raw materials into finished products. This will lead to value addition to our raw materials produced locally, thereby creating jobs for our people in line with the vision of the UPND-led Government.

 

Madam Speaker, the creation of mango juice, rice, fish, timber and cassava processing factories must be the way to go. The town of Mongu and its natural offerings offer the best set up of a successful local economic development zone in the country. It is a perfect trading hub and getaway to, at least, five neighbouring countries. These are the initiatives that Mongu Constituency needs and the discontentment among our people will surely be a thing of the past if such initiatives are not only pronounced, but also actualised for the benefit of the majority of Zambians, who have employed us as their servants.

 

Madam, on the other hand, the actualisation of such developmental projects requires other support systems such as road infrastructure. The Lusaka/Mongu Road has been one of the most neglected roads by the PF Government. The stretch between Tateyoyo and Kaoma has remained a nightmare for motorists for a long time. Further, the Kafue Bridge temporal structure that was erected to pave way for repairs of the main bridge has been turned into a permanent structure as repair works have been neglected for far too long.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Amutike: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was saying that the Kafue Bridge temporal structure that was erected to pave way for repairs of the main bridge has been turned into a permanent structure, as the repair works have been neglected for a long time now.

 

Madam Speaker, this is a disaster in waiting as that temporal structure was not meant to last for a long time. We must consider the Kafue Hook Bridge a set up by the failed PF Government to bring disaster to our people. We, as the UPND Government, must move swiftly to fix the bridge urgently to disrupt the PF trap. I am of the firm belief that as we begin to roll out development to the various parts of Zambia, we shall be proactive by attending to this impending disaster.

 

 Madam Speaker, the Mongu/Limulunga Road, or should I call it the ‘treason road’, is yet another abandoned project in my constituency. While the road was only worked on from Kapulanga junction to Malengwa, the road from Kalengwa to Limulunga, where the palace of his majesty is located, is all dusty and remains a disgrace. Working on these roads will not only increase accessibility, but also boost investment in the entire province.

 

Madam Speaker, Mongu Central has very few institutions of learning which cannot cater for all the people. The few that we have such as Mongu Trades Training Institute, Mongu College of Education and Lewanika School of Nursing, also cater for Zambians outside the province. The King Lewanika University in Namushekende, whose foundation stone was laid at the same time with Robert Kapasa Makasa University in Chinsali, is one project which has also been abandoned while the latter has been completed and is now operational.

 

Madam Speaker, upon completion of high school, the youths in my constituency and the entire province have to leave for either Lusaka Province or Copperbelt Province in order to access university education. Most of these youths never come back upon completion of their studies, as there are no job opportunities in the province.

 

Madam Speaker, just as we saw from the involvement of the majority of the youths in the just ended general elections, having ushered us into office, the youths are expectant of educational facilities such as tertiary and universities as well as other entrepreneurial opportunities. The completion of this project will undoubtedly transform the province as it will create opportunities for the people of Mongu Central Constituency and the province at large.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to submit to this august House that Mongu Central Constituency is richly endowed with natural resources, as highlighted in my speech. Through the proposals I mentioned and, of course in line with our vision, as UPND-led Government, if natural resources are harnessed, they can create employment opportunities for youths and bring about the much desired sustainable development for the constituency and the country as a whole.

 

Madam Speaker, lastly, I wish to pledge to the people of Mongu Central Constituency, the leadership of our party and the President of the country that I shall co-operate and collaborate with all stakeholders to bring about the much-needed development in Mongu Central Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has already shared his vision through his Inauguration Speech and his maiden speech to this august House. It is now time for us to translate that vision into actions that are responsive to the needs of the people. We need to unite and work together with all our people, as Zambians. Zambia is our only home, and as the saying goes, “there is no place like home”. We have to strive to bequeath to the generations to come a better Zambia than we found it. Long live mother Zambia, long live the UPND, and long live our beloved President.

 

Madam Speaker, let me just comment on the Motion which is on the Floor. I support the Motion, as we seek to streamline the Government’s operations and ensure that the UPND Government is the Government of the people by the people structured and positioned to serve the people of Zambia. Ours is service delivery.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Siachisumo (Lufwanyama): Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the first female Speaker in Zambia. I also want to thank the people of Lufwanyama for electing me as their Member of Parliament and for electing our Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. I am so grateful to the members of the community of Lufwanyama, the Church; the Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, and Baptist Church, for the good job of electing me a Member of Parliament; and Mr Hakainde Hichilema, as the Republican President. The youth did a good job in electing the Member of Parliament, councillors and Republican President and I want to thank them for the job well done.

 

 Madam Speaker, I want to thank my family for allowing me to stand as a Member of Parliament. It is not easy to contest as a Member. It requires a lot of money for fuel and other logistics. I am so grateful to my wife and children, who helped me to become the Member for Lufwanyama Constituency. My family supported me up to the end.

 

 Madam Speaker, as Member for Lufwanyama Constituency, I have a large task ahead of me. I need to make sure that I turn Lufwanyama upside down.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Continue, hon. Member.

 

Mr Siachisumo: Madam Speaker, I just want to request the head of departments to work with me, as a team, so that we can turn Lufwanyama around because it is one of the constituencies which is lagging behind in development. It is a rural constituency and is one of the largest constituencies in Zambia. It is more than two 200 km across, from Roan Constituency in Luanshya up to Mushindamo in the North-Western Province.

 

 Madam Speaker, Lufwanyama Constituency has challenges in terms of roads. We have very bad roads. In some areas it is not easy to travel without using 4x4 Land cruisers and other vehicles. This is a mammoth task which is lying ahead of the people of Lufwanyama and I know that no one else can develop the constituency apart from us, namely the hon. Member, the Council Chairperson and councillors –

 

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

 

 Madam Speaker: The hon. Member who is debating is delivering a maiden speech. Therefore, he should not be disturbed. Allow him to continue.

 

Hon. Member, you may continue.

 

Mr Siachisumo: Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the chiefs in Lufwanyama for the good job they did during the elections. I know they are stakeholders in development, and I urge them, as our traditional leaders, to work as a team to make sure that we develop Lufwanyama.

 

Madam Speaker, there are a few schools in Lufwanyama. There is one main secondary school, which is a boarding school, and other small secondary schools. My task, as Member of Parliament for Lufwanyama, is to make sure that there are quite a number of boarding schools and primary schools in Lufwanyama. Primary schools are far apart and can be, maybe, 30 km from one primary school to the other. In most cases, some children in Lufwanyama do not go to school because they are not able to walk as far as 30 km to reach the nearest school. So, we have a challenge, as people of Lufwanyama. Our hope is that the ‘New Dawn’ Government will ensure that there is a school within every 5 km so the children in Lufwanyama can access proper education. At the moment, most children in Lufwanyama depend on a weekly boarding system which entails that they have to camp. Some of the children get pregnant because of staying away from their parents. Our dream is to make sure that Lufwanyama develops and that schools are near to each other.

 

Madam Speaker, the same applies to health facilities. Women and children are mostly victims because they have to walk long distances to access medical facilities. So, it is also our task, as leaders in Lufwanyama, to ensure that Lufwanyama is developed.

 

Madam Speaker, I would also like to congratulate all the hon. Ministers who have been appointed by the President. I know there is a heavy task ahead of them. For instance, the hon. Minister of Finance has to make sure that money is provided for projects. As Member of Parliament for Lufwanyama, I want to make sure that Lufwanyama is well developed, from Mukumbo up to Mushindamo, Kasempa and Chingola.

 

Madam Speaker, as I have said, Lufwanyama is one of the largest constituencies and it has quite a number of challenges. As I have mentioned, there are no good roads in Lufwanyama at the moment. We do not even have tarred roads in Lufwanyama.

 

Mr Lusambo: Question!

 

Mr Siachisumo: Madam Speaker, maybe, the only tarred road that is there is about a stretch of 20 km from Kalulushi to Lufwanyama.

 

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, Lufwanyama is a rural constituency. We need to make sure that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment support the people of Lufwanyama. Our main economy in Lufwanyama is farming and the people of Lufwanyama have lagged behind. Most of the times, they have challenges when delivering their farming inputs and harvest to the market because our main market, as the people of Lufwanyama, is Kalulushi and Kitwe. Once the roads are not okay, it means people really suffer to transport their farming inputs. So, we need to make sure that the roads are upgraded to bituminous standard so that our people are able to transport their goods to the market or take their farming inputs.

 

Madam Speaker, there are four main roads in Lufwanyama. There is a road from Lufwanyama Boma to Kasempa junction, which has been an issue for many years. Even the former hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development tried by all means to make sure that this road was upgraded to bituminous standard but, unfortunately, it was to no avail. So, as people of Lufwanyama, we will lobby to make sure that those roads are upgraded to a certain standard to enable our farmers to transport their farming inputs and harvest to the market. There is also the Lumpuma/Sakala Road, which has also been a very big challenge. We request that the road is also upgraded to bituminous standard. The Fungulwe Road and the Mukumbo/Nkana Road also need to be upgraded. We, as the people of Lufwanyama, have so many challenges and this task as I have mentioned, lies before us to make sure that Lufwanyama is developed.

 

Madam Speaker, as people of Lufwanyama, we support the new ministries which have been created. We know that our President has created these ministries for a good purpose and that they are going to help the people of Lufwanyama. As a Member of Parliament, I have no objection to the creation of the new ministries because they mean well and were created according to the standard for our country to be developed.

 

Madam Speaker, with the creation of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, it means that our people will be able to obtain some loans and do their own businesses. At the moment, we know that most of the youths are not employed and it is not everyone who can be employed. If these people can be supported by the hon. Minister of –

 

Mr Chilangwa: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Chilangwa: Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to rise on this very important point of order. In reference to Standing Order No. 134, I rise on a point of order of urgent public importance.

 

Madam Speaker, it is in public domain that in Solwezi, somebody was shot dead due to the disturbances that have occurred in that mining town. Is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, seated there looking at me intently, in order to sit there when there is scrambling in Solwezi and people are being shot dead and beaten up?

 

Madam Speaker, I seek your serious ruling on this matter on whether the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Mr J.J. Mwiimbu, the Member of Parliament for Monze Central, is in order to come to this House and to sit next to Her Honour the Vice-President and remain quiet.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the procedure for raising points of order is regulated by Standing Order 131. A point of order has to be relevant to the subject that is being debated on the Floor and has to relate to procedure. The person raising the point of order should indicate which procedure has been violated. Since the hon. Member is talking about a matter that is not related to the subject that we are debating, right now, that point of order is inadmissible.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member for Lufwanyama was on the Floor. Has he concluded his debate?

 

Mr Siachisumo: Madam Speaker, as I have mentioned, as a Member of Parliament for Lufwanyama, I support the new ministries that have been created and I know that they will be beneficial to our people in Lufwanyama, especially the women and the youths who are not employed. I was saying that most of the youths will be able to obtain loans from the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development and will make sure that they improve their livelihoods.

 

Madam Speaker, I stand in this august House to mention that I support the ministries which were created by our President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the United Party for National Development (UPND) President and the Republican President.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker: I believe that we have had enough debate on this Motion. Unless there is an indication from the Frontbench, I will ask Her Honour the Vice-President to wind up debate.

 

The Vice-President: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the House for supporting this Motion because it is truly non-controversial and it is a thing that must be done. However, I will respond to a few concerns that hon. Members have raised.

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Mporokoso raised the issue of harmonising legislation. I agree with that although most of the subjects under the different ministries are indicated already. As to how we are going to harmonise the legislation, if hon. Members want to follow, they can look at Appendix No. 3 on the second schedule. It indicates which pieces of legislation will move to a ministry that will be responsible for a particular subject. We will continue to refine these issues. That is the purpose of this House.

 

Madam Speaker, the hon. Member for Pambashe raised issues to do with the youth. He said that art has been moved from the Ministry of Tourism to the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts. What is the rationale behind this? I will give a few ideas why we thought so. Art is generally something that the youths are interested in. They are more adventurous and innovative, and therefore, put together, they are able to bring about a lot of things in terms of art. That is the rationale behind moving art to the ministry concerned with the youths. The President saw that this move would give the youths more room to develop themselves in the area of art. Hon. Members can look at the actual subjects at Appendix No. 3 that shows what has moved.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding the issue of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance, this ministry has not really been abolished. Its functions or subjects have been moved to the Office of the Vice-President and, truly, that is the right office to deal with issues of guidance, values and principles. I think the Office of the Vice-President is a more central department of the Government that should deal with these issues.

 

Madam Speaker, there is an issue which came through three hon. Members of Parliament, including Hon. Kampyongo of Shiwang’andu and Hon. Chitotela. They all got concerned about the abolition of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, as a stand-alone ministry, and the reallocation of its functions to the Ministry of Local Government. The rationale behind this is that we want our chiefs to continue to be honourable as they are. They should be part of development. We have also been interacting with chiefs. They do not want to only talk about their affairs but be part of development. Further, our intention to bring about decentralisation means that chiefs will be given more power to be part of the development agenda. We want to see our chiefs operate according to the Constitution. We want them to move from partisan politics to politics of development in their areas. They will be part of that. The Ministry of Local Government now involves rural development. So, the chiefs are well-placed in that area. That is our thinking in that area. We want them to be part of the development agenda in rural areas.

 

Madam Speaker, Hon. Kang’ombe from Kitwe mentioned that chiefs are found everywhere, and that is true. Local government is also found everywhere. Instead of chiefs affairs lying in Central Government, let them be where they are concerned. Chiefs are also concerned about development. Local government also now has an aspect of rural development. So, the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs has not been abolished and saying that it has been abolished is a demonstration of not fully understanding the action that has been taken. It has simply been moved to another ministry for better functioning.

 

Madam Speaker, Hon. Kampyongo said that education has evolved and, therefore, it will be difficult for the Ministry of Education to handle everything concerning education. He said that higher education has an interface with the industry. Yes, we realise that the education sector is quite big. However, if hon. Members look at the appendix they have, they will find that certain functions of the Ministry of Education generally have not remained in that ministry. They have been moved. For example, science has been moved from where it was. So, those are some of the things that were part of the rationale for the creation of new ministries.

 

Madam Speaker, I would like to respond to Hon. Kang’ombe who asked when the alignment of the ministries will be done so that they begin to function. If you look at what has been done, you will see that both the subjects and the legislation have already been moved to the right ministries. So, there is no need for a lot of waiting for the functioning of the ministries to start. Some ministries have been split and others have received new functions. Those that are seemingly abolished have had their functions or subjects basically moved to other ministries. That means that an entire department has moved to another ministry. It will not take a long time for the ministries to start operating.

 

I think I have already spoken about the issue of religious affairs and guidance. I have looked at all these things.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding the issue that was raised by Hon. Kampyongo, maybe, there will be further review. Nothing is cast in concrete for us. We are looking at what is workable. The purpose of this House is to continuously review legislation and create more legislation. So, if need be, things will be looked at. The main intention of the Government was to align the ministries for the purpose of delivery of service to the Zambian people. That is the first thing we need to do.

 

Madam Speaker, once again, let me thank the hon. Members who have debated for supporting this important Motion and agreeing that it is the prerogative of the President to create, dissolve and realign ministries.

 

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Question put and agreed to.

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the thanks of this Assembly be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the President’s Address.

 

Madam Speaker: Is the Motion seconded?

 

Ms Phiri (Milanzi): Madam Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

 

Mr Kamondo: Madam Speaker, I am grateful to your office for according me this privilege to move the Motion of Thanks to the speech delivered to the House by His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

 

Madam, as I rise to move the Motion, allow me to begin my making my maiden speech on the Floor of this House.

 

Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking the Almighty God for his love and grace that made it possible for me to stand before you today. I would also like to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the entire United Party for National Development (UPND) leadership for adopting me to stand in Mufumbwe Constituency on the UPND ticket. Special thanks also go to the constituency and the district officials for their hard work during the campaigns.

 

Madam, to my family, and all those close to my heart, I say thank you so much for the encouragement, love, spiritual, emotional, monetary and material support given to me during the elections. I am highly indebted to them. May God bless and continue to bless them.

 

Madam Speaker, I would be failing in my duties if I did not thank the good people of Mufumbwe Constituency for the confidence and responsibility deposited in me to represent them in this House. I assure them that I will not let them down. Instead, I will ably represent them without fear or favour and embrace everyone, including those who did not vote for me.

 

Madam, indeed, Zambians and have been liberated and are living in the freedom of the new era of the new dawn.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kamondo: People in Mufumbwe are expectant and eagerly waiting for the transformation of this economy. They are waiting to see a turnaround in the economy in order to take services to them, reduce the cost of living and create business opportunities, employment and other social support.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to highlight some of the most important developmental inequalities that the constituency has faced in the last twenty years, which include the lack of boarding schools. We would like to see the completion of Mufumbwe Boarding School because, as you know, education is the best equaliser. We also need bridges to be constructed across the Musonweji, Ndongwe and Miluji Rivers. In addition, we need more mines to be opened up in the district to provide the much-needed employment for our youth.

 

Madam, with the creation of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the youth and women are waiting for training and employment. Mufumbwe Constituency is also waiting for the creation of a new district. As you may be aware, districts were created elsewhere but Mufumbwe has not benefitted in any way.

 

Madam, you may also be aware that Mufumbwe is one of the biggest and widest constituencies. The distance from the first to the last ward is about 460 km. It has been a challenge for the people of Mufumbwe and I to operate and ensure that we bring development to all the areas in the district.

 

Madam Speaker, Mufumbwe has eighteen wards and the distance between one ward to the other may be more than 100 km. This is a very big challenge. We are appealing to this new Government of the new dawn to ensure that we are accorded a chance to be given a new district.

 

Madam, we also have Kaoma/Kasempa Road which, as you may be aware, is an international road. This is the road that is being used to transport copper to other countries using Walvis Bay. The North-Western Province did not benefit from the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. We are very hopeful that things will be done by the UPND Government, under the able leadership of the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. If this road was upgraded to bituminous standard, it was going to help the country to raise a lot of revenue because many toll gates would have been constructed, which would earn the Government a lot of money.

 

Mr Speaker –

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

 

Mr Kamondo: My apologies, Madam Speaker. We are used to Mr Speaker. We thank you.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Mufumbwe are also waiting for the upgrading of the only hospital that has never been upgraded. Mufumbwe does not have a good hospital to date. We are appealing to this new Government to ensure that we are considered for a new hospital and also for the construction of mini-hospitals in our area. We are also looking forward to seeing the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development work on township roads and construct a police station and staff houses for the men and women in uniform.

 

Madam, most of the schools in our rural areas such as Kashima East, Kashima West, Chilemba, Kikonge and Nyansonso do not have electricity. These are just a few of the many challenges that the constituency is grappling with. We are also very hopeful that the ‘New Dawn’ UPND leadership will take care of all the problems that we have just mentioned.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to commit to the people of Mufumbwe to do my best during my tenure in this august House to serve them so that they also see the benefit of voting for the UPND. We have suffered a lot. For the five years that the PF has been in power, most of our areas have not been attended to. There has been a lot of segregation and developmental inequality.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kamondo: Madam Speaker, I intend to achieve this by continuing to lobby and advocate for the issues I have highlighted and many others to be addressed by the Executive so that the people in my constituency can benefit from the national cake and other developmental efforts of the Government.

 

Madam, let me now turn to the Motion which is on the Floor of the House.

 

Madam Speaker, the speech which was anchored on the theme “Creating a United, Prosperous and Equitable Zambia: Restoring Economic Growth and Safeguarding Livelihoods” did not only call on us all to unite regardless of our political affiliations, religion, ethnicity, and gender but also reflected the urgency the President and the UPND administration attach to reviving the economy.

 

Madam Speaker, in outlining the broad policy direction of the administration for the next five years, the President focused his address on the four policy areas which are:

 

1. economic transformation and job creation;
2. human and social development;
3. environmental sustainability; and
4. good governance environment.

 

From the four policy areas, I will restrict my debate to the first three.

 

Economic Transformation and Job Creation

 

Madam Speaker, the President clearly pointed out that our economy is in dire straits requiring bold and decisive action to be taken in order to ensure recovery. In cognisance of this, the President informed the House that this administration will implement various policy measures that will promote national economic transformation. Amongst those highlighted were the mining sector and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

 

Madam Speaker, regarding mining, the President bemoaned low levels of local participation and ownership as well as adverse fiscal policies in the sector. This is buttressed by the World Bank Mining Investment and Governance Review Report of 2016 which, in part, asserted that Zambia is an attractive nation for investment due to its favourable geology. However, the report also stressed the lack of transparency and accountability regarding revenue management, coupled with inconsistency in its fiscal policy framework.

 

Madam Speaker, further, the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report (2021) indicates that in December 2018, the Government changed its Mineral Tax Regime for the eleventh time, in sixteen years, in an attempt to maximise both revenue and foreign investment. To address the mining related challenges, the President assured the House that his administration would offer appropriate incentives in the mining sector to spur growth which will ultimately translate into more employment opportunities, especially for our youths. In addition, he pointed out the review of the mining tax policy framework which will ensure predictable and sustainable investment in the sector.

 

Madam Speaker, with reference to SMEs in Zambia, it is reported that they account for 97 per cent of all businesses, 70 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 88 per cent of employment in the country. However, SMEs are besieged by a number of challenges such as start-up capital, high investment rate and unfavorable regulatory framework. Such bottlenecks discourage potential entrepreneurs, lead to non-adherence and, consequently, promote corruption. With the President’s commitment to reducing transaction costs of doing business by streamlining the number of licences and permits required, I am confident that we are headed in the right direction towards the growth of the SMEs.

 

Human and Social Development

 

Madam Speaker, having committed ourselves to be a prosperous middle-income country by the 2030, as espoused in the Vision 2030, a healthy and skilled population is inevitable. Further, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 4, underlines that education is critical in enhancing socio-economic development. I am, therefore, elated to note that the President recognised that our education curriculum has not been in tandem with the current demands of industry. I, therefore, wish to commend and support the President’s pronouncement to review the education curriculum in order to align it with the required artisan skills, development aspirations and goals of the country.

 

Madam Speaker, similarly, I was thrilled to hear the President pledging that his administration will review the Higher Education Loan and Bursary Scheme to ensure that deserving pupils and students, especially those from the rural constituencies like mine, are supported.

 

Environmental Sustainability

 

Madam Speaker, the adverse effects of climate change have become a common phenomenon in many parts of the world, including our country. Not too long ago, heavy rainfall on 26^th December, 2020 resulted in the bursting of Kandesha Dam that led to flooding in Munengo, Kambobe, Katala and Chiloweni communities of Mapona Ward in Mumbwa Constituency of the Central Province.

 

Madam Speaker, it is further predicted that frequent droughts, seasonal and flash floods, extreme temperatures and dry spells are expected to intensify with climate change. As such, it is gratifying to note that the President has proposed the creation of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, which will be a vehicle for championing environmental sustainability. This, indeed, is commendable.

 

Madam Speaker, in concluding my remarks, allow me to reiterate the President’s call for us to put behind the 2021 General Elections and unite, as a nation, while focusing our energies on developing our country.

 

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I urge all hon. Members to support the pronouncements made by the President and commend him for such an inspirational speech.

 

Madam Speaker, I beg to move.

 

Thank you, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: Does the seconder wish to speak now or later?

 

 Ms Phiri: Madam Speaker, now.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me the rare honour and privilege to second the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Speech, which has been moved by Hon. Elliot Kamondo, Member of Parliament for Mufumbwe Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, as I rise to second the Motion, allow me to begin by making my maiden speech. I consider it a blessing to be among the first hon. Members of Parliament to deliver a maiden speech to this august House. This is an honour for the people of Milanzi Constituency, who are anxiously looking to me to provide the necessary checks and balances to ensure that the new Government delivers on its promises.

 

Madam Speaker, this being my maiden speech, allow me to congratulate His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on his election as President of the Republic of Zambia, following the 12^th August, 2021 General Elections.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me also to congratulate you on your election not only as Speaker of this august House, but also as first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia ever since our Independence. Congratulations also go to the First Deputy Speaker, the Second Deputy Speaker and all my fellow Parliamentarians on their election to their respective positions.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Milanzi Constituency recognise the pertinent role that a true democrat and statesman with impeccable leadership qualities, His Excellency, the Former Republican President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, played in facilitating a smooth election transition for the sake of upholding democracy and peace of our great nation. I stand with the people of Milanzi Constituency in saluting the former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who implemented a robust programme to rebuild our economy as can be seen from the massive infrastructure development, which is the bedrock of any strong economy to thrive on.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me take this opportunity to sincerely thank our God Almighty, who made it possible for me to win the Milanzi Parliamentary seat. Many thanks also go to my family; my husband, Alex Chibwe, my children, my sisters and my brothers; and friends for the support given to me before, during, and after the elections. I also want to thank my entire campaign team for putting in a wonderful job devoid of any electoral malpractice.

 

Madam Speaker, I am grateful to His Royal Highness Paramount Chief Gawa Undi, Chieftainess Kawaza, Chief Katumba, Chief Mbang’ombe, Mama Nyangu, and the entire traditional leadership in Milanzi Constituency for their wise counsel. I further give thanks to the Patriotic Front (PF) Leadership and all party structures in the Eastern Province, in Katete District and Milanzi Constituency. Many thanks go to the Church in Milanzi, the business community in Katete, the Non-Governmental Organisation Co-ordination Council (NGOCC), the Katete District Women Development Association and all other stakeholders and individuals, whom I may not manage to mention by name, for sacrificing their resources during the campaigns.

 

To the losing candidates in Milanzi Constituency who took time to realise that dynamites do not come in small packages, I say thank you for putting up a spirited fight.

 

Madam Speaker, Milanzi Constituency is among the least developed constituencies in Zambia, as such, many people are deprived of certain fundamental social needs. Over the years, this situation has exposed the constituency to a lack of access to clean and safe piped water, a lack of good roads, traditional houses with weak walls, a lack of easy access to education and health facilities, a lack of access to electricity and solar power, illiteracy and unemployment among the youths, among others. This narrative speaks to the fact that Milanzi Constituency is heavily deprived of the much-needed development that can improve the well-being of the people of Milanzi.

 

Madam Speaker, Milanzi Constituency’s main economic activity is agriculture. The people in my area need a lot of support to exploit the full potential of their agricultural undertakings. Milanzi has favorable conditions for mixed crop production, but most importantly, the production of high value commercial crops such as soya beans, sunflower and horticultural products. This requires the Government’s support to ensure increased production and maximised benefits to turn around the socio-economic fortunes of the people of Milanzi Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, overtime, the livestock sub-sector has grown to considerable levels. However, the sector needs to be moved from its current state to one where commercial value will be attached. This entails fighting animal diseases through the provision of veterinary services, for example, and provision of dip tank facilities and dams from where animals can drink water.

 

Madam Speaker, infrastructure is a very important component in the development of rural-based consistencies such as Milanzi because people’s sufferings are reduced.

 

Madam Speaker, I will look at this subject from a number of fronts. Firstly, put up more water supply points. A vast constituency, as Milanzi, requires enough water collection points simply put, more boreholes need to be sunk so that people’s lives can be improved. Once less time is spent on fetching water, more time will be spent to other important activities that will contribute to the well-being of the people.

 

Madam Speaker, secondly, distances to health facilities remain a challenge. Thirdly, road infrastructure is critical for the growth of the agriculture sector, which I earlier mentioned as being the major economic activity. Added to road infrastructure, bridges on most of the seasonal streams require serious attention and, in other instances, complete construction.

 

Madam Speaker, the motivation of every farmer is when he has an assurance that his produce will be bought at fair prices. Sound crop marketing is paramount if the motivation is to be actualised, as mentioned. Value addition provides an easy way for the farmer to earn more from his labour. I beseech this Government, through you, to prioritise value addition among rural communities.

 

Madam Speaker, Milanzi Constituency is so vast. While the previous Government built five secondary schools, additional secondary schools are still needed in wards like Chindwale, Kazala, Dole, Milanzi and Kapoche and access to primary education remains a serious challenge.

 

Madam Speaker, as earlier mentioned, Milanzi is a rural constituency. It is my hope that rural hardship allowance for civil servants will be given the much-need attention. Some civil servants in Milanzi Constituency are not benefiting from this entitlement.

 

Madam Speaker, let me now turn to the Motion on the Floor. I would like to start by stating that the speech by the President was not inspiring, as expected, ...

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Phiri: … for a number of reasons and I will highlight a few.

 

Madam Speaker, on economic transformation and job creation, the President failed to acknowledge the strong infrastructure development foundation left behind by the PF administration. For example, transport infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports are key to building a strong economy.

 

Madam Speaker, on energy, I expected the President to acknowledge that load shedding is over. Thanks to the PF administration for investing in the expansion of power generation.

 

Madam Speaker, on good governance and the rule of law, the President missed a great opportunity to condemn political violence, which has characterised elections in this country. For example, the recent killing of a member of the PF by the name of Mr Jackson Kungo during the 12th August, 2021 General Elections.

 

Madam Speaker, on job creation, I expected the President to outline how his administration was going to create jobs for the youth. With this failure, the youths’ hopes are shattered. The youths voted in numbers for jobs and empowerment. The issue of youth empowerment and employment is a serious matter that requires urgent attention.

 

Madam Speaker, on the education sector, the United Party for National Development (UPND) campaigned on the platform of provision of free education from nursery to university. Parents and students are asking when this administration will introduce free education. The President failed to outline how his administration would achieve free education.

 

Madam Speaker, on agriculture, farmers across the country are expecting cheap fertiliser, as promised by the UPND. Again, the President failed to …

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Ms Phiri: … indicate how his administration was going to reduce the price of fertiliser from the current price to K250, as promised during the campaigns.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I urge the UPND administration to acknowledge the strong infrastructural development that was left behind by the PF administration, upon which the UPND administration can build a strong economy.

 

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to second the Motion and I thank you.

 

Thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Mushanga (Bwacha): Madam Speaker, allow me, in the first, place to congratulate you on your election as the first female Speaker to this august House. I also congratulate the First Deputy Speaker, the Second Deputy Speaker, and all the hon. Members of Parliament who have been elected to the Thirteenth National Assembly for five years from 2021 to 2026.

 

Madam Speaker, before I comment on the presentation by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia to this august House, allow me to first present my maiden speech and then, I will comment on the presentation of His Excellency the President to this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, I am humbled and grateful to you for according me an opportunity to deliver my maiden speech for the third time consecutively. My first speech was in September 2011. My second maiden speech to this august House was in 2016. Today, I stand before the august House and the people of Zambia to present my third maiden speech.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency in Kabwe have sent me to Parliament for the third time without a break. This simply goes to show the strong bond and relationship that has been built between the people in that constituency and I, as Member of Parliament for Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency. I do not count this as being lucky, but a reflection of the immense confidence that the people of Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency have in me. I will continue to be grateful to my people in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, from the outset, let me take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for his unfailing love on me, the Patriotic Front (PF), especially the immediate past President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the Central Committee, the province, the district, the constituency and all the fifteen wards in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency for according me an opportunity to serve the mighty PF for the third time.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also take this opportunity to thank the campaign team, which was headed by Mr Anania Zulu, the constituency executive and everyone who participated to see to it that I was brought back to Parliament. The 2021 General Elections were not easy, especially with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak and violence in some sections of our constituency, but the people’s voice was very loud that our services were still needed in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, as the House and the people of Zambia may recall, I served as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Higher Education. However, the position of Deputy Minister was abolished due to the Constitution Amendment Bill of 2016. I also served as minister for Central Province from 2016 to 2021. I served as minister for five years without being moved or changed. This shows the confidence that the appointing authority, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the then President had in me by allowing me to serve the good people of Central Province for five years.

 

Madam Speaker, during my tenure, many projects were implemented in Central Province. We worked so well with the traditional leadership, the Church, women, marketeers, bus and taxi drivers, persons living with disabilities, civil society organisations, civil servants and hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition then, that is, the UPND. They can testify that there was a lot of unity between my office as Minister and former Opposition hon. Members of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, a lot has been done in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency such as infrastructure development stemming from the education sector, health, women and youth empowerment. Many of our young people were helped to get employed in the Government or private institutions through my office, as Member of Parliament. Feeder roads were constructed for ease movement of people and goods and services from one place to the other and we have continued to work on feeder roads and township roads in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, I will continue to engage the new Government under the stewardship of His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, to continue with the projects because these projects are not mine, but people’s projects.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mushanga: Madam Speaker, health facilities have been constructed in all the fifteen wards of Bwacha Constituency. Hon. Felix Mutati came to conduct his campaigns in Makululu, and he can testify that it is the largest shanty compound, and a modern mini-hospital furnished with equipment and staff is operational and serving the people of Makululu and the surrounding communities.

 

Madam Speaker, schools have been constructed in wards in Bwacha Constituency that did not have schools with the help of the Zambian Government and other stakeholders like the Japanese Government, including other partners. Children no longer travel long distances to access primary and secondary school education. In some places, we are also providing early childhood education. In this regard, the challenge is of inadequate infrastructure, which the current administration, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government, should work on with me, as a Member of Parliament.

 

Madam Speaker, we also plan to lobby for more resources from the Government or co-operating partners like we have done before to develop more skills training centres to train youths in various skills. Kabwe Institute of Technology located in Kabwe and domiciled in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency is not adequate to train all the young people domiciled in this constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, we also intend to engage the providers of fuel and other lubricants to construct filling stations along Bwacha, Chimanimani, Ngungu, Kawama and the Hospital/Mukobeko Prisons Road. Since Independence, the mentioned areas have not had filling stations to provide fuels and lubricants to the motorists. I am compelled to engage filling station developers to develop filling stations in the mentioned areas because of the increased number of motor vehicles being owned by people.

Madam Speaker, Bwacha Constituency has seen the development of many empowerment programmes for our mothers and, especially, youth linkages to job opportunities though a lot has to be done. As regards youth economic empowerment, I am addressing the many youths who are not employed not only in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency, but also the country at large. We will continue to put them first and listen to their voices of reason.

Madam Speaker, to the youths, I also take this chance to thank them so much for being a strong voice in the just-ended 2021 General Elections. I am here in this august House, including the new Government, because of their strong zeal to want to be involved in the governance issues of this country. As their representative, they have a very big space in my heart. I have always been there for them and I will continue to engage them to see how we can work together to better their lives. I will continue to listen, interact and hear from them and I will continue to attach importance to their contributions in our constituency. I will make sure that I do not leave behind any youth in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency.

Madam Speaker, in contributing to the presentation made by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia on Friday last week, I think a lot was given to the people of Zambia during the campaigns, as we were nearing the 2021 General Elections. I remember, as a seasoned politician now, that the UPND, under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema in the Opposition then, put bare a number of issues and promises, especially to the young people.

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President missed an opportunity to mention the road map that he was going to use, especially when it comes to creating employment. I remember he indicated that once ushered into office, all the young people in this country who were not employed would be employed. I think it was an opportunity for His Excellency the President to put bare the road map so that he could share with the young people out there how they are going to be employed. The young people out there are waiting and they sent me, as their representative from Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency, through this august House, to remind His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia that the young people are waiting for the promised jobs.

Madam Speaker, civil servants are also waiting. It was very clear in the campaign promises that immediately President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND ‘New Dawn’ administration were elected into office, civil servants were going to have their salaries increased by K1,500 across the board. They are still waiting.

 

 Madam Speaker, this was a clear message by the President and the UPND in the Opposition then. However, we have heard, through the President and senior Cabinet officials of the UPND ‘New Dawn’ administration, say that it is not possible for them to increase salaries for civil servants by K1,500. We wonder where that promise is being placed. The hon. Minister of Finance will soon present the 2022 Budget. The desire of many civil servants and not only those in Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency is to see an increment of K1,500 on their pay slips.

 

 Madam Speaker, it is also in black and white that His Excellency the President, while in Opposition, promised that the UPND administration was going to provide free education from preschool, primary, secondary up to university at 1600hours after winning elections at 1200hours and being sworn in at 1400hours.

 

 Madam Speaker, the young people, especially those in universities, are waiting to be provided with free education by the ‘New Dawn’ administration. All we are going to do is co-operate with this administration so that all the promises that were made to the people of Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency and the nation at large are actualised.

 

Madam Speaker, the last issue that the UPND administration promised the people of Zambia is the decrease in price of fuel. I was wondering because the price of fuel before and after the new Government is still K17. During his time in the Opposition, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, now the President of this Republic of Zambia and in charge of the Government, mentioned and promised the people that fuel prices would be reduced from K17 to K5 once he was elected into office. We are still waiting.

 

Mr Mutati: Question!

 

Mr Mushanga: Hon. Milupi and Hon. Mutati, you can question, but that was the promise made to the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, they used to say that we, as PF, were not listening. We are now advising them. It is time for them to listen. If they are not listening, in the same manner that the people of Zambia showed the PF party a red card –

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mushanga: Madam Speaker, at least, we were in Government for ten years. As for the UPND, it may even be less than five years. Therefore, it is important for them to continue listening to advice and seeing to it that the promises they made to the people of Zambia are actualised. People are very ready. Zambians are now very clever. They cannot continue to be blindfolded and misled. If the UPND does not deliver on the promises it made before 12^th August, 2021 General Elections, even 2026 may be too far.

 

 Madam speaker, I thank you for according me an opportunity to deliver my Maiden Speech. I am also grateful for the opportunity to add a few words to the Motion of Thanks by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. The President must be assured by the people of Bwacha Parliamentary Constituency that we are going to give him maximum support so that he can deliver on all the campaign promises he made to the people of Zambia, especially young people.

 

 Madam Speaker and the august House, I thank you for your attention.

 

Thank you, Madam.

 

 Mr Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to debate. I would like to start by issuing my maiden speech. I will start by joining the left and right side of the House in congratulating you on your election as the first female Speaker. I also congratulate the two Deputy Speakers. As Patriotic Front (PF), we are proud because we had set the record of producing the first female Vice-President. Let me also thank the United Party for National Development (UPND) for following suit in giving us a female Vice-President.

 

 Madam Speaker, I am happy because if we can have this sort of mature level of leadership that will encourage the girl child, it makes me proud, as a father of a daughter, that she will surely have space in this country because of the opportunities we are putting across.

 

 Madam Speaker, as I issue my maiden speech, I am proud of what we have been able to achieve in my constituency through the support of the PF Government, which was led by President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. When I first came to this House in 2016, I came as an independent Member of Parliament, the first in Kantanshi, Mufulira. I immediately started working with the PF Government because I believed that it is important to look at the welfare of our people beyond ourselves, as leaders. That in itself has been able to make me a Member of Parliament in the 2021 General Election through a very competitive election.

 

Madam Speaker, therefore, I will start by thanking all my colleagues which some I did not even know their names because I had focused on winning the election by reminding electorates on how we had worked together. Furthermore, how I had made sure that immensely on the Floor of this House, I was able to address their concerns. I was also able to knock on ministers’ doors to get their attention on a number of projects. I will continue to knock on the doors of ministers’ doors even in this UPND Government because it is for the benefit of the people of Zambia.

 

 Madam Speaker, to begin with, let me also thank my wife who has been very supportive. I spent quite a number of nights away from home while I was in the constituency. I also want to thank my two young children, who have grown up so quickly. Sometimes, I get surprised as to what happened when I meet them in the corridors, especially my daughter, but I guess that it is the nature of life. The support that my family has shown me has given me the impetus to work for the people, which is something that I have always treasured in my life. I have always treasured to be of service to a fellow human being. Therefore, I want to thank my family.

 

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank all the churches in my constituency because they have been there for me and supported me. I have been criticised at the expense of developing the constituency better. I thank my team which was composed of Kantanshi Constituency executive, particularly my campaign manager, who was also the acting constituency chairperson, Mr Shula, and Mr James Mwanza. These two men did a fantastic job. We were able to have free and fair elections without violence because we did not want to underestimate anybody. The results that we got were the highest in the district and this clearly shows the amount of responsibility that the people of Kantanshi have bestowed on me.

 

 Madam Speaker, we will continue with the projects that we have been implementing. It has not been easy. We have one project, that is the road which leads to Mukambo, which has created a lot of problems. I am hoping that the Government, through the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development, will be able to assist us. This road has been a big problem for the constituency and the travellers going to the Northern Circuit of our country.

 

 Madam Speaker, I hope we will get the necessary attention from our country from the hon. Minister and his team from the Road Development Agency (RDA) and National Fund Road Agency (NFRA). We should be able to solve this problem together because it is not only for Kantanshi, but also the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, going forward, as we continue to support our health services, we would also like to urge the Government to provide equipment and  members of staff to the clinics that we were constructed through the 650 health posts project under the PF. We would like to see that we get that necessary support so that our people can continue to get good health services and good education services for the benefit of our country.

 

Madam Speaker, let me now move to the President’s Address. Whilst I have extreme respect for our President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, when I read this speech and heard it from him, I was actually surprised that it was an open-ended one, which did not clearly outline targets. It did not really reflect who he is, having campaigned for fifteen years, and also what I have come to learn about him through the amount of interaction I have had with him on debates on how this country should progress and get out of the poverty that we are in right now. Nonetheless, in one way or the other, it has highlighted some important things. I think the issues of debt and legislation are very clear. He announced it, and I think that it is progressive.

 

Madam Speaker, however, when we go to tourism, at the moment, we are a red zoned country. I did not hear him talk much about what the strategy will be on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic because that in itself is what will open this country up. We could not even have our two fantastic players from Europe, namely Patson Daka and Mwepu, to play for our team. They could not be allowed because of the regulations. So, we wanted to hear what the strategy would be, for example, for vaccinations.

 

Madam Speaker, on the aspect of job creation, which clear sectors will be able to provide jobs and how many? This speech is supposed to be a policy instruction to the hon. Minister of Finance. Clearly, the major one that I picked up here was on the issue of debt. Which all of us in this House agree that legislation should come so that we are able to hold debate in as far as how this country will be able to acquire debt.

 

Madam, I did not hear much about how the mining sector was going to be properly overhauled so that it really speaks to the fact that it is a backbone of our economy. Yes, there was talk of various fiscal regimes that will be proposed, but there are some mining companies that have performed very well, for example, First Quantum Minerals (FQM). It has been paying its fair share of taxes and dividends, yet there are also other mining companies that have not done well. So, you cannot bunch everybody together. We have those companies under the mining sector that have performed very well and contributed to the welfare of our country. It is only fair that they are separated.

 

Madam Speaker, what also surprised me was the investment in the energy sector, where the President said he expected no more load shedding. However, that is one of the sectors that we are proud of, as PF, because we have been able to put back many companies into business by ensuring that they are able to have energy on time. Small businesses like barbershops, salons and bakeries that were struggling when there was no power are now back in business but, of course, they have been struck by COVID-19. Even if the barbershop is open every day, people now rotate to go for work. So, if I know that I am not going for work next week, why would I go to the barbershop to be groomed? So, of course, the losses are being incurred from that front, but we have adequate power. Maybe, what the President should have said is that he wants to build on what the PF has left behind to now start exporting this energy. So, I think on that score, I also thought the President was not too clear.

 

Madam Speaker, the President also talked about health services. For the remaining health posts, I expected that there should have been a clear instruction on how we are going to ensure that the new health services that have come on board always have medicines. So, for me, I felt that this speech did not have the necessary substance that I think he would have had to deliver to the people of Zambia, especially that everybody is expectant. I am equally expectant because I have children, cousins, and other relatives who would like to benefit from a functioning economy.

 

Madam Speaker, with that, I will reluctantly support this speech and I hope that the United Part for National Development (UPND) can do better, especially with the sort of President that they have in office.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Kafywaya (Lunte): Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to speak. Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the Speaker of the Zambia National Assembly, and secondly, for the fact that you are the first female Speaker to be elected to this House since Independence. I would also like to congratulate the First and Second Deputy Speakers.

 

Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking God for giving me life, which is the reason I can stand here today and say what I am going to say. I thank President Edgar Chagwa Lungu for everything that he is, and for giving me an opportunity to contest the Lunte parliamentary seat in 2016 and 2021. The people of Lunte, yet again expressed unequivocally that I was best suited to continue with the development agenda of our constituency. I would also like to thank all the party leaders and members who sacrificed so much to get the job done.

 

Madam Speaker, having acknowledged all those who rendered support to me, allow me to spend one minute of my time in memory of Jackson Kungo and all those who died on account of political violence.

 

Mr Kafwaya stood in silence for one minute. 

 

Madam Speaker, may the soul of Mr Jackson Kungo and all those who died because of political violence rest in eternal peace. I pray that never again should any Zambian lose his or her life on account of political violence.

 

Madam Speaker, Lunte is beautiful. Two people sitting here today have been elected from that constituency. When you look around Lunte from the west to the east, and from the north to the south, you will see beauty. It is the expectation of the people of Lunte that the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government will continue to beautify Lunte even further.

 

Madam Speaker, elections are now over. Some people won and others lost. The election gave me two sides of the story. I am very proud of one side, but I detest the other side to the core of my conscience. Let me share with you the side of this election that I completely detest. The first one is the death of Mr Jackson Kungo and everybody who lost their lives during this election. I feel ashamed that close to three score years after Independence we, as a nation, can still lose people on account of political violence. We need to forge a Zambia in which no one is allowed to lose their life as a result of political violence.

 

Madam Speaker, when the UPND sat on the left side of the House, I criticised it for having been the manufacturers of political violence during the Mufumbwe election or bloodbath and the Mapatizya Formula.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

 

Mr Kafwaya: Madam Speaker, today, the UPND is on your right. It has a responsibility to stop political violence, which is its creation. If it does so, we will never experience another death in this arena.

 

Madam Speaker, let me share with you the second issue that I completely detested in the past election and this is the booing of the former President at the Heroes Stadium. The Sixth President was booed by victors. Whereas I thought there is honour in victory, what I saw was dishonour. I want to put it to the UPND that I am still very unhappy that no leader took the opportunity whether at the inauguration ceremony or at another platform to condemn the booing of the former President. That should not have happened.

 

Madam Speaker, having said so, allow me now to share with you one or two issues that I am very proud of during this past election. I am very proud of the Zambian people who stood in long queues to vote for the leaders of their choice. Those people mean well for this country. I congratulate the Zambian people on not circumventing their civic duty to bring in leaders of their choice. That is how it should be.

 

Madam Speaker, we are all here because we won and I am cognisant of the fact that so many people lost. However, the people decided and this is why today, we have a President, a Vice-President, hon. Members of Parliament and all other elected leaders. It is because of the Zambian people that we were elected and we should never let them down. It is because of the peoples’ commitment and dedication to this country that we, the leaders, must emulate them for doing what they did on 12^th August, 2021. They are the darling of my soul.

 

Madam Speaker, I am also very proud of the peaceful handover of power by the former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. President Lungu has forged a lasting legacy to be admired by many for many years to come. Future Governments, starting with the UPND, must emulate President Lungu when their time to transition comes, which may be soon.

 

Madam Speaker, we need to forge a Zambia in which all Zambians count. The people of Lunte can count on me to stand with them as we forge a Lunte in which all people must count.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to comment on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Speech. From the outset, I would like to say that I support the Motion. In supporting the Motion, I have some comments to make.

 

Madam Speaker, firstly, I wish the UPND success in this first mandate because if it succeeds, my three children; Mubanga, Ntanda and Lubuto; will have a better future. From that end, I will support the UPND, as it creates its programmes if I believe that they will be beneficial to the Zambian people. If I do not, I will criticise the programmes on the Floor of the House and any other platform that will be availed to me.

 

Madam Speaker, on page 4 of the President’s Speech, the President said that:

 

“The people of Zambia voted for change.”

 

Madam Speaker, indeed, removing President Edgar Lungu and putting President Hakainde Hichilema is change. So, there is absolutely no brainer. Removing the Patriotic Front (PF) and putting the UPND in governance is change and nobody can argue with that. However, what type of change is it when you consider it in detail?

 

Madam Speaker, I have observed that from the time His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, assumed office from the Heroes Stadium, some of the changes reflect the lowest standards that have been created in our country. For example, there were two people who were fighting to walk the President to the guard of honour. One was dressed officially or ceremonially and the other one was a fellow totally unknown and in no regalia, whatsoever. The gentleman who was ceremonially dressed was elbowed out.

 

Madam Speaker, we saw the President being walked like that and this is the change, yet we are saying that we are coming from lawlessness to the rule of law. So, I was very surprised and I am still shocked that a thing like that happened. That sunk that ceremony to the lowest of all time.

 

Madam Speaker, the President sat there where you are sitting, but on the throne, and you were very close to him. You will agree with me that when the President walked here and sat there, it was very bad because he had no speech. His Aide-de-camp (ADC) had no speech. The President rose from the throne and begun to converse with the Clerk. A fellow appeared from nowhere with a black folder …

 

Laughter

 

Mr Kafwaya: … and handed it to the President. I was very attentive and I sat very close. I am sure my colleagues saw that. The President is not to blame because he did not see that fellow. He just got the folder from behind and begun to deliver the speech. That is a very bad change because it lowered the decorum of this House. It must not be allowed.

 

Madam Speaker, while the President was speaking to us on the throne in that position where you are, he said that we need to change the way things are done here. Where did the President draw the authority to begin to tell us to change the way things are done here? The President has no authority to change the way things are done in this Chamber. That was a bad change.

 

Madam Speaker, let me be clearer. The changes which will create a Zambia we want must be supported. The changes which will sink this country to the lowest should be condemned and this is what ought to be expected. We, on the left side of the House, will support good programmes and not bad ones. Bad programmes will be criticised and will not be supported.

 

Madam Speaker, with those very few words, I support the Motion on the Floor.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate Adjourned)

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The House adjourned at 1839 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 15^th September, 2021.

 

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