Tuesday, 21^st September, 2021

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MADAM SPEAKER

 

ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received communication to the effect that in the absence of Her Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other national duties, the hon. Minister of Defence, Mr Ambrose L. Lufuma, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House from today, Tuesday, 21^st September, 2021, until further notice.

 

I thank you.

 

MAIDEN SPEECHES AND MASKING UP WHILE DEBATING

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, following representations from leaders of political parties in the House, authority has been granted to hon. Members who wish to render their maiden speeches from the Chamber to do so, provided they inform their respective leaders in advance. Prior notification will enable the leaders to determine sitting arrangements in the Chamber, in keeping with the health guidelines on the prevention of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

 

Let me also remind the House that hon. Members are not allowed to remove their masks when debating. Please, ensure that you mask up at all times.

 

I thank you.

 

SESSIONAL COMMITTEES – MEMBERSHIP

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, following the first announcement on the composition of Standing Committees, and in accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution of Zambia, Cap 1 of the Laws of Zambia, and Order No. 165 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021, the Standing Orders Committee has appointed hon. Members of Parliament to the following Standing Committees for the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly:

 

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEES

 

Planning and Budgeting Committee (10)

 

Mr M. B. E. Sampa, MP

Ms J. C. Chisenga, MP

Mr M. Jamba, MP

Mr F. C. Chaatila, MP

Mr R. K. Kalimi, MP

Mr K. Simunji, MP

Mr B. Kambita, MP

Mr G. Chonde, MP

Mr D. Mung’andu, MP

Mrs M. C. Chonya, MP

 

Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources (10)

 

Ms M. Mabonga, MP

Mr M. Simushi, MP

Mr Y. M. Mtayachalo, MP

Mr S. K. Michelo, MP

Mr M. J. Z. Katambo, MP

Dr K. T. Chewe, MP

Mr M. Malambo, MP

Mr M. Jamba, MP

Mr N. Chilangwa, MP

Mr L. Mkandawire, MP

 

Committee on Education, Science and Technology (10)

 

Dr A. Katakwe, MP

Mr H. K. S. Kamboni, MP

Ms S. Mwamba, MP

Mr T. E. Mutinta, MP

Mr T. S. Simuzingili, MP

Mr G. Mwila, MP

Mr A. I. A. Banda, MP

Mr D. Chisopa, MP

Mr E. Daka, MP

Mr H. Mabeta, MP

 

Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Services (9)

 

Dr C. K. Kalila, MP

Dr C. Chilufya, MP

Ms M. Nakaponda, MP

Mr J. E. Banda, MP

Mr P. Phiri, MP

Mr P. Chala, MP

Mr M. Chinkuli, MP

Mr J. S. Munsanje, MP

Mr Menyani Zulu, MP

 

There is a vacancy in the Committee that will be filled when the pending by-election is held.

 

Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights and Governance

 

Ms T. E. Lungu, MP

Mr C. Miyutu, MP

Mr G. K. Chisanga, MP

Mr J. E. Banda, MP

Mr L. Hamwaata, MP

Mr A. M. Kasandwe, MP

Dr C. Andeleki, MP

Mr E. Sing’ombe, MP

Mr M. Chinkuli, MP

Mr M. F. Fube, MP

 

Committee on Cabinet Affairs (10)

 

Mr O. M. Amutike, MP

Mrs E. Munashabantu, MP

Mr D. Mulunda MP

Mr C. Shakafuswa, MP

Amb. J. Malanji, MP

Mr A. Z. Lubusha, MP

Mr K. Mandandi, MP

Dr C. K. Kalila, MP

Rev. G. Katuta, MP

Mr C. M. Mpundu, MP

 

Committee on Transport, Works and Supply (10)

 

Mr N. Samakayi, MP

Mr M. Simushi, MP

Mr F. R. Kapyanga, MP

Dr K. T. Chewe, MP

Mr J. S. Munsanje, MP

Mr G. S. Sialubalo, MP

Mr M. Mubika, MP

Ms T. E. Lungu, MP

Mr M. Nyambose, MP

Mr S. C. Chanda, MP

 

Committee on National Guidance and Gender Matters (10)

 

Ms C. P. Halwiindi, MP

Mr E. Banda, MP

Mr J. Mulebwa, MP

Mr B. Lusambo, MP

Ms B. Nyirenda, MP

Mr M. L. Lungu, MP

Dr S. Mwale, MP

Dr A. Katakwe, MP

Mr H. S. K. Kamboni, MP

Mr K. S. Michelo, MP

 

Committee on Sport, Youth and Child Matters (10)

 

Mr C. Miyutu, MP

Ms C. P. Halwiindi, MP

Mr E. Sing’ombe, MP

Mr P. Kalobo, MP

Mr G. K. Kandafula, MP

Mr S. Mushanga, MP

Mr M. Mutelo, MP

Mr G. Mwila, MP

Mr M. J. Z. Katambo, MP

Mr A. Banda, MP

 

Hon. Members, I further wish to inform the House that in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 166 (5), which permits the Speaker to make appropriate adjustments to the membership of a Committee, I have made the following changes to the composition of some Standing Committees that were announced on Wednesday, 15^th September, 2021, as follows:

 

HOUSE-KEEPING COMMITTEES

 

Standing Orders Committee

 

Mrs M. C. Chonya, MP, has been appointed to the Standing Orders Committee to replace Mr G. Chonde, MP.

 

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEES

 

Committee on Government Assurances

 

Mr M. Nkulukusa, MP, has been appointed to the Committee on Government Assurances to replace Mr D. Mulunda, MP.

 

Committee on Local Government Accounts

 

Mr D. Mulunda, MP, has been appointed to the Committee on Local Government Accounts to replace Mr M. Nkulukusa, MP.

 

Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism

 

Mrs M. Chonya, MP, has been appointed to the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism to replace Mrs E. Munashabantu, MP.

 

Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs

 

Mr L. Mwene, MP, has been appointed to the Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs to replace Mr M. Jamba, MP.

 

Hon. Members, all the twenty-three Standing Committees have now been constituted.  If any hon. Member finds that they do not belong to any Committee, they should inform the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly accordingly.

 

I thank you.

 

_______

 

MOTION

 

MOTION OF THANKS

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Sialubalo (Sinazongwe): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity you have given to me to wind up my debate, which I started on Friday, last week. When debate was adjourned, I was thanking the people who helped me to come out victorious in the just-ended general election. Allow me, at the same juncture, to also thank the people who competed against me. There was a candidate from the Patriotic Front (PF) and another from the Socialist Party (SP). I need to really thank them for the manner in which they competed.

 

Madam Speaker, being a party that is user-friendly even to the Opposition, as exemplified by the Republican President, who showed his willingness to forgive even those who did bad things to him during the time he was campaigning, I am saying, ‘Thank you’ to those who voted against me because that was part of democracy. Some should be for you and others should be against you. I came out the winner and I am the area Member of Parliament even for all the PF members who in Sinazongwe. They should feel free to come to me and lodge their complaints. I am their Member of Parliament up to 2026. They have nowhere else to go. Even those from the SP, I am there for them. They have to come to me because I am their Member of Parliament. There should be no fighting. If there was anything that I said during my campaigns that injured any of them, be they from the PF or SP, they should find it in their hearts to forgive me because I was competing for a purpose. I wanted the United Party for National Development (UPND) to defeat the PF and form Government, which it did.

 

UPND Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Sialubalo: We defeated them with a very big margin.

 

Mr Chilangwa: Deliver!

 

Mr Sialubalo: At least, even the former hon. Minister of Home Affairs is commending us.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

You can now move to the President’s Address.

 

Mr Sialubalo: Thank you for your guidance, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker, coming to the President’s Address, this document gives hope to the people of Sinazongwe.

 

Madam Speaker, Sinazongwe lagged behind for the past ten years under the PF regime, which painted the entire district black. There was no development that took place in the district. The President’s Speech, however, has given us great hope. There is not only hope, but also reality, that the Batoka/Maamba Road will be worked on under the UPND Government. It has given us great hope that there will be rural connectivity as mentioned by the President. The difficulties that we have gone through will be a thing of the past. There is hope in this document (holding up a copy of the President’s Address), and there is a future. Sinazongwe will never be the same, as it will develop like any other district that saw development under the PF regime.

 

Madam Speaker, I am glad that the President did not think of isolating his strongholds; areas where he got many votes. The President was inclusive in his speech. Even where some people boasted of having more rural health centres than any other constituency, the President said he will equally take development there. Not having rural connectivity and a bad Batoka/Maamba Road will be things of the past. Under the ‘New Dawn’ Government, that road will be worked on.

 

Madam Speaker, the road network in Sinazongwe has been a major challenge. Some of the roads in the constituency saw grading as far back as the United National Independence Party (UNIP) regime. We are hopeful that even the bridges that were poorly done and were washed away will be worked on. We are talking of roads like the Mweemba/Siampondo Road, which is in a very bad state. It will be worked on. May I simply say the entire Bottom Road stretch is going to be worked on under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema. There is hope in this document (holding up a copy of the booklet of the President’s Address).

 

Madam Speaker, for those hon. Members who do not know, Sinazongwe, Gwembe, Siavonga, Mapatizya and Chirundu are drought-prone districts. The President talked of building dams in the constituencies. I am hopeful that in Sinazongwe, every ward is going to have, at least, a dam so that we can have enough water for our animals to drink and for our mothers to be able to do gardening. Once that is sorted out, many economic activities on the Zambezi Valley –

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Please, consult quietly as the debates are ongoing.

 

The hon. Member may continue.

 

Mr Sialubalo: On the Zambezi Valley, economic activities are going to increase because there will be increased connectivity. Once the Bottom Road is done, it will be easy for people to move from Mapatizya without coming up to the plateau part of the province; they will connect from Mapatizya via Sinazongwe and Gwembe and all the way.

 

Madam Speaker, if there is something that the people of the Southern Province, particularly in the valley region, have never benefitted from, it is electricity. When our forefathers surrendered the pieces of land on the valleys of the Zambezi River and went up to higher ground, they were promised that they were going to be given free electricity. To date, that has never happened. The people of Siampondo, Tekelo and Gamela need electricity. This has to be done, and it is going to be done because the President understands the plight of the people.

 

Madam Speaker, let me come to free education.

 

Free education is possible and it is going to be provided because there is political will from the President. The President has indicated this because he is one of the beneficiaries –

 

Mr Kapyanga: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, it has come to my attention that the hon. Member who wants to raise a point of order has not made his maiden speech. Therefore, the hon. Member debating may continue.

 

Mr Sialubalo: Madam Speaker, what we have been lacking on free education is political will. There has not been any political will from the past regime. If all Former Presidents of this country had benefited from free education, why can a child coming from a poor family, but more intelligent than the hon. Member speaking, not be given an opportunity to get free education? What are governments for, if they cannot provide for the poor? Free education can be a reality, provided there is political will from the leaders. It starts from us.

 

Madam Speaker, if you went to the compounds where we come from, you would find that many people who are blessed with a bit of resources have adopted many children with whom they are not blood-related and have taken the children to colleges and universities. If individuals in a biting economy like the one under the PF could sacrifice to educate a fellow Zambian who needed assistance, why can the Government not do the same? It is because there was never political will from the previous regime.

 

Madam Speaker, if there is prudence in the way we utilise resources –

 

We are learning that money amounting to about K70 million was found in someone’s house. If the theft or embezzlement is stopped, free education can be a reality. All we need is leadership like that of President Hakainde Hichilema, which is straightforward and feels for the needy. We do not need leaders who are selfish and self-centred because Zambia needs to move forward. Zambia needs to have leaders who can sacrifice for the needy.

 

Madam Speaker, Zambians have suffered enough, and they need to enjoy. It is not every time that Zambians should be told to pay taxes; there should be a time when they are told to enjoy the taxes they are paying, and one way is through free education. Let a poor child access education.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker. 

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!  

 

Mr Sampa (Matero): Madam Speaker, I will just make my maiden speech today and then debate the President’s Speech next week, as I am still preparing to come and hammer.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me this moment to avail my maiden speech to this august House. With this speech, I hereon begin my second stint as Member of Parliament for Matero Constituency, having been here for my first term from 2011 to 2016.

 

Madam speaker, I am humbled to be here and wish to sincerely thank the almighty God above as only He is able to anoint leaders. This time, He has, in His almighty wisdom, decided that I come back to this House to speak on behalf of the over 400,000 residents of Matero Constituency. I thank all the priests, bishops and other men of God who prayed for me during the campaigns. I also sincerely thank the good people of Matero Constituency for according me this rare privilege; I thank all the 55,000 residents who voted for me, but equally thank all those who did not vote for me, as that is the essence of democracy.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank the party that sponsored me to this Parliament, the mighty Patriotic Front (PF). I also send many thanks to the PF President, one Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for his support before and after the election day. In the same breath, I sincerely thank the PF Vice-President, Mr Given Lubinda, for his priceless support before and after the election day. Kabwata Constituency will never be the same without him.

 

Madam Speaker, I also extend my thanks to all Matero PF officials and, in particular, my campaign manager, Mike Gura, and Wellington Mwanamwenge. I thank my late father, Mr Justin Miles Sampa, and my now ailing mother, Ms Euphrasia Bwalya Lubemba, who, before Independence, around 1959, had migrated to Lusaka from Mpika in the northern part of Zambia and settled in Matero, as they sought greener pastures. In Matero, at House No. 1148 Nchito Road, is where they had their nine children, one of whom they named Miles Bwalya Emmanuel Sampa. He was named Emmanuel because he was born a day after Christmas on 26^th December.

 

I also thank my dear siblings; my beloved wife, Nchimunya; and all our dear children for their relentless support in my passion to serve the people. Last, but by far not the least, I thank all the fans of Boba Television.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Sampa: Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate you on not only becoming the latest Speaker of the Zambian Parliament, but also the first woman in Zambia to lead this important arm of the Government that makes laws. I also congratulate the First and Second Deputy Speakers. As to all the 156 elected hon. Members of Parliament and the nominated eight, I send my sincere congratulations.

 

Madam Speaker, I commend all Zambians in all the 156 constituencies for turning up en masse in the last elections, which is unprecedented in our time. People lined up as early as 0300 hours just to cast their vote. I say, ‘Well done’ to you all Zambians. May that same spirit continue on that same day in August, 2026. May we, the politicians, know that if we do not please the people or do not deliver what we promise, the day will always come when the people of Zambian have the last say through the ballot.

 

Madam Speaker, the voting day was, however, a very sad one for my party, the PF, and more so for me, in particular, due to the unprecedented levels of violence experienced. We have seen political violence in Zambia before, but never have we seen it get to the level of killing opponents. Mr Jackson Kungo, the leader of the PF in the North-Western Province, was in Lusaka four months ago, and my wife and I had dinner with him at a restaurant, as he was one of my advocates in the PF Central Committee in my endeavour to I get adopted as the candidate for Matero Constituency. A month earlier, he had also stopped by my office on his way to his mother’s funeral in Mazabuka. Mr Kungo and I were comrades and allies in politics. Midday on voting day, I heard that he had been butchered in cold blood, and that devastated me. Little did I know, however, that in the next hour or so, I would also meet a near similar fate.

 

Madam Speaker, I am not bringing this out for sympathy, as I have been through a lot in my life. The matter is in court. So, suffice it for me to say that at about 1500 hours, in broad daylight, as I went to check if my polling agents had received their lunch at George Central High School Polling Station in George Compound, I got stabbed in the back as voters on the queue scampered in all directions.

 

Hon. PF Members: Shame!

 

Mr Sampa: The next thing I knew is I was inside the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) theatre with a deep cut in the back oozing blood and being stitched. Besides me was one of my team members, Mr Gilbert Banda, who had also been hacked deep at the back of his head and neck.

 

Madam Speaker, I remember, two days later, being summoned out of the hospital bed and being sneaked into Matero to be declared the winner of the election after beating my closest rival by 20,000 votes. Indeed, when God decides and anoints one for a leadership position, not even knives, pangs, axes or guns can prevent that from happening.

 

Madam Speaker, I take it, and pray that I be the first and last one to ever enter this Zambian Parliament with blood spilt or lost from a stab wound. May it never happen to any candidate here on whether from the Ruling Party or opposition parties.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to address the people of Matero.

 

It is an honour to become the first Member of Parliament in the history of Matero Constituency to serve two terms. I pledge to serve the good people of Matero without fear or favour, never to discriminate anyone; to be there for the old, young, pupils, students, less-abled and the majority poor. I will carry on with my Ubuntu projects of helping the less privileged and down-trodden in our society. This, I did in the last few years with or without money by connecting the poor to those who could help them via my social media platforms.

 

Madam Speaker, Matero Constituency has many challenges. The youths are unemployed, and there are pit latrines and a lack of running water. One of the major achievements of the PF Government was the tarring of the famous Bottom Road in the Southern Province, from Siavonga to Munyumbwe, into Livingstone. I remember when those on the right side of the House were on the left and used to scream all the time, “Bottom Road, Bottom Road!” in Matero Constituency, we also have what we call the ‘Bottom Road’ because it is at the bottom end of Matero, the Zingalume/Twikatane Road, which we need to see worked on by the Government and the council.

 

Madam Speaker, my last words are to the new Government. I want to tell a story of a former Mayor of the greater City of Lusaka who, in his campaigns, promised the people free Wi-Fi. Now, whatever you promise the people, they want it delivered. This Government promised free education and jobs, and you have to deliver that. The people will keep reminding you no matter how you change the goalposts.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mwene (Mangango): Madam Speaker, thank you for according the people of Mangango and me an opportunity to make my maiden speech.

 

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I thank the almighty God for allowing us to have a successful election and win at the end of the day in spite of the hardships that we went through at the hands of the Patriotic Front (PF).

 

Madam Speaker, I say ‘congratulations’ to you on being the first female Speaker of Parliament in the history of Zambia. May I also say ‘congratulations’ to the First and Second Deputy Speakers.

 

At this juncture, I also say, “Thank you” to the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, Her Honour Madam Mutale Nalumango, for their landslide win in the 2021 elections.

 

Madam Speaker, I also say, ‘Thank you’ to the United Party for National Development (UPND) structures at large, starting from the branches, through wards to the constituency, in Mangango Constituency; the district structure in Kaoma, the provincial structure in the Western Province, and the National Executive Committee at large, for according me the opportunity to represent Mangango as area Member of Parliament in the 2021 elections. I say, ‘Thank you’.

 

Madam Speaker, I also say, ‘Thank you’ to my campaign managers, who are Mr Michael Mutobo and Mr Makiko. I cannot forget the likes of Mr Chimunika, Mr Kapimpa, Hon. Mpishi, Mr Simataa Simataa and all those who came on board to help in the campaigns.

 

Madam Speaker, it is also imperative that I recognise the efforts of our traditional leaders in Mangango. They also went flat out to help in campaigning for Mwene and the UPND party all over. This includes our hardworking Chief Mwene Mutondo Fwanina and all the Sub-Chiefs in Mangango and Kaoma at large.

 

Madam Speaker, I also give thanks to my family; my wife, Vistor Kalilo Mwene, my sons, Surg Mwene, my daughter, Grace Showa Mwene, my son, Shau Fred Mwene, my daughter Shalleen Mwene as well as my last-born son Sheth Mwene. They could not realise, at the beginning and conception of our campaigns, because of my absence from home, but later, they came to understand that campaign is going out in the constituency and requesting people to give us a vote as we were selling ourselves to the people as a party at large. In the end, my family, too, came on board in helping out in the campaigns.

 

Madam Speaker, I pay tribute to the late Hon. Mwene Naluwa, who passed on 28^th August, 2018. He was also a Member of Parliament for Mangango Constituency, and died on his way from Lusaka where he had come to buy a Public Address (PA) system that was going to be used in Mangango because of a by-election that was in Chilombo Ward, caused by the PF Government. That was a sad moment because we lost a very vibrant and hardworking area Member of Parliament who made a lot of contributions in Mangango. Today, you can talk of communication towers, schools and clinics, which were all built under his tenure as Member of Parliament, but because of the PF Government that went and lured the Councillor who was in Shikombwe Ward to defect to their party – That is the reason that by-election came about and, in the process, my late elder brother passed on. This was a very sad moment.

 

Madam, this became a tendency by the PF Government in Mangango such that they started luring one Councillor after another to defect from the UPND and told them that they would provide them with jobs which they could not even give them. As a result of that, they caused five by-elections in Mangango. This has put Mangango on a very bad political track as if the people of Mangango just like by-elections, but in reality, it is the PF Government which was trying to penetrate in Mangango because it was a UPND stronghold constituency.

 

Madam, because of what has been happening, the people of Mangango realised that the PF had nothing good for them because they could come at each by-election to talk about the same things which they failed to deliver, such as roads, schools, and Nyango Training Institute.  They told them that they were going to be recruiting people of Mangango but, they could not do that. This time around, the people of Mangango decided to make a very serious shift from the PF Government to the UPND Government.

 

Madam Speaker, there were many negative activities that were caused by the PF Government, such as beatings, and so on and so forth, causing death. We can talk about various negative activities which the PF Government performed in Mangango and hence, the people of Mangango lost confidence in them. So, this is the reason the PF hon. Members of Parliament are on your left today.

 

 Madam Speaker, at this juncture, I would like to say thank you to everybody who came in numbers to vote for the UPND Government, for His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, UPND Council Chairperson, hon. UPND Members Parliament, and all the nine Councillors in Mangango. I want to say thank you to all he voters out there in Mangango. May God keep on giving you the wisdom of being able to determine a Government which failed to deliver and a Government which has now come in to deliver.

 

Madam Speaker, at this point I would like to turn and comment on the President’s Speech which was given by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema on 10^th September, 2021.

 

 Madam Speaker, I stand strongly to support the President’s Speech because it is a sharp speech with proper and clear direction for the people of Zambia. It is a speech which gives hope to all Zambians because the previous Government had lost direction in leading this country.

 

 Madam, on page 13 His Excellency the President talked about job creation, which I feel is a big need in Zambia because everybody has to sustain themselves through a job. The previous Government was not able to attain this. His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema is a promising us this need: this is what is needed in Mangango

 

Madam Speaker, on job creation, His Excellency the President is going to come up with a mechanism where all the youths, both male and female, will be able to have jobs in Zambia. As if that is not enough, on page 17 the President of the Republic of Zambia talked about creating a conducive business environment. This is what is needed in Zambia to develop. It needs businessmen/women who will be able to invest in the economy, and because of that, another potion of job creation for Zambians will be made.

 

Madam Speaker, I get surprised that some of hon. Colleagues on your left are failing to agree to support the President’s Speech. It is very discouraging to have such kind of people who cannot support a President who is talking about job creation and businesses in Zambia. What do they represent if the people in their constituencies are crying for jobs? Just like people in Mangango, they also need jobs and businesses, but then, someone comes here and starts opposing the President’s Speech on such grounds? This gives us a great doubt of such representation.

 

 Madam Speaker, the President further talked about infrastructure development in Zambia, and this is what we need particularly in Mangango. When we are talking about infrastructure development, we are referring to road network such as the Katunda/Lukulu Road. His Excellency the President has already assured us that it is going to be tarred. We need to support such a President.

 

Madam Speaker, it is not only that, but all other feeder roads are also expected to be worked on within the first five-year tenure in office. We are talking about a President who talked about supporting us in terms of infrastructure development by building schools and clinics in Mangango. I support my President’s Speech very much.

 

Madam Speaker, we cannot forget to talk about safe and clean water which is needed in Mangango and this is what His Excellency the President talked about. So, who am I to say no or not support the President’s Speech? I stand here to fully support His Excellency the President Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s Speech.

 

 Madam Speaker, when one looks at His Excellency the President’s Speech on page 46, he talked about tribalism saying that it will be a thing of the past. He said that there will be no more tribalism. Actually, it has already finished in Zambia.

 

Madam, this is attested even by the formation of his Cabinet because it is comprised of hon. Members from all the ten provinces of this country. This is the opposite of what our colleagues in the previous administration, the PF, did.

 

Madam Speaker, in the PF Government, there was no tribal or regional balancing in their Cabinet. The people on your left know very well that they could not balance that but the current President of the Republic of Zambia has done it. Therefore, I feel that we all need to support the President’s Speech.

 

Madam, the other reason I support the President’s Speech is because he talked about fighting corruption which was so rampant in the PF Government. As things stand now, we all know that our current President does not support corruption. He talked about coming up with the Fast-Track Court which is going to deal with the corrupt practices in the past, the present, and in the future. This is one of the reasons some of the hon. Members on our left are not able to support this speech because, perhaps, they may be implicated in one way or another. We do not know.

 

Madam Speaker, there are many corrupt practices which happened in the previous Government. We may not know them all but we know that some of the issues were not right because they have question marks. Most of the people could not understand how some of things were happening. For example, my brothers and sisters in Mangango were dealing in timber, mukula tree in particular. The previous Government would impound trucks that were ferrying the mukula tree, but after that, all the trucks were nowhere to be seen. We do not know who sold the timber and where the money went.  After the impounding of the trucks, the timber was supposed to be auctioned or sold. After the auctioning, the money was supposed to be brought into the Government coffers, and everyone was supposed to see that money. The Government should have told us, “That money we got from the impounded mukula tree, we have built that hospital, school or road”, but it was all not there and, because of this, I support my President, our President, the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s speech.

 

Madam Speaker, we have many issues to talk about as regards our President’s Speech. For now, I can only say ‘thank you so much’ for the time accorded to me.

 

Thank you, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker gave the Floor to the hon. Members for Kafue and Magoye, but they were unavailable.

 

Mr Katambo (Masaiti): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to render my maiden speech and, eventually, to comment on the President’s Address.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate you and your Deputy Speakers on your election as Speaker and your Deputy Speakers, respectively.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to thank the Clerk of the National Assembly and her entire support staff, who are carefully selected and qualified to offer various services to your office and us, thus making our parliamentary business steady and above reproach.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to thank Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, our sixth President, and the entire Patriotic Front (PF) Central Committee, the Copperbelt PF Executive Committee, the PF District Executive Committee, and the PF Masaiti Constituency for adopting and supporting my candidature as Member of Parliament for Masaiti Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate President Hakainde Hichilema on becoming the Seventh President of the Republic of Zambia. Allow me to also congratulate the hon. Members on your right who were appointed to the Cabinet. It goes without saying that, without their holding on to key positions in Government, there would be no story to tell of development of the people for the people.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate the PF hon. Members of Parliament here, on your left; the Independent hon. Members of Parliament on your left; and the elected representatives of the respective constituencies, including my own, who will be the voice of the nation as the opposition to the Ruling Party and provide checks and balances

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate the Leader of Opposition, Hon. Brian Mundubile, and our Deputy Whip, Hon. Steven Kampyongo.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to thank those who voted for me and made it possible for me to become a Member of Parliament. This is the fourth election that I have successfully defended, having first been elected to this august House in 2011.

 

Madam Speaker, through you to my colleagues on your right, the PF has set the tone of development, which you cannot completely ignore. Speaking of my constituency, from 2011 to 2021, Masaiti has benefited an anniversary of development within the far flung eleven wards. The following are the developments, including Masaiti District Hospital, rural health centres at Kaonga, Lumano and Saka; Kafulafuta/Masaiti Water Project; facelifts at Lukanga Primary School, Chela Primary School, Kabwata Primary School and Mishikishi Secondary School; servicemen and women, and teachers accommodation;  road toll plaza, tourism and farming; and feeder roads.

 

Madam Speaker, my success and the development story thereof cannot be complete without acknowledging my participation in various social, religious, and community structures of Masaiti Constituency. The work of a Member of Parliament, being on the left or right, is being personally and successfully involved in emancipating the social needs of the constituency, in my case, Masaiti, to be guaranteed re-election to this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, I am here to serve as a servant of the people of Masaiti. My role will be to continuously prevail on the Government to continue and enhance projects within Masaiti that will include decent housing for civil servants and servicemen; successful agricultural policy; successful maize marketing programmes; improved schools, health, social and general local infrastructure; improved employment opportunities in the constituency; and district milestones, such as the Kafulafuta Water Dam Project.

 

Madam Speaker, amid huge expectations and election promises, I am encouraging the Cabinet to set their tone of development under sustainable goals to help the President settle in the Government.

 

Madam Speaker, the President’s Speech fell short of acknowledging millstones of the previous Administration which, in a model democracy, should be a benchmark of leadership.

 

Madam Speaker, agriculture and livestock have been the cornerstone for the economic turnaround of Zambia’s fortune, and it was my expectation that His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, in his speech, would have made categorical in showing target support and continuity, except where improvement was expected.

 

Madam Speaker, crop diversification and crop and maize marketing is a huge success story under the PF regime. I, therefore, expected the President to assure the farming family that the trends set by the PF would be maintained, that the promises of extra fertiliser and inputs made during the campaigns were just rhetoric and that it is time to get back to work.

 

Madam Speaker, the foundation that has been laid by the previous Administration is really a landmark. In the last two concurrent farming seasons, we have had bumper harvests. During the last harvest, we harvested over 3.6 million tonnes of maize, with a carryover of over 1.5 million metric tonnes, which has also set the trend for this ‘New Dawn’ Administration. Generally, under our Administration, many crop commodities had an increase of over 15 per cent, and we had concurrent bumper harvests.

 

Madam Speaker, God abhors violence. If the levels of violence in the country escalate beyond the current measures, the model democracy that we are, as a nation, will evaporate. It is evident that there has been a lot of violence, criminality and murder that have not been brought to the face of this election, including after, and it is saddening that, in his speech, the President was not forthright to stop the red supporters from these acts.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Members!

 

Can we, please, consult quietly.

 

Mr Katambo: Madam Speaker, even at the courts of law, your hon. Members are being attacked and harassed. The courts of law is where you are supposed to experience peace, and free and fair judgement at, but you will see that many of your hon. Members, especially those who have been petitioned and are appearing before the courts, are being brutalised and beaten in front of the police.

 

Madam Speaker, one of your hon. Members raised the issue of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). We used two modalities for this programme, namely the Direct Input Supply System (DISS) and the Electronic Voucher (e-Voucher) System. It is important that we debate factually on the Floor of this House. Honestly, if one was to say that on the e-Voucher modality in his constituency, his farmers were receiving only two bags of fertiliser, is he saying the truth? Is it possible that one bag of fertiliser is over K1,000? I ask this because the programme only allocates K2,100 per farmer beneficiary. So, it is important that we qualify and rectify; we say the truth when we debate on the Floor of the House. Using these modalities was a recommendation of agricultural experts because in certain regions of our country, we experienced dry spells and droughts that resulted in the wilting of crops. In other regions, we experienced floods. I wanted to make a clarification to your hon. Member who raised these issues without facts and stated that he engaged me when, in fact, I met him for the first time during this Sitting of Parliament.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker gave the Floor to the hon. Member for Kafue, but she was still unavailable.

 

Mr Mulebwa (Kafulafuta): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to address this honourable House. Allow me to also congratulate you and your two Deputies on your election to be the Presiding Officers for this great House.

 

Madam Speaker, the first thing I wish to do is thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according me this opportunity to serve his people in Kafulafuta Constituency as Member of Parliament. I also thank my three daughters for standing in for their mother, who I lost to cardiac arrest on 17^th July, 2016. They did a commendable job in terms of supporting me and ensuring that victory was delivered. I also thank the people of Kafulafuta for making the decision to elect me as their Member of Parliament. I believe their votes did not go to waste, and I thank them for believing in me during the campaigns in which my team and I faced hostility. We campaigned in a very antagonistic atmosphere but, through it all, we were courageous. We knew what we were doing and why I had to stand as a Member of Parliament. The message was delivered with clarity to the electorate.

 

Madam Speaker, I also thank my friends and family, who gave me financial and moral support. When the going got tough, they were there to support and encourage me. I also thank those who criticised me because their actions gave me stamina to fight. They gave me the strength to move on because I knew there was a good cause for that.

 

Madam Speaker, I wish to give you a better understanding of Kafulafuta Constituency. It comprises two chiefdoms, namely Senior Chief Chiwala and Chief Nkambo. Allow me to state to this honourable House that Kafulafuta is among the richest constituencies in Zambia, yet it continues to wallow in poverty because some structures in the constituency do not believe that the citizens of Kafulafuta are entitled to share in the wealth there. We have a number of companies in Kafulafuta. You may wish to know that that is where Dangote Industries, Zambezi Portland Cement, Neelkanth Group of Companies, Handyman’s Paradise and a Chinese company called Shenzhou are based.

 

Madam, the citizens of Kafulafuta have continued living in poverty even after having all the companies that I have mentioned. The people of Kafulafuta have not had a chance or been given opportunities to work in the said companies. Those who have had the chance to work in the companies have been subjected to slavery conditions of service. Otherwise, most of the people who work in the companies I have talked about reside in town; they were not born and bred in Kafulafuta, or they do not even live in Kafulafuta. The criteria used to employ is something that I am yet to learn, but I must say that it looks quite unfair. When these companies came to lobby for operations in the area, they promised the people of Kafulafuta employment, but they have not lived up to their promise, and one of the reasons I believed I needed to stand as Member of Parliament was so that I am able to stand, defend and protect the interests of the people in Kafulafuta.

 

Madam Speaker, all the materials are used to build Zambia and our neighbouring countries come from Kafulafuta, yet the infrastructure in Kafulafuta remains poor. We do not have road infrastructure, schools, clinics, clean water and sanitation. We live like there is nothing at all in the constituency. For this reason, the people of Kafulafuta saw it fit to choose somebody like me, who is going to be courageous, and would fight and speak for them. The fact that we went through a very turbulent time during the campaigns has given me the strength and zeal to ensure that I do not fail the people of Kafulafuta. We have already begun to lobby for the road infrastructure to be put in place. We have also lobbied for schools and clinics. I did not have to wait for a long time to lobby for these structures because I was ready for the job.

 

Madam Speaker, in conclusion on this matter, Kafulafuta lacks medical facilities. We have no clinics. People have to travel long distances to access medical facilities, and we have no ambulance. Unlike our hon. Colleague from Masaiti, who boasted about a hospital and other things, in Kafulafuta, there is nothing to boast about. So, I look forward to coming back to this House with a great testimony of what we shall accomplish in the next five years.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to now make my submission on the President’s Speech. I read the speech, and I think it is a brilliant piece of work. I believe in our President, and I am very confident that he will be able to deliver what he has promised, especially if those of us at the constituency level deliver in our constituencies. I think that we will be leaving him to fail if we do not deliver at the constituency level, but expect him to fix the nation. I think that is a fallacy. So, I am one of those people who intend to put in everything that I can in sincerity and truth, and will support every word that our Republican President intends to put into action. I, however, have one or two concerns concerning one piece of the speech, and I want to follow up on what Hon. Stephen Kampyongo submitted to this House concerning traditional leaders. He said that we need to have them closer to the Government because they are a key part of our society. I totally agree with him on that part. Traditional leaders are key in our national development.  However, I have noted with sadness that some traditional leaders have not served as they ought to. By that I mean that they have not served with the interest of their subjects at heart. We have heard, time and time again, how traditional leaders have given up land to foreign investors at the expense of their subjects. I am not against foreign investment; I totally support that, but I find it very difficult when a traditional leader completely ignores and forgets his/her responsibility of looking after his/her subjects and pays more attention to foreign people at the expense of the citizenry.

 

Madam Speaker, I am saddened to say that we had a trend in recent years where traditional leaders shamelessly participated in public politics, like what we just heard a few moments ago. Our good hon. Member of Parliament for Mangango told this House how some chiefs came out to campaign for him and for President Hakainde Hichilema. I find this to be very unfortunate in the sense that when a traditional leader comes out of his/her palace to support one candidate, the fatherly or motherly role that he/she is supposed to play in the community is taken away. I feel that if a traditional leader intends to get into active politics, they should come out of the palace and join active politics, where we can receive punch for punch, not use their office to intimidate their subjects just to get what they want. So, I feel that the President’s move to put chiefs’ affairs under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is brilliant. It is a move that we have needed for a very long time to ensure that we have checks and balances for the chiefs as well. We talk about the Presidency, hon. Ministers and everybody else needing checks and balances, yet we have ignored the fact that there are some chiefs who have not ruled their subjects properly. The current system does not allow for checks and balances on traditional leaders and, as a result, many people suffer injustices.

 

Madam, in the speech, the President’s desire and wish is to ensure that poverty is eliminated from every home in Zambia. However, when we take stock of what is going on in some setups, it is a sorry sight. The fairness and everything that the President has put in place to ensure that every Zambian is protected will not work if we do not have structures that will ensure that traditional leaders are put under checks and balances as well. We know that the separation of powers is there so that one does not get puffed up with power. However, we see this in our traditional leaders because they have been let go. They can do anything they want and are right in whatever they do.

 

Madam Speaker, without saying many things, we just heard this afternoon, a few moments ago, that chiefs went out to campaign. How should our society respond to chiefs who go out to campaign for one candidate and de-campaign another? I find this to be outrageous. It is something that has to be looked at seriously so that we can provide checks and balances for our traditional leaders as well because they are human, and they will not always get it right. When they get it wrong, we need to know that they are dealing with human beings. The fact that people are subjects does not take away their feelings and the fact that they need fairness in life, and to be treated right.

 

Madam Speaker, thank you so much for this rare opportunity that you accorded me.

 

Ms Halwiindi (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity for me to deliver my first maiden speech in this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, I congratulate you and your two Deputies on your well-deserved election to preside over the Thirteenth National Assembly.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to thank the almighty God, the destiny definer, who, in His perfect wisdom and unconditional love, appointed me, through the people of Kabwe Central Constituency, to be their parliamentary representative. I also thank the Church and all members of the clergy for their prayers and spiritual guidance. I submit myself to servanthood leadership. Working together with the community, we will deliver developmental projects in a timely manner, prioritising order of preference, beholding stakeholder’s recommendations and taking into consideration cost effectiveness.

 

Madam Speaker, may I take this opportunity to sincerely thank my beloved Husband, Mr Goldwin Phiri; my niece, Doriet; and all my children and relatives for their emotional, physical, material and financial support in the just-ended election in which I emerged victorious. It is never easy for a woman without support from the husband.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Kabwe Central Constituency and, indeed, on my own behalf, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on his landslide democratic election victory to that important office. Indeed, it is a great achievement, considering the long and difficult journey filled with affliction from unlimited corners. We thank God that the teargas and other weapons that were fashioned against him could not prosper; The will of God prevailed. Congratulations!

 

As I express confidence in Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs Mutale Nalumango, it is well known that she is equal to the task as Leader of Government Business in this House. To all the hon. Members of the Thirteenth National Assembly, I convey my congratulations. May God grant them wisdom to unite all the people of Zambia through this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, let me sincerely express my gratitude to the wonderful people of Kabwe Central Constituency, the youth and the women, for entrusting me with this mandate to represent them, and making the record of being their first female Parliamentarian since 1978, and the first ever United Party for National Development (UPND) Member of Parliament to win the seat.

 

UPND Hon. Member: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Halwiindi: Therefore, I forever remain indebted to them.

 

Special thanks also go to the party leadership from the grassroots, led by chairmen at constituency, through the district and provincial levels to the National Management Committee (NMC) and the party President, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. I owe my loyalty to the people of Kabwe Central Constituency, the party and its leadership.

 

Madam Speaker, let me thank the powerful campaign team led by Lemmy Solochi, Wisdom Lweendo; the Councillors; the constituency leadership, led by the Chairperson, Mr Chikasa; elections monitors; agents; foot soldiers; the friends of the party; and all those who supported me financially. Indeed, we worked as a team.

 

I salute my security team, which protected me and made sure votes were protected, as this was what the people of Kabwe Central Consistency tasked us to do without fail, having promised to support us in totality. My security team members sacrificed their lives; they survived gunshots, being caged in guard rooms on the day of voting, and suffered brutality, but remained strong and focused. This is a sad story to tell. God bless the gallant youth. This did not sit well with me because it reminded me of the many UPND supporters who were brutally murdered in cold blood in the past years. May their souls rest in eternal peace. No life is worth losing, whether from the UPND or the Patriotic Front (PF). I find it not suiting this House when we only consider the person who died from one party and ignore another who died from the other party. Every life is worth being remembered, and I feel this should come to a stop. We should consider every life precious.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to outline some of the challenges of Kabwe Central Constituency. A dilapidated road network and poor drainage system makes driving in the compounds of Kabwe Central Constituency a nightmare. All the roads are in a deplorable state, whether township or feeder roads. The drainage system for all compound roads is very poor. This causes flooding during the rainy session and roads become impassable. We have a contractor right now, Asphalt Roads, contracted to rehabilitate some roads like Mwapoleni, Chipata, Nalikwanda, Nakoli and Natuseko Site and Service, but works have stalled. If these roads are not worked on before the onset of the rainy session, it will be disastrous. Loose gravel will be washed away, losing the money that has already been paid to the contractor. If these roads are not completed, they will be impassable. So, I call upon the employer, the Road Development Agency (RDA); the fund agency, the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA); and all the relevant offices to give this matter urgent attention.

 

Madam Speaker, the other problem is unemployment. Kabwe Central has no industries or companies to boast about. The Mulungushi Textiles was turned by the PF Government into a dangling carrot or bait each time there was an election ...

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Halwiindi: ... by pronouncing its reopening, which never happened. This factory has been under care and maintenance for a long time. Now, under the UPND Government, we are seriously working towards the industry being fully operational, targeting to employ about 2000 youths. I am determined to push the agenda of the people of Kabwe Central Constituency to take a leading role in participating in cotton-growing, especially the youth and the women, as the company is rolling out cotton out-growing schemes. I wish that this company, in the near future, can be in the hands of Zambians 100 per cent. I will not comment much on this one.

 

Madam Speaker, the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) needs creative and innovative leaders to transform it and come up with effective and efficient services that will increase economic activities and create employment for the youth. The workshop has the capacity to assemble vehicles, and this can employ many youths.

 

Madam Speaker, I have a lot of passion for clustering people of common interests, like carpenters, tailors and contractors to take up bigger economic tasks to create employment and, subsequently, incremental wealth.

 

Madam Speaker, as you are aware, healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have. This was said by Winston Churchill. Therefore, health services and health infrastructure will be on top of the agenda. I will work closely with councillors to improve and construct more health facilities. I will also lobby for adequate staff and medical supplies. You may wish to note that, at times, we have lost many lives due to inadequate supply of medical drugs and equipment. So, this should come to an end. As the UPND, we want to push this agenda to ensure that there are adequate drugs in clinics.

 

Madam Speaker, lead poisoning has been an issue in Kabwe, and my constituency has been largely affected. In the last survey done in 2020, it was reflected that 74 per cent of residents were affected. It does not matter if a person breathes it in, swallows or absorbs it; it still gives health effects. We will make sure that we take up this matter. I know that there has been funding through the Kabwe Municipal Council, but that has not yielded any results during the last regime.

 

Madam Speaker, when it comes to education, in my constituency, we do not have any boarding school. The boarding schools that we have are located in neighbouring constituencies. We need a boarding school within Kabwe Central Constituency. Rural Kabwe also has no secondary schools. We have to make sure that we push the agenda so that we can have secondary schools.

 

Madam Speaker, a lack of adequate water is also an issue. We will push the agenda.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Time for the hon. Member’s maiden speech expired.

 

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, may I now move on to the President’s Speech.

 

Madam Speaker, I support the Speech in totality. Our President has an interest in making sure that Zambia is developed. Talking about wealth distribution in the country, it is not sitting well when 90 per cent of the economy or wealth of Zambia is held by only 10 per cent of Zambians. You will find that only 10 per cent of Zambia’s wealth is in the hands of 90 per cent of Zambians. This is not good. That is why our President is interested in economic transformation and job creation. He has said that he wants to promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs). You can imagine that the PF Government used to borrow and pump money in infrastructure and, after securing huge debt, it would go back to the SMEs, which it was not supporting, to pay taxes to liquidate the huge debt. That is not a good way of doing things. The President and the UPND want to make sure that they support SMEs and then create jobs.

 

Dr Chilufya: On a point of a matter of urgent public importance, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker: Is that a point of order?

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Speaker, it is on a point of urgent public importance, according to Standing Order No. 134.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member who has just risen, kindly note that, as I indicated last week on Friday, the point at which matters of urgent public importance can be raised has already past. Unfortunately, it cannot be admitted.

 

The hon. Member debating may continue.

 

Ms Halwiindi: Madam Speaker, thank you so much. I was saying that we want to promote SMEs, as our President has pronounced. We want to see to it that we enhance skills development and support SMEs financially. So, I see it not fitting for the hon. Member for Kabushi to compare the speech to Jelita and Mulenga. For me, it just shows that, maybe, as our President commented, our education system is not okay, and we need to change the curriculum. For example, if Mulenga learnt that about a chair, the next thing he should learn is to draw that chair.  Then he should be able to make that chair. That is what we want in the UPND Government. When we support skills development, we will have our own people making products which can be sold even outside the country. I stated in my speech that I support clustering. If we have carpenters and support them, skills-wise and financially, they can have good products to compete well outside the country.

 

Madam Speaker, I also totally support the President’s comment on promoting industrial and innovative creations. There are very few people who are creative and innovative in Zambia, and this is what we want to support in UPND. When we have many people who are creative and innovative, we will have unique products that will compete well outside the country. When we have those products, we will become a manufacturing country instead of a consuming country or one that just imports goods. This is the scenario we want to change, and I support this in totality. Going forward, we will have to learn to nurture our own people who are creative and innovative. This is also related to education. Our President stated that we want to change the curriculum. Yes, we should because the type of education that we have in Zambia is more theoretical than practical. These days, we do not even see kites flying in the shanty compounds where we come from. Our little children are no longer creative. So, we have to start our education by nurturing our little ones from childhood so that as we grow, we will have engineers who will be able to even make cars. We have to change the curriculum whether or not it will take many years. There is always a beginning. We can start from somewhere so that we can be a manufacturing country.

 

Madam Speaker, I said that we have few people who are creative and innovative.  In the past regime, I can testify that, at one time, the past President even praised one innovative and creative doctor who came up with the idea of producing polyfuel. He applied to be supported financially but, to date, he has not been supported to start up the industry. That industry can create employment throughout Zambia. In our UPND Government, we are saying we want to promote that because we know that is where our wealth will come from. We will not do it like our friends were doing it. The only business they knew was inflating tender prices. That we will not do. We want to enhance the private sector and transfer wealth to our grassroots.

 

Madam Speaker, I support the President’s pronouncement on reducing the cost of doing business. Currently, for SMEs to thrive, we have to we cut down on some costs. For example, in the construction industry, there are many certificates that one needs to acquire before bidding for a contract. Even people who are highly qualified, like engineers, have now become tax collectors because for one to participate as an engineer, one needs to register with the Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ). Instead of our engineers improving the quality of doing things by being practical, they are in offices collecting money. That is not right for a country. We are misplacing ourselves. So, we have to improve the way we do business, and I totally support that because I know that our President is an economist as well as an entrepreneur. I do not know why our friends are not appreciating this speech. I can liken this situation to this: If you take them to farms, instead of seeing people and land that they need to support with farming inputs so that they can produce their own food, what they see are poor people that are worth only being given 10 kg bags of mealie-meal. This is not what we want in the UPND.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

So, can we appreciate. I call upon our hon. Colleagues to appreciate this paper. It is up to us now, with the line ministries, to take it up. It is a wake-up call, and we need to study it to see what we can do to attain what the President has given us?

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Simuzingili (Gwembe): Madam Speaker, I wish to register my profound appreciation to you for giving me this rare opportunity to deliver my maiden speech as well as contribute to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

 

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, may I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your well-deserved election as Presiding Officer for this august House. In the same light, I congratulate your two Deputies on their deserved election. Further, allow me to take this rare opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs Nalumango, on being elected President and Vice-President, respectively, of this great nation. I have no doubt in my mind that under their leadership, the Government will deliver to the expectations of the Zambian people.

 

Madam Speaker, may I sincerely wife, Mutinta Syabwengo Simuzingili; my children; my elder brother, Mumbwali Simuzingili whom I call ‘Big Man’ and my entire family; and the strategic family committee, for your guidance, support and endurance throughout the election process. In the same vein, I pay glowing tribute to my campaign team led by Mr Cosmas Sing’andu and the District Chairman, Patrick Nkulisalila Hanjeme. In addition, I thank the entire district, constituency and ward committees of the United Party for National Development (UPND) for the work they did that ensured that we emerged victorious. Further, I thank and recognise the good people of Gwembe Constituency, who turned up in large numbers to elect me as their representative in the National Assembly. I assure them that their interests will be represented.

 

Madam Speaker, Gwembe is one of the oldest constituencies in Zambia but, alas, it remains one of the poorest and under-developed . It is, therefore, my duty and responsibility to ensure that this status quo is changed.

 

Allow me now to highlight the specific and urgent needs of the people of Gwembe.

 

Madam Speaker, the road network in Gwembe is extremely bad. People walk hundreds of kilometres on end because there are no roads. The feeder roads in Gwembe are non-existent; they are just paths for cattle last worked on in the Colonial Era. The Gwembe/Chipepo Road, which is the main economic road used to transport goods and services, is in such a deplorable state. I urge my Government to, at least, upgrade this road to bituminous standard.

 

Madam Speaker, I request my Government, as they look at the dilapidated bad roads in Gwembe, to complete the Bottom Road, which was constructed from Chirundu to Munyumbwe. From Munyumbwe, it passes through Sinazongwe, Mapatizya and Kalomo into Livingstone. That is such an economic road that if it is worked on, it will create employment for our people, and mineral exploration and tourism will be opened in the valley. We need that very important and economic road. I do realise that our Government will definitely work on this very important road. There is the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in Gwembe, and farmers are expected to receive messages about it through Internet connectivity. However, how many towers are there? The constituency has very few towers, and my appeal to my party is to increase the number of towers so that the whole constituency can be covered.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Gwembe are making a loud call and request to my Government to provide water and sanitation services. In the past, our people’s call on the provision of water and sanitation services was falling on deaf ears, but we are happy that now the ‘New Dawn’ Government is looking at helping the people of Gwembe in terms of water provision.

 

Madam Speaker, many co-operating partners have tried to help in terms of water provision. These include the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Glasco Foundation and World Vision. We thank them so much for helping our constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Gwembe have not benefited from the electricity generated from Lake Kariba. Even when my grandfather and my forefathers were displaced forcibly to pave way for the construction of the lake dam, we only see power lines going elsewhere; the local people are not benefitting. We are so happy with this new Government, and the people of Gwembe appreciate because there is a specific intervention on issues of solar. This is because Gwembe is hot and the weather conditions are very ideal for creating solar energy.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to mention to the House that the best view of Lake Kariba is along the lakeshores in Gwembe District. In addition, the larger part of the water body, Lake Kariba, is in Gwembe. Boat cruises via Kalyango Gateway near Sikolwinzala Mountain are a marvel to undertake. Further, the lake is dotted with a number of islands and beaches. The Kambalwe Island, which is in the middle of Lake Kariba, is ideal for a five-star hotel. There is adjacent to it the Kotakota Game Ranch, which has the potential to provide employment for our people. These are some of the potential investments in tourism that I would expect my Government to explore and promote. I am elated that this is one of the priority sectors of the ‘New Dawn’ Government.

 

Madam Speaker, in mining, there is plenty of coal, but how can an investor come where there are no roads? We need to work on our roads.

 

Madam Speaker, I am a very sad Member of Parliament because fifty-seven years after Independence and seventy-four years after the creation of Gwembe District, we still have grass-thatched schools while health care is non-existent. The few clinics that are there have no medicines; they only give prescriptions. They are buildings without medicines.

 

Madam Speaker, there is a need to diversify agriculture in Gwembe because the rain patterns are erratic, and FISP is nothing to talk about; it is chaotic. The farmers are given three bags of fertiliser. The hon. former Minister of Agriculture was saying that is a lie. If you do simple mathematics and multiply 580 by three, you will get 1,740. The difference to make 2,000 is just 260. Can you get five bags from that? It is true that it is three bags, hon. former Minister of Agriculture. I only hope that you were not running the ministry on auto-pilot.

 

The other thing that we want in Gwembe is aquaculture. There is plenty of water and space. That is one area the ‘New Dawn’ Government is emphasising, and the people of Gwembe are so happy that this has become a priority for this Government.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The time for the hon. Member’s maiden speech expired.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to now comment on the President’s Speech. From the outset, allow me to state that the speech was excellent and focused, and traversed the entire spectrum of the Zambian economy. In his speech, the President gave key and clear policy intent. Policy intents, hon. Colleagues, are not the actual pronouncements. They are cascaded into the Budget. To assume that His Excellency the President must give us the meaty detail, that is noughted. Of course, we understand that His Excellency the President has pitched this speech too highly for some people to understand.

 

Madam, on page 18 of his speech, the President alluded to the issue of aquaculture, and the people of Gwembe are very happy with that pronouncement because, over the years, nothing has been happening. Their Illusion was that Lake Kariba was meant for electricity when there are other things that can be done in Gwembe, such as irrigation, fish farming and many other activities.

 

Madam Speaker, when we look at the agriculture aspect, we see that we have been subjected to this discriminatory FISP. While people in other areas are given eight bags of fertiliser, in the Southern Province, Gwembe in particular, we were given three bags. Like I have said, this is simple mathematics. So, that is the truth; that is what is obtaining on the ground. However, we are happy with the President’s statement that equitable distribution of fertiliser will be the order of the day. So, FISP will be transformed to ensure that it is sustainable and not discriminatory. Every region and place in Zambia should be able to receive equal amounts of fertilisers.

 

Madam Speaker, there has been a narrative to paint the UPND as a violent party, but it was in vain. The Zambian people know who is violent.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Simuzingili: Let me place it on record that the Patriotic Front (PF) is the mother of the perpetration of violent activities in this country. No wonder, the moment the current President was inaugurated, peace prevailed in this country. Today, people can wear PF regalia, walk together and eat nshima together in a market. That is what we want. People are saying this is a second liberation or second Independence because everyone is fine. This is what we want, and it is how the country must be governed.

 

Madam Speaker, on the issue of free education, I want to tell my hon. Colleagues that the Zambian people have given the UPND a five-year mandate, not a one-month one.  However, our hon. Colleagues want free education in one month. Let me tell you, there are principles that govern issues of free education. With the current situation of our education system, there is much that needs to be done before free education can be introduced. I can assure you that. The Vice-President did allude to the fact that it will progress in a phased approach. So, if you think K2 million is pocket money for you, you will not participate in the free education because it is meant for the poor of the poorest; the vulnerable in our society. We need to look at the quality of education and improve it before we can think of free education. We also need to improve on equity so that there is no discrimination. We need to improve access. Further, the speech talks of the curriculum. That is the bedrock of any education system. So, how do you bring in –

 

Mr Lusambo: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Lusambo: Madam Speaker, my point of order this afternoon is on the Acting Leader of Government Business in the House.

 

Madam Speaker, I am rising on a very serious point of order in the public interest or importance under Standing Order 134.

 

Madam Speaker, …

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member for Kabushi, the time for raising urgent matters has lapsed.

 

May the hon. Member who was contributing please continue debating.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Simuzingili: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, I was saying the curriculum is the bedrock of any education system. It needs to be retransformed in order to answer the needs of the industry. In this country, we still have a curriculum which is still teaching about carburettors on motor vehicles yet that is something that was discarded many years ago. So, we need to transform for us to bring in free education.

 

Madam Speaker, in his speech, the President talked about corruption and said it stinks.

 

Interruptions

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Members, can we, please, observe the decorum of the House. If we want to consult, can we do that quietly.

 

May the hon. Member on the Floor continue with his debate.

 

Mr Simuzingili: Madam Speaker, the President talked about corruption and said he abhors it. I agree with him because I believe corruptions stinks. The country is in this state because of corruption. So, we cannot afford to entertain it. We need to promote zero tolerance to corruption. I also agree that fast-track courts must come in order to deal with cases once and for all. We cannot, in this era, entertain corruption, and we do not want to entertain the issues which were pertaining to this Government. Who does not know about the issues of mukula tree, the forty-eight mystery houses, forty-two fire tenders, gassing, costly road construction and high-cost ambulances? Is that what we want? We must get to the bottom of these issues so that, for those who perpetrated them, the law must take its course.

 

Madam Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chabinga (Mafinga): Madam Speaker, I express my sincere thanks to you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion of Thanks to His Excellency the President’s Speech to this House. However, before I delve into the Motion, allow me to first deliver my maiden speech.

 

First and foremost, Madam Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to thank my wife, Rev. Eneless Chilolo Chabinga, and our children for the overwhelming support to venture into this journey of leadership as a servant of the people of Mafinga Constituency and the entire nation. I can state that their efforts and support towards this journey have been absolutely splendid. Allow me to also thank my family members, friends and, more especially, my campaign team for their invaluable support before, during and after the elections.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also take this opportunity to thank His Excellency the Former President of the Republic of Zambia and President of our party, the mighty Patriotic Front (PF), Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and the Central Committee for having adopted me to stand in Mafinga Constituency and for their collective hard work during the campaigns, which saw me emerge victorious. I will always be grateful for this privilege.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding the election of Mr Hakainde Hichilema as President of this country in the just ended general elections, I choose not to congratulate him based on the reasons well-articulated by the Leader of Opposition, Hon. Brian Mundubile, and I adopt Hon. Mundubile’s words as my own. However, allow me to join other hon. Members in congratulating you and the two Deputy Speakers on your respective elections to superintend over the affairs of this august House. I also congratulate my fellow Parliamentarians on their election to represent their respective constituencies. I am looking forward to working with them all for the political, social and economic development of the beautiful people of Mafinga Constituency and Zambia at large.

 

Mr Lusambo: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Chabinga: Madam Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not sincerely thank the people of Mafinga for electing me as their Member of Parliament. I assure them that I will diligently serve them, including those from the United Party for National development (UPND), who did not vote for me. I will be their Member of Parliament for the next five years in order for us to continue facilitating the much-needed development in our constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, I pledge to the people of Mafinga Constituency that with all my strength and ability, I will appeal to the UPND Alliance Government that all the developmental projects that were started by the mighty PF Government are completed.

 

Mr Chaatila: Question!

 

Mr Chabinga: Madam Speaker, the victorious results in Mafinga Constituency in the 2021 General Election is a clear manifestation of the growing confidence the people of Mafinga Constituency have in me under the able leadership of His Excellency the Former President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Winning in this manner cannot be said to be by luck, but by tactical design. It is a sign that the people of Mafinga Constituency are publicly registering their appreciation for the continued efforts that the PF Government had put in place in improving their leaving conditions. Therefore, it can be argued that the people of Mafinga Constituency have not been left out of the developmental projects that are taking place around the country.

 

Madam Speaker, since assuming power in 2011, the PF Government had begun a number of developmental projects in Mafinga Constituency, of which some have been implemented and completed while others are under way. These include the construction of Isoka/Muyombe Road D790, which covers a stretch of 173 km, of which 60 km was upgraded to bituminous standard. On the same road, four bridges and the remaining 113 km have not been constructed. Therefore, I urge the Executive, the UPND Government, to quickly construct this road because it has been a nightmare for the people of Mafinga, especially at Chilumbi Hills in the Muchinga Escarpment. We are also desperately in need of the construction of Bemba Bridge in Muyombe. The benefit of this road is to facilitate the efficient movement of people and access to markets for agricultural inputs, produce and other commodities. In addition, the road will attract more business in the constituency, hence developing the people’s standards of living.

 

Madam Speaker, the UPND Government will be working like umwendwa mwalimwa, meaning they will be moving in a very smooth path in terms development because the standards were set, especially in Mafinga, where we did not have electricity from 1964, but the PF Government, under the leadership of Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, gave us electricity, which has been connected from Malawi, and which the UPND Government has to come and officially commission very soon.

 

Madam Speaker, it can be added that in the health sector, two beautiful state-of-the-art hospitals have been constructed in Mafinga, namely Mafinga District Hospital and Muyombe District Hospital. We expect the hon. Minister of Health from the UPND Government to come and officially open them. That is what I meant when I said umwendwa mwalimwa; they will be moving on a very smooth road because most of the things have been done.

 

Madam Speaker, I am appealing to the ‘New Dawn’ Government to construct staff houses hospital equipment, and officially open the hospitals, as I earlier alluded to. This will undoubtedly bring primary health care services closer to the people.

 

Madam Speaker, just like many other rural constituencies, Mafinga has not been spared from challenges of water and sanitation. However, thanks to the PF Government, some projects have been done, such as roads. As I speak, the contractors are on the ground working on the feeder roads, which have to be commissioned by this Government. However –

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Chabinga:  Madam Speaker, I should not be distracted.

 

What I must state is that the youths of Mafinga are very much concerned in the sense that we have seen that what people did not –

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time for his maiden speech expired.

 

Mr Chabinga: Madam Speaker, let me talk about the President’s Speech.

 

The speech is very cold, and I have used the word ‘cold’ because the speech had two standards. The first standard is where the President talked about corruption, especially on the fast-track recovery of asserts. I hope and trust that we shall be given the road map because this was just like rhetoric. It was like a story that was being told that we are going do this, or like promising a child because this is what has been happening. We have seen such kind of things happen before. I will give an example. In 2003, His Excellency President Mwanawasa, may his soul rest in peace, created a similar arrangement. What has just changed is the phrasing, from ‘Task Force on Corruption’, where only friends of His Excellency were put in charge. I foresee the same situation of targeting fellow politicians and saying that they are criminals like what is happening. Tomorrow, this one is accused of being thief, but he is not being arrested.

 

Madam Speaker, I hope and trust that – I just wish to advise because I think I am an expert in recoveries and operations. We saw it in the past, where US$ 28 million was spent on operations.

 

Madam Speaker: Order!                                                          

 

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

Mr Chabinga: Madam Speaker, before business was suspended, I was talking about corruption, which the President mentioned in relation to creating a fast-track recovery court.

 

Madam, on the fast-track mechanism, I think there needs to be a direction. Yes, all of us, including me, are all immune to corruption. Therefore, there must be a system or road map that will help even would-be offenders. We have seen that even as much as we have been fighting corruption, every time, the hon. Members on the left were being accused of being criminals and thieves, but we started seeing, and we are aware that now because it is on record, that those on your right are visiting people of Indian origin soliciting funds for their favours.

 

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

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Haimbe: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order pursuant to the now famous Standing Order 65 in relation to the content of a speech.

 

Madam, the hon. Member is aware that his debate shall – the word is mandatory – be on verifiable fact. Where an hon. Member makes an allegation, that hon. Member is required to provide proof. However, the debate by the hon. Member is speculative, as no proof has been provided, and he is in breach of Rule 65, which I have cited. Is the hon. Member in order?

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Mafinga, confine yourself to facts as you debate. Unless you have proof to lay on the Table of the House that what you are alleging has happened, you are advised to desist from that line of debate.

 

Continue, but be factual.

 

Mr Chabinga: Madam Speaker, I thank you for that guidance. However, given a day or two, I can lay my facts on the Table. It was not just mere rhetoric, but a fact. In addition, I would like to state that people are withdrawing funds –

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

A ruling has been given and you have been guided. Please, do not debate the ruling. Restrict yourself to your debate. If you do not have information before this honourable House, then, do not raise the issue.

 

Mr Chabinga: Most obliged, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, on the rule of law, which His Excellency the President talked about, we have seen several cases of violence and lawlessness in the country. In one case, the hon. Member of Parliament for Mkushi North was manhandled at the courts by some police officers and cadres. The second case was in Kabwe, where our Mayor was also treated the same way. The last case is all over social media; a police officer was hacked yesterday, and it is in the public domain. It is a source of worry that as much as the President is talking about law and order, the opposite is happening on the ground. We, as the PF, were accused of being kicked out of power because of cadreism. I am worried that our colleagues in the UPND Government may be hated before they start doing a lot of work.

 

Madam Speaker, we need to concentrate our energies on job creation for the youth of Mafinga and the country at large. Concentrating on witch hunts or following up people who may have done this and that will never help us in any way.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Ms Sefulo (Mwandi): Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity you have given me to contribute to the Motion on the Floor. However, before I do so, allow me to give my maiden speech.

 

Madam, let me begin by congratulating you on your well-deserved victory, making you the first female Speaker in Zambia. As women, we are really proud of you. I also congratulate the First and Second Deputy Speakers on their victories, and not forgetting all the hon. Members of Parliament on their victories as well. Congratulations to them all.

 

Madam Speaker before going any further, I would like to thank the almighty God for giving me this opportunity to serve the people of Mwandi as their area Member of Parliament. This is a position of service, not of power. I also thank and congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema; Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs Mutale Nalumango; and the party at large for their well-deserved victory in the just-ended elections. Indeed, delay is not denial.

 

Madam Speaker, I also thank my party the United Party for National Development (UPND) and its leadership for having confidence in me and adopting me as their candidate for Mwandi, a constituency that was, I must say, very hot in the just-ended elections for obvious reasons. I also thank the party leadership in Mwandi, from the district, constituency, wards and branches, and my campaign team for a job well done. I also thank Bakwetu Television for the feature they did during the campaigns. 

 

Madam Speaker, I thank my husband, Mr Benjamin Kambafwile, who campaigned with me throughout the campaign period in Mwandi, and my children, Mapalo, Malaika, Neo and Naleli, all Kambafwiles, for their prayers and faith in me.

 

My brothers, sisters and the family at large, both from my bloodline and my husband’s family, the Kambafwiles, thank you so much for your support.

 

To the people of Mwandi, you are the winners. Thank you so much for the trust you have placed in me and the votes you gave me in the just-ended elections. I promise to be your mouthpiece; through me, your voices shall be heard clearly.

 

Madam Speaker, my decision to join active politics came about eight years ago, born out of a desire to see more participation by women in key decision making processes and in Parliament. In my constituency, the last time a woman was an area Member of Parliament was in 1996, when I was only in the sixth grade. With women contributing about 9.28 million to the population of Zambia, which represents 53 per cent, their participation in politics is still shockingly below 13 per cent. So, we need to do more. As a woman, I encourage all woman in Parliament, regardless of their political affiliations, to work together to lobby for legislation that will increase women participation in politics.

 

May I also make mention that being a woman in politics is very tough. As women, we have to work twice as much as men to get recognition, but we deserve a seat at the table. To my fellow women, if that seat is not created for you at the table, bring your own chair.

 

Madam Speaker, Mwandi Constituency is located in the Western Province and remains one of the least developed constituencies that we have in Zambia. Among the many things that the people of Mwandi lack, top are access to clean water; improved network; health facilities, especially maternity and waiting homes for women as they wait to deliver; improved education facilities, especially secondary schools; dip tanks and abattoirs for our farmers; and communication towers.

 

Madam Speaker, indeed, Mwandi has been left behind in development, such that a child growing up in rural Mwandi stands no chance of competing with children growing up in the other parts of the country. I say so because such a child has no access to clean water; walks a long distance to school; and has no access to a desk, electronic learning (e-Learning) facilities, the Internet and health facilities. How can that child go and compete for a bursary with a child growing up in the urban areas? That child has failed even before they begin. This, therefore, means that the now opposition Patriotic Front (PF) failed the people of Mwandi. However, as we are seated here, we hear the PF boast about unprecedented development in the other parts of the country. We then wonder why Mwandi was left behind. That is a clear indication of how discriminatory the former Government was.

 

Madam Speaker, I report to this House that fifty-seven years after Independence, Mwandi Constituency has no road network whatsoever. In the past years, the PF made sure that they constructed roads and flyover bridges that were of no economic value, yet they failed to work on the Livingstone/Sesheke Road, which is an international route that links Zambia to Namibia and Botswana. The road that was neglected by the PF is an important economic road that, when constructed, will not only benefit that farmer or fish trader in Mwandi, but also the country at large. As we approach the rainy season, that road is a nightmare, and it takes about five hours to drive a stretch of 70 km. Right now, that road is a death trap. When you drive to Mwandi, by the time you are coming back, both you and your car are going to be sick because of the bumps.

 

Madam Speaker, I report that Mwandi also needs, at least, gravel feeder roads. We are getting into the Rainy Season, and the road that connects Mwandi Boma to Sankolongo, Adonsi and Magumwe is impassable. This, therefore, means that the civil servants are cut off from the Boma for months. All this is courtesy of the PF. The Mulobezi Road, which links Simungoma, Luanja, Lwazamba and Lutaba is equally a nightmare. The PF failed to have the road done but, just before the elections, they teased the people of Mwandi by taking a contractor on site who just went and left the road worse than it was, and has since left. The people of Mwandi are so excited with the ‘New Dawn’ Government and look forward to having their road network improved.

 

Madam Speaker, on education, Mwandi Constituency has forty-three primary schools supported by only three secondary schools, two within Mwandi and one in Luanja. Like I mentioned earlier, Mwandi Constituency has twelve wards, of which ten have no secondary schools, and there is no means for a child growing up in Mabumbu, Simungoma, Sankolongo, Adonsi, Magumwe, Lutaba and the other wards to get to any of the secondary schools available to access day schooling. With education being an equaliser, Mwandi Constituency is looking forward to having secondary schools built in, at least, six wards for our children to be given an equal opportunity to, at least, finish secondary school.

 

Madam Speaker, our children finish secondary school in Mwandi, but most of the youths remain stuck there because their parents are too poor to take them for further studies. This can be solved by establishing and constructing youth skills centres. Mwandi is blessed with natural resources, such as rosewood but, to this date, it still exports rosewood as logs without any value addition. Locally processed timber would also help overcome the challenges children have of not having desks, not only in Mwandi, but also in the country at large. In this ‘New Dawn’ Government, we look forward to having the best furniture locally produced. With so much timber, I think it is a shame to see that we still import our furniture from neighbouring countries.

 

Madam Speaker, I inform this august House that the people of Mwandi also face many challenges with regard to access to clean water. The people in Magumwe, Luanja, Adonsi, Sankolongo and Lwazamba are the most affected. Our communities still walk long distances to fetch water, and most of them still share drinking water with animals, fifty-seven years after Independence. Most areas also still depend on shallow untreated wells as a source of water. Some of the people of Mwandi are subjected to –

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time for her maiden speech expired.

 

Ms Sefulo: Madam Speaker, let me then move to the address by the President.

 

Madam Speaker, as the people of Mwandi, we are very excited, and are in full support of the speech given by the President. One of the things that we are excited about is the creation of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development. With this ministry, we look forward to the youths and women of Mwandi acquiring skills to manage on the international market. Like I have said, we have so much rosewood in Mwandi with no value addition whatsoever. When this new ministry is created, it means that technical assistance can be given to the people of Mwandi to make sure that we can produce furniture locally.

 

Madam Speaker, we are also very excited about the President’s comment on increasing the quality of education, health care as well as sanitation services. We are a people who are assured of the much-needed equality in the education sector. Like I have said, we still do not have secondary schools in Mwandi. We have three, and one of those does not even qualify to be a secondary school because it only has a 1×3 blocks, and it has no running water and ablution block. So, it is a secondary school just by name. Needless to say, we cannot separate wealth creation from health care. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation, and we are so happy with the pronouncements that were made by the President. We are also very pleased with the pledge to bring health facilities and schools closer to the people, something that the PF Government failed to do for the people of Mwandi.

 

Madam Speaker, we are equally happy with the pronouncements that were made by the President on cadreism. In the PF Government, cadres had so much power, even more than police officers but, with one pronouncement the President made on cadreism, today, we have a breath of fresh air in Zambia. We feel like we have got Independence for the second time because one can now go to town without being attacked by PF cadres. 

 

Madam Speaker, the President also made a pronouncement on equal distribution of resources. Like I have already said, Mwandi has been left so much behind, and we are looking forward to having equal distribution of resources so that, like many other areas, Mwandi can also benefit from the resources of Zambia because they are part of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, I also support the speech by the President, especially on violence. In the previous elections – It is so astonishing to hear, today, our colleagues from the PF talk about violence. Truth be told, they are the ones who were perpetrating most of the violence. If we look back – Today, for the PF to come back and talk about one person who was killed even though the determination of who killed that person has not been made yet. However, we have PF members who are serving in Mukobeko Maximum Prison for the violence that was committed on the UPND. I look forward to this violence coming to an end. Like indicated already, the death of a PF or UNPD supporter should pain as much because, at the end of it all, we are all Zambians. Therefore, I look forward to the PF not only making pronouncements when there is a PF person involved; they should rise even when there is a UPND person affected.

 

Madam Speaker, on rural electrification, I also report that we are very pleased with the Presidents pronouncements on other sources of energy.

 

Mr E. Tembo: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, I rise on a serious point of order, and I refer to Standing Order No. 65 (1)(b), which states that an hon. Member who is debating shall ensure that the information that he or she provides to the House is actual and verifiable. Can the hon. Member give us her evidence regarding her statement that the cadres had more power than the police during the Patriotic Front (PF) regime? To me, that is clearly speculation, and we need evidence before the Table or else the same statement must be withdrawn.

 

Thank you.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Tembo, that point of order is not admissible.

 

The hon. Member on the Floor may proceed.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Ms Sefulo: Madam Speaker, on rural electrification, we, the people of Mwandi, look forward to having the other wards electrified. As we speak, only one ward in Mwandi has access to electricity, leaving out the other eleven. Therefore, with everything that has been said, I also want to report that I am very much in support of the President’s Speech and that I look forward to that child who is growing in the rural parts of Mwandi having access to facilities just like another child who is growing up in any part of Zambia.

 

I thank you., madam Speaker.

 

Mr Mutinta (Itezhi-Tezhi): Madam Speaker, allow me to give glory to God, the giver of life, for choosing me to be the servant of the people of Itezhi-Tezhi and for giving me this opportunity to deliver my maiden speech in this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, to begin with, I sincerely congratulate you on your election as the first female Speaker of the House, and your two Deputies.

 

Madam Speaker, let me congratulate the Seventh Republican President, the President of my choice, the President with a vision and the President for all Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on coming out victorious in the 12^th August elections against all odds, and with a landslide victory. The political trajectory left by Mr Anderson Mazoka, may his soul rest in peace, came to be realised through President Hakainde Hichilema, who bears a story of love, hard work and tenacity towards emancipating Zambians from the political and economic slavery that the previous Government had subjected many Zambians to. Many generations to come will emulate his resilience and hard work.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank my family members; my wife, Rophina Hampende Mutinta; my children, Busiku Mutinta and Monica Mutinta; my close friends, Mr Abby Kapasa, Mr Lackson Hamoya and Mr Brian Kayongo, and many others who rendered their help during my political journey; the United Party for National Development (UPND) teams led by the District Chairperson, Mr Hardwork Kangongwe and Mr Hamasuke, for their support; and my campaign managers, Mr Boyd Kandiye and Mr Newstone Mulongo. I also express gratitude to their Royal Highnesses in Itezhi-Tezhi, namely Chief Chikaza, Chief Musungwa, Chieftainess Muweza, Chief Shezongo, and Chief Kaingu, and their headman who did not force anyone to vote for the UPND, but created an enabling environment for the people to elect leaders of their choice.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also thank the Church, particular Pastor Mayapi, Pastor Banda and Fr Fidelis Chingobe from the Catholic Church for their support and for believing that I was the right person to serve the people of Itezhi-Tezhi.

 

Madam Speaker, to the young people and the women of Itezhi-Tezhi, I dedicate my victory because they stood by me through thin and thick, and ensured that I got the victory because they believed that I was going to be the Messiah to change Itezhi-Tezhi’s face to another level.

 

Madam Speaker, during my five-year term and beyond, I will ensure that I fulfil their desires, especially the young people and the women, and bring the change which they desired. They want to be part of that change today more than ever before.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to give a brief background of Itezhi-Tezhi. It is a former Sub-Boma of Namwala created in 1987, and it has six chiefdoms and fifteen wards with a population of over 70,000 people. It lies right in the heart of the Kafue National Park, one the biggest and oldest national parks in Africa, and it is home of the Itezhi-Tezhi Hydro Power Station, which contributes about 120MW to the National Electricity Grid. The constituency has one of the best pastures in Zambia and a cattle population of over 157,000. It is also the largest contributor of the fish levy in Central Province. Despite the above-listed potential of that beautiful land, the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Government decided to neglect the people of Itezhi-Tezhi, and the only crime the people of Itezhi-Tezhi had committed was to belong to the Opposition. I think this is a political trajectory that we need to change, we, who are in the ‘New Dawn’ Government, by providing services to everyone regardless of the political party they belong to.

 

Madam Speaker, most of the projects in Itezhi-Tezhi were abandoned. The D769 Road is not passable because it was abandoned as a result of corruption. It was worked on just a bit, but a stretch of 65 km was abandoned, and the people of Itezhi-Tezhi have sent me to bring the message that they need the road to be worked on because it is an economic one.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Itezhi-Tezhi are surrounded by water, but they do not have safe and clean drinking water. The people in the urban areas are serviced by Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company. However, they do not feel that the service is what they deserve. The water is erratic and the people are facing more challenges.

 

Madam Speaker, tourism is another sector which is neglected in Itezhi-Tezhi. The constituency has great potential. Like the President mentioned, Livingstone is not tourism and tourism is not Livingstone. Itezhi-Tezhi provides a wide range of tourism services, among them issues around sunset sceneries, the beautiful lodges on the lakeside, safari drives, the Longola Hot Springs and an elephant orphanage. This potential of Itezhi-Tezhi needs to be uplifted and Itezhi-Tezhi marketed so that it contributes to the greater economic development of the constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, Itezhi-Tezhi does not have a district hospital. The only structure which is there was built in 1970 and only has about thirty bed spaces while the mortuary can only accommodate about eight people. Should there be a disaster in Itezhi-Tezhi, it will not be able to provide the health services that the people need.

 

Madam Speaker, just to add to the many challenges we face in Itezhi-Tezhi, young people do not have a youth skills centre. The youths are the people who delivered the UPND’s victory, and they are looking forward to having a youth skills centre where they will access many apprenticeship skills and knowledge that will make them employable and able to create their own jobs.

 

Madam Speaker, Itezhi-Tezhi produces about 120 MHz of electricity, which it contributes to the national grid, but the people of Itezhi-Tezhi still live without electricity. Many rural areas and chiefdoms do not have electricity. As usual, the PF Government introduced the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and mounted poles that are still just standing to date. The project has just been abandoned, and I look forward to a ‘New Dawn’ Government that will tend to support rural communities by ensuring that this project is picked up to provide electricity to the people of Itezhi-Tezhi.

 

Madam Speaker, among other challenges that I will be able to mention is institutional support. Itezhi-Tezhi is a new district where many Government departments lack institutional support. The police station and the Veterinary Department are one-roomed houses, and do not have district administration facilities. All these challenges make life for the people of Itezhi-Tezhi unbearable.

 

Madam Speaker, in the education sector, there is only one boarding school; the other two boarding schools, which are in the rural areas, are unbearable, with children sleeping on the floor. The community schools are deplorable. Being a teacher, I strongly feel the ‘New Dawn’ Government is going to look into these issues and provide equitable and quality basic and primary education to the people of Itezhi-Tezhi.

 

 Madam Speaker, allow me to comment on the President’s Speech that was tabled in the House. Let me mention that despite our friends acting blind to the President’s Speech, the speech was very precise and clear, and appealed to the young and the elderly people. It spoke to the jobless, whom the PF used to call disgruntled. The speech also addressed marketeers as well as young people with a vision and scientific mind, and who want to thrive in life. So, it is very sad that our colleagues would define this speech as Jelita and Mulenga literature. In my view, this speech is for the serious transformation of this economy.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, allow me to educate our colleagues on the left. This is the reason why Zambians are demanding free education. In the UPND, we want to extend free education to adult education because our colleagues need to be educated a bit.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, the President’s Speech does not have to have all the details; it is not the Yellow Book. So, we need adult education so that people can understand that the President’s Speech is just a synopsis; it will not touch everywhere. What the President alluded to, I think, gave us a clear blueprint of the direction which the UPND Government wants to take, and gave hope, especially, to the young people.

 

Madam Speaker, let me mention that in order for the UPND to realise this dream, it will need a very clean Public Service. The UPND is based on meritocracy. The Public Service was driven by political cadres who ran Government and parastatal institutions. For us, it is very clear that the system will be based on meritocracy. Only people who have competence and skills will run Government institutions. So, the current Government set-up needs a total overhaul. We need a clean-up. To those who are afraid that they will be arrested, I think that is not our problem because, at the moment, Zambians are suffering because of a poor Public Service where there is sabotage of Government institutions and, because of that, people are not receiving the services that they deserve.

 

Madam Speaker, the President also mentioned that cadreism should come to an end. He stated it in inverted commas and repeated the statement that there would be no more cadreism. Cadreism is the reason the PF has been packed. People turned up in large numbers to vote because they did not like cadreism. It is the reason we have registered many brutal killings in Zambia. The UPND Government is treading on the different trajectory of peace and fresh air. As we are speaking, they are in a hurry to push us to provide free education, meanwhile, Zambians know.

 

Hon. PF Members: Question!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, there may be games played for propaganda, but Zambians cannot be pushed because they understand that we have found a broken economy. They have patience, and understand that political freedom is a prerequisite to economic freedom. Therefore, they should give us a bit of space so that we also provide our services in a more orderly and systematic manner. Running a Government is not like the Garden of Eden where we make pronouncements like abracadabra. Things should be systematic and orderly. Free education is a must, but it will come at the right time, especially when we implement what we in UPND refer to as ‘Operation Recovery’. Our manifesto is very clear. We need to recover all stolen monies, and that is the money we shall use to provide the free education that Zambians are hungry for.

 

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. PF Member: Question!

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, the young people of Zambia have sent me to be their representative in this House. They are the ones who brought about this political change. The young people need jobs, and they are skilled. The young people you see are from universities and have all the skills to be employed. However, when you look at the system that we have inherited as the UPND, it is not a good one; it is a rotten system that needs a complete overhaul so that young people can be given opportunities to contribute to the development of this nation.

 

Madam Speaker, to end, let me just say that this speech now appeals to young people to position themselves. I think, for me –

 

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

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

  Mr Fube: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Member debating in order to use the word ‘rotten’? Is the word ‘rotten’ parliamentary?

 

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member will withdraw the word ‘rotten’.

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, I withdraw the word ‘rotten’ and replace it with ‘kubola’.

 

Laugher

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, meaning that it had gone bad.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mutinta: Madam Speaker, as I conclude, Zambians are in a hurry to see development. The fast-track court has to be put in place earlier than now so that, in that way, all those who are making the youths to be jobless because they embezzled Government funds are brought to book and we save enough resources to provide the services which Zambians want.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Hon. Member: Hon. Ema teacher aba! Ba lecturer!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, I am a bearer of greetings from the people of Nyimba to you, your two Deputies, and all the elected and nominated Members of Parliament. I also wish to compliment you on your election to this august House, together with the Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker. It is my honour and privilege to be in this august House to present my maiden speech.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank the gallant people of Nyimba for the confidence and trust they have shown in me by electing me on 12^th August, 2021, as their representative to this august House. My humble pledge to them is to return their big favour by always doing the best I can as their honourable servant. I salute them and commit my total effort to bringing to this House and the Government their concerns and needs. I also extend my hand of friendship to my colleagues who competed against me in the last elections, but were not successful. I say to them, ‘Let us work together for the good of the people of Nyimba. The campaigns are over and, for now, let us support one another. Bring forward your ideas and let us see how we can work as a team’.

 

Madam Speaker, the role of Members of Parliament is an enormous one. Not only are we expected to legislate; we are also expected by the people we represent to initiate and implement social and economic projects. In other words, we are agents of social and economic change.

 

Madam Speaker, I pray that the policies of the new Government of the United Party for National Development (UPND) on agriculture will greatly help my people in Nyimba whose mainstay is farming. Our mainstay, as people of Nyimba, is farming. I hope we will be able to access cheap farming inputs and receive them on time as promised by the UPND Government.

 

Madam Speaker, the struggle against poverty must be at the centre of our collective effort, as national leaders. It can only be won if Zambians and their national leaders, irrespective of their political and religious persuasions, put their heads and hands together and pull in one direction.

 

Madam Speaker, it is sad for us in Nyimba today. We are farmers and we grow a lot of food, but we do not have where to take our produce. As I am talking to you, the produce of the people of Nyakaloko, Mtilizi, Chimpanje and many areas within Nyimba will go to waste because the Government has failed to deliver empty grain bags, and this is affecting our people.

 

Madam Speaker, I do not know how we are going to fight this enemy called poverty. In my constituency, when it comes to the road network, there is nothing to talk about. Communication is another nightmare. You may wish to know that to date, fifty-seven years after Independence, our schools are still constructed by baboons.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: They are constructed of bamboo sticks. In addition to that, our schools are grass-thatched.  So, we have no support from the Government per se. The little thing you see on the Great East Road is all there is to see.

 

Madam Speaker, you may wish to note that Nyimba shares an international border with Mozambique and boundaries with Serenje, Mkushi and Chongwe. You may also wish to note that in the valleys, there is no Government representation. As I am talking to you, the people’s produce has been damaged by wild animals. Nyimba, I think, might overtake Mfuwe in terms of the population of elephants. Everything we produce, especially those in the valley, is being wasted by elephants and wild animals, and the little do we get from our current Government. so, I pray that the new Government will help us come up with a new law that will compel our game ranchers to fence off their game farms.

 

Madam Speaker, what has happened in the last one week in Chifukuzi area is that we have lost three cows to lions. These attacks occur year in and year out, but the Government has done nothing. I pray that the new hon. Minister of Tourism will not – I hope the hon. Minister of Tourism is in the House.

 

Mr Sialubalo: He is not here!

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Please, do not compromise. These are big guys and they can crush anyone. The only hon. Minister –

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, the use of the word ‘guys’ is unparliamentary.

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, they are big business guys

 

Laughter

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, sorry for that.

 

They are big businesses that can crush anyone who gets in their way. The only Minister who tried her level best was Hon. Sylvia Masebo, and I know she is back in the House. So, she will explain to the new hon. Minister of Tourism.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, I ask this Government to help us work on feeder roads in our district. It is sad that while in 2014, one Mr Michael Chilufya Sata gave us 14.7 km of our feeder roads to be upgraded from gravel to bituminous standard, the past Government failed to fund the project, whose cost was less than K65 million then. Today, we have been told that they have under-graded the same roads.

 

Madam Speaker, I hope the hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development is in the House.

 

Mr Sialubalo: He is not!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: I request him to upgrade 14.7 km of our township roads to bituminous standard. It is up to him to give us the roads or not. If we are not going to have this –

 

Laughter

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: The people of Nyimba are listening and watching. I have asked for the upgrading of roads to bituminous standard as allocated to us by Michael Chilufya Sata. We just need them back.

 

Madam Speaker, in the Rainy Season, you cannot drive from the Great East Road to the district hospital, which is situated less than a kilometre from the road. A 4x4 Land Cruiser cannot drive through that road, and we cannot keep on having the same problem year in and year out when we know that, with under K10 million or even under K5 million, we can work on that road.

 

Madam Speaker, the biggest basic school we have in Nyimba today is nothing to talk about, and it is a death trap. Can you imagine that three classroom blocks have been closed up while we are looking for just K1 million? We cannot find a million kwacha, but people are abusing the same money.

 

Madam Speaker, as I am talking to you, people were evacuated yesterday from the maternity wing at our urban clinic because we have no Government help whatsoever. It is my prayer that the ‘New Dawn’ Government is not going –

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The time for the hon. Member’s maiden speech expired.

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, let me go to the address by the President in this document (waving a booklet).

 

First and foremost, Madam Speaker, I support the speech by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, His Excellency.

 

UPND Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: I am just disappointed. I do not know, but whoever has prepared these speeches from the time of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government to date speaks the same language. Maybe, it is the implementers. I hope we now have better implementers who are going to implement the contents of the speech.

 

Madam Speaker, I will support the President, especially when he implements the support on skills development. What has happened today is that the only people we consider skilled in this country are those who are marketing managers, accountants, bookkeepers and lawyers. This country has produced more lawyers than artisans, and we think we can develop as a country. We cannot. We have produced more marketers than the artisans. Today, if a company came from anywhere to carry out a job a here, it would not find even a plumber, and we think we can develop. To me, it seems the President has asked too much from our researchers because we cannot even make a trailer or a simple chair in Zambia. The tables and benches we are seated on in this House are all imported. What kind of people are we who even fail to make a simple table? If you look at the tables we are sourcing today, you will agree with me that we can make better ones. Where I come from, there is mukula tree, and we can make better chairs and tables out of it than what we have here. If we start moving from that angle, then, we will start employing and have people raising money for ourselves because we will start exporting the same products we will manufacture.

 

Madam Speaker, it is sad, again, to note that the President addressed us on the transport sector. When he said the transport sector has been lop-sided on road transport, I wish he had explained more on that because local transporters are over-shadowed by foreign companies. The companies which have come into this country are the same people who have taken over business in the country because where they come from, they are funded and supported by their governments. However, in this country, if a local person comes up with a business, they will be told that they have no capacity to do this or that. This should come to an end. We need to promote our people and our businesses. There are many things we can do as country. The biggest problem we have is those who get into Government. I do not know whether they are bewitched or ideas run out. I hope President Hakainde Hichilema, also known as ‘Bally’, is going to be strong enough to face these challenges. Personally, I will support whichever progressive idea the President brings to this House. However, I am not going to support bad ideas.

 

I need to talk about something else now.

 

Madam, those who are coming into the Patriotic Front (PF) now may not know me. I was one of the first people in the PF. After the demise of the late President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, I moved out. This too much talk about the late Mr Kungo, who was my junior in the PF, should come to end. For now, let us suspend it. The investigative wings are carrying out their job.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Some of us were close to that man. By talking about him every day, do you know what you are doing to the family and kids? This is too much. Can we have respect for the dead? When I was PF Chairperson, I never tolerated the indiscipline which was recently tolerated in the PF.

 

Madam Speaker, I hope the PF hon. Members of Parliament know what has taken them where they are today. It is arrogance. They got into the Government on the pretext that they were going to support Michael Chilufya Sata’s policies, but they did not respect his policies. Instead, they went their own way. This is the reason they have found themselves on the left side, and I beg our hon. Colleagues in the UPND – We used to remind our colleagues in the PF to respect the late President Michael Chilufya Sata’s legacy. I put it to everyone and all hon. Members of Parliament that in the first three years of the leadership of Michael Chilufya Sata, we witnessed development in every corner and province of this country. I can challenge any hon. Member of Parliament to tell me where Michael Chilufya Sata did not start a project in the first three years he was in power. It is sad!

 

Mr E. Tambo: On a point of order, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr E. Tembo: Madam Speaker, Standing Order 65(1)(a) states that “a member who is debating shall confine his or her debate to the subject under discussion”.

 

Madam Speaker, I am aware that my brother is very passionate about the things he is talking about. However, he is out of order to not stick to His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema’s Speech and talk about that of other Presidents.

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member on the Floor, you are advised to be relevant and talk about issues that are before the House, not just wander about.

 

You may continue.

 

Mr Menyani Zulu: Madam Speaker, I know that it is very sad for my hon. Colleagues to respect the legacy of one Michael Chilufya Sata. Today, our hon. Colleagues in the UPND are crying because of unequal distribution of development. The country knows that the late President Michael Chilufya Sata started the construction of King Lewanika University and Luapula University. Where is King Lewanika University toady? If the PF had provided leadership by building King Lewanika University, people from the Western Province would still have maintained the PF. That is what I am talking about. I know that it is sad, but what I am talking about is that His Excellency the President said he has come up with the idea of how to distribute wealth to every part of this country. This is part of the President’s Speech. When we to remind our hon. Colleagues why they are on the other side of the House, I know it hurts, but they brought this on themselves.

 

My advice to the UPND is that they should ask Bwana Mutati why the MMD was voted out of power. We will also tell them why the PF came out of power: It is because of arrogance, disrespect for Zambians and cadreism. These must come to an end. Praise-singing should also come to an end. I have never been a praise singer. I will advise when it is wrong and I will praise when it is right.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Shakafuswa (Mandevu): Madam Speaker, let me start by expressing my deep gratitude and appreciation to you for giving me this opportunity to deliver my maiden speech in this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, I feel it is important for me, at this moment, to thank God Jehovah for His love and mercies, which have enabled me to be in this honourable House today as Member of Parliament for Mandevu Constituency.

 

Madam Speaker, may I also take this opportunity to welcome all hon. Members of Parliament to Mandevu, the host constituency of the National Assembly, the powerful legislative House in Zambia. You are welcome.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to humbly express my profound gratitude to the Former Republican President and President of the Patriotic Front (PF) Party, His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and the PF for my adoption and the support they gave me during and after the campaign period. I am truly grateful.

 

Madam Speaker, I will be failing in my duties if I do not recognise the immense contribution made by my family. To be specific, I thank my wife, Sibongile; my children, Jonas, Nokhutula and Janaya; my parents, Hon. Jonas Shakafuswa, Ms Patricia Chileshe Shimeo and Mrs Florence Mulenga Shakafuswa; and not forgetting my brothers and sisters for their support and encouragement throughout the campaign period to date.

 

Madam Speaker, with great gratitude and humility, I thank the wonderful people of Mandevu Constituency, who made it possible that I stand before this august House today, for not only giving me the vote, but also entrusting me with this great responsibility of being their representative so that, as a people, they can also get a fair share of the national cake. It is with thanksgiving that I pledge and assure them that I shall effectively, courageously and fearlessly execute my duties with due diligence and integrity.

 

Madam Speaker, let me also take this opportunity to thank my campaign team, the campaign manager, Mr Cephas Kanyanta, Mrs Bridget Imbuwa, Mr Cliff Bwalya, Alderman George Nyendwa and Mr Malenga Nkhata and the entire constituency team; Mr Chanda Bwalya; Luke Chisanga; Mr Eliyama Mwale of Katambalala Market; Mr Suwilanji Simutenda; Joseph Chikonde; and Chabala Mumbi and their families; and my drivers, Daggy, Bobo, Kateka, Tuta and Adam Mwanza. I also thank my media team, Vincent Mutale, Mr Lukas Tompwe, Mr Gibson Phiri, Mr Robert Musonda Mwenshi, popularly known as Shikulu Michael and Mr Noel Muzungu.

 

Madam Speaker, my gratitude goes to their Royal Highnesses Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II and Chieftainess Mungule of Lusaka and Central provinces for their encouragement and blessings. I also thank my friends and all co-operative markets, marketeers, churches and well-wishers for their invaluable, unwavering and unrelenting moral, spiritual and material support rendered to me during the campaign period. I further express my special thanks to my predecessor, Hon. Jean Kapata, for contributing to the development of the constituency during her tenure of office, and for her encouragement, having worked with her in my capacity of Ward Councillor and Deputy Mayor of the great City of Lusaka.

 

Madam Speaker, the general election was generally peaceful. However, some pockets of violence were experienced in a few parts of the country, such as Lusaka and the North-Western Province, where deaths were recorded. This is a vice which must be condemned by all the hon. Members of this House. I, therefore, urge all the hon. Members of this House to preach and practice peace at all times for our great nation to continue being regarded as a beacon of peace.

 

Madam Speaker, Mandevu is a peri-urban constituency, and it is a second largest constituency is Zambia with regard to population, its population being 459,929 according to the 2019 random sampling survey by the Central Statistical Office (CSO). With such a huge population, challenges are inevitable.

 

Madam Speaker, let me commend the previous Government for the many developmental projects it undertook across the country, including in Mandevu Constituency. I have in mind the construction of health posts; upgrading of primary schools into secondary schools; and construction, rehabilitation and expansion of roads, among others. Despite these developments, Mandevu, like any other peri-urban constituency, is faced with developmental challenges. These include high levels of poverty; inadequate health, educational and skills and recreation facilities; youth unemployment; erratic water supply; poor sanitation; and poor waste management.

 

Madam Speaker, the constituency has seventeen public primary and secondary schools. However, there is a need for the Government to construct more secondary and primary schools, and teachers’ houses to reduce the distance learners have to travel to school.

 

Madam Speaker, Mandevu Constituency has about eleven health posts, including a Level-One Hospital. With the decentralisation of access to health services, the constituency needs more health posts to reduce the long distances that people have to travel to access health services. There is also a need to include specialised services in those facilities.

 

Madam Speaker, while some roads have been worked on, more still need to be attended to, especially in Mpulungu, Roma, Kabanana, Raphael Chota and Justine Kabwe wards. Furthermore, there is a need to construct Dela One Bridge in Roma Ward. I will also work tirelessly to ensure that Mandevu Constituency has a proper drainage system to combat issues of flash floods during the Rainy Season.

 

Madam Speaker, water is equally a very important sector that I wish to address. A number of boreholes have been drilled in the constituency by co-operating partners and through public-private partnerships (PPPs). However, there has been a rise in demand for water supply due to an increase in the population. As a result, most areas are not serviced and rely on domestic boreholes. I pledge to work with the Government in ensuring that the water challenges in the constituency are addressed.

 

Madam Speaker, the other critical area that I want to focus on is that of women and youth empowerment. This group of our population has been marginalised for quite some time. I am aware that the previous Government developed and implemented various women and youth empowerment programmes in its quest to reduce poverty levels in the nation. I am, therefore, looking forward to working closely with the ministries responsible for women and youths in ensuring that a number of my constituents benefit from those programmes. The only hindrance I foresee to this gesture by the Government is the bureaucracy associated with accessing the funds. My appeal to Government is that it helps more women and youths to access empowerment funds by ensuring that the process is free of red tape.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, let me state that being in the Opposition does not mean that one is not part of the Government. As the Legislative Arm of the Government, we shall support progressive programmes and offer credible checks and balances that will benefit the people of Zambia who have entrusted us with this task.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Madam Speaker, sorry, the mask disturbs me.

 

Madam, allow me comment on the Motion of Thanks in three thematic areas, which are education, good governance and the decentralisation policy with regard to good governance.

 

Madam Speaker, education is the key to development for every nation, and it helps in the shaping of a better society. The Republican and United Party for National Development (UPND) President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, promised the people of Zambia, in particular the youths, free education from Grade 1 to university. However, in the President’s Speech, there is no mention of the implementation of free education. On Friday, I listened to Her Honour the Vice-President, Madam Mutale Nalumango, admit on the Floor of this House that the UPND had promised free education to the youths, the children of Zambia, and she admitted that, to the UPND, that meant a lot. However, she said that the policy will be implemented progressively. As a youth Parliamentarian, I feel this is a betrayal of my fellow youth. I want to support the UPND Government in implementing this free education policy. Therefore, I urge all Parliamentarians, both on your left and your right, to support a Motion that I will move before this House in the near future to compel the UPND Government to implement free education so that it benefits the Zambian youth.

 

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia emphasised the need for good governance, restoration of the rule of law and protection of human rights and property. This is contained on pages 46, 51 and 57 of his speech. However, I have noted a lack of implementation of this serious Presidential pronouncement, which borders on the highest policy of the ‘New Dawn’ Government.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to narrate that on Monday, 13^th September, 2021, I was one of the witnesses to the Mayoral petition that has been decided in favour of the current Mayor. As I went to appear before the honourable tribunal, my driver was chased from the premises of the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court Complex and my car was almost stoned. Further, just yesterday, while the PF Vice-President, Hon. Given Lubinda, was addressing the press, we saw UPND cadres at the PF Secretariat wanting to beat our youths. When they were stopped, they went to town around Katondo Street and grabbed peoples’ mobile phones. They proceeded to the Kamwala Trading Area where a police officer who challenged one of them was hacked in the head. I am talking about lawlessness.

 

Hon. Government Members: Question!

 

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

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order has been raised.

 

Mr Haimbe: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order in relation to Standing Order 65. We cannot continue to belabour the point. One of the previous hon. Members was cautioned by you with regard to the same line of debate. I rise on a point of order because this, again, is a speculative debate.

 

Is the hon. Member in order?

 

Madam Speaker: The hon. Member on the Floor should avoid speculation, stick to facts and remain relevant.

 

Mr Shakafuswa: Most obliged, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, I am debating Presidential pronouncements. Allow me to quote page 57, paragraph 2, where the President says:

 

“We must promote peaceful coexistence and put an end to violence against each other”.

 

This is a serious pronouncement by the Head of State, yet yesterday, we witnessed violence against the people of Lusaka. My youths in Mandevu are not sleeping in their homes because they have been threatened to be killed. I am talking about –

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, I have guided. Do not be speculative. If you have proof that your members are being harassed by the UPND, you should bring evidence or lay the information before this honourable House.

 

Mr Shakafuswa: Most obliged, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam, allow me to comment on the decentralisation policy, on which the President said the following on page 51:

 

“The Government will, therefore, accelerate the implementation of decentralisation of functions –”

 

Mr Mung’andu: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

 

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Madam Speaker, I raise this point of order with reference to one of the Standing Orders. My Standing Orders book is far from where I am, but it is a Standing Order that gives freedom to hon. Members of Parliament to debate. I am raising the –

 

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member, before you proceed, you need to cite the Standing Order, law or privilege that has been breached.

 

Mr Mung’andu: Madam Speaker, I am trying to look for a copy of the Standing Orders. I have read the Standing Orders, but I cannot specifically remember. It has to do with the privilege of a Member to debate freely.

 

Madam, Hon. Shakafuswa is raising important matters to do with the President’s Speech and giving examples in his debate. Is the House in order to curtail the hon. Member, who is trying to give examples of what the President has just delivered? This House will be deemed to be irrelevant for as long as we continue curtailing debate that is factual.

 

Madam Speaker, it is a fact that the police were in town today trying to chase United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres who were attacking people in the markets and bus stations. They went to the secretariat yesterday to attack the vice-president of our party. Those are facts, and the people should know.

 

Madam, we support President Hakainde Hichilema’s pronouncements on violence. We are probably on the left of this House because of cadreism; we let our cadres loose, and they are repeating the same mistake. Is the House in order to prevent the hon. Member –

 

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Member!

 

Your point of order should be precise and to the point. You are now debating your point of order. So, for that reason only, the point of order is inadmissible.

 

The hon. Member who was debating can continue.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Shakafuswa: Madam Speaker, I was on page 51, where I was quoting the President when he said the following:

 

“The Government will, therefore, accelerate the implementation of the decentralisation of functions from the Central Government to the local authority with matching resources”.

 

I commend the President for continuing the Decentralisation policy that the late President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, started. This is the only way development will reach the grassroots communities of the people of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, at the core of decentralisation is an office that is usually overlooked; that of the Ward Councillor. Those are the people not only responsible for coming up with inclusive programmes, but also the policies at the local government level. So, I urge the hon. Minister of Finance to remember this office as he presents his Budget by giving it proper remuneration so that it can carry out its functions effectively.

 

Madam Speaker, I end by stating that we will support the ‘New Dawn’ Government in implementing its agricultural policies. Giving twelve bags of fertiliser to farmers is the way to go.

 

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

 

Mr Andeleki (Katombola): Madam Speaker, allow me to begin by thanking you most sincerely for according me and the people of Katombola Constituency an opportunity to debate and contribute to the Motion on the Floor of this august House regarding the speech delivered by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema during the Official Opening of the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 10^th September, 2021.

 

Madam Speaker, before I proceed to delve into the Motion before this august House, allow me to begin by delivering my landmark maiden speech, which will mark the breaking ceremony in my grand entry into active politics in the Republic of Zambia and at the international level.

 

 Madam Speaker, firstly, allow me to join many other hon. Members in congratulating you on your historic and well-deserved election as the first female Speaker of this august House.  I am personally proud of your historical achievements as a frontline human rights defender, which you were before ascending to this high office. I salute you for being a true child of the soil.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also extend my congratulations to your two deputies on their being elected Presiding Officers for this august House.

 

Madam Speaker, I will be failing in my duty if I did not extend special congratulations to the President of the Republic of Zambia and Her Honour the Vice-President on ascending to the highest offices of the land.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate the brilliant hon. Members who have been appointed to be Cabinet Ministers in the ‘Zambia We Want’ Government.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also pay special tribute to the mighty United Party for National Development (UPND) for entrusting me with the onerous responsibility of superintending over the welfare of the people of Katombola Constituency, in whom I am well pleased. I would like to assure the people of Katombola Constituency that I will not let them down. Work starts now. The people of Katombola Constituency have suffered a lot under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, owing to the PF’s poor policies on agriculture, which failed to deliver any development in Katombola Constituency of Kazungula District.

 

Madam Speaker, I pay glowing tribute to my most beloved wife, Lillian Kaumbi Andeleki, and the children of the family, who allowed me to seek public office in the 2021 General Election.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to pay tribute to my campaign team, which was led by the District Vice-Chairman, Mr Elias Mulwa, and Mr Charles Mweembe, and the two very important members who almost lost their lives because we had a very terrible accident during the campaigns. These are Mrs Kamanisha and Madam Sophie Jani.

 

I also thank the party at various levels for working with us in Katombola. I think we gave the PF what it deserved.

 

Mr Mubika: Yes!

 

Mr Andeleki: This was a big whip or slap in the face. Over 42,000 votes to 1,000.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Mubika: Tu PF.

 

Mr Andeleki: That was a very good message that the people of Katombola do not buy into fake promises of a brutal and corrupt regime.

 

Madam Speaker, I also pay special tribute to the five Chiefs of Katombola Constituency in Kazungula District, namely Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people, of which I am one; Chief Musokotwane, Chief Nyawa, Chief Sekute and Chief Moomba.

 

 

Madam Speaker, I also thank the Church in Kazungula District and the mighty UPND at all the various levels, from the national down to the branches levels, for supporting me and working as a team to remove the PF and guard the elections against being rigged, which was a biggest threat that we faced in the 2021 General Elections.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to extend particular gratitude to the people of Katombola Constituency who braved long queues on the 12^th day of August to cast their valuable votes to usher in the ‘Zambia We Want’ UPND Government, the ‘New Dawn’ Government, and remove the repressive regime of the PF; a brutal and tyrannical regime that had gone on rampage closing media houses, such as The Post Newspapers, Prime Television and Muvi Television, and arresting innocent persons on trumped-up charges and forced some to go into exile, such as the human rights defender, Mr Gregory Chifire.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to also place on record the fact that the PF Government will go into the books of history as the brutal and most ruthless Government, …

 

Mr Mubika: Most corrupt!

 

Mr Andeleki: … which went on rampage retiring innocent civil servants in the national interest when it knew very well that was retirement in the PF interest, not national interest.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Andeleki: Shame on you, the PF! That is the reason they are seated on the left where they are supposed to be.

 

Mr Mubika: Where they belong.

 

Mr Andeleki: Madam Speaker, the PF will go into the history of this country as the most heartless Government, thanks to the gallant men whom we recall who decided to remain professional in the Civil Service, such as the Former Sesheke District Police Commanding Officer, Mr Shapa Wakuñuma, and his colleagues, who paid a huge price for standing with the people of Zambia and on the right side of history.

 

Mr Mubika: Na bashapile.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Andeleki: Madam Speaker, Katombola, as you may know, is a very rural consistency located in Kazungula District of the Southern Province, and it is host to the mighty Zambezi River, yet its people are very poor. The constituency must be delimitated into three constituencies if development is to be realised there because it is the second biggest constituency in the Republic of Zambia.

 

Mr Mubika: We will do it.

 

Mr Andeleki: Madam Speaker, there is no development to talk about in Katombola Constituency. The PF Government’s pronouncement of massive development is only on paper, and universal access to clean drinking water in Katombola is a nightmare despite the constituency hosting the mighty Zambezi River. The PF Government, in its ten years of misrule, failed to provide a road network and could not even repair the international road, the Kazungula/Sesheke Road, which is an eyesore and a shame to the international community.

 

Madam Speaker, the selective development agenda pursued by the now Opposition PF while in Government is highly regrettable. The party failed even to take the telephone network to Kazungula District. My people still climb tall tress like monkeys owing to the level of hatred practiced by the PF Government against them during its rule.

 

Hon. Government Members: Sad!

 

Mr Andeleki: Madam Speaker, the people of Katombola Constituency who sent me to this House need universal access to education. Their children still sit on the floor and learn in make-shift buildings.

 

Madam Speaker, the poor policies of the PF on matters to do with electricity are also an issue. My people have no electricity despite the Victoria Falls generating the electricity that Zambia exports to other countries.

 

Madam Speaker, the people of Katombola Constituency require proper education facilities; we want schools to be upgraded and our civil servants working in rural areas to be motivated. The PF failed to attract qualified staff by upgrading salaries and wages for teachers, nurses and other people working in rural areas.

 

Madam Speaker, as regards the road network, I would also like to indicate that it is a shame that the PF Government –

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The time for the hon. Member’s maiden speech expired.

 

Mr Andeleki: Madam Speaker, allow me to move on to the debate on the President’s Speech.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to begin the debate on the President’s Speech by congratulation His Excellency on delivering a soul-moving special address to this august House. The speech covered a number of important governance areas, which depicts the ‘New Dawn’ Government and how it will rule this country for the next five years.

 

Madam Speaker, I want to concentrate on one or two areas, particularly on health care.

 

Madam Speaker, I thank the President for touching on the provision of universal health care in the Republic of Zambia. I appreciate and commend the position taken by his Excellency the President.

 

Madam Speaker, in Katombola Constituency, we do not have any facility to talk about in terms of health care. We have only small health posts where there is no electricity. We have a situation in which when our people die, they have to be buried the same day owing to a lack of electricity and mortuaries. Whether a person dies in the morning or in the afternoon, he is buried the same day. Fifty-seven years after Independence, this is highly regrettable, and I wish to commend the President for coming to this august House and speaking on his desire to provide access to health care and free education.

 

Madam Speaker, on free education, I want to emphasise that the United Party for National Development (UPND), as I know, will deliver on the policy. I assure Hon. Shakafuswa, who talked about moving a Motion, that  we will not only defeat his Bill here, but that his Bill will be brought in dead (BID), like my hon. Colleague said. The UPND, must be given time. You were given ten years in which you failed to develop this country.

 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Andeleki: Free education is a must under the UPND Government only to those who cannot afford, not to me.

 

We are also going to provide jobs.

 

Madam Speaker, on the fight against corruption and national plunder, the President announced that the Government is going to pursue a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in all its forms, and that there will be no sacred cow in the fight. This subject is dear to my heart, as a lawyer and a former police man. I am also am eminent scholar in the Republic of Zambia. The pronouncement could not have come at a better time than now, as corruption has a very ugly face.

 

Madam Speaker, under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, like I have already indicated, the institutions of governance were highly compromised and corruption was the order of the day, as it was evident in Ministers flying their vehicles to court throughout their ten-year rule. This is not a witch-hunt. Corruption drains the much-need resources that can help to develop our country. As it is public knowledge now, people are being found with large sums of money in their homes, and that is just a tip of the iceberg of the corruption. Some were even here saying K2 million is just change for shopping, trying to demonstrate the level of pilfering of public resources.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Andeleki:  I want, as I debate the President’s Speech on corruption, to state that stealing of public fund must be seriously criminalised in this country. Anyone who steals public funds must be sentenced to hang by the neck until pronounced dead, as corruption condemns the nation to poverty. I want to repeat that corruption and embezzlement of public funds must be treated the same as treason because the adverse effects of corruption are very clear; people lose lives in hospitals. I am aware of what happened with Honey Bee scandal, and I want to place it on record that the case will be revisited and that I will soon report it to the police because I am aware that the US$17 million that was paid by the Ministry of Health to Honey Bee has not yet been recovered. All that we saw, in support of corruption, is that one of our colleagues was dropped as Minister. To date, the money has not yet been refunded.

 

Madam Speaker, we require that money in Katombola. As I have indicated already, we do not have a mortuary, and that money can go a long way in funding the constructions of mortuaries and health facilities to improve the welfare of our people. Corruption is evil, as it retards national development.

 

Madam, the Auditor-General’s Reports and the Financial Intelligence (FIC) Reports have shown massive plunder of national resources on the part of the PF Government, and I support the pronouncement by His Excellency on the creation of the fast-track stolen assets recovery mechanism, and courts on corruption and economic crimes. This I vehemently support, and I want to ensure that before that is done, an amnesty is extended to all those who steal people’s money in the Republic of Zambia to refund the same within thirty days before the State can invoke the stolen assets recovery mechanisms because when invoking the mechanism will be very costly.

 

Madam Speaker, it is regrettable that the Former President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, could go to the extent of saying in Bemba that, “Ngatwalanda ati uubombo mwibala alya mwibala, tatulelanda ati kulya na imbuto”, meaning, “When we allowed you to derive personal benefits from your places of work, we did not say you should also steal and leave the Treasury empty”, which the PF did.

 

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

 

Madam Speaker, I support the President’s statement that culprits must be brought to book immediately and made to return the people’s money. I am also aware of the burning down of the City Market and that, on the 4^th day of July, 2017, Madam Inonge Mutukwa Wina said she had evidence on which people had burnt down the market. Since Her Honour is still alive, she will do well to help the police and give information on who burnt down the market.

 

Madam Speaker, regarding judicial and constitutional reforms, I support the constitutional reforms and propose the disbanding of the Constitutional Court, as it has not served the purpose for which it was created. Allowing the Constitutional Court to remain in its current state would land this country in a constitutional crisis and promote civil war. The court has been very disgraceful, and it is a shame in to have such a court a democracy.

 

Madam Speaker, may I end by addressing the issue of human rights.

 

Madam, a number of lives were lost at the hands of the police, and we have on record Public Prosecutor, Nsama Nsama –  

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Hon. Member for Pemba.

 

Mrs Mazoka (Nominated):  Madam Speaker, I have not yet indicated.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Hamwaata (Pemba): Madam Speaker, warm greetings from the people of Pemba Constituency and special thanks for allowing me to deliver my first maiden speech.

 

May I make it clear from the outset that, today, I am making my maiden speech. I am not debating the President’s Speech.

 

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people for Pemba Constituency and, indeed, on my own behalf, it is with great honour and privilege for me to congratulate his Excellency Mr Hakainde S. Hichilema and Her Honour Mrs Mutale Nalumango on their resounding victory in the 12^th August, 2021, General Elections, in which they were respectively elected Republican President and Vice-President of this great nation, the Republic of Zambia.

 

Madam Speaker, allow me to congratulate you on being elected the first ever female Speaker, in the history of Zambia. I also extend my congratulations to your two deputies. Going by your track records, I have no doubt in my mind that this august House is in safe hands. Further, congratulations go to my fellow hon. Members of Parliament across all political parties on their victory in the August 12^th 2021, General Election. I also congratulate the hon. Members of Parliament on your right on their appointments as Ministers. Kudos to His Excellency the Republican President, Mr Hakainde S. Hichilema, for sticking to his word of appointing a regionally very well-balanced Cabinet in an effort –

 

Madam Speaker: Order!

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(Debate adjourned)

 

The House adjourned at 1840 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 22^nd September, 2021.

 

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