Zambia: President Hakainde Hichilema’s Address to Parliament

The text of a national address to Parliament by President Hakainde Hichilema:

Introduction

Madam speaker, we are delighted to be back in this august house after our maiden address on 13th september, 2021, when we officially opened the First Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Today, we are pleased to have an opportunity to address the house and indeed the nation, on the progress made in the Application of National Values and Principles.

This is a requirement under Articles 9 and 86 (1) of the Zambian Constitution.

Obituary

Madam speaker, allow us to begin by paying tribute to our fallen honourable member of parliament for kabwata constituency, Mr. Levy Mkandawire, who passed away on 18th November, 2021.

His untimely death has robbed the people of Kabwata Constituency, this August House, and the nation at large of his valuable contribution.

Madam Speaker, honourable Members, let us be upstanding and observe a minute of silence in honour of the late Member of Parliament. (Pause for a minute of silence)

May the soul of our departed member of parliament rest in eternal peace.

Madam speaker, following the untimely death of Mr. Levy Mkandawire, a by-election was held on 3rd February, 2022 and the people of Kabwata Constituency elected Mr. Andrew Tayengwa, as their new Member of Parliament.

We congratulate you, Mr. Tayengwa, and we urge you to serve your constituency and the country with honour and distinction.

Madam Speaker, the National Values and Principles, as enshrined in Article 8 of the Constitution, are:

I. Morality and ethics;

Ii. Patriotism and national unity;

Iii. Democracy and constitutionalism;

Iv. Human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination;

V. Good governance and integrity; and

Vi. Sustainable development.

Madam Speaker, as the New Dawn administration, we recognise the importance of these National Values and Principles in shaping our individual and national character.

At individual level, they shape the moral fibre for personal development.

At institutional level, they guide in decision making and implementation of policies.

At national level, these values and principles are an important moral compass.

They promote hard work, accountability and selfdiscipline which are critical to national development.

We should, therefore, embrace these values and principles and make them our way of life.

Madam Speaker, allow me to report on the progress we have made as a country in the application of our national values and principles for the period under review.

Morality and ethics

As a nation, we have made progress in the application of morality and ethics.

However, more remains to be done as incidences of immoral and unethical conduct continue to be high.

These include:

– Alcohol and substance abuse,

– Child marriages,

– Teenage pregnancies,

– Gender based violence,

– Corruption

– And abuse of information and communication technology and social media.

Madam Speaker, in order to curb alcohol abuse, government has continued to implement the national alcohol policy, which provides for a coordinated response to address the scourge.

In implementing the policy, one of the measures has been the sensitisation of citizens on the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse.

Government is also providing rehabilitation services which are available in provincial hospitals, as well as in public and private institutions in selected districts.

Madam speaker, government enacted the cannabis act no. 33 Of 2021 and the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances act no. 35 Of 2021 to, among other things, regulate the use of these substances. Our administration will ensure that these pieces of legislation are effectively enforced.

Madam Speaker, the fight against alcohol and substance abuse is not for government alone. Let us all get involved and help our fellow citizens, especially the youth.

To the parents, let us not neglect our responsibility of moulding our children into morally upright citizens.

To the church, civil society and traditional leadership, let us all take interest and participate in the fight against this scourge.

To the youth, we urge you to refrain from abusing alcohol and other drugs.

To the private sector, especially the liquor industry, we implore you to put in place measures and programmes that will help our people refrain from alcohol and substance abuse.

We further implore you to operate within the confines of the law.

In particular, we call upon the local authorities to strictly enforce the by-laws that regulate the sell and consumption of alcohol.

Madam Speaker, another issue affecting our moral and ethical standing as a nation is the manner in which information and communication technologies (ict) as well as social media platforms are utilised.

These platforms have made it easy for us to interact, share information, undertake business transactions and enhance our democracy.

However, government is concerned that some of our citizens are using these platforms to perpetrate hate speech, cyberbullying, fake news, cybercrime and circulation of obscene materials, among other vices.

It is important that we use these platforms responsibly for the betterment of our nation.

Madam Speaker, government is determined to put a stop to irresponsible use of “ICT” as well as abuse of social media platforms.

This vice must not be celebrated or condoned in our society.

Laws to protect citizens from this illegality will be enforced vigorously.

Let us use these platforms for good and to foster the continued development of our democracy, creativity, entertainment, legitimate news and business, to name a few opportunities it brings.

Madam Speaker, child marriages and teenage pregnancies have remained serious issues in our country.

We have cases of girls as young as 12 years old being married off.

We have cases of teenage girls, who are still children themselves, having children.

These teenage girls are exposed to health complications and even death.

This is immoral. This is unacceptable. This should not be tolerated.

To this end, we have partnered with traditional and civic leaders, the church and civil society organisations to sensitise communities on the dangers of child marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Further, government is implementing the school reentry policy and the keeping girls in school programme

To ensure that the girl child remains in school and is protected from these vices.

Additionally, the free education policy among other measures, will further improve the circumstances of

The girl child and the communities at large.

Going forward, government will harmonise all child related legislation to enhance children’s rights and welfare.

We will enforce the laws and bring to book those who

Marry teenage girls, and parents and guardians, who marry off our girls.

We want our children to be protected from any form of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Madam Speaker, gender based violence is another vice that continues to affect our country.

Government is working with various stakeholders to address this vice.

In 2021, a total of 20,540 cases of gender based violence were recorded compared to 26,370 in 2020.

This suggests a decrease of 22.1 percent.

In spite of this reduction, a lot still needs to be done.

Government is also concerned about acts of gender based violence that go unreported.

This is especially common in rural areas.

We urge our citizens to be alert, make this fight personal and report any form of gender based violence to the law enforcement agencies.

This is the only way in which victims can be assisted and perpetrators punished.

Government will continue to work with all stakeholders in implementing measures aimed at reducing incidences of gender based violence in our communities.

Working together, we can reduce to minimum, gender based violence.

We must love one another, because where love is present, there will be no violence.

Our households, our communities and our nation, will be better off if we lead our lives with love for one another.

Madam speaker, ethical conduct is critical to achieving our development agenda.

We need a professional and ethical workforce. It is in this regard that government has continued to sensitise public service workers on codes of ethics and conduct.

The New Dawn administration is determined to change the mind-set of our citizens, especially public service workers.

We therefore, call upon all professional bodies and associations to sensitise their members on their respective professional codes of conduct and ensure that these are enforced to the letter.

Patriotism and national unity

Madam Speaker, Zambia is our country. Zambia is our heritage. Zambia belongs to all of us. It is our duty, therefore, to nurture a strong sense of patriotism, which entails putting the interest of our nation first.

This includes participation in national governance and safeguarding national assets.

The responsibility to demonstrate loyalty, love and dedication to our country remains with us.

We are proud of all our citizens who continue to carry the Sambian flag high with a sense of national pride in areas such as sport, entertainment and science.

Let us be inspired by these shining stars and emulate their hard work and sense of patriotism.

We must embrace the value of hard work at personal, organizational and national levels.

From our own experience, work, work, and more work, delivers results.

We must be disciplined and aim for excellence.

This is the only way we can enhance our productivity as a country.

Madam Speaker, as a people, we have the responsibility to continue safeguarding our national assets for the common good.

We are, however, concerned that some of our national assets, such as electricity infrastructure, road furniture and markets, continue to be vandalised.

This vice must be condemned and stopped at all cost.

It does not only disrupt service delivery but also derails progress towards a better Zambia.

We therefore, call upon all citizens to love and put our country and its interests, first.

Madam Speaker, our government is determined to continue promoting the consumption of locally produced goods and services.

This is key to our socio-economic transformation agenda.

We are making progress in this area as more of our citizens are consuming our local products.

This is evidenced by the increased shelf space for local products in trading areas and shops.

We now have 47 local companies certified to use the official proudly Zambian logo, covering 565 local products registered with a mark of quality under the Buy Zambia campaign.

This is progress compared to 33 companies certified in 2020, covering 500 products.

Further, this administration will promote and strengthen initiatives aimed at increasing the use of local inputs in various processes and production value chains.

Value addition is an essential component, among others, to driving the growth of our economy.

Madam Speaker, it is gratifying to witness increased acts of care from citizens and organisations, who have been rendering support to the needy on a voluntary basis. Some citizens have been offering their services and resources to serve their respective communities.

We salute all those who volunteer their services and provide resources in their communities.

These include faith-based organisations, churches, members of the ward development committees and the community welfare assistance committees, among others.

Madam Speaker, a new dawn is here.

It is time to work hard and build our country as a united people.

It is time to stop any form of division based on ethnicity, political, religious, or any other differences.

We are one Zambia, one nation, one people.

We must rid ourselves of acts that divide us.

We are Zambians first before affiliation to a political, religious, ethnic, or social grouping.

In this regard, we must enjoy our freedoms and rights without fear of victimisation.

There is no honour in cadreism, violence, and discrimination against fellow citizens.

To those who want to commit these crimes, you are on your own.

The law will visit you regardless of your political affiliation.

We urge our citizens to report any form of harassment, discrimination and violence in markets, bus stations or public offices to law enforcement agencies.

Government will uphold the rule of law and accord everyone equal treatment in line with the law and our national values and principles.

Going forward, law and order everywhere and all the time, should be the norm, and not the violence and hooliganism of the past.

Democracy and constitutionalism

Madam Speaker, in a democracy like ours, the people are supreme and are the highest form of political authority. Indeed, the Zambian people are our masters. We are proud that our thriving democracy continues to be a shining example in the region and on the continent.

There is need to always remember that those of us in positions of authority, are there, courtesy of the people of zambia, to serve and not to take away from them.

Madam Speaker, the new dawn administration is committed to creating a level playing field where democracy can thrive and an environment in which political actors freely compete on ideas, convictions and service.

This is evident from the recently held by-elections at parliamentary and local government levels, where political parties campaigned freely devoid of violence.

We thank the political parties, the people of Kabwata Constituency in Lusaka, Liangati ward in Senanga and Sokontwe Ward in Milenge for the peaceful by-elections.

This is indeed, how it should be.

This demonstrates our deepening democracy.

Madam speaker, the New Dawn administration respects the principle of separation of powers among the three arms of government.

While coordination is of vital importance, we will, however, continue to respect the autonomy of the executive, legislature and judiciary in carrying out their respective constitutional mandates.

Madam Speaker, as indicated, our administration remains committed to the rule of law to ensure an orderly and just society.

All persons, institutions and entities, public and private, shall operate within the confines of the law.

We will enforce the law equally regardless of one’s status in society.

Constitutional reforms are an integral part of the transformational agenda of this administration.

In this regard, government shall undertake all necessary measures to gather and build consensus with all stakeholders on how best we can give ourselves a constitution that reflects our shared and cherished aspirations as a people.

For example, some of us will continue to lobby you and others for the nation to legislate against costly, time consuming and disruptive by-elections.

Elections should happen once in every five years.

In between elections, we should focus all available time and resources to improving the lives of our fellow citizens.

In addition, working with you and other stakeholders, our administration will amend the public order act in line with our democratic tenets.

Human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and nondiscrimination.

Madam Speaker, enhancing human development for our people is a major priority for government.

We are committed to turning around our economy to accelerate socio-economic transformation and uplift the livelihoods of the citizenry.

In this regard, more effort will be placed on creating opportunities and a conducive environment for increased productivity.

Madam Speaker, our government is determined to have a dignified workforce.

Employers should comply with our labour laws and provide a conducive environment for the workers.

It is in this regard that under the decent work programme, over 3,800 labour inspections were undertaken in 2021 to enhance the protection of workers’ rights, improve the work environment and productivity.

It is clear that a lot still remains to be done to promote the decent work agenda.

All employers should ensure that they comply with labour laws.

We also urge employees to bring to the attention of government, through the labour office, any concerns they may have, for improvement.

We believe that, working together, the work environment and productivity will improve.

Madam Speaker, we are concerned with the high unemployment levels amongst our youth.

The new dawn administration will review, realign and add new youth empowerment programmes to make them more relevant, viable and sustainable. This process has infact, already commenced.

We urge the youth to take advantage of the empowerment programmes such as those under the dramatically enhanced constituency development fund (cdf), to better their lives. Opportunities for access to land, mining licences, timber licences, and contracts for goods and services will be expanded.

Additionally, our strategy to promote investment and private sector growth will not only bring about economic growth but create jobs and business opportunities.

Self-employment will contunue to be promoted and should be valued.

Madam speaker, as a nation, we have a duty to educate every zambian child, regardless of status.

As stated earlier, our first bold step in this regard was to make primary and secondary education free at public schools.

When others mocked us that this was not possible, we insisted that it was and we are doing it.

Additionally, we are also keeping more vulnerable children in school by enhancing the school feeding programme.

This is not only ensuring that pupils are not absent from class but also improving their learning outcomes.

Madam Speaker, our government is constructing public infrastructure

In all parts of the country to bring public services closer to the people and address the development inequalities between rural and urban areas.

Rural connectivity, transportation, access to electricity, among others, are high on our agenda.

Projects have been initiated and once commissioned, more of our people in peri-urban and rural areas will have access to markets, access to electricity and ease of doing business will improve.

We are also working to enhance access to water and sanitation, using cdf and other mechanisms.

Madam speaker, as indicated, we have significantly increased and expanded the constituency development fund from 1.6 Million kwacha to 25.7 Million kwacha per constituency.

Our citizens, at the constituency level, now have an opportunity to determine and implement their developmental priorities in line with our decentralisation agenda.

The programmes shall be driven by the community.

This will promote entrepreneurship, improve local economies and the livelihoods of our people.

Good governance and integrity

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn administration is committed to good governance.

To this end, we are determined to see to it that all those entrusted with public affairs management must be responsible, accountable and transparent.

Madam speaker, we are committed to fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law and ensuring prudence in the utilization of public resources.

Corruption takes away the much-needed resources for economic growth, jobs, business opportunities, improving education, health and other social services.

Corruption reduces the effectiveness of public administration. We must fight corruption in all its forms and manifestations.

It is therefore wrong for the corrupt to deliberately and intentionally label themselves as victims in the fight against corruption so as to gain sympathy from the public.

Children, women, the youth, and other vulnerable members of our society remain the true victims of corruptions.

Madam Speaker, government has also established the financial and economic crimes court to expedite the disposal of cases.

This government will not falter in the fight against corruption. There will be no sacred cow in this fight.

We must all declare war against corruption.

We encourage those who engaged in corruption to voluntarily come forward and pay back to society what they took away.

It is wise to do so than to wait for the inevitable, prosecution and the resultant consequences.

We must work hard and be firm against unethical conduct in both our private and public lives.

In our quest to enhance efficiency in the administration of justice, we are devolving the resident judgeship to the provinces.

This will facilitate access to justice at the earliest possible time by our people. Remember, justice delayed is justice denied.

Madam speaker, we are strengthening mechanisms for public financial management and procurement.

Going forward, a simple rule of thumb is that we will procure goods, services and works at the correct price, right quality and ensure timely delivery.

To this end, we have put in place measures to seal leakages in the procurement of goods and services in the public sector.

We should depart from the bad habits of the past.

It is possible to utilise public resources prudently.

Sustainable development

Madam Speaker, in our effort to develop the country, we are paying special attention to sustainable development.

We have adopted a growth path that takes into account the developmental interests of both present and future generations.

We will ensure that our development process guarantees intergenerational equity and ecological integrity.

Climate change continues to threaten the sustainable development of our country.

The effects of climate change are evident to all of us. In the recent past, some parts of our country have been affected by floods and drought respectively.

Some of our people have been left homeless. Crops, livestock and other means of livelihood have been destroyed.

This has negatively affected the livelihoods of our people.

It is, therefore, important that, as a nation, we tackle the devastating effects of climate change.

In this regard, government will continue to promote utilisation of climate smart agriculture technologies and practices by our farmers.

Madam Speaker, to further mitigate against the effects of climate change, our administration is promoting afforestation.

To this effect, 5,854.7 hectares of trees were planted during the period under review.

We should and will do more in this area.

In addition, the number of hectares of areas with forest management plans have increased to 2.37 Million hectares from 1.64 Million hectares in 2020.

Let each and every one of us take an interest in planting trees as it will make a difference and go a long way in protecting our environment and mitigating the negative effects of climate change.

Madam Speaker, government has affirmed its commitment to addressing issues of climate change by creating the ministry of green economy and environment.

We are determined to place the country on a balanced green development trajectory that takes into account people, profit and the planet.

Madam Speaker, indiscriminate disposal of solid and other waste in public spaces is a source of great concern.

It is disheartening to see the amount of solid waste lying around in many of our public spaces, such as markets and bus stations.

The waste being disposed-of in undesignated areas is making our surroundings untidy, unhygienic and is clogging up drainage systems.

This is contributing perennial floods especially in urban districts.

Our communities are being exposed to health hazards while our efforts to achieve sustainable development are being undermined.

We must put an end to this. We urge all citizens to take an active role in keeping Zambia, clean, green and healthy.

The private sector and local authorities should take advantage of the economic opportunities that come with solid waste management through recycling and production of energy.

Conclusion

Madam Speaker, during our inaugural address, we committed and laid down our vision to build a better zambia.

A Zambia where real jobs and business opportunities will be created.

A Zambia where our people will be assured of food on their table.

A Zambia anchored on love, national unity and mutual respect.

Madam Speaker, our government is aware that there are many social ills that are prevalent in our society.

High rates of divorce, suicides, crime and other severe social ills are of great concern to us and requires our collective effort to bring about remedies.

Among the remedies are the development of mental health programmes, community interventions, counselling and a strong economy that eases our citizens of financial distress.

As stated in our promise to the people of zambia, our focus for the next four and a half years is economic transformation.

This vision resonates with our shared national values and principles.

The wealth of this country belongs to all of us.

We must enhance and maintain integrity in our day to day interactions and activities.

Our vision also calls for each one of us to work hard and do our part in the national reconstruction agenda.

We must all be accountable in what we do.

As we move forward, it is incumbent upon each and everyone of us to fully embrace our national values and principles, as enshrined in the constitution.

They are meant to enable us to achieve our common vision of a prosperous Zambia.

They are meant to help us develop the right attitudes required for our sustainable economic development.

Our efforts to inculcate the national values and principles into our governance system are already yielding results, as highlighted by the progress in this address.

We, however, need to do more to operate within our own ethical standards and those set by our forefathers and mothers.

On our chosen journey to being a truly value-centred and principle-centred nation, there is no substitute for discipline and hard work if victory has to be assured.

Zambia remains a Christian country. On the road ahead, we should anchor our actions on our Christian values, faith and rich cultural heritage.

As government, we are eager and available to provide the much-needed leadership.

Madam Speaker, no matter the challenges we face, it is time for our hopes and aspirations of our people to be realised.

For this to happen, we should work as a team. Unity in diversity and unity of purpose are absolutely essential.

May we be ethical, morally upright members of our society and servant leaders.

God bless our people and our country.

I thank you for your kind attention.