ministers and officials enjoying dinner at Ocean Basket in Livingstone during the UNWTO
Parliamentary proceedings were on Wednesday evening cut short after the House could not form a quorum as several Cabinet ministers were not present.
The House is currently debating President Michael Sata’s official opening speech issued two weeks ago.
The opposition bench was debating and raising various matters.
This would be followed by the front bench, which would be contributing to the debate ahead of the National Budget presentation by Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda on Friday next week.
Deputy chairperson of the committees of the whole House, Chifumu Banda was forced to adjourn before schedule and urged Cabinet ministers to be present as they were critical to responding to issues raised by the back bench.
“As we debate this motion, it is important that representatives from Government are present. If Government is not present in the House this is serious. The message has been heard and we hope to see a change from Cabinet.
“We have a way to communicate with the Executive. I have made a ruling on this matter and it remains the same, it is not in order for Cabinet ministers not to be present,” he said.
Proceedings were interjected by points of order raised by the opposition members who sought answers over the absence of more than 15 ministers.
United Party for National Development (UPND) Kalomo Member of Parliament (MP) Request Muntanga was on the floor debating the Presidential speech when Mr Banda called on the House to adjourn business of the day.
Mr Muntanga was among other MPs who raised concerns over the absence of Cabinet ministers during the evening proceedings.
At 19:15 hours, Mr Banda called the House to order and asked acting Leader of Government business and Chief Whip, Yamfwa Mukanga to move a motion to adjourn.
MMD Nalikwanda MP, Geoffrey Lungwangwa also raised a point of order questioning whether the Chief Whip was in order to allow the House to proceed without the presence of several ministers.
[Times of Zambia]
Sad indeed. never such has happened in the world history. Parley is being reduced to kapoya katemba. In normal situation, the PF fellows would have seek leave of absence. What law governors such.
Well, there really is no government in Zambia and these boys and girls are just confirming this by not attending parliament despite all the money we pay them.
The way I saw M.C. Sata punching in air or was simply innocent open space…. from no where, 1-2-1-2 njebele elo lwanya!!!! We hear something big out-of those 27 hour-a-day Cabinet meetings going on.
It could be that they have been told that they are dissolved!!
Labour laws in Zambia are clear. Absent from work for four continuously without leave is SUMMARY dismissal. So MPs and himself have dismissed themselves.
AWOL from parliament? what a circus? It is because the cat is away?
Never before have I been rightly critical of PF but for the sake of Zambia and to preserve the little sanity and respect of the rule of law which has made this country what it is. Zambia has to vote wisely very quickly. Will be a Rwanda or worse very soon. The fruits of stability that we have enjoyed are being eroded. There will be anarchy by 2016 in Zambia. mark my words. Sad Sad Sad
This is the kind or type of humans beings that we have entrusted the affairs of the country to?We are a failed state and we need to correct this soonest.I strongly feel that PF as ruling party do not have any skills to manage our country.
SAD, SAD, SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are they getting their allowances???????
Thats why there is confusion in the programmes implementation by pf.imagine a headteacher of a secondary school getting the same salary with the District Education Board Secretary(DEBS);who is the boss here? The so called Harmonisation and regrading exercise in the public service has created serious confusion.how can a person in charge of all teachers and schools in the district get the same salary with someone in charge of one ka-school?
My Friend being a BOSS does not entitle you to get more than your subordinate.No wonder you civil servants are lazy.Join us in private companies were get more than our head of department/boss.What matters is the kind of paper you possess,kind of job you do in relation to boss’s.Am technical man whilst my boss is not and is just good to organise and ensure that his subordinates follows the systems to meet the set production targets.The Bank of Zambia governor is high paid than the Finance Minister or even the president.Supreme and high court judges get more than the minister of justice.The Boss at DEBS may not possess the same qualification with a secondary school headteacher as most of these DEBS positions are given not based on qualification but patronage by politicians.
Your cry is in…
How can the Bank of Zambia governor be getting more money than the minister of finance. How can the chief justice be getting more money per annum than the president of zambia? with this sarcasm,i hope you get the point mr.boxer. your reason for salary differences doesnt make sense. just because one serves in a higher office does not mean they necessarily get more money than those in a lower office.
They are in Mansa campaigning.
Bad indeed
The rogue absentee PF MP’s are not wholly to blame, it’s ‘follow the leader’ behaviour.
Where is their leader, he has been AWOL since the New York UN conference ended more than four days ago. Interestingly even the Zambian press is keeping the nation in the dark and the so-called GRZ spokesperson Kapeya is mute over the president’s whereabouts, and you expect the ministers to be serious with their work? What a joke!
The GRZ operations halted weeks ago. If Zambia is not a failed state then what is it? The ministers are busy striking personal lucrative deals instead of parliament
business. Just dissolve the thing and call for elections.
No wonder some province wants to go it alone. This is not governance! It is BS!
rumour has it that the ‘snake’ is on life supporting machines in one of the asian countries. the cabinet may have been discussing the pertinent issue of succession and possible funeral arrangements and who stands in to act before elections. deadlock somewhere eeeeh! ba kapeya give us the true version as govt spokes fimo fimo
Where is the President, still AWOL??
ANIMAL FARM AT ITS BEST.SNOBOW IN TROUBLE WHILE NAPOLEON IN ABSCENT WITHOUT LEAVE SITU.
The names of these absentee MPs must be published so we know not to vote for them next time. Clearly they do not take representing their constituencies seriously. We need an explanation as well
Let the President appoint Ministers from outside Parliament so that Hon. MPs can find no excuse for absconding their duties to represent us in parliament. We do not elect them to be Ministers but to represent us in Parliament.
Do you think they will listen to your cries when they know their positions as Ministers are not given to them by you? No. They will only listen to the appointing authority for the positions which put a Flag on their vehicles. As for MP position, they know you have no voice.
Let us deal with the cause and not symptoms. Zambians were wise enough to propose this in our constitution. Heads of state will stll control Cabinet, maybe even more while the electorate will control MPs. Those are the real checks and balances. I rest my case.
Bishop from North mead Assembly of God please pray for PF Cabinet ministers. Please no speeches just prayer full stop.