NAMUGALA

By CHARITY MOONGA-
PARLIAMENT has heard that 51 per cent of rural areas will be electrified under the rural electrification programme by 2016.
Mines and Energy and Water Development Deputy Minister Richard Musukwa told the House that Government was currently carrying out feasibility studies in rural areas under the rural electrification master plan.
Mr Musukwa was responding to a question raised by Bwacha Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) Sydney Mushanga who wanted to find out when Government would electrify wards in his area.
Many opposition MPs took the Government to task over the electrification of their areas but Mr Musukwa said that his ministry was waiting for funding from the Ministry of Finance to hasten progress on the electrification programme.
The opposition also took Government to task over the outstanding road works under the link Zambia 8000 project.
This followed a question by Lumezi MP Isaac Banda who wanted to find out when the tarring of the road linking Eastern Province to Muchinga Province would be done.
Mafinga MMD MP Catherine Namugala caused a stir from the ruling PF when she accused Government of neglecting to work on that road because it belonged to non-Bemba speaking people.
But Transport Deputy Minister Mwimba Malama expressed disappointment over Ms Namugala’ sentiments, saying that it was the MMD that awarded the project without designs so the PF had to carry out the feasibility studies and give designs to the contractor.
Mr Malama reiterated Governments commitment to complete the road and connect it from chama to Lundazi.
Choma UPND MP Cornelius Mweetwa questioned the continued delay in swearing in some High Court judges and the continued silence by Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda on rule 18 of VAT despite the continued debate of the issue outside the House.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mkhondo Lungu yesterday reserved ruling in the case in which PF cadres on Monday openly fought at the Livingstone City Council chamber in the presence of PF Secretary General Edgar Lungu, provincial Minister Daniel Munkombwe and area MP Lawrence Evans.
This followed a point of order raised by UPND Mazabuka Central MP Gary Nkombo.
Mr Nkombo sought to find out whether the PF was in order to continue perpetrating violence which had the capacity to destabilise the country.
Chongwe PF MP Sylvia Masebo also condemned the violence, saying it should be curbed by the Government before it escalated beyond control.