JUSTICE Minister Given Lubinda says whether Bill 10 opposers like it or not, it will be deliberated upon once Parliament sittings resume.

And Lubinda says those who are jubilating that Bill 10 has died following the adjournment of Parliament are celebrating a fluke.

Meanwhile, Lubinda says the PF government has delivered so much development in the road sector to an extent of making roads in the air.

In an interview, Lubinda said those insisting that Bill 10 must not be passed are afraid that they will have nothing to talk about if it goes through.

“Standing Orders of parliament do not provide that no, because Parliament has been adjourned, therefore, the business of the House has been killed, no. Whether they like it or not, when Parliament resumes, whatever was on the Order Paper and whatever should be brought to Parliament shall be brought. Whatever was on the Order Paper at the time of Parliament adjournment will be brought back on the Order Paper when Parliament resumes. It’s as easy as that. I can give an example of you cooking. When you are cooking and then a child cries. You then stop cooking to attend to the child. After the child has stopped crying what do you do? You continue,” Lubinda said.

Lubinda said some people were agitated by Bill 10 because they wanted to remain relevant.

“Now, the trouble is that those who are really agitated by Bill 10, not because of the content of Bill 10 but because they want to remain relevant, are the ones who are coming up with all sorts of rules and regulations on the subject. How many times have they taken us to court? Three times. They went to court trying to stop Parliament. What is the problem? If they are sure that Bill 10 is bad and people don’t like it, would they go and seek other ways of stopping it? They wouldn’t. They would go and stop it in Parliament. We saw Mr Jack Mwiimbu going to Parliament with the Law Association of Zambia, it failed. Again Law Association went alone, they failed. They went with Chapter One, they failed. Again Mr Jack Mwiimbu went, they failed. What is their problem? Their problem is that they know that Bill 10 is a popular Bill and they are afraid that once Bill 10 is passed, they will have nothing to talk about because they can’t talk about hunger,” Lubinda said.

And Lubinda said those celebrating the death of Bill 10 were happy about a fluke.

“Those who are celebrating [that Bill 10 has died] are very surprising. I get very surprised when I hear the same people who are saying that ‘we don’t want Bill 10, the Zambian people don’t want Bill 10, the opposition don’t want Bill 10,’ then they are celebrating to say oh, Parliament has adjourned. If it is true that the people don’t want Bill 10, they should have been the ones in the forefront saying ‘can the members of parliament debate Bill 10 so that they can make sure that they vote against it.’ Why is it that they are celebrating a fluke? It’s the same as a person saying that ‘we are going to win football against that team’, and then when the referee says ‘no, because it’s raining, you will not play’ then they celebrate to say ‘we have won.’ Does it make sense?” he asked.

“Why don’t you ask these people to say ‘you people if you are really convinced that you don’t want Bill 10, how come you are celebrating a fluke? You should have gone to parliament to defeat Bill 10 in parliament. Don’t defeat it on a technicality.”

Lubinda said it was disheartening that some members of the civil society were celebrating the death of two members of parliament who were believed to be in support of Bill 10.

“For me, I am actually shocked to read some of the comments sent to me by friends who follow social media. There is somebody who posted saying ‘Bill 10 supporters, two down, Bill 10 has died. Lesa nimalyotola. Thank you for the prayers of Zambians’ How can anyone say that? Are you sure that God answers prayers that way? No. We must stop people like that. Somebody else posted and said ‘Mr Speaker has decided to adjourn Parliament because it means that Bill 10 is dead, and buried. Today is the funeral of Bill 10.’ Are you sure that for a person to say that they are in their right faculty? Parliament has adjourned because of the demise of people, elected people. Those people were elected by constituents and somebody is making it a joke and they call themselves Civil Society Organization leaders. The closure of parliament is because of death and any normal Zambian should be sad,” Lubinda said.

Meanwhile, Lubinda said the PF government had delivered so much development in the road sector to the extent of making roads in the air.

“The price of mealie meal in Zambia has gone down to K50. I was in a shop the other day where mealie meal was selling for K49 but they can’t talk about it. They can’t talk about roads because for roads now, we have finished doing all ground roads. We have now started making roads in the air. If Diggers looks up, you will see along Great East Road that tayamba kupanga ma road mumwamba (we have started making roads in the air). So, they have nothing to talk about that is why they are insisting that Bill 10 must not be passed,” he said.