HOME Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu on Tuesday mocked PF for losing the recently held Kabwata by-elections in Parliament.

Mwiimbu, who was standing in for Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma, consoled the PF for losing the seat before he responded to a question asked by Solwezi East UPND member of parliament Alex Katakwe.

“Madam Speaker, with your permission, allow me to take this opportunity to console the PF for losing the Kabwata seat which they thought they had already won, my condolences. I also wish to congratulate our victorious MP honourable (Andrew) Tayengwa for scooping the Kabwata Parliamentary Seat on behalf of the people of Kabwata and the UPND,” Mwiimbu said.

And in response to Katakwe’s question, in which he wanted to find out whether government had any plans to replace the Zambian National Service officers patrolling the Solwezi-Kipushi road with council police officers for purposes of controlling smuggling activities, Mwiimbu said council policemen did not possess adequate training to manage the situation, among other reasons.

And Vice-President Mutale Nalumango, who was standing in for Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo, said the delay in repairing the ambulance for Nalolo District Health Office was due to challenges faced in acquiring spare parts.

She was responding to a question from Nalolo PNUP member or parliament Imanga Wamunyima who wanted to know when the ambulance for Mouyo Health Centre in Nalolo District would be repaired to ease operational challenges.

“The ambulance for Nalolo District Health Office is currently undergoing repair works at Mongu vehicle service centre and it is expected to be ready for use within a few weeks. Madam Speaker, the delay in repairing the ambulance for Nalolo District Health Office was due to challenges faced in acquiring spare parts. The House may wish to know that funds have been secured and the repairs should be completed in a few weeks,” said Vice-President Nalumango.

Meanwhile, responding to Luena UPND member of parliament Mubita Anakoka who wanted to find out how many secondary school teachers, countrywide, had worked for five years or more without being confirmed as of 2020, Education Minister Douglas Syakalima said over 1,000 teachers.

“There are 1,364 secondary school teachers countrywide who have worked for five years or more without being confirmed as of 2020. This represents three percent of the Secondary School teachers countrywide. The leading cause of the delay was the bureaucratic process involved in confirming teachers. The process would start from the school where documentation and recommendations were generated for confirmation, which was submitted to the Teaching Service Commission through the District Education Secretary’s office, Provincial Education Offices and Permanent Secretary’s office. And were conveyed back in the same manner. The process was time consuming and sometimes led to the misplacement of files and appointment documents,” Syakalima said.

He said teachers were expected to be confirmed in an acceptable period of time following the operationalization of the service commission act.

“Following the operationalization of the service commission act, number 10 of 2016, through the Teaching Service Commission regulations of 2020, it is expected that teachers will be confirmed within an acceptable period following the Teaching Service Commission decentralizing the confirmation of teachers to the human resources management committees at the district level in line with the provision of the service commission act number 10 of 2016. This will fast track the confirmation of teachers within the district without submitting the cases to the Ministry Headquarters and Teaching Service Commission as the case was before,” said Syakalima.

Earlier, Tayengwa was sworn in as Kabwata UPND member of parliament.

“I [Tayengwa] as a member of parliament [for] Kabwata do swear that I will well and truly serve the republic and the President of Zambia. That I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the President and the Republic of Zambia. That I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Zambia as by law established and that I will not directly or indirectly reveal or transmit any information or matter as shall be brought under my consideration or shall be made known to me by reason of office except as may be required in discharging my duties as such with the authority of the President. So help me God,” said Tayengwa.