LEADER of opposition in parliament Jack Mwiimbu on Friday questioned Vice-President Inonge Wina’s statement that UPND members of parliament hid at a time the government announced extension of the National Registration Card exercise.
During the Vice-President’s Question Time, Mongu Central UPND member of parliament Mwilola Imakando asked whether the government would consider disciplining registration officers in Mongu who had resorted to closing the office during working hours, leaving many people stranded.
The Vice-President responded that what Imakando was asking about was administrative.
But Nkeyema member of parliament Kapelwa Mbangweta sought to understand whether it was a special case in Western Province where NRC registration offices were being closed.
He said just like in Mongu, the office in Kaoma had been closed since last week.
Mbangweta said the closure of the registration office seemed to be undermining the government’s good intentions.
“I would like to find out what form of assistance your office could render in this regard?” asked Mbangweta.
But Vice-President Wina said a lot of information was disseminated to members of parliament at the beginning of the mobile issuance of NRCs.
She said this was the same time that members of parliament were hiding from Parliament on account of Bill 10.
Vice-President Wina said the members of parliament missed out on a lot of information during the five days of extension of the NRC issuance exercise.
“You will find that the areas that were left out, those were the areas where the permanent secretary in the area was trying to get in touch with his people to inform them about the extension of another week following the complaints during the first phase of the issuance of the NRCs,” said Vice-President Wina. “So Mr Speaker, I cannot really guarantee 100 per cent returning of officers in all the areas that missed out but the Ministry of Home Affairs is still looking into this matter particularly in acquiring resources to undertake this exercise because this is a costly exercise to move teams to the provinces.”
But Mwiimbu rose on a point of order questioning the Vice-President Wina’s allegation that UPND members were hiding during the issuance of NRCs when Bill 10 was on the floor of the House.
“But Mr Speaker, you may recall that the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs issued a statement that he is not going to allow anyone to be involved in support of NRCs apart from his officials, on the floor of this House. Now how can her Honour the Vice-President, when her minister gave a directive that he will not allow any other person to be involved and yet she is now saying that MPs were hiding and yet she knows that there is no evidence that MPs were hiding, we were in the House and that is when we raised these issues? Is she in order to make a statement which is untrue, which is misleading and which should not be entertained by this House; is she in order?”
Speaker Patrick Matibini reserved his ruling.
But Kampyongo rose on a point of order saying he had made several statements in the House and that at no point did he say members of parliament were not to participate in the process of sensitising their members and constituencies on the importance of registering as citizens and getting NRCs.
“Her Honour the Vice-President, I know you have reserved your ruling Mr Speaker, I have further gone to engage my fellow colleagues, MPs, including those from Western Province and it is true when the permanent secretary of Western Province was trying to get hold of the members of parliament from that province, they were avoiding him and avoiding his calls when we extended for five days the exercise of mobile registration. Is the honourable member of parliament for Monze and leader of the opposition in order to mislead this august House through his point of order and indeed mislead the nation when all the statements pertaining to the mobile issuance of NRCs are very clear and I came here even to pronounce extension to the exercise of both phases one and two? I know you have reserved your ruling Mr Speaker but I equally deserve my point of order to be taken into account. I need your serious ruling sir,” said Kampyongo to which the Speaker said he was also reserving ruling and hoped there would be no further point of order on the subject.
But Katombora UPND member of parliament Derrick Livune rose on point of order on Vice-President Wina and Kampyongo who talked about the five-day extension to the NRC issuance exercise.
Livune said it was a known fact that the five-day extension was not backed with funding and no work was done during the period being referred to.
“Are they in order to mislead the nation and deprive the citizens the opportunity to get the NRCs because the five days they were referring to was not backed with funding. I seek your serious ruling,” said Livune and the Speaker said “again I reserve my ruling”. “And let me say this: There will be no further points of order on this subject, no further points of order! Wait for the ruling, simply wait, simply wait.”
Earlier, Dr Matibini noted that the subject was emotive and current but he would not want further points of order.