Masebo warns govt over teachers from NISTCOL

Masebo warns govt over teachers from NISTCOL
By Mwala Kalaluka
Sun 06 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

LIVINGSTONE ULP member of parliament Sakwiba Sikota on Friday has promised to go back to his constituency to quell the many ‘rumours’ that have been spawned in Livingstone in his absence.

And Chongwe MMD member of parliament Sylvia Masebo yesterday said the government will be de-campaigned by the teachers from the National In-Service Teacher training College (NISTCOL) in Chalimbana that it wants to transfer away from the institution.

Contributing to debate on the motion to suspend Standing Orders 20 and 21 (1) and Standing Order 101 to enable the House to adjourn sine die, Sikota said a lot of rumours had been peddled on the parliamentarians during their absence from their respective constituencies.

“It is important that we go back to our constituencies,” Sikota said. “In our absence, a lot of rumours have been spawned and some of these rumours if we do not go back to address them will start to grow legs and mileage.”

Sikota said the parliamentarians had done very well during the fading session, especially in terms of having dealt with the budget despite it coming at a time when they did not expect it due to the change in the budget cycle.

“We are all in this House to put value for money and we can all be proud of ourselves in the manner we dealt with all the issues,” Sikota said. “We also need to go and start getting feedback from our constituencies on the various Bills that have reached various stages and are spending before this House.”
Sikota said he had in mind the Freedom of Information bill and he urged the government to conclude its consultations on the matter.

Pemba UPND member of parliament David Matongo said as the House adjourns, it would be prudent for the government to ensure that come January 2010, the budget that had been approved by the House was implemented.

“We have worked for 45 days. A lot has gone into the budget and I think our colleagues on the right before they have their Christmas and New Year must be given time to ensure that the money we have approved through their technocrats are being shared and shared in good time,” Matongo said. “Implementation of the budget come January 2010 is hitting the ground and running.”

Matongo said the disbursement of fertiliser and seed around the country was not proceeding in the manner that had been envisaged.

He said should the problem persist beyond the next seven days, the farmers would have missed the planting season.

Matongo said the food insecurity situation that would arise would be embarrassing to the country.

Nkana PF member of parliament Mwenya Musenge, whose debate was curtailed for debating contrary to Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa’s initial guidance, described the fading sitting as a hectic and emotional one.

“I saw the banging of the table in the House,” Musenge said. “I also witnessed how dejected our colleagues on the right (government) were when they lost the Solwezi by-election.”

Mazabuka UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo urged finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor Dr Caleb Fundanga to address the problem of high interest rates in the banking sector, next year.
He gave an example of a Mazabuka commercial farmer, who shot himself on grounds that his business had sunk in dividends.

Nkombo said the issue of lending rates had to be ironed out because it was eating into the fabrics of the people who made the economy tick.
And Masebo said it was important for parliamentarians to get back to their constituencies so that they address the outstanding problems there.
Masebo said the situation at Chalimbana College was tense following the Ministry of Education’s decision to revert the college to its original status and a follow-up decision to transfer teachers from the institution to other training institutions around the country.

“At the moment we have over 1,000 teachers at NISTCOL who have been shifted to various places in the country. The situation at the training institute is very tense right now. I would like the government to look at this issue,” Masebo said. “NISTCOL has massive infrastructure which will go to waste. As area member of parliament I would like to bring this matter to the attention of government. If they do not do that Mr. Speaker, I want to say this again, government is going to regret.”

Masebo said the teachers at the training institution, which now had only about 76 students despite having laboratory facilities that could surpass that at the University of Zambia, were asking why the government was treating them in this way.

“A number of teachers are just lazing around, there is no work. I want to earnestly urge the Ministry of Education to look in this matter and revise that decision. This matter is very tricky and this matter has created tension at the college and as I speak, now there is low morale,” said Masebo. “These teachers who are being transferred all over the country will begin to de-campaign us.”
The members of parliament unanimously passed the motion to enable the House adjourn sine die.