Kabompo MP ruled offside for misleading Parley

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini yesterday ruled that UPND Kabompo Member of Parliament, Ambrose Lifuma was not in order to deliberately mislead the house and the nation at large that the construction of Solwezi-Chingola Road was from contributions from the mining companies.

This was a ruling on a point of order raised by Minister of Tourism and Arts Ronald Chitotela on December 13, 2019 when Mr Lifuma claimed that the Solwezi-Chingola Road was constructed by $80 million contributions from the mining companies.

Speaking in Parliament last year in December, Mr Lifuma said there was nothing that government did in North-Western Province apart from the contributions from the mining firms towards the construction of the SolweziChingola Road.

Mr Chitotela asked the Speaker if Mr Lifuma was in order to deliberately mislead the nation when the project was completely funded by the government.

In his ruling Dr Matibini said Mr Lifuma was out of order because he made a statement on the floor of the house that breached the rules of the house.

Dr Matibini said Parliament would not allow that level of misinformation and propaganda by MPs.

“As regards to the sanction, to be meted out, I wish to inform the house that I have since formally warned Mr Lifuma for misconduct. I have exercise leniency because the Hon. Member readily acknowledged and admitted the breach and rendered an apology to the house,” Dr Matibini said.

He cited several occasions on which he has ruled against the executive to ensure that they always provide factual, verifiable, and substantiated information to the house.

“Members must not allege specific matters as being true, unless they were able to substantiate them,” he said.