Khupe demands Ministerial statement on use of US$38m sugar tax

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Dr Thokozani Khupe has called on the Ministry of Finance to urgently deliver a ministerial statement detailing how the US$38 million raised from the sugar tax has been used, amid growing concerns over the escalating cancer crisis in Zimbabwe.

Raising a point of national interest in Parliament, Khupe - herself a cancer survivor - said the country is experiencing an alarming rise in cancer-related deaths, and demanded transparency on how funds collected from the tax are being deployed to tackle the health emergency.

"It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to draw the attention of this August House to a matter of grave and urgent national importance - the escalating cancer crisis in our country," Khupe said, addressing Speaker Jacob Mudenda.

"The stark and painful reality is that more of our fellow citizens are succumbing to cancer now than ever before. These are not just statistics - they are names, faces, families, and futures tragically cut short," she added.

Khupe reminded the House that the sugar tax was introduced with a specific mandate to channel resources toward the fight against cancer, including the procurement of lifesaving equipment, essential medicines, and the strengthening of cancer response infrastructure.

The legislator said she had previously posed a question regarding the disbursement of the US$38 million raised through the levy. In response, she was told the procurement process had begun. However, there has been little transparency or progress reported since then.

She also referred to a report from the state media suggesting that the government planned to procure cancer treatment equipment directly from China as a cost-cutting measure.

"Given the magnitude of this public health emergency, I respectfully request that the Hon. Minister of Finance urgently deliver a ministerial statement to this House," Khupe said. "The statement should provide a comprehensive update on the current status of the sugar tax fund, how much remains beyond the US$38 million already disbursed, and the progress made in procuring modern, state-of-the-art cancer treatment equipment and medicines."

Khupe underscored the urgency of the matter, warning that every delay results in lost lives. "We are losing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters - productive citizens whose potential contributions to society are being lost due to late diagnosis, inadequate treatment, or lack of access to modern cancer care."

Speaker Mudenda acknowledged the gravity of the matter and directed CCC Deputy Chief Whip Chinjai Kambuzuma to liaise with the parliamentary administration to ensure the Finance Minister delivers the required statement.

"Thank you very much Hon. Dr. Khupe. Deputy Chief Whip, can you take note of that statement and, in liaison with the administration of Parliament, proceed to advise the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion accordingly," Mudenda said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently made surprise visits to Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe hospitals to assess the state of health infrastructure. The National Cancer Institute has warned that cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of death in Zimbabwe, with over 7,500 new cases and more than 2,500 deaths annually - a trend that may soon surpass HIV and AIDS in terms of mortality.