Bulawayo MP questions minister on use of sugar tax

Bulawayo Central legislator Surrender Kapoikilu has pressed the Minister of Finance to clarify how revenue from the sugar tax is being used, amid concerns that public health institutions remain unable to treat cancer due to a lack of equipment.


Kapoikilu raised the issue during the parliamentary question‑and‑answer session.

“My question goes to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. What is the Government’s policy on the use of revenue from sugar tax? What is it supposed to be used for?” he asked.

Responding on behalf of the ministry, Deputy Minister Kuda Mnangagwa said government policy had not changed since the tax was introduced.

“The idea of these taxes was to ring‑fence them for some of these lifestyle diseases such as cancer,” he said. “The idea was to ring‑fence, and still is to ring‑fence, the proceeds from the sugar tax for some of these lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular and cancer. We are guided by the Ministry of Health on the equipment they want to purchase. I am sure some of these proceeds have gone towards such. So, as far as Government policy, it is still consistent with what the Minister pronounced in the new tax in the 2024 budget.”

Kapoikilu thanked the Deputy Minister for the response but expressed deep concern over the state of cancer treatment facilities.

“He has said that money was supposed to be used for cancer therapeutic services and buying cancer machines. How come our radiotherapy centres in hospitals are still in this state? The state of our radiotherapy centres is ISQ, which means the Initial Status Quo is still maintained,” he said.

“If you go to Mpilo, the radiotherapy centre — everything is sequestrated. They will tell you the last cancer patient who was radiated was radiated in 2022. We have been collecting sugar tax since February 2024. I am very concerned. What has happened to the money? How come our institutions are in this kind of state?”

Mnangagwa insisted the funds had been disbursed to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“When the Minister introduced the sugar tax, we believed the money would be used to treat diabetes and cancer, and to purchase other machinery for the Ministry of Health and Child Care, under their guidance. We have collected the money and sent it to the Ministry of Health and Child Care. They said they used the money to buy machines and distributed them to Harare Hospital, Parirenyatwa and Mpilo hospitals,” he said.