HARARE – Former Deputy Prime Minister, Thokozani Khupe has implored parliament to exercise its influence on government to channel more resources towards cancer treatment and awareness programmes as she went deeper on Thursday to reveal her own protracted battle with the dreaded disease.
The 59-year-old opposition lawmaker was first diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2011 and underwent treatment and surgery with one of her breasts later removed.
In a motion seeking parliament to influence more anti-cancer interventions by government, Khuphe told fellow legislators that she is now battling another form of breast cancer, Lobular cancer, after being initially diagnosed wrongly and treated for ovarian cancer.
“You all saw me when I came for the swearing-in-ceremony, I was a moving grave, but look at the transformation – this is God’s work. I would like to thank Him so very much for giving me a second chance to life, for being my Saviour, my doctor and my protector.”
Khupe also thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa who issued a directive for Treasury to finance her treatment in India last year.
She singled out a Doctor Jonathan Krell whom she said accurately diagnosed her health challenge and helped administer the right treatment that has restored her to good health.
“The treatment which he prescribed for me did wonders to the extent that all the water in my stomach, the 6 litres I was draining every week dried up and that was a great relief for me because carrying an equivalent to 6kgs all the time was very uncomfortable and made me weak and more sick,” she said.
Khupe said it was important for the government to fund research and development initiatives to help the country discover new and more advanced cancer medication.
“It must not be a big deal for one to have stage 4 cancer because with modernisation, it can be treated and I am a living testimony – I had stage 4 cancer and here I am today standing in front of you and in good health.
“It is of utmost importance that government prioritises and invests with agility in research and development because it will lead to breakthroughs of new cancer treatment.
“We have big brains in Zimbabwe, professors, doctors and scientists who can creatively and innovatively do research on new modern medication on all cancers no matter how complicated they might be because with research, they should not be any complicated case.
“We must move with time as a country, we must evolve, we must do continuous research to conquer any type of cancer,” said the proportional representation MP.
Khupe, now a strong advocate for sustainable cancer treatment, said Mpilo and Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe’s two public hospitals installed with cancer units, must be fully equipped with state-of-the-art cancer equipment.
“This will ensure that those with cancer get the right diagnosis from the onset, because once you have the right diagnosis, it follows that you will get the right treatment. I am a good example.
“When I was first diagnosed in Zimbabwe, they said I had ovarian cancer which had long gone. I proceeded to South Africa. Again, they said I had ovarian cancer stage 4.
“I started chemotherapy in the form of injections and tablets every two weeks. I have never been sick like that in my entire life.
“I was vomiting to the extent that I had a bucket on the side of my bed all the time. I had terrible diarrhoea to the extent that I would sometimes mess myself.
“I was draining 6 litres of water every two weeks because it was filling up quickly – this water was a sign that my tumours were not responding to treatment hence they continued to generate this water.
“I was like a nine-month pregnant woman, I had difficulty in breathing and walking. It took me time to turn when I was sleeping because I had to move an equivalent of 6kgs which I was carrying.
“My doctor in South Africa then referred me back to Zimbabwe so that I could be under Palliative Care, which is treatment and support you receive when one has a life-limiting illness, because there was no improvement.
“I later proceeded to India with the help of government. I was so excited that finally I was going to get the best treatment because many people were saying India was the best when it comes to cancer treatment.
“I did all the possible tests and the diagnosis was once more stage 4 ovarian cancer which emanated from the breast cancer I had 12 years ago.
“I started chemotherapy, I was supposed to do 18 cycles for 18 weeks. I was draining 6 litres of water every week.
“After 15 cycles, my doctor in India said I was not responding to treatment because if I was responding the water was going to dry up but in my case, there was no change.
“He then suggested that I rather go to the United Kingdom because the UK was advanced when it comes to cancer treatment.
“They had modern medications and a lot of options and they also did clinical trials. In India, I was losing weight every day because I had difficulty in eating to the extent that I was then weighing 68kgs. I was a moving skeleton.
“All this is pointing to wrong diagnosis resulting in wrong treatment.
“I then proceeded to the UK and did all the necessary tests, CT/Pet scans, bloods and biopsies. The diagnosis was that I had Lobular breast cancer.
“The doctor then said I was going to do 18 cycles of chemotherapy every week. I only drained water on 22nd December, 2023 and started treatment on 9th January, 2024. I never drained any water again.
“It gradually drained away cycle after cycle. After the fourth cycle, the water disappeared, a sign that the medication was working perfectly well. I never had any side effects.
“All this was a good example of the right diagnosis which subsequently resulted to the right treatment.
“This is a clear indication that with modern technology, you are likely to get the right diagnosis and with the right diagnosis you are likely to get the right medication, hence my emphasis on state-of-the-art equipment,” said Khupe.
She said it was imperative for government to come up with a cancer levy which goes towards subsidising treatment.
“I am a living example because my cancer was at stage four. I had to do 18 cycles, one every week and each cycle was ranging from 2,000 pounds to 2,500 pounds every week.
“I was sometimes doing blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was low all the time because of chemotherapy. I would pay between £1,700 and £2,000. At times, I would do CT/Pet scans to establish the extent of the cancer.
“Whether cancer cells were being destroyed by the medication which cost £3,900, there were other costs for bloods, doctors’ fees and several others. How many people can afford this? The answer is very few,” she said.
Her motion also pushes for intensified awareness programmes on cancer.
“This is so because many people do not know about cancer. Hence, it has been established that in Africa, women only discover that they have breast or cervical cancer when their cancers are at stage four and this is advanced cancer which tends to be difficult and very expensive to treat.
“Awareness programmes will help in that the majority of people will know they have cancer when the cancer is in early stages. It is cheaper and easier to treat cancer at its early stage. Whereas, it is difficult, complicated and very expensive to treat advanced cancer.
“It is imperative for government to partner with other organisations like the Thokozani Khupe Cancer Foundation and many others to do awareness programmes in all the 35,000 villages in Zimbabwe and all the towns so that cancer is dealt with at its early stages,” she said.
She said with the right resources in place, being diagnosed with cancer should not be regarded as a death sentence.
“I am saying this so that citizens must never be afraid if ever they are confronted with such a situation. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011.
“In 2023, I had a second cancer attack which came like a thief without giving any notice. By the time I realised it, it had spread. With all this, I was never afraid because I knew that with God’s grace and good medical attention, all was well.
“I vowed that I was never going to allow cancer to take me down. I developed this fighting spirit and I am going to fight cancer to the end until it leaves my body. I know and believe that one day, my body will be free from cancer. This is the attitude that all those with cancer must have. I have so far gone through my first phase of treatment. I am now on my second phase of treatment but look at me, I am doing perfectly well.
“The only thing with cancer treatment is that there are good days and bad days. During the bad days, side effects kick in and they are at times very unpleasant. This week is my bad week, but l am managing,” said Khupe.
“I now therefore, call upon this House to: request government to immediately start and intensify cancer awareness programmes in collaboration with other organisations and foundations like the Thokozani Khupe Cancer Foundation in all the 35,000 villages in Zimbabwe and all towns so that citizens are made aware of the scourge of cancer; Implore Government to invest in state-of-the-art equipment for Mpilo and Parirenyatwa Hospitals as starting point and equip these two hospitals with modern Computed Tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) Scans, Radiation machines and all kinds of chemotherapies for all stages of cancer; and Government to further move with speed and fully fund universities so that they start, without any further delays, researching on new and modern cancer medicines,” she said.
Khupe’s motion was seconded by Southerton MP Bridget Nyandoro.
