Power Outage as Mthuli Announces Plastic Bag Tax
Mt Hampden, Zimbabwe – In a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy, the Zimbabwean Parliament was plunged into darkness just as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube had announced a new Plastic Carrier Bag Tax during his 2025 national budget speech.
The timing couldn't have been more impeccable.
As Ncube wrapped up his grand budget announcement which included a 20% tax on plastic bags to promote biodegradable alternatives, the lights went out, leaving the entire Parliament in pitch-black chaos.
President Mnangagwa, ever the pragmatist, made a swift exit through the darkness, while opposition MPs seized the moment to shout, “State of affairs!” in what can only be described as a perfectly timed critique of the nation's power woes.
The incident, which has since gone viral on social media, has sparked a wave of both hilarity and criticism.
Memes of Ncube holding a candle while presenting the budget have flooded the internet, with captions like, “When you tax plastic bags but forget to pay the electricity bill.”
Power Outage as Mthuli Announces Plastic Bag Tax
Ncube explained the rationale behind the tax, citing environmental concerns and the need to push for biodegradable packaging.
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“In order to promote the use of biodegradable packaging, I propose to introduce a 20% Plastic Carrier Bag Tax on the sale value, with effect from 1 January 2025,” he said, probably wishing he had a torch at that moment.
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Zimbabweans, known for their resilience and humour, have taken the incident in stride. One Twitter user quipped, “Looks like the only thing transparent in Parliament is the plastic bags!”
As the nation debates the merits of the new tax, one thing is clear: the 2025 budget presentation will go down in history as the most electrifying – or rather, de-electrifying – moment in Zimbabwean politics.
