Key points:
- Power failure interrupts Mnangagwa’s address
- Parliament blames faulty generator and circuit breaker
- President forecasts 6.6 percent economic growth in 2025
ZIMBABWE’S parliament has apologised to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the nation after a power outage briefly interrupted his televised state of the nation address on Tuesday.
The unexpected blackout plunged the chamber into darkness, forcing an aide to hold a torchlight while the president continued his remarks live on air.
In a statement carried by local media and seen by Africa Briefing, Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda blamed the incident on a malfunctioning generator that powers the building. He said a backup connection from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) was available but did not immediately take effect.
‘Circuit breaker had tripped’
‘When supplies were lost, the generator was still running but not supplying power. Preliminary investigations indicate that a circuit breaker supplying the load had tripped,’ Chokuda said.
He added that the process of restoring power took longer than expected, leading to part of President Mnangagwa’s address being delivered without electricity.
Chokuda confirmed that investigations had begun to determine the cause of the fault, with new measures planned to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
History of power failures in parliament
This is not the first time parliament has suffered an electricity failure during a major national event. In November 2024, President Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and several lawmakers were left in darkness when a power cut halted the finance minister’s budget presentation.
Despite government efforts to improve infrastructure, Zimbabwe continues to face widespread electricity challenges, largely due to ageing power plants, low generation capacity, and underinvestment in the national grid.
President outlines economic recovery
Before the blackout, President Mnangagwa had outlined plans to strengthen Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. He projected that the economy would grow by 6.6 percent in 2025, driven largely by a rebound in agriculture.
‘The national economy is projected to grow by 6.6 percent in 2025, anchored on recovery in the agricultural sector, with record harvests of tobacco, maize and wheat, among other crops,’ he said, according to excerpts shared by the Ministry of Information.
Mnangagwa also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to industrialisation and value addition, especially in mining and manufacturing, as part of broader efforts to stabilise the economy.
Chinese-built parliament in spotlight
The incident occurred inside Zimbabwe’s new parliament building, constructed and fully funded by China through a grant and officially handed over in October 2023. The modern complex, located in Mount Hampden outside Harare, was intended to symbolise a new era of governance efficiency.
However, Tuesday’s blackout briefly dimmed that symbolism, reigniting public debate over the reliability of Zimbabwe’s national infrastructure.
