Zimbabwe’s parliament was unexpectedly thrown into darkness during the presentation of the 2025 National Budget, highlighting the country’s ongoing energy crisis.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube was concluding his speech when the power cut disrupted proceedings, leaving President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and other officials in the dark.
Opposition MPs seized the moment, calling the blackout a fitting metaphor for the country’s struggles. Zimbabwe has been battling prolonged power outages, with some areas experiencing up to 15 hours of daily blackouts.
The energy crisis is fueled by breakdowns at Hwange power plants and reduced electricity generation at the Kariba Dam due to low water levels caused by severe drought.
George Manyaya, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), attributed the parliamentary outage to lightning strikes from recent storms, stating it was not a scheduled power cut. However, the incident has amplified criticism of the government’s energy policies.
Opposition MPs Leslie Mhangwa and Edwin Mushoriwa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) condemned the government’s handling of the crisis.
They argued that the ZWL259 million allocated to the energy sector in the budget was insufficient and called for meaningful incentives, such as suspending duties on solar products and introducing policies to support private sector energy initiatives.
Minister Ncube had projected a 15% contraction in the agricultural sector this year but expressed optimism about a 6% economic growth in 2025, contingent on improved rainfall.
Despite this, opposition leaders dismissed his proposals as lacking substantive solutions to the energy crisis.
The power cut has drawn attention to Zimbabwe’s systemic issues, including the effects of climate change and inadequate infrastructure. For many Zimbabweans, the blackout is symbolic of broader governance failures, leaving citizens to navigate both literal and metaphorical darkness as they await meaningful reform.
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