from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ZIMBABWEAN President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his administration have come under heavy criticism after Parliament was plunged into darkness during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Wednesday — forcing the president to complete part of his speech under torchlight.
The unprecedented blackout occurred about ten minutes before the end of Mnangagwa’s address, with an aide holding a flashlight as he continued reading.
The incident has since drawn widespread ridicule and anger from citizens, highlighting the country’s worsening electricity crisis.
Earlier, Mnangagwa had posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I delivered the State of the Nation Address at the opening of the Third Session of the Tenth Parliament. With projected growth of 6.6%, we continue strengthening stability, innovation, and development on our journey to Vision 2030.”
However, the message of progress quickly clashed with reality.
Outspoken journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, a long-time critic of Mnangagwa’s rule, described the episode as “utterly dispiriting,” adding: “Only in Zimbabwe can a president read his State of the Nation Address under torchlight. Mnangagwa looked like a schoolboy doing homework during a power cut, leading a nation that literally can’t keep the lights on.”
Other citizens expressed outrage over what they saw as a symbol of poor governance and misplaced priorities.
Political commentator Tatenda Hungwe said: “Mnangagwa is a reckless and visionless leader, gifting luxury cars to cronies while key institutions crumble under power cuts and collapsing infrastructure.”
The power failure came amid persistent nationwide electricity shortages blamed on ageing infrastructure, mismanagement, and drought-affected hydroelectric output from Kariba Dam — which supplies a significant portion of Zimbabwe’s power.
In a swift response to public backlash, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) announced the dismissal of its managing director, Abel Gurupira, with immediate effect.
The utility said it was investigating the cause of the outage at Parliament.
Critics argue the debacle underscores the government’s failure to invest in reliable energy systems despite repeated pledges of modernization under Mnangagwa’s “Vision 2030” blueprint.
What was meant to be a moment to showcase economic progress instead became a national embarrassment — a literal and figurative illustration of Zimbabwe’s struggle to “keep the lights on” under Mnangagwa’s leadership.
– CAJ News