Zimbabwe News Update
newzimbabwe
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By Thandiwe GarusaThe Parliament Building was being powered by a generator with ZESA electricity on standby as per prior arrangements when President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) was disrupted by a power outage,NewZimbabwe.comhas learnt.Mnangagwa was concluding his SONA when the power outage occurred, forcing him to use a torchlight to finish his speech.Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda was visibly angered by the incident, saying, “We shall go beyond what happened, trace the culprit, and deal with them accordingly.
Those found wanting will regret the day of their existence.”According to Parliament, the generator had been activated at midday, with ZESA engineers on site to monitor proceedings.However, the backup system reportedly developed a technical fault approximately two and a half hours into the address, causing the blackout while Mnangagwa was still delivering his speech.A letter from Acting Clerk of Parliament Nomasonto Sunga to Local Government Permanent Secretary John Bhasera, dated October 21, had requested a “serviced, fully tested and fit” generator for the SONA, citing previous blackouts during important sessions.WATCH 📹: President Emmerson Mnangagwa was on Tuesday forced to complete his State of the Nation Address (SONA) using a torchlight after the New Parliament Building was plunged into darkness.”The person who switched off electricity while the President was speaking will regret…https://t.co/TqTPubyuMxpic.twitter.com/IIlyQncs8O— NewZimbabwe.com (@NewZimbabweCom)October 28, 2025This is the second time a blackout has occurred at the Parliament Building in Mnangagwa’s presence, following a similar incident in November 2024 during Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s 2025 National Budget presentation.“We request your ministry’s coordination and oversight in ensuring uninterrupted power supply during the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which has been tentatively scheduled for 28 October 2025 at Parliament Building.“It is noted that there is an approved arrangement to run the event using the generator as the primary source of power, with ZETDC on standby, following previous power disruptions experienced during important sessions,” Sunga wrote.“In view of this, the generator must be serviced, fully tested, and confirmed fit for uninterrupted operation during the event.
ZETDC technical staff should be physically on standby throughout the proceedings to provide an immediate response if required.”Parliament also assured that it would promptly pay the company contracted to provide generator services and supply sufficient fuel to ensure smooth power supply throughout the event.“Parliament will ensure timely payment to the service provider contracted for the generator service, as well as the provision of adequate fuel to power the system throughout the duration of the event,” added Sunga.
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