HARARE – A dramatic power outage during President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday has sparked suspicions of sabotage and deepening ZANU PF infighting, after the President was forced to finish his speech under torchlight.
The incident occurred just as Mnangagwa was concluding his address to a packed Parliament in Mt Hampden. As lights went out, an aide reportedly tried to persuade the visibly irate President to stop, but Mnangagwa refused, insisting on completing his remarks despite the darkness.
Mnangagwa read the last 10 minutes of his State of the Nation Address in near darkness after power went out in parliament. An aide held a torch to help him finish his speech. As soon as he finished reading, power was restored
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda later apologised to the President and vowed to “chase the culprit”, signalling possible foul play.
Second Time Running
This is the second major power failure to hit Parliament in less than a year. A similar blackout interrupted the 2024 national budget presentation, also attended by Mnangagwa. Then, ZESA attributed the incident to “an act of nature,” citing thunderstorms and high winds that caused tripping at the 132kv Mt Hampden feeder line.
However, Tuesday’s outage has fuelled speculation of political sabotage, with sources claiming tensions inside ZANU PF are escalating amid factional battles over control of key state institutions and the party’s future direction.
“It’s hard to believe this was just coincidence,” said a senior ruling party insider. “Someone is trying to embarrass the President, and it’s happening within his own walls.”
Smoke and Symbolism
Adding intrigue, images circulated online showing a fire-gutted building, prompting speculation of related sabotage. While authorities have not confirmed any connection, the imagery has deepened the sense of crisis surrounding the power failure.
Analysts say the symbolism of the President addressing the nation in darkness will resonate politically — a metaphor for the uncertainty gripping both ZANU PF and the nation at large.
“When the lights go out on the Head of State twice in less than a year, it’s more than a power fault — it’s a reflection of power struggles,” said political analyst Elias Moyo.
ZESA engineers and parliamentary security have launched investigations into the cause of the blackout, as speculation grows that this was no ordinary outage, but a symptom of a deeper power crisis — both electrical and political.
