In brief
Zimbabwe's parliament experienced an unexpected power cut as Finance Minister Nthuli Ncube concluded his budget speech. This incident highlighted the energy challenges facing the nation, with 12-hour daily blackouts affecting daily life due to drought conditions impacting the Kariba Dam.
Zimbabwe’s parliament plunged into darkness during an important budget speech by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube. Top officials including President Emmerson Mnangagwa were present when the lights went out, leaving everyone in total darkness. This power outage serves as a stark reminder of Zimbabwe's dire energy situation, where the nation suffers through daily 12-hour blackouts, primarily due to extended droughts affecting the Kariba Dam—its main source of electricity.As darkness enveloped the room, opposition members seized the moment to voice out that the power cut was symbolic of the country’s struggles. George Manyaya from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) clarified that the outage was unexpected and not a part of the scheduled cuts, attributing it to a lightning strike instead. Prior to the blackout, Minister Ncube cautioned that the agricultural sector was likely to see a 15% decline this year due to the drought, but he optimistically projected a potential 6% economic growth next year, depending on anticipated improved rainfall and better electricity supplies.
