Power Cut Off During President Mnangagwa’s SONA Speech: Here Is What We Know

The nation was left in darkness, quite literally, when President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Parliament on 28 October 2025 was interrupted by a power cut. The blackout plunged the chamber into near total darkness and forced the President to finish his address under the beam of a torch held by an aide. The extraordinary moment has triggered widespread outrage and a high-level investigation, with the Speaker of Parliament issuing a furious warning.

What Happened During The President’s Speech?

Eyewitnesses confirmed that the blackout struck in the last ten minutes of Mnangagwa’s address. Video footage showed the chamber suddenly in gloom, while an aide quickly stepped forward with a torch to allow the President to continue reading his prepared remarks.

Reports state that as soon as Mnangagwa concluded, electricity was restored. Witnesses also noted that an aide attempted to persuade him to stop speaking in the dark, but the President insisted on finishing. He appeared visibly angry as he left the chamber.

This was not the first such incident. In November 2024, a budget speech was also interrupted by a blackout. At the time, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) blamed “an act of nature,” citing storms that caused a 132kv feeder to trip at Mt Hampden.

What Did The Speaker Say About The Blackout?

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda reacted immediately with strong words. Addressing MPs after the disruption, he said:

“The person who switched off electricity while the President was speaking will regret the day he was born.”

He apologised to the President and vowed that Parliament would “chase the culprit.” His language fuelled speculation that the outage might have been a deliberate act of sabotage rather than a technical problem.

Why Did The Power Go Out Despite Backup Plans?

Parliament had drawn up detailed measures to avoid exactly this kind of embarrassment. A letter dated 21 October 2025, written by Acting Clerk of Parliament N.A. Sunga to Dr J. Bhasera, the Secretary for Local Government and Public Works, set out the power arrangements for the SONA.

The letter confirmed that the address would run on a generator as the primary source of power, with ZESA electricity on standby. It instructed that:

“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 immediate response if required.”
“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.”

The letter was also copied to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, the Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet, and the Chief Executive Officer of ZETDC, showing how high-level the preparations were meant to be.

Instead of ensuring a flawless event, the very backup plan designed to prevent disruption became the cause of the blackout. The delay in switching from generator to ZESA left the chamber in darkness until the President finished his speech.

What Happens Next?

Speaker Mudenda has vowed to “chase the culprit,” promising accountability for the disruption. However, with the evidence pointing to a generator failure and delayed switching by engineers, the focus now shifts to whether individuals will be blamed or whether the issue will be treated as a wider systems failure.

At the time of writing, neither Parliament nor ZESA has released a formal statement beyond initial reports. The unanswered questions remain: who exactly was responsible for the delayed switch and whether Parliament’s own oversight contributed to the embarrassment.