By A Correspondent

Parliament was abruptly plunged into darkness on Thursday as Finance and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube was concluding his 2025 national budget speech.

The power outage was caused by ZESA’s ongoing load shedding, which has become a frequent issue in Zimbabwe.

As the lights went out, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had been present in the chamber, was forced to make his way out through the darkened hall.

The opposition Members of Parliament seized the moment to voice their discontent, shouting “state of affairs!” in protest, highlighting the country’s deteriorating power situation and broader economic challenges.

The blackout, which occurred during a high-profile government speech, was widely seen as a significant embarrassment for the President and his administration.

Critics have pointed to the incident as a reflection of the country’s deepening infrastructure crisis, which continues to affect daily life and hinder economic progress.

ZESA spokesperson George Manyaya also rejected claims that the blackout was a result of load shedding, instead attributing it to a lightning storm.

“There was a storm in the parliamentary area, and unfortunately, lightning caused a temporary loss of power during the budget presentation. It’s an act of nature, not load shedding, as is being suggested on social media.”