The scene felt ripped from a dystopian novel: Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, delivering his State of the Nation address as his parliament plunged into darkness. It wasn’t a dramatic effect, but a stark reality – a power outage silencing the nation’s leader mid-speech.
For the final ten minutes of his address, Mnangagwa was forced to speak by torchlight, a symbolic illustration of the country’s crippling dysfunction. The irony wasn’t lost on observers, particularly as the President seeks to extend his rule until 2030.
Dissident journalist Hopewell Chin’ono sharply questioned how a government unable to power its own presidential address could credibly lead the nation forward. The incident sparked outrage and disbelief, highlighting a deeper, systemic failure.
The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, vowed retribution, promising to identify and severely punish those responsible for the outage. His words carried a chilling threat, hinting at a desperate attempt to control a narrative spiraling out of control.
Mnangagwa, visibly angered by the disruption, abruptly left the chamber the moment he concluded his speech. The timing was particularly stinging, as electricity was restored almost immediately after his departure.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Just last year, a similar blackout disrupted the presentation of the national budget, leaving the Finance Minister and assembled officials in darkness. These repeated failures paint a grim picture of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure.
Zimbabwe’s descent serves as a stark warning, a cautionary tale of what can happen under prolonged socialist mismanagement. Once a thriving agricultural hub, known as the “breadbasket of Africa” during British colonial rule, the nation has been systematically dismantled.
The seizure of productive farms and their distribution to political allies crippled the agricultural sector, leading to widespread food shortages and economic devastation. Rampant corruption further eroded the nation’s stability and prosperity.
Decades of state control and a failing economic model have left Zimbabwe’s infrastructure in ruins, its people mired in poverty, and its future uncertain. The government routinely deflects blame, pointing fingers at “Western sanctions” as the root of its problems.
However, the reality is far more complex. The darkness that enveloped Zimbabwe’s parliament wasn’t caused by external forces, but by internal failures – a consequence of policies that have systematically undermined the nation’s potential for nearly half a century.
