Power Outage Disrupts Zimbabwe Budget Presentation

During the presentation of Zimbabwe's 2025 National Budget, a power blackout disrupted proceedings in parliament, underscoring the country's severe energy crisis. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube had been concluding his speech when the lights went out, leaving top officials, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in the dark. The blackout has been attributed to lightning strikes, but opposition MPs criticized the government's handling of the ongoing energy shortages, which include daily blackouts of up to 15 hours. They argued that the ZWL259 million allocated to the energy sector is inadequate and called for policies to support renewable energy initiatives. Ncube projected a 15% contraction in the agricultural sector due to drought but expressed optimism about a 6% economic growth in 2025 with improved rainfall. This incident reflects broader governance issues in Zimbabwe, highlighting the impact of climate change and inadequate infrastructure on the nation's energy supply.