The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is working urgently to restore electricity supply across the country following major faults that have crippled power generation and triggered widespread blackouts.
A fire at the Southerton substation in Harare over the weekend knocked out supply to several suburbs, while a separate technical fault at Hwange Power Station forced the shutdown of five critical units, resulting in a 300-megawatt drop in output. The two incidents, though unrelated, have exposed the fragility of Zimbabwe’s power infrastructure.
Electricity generation stood at just 1,145 megawatts on Monday—barely half of the country’s estimated peak demand of 2,200 MW—further straining households, businesses, and essential services. Projections show demand could more than double to 5,000 MW by 2030, driven by industrial expansion in mining and agriculture.
On Monday evening, the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Hon. July Moyo, and the Minister of Information, Hon. Dr. Jenfan Muswere, visited the affected substation to assess progress. Moyo said ZESA teams are working around the clock to bring units back online.
“Some areas will see power restored tonight, but full restoration is expected by Wednesday evening,” he said, praising ZESA for keeping the public informed and urging patience from residents.
He added that the incident at Hwange had necessitated the shutdown of units one to four and six, significantly impacting national output. “This has highlighted the urgent need to invest in upgrading our power stations, transmission lines, and substations, which are old and increasingly unreliable,” Moyo said.
ZESA executives and engineers are on-site in Harare and Hwange, leading the restoration efforts. The crisis has reignited calls for accelerated investment and reform in Zimbabwe’s power sector, which continues to battle outdated infrastructure and rising demand.
