Zimbabwe plunged into darkness on Monday evening as the national grid collapsed, according to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC). The outage occurred at 6:24 pm local time.
ZETDC's parent company, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), attributed the blackout to a 'technical fault' on their network, but did not specify the cause.
Investigation Underway and Restoration Efforts Initiated
ZETDC announced that all relevant teams are mobilizing to restore power, stating, 'Processes for power restoration are in progress.' Engineers are currently investigating the cause of the failure.
All relevant departments have been notified and processes for power restoration are in progress.
Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company
This incident brings to light Zimbabwe's chronic power shortages, which have escalated in recent years due to outdated infrastructure and insufficient energy generation.
- Limited electricity generation capacity, primarily from coal-fired plants.
- Dependence on the Kariba hydropower station, which suffers from low water levels due to drought.
The Hwange power station, the country's largest source of electricity, struggles to meet demand, exacerbating the energy crisis. This blackout is another chapter in Zimbabwe's ongoing battle with power supply reliability.