Harare, the Zimbabwean capital city, usually a hub of activity even during late evening hours, was plunged into darkness last night due to a power outage.
Even the State House, Zimbabwe House and the President’s Office, as well as other critical areas, were affected.
A widespread power outage struck around 10pm, leaving the whole central business district as dark as a moonless night.
Darkness, like ink, filled the Harare skyline, sprinkled with lights from generators and solar like distant diamonds.
The lifeless streets, normally illuminated by the glow of streetlights and neon signs even though they are always poorly lit due to maintenance failure, were shrouded in an inky blackness.
The only sound was the hum of generators and the occasional car horn, punctuating the eerie silence.
Buildings, the few towering skyscrapers in Harare, stood as dark monoliths, their windows like empty eyes staring back.
The city’s tall buildings and iconic landmarks like the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe building were mere silhouettes, their aesthetic beauty lost in the city gloom.
Traffic lights were off, leaving drivers to navigate the roads by instinct and guesswork.
The roads, usually a sea of brake lights and headlights in the evening, were empty thoroughfares as vehicles breezed through blackout.
Pedestrians, normally a common sight on the city’s sidewalks, were few and far between.
The power outage had brought the city to a standstill, exposing its vulnerabilities and reminding its residents of the fragility of current life and national failure.
Recently President Emmerson Mnangagwa was recently forced to walk out of a budget presentation event at New Parliament in Mt Hampden after an embarrassing power outage.
Parliament, instead of holding Mnangagwa and his ministers to account for the disaster, apologised to the President.
As the darkness stretched on last night, the city held its breath, waiting for the lights to come back on and restore light.
It took more than two hours for electricity to return just after midnight. Zimbabwe’s power shortages are a grave concern, with the country reportedly losing a staggering US$1.6 billion annually due to power outages.
Households and companies are seriously affected, worsening their already bad situation.
The World Bank estimates that these power shortages cost Zimbabwe 6.1% of its GDP per year.
The main cause of the power shortages is the country’s aging power infrastructure, particularly the Hwange Thermal Power Station, which has been expanded but still in dire need of an upgrade, and the dramatic decline of output at the hydroelectric Kariba Power Station, now contributing only just over 200MW, due to limited water in Kariba.
Yet it is Zimbabwe’s largest power plant, with an installed capacity of 1 050 MW.
The station was built in stages, with the first six generators commissioned between 1959 and 1962.
Two additional units were added in 2018, but now it’s contribution to the national grid is negligible.
To resolve this crippling crisis, Zimbabwe needs to upgrade existing power infrastructure and invest in renewable energy.
Government also needs to provide necessary guarantees to independent power producers.
Further, government also needs to consider alternative energy sources, including solar.
Overall, addressing Zimbabwe’s power shortages will require a multi-faceted approach that involves upgrading existing infrastructure, investing in renewable energy, and exploring alternative energy sources.
While authorities claim they are fixing the situation, the crisis persists – in some cases getting worse – and Zimbabweans may spend their festive season in darkness, a further problem in their sea of troubles.
