ZETDC Managing Director Suspended Over Blackouts At ZANU PF Conference And Mnangagwa’s SONA
By Agencies
ZESA Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer, Cletus Nyachowe, has suspended Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) Managing Director Abel Gurupira following the embarrassing power outage that plunged Parliament into darkness during President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday, 28 October.
The blackout, which occurred midway through the President’s speech, forced him to complete his address under torchlight — a moment that quickly went viral and sparked widespread public criticism.
The incident has since overshadowed the content of Mnangagwa’s address, with national debate dominated by questions over the country’s worsening power reliability and accountability within ZESA.
In an internal memorandum, Nyachowe said Gurupira’s suspension follows the Parliament power failure and also a series of recent outages, including those that disrupted preparations for the ZANU PF Annual National People’s Conference in Mutare earlier this month. He wrote to Gurupira:
“I am hereby suspending you from duty pending investigations, following a spate of power outages prior to commencement of the ZANU PF Conference in Mutare, and during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on the 28th of October 2025.
“You will be on full pay and benefits, pending the outcome of the investigations. During the period of suspension, you are not to communicate with ZESA Holdings Group of staff.”
Credit – Pindula News
