Zambia and Zimbabwe plunge into darkness after simultaneous power blackouts
Zambia and Zimbabwe experienced simultaneous nationwide power blackouts on the evening of Sunday, November 24, following a disturbance believed to be caused by a surge in power lines connecting the two countries to South Africa's power utility, Eskom.
The outages began at 8:15 PM CAT in Zambia and 8:25 PM CAT in Zimbabwe, according to local reports. Both state power companies, ZESA in Zimbabwe and ZESCO in Zambia, confirmed system disturbances that resulted in the total loss of power supply.
In a statement, ZESA said, “The national grid experienced a system disturbance resulting in a nationwide blackout.” Meanwhile, ZESCO described the incident as a “power system disturbance… leading to loss of power supply that has affected the whole country.”
Restoration efforts were launched immediately, with Zimbabwe reporting near-complete power restoration by 3 AM CAT on Monday, November 25.
Both countries face significant power generation shortfalls due to low water levels at the Kariba Dam, which forms part of Lake Kariba, the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume.
Zimbabwe’s power crisis is particularly severe, with frequent outages lasting up to a reported 18 hours a day. The issue has been worsened by ageing infrastructure at the Hwange Thermal Power Station, the country’s largest power plant.
To cope with the disruptions affecting businesses and daily activities, many Zimbabweans have turned to alternative energy solutions such as fuel-powered generators and solar energy, though these options come with additional costs and logistical challenges.
