The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) has launched an investigation into the cause of a widespread power outage that disrupted electricity supply in Zambia and Zimbabwe on Monday night. The outage, which occurred at 20:15 hours, impacted both nations simultaneously due to their interconnected power systems, according to Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba.
Speaking at a joint press briefing alongside Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana and Acting ZESCO Managing Director Justin Longo, Mr. Mumba confirmed that the disruption was a result of a power system disturbance on the Zambia-Zimbabwe interconnector. While the exact cause remains unknown, ZESCO has been working tirelessly to restore normalcy.
Acting ZESCO Managing Director Justin Longo revealed that Zambia has been experiencing power rationing ranging from six to seven hours daily between November 1 and 16. This was reduced to three to five hours from November 16 to November 24 due to maintenance works, including a temporary disconnection of the line from Namibia. Longo assured citizens that once the connection with Zimbabwe is restored, power rationing will return to the earlier schedule.
During the outage, several miners were trapped underground at two mines—a Chinese-operated facility in Chambishi and Mopani Mine’s Mindolo shaft. Mr. Mumba confirmed that all the workers were safely rescued after alternative power supplies were activated. He commended ZESCO for its swift response in addressing the unplanned disruption and praised the understanding shown by Zambian citizens.
Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana highlighted the government’s preparedness during the incident, particularly in the health sector. Emergency power systems in medical facilities nationwide ensured critical operations were uninterrupted. Mr. Kawana confirmed that no lives were lost, including at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), where power was restored within 30 minutes.
As the SAPP investigation continues, the government has pledged to keep the nation informed about developments and is taking steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
What investigation ?
The cause was in Zimababwe .. the investigation is to try and aportion blame elsewhere
to cover up lack of maintenance and blame poor old El Nino again
Such incidents are mainly caused by lack of preventive maintenance. Things don’t just fail; they start with telltale signs before the actual failure occurs. Therefore, someone must be sleeping on duty.
Emmanuel JJ BANDA