ZETDC Managing Director Abel Gurupira was reportedly fired with immediate effect following a power outage that occurred during President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Several news and social media outlets reported the dismissal, citing an instruction from Energy Minister July Moyo. An internal investigation into the incident has been launched.
A letter written by Group Chief Executive Engineer C. Nyachowe reads:
Certainly. Here is the transcription of the document:
ZESA HOLDINGS (PRIVATE) LIMITED
Internal Correspondence
| From: | Group Chief Executive Officer (A) | At: ZESA Holdings |
| To: | Managing Director (A) | At: ZETDC |
| Date: | 28 October 2025 | Ref: CN/pz/28/10/2025 |
| Subject: | SUSPENSION FROM DUTY PENDING OUTCOME OF POWER OUTAGES DURING AND PRECEDING STATE OCCASIONS |
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.
| ENG C. NYACHOWE | |
| GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (A) |
Cc: Honourable Minister of Energy and Power Development – Hon. J. G. Moyo (MP)
ZESA Holdings Interim Chairman – Mr. A. Nduna
Chief Executive Officer – Mutapa Investment Fund – Dr. J. P. Mangudya
| Received by: | Date: |
| Eng. A. N. Gurupira |
Details of the incident:
Embarrassing outage: The power failed during the final 10 minutes of President Mnangagwa’s speech, plunging the chamber into darkness. An aide had to hold a torch so the president could finish reading. The outage was widely reported and sparked national outrage and embarrassment.
Previous incidents: This was not the first time a power failure has disrupted a key government event. A similar incident occurred in November 2024 during the presentation of the national budget.
Precautionary measures: Reports indicate that extensive measures had been taken to prevent an outage, including having standby generators and ZETDC technical staff on-site. A letter dated October 21, 2025, from the acting clerk of Parliament had specifically requested assurances of uninterrupted power.
Apology and vow: Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda publicly apologized to the visibly angry president and vowed to identify and take action against those responsible, stating they would “regret the day they were born”.
Possible sabotage: While a generator circuit breaker fault was initially blamed, growing speculation points to possible sabotage given the high tensions and the nature of the timing.
