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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Zesa: Zimbabwe parliament hit by power cut during Mthuli Ncube's budget speech | |
| (2 months later) | |
| The moment Zimbabwe's parliament was plunged into darkness | The moment Zimbabwe's parliament was plunged into darkness |
| A power cut plunged Zimbabwe's parliament into darkness as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube was finishing his budget speech. | A power cut plunged Zimbabwe's parliament into darkness as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube was finishing his budget speech. |
| The lights flickered and died, leaving top officials like President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and members of parliament sitting in the dark. | The lights flickered and died, leaving top officials like President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and members of parliament sitting in the dark. |
| The outage is a symptom of Zimbabwe’s ongoing crisis, with daily 12-hour blackouts driven by a prolonged drought that is crippling energy generation at the Kariba Dam, the country’s main power source. | The outage is a symptom of Zimbabwe’s ongoing crisis, with daily 12-hour blackouts driven by a prolonged drought that is crippling energy generation at the Kariba Dam, the country’s main power source. |
| As the lights went out, opposition MPs shouted that the outage was an apt metaphor for the country’s state of affairs. | As the lights went out, opposition MPs shouted that the outage was an apt metaphor for the country’s state of affairs. |
| George Manyaya, a spokesperson from Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) told local news site ZimLive that the blackout had not been planned. | |
| He said parliament had its own dedicated electricity supply which is exempt from power cuts. | He said parliament had its own dedicated electricity supply which is exempt from power cuts. |
| He said the blackout had happened because of a lightning strike. | He said the blackout had happened because of a lightning strike. |
| Before the lights went out, Ncube said the agricultural sector would contract by 15% this year because of the drought. | Before the lights went out, Ncube said the agricultural sector would contract by 15% this year because of the drought. |
| He, however, projected that the economy would grow by 6% next year due to the forecast of above-average rainfall - which would also serve to improve the supply of electricity. | He, however, projected that the economy would grow by 6% next year due to the forecast of above-average rainfall - which would also serve to improve the supply of electricity. |
| More BBC stories on Zimbabwe: | More BBC stories on Zimbabwe: |
| Zimbabwe power outages hit businesses and families | Zimbabwe power outages hit businesses and families |
| Parents beg US diplomat for apology over fatal crash | Parents beg US diplomat for apology over fatal crash |
| Job Sikhala, the man determined to wrestle Zimbabwe’s 'crocodile' | Job Sikhala, the man determined to wrestle Zimbabwe’s 'crocodile' |
| Zimbabwe's obsession with Animal Farm as novel gets Shona translation | Zimbabwe's obsession with Animal Farm as novel gets Shona translation |
| Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. | |
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