Mnangagwa the merchant of darkness

In a dramatic twist during today's State of the Nation Address (SONA), the new Zimbabwean Parliament chamber was plunged into darkness in the final ten minutes of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's speech, forcing him to finish reading under torchlight.

For many Zimbabweans, the literal blackout provided a powerful metaphor for the country's deepening economic crisis, crumbling infrastructure, and failed leadership. The symbolism was not lost on the public, who quickly took to social media to draw parallels between the darkened chamber and the nation's bleak outlook.

Commentators and publications alike described the incident as emblematic of "a government without vision" and "a future in darkness."

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda later apologised to the President, describing the incident as a possible act of sabotage and promising that those responsible would be punished. However, the explanation was met with widespread scepticism, with many dismissing it as an attempt to deflect blame from chronic power failures and governance decay.

Witnesses said Mnangagwa appeared visibly angered by the interruption and had to be persuaded to stop reading, though he insisted on finishing the speech despite the darkness.

Observers noted that this was not the first time such an embarrassment had occurred — a similar power cut disrupted last year's SONA, underscoring what critics call a symbolic and literal inability by the government to "keep the lights on" even for its most important national event.

The blackout has since been widely interpreted as a vivid illustration of Zimbabwe's leadership failures, highlighting the widening disconnect between rulers who cannot deliver basic services and the citizens they claim to serve.