ZESA Holdings Limited, Zimbabwe’s national power utility, is pleased to confirm that electricity supply has been fully restored across the country following a nationwide blackout triggered by a technical fault on the Warren-Alaska 330kV transmission line yesterday evening.
The system disturbance occurred at approximately 6:24 p.m. on Monday, July 6, 2026, resulting in the loss of generation at major power stations and the interruption of electricity imports from neighboring countries including South Africa, Zambia, and Mozambique. This led to a complete collapse of the national grid, affecting homes, businesses, and essential services nationwide.
Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of ZESA’s technical teams, power restoration commenced within minutes. By 10:00 p.m., electricity had been restored to most bulk supply points using a combination of local generation from Kariba Power Station and Hwange Thermal Power Station (Units 1, 2, and 3), along with resumed imports from Eskom and Hydro Cabora Bassa. Remaining areas, including some parts of Harare, were progressively reconnected overnight, with full national restoration achieved early this morning.
Eng. Noah M. Manyika, Acting Managing Director of ZESA Holdings, stated: “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to the nation by this unforeseen grid collapse. Our teams worked tirelessly through the night to stabilize the system and restore supply. This incident underscores the vulnerabilities in our aging infrastructure and the critical importance of ongoing investments in transmission and generation capacity. We remain committed to minimizing such disruptions and delivering reliable power to all Zimbabweans.”
ZESA Holdings continues to monitor the grid closely and is conducting a full investigation into the root cause of the transmission line fault. Technical teams are also addressing residual issues at the Warren Substation to prevent recurrence.
The utility appeals to all customers for continued patience as minor localized adjustments may be necessary in the coming hours. Consumers are reminded to treat all electrical installations as live during this stabilization period.
ZESA Holdings is actively pursuing long-term solutions to Zimbabwe’s power challenges, including infrastructure upgrades, increased local generation, and enhanced regional cooperation, to meet the country’s growing energy demand.