By 
ZESA Holdings has initiated an urgent effort to restore energy supply following a technical failure at the country’s largest coal-fired power plant, Hwange Power Station, and a fire incident at the Highfields substation, which left numerous areas in darkness.
The country’s already fragile power supply faced a double blow on Sunday, May 4, 2025, following a major mechanical failure at Hwange Power Station and a fire at the Highfield Substation in Harare. Both events, occurring within hours of each other, triggered extensive power outages affecting industrial and residential zones, prompting urgent responses from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Holdings.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
ZESA Holdings has since released an official press statement outlining the causes, responses, and expected recovery timelines for the incidents.
Dr. George Manyaya, ZESA General Manager for Stakeholder Relations, stated that the utility is witnessing extensive power outages due to the disruption at Hwange, which has drastically reduced power generation and forced intensified load reduction across all customer segments.
According to the press statement subsequent investigations by ZESA engineers traced the cause to a fault within the water treatment plant. Acidic water introduced into the steam generation system is suspected of fracturing boiler tubes and damaging multiple units.
To mitigate the impact of the shortfall, ZESA has increased electricity capacity at Kariba Power Station and is drawing on supply from captive power producers (CPPs) and net metering consumers.
ZESA indicated that the first unit is expected to return to service between midnight and the morning of Wednesday, May 7. Repairs on the remaining affected units are underway, with full restoration of all five compromised units projected by the end of the day on Friday, May 9.
Exacerbating the crisis, the fire at the Highfields substation on May 4, damaged crucial equipment and causing outages over many suburbs.
The resulting power outages affected a broad swathe of Harare’s urban and industrial landscape, with areas such as Southerton (both domestic and industrial), Workington industrial park, Old and New Adbernnie, Willowvale, Rugare, Westwood, Lochnivar, Highfield, Waterfalls, and parts of Mbare left without electricity.
However, Workington was successfully back-fed from Kambuzuma, Willowvale back-fed from Parkridge via Glen View and Beatrice Substation was restored, enabling power resumption in Old Adbernnie, Waterfalls, Mbare, and parts of Southerton.
Despite these efforts, several areas like Varuun Beverages, New Adbernnie, parts of Willowvale Industrial Zone, Highfield Residential and Glen Norah remained without electricity as of Tuesday evening. include
ZESA emphasized that restoration work is ongoing and affected residents and businesses should expect gradual resumption of service as technical teams finalize installations and safety checks.
Dr Manyaya, ZESA General Manager for Stakeholder Relations
assured stakeholders that restoration efforts are underway, with technical teams working around the clock to replace damaged infrastructure and implement temporary solutions to minimize disruption.
“Our teams are on the ground and working tirelessly to replace the damaged equipment and restore supplies,” he said.
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