By Patience Gondo
ZESA Holdings has suspended the Acting Managing Director of the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), Engineer Abel Gurupira, pending investigations into widespread power outages that occurred during key national events including the recent when President Emmerson Mnangagwa delivered his State Of The Nation Address (SONA).
Gurupira was barred from communicating with any ZESA Group employees
An internal memorandum dated October 28, 2025, signed by Acting Group Chief Executive Officer Engineer Cletus Nyachowe said Gupurira was suspended on full pay and benefits following power disruptions that affected the ZANU PF Annual Conference in Mutare and the SONA delivered by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Parliament.
“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,” said Nyachowe.
Nyachowe instructed Gurupira not to communicate with ZESA Holdings Group staff during the period of suspension until investigations are concluded.
The correspondence was copied to Minister of Energy and Power Development Hon July Moyo, ZESA Holdings Interim Chairman Mr. Joel Nduna, and Mutapa Investment Fund Chief Executive Officer Dr. John Mangudya.
The suspension follows widespread public attention after President Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address was briefly interrupted by a power outage, forcing his Mnangagwa to conclude his SONA under torchlight.
Investigations want to establish the cause of the disruptions, which affected both the parliamentary proceedings and high-profile national events in recent weeks.