Zimbabwe is grappling with exacerbated economic challenges due to a recent surge in power cuts.

The country has been grappling with power outages for an extended period, but the latest cuts by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) have plunged the nation into its most severe energy crisis in three years.

ZESA implemented “load-shedding” power cuts last month due to dwindling water levels at the Kariba hydroelectric station. Zimbabwe’s energy woes have been further compounded by dilapidated energy infrastructure and insufficient funding for energy imports. These power cuts are scheduled for specific five-hour intervals during the early and late hours of the day, such as 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM. However, the outages often extend beyond the designated time slots. Reports from ZimLive reveal that a family endured a power outage from Friday to Sunday last week. In response, Energy Minister Fortune Chasi has vowed to minimize the outages but emphasized the public’s responsibility to settle their outstanding bills to enable ZESA to procure additional power from neighboring nations. In June, ZESA settled a $10 million USD debt to South Africa.

Zimbabwe’s economy has suffered from years of international isolation. The removal of longtime President Robert Mugabe in 2017 sparked hopes for economic reforms and an end to the country’s economic and political seclusion. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s successor, has pledged to attract investors to foster sustainable growth, rejuvenate public services, and reintroduce a national currency immune to hyperinflation. In June, Zimbabwe outlawed the use of foreign currencies, including the US Dollar, along with plans to reintroduce a new national currency. The Zimbabwean Dollar was discontinued in 2009 due to staggering inflation levels, with some banknotes reaching $100 trillion.