Zimbabweans are suffering sluggish internet just ahead of the country’s national elections on Wednesday.
This online traffic is affecting the customers of the top internet players like NetOne, Econet, TelOne, and Liquid.
According to Netblocks, users have been experiencing downtimes on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Additionally, some Econet users say that they are unable to access WhatsApp.
The Zimbabwean government has a history of limiting internet access during important national events. It throttled the internet in 2020 ahead of planned protests and in 2019 during national demonstrations against increasing fuel prices.
More recently, in February last year, internet speeds significantly slowed down during a national demonstration by the Citizens Coalition For Change, one of the leading opposition parties in the country.
Many people were unable to live stream the demonstrations. In March, something similar happened during more opposition demonstrations. Netblocks confirmed that the disruptions were not due to congestion as claimed by government sources.
