By Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed the late Sydney Gata, Executive Chairman of ZESA Holdings, as a transformative energy leader and regional renewable energy advocate.
This, despite his controversial tenure at ZESA, which was marred by allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and persistent power outages.
Gata was declared a national hero, with many criticising the move, citing his incompetence at the helm of ZESA.
He was buried at the National Heroes Acre, Wednesday, with Mnangagwa presiding over the burial.
“A great advocate of renewable energy, Dr Gata always emphasised the importance of gradually transitioning our energy mix from fossil fuels.
“Only a week before his passing, Dr Gata was honoured for his immense contribution to the energy discourse in our region by the Southern African Power Pool during the organisation’s 30th Anniversary commemorations.
“His leadership in the energy sector, and ZESA Holdings in particular, was transformational,” Mnangagwa said.
Meanwhile, critics say Gata was declared a national hero because of his political loyalty and family ties with the presidency.
Gata was married to the late former President Robert Mugabe’s sister, Regina, and later divorced in 2022. He later got married to Angeline Mayahle, a Deputy Minister and Zanu-PF MP, whose sister is reportedly close to the President.
Several reports by Parliamentary Portfolio Committees from the 2000s exposed governance failures during Gata’s time at ZESA.