ZESA mourns Sydney Gata, its first black GM and long-serving chairman
HARARE – Sydney Gata, the Executive Chairman of Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, passed away on Thursday evening at a local hospital after a short illness.
· Nehanda RadioHe was 68.
Gata, who was admitted to a private hospital in Harare on Monday complaining of chest pains, died last night.
ZESA Holdings announced Gata’s death through a notice to all employees
“It is with profound sense of sorrow and sadness that we announce the untimely death of our Executive Chairman, Dr. Sydney Zikuzo Gata who passed on last night.”
Albert Nduna, Vice Chairman of the ZESA Holdings Board, conveyed condolences to Gata’s family, including his wife, the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Angeline Gata (MP), children, and grandchildren.
Gata’s career in the energy sector spanned several decades, marked by various leadership roles within ZESA and its predecessors.
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He was the first black General Manager of the Electricity Supply Commission (ESC) from 1981 to 1985. He then served as CEO and board member of ZESA from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.
He was appointed ZESA Executive Chairman from 2001 to 2006 and returned to the same position in November 2019, serving until his death.
Beyond his contributions to ZESA, Gata held roles in academia and international organisations.
From 1976 to 1981, he lectured in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering and City University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in London, United Kingdom.
Upon his return to Zimbabwe, he lectured at the University of Zimbabwe in the Faculty of Engineering from 1981 to 1982.
He also served as a Board member of the World Energy Council Commission (WEC) for three years between 1992 and 1994, and as Deputy Chairman of the WEC Studies Committee.
His advisory and board roles extended to the African Development Bank and Integrated Energy Systems Ltd (UK), among others.
Funeral arrangements for Gata are expected to be communicated in due course.