‎Harare, (New Ziana) Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata who died in Harare on Thursday has been declared a national hero. ‎Gata was the executive chairman of Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).

‎In his condolence message President Emmerson Mnangagwa described the lake Dr Gata as a very committed figure who dedicated his life to providing energy solutions and infrastructure development for the nation.

‎ Dr Gata began his career as a lecturer at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering in London, the United Kingdom, where he made a huge impact in the fields of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.

He also lectured at the City University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in London before coming back home to lecture at the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Engineering.

Dr Gata was appointed the first black General Manager of the Electricity Supply Company, and at the end of his five-year term, he was elevated to the post of Chief Executive officer and board member of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).

During that period, he also sat on the board of the Central Africa Power Corporation (CAPCO) while some of Dr Gata’s accomplishments include the Hwange Power Station Phase 1 and 2, the Main Transmission System and Regional Interconnectors, the National and Regional Power Control System, the Urban and Rural Electrification Master Plan, as well as restructuring the energy sector under the End User Infrastructure Development Program that rolled out 300 irrigation projects countrywide.

He would later spearhead the unbundling of the power utility into several subsidiaries, including the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), ZESA Enterprises and PowerTel.

Dr Gata led the projects that rehabilitated Kariba Hydropower Station and Hwange Units 7 and 8 that added over 900MW to the national grid, leaving behind a rich and iconic legacy of architectural excellence in the energy sector.

His high profile saw him being appointed in several important international energy organizations including the World Energy Council (WEC) where he became a regional coordinator of the WEC Sub Saharan African Region, eventually becoming the Deputy Chairman of the Special Committee on Energy Finance for Developing countries and the Studies Committee.

Dr Gata played an advisory and consultative role to the African Development Bank and Integrated Energy Systems Ltd (UK) on energy issues while. ‎Mourners are gathered at 333 Fairway Road in Borrowdale. ‎Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

New Ziana