By A Correspondent-The Chipinge community had no kind words for the late Executive Chairman of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), mourning the death of Sydney Zukuzo Gata, who passed away on Thursday evening.
Gata died at a private hospital in Harare after being admitted earlier in the week with chest pains. He hailed from the Mutema communal area under Chief Mutema.
Nationally, Gata was a towering but controversial figure—widely regarded as a key member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inner circle and a prominent beneficiary of Zimbabwe’s post-liberation patronage system.
He was also married to President Mnangagwa’s second wife.
While his career was distinguished by powerful appointments and international roles, it was also tainted by long-standing allegations of corruption, nepotism, and the misuse of public institutions for personal and political gain.
Resentment in Chipinge
Despite official tributes, Gata’s legacy in his home district is far from universally celebrated. Many residents in Chipinge remember him less for his philanthropy and more for the power he wielded to influence politics, control land, and silence dissent.
Known locally as Chigananda, Gata was accused of using his proximity to Mnangagwa and his tribal identity to dominate the Mutema–Musikavanhu constituency, where his wife serves as the area’s MP and Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
In Ward 5, Gata was accused of displacing villagers through controversial land takeovers. During the June 14 by-election in the ward, activists allegedly loyal to Gata and his wife reportedly harassed voters, with over 1,200 people being “assisted” to vote under the pretext of illiteracy—an improbable claim that reportedly included qualified teachers.
Many viewed the imposition of his wife as a political candidate as undemocratic, and her presence deepened divisions within ZANU-PF. Locals say few dared to speak against the Gata family, citing fear of political reprisals and their close links to the presidency.
A Career of Firsts and Controversies
Dr. Gata’s career trajectory was remarkable. He was the first Black General Manager of the Electricity Supply Commission (ESC), serving from 1981 to 1985. He later became ZESA’s Chief Executive Officer and board member during the late 1980s and 1990s. His controversial reappointment as Executive Chairman in 2019 was met with public skepticism as ZESA grappled with worsening load shedding and financial mismanagement.
Internationally, Gata held respected positions, including a term as Deputy Chair of the Studies Committee of the World Energy Council from 1992 to 1994. He also served in advisory roles with the African Development Bank and Integrated Energy Systems Limited (UK).
A Divided Mourning
Though many in Chipinge were deeply critical of his legacy, others mourned him as a son of the soil who never severed ties with his roots.
Ward 23 Councillor Shingai Gapara said all local activities had been suspended to honor the Gata family.
“In honoring his legacy and respecting the Gata family, we have suspended all gatherings and programs in Ward 23 of Chipinge Rural. May we find strength in our collective grief and support one another during this difficult period,” he said.
Community activist Oliver Chikumba, who broke the news of Gata’s death, remembered him warmly:
“The giant has fallen. A man of few words and more action. The nation has been robbed. Dr. Engineer Sydney Zukuzo Gata—your legacy will forever be cherished. Rest in power, Mutape.”
Academic and consultant Dr. Robbert Matikiti called him “a hero who has left behind a good legacy,” while members of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) also paid tribute to his development work and spiritual leadership.
Gata was instrumental in championing the proposed Gazaland University (GU) project in Chipinge. According to Mr. Phillimon Mlambo, Chairperson of the GU Taskforce, Gata helped conceptualize an Agriculture Centre of Excellence and pushed for the project’s realization.
“Dr. Gata was one of our greatest advocates and cheerleaders for Gazaland University. In his honor, we are even more determined to make GU a reality,” Mlambo said.
Legacy of Power and Polarization
Dr. Gata is survived by his wife, Hon. Angeline Gata, their children, and grandchildren. Funeral and burial arrangements will be announced in due course.
As Zimbabwe reflects on a life that intersected power, privilege, and patronage, Chipinge remains divided. To some, he was a loyal son and visionary. To others, he symbolized a system of political control, economic exclusion, and elite entitlement that they continue to reject—even in death.