By A Correspondent

The government is facing mounting pressure to justify the declaration of Dr Sydney Gata—a close relative of President Emmerson Mnangagwa—as a national hero, with critics accusing the administration of turning the National Heroes Acre into a political shrine for allies and kin.

Despite growing public unease, authorities are urging citizens to attend Gata’s burial tomorrow at the National Heroes Acre, where President Mnangagwa is expected to officiate.

In a statement on Monday, Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Director for Policy Planning, Mike Masaka, confirmed that Gata’s body was flown from Manyame Air Base to his Chipangai farm in Chipinge, where a provincial farewell programme is scheduled to take place.

“The late Dr Gata was a committed patriot and servant of the nation. We are calling on Zimbabweans to give him a send-off befitting his contribution to the country,” said Masaka.

Dr Gata, who chaired the ZESA Holdings board and was married to Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Angeline Gata, died last Thursday following a short illness. However, his close familial connection to the President has fueled accusations of nepotism in national hero declarations.

According to Masaka, the provincial programme in Chipinge will begin at 8:00 AM and conclude around 11:30 AM. From there, Gata’s body will be flown back to Harare and taken to the ZESA Training Centre, where staff members will pay their last respects.

“We will receive the body at Manyame Air Base at about 1:30 PM, then proceed to ZESA Training Centre where workers will have a chance to say goodbye to this illustrious son of the soil,” Masaka said.

By 3:30 PM, the body will be transferred to Charles Gumbo Barracks for the night, before final burial at the National Heroes Acre on Wednesday.

While the state continues to frame Gata’s legacy in patriotic terms, the optics surrounding his familial links to the President have cast a long shadow over the official narrative.