By A Correspondent – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly imposed the burial of his relative and ZESA Holdings executive chairperson, Sydney Gata, at the National Heroes Acre—sparking internal discontent within the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Gata, who died in Harare on Thursday after a short illness at the age of 79, was declared a national hero without the usual politburo deliberations, sources have revealed.
“There was no politburo discussion after Gata’s death. We were surprised to hear through the media that he had been conferred national hero status,” said a senior official at the ZANU-PF headquarters.
“This is a serious breach of party procedure by the President and his close allies, who appear to have hijacked the party’s revolutionary and people-centered agenda,” the source added.
ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa could not be reached for comment.
Hailing from the Mutema communal lands in Chipinge under Chief Mutema, Gata was not only a prominent technocrat but also a politically connected figure closely aligned with President Mnangagwa. He was married to Mnangagwa’s second wife, a relationship that reportedly gave him significant influence within state and party structures.
Gata held several high-ranking posts throughout his career—ZESA CEO during the 1980s and 1990s, and later Executive Chairperson from 2019. He also served in international energy advisory roles. However, his legacy remains deeply controversial. He faced persistent allegations of corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office. During his tenure, Zimbabwe’s power crisis deepened, marked by widespread load-shedding, growing public debt, and crumbling infrastructure, all while Gata reportedly lived lavishly and remained untouchable.
In his home constituency of Mutema-Musikavanhu, Gata’s influence stirred resentment. Locals accused him of imposing his wife, Angeline Gata, as a parliamentary candidate, dividing party structures and allegedly using state resources and intimidation to silence dissent.
The June 14 by-election in Ward 5 saw more than 1,200 voters being “assisted” to cast their ballots under questionable claims of illiteracy—many of them civil servants and teachers—raising further concerns of electoral manipulation.
Gata was also accused of forcibly displacing villagers to expand his personal land holdings, further alienating communities. Residents in Chipinge expressed fear of speaking out against him due to his close ties with Mnangagwa and the political protection this afforded him.
While some voices acknowledged Gata’s developmental initiatives, including the proposed Gazaland University, the prevailing sentiment in his home area is one of betrayal. Many view him as emblematic of Zimbabwe’s post-independence elite—an entrenched class marked by patronage, exclusionary politics, and unchecked abuse of power.