By A Correspondent
HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s remarks during the burial of his late relative, Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata, at the National Heroes Acre have stirred skepticism, with critics questioning the attempt to elevate Gata’s legacy by linking him to the liberation war.
Speaking at the solemn event on Wednesday, Mnangagwa claimed Gata had early revolutionary credentials, insisting he was part of a group from Manicaland that crossed into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.
“He was part of a group of boys and girls in Manicaland who joined the liberation struggle training in Mozambique,” said Mnangagwa. “Dr Gata’s revolutionary consciousness increased after witnessing forced removals of our people from fertile lands to dry, barren areas.”
The President’s narrative, however, has been met with doubt by historians and observers who argue there’s scant public record or credible documentation linking Gata directly to combatant or operational roles during the liberation war.
“Suddenly every senior official or connected individual becomes a war hero when they die,” remarked historian and political analyst Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya. “There’s a dangerous rewriting of history happening here—more about political loyalty than factual accuracy.”
Mnangagwa’s comments appear to frame Gata’s life as rooted in sacrifice and revolutionary zeal, despite Gata being more widely known for his academic pursuits and technocratic rise rather than active participation in the armed struggle.
“Gata’s contributions to the energy sector are one thing. But to now retroactively cast him as a liberation hero raises questions,” said a retired ZIPRA veteran who asked not to be named. “Where was he when we were in the camps? Which unit was he in? These are serious claims that need proof, not praise.”
The President went on to describe how Gata’s alleged political awakening was shaped by colonial injustices he supposedly witnessed as a youth.
“He never forgot the pain of land dispossession. That pain, that injustice, is what made him leave the comfort of academia and dedicate his life to Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa claimed.
But even this depiction has drawn criticism. For many Zimbabweans, Gata will be remembered less for liberation credentials and more for his controversial leadership of ZESA, a tenure riddled with corruption allegations, repeated investigations, and chronic power shortages.
“Trying to paint him as a liberation hero now is not only misleading but disrespectful to those who actually fought and died for independence,” said a social media user in response to state broadcaster ZBC’s coverage.
While the President’s speech aimed to portray Gata as a patriot shaped by historical struggle, many saw it as another example of the ruling elite revising national memory to fit a narrow political script.
As the sun set over Heroes Acre, one observer put it bluntly: “Mnangagwa is trying to electrify a legacy that never existed.”