Sydney Gata, the executive chairman of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), has passed away. The news was confirmed on Friday, July 4, 2025, by local news platform ZimLive.
Gata reportedly died on the evening of Thursday, July 3, at a private hospital in Harare. He had been hospitalized since Monday, June 30, after experiencing chest pains. ZimLive announced his passing on the social media platform X, stating:
“#BREAKING ZESA’s executive chairman, Sydney Gata, has died. Gata was admitted to a private hospital in Harare on Monday, complaining of chest pains, but died last night, @zimlive was informed.”
Gata was known for his extensive and often contentious tenure at ZESA, the national power utility. Though trained in engineering and business, he became a familiar public figure primarily through his leadership roles within the organization. He initially led ZESA from 2001 to 2006, before being reappointed in 2019 by then-Energy Minister Fortune Chasi—a move that drew public criticism due to unresolved issues from his earlier term, such as alleged corruption, inefficiency, and poor management within the utility.
Before entering the energy sector, Gata had an academic career in engineering. Between 1976 and 1981, he taught Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in the UK at Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering and later at City University, London. He returned to Zimbabwe in the early 1980s and briefly lectured at the University of Zimbabwe.
Gata was appointed CEO of ZESA in 2000 and later became chairman in 2003. He oversaw the restructuring of the utility, which was divided into several units, including ZPC, ZETDC, ZEDC, ZESA Enterprises, and PowerTel.
Despite his influential role, Gata’s time at ZESA was marred by allegations of misconduct. In 2006, he was dismissed by then-Energy Minister Mike Nyambuya amid corruption concerns and criticism over his leadership.
Controversy resurfaced in 2020 when President Emmerson Mnangagwa suspended Gata and the entire ZESA board amid new corruption allegations. However, just a month later, on September 15, 2020, Gata was reinstated by the government, allowing him to resume his leadership despite continued public scrutiny.
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