ZESA Executive Chairman Sydney Gata Dies
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) executive chairman, Sydney Gata, has died. His death was confirmed on Friday, 4 July 2025, by local news outlet ZimLive.
ZESA Executive Chairman Sydney Gata Dies
According to the publication, Gata passed away on the evening of Thursday, 3 July, at a private hospital in Harare. He had reportedly been admitted earlier in the week, on Monday, 30 June, after complaining of chest pains. ZimLive broke the news on X, writing:
“#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.”
While Gata had a background in engineering and business, he was best known for his long and often controversial leadership of ZESA Holdings — the state power utility. He first served as chairman from 2001 to 2006 and returned in 2019 after being reappointed by then-Energy Minister Fortune Chasi.
His reappointment in 2019 sparked public backlash. Many critics pointed to his earlier term, accusing him of playing a role in ZESA’s longstanding problems, including mismanagement, inefficiency, and corruption, that continue to plague the power utility to this day.
Also read: ZESA Explains Why Zimbabwe Was Plunged Into Darkness
Academic and Technical Background
Before his time at ZESA, Gata made his mark in the academic world. Between 1976 and 1981, he lectured in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in the United Kingdom. He taught at Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering and later at City University in London. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, he lectured at the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Engineering from 1981 to 1982.
Gata was appointed CEO of ZESA in 2000 and later became its chairman in 2003. During his time at the helm, he led the unbundling of the power utility into several subsidiaries, including ZPC, ZETDC, ZEDC, ZESA Enterprises, and PowerTel.
But his tenure wasn’t without scandal. In 2006, then-Energy Minister Mike Nyambuya fired Gata amid corruption allegations and poor leadership.
Years later, in 2020, Gata once again found himself in hot water. President Emmerson Mnangagwa suspended him, along with the entire ZESA board, over fresh corruption allegations. However, barely a month later, on 15 September 2020, the government reinstated him to the top job, clearing the way for his continued leadership despite the controversy.
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