‘New Heroes Must Now Emerge’

Online Reporter 

Herald  

July 10, 2025

Joseph Madzimure and Wallace Ruzvidzo

ZIMBABWE is ready for a new breed of heroes encompassing trailblazers, innovators, inventors and thought leaders who will impact the nation, region, African continent and the wider world, President Mnangagwa has said.

In his eulogy at the burial of national hero Dr Sydney Gata at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare yesterday, the President said it was time Zimbabweans take a leaf from “gurus” such as Dr Gata, who never wavered in aiding the country’s development.

“With unity, focus and hard work, we can achieve much more exploits and much more successes. The results, development and progress we are witnessing under the Second Republic are but the beginning.

“Zimbabwe is rising. Make a decision, in whatever field or sector you may be in, to do your part in building our great motherland, Zimbabwe. Together as one united and peace-loving people, we can build a Zimbabwe that future generations will be proud of,” he said.

As the Second Republic propels the country towards rapid industrialisation and self-sufficiency in all fields, President Mnangagwa challenged the upcoming generation to never forget their identity, no matter what they have achieved.

He said Zimbabwe was inching towards the realisation of upper-middle-class economic status, and this required a strong sense of patriotism and all hands on deck.

“I challenge more of our people from across the social strata to be inspired by the traits of patriots, such as the late Dr Gata.

“No matter what you achieve in life, no matter how educated you may be, no matter how successful you are, whether here at home or abroad, never, ever forget that you are a Zimbabwean, you are African. We all have a responsibility to build our country and our continent.

“Our individual and collective bricks, sector by sector, will build the Zimbabwe we all want. Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhu-le-ke-lwe ngabanikazi balo.

“Our national Vision is to become an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030, with our people enjoying prosperity and a higher quality of life,” said the President.

He said as the country continues to develop, it is imperative that Zimbabweans take up the duty of establishing enabling infrastructure for a modern and industrialised country, with a strong manufacturing base.

“It is for this reason that Government continues to promote the education of more of our youths in science and technology. This should ultimately lead to the development of domestic technologies and equipment. Our young people are challenged to take a leaf from the life of our national hero, Dr Gata,” said President Mnangagwa.

“As we propel rapid industrialisation and self-sufficiency in all fields, including the energy sector, let us always remember that ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhu-le-kelwe ngabanikazi balo’.

He described Dr Gata as a trailblazer who was undeniably committed to the development of the country.

“He never carried his academic or engineering pedigree with a sense of superiority. He always deemed himself as part of the people, he wholeheartedly served all his life. He was an active member of the Chipinge community development initiatives,” said the President.

He said Dr Gata’s leadership in the energy sector, and at ZESA Holdings in particular, was transformational, as he demonstrated his appreciation of the country’s development mantra “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”.

“The life of our national hero reflects that he had a great understanding of this philosophy. He will, therefore, be remembered for his humility, unassuming professional demeanour and the immense contribution he made to national energy and infrastructure development. He was indeed an engineer par excellence, as well as an educationist and practitioner.

“Vakarwa hondo yerusununguko vakatisiira nhaka yakanaka yenyika yakabatana ine budiriro. Nesuwo, ngatisiire avo vachauya mabasa akanaka.

“The national hero we are laying to rest today played his part. He ran his race and fought a good fight. He served his generation,” said President Mnangagwa.

Between 2000 and 2019, Dr Gata’s career took various turns.

He joined the private sector as a managing partner at EMC Continental (Private) Limited, where he specialised in regional power development projects, advisory and project sponsorship.

In 2019, Dr Gata was reappointed executive chairman and chief executive officer of ZESA Holdings (Pvt) Limited.

“He worked for the revival and expansion of Zimbabwe’s power generation and distribution capacity, whose highlights were the completion of Hwange Units 7 and 8.

“A great advocate of renewable energy, Dr Gata always emphasised the importance of gradually transitioning our energy mix from fossil fuels,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Only a week before his passing, Dr Gata was honoured for his immense contribution to the energy discourse in our region by the Southern African Power Pool during the organisation’s 30th Anniversary commemorations.”

The late Dr Sydney Gata was born on December 17, 1946, in Chipinge District, Manicaland Province, which was one of the many areas that were subjected to the brutal and oppressive, racist white colonial administration.

President Mnangagwa said the brutal, racist colonial regime had scared off many young boys and girls from Manicaland to foreign lands for training to wage the liberation struggle.

“These included the siblings of our late national hero, Vhukile, Alec and Lican. Sadly, all perished during the war. This reality left a lasting imprint on the life-choices of the late national hero, Dr Gata,” he said.

As a young student, Dr Gata was taught by the late national hero and founding president of ZANU, Reverend Ndabaningi “Magigwana” Sithole.

President Mnangagwa said Dr Gata’s revolutionary consciousness grew as he witnessed the brutality of the settler regime, which in their area included the forced relocations of people to areas such as Bikita and Gokwe.

“That part of our history, where our people were forced to dry lands and teste-fly infested regions, reminds us that we are diverse but one people. Zimbabwe is a unitary state. Regionalism or tribalism, must be rejected. National unity and social cohesion must always be promoted and defended,” he said.

After primary education, Dr Gata proceeded to Hartzell Secondary School for O-Level and later to Fletcher High School for A-Level.

He then secured the opportunity to study for a general degree in sciences in Canada, and then at Windsor University, where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

He later relocated to the United Kingdom where he taught at the University of London, whilst studying for a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

He majored in aeronautical and fluid mechanics at Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering.

After graduation, he studied for a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the same college, majoring in solar energy engineering.

He then lectured at the City University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in London.

President Mnangagwa said Dr Gata’s degree choices were not very popular at the time, as science education was not prevalent among Africans.

His educational decisions attested to the fact that he was a brilliant and far-sighted student.

“In spite of a promising career overseas, the late Dr Gata never forgot his motherland,” the President said.

President Mnangagwa described Dr Gata as an unflinching patriot, who recognised that he had a role to play in building the Zimbabwe that so many young boys and girls had died for during the liberation struggle.

After independence, Dr Gata returned home and taught in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe.

His passion to develop a strong engineering foundation among more young people saw him join the Ministry of Manpower Development. He was part of the core team which co-ordinated the establishment of the National Training Centre and polytechnics countrywide.

As the first black general manager at the then Electricity Supply Commission, he advanced the establishment of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) that combined all the electricity generating and distribution agencies.

This led to the realisation of key national objectives in post-independent Zimbabwe, with regards to the expansion of the energy sector, such as access to power for more communities, in growth points and rural areas.

President Mnangagwa said at a time when the economy was fast diversifying and broadening to accommodate the interests of the black majority, Dr Gata was at the helm of ZESA, where he superintended the construction of Hwange Power Station stages 1 and 2.

The two projects added 920 megawatts to the national grid, the main 330KV transmission system, as well as regional interconnectors.

The Rural Electrification Programme was also initiated under his leadership.

Following his appointment to the position of Regional Coordinator of the World Energy Council in charge of the 9 Sub-Saharan Africa Region, he returned to the United Kingdom.

At the World Energy Council, he held the post of chairman in the Studies Committee and deputy chairman on Energy Finance for Developing Countries.

“Between 1995 and 1996, he joined the African Development Bank as advisor on electricity, coal and nuclear energy sectors of the Africa Energy Programme.

“From 1997 to 2000, Dr Gata was the executive director of Integrated Energy Systems Limited, seconded to the Trade and Investment Bank of Zimbabwe.

“He served as a founding member of the Southern African Power Pool, which remains a strategic institution in the ongoing quest by the SADC Region to achieve energy self-sufficiency, industrialisation and modernisation.

“On the political front, the late Dr Gata was a loyal cadre of Zanu PF who rose within the party ranks, serving in the positions of Provincial Secretary for Economic Affairs and later Provincial Secretary for Transport and Welfare,” said the President.

Also in attendance at the burial was First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and his wife Miniyothabo Baloyi-Chiwenga, Minister of Defence Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Cabinet ministers, service chiefs, Zanu PF Politburo and Central Committee members and other senior Government officials.