Tendai Gukutikwa
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
PEOPLE from all walks of life in Manicaland have expressed deep shock and sadness at the death of the ZESA Holdings executive chairman, Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata.
Dr Gata passed away in the early hours of Thursday night, aged 82.
Dr Gata was the husband of the Member of House of Assembly for Mutema-Musikavanhu Constituency, and Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Angeline Gata.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza said: “I have learnt with a deep sense of shock and sadness the untimely death of Dr Sydney Gata. This is a huge loss to Manicaland, the nation and SADC region. He championed the electrification of different communities, including the marginalized areas during his tenues as ZESA Holdings executive chairman. For Manicaland, he did a lot for us, him being a son who hails from the Mutema, in Chipinge district. He will be forever missed.”
Member of the House of Assembly for Chipinge Central Constituency, Honourable Raymore Machingura said: “I am in a state of shock. This is the last thing I expected to hear as I woke up today. He was a brother to me. For your own information, he buried my mother when she passed on. We had a close relationship and I am devastated. He was a pillar not only for myself, the nation and region.
“We all know how he was very helpful in electrifying communities around the country. He was also pushing for the Batoka Gorge Project so that many communities in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique benefit from that electrification project. We will miss him and we can only say may his dear soul rest in eternal peace.”
ZANU PF National Consultative Assembly (NCA) member, Cde Enock Porusingazi said: “Many of us here in Mutema-Musikavanhu and Chipinge South constituency are in a sense of deep shock. We are really sad to hear of Dr Gata’s death. He helped us a lot in having marginalized communities such as Mahenye, Mabeye and Chisuma among many others, to be electrified. We do not know where we will get another helpful son of Chipinge like Dr Gata. May his soul rest in peace.”
In a notice of death, ZESA Holdings (Pvt) Ltd wrote:
“On behalf of the ZESA Holdings Board, it is with profound sense of sorrow and sadness that we announce the untimely death of our Executive Chairman, Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata who passed on last night.
“Dr Gata served the ZESA Group of Companies successively with distinction, dedication, patriotism and was a visionary leader who shaped the energy industry, and his contributions will sadly be missed. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Honourable Deputy Minister, Angeline Gata (MP), children, loved ones and all who knew him. Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course. May we remember Dr Gata’s family in our prayers during this difficult period. May his departed soul rest in peace.”
Ends
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