National hero Gata burial tomorrow

Wallace Ruzvidzo

Herald Reporter

Zimbabweans have been urged to come out in large numbers to bid farewell to national hero Dr Sydney Gata, who will be buried at the National Heroes Acre tomorrow.

President Mnangagwa will preside over the burial.

In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Director for Policy Planning Mr Mike Masaka said Dr Gata’s body was airlifted from Manyame Airbase to his Chipangai farm in Chipinge ahead of a provincial programme today.

Mr Masaka said it was imperative that the nation accords the Zesa Holdings executive chairman a befitting send off.

Dr Gata, who was also the husband of Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Angeline Gata, succumbed to a short illness on Thursday last week.

“We are issuing a rallying call to Zimbabweans to bid farewell to our gallant son of the soil who worked for the country and was an astute patriot, so please let us come out in our numbers and lay him to rest.

“The late national hero, Engineer Dr Gata’s body will be taken to his farm in Chipangai, where it will lie in state tonight and then tomorrow there is a provincial programme which we expect to start at 8am in the morning and we expect the programme to end at around 11.30am,” he said.

Following the provincial programme, Dr Gata’s body will be taken to ZESA Training Centre in Harare, to afford staff a chance to bid farewell.

After that, the body will be taken to Charles Gumbo Barracks where it will lie in state.

“Thereafter (provincial programme), we expect the body to be airlifted back to Harare. We are going to receive it at Manyame Air Base around 1.30pm and then we take it to Zesa Training Centre where members of staff have made a request to bid farewell to this illustrious son of the soil.

“Around 3.30pm tomorrow, we will take the body of the late national hero to Charles Gumbo Barracks, where it is going to lie in state and then on Wednesday morning, that is when we are going to lay him to rest at the National Heroes Acre,” said Mr Masaka.

Earlier in the day, a service was held at the Gata family home in Harare, during which one of his grandsons gave a eulogy describing Dr Gata as a loving and caring man.

“Ini ndiri muzukuru wavaGata (I am Dr Gata’s grandson), he was a very kind, astute and loving man,” he said.

In his eulogy at Dr Gata’s funeral wake held last Saturday, President Mnangagwa described the late national hero as a giant in the country and region’s energy sectors.

“In his profession, there are very few with the level of distinction both in terms of quality and simplicity. He looked very simple, but with depth,” said President Mnangagwa.

“He served this country well, without much demand, very little complaint. Yes, you have been vilified, left right and centre but that is the nature of all those that do well.”

Dr Gata started his career as a lecturer at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering in London, the United Kingdom, where he made a huge impact in the fields of Mechanical and Aeronautical engineering.

He also lectured at the City University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in London before coming back home to lecture at the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Engineering.

Dr Gata was appointed the first black general manager of the Electricity Supply Company and at the end of his five-year term, he was elevated to the post of chief executive and board member of ZESA.

During this period, Dr Gata also sat on the board of the Central Africa Power Corporation (CAPCO).

Dr Gata’s high profile saw him appointed to several important international energy organisations, including the World Energy Council (WEC), where he became a regional coordinator of the WEC Sub Saharan African region.

Eventually, he became deputy chairman of the Special Committee on Energy Finance for developing countries and the Studies Committee.

Dr Gata also played an advisory and consultative role to the African Development Bank and Integrated Energy Systems Ltd (UK) on energy issues.

In Zimbabwe, Dr Gata served as board chairman of the Rural Electrification Board.