By Ziyah News Reporter
Harare – The Executive Chairman of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), Dr Sydney Gata has died after a short illness. He was 78.
Dr Gata reportedly complained of chest pains on Monday and was admitted at a private hospital in Harare where he died early this morning.
Gata was ZESA Holdings chairman from 2001 to 2006 and then again from November 2019 until his death where he led as the Executive Chairman.
Gata, hails from Mutema, Chipinge, was the first black General Manager of the then Electricity Supply Company (ESC) during the five-year term of 1981-85.
He served as Chief Executive Officer and board member of the then Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority during the period 1986-91 and was a board member of the Central Africa Power Corporation (CAPCO) in 1983-91.
He is credited for having championed the development of Hwange Power Station Project Stage One of 480MW and Stage Two of 440MW and the development of the Main 330kV HV-AC Transmission System and Regional Interconnectors, Zimbabwe’s National and Regional (SCADA) Power System Control Centres Development, Urban and Rural Electrification Master-Plan Developments, Amalgamation of the 6x Electricity Undertakings in Zimbabwe into a Single Authority (ZESA).
Gata is also the Founding Chairman of the Inception Committee for the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) a regional power hub aimed at collaborating and consolidating power generation.