When I heard the news that President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, together with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, had declared Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata a national hero, I felt a deep wave of emotion, relief, pride and a powerful sense of justice.
This was more than a declaration. It was a national affirmation.
A man worthy of the hill
In our culture, a hero is not merely someone who fought in the war or held a position of influence.
A true hero is one who devotes their life to the advancement of their people through service, through sacrifice, and through vision.
Dr Gata embodied all of that.
As a fellow engineer and the current CEO of an energy company that continues to walk in the shadow of his legacy, I can confidently say that his contribution to Zimbabwe’s energy architecture was unparalleled.
For over four decades, he committed himself to the electrification, modernisation, and stabilization of Zimbabwe’s power infrastructure.
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He led not for applause, but for impact. He worked not for headlines, but for light, light in our homes, in our schools, in our industries.
And now, he rightfully rests on sacred ground, the National Heroes Acre among those who built Zimbabwe not only with bullets, but with blueprints.
Thank you, your Excellency
I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to His Excellency President E D Mnangagwa for this timely and honorable recognition. Declaring Dr Gata a national hero reflects more than political goodwill, it is a sign of wisdom, discernment, and commitment to preserving the full spectrum of Zimbabwean excellence.
I also applaud Vice-President Dr C G D N Chiwenga, a man who has always believed in national development driven by discipline and resilience, virtues Dr Gata personified in every fibre of his being.
As a private sector leader, I take this declaration as a strong signal that our government understands and appreciates the role of technocrats, engineers, scientists, and innovators in nation-building. It gives us hope that our contributions, too, are part of the liberation story, even if they are written in formulas and circuits instead of gunpowder.
He was one of us
I often say this, and I say it again now with greater conviction: Dr Gata was not just a CEO or an academic, he was one of us. A Zimbabwean son. A technical warrior. A man who believed that real patriotism was not spoken, but wired into the future.
When I was still rising in the energy field, I watched him closely. His calm confidence, his sharp intellect, his determination to make Zesa more than a utility, it all inspired me. And now, as I run Power Giants Private Limited, a company specialising in high-voltage energy infrastructure, I often feel his legacy in the work we do.
Sometimes when I visit project sites and see a school being powered, or a community celebrating stable electricity for the first time, I whisper to myself, “We are continuing what Dr Gata started.”
An example for young professionals
To the younger generation of engineers, scientists, and energy professionals: let this moment be a lesson. Dr Gata showed us that we do not need to leave Zimbabwe to be excellent. We can rise from this very soil and reach international standards of leadership, impact, and legacy.
This hero status tells our children and their children that the engineer matters, the scholar matters, the quiet servant of the nation matters. Zimbabwe’s future will not be built by politicians alone, it will be constructed by hands, minds, and hearts working tirelessly in every sector.
His legacy is our mandate
Now that Dr Gata is officially among Zimbabwe’s heroes, we must make a collective vow, not just to remember him, but to emulate him. Let us fix our grid. Let us power every village. Let us lead in renewable energy. Let us believe in ourselves again.
Let us build.
Rest among legends, hero of light
To the Gata family, thank you for sharing your father, husband, grandfather, and mentor with the nation. His brilliance is now immortal.
To the Zesa family, you carry the name of a man who gave everything for progress. Guard it with honour.
To the government of Zimbabwe, thank you for choosing to celebrate intellect, service, and engineering in this profound way.
And to my mentor, my inspiration, my fellow engineer, Dr Sydney Zikuzo Gata, rest in eternal power, Hero of Light. You built more than power lines. You built a legacy.
We will carry your torch, with pride, with purpose, and with unshakable belief in Zimbabwe’s bright future.
- Edzai Kachirekwa is a Zimbabwean energy expert and chief executive officer of Power Giants Private Limited, a leading EPC company focused on high-voltage power generation, transmission, and renewable energy development.
