Former President Robert Mugabe‘s brother-in-law Sydney Gata has been appointed back as the Executive Chairman of ZESA Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, a post he left in 2006.
Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi announced the appointment of Gata to the post with the concurrence of current President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Dr Gata brings with him a wealth of experience and institutional memory as he has previously served at Zesa in various capacities,” Energy Ministry’s press release reads.
“In his previous stint at the utility, he oversaw the reform and restructuring involving the unbundling of ZESA, the expanded rural electrification programme that involved the electrification of 5 400 rural public institutions in three years as well as the Kariba South refurbishment and upgrading which raised the capacity from 666MW to 750MW.”
Gata, who left Zesa after a retrenchment, will be deputised by Tsitsi Makovah who also served in Zesa Holdings board and the chairperson of Powertel Communication (Pvt) Ltd Board.
Makovah is a chartered secretary and administrator.
“She has vast experience in the energy sector and has also worked for freight and clearance companies as well as the revenue authority,” ZESA says.
“Mrs Makovah has held positions where she has been responsible for strategy formulation and oversight, overall implementation and driving company policy and strategy as well as contr4olling and sourcing financial resources.”
Besides ZESA, Gata has served as a Board member of the World Energy Council Commission Board, an Executive Director of Integrated Energy Systems Limited (UK) and is a managing partner at EMC Continental (Pvt) Ltd.
“He has played various advisory roles in the energy sector and participated in various international consultancies,” ZESA comments.