Zesa executive chairman Gata in corruption storm

By Elias Mambo | Zim Morning Post |

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) executive chairperson Sydney Gata has been sucked in a corruption storm where among other things, he is accused of diverting the entity’s projects, abusing public funds, and paying his company’s employees using public funds, the Zim Morning Post can exclusively report.

Gata, according to a detailed report sent to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, also subverted Zesa funds to pay employees who have nothing to do with the power supply utility.

Diversion of projects

The report details how Gata has been using a private entity, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Industry Trust (ZESIT) to carry out projects meant to be done by Zesa.

“ZESIT is passed off as one of the Zesa Holdings related entities when in fact it has no relationship whatsoever with Zesa Holdings,” reads the report.

“The entity is private project, which is the brainchild and mastered by Dr Gata and some of his erstwhile colleagues Zesa.”

Among projects already diverted, according to the report, include the Tuli mining project which the Zesa board approved as a proposal between Zesa and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

ZESIT has also taken over the KEPCO project which is supposed to be a project being run by Zesa and Korean companies called KEPCO and POSCO.

Ghost employees

Gata is also accused of using Zesa funds to pay for employees who have nothing to do the power supply entity.

“Engineer Peter Mutsaka has been placed on the Zesa payroll without a contract.

“He draws salary from and utilises public funds but has no contract with the company as either an employee or consultant?

“Peter Mutsaka is a promoter of a company called Liberation Mining that is also seeking to work with the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is doing work for the company having been sponsored by the executive chairman.”

Gata is also accused of having sought for cabinet authority so that some ZPC representatives were to travel to South Africa in March 2020.

“On the list, one Engineer Peter Tshuma was designated as head of projects and engineering at Zesa.

“It must be noted that Engineer Tshuma is not a Zesa employee. According to Zesa records Tshuma ceased to be a Zesa employee 31 years ago in 1989.

“In order to further his personal interests, the executive chairman also included Engineer Mutsinya and one Shumani Mhlanga in the delegation whose all expenses were to be paid for by ZPC.”

This report is coming at a time when Gata is suing Zesa for a US$10 million claim as his retrenchment package when he was relieved of his duties in 2007.

The court documents seen by the Zim Morning Post revealed that Gata, among other claims, wants US$1,2 million (Severance pay), $3 million (salary basic pay), $1,8 million (Vehicle hire, maintenance, fuel), $100 000 (Provision of domestic staff), $51 000 (provision of personal driver), as well as $135 000 being furniture fire insurance claim.