Tony Gara

Oriah Anthony Gara (17 April 1939 – 14 November 2006) was a Zimbabwean businessman and politician.

Gara was born on 17 April 1939 in Gatooma, Southern Rhodesia.

He was raised in rural Zvimba District.

He attended the Mashonganyika, Mbizi, and Tsungai primary schools between 1950 and 1957.

He attended Moleli High School in Chegutu District, and later completed his Advanced Levels via correspondence.

He went on to earn a diploma in accountancy.

In 1963, Gara began working as an assistant accountant for Goodwood Hotels, before going to Malawi to work as an accountant for Blantyre Hotels in 1966.

In 1972, he began working at the Rennies Group as a divisional accountant.

He returned to Rhodesia in 1975 to become chief executive officer of Negondo Industries, a chemical and cosmetics manufacturing company.

Having joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) in Malawi, he held a series of leadership positions within the party in Rhodesia and later Zimbabwe, eventually serving as the ZANU–PF chairman for Harare Province.

In 1975, he left Malawi and returned to Rhodesia, where he joined Blue Moon Investments as group accountant.

In 1979, Gara was elected to the city council in Salisbury (renamed Harare in 1982), becoming its first black member.

Gara became the first black member of the Harare City Council (then Salisbury) in 1979 when he was elected to a seat representing Greendale.

He later became the city's first black alderman, an honorary title awarded to councillors who have served ten years or more.

In 1980, he was named chief executive officer of Negondo Industries, a chemical and cosmetics manufacturing company, a position he held until 1995.

After leaving parliament, Gara ran his own chemicals company and also owned a chain of hair salons.

Gara joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) upon its formation in Malawi.

From 1980 to 1982, he was chairman of the party's Harare Central district.

Between 1982 and 1984, he served as chairman of the Mount Pleasant district and as the party's deputy secretary for administration for Harare Province.

He served as deputy mayor from 1984 to 1985, and was then elected mayor, serving for one year.

He served as deputy mayor from 1984 to 1985.

Before entering Parliament, he was a member of the Harare City Council and served as mayor of Harare from 1985 to 1986.

Born in Gatooma, Gara worked as an accountant for companies in Southern Rhodesia and Malawi.

He was elected mayor of Harare on 29 July 1985, with Solomon Tawengwa as his deputy.

He was appointed ZANU–PF secretary for administration for Harare Province in 1987.

He was a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Mbare East from 1990 to 2000 and served as deputy minister of local government, rural and urban development from 1995 until 2000.

In 1990, he was elected to Parliament and made news for a controversial statement he made comparing President Robert Mugabe to Jesus Christ.

In the April 1990 election, Gara was elected to Parliament for the Mbare East constituency.

He received 12,522 votes out of 17,880 cast, easily defeating Zimbabwe Unity Movement candidate Biston David, who came in second with 4,420 votes.

That year, he made news for a controversial statement he made comparing President Robert Mugabe to Jesus.

In his first speech before Parliament, he said, "This country and its people should thank the Almighty for giving us His only other son, by the name of Robert Gabriel Mugabe."

Gara's statement was criticized by churches and individuals within Zimbabwe, with letters to local newspapers accusing him of blasphemy and sycophancy.

The Catholic magazine Moto argued that Zimbabwe did not need a cult of personality like that of Kim Il Sung in North Korea.

Gara later denied making the comparison and said his words were taken out of context, asking, "How can I liken Mugabe to Jesus? There is only one Jesus and he can't be matched by anybody."

He became a member of the party's central committee in 1994.

He was reelected in 1995 and named deputy minister of local government and national housing in Mugabe's cabinet, but lost reelection in 2000 to the candidate of the newly-formed Movement for Democratic Change.

He died of cancer six years later.

Gara was reelected to Parliament in 1995 with 15,762 votes (86%), defeating Patricia Mpange of ZANU–Ndonga, who received 2,510 votes.

In 1998, he was elected ZANU–PF provincial chair for Harare Province, defeating former ZAPU member Rodrick Nyandoro.

His deputy chairman, Oliver Chidawu, was a fellow former Harare mayor.