Members of Parliament have warned Finance Ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga after he failed to appear before the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, his second no-show.
Committee chair Chalton Hwende (CCC) said Guvamatanga must now attend a rescheduled session on Friday, warning that if he fails again, he will be served with a summons. Said Hwende:
We have given the secretary and his team a final chance to appear on Friday. We’re preparing summons through the office of the Clerk of Parliament, and if they don’t come, summons will be issued immediately on Friday.
Hwende said Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube would also be invited to appear on Friday to address policy-related issues in public accounts.
Monday’s aborted session was expected to review the Auditor General’s report for the 2023 financial year. Hwende said MPs planned to examine US$400 million in direct payments made by the Treasury to suppliers, bypassing line ministries.
Among the companies paid was Ren-Form CC, a South African firm controversially awarded contracts to supply election materials without a public tender.
South African records show Zimbabwe’s Treasury paid the company over R1.2 billion, with R800 million allegedly transferred to accounts linked to politically connected businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
The committee has requested Guvamatanga to provide full details of direct payments to several companies, including Fertiliser Seed Grain (FSG), Ziminya Dam Construction, Ventures Borehole & Exploration, Makomo Engineering, Semwa Dam, and a US$600,000 payment to law firm Nyika Kanengoni & Partners, which represents the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Hwende said the payments appear to breach the Public Finance Management Act, which requires that supplier payments be handled by ministries and departments in line with approved budgets.
Instead, Treasury has centralised control, raising concerns over favouritism and corruption, as Guvamatanga reportedly decides which suppliers are paid.
More: ZimLive
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