The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, George Guvamatanga, has denied deliberately avoiding the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after failing to appear before it on Monday.
PAC chairperson Chalton Hwende, from the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has now directed Guvamatanga to attend a rescheduled hearing this Friday. He warned that if Guvamatanga fails to show up again, he will be formally summoned.
Although Guvamatanga was due to give evidence to the committee on Monday, he did not attend. Instead, he conveyed through a third party that he intends to appear on 23 May, according to a report by The NewsHawks.
A PAC statement confirms that Guvamatanga is now expected to appear before MPs on 23 May 2025 at 10 AM, in Committee Room 15, 3rd Floor, New Parliament Building.
However, media reports on Tuesday suggested that Guvamatanga had once again failed to attend and had requested more time to compile the required documents. If accurate, this would mark the second consecutive session he has missed.
Guvamatanga disputes this, saying the reports are incorrect and insisting he will attend the scheduled session in ten days.
At the heart of the upcoming meeting are serious concerns over the unauthorised disbursement of US$400 million by the Treasury to various private contractors and suppliers—funds MPs say were paid out without proper transparency or accountability, in breach of the Public Finance Management Act.
One of the major beneficiaries was Ren-Form, which received US$66 million for supplying election materials. Of that sum, US$40 million reportedly went to controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who faces widespread allegations of corruption in relation to this and other deals.
Other companies that received payments from the US$400 million include 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.
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