HARARE – Parliament has issued a stern warning to Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga following his repeated failure to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to explain the controversial disbursement of over US$400 million in direct payments to companies outside established budgetary channels.
By Tina Musonza
Guvamatanga, who was scheduled to testify on Monday, once again failed to attend the hearing and instead requested additional time to compile the necessary documentation. This is the second consecutive time the senior Treasury official has missed the session, prompting frustration from MPs.
Kuwadzana East legislator and PAC chairperson Chalton Hwende expressed deep concern over the no-show, saying the committee is losing patience and may be left with no option but to invoke its powers to summon him formally.
“We are extremely worried by Mr. Guvamatanga’s repeated absence. These are serious allegations involving public funds, and his continued failure to appear before this committee is unacceptable. If he does not appear at the next sitting, we will issue formal summons in accordance with parliamentary rules,” said Hwende.
At the centre of the inquiry is the Treasury’s alleged disbursement of US$400 million directly to private contractors and suppliers, bypassing line ministries and raising red flags about transparency, accountability, and possible abuse of public resources.
In a further development, the PAC has also summoned Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube to appear before the committee and provide clarification on the policy frameworks and decisions that may have enabled the disbursements. Lawmakers say his testimony is crucial in determining whether these transactions were carried out with proper authorisation or if Treasury sidestepped standard procurement protocols.
The committee is also expected to question officials from the Office of the Auditor-General, which raised red flags over the irregular payments in its latest audit reports.
Civil society groups and governance watchdogs have welcomed Parliament’s push for transparency, urging Guvamatanga and Ncube to fully cooperate with the inquiry to restore public confidence in the management of state finances.
The PAC has indicated that it will continue to dig deeper into the disbursements and is likely to call in some of the beneficiary companies to testify in the coming weeks.
