Mutodi faces backlash over Guvamatanga allegations

Zanu-PF MP Energy Mutodi is facing intense scrutiny after accusing Finance ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga of demanding bribes from government contractors, with experts saying his social media retraction is insufficient to undo the fallout.

Mutodi made the allegations in Parliament last Thursday, claiming that officials at the Ministry of Finance were demanding between five to ten percent from contractors before releasing payments. He specifically called for Guvamatanga to appear before parliamentarians to answer the claims. Acting Speaker Naledi Maunganidze said Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube would be asked to respond in the House.

Hours later, Mutodi posted a retraction on social media, stating he could not substantiate the allegations after speaking with Guvamatanga. However, former Parliament Speaker Lovemore Moyo told The Standard that a social media retraction does not erase statements officially recorded in the Hansard. Mutodi must formally withdraw the claims in Parliament for the record to be corrected. Until then, Moyo said, the matter remains public, and the ethics committee could investigate and impose sanctions.

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti described the allegations as "serious and grave," urging Parliament to summon Guvamatanga and warning that citizens could seek legal recourse if the House fails to act.

Mutodi's claims emerge amid growing pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to address alleged government corruption, which some critics say benefits a select group of businesspeople. Last month, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga presented a dossier at a Zanu-PF politburo meeting exposing alleged large-scale looting, fueling divisions within the ruling party.

Observers note that Mutodi's parliamentary intervention may have triggered a political firestorm, with both institutional and public accountability processes now likely to follow.