Guvamatanga faces summons threat after snubbing Parliament

Zimbabwe's Finance Ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga is facing the threat of a parliamentary summons after he failed to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the second time, prompting lawmakers to take a firmer stance on enforcing accountability.

Guvamatanga had been invited to appear before the committee on Monday to respond to questions regarding US$400 million in direct payments made by the treasury to various suppliers, bypassing government ministries and departments. However, his continued absence has now triggered serious concern from MPs, who are accusing him of undermining the oversight role of Parliament.

PAC chairperson Charlton Hwende, who is also the MP for Kuwadzana East, said Guvamatanga has now been given a final chance to appear before the committee this coming Friday. Should he fail to attend, a formal summons will be issued through the office of the Clerk of Parliament to compel his presence.

"We have given the secretary and his team a final chance to appear on Friday," Hwende said. "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."

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube is also expected to appear on the same day to address what Hwende described as "police issues" concerning public finances, particularly the manner in which government funds are being disbursed and managed.

Monday's meeting had been expected to scrutinise the 2023 Auditor General's report, with a particular focus on controversial direct payments made by the Finance Ministry. These payments, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, have raised red flags over potential violations of the Public Finance Management Act. Hwende and his committee argue that supplier payments should be processed by ministries in line with their allocated budgets, not by the central treasury.

Among the most contentious cases is the payment made to South African company Ren-Form CC, which was awarded contracts to supply election materials to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) without going to tender. Official documents from South Africa show that Ren-Form received more than R1.2 billion from Zimbabwe's treasury. Of that amount, R800 million allegedly ended up in bank accounts linked to politically connected businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who has previously been accused of bribing officials to win government contracts.

The committee is demanding that Guvamatanga provide details of similar payments made to other companies and entities, including those involved in dam construction, seed and fertilizer supply, borehole drilling, engineering, and legal services. One of the more notable transactions under scrutiny involves a US$600,000 payment to Nyika Kanengoni & Partners, a law firm that represents ZEC.

Hwende said the committee is concerned that the Finance Ministry's centralisation of payments has opened the door to corruption and favouritism, with Guvamatanga now wielding unchecked authority over who receives government funds.

"There is a clear departure from established financial procedures," Hwende said. "The secretary is now personally deciding who to pay, and that raises serious questions about transparency, fairness, and compliance with the law."

The looming Friday hearing is likely to be a flashpoint in the growing standoff between Parliament and the Finance Ministry. With public trust in government spending already fragile, MPs are under increasing pressure to assert parliamentary oversight and hold top officials accountable for financial decisions that have far-reaching implications for governance and public service delivery.