The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says it will summon Finance and Economic Development ministry permanent secretary, George Guvamatanga, to appear before Parliament over his criticism of the auditor general’s report that exposed massive corruption in government entities.
Charlton Hwende, the committee’s chairperson, said Guvamatanga’s remarks were an attempt to undermine the Office of the Auditor General’s constitutional role.
Acting auditor general Rheah Kujinga’s report revealed rot in government ministries, departments, parastatals and State-owned entities.
Kujinga exposed how contracted companies had not delivered vehicles to various government departments despite being paid.
Guvamatanga, however, criticised the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) for detailing government payments for undelivered goods.
He said the findings were misleading, and suggested that the report should have clarified the government’s awareness and ongoing actions regarding the matter.
Hwende said Guvamatanga’s statements cannot go unchallenged as they have a net effect of undermining state institutions.
“The attack on the OAG’s report by the permanent secretary is rather unfortunate and as a public accounts committee we view it as an attempt to intimidate and interfere with the constitutional responsibility bestowed on the Office of the Auditor General,” Hwende told The Standard in an interview.
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“We will soon be summoning him to Parliament so that he can appear before the committee. Parliament through our committee is seized with the 2023 Office of the Auditor General’s report and we must be allowed to perform our oversight role and ensure that public resources are properly accounted for.”
Transparency International Zimbabwe executive director Tafadzwa Chikumbu said there was need to respect the independence and oversight functions of the OAG as mandated by the constitution and relevant legislation.
“The secretary of Finance should respect the role of the auditor general as established by Section 310 of the constitution of Zimbabwe and the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18] which mandates the Office of the Auditor General to provide oversight and ensuring accountability within the three arms of government, state owned enterprises and local authorities,” Chikumbu said.
“As Transparency International, we value the role of supreme audit institutions in identifying corruption risks in the public sector.
“Instead, the permanent secretary should work closely with the OAGs office to ensure that financial management systems are in place and being adhered to.
“His utterances are quite concerning and worrying in view of the damning findings of the 2023 reports.”
Chikumbu said Guvamatanga’s remarks may set a dangerous precedent for government institutions that might otherwise be reluctant to implement audit recommendations.
“The audit reports thus play a key role in both preventing and combating corruption,” he said.
“His findings, therefore, inform the next course of action.
“I concur that the public accounts commit summons the secretary in there as Parliament in protecting the constitution and safeguarding public resources for the common good.”
Speaking at an OAG report analysis meeting convened by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development last Tuesday, parliamentarians said there was need to empower them so that they impose stiff penalties on public servants like Guvamatanga.
“As Parliamentarians we need teeth to bite and be empowered so that we deal with misconduct for those ministers and CEOs that we would have summoned to appear before us,” said Caston Matewu, who was representing Hwende.
Energy Mutodi, chairperson of the justice and legal committee said citizens were free to petition Parliament in instances like the conduct of government officials and other public servants.
