HARARE – Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has condemned the “unconstitutional” removal of Energy Mutodi (MP) as Chairman of Parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee.
Mutodi was axed from the post on Tuesday, just days after he accused Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga of amassing over US$1 billion from demanding kickbacks from contractors, ministries, and government departments in exchange for releasing allocated funds.
Biti reacted to the developments saying Mutodi’s removal was “an abject unconstitutional overreach by a desperate cantankerous cartel that has captured the State and will do everything legally and extra legally to perpetuate its vice like grip on the public coffers of this country.”
“Members of Parliament have a constitutional obligation to hold the Executive and every other institution to account in terms of section 119 of the Constitution.
“Further Members of Parliament have absolute privilege, and an unfettered right to freedom of expression when they stand and debate in the chambers of the August House. Honorable Mutodi enjoys this constitutional protection .
“The issue of George Tongesai Guvamatanga and the alleged bribes he is demanding is a matter in the public domain and requires parliamentary scrutiny .
“The issue of direct payments being made directly by Treasury to suppliers oblivious of line Ministries, Departments and Agencies has been captured in the Auditor General’s Reports.
According to Biti “In 2024 alone US$2 billion of payments were made directly by Mr Guvamatanga is his role and capacity as the Paymaster General.
“Yet Treasury Instructions, which he supervises, the Public Finance Management act and the Constitution clearly proscribe the same.”
“In other words, Hon Mutodi did not disclose anything new. Everything he uttered in Parliament was a matter of direct and implicit public knowledge. His mistake was his purported retraction and apology.
“Understably as a loyal member of Zanu PF, it would be expecting too much from the same. A mosquito can not cure malaria.
“Be that as it may, Honourable Mutodi’s removal is a direct attack on the constitution, which gives autonomy to the institution of Parliament. It is a direct attack on Parliament itself.
“That the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda is the author and mover of such blatant illegality reflects his desperate co-option in the toxic and ill fated 2030 agenda, and his desperate ambition to be Kembo Mohadi’s successor as Vice President.
“The 2030 agenda represents a conflation between the evil twin agendas of corruption and power retention. That conflation has become the greatest existential threat to Zimbabwe. Left unchallenged it will engulf this country into conflict and chaos.
“It will suck 15 years of Zimbabwe’s trajectory. Under the circumstances, the greatest task and obligation of every citizen is the Defence of the Constitution against the cabal of bandits and criminals who have circled the same, with knives and machetes.
Biti concluded that this “is the historical mission of this generation.”
According to Mutodi, Guvamatanga, a former Barclays Bank CEO has amassed wealth exceeding US$1 billion, owning more than 5,000 dairy cattle, several mansions, and luxury assets, all while serving as a public official.
He alleged for example that road construction company Bitumen was compelled to pay US$200,000 for every US$2 million in weekly payments approved by Guvamatanga.
Mutodi later issued a statement retracting some of his allegations, saying he had resolved the matter amicably with the Finance Ministry official.
