By Staff Reporter
HARARE– Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Dr. Energy Mutodi, has backed down on allegations he made against Treasury Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga, issuing a Twitter apology on Friday after days of confusion and controversy.
Mutodi, who only Thursday accused Guvamatanga of benefiting from kickbacks in government’s payment system, wrote on his official account that the posts had originated from a “parody account” he had created, which he has since deleted.
The account in question had previously been verified as his official handle before the verification badge was removed.
In a formal statement, Mutodi said he had spoken to Guvamatanga by telephone and concluded it was “not in our interest to escalate the issues raised in those tweets.”
He acknowledged that the allegations could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt and therefore risked defaming the senior Treasury official.
“I therefore wish to extend an unreserved apology to Mr. George Guvamatanga for the reputational damage the tweets may have caused, and I have instructed that the tweets be deleted with immediate effect,” Mutodi said.
The apology, however, appears to cover only the tweets and not the remarks Mutodi made in Parliament earlier in the week when he raised concerns over alleged irregularities in government payments.
Guvamatanga is no stranger to clashes with Parliament. In 2019, he refused to appear before the Public Accounts Committee despite being summoned, sparking a standoff that culminated in the removal of then committee chairperson, Kuwadzana East MP Charlton Hwende.
Mutodi’s latest climbdown marks a dramatic shift in tone after his explosive claims triggered public debate and renewed scrutiny of the Ministry of Finance.
It remains to be seen whether Parliament will pursue the matter under its Section 119(3) oversight mandate, or whether the apology will put the matter to rest.
