Finance Secretary, Guvamatanga sets the record straight

Harare (New Ziana) –Finance and Economic Development permanent secretary George Guvamatanga on Monday said he joined the government to aid the country’s economic recovery efforts using knowledge he gained in the private sector over a 30 year period and not to position himself to corruptly acquire wealth.

His comments follow an article by ZimLive, an online publication which sought to portray his private lifestyle in bad light and as someone living off the proceeds of corruption.

“Super-rich Ministry of Finance permanent secretary George Guvamatanga has celebrated beating the Coronavirus by hiring a private aircraft to fly his family to Victoria Falls. Guvamatanga was hospitalised for over three weeks after going down with the respiratory illness, which also spread to his wife, young children and household staff,” read part of the report published at the weekend.

The article also sought to establish a non-existent link between his private lifestyle and the Covid-19 tender scandal which led to the arrest of Drax International representative Delish Nguwaya and former Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo.

Guvamatanga is on record saying that Treasury had already red-flagged the $60 million supply tender after noting anomalies including overpricing.

The former Barclays Bank chief executive, who was appointed permanent secretary in 2018 as one of the many technocrats who were roped into the new look government, said he had never abused his authority in government to corruptly acquire wealth.

“I joined Government because I felt that my experience in the private sector would help in how government would be run and hopefully make a difference. Not for the money,” he said in a statement.

“I spent over 30 years with Barclays, with 23 years as a senior executive and 10 years as a CEO. It is known in the market that when I left I was paid a good package that ran into millions of US Dollars.

“It is also important to note that I left after having successfully put together and leading a consortium of management that wanted to acquire the Bank and had put together funding for the acquisition, but Barclays wanted a quick sale and opted for another buyer.”

Guvamatanga left Barclays in 2017 having risen through the ranks to serve as its Chief Executive Officer since 2008.

He said on top of the golden handshake he received upon leaving Barclays, he had already built a reputable business empire.

“I remain a business man with several businesses spanning from real estate, insurance, retail and distribution and farming which I established and owned before joining government.”

The article by ZimLive is part of a co-ordinated onslaught against the government and its officials by hostile Western countries in collaboration with private news outlets, political activists and non-governmental organisations.

The sustained onslaught has also seen President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his family being targeted.

Disguised as a fight against corruption, the ultimate goal of the agenda is to incite mass uprisings against the government and in the process effect illegal regime change.

The foiled July 31 protests against alleged corruption were also part of the coordinated attacks against government.

New Ziana