By Tendai Biti
The abrupt removal of Zanu PF MP Honourable Energy Mutodi as chair of parliament’s Budget & Finance Committee is an abject unconstitutional overreach by a desperate canterkarous 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 feeedom of expression when they stand and debate in the chambers of the August House.
Honourable Mutodi enjoys this constitutional protection.
He has an obligation to raise a matter of great national interest.
The issue of George Tongesai Guvamatanga, Ministry of Finance permanent secretary, 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.
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 knew.
Everthing 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.
That is the historical mission of this generation.
🟢Tendai Biti is a local opposition veteran and former finance minister.
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