UNDERFIRE Finance ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga has struck a defiant tone after fierce criticism over his 50th birthday bash in Harare where he invited top performers from South Africa.
The top civil servant slipped into the vortex of a big
storm on Friday after video clips emerged of him showing off his fortune and
pledging to multiply by five the money that had been agreed for Louis Mhlanga, the South African based
superstar to perform at the decorated bash.
Zimbabweans, frustrated by high level corruption and
plunder by politicians and their cronies, linked the decorated flamboyance by
Guvamatanga to his powerful position as finance director of the country.
In a no holds barred interview with The Standard,
Guvamatanga, a former managing director of Barclays Bank Zimbabwe before it was
taken over by AMB Capital in 2017, reminded his adversaries that he spent 30
years with the international lender, earning millions.
Millions more were paid out as packages when he left the
bank, now rebranded to Capital Bank, in 2017 after an attempt to take it over
flopped.
Barclay Plc, which was divesting out of several African
markets, settled for the Malawi headquartered AMB Capital, instead of a consortium
of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed bank’s management, which was led by
Guvamatanga.
He was then invited to join government following the coup
that brought down strongman, Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
Guvamatanga’s huge fortune is in addition to a thriving
cattle herd being reared over swathes of prime land at his farm, which he said
generates not less than US$1,2 million a year.
Apparently, planning for the expensive birthday feast had
begun last year, when the top civil servant was caught up in the Covid-19 rage.
He spent many days under artificial oxygen after
contracting the disease during the first few months, as the pandemic tore
through regions, threatening lives, destroying economies and leaving a trail of
destruction.
“First of all, let me put things into context,” Guvamatanga
said by phone from Victoria Falls yesterday.
“The issue of saying the artistes were paid more is not
correct.
“The clip was quoted out of context.
“I was saying to Louis Mhlanga, one of Zimbabwe’s most decorated
musicians that if I had the money, I would have paid five times more than we
agreed.
“It was a tribute to Louis Mhlanga.
“You know that I cannot take foreign currency from the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and spend it like this.
“I worked for a big international bank for 30 years and I
was paid in offshore accounts.
“There are millions in that account.
“Others avoid paying taxes when they are paid through
offshore accounts, but Barclays was strict.
“And if you ask Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) they
will tell you that I was one of the biggest taxpayers during my stint at
Barclays Bank.
“I paid between US$2 million and US$3 million in taxes, the
records are there.
“Now, if I paid US$3 million, ndakasara nemarii? (How much
remained in my account?).
“My package at Barclays, including my bonus was US$3
million.
“It is all above board, I have a known offshore account,
and have interests across most sectors
of the economy, from insurance to agriculture to distribution and others.
“I will need to take you to my farm, I have 1 200 cattle.
“My business interest and wealth are known and everything
has been declared.
“I cannot pretend to be poor.
“Most of my cattle fetch not less than US$2 500 (each), and
I sell 500 cattle per annum.
“So why can’t I celebrate life?”
He added: “I planned for this party after my near-death
experience with Covid-19.
“So, what I am doing is celebrating the life.
“I can’t stop my wife and children from organising the
party because they said when you reach 50 years; we will need to celebrate
because of what happened.
“I cannot pretend to be poor to make people happy.
“I am not poor.
“I am so surprised that people are judging me with the
three years that I have been a civil servant, instead of the 30 years that I
worked for Barclays.
“I am doing national service in government.
“I have a trust that is paying the bills for a cancer
patient, an amount more than what was paid to the artists.
“And I have a maid who I have stayed with for many years,
and I bought her a house,” Guvamatanga added.
He said before settling for Mhlanga, he had first hired
superstar, Mukudzei (Jah Prayzah) Mukombe as the main act at the decorated
event.
Reports said at the weekend, adversaries to the former G40
political clique forced Guvamatanga to draft the superstar, who last months
courted controversy after performing at a Cape Town birthday bash organized by
former strongman Robert Mugabe’s son in law, Adam Molai.
But Guvamatanga said a few hitches led him to drop Jah.
“Yes, I invited Jah Prayzah, he was supposed to be the main
act.
“But there were complications on the management side. I had
already paid him a deposit.”
South Africa’s pop stars Mafikizolo and Makhadzi played
along Mhlanga at the bash. Standard
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