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Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter

A Joint venture agreement between Harare City Council and German investor, Geogenix BV, which will see the firm investing €303,9 million for a waste-to-energy project at the Pomona dump site, has been approved by Cabinet.

The deal, to be operated by the investor for 30 years, is set to improve waste management and increase power supply.

Under the deal, the investor will design, build, operate and transfer the Pomona waste management facility and waste to energy plant project.

This was said last night by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa after the first Cabinet meeting for the year.

“Cabinet considered and approved the Joint Venture Agreement for the design, build, operate and transfer for the Pomona waste management facility and waste-to-energy plant project between the City of Harare and Geogenix BV which was presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon July Moyo, as Chairman of the Ad Hoc Cabinet Committee,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“The partnership is between the City of Harare and Geogenix B.V. for the Harare Pomona waste management and waste-to-energy plant project. Geogenix BV will invest €303,9 million to design, build, operate and transfer a waste management facility and waste-to-energy 16-22 MW plant at Pomona in Harare. 

“The project will be managed and operated by the investor for a period of 30 years before transfer of the project to the City of Harare. 

“In addition to waste management, the project will also generate 16 to 22 MW of electricity which will be introduced into the national grid. Government is encouraging local authorities to open up similar projects in other cities and towns as a way to ensure environmentally-friendly management of waste in the country.”

The agreement followed a feasibility study conducted by a reputable international consultancy firm on the project, which also saw a Memorandum of Understanding being signed. 

It is expected that the project will have a positive impact on Harare’s quest to go green.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet also got an update on aerial mapping of dysfunctional urban settlements and report on the regularisation of dysfunctional, illegal and irregular settlements presented by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the chairman of the Enhanced Cabinet Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management.

She said Cabinet was informed that the exercise started with the Caledonia settlement and proceeded to Harare South.

On legacy matters on planned settlements lacking basic services, Cabinet said focus will be placed on an initial 16 Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle settlements identified countrywide for immediate infrastructural development whose cost is pegged at US$81 million ($10 billion.)

 Regarding the regularisation of settlements on farms with disputed ownership, Minister Mutsvangwa said some progress had been registered on the options approved by Cabinet last year.

“On the option of buying out land owners through offer of compensation, with beneficiaries being asked to contribute to the reimbursement of the land value to Government, negotiations with the owner of Whitecliffe Farm were initiated, and a compensation amount of $4,476 billion was submitted to Treasury. The funding is yet to be availed, and deliberations on the modalities of the compensation are ongoing,” she said.

“Pertaining to the allocation of alternative land to affected owners, negotiations have been initiated with the owners of Stoneridge and Ordar Farms. Government mediation efforts are proceeding between land owners and occupiers at farms such as Saturday Retreat to ensure a win-win situation for the parties involved.”