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Blessings Chidakwa Municipal Reporter

The e304 million investment deal to convert garbage at Harare’s main dumpsite at Pomona into a safe and inert form came to life yesterday following the city’s handover of the rubbish dump to Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited.

The deal involves the setting up of a modern rubbish processing plant that will generate a modest 22MW of electricity.

The project is projected to generate at least 300 jobs while the structures are being built and boost economic growth.

Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited is under Geogenix BV, an international firm involved in dealing with garbage.

While the power generation station at Pomona will be modest, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority already has other small and medium private stations now feeding the grid or about to do so.

In a joint statement signed by acting Harare town clerk Engineer Mabhena Moyo and Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited country representative Mr Dilesh Nguwaya and read yesterday during the site handover, both parties promised to work harmoniously.

“The City of Harare undertakes and promises to hand over the Pomona dumpsite to Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited with full rights, dominion and control over the dumpsite for a period of 30 years reckoned from April 28, 2022,” reads the statement.

A full handover-takeover inventory was undertaken yesterday, with a certificate, as agreed, to be signed by both parties.

It had been agreed that for 30 years, the City of Harare and Geo Pomona Waste Management should work hand-in-hand to ensure the contract was carried through to its successful conclusion.

City officials and employees would remain on site from the handover and commencement date until May 20, by that date Geo Pomona Waste Management would have exclusive management of the dumpsite, read the statement.

Mr Nguwaya thanked the Government for creating a conducive environment for attracting international investors into the energy sector, especially at a time power shortages were a daily challenge.

“We hope to play our part in alleviating this problem,” he said.

Mr Nguwaya noted that the station would complement other independent power producers.

He said they look forward to putting up a state-of-the-art plant, the best in the country, if not in the region.

Mr Nguwaya said the investor was already exploring other investment opportunities in the country.

Millions of dollars of potential revenue were being lost annually as most of the waste being generated in Harare was being carried and processed in neighbouring countries, including South Africa.

A haulage truck carrying plastic containers from Pomona dumpsite reportedly heading to South Africa was yesterday stuck in the mud at the site, a clear sign of how the country was losing potential revenue.

Acting Harare director of works Engineer Gerald Mutumhe said the handover will establish a 30-year business venture under the build-operate-transfer model.

A city engineer, Mr Keith Mapunzamoyo, said Harare received a proposal in 2019 which was reviewed at different stages up to 2021, including carrying out feasibility studies and touring similar projects carried out by the investor in other countries, including Italy.

The deal was approved by Cabinet on February 14 and signed by Harare City Council and Geogenix BV on March 9.

It has since been granted National Project Status, a development that is expected to speed up its implementation.

The Government is encouraging local authorities to open up similar projects in their areas as a way of ensuring environmentally-friendly management of waste.