Byo complies with Geo Pomona directive

The recommendations, contained in a confidential report tabled before councillors on Monday, came after Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe directed council on September 10 to engage Geo Pomona, even as the local authority was still awaiting the outcome of its own procurement process for a waste management partner.

Peter Matika

Bulawayo City Council has resolved to comply with a Government directive to engage Geo Pomona Waste Management to address the city’s worsening solid waste management challenges while granting management authority to negotiate with the private waste management company.

Council is now seeking approval to allow management to proceed with the engagement, with a further recommendation that management reports back to council on the outcome of its negotiations with Geo Pomona.

The development could pave the way for the long-awaited involvement of the private sector in Bulawayo’s waste management system and provide a potential solution to the persistent problems surrounding refuse collection, landfill management and the environmental crisis at Richmond Landfill, popularly known as Ngozi Mine.

According to the confidential report issued by the office of the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, council has been pursuing private-sector participation in solid waste management since last year, following a circular from Minister Garwe in June 2025 advising all local authorities to engage private businesses on waste management.

The report recommended that council comply with the minister’s directive to engage Geo Pomona, and grants its management the authority to engage the company, and then report back to council.

According to council, a special council meeting held on July 2, 2025 resolved that management should initiate procurement processes to engage private players and deal with unsolicited bids in terms of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency Act.

Three compliant bids were subsequently received in October 2025 and were forwarded to the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe and ZIDA for consideration and guidance.

Council has said the engagements with ZIDA continued, with the latest development being the submission of a prefeasibility study on June 23 this year for onward submission to the committee dealing with private-public-partnerships.

The committee was scheduled to deliberate on the project proposal on September 8.

However, while the council was awaiting a response from ZIDA, Minister Garwe issued a verbal directive on September 10 for the local authority to engage Geo Pomona.

The proposed engagement comes against the backdrop of years of mounting pressure on council to find a lasting solution to the city’s waste management problems.

It has been extensively reported on the crisis at thelandfill known as Ngozi Mine, where recurring fires have generated thick smoke affecting surrounding communities, particularly Cowdray Park.

The landfill, which was commissioned in 1994, has increasingly come under scrutiny over its environmental impact, with residents complaining about smoke, foul odours and the health implications of living near the dumpsite.

Council has previously acknowledged the challenges associated with landfill management, including equipment breakdowns and the difficulty of managing waste using limited municipal resources.

In January 2025, it was reported that concerns were raised over the sustainability of operations at Ngozi Mine landfill amid frequent breakdowns of landfill equipment. The situation has also been worsened by challenges in refuse collection, with the council at some stages relying on a combination of its own resources and private contractors.

GPWM operates the Pomona Waste Management facility in Harare, which has been presented by Government as a model that could be replicated in other urban centres. Before Geo Pomona the landfill was considered even worse than that in Bulawayo, with fires, dust and litter.

Minister Garwe has previously stressed the need for urgent intervention at Ngozi Mine, saying the environmental crisis had become a matter requiring immediate attention.

The latest council report comes as pressure continues to mount for a permanent solution rather than temporary measures to contain fires and refuse accumulation.

For years, the council has faced financial and equipment constraints in waste management, while the volume of waste generated in the city continues to pressure existing infrastructure.