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with another foreign company, barely a week after severing ties with EasiHold of South Africa.
The three projects had been signed with The Facts of Botswana and were cancelled over delays in implementation.
The deal would have seen The Facts invest in waste management, develop a tourism resort at Cleveland Dam and build infrastructural capacity at Harare Quarry.
This means the city will have to either go it alone or court other partners.
The deal with The Facts had been on the cards for three years, but failed to materialise despite both parties investing in reciprocal visits.
The Facts was supposed to bring in plant and equipment worth US$6,7 million for waste management, with the city’s land and expertise coming in as Harare’s equity.
According to minutes from the business committee meeting which were recently adopted by the full council, the city terminated the deal over its “non-performance”.
“That it be noted that due to delays in implementing the joint venture projects, the agreed timeframes for implementation of the waste management project have expired,” reads part of the full council minutes.
” . . . the three joint venture agreements entered into between the City of Harare and The Facts (Pvt) Ltd of Botswana be terminated forthwith.”
The council then tasked chamber secretary Mrs Josephine Ncube to advise it on the implications of terminating the deal.
Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi told the council that The Facts could not provide funding for the projects.
He said funds for the projects could not be released by the Botswana government before the signing of the bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement (BIPPA) between the Zimbabwe and Botswana governments.
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But councillors argued that the deal had nothing to do with the BIPPA as it was not mentioned in the joint venture agreement.
The BIPPA was signed in July last year and ratified by the Zimbabwe Parliament in October last year.
Officials from The Facts visited Harare in May 2009 and expressed interest in setting up a waste recycling plant at Pomona and to partner the city in the quarry business and in setting up a holiday resort at Cleveland.
Three companies were duly set up to manage the affairs of the joint ventures which were Harare Wave Waste, Cleveland Resort and Harare Quarry.
According to a letter from Mr S Motalaote, The Facts chief executive officer, dated November 25, 2011, funds for the projects had already been mobilised.
Harare City Council is involved in a number of joint ventures with other foreign companies.
Consortio International from the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to build a people’s market, Mupedzanhamo 2, on Shawasha Grounds.
Augur Investments, which has a huge Ukrainian shareholding, is involved in the construction of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Express linking the city with the Harare International Airport.
The same company will build upmarket apartments on the Warren Hills Golf Course and is involved in other proje- cts.
The cancellation of the deals comes after the city last week gave EasiHold of South Africa a 90-day notice to terminate the EasiPark parking management joint venture.
This has raised concern that the city is targeting foreign enterprises in its joint ventures before diligently studying what they are capable of.
Some of the city’s joint ventures with foreigners have angered local entrepreneurs who argue that they are capable of providing better services.
Online Reporter