Online Reporter
Tendai Ngombe
Some leaders achieve success. Others create lasting impact.
Dr Dilesh Nguwaya continues to do both, consistently and purposefully, making him truly the gift that keeps on giving.
His work has become an example of how focused leadership can turn national challenges into opportunities for progress, innovation and public value.
His recent appointment as Special Adviser to His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr ED Mnangagwa, on Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability affirms his standing as one of the country’s most forward-thinking leaders. It is the latest chapter in a journey defined by vision, innovation, resilience and commitment to national development.
The appointment is also a recognition of the practical contribution he has already made in reshaping how waste can be managed as an economic, environmental and public health priority.
That journey is best reflected in the transformation of the Pomona dumpsite, once a longstanding symbol of environmental decay, into a modern waste management facility. Where others saw a difficult legacy problem, Dr Nguwaya saw an opportunity to build a practical solution for Harare and a model for the region.
The project has helped shift the conversation from unmanaged disposal to organised systems, accountability and long-term environmental planning.
Through Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited, he introduced modern systems capable of addressing legacy waste and the continuing demands of urban waste management.
Today, the facility stands as a working example of what visionary leadership, investment, discipline and execution can deliver when public priorities are matched with practical implementation. Its progress has shown that waste management is not merely a service, but an essential part of urban renewal, environmental protection and national development.
Geo Pomona has since set a benchmark for sustainable waste management, demonstrating solutions that are redefining standards locally and regionally.
Its work has brought visibility to the importance of reliable collection, engineered disposal, environmental monitoring and integrated planning in modern cities.
This depth of expertise makes his appointment timely and strategic.
Dr Nguwaya brings hands-on experience, a record of delivery and a credible voice to national policy discussions on waste management and environmental sustainability.
Having worked at the centre of a major waste transformation project, he understands the operational, financial and regulatory issues that determine whether policy succeeds on the ground.
In the new role, he is expected to contribute practical expertise to the implementation of Government and Cabinet-approved priorities on waste management, environmental sustainability, public-private partnerships and the circular economy.
His advisory function gives the Presidency sector-specific guidance at a time when poor waste disposal continues to create pollution, public health risks, environmental degradation and lost economic value.
This is important because Cabinet-level policy requires practical translation into systems that can be implemented by local authorities, regulators, investors and communities.
He can also support the implementation of key instruments such as the National Development Strategy 2, Vision 2030, the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] and Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007 on effluents and solid waste disposal, together with related waste licensing, waste management planning and pollution-control requirements administered through the Environmental Management Agency.
Verified local data shows the scale of the challenge.
UN-Habitat’s Waste Wise Cities Tool factsheet for Harare reported that the city generated about 798 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day in 2021, or about 0.56 kg per person per day. Only about 26 percent was collected and about 2 percent was managed in controlled facilities, while households alone generated about 559 tonnes per day and non-household sources generated about 240 tonnes per day.
The same assessment estimated that households generated about 375 tonnes per day of recoverable material, including food waste, plastics, paper and cardboard, glass and metals.
To date, Geo Pomona has collected more than half a million tonnes of waste, a milestone that speaks to operational discipline, institutional capacity and the power of results-driven leadership.
This achievement reflects not only the scale of work being carried out at the facility, but also the growing importance of structured, accountable and technology-backed waste management in protecting communities, preserving the environment and supporting Zimbabwe’s sustainable development agenda.
The advisory role can, therefore, benefit the entire waste management spectrum by improving coordination between policy, regulation, local authorities and private investment.
It can help strengthen collection efficiency, expand source separation, increase resource recovery, reduce open dumping and uncontrolled burning, promote cleaner disposal infrastructure and create green jobs across collection, sorting, landfill management and waste-to-energy value chains.
In this respect, Dr Nguwaya’s experience at Geo Pomona can help translate policy into practical systems that strengthen environmental protection, public health and economic value creation from waste.
Indeed, Dr Nguwaya is not just leading change; he is continuously giving it.
