Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
ALL local authorities in Manicaland are expected to fence off their dumpsites by the end of this year as Government moves to roll out the Geo Pomona waste management model, a transformative initiative aimed at standardising solid waste management and harnessing refuse for electricity generation.
The programme is expected to begin in Mutare before being extended to Rusape and Chipinge, eventually covering all local authorities across the province.
The development comes as waste management emerges as one of the country’s most pressing urban challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and changing consumption patterns that continue to place immense pressure on existing waste disposal systems. Zimbabwe’s traditional linear waste management model, in which refuse is generated, collected and disposed of at dumpsites, has increasingly come under scrutiny for merely transferring waste from one location to another without creating sustainable solutions.
Globally, modern waste management systems are shifting towards treating waste as a resource that can be recycled, reused and converted into energy, creating economic opportunities while reducing environmental degradation.
Speaking in an interview, Director of Local Government Services for Manicaland Province, Mr White Nkoma, said the recent familiarisation tour of the Geo Pomona Waste Management facility inspired local authorities to accelerate reforms in waste management.
“The look-and-learn tour at Geo Pomona was quite an inspiration for our 10 local authorities in Manicaland Province. The clarion call by the Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works for all local authorities to replicate the Geo Pomona waste-to-energy project must be taken seriously,” he said.
Mr Nkoma said Government expects every local authority in the province to embrace the programme, and ensure compliance with modern waste management standards.
“As a province, no local authority should be left behind. We expect the programme to start with our provincial capital, the City of Mutare, followed by Rusape and Chipinge towns respectively.
“All local authorities must fence off their dumpsites by the end of December 2026. Solid waste management is enshrined in the Minimum Service Delivery Standards against which every council is assessed and measured.
“Effective solid waste management will enable Manicaland Province to contribute meaningfully towards the attainment of Vision 2030 and the creation of an upper-middle-income economy.
“District Development Coordinators and Provincial Directors of Local Government Services, with support from the Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, should ensure that every local authority complies. It is no longer business as usual,” said Mr Nkoma.
Local authorities across Manicaland have already pledged support for the initiative.
Mutare City Council Town Clerk, Mr Blessing Chafesuka, described the project as a game-changer that aligns with the city’s modernisation agenda.
“There is no doubt that this is a national project that Mutare City Council is fully committed to implementing. It will greatly benefit the city, particularly if it follows the same model being implemented in Harare, where Central Government, the local authority and Geo Pomona are working as partners.
“As a local authority, we will work closely with experts in the field and transition towards this highly effective waste management system that dovetails with our Smart City aspirations,” he said.
Rusape Town Council chief executive officer, Mr Solomon Gabaza, said the local authority was keen to adopt best practices from the Geo Pomona model.
“We are currently in the learning phase and hope to fully understand the concepts involved so that implementation improves and modernises our waste management system.
“As Rusape Town Council, we are eager to learn the step-by-step processes involved because this concept has the potential to significantly improve how we manage waste,” he said.
Chipinge Town Council chief executive officer, Mr James Mutemera, said the initiative represented the future of waste management.
“We were part of the look-and-learn programme and were impressed by what we saw. This is the direction the world is taking in waste management.
“It therefore makes sense for us as a local authority to embrace such a progressive initiative and ensure our residents fully benefit from a modern, efficient and environmentally sustainable waste management system,” he said.
Addressing representatives from the country’s 92 local authorities during a familiarisation tour of the Geo Pomona Waste Management facility last Friday, Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, said the visit marked the beginning of a nationwide rollout.
“This is the beginning of the rollout to the remaining 91 local authorities, and Government is also working on a statutory instrument that will establish uniform standards for solid waste management across the country,” he said.
Engineer Muguti also revealed that President Mnangagwa had approved the Presidential Household Waste Management Programme, which will see every household in Zimbabwe receiving a refuse bin.
He said the initiative would create opportunities for private sector participation in waste collection while supporting waste-to-energy projects capable of contributing to national electricity generation.
Geo Pomona Waste Management executive chairman and chief executive officer, Dr Dilesh Nguwaya, said the company stands ready to extend its waste management solutions to all local authorities across Zimbabwe.
“We are going to expand this initiative into a national waste management project in every city,” he said.
The partnership between Harare City Council and Geo Pomona Waste Management has emerged as one of the country’s flagship public-private partnerships, with the waste-to-energy project widely regarded as a benchmark for sustainable urban development and environmentally responsible waste management.
Manicaland embraces Geo Pomona waste concept
