Online Reporter
Online Reporter
THE decision to bring Geo Pomona Waste Management into Bulawayo’s waste management crisis should be assessed on the basis of its technical capacity, financial strength and record in Harare rather than being reduced to a political or procurement debate, Ward 26 councillor and Finance and Development Committee chairperson, Mpumelelo Moyo has said.
Councillor Moyo was responding to the directive by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe for Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to engage Geo Pomona as part of efforts to address the city’s worsening waste management problems, particularly the environmental concerns at Richmond Landfill, commonly known as Ngozi Mine.
The council has since authorised management to negotiate with Geo Pomona, while seeking a draft agreement for consideration by councillors.
For Clr Moyo, the central question should not simply be why Geo Pomona? but whether the company has the capacity to urgently address the problem.
“The pronunciation by the Honourable Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, that Bulawayo City Council should engage Geo Pomona on its waste management has made news headlines,” said Clr Moyo.
“However, the pronouncement by the Honourable Minister Garwe for Bulawayo City Council to engage Geo Pomona deserves to be analysed carefully and not simply politicised.”
He said the urgency of the matter should also be considered in light of longstanding concerns around pollution from Ngozi Mine, particularly its impact on surrounding communities.
Clr Moyo argued that a major consideration in selecting a waste management partner should be whether the company has both the financial muscle and technical expertise to implement the required interventions quickly.
He pointed to Geo Pomona’s operations at the Pomona site in Harare, where the company says it has developed controlled waste disposal facilities, a sorting plant, a wastewater treatment plant and plans for a waste-to-energy facility. The company also operates a recreational facility that includes a FIFA-certified football pitch, basketball and tennis courts.
“The other reason for considering Geo Pomona obviously hangs around issues of financial capacity and expertise,” said Clr Moyo.
“Undoubtedly Geo Pomona has performed very well in managing the dump site in Harare and it’s not causing any health scare to the Harare residents.”
Geo Pomona says it has transformed the former Pomona dumpsite into a managed waste facility and plans to process municipal waste into electricity. Its stated plans include processing up to 1 000 tonnes of solid waste a day and generating between 16MW and 22MW for the national grid.
Clr Moyo said the contrast between the Harare facility and Ngozi Mine demonstrated why the debate should include practical issues such as technology, investment capacity and speed of implementation.
He also argued that Bulawayo needed to guard against prolonged processes that could discourage investors from committing to the city.
“The time for grandstanding without any apparent reasons in Bulawayo has caused Bulawayo to lag behind in a very painful way,” he said.
Clr Moyo said the city had in the past struggled to convert investment opportunities into projects, arguing that delays and competing interests could result in investors choosing other destinations.
He cited what he described as a widening development gap between Bulawayo and Harare and said the city needed to become more receptive to serious investment opportunities.
Clr Moyo also drew parallels with the long-delayed development of the Egodini transport terminus, saying major projects required partners with the capacity to execute them.
He said local businesses and residents should ultimately benefit from any investment brought into Bulawayo.
“It is my humble plea that Geo Pomona considers hiring the locals as well when the project kicks off,” he said.
The debate comes as Bulawayo City Council seeks a lasting solution to its waste management problems, including refuse collection and the longstanding environmental challenges at Richmond Landfill. The city has now opened formal discussions with Geo Pomona following the Government directive.
For Clr Moyo, the immediate priority is to find a technically and financially capable partner that can deliver results while ensuring Bulawayo residents and businesses benefit from the investment.
