Story by Owen Mandovha
Harare residents are optimistic of a garbage-free city after the handover of Harare City Council’s waste management functions to Geo Pomona Waste Management Company.
On Monday, government approved a waste management deal between the City of Harare and Geo Pomona Waste Management Company.
Honourable Daniel Garwe, Minister of Local Government and Public Works ” Following an appeal by the City of Harare for Government to intervene in waste management, GeoPomona expressed its interest to work with the City of Harare hence Government has approved an agreement between the two companies,”
A crossed section of Harare residents who spoke to this news crew expressed excitement at the agreement, saying GeoPomona must hit the ground running.
A resident who spoke to the ZBC News said, “We are paying rates, but we have not received any service because waste has accumulated for a very long period of time.”
“GeoPomona should start as soon as yesterday because we have suffered for much too long,” another said.
Local government experts concur modernising waste management is the way to go.
Dr Aaron Shamu, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Local Government Association noted, “Waste management is outsourced in many countries and what has been is following international best practice in dealing with waste.”
“As the Residents Trust we are happy with what the City of Harare has done in partnering Geo Pomona because people had suffered for far too long,” said Mr Shalvar Chikomba, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust.
During Tuesday’s Zimbabwe Local Government Association Conference, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume explained the motivation behind the partnership with Geo Pomona.
“We can work together to create a world class city in all areas including solid waste management. Already, we are happy that the City has now a modern waste management site at Pomona, which is going to deal with waste once and for all,” he said.
Speaking at the conference, President Emmerson Mnangagwa noted the need to consult people in the provision of sustainable, efficient and affordable services, hence Harare’s chronic waste management challenges are expected to permanently disappear, further giving impetus to Harare’s quest to revitalise its sunshine city status.
