Staff Reporter

Government has clarified issues surrounding the Pomona Waste Energy Joint Venture Agreement between the City of Harare and the investor, Geogenix B.V, putting to rest the many questions raised by the opposition and their surrogates.

Speaking through a statement, Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo said that the successful operationalization of the Pomona Waste Project would create many benefits to the nation, lives and livelihoods, which far outweighs the political bickering and grandstanding.

“The waste management project, amongst other benefits, will create employment, generate power and assist in refuse management. Government wishes to advise that, in consummating this transaction, rigorous processes to ensure that Council and the country at large derive maximum benefits were undertaken,” said Minister Moyo.

Satisfactorily answering the many questions surrounding the legibility of the project, Minister Moyo said that due processes were undertaken to come up with this project.

“With respect to the project, we wish to advise that all procedures were followed. The City and the investor agreed on terms as to how to execute the joint venture while the investment appraisal was done by the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) and also recommended to the Joint Venture Committee. All the recommendations from this process went to Cabinet, which is the highest executive authority, for approval and a lower organ cannot violate the principle of subsidiary,” said Moyo.

Minister Moyo condemned Councilor Jacob Mafume and other City Councilors who passed a resolution on 2 June 2022 to suspend the Pomona project.

“We condemn this conduct which amounts to cheap political grandstanding at the expense of the country and it is therefore necessary to state that the project will not be stopped unless done so by judicial action. Again, we state that the matter is subjudice and that some members were mentioned in the legal papers,” said Moyo.

Meanwhile, since the MDC which has transformed into the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) took over the running of urban councils, the cities have been marred with dirt and rubbish at every corner. This JV will ensure that clean cities are restored back at the same time creating employment, sustaining lives and increasing the country’s power supply, by contributing electricity, generated from waste into energy, into the national grid.