Pomona scandal: Govt gives Nguwaya nod to take same money in every city

The Government of Zimbabwe is enjoying working with Geogenix B.V, a blacklisted company in Europe fronted in Zimbabwe by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Collins and family friend Delish Nguwaya in the waste management.

The City of Harare (COH) has begun paying US$22 000 a day to Geogenix B.V, a shadowy company that is expected to turn waste into energy.

The company was, without going to tender, given Pomona Dump sites for free COH councillors led by then acting Mayor Stewart Mutizwa in June last year. The COH, despite being the landlord of the property, is expected to pay rent to the tenant.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume described the deal as “atrocious”.

It was signed by corrupt MDC Alliance councillors under the influence of Local Government Minister July Moyo. At least US$22 000 a day is paid by the COH to Geogenix B.V and US$14,600,000 a year, translating to over US$300 million for 30 years according to the contract.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa had a tour of the site on Monday. She surprisingly said the model which is being illegally implemented in Harare should be replicated in other cities.

Geogenix B.V representative Delish Nguwaya was also there.

“We want to say to Geogenix we are impressed with what you are doing. You have been here hardly a month, but the work you are doing with the City of Harare is very impressive,” she said.

“As a Government we are quite excited that issues of waste management will be things of the past. We want a Harare that is clean. The Second Republic is talking about putting back Harare, our cities, into the sunshine cities they have always been.”

She added: “We know in the past we lost children who were playing in these heaps of waste trying to pick whatever things they could lay their hands on. That will be a thing of the past. The place will be well secured and everything will be done very professionally,” she said.

Councillor Mutizwa who was claiming to be Acting Harare Mayor endorsed the project.

“This is a project and we are part of it, part of the deal. As part of our equity we are going to be supplying the deal with all garbage from the city. The garbage is going to be paid as an entry fee,” he said.

“What is in the agreement is a yearly payment which we are going to pay as equity in terms of entry fees. We are partners in this business and going to share the spoils at the end of the day.

“For the comfort of our residents, this deal is not going to change the rates that we are charging our residents. The rates remain the same.”

But the elected Mayor of Harare Mafume said Mutizwa illegally attended the meeting as Acting Mayor. Mafume also accused him of being used by the regime to take council property.

“I have not delegated power. He is the one being used to take council property. I am being suspended. He has signed for a number of illegal deals knowing fully well he is not the mayor. He is being used to loot.

“He signed while I was in suspension right now am not on suspension.He moves around saying he is acting mayor. They have him in their pockets. That’s why he was alone there with no officials,” he said.

Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said: “When the Pomona Scandal deal happened, I told all Zimbabweans who could hear me not to treat it as an Harare issue.

“Now it is coming to every city where you live, and you will be paying heavily for July Moyo’s corruption.

“This of course was facilitated by Douglas Mwonzora!” Chin’ono said.