Pomona scandal: Councillors meeting to axe corrupt deal on Thursday

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors led by Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume will hold an urgent meeting on Thursday to cancel the controversial Pomona deal that is paying US$22 000 a day to Geogenix B.V, a shadowy company fronted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Collins and family friend Delish Nguwaya.

In July last year, Local Government Minister July Moyo suspended Mafume as Harare Mayor and pushed for councillor Mayor Stewart Mutizwa to be acting, allegedly with the aim of persuading City of Harare (COH) councillors to give out for free, Pomona Dumpsites to Geogenix B.V, a company that is blacklisted in Europe for dubious deals.

The company is expected to turn the waste at Pomona dumpsite into energy. But the deal is riddled with corruption controversies including overriding of tender processes and outrageous costs.

COH, the landlord of the dumpsite is expected to pay rent to Geogenix B.V, a tenant. The company is being paid at least US$22 000 a day and US$14,600,000 a year, translating to over US$300 million for 30 years according to the contract.

This has caused outcry from the residents who are demanding that the deal should be canceled.

A meeting of councillors will be held in accordance with Section 84 Subsection (4) of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) which “provides that no other matters other than those specified in the notice (Agenda) shall be discussed at a Special Meeting”.

Harare North legislator Norman Markham has since approached the High Court challenging the awarding of the tender to the dubious company fronted by Nguwaya.

Mafume last week told the NewsHawks that the city was not going to pay the large amounts of money involved.

“We will not pay even a cent. We have not paid anything as yet (and) we urge every stakeholder to continue as normal,” he said.