BULAWAYO residents and civil society organisations have rejected a government directive requiring the city council to conclude a waste management agreement with Geo Pomona Waste Management within seven days, saying the move undermines due process and local government autonomy.
The groups, which include residents’ associations, civil society organisations, traders’ groups and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), said they supported urgent measures to address the worsening waste crisis at Richmond Landfill, commonly known as Ngozi Mine, but opposed the proposed arrangement with Geo Pomona.
The government issued the directive on September 10 as it moved to address pollution and smoke emissions from the landfill, which have affected surrounding communities, including Cowdray Park.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the government was bringing in Geo Pomona as part of efforts to tackle Bulawayo’s waste management problems. The company has been involved in waste management initiatives in Harare, including the development of the Pomona Waste Management facility.
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The residents’ groups, however, said the waste crisis should not be used to bypass procurement procedures or public scrutiny.
“While we acknowledge the urgent public health and environmental crisis at the Richmond Landfill (Ngozi Mine)—particularly the choking smoke emissions impacting communities like Cowdray Park—we refuse to let this crisis be used as a smokescreen to bypass the law, dismantle local governance, and impose an unaccountable, single-source contract on our city,” they said.
The groups argued that requiring the council to conclude an agreement within seven days, without what they described as a transparent and competitive procurement process, could undermine safeguards governing the use of public resources.
They also raised concerns over what they described as a potential conflict of interest involving Geo Pomona chief executive Delish Nguwaya, who they said also serves as a presidential adviser on waste management.
The groups said the dual roles raised questions about the process through which the company had been selected to work with the city.
The residents also said the council had already begun procurement processes to identify long-term solutions to the city’s waste management problems and argued that companies that had submitted expressions of interest should be allowed to compete.
They further called for local waste operators and informal recyclers working at Ngozi Mine to be considered in any future arrangement.
The groups said residents should be given details of the proposed deal, including its financial implications, before the council entered into any agreement.
“Bulawayo residents will ultimately bear the social and financial costs of any waste-to-energy or management model. We demand full disclosure of the financial implications of this proposed deal before any document is signed,” they said.
The dispute comes as Bulawayo faces mounting pressure to address waste accumulation, illegal dumping and pollution at Ngozi Mine.
Garwe said the government was also planning to introduce the Presidential Bins Scheme in urban areas, with companies providing bins to improve waste collection and disposal.
He said Geo Pomona would play a leading role in the initiative and in efforts to address the waste crisis at Ngozi Mine.
The minister has argued that the intervention is necessary because of the scale of the waste management problems facing Bulawayo, particularly the environmental and health concerns associated with the landfill.
The residents’ groups have nevertheless called on Garwe to withdraw the seven-day deadline.
They also urged Mayor David Coltart, Town Clerk Christopher Dube and council leadership not to sign an agreement before its contents are made public and subjected to legal and public scrutiny.
The groups further called on the council to publish its plans for dealing with the immediate health risks posed by smoke from Ngozi Mine, particularly in Cowdray Park.
They said residents should be involved in decisions affecting the city’s waste management system and that local companies should be given an opportunity to participate in any procurement process.
The organisations said they were prepared to engage the council and other interested parties to present alternative proposals for managing Bulawayo’s waste infrastructure.
They said they would pursue legal and civic avenues if necessary to challenge what they regard as an infringement of due process and the autonomy of local government.
The statement was signed by Ibhetshu Likazulu, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association, Constitution Defenders Forum, Defend the Constitution Platform, SWITA, Habakkuk Trust, Bulawayo Waste Management Traders Association, Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Organization, ZLHR and Cowdray Park Residents.
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