Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart says he shares residents’ concerns over the proposed involvement of Geo Pomona Waste Management in addressing the city’s waste crisis, saying council must first establish the terms and financial implications of the proposed arrangement.
Coltart said any agreement would require approval by the full council after extensive consultation with residents.
He was responding to a coalition of residents’ and civic organisations that has demanded full disclosure of the financial implications of the proposed deal before council enters 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,” the organisations said.
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The groups also called on Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe to withdraw a seven-day deadline given to council to engage Geo Pomona over the proposed waste management project at Ngozi Mine.
The dispute comes as Bulawayo seeks to address waste accumulation, illegal dumping and pollution at Ngozi Mine. Residents have also raised concerns about smoke from the landfill and its potential impact on nearby communities, particularly Cowdray Park.
Garwe has said the government plans 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 efforts to address the waste crisis at Ngozi Mine.
The minister has argued that government intervention is necessary because of the waste management problems facing Bulawayo, including environmental and health concerns associated with the landfill.
Residents’ and civic groups, however, have urged Coltart, Town Clerk Christopher Dube and other council leaders not to sign any agreement with Geo Pomona before its contents are made public and subjected to legal and public scrutiny.
Responding to the concerns during This Morning on Asakhe on Wednesday, Coltart said he had seen the statements issued by residents’ associations and shared their concerns.
“I come back to my fundamental point. I have seen the statements issued by residents associations expressing their concern. I share that concern,” Coltart said.
He said council was yet to establish exactly what Geo Pomona was offering, the proposed timeframe and the financial implications of the project.
“We do not know precisely what Geopomona offers. We don’t know what time frame and we do not know the financial implications of this. This is why we need to get that information.”
Coltart said information obtained from Geo Pomona would then inform a draft memorandum of understanding setting out the broad parameters of any proposed arrangement.
“Once we have that information, then that information will go into a draft memorandum of understanding so that we know the broad parameters of it.”
The mayor also stressed that his powers were limited because he serves as a ceremonial mayor rather than an executive mayor.
“I’m a ceremonial mayor. I’m not an executive mayor. I have extremely limited powers as to other councillors.”
Coltart said any agreement would ultimately require a resolution by the full council and expressed confidence that residents would be consulted before a decision was made.
“But ultimately, we believe that we have the law on our side, and any agreement will be subject to a resolution by the full council. And I trust that any resolution agreed to by council will take place after there has been extensive consultation with residents and a broad consensus reached between council and residents, so that we can get this project done.”
The residents’ groups have also called for residents to be involved in decisions affecting the city’s waste management system and for local companies to be given an opportunity to participate in any procurement process.
They said they were prepared to engage council and other interested parties to present alternative proposals for managing Bulawayo’s waste infrastructure.
The organisations also called on council to publish its plans for dealing with the immediate health risks posed by smoke from Ngozi Mine, particularly in Cowdray Park.
They said they would pursue legal and civic avenues if necessary to challenge what they described 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, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Cowdray Park Residents.
Coltart said the issue should ultimately not be about Geo Pomona or any other individual company, but about finding a waste management solution that serves Bulawayo residents.
“The issue is not Geo Pomona or any other company.
“The issue is we need to tackle Ngozi Mine as quickly as possible, in the best interests of residents, at the best possible price, in a manner which benefits residents primarily. That needs to be our dominant concern.”
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