Geo Pomona to Take Over Bulawayo Waste Management
Government says Geo Pomona will be engaged immediately to help tackle Bulawayo’s waste-management crisis, with Cabinet approval secured and paperwork expected to be ready within a week.
Kwedu News 
By Staff Reporter
Bawayo — Government has moved to engage Geo Pomona Private Limited in Bulawayo’s waste-management system with immediate effect, with Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe ambushing Bulawayo City Council (BCC) saying Cabinet has already endorsed the arrangement.
Minister Garwe ordered BCC to make the necessary paperwork ready for signing within a week.
He made the announcement in Bulawayo on Thursday, September 10, during a meeting on waste collection and management attended by United Nations Resident Coordinator, Dr. Rosemary Kalapurakal, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Judith Ncube, City Mayor David Coltart, Geo Pomona Chief Executive Officer Dr. Delish Nguwaya, council management and senior Government officials
He said Cabinet had endorsed the engagement of Geo Pomona and warned that Government would proceed with implementing the arrangement even if the local authority was not keen on the deal.
The development comes as Government tries to improve service delivery in urban areas.
Minister Garwe gabe the excuse that the waste crisis in Bulawayo had gone beyond an environmental concern, with poor waste management posing serious public-health risks.
He cited outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and more recent infestations of bed bugs as evidence of the consequences of inadequate waste management.
“Such conditions are wholly unacceptable in 2026 and beyond. Such conditions must become a thing of the past,” he said.
The Minister said Government, in line with its Vision 2030 agenda, was committed to creating clean, safe and modern urban environments.
“A clean city is not a luxury. It is a basic requirement for public health, investment and dignity of our people,” Minister Garwe said.
He said Bulawayo, as one of the country’s major cities and an important economic centre, needed to maintain high standards of cleanliness and efficiency.
Garwe said the state of cleanliness in cities was not only a reflection of governance and service delivery, but also had implications for Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in attracting investment.
He said addressing the waste-management crisis required cooperation between the local authority, residents, community organisations, the private sector and other stakeholders.
“Effective waste management cannot be achieved by the local authority alone, but it takes cooperation and shared responsibility from all clients and stakeholders,” he said.
Minister Garwe said public-private partnerships were central to Government’s development strategy and pointed to Geo Pomona’s operations in Harare as an example of how private capital, expertise and innovation could be used to improve public services.
“The Geo Pomona model in Harare shows that it is possible to welcome partnership in waste collection, recycling and waste management,” he said.
Geo Pomona Chief Executive, Dr. Nguwaya said the company was ready to expand its waste-collection operations into Bulawayo and work with the local authority and other stakeholders.
He said the company was prepared to contribute towards strengthening waste management and improving the cleanliness of the city.
Government has said it will start supporting and monitoring the city’s performance and intervene where necessary to ensure compliance with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards.
Minister Garwe urged stakeholders to work together to restore the city’s cleanliness.
Dr. Kalapurakal said the United Nations was ready to work with Government and cities in promoting cleanliness and sound environmental management.
She stressed the importance of collaboration between Government, local authorities, the private sector and communities in tackling environmental challenges and improving urban service delivery.
