Harare council not paying Geo Pomona, says Mafume

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has revealed that the City of Harare is not paying Geo Pomona Waste Management, despite the company controversially assuming responsibility for the municipality's refuse collection.

Geo Pomona Waste Management took over waste disposal operations under an agreement pushed through by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. The deal, which sparked public outrage when it was first revealed, stipulates that Harare City Council (HCC) was to pay US$40 per tonne of waste delivered to Pomona. Critics have argued the arrangement effectively usurps the council's core functions and hands them over to a private entity.

However, speaking this week, Mafume said Harare City Council is not making any payments to Geo Pomona, with the central government now shouldering the costs of refuse collection in the capital.

"The City of Harare is not paying Pomona. The government is paying for that," Mafume said.

The revelation comes amid ongoing concerns over the council's inability to maintain basic infrastructure and deliver services effectively, with much of Harare's refuse collection infrastructure in a state of decay. Despite this, questions remain over the sincerity and capacity of the council in managing partnerships with private companies.

Last year, the council was embroiled in a dispute with Roadport Private Limited, which operates one of Harare's busiest long-distance bus terminals. The fallout nearly resulted in Roadport being evicted from operating the terminal, raising further doubts about the city's handling of public-private partnerships.

Mafume has since sought to downplay the episode as he tries to court future investment partners.

"When you have a dispute with your partner, it does not mean your marriage is not producing fruits," he said. "Roadport was built and is used by thousands of Harare residents. So, if we have a dispute on one or two issues, it does not mean that everything is lost."

He added: "There is a tendency to highlight the problems you would have faced in an agreement while ignoring everything that has been beneficial."

Despite Mafume's reassurances, the Geo Pomona deal remains a contentious issue in Harare, with critics arguing that it reflects deeper governance failures and the erosion of local government autonomy by central authorities.