By Staff Reporter
HARARE — Bulawayo mayor David Coltart has signalled interest in bringing Geo Pomona Waste Management’s waste-processing model to Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, but warned that affordability for residents will determine whether a deal goes ahead.
Coltart led a delegation of councillors, the deputy mayor, town clerk and senior council officials on a tour of Geo Pomona’s waste management facility in Harare on Thursday, as the local authority weighs its options for tackling the city’s waste disposal challenges.
“There’s no doubt that Bulawayo needs a facility like this.
“The critical thing for us, though, is what will it cost, and is it affordable for us,” Coltart said.
The visit comes amid pressure from local government minister Daniel Garwe for Bulawayo City Council to award its waste management tender to Geo Pomona, ahead of two other companies shortlisted for the contract.
Coltart said discussions between the council and the company were already under way, with a technical team having previously visited the Harare facility before Thursday’s tour by councillors and management.
However, he stressed that the council was still assessing the financial implications and the precise services the company could provide.
“The issue for us is what is on offer, what will it cost the residents of Bulawayo, and how will we afford to pay for it,” he said, adding that economies of scale would be an important consideration.
While Coltart said the council was “not at all closed to a contract”, he cautioned that he could not commit the local authority to an agreement without following the necessary legal procedures.
He acknowledged that Geo Pomona had demonstrated its waste-sorting capabilities but said the council would closely monitor the company’s plans for processing and converting waste into energy.
The proposed waste-to-energy plant is not yet operational.
Geo Pomona told the delegation that the Pomona site had operated as an uncontrolled dumpsite for 37 years before the company took over in April 2022 and began transforming it into a managed waste facility.
Its sorting plant was commissioned on June 5, 2025, alongside a water treatment plant, with the company claiming a processing capacity of up to 1,080 tonnes of waste daily.
By October 26, 2026, Geo Pomona said it had handled 614,144.47 tonnes of waste, comprising 435,331.23 tonnes recovered from illegal dumps, 143,160.24 tonnes collected through door-to-door services and 35,653 tonnes from skip bins.
Geo Pomona employs 1,514 people, more than half of them women, and has also developed recreational amenities at the site, including a FIFA-certified football pitch, tennis and basketball courts, changing rooms and a restaurant known as The Sprout.
The company said it was keen to share the expertise of its local engineers with councils across Zimbabwe while expanding its waste management model into other African countries and beyond.
Geo Pomona remains open to further engagement with Bulawayo, although any potential agreement will ultimately hinge on the financial terms and whether residents can shoulder the cost.
