By Correspondent
In July 2022, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume was adamant that the GeoPomona deal would never pass or work because they did not have the capacity to fund it.
Mafume railed at “sheepish” council officials who signed the deal without looking at the consequences on ratepayers and called the agreement “the mother of all corruption”.
Despite Government pressure, Mafume was convinced, like many residents, that the deal was shady.
Said the mayor: “Why are we supposed to pay a tenant for our property? What are we going to get after carrying the rubbish to Pomona?
“Council officials were sheepish in following everything.
“Nowhere in the presentation made here (by the city’s engineers) was it mentioned that they said no to the deal.
“The residents don’t expect us to be pushed around by the offices that participated.”
Mafume said he was concerned that the city keeps on losing its properties to government arms.
“Every decision is being taken against Harare City Council to the extent of taking a dumpsite.
“Why should you take orders from other people? Are they God? Who will defend the city if we allow it to be abused?
“This is a time we should say enough is enough.”
For a more formal denial, he set up an investigative Committee.
It included Councillors Kudzai Kadzombe, Ian Makone, Blessing Duma and Keith Charumbira.
Mafume defended the Committee from wild accusations and assured residents that their interests were protected.
“There is no bribe that will be given to anyone, and it is not true to imply that the investigations committee will be paid allowances.
“They (GeoPomona) have got skeletons hiding in their cabinets, and they are afraid that those skeletons will be unearthed because the councillors cannot be bribed.
“The allegations are fabrication and propaganda,” he said.
Money In The Socks
A year down the line, Mafume was still sticking to his guns against the deal, BUT had inserted a new caveat.
“The City of Harare is not paying Pomona.
“The government is paying for that,” Mafume said.
“There is a tendency to highlight the problems you would have faced in an agreement while ignoring everything beneficial.”
The mellowing had begun.
Some Councillors even accused him of having received a bribe in private to ensure the project’s continuation.
To his credit, Government pressure was increasing with the Cabinet in 2024 directing that the Council should accept the deal.
Council’s approval came just months after the Cabinet ordered compliance.
Since then, Mafume has become not just an official overseeing the deal but its proponent.
“There are certain things the private sector can do better.
“I initially had concerns about the dumpsite, but if you visit now, it is clean, odour-free, and well-managed,” Mafume said.
He added that while the city initially refused to pay for the project, the central government covered the costs, ensuring that residents were not financially burdened.
“This model seems to be working. There may be issues, but those can be addressed,” Mafume concluded.
Fundamental Flaws
However, Mafume’s new defence doesn’t address the fundamental flaws that led to the initial apprehension.
The deal was signed without the council carrying out its own feasibility study, and nothing about that has changed.
The suspect arrangement that Harare is paying a private entity to fulfil its contractual obligations also still stands.
Exorbitant charges, which may accrue to US$2.7 million per month for GeoPomona in the first year, are also still there.
That the contract was awarded without public tendering is another procedural defect which hasn’t been washed by Mafume’s new position.
The latest version of the deal, signed on November 25, 2024, effectively gives the company the monopoly to manage Harare’s waste cleaning, collection, and disposal of garbage.
In all this, the residents, who will foot the bill, never had any say.
Most damning, despite initial assurances that the Government will cover the costs, a key clause in the agreement reveals the truth: the city is responsible for collecting and transferring funds to the government.
With the Mayor now singing differently, the accusations from his fellow Councillors have begun to sound more legitimate.
