Harare, (New Ziana) -Zimbabwe is set to benefit significantly from the Geo Pomona Waste Management project through job creation and electricity generation that will support the national grid by 2027, a senior government official has said.
Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Joram Gumbo said this on Thursday during a tour of the Geo Pomona site on the outskirts of the capital.
He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Charles Tawengwa, and members of the Geo Pomona technical team.
Gumbo expressed satisfaction with the progress at the site, describing it as a milestone for the country.
“I am extremely impressed by what I have seen here,” he said.
“This place is going to employ many workers. I have been told that currently, there are around 200 workers, and the entire complex is expected to reach about 400 workers. It is not only employment that we are looking at. The generation of electricity is very, very important for us. And also, the management of waste itself is very, very important.”
Gumbo stressed the health and environmental risks of unmanaged waste, highlighting the importance of the project to the broader well-being of communities.
Geo Pomona is a government-partnered waste to energy project located in Harare, whose core objective is to transform waste management in the city and convert solid waste into energy, thus contributing to cleaner urban environments and renewable electricity.
Gumbo noted that challenges such as water supply to the facility were identified during the tour, and would be escalated to relevant Ministries to ensure the smooth running of operations
“We must sit down with the responsible Ministers to make sure there is water. Because the benefits from the project will not only be for them, the implementers, but also for the nation as a whole,” he said.
Speaking during the same occasion, Tawengwa hailed the Geo Pomona board for its efforts in transforming the site into a modern and environmentally friendly facility.
“So many activities are coming up because they have transformed the area into an area which is habitable, where people can work for,” he said.
He said despite of the progress made, there is still a gap in collection of garbage, adding some refuse trucks would arrive in the country for use by Geo Pomona would and the Harare City Council to collect household garbage.
New Ziana
