By Staff Writer
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa Sunday hailed the Geo Pomona Waste Management (Pvt) Ltd project.
Mnangagwa emphasised the pressing challenges faced by the nation in waste disposal due to rapid urbanisation and population growth, which have led to unprecedented amounts of household and industrial waste.
He said Zimbabwe continued to face a challenge in managing waste disposal in a sustainable manner, adding that the consequences of high resource consumption have severely strained the capacity of local government and municipal authorities to manage waste effectively, exacerbated by limited access to modern disposal technologies and trained manpower.
“This waste-to-energy initiative has not only addressed the environmental challenges that were caused by this dumpsite, but the plant, once completed, will generate electricity for the national grid,” Mnangagwa said.
He said the project was a testament to the potential of strategic innovations in addressing crucial national issues, including power supplies.
Mnangagwa commended Geo Pomona Waste Management for its people-centred approach, particularly employment of youth and women, which aligns with government’s goal of inclusive economic growth.
He underscored the environmental benefits of the project, noting its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with Zimbabwe’s National Determined Contributions towards climate change mitigation.
“Our vision for Zimbabwe is to prioritise environmentally sensitive waste management and disposal systems in all our communities,” he said.
“To drive the modernisation, industrialisation and development of the region, we remain mindful that ‘Sadc must be built, governed and prayed for by us, its citizens’. The weighty responsibility lies with us,” Mnangagwa said.
Geo Pomona Waste Management chairperson and chief executive Dilesh Nguwaya said the former Pomona dumpsite, which had posed environmental hazards, had been transformed to a model of environmental preservation.
“Geo Pomona’s rapid response to these hazards has set a new standard for waste management in the region,” he said.
Nguwaya said the company’s comprehensive waste management strategy included the construction of a sorting plant designed to separate recyclables from non-recyclables.
Recyclable waste is sold to recycling companies, while non-recyclable combustible materials are incinerated in a waste-to-energy plant, generating between 16MW and 22MW of electricity.
