BY KENNETH NYANGANI HARARE residents have filed an urgent High Court application seeking an order barring Local Government minister July Moyo from using devolution funds to pay Geogenix BV for the controversial Pomona waste management deal.
The government imposed the costly waste-to-energy-deal on the City of Harare without going to tender.
Under the deal, the local authority is supposed to pay US$22 000 per day or an estimated US$1 million a month to the contracted Netherlands’ based company for the next 30 years.
However, the City of Harare has refused to pay for the ballooning Pomona debt.
The government has been putting pressure on the local authority to pay the debt resulting in the two parties agreeing that the state will use the city’s devolution funds to settle the amount prompting the lawsuit by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA).
CHRA filed an urgent application on Thursday seeking an order setting aside the agreement to use the city’s devolution funds to pay Georgenix.
They are represented by Archford Rutanhira and Evans Moyo of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
They cited the Local Government ministry, City of Harare, and Finance and Economic Development ministry, and Georgenix BV as respondents.
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“The first, second and third respondents are hereby barred and interdicted from disbursing devolution funds for settlement of financial obligations arising from enforcement of the contract titled Pomona Waste Energy pending determination of the application under the case number HC2766/22 and availing a report prepared by the second respondent special committee,” reads the court papers.
Moyo on July 7, 2022 also gave a directive to the Harare City Council to use the devolution funds to pay Georgenix
Council’s debt to Georgenix is almost US$2 million after the local authority refused to pay for the past two months.
The agreement compels the local authority to pay a daily US$22 000 bill whether it dumps waste or not.
The figure will be doubled after 12 months.
In Zimbabwe Georgenix is fronted by Delish Nguwaya, who allegedly has links with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s family.
