Pomona dumpsite political garbage stinks of corruption to heaven high, exposing government’s insincerity in fight against corruption as council is forced to folk out US $22 000 a day to dump waste.
By Shingirai Vambe
HARARE-Pomonagate unfolds as deal continues to expose the corruption rot in local authorities with the known controversial man behind the arrest and sacking of former health minister Obadiah Moyo, Delish Nguwaya surfacing again on the limelight.
Moyo was arrested and forced to leave his health ministerial office due to flouted tender processes and misappropriation of Covid-19 funds amounting to US $60m.
Nguwaya is in the midst of another deal which Harare City Council adopted amounting to US$344m and the Centre is shaking after its suspension by City of Harare following an application by Citizen for Coalition Change (CCC) legislator for Harare North, Allan Markham seeking the Courts to order cancellation of the contact.
Described by Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa as the De’facto prime minister, Local Government minister, July Moyo has since defended the tender and said the local authority had no mandate whatsoever to reverse what government, Parliament and Cabinet had adopted.
The Pomona deal and or tender has exposed the corrupt tendencies in government, infiltration into council business and the previous said relationship between Nguwaya and the first family.
Nguwaya has been arrested on several occasions of extortion, robbery and at some point he was found in possession of dangerous drugs, cocaine while masquerading as a police officer but when arrested at the remand prison, he was given preferential treatment. This left more questions than answers for most Zimbabweans.
A proverb say, Beat a dog and you will see the owner, the Pomona tender deal flopped just last week when the High Court set aside the earlier ruling and application by July Moyo against Citizen for Coalition Change (CCC) Councillor Jacob Mafume, who is the Harare Mayor.
Mafume continuously got suspension letters from July Moyo so that he could pave way for such scandalous deals to sail through while working with Movement for Democratic Change Councillors.
Apart from the Pomona flopped deal, the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission is investigating the minister over the purchase of water pumping equipment for Harare and Victoria Falls at an inflated price from another business tycoon, Paul Krugger.
Mliswa told Post on Sunday that currently the Government is dysfunctional because of certain critical ministries in service delivery, and such ministry is the local government which presides over the day to day living of people in Zimbabwe.
“Section 107 of the constitution is very clear on Ministers in attending to Parliament to answer questions, July Moyo does not come to Parliament but he is always in cabinet to push for deals.
Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) was very clear on the Pomona deal to go through due process, to go to tender. Cabinet is cabinet but it cannot be working in isolation of the law, it has to work within the law and Acts which are there,” Mliswa said.
He added, this is the end of the country, when a government minister behaves in this way, he is corrupt to the core, full of corruption.
July Moyo said, with respect to the project, we wish to advise that all procedures were followed, he added that the City of Harare went into agreement with the investor, Geogenix B.V to execute a joint venture.
“It is surprising that Councillors went ahead to deliberate on the matter and some members in the City and the Ministry are being sued. The agreement was closely analyzed by Government lawyers, including Attorney general’s office before it was signed,” said Moyo.
Beneficiaries of the project in government have come out guns blazing against Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume and the investor has since handed the local authority an invoice of US $750 000 for drilling a borehole, building a 4 roomed cottage and setting up an electricity line.
In line with the renewable energy plan, waste management and recycling, proposals were made earlier that private players come on board in response to environmental degradation, solid waste management and recycling through the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and hospitality industry.
In a known waste business practice globally, waste collectors for solid and scrap metal are paid for going round looking for waste, collecting garbage separate, then sell to companies that do recycling.
The investor Instead of paying local authorities, wanted to be paid $22 000 a day for the next 30 years, says the signed contract.
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