President Duma Boko’s drive to accelerate government projects is facing an early test after Botswana signed a waste management memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Zimbabwe’s Geo Pomona Waste Management. Zimbabwe media reports show that the company’s operations in Harare have attracted allegations of corruption, procurement irregularities and financial exploitation of ratepayers.
The MoU) signed in Gaborone last Thursday in the presence of Boko, Minister of Local Government Ketlhalefile Motshegwa opens the door for the company to bring its waste management expertise to Botswana. However, the company’s controversial history in Zimbabwe raises questions about the safeguards Botswana will put in place before commitments involving public money are made.
Boko has reportedly called for government contracts to be fast-tracked, according to state Dailynews and expressed concern about delays in concluding the waste management agreement.
Geo Pomona’s operations in Zimbabwe have been dogged by controversy over a waste management arrangement that investigative reporting by The Standard in June 2025 estimated would guarantee the company at least US$162 million (approximately P2.16 billion at an illustrative exchange rate of US$1 to P13.35) over five years.
The paper quotes the President as saying that the MoU marked the beginning of further engagements that would culminate in contracts and technical agreements facilitating Geo Pomona’s operations in Botswana.
Geo Pomona’s operations in Zimbabwe have been dogged by controversy over a waste management arrangement that investigative reporting by The Standard in June 2025 estimated would guarantee the company at least US$162 million (approximately P2.16 billion at an illustrative exchange rate of US$1 to P13.35) over five years. The newspaper reported that the tripartite contract between Geo Pomona, the Zimbabwean government and Harare City Council required payments of US$2.7 million (approximately P36 million) a month for refuse collection and street cleaning.
The investigation raised questions about the contract’s transparency and the extent to which the financial burden would ultimately fall on residents. According to The Standard, the agreement’s provisions required Harare City Council to collect service fees from residents and remit the revenue to the government, while allowing the government access to the municipality’s revenue account to monitor payments. The newspaper reported that the arrangement effectively left ratepayers carrying the cost of the services.
The deal has also attracted allegations that normal competitive procurement procedures were bypassed. Critics have questioned whether the company had sufficient operational capacity to deliver on its obligations when the contract took effect.
The controversy surrounding Geo Pomona dates back to 2022, when its predecessor arrangement involving Netherlands-registered Geogenix BV and the Pomona dumpsite in Harare triggered fierce opposition.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), in a statement issued during the controversy, described the arrangement as a serious assault on the people of Zimbabwe and called for its suspension and an investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
ZimRights cited alleged procurement violations, possible corruption and abuse of power, arguing that the agreement raised serious questions about public accountability and the protection of struggling residents.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume was quoted in reporting on the dispute describing the earlier arrangement as “a deal with the devil”.
The original agreement was expected to generate substantial revenue for the company through waste disposal charges. According to reporting by The Standard, the arrangement envisaged a 30-year lease of Harare’s main dumpsite and projected earnings of approximately US$320 million for Geo Pomona and its parent company. Harare City Council subsequently moved to cancel the earlier deal in 2022, before the company resurfaced under the Geo Pomona name in subsequent arrangements.
In its June 2025 investigation, The Standardalso reported that the company had faced criticism over its operational readiness and the continued accumulation of uncollected waste in parts of Harare. The company has, however, defended its work. In statements published on its website, Geo Pomona says it has cleared substantial quantities of waste and invested in waste management infrastructure.
According to the Dailynews, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Tshepo Kebakile technical committees would determine the scope of work and identify priority sites before contracts were signed.
In Botswana, the government has presented the partnership as an opportunity to improve waste management, rehabilitate landfills, transfer skills and create green jobs.
Geo Pomona chief executive Dilesh Nguwaya, who also serves as an adviser on waste management and environmental sustainability to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, said the partnership could turn environmental challenges into economic opportunities.
Nguwaya called for joint implementation teams, measurable priorities and the mobilisation of investment and technology.
According to the Dailynews, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Tshepo Kebakile technical committees would determine the scope of work and identify priority sites before contracts were signed.
She said implementation could be phased according to available financial resources and the economic opportunities presented by individual landfills.
The government has not announced the final contractual terms, the cost of the proposed projects or the number of jobs expected to be created.
