Page 13 - AfrElec Week 28 2022

AfrElec WASTE-TO -ENERGY AfrElec

Zimbabwe at risk with ‘dodgy’

Geogenix BV waste-to-energy deal

ZIMBABWE THE leader of Zimbabwe’s parliamentary oppo- Mwonzora is in favour of renegotiating the
sition has warned that the country could lose deal as opposed to discarding it which would
$500mn if the government forces a local council attract $3.5mn in damages to Geogenix BV.
to execute a controversial $344mn waste-to-en- “We are not calling out this deal to be thrown
ergy project. out altogether; we are calling for the renegoti-
Douglas Mwonzora, president of the Move- ation of this deal so that it makes sense so that
ment for Democratic Change (MDC), described Zimbabwe doesn’t unnecessarily lose,” he said,
the deal between Harare, the capital city, and as quoted by ZimLive.
Geogenix BV of The Netherlands as unrea- Geogenix BV has announced a plan to con-
sonable, unjustifiable, unsupportable and too vert the waste to produce 22MW of electricity.
expensive. NewsDay, an independent daily, reported on
“The MDC acknowledges that the city of Tuesday (July 12) that since February the com-
Harare waste management problem needs pany has only drilled a borehole and built a four-
immediate attention. As such we would like to roomed house on site.
first of all categorically state that the Geogenix Local Government Minister, July Moyo, the
BV deal is certainly not a solution unless and paper said, has written a letter to Harare City
until the issues we are raising here today are Council demanding payment of $1.5mn on
addressed,” Mwonzora said, as quoted by inde- behalf of Geogenix BV for managing the dump-
pendent publication bulawayo24news on Friday site in May and June 2022.
(July 8). However, Mafume told NewsDay that the
Harare City Council signed the controversial council will not pay the money.
deal in February 2022 when it was under the “Our position is that we cannot pay for
leadership of a government-appointed mayor dumping litter on our site,” he said. “We do not
after the elected Citizens Coalition for Change have that money. The residents have the ulti-
opposition mayor, Jacob Mafume, had been sus- mate say. If the residents decide that they want
pended. When he was later reinstated, Mafume to pay someone for manning their litter on their
convened a full council meeting that resolved own land, then we take it from there. But as it is
to scrap the transaction whose main drivers are right now, it is absurd that we pay for our own
reportedly closely linked to the presidency. property.”™

Week 28 14•July•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13