City of Harare refuses to pay US$780,000 Geogenix Pomona bill, as July Moyo warns of grave consequences

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume

The City of Harare has refused to pay a US$780,000 Geogenix invoice submitted for May for the ‘doggy’ Pomona waste deal.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume insists that the local authority will not pay anything regarding the Pomona deal.

Harare councillors recently voted to cancel the deal, but Minister July Moyo issued a statement reversing the council resolution.

Apparently, the City recently constituted a special committee to look into the matter.

However the Local Government Ministry has warned local authority of grave consequences.

Local government ministry secretary Zvinechimwe Churu, in a letter dated June 16, insisted that the city should “abide by the contractual terms provided for in the existing contract.”

“May I remind you that the action not to pay has serious consequences, not only with respect to the council’s obligations, but also on the guarantor to the project.

“Failure to pay will result in accumulation of debt through interest, arrears, penalties and fees due and payable.

“The amount will become unsustainable should the stance be sustained beyond the May payment,” Churu wrote.

Harare, which previously dumped its waste for free, must now pay a foreign company Geogenix BV to dump waste after the city signed off its Pomona dumpsite to the company.

Zwnews