*Geo Pomona’s tax holiday: Questions mount over dodgy Harare waste management deal* https://thevoiceonlinenews.com/8eth ___________________________________ `June 14, 2025` ___________________________________ > *Follow The Voice Online News WhatsApp channel:* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPRQqTHrDZdGRK5yH43 ___________________________________ > *Share The Voice Online News WhatsApp group link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/DjU5F7Goh3M6M4XSkg81Gx ___________________________________ > *To advertise with The Voice Online News, talk to us here:* https://wa.me/message/PLR6ANGW2RX4I1 ___________________________________ IF the controversy surrounding the Geo Pomona waste management contract was not already festering, it has now been rubbed raw by revelations that the company is enjoying a tax holiday, meaning it will not be remitting a single cent to Treasury. This is despite the millions of United States dollars Geo Pomona is due to get from the City of Harare (CoH) under the contentious agreement. According to the contract, which NewZimbabwe.Com has seen, Geo Pomona stands to rake in over US$30 million annually from the CoH, yet will contribute nothing in tax revenue. The “schedule of payments and tax and duties” section of the contract explicitly states that Geo Pomona has been granted duty-free and tax-free status for the entire duration of the agreement. Treasury has so far remained tight-lipped on the justification for this extraordinary concession. “Contracting party shall ensure that the contractor is granted duty exemption and income tax exemption for the period of the contract,” the document states. “The contracting party shall pay US$2,701,404.00 (Two million Seven Hundred and one thousand four hundred and four United States Dollars only) excluding value-added tax every month with effect from signature of the contract. The amount is based on the refuse collection and street cleaning service rendered by the contractor,” it continues. Further adding to the sense of unease is the apparent erosion of the CoH’s control over waste management, a function ostensibly outsourced but not supervised. Former Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere has also weighed in, questioning the logic behind the tax exemption. “Why does the agreement stipulate that Geo Pomona will pay 0% tax yet it is being paid so handsomely through public funds? What is the legal basis of this irrational tax exemption?”, she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. While Geo Pomona is ostensibly led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Delish Nguwaya, persistent reports suggest he is merely a figurehead. Whispers persist that the real power brokers are members of the “First Family,” specifically Sean Mnangagwa, son of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The Geo Pomona deal appears to have usurped the CoH’s legal responsibility for refuse collection and street cleaning in the capital. Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume was unavailable for comment, citing his absence from the country. CoH spokesman Stanley Gama also directed inquiries to Mafume. Intriguingly, President Mnangagwa recently showered praise on Mafume, describing him as a “cooperative” and “helpful” mayor. This endorsement is somewhat unusual, given that Mafume is a member of the opposition. Critics suggest the praise is part of the complex political landscape surrounding the Geo Pomona deal.