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Source: President appoints Nguwaya special advisor – herald

Fungi Kwaramba-National Editor

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has approved the appointment of Geo Pomona Waste Management chief executive and executive chairman Dr Dilesh Nguwaya as his Special Advisor on Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability.

This move is expected to accelerate the country’s transition towards cleaner cities and a greener economy.

The appointment, which is with immediate effect, positions Dr Nguwaya to provide strategic guidance to the Presidency on critical environmental matters as the country grapples with mounting waste management challenges driven by rapid urbanisation and population growth.

In his recommendation letter, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya said Dr Nguwaya’s appointment is expected, among other responsibilities, to provide the Presidency with direct access to practical expertise and strategic guidance on waste management and environmental sustainability.

The establishment of Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited in April 2022 under a public-private partnership framework was a landmark intervention to provide sustainable waste management solutions at the Pomona Dumpsite and support the country’s environmental objectives.

Dr Nguwaya’s appointment is now building on that foundation.

“Waste management has become a critical national priority due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and increasing environmental challenges,” Dr Rushwaya noted in the concept note recommending the appointment.

“Inefficient waste disposal contributes to pollution, public health risks, environmental degradation and missed economic opportunities in recycling and resource recovery.”

Dr Nguwaya comes at a time when Harare has witnessed a marked improvement in waste management, largely due to the efforts of Geo Pomona Waste Management.

Dr Rushwaya described Dr Nguwaya as a distinguished environmental and business leader with extensive experience in waste management and sustainability.

“Under his stewardship, the company (Geo Pomona) has overseen the expansion of waste collection through door-to-door residential refuse collection, placement of skip bins across the Harare Central Business District, and recycling systems, alongside the introduction of waste segregation and resource recovery programmes,” he said.

Apart from that, Dr Nguwaya has been instrumental in overseeing the development of the upcoming 16-megawatt to 22-megawatt waste-to-energy plant, feeding into Zimbabwe’s national power grid and circular economy initiatives.

The project is poised to transform the country’s energy landscape while addressing mounting waste disposal challenges.

The appointment is also expected to leverage Dr Nguwaya’s experience in creating employment opportunities, particularly for youths and women.

Dr Nguwaya already employs more than 1 000 people at Pomona, a once hazardous dumpsite that has been repurposed and festooned with ultra-modern sporting facilities and restaurants.

Dr Rushwaya noted that Dr Nguwaya has been at the forefront of mobilisation of private-sector investment partnerships in environmental sustainability

“He has headed strategic regional delegations, including benchmarking tours and waste management expansion agreements with nations like Madagascar and Belarus,” he said.

The concept note outlines that these initiatives have collectively improved waste collection efficiency, reduced environmental pollution, enhanced public health, increased recycling rates, and stimulated green economic growth.

Dr Rushwaya said Dr Nguwaya’s appointment would support the development of a national waste management transformation agenda.

Further, it would promote circular economy policies and practices.

“It would also facilitate increased private-sector participation and investment and support the achievement of national environmental and climate commitments,” the Chief Secretary added.

As Special Advisor, Dr Nguwaya is expected to provide strategic policy advice on waste management and environmental sustainability, support the formulation and implementation of national waste management strategies, and advise on public-private partnerships within the waste management sector.

He is expected to also promote investment in recycling and green industries, monitor global best practices and recommend their adoption in Zimbabwe.

Through his position, Dr Nguwayo is expected to support national environmental awareness and behavioural change programmes.

The appointment is projected to contribute to cleaner cities, towns and communities, increased recycling and resource recovery, reduced environmental pollution and improved public health and sanitation, the concept noted said.

Other anticipated benefits include a growth in green jobs and entrepreneurship, enhanced climate resilience and environmental protection, and greater private sector participation in environmental management.

Added the Chief Secretary: “Dr Dilesh Nguwaya’s proven leadership, expertise, and achievements in waste management and environmental sustainability make him exceptionally qualified to serve as Special Advisor to His Excellency the President.

“His appointment would strengthen national efforts to transform environmental challenges into sustainable development opportunities and contribute significantly to building a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous Zimbabwe.”

The appointment comes as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to address environmental degradation while pursuing economic development through green industries and circular economy principles.

In an interview yesterday, Dr Nguwaya said he was ready for the new challenge, which he said came as a shock to him.

“I feel very honoured by the President; it’s the highest office which honoured me. I didn’t expect this to happen in my life,” he said.

“Not everyone wants to deal with waste; it’s just an industry of managing waste and also protecting the environment.

“The President has prioritised environmental and waste management because he wants his people to live in a clean environment. This is a befitting honour because I have demonstrated the ability to care for the environment.”

Dr Nguwaya said Harare is now going back to its sunshine status due to heightened cleaning of streets and collection of bins.

“We want to make sure we meet international standards in terms of waste management and my duty is now to focus on the whole nation, not on  Geo Pomona alone.

“Geo Pomona has revolutionised waste management, dispatching refuse trucks around the City of Harare and sweepers at night bring the shine to the capital city.

“The President is very happy with the work that has been done by Geo Pomona so far,” he said.

Dr Nguwaya said Geo Pomona, which has been given the task of replicating its model to other cities, is equal to the task.

“It is our duty as Zimbabweans to build our nation, the President always says, ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’, and we are ready to play our part.

“I am going to put more effort into making sure the people of Zimbabwe live in a clean environment,” said Dr Nguwaya.

The post President appoints Nguwaya special advisor appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

HARARE – Indian beverage giant Varun Beverages has emerged as the leading contender to acquire a controlling stake in Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Dairibord Holdings Limited, in what could become one of the country’s most significant corporate transactions in recent years.

State media reported that market intelligence points to Varun as the most likely buyer after Dairibord issued a cautionary statement informing shareholders that three major institutional investors had entered negotiations to dispose of their combined shareholding. If concluded, the transaction would result in a change of control at Zimbabwe’s largest dairy and food processing company.

According to the cautionary announcement, the proposed sale involves three significant shareholders—Equivest Asset Management, Mega Market and Mutare Mart & Exchange—whose combined holdings exceed 51 percent of Dairibord’s issued ordinary shares. Such a transaction would hand the successful bidder majority control of one of Zimbabwe’s most recognised food manufacturing businesses.

The development has attracted considerable interest across Zimbabwe’s corporate sector, with analysts viewing the proposed acquisition as a potential catalyst for fresh capital investment, operational expansion and greater regional integration within the country’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.

Although the identity of the prospective purchaser was not disclosed in the official notice, state media quoted market sources identifying Varun Beverages as the leading candidate. According to sources cited by The Herald, the PepsiCo franchise bottler has also been quietly accumulating additional shares from minority shareholders through open-market purchases, strengthening speculation that it is positioning itself to secure a controlling interest.

Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated that while Varun has expressed strong interest in acquiring control of Dairibord, no formal engagement has yet been announced between the company and Dairibord’s executive management. Other potential investors are also understood to be evaluating the opportunity, suggesting that the transaction could become competitive before a final agreement is reached.

The proposed acquisition comes against the backdrop of Dairibord’s concentrated ownership structure. Mega Market currently holds approximately 23.92 percent of the company’s shares, making it the single largest shareholder, while Stanbic Nominees owns 23.87 percent. Serrapin Investments holds 12.04 percent, followed by Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zimbabwe Limited with 10.65 percent and the Mining Industry Pension Fund with 4.93 percent. Collectively, these five investors account for more than three-quarters of Dairibord’s issued share capital, highlighting the strategic significance of any large block transaction.

For Varun Beverages, acquiring Dairibord would represent a major strategic diversification beyond its traditional beverage operations. Since entering Zimbabwe in 2018 with a modern bottling facility in Harare, the company has rapidly expanded its market presence through competitive pricing, significant production capacity and an extensive nationwide distribution network.

Its Zimbabwean operations have transformed competition within the carbonated soft drinks market, challenging established players through aggressive market penetration and supply chain efficiency. More recently, Varun has broadened its ambitions by entering the food and snack segment after securing rights to manufacture and distribute selected PepsiCo snack brands, signalling a longer-term strategy of becoming a diversified FMCG player in the region.

Industry analysts believe that integrating Dairibord’s well-established dairy, beverage and food brands with Varun’s manufacturing expertise and distribution capabilities could create substantial operational synergies. The combination would strengthen economies of scale, enhance supply chain efficiencies and potentially unlock new opportunities for product innovation and regional exports.

The transaction also reflects growing foreign investor interest in Zimbabwe’s consumer goods sector, where companies with strong brands, established processing capacity and extensive distribution infrastructure continue to attract strategic investment despite broader macroeconomic challenges.

Should the acquisition proceed, it would mark one of the largest changes of corporate control on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in recent years and could reshape competition across Zimbabwe’s food and beverage industry, positioning Varun Beverages as one of the country’s most influential fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers.

The post Varun Beverages Emerges as Frontrunner in Bid for Dairibord Control appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

Zimbabwe’s Roads: A Deadly Toll as Accidents Mount Harare – The nation of Zimbabwe is once again grappling with the devastating reality of its perilous roads, following a series of horrific accidents that claimed multiple lives in mid-July 2026. These recent tragedies, occurring within days of each other on major highways, underscore a persistent and […]

The post Notorious accident blackspot kills 2 more along Masvingo road, 4 others killed in Kombi and Haulage Truck head-on crash first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Source: Two dead, two injured in Harare-Masvingo road crash -Newsday Zimbabwe

Two people died while two others were injured when a vehicle they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged into Sebakwe River over the weekend.

The accident occurred on Saturday  at the 218-kilometre peg along the Harare–Masvingo Road.

In a statement, police said the accident involved a Mazda B1800 utility vehicle carrying four occupants.

The injured were rushed to hospital, and the deceased’s identities are yet to be disclosed.

The post Two dead, two injured in Harare-Masvingo road crash appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Varun leads race to acquire a controlling stake in Dairibord – herald

Business Reporter
PEPSI bottler, Varun Beverages, has emerged as the leading prospective buyer for a controlling stake in Zimbabwe’s largest dairy and food processor, Dairibord Holdings Limited.
This follows a cautionary statement issued by the Dairibord board, which advised shareholders that three of its major blockholders—Equivest Asset Management, Mega Market and Mutare Mart & Exchange—had issued a joint notice disclosing that they had entered into negotiations with an unnamed third party to sell their collective shareholding.
Combined, the three entities hold a commanding block of shares representing over 51 percent of Dairibord’s issued ordinary shares, meaning that if successful, the transaction will result in a total change of control.
Mega Market is the largest shareholder in Dairibord, holding a 23,92 percent stake. This is closely followed by Stanbic Nominees, which holds 23,87 percent of the company.
Serrapin Investments is the third-largest shareholder with 12,04 percent, while Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zimbabwe Limited holds 10,65 percent shareholding.
The Mining Industry Pension Fund rounds out the top five, holding 4,93 percent of the total stock.
The top five shareholders own 75,41 percent of Dairibord, leaving the remaining 24,59 percent in the hands of other, smaller retail and minority investors.
While the official cautionary statement did not name the buyer, market intelligence strongly points to Varun Beverages positioning itself to take over the dairy giant.
“A few potential buyers are being mentioned, but Varun Beverages has come out as the leading contender,” said a source speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to talk to the press.
Market sources, however, indicated that Varun has quietly been buying up smaller tranches of shares from open-market holders.
Another source familiar with the developments said that while Varun reportedly expressed interest in a control stake, no formal communication has been made with Dairibord management.
The source also said the stake available to Varun was still below 51 percent and the beverages giant has been mopping up shares from the open market.
Another source, however, said Varun was not the only buyer looking for a controlling stake in Dairibord.
“There are also other players being mentioned,” said the source.
Varun is an Indian-headquartered multinational and one of the largest franchise bottlers of PepsiCo products in the world outside of the United States.
The company manufactures, bottles and distributes a massive portfolio of beverages, including Pepsi, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, 7Up and Aquafina.
Varun officially entered the Zimbabwean market in 2018 with the launch of a state-of-the-art greenfield bottling plant in Harare.
Since its entry, the company has hugely disrupted the local beverage landscape through an aggressive low-cost pricing model, rapid capacity expansions and an extensive, highly visible retail distribution network.
Beyond beverages, Varun has begun expanding into the food and snacks sector—having secured a licence to manufacture and distribute PepsiCo snack brands, such as Simba Munchiez.

The post Varun leads race to acquire a controlling stake in Dairibord  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.