By Cloud Fusire
A FIFA delegation of engineers led by Cemil Nadir Sahin will visit Harare on February 21 to certify a state-of-the-art football pitch being built in Pomona by Geo Pomona Waste Management company.
Sahin is a representative of the Fifa-accredited test institute, Kiwa Laboratory, based in the Netherlands. The company building the sports field is one the best in the world and collaborates with Fifa and Kiwa Laboratory.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Geo Pomona Waste Management chief executive officer and executive chairman, Dilesh Nguwaya said the state-of-the-art football pitch is scheduled to be completed in five days. He said the pitch is part of a recreational facility that would also include basketball and tennis courts, changing rooms as well as a restaurant.
“This exciting development signifies a commitment to providing the local community with a safe, high-quality playing environment that meets international standards,” the award-winning Nguwaya told the Daily News.
“The Fifa Quality Programme rigorously tests synthetic turf surfaces, ensuring they offer optimal performance, durability, and safety for players. This involves both laboratory and on-site testing, guaranteeing the pitch is suitable for sports including friendly matches.”
He said the construction of the recreational facility on the once smelly dumpsite, which was awash with rotting waste, was in line with the company’s objective to create sports pitches for the benefit of the local community and the general public.
The Geo Pomona Waste Management boss was, however, quick to point out their recreational facility was not being set up to compete with bigger sports facilities. “We are not replacing the big stadiums. We are just opening up a recreational facility accessible to the public. It could be friends, churches, individuals, etc, who would want to come and play, exercise, socialise,” he said.
Apart from the recreational facility, which is expected to be fully operational by March 10, Geo Pomona Waste Management is also currently constructing a sorting facility which is expected to be complete by the end of June.
“Construction of a sorting plant to separate recyclable and nonrecyclable material is in progress with foundation levelling ongoing,” he said. Three landfills will also be on site, including, one for municipal waste, one for ashes and the other for hazardous waste.
“We will have three landfills on site, one for municipal waste, the other for ashes and the last one for hazardous waste,” Nguwaya said, adding that a water treatment plant would also be constructed in the near future for irrigation purposes and to provide water for the waste to energy plant.