Coltart stays put as mayor amid water crisis

Mbekezeli Ncube

Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has declared that he will not resign from his position, as he believes there is still a lot of work to be done to develop the city. Coltart made this announcement in a statement addressing his stance after the resignation of ex-CCC leader and close ally, Nelson Chamisa.

In his statement, Coltart revealed that he had consulted various stakeholders, including Chamisa, Bulawayo residents, his church, and his family, before making his decision. He noted that the majority of responses, particularly from the public, encouraged him to remain in office.

Coltart emphasized the urgent need to address Bulawayo’s unique challenges, particularly the critical water shortages and the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. He expressed concern that resigning as mayor would open the door for the ruling ZANU-PF party to assume greater power in the city, which he believes could further exacerbate the challenges faced by Bulawayo.

“The overwhelming response, particularly from the Bulawayo public has been to remain in office. I have also been written to by people I deeply respect , some of whom have been involved in the struggle to bring democracy and freedom to Zimbabwe for over six decades, asking me not to resign.”

”If I resign as Mayor I have no doubt that ZANU-PF will simply be provided with a foot In the door to assume much greater power in the running of the city, with all that that entails, and the entrenchment of their corrupt politics at the local level,” said Coltart

Coltart highlighted the severity of the water crisis, stating that Bulawayo is running out of water and faces severe shortages in the near future. While acknowledging the limitations of his individual capacity to remedy the situation, Coltart revealed his involvement in initiatives aimed at providing short, medium, and long-term solutions to the crisis.

The state of roads within and around Bulawayo has also significantly deteriorated, and the city’s central business district is grappling with sanitation issues, making it a shadow of its former self.

Following Chamisa’s resignation, two National Assembly members, Fadzayi Mahere (Mount Pleasant) and Rusty Markham of Harare East Constituency, have also resigned, leading to speculations of more resignations within the party.