Pressure Mounts on Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart Amid CCC Leadership Wrangle

BULAWAYO – Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart is facing growing political pressure from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faction aligned to self-styled interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, following his absence from a presidential borehole scheme event in Cowdray Park attended by several party councillors.

According to reports carried by The Standard, discussions over Coltart's possible removal have reached an advanced stage, although the claims have been strongly denied by the party's provincial leadership. Sources within the party reportedly said Coltart's decision not to attend the government-backed Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme event, officiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's adviser Paul Tungwarara, was viewed by some senior figures in the Tshabangu-aligned faction as a deliberate snub.

The event later transformed into a campaign promoting Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), with supporters carrying placards endorsing the proposed constitutional changes while participating in singing, dancing, and competitions in which cash prizes were reportedly distributed. Witnesses at the gathering said some church leaders, including pastors and bishops, shared about US$200, while residents carrying CAB3 placards or participating in the celebrations reportedly received cash handouts of up to US$20 each.

Speaking during the event, CCC organising secretary Francis Badzarigere publicly criticised Coltart for failing to attend.

"I am not trying to be a racist, but we expect that if you are a city father, a mayor, and there is a programme of the President of this nature, it is wrong not to be here," Badzarigere said.

He warned that disciplinary action could follow if the mayor continued to disregard what he described as party expectations.

"We have no problems with having a deputy mayor, but if the mayor does not give an apology, if the mayor behaves like he is an independent, we will take action," he said.

Party insiders told The Standard that Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu is being considered as a possible successor should efforts to remove Coltart succeed. Ward 17 councillor Skhululekile Moyo is also reportedly being considered for the deputy mayor's position to maintain gender balance in the city's leadership. Ndlovu declined to comment on the speculation. Sources further claimed that succession discussions intensified after Coltart announced he would not seek another term when his current tenure expires in 2028.

One source alleged that some party members believe Coltart has increasingly distanced himself from the Tshabangu-led leadership.

"The party feels that he is behaving like an independent yet he belongs to a political party. His criticism of the leadership has not gone down well," the source was quoted as saying.

The reported divisions come against the backdrop of previous disagreements between Coltart and Tshabangu-aligned councillors, including last year's dispute over the extension of

Town Clerk Christopher Dube's contract, during which Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and several councillors publicly distanced themselves from the mayor.

Sources also linked the renewed pressure to recent remarks by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who described Bulawayo as being in the "intensive care unit" due to poor service delivery. However, CCC Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Lungani Ndebele dismissed reports of an impending leadership change.

"There is no move to oust Mayor Coltart. Our focus as CCC remains on service delivery and addressing issues affecting residents of Bulawayo, not internal distractions driven by speculation," Ndebele said.

Efforts to obtain comment from Paul Tungwarara and David Coltart were unsuccessful at the time of publication. Political analysts say the public criticism directed at Coltart reflects growing tensions within the Tshabangu-aligned faction of the opposition party. They argue that if any attempt to remove the mayor materialises, it could significantly reshape Bulawayo City Council's political leadership while exposing continuing factional divisions within the CCC.

David Coltart