By Correspondent
Bulawayo Councillors approved extension of Town Clerk Christopher Dube’s contract by 5 years after a slim electoral margin during voting.
The move, fought by Mayor David Coltart, has divided Bulawayo with residents and stakeholders questioning the logic.
Cllr Mxolisi Mahlangu moved a motion to renew Dube’s contract and was seconded by Cllr Ashton Mhlanga.
The motion was then adopted after 17 Cllrs supported it.
Seven Cllrs opposed it while one abstained from voting.
Bulawayo has a total of 29 directly elected councillors and nine proportional representation councillors under the Women’s Quota.
New Agreement
Under the new agreement Dube’s contract will initially be extended for one year, followed by an additional four years.
This will be done without any evaluation or referral to the Attorney General’s office as Coltart wanted.
The Mayor proposed extending Dube’s contract by one year only.
After that extension he proposed that BCC should engage the Attorney General and Ministry of Local Government on the effect of Statutory Instrument 197/2024 to fixed term contracts.
SI 197/2024 raised the retirement age of civil servants from 65 to 70 years.
Councillor Dumisani Nkomo supported the Mayor’s motion but the majority of Cllrs rejected it.
Ultimately, it led to the new motion of Cllr Mahlangu which was adopted as the BCC resolution.
BPRS Criticises Decision
In a statement Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) accused the Cllrs of focusing on politics at the expense of service delivery.
“Once known for strong leadership and effective governance, the City is now experiencing a concerning decline that requires urgent corrective action.
“BPRA calls for strengthened accountability and decisive leadership within the Local Authority.
“Leadership that is transparent, resident-centred, and free from external political influence.
“Councillors must uphold their constitutional mandate to represent residents faithfully, placing public interest above political considerations.
BPRS says service delivery must be restored as a core priority.
“Ongoing administrative, legal, and labour disputes continue to distract from the City’s essential obligations.
“Conflicting statements from senior officials including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and senior administrators, have weakened public trust and created unnecessary confusion.
Wrong Priorities In contrast to the resolution adopted, BPRA said there should an evaluation before extension of contracts.
“Leadership contracts, including that of the Town Clerk, should be evaluated based on clear performance indicators, not political agendas or legal manoeuvring.
“BPRA is particularly concerned that councillors appear increasingly preoccupied with the Town Clerk’s contract at the expense of addressing Bulawayo’s escalating service delivery challenges.
“This issue should be handled as a straightforward labour and legal matter, not a political battleground.
“We therefore urge councillors to focus on decisions that priorities residents’ needs and the long-term stability of the City”, it added.
