Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, Deputy Echo Editor
A bitter dispute has erupted at Bulawayo City Hall, where Mayor Senator David Coltart and his deputy, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu, are offering starkly different versions of what happened during the chaotic full council meeting that controversially resolved to extend Town Clerk Christopher Dube’s contract to 2030.
Tensions spilled into the public domain after reports that councillors had “unanimously” agreed to give Mr Dube a one-year extension to 2026 and a further four-year term to 2030 — and that Mayor Coltart walked out in protest.
But the Mayor has denied that narrative, saying no such vote took place while he was in the chamber and that the meeting collapsed into disorder long before any formal decision could be made.
In a strongly worded statement, Coltart said the 5 November meeting descended into “mayhem, slanderous comments, threats and shouting,” making it impossible to conduct lawful business. He insisted he adjourned the meeting before any vote was taken and argued that whatever transpired after he left amounted to “an illegal meeting” held without proper notice.
He also claimed councillors and senior managers were subjected to intimidation, and warned that extending the Town Clerk’s fixed-term contract without legal clarity on Statutory Instrument 197/2024 could set a dangerous precedent for future employment disputes.
According to Coltart, the General Purposes Committee had unanimously recommended a one-year extension to November 2026 while seeking an opinion from the Attorney General on whether SI 197/2024 — which raises the retirement age to 70 — applies to fixed-term contracts such as Dube’s.
He said he only supported an extension based on that legal guidance and accused some councillors of disregarding advice from the Minister of Local Government.
However, Deputy Mayor Ndlovu has rubbished that version, insisting the meeting was orderly, properly constituted, and proceeded within the law even after the Mayor left the chamber. In his own statement, Ndlovu said no threats or insults were made during the debate, and anyone claiming intimidation should report it to the police.
He argued that councillors had already made their intentions clear before Coltart walked out and said a chairperson cannot shut down a lawful meeting simply because they disagree with the majority.
Ndlovu said that after Coltart’s departure, councillors lawfully appointed Councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu to preside and proceeded to confirm the five-year extension. He maintained that the decision had nothing to do with SI 197/2024 and was instead a straightforward exercise of council’s authority to extend a contract as long as the Town Clerk is under 70.
The General Purposes Committee, he said, only issues recommendations, and the full council has every right to amend them. He also revealed that 28 councillors later signed to confirm they continued with the meeting, making the resolutions binding.
The clash has laid bare deep divisions within council, with the two leaders presenting directly opposing accounts of the same meeting. While Coltart maintains the proceedings descended into chaos and that no lawful resolutions were made, Ndlovu insists the meeting remained vibrant but orderly, and that councillors acted fully within their powers.
At the heart of the dispute is the future of Town Clerk Christopher Dube. Both leaders agree that his current contract expires on 30 November 2025 and that the General Purposes Committee had initially recommended extending it only to 30 November 2026 while seeking legal advice.
But while councillors amended that recommendation to extend the term to November 2030, Coltart says the move has no legal standing — a position Ndlovu vehemently rejects.
