Vusumuzi Dube
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO Mayor Councillor David Coltart has called for councillors to work together despite their difference in political affiliation, saying development knows no politics.
The Mayor was speaking at the swearing-in of newly elected councillors on Thursday afternoon at the council chambers.
He said unity will bring back the city’s lost glory.
“I would like to congratulate each councilor that has been elected and sworn in today. It is a great honour to serve this place and an honour placed on each one of you. This has been an unfortunate and unprecedented chapter that we have had to go through this ceremony at all. This process has been hugely disruptive to the running of the city. We have had to change our deputy mayor, we have had to change heads of committees,” he said.
Clr Coltart highlighted the challenge at hand as the councillors take office.
“The City faces major crisis, and so no we need to work together to address these. To the new councilors that have not worked with me before, I say that two things must guide us. First, is that we must, together, adopt a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, which is the policy of this Council. If any councilor or member of staff is found to be engaged in corruption, there will be a zero tolerance to corruption approach adopted to that. Secondly, this council must be marked by nonpartisanship, we have two parties that have been elected today but both those parties represent in their wards, all the citizens of our great city irrespective of how they voted,” he said.
He said the city has serious issues it is facing that need to be attended to by all councilors adding that only a collective approach to attending to it will the issues be addressed.
Among those sworn in today are musician Sandra Sibindi from Ward 20, businessman Tavengwa Zidya of Ward 24 and Josia Mutangi of Ward 1 all representing Zanu-PF.
@NyembeziMu
Online Reporter