Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
THE Local Government Board has confirmed the extension of Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube’s contract to 2030, bringing closure to a protracted period of uncertainty that had sparked divisions within the city’s leadership.
The decision follows a period of tension at Bulawayo City Hall, with the Mayor, Councillor David Coltart having openly opposed the extension, arguing for a different administrative direction for the local authority.
In a correspondence sent to Mayor Coltart, the Local Government Board said it had approved the extension after considering the city’s submission.
“Reference is made to council correspondences dated 15 December 2025 and 14 January, 2026. The Local Government Board, through resolution number LGB 01126 approved the resolution of council, which states that; the
Town Clerk’s existing contract, which terminates on the 30th November, 2025, be extended for one year to 30th November, 2026, on existing conditions and that the Town Clerk’s contract be extended by a further four years from 1 December 2026. Please be guided accordingly,” reads the report.
The board’s decision effectively overrides council-level contestation on the matter.
Mr Dube has been at the helm of the local authority since 1 October 2016, when he moved from the Municipality of Victoria Falls, where he was also Town Clerk. He replaced the late Mr Middleton Nyoni.
The Town Clerk, as the chief administrative officer of the city, plays a central role in the implementation of council resolutions, management of staff, and oversight of service delivery.
Last November, the Town Clerk’s contract extension deliberations by councillors degenerated into chaos after an emotionally charged council meeting to deliberate on the matter ended in a deadlock with Clr Coltart saying he had adjourned it, claiming councillors and senior managers were subjected to intimidation.
However, his Deputy, Clr Edwin Ndlovu refuted those claims, saying the meeting was orderly, properly constituted and proceeded within the law even after the Mayor left the chamber.
Later, councillors finally put the matter to rest, during a special council meeting, where they resolved to extend Mr Dube’s contract by an initial one year to November 2026 and then by a further four years until 2030.
The local authority’s committee responsible for human resources, the General Purposes Committee, which Mayor Coltart chairs, had proposed that the contract be increased by a year 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 Mr Dube’s.
However, some of the councillors felt that was not necessary, thus moving a motion to have the contract initially extended to November 2026, then further extended by four years to 2030, arguing there is no record that the town clerk is not performing his duties and responsibilities to satisfaction, despite that he is working with limited resources.
After the resolution, Mayor Coltart was then mandated by his fellow councillors to forward the resolution to the Local Government board for consideration.
The Local Government Board is mandated to oversee senior appointments in local authorities, including the hiring and extension of contracts for town clerks, ensuring that such decisions are made in line with national regulations and standards.
Bongani Ndlovu