Mayor Coltart explains absence as he prepares to meet officials from Aberdeen

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

BULAWAYO Mayor, Councillor David Coltart has explained his three-week leave, two months after assuming office, saying he had pre-booked a holiday with his wife to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Clr Coltart took to his X (formerly Twitter) account where he said he would take advantage of the holiday to meet with officials from the city of Aberdeen in Scotland, to explore means of reviving the twinning arrangement between the two cities.

The roots of the twinning arrangement between Bulawayo and Aberdeen can be traced back to the mid-1980s. The initiative was born out of a desire to strengthen ties between the people of Zimbabwe and Scotland, with a particular focus on promoting cultural, educational, and commercial exchanges.

“I have been asked where I am going and it is a fair question. This year my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and I promised and planned her a holiday way back in February, long before I knew I would be Mayor. So we are taking 10 days off followed by business fund raising for a British charity which helps Zimbabwean pensioners. I am also going to Aberdeen to resuscitate the twinning agreement between Aberdeen and Bulawayo. I am in daily contact and will continue to work for the city the entire time I am away,” said Clr Coltart.

Aberdeen, also known as the “Granite City,” is renowned for its architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and rich history. Its twin, Bulawayo, often referred to as “Kontuthuziyathunqa”, is equally captivating, boasting a diverse cultural heritage and a thriving artistic community.

Town twinning, as an official relationship-builder, started in Europe after the Second World War. The idea was simple: Repair damaged relationships between France, Germany and the UK. Find towns that suffered during the wars and pair them. Then encourage people from these areas to meet, mix and get along.

Bulawayo has twinning arrangements with the Cities of Aberdeen in Scotland, eThekwini in South Africa and a memorandum of understanding with the City of Polokwane. Further, there have been a number of discussions with cities like Francistown of Botswana and Katima Mulilo of Namibia on possible arrangements with delegations from these cities visiting Bulawayo.

The twinning arrangement between Bulawayo and Aberdeen is by far the oldest arrangement Bulawayo has entered into having signed the agreement as far back as 4 June 1986.

One of the notable of takes from this partnership is the Operation Florian, which is a massive fire and humanitarian charity organisation based in the United Kingdom, which has seen the city’s fire and rescue operations rise to become the best in the country. The arrangement has huge roots in the partnership between Bulawayo and Aberdeen. To date BCC has benefited vehicles, equipment and materials valued at millions of United States Dollars.