Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has accused central government of undermining the country’s constitutional provisions on devolution through policies and practices that strip local authorities of their independence.
Speaking in an interview, Coltart said while the Constitution provides for strong devolution principles, the reality on the ground was the opposite.
“One thing I firmly understand in the context of Bulawayo — but which also affects virtually all local authorities countrywide — is that there are measures in place which run counter to devolution,” he said.
Coltart cited road maintenance as an example, noting that local authorities used to collect vehicle license fees directly, but these revenues now go to the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA).
“That money now goes to ZINARA and we have to literally beg to get some of our money back to repair roads. That is counter to the principle of devolution,” he said.
On water supply, Coltart lamented that Bulawayo residents had built their own dams and infrastructure over decades, only for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) to take over.
“Those dams were unilaterally taken over by ZINWA decades ago and we now have to buy our own water back. That is the reality, and it is counter to devolution,” he said.
The mayor also criticised how devolution funds are managed, pointing to the central government’s directive that part of Bulawayo’s allocation be spent on fire engines imported from Belarus.
“They cost US$400,000 each and are inappropriate for this city. Yet, through our partnerships with Florian in the UK, we established we could have secured top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz or Volvo fire engines for two-thirds of the price,” he said.
Coltart argued that such interventions by central government showed that while devolution was recognised in theory, in practice it remained undermined by laws and policies that curtailed local councils’ autonomy.
