Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has criticized the government's implementation of devolution, saying it undermines local authorities and hampers service delivery. Speaking at a recent residents' summit, Coltart highlighted several areas where devolution is not working as intended.
Coltart cited the example of road maintenance, where funds previously allocated to councils through vehicle license fees are now controlled by the Zimbabwe National Road Administration. "We literally have to beg to get some of our money back to repair roads," he said.
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The mayor also criticized the government's takeover of Bulawayo's water infrastructure, saying ratepayers had built and maintained the system over decades. "We now have to buy our own water back," he said.
Coltart further accused the central government of dictating how devolution funds should be spent, citing the purchase of fire engines from Belarus at a cost of $400,000 each. "We could have got top-of-the-range Mercedes Benz or Volvo fire engines for two-thirds the price," he said.
The mayor also warned of a looming water crisis in Bulawayo, with the city's water infrastructure aging and in dire need of rehabilitation. "Our water structure is groaning," he said, urging the government to invest in new dams and infrastructure to avert a crisis.
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