Former Education Minister David Coltart says he will review all contracts awarded by the Bulawayo City Council if he becomes the city’s next mayor.
Coltart made the remarks after he was promised the position by CCC leader Nelson Chamisa at a rally in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Coltart, an experienced lawyer and long-time opposition activist, will contest Ward 4 which covers most of affluent Khumalo. He said:
I want to use my experience as a lawyer to review all the contracts in Bulawayo’s council, to see if they are in the interests of the citizens of Bulawayo.
If we find that they are benefiting a small number of people then we will do everything in our power to cancel them
Our vehicle licences when paid go to Harare and that means we cannot rehabilitate our roads.
We will fight to ensure that the wealth that is generated in this city is kept here. We will fight to keep our wealth here.
Speaking in an interview with State media last week, Coltart said he will review all the contracts entered into by the City of Bulawayo including the one awarded to the parking management company, Trendy Three Investments (TTI) if he is elected. Said Coltart:
No, I have not said I will cancel it. I said I will review all contracts entered into by BCC to see whether they have been lawfully entered into and are in BCC’s best interests.
If they are not and can be lawfully cancelled, I will do whatever I can to act in the citizens’ best interests.
Regarding the TTI contract, I said that it is one I will look at as I am concerned about the manner in which it is being executed.
TTI runs the city’s parking management, having been awarded the tender in 2020 under a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) arrangement with Bulawayo City Council getting 30 percent from every dollar generated.
Meanwhile, Coltart is contesting against Minias Mpofu (ZANU PF), Dumisani Marira (NAP), and Chabalisa Mwinde (MDC-T) in Ward 4.
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