David Coltart to review of BCC-TTI contract after elections

CITIZENS' Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate for Ward Four, Mr David Coltart has said council will review the contract awarded to Bulawayo's parking management company, Trendy Three Investments (TTI) if he is elected.

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 (BCC) getting 30 percent from every dollar generated.

Mr Coltart argued that the tender awarded to TTI was not in the best interest of the city.

He is contesting against Zanu-PF's Minias Mpofu, Mr Dumisani Marira of the NAP party, and Mr Chabalisa Mwinde of the MDC-T in the August 23 harmonised elections.

Mr Coltart was handpicked by the opposition party leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa to become the next mayor of Bulawayo while former Habbakuk Trust director Mr Dumisani Nkomo would deputise him in the event that the opposition party gets a majority vote.

Sources said Mr Coltart, has been telling party supporters during his campaign trail that he would also cancel the TTI tender allegedly due to the unproven influence of former deputy mayor, Mr Gift Banda.

In an interview, Mr David Coltart said he will re-look at the TTI tender as he was concerned about the manner in which it is being executed.

He said he has received numerous complaints from residents about the company. "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," said Mr Coltart.

"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."

Recently Mr Coltart drew the ire of outgoing Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni after he said corruption within the local authority had reached endemic levels resulting in the city failing to deliver effective service.

An irate Mayor Mguni, responding to the claims, equated Mr Coltart to an over-excited toddler who has just been introduced to jiggies.

Mr Mguni said the utterances by the former Senator were reckless and very unfortunate.

"We have taken note of a publication whose contents are attributed to Mr David Coltart; aspiring councillor for Ward Four during an interview with an online publication, where he alleges that there is ‘endemic corruption' at Bulawayo City Council which corruption is driving away new investments," he said.

"We take great exception to such reckless utterances from an individual of such maturity and professional calling who once occupied a Cabinet Ministerial position in the Government of Zimbabwe. While we are open to criticism as a public institution; we frown upon unfounded and baseless accusations of corruption and malpractices."

Cllr Mguni said Mr Coltart's assertions imply that all the Government agencies including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, which carried out investigations and inquiries relating to BCC operations are incompetent.

"We challenge him to produce proof of such corrupt practices on the part of management and councillors of the City of Bulawayo. His behaviour is akin to that of an over-excited toddler who has taken sight of jiggies," he said recently.

A lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity said a ceremonial mayor has no executive powers allowing him to cancel a tender.

"More specifically some tenders in terms of the law like the parking system tenders are the purview of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and Government. Personal sensibilities and jaundiced opinions don't turn into binding and enforceable legal decisions," said the expert.

"It's not a child's play under the Constitution, ZIDA Act, Administrative Justice Act, and other laws to upset otherwise lawful decisions."