CCC councillors jittery over Chamisa directive

THERE is a plot by in-coming Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors to defy party leader, Nelson Chamisa, after he imposed former Education minister, David Coltart, as the party's chosen mayor for the city.

Councillors will vote for the mayor on Monday.

Coltart has vowed to weed out corruption once elected into office, sparking panic among some council management and councillors over previous corrupt tender deals.

Bulawayo residents and other stakeholders have flagged corruption in the previous council, citing many questionable deals such as the vehicle parking deal and the unfinished Egodini Mall project.

Residents have also held protests against the local authority over unbridled corruption in the council.

Chamisa, addressing a campaign rally in Bulawayo just before last month's polls, said Coltart was the preferred party candidate for the mayoral seat.

Yesterday social media platforms were awash with stories about Bulawayo CCC councillors plotting to defy Chamisa out of fear that Coltart would cancel corrupt tender deals.

Southern Eye heard that some beneficiaries of opaque tender schemes had appealed to incoming councillors and some stakeholders in the city to influence the vote against Coltart.

CCC Bulawayo spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza, however, said the party would vote for Coltart to fight corruption in the city.

"It's not true that councillors are plotting to defy the party position. We received a briefing from all councillors yesterday (Wednesday) and everything is in order," Chirowodza said.

The former Education minister won the ward 4 seat.

The councillors were sworn in on Wednesday.