Coltart to step down

Bulawayo mayor David Coltart has rejected any automatic extension of his tenure under the Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Act of 2026 (CAA3), insisting that he will leave office in 2028 unless residents grant him a fresh mandate through a lawful, free and fair referendum.

Coltart, who has previously said he intends to step down at the end of his current term, said he would only consider remaining in office beyond 2028 if Bulawayo residents explicitly approved an extension through the ballot box.

"If there is a referendum, free and fair, a lawful referendum, and the majority of the people say we are happy to extend, in those circumstances, then I have a further mandate from the people," Coltart said in an interview.

"But without that mandate, it's two things – it's a breach of the constitution and it is also a breach of trust, because when I was elected, my contract with the people was five years.

"There was no talk about me having a seven-year term. In my view, it's a breach of trust.

"So I am not changing in that regard. If there's no lawful mandate from the people, my contract with the people has ended."

Coltart's position comes amid an ongoing national controversy over CAA3, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law in July.

The amendment extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, allowing the current president and Parliament to remain in office until 2030 and effectively moving the next general election from 2028 to 2030.

Opposition figures and some legal experts have challenged the amendment, arguing that it raises constitutional questions over the extension of terms for officeholders who were already in power when the amendment was enacted.

They have also questioned whether a referendum was required before the changes could take effect.

Legal watchdog Veritas has argued that the extension of presidential and parliamentary terms required approval through a national referendum, which was not held.

The constitutionality of the amendments is currently before the Constitutional Court following a challenge by former Binga North legislator and lawyer Prince Dubeko Sibanda.

Coltart has positioned himself as one of the few political figures to publicly reject the benefits of the constitutional changes, maintaining that his mandate came directly from Bulawayo voters and cannot simply be extended without their consent.

He was elected councillor for Ward 4 in September 2023 after securing 86 percent of the vote and was subsequently elected mayor by fellow councillors. His current five-year term is therefore due to expire in 2028.

A veteran human rights lawyer, Coltart has been involved in opposition politics for decades, including through the MDC and later the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

He previously served as Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in Zimbabwe's inclusive government between 2009 and 2013.

His refusal to accept an automatic extension under CAA3 could place him at odds with any attempt to extend the tenure of sitting councillors without direct consultation with voters.

Reaffirming his position, Coltart said: "If there's no lawful mandate from the people, my contract with the people has ended."