BULAWAYO mayor David Coltart has expressed concern over the US$20 million debt owed by the residents and ratepayers.
Today marks 45 days since Coltart was voted Bulawayo mayor.
The ex-Primary and Secondary Education minister said he had focused on trying to understand the range of challenges that the city is facing since assuming office.
In an interview with Southern Eye yesterday, Coltart said progress during his term in office has been slowed down by challenges to do with the city’s empty coffers.
“So it has been a time of learning for me to try and prioritise what needs to be done and to understand ... the various issues,” he said.
“It’s been very slow because, in essence, one of the major problems is that the council is lacking money. It’s owed US$20 million by ratepayers and it has a limited ability to borrow money, making it difficult to get the necessary funding that we need to start on the various projects.”
The veteran lawyer recently laid out his vision for Bulawayo, but said uptake for the projects was slow.
“There are three priority areas and there is an issue of the sewage works which are running at a very low capacity, something like 20%. The second issue concerns a wide variety of contracts which, either, have not started or are implemented, particularly the contracts relating to the rehabilitation of sewage works, the Egodini Mall and the parking management,” Coltart said.
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“On the sewage works, I have started discussions with companies that can perhaps address the sewage works. Some of the rehabilitation sewage works are bogged down in litigation. So, it’s very difficult to get that done. I have made progress on Egodini and made some progress on Tendy Three Investment,” he said.
Coltart, a Citizens Coalition for Change senior official, was elected as ward 4 councillor during the August 23 and 24 elections and, subsequently, mayor on September 11 this year.
