Ward 8 councillor Edwin Ndlovu has been elected as the Bulawayo City Council (BCC)’s Deputy Mayor.
This follows the recall of the previous deputy mayor Donaldson Mabutho and other councillors by Sengezo Tshabangu.
The local authority held a special council meeting on Tuesday to elect the new Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Ndlovu ran for the position against Ward 3 councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu, Ward 23 Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, and Proportional Representation councillor Melisa Mabeza.
Ndlovu secured 13 votes, while councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu received 12 votes.
In an interview, councillor Ndlovu expressed his commitment to working closely with the mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart, and other councillors to fulfill their duties effectively.
“As the deputy mayor, my primary role is to assist the mayor in carrying out his duties and collaborate with other councillors to ensure that we fulfill our responsibilities as councillors for the city of Bulawayo. Our top priority is to clean up the city. It is unacceptable to have a dirty city. Cleaning the city does not require excessive resources,” he emphasised.
“Secondly, we must fulfill our oversight role and ensure that all departments are functioning effectively. For instance, we face challenges with sewerage, roads, water, and other aspects.”
He also stated that as the chairperson of the Future Water and Action committee, he will advocate for the construction of another dam for the city. “The six existing dams do not provide sufficient water for Bulawayo. We propose constructing an additional dam, and I will pursue this initiative in my role as the deputy mayor of Bulawayo.”
Councillor Ndlovu further stressed the importance of unity of purpose.
“We should work together as stakeholders, including councillors, council management, residents, NGOs, media, churches, and every Bulawayo resident, including ratepayers. To achieve our goals, ratepayers should support us by paying their rates so that we can manage our city properly. Without funds, we cannot effectively run the city,” he explained.
Regarding devolution funds, he expressed the city’s desire for greater autonomy in project selection.
“The government should not dictate to us what to do. We hope the government will cooperate with us.”
Councillor Ndlovu added that he will also advocate for the retention of vehicle licensing fees within the city.
“We used to manage our city and maintain our roads and sewer systems using those resources. Currently, motorists damage our roads, but the funds they pay go to ZINARA in Harare, and we receive nothing as a city. Therefore, we will engage with MPs to address this issue in Parliament,” he said.
