A Bulawayo City Council in Committee meeting reportedly descended into chaos on Wednesday following a heated dispute between Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu and other councillors over Mayor David Coltart’s decision to assign councillors to represent his office at some public meetings.
The meeting was held at the council chambers following the Full Council meeting. Council in Committee is a closed session where councillors and council management discuss confidential matters.
Sources who attended the meeting told CITE that the disagreement arose after Ndlovu raised concerns over Coltart’s absence from some public meetings and his decision to assign other councillors to represent him.
Ndlovu also reportedly questioned why only certain councillors were selected to represent the mayor, leaving others out.
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“The Deputy Mayor raised his grievances about the Mayor assigning other councillors to represent him in some public meetings, which he does not attend. The matter became heated when some councillors rejected the appeal to first deal with the agenda before addressing the grievances,” a source who attended the meeting said.
According to the source, the disagreement escalated, with allegations of racism and threats also raised during the heated exchange.
“The situation in the Council in Committee meeting became very heated and issues of racism were mentioned. There were also a number of threats made during the argument,” the source said.
Councillor Donaldson Mabutho reportedly made several attempts to restore order and urged Ndlovu to allow the meeting to proceed.
“Councillor Mabutho appealed to the Deputy Mayor, as a senior citizen, to allow the meeting to proceed peacefully and constructively,” the source said.
Councillor Melisa Mabeza also reportedly attempted to restore order, but the meeting remained tense.
“Councillor Mabeza also tried to call for order, but the situation remained tense and the meeting could not proceed normally,” the source said.
The meeting was eventually adjourned by Coltart after the situation became volatile.
“The situation had become volatile and the Mayor eventually adjourned the meeting,” another source who attended the meeting said.
The source said Councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu subsequently invited the Deputy Mayor to chair the adjourned meeting.
However, the council’s legal department reportedly advised against reopening the adjourned meeting for deliberations.
“The legal department advised that it was unlawful to reopen the adjourned meeting for deliberations and that any decisions made in such a meeting would be null and void,” the source said.
A council source explained that Council in Committee is a closed meeting involving councillors and council management and usually follows the Full Council meeting.
“Yesterday was a continuation of the Full Council meeting. It was Council in Committee, where council management becomes part of the meeting,” the source said.
The source said the session deals with matters that are not discussed publicly.
Reached for contact, Coltart confirmed to CITE that he adjourned the meeting but declined to comment further on the reported dispute.
He said the meeting had broken down because of disorder involving some councillors and that the council’s legal department had confirmed the legality of his decision.
“I would rather not comment beyond stating that I did adjourn the meeting in terms of Rule 34 of the BCC Standing Orders after the meeting broke down due to disorder caused by certain Councillors. The legal department confirmed the legality of my actions,” said the mayor.
The deputy mayor also declined to comment on the reported disruption, saying he was not permitted to discuss council meetings and procedures.
“I’m not allowed to comment on council meetings and procedures,” Ndlovu said.
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