Bulawayo mayor David Coltart has insisted that he will step down in 2028 unless voters grant him a fresh mandate through a lawful, free and fair referendum, having rejected any automatic extension of his tenure under the Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Act, 2026 (CAA3).
Coltart, who has previously declared his intention to exit office at the end of his current term, said he would consider staying on only if Bulawayo residents explicitly approved an extension through the ballot box.
His position places him in direct opposition to the recent constitutional amendment, which extended presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years without a referendum.
"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."
The mayor's comments come amid a national firestorm over CAA3, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law in July 2026.
- Outrage over school uniform prices
- Schools reopen amid deepening teacher crisis
- Village Rhapsody: Sanctions are not the reason Zim is in a mess
- Outrage over school uniform prices
Keep Reading
The amendment extends the presidential term to seven years and allows the current president and parliament to remain in office until 2030, effectively pushing the next election from 2028 to 2030.
Legal experts and opposition figures have condemned the move as unconstitutional, arguing that Section 328 (7) of the constitution explicitly states that amendments extending term limits do not apply to incumbents already holding office prior to the change.
The provision was designed to prevent self-serving constitutional manipulation by sitting leaders.
The non-profit legal watchdog Veritas has argued that the extension of presidential and parliamentary terms required approval through a national referendum, which was never held.
The matter is currently before the Constitutional Court following a challenge by former Binga North legislator and lawyer Prince Dubeko Sibanda.
Coltart, a veteran human rights lawyer and former senator, has positioned himself as a rare political figure willing to publicly reject the benefits of the amendment.
Elected in September 2023 after winning Ward 4 with an 86 per cent majority, Coltart secured the council seat by a landslide before being voted mayor by his fellow councillors, according to his biography.
His current five-year term is set to end in 2028.
Coltart, a long-time member of the opposition MDC and later the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has been a vocal critic of constitutional overreach throughout his political career.
He previously served as Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister in the short-lived inclusive government from 2009 to 2013.
His refusal to accept an automatic extension could put him at odds with any attempt by the national government or local authorities to extend the tenure of sitting councillors without direct voter consultation.
"If there's no lawful mandate from the people, my contract with the people has ended," he added.
