The battle for Bulawayo’s Ward 1 council seat has taken a fresh political turn after mayor David Coltart publicly endorsed independent candidate Shepherd Sithole, setting the stage for a closely watched by-election that has also exposed continuing tensions within the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Sithole is one of three candidates who successfully filed nomination papers for the October 3 by-election, alongside CCC candidate Mduduzi Sibanda and Zanu-PF’s Mathias Tichaona Tsikira.
The nomination court sat at the Bulawayo Small City Hall where the three candidates submitted their papers during the nomination process.
Coltart, who was elected mayor on a CCC ticket, threw his weight behind Sithole, saying he had worked with the independent candidate during their time at the Bulawayo City Council following the August 2023 elections.
“In the short time we served together I found him to be a competent person who appeared to want to act in the best interests of the residents of Bulawayo,” Coltart said.
“Accordingly, I think he will make a good councillor.”
The endorsement puts Coltart at odds with the CCC faction that has fielded its own candidate in the same ward, adding another dimension to the factional battles that have dogged the opposition movement since the emergence of Sengezo Tshabangu’s imposed structures.
Sithole’s candidacy is particularly significant because he is a former Ward 1 councillor.
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His return to the political contest comes after a turbulent period in which a number of CCC councillors were recalled, amid a bitter dispute over who had the authority to represent the party and determine its elected representatives.
The Ward 1 seat became vacant again following the removal of councillor Josiah Mutangi after an independent tribunal found him guilty of misconduct.
Mutangi’s removal followed his conviction on fraud charges involving vendors.
The contest has since attracted renewed attention because of the competing political interests involved, with Sithole running as an independent, Sibanda representing the CCC faction and Tsikira carrying the Zanu PF ticket.
The CCC candidacy has itself become a subject of controversy following claims circulating that Sibanda is linked to Zanu PF.
A purported Zanu PF membership card was circulated on social media, prompting political debate over his alleged affiliations.
