Dennis Ndlovu
Zim GBC News Reporter
https://www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
Bulawayo is grappling with deepening infrastructure decay driven by chronic underfunding, ageing systems and bureaucratic delays, Mayor David Coltart has said.
Addressing the annual national residents summit held under the theme “Re-thinking and Reclaiming the Social Accountability Agenda for Improved Decentralised Service Delivery,” Coltart painted a grim picture of a City struggling to sustain basic services amid widening financial constraints.
He revealed that Bulawayo requires approximately US$15 million annually to maintain its more than 2,000-kilometre road network, yet received only US$800,000 last year, most of it in local currency.
“Our engineers advise that US$15 million is needed just to maintain existing roads, not even to rehabilitate them,” Coltart said.
“The US$800,000 we received was woefully inadequate.”
He explained that road construction depends heavily on imported inputs such as bitumen and heavy machinery, which require foreign currency, further compounding the city’s challenges.
The mayor also criticised the current resource allocation framework, arguing that local authorities receive far less than what residents contribute to the national fiscus through vehicle licence fees.
“Our motorists contribute far more to central government than what is returned to the city. That imbalance is fundamentally inequitable,” he said, linking the issue to delays in implementing constitutional provisions on devolution.
Cllr Coltart identified water supply as an even more pressing concern, citing three major challenges; the absence of new water sources, deteriorating infrastructure and environmental degradation.
He noted that Bulawayo has not built a new dam since the 1990s, despite long-standing plans for the proposed Glass Block Dam, first identified in the 1980s.
In 2024, the City secured strong interest from international financiers at the African Investment Forum in Morocco, with institutions including the African Development Bank and Standard Bank indicating willingness to fund up to US$93 million of the required US$98 million.
However, the project has stalled.
“I stand here in April 2026 and that project hasn’t moved an inch because of bureaucracy within central government. It’s unacceptable,” Coltart said.
Beyond water sources, the City’s distribution system is under severe strain.
Senator revealed that key infrastructure, including pump stations and pipelines, is decades old and operating far below capacity. Some pumps are 30 to 40 years old and functioning at only 30 percent capacity, while major pipelines dating back to 1975 have not been rehabilitated.
This has created a paradox where dams can be full, yet residents still face shortages.
“We’ve had good rains and some dams are full, but we cannot deliver water to residents because of infrastructure that has not been maintained for decades,” he said.
The city requires an estimated US$14.5 million to rehabilitate critical pumping stations and pipelines funding Coltart says should be treated as a national priority.
Environmental degradation, particularly illegal gold mining in water catchment areas, is further worsening the crisis.
Despite receiving significant rainfall with some areas recording over 800 millimetres this season dam levels remain critically low, in some cases between 30 and 50 percent.
“This is an existential crisis,” Coltart warned.
“If this is not addressed and we face a drought, we could run out of water entirely.”
Coltart urged residents’ associations to play a more active role in advocating for improved service delivery and holding authorities accountable.
He emphasised that issues such as water and infrastructure should transcend political divisions.
“Water does not have a political colour. It is a fundamental right for all residents,” he said.
The mayor also stressed the importance of social accountability, warning that failure to uphold democratic principles could lead to governance breakdown.
“If accountability is not respected, it leads to corruption, and corruption ultimately leads to decay in our cities and nation,” he said.
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