Bulawayo mayor David Coltart says he will not accept an automatic extension of his term beyond 2028.
Instead, the mayor wants residents to decide whether he should remain in office.
Coltart says only a legitimate referendum could give him permission to continue serving after his current mandate.
His comments come after Zimbabwe introduced major changes through the Constitutional Amendment (No. 3) Act of 2026.
The legislation has sparked debate over how long elected officials should remain in office.
However, Coltart insists his own position remains unchanged.
He previously announced plans to leave office when his current five-year mandate expires.
Coltart demands voters’ approval
Coltart believes extending his tenure without voters’ approval would violate the trust placed in him.
He says residents elected him for five years, rather than the longer period created by the new legislation.
“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.
He believes such a vote would provide a clear democratic mandate.
However, without that approval, Coltart says he cannot justify remaining in office.
“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.”
His stance could therefore challenge any attempt to extend councillors’ terms without consulting voters.
CAA3 sparks wider constitutional debate
The mayor’s comments come as Zimbabwe faces a broader dispute over Constitutional Amendment No. 3.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the amendment into law in July.
The legislation increases presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven.
Consequently, the next general election would move from 2028 to 2030.
Critics have questioned whether those changes can apply to officials already serving when Parliament approved them.
Legal organisation Veritas has also argued that a referendum should have preceded the changes.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is considering a challenge against the amendment.
Former Binga North legislator and lawyer Prince Dubeko Sibanda brought the legal challenge.
Coltart’s position separates him from politicians who could benefit from extended terms.
He won Ward 4 during the September 2023 council elections with 86 percent of the vote.
His fellow councillors later elected him as Bulawayo’s mayor.
Therefore, his current mandate remains scheduled to end in 2028.
Coltart has spent decades involved in Zimbabwean opposition politics.
He previously served as education, sport, arts and culture minister between 2009 and 2013.
He served during Zimbabwe’s inclusive government before later joining the Citizens Coalition for Change.
For now, Coltart says his departure date remains unchanged.
“If there’s no lawful mandate from the people, my contract with the people has ended.”
The post Bulawayo mayor David Coltart rejects automatic 2030 extension appeared first on iHarare News.
