By Advent Shoko | ZiGoats
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has been recalled from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) amid a bitter dispute over the proposed involvement of Geo Pomona Waste Management in the city’s refuse collection services.
The move escalates a months-long political and administrative battle over who should manage Bulawayo’s waste, how a contractor should be selected and what the arrangement could cost residents.
In a letter dated 7 October 2026 and received by the Ministry of Local Government on Friday, 9 October, the faction led by Mbuso Siso informed Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe that Coltart, the Ward 4 councillor, had “ceased to be a member” of the party.
The faction asked Garwe to invoke Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution, the provision governing the loss of parliamentary or local authority seats following the cessation of party membership.
The recall places Coltart’s political future in the spotlight as Bulawayo faces mounting pressure to accept Geo Pomona, a company led by businessman Dilesh Nguwaya.
Geo Pomona at the centre of the fallout
The dispute comes against the backdrop of government efforts to bring Geo Pomona into Bulawayo’s waste management operations.
On 10 September, Garwe directed the city council to engage the company within seven days, citing the city’s waste management challenges, including pollution and smoke from Richmond Landfill, commonly known as Ngozi Mine. The directive triggered objections from residents’ groups and civil society organisations, which questioned the procurement process and the implications for local government autonomy. .
Coltart resisted the proposed arrangement as tensions grew between the mayor and councillors over the company’s entry into the city.
The controversy has also drawn attention to the role of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), which have featured in discussions surrounding Bulawayo’s waste management plans.
The central question is whether the city should proceed with Geo Pomona or pursue an arrangement through its own procurement process.
Harare deal fuels residents’ concerns
For Bulawayo residents, the controversy carries financial implications beyond the immediate political fallout.
In Harare, Geo Pomona’s waste collection and street-cleaning agreement has attracted scrutiny over its cost, transparency and delivery of services.
A June 2025 investigation by The Standard reported that the agreement required payments of US$2.7 million a month, potentially amounting to at least US$162 million over five years. The report said the contract placed the financial burden on the City of Harare and, ultimately, ratepayers. .
The Harare arrangement has become a reference point in the debate over whether Bulawayo could face similar financial commitments.
Nguwaya, Geo Pomona’s executive chairman and chief executive, has been publicly associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s circle. However, the central issue for Bulawayo residents remains the proposed contract’s cost, procurement process, accountability and ability to deliver reliable waste collection.
Residents’ groups have already challenged the government’s approach. In September, local organisations warned against using the city’s environmental crisis to bypass legal safeguards.
“While we acknowledge the urgent public health and environmental crisis at the Richmond Landfill (Ngozi Mine) … we refuse to let this crisis be used as a smokescreen to bypass the law, dismantle local governance, and impose an unaccountable, single-source contract on our city,” they said, according to CITE. .
Recall follows mounting political pressure
The recall follows months of tensions between Coltart and the CCC faction associated with Sengezo Tshabangu.
Coltart had reportedly come under pressure after declining to attend a meeting officiated by Paul Tungwarara, a presidential adviser.
When reports of a possible recall first emerged, Tshabangu dismissed suggestions that he intended to remove the mayor, telling CITE that he had no such plans and arguing that the CCC could not unilaterally remove him under the Urban Councils Act.
The latest move marks a significant escalation in the dispute.
The faction’s decision also raises questions about the party’s internal divisions and the future of elected representatives caught up in its leadership battles.
Four more opposition representatives recalled
Coltart is not the only elected official affected by the latest move.
In separate letters to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda and Senate President Mabel Chinomona, the faction also recalled Bulawayo Senator Ivumile Kucaca Phulu, Bulawayo Central MP Surrender Kapoikilu, Mbizo MP Corban Madzivanyika and Epworth North MP Togarepi Zivai Mhetu.
The recalls add to a series of disputed expulsions and seat losses that have weakened the CCC’s parliamentary and local government representation since 2023.
For Bulawayo, however, the immediate concern extends beyond party politics.
The city must still confront its waste management crisis, while residents want clarity on the proposed contractor, the procurement process and the financial obligations any agreement would impose.
Coltart’s recall now adds another layer of uncertainty to that process. Whether the city can resolve its waste problems through a transparent and financially sustainable arrangement remains a question for its leadership, government and residents.
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