David Coltart: Zimbabwe State Capture Makes South Africa’s Guptas Look Like Choir Boys

BULAWAYO - Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has blasted what he called “state capture on steroids” in Zimbabwe, pointing to the city’s controversial Belarusian fire engines as a prime example of inflating tenders and failing to deliver by those in authority. In a speech at South Africa’s GIBS Business School Coltart said central government used Bulawayo’s devolution funds to buy three “Red Line” fire engines shortly after he took office in early 2024. The deal was done without city input. “Soon after I was elected mayor at the beginning of 2024, I was told that the city had just received three new fire engines from Belarus. Red Line fire engines. I was told that devolution funds were used by central government to buy these fire engines,” Coltart told the audience. At the handover, only two engines arrived. “I asked where the third machine was, brand new, I stressed and was told it couldn’t come because it couldn’t get into reverse,” he said. Coltart said each engine cost US$400,000. He consulted UK firefighters from the charity Florian, who told him top-of-the-range Mercedes or Volvo equivalents cost about US$250,000. “They came back shocked when I told them that they’d cost 400,000 dollars each because top of the range Volvos and Mercedes cost $250,000 each. It’s an illustration of state capture where tenders are given to people close to the system,” Coltart said. He added that the engines arrived with manuals in Russian, complicating use by Bulawayo’s firefighters. Coltart framed the fire engine deal as part of a broader pattern of elite enrichment. He cited the lavish wedding of businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s son, where gifts reportedly exceeded US$20 million in cash and prime land. The event was attended by senior officials, including the head of the anti-corruption commission. “We have state capture on steroids… which makes the Guptas look like a bunch of choir boys,” Coltart said, referencing South Africa’s state capture scandals. He also criticized inflated costs for the Beitbridge-Harare Road and other tenders awarded to politically connected firms.