‘Dragged in the Dust’: Coltart Promises Reform After Viral Vendor Assault

Bulawayo Mayor Cllr David Coltart has weighed in following widespread public outcry sparked by a viral video showing municipal police officers aggressively manhandling a street vendor in the city centre, calling for humane enforcement of council by-laws while pledging to restore dignity and order in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city.

The video, which began circulating widely on social media platforms this week, shows a group of uniformed municipal officers roughing up a female vendor as she screams for help.

Bystanders can be heard protesting, while others recorded the scene. The footage has since ignited a heated debate about the conduct of council police and the city’s handling of informal traders.

“This has been noted. The public needs to be assured that we are working to make sure that the enforcement of @CityofBulawayo by-laws will be done as humanely as possible,” Coltart said in a public statement on X (formerly Twitter), responding to growing criticism.

The mayor acknowledged the difficult balancing act the city faces in trying to maintain public order while also safeguarding livelihoods in an economy where many rely on informal trade to survive.

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“Our intention is not to deprive residents of an opportunity to make an income,” Coltart said.

“But a very delicate balance has to be achieved between restoring law and order in our city — which has become dangerously dirty and unhealthy in certain areas — and respecting the basic rights of people.”

The City of Bulawayo has been on a renewed drive to clear the central business district (CBD) of unlicensed vending, which officials say is contributing to congestion, poor sanitation, and a decline in public health standards.

However, critics argue that enforcement efforts have too often turned violent and disproportionately target the most vulnerable.

Mayor Coltart conceded the challenges municipal officers face on the ground and appealed for greater public cooperation.

“This is exceptionally difficult for our municipal police and so we call on the public to cooperate so that we can restore the dignity of our great city and all her residents,” he said.

He also revealed that the city is actively working on increasing designated vending zones to ease pressure on the CBD and provide traders with secure, regulated spaces to operate.