University of Cape Town: Law update
Alumni News
After graduating in December 1982 David joined Webb, Low and Barry (WLB) in Bulawayo. He was admitted as a legal practitioner of the High Court in February 1983. In April 1983, after being appointed Secretary of the Bulawayo Legal Practitioners Association, he established the first Legal Aid Clinic in Bulawayo supported by the Association. Three years later he established the Bulawayo Legal Projects Centre under the auspices of the Legal Resource Foundation (LRF) and became the Centre’s first Director, a position he held until 1997. He has been a Trustee of the LRF since 1986. He became senior partner of WLB in 1997, a position he still holds.
During the period 1983 – 1987 David worked to counter grave human rights abuses which took place in Matabeleland after the deployment of the North Korean trained 5 Brigade during the “Gukurahundi” civil disturbances. He represented many in the opposition, including Joshua Nkomo and senior members of ZAPU, and organisations such as the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP). In 1986 he wrote a detailed Human Rights report about the situation in Matabeleland and thereafter participated in the documentation of evidence which culminated in the publication in March 1997 by the CCJP and the LRF of the “Breaking of Silence” Report.
In 1998 and 1999 David sat on the Constitutional drafting committee of the National Constitutional Assembly and played a role in advocating successfully for the rejection of the Government’s draft Constitution in the February 2000 referendum.
In 1999 David was asked to join the MDC by trade union leader Morgan Tsvangirai. In January 2000 he was elected Secretary for Legal Affairs of the MDC. This position has given him the responsibility of formulating the MDC justice policy, of conducting the MDC’s electoral court challenges and of organizing the legal defence of MDC members who have been detained and prosecuted, including Morgan Tsvangirai’s treason trial.
In June 2000, standing in a predominantly black working class constituency, David defeated a former ZANU (PF) Cabinet Minister with an 84% majority, the 2nd highest in the country. After taking his seat in Parliament he was appointed Shadow Justice Minister and during this present session of Parliament chaired the Parliamentary Justice Committee.