Minister Coltart threatened by war vets

Swradioafrica

By Alex Bell

15 November 2010

Education Minister and Senator David Coltart is facing threats by war vets, which he has said are equally a threat to the MDC and the entire unity government.

Coltart has been on the receiving end of written threats by war vets, led by Joseph Chinotimba, since the start of the month. The group has demanded that Coltart retract statements he made in a recent speech, suggesting that the Gukurahundi massacres were akin to genocide. The speech, made last month at the National Gallery in Bulawayo, came in the aftermath of this year’s arrest of Gukurahundi artist Owen Maseko.

Maseko’s exhibition at the Gallery was banned this year, after the Home Affairs Ministry announced that the “effigies, words and paintings on the walls portraying the Gukurahundi era as a tribal biased event”, was an offence under the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act.

Coltart told SW Radio Africa on Monday that his speech, which followed the Maseko case, was designed to show “the role that art can, ironically, play in reconciling a nation.” He clarified what he said in the speech, that “what happened in Matabeleland in the 1980s was politicide, if not genocide.” The comments were used in an article published by NewsDay, who headlined the story “It was genocide – Coltart.” The Education Minister said on Monday that the headline was not “an accurate representation of what I said.”

In reaction, the chairman of the Harare Province of the war vets association wrote to Coltart almost two weeks ago, demanding he retract the statements. The letter was co-signed by Chinotimba, telling Coltart to apologise or face an invasion at his office.

“Coltart, your utterances have automatically invited war veterans to your office and we are therefore coming to your office for explanations,” reads the letter. “Indeed, you owe us and all Zimbabweans an apology.”

The war vets also allege that Coltart was a member of the notorious Selous Scouts, saying that “even fools know very well that your hands are dripping with blood of many freedom fighters.” The letter also says Coltart is “least qualified to comment on the Matabeleland post-independence disturbances and the so-called human rights violations — which in actual fact do not exist.”

“Why are you poking your nose in matters that concern blacks? Remember there is an adage which says; if an owl lives together with chickens, it does not mean that it is also a chicken,” the letter continues.

Coltart wrote back, with a full copy of his speech, explaining that there was nothing inflammatory or divisive about his comments. He also insisted that there was nothing to apologise for.

“The irony is that my speech was designed to seek reconciliation,” Coltart said Monday. “My letter obviously hasn’t satisfied them and they have reiterated their demands for an apology.”

Coltart said on Monday that  the war vets are seeking a meeting with him, saying that such threats “cannot be taken lightly, because we know what Mr Chinotimba and his colleagues have done in the past.”

“These threats against me are also leveled against my party, and are consequently threats against the GPA (Global Political Agreement),” Coltart said. “For individuals to be making threats like this against a cabinet minister is very serious.”

Coltart’s comments about the Gukurahundi, however misquoted, are accurate. An international expert on genocides confirmed in September that Gukurahundi was genocide, in line with the definition of the word. Dr Gregory Stanton who heads Genocide Watch in Washington, said that the Rome Statute, set up the International Criminal Court (ICC), had established a clear set of definitions.