Sunday Mail
By David Coltart
8th June 2014
I was asked by the Sunday Mail to write about the late Minister Nathan Shamuyarira. This is what I wrote.
“I did not know Nathan Shamuyarira well. He had already retired by the time I was elected to Parliament in 2000. In fact my only interaction with him was back in July 1980, soon after independence. At the time I was part of the leadership of the University of Cape Town’s Zimbabwe Society, and about to become its Chairman. We decided that, given the desire for reconciliation expressed by then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, we would do all we could to encourage Zimbabwean students to return home after their studies.
It was in that context that I met with Minister Shamuyarira , who was then Minister of Information, at his office on the 11th July 1980. The purpose was to ask him for his assistance in arranging a “Focus on Zimbabwe” week to enable students to hear about what the future held for them in Zimbabwe. I was in the company of a fellow law student Derrick Fine, then a member of the UCT Students Representative Council (and who subsequently became a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa), who was authorised to extend an invitation to the Minister on behalf of the University.
We had a very productive meeting with Minister Shamuyarira and it resulted in agreement being reached for the late Mr Justin Nyoka to come to UCT to speak to the Zimbabwean students. We made extensive arrangements and Mr Nyoka was due to address students on the 22 August 1980 and have lunch with UCT Vice Chancellor Sir Richard Luyt. Sadly at the 11th hour the apartheid regime refused Mr Nyoka a visa so the entire event had to be cancelled.
However the following year Minister Shamuyarira helped facilitate contact with then Agriculture Minister Dennis Norman and a further attempt was made at having a Focus on Zimbabwe week with Minister Norman scheduled to be the key note speaker. Sadly that event was banned as well by the apartheid regime and I was then threatened with deportation by the regime!
Prime Minister Mugabe was briefed on all that had happened and on the 19th August 1981 he sent a telegram to me stating:
“Dear Mr Coltart,
I am happy and encouraged to learn that Zimbabwean students at Cape Town University are ready and willing to return home on completion of their studies to serve their country. As you are no doubt aware we in government intend to establish a non racial society based on equality and the promotion of the well being of all our people in accordance with our socialist principles. it is in this connection that we have adopted the policy of reconciliation whereby our people must put aside the hatreds and animosities of the past and approach the future with a positive and constructive frame of mind and with commitment and dedication to the all round development of the new Zimbabwe.
As we struggle to re-build our country out of the destruction of war we look to young people like yourselves to assist us achieve our objective of establishing a prosperous, harmonious and humane society in this country. I call on all of you who have completed your studies to return and join us in the urgent tasks before us.
I hardly need to remind you that this is as much your home as it is ours. As has often been said, in identifying with and returning to the new Zimbabwe, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Yours sincerely,
R.G. Mugabe,
Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”
That telegram had a profound impact on the entire student body at UCT. It was made into posters by the SRC which were plastered throughout the University. At the time the struggle against apartheid was bitter and so these constructive and positive words were deeply encouraging to all students at UCT who feared what the end of apartheid would bring. If there was hope for Zimbabweans then there could be hope for South Africans too.
This was all made possible by the preparedness of Minister Shamuyarira to meet Derrick Fine and me in the first place.”