Author Archives: David Coltart

David Coltart, MDC Senator, has been a human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe since his return to the country in 1983. He was first elected to represent the Bulawayo South House of Assembly constituency in June 2000, and was re-elected in March 2005. In March 2008 he was elected as a Senator to represent the Khumalo Senatorial constituency in Bulawayo. Senator Coltart was sworn in as Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in February 2009.

Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Languages Face Extinction

Voice of America – Zimbabwe By Mark Peter Nthambe 21 November 2012 HARARE — Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages face extinction due to lack of incentives for growth, says international development scientist, Dr. Charlton Tsodzo. Speaking at a conference organized by the U.S Embassy’s Public Affairs Section in Harare on Tuesday, Dr. Tsodzo, who comes from the famous Tsodzo family of Shona […]

Release Money for Grade Seven exams urgently

The Chronicle 21 November 2012 The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) early this year received accolades from parents, pupils and other stakeholders for releasing the 2011 O-level and A-level results in a record time. The A-level results were out on 19 January while the O-level results were out on 31 January. This good record which […]

It’s the ideas, stupid!

New Zimbabwe By Prof Jonathan Moyo 21 November 2012 IF THERE is one thing that Zimbabweans can reiterate and reiterate until the cows come home without twisting their tongues like Elizabeth Macheka over the pronouncement of the word, it would be not only to reiterate that the two MDC formations are ideologically bankrupt and policy-incompetent […]

Investment in indigenous languages crucial – Coltart

Zim Eye By Walter Sebele 21 November 2012 Education, Arts, Sports and Culture Minister, Senator  David Coltart has called for Zimbabwean writers and educationists to invest in indigenous languages as it is key to the development of a nation. In an interview, the Education Minister said for Zimbabwe to be an education powerhouse, there was […]

Coltart vows to restore sanity at Anglican schools

The Zimbabwean By Edgar Gweshe 21 November 2012 The Minister of Education, David Coltart, has pledged to work towards restoring sanity and improving learning conditions that had sharply deteriorated in Anglican schools seized by renegade bishop Nolbert Kunonga. Speaking after the Supreme Court reversed an earlier ruling by the High Court recognising Kunonga as the […]

Minority languages: plugging the education gap

New Zimbabwe 18 November 2012 Statement by Senator David Coltart, Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture THE most important building block in every child’s education is his/her ability to read, write and speak his/her mother tongue. Once those skills have been mastered, it is much easier for a child to learn another language, such […]

Zimbabwe Gets $9 Million For Writing Minority Language Readers

Voice of America By Gibbs Dube 16 November 2012 Education Minister David Coltart says the Education Transition Fund has a budget of $9 million from international donors for the writing of language readers, including those in minority indigenous languages, for schools as the nation inches closer towards introducing various languages from Grade One to Grade 7. In a […]

Education Minister says government spending priorities misplaced

SW Radio Africa By Tererai Karimakwenda 15 November 2012 Education Minister David Coltart has strongly criticized the coalition government’s spending, saying their priorities are completely misplaced. The comments came after Coltart compared the total budget for his Education Ministry for 2012, which was $8 million, to the exorbitant $100 million recently spent on the military college. The funds […]

David Coltart interview with ATV News 15-11-12

Diamond conference ends with questions

Huffington Post By Gillian Gotora 14 November 2012 VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe — The Zimbabwe Diamond Conference, which wound up here Wednesday, was sponsored by President Robert Mugabe’s government to highlight its emergence as a major player in the world diamond trade. The conference was held to “shed light” on Zimbabwe’s diamond mining and to allay […]