Statement by Senator David Coltart regarding the firing of Tatenda Taibu and Heath Streak and others by Zimbabwe Cricket

By David Coltart | Published April 4, 2018

Senator David Coltart

Statement re Zimbabwe Cricket’s firing of Taibu and Streak

4th April 2018

It is a fact that the most successful countries and companies throughout the world are those which remember their heritage and draw on the wisdom of the past. In the modern era there is no better example of this than the one given by the relationship of Apple and Steve Jobs. Jobs started Apple but fell out with its Board; Apple then lost much of its ingenuity and the value of its shares plummeted. The Board brought Jobs back in and his creation of the iPad and iPhone are now legendary; despite Job’s death a few years ago Apple remains the wealthiest company on earth.

Zimbabwe Cricket was a powerful organisation in the late 1990s which punched well above its weight in the 1999 World Cup. However in 2004 a Zimbabwe Cricket Board dominated by corrupt and inefficient people, who were motivated by self interest and politics rather than the game, hounded out experienced players. The result was a catastrophic collapse of the game in Zimbabwe and the need for Zimbabwe to suspend itself from playing Test cricket. During my tenure as Minister of Sport between 2009 and 2013 Zimbabwe Cricket started its slow process of recovery. One of the things I then impressed on the Board was that we draw on the experience of retired Zimbabwean test players to both coach and select the national side. I felt that not only did we have some superb ex players but they were also people who loved their Nation deeply, so they would see their positions not as mere jobs, but rather their patriotic duty.

It was for that reason that I applauded the Zimbabwe Cricket Board when they appointed Tatenda Taibu and Heath Streak as Convenor of Selectors and Head Coach respectively. I do not think that it has been any coincidence that the performance of the national side has steadily improved since their appointment. Despite some periodic setbacks, such as the recent series against Afghanistan, the general improvement in the side was apparent to all cricket loving Zimbabweans – something attested to by the fact that Zimbabweans fans returned in great numbers to support a passionate national side in the recent World Cup qualifiers.

Although like all Zimbabweans I was devastated by the recent failure to qualify for the World Cup I did not blame the players, coaching staff and selectors, because I saw other factors at play, particularly the appalling decision by the ICC to limit the World Cup to 10 teams, the shockingly poor standard of umpiring and their failure to allow DRS, which arguably lead to both Zimbabwe and Scotland’s elimination from the World Cup. Had DRS been operational and had there been umpiring of a better standard both Scotland and Zimbabwe would have qualified., at the expense of the West Indies and Afghanistan. It has been for that reason that all my ire since the World Cup qualifiers has been directed against the ICC.

But through it all I believed that a new cricketing spark has been ignited within Zimbabwe. Although I realised that the failure to qualify would place enormous financial strain on Zimbabwe Cricket I remained confident because of the belief that, unlike 2004 when we lost all our experience, we still now had a magnificent foundation to build on. We had a great pool of experienced players, some exciting youngsters coming through, a resurgence of fan interest and a coaching and selection team which enjoyed the confidence of the players. I knew that, despite our failure to qualify, if we could address the financial woes of Zimbabwe Cricket an exciting future still existed for the game in Zimbabwe.

It was in that context that I was almost numbed by disbelief when I heard that the Zimbabwe Cricket Board had resolved to fire the entire coaching staff and the selectors. It is one of the most absurd and damaging decisions made by any sports body ever in Zimbabwe’s history. As I have sought to understand why this has happened over the last few days it seems to me that the decision has been made for reasons completely disassociated from the interests of the game and rather from the personal interests of a few. Indeed it seems to me that this has been done to scapegoat the coaching staff and selectors to divert attention away from the grievous mismanagement of Zimbabwe Cricket by its Board.

It now seems clear to me that if anybody needs to be dismissed from their positions it is the Board members of Zimbabwe Cricket. Whilst I have been prepared to give credit where it has been due I have held deep reservations about the competence of successive Boards for many years. It is now clear to me that the current Board is just as bad as the previous Boards responsible for the near total destruction of Zimbabwe Cricket. I have listened closely to the views of many and I believe that the current Zimbabwe Cricket Board should be suspended by the Sports and Recreation Board in terms of section 30(c)(i) of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act (Chapter 25:15) for “conducting itself in a manner which is contrary to the national interest”, for the following reasons:

1. Failure to represent Zimbabwe’s interests before the ICC

The decision of the ICC to restrict the World Cup to 10 teams represents a failure by the Zimbabwe Cricket Board to adequately represent the interests of Zimbabwe Cricket before the ICC. A more competent and credible Board would have lobbied nations such as India more effectively to prevent this decision from happening. A more effective Board would have built coalitions with other nations to form an effective block to counter this decision. In contrast the Zimbabwe Board put up a pitiful fight and remained mute. The reality is that previous Boards and the current one are in such bad standing before the ICC, because of their incompetence and corruption, that they hold very little clout now before the ICC. This would not have been the case if the Board had been comprised of competent people with a strong track record in cricket administration and play.

2. Failure to ensure that the World Cup qualifier would be organized more efficiently and in accordance with current international standards.

The failure by the Zimbabwe Cricket Board to insist on the use of DRS, a panel of more experienced umpires and the provision of reserve days, constitutes a serious error on its part. The Board has criticized the selectors and coaching staff for the loss against UAE but the fact remains that had the Zimbabwe/UAE match been rained off Zimbabwe would still have failed to qualify – and that would solely have been the Board’s fault. Likewise the Board’s failure to insist on better umpiring and DRS being used resulted in Zimbabwe’s narrow loss to the West Indies. Had Masakadza been able to contest his dismissal and had Raza not been given out in the manner he was Zimbabwe would have in all probability have won that match. It beggars belief that a Board with cricketing experience would have agreed to the conditions the Zimbabwe Cricket Board did as hosts of the World Cup qualifiers. Aside from anything else knowing as hosts the high probability or rain in Harare in February/ March the Board showed gross dereliction of duty in not insisting on reserve days.

3. Gross mismanagement of the financial and administrative affairs of Zimbabwe Cricket

A little known fact is that on the 27th February 2018, just 5 days before Zimbabwe’s opening match against Nepal, Zimbabwe Cricket’s Head of Human Resources Nesta Vaki wrote to all staff, including the players to announce that due to “ongoing cash flow challenges” staff, including players , would only be paid 40% of their net salaries. A copy of that letter is attached on my Facebook profile. On receipt of this news Streak, convinced that it would undermine the morale of his players, urgently discussed the matter with the Zimbabwe Cricket CEO and the Chairman. Streak advised that he was prepared to take the cut himself but insisted that the players be paid. Eventually the Board relented and the players were paid. Streak however was only paid 40% of his salary.

When the ICC personnel released daily allowances in new US$100 bills cash to all the sides who qualified for the Super 6 round, the Zimbabwe team received their allowances by means of RTGS bank transfers into their bank accounts. When the players realised that all the other teams had been paid in US$100 bills they protested. ZC responded by paying them $450 each in old tatty US$ 5 bills. When some senior players and staff questioned this with ZC authorities they said the cash crisis was to blame, without explaining what had happened to the original US$100 bills paid to Zimbabwe Cricket by the ICC. It seems clear that the Zimbabwe Cricket management retained the new US$100 bills for themselves unlike the other teams who respected their players. This affected the morale of the team when they realised how they were treated in comparison to the other teams by their own Board.

The Zimbabwe team ran short of cricket balls to train with during the qualifiers and had to make plans to try and source balls through other channels to see them through. The coaching staff had to borrow balls from Ben Lever of the ICC because of the failure by the Board to supply them with this basic equipment.

Generous bonuses were “promised” to the players and staff for qualification yet no figure was put in writing by the Board despite several efforts and requests to get this done. The coaching staff were advised that the CEO and Chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket were authorized to finalise the bonus. The CEO was asked prior to the Super 6 stage what was happening regarding the bonuses but was told that the Board would have to approve that issue, contradicting the earlier promises.

Before the injection of the $1.3 million by the ICC to run the qualifier tournament the last time ZC bought equipment for the ground preparation needs at Harare Sports Club and Queens, such as mowers and rollers, was in 2003 when the ICC injected money to then cohost the cricket World Cup. Due to gross incompetence some of the equipment purchased for the qualifiers could not be utilized because of the Board’s failure to pay for duty. In fact motorized super soppers, which could have helped the match against the UAE, were still sitting at customs in Beitbridge because of this incompetence. The excess water had to be slowly mopped up manually which in turn made for a more difficult Duckworth Lewis target. Given that Zimbabwe only fell short of the revised target against UAE by 4 runs this failure alone by the Board resulted in Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify.

For years now ZC have blamed their financial situation for all their shortfalls yet none of the successive Boards, including the current administration, in this time have taken any positive steps to rectify the situation. ZC receive millions from the ICC on a 7 year cycle while unions such as Scotland and UAE receive considerably less yet have arguably better structures in place. Ireland, now a test playing nation, still receives a quarter of the amount Zimbabwe cricket does per cycle yet their lowest paid contracted player is on £60000 per year in comparison to $16000 for junior nationally contracted Zimbabwe players, while coaching staff in other test and associate nations receive three to four times the remuneration of Zimbabwe’s high performance coaching team. In contrast many administrative officials in ZC receive salaries way in excess of what their counterparts in commerce in Zimbabwe receive. Indeed many administrative officials receive way in excess of some national players.

The internal administration of the cricket has all but broken down. It is a prerequisite of the ICC for members to play 1st Class, List A and T20 competitions to get ICC disbursements. Zimbabwe Cricket has not organized any T20 competition for 2 years and this season none of our 3 competitions, including the Logan Cup, will be completed. Aside from the devastating impact that has on the standard of play in Zimbabwe it further risks the loss of ICC funds.

Support for schools and cricket development has all but dried up. Schools such as Milton, Prince Edward and Churchill, which used to receive substantial support from ZC, have seen that support dwindle. If it were not for the growing passion for the game amongst the public cricket would in fact be a dying game in Zimbabwe., because of the current Board’s failure to invest in the future.

It seems as if Zimbabwe Cricket is now facing worse financial turmoil than ever before. The national players have recently been told by management that they will not receive their salaries for March. In the same communication they have been told that the Board is “trying to raise funding” and they are hopeful that the crisis may “ease in June”. Clearly there is need for an urgent audit to be conducted by the SRC to establish what the actual financial state of Zimbabwe Cricket is.

4. None of the current Zimbabwe Cricket Board have played 1st class cricket.

Many of the poor decisions taken by the Board stem from the fact that the Board members themselves have never played cricket at any high level and so they lack a fundamental understanding of the game. This is demonstrated in their decision to fire the entire coaching staff in one fell swoop. That is unprecedented amongst test playing nations throughout the world and would be unthinkable in most nations. It shows that the Board itself has no understanding of the personal relationships built up between players and coaching team and of the devastating impact this has on players.

This lack of understanding of the game is also demonstrated in the Board’s failure to insist on DRS and reserve days for the qualifying tournament. The Board’s apparent failure to complain about the shockingly poor standard of umpiring throughout the qualifying tournament is also indicative of an administration that simply doesn’t understand the game.

The Board’s failure to understand how the dismissal of Streak and Taibu has affected players’ morale is a further indication of how little they understand the game. The players have great confidence in these two Zimbabweans patriots because they know they have deep rooted experience of the unique pressures of the modern game of cricket and what it means to play for Zimbabwe. This element is simply lost on a Board which doesn’t have this experience.

5. The current Board clearly does not enjoy the support of sponsors

It remains a harsh reality that the current Board is held in such low regard by the business community in Zimbabwe and internationally that it has failed to obtain a single sponsor to inject cash into the system. For all the hoopla around PPC sponsorship the fact remains that none of that sponsorship will come in cash but rather in the construction of concrete nets. A local company that was allegedly prepared to invest some US$125,000 before the qualifiers had not heard back from the Board prior to the qualifiers so that potential sponsorship has been lost.

6. The current system of election to the Board is opaque and excludes minorities

One of the reasons why the Board is comprised of people who have little passion for, or experience of, cricket is because of the opaque system for election to the Board which perpetuates the tenure of a clique who are driven by self interest, rather than national interest. The Government needs to review Zimbabwe Cricket’s constitution to ensure that any new Board is comprised of people of all races who have a demonstrable experience either in playing cricket or the administration of cricket.

7. The current decision of the Board to sack Streak and Taibu may irreparably damage cricket in Zimbabwe

What is not in the public domain is the fact that the entire current national team opposes the decision taken by the Board. I have it on exceptionally good and reliable authority that the team is appalled by this decision. We are now in grave danger not only of undermining the morale of the current crop of national players but also of losing some of our key players. If this decision results in a similar loss of experience as happened in 2004 Zimbabwe cricket may never recover and we may go the same way Kenya went and become just another second-class cricketing nation. The resultant loss of income, national profile and national pride will be completely against our national interest. Conversely if cricket grows as it should it will be the source of foreign exchange and a livelihood for thousands in the years to come. Our economy cannot afford the collapse of yet another once vibrant sector.

Conclusion

This statement has been prepared using evidence supplied to me by a wide range of sources, which span both players and coaches and include the entire racial spectrum. I have cross-referenced the information I have received from individuals with others to ensure that it is accurate. Reports received from different sources have corroborated each other and accordingly I am satisfied that what I have been told is accurate. The reason the information has been shared with me is because both players and coaching staff do not feel they are being heard by anyone else.

As can be shown above there are numerous and adequate grounds for the SRC Board to suspend the entire Zimbabwe Cricket Board as a matter of urgency. It will then be up to the Minister of Sport to act in terms of section 30(2) of the SRC Act to appoint a committee to administer the affairs of Zimbabwe Cricket pending the rewriting of its constitution and the election of a new Board which will efficiently take Zimbabwe Cricket forward.

President Mnangagwa has stated often since taking office that he wants to see the growth of the Zimbabwean economy and all sectors of society. If Zimbabwe Cricket is allowed to collapse during his watch it will be a severe indictment against his administration. I hope that the SRC Board and the Minister of Sport will accordingly act quickly and diligently to rectify this disastrous situation.

Senator David Coltart

Former Minister of Sport – Zimbabwe – 2009 – 2013

Bulawayo 4th April 2018

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MDC-T violence must be nipped in the bud!

By David Coltart | Published February 23, 2018

The Chronicle

Propaganda by Hildegarde Manzvanzvike

23rd February 2018

TRUTH can be ruthless and hurtful. There is no substitute to truth for to substitute it would be to give dignity to fabrications.

We all wanted to see former Prime Minister in the inclusive Government Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who died on Valentine’s Day accorded a befitting burial, with the whole nation holding hands in unity to give him that decent send-off. That is part of our Hunhu/Ubuntu.

When we say “May his dearly departed soul rest in eternal peace”, we should do so with the conviction that we lived up to the letter and spirit of giving the deceased a celebratory send off.

After fighting the cancer monster that has claimed thousands of lives, the man deserved to be put to rest by family, party members and the nation in peace.

When the Government of Zimbabwe accorded him a state assisted funeral, this was a show of unity and recognition of Tsvangirai’s contributions in trade unionism and opposition politics over the past three decades.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his predecessor Cde RG Mugabe mourned him. The whole nation and the international community mourned the opposition leader. This showed that despite the internal contestations on the geo-political landscape, the democratic processes remained vibrant in Zimbabwe.

However, while Tsvangirai was laid to rest in his rural home in Humanikwa, Buhera district on Tuesday, we were all left with unanswered questions about some of the unfortunate events that occurred before the burial.

Political violence reared its ugly head at the funeral. The events that people witnessed or are reading about have been points of debate and cross analysis, since Tuesday.

When the first images about the violence being perpetrated against former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Thokozani Khupe, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, Ms Lwazi Sibanda (MP), Abednico Bhebhe and others, by some unruly MDC-T youths started circulating, we could not believe that the succession wrangles that engulfed the MDC-T since Mr Tsvangirai was in hospital could manifest in such an ugly manner moments before he was laid to rest. After all, this is the MDC-T that always claims to be non-violent, despite historical incidents in the public domain.

It was initially confusing to interpret the first pictures that were circulating, since Khupe and Mwonzora were under police escort. With social media driving the agenda, we kept on getting conflicting reports until our reporters on the ground gave a realistic narrative of events.

It now turns out that there were shocking scenes that could have claimed more lives and ignited serious conflict not just for the MDC-T members, but for all mourners attending the burial. It could have also compromised Tsvangirai’s burial.

The shocking events were also witnessed by dignitaries attending the burial, including some members of the diplomatic corps. The affected personalities — Dr Khupe and Mr Mwonzora also gave their side of the story.

According to reports, rowdy party youths threatened to burn down a thatch-roof rondavel where Khupe and Mwonzora “had sought refuge after being assaulted.” The ugly situation was saved by police who moved them to a nearby school.

In an interview with the Voice of America, Dr Khupe said, “One man asked us to go into his hut. Those thugs threatened to burn the hut but we were lucky that it was raining and so, the thatch could not catch the fire. They threw a burning log into the hamlet. If it was not rain, we were going to die. But I went back to attend the funeral to make sure that he (Tsvangirai) was laid to rest.

“This happened in full view of the police. The police tried to stop them (youths) but they were too vicious. Everybody saw what happened. I don’t know what they will do to them. They (police) saw the criminals,” she told VOA.

Newzimbabwe.com, a news website cited an MDC-T official who gave another side to the story: “When they (youths) were charging at her (Khupe), they were singing the song, ‘into oyenzayo, siyayizonda’ (we hate your bad habits).”

The website claims that, “the song was popularised by Highlanders football club fans who often chant it in protest over some controversial refereeing decisions against their team.”

In a Twitter message, Mwonzora condemned the violent behaviour by the youths: “The politics of hate and violence should not have any place in our society. Really sad developments at Dr Tsvangirai’s funeral. The physical attack on @DrThoko_Khupe was cowardly and sadistic. It was tribal, sexist and totally unacceptable.”

The toxic atmosphere was further poisoned by the alleged assault of a University of Zimbabwe student Nyaradzo Mutize by the deceased’s uncle Innocent Zvaipa, when she took pictures of Gogo Lydia Tsvangirai at the graveside, and was asked to delete the pictures.

According to reports by a Herald reporter, Mutize was “detained for close to 40 minutes under intense interrogation by Mr Tsvangirai’s family members.”

Democracy is a costly commodity, but as the saying goes, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at other people’s glass houses.”

The violence witnessed at Tsvangirai’s burial is being roundly condemned, and among those who denounced it is the United States of America who tweeted: “The US Gov strongly condemns the violence that occurred today @ the funeral for Morgan Tsvangirai. He stood in opposition of such violence & there exists no place for these types of actions today in Zimbabwe, as the country moves forward.”

Jessie Majome came under fire from other women, when she was evasive in her criticism of the violence against Khupe, Mwonzora and others. She claimed in her tweet, “I didn’t witness it myself but I understand @DrThoko_Khupe was attacked. . .”

However, Caroline Matengu came out guns blazing: “As women in the party it’s time for you to speak up and denounce all forms of violence against women especially the way she is being ostracised. It’s very bad and we all (know) that her contributions were equally important.”

Lawyer Fadzai Mahere also condemned the attack saying, “Violence in any form by whomsoever must be condemned in the strongest terms. We can’t take violence with us into the future. That’s not who we are,” as MDC politician David Coltart also condemned the clashes: “Turning a blind eye to violence & intolerance was a root cause of the split in the MDC in 2005.”

All fingers are pointing at MDC-T co-vice president Nelson Chamisa, the self-anointed Tsvangirai successor.

This is the same Chamisa who together with other MDC-Alliance members Tendai Biti, Dewa Mavhinga and Peter Godwin appeared before the United States senate committee on foreign relations last December, barely a fortnight after President Mnangagwa took over from Cde Mugabe.

They urged Washington to maintain the ruinous sanctions regime on the new Government, something that the MDC did soon after Zimbabwe embarked on the land reform programme in 2000.

The writer says self-anointed because Chamisa made that claim in his graveside address: “He (Tsvangirai) planned his succession. He was always moving with me — nzou yaifamba nemhuru yayo. We are going to make sure that his wishes are observed.” (Daily News)

He indirectly told mourners that he will be the MDC-T’s presidential candidate, despite welcoming NPP’s Dr Joice Mujuru’s remarks that her party would now join the Alliance. Chamisa vowed to quit politics if he loses the forthcoming elections to President Mnangagwa.

The million dollar question is how will he contain youths in his party to ensure a non-violent election, if they bared for Khupe and Mwonzora’s blood before Tsvangirai’s burial?

His responses and apology to the violence in Buhera are not convincing as he tries to apportion blame.

In an interview with VOA, Chamisa said, “Whoever did it is trying to have an agenda that is foreign. She (Khupe) has been the longest serving vice president and has been loyal to the MDC. We need to be vigilant. This apology goes to Khupe, secretary general Mwonzora.”

If this was done by provocateurs how come the footage captured shows his security guy being able to contain the rowdy crowd?

We hope that Khupe and company filed the violence complaint with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and that it will be fully investigated, and perpetrators are brought to book.

This is a national issue, and should not be confined to the MDC-T’s internal processes. It threatens to derail the peaceful, free, fair and credible elections that President Mnangagwa promised to deliver.

As Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Rtd Maj-Gen Sibusiso B. Moyo warned on December 13, 2017, it is “incumbent upon every Zimbabwean to contribute towards the elimination of any threats to the peace and stability of our motherland.”

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Bulawayo mourns Tsvangirai

By David Coltart | Published February 18, 2018

The Zimbabwe Mail

18th February 2018

HUNDREDS of people from different churches and political parties yesterday thronged the Large City Hall in Bulawayo for an inter-denominational memorial service for the late former Prime Minister and MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai.

Speaker after speaker spoke glowingly of Mr Tsvangirai describing him as a humble person who respected other people even if they differed politically.

Bulawayo Deputy Mayor and MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chair, Councillor Gift Banda, said Mr Tsvangirai was a selfless leader who was quick to forgive.

“We do not need anyone to tell us about his heroic status as we knew him better. We are talking about a selfless leader who considered others before self. He forgave many people. I was shocked at his death, I had hoped that he would pull through as he was a fighter of note,” he said.

Clr Banda said he had to return to the country on Friday from a trip overseas to come and mourn with the rest of Zimbabwe.

He said Mr Tsvangirai stood for the values of solidarity, justice, equality, freedom, transparency and humble leadership as well as accountability.

“We will honour his wish of alliance building and making the alliance work. We should reach out to everyone to ensure that we fulfil his vision of unity.

He invited me to his house and told me about his wish for MDC reunification. He told me that he regretted whatever happened over the years but he wanted MDC to come together and work as one like in the beginning,” he said.

City Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo described Mr Tsvangirai as an inspiration to his followers.

“He inspired us to seek change, and the key word in all the MDCs is change, we must aspire to seek that change as a party. Change reconciles people and we become a united nation. He was passionate about an alliance and we must fulfil his wishes,” he said.

Former Education Minister Mr David Coltart said Mr Tsvangirai was a consistent man whose character never changed over the years. He said he had a great sense of belonging with the people and the party.

“He was consistent, his character never changed and he had no trace of racism in his blood, he treated everyone the same and never judged people by the colour of their skin or language that you spoke. Morgan was a hero in our hearts,” he said.

Deputy MDC-T Bulawayo chair Ms Dorcas Sibanda said Mr Tsvangirai was a champion of human rights who sacrificed his peace and comfort to make others happy. She said the MCD-T recognised his hero status through the work he did for the betterment of Zimbabweans.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Professor Welshman Ncube who also attended the memorial said the nation must celebrate Mr Tsvangirai’s life as a life well lived as he struggled for the benefit of the masses.

He described him as a man of the people who was empathetic and full of humility. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions vice-president Mr Juniel Manyere said Mr Tsvangirai was a hero in the labour movement and a champion in human and workers’ rights.

Mr Tsvangirai died at a South African hospital on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. He will be buried at his rural home in Buhera on Tuesday.

His body arrived in the country from South Africa last night.

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Coltart Urges MDC-T To Bury Morgan Tsvangirai With Dignity, Calls For Constitution To Be Respected In Choosing Successor

By David Coltart | Published February 18, 2018

Pindula

18th February 2018

Former Minister of Education David Coltart has expressed his disgust at the leadership squabbles in the opposition MDC-T party. The party’s three co-vice presidents Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa all claimed that they were the rightful acting president of the party before veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had died. After his death, Chamisa was appointed as acting president the very next day, a move which was criticised by senior party leaders.

Coltart urged the leadership to lay aside their differences and to bury Tsvangirai with the dignity he deserves. He also called on the MDC-T to use respect its Constitution in choosing a new leader. Speaking on Twitter, Coltart said:

“I find the conduct of the entire top leadership of the MDC T shockingly distasteful at present. For goodness sake bury Morgan Tsvangirai in unity and with dignity -without hurling insults at one another -and then decide who will lead the party in terms of the MDC T constitution.”

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Zimbabwe opposition icon Tsvangirai dies

By David Coltart | Published February 16, 2018

AFP

16th February 2018

Zimbabwe was plunged into grief on Thursday following the death of veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, roundly praised as a hero, champion of democracy and symbol of resistance who will be hard to replace.

The former trade union stalwart who posed the most formidable challenge to the ruling ZANU PF party’s nearly four-decade hold on power, died on Wednesday in a hospital in neighbouring South Africa where he was being treated for colon cancer. He was 65.

Zimbabwe’s new Presi­dent Emmerson Mnangagwa lauded his party’s arch-rival as “a strong trade unionist and opposition leader” and vowed free elections in honour of Tsvangirai who was assaulted, jailed and humiliated under his ZANU-PF government.

“We remember him for his insistence on free, fair and peaceful elections which we must validate in the forthcoming” elections “in tribute to him and to our democracy,” said Mnangagwa.

“This we owe him as political leaders of all contesting parties in our country which deserves unfettered peace and stability,” he said.

Tsvangirai’s death firmly places Mnangagwa, the ZANU PF veteran who took over after ousting veteran ruler Robert Mugabe, on the path to victory in elections that are to be held before July.

Infighting over who will succeed Tsvangirai is threatening to tear his opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party apart.

One of his three deputies Nelson Chamisa said in a post on twitter that the demise of Tsvangirai “is a huge blow to the party and the nation. As a party of excellence, we will unite, be disciplined and honour our hero”.

David Coltart, a fellow opposition leader said Tsvangirai will be remembered as “one of Zimbabwe’s greatest patriots” and that he deserves to be called a “hero”.

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Morgan Tsvangirai dies aged 65

By David Coltart | Published February 15, 2018

iNews

By Karl McDonald

15th February 2018

Morgan Tsvangirai, a long-time rival of the former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, has died at the age of 65. The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) died yesterday of colon cancer in a hospital in Johannesburg. For years, Tsvangirai presented the biggest challenge to Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party, and he became the country’s Prime Minister in a coalition concocted the stem unrest. His death leaves the opposition’s chances in question ahead of new elections promised by Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa after Mugabe was ousted in a coup last year.

Tsvangirai came tantalisingly close to winning power outright in 2008 when he got the most votes in the national election, but according to official results, he was just short of the more than 50% majority needed to win outright. He boycotted the run-off, citing widespread violence against his supporters, handing Mr Mugabe the victory. Mr Mugabe resigned in November after pressure from the military and ruling party, and this year’s election will be the first without the man who led the southern African nation for 37 years.

In January, Mr Tsvangirai suggested he would be stepping down, saying he was “looking at the imminent prospects of us as the older generation leaving the levers of leadership to allow the younger generation to take forward this huge task”. Fractured skull Being Mugabe’s most prominent opponent brought Mr Tsvangirai considerable hardship, and he was jailed several times and charged with treason. He suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding in 2007 when he and more than a dozen other leaders of the MDC were arrested and beaten with gun butts, belts and whips. In an earlier incident Mr Tsvangirai was almost thrown from his office window by a government agent.

“Morgan Tsvangirai will be remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s great patriots,” opposition figure and human rights lawyer David Coltart said. “Although, like all of us, he made mistakes none of us ever doubted his commitment to transform Zimbabwe into a modern, tolerant state.”

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Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai dies of cancer aged 65

By David Coltart | Published February 14, 2018

Daily Mail

14th February 2018

Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has died at the age of 65, bringing an end to his long campaign to lead his country.

Elias Mudzuri, a vice president of his Movement for Democratic Change party, said Mr Tsvangirai died on Wednesday evening in a Johannesburg hospital. He had been fighting colon cancer for two years.

Mr Tsvangirai was for years the most potent challenger to long-time ruler Robert Mugabe and even became prime minister in an uncomfortable coalition government.

He came tantalisingly close to winning power in 2008 when he got the most votes in the national election, but according to official results, he was just short of the more than 50% majority needed to win outright.

He boycotted the run-off, citing widespread violence against his supporters, handing Mr Mugabe the victory.

Mr Mugabe resigned in November after pressure from the military and ruling party, and this year’s election will be the first without the man who led the southern African nation for 37 years.

In January, Mr Tsvangirai suggested he would be stepping down, saying he was “looking at the imminent prospects of us as the older generation leaving the levers of leadership to allow the younger generation to take forward this huge task”.

Being Mugabe’s most prominent opponent brought Mr Tsvangirai considerable hardship, and he was jailed several times and charged with treason.

He suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding in 2007 when he and more than a dozen other leaders of the MDC were arrested and beaten with gun butts, belts and whips.

In an earlier incident Mr Tsvangirai was almost thrown from his office window by a government agent.

“Morgan Tsvangirai will be remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s great patriots,” opposition figure and human rights lawyer David Coltart said.

“Although, like all of us, he made mistakes none of us ever doubted his commitment to transform Zimbabwe into a modern, tolerant state.”

“Thank you for making it possible for people like me to find the courage to say enough is enough,” said pastor Evan Mawarire, who led large anti-government protests in 2016.

“Zimbabwe owes you a great debt.”

Born on March 10 1952 in the rural Buhera area south-east of the capital, Harare, Mr Tsvangirai was the oldest of nine children.

After graduation from secondary school he worked at the Bindura Nickel Mine for 10 years, eventually becoming plant supervisor.

It was during the years of the nationalist war against white minority-ruled Rhodesia, and Mr Tsvangirai later said he did not join the guerrilla fighters because his salary supported the education of his younger siblings.

When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, he joined Mr Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party and became active in trade unions, rising to become secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.

It had been a loyal supporter of Mr Mugabe and ZANU-PF, but under Mr Tsvangirai’s leadership it became a vocal critic of the government.

The labour federation became a key component of an emerging network of anti-government civil society groups including lawyers, students and churches demanding an end to worsening human rights abuses and deepening economic problems.

In 1999 he founded the MDC, which attracted support from blacks and whites and in rural and urban areas.

The party quickly became a serious challenge to Mr Mugabe’s party.

Nine months after its formation, the MDC won 57 seats in parliament, five short of the ruling party’s 62, the first time Mr Mugabe’s party came close to losing its parliamentary majority.

Mr Tsvangirai then continued for years as the country’s opposition leader, facing significant repression from Mr Mugabe and ZANU-PF.

During his time as prime minister, Mr Tsvangirai was credited with bringing stability and international goodwill.

His long struggle as Mr Mugabe’s main challenger was credited with helping to keep a measure of democratic space open in Zimbabwe.

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Mnangagwa Appointed A Judge Fingered For Alleged Corruption – Coltart

By David Coltart | Published February 1, 2018

Zimeye

By Farai D Hove

1st February 2018

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has blundered by appointing to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, a judge who has been fingered for alleged corruption, a legal expert says.

Former Senator David Coltart says, “whilst President Mnangagwa has made good appointments to the Procurement Board & ZIMRA when it came to the vital appointment of a ZEC Chair he has failed.”

He continued while writing on his micro blogging portal saying, Mnangagwa” should never have appointed a Judge who was questioned by both the former CJ & current CJ re corruption allegations.”

Coltart was writing referring to the new ZEC boss Priscilla Chigumba who is taking over from former politician, Rita Makarau.

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Coltart and Gukurahundi conspiracy against Mnangagwa

By David Coltart | Published January 31, 2018

The Herald

MY TURN (Propaganda) WITH TICHAONA ZINDOGA

31st January 2018

Last week, opposition politician and lawyer — one of Zimbabwe’s few politically active white men — David Coltart, published on his blog a statement “on Rhodesian atrocities, his time in the BSAP and an apology for his role in sustaining an unjust system of government, which discriminated against people of colour”.

The 1 000-word statement was then circulated widely on social media and privately-owned media. In it, Coltart denies killing or torturing blacks during his time in the British South Africa Police, and claims that the only incident he encountered a guerilla death was when he was asked to dump the body of a slain fighter in a disused mine shaft. He pleads that he was young, at 17, and that his conscription was mandatory.

He then goes on to “unreservedly condemn the atrocities committed by the Rhodesian regime . . . the unjust system of governance in Rhodesia” and “for the role that I played in propping up a racist regime as a young man in the police”. Coltart says he does “deeply regret” his failure to stand with blacks, coloured and Asian friends.

“I have repented before God and ask for forgiveness from the millions of people whose lives were terribly affected by that dark period in our history,” he purports.

Lastly, he suggests the need “for a truth commission, which covers atrocities perpetrated by and against all races going back to at least 1965 (when UDI was declared) and up to the present day”.

Coltart’s “apology” needs to be looked at in its proper context. It is coming at a time when there is a deliberate and systematic local and international attempt to raise, in 2018, the issue of the Gukurahundi, a codename for military and security operations that took place during dissident and insurgent disturbances in the early years of Zimbabwe’s independence nearly 40 years ago.

In that conflict, civilians were caught in the crossfire, resulting in injuries and deaths of innocent people through acts of commission and omission by various actors, including foreigners. The victims were people of different ethnicities and races: Ndebele, Kalanga, Shona, and white people, including tourists.

It is a dark period in Zimbabwe’s history, which was supposed to be comprehensively healed in 1987, when the main political protagonists — Zanu-PF under the then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe and the late national hero Dr Joshua Nkomo, PF Zapu’s leader — signed the Unity Accord on December 22.

The Unity Accord, among other things, provided for an inclusive national Government whose power configuration reflected converged national interests. Leaders had identified the dangerous extent of conflict and had travelled the country and affected areas to build consensus and peace.

But, as we have come to observe and experience, the process may have not been adequate and papered over deep divisions in national politics, psyche and soul. The nation needed something more comprehensive than the kissing and making up of political leaders.

There were issues of post-traumatic therapy, personal and community healing, restitution, compensation, social support for families and orphans and so on, what is now being called transitional justice.

To the extent that these things were not addressed adequately, comprehensively and with finality, there could have been some failure of political leadership at the time. However, the success of the processes of the time is reflected in the lasting peace and national unity that subsists today.

We are left with deep psychological issues, though, underlined by strong feelings of anger and tribal resentment. These may even trump material and existential differences among Zimbabweans.

With the fluid political developments in Zimbabwe, it has increasingly become norm for certain politicians to raise the issue to mine political capital out of Gukurahundi. These actors seeking political capital out of the dark past have ranged from individuals to organisations seeking to exploit the deeply emotive issue.

This is where our Coltart comes in. At one level, he is approaching the matter as some white missionary-messiah standing up for the oppressed people of Matabeleland. He may be doing so to compensate for his role in the murderous Rhodesian regime.

Coltart was one of the authors of the controversial Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace report that documented alleged atrocities in Matabeleland and Midlands. The report itself put the number of civilian fatalities at 1 791 deaths, but Coltart wants to tout 20 000, a racially contrived pseudo-scientific figure that is in turn peddled for political purposes and perhaps to wash the guilt of whites like Coltart who were part of a racist killing machine.

The second level to understand Coltart’s abuse of Gukurahundi relates to an emerging conspiracy against President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is just two months into office.

The conspiracy involves the political lynching of President Mnangagwa by local and international opponents that seek to reopen wounds of the so-called Gukurahundi and lay the blame for the operation solely on President Mnangagwa whom the world must believe was the custodian and enforcer of the operation.

This seeks to advance the incredible view that President Mnangagwa, then State Security Minister, acted alone and above the then Head of State and Commander-in-Chief and other arms of Government, including the Fifth Brigade, which was the military unit deployed to restore order and pacify dissident activity.

This conspiracy to open old wounds is based on the calculation that President Mnangagwa is popular and unstoppable, not least that the main opposition party is in disarray, that the only way to stop him is to stoke fires of tribalism based on a historical incident of over 30 years.

Coltart sees himself leading this cause and leading secessionists, disgruntled former Zanu-PF officials such as Jonathan Moyo, opposition and other forces that can be ranged against President Mnangagwa. To do this, Coltart had to offer an apology and wash his hands clean of Rhodesian atrocities.

It will be critical to note that, even then, he is dishonest and does not disclose the full extent of Rhodesian atrocities, limiting them to Nyadzonia. He is silent on Chimoio. He is silent on Tembwe, Mkushi, Freedom Camp, among other refugee and training camps and rural “butchers” where blacks were killed.

Rhodesians used chemical and biological war against guerillas and civilians. Rhodesians herded black Zimbabweans into concentration camps where they died by their numbers. Blacks killed during the war by whites and Rhodesian forces like Coltart have been estimated at 50 000. And that is not a figure plucked from thin air.

Yet, Coltart only puts across a paltry figure of an “estimated 1 028” (apparently less than the stated Gukurahundi fatalities) to be accounted for at Nyadzonia (even then, the figure is understated for the over 3 000 recorded by other sources.) This is how duplicitous Coltart is.

The third and final level to understand Coltart’s statement is to view it as an object to undermine the Government process of redress that will soon take place through the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which comes into effect following the signing of the enabling Act, has the following functions:

(a) to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation;

(b) to develop and implement programmes to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe and the peaceful resolution of disputes;

(c) to bring about national reconciliation by encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice;

(d) to develop procedures and institutions at a national level to facilitate dialogue among political parties, communities, organisations and other groups, in order to prevent conflicts and disputes arising in the future;

(e) to develop programmes to ensure that persons subjected to persecution, torture and other forms of abuse receive rehabilitative treatment and support;

(f) to receive and consider complaints from the public and to take such action in regard to the complaints as it considers appropriate;

(g) to develop mechanisms for early detection of areas of potential conflicts and disputes, and to take appropriate preventive measures;

(h) to do anything incidental to the prevention of conflict and the promotion of peace;

(i) to conciliate and mediate disputes among communities, organisations, groups and individuals; and

(j) to recommend legislation to ensure that assistance, including documentation, is rendered to persons affected by conflicts, pandemics or other circumstances.

Coltart wants to undermine such a comprehensive programme and to gain relevance. Government must resolve the issue once and for all to heal the nation and shut out chancers like Coltart.

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Coltart says sorry: Rhodesia era cop apologises for atrocities against Africans

By David Coltart | Published January 29, 2018

The Chronicle

By Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter

29th January 2018

FORMER Education Minister Senator David Coltart has lauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Government following the passing of the National Peace and Reconciliation Act, saying it was a step in the right direction.

In a statement he posted on his page on micro-blogging site, twitter on Friday, Sen Coltart also apologised for the atrocities by the Rhodesian Government during the time he was a police officer. His remarks follow President Mnangagwa’s revelation in Davos, Switzerland, last week that he had signed the National Peace and Reconciliation Bill into law to, among other issues, tackle the emotive Gukurahundi issue.

Vice-President Kembo Mohadi heads the Organ on National Peace and Reconciliation.

“I commend the passing of the National Peace and Reconciliation Act as a positive step in the right direction and call on Government to ensure that it has the independence, resources and cooperation it needs to be able to expose the truth and begin the long, hard but critically important process of reconciliation and healing,” he said.

“I also believe that part of the process of healing and reconciliation consists in all of us acknowledging and apologising for our own complicity and responsibility for the things we have done. So what is to be done going forward?”

Sen Coltart said Zimbabwe needs to break the cycle of political violence that dates back to Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 through a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

He said his apology for the mass killings of blacks by the racist Rhodesian Government was prompted by what he described as a “sustained social media campaign” portraying him as an unrepentant Rhodesian.

“This week I have been the subject of a sustained social media campaign seeking to portray me as an unrepentant Rhodesian who has refused to condemn atrocities committed by the Rhodesian security services. I have also been accused of killing Black Zimbabweans during my time in the police force and of refusing to apologise for the role that I played,” said Sen Coltart.

He however argued that the portrayal of his views and the allegations made against him were “patently untrue.”

Sen Coltart said he has addressed the issue in his biography: The Struggle Continues: 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe and other platforms.

“I unreservedly condemn the atrocities committed by the Rhodesian regime, such as the Nyadzonia massacre in which an estimated 1 028 men, women and children were killed. I also unreservedly condemn the unjust system of governance in Rhodesia which was based on a white supremacist ideology and engaged in the brutal oppression and systemic discrimination against black, coloured and Asian people,” he said.

Sen Coltart said he regretted not doing enough to oppose the Rhodesian government system.

“I sincerely apologise for the role that I played in propping up a racist regime as a young man in the police force. If I knew then what I know now, I would have resisted conscription and actively sought to fight, using non-violent means, the injustices of the Rhodesian regime,” he said.

Sen Coltart was enlisted into the Rhodesian police force at the age of 17 and served for two years before he left to study law.

He said as a teenager he was caught up by the propaganda that it was a war to preserve Christianity and willingly joined.

He said he takes responsibility for his actions and inactions.

“I also acknowledge that, as a White person, I have benefited from Rhodesia’s discriminatory policies and laws. When I speak with my black, coloured and Asian friends and colleagues about their awful experiences under Rhodesian rule, I deeply regret my failure then to stand by you. I have repented before God and ask for forgiveness,” said the former Cabinet Minister.

Sen Coltart said he expressed revulsion at the death of anti-Apartheid icon Steve Biko in 1977 and had committed to try and make the racist administration in South Africa see things differently.

He also narrated a harrowing experience in which he was forced to dispose of a slain liberation fighter at the height of the insurrection.

“I disclosed this incident in my book precisely because I believe we all have an obligation to share the truth and not spare ourselves in doing so to the millions of people whose lives were terribly affected by that dark period in our history,” said Sen Coltart.

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