The Standard

By Musa Dube

30 June 2013

POLITICIANS must stop ordering the closure of schools and forcing pupils to attend political rallies ahead of this year’s harmonised elections.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart last week said abuse of teachers and pupils by politicians ahead of major elections was rampant, particularly in the country’s rural areas.

They are usually threatened with violence or death if they fail to attend the political campaigns.

Coltart said the move was tantamount to child abuse.

“Schools should be politically neutral places and children should not be drawn into partisan political activities,” he said.

The Education minister said politicians must stop disturbing school children from carrying out their academic work.

“I would strongly condemn the action where schools are taken to political gatherings,” said Coltart. “Parties should leave them [pupils] to learn.”

During the violent 2008 elections, Zanu PF allegedly forced the closure of schools to make sure that pupils and their teachers attend the party’s meetings. This was against the will of the pupils or their parents.

Some schools, especially in rural areas, were turned into Zanu PF “bases”, where all those who did not support the party or President Robert Mugabe were tortured.

In 2008, some teachers fled their schools and sought refuge in urban areas fearing for their lives.

MDC-T claims that at least 200 of its supporters were killed by Zanu PF youth militia and secret security agents in the past elections as they tried to secure a victory for Mugabe.

Coltart also condemned situations where political campaigns are conducted under the guise of sports tournaments.

“Schools should be used for educational purposes only and not partisan political activities,” he said.

The country is set to hold harmonised elections next month and political parties have already started campaigning.

Mugabe had unilaterally proclaimed July 31 this year as the date for the elections but was advised by Sadc to apply at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) so that the polls can be extended by at least two weeks.

Last week, the ConCourt postponed the hearing of the case indefinitely.

Major political parties in the country — including MDC-T and MDC — had also ganged-up against the proclaimed date and called on the elections not to be held until some electoral reforms were in effect.

Bulawayo24 News

By Lulu Brenda Harris

30 June 2013

INCUMBENT Bulawayo East legislator MDC-T’s Thabitha Khumalo is set to lock horns with MDC’s David Coltart for the House of Assembly seat in the forthcoming elections as the MDCs’ battle to control Bulawayo intensifies.

The two candidates, both identified as drawcards and strong candidates for their respective political parties, will battle it out come voting day.

Coltart, an MDC Senator and lawyer by profession, 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 where he resuscitated the ailing education sector.

Ms Khumalo is one of the outspoken female politicians and in 2011 stoked controversy when she called for the legalisation of prostitution.

In 2012, she also drew the ire of her party when she boldly challenged deputy Prime Minister, Ms Thokozani Khupe for the MDC-T’s vice-presidency during its congress.

This led to her demotion and her ouster came at a time when the MDC-T was battling to mend its tattered image in Bulawayo amid huge defections by its supporters to Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC.

In an interview with Sunday News, Ms Khumalo admitted the Bulawayo East race would be fiery.

“The heat is there. But I am an action person. I will give it my best shot definitely,” she said.

Sen Coltart also confessed the polls would be “tough” as he would be standing against an active MP.

“She has been active in her activities with Jomic. I look forward to a good debate but I will certainly do my best. There’s a lot of work to do. The MDC-T won by 1 000 votes in the last elections. I hope to rope in that 1 000 deficit,” he said.

Ms Khumalo said it was sad that although the country has done well to achieve a 50/50 gender ratio it was not the same at political party level.

“On that woman front, I can garner more support but it is a farce because there are few women taking up political seats or making political decisions. I would have preferred a situation where MDC would have fielded a woman candidate in the constituency but then again we will see. I will give him what I am made of,” she said.

Coltart said although he was aware of the power behind a female vote, he too had worked fairly hard for women’s issues.

“Women are likely to be sympathetic towards another female candidate, I hope women in my constituency know I too have worked hard for women’s issues,” he said.

STATEMENT REGARDING DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND THE RIGHT OF ZIMBABWEAN CITIZENS BY BIRTH TO REGISTER AND VOTE

In terms of sections 36 and 43 of the new Zimbabwean Constitution ALL Zimbabweans born in Zimbabwe who have at least one parent who was either a Zimbabwe citizen at the time of their birth or one parent who is/was a citizen of any SADC country (and the person claiming citizenship must be currently resident) are entitled to citizenship AS OF RIGHT.

As soon as the new Constitution was published, Mr Mutumwa Mawere, a Zimbabwean by birth who subsequently acquired South African citizenship, approached the Registrar-General to have his Zimbabwean citizenship recognised in accordance with the new constitutional provisions. The Registrar-General informed Mr Mawere that he was not entitled to dual citizenship under the new Constitution, and that he had to renounce his foreign citizenship in order to acquire Zimbabwean identification documents. Mr Mawere lodged an urgent application at the Constitutional Court requesting that his entitlement to dual citizenship be confirmed and asking that, to protect his right to vote in the upcoming elections, the current “special and intensive” voter registration exercise be postponed pending the court’s decision. Immediately after hearing the case on 26th June, the Constitutional Court granted an order confirming his dual citizenship and making the following declaration: “ … the refusal or failure to issue the applicant with a national identity document upon application on May 27, 2013, was unlawful and in contravention of section 36(1) and applicant’s right to vote enshrined in section 67(3)(a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The [Registrar-General] is interdicted from demanding the applicant to first renounce his foreign-acquired citizenship before he can be issued with a national identity document”. The court’s reasons for judgment will be handed down later.

Th effect of this judgement is that all those born in Zimbabwe (and who comply with the above mentioned conditions) who have foreign passports cannot be denied the right to a Zimbabwean passport, the right to register and the right to vote. You do not have to surrender any foreign passport you have or renounce any foreign citizenship you have – you are a Zimbabwean citizen and have the RIGHT TO DUAL CITIZENSHIP.

I have received numerous complaints from constituents stating that the Registrar General’s staff are ignoring the judgment and demanding that holders of foreign passports surrender them before being able to change their IDs from “alien” to citizen – and then of course to be registered.

If this has happened to you or anyone else please do not give up and encourage others not to give up. Please let me know the details and we will try what we can to argue on your behalf.

I have no doubt that this is a deliberate and desperate measure by the RG’s office to deny thousands of Zimbabweans the right to vote because they know that all those citizens who have been regarded as “aliens” and treated with such contempt by Zanu PF during the last decade will not vote for Zanu PF.

I appreciate that this policy is designed to frustrate and deter citizens – so that they simply give up and cannot vote. Please do not give up – please be determined to get your citizenship back, to register and then to vote these people out of office.

Edmund Burke said “all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing.” Please don’t allow that to happen. The future of our country is too important for us just to give up in the face of people who want to frustrate us and deny us fundamental rights. It is going to take patience, dogged determination, endurance and time to do this but it is critical that everyone tries. You only have until the 9th of July 2013 to get registered so please make time to stand up for your future, the future of your children and the future of Zimbabwe – this week.

Senator David Coltart.
Secretary for Legal Affairs
MDC

30 June 2013

Statement by Senator David Coltart regarding his nomination to stand for election to the Bulawayo East House of Assembly seat

The first step in seeking re-election took place day. My nomination papers to stand for the House of Assembly in the Bulawayo East Constituency were filed and accepted in the nomination court this morning.

MDC Website

28 June 2013

MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs and Education, Arts, Sport and Culture Minister, David Coltart has launched an online campaign ‘David Coltart Campaign 2013’ as he seeks reelection for the Bulawayo East House of Assembly seat.

Coltart joined hundreds of other MDC parliament and council hopefuls who filed their nomination papers countrywide today.

“The MDC asked me to go back to the House of Assembly (from the Senate) because of certain provisions in the new Constitution. House of Assembly seats are elected by means of a Westminister first-past-the-post system whereas the Senate is elected in terms of Proportional Representation based on votes cast in the House of Assembly,” said Coltart.

“Because I won the Khumalo Senatorial seat (which comprises both Bulawayo East and Central) in 2008 the party felt that I should stand in that area again.
Whilst I would have preferred personally to remain in the Senate I understood the logic of the decision and hence agreed to stand in the House of Assembly,” he added.

Coltart admitted that he was under no illusions about the challenge which awaited him considering that the MDC lost the Bulawayo East House of Assembly seatin the 2008 election, adding however that he was confident of a winas he had a superb team to assist him uin his campaign.

“Fortunately I have a superb team which has stepped foward to assist me again and my campaign will begin in earnest this weekened. If any residents of Bulawayo East would like me to address a house meeting or discuss any issue with me, please contact me either through Facebook, Twitter or 0771288558,” Coltart wrote on his Facebook page today.

The Independent

By Herbert Moyo

28 June 2013

LEADERS of the MDC formations spent the last two weeks engaged in self-praise and congratulating their principals Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as well as Industry and Commerce minister Welshman Ncube for thwarting President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF’s bid to force elections on July 31.

MDC legal secretary David Coltart, a long-time advocate of unity between the MDC formations, said it was “absolutely wonderful to see my colleagues and friends Ncube, Tsvangirai and (MDC-T secretary-general) Tendai Biti working together so well in the interests of our nation” at the Maputo summit.

“You have all done us proud. Thanks as well to Elton Mangoma (MDC-T), Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Moses Mzila Ndlovu (both MDC), the other negotiators who have all done such a sterling job,” said Coltart, adding, “this gives me so much hope for the future.”

Coltart’s suggestion of further co-operation in a grand election coalition was taken up by outgoing MDC-T Masvingo Central legislator Jeffreyson Chitando who took to social media and wrote of an imaginary rally organised by Qhubani Moyo (MDC) and Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T) and addressed by both Ncube and Tsvangirai.

It is a fact that the Maputo triumph was built on the strong bedrock of co-operation between the MDC parties and other forces in the civil society, and the co-operation raised optimism in many quarters that the parties may well build on that to forge a united front to mount the strongest possible challenge against Mugabe and Zanu PF’s in the next general elections.

Prior to that, Tsvangirai had appeared at a press conference with leaders of the MDC represented by Edwin Mushoriwa, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (Simba Makoni), Zapu (Dumiso Dabengwa) and Zanu-Ndonga (Reketai Semwayo), although Ncube did not attend after Mugabe had unilaterally proclaimed July 31 as the date of general elections. The same parties also met after the Maputo summit.

However, unfolding events and remarks by officials of the respective parties cast doubt on whether the Maputo victory will be the launch pad for a grand coalition.

It is increasingly appearing too late in the day for the formation of a coalition to challenge Zanu PF, given the obstacles that have to be surmounted, including personality clashes and contentious allocation of posts, as well as principles and values, particularly the issue of respect of democratic fundamentals and political violence.

Zimbabwe Democracy Institute director Pedzisayi Ruhanya however said it was still possible for Tsvangirai and Ncube to forge an electoral pact because the MDC parties are only separated by personality rather than ideological differences which can be overcome. He said their differences were not really fundamental but mainly personal and operational.

“It is still possible for them to come together as the constitutional court has not even ruled on the elections date after postponing the case,” said Ruhanya. “Some individuals will have to be side-lined in the allocation of positions to make the pact possible.”

Ruhanya said demoting and side-lining some officials and abandoning rigid positions are some of the “hard decisions the parties have to make in the interests of democratising Zimbabwe”.

But the parties themselves seem to be still poles apart. The MDC this week told the Zimbabwe Independent that while it welcomes the idea of a grand coalition, “there has been a lot of grandstanding and public posturing over the issue but there was no real commitment by other parties, including the MDC-T, to make it happen”.

“We opened up the communication channels for any party to engage us but thus far nobody has come along,” said MDC spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube.

Dube said his party has appointed Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Paul Themba Nyathi as the coordinators for such negotiations. Senior MDC officials say other than gestures of intent, the MDC-T has not made any formal proposals on the issue. Insiders say the MDC expects a concrete proposal, with formulas and details, on a coalition arrangement with the MDC-T before any talks could start. So far nothing of the sort has been presented, one official said this week.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora acknowledged that his party had not engaged anyone in formal talks about a coalition. “While we (MDC-T) are very clear on the need for all progressive forces to unite against Zanu PF, the fact is that there is nothing formal that has been discussed on the issue,” Mwonzora said.

None of the parties have tabled a document of the talking points which should include proposals on who should lead the grand coalition as well as which candidates should be fielded in the general and local government elections.

MDC-T members believe a coalition should be led by Tsvangirai by virtue of his winning the first round of the presidential vote in March 2008 before withdrawing from the bloody June re-run against Mugabe.

The mudslinging and personality clashes between the parties’ leaders, which some analysts believe are retrogressive, have increased ever since the Maputo summit instead of concrete discussions on a coalition by the parties.

Tellingly, these polemics are taking place among leaders of the parties with MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe dismissing suggestions that she make way for Ncube in an election pact.

“There is no justification (for stepping aside) because I have been winning elections compared to the MDC leader (Ncube),” said Khupe. “It does not work like that. People should use common sense.”

Ncube responded in kind, describing Khupe as delusional and insisted he will be contesting the presidency. “I don’t deal with hypothetical issues,” he said on the side-lines of a rally at Cross-Dete in Matabeleland North. “I am running for the office of the president”.

Ncube’s position in response to Khupe’s remarks showed how far apart the parties still are despite their cooperation in Maputo.

The old adage that “time waits for no man” rings ever true as the Constitutional Court, which postponed the case of election dates extension, can rule any time from now on the issue which has the potential to decide whether the country will make the transition to democracy or remain in the rut of the repression and regression that has been the defining feature of Zanu PF rule since independence in 1980.

Analysts say so much depends on the ability of the MDC formations and other political forces to look at the bigger picture and form a grand coalition to wrest power from Zanu PF. The watershed elections will certainly be a defining moment for Zimbabwe as well as a possible Waterloo for the careers of many, including Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Ncube.

News Day

By News Day Reporter

28 June 2013

IN yesterday’s issue of NewsDay we carried a disturbing report to the effect that Zanu PF conducted most of its just-ended primary elections inside school grounds in defiance of a standing government directive that school premises should not be used as venues for political activities.

NewsDay crews sent to several provinces throughout the country on Tuesday observed that most schools were teeming with party supporters going about their internal elections undeterred. It’s a given that authorities at those schools did not voluntarily offer their premises for such an exercise, but were cowed into submission out of fear of victimisation. Zanu PF should come out clean over the matter and explain why it has consistently defied the order with impunity. Since his appointment as Education minister four years ago, David Coltart has not hesitated to caution, but it seems his wise counsel has fallen on deaf ears.

Is it another case of open defiance fuelled by a dysfunctional government or lack of concern for the all-important education sector and future generations?

It goes without saying that educational institutions are sacrosanct and as long as the country wishes to retain its status of having the highest literacy rate in the region, school grounds should be regarded as out-of-bounds for politicians and their disruptive activities.

At the height of the bloody June 2008 presidential run-off polls, war veterans and Zanu PF youths literally camped at rural schools where they allegedly set up torture bases after school authorities were cowed into submission. Those who dared to resist the move risked being labelled politically incorrect which often resulted in them being persecuted or forced to vacate their work stations.

With the advent of the coalition government, one would have thought that sad chapter of our history was closed and a new dispensation of constitutionalism and rule of law was upon us.

But Tuesday and Wednesday’s events came as a sad reminder that Zanu PF in particular has not fully embraced the rule of law.

Contacted for comment, Coltart was again at pains to reiterate government policy as regards the matter.

“The policy remains unchanged, so no party should be holding their elections in schools,” Coltart said. “I have received several reports and complaints today about schools being used countrywide to conduct Zanu PF primary elections. I have stated, as policy, on numerous occasions in the last four years that schools should not be used under any circumstances for partisan political activity. I have stated the various sound educational reasons for that policy which include the fact that children and teachers need a safe and peaceful environment to study in.

“This is a policy which has been in place for many years, at least in theory, and which I have simply reinforced.

“It goes without saying that the use of schools has been done without my permission and in flagrant breach of that policy.

Let’s safeguard our future generations by providing them with an undefiled learning environment.

News Day

By Amanda Horsfield

27 June 2013

ZANU PF on Tuesday defied government policy by conducting its primary elections at schools disrupting learning.

NewsDay observed primary elections being conducted at Epworth High, Chinyika and Zimre schools among other centres countrywide. Education minister David Coltart said there was a standing government directive that no political party activities should take place at schools during the course of the school term.

“The policy remains unchanged so no party should be holding their elections in schools,” Coltart said.

He added that Zanu PF’s actions were disruptive to the education of children because the elections were taking place during a school day when children should be attending school.

“It disrupts the education of children and so clearly it is not in the best interest of children,” he said. “I have received several reports and complaints today about schools being used countrywide to conduct Zanu PF primary elections,” Coltart said.

“I have stated, as policy, on numerous occasions in the last four years that schools should not be used under any circumstances for partisan political activity.”
Coltart also said that the current school term could be cut short if elections were held on July 31.

“We are waiting to hear what the Constitutional Court rules. While politics is often referred to as a dirty game, it can be dirtier when it affects children’s basic right to education,” he said.

If the court rules in favour of an extension of the poll date to August, Coltart said, the school terms would not be affected.