David Coltart

Personal Details

Born: Gweru, 4 October 1957 and the family relocated to Bulawayo.
Marriage: to Jennifer Reine Barrett in 1983. They have four children - Jessica, Douglas, Scott and Bethany.
Son Douglas Coltart is a political activist who has been active especially since2016 when the #ThisFlag and Tajamuka movements gained traction.

School / Education

Primary: Hillside Primary School.
Secondary: Christian Brothers College.
Tertiary: Law degree, University of Capetown, 1980. LLB post graduate law degree in 1982. ^[2]

Service/Career

He was conscripted into the British South African Police and stationed in Mashonaland, Matabeleland South, and Masvingo Provinces.

David's political life began whilst at the University of Capetown (UCT) when he became involved in politics and was elected as chairman of the Zimbabwe student society. The society represented the interests of thousands of Zimbabwean students studying at the university. He was also elected to serve on the law student council and was the director of the Crossroads Legal Aid Clinic which provided services to poor South Africans this was from 1980-82. Then in 1983, he was employed by a Law firm Webb, Low and Barry and was made partner 1984. Coltart began compiling data on the Gukurahundi atrocities. He was requested by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace to record affidavits from people who had suffered at the hands of the 5th Brigade.

In April 1983 he was appointed the secretary of the Bulawayo Legal Practitioners Association and in this capacity, Coltart started the first legal aid clinic in Bulawayo. In 1999 he was appointed to sit on the legal committee of the National Constitutional Assembly of Zimbabwe(NCA), was also appointed the chairperson of the interim legal committee of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). David Coltart also got elected secretary for legal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at its inaugural congress in 2000, in the same year was elected member of parliament for Bulawayo South Constituency. He was a member of the observer team in 1992 when Kenya had elections.

In the 2000 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Bulawayo South returned to Parliament:

• David Coltart of MDC with 20 781 votes,
• Callistus Ndlovu of Zanu PF with 3 193 votes,
• Charles Mpofu, Independent, with 281 votes,
• Done Dhlmini of ZAPU with 34 votes,
• Shadreck Ndlovu of UP with 25 votes.

In August 2003, he was one of the members of an MDC delegation to visit Kenya and study the Kenyan electoral system which culminated in proposals being made for wide-ranging reform of Zimbabwe’s electoral practices and laws. In October 2003, David Coltart attended a private meeting with President Nelson Mandela and Advocate George Bizos to brief President Mandela on the Zimbabwe Presidential Election court challenge. Then in October/November 2004, as MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs and Shadow Justice Minister, Coltart introduced and led an argument in Parliament about the MDC’s extensive proposed amendments to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Bill and the Electoral Bill. Coltart was elected member of Parliament for Bulawayo South Constituency in March 2005.

August 2006 he was elected as Secretary for Legal Affairs and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee of the MDC (Mutambara faction). He was appointed Chairperson of MDC (M) advisory committee on Constitutional reform for the SADC mediation exercise. In March 2008, Coltart elected to be the Senate on behalf of the MDC in the Khumalo Senatorial Constituency of Bulawayo in the 29 March 2009 general election. He delivered a speech focusing on crimes against humanity being committed in Zimbabwe at the Policy Exchange in London and held several meetings regarding the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, London, and New York in May 2008.

In February 2009 he was appointed Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture in the transitional inclusive government brought about by the Global Political Agreement entered into by MDC (T), MDC and ZANU (PF) in September 2008.

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Bulawayo East returned to Parliament:

• Thabitha Khumalo of MDC–T with 4 560 votes or 37.46 percent,
• David Coltart of MDC–N with 4 540 votes or 37.30 percent,
• Kevin Muzvidziwa of Zanu PF with 2 842 votes or 23.35 percent,
• 4 others with 230 votes or 1.90 percent.

Total 12 493 votes

Bulawayo Mayor 2023

On 11 September 2023, David Coltart (Cllr Ward 4) was sworn in as the new Mayor of Bulawayo. He was unopposed. CCC hold all 29 Council seats in Bulawayo. Donaldson Mabutho (Cllr Ward 9) was deputy Mayor. The new mayor and councillors observed a minute’s silence in honour of the late former mayor Joshua Malinga, who died last Saturday (2 September) at the age of 79.

In his maiden speech, Coltart said 'This city has, I believe, the potential to be the greatest city in Africa', acknowledged “massive obstacles and challenges - water shortages, roads littered with potholes, a boom in illegal vending and low revenues, and allegations of corruption. Also, the office of mayor had been denuded of effective power and many of the resources that this city used to have access to, such as car licence fees have been removed from the control of this council by the Central Government, which undermines our ability to run this city effectively.” ^{[3] [4] [5]}

After the swearing-in ceremony, some protestors gathered outside and claimed that Chamisa had “sold out” and that “You can’t come from outside Bulawayo and become Mayors and councillors in Bulawayo,” Patricia Tshabala said.

Coltart (Cllr, Ward4) was elected uncontested, with Donald Mabutho, viewed by some as as an outsider, as Deputy Mayor. ^[6]

Events

David Coltart brought a teachers' strike to an end when he negotiated with the Teachers' Unions. About 90 000 teachers had gone on strike causing a closure of 8 000 country schools. He granted amnesty allowing teachers who had left to come back to work.

Appointed joint chairperson of the Constitution Committee, a body established under the Global Political Agreement and charged with drafting a new Constitution in May 2009.^[7]

Mayoral Car, 2023

Stating, We are here to serve and not to be served, David Coltart has said he will not accept a new Mayoral vehicle. There is, however, a deficit in vehicles – Bulawayo has six refuse compactors and the minimum needed is at least 11, five ambulances of which the city needs 30 and there are only four fire engines. As Education minister during the 2009-13 inclusive government, Coltart rejected a government Mercedes Benz opting for a Nissan 4×4 which was much better suited to visiting rural schools.

We need to develop a new culture and that doesn’t take any money; it just takes all of us having the same goal and energy. We must be the change we want to see. ^{[8] [9]}

Corruption

Mayor David Coltart noted a trend playing out in the last 20 years. A time in which service delivery plummeted, while to councillors have used their positions to allocate themselves stands. If I am to sum up my vision for the city, it is to clean up Bulawayo, it has become clear in my mind that one of the reasons why Bulawayo is not working is because of corruption, which has become endemic. Bulawayo is not working because of corruption, it is driving away potential investors. I want our city to have more investments and we can do that by eradicating corruption, which has become endemic. ^[10]

Book

David Coltart Book, The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe

In February 2016, Coltart published a book titled "The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe". The book is a narrative of Zimbabwe's history from Coltart's personal perspective.

Criticism by Jonathan Moyo

Coltart has been the constant subject of criticism by Zanu-PF politician, Jonathan Moyo who has accused him of having been a former Selous Scout. ^[11] Selous Scouts were a unit of the Rhodesian Security Forces, which were know to have committed various atrocities against Rhodesian African civilians in Rhodesia and the neighbouring countries. ^[12]

On 18 April 2015, at Zimbabwe's Independence day celebration, Moyo accused Coltart of having no shame when Coltart tweeted an article that described Zimbabwe’s independence as “Bleak freedom”. Moyo in various tweets responding to the Coltart:

We can count on you to be negative even on this special Zimbabwean day Zim@35. Don’t you have any shame? His negativity on this day is unwelcome & even insulting given his history as a Selous Scout It’s not a lie but a fact that you served in the Rhodesian Forces! You only found human rights in Zim. BSAP & Selous Scouts were evil creatures of one evil Rhodesian force. You dwell with the past of others as if you’ve no past!^[13]

Coltart said that while he was in the Rhodesian Security Forces, he wasn't part of the Selous Scouts. ^[11]

Apology for Rhodesian Atrocities

Coltart apologized for the atrocities carried out by the Rhodesian regime and set the record straight concerning a number of areas such as allegations that he killed black Zimbabweans and that he was in the Selous Scouts. ^[14].Coltart denied the widely believed assumption that he was a member of the Selous Scouts.

Further Reading

References