David Coltart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David Coltart | |
 |
|
|
|
|
| In office 2000 – 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Zenzo Nsimbi |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Eddie Cross |
|
|
|
| In office 2008 – present |
|
|
|
|
| Born | October 4, 1957  Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia |
| Political party | MDC (Mutambara faction) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Website | [1] |
David Coltart (born October 4, 1957 in Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia) is a Zimbabwean politician. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change when it was established in 1999 and its founding Secretary for Legal Affairs.He was the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in the House of Assembly from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to the Senate in 2008. He is presently the Legal Secretary for the faction[1] of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Arthur Mutambara; the main wing is led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Coltart was born in Gweru (formerly known as Gwelo), Midlands Province, in the former Southern Rhodesia. He was born an only child to a bank manager father and a nurse mother. As a young child the Coltart family relocated to Bulawayo. He was educated at Hillside Primary School followed by Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo. After matriculation, Coltart served in the BSAP from 1975 to 1978 in the Mashonaland, Matabeleland South, and Masvingo provinces.
After his conscription he enrolled at the University of Cape Town in 1978. UCT is where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in legal studies as well as his Bachelor of Laws. While at UCT Coltart first became involved in politics when he was elected as Chairman of the Zimbabwe Students Society. In addition to this post he was elected to serve on the Law Students Council.
In 1983 Coltart went to work for the Webb, Low and Barry law firm in Bulawayo. He was appointed a partner in 1984 and became the firm's senior partner in 1998, a position he still holds. Coltart was admitted as a Legal Practitioner of the Zimbabwean High Court in 1983. At this time Coltart became involved in campaigning against the Rhodesian Front serving as campaign manager for the first Independent to unseat the RF in 17 years.
Coltart founded the Bulawayo Legal Projects Centre in 1987 and was its first Director until 1997. During that time he initiated the first investigation into the genocide committed by the Mugabe regime in Matabeleland between 1982 and 1987. This culminated in the publication in 1987 of the report entitled "Breaking the Silence:Building True Peace" by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and the Legal Resources Foundation.
In 1990 Coltart helped establish the Central and Southern African Legal Assistance Foundation.
In 1992 Coltart was appointed legal adviser to the opposition Forum political party established that year and led by Dr. Enock Dumbutshena, Zimbabwe's first black Chief Justice.
In 1999 Coltart was appointed interim legal secretary of the Movement for Democratic Change. In January 2000, at the inaugural congress of the Movement for Democratic Change, Coltart was elected Secretary for Legal Affairs.
[edit] Political career
Coltart has served in the House of Assembly since he unseated the ZANU-PF incumbent in the 2000 election as a member of the Movement for Democratic Change.
During his first term in Parliament he was the Shadow Justice Minister and chaired the Parliamentary Justice Committee. In March 2005 he was reelected in the Zimbabwean general election, winning his seat against a Zanu PF cabinet minister with a 76% majority.
When the Movement for Democratic Change split in October 2005 Coltart was the only member of the National Executive of the party not to take sides in an effort to reconcile the two factions which emerged after the split.
In the March 2008 Senate election, Coltart won the seat of Khumalo, standing for the Mutambara faction of the MDC; he received 8,021 votes against 6,077 for Joubert Mangena of the Tsvangirai faction.[2]
[edit] Ian Smith
Following the death of former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, Coltart issued a press statement in which he said: "Ian Smith lived an exemplary family life and in private was a down-to-earth, modest man. Ian Smith was not corrupt nor was he a megalomaniac." He also criticized him: "However whilst Ian Smith acted in what he thought were the best interests of then Rhodesia he made some disastrous political decisions as Prime Minister which directly contributed to the trauma that Zimbabwe is suffering from today".[3]
[edit] Electoral history
| General Election 2005: Bulawayo South | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| MDC | David Coltart | 12,120 | 75.8 | -8.9 | |
| ZANU-PF | Sithembiso Nyoni | 3,777 | 23.6 | +10.6 | |
| Independent | Charles Mpofu | 84 | 0.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,343 | 52.2 | -19.5 | ||
| Turnout | 15,981 | 36.4 | +0.6 | ||
| MDC hold | Swing | ||||
| General Election 2000: Bulawayo South | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| MDC | David Coltart | 20,781 | 84.7 | N/A | |
| ZANU-PF | Callistus Ndlovu | 3,193 | 13.0 | -51.6 | |
| Independent | Others | 552 | 2.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 17,588 | 71.7 | |||
| Turnout | 24,526 | 35.8 | |||
| MDC gain from ZANU-PF | Swing | ||||
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ BBC News. Constitutional deal in Zimbabwe.
- ^ "Zimbabwe senate election results", newzimbabwe.com.
- ^ Zimbabwe Metro. Ian Douglas Smith.
