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With Violet Gonda SW Radio Africa

VIOLET: Welcome to you Mr Coltart.

COLTART: Good evening Violet, it’s nice to be with you.

VIOLET: Thank you. Now let’s start with your efforts to try and broker peace between the two factions of the MDC, where are you with this?

COLTART: Since the split started on the 12th of October I have tried to refrain from making public statements regarding either faction and I have been speaking to leaders from either side.
In October and November I had one-on-one meetings with Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda, Gift Chimanikire, people like Job Sikhala and many others in an effort to try and lower the amount of rhetoric. As you recall in October and November there were a lot of very harsh statements made by people on both sides against the other and I was at that stage trying to encourage them to tone down the rhetoric so that we didn’t antagonise things any more.
I had a couple of key meetings with Tsvangirai in particular regarding what I believed to be the central issue mainly violence, and I put forward a variety of proposals to him in the course of November, December and January. But by the end of January it became very apparent to me that the chances of reconciliation were minimal and I realised that as both factions moved towards their respective congresses in late February and early March their positions were becoming rigid and that the chances of reconciliation were almost non-existent and so at the end of February, on the 20th of February, I wrote a long letter to Morgan Tsvangirai in his capacity as President of the MDC, that is the former united MDC, and a virtually identical letter to Gibson Sibanda in his capacity as vice president of the former united MDC.

Keywords:

Zimbabwe Independent
Muckraker

Finally, we were rather amused by a story in the Sunday Mail’s business section. It proclaimed that Zimbabwe was back in ARSO and had even attended an ARSO meeting in Cairo last month. The meeting was hosted by Egyptian ARSOs.

In case you are wondering, ARSO stands for the African Organisation for Standardisation, according to the Sunday Mail. The acronym would more likely suggest the African Regional Standards Organisation. Whatever the case, it is rather unfortunate that this august body did not contemplate the consequences when it devised its appellation.

Meanwhile, David Coltart may have been alarmed on Tuesday to hear ZTV referring to “Cde Coltart Chimurenga”. !!!!

The Independent

THE MDC team that inspected the disputed 2002 presidential poll has produced a report alleging that at least 490 000 fraudulent votes were stuffed into ballot boxes to give President Robert Mugabe his fifth term in office.

In an interview on Tuesday, the party’s former secretary for legal affairs, David Coltart, said: “After analysing 12 constituencies we arrived at the conclusion that 490 000 votes were fraudulently added. We submitted our report to (Morgan) Tsvangirai.”

Coltart, who lost an executive post in the opposition party after refusing to attend either faction’s congress, referred further questions to Innocent Gonese, the anti-senate’s faction secretary for legal affairs, saying he was no longer handling the matter.

On Wednesday Gonese said he could not comment as he wanted to be briefed first by the lawyers who are involved in the matter. He could also not say when the inspection would re-start following adjournment of the process indefinitely last November.

In the vote that was characterised by intimidation and violence against the opposition, Mugabe won by almost 400 000 votes after polling 1 685 212 votes against Tsvangirai’s 1 258 401 votes.

Tsvangirai described the outcome as a “daylight robbery” while Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa labelled it a well-deserved “run away victory” for Mugabe.

The inspection of the election materials started last year after Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede surrendered them at a time a contempt of court charge was hanging over him for defying several court orders to do so.
The first order had been issued in September 2002.

* Meanwhile, Gweru Rural parliamentary losing candidate Renson Gasela has complained that Justice Mafios Cheda’s delay in releasing a written judgement on his election petition has affected the hearing of his appeal in the Supreme Court.

Zimbabwe Independent
- Clemence Manyukwe

MDC MP David Coltart, who is trying to play arbiter in the party’s feud, has given anti-senate president Morgan Tsvangirai a deadline to respond to his proposals to negotiate the party’s formal split. The rival faction led by Arthur Mutambara has given the nod to Coltart to work out a deal.

In letters written on February 20 to Tsvangirai and pro-senate vice-president Gibson Sibanda, Coltart proposed a five-point plan for possible negotiations for reunification or an amicable divorce of the feuding parties.

In his latest letter dated April 8 addressed to Tsvangirai, the former MDC secretary for legal affairs who has tried to remain neutral, said if Tsvangirai fails to respond in the next few days, he would assume that the faction does not want to take up his offer.
“I believe that every day this dispute is allowed to fester the chances of reaching an amicable settlement are lessened. In the circumstances I would be grateful to hear from you within the next few days. If I have not heard from you by then I shall assume that you do not want to take up my offer,” said Coltart.

He added that Mutambara’s faction had responded positively on March 28 to his proposals.

“It is now over six weeks since I wrote to you. I believe that the current dispute needs to be urgently resolved so that both entities can get on with the job of confronting the serious problems facing Zimbabwe,” he said.

He said he had noted the press statement by the Tsvangirai faction spokesman Nelson Chamisa, published in the Zimbabwe Independent on March 24, dismissing the offer.
“However, on the 3rd April Eddie Cross forwarded me a note sent to him by William Bango which states that “the matter is still under consideration” and that “I was advised to wait”, said Coltart.

This letter was sent today to senior leaders of both factions of the MDC:

Dear Friends,

As you know I have been trying to broker peace between the two factions of the MDC since the 12th October 2005. I know that some of you are skeptical about this and about my ability to play this role but nevertheless I am convinced in my mind at least that this is the right thing to do.

I have been deeply concerned about the vitriolic statements made by both sides and by individuals on both sides since the 12th October as I believe they have greatly lessened any chance of reconciliation being achieved. However in recent weeks I have discerned an even more disturbing trend and that is that violence has been increasingly threatened and used. A vehicle has been hijacked by youths and at least one rally threats have been made to crush members of an opposing faction. This is of course just a continuation of the violence we have seen perpetrated by both sides against each other in the last 18 months.

I do not propose at this juncture to delve into who is responsible for that violence. Nor will I try to assess which side is most culpable at this stage. What is needed now is a deep rooted commitment from both sides to refrain from violence, not just in word but more importantly in action. Anyone can simply condemn violence - Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF do that all the time at the very time they are plotting evil. Violent tendencies can only be quashed if leaders demonstrate that they are not prepared to tolerate violence in any form or fashion.

Zimbabwe Standard
Letter to the Editor

I AM disturbed by the antics of Arthur Mutambara. In the few weeks he has been in mainstream politics, Mutambara has already messed up big time.

This is surprising coming from someone who is very educated. Maybe this is proof that true leadership is not based on intellectual prowess but on good character. A good leader must be consistent, honest, humble and respectful. Indeed it is these traits that have made people like Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela icons.

Unfortunately, Mutambara has patently exhibited lack of these qualities since he was appointed leader of the MDC pro-Senate faction. He has positioned himself as a unifier of the two MDC factions. I expect this role to be carried out by neutrals such as church organizations, Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe and the National Constitutional Assembly.

Mutambara is far from being an honest broker, for he harbours an intention to become President of a united MDC. Therefore, to him the pro-Senate faction is a mere stepping-stone to the fulfillment of his dream. Viewed this way, his association with Welshman Ncube and others is not sincere. It is actually opportunistic.

The clean man here is David Coltart, who has chosen to remain non-aligned so that both camps can hear him. In his acceptance speech, Mutambara publicly distanced himself from his benefactors. It is on record that the faction he now leads has been lampooning and vilifying Morgan Tsvangirai since the 12 October fallout.

Now, for him to describe Tsvangirai as his hero and, furthermore, to declare his anti-Senate stance on a pro-Senate stage is as good as biting the hand that feeds him. I would have expected Mutambara to privately convince his colleagues of his position so that they speak with one voice.

Dear Morgan,

Reference: Proposal to broker an amicable divorce.

I refer to my letter addressed to you dated the 20th February 2006 which was hand delivered to you on the 22nd February 2006. This letter is being hand delivered to you on the 9th April 2006 by kind favour of Eddie Cross.

As you know a similar letter to one written to you dated 20th February 2006 was sent to Gibson Sibanda. I am pleased to advise you that I received a positive written response to that letter on the 28th March 2006. I was advised that my letter has been “discussed by the leadership and it has been agreed that (they) are agreeable and amendable to a negotiated settlement of the dispute on the matters raised in the (my) letter.”

Unfortunately I have not heard from you yet. I did note the press statement made by Information Secretary Nelson Chamisa in the Independent on the 24th March 2006 which appeared to dismiss my offer. However on the 3rd April Eddie Cross forwarded me a note sent to him by William Bango which states that “the matter is still under consideration” and that I was “advised to wait”.

It is now over 6 weeks since I wrote to you. I believe that the current dispute needs to be urgently resolved so that both entities can get on with the job of confronting the serious problems facing Zimbabwe. In the circumstances I would be grateful if you would deal with this matter urgently. I believe that every day this dispute is allowed to fester the chances of reaching an amicable settlement are lessened.

In the circumstances I would be grateful to hear from you within the next few days. If I have not heard from you by then I shall assume that you do not want to take up my offer.

Yours sincerely,
David Coltart

CC
Tendai Biti
Eddie Cross
Arthur Mutambara
Welshman Ncube

Letter to Morgan Tsvangirai - 8th April 2006

Zimbabwe Independent

Both MDC factions are set to face off in the Budiriro by-election following indications that they will field rival candidates for the poll slated for May 20, in clear evidence that their split is final.

The fielding of competing candidates by the two factions is most likely to split the opposition vote in the urban constituency and hand Zanu PF an unearned victory.

The constituency fell vacant following the death of MDC MP Gilbert Shoko last month. The nomination court for the poll will sit on April 21.

Sources said this week the anti-senate faction was likely to field former Harare mayor and recently elected national organising secretary, Elias Mudzuri, as their candidate.

It was not immediately clear who was going to stand on the pro-senate faction’s ticket.

The faction’s secretary-general Welshman Ncube yesterday confirmed that his camp would be fielding a candidate, a departure from the last election when the feuding sides refrained from competing against each other.

The strategy saw the anti-senate faction losing the Chegutu mayoral and Chitungwiza council polls while the pro-senate camp lost ward elections in Bulawayo to Zanu PF.

Anti-senate faction spokesperson Nelson Chamisa yesterday would not commit himself on their likely candidate.

“As of now I cannot talk about who is going to stand. The candidate will emerge from the internal process. Leaders come from a combination of wards and districts in Budiriro,” said Chamisa.

Revelations of the factions squaring up in Budiriro and this week’s court case that saw the High Court ordering the anti-senate camp to return a vehicle seized from their rivals, is likely to put to nought efforts by the MDC’s secretary for legal affairs David Coltart to reconcile the two sides.

New Zimbabwe

Movement for Democratic Change peace maker David Coltart has said that chances of a reconciliation between the party’s feuding factions are now “very minimal” following the latest round of legal battles.

Coltart had proposed a five-point plan for possible negotiations for reunification or amicable divorce between the feuding parties.

In a letters written to Morgan Tsvangirai and his former deputy, Gibson Sibanda, now a member of a rival faction on February 20, the Bulawayo South MP expressed opposition and warned of the dangers of matters between the two parties being settled in the courts.

Coltart warned in his letter: “If the Zimbabwean courts are entrusted with the role of settling these issues that will itself play into the hands of the Mugabe regime. If both factions cannot agree to settle these disputes they will in essence give the regime the power to decide through the courts how long they want this conflict to go on for and who ultimately they want to deal with.

“I have no doubt that the spectacle of opposition leaders fighting each other in court and wrangling over names and assets will greatly diminish those same politicians in the eyes of the Zimbabwean electorate.”

This week, a faction of the MDC led by former NASA scientist, Professor Arthur Mutambara took Tsvangirai’s group to court over a party vehicle which was violently seized in Harare. A High Court judge granted an order for the car to be returned.

On Thursday, Coltart said: “The Zimbabwean public is not impressed by the spectre of the MDC fighting in the courts. I think the chances of reconciliation are now very minimal. The parties still have to meet on how the divorce should take place.”

The Herald
Herald Reporter

THE House of Assembly yesterday ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption which seek to provide a legal framework for curbing the vice at global and regional levels.

Minister of State for State Enterprises, Anti-Monopolies and Anti-Corruption Cde Paul Mangwana told the House that the two conventions were pivotal in enhancing global and regional cooperation against corruption. He was moving a motion for the ratification of the conventions. The minister said corruption required zero tolerance hence it must be confronted and eradicated at all costs. “We need to ratify these conventions in order to usher our country into the global fight against corruption. We need to restore hope and remove fear from our people,” he said. Corruption, Cde Mangwana said, was a threat to national stability as some foreign elements could sponsor opposition parties through dubious means, adding that tolerance for corruption could lead to a self-induced regime change. He said the Government had also ratified the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Protocol against Corruption and had set up the Anti-Corruption Commission as part of its efforts to effectively deal with the vice. Contributing to the debate, Kambuzuma MP Mr Willias Madzimure (MDC) said staff in the Attorney-General’s Office and the police should be well remunerated to guard against the temptation of being involved in corrupt activities. He said the AG’s Office should be semi-autonomous to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively. Mr Madzimure said the continued increase in the prices of basic commodities could only be attributed to corruption with the manufacturers and retailers bent on profiteering. “We have shortage of fuel but the black market is being fully supplied. Where are the dealers getting money to buy the fuel?” he said. Bulawayo South MP Mr David Coltart (MDC) welcomed the two conventions but said there was need for Government to double its efforts in the fight against corruption. “It is very difficult in Zimbabwe to pin point corruption but it is easy to see its effects and one of the effects of corruption is the decline of the economy,” he said. The opposition legislator said the Government was not sincere in its efforts to curb the vice and this was evidenced by a long history of corruption cases that had not been finalised such as the War Victims Compensation Fund scandal and the VIP housing scandal. Mr Coltart said there should also be legislation making it compulsory for senior civil servants to declare their property as some of them were amassing wealth through corrupt activities. In response, Cde Mangwana said Government was serious in its quest to curb corruption and no one would be spared in the anti-corruption drive. “Among us, yes, we have corrupt people and they will be dealt with in terms of the law,” he said. The minister said a number of Bills seeking to strengthen the fight against corruption would be introduced in the House. Government, Cde Mangwana said, intended to introduce the teaching of ethics in primary and secondary schools next year with a view to cultivate a culture of honesty and integrity among the young generation.