Background Statement
David Coltart was elected to Zimbabwe’s parliament in June 2000, representing the Bulawayo South constituency for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and became MDC spokesperson for legal affairs. For eighteen years prior to entering parliament he was an outspoken advocate for human rights and had emerged as one of the leading human rights lawyers in Southern Africa.
David Coltart’s political career is rooted in his activities as a human rights activist. As Chairperson of the Bulawayo Legal Projects Centre (BLPC), a non-governmental human rights organization, he has run a number of legal advice centers for the disadvantaged in the Matabeleland region, where Bulawayo is the main city. The BLPC is actively involved in public interest legislation, and has been responsible for a number of landmark constitutional decisions handed down by the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. Mr. Coltart is a leading figure in several other human rights organizations in Zimbabwe, including the Legal Resources Foundation. The law firm where he was a senior partner, Webb, Low and Barry in Bulawayo, also had an extensive practice in the public interest field. His popularity in his Bulawayo constituency, where he defeated former Home Affairs minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, in the 2000 elections derives, in part, from his position as a respected human rights advocate and lawyer.
David Coltart’s human rights activism began in his days as a student in Zimbabwe and at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He has since played a leading role in human rights promotion throughout the region. Earlier this year, he met with Human Rights First staff to promote cooperation between Human Rights First and Zimbabwean NGOs on the protection and welfare of refugees and displaced persons in southern and central Africa. Between 1984 and 1986, he worked closely with Human Rights First researchers in producing the report, Zimbabwe: Wages of War, which described serious violations of human rights in Matabeleland, in south-western Zimbabwe.
The increasing authoritarianism of the Mugabe government presents a direct threat to human rights in Zimbabwe. As the ruling Zanu PF party’s grip on power has started to slip, the government has moved ruthlessly to suppress dissent, and the growing challenge from the opposition MDC. According to the constitution, presidential elections must be held in Zimbabwe prior to the end of March 2002. There is growing speculation that rather than subject himself to a democratic contest, which he may well lose, President Mugabe will declare a state of emergency, suspend the constitution and postpone the elections.
The worsening human rights situation has already started to undermine the independence of the judiciary. Senior judges have been threatened and intimidated, and the government sometimes disregards court rulings. Journalists have been imprisoned, threatened and assaulted as the freedom of the press has come under attack. Human rights defenders are also the targets of threats and intimidation.
At a state funeral for Cain Nkala, murdered leader of the Bulawayo war veterans association, on November 19, 2001, President Mugabe branded the democratic opposition as terrorists. His supporters in the crowd carried banners saying, “Kill the Terrorists.” MDC leaders have denied any involvement in the death of Mr. Nkala, and have called for his killers to be apprehended and brought to justice. The ruling party appears to be exploiting the incident to further polarize an already volatile situation, and to incite violence against the MDC and other independent government critics.
Zimbabwe is on the brink of descending into catastrophic political violence that would threaten instability throughout the region. Now more than ever, the country is in need of the work of human rights defenders like David Coltart, who provide an alternative to conflict through patient dedication to defending the rule of law and basic freedoms.