Times Union

By Angus Shaw

2 November 2012

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s only white government minister has said racial slurs against whites at the highest political level continue to show “a gross level of intolerance” in the southern African nation.

Education Minister David Coltart said if he made similar insults about blacks he would “rightly be branded as a sympathizer of the Nazis and the Klu Klux Klan.”

Ministerial colleagues sometimes seemed to forget he was in the same room when they made “shocking” remarks about whites, even at Cabinet meetings, he said on his Facebook page.

Debate on lingering prejudices in Zimbabwe has raged since allegations of racism in soccer have reemerged in Europe.

A weekly newspaper run by loyalists of President Robert Mugabe charged Friday that racism by whites has endured three decades since the end of colonial-era rule.

The Patriot newspaper said since independence in 1980 Zimbabweans have been giving each other “plastic smiles” that tried to conceal the deeply-rooted brutality of past white rule. It said the tiny white minority of about 30,000 does not want to mix with blacks or respect the majority population of 12 million people.

It said racial polarization was shown at a writers’ gathering in Harare last month addressed by white and black best-selling authors. It said Alexandra Fuller, author of “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight,” an account of growing up as a white child in colonial times, dodged questions on “white assumptions” about black Africans.

Coltart, a lawyer, longtime human rights activist and a politician of the former opposition now in the coalition government, said white attitudes had often been hardened by racist hate speech in media controlled by Mugabe loyalists and “ethnic cleansing” by Mugabe militants since 2000, the start of an often violent campaign to seize thousands of white-owned commercial farms and a black empowerment program to take control of 51 percent of white and foreign-owned businesses.

That “entrenched bitterness in the minds of many whites,” Coltart said.

He said he was glad the “important debate” was now being aired openly.

In 1980, after a guerrilla war swept him to power, Mugabe announced a policy of reconciliation toward his former white foes and said he would allow the descendants of British settlers to keep their place in the sun.

Coltart noted no independent truth commission was held in Zimbabwe after white rule ended and so whites never had to face up to the realities of the past. In neighboring South Africa, many apartheid era crimes were investigated and heard by a truth and reconciliation commission.

Coltart said “deeply offensive” generalizations on race were frequently used by all groups in Zimbabwe.

“As always, it is wrong to paint any race or ethnic group with a single, broad brush. There are remarkable white people out there who are deeply committed to the concept of a multiracial, truly democratic Zimbabwe,” he said.

“Sadly, we all make generalizations which would be unacceptable in all genuine democracies,” he said.

Daily News

2 November 2012

HARARE - As the chaos in Zimbabwe’s world-acclaimed education system continues, Education minister David Coltart took time to comment on the Daily News story about the disruptions of examinations at St Peter’s Kubatana High School.

We publish here in full his comment and that of one of our readers.

“As the saying goes “one swallow does not a summer make” and one headmaster out of 8 500 headmasters losing examination papers is not an indication that Zimsec, or the education system for that matter, is in chaos.

“Likewise this incident reported in this piece has happened in one school — there is no evidence that this is a widespread practice across Zimbabwe.

“No one doubts that the education system is still in crisis but a serious newspaper must give credit where it is due — and the education sector is not “lurching from one crisis to another,” the minister said.

“In fact the objective truth is that the education sector has stabilised dramatically in the last three years and is gradually improving. It is not perfect, far from it, but your report is a gross misrepresentation of the truth and not becoming of your newspaper,” added Coltart.

A reader in London also posted: “This country is pathetic. Seriously do you think any Zimsec results are credible anymore? Please let us stop bragging that Zim has the highest literacy rate. That is history. Let us start from scratch in rebuilding our education system, and the country as a whole.

The Patriot

By Patriot Reporter

THE PATRIOT has torched a fire-storm with its last week’s lead story about race relations in Zimbabwe.  Facebook is ablaze with people making their contributions. But the most disappointing contributions are Ms Gappah’s. After defending the black identity so strongly at the Book Cafe last week, on Facebook, she sounds so powerless, literally apologising to the white man if her remarks offended them.

In our lead story this week, we carry her remarks during an incident where she opts to hide in silence rather than offend her white friend. Only to tell us how angry she felt several days later on her page on Facebook.  Why didn’t she tell her white friend how she felt in her face? What was she afraid of? Was it the historical fear that the black person has for the white man? Fear that is born out of 400 years of slavery, 200 years of colonialism and the remainder neo-colonialism? Is it a result of that consolidated fear? Fear that has been passed on from generation to generation since the day the black man came face to face with the white man? Is that the fear that stopped you telling the white lady if the black man’s choice of Robert Mugabe was so bad how about your choice of Ian Smith?

Petina, why did you opt to say that to yourself in your mind?  Answer the questions honestly. David Coltart has joined the debate.
He begins with a word of advice to Petina. “You know you have arrived when The Patriot writes about you! Wear it as a badge of honour.” This is the dangerous assumption that whites make regarding blacks we talked about in our story last week.  What is the common destination with Ms Gappah that Coltart is implying? The assumption he makes is that Petina has finally arrived where the whites are congregated, but that is precisely the point that she denied at the Book Cafe last week.

The problem in our relations with the white man is the powerlessness or fear that we have to stand up and defend our position in their presence, the way it happened with Petina in the book shop, as if the white man has bewitched us. Let us clarify a misconception. It is a myth to believe a poor villager in Murewa can discriminate against a white lawyer like David Coltart or a white businessman like Roy Bennett.

Pseudo human rights activists like David Coltart call it ‘reverse racism’. The poor woman in Murewa has no capacity to discriminate against David Coltart. To be able to discriminate, one requires economic capacity. It can be said with conclusiveness that in Africa, the generality of the black man has no capacity to discriminate against the white man because the white man has historically always had better access to resources than the black man. And yet there are blacks who believe there is reverse racism. There is nothing like that.

It’s a myth!

However, Honourable Senator Coltart needs to be reminded that badges and stars and medals of honour that he advises Ms Gappah to move around wearing belong to the military. In the arts where Gappah belongs, they are called awards. But of course we do not begrudge him for his temptation to use military language. After all, isn’t he a decorated member of the notorious Rhodesian Selous Scouts?

The Patriot

By Evans Mushawevato

IT seems in the last 32 years blacks and whites have been giving each other plastic smiles.  During that time we have not been bold enough to sit with one another, and talk. Last week’s lead story in The Patriot on the discussion between Ms Petina Gappah and Ms Alexander Fuller torched a firestorm showing that the two races still have issues to resolve.

But one wonders how the issue can be dealt with when some among us are quick to ‘defend’ whites or become apologetic when dealing with the issue. Colonialism was brutal to blacks.  They were dispossessed of their land and exploited for their labour. They were humiliated, degraded, belittled and dehumanised.

Prominent journalist Wonder Guchu points out in his contribution to the race debate on Facebook:
“I have heard it said repeatedly that blacks are bitter and angry about the past that they can’t forget and move on. You (must) realise that forgiving and forgetting is not easy and that it can’t be done in 20 or 30 years, it has taken Europe — the home of democracy and civilisation — more than 70 years to do so. Still Europe is not yet done with the Nazis. They will hunt them down and arrest them and charge them even when they are on their death beds. “Africa too is ready to move on but the same people who wronged Africa are still unapologetic. They still scheme to subvert and sabotage Africa. That’s why forgiving and forgetting isn’t easy,” he said.

Ms Gappah, despite her new found light, remains apologetic.  It seems she does not want to rock the boat, does not want to ‘alienate’ the white community, her friends. From her comments on Facebook, she seems to know and to have experienced racism. She says: “I have met whites who have assured me that they are comfortable with black people because they have black maids working for them. I am not kidding. “A lady in a shop recently accused me, or rather ‘you people’ of never choosing the right leaders, at which I wanted to say, ‘And Ian Smith was the right leader for you?’.”

The silence by Ms Gappah over what she wanted to say regarding Ian Smith – ‘at which I wanted to say’, is the root of our problem – the sudden powerlessness to defend our position before the white man. Why did she not tell the lady in the shop what she is telling us now on Facebook? What was she afraid of? “I completely understand the isolation and the terror of being in a white minority in a black country where you are outnumbered but in control,” said Ms Gappah.

While numerous forces might be at play forcing Ms Gappah to be ‘diplomatic’ and put on kid gloves, deep down she knows the truth and in her words wishes “that white people would actually acknowledge that Rhodesia was unjust, that it was wrong to restrict education and voting. It was wrong to stunt the growth of so many people.”

“That is all I ask for,” she pleaded.

“But instead, all I get is ‘that is all in the past. Move on, forget about it’. Either that, or I get the ‘Rhodesia was super’ stuff,” she moaned.
Wayne Armstrong insists that we have to let go off our past. “A nation that clings to the bitterness of the past will never move into the promise of the future,” he said on Facebook.

It has also been difficult to do away with racial tensions because others have attempted to sanitise racism or explain-it-away, where it has been experienced.

For instance, one Arthur Gwagwa says: “Attitudes within some of the white communities that you refer to might not necessarily be racism but socialisation. I would never deny that racism exists. True it originated from the white communities due to historical reasons but ‘an eye for an eye’ attitude stemming from misguided patriotism/nationalism has led to a sinister form of reverse racism.”

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart also contributed to the debate on his Facebook account. “The issue of our white tribe is a matter obviously close to my heart. I am often deeply troubled by the attitudes of many whites in Zimbabwe; attitudes which have been exacerbated by our failure to have an objective truth commission at independence… But as always it is wrong to paint any race or ethnic group with a single broad brush because there are remarkable white people out there who are deeply committed to the concept of a multi racial Zimbabwe,” said the minister.

Until underlying issues such as anger and feelings of frustration are resolved we will continue to give each other plastic smiles that do not mean anything.

Nehanda Radio

2 November 2012

The Education, Sport and Culture Minister posted a message on his Facebook wall saying “It is wrong to paint any race or ethnic group with a single broad brush because there are remarkable white people out there who are deeply committed to the concept of a multi-racial, truly democratic Zimbabwe.”

Coltart said “I am constantly amazed by the frequency with which a broad brush is used, so often in a deeply offensive manner in Zimbabwe. I think in Cabinet, sometimes, colleagues forget that I am there because the comments made by some about whites in general, are on occasions shocking.”

On Friday The Patriot newspaper owned by Zanu PF loyalist Supa Mandiwanzira claimed that racism by whites has endured three decades in the country and that Zimbabweans have been giving each other “plastic smiles” that tried to conceal the deeply-rooted brutality of past white rule.

The Chronicle

1 November 2012

EDUCATIONISTS from the Matabeleland region yesterday launched the Matabeleland Mathematics Association (Matma) in a bid to promote the teaching of the subject at schools and also improve pass rates.

The development comes following an outcry over poor Mathematics passes from schools in the region.The low pass rate in Mathematics has made it difficult for pupils from this part of the country to get places at tertiary institutions dotted around the country where subject is a major requirement.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, officially launched the new organisation at a ceremony held at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).

The launch was attended by Nust Vice Chancellor Professor Lindela Ndlovu and senior university staff members, provincial education directors from Matabeleland North and South as well as college principals and heads of schools in Bulawayo.

In his speech, Minister Coltart said the initiative was the first of its kind in the country and commended educators from the region for being pro-active.

“This is an important day for Matabeleland region in general and Nust in particular because Matma is the first ever regional Mathematics organisation that will be coordinating all Mathematics activities in our three provinces, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South,” said Minister Coltart. “The formation of Matma is an initiative of concerned members of the society, academics, teachers and others who have Mathematics at heart.”

Minister Coltart expressed concern over low enrolment of students from Matabeleland region at different institutions of higher learning in the country and said this was because most pupils do not have Mathematics at Ordinary Level.

He said the development was also responsible for the shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers in schools as there were few people who train as teachers for the subject.

Minister Coltart commended Nust for partnering with the educators and the ministry in responding to educational problems in the region.

He pledged Government commitment towards supporting the initiative and said his ministry would help in lobbying for partnership from development partners.

In his address, Prof Ndlovu said promoting improved teaching of Mathematics would give impetus to the development of education. “The advancement and perfection of Mathematics are intimately connected with the prosperity of the State,” said Prof Ndlovu quoting the French revolutionary leader Napoleon Bonaparte.

Matma chairperson Dr Senelani Dorothy Hove-Musekwa said the new organisation’s mission was to stimulate mathematical thinking in Matabeleland and revitalise the teaching of the subject in schools.

United College of Education principal Mr Sipho Moyo expressed optimism that the initiative would result in improved passes in Mathematics.

Provincial education directors in the three provinces applauded the initiative and called for the spreading of the programme to cater for pupils in remote areas.

Matabeleland South director Mrs Tumisang Thabela expressed hope that the programme would help reverse the effects of the brain drain and increase interest in Mathematics.

Her Matabeleland North counterpart Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni said the programme should be broadened to also promote teaching of  science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Bulawayo provincial education director Mr Dan Moyo said he expected the programme to generate pupils’ interest in science subjects and help them achieve their maximum potential.

Nust’s director of information and public relations Mr Felix Moyo called for comprehensive stakeholder involvement and appealed for funding from development partners. “There is a need to give this association all the support it deserves because what it stands for is at the heart of our lives. The Government and other development partners should also assist us,” said Mr Moyo.

Nust’s Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences Dr Dumisani John Hlatshwayo urged stakeholders to take the programme seriously and called on the Government to make a positive discrimination in giving higher salaries for Mathematics and Science teachers as a form of incentive.

Nust is already coordinating another sensitisation programme under the banner of Schools Enrichment Programme (NustSep) in which lecturers meet pupils and teachers in knowledge sharing at different strategic centres.

Voice of America | Zimbabwe

By Violet Gonda, Tatenda Gumbo, Sithandikele Mhlanga

1 November 2012

Education Minister David Coltart has warned schools not to turn away pupils from writing Ordinary and Advanced Level exams over non-payment of examination fees.

“Our policy is very clear,” said Coltart adding that “we’ve said that all children that are eligible to write O and A level exams should be allowed to do so.”

The minister spoke after parents stormed St. Peters Kubatana High School in Highfield on Tuesday and allegedly manhandled the deputy headmaster Simbarashe Mavetera for preventing some pupils from writing the O Level Shona paper.

Coltart said this is not the first time that he has heard that headmasters are preventing pupils from writing exams because of non-payment of fees, warning that school authorities caught doing this will be in breach of government policy and will face disciplinary action.

However, he also said parents should not take matters into their own hands.

Zimbabwe’s education minister has faced criticism following a number of problems ranging from disputes between the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC), teachers, parents and pupils.

Recent woes at ZIMSEC include 13 lost exam papers in Matabeleland North Province after an acting headmaster reportedly misplaced them after picking them up in Bulawayo.

It has cost the ministry at least $850,000 to reset the exams.

Also ethical issues over cheating, have raised questions on the role and competency of staff at the examination authority.

VOA spoke with Takavafira Zhou, president of the Progressive Teachers Union Zimbabwe, and Felix Magalela Sibanda, a lawmaker and member of the parliamentary committee on education.

Sibanda said the ministry of education is to blame for the failing education system. “I respect Honorable Coltart but he is a novice in the education system.”

Meanwhile, the ministry has ordered teachers from Ndangababi Primary School in Dete, Matabeleland North, to return to work Friday after traditional leaders reported that they have conducted traditional rituals to cleanse the school of “goblins” that have been terrorizing teachers and pupils.

Matabeleland North deputy provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu said his ministry asked traditional leaders in Dete Village to cleanse the school after receiving complaints from the teachers, who fled the school last week, leaving 600 students stranded, at a time when schools are preparing for end of year examinations.

PTUZ Matabeland North coordinator Never Nyahunzvi said the education ministry should close the school indefinitely because teachers are not convinced the problem has been solved.

Ministry officials said they believed the traditional leaders have solved the problem.

Interview With David Coltart

[ca_audio url=”http://realaudio.rferl.org/voa/ZW/manual/2012/11/01/d493f794-7da8-4bc5-a108-234febf1bd63.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]

Panel With Felix Sibanda and Takavafira Zhou

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News Day

By Richard Chidza

31 October 2012

Harare - There was pandemonium at St Peters Kubatana High School in Harare yesterday following a decision by authorities to bar pupils who had not paid their fees in full from writing Ordinary level final exams.

Invigilators who spoke to the Daily News said the situation turned tense after a group of Zanu PF-aligned paramilitary group Chipangano, masquerading as parents arrived and addressed the students who were writing Shona Paper 1.

Education minister David Coltart immediately condemned the actions of both the deputy headmaster Simbarashe Innocent Mavetera and the “parents.”

“It is unacceptable behaviour by the teacher and I am very concerned about this. Our policy is that there is no child who is eligible who should be denied the opportunity to write because they have not paid school fees.

“If the school fees for a child have not been paid they should be allowed to write and at least the results may be withheld but under no circumstances should a child be denied a chance to write. Any teacher who is in breach of this policy is subject to sanction or disciplinary action,” an exasperated Coltart told the Daily News in an interview.

“I also do not condone the actions of parents who have caused disruptions in the process also worsening the situation. I urge them to report such cases to the relevant offices like the district provincial education offices or better still report straight to my office,” the Education minister said.

Teachers said the deputy headmaster never consulted anyone.

“Mavetera took a unilateral decision to bar the students from sitting for their final examinations. It happened again yesterday (Monday) during the English Paper 1 and Agriculture practical paper.

“He later allowed the children but only after threatening to throw them out today (yesterday),” said a teacher who refused to be identified.

He said the students were supposed to start writing the exam at 8am yesterday when Mavetera dragged those who had not paid out of the rooms.

“He ordered every pupil who has not paid their fees in full out of the exam hall. That is when someone called the Chipangano guys. They (Chipangano) manhandled Mavetera. There was a 20-minute delay.

“The Chipangano guys demanded to address the students and told them no one should be denied a chance to write the examinations. The situation almost turned nasty before other teachers intervened on behalf of Mavetera,” said an invigilator.

Mavetera refused to comment when contacted by the Daily News.

“I do not talk to the press,” he said before switching off his mobile.

Zimbabwe Eye

By Simba Chikanza

31 October 2012

Two Zimbabwean ministers have been ranked in Africa’s top ten tweeting politicians.

Education Minister, David Coltart, together with his party boss Welshman Ncube were listed in Africa’s top ten tweeting politicians’ list.

The compilation which appeared in a Guardian newspaper article written by one David Smith reveals Coltart as Zimbabwe’s greatest tweeting politician with 2,962 tweets, following 280, and 6,600 followers, and then Ncube trailing behind with 2,633 tweets 6,892 following, and 7,017 followers.

The two politicians both belong to the MDC party led by Welshman Ncube.

Other African politicians listed include South African firebrand, expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga, and Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame.

African’s greatest tweeting politician is Western Cape premier and leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance, Hellen Zille who has the greatest number of tweets, 13,986, and also a high number of followers – 188,283 in total. But Hellen Zille is no match for firebrand expelled ANC youth leader Julius Malema, who despite having a low record 4,810 tweets, however has 234,486 followers.

In an analysis of the two political tweeterers the article says of David Coltart:

The Movement for Democratic Change politician regularly tackles politics and sport. “‘The Minister is sleep WORKING on duty,’ Zanu PF’s Jonathan Moyo blaming me for the Warriors loss against Angola in the Herald today!”

Of Ncube it says:

“Ncube offers an insight into the daily frustrations of working in a coalition government with the Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, and prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai. And of life in general: “In 4 weeks’ time, everything stops in the country. Mid-Nov xmas mood takes over n decision-makers will be off to shiny ships in the sea.” ”

The list does not include any from Morgan Tsvangirai’s or Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party.

News Day

31 October 2012

EDUCATION minister David Coltart has accused his counterparts in Cabinet of perpetuating racism by openly making unsavoury remarks even in his presence.

Coltart, who posted a message on his Facebook wall over the weekend, said: “It is wrong to paint any race or ethnic group with a single broad brush because there are remarkable white people out there who are deeply committed to the concept of a multi-racial, truly democratic Zimbabwe.”

Coltart is currently Zimbabwe’s only white Cabinet minister, while Timothy Stamps is President Robert Mugabe’s health advisor and former Health minister.

“I am constantly amazed by the frequency with which a broad brush is used, so often in a deeply offensive manner in Zimbabwe. I think in Cabinet, sometimes, colleagues forget that I am there because the comments made by some about whites in general, are on occasions shocking,” Coltart said.

“If I made the same type of comments about black Zimbabweans, I would rightly be branded as a sympathiser of the Nazis and the Klu Klux Klan. This discourse has even crept into our constitutional debate. Sadly, we have developed such a gross level of intolerance towards people that we all make generalisations about others which would be unacceptable in all genuine democracies.”

The Facebook post was in response to an article about award-winning author Petina Gappa’s recent public presentation on racism in a privately-owned weekly newspaper, The Patriot.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Landa John Nkomo High School in Tsholotsho in July this year, Mugabe hailed Coltart for his racial tolerance and courage to continue serving in a Cabinet dominated by blacks.