News / National
Top Zanu PF chefs plotted to arrest me says Coltart
24 Nov 2015 at 06:31hrs | Views
The late Vice-President John Nkomo saved former education minister David Coltart from jail top Zanu PF chefs plotted to arrest him after he presented a list of multiple farm owners to Parliament, implicating a number of powerful government officials.
According to Coltart the list angered a number of senior Zanu PF people, who then plotted to have him arrested and jailed in a bid to save face.
At the time, Nkomo was the Lands and Agriculture minister.
However, did not mention the names of the multiple farm owners, while addressing a gathering during a climate change workshop in Bulawayo last week.
"Sadly in this country, if you speak out you are crushed. There are weapons used against parliamentarians. I have experienced that," he said.
"In 2004, I spoke in Parliament, using parliamentary privileges, about multiple farm owners and I presented a list of people who, through the land reform programme, had acquired several farms.
"It caused lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, but I had researched that list thoroughly and was confident it was correct."
Coltart said he presented the list, which Nkomo vouched to be a true record of farm ownership patterns, following the land reform.
"Politics in this country remains a terrifying profession.
"You have to be brave to withstand the pressures and it's not just for the opposition, but even for those within Zanu PF.
"In a functioning democracy, legislators must speak out on issues affecting their constituencies with the full knowledge that they are protected by parliamentary privileges."
"The late John Nkomo supported me because he knew it was correct. There were very powerful forces within that list and they were embarrassed by the publication of it. They then used contempt of Parliament laws to set up a commission of inquiry," he said.
"If it was not for John Nkomo's intervention, who said the list was correct, I would have been jailed." Coltart said.
According to Coltart the list angered a number of senior Zanu PF people, who then plotted to have him arrested and jailed in a bid to save face.
At the time, Nkomo was the Lands and Agriculture minister.
However, did not mention the names of the multiple farm owners, while addressing a gathering during a climate change workshop in Bulawayo last week.
"Sadly in this country, if you speak out you are crushed. There are weapons used against parliamentarians. I have experienced that," he said.
"In 2004, I spoke in Parliament, using parliamentary privileges, about multiple farm owners and I presented a list of people who, through the land reform programme, had acquired several farms.
"It caused lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, but I had researched that list thoroughly and was confident it was correct."
Coltart said he presented the list, which Nkomo vouched to be a true record of farm ownership patterns, following the land reform.
"Politics in this country remains a terrifying profession.
"You have to be brave to withstand the pressures and it's not just for the opposition, but even for those within Zanu PF.
"In a functioning democracy, legislators must speak out on issues affecting their constituencies with the full knowledge that they are protected by parliamentary privileges."
"The late John Nkomo supported me because he knew it was correct. There were very powerful forces within that list and they were embarrassed by the publication of it. They then used contempt of Parliament laws to set up a commission of inquiry," he said.
"If it was not for John Nkomo's intervention, who said the list was correct, I would have been jailed." Coltart said.
Source - Southern Eye
