Sunday 3 January 2016

Coltart says Mugabe will never declare Mat drought a "disaster" - is divisive and mischievous. By Pat Guramatunhu


For anyone, anyone at all be he/she Zimbabwean or outsider, who has travelled around the country they will know that there are certain parts of the country that are very dry and arid and thus prone to suffer food shortages even when other parts have a good harvest. When the grain producing areas are not doing well, as is the case right now, it is clear the drought prone areas will be in serious trouble.

 

“There is little sign that the government is doing anything about the growing crisis. [President] Robert Mugabe and his family flew out to the Far East on holiday just before Christmas as if nothing was wrong,” said Mr Coltart underlining the growing national crisis.

“The State-controlled newspapers are largely silent about the growing crisis. When I first raised the issue on Twitter, all I got from the only Zanu-PF minister who is regularly on the platform - Jonathan Moyo - was his usual torrent of abuse.

“The fact is that this is potentially a far worse crisis than we have ever experienced before. When we last had a drought of this magnitude in 1992, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) was better run and our silos were much fuller.” No thinking person would dispute his concerns.

 

It many people found objectionable is his pretence that the current serious drought is affecting Matabeleland North and South only.  

 

“While I cannot speak with authority regarding the rest of the country, Matabeleland is in the grips of one of the worst droughts we have suffered since 1991/1992,” said Mr Coltart.

 

Mr David Coltart was born and brought up in Rhodesia, fought in the civil war on the whites’ side and after independence he was one of the few whites who elected to stay on in Zimbabwe with all its trials and tribulations. He was a much respected Minister of Education in the GNU, a post that allowed him to travel to every corner of the nation. So for someone his age and with extensive knowledge of the country; one cannot believe he really believe the serious drought only affects the two provinces!

 

Whilst many people, notably MP Eddie Cross, have raised the alarm at the Zanu PF government’s sluggish respond to the growing drought crisis; Mr Coltart has offered to explain why the regime is doing very little or nothing.

 

“Zanu-PF will never declare Matabeleland a disaster zone!” claimed Mr Coltart.

Coming from a national leader of Mr Coltart’s standing; this is a totally irresponsible and mischievous statement.

President Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies are no longer interested in addressing the nations deepening economic meltdown, 90% unemployment, the food shortage, etc. We are in serious trouble and need to think of a way out of this mess fast. We will only make matters worse if we allow ourselves to be divided along tribal, regional or some such lines.

2 comments:

  1. Yes David Coltart is playing the divide and rule game in the traditional white imperialist or, more recent, the Mugabe tyrannical way!
    “CHIPINGE'S resource poor smallholder farmers are accruing huge livestock losses due to drought and diseases, with the latest statistics indicating that more than 1 300 cattle have died in the past few months,” read an article in Bulawayo 24. The article had the photo of an emaciated dead cow.
    - See more at: http://www.bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-80021.html#sthash.vTJWCXXz.dpuf.
    Of course David knows where Chipinge is and that it is not in Matabeleland. He ignored that story and many other drought stories from outside Matabeleland because they contradicted his set cynical and selfish divide and rule agenda. David is desperate to get back on the gravy train he is now seeking to boost his popularity by playing the tribal card for all it is worth!
    We are in this political and economic mess because Mr Coltart and his MDC friends betrayed the nation and failed to get even one reform implemented during the GNU. He joined others in singing Mugabe praises taking their eyes off the main task in hand – implement the reforms. He has never apologized to the nation for selling-out during the GNU and now he is starting yet another treasonous mischief!

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  2. So you cannot "speak with authority" regarding the drought situation in the rest of Zimbabwe but can do so regarding the serious drought in Matabeleland. You can also speak with authority that Mugabe will never declare the drought ravished Matabeleland a disaster zone. Since the drought is affecting other regions other than Matabeleland; we must now wait and see whether Mugabe will declare all the other regions disaster zones and single out Matabeleland.

    If Mugabe does not declare any part of the country a disaster zone or declares the drought stricken areas, including Matabeleland, disaster zones then you Mr Coltart will have some serious explaining to do!

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