Abstract
The UJ SARChi Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
and Jacana Media in partnership with the UJ Library,
invite you to a discussion with Senator David Coltart the author of
The struggle continues:
50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe
ABOUT THE BOOK: For three decades, Coltart has kept detailed notes and records of all his work, including
a meticulous diary of Cabinet dealings, the source material for much of his book. It is set to be the most
authoritative book to date of the last sixty years of Zimbabwe’s history: from the obstinate racism of Ian
Smith that provoked Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965, to the civil war
of the 1970s, the Gukurahundi genocide of the 1980s, Robert Mugabe’s war on white landowners, and the
struggles waged by the MDC. A key theme throughout the book is the role of political extremists who have
consistently subverted Zimbabwe’s chances of realising its true potential.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Coltart is one of the most prominent political and human rights figures in
Zimbabwe. Born and schooled in Zimbabwe, he trained in law at the University of Cape Town, and has
served as principal defence counsel for a wide range of Zimbabwean politicians who have fallen afoul of
Robert Mugabe’s regime. Coltart also served as the first legal secretary to the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), Zimbabwe’s primary opposition party. In 2000, he was elected to Parliament and, following
the creation of a ‘coalition’ government in September 2008, he was appointed Minister of Education,
Sport, Arts and Culture, a position he held until August 2013. He is a Zimbabwean citizen, and is resident in
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He has served three terms in Parliament, ending in the Senate.
FACILITATOR: Prof Chris Landsberg, SARChi Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, UJ
PANELLIST: Prof David Moore, Head: Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, UJ DATE 3 March 2016 / 16:30 – 17:00
VENUE APK Library Auditorium (6th Floor), University of Johannesburg
(corner Kingsway and University Road, Auckland Park, Johannesburg)
RSVP By Tuesday 2 March 2016 to Theodorah Modise at licevents@uj.ac.za or 011 559 2264.