Notes from Senator David Coltart’s keynote address [Arts & Culture Indaba 2010]
David Coltart
Minister of Education, Sports, Arts & Culture, Senator David Coltart, gave the keyonote address at the opening of the Arts & Culture Indaba in Harare this morning.
The Indaba gives a platform to exchange and improve ideas. Indaba came at a time when the government has just established the Arts and Culture Department. We would like to make sure Arts and Culture is not drowned in Education. We need to build a national consensus for culture and national policy which will reflect a multi faceted culture of Zim. Ministry assists parastatals to be able to stand on their own. Income raised must include payment for contributors so that artists see the benefit of their efforts. Read more
Arts Indaba Opens in Harare
Leading arts figures from around Zimbabwe have gathered for an arts & culture indaba in Harare. The indaba, organised by the British Council, the Culture Fund, UNESCO and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe began with a keynote speech by Senator David Coltart, Minister of Education, Sport, Arts & Culture.
David Coltart comments on GPA talks
“Zanu and the Mutambara group simply do not know what to do. If they agree to do what the region wants, they are dead in the water.” Eddie Cross writing on his blog on the 21st November 2009 asserting that the MDC M is deliberately delaying the finalisation of the GPA talks.
This is an outrageously false comment about the MDC M which bears no relation to the facts.
We all in MDC M want the GPA implemented urgently and fully. We fully supported what the region asked for. I personally had a lengthy discussion with President Kabila’s principal advisor Mr Ilunga Ngandu on the 3rd November 2009 impressing on him the need to attend to all of the outstanding issues. My colleagues have done the same. I have been present in Cabinet and know what has been said by all of us there. Arthur Mutambara’s statement made when the disengagement started is a matter of public record. Indeed it was Mutambara who clearly articulated for the first time that the SADC communiqué issued in the January 2009 could not be ignored, something Zanu PF was trying to do.
And as for the allegations that MDC M are responsible for the delays since Maputo consider the following: Read more
