Coltart hits back after Zimbabwe Cricket accuses h...

Coltart hits back after Zimbabwe Cricket accuses him of racially motivated smear campaign

Oscar J Jeke

Zim Now Reporter

Bulawayo Mayor and former Sports Minister, Senator David Coltart, has fired back at Zimbabwe Cricket after the board accused him of leading a racially motivated smear campaign against its leadership.

In his reponse, Coltart described ZC’s 12 August statement, “ZC Condemns Coltart’s Smear Campaign”, as “shockingly mendacious” and more befitting a political party than a national sports body.

“The remarkable backlash from Zimbabwean cricket supporters against ZC’s statement suggests that Zimbabweans are not fooled and that the criticism, I and many others have leveled against ZC is not a smear campaign, but rather the genuine concerns of cricket lovers from all walks of life,” Coltart said.

ZC had accused Coltart of waging a “relentless, racially driven” campaign of attacks against its black administrators and challenged him to present “concrete, factual evidence” or stop making what it called “baseless accusations.” The board further alleged that Coltart was disguising his rhetoric as the voice of “concerned cricket lovers,” while in reality advancing “a divisive and damaging narrative.”

In his rebuttal, Coltart dismissed the allegations as an attempt to deflect attention from what he described as the “deep-rooted rot and malaise” in Zimbabwean cricket administration. He said the board’s use of “cheap racist allegations” was designed to shut down national debate.

Coltart went further to outline his grievances with the state of the game, accusing ZC of neglecting grassroots cricket, particularly in government schools such as Milton and Plumtree, which once produced cricketing greats like Henry Olonga. He also argued that resources and matches are concentrated in Harare, leaving other cricketing centres like Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Mutare, Gweru, and Masvingo underfunded and sidelined.

He criticised ZC’s decision to invest millions into a boutique stadium in Victoria Falls while facilities across the country deteriorate, describing the project as a misplaced budgetary priority. Coltart also said selection policies were dominated by Harare interests, allegedly sidelining deserving talent from other parts of the country, and warned of a toxic atmosphere in national teams, with players reporting intimidation and poor treatment by management.

Another of his key concerns is the composition of the Zimbabwe Cricket Board, which he noted has no members with first-class cricket experience. This, he argued, was in stark contrast to other Test nations whose boards typically include former players with a deep understanding of the game.

“The recent poor performance by our Under-19 team against South Africa and Bangladesh is perhaps the most worrying sign of a deep-rooted malaise,” Coltart warned, adding that the general public’s support for his stance proved ZC’s accusations were misplaced.

ZC, meanwhile, has insisted that its processes are “strict, merit-based and transparent,” accusing Coltart of undermining unity and progress in a sport long scarred by its colonial history and racial exclusion.