Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has come out swinging at Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, accusing him of running a racially motivated smear campaign against its black administrators and daring him to produce evidence or keep quiet.
“For too long, David Coltart has waged a relentless smear campaign against Zimbabwe Cricket, targeting its black administrators with baseless accusations lacking any credible evidence. It is time to call his bluff and expose his agenda for what it truly is,” ZC communications officer Darlington Majonga said.
ZC claims Coltart’s criticisms, mostly on social media, have been fuelled by “personal bitterness and racial prejudice” rather than constructive intent. They say his comments undermine public trust in a fair and transparent system of selectors and administrators.
“We challenge Coltart to abandon his hollow posts and present concrete, factual evidence to support his claims. Without proof, his accusations amount to bar talk — empty noise unworthy of serious consideration but too dangerous to ignore given his political standing,” ZC said.
The cricket body called his claims of “non-existent racist policies” dangerous, stressing that while selection debates are normal in cricket worldwide, his allegations cross the line.
ZC pointed to cricket’s colonial-era baggage, noting the sport was long reserved for the white minority, with the first black player only representing Zimbabwe in 1995.
“In recent years, ZC’s transformation drive has made teams more representative of the country’s demographics. There is absolutely no place for racial prejudice in our game,” the statement read, adding that the ICC’s Anti-Discrimination Code was “non-negotiable.”
They also revisited Coltart’s “chequered” cricket past, including his role in the lead-up to the 2003 Cricket World Cup. ZC claims he met Andy Flower and Henry Olonga and played a key role in planning the black-armband protest after publicly calling for a boycott of the tournament in a UK newspaper column.
