Tinotenda Hove – ZANU-PF Treasurer-General Patrick Chinamasa has stirred public anger following comments on social media platform X that appeared to defend the violent attack on human rights lawyer Douglas Coltart.

The controversy comes in the wake of an alleged assault on Coltart by suspected ZANU-PF supporters during a public hearing on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 at the City Sports Centre in Harare on March 31, 2026.

In his post, Chinamasa suggested that Coltart was being punished for the political history of his father, David Coltart, who currently serves as Mayor of Bulawayo.

“As for young Doug Coltart, I regret that he has, most unfortunately and regrettably, inherited his father’s political Rhodesian Front genes,” wrote Chinamasa.

“How I wish he had moved to the left politically and become a ZANU-PF youth cadre,” he added.

Chinamasa went further, stating: “He is being made to unfairly atone for the colonial sins of his father, David Coltart, the current Mayor of Bulawayo City Council.”

The remarks have drawn sharp criticism, with many interpreting them as an attempt to justify political violence.

The incident itself unfolded amid chaos at the public hearing, where tensions flared over the contentious constitutional amendments. Witnesses reported that individuals perceived to oppose the Bill were prevented from speaking.

As Coltart attempted to leave the venue, he was allegedly confronted by a group of attackers who seized his phone. When he tried to recover it, he was physically assaulted. His eyeglasses were also reportedly taken during the scuffle.

During the attack, the assailants reportedly questioned Coltart’s nationality, despite the fact that he was born in Zimbabwe to Zimbabwean parents.

The episode has intensified concerns over political intolerance and the shrinking space for dissenting voices in Zimbabwe’s public processes.