The results of deep levels studies in high-resistivity p-GaN films doped with Zn and grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy on SiC are presented. These studies show the presence of deep traps with apparent activation energies of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.9 cV. Conductivity versus temperature measurements suggest that the Fermi level in the films is pinned near E-v + 0.9 eV. From the 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 eV traps the 0.4 and the 0.9 eV traps are argued to be hole traps in the lower half of the bandgap while the 0.6 eV traps are quite similar to the well known electron traps in the upper half of the bandgap. Microcathodoluminescence (MCL) spectra measurements show the presence of band edge luminescence and of two defect bands at 2.2 and 2.8 eV (the yellow band and the blue band). MCL imaging of the samples indicated also a formation of a network of bright line defects presumably near the GaN/SiC interface.