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Prime Minister of Rhodesia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Prime Minister of Rhodesia (until 1964 Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia) was the head of government in the colony of Rhodesia. Rhodesia's political system was modelled on Westminster and the prime minister's role was similar to that of the same position in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and at that time, South Africa.
The British colony of Southern Rhodesia was created on October 1, 1923. From 1953 to 1963, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (later Rhodesia and then Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (later Malawi) were joined in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which was also known as the Central African Federation, with Godfrey Martin Huggins as prime minister from 1953 to 1956 followed by Sir Roy Welensky from 1956 to the federation's dissolution on December 31, 1963. When Northern Rhodesia gained independence as Zambia on October 24, 1964, Southern Rhodesia changed its name to Rhodesia.
Prime Minister Ian Smith's government issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965, and he remained Prime Minister when the country was declared a republic in 1970. Under the Internal Settlement in 1979, after a long period of conflict, the country became known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, with Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa as its first black Prime Minister.
None of these acts were recognised internationally, and under the Lancaster House Agreement the country's government agreed to revert to colonial status in 1979 in order to facilitate the introduction of majority rule and the creation of the independent state of Zimbabwe in 1980.
The office of Prime Minister was finally abolished in 1987, when Robert Mugabe became executive President.
| No. | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Patrick John Coghlan | October 1, 1923 | August 28, 1927 | Rhodesian Party |
| 2 | Howard Unwin Moffat | September 2, 1927 | July 5, 1933 | Rhodesian Party |
| 3 | George Mitchell | July 5, 1933 | September 12, 1933 | Rhodesian Party |
| 4 | Sir Godfrey Martin Huggins | September 12, 1933 | September 7, 1953 | Reform Party / United Party / United Rhodesia Party |
| 5 | Garfield Todd | September 7, 1953 | February 17, 1958 | United Rhodesia Party/United Federal Party |
| 6 | Sir Edgar Whitehead | February 17, 1958 | December 17, 1962 | United Federal Party |
| 7 | Winston Field | December 17, 1962 | April 13, 1964 | Rhodesian Front |
| 8 | Ian Smith | April 13, 1964 | June 1, 1979 | Rhodesian Front |
| 9 | Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa | June 1, 1979 | December 11, 1979 | United African National Council |
The position of Premier became the position of Prime Minister in 1933.