Prime Minister of Rhodesia

Prime Minister of Rhodesia
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.


List of Premiers and Prime Ministers of Rhodesia (1923-1979)
Prime Minister Term start Term end Political Party
Charles Patrick John Coghlan 1 October 1923 28 August 1927 Rhodesian Party
Howard Unwin Moffat 2 September 1927 5 July 1933 Rhodesian Party
George Mitchell 5 July 1933 12 September 1933 Rhodesian Party
Sir Godfrey Martin Huggins 12 September 1933 7 September 1953 Reform Party / United Party / United Rhodesia Party
Garfield Todd 7 September 1953 17 February 1958 United Rhodesia Party /
United Federal Party
Sir Edgar Whitehead 17 February 1958 17 December 1962 United Federal Party
Winston Field 17 December 1962 13 April 1964 Rhodesian Front
Ian Smith 13 April 1964 1 June 1979 Rhodesian Front
Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa 1 June 1979 11 December 1979 United African National Council

The position of Premier became the position of Prime Minister in 1933.