Prime Minister of Rhodesia

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Rhodesia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Rhodesia

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

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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 the Westminster system 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 of Zimbabwe was abolished in 1987, when Robert Mugabe became executive President. However, in 2008, it was restored through political negotiations, resulting in Morgan Tsvangirai becoming the first prime minister of the country in over 21 years.

[edit] 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.