Signatories of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence

The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed by 12 ministers of the Rhodesian Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Ian Smith, on 11 November 1965. Four junior members of the Cabinet—two ministers without portfolio, the chief whip and the deputy minister of information—did not sign, but were included in the official photograph.^[1]

Signatories

The 12 signatories were:^[1]

Image	Signatory	Position
	Ian Smith	Prime Minister
	Clifford Dupont	Deputy Prime Minister Minister of External Affairs Minister of Defence
	James Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose	Minister of Agriculture
	Jack Howman	Minister of Tourism Minister of Information
	William Harper	Minister of Internal Affairs Minister of Public Service
	Desmond Lardner-Burke	Minister of Justice and Law and Order
	Ian Finlay McLean	Minister of Health Minister of Labour and Social Welfare
	Jack Mussett	Minister of Housing and Local Government
	George Rudland	Minister of Trade, Industry, and Development
	A. P. Smith	Minister of Education
	Phillip van Heerden	Minister of Mines, Lands, and Water Development
	John Wrathall	Minister of Finance Minister of Posts

Four junior members of the Cabinet did not sign, but were included in the official photograph:^[1]

Image	Signatory	Position
	Ian Dillon	Chief Government Whip
	Lance Smith	Minister without portfolio
	Andrew Dunlop	Minister without portfolio
	P. K. van der Byl	Deputy Minister of Information

White, Matthew C. (1978). Smith of Rhodesia: A Pictorial Biography. Cape Town: Don Nelson. ISBN 978-0909238360.

v t e Signatories of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence
Prime Minister	I. Smith
Deputy Prime Minister	Dupont
Ministers	Harper Howman Lardner-Burke McLean Montrose Mussett Rudland A. Smith Van Heerden Wrathall
Non-signatory ministers present	Dillon Dunlop L. Smith Van der Byl

1890–1923: Company rule; 1923–80: Southern Rhodesia; 1953–63: Federation; 1965–79: Rhodesia under UDI; 1979: Zimbabwe Rhodesia under UDI; 1980–present: Zimbabwe

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Black	Kunda Lemba Manyika Ndebele Rusape Jews Shona Tokaleya Tonga
White	Afrikaners British Greeks Jews "Rhodies"
Others	Coloureds (Goffals) Indians

Symbols

v t e Ian Smith
Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1964–79) Leader of the Rhodesian Front and successors (1964–87) Leader of the Opposition of Zimbabwe (1980–87)
Pre-premiership	Military service Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party 1953 federation referendum Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland United Federal Party Wind of Change Decolonisation of Africa No independence before majority rule 1961 constitutional referendum Rhodesian Front
Premiership	1964 independence referendum Rhodesian mission in Lisbon Unilateral Declaration of Independence (signatories) Harry letters affair Beira Patrol 1969 constitutional referendum Rhodesian Bush War 1975 Victoria Falls Conference 1976 Geneva Conference Internal Settlement Air Rhodesia Flight 825 1979 constitutional referendum Air Rhodesia Flight 827
Post-premiership	Government of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Lancaster House Agreement Republican Front Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe
General elections	1948 1953 1958 1962 1965 1970 1974 1977 1979 1980 1985
Books authored	The Great Betrayal: The Memoirs of Ian Douglas Smith (1997)
Family	Alec Smith (son) Janet Smith (wife) Clem Tholet (son-in-law)
Category

This page was last edited on 11 April 2024, at 19:08