History

  Zimbabwe

The Lands earliest settlers were the Khoisan, date back prior to 200BC.  There followed a period of Bantu domination, succeeded by a period of  Shona rule.  By the mid-nineteenth century the descendants of the Nguni  and Zulu, the Ndebele, had established a powerful ingdom in the area, Matabeleland.

1850s       The first British explorers, colonists and missionaries arrived, starting a massive influx resulting in the terriory being named
                  Rhodesia in 1895
 

1889         Rhodes is granted a Royal Charter for his British South Africa Company 1890         Pineer Column arrived in a dry country with few people in it                        (The first flag of sovereignty flown in what is now Zimbabwe was the                     British Union Flag (Union Jack) raised at Fort Salisbury on 13 September                     1890, which marked the beginning of prolonged British influence in the                      rigion.)

1923         Rhodesia became a self-governing colony with responsible Government

1933         Godfrey Martin Huggins (later Lord Malvern) becomes Prime Minister of Southern Phodesia

1953         Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland instituted: Huggins becomes Federal Prime Minister

1954         R. S. Garfield Todd becomes Prime Minister of Southern Phodesia

1956         Sir Roy Welensky becomes Federal Prime Minister

1958         Sir Edgar Whitehead becomes Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia

1961-62   New Constitution for Southern Rhodesia

1963         Winston Field becomes Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia.  Dissolution of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.  Talks
                   on independence for Southern Rhodesia
 

1964 April 14      Ian Douglas Smith becomes Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia                   Renews correspondence on independence with British Government July            Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference (Phodesia not invited)

Ian Smith

Sept. 6         Smith-Home-Sandys talks in London

Oct. 14         British General Election - Labour returned

Nov. 5          Referendum in Rhodesia

                        (As part of the British Empire, the country was a member of the Commonwealth until 1965, when the Rhodesia
                    Government severed ties with Britain by proclaiming a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.)
 

1965
January       Smith sees Harold Wilson in London (Churchill's funeral)

Feb. 22       Bottomley, Commonweath Secretary, and Gardiner in Rhodesia

April 26       Rhodesia White Paper on 'Economic Aspects of a Declaration of Independence'

May 7          Rhodesia General Election: Rhodesian Front returned
 
 

June            Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference July 21        Hughers, Minister of State, CRO, in Phodesia Oct. 5          Smith in London

stamp (Southern Rhodesia)

        25        Wilson and Bottomley in Rhodesia

Nov. 5          State of Emergency in Rhodesia

        8          Sir Hugh Beadle in London

        11        Rhodesian Declaration of Independence; New Constitution published

        15        Southern Rhodesia (Enabling) Bill passed by House of Commons

        17        Acting Officer Administering the Government apointed in Rhodesia

December     RAF Javelin squadron and support troops sent to Zambia

Dec. 3          Assets of Reserve Bank of Rhodesia seized in London

        15        Wilson addresses United Nations General Assembly on oil sanctions
 

1966
Jan. 10         Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, Lagos, Nigeria: Australia refuses to attend

       15         Nigerian Prime Minister and other Ministers assassinated

March 31      British General Election - Labour returned

April 10        Security Council agrees that Britain should use force to stop oil flow via Beira

         27        Wilson announces informal talks at official level with Rhodesia
 
 

July 5           Talks adjourned Aug.  22        British-Rhodesian talks resumed September- October         RAF Javelins withdrawn from Zambia and oil-lift ended Sept. 14         Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference communique

Rhodesian Flag  (1969 - 80)

         19         Herbert Bowden, Commonwealth Secretary, and Sir Elwyn Jones, Attorney-General in Rhodesia

Nov. 26          Bowden and Jones in Rhodesia

Dec. 2            Wilson and Smith meet on HMS Tiger

        5            Rhodesian Government accept Wilson's constitutional proposals but reject those concerning handover of power to a
                      Government

        16         UN Security Council vote for selective mandatory sanctions, including oil, against Rhodesia: four members abstain

        20         Wilson's Statement in Commons - no independence before majority rule
 

1967
Jan. 13          Smith states that electorate will be consulted on question of Rhodesia becoming a republic

1970           Rhodesia became a republic, with complete separation of the franchise along racial lines

                     (UN economic sanctions were applied against the Smith regime, and two African nationalist groups, led by Joshua Nkomo
                       and Robert Mugabe, launched guerrilla attacks against the government.)

1978           Smith and three moderate black leaders agreed to set up an interim biracial government

1979           Elections were held

                     (Though international intervention and support for the liberation struggle, culminating in a negotiated settlement at
                       Lancaster House in 1979, the desired objective of a properly constituted democratic voting system and government was
                       achieved.)

1980           A universally recognised independent Zimbabwe (under black majority rule) was born
 April 18        Simbabwe rejoined the Commonwealth on attainment of independence
 

1982       The government of national unity, established upon independence, ended 1987         Prime Minister Robert Mugabe united with opposition leader in an attempt to end                      factional strife.                     (Mugabe ousted Nkomo from the cabinet.)

President Mugabe

 

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