List of rulers of Zimbabwe
The President of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe. They are elected using a two-round system.
The President is also the head of government. the office of Prime Minister was abolished in 1987. Under the rules adopted by the same referendum, the president serves a maximum of two five-year terms.[1]
Unrecognised monarchy (1965–1970)
changeOn 7 October 1964 the Southern Rhodesian government announced that when Northern Rhodesia achieved independence as Zambia, the Southern Rhodesian government would officially become known as the Rhodesian Government and the colony would become known as Rhodesia.[2] On 23 October of that year, the Minister of Internal Affairs notified the Press that the Constitution would be amended to make this official. The Legislative Assembly then passed an Interpretation Bill to declare that the colony could be referred to as Rhodesia. The Bill received its third reading on 9 December 1964, and passed to the Governor for assent.
On 11 November 1965, following a brief but solemn consensus, Rhodesia's leading statesmen issued their country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).[3][4] This was immediately denounced as an "act of rebellion against the Crown" in the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Harold Wilson promised that the illegal action would be short-lived.[5][6] Initially, the state retained its pledged loyalty to Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, recognizing her as Queen of Rhodesia. However, few seemed to initially realize that Rhodesia was no longer within the Commonwealth's direct sphere of influence and British rule was now a constitutional fiction; Salisbury remained virtually immune to credible metropolitan leverage.
| No. | Portrait | Monarch
(Birth–Death) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | _(cropped)_(3-to-4_aspect_ratio).jpg)
|
Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022) |
The monarch's powers were the same as prior to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. However they were de facto exercised by the Officer Administering the Government (Clifford Dupont) as the Queen's de jure representative.
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
changeSouthern Rhodesia (1923–1970)
change| # | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Sir Charles Coghlan †
(1863–1927) |
1 October 1923 | 28 August 1927 | Rhodesia Party |
| 2 | 
|
Howard Unwin Moffat
(1869–1951) |
2 September 1927 | 5 July 1933 | Rhodesia Party |
| 3 |
|
George Mitchell
(1867–1937) |
5 July 1933 | 12 September 1933 | Rhodesia Party |
| 4 | Viscount Godfrey Huggins
(1883–1971) |
12 September 1933 | 7 September 1953 | United Party | |
| 5 | 
|
Sir Garfield Todd
(1908–2002) |
7 September 1953 | 17 February 1958 | United Rhodesia Party |
| 6 | 
|
Sir Edgar Whitehead
(1905–1971) |
17 February 1958 | 17 December 1962 | United Federal Party |
| 7 | 
|
Winston Field
(1904–1969) |
17 December 1962 | 13 April 1964 | Rhodesian Front |
| 8 | 
|
Ian Smith
(1919–2007) |
13 April 1964 | 1 June 1979[8] | Rhodesian Front |
- Notes
- † Died in office
| No. | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Took office | Left office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Abel Muzorewa
(1925–2010) MP for Mashonaland East |
1 June 1979 | 18 April 1980 | United African National Council |
| 1 | 
|
Robert Mugabe
(1924–2019) |
18 April 1980 | 31 December 1987 | ZANU |
| Post abolished (31 December 1987 – 11 February 2009) | |||||
| 2 | 
|
Morgan Tsvangirai
(1952–2018) |
11 February 2009 | 11 September 2013 | MDC–T |
| Post abolished (11 September 2013) | |||||
List
change| Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | ||||
|
Sir John Chancellor
(1870–1952) |
1 October 1923 | 15 June 1928 | ||
| Sir Murray Bisset
(1876–1931) |
15 June 1928 | 24 November 1928 | |||
|
|
Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell
(1874–1953) |
24 November 1928 | 1 May 1934 | ||
|
|
Fraser Russell
(1876–1952) |
1 May 1934 | 8 January 1935 | ||
|
Sir Herbert Stanley
(1872–1955) |
8 January 1935 | 8 January 1942 | ||
|
|
Fraser Russell
(1876–1952) |
8 January 1942 | 10 December 1942 | ||
|
Sir Evelyn Baring
(1903–1973) |
10 December 1942 | 26 October 1944 | ||
|
|
Sir Robert James Hudson
(1885–1963) |
26 October 1944 | 20 February 1945 | ||
|
|
Sir Campbell Tait
(1886–1946) |
20 February 1945 | 2 February 1946 | ||
|
|
Sir Fraser Russell
(1876–1952) |
2 February 1946 | 19 July 1946 | ||
|
|
Sir Robert James Hudson
(1885–1963) |
19 July 1946 | 14 January 1947 | ||
|
|
Sir John Noble Kennedy
(1893–1970) |
14 January 1947 | 21 November 1953 | ||
|
|
Sir Robert Clarkson Tredgold
(1899–1977) |
21 November 1953 | 26 November 1954 | ||
|
Sir Peveril William-Powlett
(1898–1985) |
26 November 1954 | 28 December 1959 | ||
.jpg)
|
Sir Humphrey Gibbs
(1902–1990) |
28 December 1959 | 24 June 1969 | ||
| Michael Carver | (24 June 1969 – 11 December 1979) | ||||
|
The Lord Llewellin
(1893–1957) |
4 September 1953 | 24 January 1957† | ||
|
|
Sir Robert Clarkson Tredgold
(1899–1977) |
24 January 1957 | February 1957 | ||
|
|
Sir William Lindsay Murphy
(1888–1965) |
February 1957 | 8 October 1957 | ||
|
|
The Earl of Dalhousie
(1914–1999) |
8 October 1957 | May 1963 | ||
|
|
Sir Humphrey Gibbs
(1902–1990) |
May 1963 | 11 November 1965 | ||
| Picture | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Term in office | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer Administering the Government (1965–1970) | |||||
| Clifford Dupont
(1905–1978) |
11 November 1965 | 2 March 1970 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| Presidents of the Republic of Rhodesia (1970–1979) | |||||
| Clifford Dupont
(1905–1978) |
16 April 1970
Acting since 2 March 1970 |
31 December 1975 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| Henry Everard
(1897–1980) (Acting) |
31 December 1975 | 14 January 1976 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| John Wrathall †
(1913–1978) |
14 January 1976 | 31 August 1978 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| Henry Everard
(1897–1980) (Acting) |
31 August 1978 | 1 November 1978 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| Jack William Pithey
(1903–1987) (Acting) |
1 November 1978 | 5 March 1979 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| Henry Everard
(1897–1980) (Acting) |
5 March 1979 | 1 June 1979 | Rhodesian Front | ||
| President of the Republic of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia (1979) | |||||
| Josiah Zion Gumede
(1919–1989) |
1 June 1979 | 12 December 1979 | Independent | ||
.jpg)
|
The Lord Soames
(1920–1987) |
11 December 1979 | 18 April 1980 | Position abolished | |
| Canaan Banana
(1936–2003) |
18 April 1980 | 31 December 1987 | ZANU | ||
.jpg)
|
Robert Mugabe
(born 1924 — 2019) |
31 December 1987 | 21 November 2017 | ZANU–PF | |
.jpg)
|
Phelekezela Mphoko
(born 1940) |
21 November 2017 | 24 November 2017 | Independent | |
|
Emmerson Mnangagwa
(born 1942) |
24 November 2017 | Incumbent | ZANU–PF | |
References
change- ↑ Allison, Simon (26 March 2013). "Even Zimbabwe's constitution waits for Mugabe to pass the baton, or pass away". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ↑ Southern Rhodesia Information Service Press Statement 980/64 A.G.C.
- ↑ Raftopolous, Brian. Becoming Zimbabwe: A History from the pre-colonial period to 2008. pp. 1–298.
- ↑ Raeburn, Michael. We are everywhere: Narratives from Rhodesian guerillas. pp. 1–209.
- ↑ "Issue 6, Spring 2011". Genocidepreventionnow.org. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ↑ "RHODESIA". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 21 January 1969. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ↑ Wood 2008, p. 471.
- ↑ Smith's government continued to affirm allegiance to Elizabeth II as "Queen of Rhodesia" following its declaration of independence until 1970, but this was not acknowledged.[7]
