The Strange Death of ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia’: The Question of British Recognition of the Muzorewa Regime in Rhodesian Public Opinion, 1979

In April/May 1979, following an “internal settlement” in Rhodesia, elections were held for a Parliament with an African majority. On June 1st, Bishop Abel Muzorewa took office as Prime Minister of ‘Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.’ Having conceded power to an African majority government, white Rhodesians expected Britain to recognize the Muzorewa regime and end crippling sanctions. However, contrary to her election promises, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher withheld recognition and maneuvered the Muzorewa government into accepting new elections inclusive of Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, who led the ‘Patriotic Front,’ against which Rhodesian security forces had been fighting for years. Thatcher's refusal to recognize the Muzorewa government ultimately allowed Mugabe to take power, an outcome highly unsatisfactory to most whites. My paper will examine primary source evidence, especially newspapers and Parliamentary records, to gauge white Rhodesian opinion from April to August 1979, when the question of British recognition hung in the balance. In particular, I will ask: How did white Rhodesians perceive their circumstances in this intriguing period? How likely did they believe recognition and an end to sanctions really were? And, lastly, how did they react when the deliverance they had hoped for, courtesy of Mrs. Thatcher, failed to arrive?