The Zimbabwe Rhodesia general election of April 1979 was held under the internal settlement negotiated by the Rhodesian Front government of Ian Smith intended to provide a peaceful transition to majority rule on terms not harmful to Rhodesians of European descent. The internal settlement was not approved internationally but the incoming government under Bishop Abel Muzorewa did decide to participate in the Lancaster House talks which led to end of the dispute and the creation of Zimbabwe. The Rhodesian Front (RF) was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, later known simply as Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, when the country was under white minority rule. ... The Rt Hon Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964 (official portrait) The Right Honourable Ian Douglas Smith, GCLM ID, (born April 8, 1919) was the Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia from April 13, 1964 to November 11, 1965 and the Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now... Typical white Rhodesian farmhouse, Beit Bridge, circa 1965. ... Bishop Abel Muzorewa Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa (born 1925 in former Rhodesia), a Methodist bishop and nationalist leader, was prime minister of the short-lived coalition government in what was called Zimbabwe Rhodesia; he held office for only a few months in 1979. ... The Lancaster House Agreement was the independence agreement for Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. ...

Electoral Procedure

Under the agreement of 1978, the new Zimbabwe Rhodesia House of Assembly was to consist of 100 members. 20 were to be elected on the "White Roll" which was previously used to elect the majority of the Rhodesia House of Assembly, and these 20 members were to elect a further eight non-constituency members. The remaining 72 seats were elected by the "Common Roll" which every adult in the country had a vote. Owing to the lack of an electoral roll, voters were instead marked with ink on their fingers in order to stop multiple voting.

The 20 White Roll members were elected from new constituencies made up of combinations of the previous constituencies. The Common Roll members were elected by province using a closed list system. It was intended to set up a full electoral register and institute single-member constituencies for future elections.

Results

The final state of the parties was:

• Ind - Independent
• NDU - National Democratic Union (Leader Henry Chihota)
• RF - Rhodesian Front (Leader Ian Smith)
• UANC - United African National Council (Leader Abel Muzorewa)
• UNFP - United People's National Federation Party (Leader Chief Kayisa Ndiweni)
• ZANU - Zimbabwe African National Union (Leader Ndabaningi Sithole)
• ZUPO - Zimbabwe United People's Organisation (Leader Jeremiah Chirau)

The Rhodesian Front (RF) was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, later known simply as Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, when the country was under white minority rule. ... The Rt Hon Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964 (official portrait) The Right Honourable Ian Douglas Smith, GCLM ID, (born April 8, 1919) was the Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia from April 13, 1964 to November 11, 1965 and the Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now... The United African National Council was a party led by Abel Muzorewa, which during the period of Internal Settlement of 1979 (the short-lived span when Rhodesia changed into Zimbabwe Rhodesia), held formal power. ... Bishop Abel Muzorewa Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa (born 1925 in former Rhodesia), a Methodist bishop and nationalist leader, was prime minister of the short-lived coalition government in what was called Zimbabwe Rhodesia; he held office for only a few months in 1979. ... The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the struggle for Rhodesias, ultimately Zimbabwes, independence, formed as a split from ZAPU. It won the 1980 elections under the leadership of Robert Mugabe, and eight years later merged again with Joshua Nkomos ZAPU to form Zanu... Ndabaningi Sithole (31 July 1920 – 12 December 2000) was an Ndau, a Methodist minister, and a veteran of Zimbabwes liberation struggle. ... Jeremiah Chirau was a notable figure among (Southern) Rhodesias chiefs, and during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia) he became the first and only leader of the Zimbabwean United Peoples Organization (ZUPO), a party comprised largely of chiefs. ...

White Roll

Polling day was April 10, 1979. April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

WILFRED DENIS WALKER (born in east London before 1945) was a Methodist missionary in southern Africa, who left the mission to settle as a minor industrialist in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. ... P.K. van der Byl, the hard-line Rhodesian Defence Minister - a man calculated to give offence Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn van der Byl (November 11, 1923 – November 15, 1999) was a Rhodesian politician who was a close associate of Ian Smith and one of the leading agitators for the... The Rt Hon Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964 (official portrait) The Right Honourable Ian Douglas Smith, GCLM ID, (born April 8, 1919) was the Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia from April 13, 1964 to November 11, 1965 and the Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now...

White non-constituency members

Polling day was May 7, 1979. May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Elected

1. Trevor Duncan Dollar
2. Derek Foxon Gawler
3. Frederick Roy Simmonds
4. André Sothern Holland
5. Denys Sinclair Parkin
6. Bertram Ankers
7. Charles McKenzie Scott
8. Stanley Norman Eastwood

Not elected (in alphabetical order)

• Reginald Reed Beaver
• Arthur Denis Crook
• Albertus Herman du Toit
• Robert James Gaunt
• John Cornelius Gleig
• Donald Galbraith Goddard
• Bernard Horace Mussett
• Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson

Common Roll members

Polling day was April 21, 1979. April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Elected members

Bishop Abel Muzorewa Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa (born 1925 in former Rhodesia), a Methodist bishop and nationalist leader, was prime minister of the short-lived coalition government in what was called Zimbabwe Rhodesia; he held office for only a few months in 1979. ... James Robert Dambaza Chikerema (2 April 1925 – 22 March 2006) was a Zimbabwean politician and a veteran African nationalist who had opposed the Rhodesian government of Ian Smith. ... Ndabaningi Sithole (31 July 1920 – 12 December 2000) was an Ndau, a Methodist minister, and a veteran of Zimbabwes liberation struggle. ...

Changes during the Assembly

John Moses Chirimbani (UANC, Manicaland) was elected as the Speaker of the House of Assembly and therefore an ex officio member. On May 25, John Zwenhamo Ruredzo was appointed to replace him. May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ...

Robert Siyoka (UNFP, Matabeleland South) resigned and was replaced by Sami Thomani Siyoka on June 28, 1979. June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ...

On June 25, 1979 James Chikerema led a group of eight elected UANC members in resigning from the party, and on June 29 seven of the eight formed the Zimbabwe Democratic Party. Actor Mupinyuri (UANC, Mashonaland Central) rejoined the UANC shortly after resigning from it. The seven who joined are denoted by asterisks in the lists above. A questionable wording in the electoral law led to the UANC taking legal action to disqualify the seven on the grounds that they had to keep their membership of the party in order to remain members of the Assembly, but Chikerema was successful in defending the right to break away. June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ...

Hilary Gwyn Squires resigned and was replaced as member for Borrowdale by David Colville Smith on July 24, 1979. July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ...

Abel Muringazuwa Madombwe was appointed to the Assembly to replace a resigned member on November 27, 1979. November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Theunis Christian de Klerk resigned and was replaced as member for Lundi by Donald Galbraith Goddard on November 30, 1979. November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ...

Elections in Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia and Zimbabwe
	Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia 1899-1923	1899 | 1902 | 1905 | 1908 | 1911 | 1914 | 1920
	Legislative Assembly of Southern Rhodesia 1924-1964	1924 | 1928 | 1933 | 1934 | 1939 | 1946 | 1948 | 1954 | 1958 | 1962
	Legislative Assembly of Rhodesia 1964-1970	1965
	House of Assembly of Rhodesia 1970-1979	1970 | 1974 | 1977
	Zimbabwe Rhodesia House of Assembly 1979-1980	1979
	Zimbabwe House of Assembly 1980-	1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005
	Senate of Zimbabwe 2005-	2005
	President of Zimbabwe 1987-	1990 | 1996 | 2002
	Referendums	1922 | 1934 | 1953 | 1961 | 1964 | 1969 | 1979 | 2000