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
	William Harper	Minister of Internal Affairs Minister of Public Service
	Desmond Lardner-Burke	Minister of Justice and Law and Order
		Minister of Health Minister of Labour and Social Welfare

		Minister of Trade, Industry, and Development
		Minister of Education
		Minister of Mines, Lands, and Water Development
	John Wrathall	Minister of Finance

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

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

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

v t 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