Opposing Tyranny: White Resistance against the Rhodesian Front (1965-1977)

In November 1965, the government of Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared itself independent from Britain. It was an extreme response to the British directive that there would be “no independence before majority rule.” The ruling political party during this time, the Rhodesian Front, feared the consequences of relinquishing power. Born out of imperialist beliefs and anti-communist sentiment, this ultra-conservative political party sought to maintain minority rule and asserted that Rhodesia would “never in a thousand years” be ruled by the Black majority. While many Whites supported minority rule, my paper will focus on the efforts of select groups within the White African community to subvert the Rhodesian Front led government and initiate majority rule within what would become the state of Zimbabwe. I am looking specifically at two groups of people who have different philosophies, yet share the same goal of majority rule. This paper will discuss notable members from each group including Judith Todd, an equal rights activist and daughter of a former Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, and Bishop Donal Lamont, an Irish missionary who defied an emergency governmental order and assisted the Black resistance.