1977 Rhodesian general election

General elections were held in Rhodesia on 31 August 1977,[1][2][3] the last general election in the country dominated by the white minority. Prime Minister Ian Smith, who was conducting negotiations with moderate African nationalists, was forced into an early election by the defection of twelve MPs from his Rhodesian Front party, which denied him the two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly needed to change the constitution. In the event, the Front overwhelmed the breakaway Rhodesian Action Party and all other forces, once again winning every single seat in the 50 seats elected by those of European descent.

1977 Rhodesian general election
31 August 1977
All 66 seats in the House of Assembly
34 seats needed for a majority
  First party
 
Leader Ian Smith
Party RF
Leader's seat Umzingwane
Last election 50
Seats won 50
Seat change Steady
Popular vote 57,348
Percentage 85.36%
(European)
Swing Increase7.38pp
Composition of the House of Assembly after the election
Prime Minister before election

Ian Smith
RF

 Elected Prime Minister

Ian Smith
RF

Politics of Rhodesia
Political history
Government
Legislature
Elections
Political parties
Foreign relations
National symbols

Electoral system

The electorate of Rhodesia returned 66 members of the House of Assembly of Rhodesia, in three different classes of seat:

  • European roll seats: 50 members were returned from single-member constituencies by voters who were either of European, Asian or mixed (Coloured) descent.
  • African roll seats: 8 members were returned from single-member constituencies by voters of African descent.
  • Tribal seats: 8 seats were returned by Tribal electoral colleges made up of the Chiefs of the Tribes.

Both European and African rolls had a range of property qualifications. No change to boundaries or the qualification of voters was made compared to the 1974 election.

  • Rural constituencies.
    Rural constituencies.
  • Constituencies in Salisbury.
    Constituencies in Salisbury.
  • Constituencies in Bulawayo.
    Constituencies in Bulawayo.
  • African roll constituencies.
    African roll constituencies.

Results
PartyEuropean rollAfrican rollTotal
seats		+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Rhodesian Front57,34885.3650500
Rhodesian Action Party6,2249.2600New
National Unifying Force3,0024.4700–1
Independents6120.910470100.0088+7
Tribal representatives80
Total67,186100.0050470100.008660
Registered voters/turnout83,825–2,604–

European roll seats
Constituency
Electorate and turnout		 Candidate Party Votes %
ARUNDEL
2,503 (83.6%)		 †Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson RF 1,613 77.1
Anthony Warner NUF 256 12.2
Gideon Tredoux RAP 223 10.7
AVONDALE
2,068 (78.8%)		 Brian Stringer RF 1,412 86.7
†Colin Eric Barlow RAP 217 13.3
BELLEVUE
2,366 (81.9%)		 †Wallace Evelyn Stuttaford RF 1,797 92.8
Carel David Theron RAP 140 7.2
BELVEDERE
1,944 (79.5%)		 †Dennis Divaris RF 1,247 80.6
Randolph Harold Clark NUF 196 12.7
Ernest Roy Wright RAP 103 6.7
BORROWDALE
2,900 (81.5%)		 †Douglas Hamilton Ritchie RF 1,759 74.4
Lance Halford Reynolds NUF 354 15.0
Robert Sutton RAP 238 10.1
Mrs. Wendy Ann Truen Ind 12 0.5
BRAESIDE
1,576 (81.3%)		 †Richard Cartwright RF 1,143 89.2
Trevor Bryan Charles Harding RAP 139 10.8
BULAWAYO CENTRAL
1,243 (76.5%)		 Denys Sinclair Parkin RF 679 71.4
Ewen Cardno Greenfield NUF 236 24.8
Brewster Bryan Whyte RAP 36 3.8
BULAWAYO DISTRICT
1,705 (75.1%)		 †Alexander Moseley RF 1,200 93.8
Samuel James Shannon RAP 80 6.2
BULAWAYO EAST
2,195 (76.9%)		 Charles McKenzie Scott RF 1,315 77.8
Arthur Moses Kaplan NUF 295 17.5
Alexander Argyll McCallum RAP 79 4.7
BULAWAYO NORTH
1,780 (77.9%)		 †Wilfrid Denis Walker RF 1,282 92.4
Thomas Hayward Pannell RAP 105 7.6
BULAWAYO SOUTH
1,059 (69.5%)		 George Desmond Chalmers RF 701 95.2
Ian Norman Berry RAP 35 4.8
CHARTER
1,491 (76.1%)		 †Rowan Cronjé RF 1,023 90.2
Leonard George Idensohn Ind 111 9.8
EASTERN
1,319 (81.3%)		 Andre Dallein Wassennaar RF 833 77.7
†John Hamilton Wright RAP 239 22.3
GATOOMA
1,421 (84.0%)		 †Albert Gannaway Mells RF 1,094 91.6
James Wheeler RAP 100 8.4
GREENDALE
2,168 (84.2%)		 †Mark Henry Heathcote Partridge RF 1,448 79.3
Eric Reginald Schofield RAP 235 12.9
Simon Dennis Whinney NUF 142 7.8
GWEBI
1,319 (83.7%)		 Bertram Ankers RF 764 69.2
†Thomas Ian Fraser Sandeman RAP 207 18.8
George Alfred Pio Ind 133 12.0
GWELO
1,308 (80.1%)		 †Roger Hawkins RF 975 93.1
Michael Patrick John Huggins RAP 55 5.2
David Timothy Torbet Frost Ind 18 1.7
HARTLEY
2,254 (80.8%)		 †P. K. van der Byl RF 1,604 88.0
Jacobus Ignatius de Wet RAP 218 12.0
HATFIELD
1,816 (84.8%)		 †Frederick Roy Simmonds RF 1,303 84.6
†Edward Aylett Sutton-Pryce RAP 197 12.8
Neville Ronald Arthur Skeates NUF 40 2.6
HIGHLANDS NORTH
1,860 (83.2%)		 †Fergus Blackie RF 1,082 69.9
Allan Savory NUF 318 20.6
Marie Joseph Claude de Chasteigner Dumée-Duval RAP 147 9.5
HIGHLANDS SOUTH
1,960 (84.4%)		 John Christie RF 1,266 76.5
†Richard Hope Hall RAP 230 13.9
David Frank Sutherland NUF 158 9.6
HILLCREST
1,703 (84.9%)		 James Patrick Thrush RF 1,331 92.0
Edwin Stanley O'Connor RAP 115 8.0
HILLSIDE
1,876 (81.3%)		 William Redpath Kinleyside RF 1,382 90.6
Owen Victor Parvess RAP 143 9.4
JAMESON
1,704 (82.7%)		 Robert James Gaunt RF 1,242 88.1
†John Peter Broberg Nilson RAP 167 11.9
KAROI
1,260 (76.0%)		 †Jan Jacobus Buitendag RF 861 90.0
Donovan Hilgard Erasmus NUF 96 10.0
MABELREIGN
1,966 (82.1%)		 †John Cornelius Gleig RF 1,420 87.9
Adrian Thomas Wymer RAP 195 12.1
MARANDELLAS
1,501 (83.7%)		 †David Colville Smith RF 1,086 86.4
William John Raymond Pratt RAP 171 13.6
MARLBOROUGH
2,211 (82.6%)		 †William Michie Irvine RF 1,477 80.9
John Frederick Handford RAP 188 10.3
Ivor Cordner McCormick NUF 161 8.8
MATOBO
1,680 (84.1%)		 Donald Galbraith Goddard RF 1,262 89.3
†Robert Henry Warren McGee RAP 151 10.7
MAZOE
1,652 (80.4%)		 †George Rollo Hayman RF 1,184 89.1
Robin Elliot Campbell-Logan RAP 145 10.9
MIDLANDS
1,264 (79.7%)		 †Henry Swan Elsworth RF 903 89.7
Kennith Hahn RAP 104 10.3
MILTON PARK
1,703 (81.3%)		 †John Alfred Landau RF 1,171 84.6
Ratilal Damodard Devchand NUF 116 8.4
Peter Michael Nursten RAP 97 7.0
MOUNT PLEASANT
1,938 (73.0%)		 †Jonas Christian Andersen RF 1,295 91.5
Julian Richard Haw RAP 120 8.5
MTOKO
1,752 (80.6%)		 Stanley Norman Eastwood RF 1,044 73.9
†Rodney Guy Swayne Simmonds RAP 187 13.3
Diana Mitchell NUF 181 12.8
QUEEN'S PARK
1,521 (83.5%)		 †Arthur Denis Crook RF 1,189 93.6
Bazil Geoffrey de Lorme RAP 81 6.4
QUE QUE
1,731 (83.3%)		 †Jacobus Johannes Burger RF 1,265 87.7
William Gerald Kaschula RAP 90 6.2
William Harris Keys NUF 87 6.1
RAYLTON
1,922 (76.0%)		 †Patrick Francis Shields RF 1,385 94.8
Norman John Western RAP 76 5.2
RUSAPE
1,344 (78.1%)		 Jacobus Phillipus du Plessis RF 934 89.0
Gerhardus Paulus Johannes Swart RAP 116 11.0
SALISBURY CENTRAL
1,245 (74.6%)		 †Hilary Squires RF 778 83.7
Raymond Stallwood RAP 76 8.2
Mrs. Eileen Penny Brown NUF 75 8.1
SALISBURY CITY
1,392 (75.5%)		 Ivor Pitch RF 681 64.8
Ahrn Palley Ind 333 31.7
Anthony Charles Edward Scrace RAP 32 3.0
Leslie Thomas Hayes Ind 5 0.5
SALISBURY NORTH
1,613 (79.9%)		 †André Sothern Holland RF 1,063 82.5
Eric David Drought Syme NUF 135 10.5
Mark Fraser McLean RAP 90 7.0
SELUKWE
1,812 (80.8%)		 †John Morris Lowenthal RF 1,330 90.8
Anthony William Baumann RAP 135 9.2
SHABANI
1,219 (76.5%)		 Theunis Christian de Klerk RF 872 93.6
Johannes Jacobus Hulley RAP 60 6.4
SINOIA/UMVUKWES
1,535 (75.8%)		 †Esmond Meryl Micklem RF 1,085 93.3
Roland Oliver Davis NUF 78 6.7
UMTALI EAST
1,588 (78.7%)		 †Bernard Horace Mussett RF 1,122 89.8
Mrs. Vera Aileen Winter RAP 127 10.2
UMTALI WEST
1,426 (81.0%)		 Desmond Butler RF 983 85.1
Robert Traill Galvin RAP 94 8.1
John Oswald Meikle NUF 78 6.8
UMZINGWANE
1,726		 †Ian Douglas Smith RF unopposed
VICTORIA
2,071 (78.9%)		 Ormonde Corrington George RF 1,408 86.2
†Gordon Richard Olds RAP 226 13.8
WANKIE
1,425 (75.1%)		 Donald Goldin RF 977 91.3
William Ernest McNeir RAP 93 8.7
WATERFALLS
1,516 (79.2%)		 Albertus Herman du Toit RF 1,078 89.8
John Duncan Oliver RAP 122 10.2

African seats
Constituency
Electorate and turnout		 Candidate Party Votes %
HARARE
1,210 (21.1%)		 Ronnie Sadomba Ind 147 57.6
Tiriwanhu Mudzimu Ind 83 32.6
David Munyamana Ind 15 5.9
Milton Jack Makaya Ind 10 3.9
INSUKAMINI
514 (21.8%)		 †John Zachary Maposa Ind 86 76.8
Edward Gabriel Watungwa Ind 26 23.2
KUNYASI
1,651		 †Thomas Tavagwisa Zawaira Ind unopposed
MABVAZUWA
1,001		 †Elijah Smile Gende Magavan Nyandoro Ind unopposed
MATOJENI
852		 †Lot Enoch Dewa Ind unopposed
MPOPOMA
434		 Lwazi Joel Mahlangu Ind unopposed
NEMAKONDE
880 (11.7%)		 William Benjamin Chimpaka Ind 77 74.8
Fanuel Maruta Ind 26 25.2
NTSHONALANGA
836		 †Micah Mahamba Bhebe Ind unopposed

Tribal seats
  • HIGHVELD: †Bartholomew Augustine Mabika
  • KARIBA: †Peter Mhletshwa Nkomo
  • LOWVELD: Simeon Chengeta
  • MANICA: †Naboth Absalom Gandanzara
  • PAGATI: †Fani Mlingo
  • PIONEER: Benjamin Panga Mbuisa
  • TULI: †Zephaniah Maybin Bafanah Dube
  • ZAMBEZI: Mawire Patrick Bwanya

Subsequent by-elections

Pagati

Fani Mlingo died on 15 February 1978. On 31 March 1978, Joseph Jumo Bheka was returned unopposed to replace him. Bheka was a supporter of Bishop Abel Muzorewa.

Lowveld

Simeon Chengeta died on 19 March 1978. On 19 July 1978, a by-election was held in Lowveld. John Adonia Hungwe defeated Simon Dzichaperanhamo Bhene.

Highlands North

A by-election was held in the Highlands North constituency on 21 July 1978 to replace Fergus Blackie, who had been appointed as a Judge and resigned on 15 May 1978. This by-election occurred after the internal settlement agreement, and the Rhodesian Front candidate was therefore opposed not only by the National Unifying Force (pressing for a full settlement with African nationalists) but by two right-wing candidates opposed to any deals: the Rhodesian Action Party and the Rhodesian Conservative Alliance.

Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
HIGHLANDS NORTH Reginald Reed Beaver RF 545 49.1
Clifford Allan Redin Savory NUF 354 31.9
Marie Joseph Claude de Chasteigner Dumée-Duval RAP 158 14.2
Noel Allison Hunt RCA 52 4.7

Gwelo

Roger Hawkins resigned from the Assembly due to ill health on 30 November 1978, leading to a by-election in Gwelo on 30 January 1979.

Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
GWELO Trevor Duncan Dollar RF 762 84.7
Reginald James McLean RAP 138 15.3

Mazoe

George Rollo Hayman resigned on 27 December 1978, claiming that the power-sharing government could easily fall under the control of a terrorist group. He then resigned from the Assembly to seek re-election. This by-election, held on 6 February 1979, was the last election conducted before the advent of the new constitution.

Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
MAZOE Cecil Millar RF 611 78.7
George Rollo Hayman Ind 165 21.3

Vacancy at dissolution

Donald Goldin (Wankie) died on 12 February 1979. The seat was not filled before Parliament was dissolved.

References
  1. 31 August 1977 House of Assembly Election African Elections Database
  2. John F. Burns (28 August 1977). "White Rhodesia, Its Time Running Out, Is Set to Vote". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  3. John F. Burns (1 September 1977). "SMITH'S PARTY WINS RESOUNDING VICTORY IN RHODESIAN VOTING". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
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