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School of Oriental and African Studies

Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0102 MS 380390

Held at: School of Oriental and African Studies

Title: Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference

Date(s): Created 1979

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 9 boxes

Name of creator(s): Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference | 1979 | London

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference, held at Lancaster House, London, began on 10 September 1979. The delegates included Lord Carrington, the British Foreign Secretary; Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Prime Minister of Rhodesia since the general election in April, and other members of his Government of National Unity including the former premier, Ian Smith, Joshua Nkomo, head of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), and Robert Mugabe, head of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), both representing the Patriotic Front. Although none of the participants began the conference with any real expectations that a solution would be reached, after four months of negotiation a settlement was concluded. On 21 December 1979 the delegates signed an agreement to accept a constitution for a new independent Zimbabwe and to implement a cease-fire in the civil war.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Copies of documents presented at and concerning the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference held in 1979.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The main divisions of the material are as follows: preliminary documents; constitution; Patriotic Front documents; Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Government documents; British Government documents; press cuttings; 1976 Rhodesia Conference documents; miscellaneous documents; and Commonwealth Secretariat.

Conditions governing access:

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Unpublished handlist.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Donated in 1983.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Date(s) of descriptions: 15 May 2000


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Civil war | Political movements
Commonwealth countries | Political systems
Constitutions | Constitutional law | Public law
Decolonization | Colonial countries | Political systems
Foreign policy | Foreign relations | International relations
Government policy | Government
Newly independent states | Political systems
Peacemaking | Peace
Political parties | Internal politics

Personal names

Corporate names
Commonwealth Secretariat
Patriotic Front | Zimbabwean political party
ZANU | Zimbabwe African National Union x Zimbabwe African National Union
ZAPU | Zimbabwe African Peoples Union x Zimbabwe African Peoples Union
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference | 1979 | London

Places
Zimbabwe | Southern Africa