Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Constitutional Conference

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0102 MS 380390
Held at	: School of Oriental and African Studies   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.soas.ac.uk/Archives/home.html ›
Full 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 & 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.

Finding aids:

Unpublished handlist.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Donated in 1983.

Allied Materials

Related material:

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:

Date(s) of descriptions:
15 May 2000