Ian Smith

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Lore & Background

Smith was born in Selukwe, Rhodesia, to British settler parents. During the Second World War, he served as a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and was seriously injured in a crash in Egypt. He later served in Europe, where he was shot down and fought alongside Italian partisans. After the war, he returned to Southern Rhodesia, became a farmer, and was elected to the colony's parliament in 1948. He was initially a member of the Liberal Party, later joined the United Federal Party, and in 1962 co-founded the Rhodesian Front, which opposed immediate majority rule. Smith became prime minister in April 1964. After unsuccessful negotiations with Britain over independence, his government issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. Rhodesia subsequently severed its remaining constitutional ties with Britain and declared itself a republic in 1970. By the late 1970s, military pressure, sanctions, international isolation, and declining South African support led Smith to negotiate the Internal Settlement with moderate black leaders. The agreement produced a short-lived government under Abel Muzorewa, but excluded ZANU and ZAPU and failed to end the war or gain international recognition. Smith later participated in the Lancaster House negotiations, which led to elections in 1980 and internationally recognised independence as Zimbabwe in April 1980. After independence, Smith remained in parliament and served as Leader of the Opposition before retiring from active politics in 1987. He remained a critic of Robert Mugabe's government and defended his own premiership in his 1997 memoir, The Great Betrayal. He moved to South Africa for medical treatment in 2005 and died in Cape Town in 2007.

In Their Own Story

On 7 August 2021, at Eden Park in Auckland against the Wallabies, Aaron Smith made history by becoming the tenth All Black to register 100 tests. This milestone also marked him as the first player of Māori descent to reach this feat. His record-breaking run continued through the 2018 season when he broke Justin Marshall's long-standing record for most capped scrum-halves on 17 November 2018. Although he failed to perform well during that specific record-breaking match, which saw the All Blacks lose 9–16 to Ireland, his longevity was undeniable. Smith remained a regular starter into the 2017 season, appearing in all three tests against the touring British & Irish Lions. His international career concluded with the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against South Africa on 28 October 2023. Following this match, he announced his retirement from international rugby and signed a contract to play for Toyota Verblitz in Japan.

Reader's Guide

Ian Douglas Smith was a Rhodesian politician who led the white-minority government that unilaterally declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. His premiership was marked by international non-recognition, UN sanctions, and the Rhodesian Bush War. He remains a divisive figure, with supporters portraying him as a defender of Rhodesian stability and anti-communism, and critics describing him as the leader of a government that upheld racial inequality and resisted majority rule.

Did You Know?

• Smith was born in Selukwe (now Shurugwi), a small mining and farming town in Southern Rhodesia.
• During the Second World War, Smith served as a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and was shot down over Italy, where he fought alongside Italian partisans for about three months.
• Smith co-founded the Rhodesian Front in 1962, which opposed immediate majority rule.
• Smith's government issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom in November 1965.
• After independence, Smith served as Leader of the Opposition in Zimbabwe before retiring from active politics in 1987.