The Lancaster House Agreement, signed on 21 December 1979, declared a ceasefire, ending the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rh ...

; and directly led to

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of So ...

achieving internationally recognised independence as

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. It required the full resumption of direct British rule, nullifying the Unilateral Declaration of Independence of 1965. British governance would be strictly prescribed to the duration of a proposed election period followed by a formal power transfer back to a recognised, sovereign state. Constitutional instruments would thus be transferred from the British state to a popularly elected government, under an unqualified universal franchise vote. Crucially, the political wings of the black nationalist groups ZANU and ZAPU, who had been waging an increasingly violent insurgency, would be permitted to stand candidates in the forthcoming elections. This was however conditional to compliance with the ceasefire and the verified absence of voter intimidation. The Agreement would lead to the dissolution of the unrecognised state of

Zimbabwe Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, and sometimes as Rhobabwe, was a short-lived sovereign state that existed from 1 June to 12 December 1979. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was p ...

, created months earlier by the

Internal Settlement The Internal Settlement was an agreement which was signed on 3 March 1978 between Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith and the moderate African nationalist leaders comprising Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole and Senator Chief Jeremiah ...

; an agreement forged between moderate black nationalists and Prime Minister

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 1919 – 20 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1 ...

's Government. While Zimbabwe Rhodesia remained unrecognised, the Internal Settlement enfranchised the majority of blacks (hitherto the key British demand) and resulted in the election of the country's first black Prime Minister, Bishop

Abel Muzorewa Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa (14 April 1925 – 8 April 2010), also commonly referred to as Bishop Muzorewa, was a Zimbabwean bishop and politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to ...

. Lancaster House covered the

Independence Constitution Independence constitution is the name commonly given by African political scientists to originating constitutions (many of which are extant) of former British colonies, primarily in Africa, which gained their independence approximately 1960-1990. ...

, pre-independence arrangements and the terms of ceasefire. The Agreement is named after Lancaster House in London, where the conference on independence from 10 September to 15 December 1979 was held. The parties represented during the conference were: the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

, the Patriotic Front led by

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

and

Joshua Nkomo Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo (19 June 1917 – 1 July 1999) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and Matabeleland politician who served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1990 until his death in 1999. He founded and led the Zimbabwe African People's ...

, ZAPU (

Zimbabwe African Peoples Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zimb ...

) and ZANU (

Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant organisation that fought against white minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Mugab ...

) and the

Government, represented by Prime Minister, Bishop

and

, Minister without Portfolio.

Negotiations

Following the Meeting of

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Heads of Government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

held in

Lusaka Lusaka (; ) is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was about 3.3 millio ...

from 1–7 August 1979, the British government invited Muzorewa and the leaders of the Patriotic Front to participate in a Constitutional Conference at Lancaster House. The purpose of the Conference was to discuss and reach agreement on the terms of an Independence Constitution, to agree on the holding of elections under British authority, and to enable Zimbabwe Rhodesia to proceed to lawful and internationally recognised independence, with the parties settling their differences by political means.

Lord Carrington Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton, (6 June 1919 – 9July 2018), was a British Conservative Party politician and hereditary peer who served as Defence Secretary from 1970 to 1974, Foreign Secretar ...

, Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of the United Kingdom, chaired the Conference. The conference took place from 10 September – 15 December 1979 with 47 plenary sessions. In the course of its proceedings the conference reached agreement on the following issues: * An outline of the Independence Constitution; * arrangements for the pre-independence period; * a cease-fire agreement signed by all the parties. In concluding this agreement and signing its report, the parties undertook: * to accept the authority of the Governor; * to abide by the Independence Constitution; * to comply with the pre-independence arrangements; * to abide by the cease-fire agreement; * to campaign peacefully and without intimidation; * to renounce the use of force for political ends; * to accept the outcome of the elections and to instruct any forces under their authority to do the same. Under the Independence Constitution agreed, 20 per cent of the seats in the country's parliament were to be reserved for whites. This provision remained in the constitution until 1987. The agreement as signed on 21 December 1979. Lord Carrington and Sir Ian Gilmour signed the Agreement on behalf of the United Kingdom, Bishop

and Dr Silas Mundawarara signed for the Government of

, and

and

for the Patriotic Front. According to Robert Matthews, the success of the Lancaster House negotiations can be explained by four factors: :A balance of forces on the battlefield that clearly favoured the nationalists; international sanctions and their adverse effects on Rhodesia's economy and Salisbury's ability to wage war; a particular pattern of third party interests; and finally, the skill and resources that Lord Carrington as mediator brought to the table.

Outcome

Under the terms of the Agreement, Zimbabwe Rhodesia temporarily reverted to its former status as the Colony of

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing colony, self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The reg ...

, thereby ending the rebellion caused by

Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) was a statement adopted by the Cabinet of Rhodesia on 11 November 1965, announcing that Southern Rhodesia or simply Rhodesia, a British territory in southern Africa that had governed ...

. Lord Soames was appointed Governor with full executive and legislative powers. In terms of the ceasefire,

ZAPU The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zimb ...

and ZANU guerillas were to gather at designated Assembly Points under British supervision, following which elections were to be held to elect a new government. These

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

were held in February 1980, and resulted in the

Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

(ZANU-PF) led by

winning a majority of seats. Independence in terms of the Constitution agreed to at Lancaster House was granted to

on 18 April 1980 with Robert Mugabe as the first Prime Minister.

Land reform

In addition to the terms cited above, Robert Mugabe and his supporters were pressured into agreeing to wait ten years before instituting land reform. The three-month-long conference almost failed to reach an accord due to disagreements on land reform. Mugabe was pressured to sign, and land was the key stumbling block. Both the British and American governments offered to compensate white citizens for any land sold so as to aid reconciliation (the "Willing buyer, Willing seller" principle), and a fund was established to operate from 1980 to 1990.

British delegation

Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton, (6 June 1919 – 9July 2018), was a British Conservative Party politician and hereditary peer who served as Defence Secretary from 1970 to 1974, Foreign Secretary ...

(Chairman) * Sir Ian Gilmour *

Sir Michael Havers Robert Michael Oldfield Havers, Baron Havers (10 March 1923 – 1 April 1992), was a British barrister and Conservative politician. From his knighthood in 1972 until becoming a peer in 1987 he was known as Sir Michael Havers. Early life and m ...

* David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech * Richard Luce * Sir

Michael Palliser Sir Arthur Michael Palliser (9 April 1922 – 19 June 2012) was the vice chairman of the Salzburg Seminar's Board of Directors and a senior British diplomat. Life Born in Reigate, Surrey, the son of Admiral Sir Arthur Palliser, he received h ...

* Sir

Antony Duff Sir Arthur Antony Duff (25 February 1920 – 13 August 2000) was a senior British diplomat and Director General of MI5. Early life and naval service Born in 1920 to Admiral Sir Arthur Allen Morison Duff KCB and Margaret Grace Dawson at Var T ...

* Derek Day * R. A. C. Byatt *

Robin Renwick, Baron Renwick of Clifton Robin William Renwick, Baron Renwick of Clifton, (born 13 December 1937) is a former diplomat and a former member of the House of Lords. He was first a Labour peer but moved to the crossbenches in 2007. He retired from the House in 2018. Lor ...

* P. R. N. Fifoot * Sir Nicholas Fenn, Head of News Department of the Foreign Office *

George Walden George Gordon Harvey Walden (born 15 September 1939) is an English journalist, former diplomat and former politician for the Conservative Party, who served as MP for Buckingham from 1983 to 1997 and Minister for Higher Education under Marga ...

* Charles Powell * P. J. Barlow * R. D. Wilkinson * A. M. Layden * R. M. J. Lyne * M. J. Richardson * C. R. L. de Chassiron * A. J. Phillips * M. C. Wood

Patriotic Front delegation

– ZANU-PF leader and future President of Zimbabwe *

– PF-ZAPU leader * Josiah Mushore Chinamano – ZAPU leader, moderate, detained with Nkomo, future government minister *

Edgar Tekere Edgar Zivanai Tekere (1 April 1937 – 7 June 2011), nicknamed "2 Boy", was a Zimbabwean politician. He was the second and last Secretary General of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) who organised the party during the Lancaster House ta ...

– future Government minister, expelled from the party in 1988 after he denounced plans to establish a one-party state in Zimbabwe. He also emerged as a vocal critic of the massacre of civilians in Matabeleland after government launched a crackdown against so-called dissidents in the region. He formed his own party, Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) in 1989 ahead of general elections in 1990. * General

Josiah Tongogara Josiah Magama Tongogara (4 February 1938 – 26 December 1979) was a commander of the ZANLA guerrilla army in Rhodesia. He was the brother of current Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa's second wife, Jayne. He attended the Lancaster House co ...

, ZANLA general, from ZANU militant external wing * Ernest R Kadungure, ZAPU, future Finance secretary * Dr H Ushewokunze – first health minister, director of energy and transportation, director of political affairs. Flamboyant and often controversial, he often clashed with the Mugabe administration and was thrown out of the government, welcomed back in, then thrown out again. He died in 1995 and was buried in Zimbabwe's national cemetery. He was declared a national hero. * Dzingai Mutumbuka – future minister of education * Josiah Tungamirai – future Air force chief, after retirement as MP for Gutu North. *

Edson Zvobgo Eddison Jonasi Mudadirwa Zvobgo (2 October 1935 – 22 August 2004) was a founder of Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU–PF, the Patriotic Front's spokesman at the Lancaster House in late 1979,

– lawyer, Harvard graduate, future Government minister, clashed with Mugabe around press freedom, buried a national hero. * Dr Simbi Mubako * Prof

Walter Kamba Walter Kamba (6 September 1931 – 18 May 2007) was a Zimbabwean lawyer and academic, one of the few black lawyers practicing in the then British colony of Rhodesia. He fled following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Prime Minister I ...

, later Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Zimbabwe The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the University ...

Joseph Msika Joseph Wilfred Msika (6 December 1923 – 4 August 2009), was a Zimbabwean politician who served as Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1999 to 2009.Sydney Kawadza"VP Msika dies", ''The Herald'', 6 August 2009. Early life Msika was born in ...

– ZAPU leader, detained with Nkomo, future vice-president * T George Silundika – ZAPU Publicity and Information Secretary * A M Chambati – Future Minister of Finance (and died from cancer within 6 months of accepting the post) after David J M Vincent declined the post. *

John Nkomo John Landa Nkomo (born 22 August, 1934 – died 17 January, 2013), was a Zimbabwean politician who served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. After serving for years as a minister in the government of Zimbabwe, he was the Speaker o ...

– Future vice-president * L Baron * S K Sibanda * E Mlambo * C Ndlovu * E Siziba * K Ndoro

Zimbabwe-Rhodesia delegation

* Prime Minister Bishop

* S C Mundawarara * E L Bulle * F. Zindoga * D C Mukome * G B Nyandoro * Reverend

Ndabaningi Sithole Ndabaningi Sithole (21 July 1920 – 12 December 2000) founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant organisation that opposed the government of Rhodesia, in July 1963.Veenhoven, Willem Adriaan, Ewing, and Winifred Crum. ''Cas ...

* L Nyemba * Chief

Kayisa Ndiweni Khayisa Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni (1913–2010) was a chief in Zimbabwe. He was hugely respected in Matabeleland and a revered figure among his people in Ntabazinduna.. He became a chief of the Matebele people of Ntabazinduna and Mbembezi in 1939. ...

* S Musoni * Z M Bafanah * I D Smith * D C Smith * R Cronje * C Andersen * Dr J Kamusikiri * G Pincus * L G Smith * Air Vice Marshal Harold Hawkins * Dr E M F Chitate * David Zamchiya * Simpson Mutambanengwe * M A Adam * P Claypole * Tichaona Noah Bangure * Gordon Chavunduka

Later developments

In 1980, the first phase of land reform, partly funded by the United Kingdom, resettled around 70,000 landless people on more than of land in the new Zimbabwe. In 1981, the British assisted in setting up a Zimbabwe conference on reconstruction and development, at which more than £630 million of international aid was pledged. In 1997, war veterans began receiving individual personal payments of ZW$50,000 each for their service in the

, costing the nation's tax payers billions of dollars, and depleting government coffers. Some months later, Robert Mugabe announced that the forced acquisition of land under Section 8 would proceed and, within 24 hours, the local currency had devalued more than 50%. Thus began a period of

hyperinflation In economics, hyperinflation is a very high and typically accelerating inflation. It quickly erodes the real value of the local currency, as the prices of all goods increase. This causes people to minimize their holdings in that currency as t ...

and the demonetisation of the Zimbabwean currency, accompanied by the " Flight of Whites" from the country, most never to return. According to an independent newspaper in Zimbabwe, the Lancaster House Agreement has been modified or changed more than 27 times since independence.

References

External links

Read the full Agreement on UN Peacemaker Database
Rhodesia–United Kingdom relations Politics of Rhodesia Treaties concluded in 1979 Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of Zimbabwe Treaties of Rhodesia Rhodesian Bush War United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations 1970s in the City of Westminster 1979 in the British Empire