State House, formerly known as Government House, is the official residence of the

President of Zimbabwe The president of Zimbabwe is the head of state and head of government of Zimbabwe. The president chairs the national cabinet and is the chief commanding authority of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The incumbent president is Emmerson Mnangagwa, ...

and is located in

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

, Zimbabwe. It was previously used by the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia,

Governor of Southern Rhodesia The governor of Southern Rhodesia was the representative of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch in the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia from 1923 to 1980. The governor was appointed by the Crown and acted as the local ...

and the

Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The governor-general of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also known as the Central African Federation) served as the representative of the British monarch in the country. The federation was formed on 1 August 1953 from the former colon ...

in addition to being occupied by the internationally unrecognised

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

Officer Administering the Government An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fr ...

and later

President of Rhodesia The president of Rhodesia was the head of state of Rhodesia from 1970 to 1979. As Rhodesia reckoned itself a parliamentary republic rather than a presidential republic at the time, the president's post was almost entirely ceremonial, and the ...

. It was constructed in 1910 to a design by

Detmar Blow Detmar Jellings Blow (24 November 1867 – 7 February 1939) was a British architect of the early 20th century, who designed principally in the arts and crafts style. His clients belonged chiefly to the British aristocracy, and later he became es ...

in the Cape Dutch revival style.

History

The Residency, 1895–1923

The Residency on the corner of Baines Avenue and Second Street was constructed in 1895 by

Edward Arthur Maund Edward Arthur Maund (1851 – 17 March 1932, Hampstead) was a Rhodesian pioneer and explorer of Africa. He was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, where he later acted as Assistant Master between 1872 and 1873, and matriculated at Peterhouse, Ca ...

as the home of the Resident Commissioner of the

British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC or BSACo) was chartered in 1889 following the amalgamation of Cecil Rhodes' Central Search Association and the London-based Exploring Company Ltd, which had originally competed to capitalize on the expecte ...

that governed Rhodesia under Company rule to replace the Old Government House. The Residency was purchased outright by the Company in 1901 for £3,500. It shared the official government residence status in Rhodesia with

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; ) is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about ...

which was constructed as the home of the founder of Rhodesia,

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...

in 1897. After the residency ceased use by the commissioner in 1923, it retained its use as an official residence for prominent political leaders in Southern Rhodesia including: Attorney-General Robert Hudson (1924–1932), Minister of Agriculture

Frank Ernest Harris Frank, FRANK, or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a Germanic people in late Roman times * Franks, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusa ...

(1933–1942), Chief Justice Sir Robert Hudson (1943–1946), Minister of Mines

George Arthur Davenport George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorgi ...

(1946–1950), Minister

John Moore Caldicott Sir John Moore Caldicott (12 February 1900 – 31 January 1986) was a Rhodesian government minister. Early life John Moore Caldicott was born in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, on 12 February 1900 the son of solicitor John Croydon Moore Ca ...

(1950–1963) and Minister The Duke of Montrose (1963–1968).

Government House, 1910–1980

Government House was designed to be the residence of the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia, in contrast to the nearby residency occupied by the Company Commissioner, and was built in 1910 in the Cape Dutch revival style by English architect Detmar Jellings Blow, who although never visiting southern Africa himself worked on designs for the Statue of Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town and extensions for Government House, Bulawayo at the same time. The construction was undertaken by William Cubitt & Co. Government House was the home of the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia (1910–1923), the

(1923–1953; 1963–1969; 1979–1980) and the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation (CAF), was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southern ...

(1953–1963). During the Federation, the Governor of Southern Rhodesia resided in Governor's Lodge in the suburb of Highlands.''East Africa and Rhodesia''
Volume 42, Africana, 1965, pages 339, 464 Following

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 Rhodesia (previously Southern Rhodesia), a British crown colony in southern Africa that had respon ...

on 11 November 1965, the

Sir

Humphrey Gibbs Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs, (22 November 19025 November 1990), was the penultimate Governor of the colony of Southern Rhodesia, from 24 October 1964 described by its internationally unrecognised government simply as Rhodesia, who served until, ...

refused to leave the building to recognise the Rhodesian government as he declared he had dismissed them when they declared independence but the government continued to meet claiming they had abolished the Governor's office. The

Prime Minister of Rhodesia The prime minister of Rhodesia (Southern Rhodesia before 1964) was the head of government of Rhodesia. Rhodesia, which had become a self-governing colony of the United Kingdom in 1923, unilaterally declared independence on 11 November 1965, a ...

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 191920 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 1979. He w ...

asked Gibbs to leave Government House but Gibbs refused, citing he was still legally the Governor and the Queen's representative. On the day of UDI,

Rhodesian Army The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel ...

officers approached Gibbs in Government House asking for a warrant to arrest Smith but Gibbs declined to issue one. In response Rhodesian authorities removed his official cars and any signposts nearby bearing the name of "Governor's office". They also cut off telephones and electricity to Government House and only addressed letters to it as "Stand 8060, Salisbury" by refusing to call it Government House. They sent Gibbs monthly Rh£800 bills for rent which he refused to pay as the Rhodesian authorities also stopped his salary. Gibbs survived on donations from his Rhodesian supporters. Gibbs would continue to fly the

Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

from the house as a symbol of defiance to Smith, who lived in Independence House opposite Government House. Gibbs would only leave in 1969 after resigning following

voting to become a republic. After Gibbs left,

Clifford Dupont Clifford Walter Dupont (6 December 190528 June 1978) was a British-born Rhodesian politician who served in the internationally unrecognised positions of officer administrating the government (from 1965 until 1970) and president (from 1970 to ...

moved in as the Rhodesian recognised representative of the Queen as

and later

when the republic was established on 2 March 1970 at Government House. Government House continued to serve as the location for official Rhodesian state events.

State House, 1980–present

Following the independence of Zimbabwe, it was renamed "State House" and was used as the house of the

. During his time in office, Zimbabwe's first President

Canaan Banana Canaan Sodindo Banana (5 March 193610 November 2003) was a Zimbabwean Methodist minister, theologian, and politician who served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987. He was Zimbabwe's first head of state, a ceremonial president ...

was accused of engaging in homosexual rape on several members of staff in State House. His replacement

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 th ...

moved in after Banana's fall as a result of the accusations. Following an attack on Mugabe's residence in 1982, a 6pm curfew was introduced to prevent any traffic passing in front of State House, this was removed in 2017. In 2006, Mugabe moved his personal residence from State House to a newly constructed mansion in the

Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland, England. It is in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, and is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' to distinguis ...

suburb. State House was retained as the location for official receptions. In 2011, a report from 2008 was leaked alleging that State House was being used as a location by the

Central Intelligence Organisation The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) is the national intelligence agency of Zimbabwe. It was conceived as the external intelligence-gathering arm of the British South Africa Police Special Branch in the early 1960s, under the Southern Rh ...

for state torture and abductions. In 2016, Mugabe unveiled a 3.7 m (12 ft) tall statue of himself in the grounds of State House. After Mugabe was removed from office, it was reported that he left State House in a poor condition that was so bad it prevented his successor

Emmerson Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa ( , ; born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as the president of Zimbabwe since 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former president Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabin ...

from moving in.

References

{{Presidential Palaces in Africa

History

The Residency, 1895–1923

Government House, 1910–1980

State House, 1980–present

References

See also