image by Bruce Berry
Last modified: 2006-08-12 by bruce berry
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After the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland on 31 December 1963, subsequent (Southern) Rhodesian governments continued to negotiate with the British Government on the subject of independence, with the Rhodesians arguing that they should receive independence on the same basis as had been granted to the other Federation territories, Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia. However, neither side was willing to compromise on the subject of African majority rule and consequently the white minority government of Ian Smith declared a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 11 November 1965. This was not recognised by any other country and the following year Britain went to the UN and had mandatory economic sanctions imposed on the breakaway "rebel" colony. South Africa and Portugal (prior to 1975) did not comply with the UN embargo.
The Southern Rhodesia light blue ensign continued to be used for three years after UDI until it became apparent that the political deadlock would not be quickly resolved. To signify the severing of its colonial links Rhodesia adopted a new flag on 11 November 1968 - being green, white and green with the national Coat of Arms (adopted by Royal Warrant on 11 August 1924) in the centre of the white stripe. The flag followed the traditional British proportions of 1:2.
Rhodesia declared herself a republic on 02 March 1970, an act again not recognised by the UK which maintained it "legally" had control although de facto this was not the case.
The Rhodesian flag was in use until 01 September 1979 when it was replaced by
the flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
Bruce Berry, 20 Nov 1995, 14 Mar 1996
1968 Flag of Rhodesia No. 40 / p. 285
Rhodesia Act
To provide for the adoption of a national flag for Rhodesia; to provide for the
making of regulations to restrict or control the application to any goods of a
reproduction of such flag; to amend section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act,
1957, and to provide for matters incidental to the foregoing.
BE IT ENACTED by His Excellency the
Officer Administering Government as representative of the Queen's Most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Rhodesia, as
follows: -
1. This Act may be cited as the Flag of Rhodesia Act, 1968.
2. The Flag of Rhodesia shall be a flag consisting of three vertical stripes of
equal width, green, white and green, on which there appears in the centre of the
white stripe the coat of arms of Rhodesia, with -
(a) the length of the flag equal to twice the width of the flag; and
(b) the coat of arms of Rhodesia equal in height to three-fifths of the heights
of the flag.
3. The Minister of Justice shall cause a copy of the Flag of Rhodesia to be
prepared and deposited in the National Archives of Rhodesia established in terms
of the National Archives Act, 1963 (No. 76 of 1963).
4. (1) Where, in the opinion of the Officer Administering the Government, it is
necessary to regulate and control the use of the Flag of Rhodesia in order that
it is not used for purposes which, in his opinion, are improper he may make such
regulations restricting, regulating or controlling the application to any goods
or the importation into Rhodesia of any goods to which there has been applied a
reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or is intended
to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia as he may consider to be necessary or expedient
for the purpose.
(2) Regulations made in terms of subsection (1) may provide for penalties for
any contravention thereof, including provision for the forfeiture of any goods
to which a reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or
is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia has been applied or which have been
imported in contravention of such regulations:
Provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of five hundred pounds or
imprisonment for period of two years, excluding the value of any goods
forfeited.
5. Any person who burns, mutilates or otherwise insults the Flag of Rhodesia or
a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia or any
reproduction thereof in circumstances which are calculated or likely to show
disrespect for the Flag of Rhodesia or to bring the Flag of Rhodesia into
disrepute shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five
hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
6. Section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1957 is amended, in subsection (1),
by repeal of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b).
[[Coloured sheet]]
Published as a supplement to the Government Gazette issued on Friday, 9th August, 1968.
[[coloured image of the flag]]
Note: - This representation of the proposed national flag for adoption for Rhodesia, to which reference is made in the Flag of Rhodesia Bill, 1968 (A.B. 33, 1968) is published for public information.
image by
Željko Heimer, 25 April 2005
[[construction sheet which does not seem to be from the same source]]
The sheet gives the flag dimensions as follows:
overall = 60 x 120
width of each stripe = 40
Arms in central panel (height x length) = 36 x 34
top of the central panel to the top edge of Arms = 12
bottom of central panel to bottom of Arms = 12
Željko Heimer, 25 April 2005
The Rhodesian Government information pamphlet issued for The Raising of the Flag (Ministry of Information, Immigration and Tourism, November 1968) describes the event as follows:
"Rhodesia's new green and white flag was raised for the first time at a service held at 9am on Monday, 11 November, 1968, in Jameson Avenue, Salisbury, and attended by the Officer Administrating the Government, Mr Clifford Dupont, and the Prime Minister, the Honourable Mr Ian Smith.
The honour of raising the flag in front of the statute of Cecil John Rhodes, the country's founder, fell to Sgt. Nelson Nayi, of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force.
Official flag raising ceremonies were also held in Bulawayo, Gwelo, Umtali, Fort Victoria, Wankie and in other centres in Rhodesia, to honour this historic occasion".
The official description of the the flag is given as:
"The flag of Rhodesia consists of three vertical panels, green, white and green. Superimposed centrally on the white panel is the Coat of Arms of Rhodesia. Green is the predominant colour of the Coat of Arms. It is a bold colour and has the advantage of comparative lightfastness in Rhodesia's sunny climate.
The Arms were granted by Royal Warrant of King George V in August, 1924. The gold pick symbolises the importance of the gold mining industry and, in particular (at the time of its adoption), the mining of gold. The pick is set on a green field, representing the agricultural background of the country. The bir\ds which surmounts the Arms is a representation of the soapstone bird at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, and serves as a reminder of the country's past, including its prehistory. The lion and thistles are from the Arms of Cecil John Rhodes, the Founder, to whom allusion is also made in the motto: Sit Nomine Digna - "May she (Rhodesia) be worthy of the name".
The flag was raised for the first time
at ceremonies throughout the country on Independence Day, Monday, 11 November,
1968."
Bruce Berry, 26 April 2005
BE IT ENACTED by His Excellency the
Officer Administering Government as representative of the Queen's Most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Rhodesia, as
follows: -
1. This Act may be cited as the Flag of Rhodesia Act, 1968.
2. The Flag of Rhodesia shall be a flag consisting of three vertical stripes of
equal width, green, white and green, on which there appears in the centre of the
white stripe the coat of arms of Rhodesia, with -
(a) the length of the flag equal to twice the width of the flag; and
(b) the coat of arms of Rhodesia equal in height to three-fifths of the heights
of the flag.
3. The Minister of Justice shall cause a copy of the Flag of Rhodesia to be
prepared and deposited in the National Archives of Rhodesia established in terms
of the National Archives Act, 1963 (No. 76 of 1963).
4. (1) Where, in the opinion of the Officer Administering the Government, it is
necessary to regulate and control the use of the Flag of Rhodesia in order that
it is not used for purposes which, in his opinion, are improper he may make such
regulations restricting, regulating or controlling the application to any goods
or the importation into Rhodesia of any goods to which there has been applied a
reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or is intended
to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia as he may consider to be necessary or expedient
for the purpose.
(2) Regulations made in terms of subsection (1) may provide for penalties for
any contravention thereof, including provision for the forfeiture of any goods
to which a reproduction of the Flag of Rhodesia or of a flag which resembles or
is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia has been applied or which have been
imported in contravention of such regulations:
Provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of five hundred pounds or
imprisonment for period of two years, excluding the value of any goods
forfeited.
5. Any person who burns, mutilates or otherwise insults the Flag of Rhodesia or
a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag of Rhodesia or any
reproduction thereof in circumstances which are calculated or likely to show
disrespect for the Flag of Rhodesia or to bring the Flag of Rhodesia into
disrepute shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five
hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
6. Section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1957 is amended, in subsection (1),
by repeal of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b).
[[Coloured sheet]]
Published as a supplement to the Government Gazette issued on Friday, 9th August, 1968.
[[coloured image of the flag]]
Note: - This representation of the proposed national flag for adoption for Rhodesia, to which reference is made in the Flag of Rhodesia Bill, 1968 (A.B. 33, 1968) is published for public information.
image by
Željko Heimer, 25 April 2005
[[construction sheet which does not seem to be from the same source]]
The sheet gives the flag dimensions as follows:
overall = 60 x 120
width of each stripe = 40
Arms in central panel (height x length) = 36 x 34
top of the central panel to the top edge of Arms = 12
bottom of central panel to bottom of Arms = 12
Željko Heimer, 25 April 2005
The Rhodesian Government information pamphlet issued for The Raising of the Flag (Ministry of Information, Immigration and Tourism, November 1968) describes the event as follows:
"Rhodesia's new green and white flag was raised for the first time at a service held at 9am on Monday, 11 November, 1968, in Jameson Avenue, Salisbury, and attended by the Officer Administrating the Government, Mr Clifford Dupont, and the Prime Minister, the Honourable Mr Ian Smith.
The honour of raising the flag in front of the statute of Cecil John Rhodes, the country's founder, fell to Sgt. Nelson Nayi, of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force.
Official flag raising ceremonies were also held in Bulawayo, Gwelo, Umtali, Fort Victoria, Wankie and in other centres in Rhodesia, to honour this historic occasion".
The official description of the the flag is given as:
"The flag of Rhodesia consists of three vertical panels, green, white and green. Superimposed centrally on the white panel is the Coat of Arms of Rhodesia. Green is the predominant colour of the Coat of Arms. It is a bold colour and has the advantage of comparative lightfastness in Rhodesia's sunny climate.
The Arms were granted by Royal Warrant of King George V in August, 1924. The gold pick symbolises the importance of the gold mining industry and, in particular (at the time of its adoption), the mining of gold. The pick is set on a green field, representing the agricultural background of the country. The bird which surmounts the Arms is a representation of the soapstone bird at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, and serves as a reminder of the country's past, including its prehistory. The lion and thistles are from the Arms of Cecil John Rhodes, the Founder, to whom allusion is also made in the motto: Sit Nomine Digna - "May she (Rhodesia) be worthy of the name".
The flag was raised for the first time
at ceremonies throughout the country on Independence Day, Monday, 11 November,
1968."
Bruce Berry, 26 April 2005