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Politics of Rhodesia
Political history — Overview 1890–1923  BSA Company rule 1923–1980  Southern Rhodesia 1953–1963  Rhodesia–Nyasaland Federation 1965–1979  Rhodesia under UDI  1979  Zimbabwe Rhodesia (under UDI)
Government Governor / Queen / President Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister Cabinet
Legislature 1899–1923  Legislative Council 1924–1970  Legislative Assembly 1970–1979  Parliament Leader of the Opposition
Elections General 1924 1928 1933 1934 1939 1946 1948 1954 1958 1962 1965 1970 1974 1977 1979 1980 Legislative Council 1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1920 Referendums 1922 1934 1953 1961 1964 1969 1979
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The Leader of the Opposition in Southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia was a title held by the leader of the largest political party in the most important house of the legislature that was not in government.

This was the unicameral Legislative Assembly from 1924 to 1970 and the House of Assembly of the bicameral Parliament from 1970 to 1979. They acted as the public face of the opposition, leading the Shadow Cabinet and the challenge to the government on the floor of the legislature. They thus acted as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government.

List of leaders of the opposition in Rhodesia (1924–1979)

No.	Portrait	Leader (Birth–Death)	Political party	Term of office
vacant				1924–1928
1		Robert Gilchrist	Progressive Party / Reform Party	1928–1933
2		Percy Finn	Rhodesia Party	1933–1934
3		Harry Davies (1878–1957)	Labour Party	1934–1940
4		Donald MacIntyre (1891–1978)	Labour Party	1940–1946
5		Jacob Smit (1881–1959)	Liberal Party	1946–1948
6		Raymond Stockil	Liberal Party	1948–1954
vacant				1954–1958
(6)		Raymond Stockil	Dominion Party	1958–1959
7		Stewart Aitken-Cade	Dominion Party	1959–1960
8		William Harper (1916–2006)	Dominion Party	1960–1962
9		William Cary	Dominion Party	1962 – 14 December 1962
10		Edgar Whitehead (1905–1971)	United Federal Party	17 December 1962 – 12 February 1965
11		David Butler	United Federal Party	12 February 1965 – 7 May 1965
12		Josiah Gondo (died 1972)	United People's Party	7 May 1965 – 25 March 1966
13		Chad Chipunza	United People's Party	25 March 1966 – 1966
(12)		Josiah Gondo (died 1972)	United People's Party	1966 – 21 January 1967
14		Percy Mkudu	United People's Party	21 January 1967 – 1969
(13)		Chad Chipunza	United People's Party	1969–1970
vacant				1970–1979

Notes

1. At the 1924 election, the only opposition MPs elected were independents. No Leader of the Opposition was recognised.
2. At the 1954 election, the only opposition MPs elected were independents. No Leader of the Opposition was recognised, although Raymond Stockil and Stewart Aitken-Cade seemed to be recognised as having a leadership role.
3. At the 1970 election, the electoral system changed. Although the African MPs formed themselves into parties, the Rhodesian Front government declined to recognise any of them as the formal Opposition and therefore did not have a Leader of the Opposition. There was a white opposition party, the Rhodesia Party formed by Rhodesian Front defector Allan Savory MP in 1972, but he was not recognised as Leader of the Opposition either. Neither was the Rhodesian Action Party recognised as the lead opposition party when formed in 1977 — instead the Rhodesian Front government dissolved Parliament and called an early election.

Timeline

References

• European Politics in Southern Rhodesia, by Colin Leys (1959, Oxford University Press)
• Rhodesia: The Road to Rebellion, by James Barber (1967, Oxford University Press)
• White Working Class Disunity: the Southern Rhodesia Labour Party, by M. C. Steele (1st volume 1970, Rhodesian History; article in historical journal, particularly useful in explaining the situation in the 1940–45 period)
• Some Recollections of a Rhodesian Speaker, by Hon. A.R.W. Stumbles (1980, Books of Rhodesia)

1. Subsequently nonpartisan when the Rhodesia Party merged with the Reform Party.
2. Davies may have ceased to be Leader of the Opposition when he accepted Godfrey Huggins's invitation to join the government following the 1939 election.
3. Apparently, the party fell apart during this assembly.
4. At the 1965 election, the Rhodesian Front won all of the 50 constituencies with a mostly white electorate ("A"-roll seats), and the Rhodesia Party opposition won only in the districts which had a mostly black electorate ("B"-roll seats). As a result the Rhodesia Party soon dissolved and had itself replaced by an African opposition party.

• Politics of Rhodesia
• Lists of Rhodesian people
• Leaders of the Opposition