Last modified: 2022-10-22 by bruce berry
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image by Bruce Berry, 20 Nov 1995
Other Zimbabwe Historical flags:
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African opposition to
the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) and the white-led regime in
Rhodesia manifested itself through
an increasing guerrilla struggle waged from initially Zambia and then also
from Mozambique. In 1978 the Rhodesian Government reached a compromise
with "internal" African leaders resulting in first time universal suffrage
elections in February 1979. This led to the establishment of a black led
government under Bishop Abel Muzorewa and the formation of Zimbabwe Rhodesia
on 01 June 1979. As the external guerrilla leaders were not accommodated
the new state was not recognised (although Margaret Thatcher did attempt to
secure recognition at the Commonwealth Heads of Govt. meeting in Lusaka in
August 1979)
and UN sanctions were maintained and the guerrilla struggle continued. A new
flag to reflect the changing political dispensation was hoisted on 02 September
1979. This flag has a vertical black stripe, with white fimbriation, at
the hoist, with three horizontal stripes of red, white and green in the
fly. A yellow Zimbabwe Bird is in the black stripe in the canton.
The flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia was designed by Flight Lieutenant Cedric Herbert
of the Rhodesian Air Force and a member of the Rhodesian Heraldry and Genealogy
Society. The design incorporates the pan-African colours of yellow, black,
green and red with the following explanation:
Black symbolises the achievement of majority rule in the country, red is for the
struggle for independence, yellow represents the mineral wealth and green the
agricultural and natural resources of the country. The vertical white
stripe represents the white community while the central horizontal white stripe
represents peace.
Officially this flag was short-lived as it was replaced in
December 1979 by the Union Jack when Zimbabwe Rhodesia once again came a British
colony and reverted to its formal colonial name of Southern Rhodesia, this time with direct-rule under a British Governor, following the
Lancaster House agreement. While de jure the Union Jack was the
flag of the "colony", de facto the Zimbabwe Rhodesian flag
continued to fly until the new flag of Zimbabwe was adopted at independence on
18 April 1980.
Bruce Berry, 20 Nov 1995, 14 Mar 1996
1979 Flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia No. 21 /
Printed by Government Printer
Zimbabwe Rhodesia
Act
To provide for the adoption of a national flag for Zimbabwe Rhodesia; to provide for the making of regulations to restrict or control the application to any goods of a reproduction of such flag; to repeal the Flag of Rhodesia Act [Chapter 3]; and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing.
BE IT ENACTED by the President and the
Parliament of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, as follows: -
1. This Act may be cited as the Flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia Act, 1979.
2. In this Act - "Flag" means the Flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia referred to in
section three.
3. The Flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia shall be a flag consisting of
(a) at the hoist, a black vertical stripe; and
(b) on the field, three horizontal stripes in the order red, white and green of
equal width, separated from the black vertical stripe by a white vertical
stripe; and
(c) in canton a representation in gold of the Bird carved in soapstone and
discovered at Great Zimbabwe (otherwise the Great Zimbabwe Bird); as depicted in
the Schedule.
4. The Minister of Justice shall cause a copy of the Flag to be prepared and
deposited in the National Archives established in terms of the National Archives
Act [Chapter 309].
5. (1) Where, in the opinion of the President, it is necessary to regulate and
control the use of the Flag 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 Zimbabwe
Rhodesia of any goods to which there has been applied a reproduction of the Flag
or of a flag which resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag 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 or of a flag which resembles or is intended
to resemble the Flag has been applied or which have been imported in
contravention of such regulations.
Provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of one thousand dollars or
imprisonment for period of two years, excluding the value of any goods
forfeited.
6. Any person who burns, mutilates or otherwise insults the Flag or a flag which
resembles or is intended to resemble the Flag or any reproduction thereof in
circumstances which are calculated or likely to show disrespect for the Flag or
to bring the Flag into disrepute shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a
fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not
exceeding two years.
7. The Flag of Rhodesia Act [Chapter 3] is repealed.
SCHEDULE (Section 3)
FLAG OF Zimbabwe Rhodesia
[[B/W image of the flag]]
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 black vertical stripe = 30
width of white fimbriation = 3
remaining length for the stripes = 87
width of each stripe = 20
rectangle containing the Bird (height x length) = 20x14
top of the rectangle to the top edge = 5
left edge of the rectangle to the hoist = 8
(otherwise said, the rectangle is centred in the upper half of the black stripe)
Željko Heimer, 25 April 2005