# 1977 Rhodesian general election

General elections were held in Rhodesia on 31 August 1977, the last general election in the country dominated by the white minority. Prime Minister Ian Smith, who was conducting negotiations with moderate African nationalists, was forced into an early election by the defection of twelve MPs from his Rhodesian Front party, which denied him the two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly needed to change the constitution. In the event, the Front overwhelmed the breakaway Rhodesian Action Party and all other forces, once again winning every single seat in the 50 seats elected by those of European descent.

## Electoral system

The electorate of Rhodesia returned 66 members of the House of Assembly of Rhodesia, in three different classes of seat:
* European roll seats: 50 members were returned from single-member constituencies by voters who were either of European, Asian or mixed (Coloured) descent.
* African roll seats: 8 members were returned from single-member constituencies by voters of African descent.
* Tribal seats: 8 seats were returned by Tribal electoral colleges made up of the Chiefs of the Tribes.
Both European and African rolls had a range of property qualifications. No change to boundaries or the qualification of voters was made compared to the 1974 election.
* Rural constituencies.
* Constituencies in Salisbury.
* Constituencies in Bulawayo.
* African roll constituencies.

## Results

| Party | Party | European roll | European roll | European roll | African roll | African roll | African roll | Total seats | +/– |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats | +/– |
| | Rhodesian Front | 57,348 | 85.36 | 50 | | | | 50 | 0 |
| | Rhodesian Action Party | 6,224 | 9.26 | 0 | | | | 0 | New |
| | National Unifying Force | 3,002 | 4.47 | 0 | | | | 0 | –1 |
| | Independents | 612 | 0.91 | 0 | 470 | 100.00 | 8 | 8 | +7 |
| Tribal representatives | Tribal representatives | | | | | | | 8 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 67,186 | 100.00 | 50 | 470 | 100.00 | 8 | 66 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 83,825 | – | | 2,604 | – | | | |

### European roll seats

| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| ARUNDEL 2,503 (83.6%) | †Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson | RF | 1,613 | 77.1 |
| ARUNDEL 2,503 (83.6%) | Anthony Warner | NUF | 256 | 12.2 |
| ARUNDEL 2,503 (83.6%) | Gideon Tredoux | RAP | 223 | 10.7 |
| AVONDALE 2,068 (78.8%) | Brian Stringer | RF | 1,412 | 86.7 |
| AVONDALE 2,068 (78.8%) | †Colin Eric Barlow | RAP | 217 | 13.3 |
| BELLEVUE 2,366 (81.9%) | †Wallace Evelyn Stuttaford | RF | 1,797 | 92.8 |
| BELLEVUE 2,366 (81.9%) | Carel David Theron | RAP | 140 | 7.2 |
| BELVEDERE 1,944 (79.5%) | †Dennis Divaris | RF | 1,247 | 80.6 |
| BELVEDERE 1,944 (79.5%) | Randolph Harold Clark | NUF | 196 | 12.7 |
| BELVEDERE 1,944 (79.5%) | Ernest Roy Wright | RAP | 103 | 6.7 |
| BORROWDALE 2,900 (81.5%) | †Douglas Hamilton Ritchie | RF | 1,759 | 74.4 |
| BORROWDALE 2,900 (81.5%) | Lance Halford Reynolds | NUF | 354 | 15.0 |
| BORROWDALE 2,900 (81.5%) | Robert Sutton | RAP | 238 | 10.1 |
| BORROWDALE 2,900 (81.5%) | Mrs. Wendy Ann Truen | Ind | 12 | 0.5 |
| BRAESIDE 1,576 (81.3%) | †Richard Cartwright | RF | 1,143 | 89.2 |
| BRAESIDE 1,576 (81.3%) | Trevor Bryan Charles Harding | RAP | 139 | 10.8 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL 1,243 (76.5%) | Denys Sinclair Parkin | RF | 679 | 71.4 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL 1,243 (76.5%) | Ewen Cardno Greenfield | NUF | 236 | 24.8 |
| BULAWAYO CENTRAL 1,243 (76.5%) | Brewster Bryan Whyte | RAP | 36 | 3.8 |
| BULAWAYO DISTRICT 1,705 (75.1%) | †Alexander Moseley | RF | 1,200 | 93.8 |
| BULAWAYO DISTRICT 1,705 (75.1%) | Samuel James Shannon | RAP | 80 | 6.2 |
| BULAWAYO EAST 2,195 (76.9%) | Charles McKenzie Scott | RF | 1,315 | 77.8 |
| BULAWAYO EAST 2,195 (76.9%) | Arthur Moses Kaplan | NUF | 295 | 17.5 |
| BULAWAYO EAST 2,195 (76.9%) | Alexander Argyll McCallum | RAP | 79 | 4.7 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH 1,780 (77.9%) | †Wilfrid Denis Walker | RF | 1,282 | 92.4 |
| BULAWAYO NORTH 1,780 (77.9%) | Thomas Hayward Pannell | RAP | 105 | 7.6 |
| BULAWAYO SOUTH 1,059 (69.5%) | George Desmond Chalmers | RF | 701 | 95.2 |
| BULAWAYO SOUTH 1,059 (69.5%) | Ian Norman Berry | RAP | 35 | 4.8 |
| CHARTER 1,491 (76.1%) | †Rowan Cronjé | RF | 1,023 | 90.2 |
| CHARTER 1,491 (76.1%) | Leonard George Idensohn | Ind | 111 | 9.8 |
| EASTERN 1,319 (81.3%) | Andre Dallein Wassennaar | RF | 833 | 77.7 |
| EASTERN 1,319 (81.3%) | †John Hamilton Wright | RAP | 239 | 22.3 |
| GATOOMA 1,421 (84.0%) | †Albert Gannaway Mells | RF | 1,094 | 91.6 |
| GATOOMA 1,421 (84.0%) | James Wheeler | RAP | 100 | 8.4 |
| GREENDALE 2,168 (84.2%) | †Mark Henry Heathcote Partridge | RF | 1,448 | 79.3 |
| GREENDALE 2,168 (84.2%) | Eric Reginald Schofield | RAP | 235 | 12.9 |
| GREENDALE 2,168 (84.2%) | Simon Dennis Whinney | NUF | 142 | 7.8 |
| GWEBI 1,319 (83.7%) | Bertram Ankers | RF | 764 | 69.2 |
| GWEBI 1,319 (83.7%) | †Thomas Ian Fraser Sandeman | RAP | 207 | 18.8 |
| GWEBI 1,319 (83.7%) | George Alfred Pio | Ind | 133 | 12.0 |
| GWELO 1,308 (80.1%) | †Roger Hawkins | RF | 975 | 93.1 |
| GWELO 1,308 (80.1%) | Michael Patrick John Huggins | RAP | 55 | 5.2 |
| GWELO 1,308 (80.1%) | David Timothy Torbet Frost | Ind | 18 | 1.7 |
| HARTLEY 2,254 (80.8%) | †P. K. van der Byl | RF | 1,604 | 88.0 |
| HARTLEY 2,254 (80.8%) | Jacobus Ignatius de Wet | RAP | 218 | 12.0 |
| HATFIELD 1,816 (84.8%) | †Frederick Roy Simmonds | RF | 1,303 | 84.6 |
| HATFIELD 1,816 (84.8%) | †Edward Aylett Sutton-Pryce | RAP | 197 | 12.8 |
| HATFIELD 1,816 (84.8%) | Neville Ronald Arthur Skeates | NUF | 40 | 2.6 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH 1,860 (83.2%) | †Fergus Blackie | RF | 1,082 | 69.9 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH 1,860 (83.2%) | Allan Savory | NUF | 318 | 20.6 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH 1,860 (83.2%) | Marie Joseph Claude de Chasteigner Dumée-Duval | RAP | 147 | 9.5 |
| HIGHLANDS SOUTH 1,960 (84.4%) | John Christie | RF | 1,266 | 76.5 |
| HIGHLANDS SOUTH 1,960 (84.4%) | †Richard Hope Hall | RAP | 230 | 13.9 |
| HIGHLANDS SOUTH 1,960 (84.4%) | David Frank Sutherland | NUF | 158 | 9.6 |
| HILLCREST 1,703 (84.9%) | James Patrick Thrush | RF | 1,331 | 92.0 |
| HILLCREST 1,703 (84.9%) | Edwin Stanley O'Connor | RAP | 115 | 8.0 |
| HILLSIDE 1,876 (81.3%) | William Redpath Kinleyside | RF | 1,382 | 90.6 |
| HILLSIDE 1,876 (81.3%) | Owen Victor Parvess | RAP | 143 | 9.4 |
| JAMESON 1,704 (82.7%) | Robert James Gaunt | RF | 1,242 | 88.1 |
| JAMESON 1,704 (82.7%) | †John Peter Broberg Nilson | RAP | 167 | 11.9 |
| KAROI 1,260 (76.0%) | †Jan Jacobus Buitendag | RF | 861 | 90.0 |
| KAROI 1,260 (76.0%) | Donovan Hilgard Erasmus | NUF | 96 | 10.0 |
| MABELREIGN 1,966 (82.1%) | †John Cornelius Gleig | RF | 1,420 | 87.9 |
| MABELREIGN 1,966 (82.1%) | Adrian Thomas Wymer | RAP | 195 | 12.1 |
| MARANDELLAS 1,501 (83.7%) | †David Colville Smith | RF | 1,086 | 86.4 |
| MARANDELLAS 1,501 (83.7%) | William John Raymond Pratt | RAP | 171 | 13.6 |
| MARLBOROUGH 2,211 (82.6%) | †William Michie Irvine | RF | 1,477 | 80.9 |
| MARLBOROUGH 2,211 (82.6%) | John Frederick Handford | RAP | 188 | 10.3 |
| MARLBOROUGH 2,211 (82.6%) | Ivor Cordner McCormick | NUF | 161 | 8.8 |
| MATOBO 1,680 (84.1%) | Donald Galbraith Goddard | RF | 1,262 | 89.3 |
| MATOBO 1,680 (84.1%) | †Robert Henry Warren McGee | RAP | 151 | 10.7 |
| MAZOE 1,652 (80.4%) | †George Rollo Hayman | RF | 1,184 | 89.1 |
| MAZOE 1,652 (80.4%) | Robin Elliot Campbell-Logan | RAP | 145 | 10.9 |
| MIDLANDS 1,264 (79.7%) | †Henry Swan Elsworth | RF | 903 | 89.7 |
| MIDLANDS 1,264 (79.7%) | Kennith Hahn | RAP | 104 | 10.3 |
| MILTON PARK 1,703 (81.3%) | †John Alfred Landau | RF | 1,171 | 84.6 |
| MILTON PARK 1,703 (81.3%) | Ratilal Damodard Devchand | NUF | 116 | 8.4 |
| MILTON PARK 1,703 (81.3%) | Peter Michael Nursten | RAP | 97 | 7.0 |
| MOUNT PLEASANT 1,938 (73.0%) | †Jonas Christian Andersen | RF | 1,295 | 91.5 |
| MOUNT PLEASANT 1,938 (73.0%) | Julian Richard Haw | RAP | 120 | 8.5 |
| MTOKO 1,752 (80.6%) | Stanley Norman Eastwood | RF | 1,044 | 73.9 |
| MTOKO 1,752 (80.6%) | †Rodney Guy Swayne Simmonds | RAP | 187 | 13.3 |
| MTOKO 1,752 (80.6%) | Diana Mitchell | NUF | 181 | 12.8 |
| QUEEN'S PARK 1,521 (83.5%) | †Arthur Denis Crook | RF | 1,189 | 93.6 |
| QUEEN'S PARK 1,521 (83.5%) | Bazil Geoffrey de Lorme | RAP | 81 | 6.4 |
| QUE QUE 1,731 (83.3%) | †Jacobus Johannes Burger | RF | 1,265 | 87.7 |
| QUE QUE 1,731 (83.3%) | William Gerald Kaschula | RAP | 90 | 6.2 |
| QUE QUE 1,731 (83.3%) | William Harris Keys | NUF | 87 | 6.1 |
| RAYLTON 1,922 (76.0%) | †Patrick Francis Shields | RF | 1,385 | 94.8 |
| RAYLTON 1,922 (76.0%) | Norman John Western | RAP | 76 | 5.2 |
| RUSAPE 1,344 (78.1%) | Jacobus Phillipus du Plessis | RF | 934 | 89.0 |
| RUSAPE 1,344 (78.1%) | Gerhardus Paulus Johannes Swart | RAP | 116 | 11.0 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL 1,245 (74.6%) | †Hilary Squires | RF | 778 | 83.7 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL 1,245 (74.6%) | Raymond Stallwood | RAP | 76 | 8.2 |
| SALISBURY CENTRAL 1,245 (74.6%) | Mrs. Eileen Penny Brown | NUF | 75 | 8.1 |
| SALISBURY CITY 1,392 (75.5%) | Ivor Pitch | RF | 681 | 64.8 |
| SALISBURY CITY 1,392 (75.5%) | Ahrn Palley | Ind | 333 | 31.7 |
| SALISBURY CITY 1,392 (75.5%) | Anthony Charles Edward Scrace | RAP | 32 | 3.0 |
| SALISBURY CITY 1,392 (75.5%) | Leslie Thomas Hayes | Ind | 5 | 0.5 |
| SALISBURY NORTH 1,613 (79.9%) | †André Sothern Holland | RF | 1,063 | 82.5 |
| SALISBURY NORTH 1,613 (79.9%) | Eric David Drought Syme | NUF | 135 | 10.5 |
| SALISBURY NORTH 1,613 (79.9%) | Mark Fraser McLean | RAP | 90 | 7.0 |
| SELUKWE 1,812 (80.8%) | †John Morris Lowenthal | RF | 1,330 | 90.8 |
| SELUKWE 1,812 (80.8%) | Anthony William Baumann | RAP | 135 | 9.2 |
| SHABANI 1,219 (76.5%) | Theunis Christian de Klerk | RF | 872 | 93.6 |
| SHABANI 1,219 (76.5%) | Johannes Jacobus Hulley | RAP | 60 | 6.4 |
| SINOIA/UMVUKWES 1,535 (75.8%) | †Esmond Meryl Micklem | RF | 1,085 | 93.3 |
| SINOIA/UMVUKWES 1,535 (75.8%) | Roland Oliver Davis | NUF | 78 | 6.7 |
| UMTALI EAST 1,588 (78.7%) | †Bernard Horace Mussett | RF | 1,122 | 89.8 |
| UMTALI EAST 1,588 (78.7%) | Mrs. Vera Aileen Winter | RAP | 127 | 10.2 |
| UMTALI WEST 1,426 (81.0%) | Desmond Butler | RF | 983 | 85.1 |
| UMTALI WEST 1,426 (81.0%) | Robert Traill Galvin | RAP | 94 | 8.1 |
| UMTALI WEST 1,426 (81.0%) | John Oswald Meikle | NUF | 78 | 6.8 |
| UMZINGWANE 1,726 | †Ian Douglas Smith | RF | unopposed | unopposed |
| VICTORIA 2,071 (78.9%) | Ormonde Corrington George | RF | 1,408 | 86.2 |
| VICTORIA 2,071 (78.9%) | †Gordon Richard Olds | RAP | 226 | 13.8 |
| WANKIE 1,425 (75.1%) | Donald Goldin | RF | 977 | 91.3 |
| WANKIE 1,425 (75.1%) | William Ernest McNeir | RAP | 93 | 8.7 |
| WATERFALLS 1,516 (79.2%) | Albertus Herman du Toit | RF | 1,078 | 89.8 |
| WATERFALLS 1,516 (79.2%) | John Duncan Oliver | RAP | 122 | 10.2 |

### African seats

| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| HARARE 1,210 (21.1%) | Ronnie Sadomba | Ind | 147 | 57.6 |
| HARARE 1,210 (21.1%) | Tiriwanhu Mudzimu | Ind | 83 | 32.6 |
| HARARE 1,210 (21.1%) | David Munyamana | Ind | 15 | 5.9 |
| HARARE 1,210 (21.1%) | Milton Jack Makaya | Ind | 10 | 3.9 |
| INSUKAMINI 514 (21.8%) | †John Zachary Maposa | Ind | 86 | 76.8 |
| INSUKAMINI 514 (21.8%) | Edward Gabriel Watungwa | Ind | 26 | 23.2 |
| KUNYASI 1,651 | †Thomas Tavagwisa Zawaira | Ind | unopposed | unopposed |
| MABVAZUWA 1,001 | †Elijah Smile Gende Magavan Nyandoro | Ind | unopposed | unopposed |
| MATOJENI 852 | †Lot Enoch Dewa | Ind | unopposed | unopposed |
| MPOPOMA 434 | Lwazi Joel Mahlangu | Ind | unopposed | unopposed |
| NEMAKONDE 880 (11.7%) | William Benjamin Chimpaka | Ind | 77 | 74.8 |
| NEMAKONDE 880 (11.7%) | Fanuel Maruta | Ind | 26 | 25.2 |
| NTSHONALANGA 836 | †Micah Mahamba Bhebe | Ind | unopposed | unopposed |

### Tribal seats

* HIGHVELD: †Bartholomew Augustine Mabika
* KARIBA: †Peter Mhletshwa Nkomo
* LOWVELD: Simeon Chengeta
* MANICA: †Naboth Absalom Gandanzara
* PAGATI: †Fani Mlingo
* PIONEER: Benjamin Panga Mbuisa
* TULI: †Zephaniah Maybin Bafanah Dube
* ZAMBEZI: Mawire Patrick Bwanya

## Subsequent by-elections
### Pagati

Fani Mlingo died on 15 February 1978. On 31 March 1978, Joseph Jumo Bheka was returned unopposed to replace him. Bheka was a supporter of Bishop Abel Muzorewa.

### Lowveld

Simeon Chengeta died on 19 March 1978. On 19 July 1978, a by-election was held in Lowveld. John Adonia Hungwe defeated Simon Dzichaperanhamo Bhene.

### Highlands North

A by-election was held in the Highlands North constituency on 21 July 1978 to replace Fergus Blackie, who had been appointed as a Judge and resigned on 15 May 1978. This by-election occurred after the internal settlement agreement, and the Rhodesian Front candidate was therefore opposed not only by the National Unifying Force (pressing for a full settlement with African nationalists) but by two right-wing candidates opposed to any deals: the Rhodesian Action Party and the Rhodesian Conservative Alliance.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH | Reginald Reed Beaver | RF | 545 | 49.1 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH | Clifford Allan Redin Savory | NUF | 354 | 31.9 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH | Marie Joseph Claude de Chasteigner Dumée-Duval | RAP | 158 | 14.2 |
| HIGHLANDS NORTH | Noel Allison Hunt | RCA | 52 | 4.7 |

### Gwelo

Roger Hawkins resigned from the Assembly due to ill health on 30 November 1978, leading to a by-election in Gwelo on 30 January 1979.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| GWELO | Trevor Duncan Dollar | RF | 762 | 84.7 |
| GWELO | Reginald James McLean | RAP | 138 | 15.3 |

### Mazoe

George Rollo Hayman resigned on 27 December 1978, claiming that the power-sharing government could easily fall under the control of a terrorist group. He then resigned from the Assembly to seek re-election. This by-election, held on 6 February 1979, was the last election conducted before the advent of the new constitution.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| MAZOE | Cecil Millar | RF | 611 | 78.7 |
| MAZOE | George Rollo Hayman | Ind | 165 | 21.3 |

### Vacancy at dissolution

Donald Goldin (Wankie) died on 12 February 1979. The seat was not filled before Parliament was dissolved.