Clifford Dupont

Politician and First President of Rhodesia

Education:

Bishop’s Stafford and Cambridge University.

Dupont studied law and practiced from 1929-1948 in London

Background and Career:

Clifford Walter Dupont was a Rhodesian politician who served in the internationally unrecognised positions of Officer Administrating the Government (from 1965 until 1970) and President (from 1970 to 1975). Born in London and qualifying as a solicitor, Dupont served during the Second World War as an officer of the British Royal Artillery in North Africa before first visiting Southern Rhodesia in 1947. He returned a year later, started a ranch and emigrated full-time during the early 1950s, by which time the country had become a territory of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

He entered politics in 1958, winning on the Dominion Party ticket in the Fort Victoria (now Masvingo) federal constituency. Four years later, he became the member for Charter in the Southern Rhodesian parliament, this time running for the Rhodesian Front (RF). At the same time, he was appointed Minister for Justice. Forming a close relationship with the rising RF politician Ian Smith, Dupont assisted in the latter’s becoming Prime Minister in 1964 and was consequently promoted to become Smith’s deputy. As Deputy Prime Minister, he held the portfolio of External Affairs, and added Defence in June 1965.

In October 1964, Dupont thwarted Sir Roy Welensky’s attempt to re-enter politics in Rhodesia following the break-up of the Federation. Welensky had assumed the leadership of the opposition UFP (which he renamed the Rhodesia Party), and was contesting a by-election in Arundel. However, Dupont deliberately resigned his constituency in Charter to oppose Welensky, and soundly defeated him by 1079 votes to 633.

When Rhodesia’s government issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain on 11 November 1965, Dupont, as Deputy Prime Minister, was the second to sign. Smith attempted to have Dupont named as Governor-General in place of the British-appointed governor, Humphrey Gibbs, but failing this instead made him Officer Administering the Government. He held this post until 1970, when he became President of the newly declared Republic of Rhodesia. After suffering from ill health during this last appointment, he retired at the end of 1975 and died in 1978.