William Harper (Rhodesian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Harper
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| Minister of Internal Affairs of Rhodesia | |
| In office 14 April 1964 – 4 July 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Jack Howman |
| Succeeded by | Lance Smith |
| Minister of the Public Service | |
| In office 14 April 1964 – 4 July 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Winston Field |
| Succeeded by | Jack Howman |
| Minister of Irrigation | |
| In office 17 December 1962 – 15 February 1963 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Field |
| Preceded by | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown |
| Succeeded by | Himself (Water Development) |
| Minister of Water Development | |
| In office 15 February 1963 – 14 April 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Field |
| Preceded by | New title |
| Succeeded by | Philip van Heerden |
| Minister of Roads and Road Traffic | |
| In office 17 December 1962 – 14 April 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Field |
| Preceded by | Geoffrey Ellman-Brown |
| Succeeded by | Harry Reedman (Roads) |
| Minister of Transport and Power | |
| In office 29 November 1963 – 14 April 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Field |
| Preceded by | Leslie Cullinan |
| Succeeded by | George Rudland |
| Member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly for Gatooma | |
| In office 5 June 1958 – 11 July 1968 |
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| Preceded by | Max Buchan |
| Succeeded by | George Munro |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William John Harper
22 July 1916 Calcutta, British India |
| Died | 8 September 2006 (aged 90) |
| Political party |
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| Spouse | Elizabeth |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1937–49 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
William John Harper (born 22 July 1916 – died 8 September 2006) was a politician and a Royal Air Force fighter pilot. He served as a government minister in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1962 to 1968. He was also one of the people who signed Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain in 1965.
Harper was born in Calcutta, British India, into an important Anglo-Indian family. He studied in India and England. In 1937, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was an officer during the Second World War and fought in the Battle of Britain, where he was injured. After the war, he was upset when Britain gave India its independence in 1947. Two years later, he left the Air Force and moved to Rhodesia.
Harper believed that British rule should have continued in India and also in Rhodesia. He reportedly said that Rhodesia, South Africa, and nearby Portuguese areas would "be under white rule forever." He started his political career with the Dominion Party in 1958. In 1962, he became Minister of Irrigation, Roads, and Road Traffic in the Rhodesian Front (RF) government. He was a leader of a group within the RF that wanted to end black representation in parliament. This group also wanted Rhodesia to adopt "a form of political apartheid," which meant keeping races separate in politics.
When Prime Minister Winston Field resigned in 1964, Harper was a strong candidate to take his place. However, Ian Smith became the new Prime Minister and moved Harper to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Whenever there were problems during Smith's time as Prime Minister, newspapers often suggested Harper might replace him. In 1966, Smith discussed a plan with British Prime Minister Harold Wilson during talks on the HMS Tiger. Harper led the opposition in the Cabinet against this plan, which helped lead to its rejection. He later became a strong critic of Smith. He showed public anger each time Smith tried to make a deal with black nationalist groups during the Bush War. By 1979, when black majority rule began in Zimbabwe Rhodesia, Harper had moved to South Africa. He did not want to accept black majority rule in Rhodesia. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 90.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William John Harper was born on 22 July 1916 in Calcutta, British India. His family was an old and important Anglo-Indian merchant family. They had lived in India for many generations and had worked with the East India Company in the 1700s and 1800s.
He went to school at North Point in Darjeeling, India. He also studied in the English town of Windsor. He was described as a short but strong man. He spoke clearly and precisely.
Military Service in World War II
Harper joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1937. He became an acting pilot officer on 5 September. On 12 February 1940, he was promoted to flying officer. He was assigned to No. 17 Squadron.
In May 1940, he helped destroy a Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter plane. A week later, he destroyed a Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber. He became the commander of B Flight on 26 May. He destroyed another Bf 110 over Dunkirk during the evacuation of Allied forces. He continued as flight commander until 8 June 1940. He was promoted again on 4 July and took command of A Flight.
From July 1940, Harper was one of "The Few" pilots in the Battle of Britain. He flew with No. 17 Squadron. On 11 August, he likely helped destroy a Bf 110 and damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. Four days later, he was shot down after attacking more than 20 German planes alone. He crash-landed near Felixstowe and was treated in hospital for face and leg injuries. He soon returned to his squadron and continued to command A Flight from the ground. He flew again on 1 November 1940. A week later, he destroyed a Ju 87 and likely another.
Harper was promoted to flight lieutenant on 12 February 1941. A month later, he became an instructor at No. 57 Operational Training Unit RAF in Wales. In September 1941, Harper was sent to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He commanded No. 453 Squadron RAAF in Singapore. This squadron flew Brewster Buffalo fighters. After heavy losses in December, his squadron joined another unit. By February 1942, his squadron had no planes left. The remaining staff were sent to Australia.
In April 1942, Harper took command of No. 135 Squadron RAF in India. In January 1943, he commanded No. 92 (East India) Squadron RAF in North Africa. He was promoted to temporary squadron leader. In September 1943, he moved to England. He commanded the University Air Squadron at Leeds until 1944. He stayed with the RAF after the war ended.
Political Career Begins
Moving to Rhodesia
Harper was very upset when Britain gave India independence in 1947. He believed the British government should have stayed in India. He kept this view for many years. He retired from the RAF in April 1949 as a wing commander. In the same year, he moved to Southern Rhodesia. This was a British colony in southern Africa that had been self-governing since 1923. This meant it managed its own affairs but was still part of the British Empire.
He settled in the town of Gatooma. There, he became a farmer, worked in mining, and started a business that moved earth. In 1953, Southern Rhodesia became part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. This Federation also included Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Each area kept its own government and political status. Southern Rhodesia's status did not change.
Joining the Dominion Party
Harper started his political journey by running for the Gatooma seat in the 1958 general election. He ran for the opposition Dominion Party. This party wanted Southern Rhodesia to become a full "dominion" or Commonwealth realm, meaning it would be completely independent but still part of the British Commonwealth.
The voting system in Southern Rhodesia allowed only people who met certain money and education rules to vote. These rules applied to everyone, but most black citizens could not meet them. Because of this, most voters and members of the Legislative Assembly were from the white minority. This group made up about 5% of the population. Harper won in Gatooma with 717 votes out of 1,300. He held very traditional and strict views. He quickly became known as a leader of the party's right-wing members. In October 1959, he was elected president of the Dominion Party's Southern Rhodesian branch. By 1960, he was the official Leader of the Opposition in the Southern Rhodesian parliament.
During the time of decolonisation, when many African countries were gaining independence, the idea of "no independence before majority rule" became popular in Britain. This meant that a country should not become independent until the majority of its people (in this case, black Africans) had control. Harper believed that native Africans were not ready to govern. He thought that white people should rule Rhodesia forever. He wanted Southern Rhodesia to leave the Federation and become independent on its own.
In June 1960, Harper and his party adopted a "Southern Rhodesia first" policy. This caused strong protests from the party's Northern Rhodesian section. The Dominion Party then split into separate Federal and local groups. In October 1960, black nationalist riots broke out in the townships. Harper criticized the Southern Rhodesian Prime Minister Sir Edgar Whitehead and the ruling United Federal Party (UFP). He said they were too soft on the protesters. He argued that giving in to demands after violence would make black Rhodesians think that "trouble pays dividends." He spoke against black people having representatives in the Legislative Assembly. He said that if there were black Members of Parliament, "they will share the restaurant with us and they will share the bars with us."
Joining the Rhodesian Front
In 1962, Harper helped create the Rhodesian Front (RF). This was a group of conservative politicians, including former Dominion Party members and those who left the UFP. The RF's main goal was for Southern Rhodesia to become independent without major changes to its constitution. They also did not want a set date for black majority rule. The RF won a surprise victory in the November 1962 general election. Harper easily kept his seat in Gatooma. After the election, the new Prime Minister Winston Field made Harper the Minister of Irrigation, Roads, and Road Traffic.
Over the next few years, Harper became one of the strongest supporters in the Cabinet for a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI). He saw UDI as a way to prevent Rhodesia from making the "same mistake" as India, where Britain had given up control. The RF became unhappy with Field in late 1963 and early 1964. This was because he failed to gain independence for Southern Rhodesia when the Federation ended in 1963. In contrast, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland became independent under black majority governments within a year. They were renamed Zambia and Malawi.
Harper was given more responsibilities in November 1963, becoming Minister of Transport and Power. He was one of two main candidates to replace Field. The other was the Deputy Prime Minister Ian Smith, who was also the Minister of the Treasury. Harper was seen as the more extreme choice. He was thought to be more likely to go through with UDI. When the Cabinet forced Field to resign in April 1964, Smith was chosen as the new Prime Minister. Smith changed the Cabinet a few days later and moved Harper to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Harper was very disappointed that he did not become Prime Minister.
As Minister of Internal Affairs, Harper oversaw a large meeting called an indaba in October 1964. This meeting was with tribal chiefs and headmen at Domboshawa. At the end of the meeting, the tribal leaders all supported the government's plan for independence. Harper continued to be seen as a potential Prime Minister. During Smith's talks with the British government, any problems or delays led to rumors in Rhodesia that Harper might take Smith's place. In August 1965, it was widely believed that if Smith did not declare UDI, Harper would step in.
Harper was one of four ministers chosen by Smith to go to London for talks in October 1965. No agreement was reached. A month later, on 11 November 1965, Smith and his Cabinet declared Rhodesia independent.
At the time of UDI, Harper reportedly had a map of southern Africa in his office. On this map, he had colored South Africa, South-West Africa, Rhodesia, southern Mozambique, and Angola red. He told visitors that "the red area will be under white rule forever." He insisted that Rhodesia would continue no matter what other countries thought. In January 1966, he publicly called the UK government "an enemy." He also spoke harshly about black nationalist fighters who opposed the Rhodesian government. He called them "gangs of terrorists" and "criminals." These comments made Harper known as a very strict right-winger and a rival to Smith's leadership.
Many people, including other politicians and reporters, thought Harper was smart and capable. However, his ideas were often seen as too extreme. He led a group of very conservative voices within the RF. They wanted "a form of political apartheid" in Rhodesia. While the party generally supported slowly increasing black political representation, Harper wanted to stop these changes. He even wanted to remove black Members of Parliament completely. This made it harder to reach an agreement between Britain and Rhodesia.
In October 1966, Smith brought a plan back from talks with Wilson on the HMS Tiger – a ship. Harper led the opposition to this plan within the Cabinet. This helped cause the plan to be rejected. Harper felt he had been overlooked when Smith gave the job of Deputy Prime Minister to the more moderate John Wrathall. This happened a month before the Tiger conference.
Resignation from Cabinet
On 4 July 1968, Harper resigned from the Cabinet at Smith's request. He was the first minister Smith had ever dismissed. The government said Harper was removed "for reasons entirely unrelated to differences of opinion over constitutional or other political issues." They simply stated that Harper was considered "a security risk." Harper publicly said he was fired for political reasons and because he was a threat to Smith's leadership. Smith did not say much but stated he would tell "the whole sorry tale" if Harper wanted.
Harper officially resigned his parliament seat and left the Rhodesian Front on 11 July 1968. Wilson publicly welcomed his departure. Smith replied that he did not hire or fire ministers to please the British government. Smith said Harper had been shown as more extreme than he truly was. He also denied that Harper had stopped a settlement. Looking back, Smith said he was glad Harper was gone. He thought Harper was dishonest and tricky. Harper did not accept an offer to lead the ultra-conservative Rhodesian National Party. For a while, he stayed out of public life. Some other ministers briefly threatened to leave the government with Harper but changed their minds.
Later Political Activities
By the time of the July 1974 general election, during the Bush War, Harper had formed a small group of independent politicians called the "Harper Group." This group worked with the Rhodesia Party (RP) to oppose the Rhodesian Front. Harper told a meeting of 300 people that the current system would increase racial tension. He said it would force "the white man out of the country." He stated he would not let black Rhodesians control the government. However, he understood that some form of power-sharing between races was needed for the country's future. The RF won all 50 white seats, and the RP did not get any seats in parliament. Harper himself lost in the Salisbury area of Hatfield.
By the end of 1974, Harper had formed the United Conservative Party. This party wanted separate legislatures for black and white people. He strongly disagreed with Smith's moves towards agreements with black nationalist groups. In December 1974, he called Smith's announcement of a ceasefire a "ghastly capitulation." In 1976, when Smith agreed to black majority rule by 1978, Harper accused the Prime Minister of "selling us out." He said, "The mind boggles at the enormous impertinence and audacity of this man Smith."
Moving to South Africa and Death
Smith and non-military nationalist leaders agreed to what was called the Internal Settlement in March 1978. In January 1979, white Rhodesians voted 85% in favor of the new black majority rule constitution. Elections with multiple races were held in April 1979. After these elections, the country was to be renamed Zimbabwe Rhodesia. By this time, Harper had already left the country. He had settled in South Africa.
Zimbabwe Rhodesia, with Bishop Abel Muzorewa as Prime Minister, did not gain international acceptance. Following the Lancaster House Agreement in December 1979, the UK oversaw a process that led to new elections. In these elections, the guerrilla leader Robert Mugabe was elected Prime Minister. The UK then granted independence to the country as Zimbabwe in April 1980. William Harper passed away on 8 September 2006, at the age of 90.
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