1979 - Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Declares Independence (Unrecognized)

On May 31, 1979, Rhodesia was reconstituted as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia under the Internal Settlement agreement, marking the first time a Black prime minister, Abel Muzorewa, led the country. Although widely seen as a step toward majority rule, the transition was met with skepticism. The new government retained white minority influence, and many African nations and the United Nations did not recognize its legitimacy. The move was part of a larger process that eventually led to full independence as Zimbabwe in 1980, under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. May 31, 1979, is significant in the timeline of African liberation, symbolizing a transitional moment when African-led governance began to challenge colonial legacies, despite ongoing foreign and domestic power imbalances. The date highlights the complexities of decolonization and the global Black struggle for self-determination, representation, and authentic sovereignty in post-colonial states. True independence would come nearly a year later, in April 1980, after the Lancaster House Agreement and democratic elections that led to the formation of the Republic of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe.