Zimbabwe House, Harare

Former residence of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and Prime Minister of Rhodesia

Zimbabwe House

Former names| Independence House
Dzimbahwe
General information
Type| Official residence
Address| 8 Chancellor Avenue
Town or city| Harare
Country| Zimbabwe
Owner| Republic of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe House, formerly called Independence House and Dzimbahwe, is an official residence of the President of Zimbabwe in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was built in 1910 as was used as the house of the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.[1]

## Rhodesian history

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For most of its existence under Southern Rhodesian administration as home of the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, the building had no official name beyond its address of 8 Chancellor Avenue.[1] It is located opposite Government House where the Governor of Southern Rhodesia resided.[2] The building was renamed "Independence House" following Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence and continued to be used as the residency of the Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Ian Smith.[3]

Following Rhodesia's unrecognised reconstitution as Zimbabwe Rhodesia, Independence House was renamed Dzimbahwe (Shona: House of Chiefs) for the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, Bishop Abel Muzorewa.[4][5] The house was almost subjected to a rocket attack by ZANU militants in July 1979 after the house of the local Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria was fired at. The British South Africa Police believed they attacked the Archbishop's house by mistake and were actually targeting either Bishop Muzorewa at Dzimbahwe or the house of the head of the Rhodesian Army, General Peter Walls.[6][7]

## Zimbabwe history

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Following the establishment of Zimbabwe, it was used as the house of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe and renamed "Zimbabwe House".[8] In 1982, the house was attacked by Zimbabwe National Army deserters who shot at it with automatic weaponry and RPGs in an attempt to assassinate Mugabe.[9] As a result, Mugabe instituted a 6pm curfew on all foot and vehicle traffic on Chancellor Avenue which was not removed until 2017.[10] He also increased security by erecting a barbed wire fence manned by armed guards around the property.[11] In 2009, the office of Prime Minister was re-established and the now President Mugabe, offered Zimbabwe House as an official residence to Morgan Tsvangirai but he declined it. Tsvangirai cited the dilapidated state of Zimbabwe House and that he wanted to move his official residence away from being so close to Mugabe.[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b Hall, Lee (27 May 1966). "Life". Vol. 60\. Time Inc. p. 30\. ISSN 0024-3019. `{{cite magazine}}`: Cite magazine requires `|magazine=` (help)
2. ^ "Hundreds of Rhodesians, black and white, helping Sir Humphrey pay bills". The Glens Falls Times. 5 November 1966. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "RHODESIA: Wedding Day in Salisbury". TIME. 3 April 1978. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
4. ^ "Zimbabwe Rhodesia Awaits London Meeting". New York Times. 12 August 1979. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
5. ^ "Power or Pageantry?". AF Press Clips. Time. 1979. p. 2\. ISSN 0747-7740 - via United States Department of State.
6. ^ "Guerrillas attack Archbishop's Salisbury home". The Guardian. 5 July 1979. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Rocket attack on Rhodesia site maybe accident". The Missoulian. 6 July 1979. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ a b Tsvangirai, Morgan (2011). At the Deep End. Eye Books. ISBN 9781908646019.
9. ^ "Mugabe's home attacked". The Times Argus. 24 June 1982. Retrieved 19 January 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Mnangagwa to lift restrictions on travelling past State House at night". Eyewitness News. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
11. ^ Smith, Ian (2001). Bitter Harvest: The Great Betrayal. Blake Publishing. p. 107\. ISBN 1903402050.