Former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, who fought hard against guerrilla forces of Robert Mugabe and other liberation fighters in the 1960s and 1970s, has died in a South African convalescent home after a long illness, APA learnt here Wednesday.
Smith, aged 88, died Tuesday in Cape Town although the exact cause of his death was not known. He had reportedly suffered a stroke earlier this year, according to reports.
The rebellious colonial ruler had moved to Cape Town in 2005 where he stayed with his stepdaughter Jean, a widow herself.
Smith served as prime minister of the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia from April 1964 to November 1965 and as the first premier of Rhodesia from November 1965 to June 1979 after unilaterally declaring independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965.
Under the UDI, the country failed to gain international recognition and United Nations economic sanctions were instituted on the territory.
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