General elections were held in Rhodesia on 10 April 1970. They were the first elections to take place under the revised, republican constitution. The country had declared itself independent in November 1965, shortly after the previous elections; the Rhodesian Front government had always disliked the 1961 constitution and made sure to change it by the time of the next one.
Background
Following the referendum on the new constitution in June 1969, the timing of the next election was laid out: it would happen once the new Electoral Act had been put in place, and once delimitation of the new constituencies was complete.
This gave opponents of the Rhodesian Front a chance to organise in time for the election. At the Rhodesian Front congress on 23 October 1969, the party chairman Ralph Nilson warned the government to avoid complacency. The Centre Party had been founded in 1968 as a non-racial party which aimed for 'Middle of the Road' political opinion; it supported "advancement of the African on merit" and gradual abolition of racial discrimination and was led by Pat Bashford; it was strongest in the urban areas. Ian Smith described it as "the real opposition".
Robin James, an independent MP who had been expelled from the Rhodesian Front for opposing Ian Smith, formed the Conservative Alliance on 26 June 1969 which campaigned for the preservation of the white presence in Rhodesia. James attacked the Rhodesian Front for 'multiracial, integrationist policies'; his party was subsequently renamed the Republican Alliance. Eligible African voters also began to form political parties, among them the National People's Union which aimed to unite Africans against white supremacy without violence.
Electoral system
Under the 1969 constitution, the electorate of Rhodesia returned 66 members of the House of Assembly of Rhodesia. The electoral system was divided into three different classes of seat:
European roll seats: 50 seats were returned by voters of European descent. African roll seats: 8 seats were returned by voters of African descent. Tribal seats: 8 seats were returned by Tribal electoral colleges made up of the Chiefs of the Tribes.
Qualification of voters
Qualification for being a voter depended on having sufficient means or educational achievement. All voters had to be a citizen of Rhodesia, over 21 years of age, have resided in the constituency for at least three months, and have an adequate knowledge of English and be able to sign the claim form in his or her own handwriting. There were then two rolls for which the voter might qualify, which were determined by their race.
To qualify for the European voters roll, a voter had to be European, Coloured, or Asian and either:
Have received an income of not less than $1,800 per annum for the previous two years, or Own immovable property worth $3,600; or Having completed four years' secondary education of a prescribed standard, have an income of not less than $1,200 per annum for the previous two years, or Having completed four years' secondary education of a prescribed standard, own immovable property worth $2,400.
To qualify for the African voters roll, a voter had to be African and either:
Have received an income of not less than $600 per annum for the previous two years, or Own immovable property worth $1,200; or Having completed two years' secondary education of a prescribed standard, have an income of not less than $400 per annum for the previous two years, or Having completed two years' secondary education of a prescribed standard, own immovable property worth $800.
In practice very few Africans qualified, and many who met the qualification requirements refused to register to vote.
Wives were deemed to meet the means qualification through their husbands' earnings or wealth, although for African voters living under a system of polygamy, only the first wife qualified. A Minister of Religion or a member of a religious order living under a vow of poverty was automatically deemed to have met the means qualification. Tribal chiefs also qualified automatically to vote.
Voters were disqualified if they were insane, had been convicted of a serious criminal offence or an offence under electoral law, had been under detention or restriction for more than six months under security legislation, or had been expelled from Parliament. Some voters were also disqualified for receiving Government rations or maintenance in lieu of rations for more than a year.