State House, Harare
State House | |
---|---|
Former names | Government House |
General information | |
Type | Official residence |
Town or city | Harare |
Country | Zimbabwe |
Coordinates | 17°48′43″S 31°03′29″E / 17.81194°S 31.05806°E |
Current tenants | President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa |
Completed | 1910 |
Owner | Government of Zimbabwe |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Detmar Jellings Blow |
Main contractor | William Cubitt & Co |
State House, formerly known as Government House, is the official residence of the President of Zimbabwe and is located in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was previously used by the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia, Governor of Southern Rhodesia and the Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in addition to being occupied by the internationally unrecognised Rhodesian Officer Administering the Government and later President of Rhodesia. It was constructed in 1910 to a design by Detmar Blow in the Cape Dutch revival style.
History
The Residency, 1895–1923
Government House, 1910–1980
Government House was designed to be the residence of the
Government House was the home of the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia (1910–1923), the Governor of Southern Rhodesia (1923–1953; 1963–1969; 1979–1980) and the Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963).[7] During the Federation, the Governor of Southern Rhodesia resided in Governor's Lodge in the suburb of Highlands.[8]
Following
After Gibbs left,
State House, 1980–present
Following the independence of Zimbabwe, it was renamed "State House" and was used as the house of the President of Zimbabwe.[18][19] During his time in office, Zimbabwe's first President Canaan Banana was accused of engaging in homosexual rape on several members of staff in State House.[20] His replacement Robert Mugabe moved in after Banana's fall as a result of the accusations. Following an attack on Mugabe's residence in 1982, a 6pm curfew was introduced to prevent any traffic passing in front of State House, this was removed in 2017.[21] In 2006, Mugabe moved his personal residence from State House to a newly constructed mansion in the Borrowdale suburb.[22] State House was retained as the location for official receptions.[23] In 2011, a report from 2008 was leaked alleging that State House was being used as a location by the Central Intelligence Organisation for state torture and abductions.[24]
In 2016, Mugabe unveiled a 3.7 m (12 ft) tall statue of himself in the grounds of State House.[25] After Mugabe was removed from office, it was reported that he left State House in a poor condition that was so bad it prevented his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa from moving in.[23][26]
References
- ISBN 9780908306022.
- ASIN B0040GHGXY.
- ISBN 9781580464185.
- ^ "Harare's Historic buildings – the Avenues - The Residency (1895)". Zimfieldguide.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "BLOW, Detmar Jellings". Artefacts.co.za. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Copy of a photograph showing an exterior view of Government House during its construction". Historic England. September 1910. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Government of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1960). "Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Newsletter". No. 27–52. Nyasaland: Federal Information Department. p. 4.
{{cite magazine}}
: Cite magazine requires|magazine=
(help) - ^ East Africa and Rhodesia, Volume 42, Africana, 1965, pages 339, 464
- ^ "Rhodesia issues unilateral declaration of independence". The Guardian. 12 November 1965. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Mr Smith tells Governor to move out". The Guardian. 13 November 1965. Retrieved 19 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c d e "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.
- ^ a b "Queen's man resigns". The Age. 26 June 1969. Retrieved 19 January 2021 – via Google News.
- ^ "Sir Humphrey Gibbs; Britain's last Governor of Rhodesia". Los Angeles Times. 11 November 1990. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Humphrey Gibbs, 87, of Rhodesia And a Foe of White Rebels, Dies". New York Times. 8 November 1990. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "1970: Ian Smith declares Rhodesia a republic". BBC News. 2 March 1991. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "4 Black Cabinet Ministers Take the Oath in Rhodesia". New York Times. 29 April 1976. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "'They say that power corrupts – and it does'". The Guardian. 23 January 2002. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Rival factions receive equal army positions". Calgary Herald. 18 April 1981. Retrieved 19 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Canaan Banana, president jailed in sex scandal, dies". The Guardian. 11 November 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Mnangagwa to lift restrictions on travelling past State House at night". Eyewitness News. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Mugabe's mansion sealed off". The Zimbabwe Independent. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Mugabes left official residences in 'terrible state'". News24. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "CIO offices, torture centres exposed". The Zimbabwean. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Robert Mugabe statue: Zimbabwe sculptor denies mocking president". BBC News. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ newsday (17 April 2018). "State House under major renovations". Newsday. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
See also
- State House (Bulawayo)