Desmond Lardner-Burke
Encyclopedia
Desmond William Lardner-Burke ID
(17 October 1909 – 1984) was a politician
in Rhodesia
.
, South Africa
on 17 October 1909, and was educated at St. Andrew's College in Grahamstown
. Lardner-Burke became a lawyer
. He became a leading member of the Dominion Party, and in 1957 was a founder member of the Southern Rhodesian Association, of which he soon became leader. In 1962, this merged with Ian Smith
's United Group
and other organisations to found the Rhodesian Front
, of which he was a prominent member.
Lardner-Burke was a supporter of white supremacy
, and claimed to support the views of Cecil Rhodes. In 1971, he preached a sermon from the pulpit of Salisbury's Anglican Cathedral, in which he claimed that Christ had never declared that everyone was equal, nor that everyone was entitled to equal treatment. He attempted to illustrate how Christian theology could be shown to support apartheid.
At the Southern Rhodesian general election, 1962, Lardner-Burke was elected for the Gwelo constituency. The Rhodesian Front formed the new government, and after a period on the backbenches, Lardner-Burke was appointed Minister for Law and Order and Justice. In this role, he gave advice on which political detainees were suitable for release. He also acted as Leader of the House
.
The Times
have described Lardner-Burke as "...responsible for the harassment, arrest and detention without trial of tens of thousands of black nationalists, including President Mugabe
, fighting against white rule in the 1960s and 1970s." He first ordered Mugabe to be detained in December 1963, writing:
"...whereas certain information has been placed before me and whereas due to confidential information which I cannot reveal, I am satisfied that you are likely to commit acts of violence throughout Rhodesia..."
Mugabe spent the next eleven years in various prisons.
, and was one of the signatories to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence
(UDI), signed in Salisbury on 11 November.
Following the UDI, Lardner-Burke stepped up his struggle against militants opposed to the Rhodesian Front. He made the possession of "weapons of war" a mandatory capital offence, and in order to escape this punishment, those accused were expected to demonstrate that they did not intend to endanger life.
In 1967, Michael Holman, a white student activist, published a poem criticising the Rhodesian Front's racial policy. For this, he was arrested, but a trial acquitted him of any crime. However, Lardner-Burke used his powers to immediately have Holman arrested and detained without trial.
Lardner-Burke again held his seat at the 1970 general election
, but stood down in 1974. By 1974, he had been given powers to "arrest without warrant and detain without communication anyone regarded as a threat to the 'public interest'".
The white Rhodesian Government was replaced in 1979, and in 1980 a government including Mugabe was elected. Lardner-Burke died in 1984 at St Anne's Hospital, Harare.
, the Movement for Democratic Change
opposition to Mugabe noted that Lardner-Burke's name appeared on the electoral roll for the Mount Pleasant
suburb of Harare
. They alleged that the presence of names such as Lardner-Burke's on the roll would permit Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to engage in electoral fraud
by falsely claiming the support of dead people. Reports noted the irony of Lardner-Burke potentially posthumously assisting Mugabe in securing a further term as President of Zimbabwe.
Independence Decoration (Rhodesia)
The Independence Decoration was a Rhodesian civil decoration awarded to persons who played a notable and significant part in the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965.- Institution :...
(17 October 1909 – 1984) was a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
.
Early years
Desmond Lardner-Burke was born in KimberleyKimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on 17 October 1909, and was educated at St. Andrew's College in Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
. Lardner-Burke became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He became a leading member of the Dominion Party, and in 1957 was a founder member of the Southern Rhodesian Association, of which he soon became leader. In 1962, this merged with Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
's United Group
United Group
UGL Limited is an engineering and property services company. The company provides construction, maintenance and asset management services to the rail, resources and infrastructure sectors and corporate real estate, facilities management and business process outsourcing services to property users...
and other organisations to found the Rhodesian Front
Rhodesian Front
The Rhodesian Front was a political party in Southern Rhodesia when the country was under white minority rule. Led first by Winston Field, and, from 1964, by Ian Smith, the Rhodesian Front was the successor to the Dominion Party, which was the main opposition party in Southern Rhodesia during the...
, of which he was a prominent member.
Lardner-Burke was a supporter of white supremacy
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
, and claimed to support the views of Cecil Rhodes. In 1971, he preached a sermon from the pulpit of Salisbury's Anglican Cathedral, in which he claimed that Christ had never declared that everyone was equal, nor that everyone was entitled to equal treatment. He attempted to illustrate how Christian theology could be shown to support apartheid.
At the Southern Rhodesian general election, 1962, Lardner-Burke was elected for the Gwelo constituency. The Rhodesian Front formed the new government, and after a period on the backbenches, Lardner-Burke was appointed Minister for Law and Order and Justice. In this role, he gave advice on which political detainees were suitable for release. He also acted as Leader of the House
Leader of the House
There are several offices titled Leader of the House:* Leader of the House in the Australian Parliament* Leader of the House in the Parliament of Singapore* Leader of the House in the Parliament of Sri Lanka...
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
have described Lardner-Burke as "...responsible for the harassment, arrest and detention without trial of tens of thousands of black nationalists, including President Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, fighting against white rule in the 1960s and 1970s." He first ordered Mugabe to be detained in December 1963, writing:
"...whereas certain information has been placed before me and whereas due to confidential information which I cannot reveal, I am satisfied that you are likely to commit acts of violence throughout Rhodesia..."
Mugabe spent the next eleven years in various prisons.
Unilateral Declaration of Independence
Lardner-Burke held his seat at the 1965 general electionRhodesian general election, 1965
General elections were held in Rhodesia on 7 May 1965. The election was held using two rolls, an "A" roll, which was largely white and elected 50 seats, and a "B" roll, which was largely black and elected 15 seats. Only 10,544 voters were registered on the B roll...
, and was one of the signatories to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence
Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965, by the administration of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed black majority rule in the then British colony. Although it declared independence from the United Kingdom it...
(UDI), signed in Salisbury on 11 November.
Following the UDI, Lardner-Burke stepped up his struggle against militants opposed to the Rhodesian Front. He made the possession of "weapons of war" a mandatory capital offence, and in order to escape this punishment, those accused were expected to demonstrate that they did not intend to endanger life.
In 1967, Michael Holman, a white student activist, published a poem criticising the Rhodesian Front's racial policy. For this, he was arrested, but a trial acquitted him of any crime. However, Lardner-Burke used his powers to immediately have Holman arrested and detained without trial.
Lardner-Burke again held his seat at the 1970 general election
Rhodesian general election, 1970
The Rhodesian general election of April 10, 1970 was the first election which took place under the revised, republican, constitution of Rhodesia...
, but stood down in 1974. By 1974, he had been given powers to "arrest without warrant and detain without communication anyone regarded as a threat to the 'public interest'".
The white Rhodesian Government was replaced in 1979, and in 1980 a government including Mugabe was elected. Lardner-Burke died in 1984 at St Anne's Hospital, Harare.
2008 election
In the run-up to the Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2008Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 29, 2008 to elect members to both the House of Assembly and the Senate of the Zimbabwean parliament...
, the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
opposition to Mugabe noted that Lardner-Burke's name appeared on the electoral roll for the Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Harare
Mount Pleasant is the name of a residential suburb in the northern part of Harare, Zimbabwe. It is the home of the University of Zimbabwe and Mount Pleasant School....
suburb of Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. They alleged that the presence of names such as Lardner-Burke's on the roll would permit Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to engage in electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
by falsely claiming the support of dead people. Reports noted the irony of Lardner-Burke potentially posthumously assisting Mugabe in securing a further term as President of Zimbabwe.