Flag of Zimbabwe

Last updated

Republic of Zimbabwe
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg
Use National flag and ensign FIAV 111111.svg FIAV normal.svg IFIS Mirror.svg
Proportion1:2
DesignSeven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green with a black-edged white isosceles triangle base on the hoist side bearing a Zimbabwe bird superimposed on a red five-pointed star.
Presidential flag of Zimbabwe
Flag of the President of Zimbabwe.svg
Adopted1987

The national flag of Zimbabwe consists of seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black with a white triangle containing a red five-pointed star with a Zimbabwe Bird. The present design was adopted on 18 April 1980.

Contents

The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statuette of a bird found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The bird, first used in 1924 on the Southern Rhodesian coat of arms, symbolises the history of Zimbabwe; the red star beneath it officially stands for the nation's aspirations but is commonly thought to symbolise socialism, and the revolutionary struggle for freedom and peace. The design is based on the flag of Zimbabwe's ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front.

History

The first official use of the Zimbabwe Bird was on the Coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia, adopted in 1924. Coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1980).svg
The first official use of the Zimbabwe Bird was on the Coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia, adopted in 1924.
The Zimbabwean flag flying in the breeze Zimbabwe.jpg
The Zimbabwean flag flying in the breeze

The country now known as Zimbabwe was formally known as Southern Rhodesia from 1895 to 1980—although simply Rhodesia was used locally between 1964 until June 1979 after Northern Rhodesia obtained its independence—and then Zimbabwe Rhodesia between June and December 1979. Southern Rhodesia achieved responsible government in 1923, and thereby became a British self-governing colony following three decades of rule by the British South Africa Company. Following the granting of responsible government a flag was adopted which followed the standard British colonial practice, being a Blue Ensign, defaced with the shield from the Southern Rhodesian coat of arms. This basic design was used until 1968, although a light blue ensign was introduced in April 1964 following the break-up of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. On 11 November 1968, three years after the predominantly white government unilaterally declared independence from Britain, a national flag based on a completely new design was adopted. This was a green-white-green vertical triband, charged centrally with the national coat of arms. This was the first national flag to contain the Zimbabwe Bird, which had been present in the coat of arms since 1924. [1]

In 1979, when the country reconstituted itself as Zimbabwe Rhodesia following the Internal Settlement between the government and moderate black nationalists, a new flag was adopted to mark the transition on 4 September of that year. [2] The flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia was designed by Flight Lieutenant Cedric Herbert of the Rhodesian Air Force and a member of the Rhodesian Heraldry and Genealogy Society. [3]

The design incorporated the pan-African colours of yellow, black, green and red, with the soapstone bird of Great Zimbabwe, representing an older, pre-colonial source of power and identity in yellow on a vertical black stripe, symbolising the importance of majority rule, and three horizontal stripes, one red representing the blood spilled in the struggle for majority rule, one white, representing the integral part of the European community and other minorities in all aspects of the country's life, and one green, reflecting the importance of agriculture to the country's well-being, but the new design had little support from black politicians, who described it as "the flag with two names", a reference to "Zimbabwe Rhodesia". [4]

In response, the Voice of Zimbabwe radio service operated by Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF from Maputo in Mozambique, carried a commentary entitled "The proof of independence is not flags or names", dismissing the changes as aimed at "strengthening the racist puppet alliance's position at the Zimbabwe conference in London". [5]

This flag was officially superseded in December 1979 when the UK took interim control of the country following the Lancaster House Agreement which ended the Rhodesian Bush War. The UK's Union Jack was used as the official flag of the country, although de facto the Zimbabwe Rhodesia flag continued to be flown, while fresh elections were held in February 1980. At midnight between 17 and 18 April 1980, the country was granted independence by the UK under the name Zimbabwe and a new national flag was adopted, [6] [7] [8] [9] the draft for which had been handed to the Minister of Public Works Richard Hove by an unspecified designer. The initial design did not include the Zimbabwe Bird. This was added at the suggestion of Cederic Herbert, who pointed out its uniqueness and history. The final draft went through the approval of the then-Prime Minister-elect Robert Mugabe. [10] The adoption of the new flag coincided with the swearing-in of Canaan Banana as the country's new president. [7] The Zimbabwe Bird, used on every flag since 1968, is based on a statue discovered from the medieval ruined city of Great Zimbabwe in the country's south-east. [11]

Display and use

Display on uniforms

Some police officers in Zimbabwe have the national flag displayed on their uniforms' sleeve tops. [12]

Design

Colours and symbolism

The flag of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front Flag of ZANU-PF.svg
The flag of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front

The national flag of Zimbabwe is made up of five different colours: Green, gold, red, black and white. [13] Officially, the colours of the flag of Zimbabwe carry political, regional, and cultural meanings. Green represents the agriculture and rural areas of Zimbabwe. Yellow stands for the wealth of minerals in the country, [8] predominantly gold. The red symbolises the blood shed during the first and second Chimurenga (wars) in the "struggle for independence". The black indicates the heritage, race and ethnicity of the black majority. [8] [14]

The white triangle is a symbol for peace. [8] The golden bird, [15] known as the "Great Zimbabwe Bird" (Hungwe) is the national symbol of Zimbabwe [8] and is most likely a representation of the African fish eagle. [16] [17] It "exemplifies the strong bond that ancestral humans had with animals, nature and spiritual guides" and it is treated with a high level of importance and respect. [18] The red star represents the nation's aspirations, [15] taken to be socialism as promoted by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and whose party flag was used as the basis for the flag of the nation. [8] [19]

Specifications and the correct rendering of the Great Zimbabwe Bird

Zimbabwe National Flag Specifications showing both renditions of the Zimbabwe Bird. Zimbabwe National Flag Specifications.jpg
Zimbabwe National Flag Specifications showing both renditions of the Zimbabwe Bird.
Close up of the Zimbabwe Bird on a flag manufactured in Zimbabwe Close up of the Zimbabwe Bird on a flag manufactured in Zimbabwe.jpg
Close up of the Zimbabwe Bird on a flag manufactured in Zimbabwe

The Great Zimbabwe Bird first appeared in an armorial sense when it was incorporated in the coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia, which were granted by Royal Warrant on 11 August 1924. [20] It was first used on a national flag when the full arms were displayed on the Rhodesian flag that was adopted on 11 November 1968. It then appeared alone on the Zimbabwe Rhodesian flag of 1979, and it is now displayed on the flag of Zimbabwe. The arms of 1924 were initially retained by the Zimbabwean Government until a new coat of arms were adopted on 12 September 1981. [21]

The Zimbabwe Bird depicted on the flag is rendered in the same format as it appeared on the arms of 1924 and as it appeared on the Rhodesian flag of 1968 and the Zimbabwe Rhodesian flag of 1979. The red star on which the bird is placed is a regular star. However, a different, rather flattened version of the bird, sometimes displayed on an irregular, flattened star, is often seen on flags that are manufactured outside of Zimbabwe. The origin of this discrepancy appears to be an illustration of the proposed new flag that was first released by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Information in April 1980, just prior to the country attaining full independence. [22] This illustration showed the bird in a flattened version positioned over an irregular star. The poor quality of the illustration, with the star appearing as irregular on the flag, but regular under the description of the meanings on the right, and with the Zimbabwe Bird being omitted completely from where it should be next to the words The National Emblem, would suggest that it was done in haste and without accuracy. Nevertheless, in the absence of a better source, vexillologists outside of Zimbabwe have used this illustration as the basis for their rendering of the emblem on the flag, which has then been copied by many flag manufacturers outside of Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, flag manufacturers inside Zimbabwe continue to produce flags emblazoned with the original version of the bird sitting on a regular star. As a result, these two variations of the Zimbabwean flag are both in common use, however the version of the flag with the regular star is the correct one according to official specifications. [23]

Similarities

The colours used on the flag of Zimbabwe are closely shared with that of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front. [24] This is viewed as a sign of humble submission and respect towards the party. [25]

On 7 August 1980, Samora Machel made a famous speech involving the national flag of Zimbabwe, in which he said while holding the flag, "This flag covers everyone. There are no blacks in Zimbabwe, there are no whites, there are no mulattos and Indians, today there are just Zimbabweans." [26]

In Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2011, every other car had one too many miniature national flags plastered onto it. Sales of the national flag were sky-high in the country. [27] According to Petina Gappah in The Guardian in 2010, the flag is a "reminder that the nation was born of pain". [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesia</span> Unrecognised state in Southern Africa (1965–1979)

Rhodesia, officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979. During this fourteen-year period, Rhodesia served as the de facto successor state to the British colony of Southern Rhodesia, and in 1980 it became modern day Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Smith</span> Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979

Ian Douglas Smith was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979. He was the country's first leader to be born and raised in Rhodesia, and led the predominantly white government that unilaterally declared independence from the United Kingdom in November 1965 in opposition to their demands for the implementation of majority rule as a condition for independence. His 15 years in power were defined by the country's international isolation and involvement in the Rhodesian Bush War, which pitted the Rhodesian Security Forces against the Soviet and Chinese-funded military wings of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe Rhodesia</span> 1979 unrecognised state in Southern Africa

Zimbabwe Rhodesia, alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, was a short-lived sovereign state that existed from 1 June 1979 to 18 April 1980, though it lacked international recognition. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was preceded by another state named the Republic of Rhodesia and was briefly under a British-supervised transitional government sometimes referred to as a reestablished Southern Rhodesia, which according to British constitutional theory had remained the lawful government in the area after Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965. About three months later, the re-established colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted internationally-recognized independence within the Commonwealth as the Republic of Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rise, O Voices of Rhodesia</span> National anthem of Rhodesia (1974-1979)

"Rise, O Voices of Rhodesia" was the national anthem of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe Rhodesia between 1974 and 1979. The tune was that of "Ode to Joy", the Fourth Movement from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which had been adopted as the official European continental anthem by the Council of Europe in 1972. The music used in Rhodesia was an original sixteen-bar arrangement by Captain Ken MacDonald, the bandmaster of the Rhodesian African Rifles. A national competition was organised by the government to find an appropriate set of lyrics to match the chosen tune, and won by Mary Bloom of Gwelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Zimbabwe</span>

The coat of arms of Zimbabwe was adopted on 21 September 1981, one year and five months after the national flag was adopted. Previously the coat of arms of Zimbabwe was identical to the former coat of arms of Rhodesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Rhodesia</span>

The flag of Rhodesia changed with political developments in the country. At independence in 1965 the recently adopted flag of Southern Rhodesia was used, until a new flag was adopted in 1968. The 1968 flag remained in use following the declaration of the republic in 1970 and thus is associated with the end of the crown in Rhodesia. It was also initially the flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia until a new flag was adopted in September 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe Bird</span> National emblem of Zimbabwe

The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and former Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins. It probably represents the bateleur eagle or the African fish eagle. The bird's design is derived from a number of soapstone sculptures found in the ruins of the medieval city of Great Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesian Bush War</span> 1964–1979 conflict in Southern Africa

The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Second Chimurenga, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia.

White Zimbabweans, also known as White Rhodesians or simply Rhodesians, are a Southern African people of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, these people of European ethnic origin are mostly English-speaking descendants of British settlers. A small minority are either Afrikaans-speaking descendants of Afrikaners from South Africa or those descended from Greek, Portuguese, Italian, and Jewish immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal Settlement</span> 1978 agreement in Rhodesia

The Internal Settlement was an agreement which was signed on 3 March 1978 between Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith and the moderate African nationalist leaders comprising Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole and Senator Chief Jeremiah Chirau. After almost 15 years of the Rhodesian Bush War, and under pressure from the sanctions placed on Rhodesia by the international community, and political pressure from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Rhodesian government met with some of the internally based moderate African nationalist leaders in order to reach an agreement on the political future for the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesian Air Force</span> Military unit

The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the air arm of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland between 1953 and 31 December 1963; of Southern Rhodesia once again from 1 January 1964; and of the unrecognised nation of Rhodesia following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain on 11 November 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Southern Rhodesian general election</span>

General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia between 14 February and 4 March 1980 to elect the members of the House of Assembly of the first Parliament of the independent Zimbabwe. As stipulated by the new Constitution of Zimbabwe produced by the Lancaster House Conference, the new House of Assembly was to comprise 100 members, 80 of whom would be elected proportionally by province by all adult citizens on a common roll, and 20 of whom would be elected in single-member constituencies by whites on a separate roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia–Zimbabwe relations</span> Bilateral relations

Foreign relations exist between Australia and Zimbabwe. Both countries have full embassy level diplomatic relations. Australia maintains an embassy in Harare, and Zimbabwe maintains an embassy in Canberra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political history of Zimbabwe</span>

The modern political history of Zimbabwe starts with the arrival of white people to what was dubbed Southern Rhodesia in the 1890s. The country was initially run by an administrator appointed by the British South Africa Company. The prime ministerial role was first created in October 1923, when the country achieved responsible government, with Sir Charles Coghlan as its first Premier. The third premier, George Mitchell, renamed the post prime minister in 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesian passport</span> Passport of the Republic of Rhodesia that were issued to Rhodesian citizens

Rhodesian passports were passports issued by the government of Rhodesia to its citizens for purposes of international travel. They are no longer issued, having been superseded by Zimbabwean passports in 1980, with the country's reconstitution and renaming as Zimbabwe. Rhodesian passports were ostensibly valid for travel by Rhodesians anywhere in the world, but in practice they were accepted by very few countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Southern Rhodesia</span> Flag of a British colony

The flag of Southern Rhodesia was a blue ensign, later changed to a sky-blue ensign, with the coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia on it. The flag was in use in Southern Rhodesia from 1924 to 1953 and from 1963 to 1965. It was also used by the unrecognised Rhodesia from 1965 to 1968. The flag was initially used unofficially internally before being approved for use outside of the colony by the Colonial Office in 1937. The colour was changed to sky blue in 1964 to protest the treatment of Southern Rhodesia after its inclusion in the failed Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revenue stamps of Rhodesia</span> Stamps issued by Rhodesia

Rhodesia, now divided between Zambia and Zimbabwe, first issued revenue stamps in 1890, and Zimbabwe continues to do so to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesia Prison Service</span> Law enforcement agency in Rhodesia

The Rhodesia Prison Service (RPS) was a law enforcement agency of Rhodesia. A subdivision of the Rhodesian Security Forces, it was responsible for the administration of the Rhodesian prison system. Established in 1954 as the Southern Rhodesia Prison Department and incorporated into the federal prison service of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, it continued as the prison service of independent Rhodesia during the UDI period. Upon Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, it was dissolved and superseded by the Zimbabwe Prison Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Smith (Rhodesian politician)</span> Rhodesian/Zimbabwean politician

David Colville Smith was a farmer and politician in Rhodesia and its successor states, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe. He served in the cabinet of Rhodesia as Minister of Agriculture from 1968 to 1976, Minister of Finance from 1976 to 1979, and Minister of Commerce and Industry from 1978 to 1979. From 1976 to 1979, he also served Deputy Prime Minister of Rhodesia. He continued to serve as Minister of Finance in the government of Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979. In 1980, he was appointed Minister of Trade and Commerce of the newly independent Zimbabwe, one of two whites included in the cabinet of Prime Minister Robert Mugabe.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Whitney, ed. (1976). The Flag Bulletin. Volumes 15–17. Winchester, Massachusetts: Flag Research Center. p. 46.
  2. ↑ NEW FLAG RAISING CEREMONY IN SALISBURY, Associated Press Archive, 4 September 1979
  3. ↑ The Flag Bulletin, Volume 18, 1979, page 188
  4. ↑ House of Assembly, 15 August 1979, cited in Pioneers, Settlers, Aliens, Exiles: The Decolonisation of White Identity in Zimbabwe, J. L. Fisher, ANU E Press, 2010, page 57-58
  5. ↑ Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa, Issues 6208-6259, BBC Monitoring Service, 1979
  6. ↑ Kalath, Anjali. Flag Book. Popular Prakashan. pp. 23–. ISBN   9788179915127.
  7. 1 2 Lan, David (1985). Guns and Rain: Guerrillas and Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe (4 ed.). University of California Press. pp. 217–. ISBN   9780520055896.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Di Piazza, Francesca (2005). Zimbabwe in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. pp. 69–. ISBN   9780822523994.
  9. ↑ Horne, Gerald (2001). From the Barrel of a Gun: The United States and the War Against Zimbabwe, 1965–1980. UNC Press Books. pp. 3–. ISBN   9780807849033.
  10. ↑ "Designer of the Flag". Crw Flags. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Great Zimbabwe (11th–15th century) | Thematic Essay | Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  12. ↑ Wiles, Richard F. (2005). Foredoomed is My Forest: The Diary of a Zimbabwe Farmer. Trafford Publishing. pp. 257–. ISBN   9781412055840.
  13. ↑ Lawson, Jennifer Elizabeth (2005). Hands-on Social Studies : Grade 2 (2 ed.). Portage and Main Press. pp. 188–. ISBN   9781553790563.
  14. ↑ "Zimbabwe". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  15. 1 2 "National Flag". Government of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  16. ↑ Thomas N. Huffman (1985). "The Soapstone Birds from Great Zimbabwe". African Arts. 18 (3): 68–73, 99–100. doi:10.2307/3336358. JSTOR   3336358.
  17. ↑ Sinclair, Paul (2001). "Review: The Soapstone Birds of Great Zimbabwe Symbols of a Nation by Edward Matenga". The South African Archaeological Bulletin. 56 (173/174): 105–106. doi:10.2307/3889033. JSTOR   3889033.
  18. ↑ Redfern, Gayle (2010). Ancient Wisdoms. AuthorHouse. pp. 201–. ISBN   9781452016634.
  19. ↑ "Mugabe's Marxism" . Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Encyclopaedia Rhodesia, The College Press, General Editor Mary Akers, 15 Douglas Road, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1973, Page 26
  21. ↑ http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/zw.html. Coat of Arms. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  22. ↑ The Flag of Zimbabwe, Published by the Ministry of Information and Tourism, P.O. Box 8232, Causeway, Zimbabwe, April 1980
  23. ↑ http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/zw.html. Zimbabwe Bird emblem. Retrieved 5 June 2016
  24. ↑ Philip, George (2002). Encyclopedic World Atlas (6 ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 241–. ISBN   9780195219203.
  25. ↑ Cerulo, Karen A. (1995). Identity Designs: The Sights and Sounds of a Nation. Rutgers University Press. pp. 105–. ISBN   9780813522111.
  26. ↑ Fauvet, Paul (2003). Carlos Cardoso: Telling the Truth in Mozambique. Juta and Company. pp. 73–. ISBN   9781919930312.
  27. ↑ "Flood of flags sweeps Harare". The Zimbabwean. 23 February 2011.
  28. ↑ Gappah, Petina (14 April 2010). "Mugabe inflames the Afro-pessimists, but Zimbabwe's story is much deeper". The Guardian .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.