Declassified U.S. State Department telegram from the American Embassy in Pretoria reporting on the first day of voting in the Rhodesian elections. It documents a heavy turnout—nearly 20 percent of eligible voters—with few guerrilla incidents and a peaceful student demonstration at the University of Rhodesia. Bayard Rustin, serving as an unofficial observer for Freedom House, is quoted praising the orderly conduct of polling stations and the enthusiastic behavior of voters.
In April 1979, Rhodesia stood at a critical juncture, transitioning from white-minority rule toward majority governance under the terms of the Internal Settlement. Regional liberation movements and Cold War dynamics cast a tense backdrop over these elections, which aimed to legitimize a transitional government prior to full independence. Rustin’s presence as a Freedom House delegate—and as a longtime advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—underscored U.S. engagement with nonviolent principles in decolonization. His favorable observations of voter conduct and minimal conflict provided an American perspective that contrasted with reports of violence elsewhere in southern Africa, reinforcing his lifelong advocacy for peaceful political change.
Sheryl P. Walter, “Telegram: Rhodesia – First Day’s Voting,” April 17, 1979, U.S. Department of State telegram no. 1979PRETOR03595, National Archives.
