John Wrathall

The Hon. John Wrathall GCLM, ID
John James Wrathall
2nd President of Rhodesia
In office 14 January 1976 – 31 August 1978
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Clifford Dupont
Succeeded by	Henry Everard (Acting)
Minister of African Education
In office 1963–1964
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Jack Howman
Succeeded by	Post abolished
Minister of Finance
In office 1964–1976
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Ian Smith
Succeeded by	David Smith
Minister of Posts
In office 1964–1973
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Ian Smith
Succeeded by	Roger Hawkins
Senator
In office 1974–1976
Member of Parliament
In office 1962–1974
Preceded by	Cyril Hatty
Succeeded by	Denis Walker
Constituency	Bulawayo North
In office 1954–1958
Preceded by	Henry Holmes
Succeeded by	Benny Goldstein
Constituency	Bulawayo South
Personal details
Born	28 August 1913 Lancaster, United Kingdom
Died	31 August 1978 (aged 65) Salisbury, Rhodesia
Political party	Rhodesian Front
Spouse(s)	Doreen Wrathall
Relations	Jonathan Wrathall, Christopher Wrathall
Alma mater	Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Profession	Chartered Accountant

John James Wrathall GCLM, ID (28 August 1913 – 31 August 1978) was a Rhodesian politician. He was the last white President of Rhodesia (later holders of the post were only acting as such). He formerly worked as a chartered accountant.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Wrathall was born in Lancaster, England and went to Lancaster Royal Grammar School.^[2] Having qualified as a chartered accountant in 1935, he emigrated to Southern Rhodesia the next year. He worked for the Southern Rhodesian government in its income tax department for the next ten years.^[2]

Rhodesian career

In 1946 Wrathall set up in private practice as an accountant in Bulawayo and also became involved in politics. In 1949 he was elected to Bulawayo City Council, where he served for a decade.^[3] Wrathall was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Bulawayo South in the 1954 general election, as a member of the United Rhodesia Party, then led by Garfield Todd, but stood down after one term in 1958.^[3]

Ministerial office

By 1962 Wrathall was no longer a supporter of the United Federal Party and became a founder member of the Rhodesian Front under Winston Field. He was elected in Bulawayo North in the December 1962 election under the RF banner, defeating the incumbent, Cyril Hatty, by 67 votes.^[4] As one of the party's most experienced members, in October 1963 he was made Minister of African Education.^[5] A month later he also took on the Ministry of Health, which was being transferred from the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland on its demise at the end of 1963.^[6]

Wrathall was among the members of the Rhodesian Front who deposed Winston Field and instead installed Ian Smith as Prime Minister in April 1964. Smith promoted him to be Minister of Finance and of Posts and Telecommunications.^[7] As such, he was one of the signatories to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 11 November 1965. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 7 September 1966. Known as "the quiet man of Rhodesian politics", he nevertheless was a key figure in the secret struggle against United Nations sanctions imposed after UDI.^[8]

As Minister of Finance, Wrathall also oversaw the adoption of a new decimal currency to replace the Rhodesian pound, known as the Rhodesian dollar, a name which he regarded as having international substance.^[9]

In July 1973 Wrathall ceded his responsibility as Minister of Posts; during the 1974 general election he stood down from the House of Assembly and transferred to the Senate. In 1975 he presented his 12th (and last) consecutive Budget as Rhodesia's longest serving Finance Minister.^[10]

Presidency

Presidential Flag (Rhodesia)

In 1976, Wrathall became the second President of Rhodesia, succeeding Clifford Dupont.^[11] On 14 January of that year, he was sworn in as President by the Chief Justice, Sir Hugh Beadle, in a ceremony at Government House witnessed by Prime Minister Ian Smith and his Cabinet Ministers.^[12] Wrathall served for two and a half years, and died in office of a heart attack.^[13][14]

References

1. President dies, The Age, September 1, 1978
2. Current World Leaders: biography and news, Volumes 20-21, Almanac of Current World Leaders, 1977, page 2
3. Africa Research Bulletin, Blackwell, 1978, page 4967
4. The Central African Examiner, Volume 6, page 4
5. Rhodesia: The Road to Rebellion, Institute of Race Relations, 1967, page 308
6. Heads of States and Governments Since 1945, Harris M. Lentz, Routledge, 2014, page 869
7. Who's who of Rhodesia, Mauritius, Central and East Africa: Supplement to the Who's who of Southern Africa, Combined Publishers., 1967, 1161-5
8. Rhodesia's Sanctions Buster Is Dead, The Glasgow Herald, September 1, 1978, page 2
9. Unpopular Sovereignty: Rhodesian Independence and African Decolonization, Luise White, University of Chicago Press, 2015, page 124
10. Parliamentary Debates - House of Assembly, 1975, Volume 90,
11. Smith of Rhodesia, Matthew C. White Printpak, 1978, page 92
12. RHODESIA: Former Finance Minister John Wrathall sworn in as Rhodesia's second President since UDI in 1965, ITN, 19 January 1976
13. John Wrathall, Appointed To Office In 1976 as Independent Rhodesia's 2nd President, Toledo Blade, August 31, 1978
14. The Great Betrayal: The Memoirs of Ian Douglas Smith, Ian Douglas Smith, Blake Publishing Limited, 1997, page 266

External links

• Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith, President John Wrathall and his wife Doreen, attend opening of Parliament in Salisbury, 22 June 1977, AP Archive
• Funeral of President John Wrathall - 5000 line streets, 7 September 1978, AP Archive