Ian Douglas Smith was the first native-born Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Many perceived him as the symbol of colonial-period racism in Africa, while his supporters admired him as a man of uprightness and vision. Born and raised in Southern Rhodesia, he served in the RAF during the World War II. He became Deputy Prime Minister in 1962 and Prime Minister of Rhodesia in 1964. A staunch promoter of minority white rule in Rhodesia, he issued ‘Unilateral Declaration of Independence’ (UDI) in 1965, creating one of the major political crises (in post-war period). White settlers made up only 4% of the Rhodesian population, but he led them with a promise of white dominance. However, it sparked off liberation movement and guerrilla war in the 1970s. The 7-year guerrilla war and its repression resulted in the death of nearly 30,000 lives, mostly blacks, and affected the economy and the future of the country. Finally, it became difficult for Smith to withstand both the pressure from outside and inside. He remained Prime Minister till 1979, when the black majority government came to power. His autobiography, ‘The Great Betrayal: The Memoirs of Ian Douglas Smith,’ published in 1997, criticized the black government and the British. Smith died in Cape Town at 88.