 Smith akava mutevedzeri wemutungamiri wehurumende zvichitevera kukunda kwesarudzo kwaDecember 1962 kweRhodesian Front, uye akasimuka kuva mutungamiri wehurumende mushure mekunge Field asiya basa muna Kubvumbi 1964. Nehurumende yeUK ichiramba kupa rusununguko apo Rhodesia isina kugadzira nguva yakatarwa yekuunzwa kwehutongi hwehuwandu, nhaurirano nemutungamiri weUK, Harold Wilson, dzakaputsika kakawanda, zvichitungamira Smith neKhabhineti yake kuzivisa rusununguko musi wa11 Mbudzi 1965. Hurumende yake yakatsungirira mukutarisana nezvirango zveupfumi zveUnited Nations nerubatsiro rweSouth Africa uye, kusvikira muna 1974, Portugal. Kurukurirano neUK muna 1966, 1968 uye 1971 dzakanga dzisina maturo. Smith akazivisa Rhodesia kuva republic muna 1970 uye akatungamirira RF kukunda dzimwe sarudzo nhatu dzinokosha mumakore manomwe akatevera. Mushure mekunge Hondo yaBush yatanga muna 1972, akaita nhaurirano nemutungamiri wenyika asiri murwi Bishop Abel Muzorewa nemapoka emagandanga anotungamirwa naJoshua Nkomo naRobert Mugabe. 