 Following the Rhodesian Front 's decisive May 1965 election victory , parliament was opened by the British @-@ appointed Governor , Sir Humphrey Gibbs , on 9 June . For the first time , Rhodesia had an official Leader of the Opposition who was black : Josiah Gondo , leader of the United People 's Party , now sat opposite Smith and the all @-@ white RF in the House of Assembly . Though Gibbs represented the British Crown in Rhodesia , he had been a local resident most of his life , and had feet in both camps , regarding himself as loyal both to Rhodesia and to the faraway monarch . While opening parliament , he told the House of Assembly that the RF 's strengthened majority amounted to " a mandate to lead the country to its full independence " — later in the speech he referred to this as " our independence " . 
