The Honourable
Mark Partridge
GLM
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
In office
1973 – 10 March 1977
Prime MinisterIan Smith
Preceded byPhillip van Heerden
Succeeded byArthur Philip Smith
Personal details
Born(1922-11-23)23 November 1922
States Mines, East Rand, Transvaal, South Africa
Died13 December 2007(2007-12-13) (aged 85)
Harare, Zimbabwe
Political partyRhodesian Front
Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe
SpouseBarbara Black
Civilian awardsLegion of Merit GLM
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1940–1945
UnitKing's Royal Rifle Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II
Military awardsUnknown

Mark Henry Heathcote Partridge GLM (23 November 1922 – 13 December 2007) was a Rhodesian politician who served as the minister of Lands and Natural Resources and Defence.

Early life

Partridge was born on 23 November 1922, at States Mines, East Rand, Transvaal, in South Africa. A year later his family moved to Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia, and Patridge was later educated at St. George's College. He enlisted in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps in 1940, seeing service in the Mediterranean theatre. In 1944 he received a temporary commission as an officer in the KRRC.[1] Following demobilisation in 1945, Partridge became a company director.

Political career

After joining the Rhodesian Front party, Partridge stood as the RF candidate for the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly seat of Greendale in the December 1962 assembly election. He subsequently gained 55% of the vote, defeating Herbert Jack Quinton of the United Federal Party. He was re-elected for Greendale in 1965 and at the House of Assembly elections in 1970 (72%), 1974 (70.2%) and 1977 (79.3%).

In 1966 he was made Minister of Local Government and Housing by Prime Minister Ian Smith, and was made Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in May 1973. On 10 March 1977, he was briefly appointed as Minister of Defence, before being appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Water Development until the end of Rhodesia on 1 June 1979.[2] In the only election for the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe Rhodesia held in April 1979, Partridge was elected unopposed as the member for Highlands but did not hold office in the government.

Following Zimbabwe's formal independence and first elections in 1980, Partridge was elected to the indirectly-elected Senate of Zimbabwe. With the Rhodesian Front becoming the Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe from 1984, he moved from the Senate to the House of Assembly from the 1985 election as the MP for Mazowe-Mutoko, serving until the abolition of the White roll seats in 1987.

Awards

References

  1. ^ "No. 36427". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 March 1944. p. 1271.
  2. ^ "Rhodesia Cabinet Shuffled; Security Post Created". The New York Times. 11 March 1977. p. 6. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly Preceded byAhrn Palley Member of Parliament for Greendale 1962 – 1970 Assembly dissolved House of Assembly of Rhodesia New constituency Member of Parliament for Greendale 1970 – 1979 Assembly dissolved Political offices Preceded byJack Mussett Minister of Local Government and Housing 1966 – 1973 Succeeded byWilliam Irvine Preceded byPhillip van Heerden Minister of Lands and Natural Resources 1973 – 1977 Succeeded byArthur Philip Smith Preceded byReginald Cowper Minister of Defence 1977 Succeeded byRoger Hawkins Preceded byRollo Hayman Minister of Agriculture 1977 – 1979 Served alongside: Joel Mandaza (1978–79) Rhodesia dissolved Preceded byJack Mussett Minister of Water Development 1977 – 1979 Served alongside: Aaron Mgutshini (1978–79) Rhodesia dissolved Parliament of Zimbabwe Rhodesia New title Member of Parliament for Highlands 1979 Parliament dissolved Parliament of Zimbabwe Preceded byAndré Sothern Holland Member of Parliament for Mazowe-Mutoko 1985 – 1987 White roll abolished
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