Ex-PM Ian Smith's 'rebel' son dies in UK

Ex-PM Ian Smith's 'rebel' son dies in UK

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By Staff Reporter

ALEC Smith, the rebellious son of the former prime minister of white-ruled Rhodesia, died of a heart attack at London's Heathrow Airport, family friends said Sunday.

He was 57.

Smith suffered the attack at the airport on Thursday as he headed home to Zimbabwe. He had been visiting the family of his Norwegian-born wife in Oslo.

Smith's turbulent relationship with his father, Ian Smith, left him ostracised by many whites in then Rhodesia.

He was also stigmatised by the black majority as the son of the last white ruler who resisted calls for independence and severed ties with Britain in 1965.

After independence in 1980, he became a reserve chaplain for the new Zimbabwe army. Smith volunteered for charities, administered a black soccer team and organised training for young black players.

He reconciled with his father, helping him manage a family farm and compile his memoirs. - Sapa-AP
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