He founded the White supremacist Rhodesian Front (renamed the Republican Front in 1981) in 1962, becoming Prime Minister and head of the White minority government two years later. In 1965 he issued a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) after Britain stipulated that it would only grant the country independence if Smith undertook to prepare for Black majority rule. He eventually conceded in 1979 and resigned to make way for majority rule; after the country became the independent state of Zimbabwe he remained active in politics, leading the Republican Front until 1987.