#ThisWeekInHistory: November 20, 2007, Ian Smith, the former Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), passed away at the age of 88 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Smith traveled to South Africa in 2005 for medical treatment and spent his final years in a retirement home overlooking the sea. He was deeply affected by the death of his son Alec in 2006.

After suffering a stroke, Smith died surrounded by family. His ashes were returned to Zimbabwe and scattered at his farm, Gwenoro.

Smith’s legacy remains complex and contentious. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1979, implementing policies that shaped Zimbabwe’s history.