What if Edgar Whitehead's United Party won South Rhodesian election of 1962 and thereafter?

The Banker

What if Edgar Whitehead's United Party won South Rhodesian election of 1962 and thereafter?
It favoured continuation of the Federation in some form, together with moves towards multiracialism and gradual progress to majority rule

What would happen next?
Was it really possible to place a moderate African government in Rhodesia and avoiding a violent reaction from Marxist guerilla groups?
Would Malawi/Nyasaland still separate from Rhodesia for some or the other reason?
Who do you think could be the first majority rule President of Rhodesia in a timeline where they achieved this without bloodshed and communism?
Would it be someone like Bishop Josiah Zion Gumede (otl leader of the short lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia) or would it be Hastings Banda of otl Malawi or would it simply be the ZAPU/ZANU who enter electoral politics and win (would that even be possible?)
 

Dancing Fool

The Banker said:
a moderate African government in Rhodesia and avoiding a violent reaction from Marxist guerilla groups?
Click to expand...
I’m going to guess that the average citizen wants two things.

1) Strong statements such as— The colonists can have their past, We will have the future. Please notice that the strong statements can be largely positive.

2) Sustained economic growth, and no better example of this than Singapore’s long-time Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. But Singapore was blessed with a banking industry and a central location on major trade routes. And even if you yourself are non-corrupt, it’s hard to keep the people around you non-corrupt.
And then there is something like— Clean is good for business, but squeaky clean ain’t!
 
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LegionoftheUnitedStates

A smooth transition is certainly possible, but difficult. If some variation of the 1979 internal settlement was on offer in the early 60, you could prevent the collapse of the Federation, and more importantly, the UDI and civil war in Southern Rhodesia.

It requires compromise and trust, on both sides.

(Robert Mugabe’s untimely death would help too.)
 

The Banker

LegionoftheUnitedStates said:
A smooth transition is certainly possible, but difficult. If some variation of the 1979 internal settlement was on offer in the early 60, you could prevent the collapse of the Federation, and more importantly, the UDI and civil war in Southern Rhodesia.

It requires compromise and trust, on both sides.

(Robert Mugabe’s untimely death would help too.)
Click to expand...
who do you see becoming the first black leader of a unified Rhodesia which also contains Malawi
 
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