10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sir Raphael “Roy” Welensky
Sir Roland “Roy” Welensky, KCMG ( 20 January 1907 – 5 December 1991) was a Northern Rhodesian politician.
Rolanda was the second and last prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Welensky was born in Pioneer Street, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia.
Born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) to an Afrikaner mother and a Lithuanian Jewish father.
He moved to Northern Rhodesia, became involved with the trade unions, and entered the colonial legislative council in 1938.
After leaving school at the age of 14, Welensky found employment with Rhodesia Railways as a fireman, while putting his physical strength to work as a boxer.
He rose through the ranks of Rhodesia Railways to become a locomotive engine driver and became involved in the trade union movement, joining the Rhodesian Railway Workers’ Union.
After participating in the unsuccessful 1929 Rhodesian Railways strike Welensky was moved by management to Broken Hill, the main base of the railways in Northern Rhodesia.
In 1933 he became Chairman of the Broken Hill branch of the union, and was appointed to the National Council.
Welensky was elected to the Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council in the 1938 general elections.