Green Colonialism in Zimbabwe, 1890-1980 By Vimbai Kwashirai

and concerted pressure on the state for more and more Zambezi teak woodland. Foresters and the emerging conservationist lobby contested RNTC influence on the government, successfully foiling the formation of a complete monopoly in gusu. Both parties scored partial victories. Official conservationist thought was implemented via patrols, cutting quotas, inspection, and especially fire fighting. These multiple approaches to gusu conservation complemented one another in checking the excesses of mining and concessionaire capitalism, as discussed in chapter 6.

Available statistical evidence shows a persistently high demand for timber and wood products during and after the Second World War as discussed in chapter 7. Gusu resources played a pivotal role in meeting that unusual demand, thereby fueling the perennial contest between exploiters and conservationists. Chapter 8 examines official conservationist thought as espoused by the forestry service that equated conservation to total fire prevention. Complete fire prevention was made synonymous with reducing human traffic to a minimum in the eight demarcated gusu reserves. It was believed human interference could be decreased through a blanket ban on infrastructure development, including dip tanks, stores, butcheries, roads, churches, and schools. The last chapter attempts to show how, amidst continuing difficulties, conservationist ideology gained permanent teeth (as opposed to earlier milk teeth) in the creation of a Mining Timber Permit Board (MTPB) that had a mandate to license and control miners and concessionaires and ban those violating legislation aimed at conservation.