The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe

Discussions around the militarisation of conservation have largely focused on violence meted out against subsistence and commercial poachers in, and around, protected areas. Overlooked is violence experienced by perpetrators of such violence. Using lived experiences of anti-poaching in Sikumi Forest...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tafadzwa Mushonga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
Series:Conservation & Society
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2021;volume=19;issue=1;spage=3;epage=12;aulast=Mushonga
_version_ 1819175887371763712
author Tafadzwa Mushonga
author_facet Tafadzwa Mushonga
author_sort Tafadzwa Mushonga
collection DOAJ
description Discussions around the militarisation of conservation have largely focused on violence meted out against subsistence and commercial poachers in, and around, protected areas. Overlooked is violence experienced by perpetrators of such violence. Using lived experiences of anti-poaching in Sikumi Forest Reserve—a state forest managed by Zimbabwe's Forestry Commission—this article examines working experiences of paramilitary personnel. Empirical evidence shows that, in the process of implementing state militarised conservation practices, paramilitary personnel are subjected to violence perpetrated by the state through its authorities. I discuss this violence in the context of occupational violence and make two arguments. The first is that the range of victims of militarised conservation violence goes beyond local communities and commercial poachers to include paramilitary personnel perpetrating such violence. Related to this argument is the second argument that occupational violence has an exacerbating effect on everyday persistent violence. I conclude that aspects of occupational violence, such as displayed in Sikumi Forest Reserve, should be understood as part of broader green violence.
first_indexed 2024-12-22T21:02:00Z
format Article
id doaj.art-9ce633bd343043e297111aad2c3b9a36
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0972-4923
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-22T21:02:00Z
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Conservation & Society
spelling doaj.art-9ce633bd343043e297111aad2c3b9a362022-12-21T18:12:48ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsConservation & Society0972-49232021-01-0119131210.4103/cs.cs_20_5The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, ZimbabweTafadzwa MushongaDiscussions around the militarisation of conservation have largely focused on violence meted out against subsistence and commercial poachers in, and around, protected areas. Overlooked is violence experienced by perpetrators of such violence. Using lived experiences of anti-poaching in Sikumi Forest Reserve—a state forest managed by Zimbabwe's Forestry Commission—this article examines working experiences of paramilitary personnel. Empirical evidence shows that, in the process of implementing state militarised conservation practices, paramilitary personnel are subjected to violence perpetrated by the state through its authorities. I discuss this violence in the context of occupational violence and make two arguments. The first is that the range of victims of militarised conservation violence goes beyond local communities and commercial poachers to include paramilitary personnel perpetrating such violence. Related to this argument is the second argument that occupational violence has an exacerbating effect on everyday persistent violence. I conclude that aspects of occupational violence, such as displayed in Sikumi Forest Reserve, should be understood as part of broader green violence.http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2021;volume=19;issue=1;spage=3;epage=12;aulast=Mushongaforestsmilitarisationconservationoccupational violence
spellingShingle Tafadzwa Mushonga
The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
Conservation & Society
forests
militarisation
conservation
occupational violence
title The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
title_full The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
title_fullStr The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
title_short The Militarisation of Conservation and Occupational Violence in Sikumi Forest Reserve, Zimbabwe
title_sort militarisation of conservation and occupational violence in sikumi forest reserve zimbabwe
topic forests
militarisation
conservation
occupational violence
url http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2021;volume=19;issue=1;spage=3;epage=12;aulast=Mushonga
work_keys_str_mv AT tafadzwamushonga themilitarisationofconservationandoccupationalviolenceinsikumiforestreservezimbabwe
AT tafadzwamushonga militarisationofconservationandoccupationalviolenceinsikumiforestreservezimbabwe