Bureaucrats and the Environment in Africa: The Politics of Structural Choice in a One Party State
Author(s)
Gibson, Clark C.
Abstract
During the 1980’s, two different groups in Zambia worked to protect wildlife from poaching, but their efforts were made more difficult by potential interference from President Kenneth Kaunda. Both groups sought assistance from international organizations whose money and support could provide some insulation from Kaunda. Beyond that, however, they chose different avenues to pursue their aims. The staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service already had a legislative mandate to protect Zambia’s wildlife, and they built on their position by avoiding conflict with other government departments, striving to keep the power to make decisions within their agency and maintain a low profile for their budgets. The Luangwa Integrated Resource Development Project began as a private effort, and the staff found it necessary to try to build a cooperative relationship with Kaunda since his patronage brought political leverage and financial resources. The experience of the wildlife protectors in Zambia illustrates the ways in which politics affects the structure and function of bureaucracies.
