Subject to this Act and to the terms and conditions of any authority, the right to exploit forest produce: (a) in any natural forest on public land; or (b) in any plantation controlled by the State; within Communal Land is vested in the Minister on behalf of the State (sect. 3). Section 4 defines the right of inhabitants and occupants of Communal Land to exploit forest produce. The Minister may issue licences to any person authorizing that person to exploit forest resources within: (a) in any natural forest on public land; or (b) in any plantation controlled by the State on Communal land pursuant to section 5. The Minister may also enter into exploitation agreements in accordance with section 6. exploitation of any “major forest produce” by an inhabitant requires a permit to be issued by the Minister under section 7. Section 8 concerns special licences and special permits. Section 14 concerns the establishment of plantations by local authorities and the Forestry Commission on Communal land. The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare any area of natural forest described in the notice to be a protected forest area wherein the exploitation of all major forest produce, by all persons or any classes of persons that may be specified in the notice, is prohibited (sect. 15). The text of the Act, consisting of 25 sections, is completed by a schedule containing a list of reserved trees.
Zimbabwe · 1987-01-01