A review of case studies in community-based tourism (CBT) indicates that most initiatives emerged from a rather comprehensive critique of the international tourism industry and were part of the community’s movements searching for solutions to the many worrisome impacts generated by increasing mass tourism (Christensen, 2002&Pleumarom, 2002&Christ, 1998). These alternative tourism projects were certainly not without problems, but what is important to note is that they were genuinely owned and controlled by local people and their organizations without interference from government, business and international agencies. Commercialisation was seen as the main cause of tourism-related problems, so the motivation was not to establish profitable businesses. Rather, the priority was to expose visitors to the realities of Third World countries and to engender understanding and solidarity for peoples’ struggle against injustices and unwanted development schemes. This kind of community attitude is often rooted in tourism developers’ and researchers’ lack of understanding of community views and perceptions. A literature review revealed that resident perceptions of tourism are an important planning and policy consideration for the successful development, marketing, and operation of existing and future tourism programmes and projects. The research undertaken for this study aims to provide a better understanding of community perceptions surrounding tourism, as perceived by the residents of the Tshivhase area, a relatively newly established tourism destination in Venda, Limpopo Province, and draws implications for future marketing and sustainable tourism development. The study indicates variables that influenced community perceptions of tourists, tourism and their own cultural heritage and indicates its significance for the study area. It provides insights into community perceptions towards tourists, tourism and their cultural heritage in the tourism context by discussing research findings that were identified in the study area during the field research. Furthermore, the study identifies how the community perceive their own culture in respect to tourists’ culture and finally, how they perceive tourism to influence their own cultural traditions (socio-cultural Impacts of tourism). Finally, the study provides guidelines for an appropriate marketing approach for Community-based Tourism (CBT) and indicates the significance of community perceptions for sustainable CBT development. The semi-structured interviews produced a very large range of responses that were categorised by grouping community members according to their common socio-demographic characteristics. Education, age group and occupation Emerged as the most important variables. Community members in the Tshivhase area with similar socio-demographic characteristics in terms of education, age and occupation demonstrate similar perceptions, thus enabling the researcher to draw clear distinctions among them. On the one hand, the findings suggest that there is a high degree of agreement among respondents with regard to the positive economic and socio-cultural impacts of tourism on the area. On the other hand, despite their very favourable disposition towards the industry, respondents recognise the possibility that some negative social effects may ensue, despite their absence in the area thus far. In most cases, however, respondents are convinced that these negative consequences of tourism will not emerge in the area because of certain African practices such as the custodian role of the chief and the strong moral codes and values generally upheld within the community. Another important conclusion is that certain socio-demographic characteristics play an important role in understanding significant perceptual differences between Category A, B and C. The most crucial and explanatory of these were education, age, and occupation. Category B and C in particular demonstrate little understanding of the tourism industry as a result of low levels of education and limited exposure to the tourism industry. / Dissertation (MHCS (Heritage and Culture Tourism))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted

During the 1990s, most African countries experienced what has been termed their ‘second independence’ (cf. Bratton and Hyden 1992), a period of political upheaval and transformation leading to the introduction of democratic rule. In many countries including South Africa and Cameroon, the process triggered fresh debates about the status and role of chiefs. The popular assumption in ‘struggle circles’ such as the African National Congress (ANC) was that chiefs would be relegated to the background in the democratic era, thus giving room to people’s power and new forms of accountability. But the reality was that the introduction of democracy created a situation whereby many rural people felt excluded economically from the boundless promises of the new dispensation. This dissatisfaction among rural people brought into question the legitimacy of some structures such as the local government even though the ruling ANC continued to enjoy much support among the masses. This in turn provided an enabling environment in which some, but not all, chiefs could make new claims for legitimacy. This is because some chiefs remain discredited by their past association with apartheid authorities. Chief Tshivhase is one of the few chiefs who has successfully associated himself with the ANC both at the national and provincial levels. This has given him space to act decisively in certain ways on behalf of the poor at the local level, thereby winning credibility among rural people. Thus, his credibility is two-fold – with the national politicians, because he is one of them, and with the people of the chiefdom. Chief Tshivhase’s ability to renegotiate his status and gain new legitimacy as chief is a particular example of how the game of neo-liberal democracy is played out in post-apartheid South Africa. In the chiefdom of Bali Nyonga in Cameroon, Chief Ganyonga’s career looks rather similar to Tshivhase’s in so far as he too has risen to national prominence in the ruling party in Cameroon, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) in the era of democracy. But Cameroon’s democratic transition was contradictory in the sense that it introduced the form of democracy but not its substance, leaving the ruling party the ability to manipulate and suppress the opposition and civil society. It was against this background that Ganyonga’s prominence in the CPDM contributed to undermining his legitimacy in the eyes of his subjects because they believed that his prominence in the party left them without any shield from the predation and manipulation of the state. Ganyonga was seen to be in ‘illicit cohabitation’ with a self-serving ruling party, at a time when his subjects wanted to use their newfound rights as citizens to vote the opposition into office. But Ganyonga’s involvement in the politics of the so-called ‘Anglophone problem’ helped to legitimise his participation in modern politics as a chief. Against this background, this thesis examines why both chiefs used their positions as a springboard into national politics? It also establishes the kinds of legitimacy claimed by these chiefs and to what extent the masses are persuaded by such claims and how the chiefs’ involvement in national politics has affected the relationship between them and their subjects. This thesis therefore makes a case for the importance of comparative research on chiefs in the era of democracy and the predicaments they face therein. The thesis argues that contrary to exhortations about the incompatibility of chiefs and democracy, the reality is that political transition in both countries produced contradictions which created space for chiefs to fill but on condition that they were able to draw from different kinds of legitimacy and had not been discredited by their past or present involvement with the postcolonial state. / Dissertation (MA (Social Science))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted

The research was undertaken to investigate the impact of the Tshivhase Tea Estate on the space economy of Venda, the people and area ofMapate, and Duthuni, among whom the Tea Estate is established. The approach is based on principles. Principles of development theory are combined with appropriate spatial models. The development reality of Venda, together with many other development projects are analysed. Does the tea estate address the rural poverty problem? Findings are presented from a case study of Tshivhase and this proved the lack of growth and development impulses to alleviate the poverty of the rural people among whom it is located. Development is considered in terms of its possible simultaneous diffusion of economic activity and modernisation in all four dimensions of the spatial system : political, socio-cultural, economic and physical. / Department of Geography / M.A. (Geography)

The research was undertaken to investigate the impact of the Tshivhase Tea Estate on the space economy of Venda, the people and area ofMapate, and Duthuni, among whom the Tea Estate is established. The approach is based on principles. Principles of development theory are combined with appropriate spatial models. The development reality of Venda, together with many other development projects are analysed. Does the tea estate address the rural poverty problem? Findings are presented from a case study of Tshivhase and this proved the lack of growth and development impulses to alleviate the poverty of the rural people among whom it is located. Development is considered in terms of its possible simultaneous diffusion of economic activity and modernisation in all four dimensions of the spatial system : political, socio-cultural, economic and physical. / Department of Geography / M.A. (Geography)