Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although Community Participation (CP) in Africa dates back to colonial times, it is more oriented towards embracing indigenous knowledge systems. CP encourages self-reliance, community empowerment, capacity-building, social learning and sustainability among community members. This study describes how Collaborative Wildlife Management (CWM) was implemented in Ulukusi, a community on the border of Mount Elgon National Park (MENP), eastern Uganda. It assesses livelihood strategies before and after the implementation of CWM. The study further identifies a wildlife management strategy that would embrace the needs of the local community and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Open ended questions were developed and administered through interviews with both household and key informants, and by means of focus group discussions and observations. The findings of the study indicate that the implementation of CWM led to the development of a Resource User Agreement (RUA) which promoted wildlife resource regeneration due to restricted resource harvest and park access. There was general agreement among interviewees and key informants that the relationship between the UWA and the community had improved compared to the time when the park was under the management of the Uganda National Park. Findings further indicate that CWM was inappropriately implemented considering the fact that the UWA used a top-down approach to influence the signing of the RUA. This is evident in that communities did not directly participate in decision-making. Therefore, in order to promote sustainable wildlife management, communities should participate in decision-making since they are the people affected by the mismanagement of wildlife. Conservation authorities should also integrate indigenous knowledge into their management policies and promote continuous sensitisation meetings to empower the community members. Above all, for any development to embrace all stakeholders’ needs, conservation authorities should also integrate the “building blocks” of development to promote conflict resolution. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel gemeenskapsdeelname in Afrika terugdateer tot die Koloniale tydperk is die beginsel van gemeenskapsontwikkeling meer gerig op die aanvaarding van inheemse kennisstelsels. Gemeenskapsdeelname moedig selfstandigheid, gemeenskapsbemagtiging, kapasiteitsbou, sosiale leer en volhoubaarheid onder gemeenskapslede. Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe samewerking en gemeenskaplike beplanning beoefen word in Ulukasi, ‘n naburige gemeenskap van die Mount Elgen Nationale Park, Oos Uganda. Die studie assesseer die Collaborative Wildlife Management (CWM) strategie voor en na implementering. Verder identifiseer die studie ‘n omgewingsbestuur strategie wat die behoeftes van die gemeenskap en die van die Uganda Wildlife Authority effektief aanspreek. Verskillende data insamelingsmetodes, insluitend onderhoude, fokusgroepe en deelnemendewaarneming was aangewend. Die respondente was verteenwoordig deur plaaslike gemeenskapslede en amptenary, plus addisionele sleutel informante. Bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat die implementering van die CWM gelei het tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n hulpbron gebruikersooreenkoms (Resource User Agreement) vir die bevordering van die behoud van wild en beperkte oes en toegang tot die park. Daar was ook ‘n algemene instemming tussen informante en sleutel informante dat die verhouding tussen UWA en die gemeenskap verbeter het teenoor die tydperk toe die park onder die bestuur was van die Uganda nasionale park. Bevindinge dui ook daarop dat CWM onvanpas geïmplementeer was, oorwegend die feit dat UWA ‘n voorskriftelike benadering gebruik het wat ‘n invloed gehad het op die ondertekenings van die RUA. Dit is dus duidelik dat gemeenskappe nie direk betrokke was by besluitnemingprosesse nie. Ten einde volhoubare natuurlewebestuur te bevorder moet gemeenskappe betrokke wees in besluitneming aangesien hulle direk geraak word deur die wanbestuur van wild. Natuurbewaringsowerhede moet ook inheemse kennis integreer in bestuursbeleid en deurlopende sensitisering vergaderings gebruik om lede van die gemeenskap te bemagtig. Bo alles, vir enige ontwikkeling moet alle belanghebbendes se behoeftes aangespreek word en moet bewarings owerhede ook die boustene van ontwikkeling integreer om konflik te bestuur.