Thesis
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Geography and Environmental Studies University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies
January 2017. / Political transformations in most developing nations have been accompanied by vast land claims by indigenous communities who were forcibly detached from their traditional land during colonisation and apartheid-like dispensations. In the context of sub-Saharan African countries (including South Africa), the need for land reform has been aggravated by the great scarcity of farmland. However, most of the reclaimed land is in areas pursuing conservation activities. Now, caught between owning the land and pursuing conservation as a land use option to improve livelihood; local communities have tended to form partnerships and collaborations with external stakeholders in managing communally owned natural resources. Collaborative management is perceived as a sustainable route in governing common pool natural resources in re-claimed areas. It is in this regard, that this research aims at establishing the role to which social capital can be instrumental in promoting sustainable governance in co-managed community game reserves in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
This study follows a case study approach, with Zondi and Gumbi communities in Umvoti and uPhongolo Districts of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa respectively being used to obtain empirical evidence. Two basic criteria were taken into consideration in selecting appropriate case study areas to attain the aim of the study. Firstly, whether the area had successfully claimed the land and secondly, if there were collaborative efforts from different stakeholders in managing available common resources. To ensure equal representation, research participants were drawn from households, community leaders, conservation organisations and policy makers from the government.
This study’s methodological positionality is interpretive in nature, and its operational framework base is qualitative research. It therefore uses a number of qualitative techniques in an attempt to establish the role of social capital in governing Somkhanda (in Gumbi) and Ngome (in Zondi) Community Game Reserves. For instance, systemic-resilience thinking and socio-ecological learning
approaches were used to analyse the participatory relationship and effects in
managing community natural resources in Gumbi and Zondi communities.
It has been revealed in this study that the key to successful collaborative
environmental management projects revolves around issues of participation,
transparency, reciprocity and effective communication. These elements are
important ingredients in building strong social capital. Community social cohesion
builds trust between internal and external actors, especially in communities that
were once subjected to various forms of segregation and corrupt systems of
governance. The presence of trust in managing common pool resources ensures
effective stakeholder participation as well as involvement in decision making
processes.
Furthermore, the evidence from this study suggests that the frequent exclusion of
rural populations from participation in processes with a direct influence on their
lives, undermines efforts to pursue Community-Based Ecotourism. More
profoundly, the study found that, as an analytical tool, social capital seems to
provide a dynamic and holistic explanatory approach to the pursuance of
Community-Based Ecotourism in land-claimed communities, compared with the
dominant evaluative techniques in the tourism field. Another important practical
implication is that social capital can be used to promote the analysis of communities
as heterogeneous and evolving, as opposed to the assumptions of their
homogeneity and static state. There is a strong possibility that social capital can also
address power-relations, social exclusion and inequality, through consideration of
both structural and cognitive indicators.
The findings from this study make several contributions to the body of knowledge.
Firstly, they provide a better understanding of social capital variables influencing
community participation in conservation activities. This is of use when designing or
developing future Collaborative Community-Based Natural Resources Management
(CCBNRM) projects. Secondly, from a broader perspective, the study advises policy
makers not to ignore related community policies which might impact community
participation in CCBNRMs. This is essential in considering the direction of future
conservation and rural development policy. Thirdly, they provide a framework for
empowering local people and their communities to enhance participation in
CCBNRM. In view of this, a binding conclusion can be made that social capital can be
a vehicle through which the accumulation of different forms of capital can be
achieved and contribute towards sustainable environmental management. / MT2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/22726 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Musavengane, Regis |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (xiii, 168 leaves), application/pdf |
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