Co-Management Challenges of the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve in South Africa: The Re-Emergence of Traditional Authorities, 2001–2015

This article examines the role of traditional authorities around protected areas in Africa, engaging with debates regarding the efficacy of traditional authorities in contemporary governance in Africa. Some scholars have supported such authority as epitomising African customs and practices, and thereby offering continuity and relevance. Others have questioned the usefulness and relevance of such authority in democratic spaces given their hereditary nature. The article considers these debates in relation to the challenges that arise due to protected areas being spaces of bifurcated governance, in contrast to other rural areas, utilising two case studies: Gwayi Forest in Zimbabwe and Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve in South Africa. Protected areas pose challenges for post-colonial African states regarding how they should be governed. The article argues that it is time for states to bring finality over the governance of such areas. State institutions should be restricted to an advisory role in protected areas. Local populations should be able to choose their own leadership and governance over these spaces.

The role of traditional authorities, particularly traditional leadership in the democratic South Africa (1994-2013) seems to be a complex and multifaceted process. When the African National Congress (ANC) came into power in May 1994, the party was faced with a mammoth task of incorporating traditional leaders in the local sphere of government. The study examines the socio-political role of traditional leaders in South Africa in postapartheid period. Furthermore, the study aims at examining the factors and challenges contributing to the leadership discourse between the traditional leaders and some structures of the ANC, for example, the councillors as elected leaders. The findings from this study pointed to challenges such as values and perceptions of leadership styles as espoused by the traditional leaders versus the democratic way of leadership from the ANC structures. The above propelled the researchers to engage in an analytical research study of determining the relationship that existed between the traditional leaders and the local government structures in South Africa. On the basis of the findings of this study, recommendations are made for the fostering of harmonious working relationships between the traditional authorities and the councillors representing the ANC.

Prey selection by lions (Panthera leo) reintroduced into small game reserves (typically <1000 km2) in South Africa was compared with results from larger (more naturally functioning) protected areas. Prey selection was used to calculate mean preference indices, and where sample size allowed, tested for significance of preference, as well as for comparisons with current estimates in the literature. The model by Hayward & Kerley (2005) was found to be 85% accurate, suggesting it is well suited as a predictive tool for smaller game reserves. Disparities in prey selection found among study areas, as well as deviations from earlier findings, were highlighted. Potential explanations are offered within the context of optimal foraging theory. Two key issues affecting foraging patterns of lions and which is related to the way reserves are managed were addressed. Firstly, ungulate assemblages not resembling those of natural systems affects the way lions select prey and secondly, temporal declines in the prey base results in changes in lion prey selection. Thus it is not only relative abundance of a prey species that is an important predictor for prey selection, but also overall prey abundance.

This article examines the way in which disputes about the ranking of chiefdoms and succession to high chiefly office have been handled in the democratic era. It focuses particularly on the extent to which these processes have been in alignment with South Africa’s democratic Constitution. It discusses the prevalence of disputes about succession and their crippling impact on local development. It argues that the current rule-based approach to adjudicating succession claims is not rooted in pre-colonial practice and custom. Its genesis lies rather in the colonial appropriation of customary law, which reified rules rather than processes and ignored the critical role that popular support played in determining succession. The article examines two case studies concerning the Pedi kingship. The cases were first adjudicated by the Traditional Leadership Disputes Commission and then appealed to higher courts. They have the advantage of relatively rich historical sources and research. In both cases, the Commission and the courts largely adopted a rule-based approach, not considering historical evidence or the role of popular struggle or support. The democratising imperatives of the Constitution have been ignored in relation to the millions of South Africans who live under the system of traditional leadership, and the political and legal dualism that underpinned apartheid remains intact. The article concludes that undoing this violation of constitutional values requires a wide-ranging debate about democracy, constitutionalism, traditional leadership and the potential wellsprings of living customary law.

ABSTRACTGlobally, co-management of protected areas (PAs) offers promise in efforts to achieve ecological integrity and livelihood needs. Most co-management agreements are premised on joint decision making in defining equitable sharing of benefits from and the management responsibilities for natural resource management. However, co-managed PAs are often conflict ridden. The forceful closure of Silaka Nature Reserve in South Africa in 2013 by a local community epitomizes the conflicts that can emerge in co-management arrangements. Using Silaka Reserve as a case study, we ask questions related to the meaning of land to local people, with an interrogative focus beyond “material benefits” in co-management discourse. The results of this study show that apart from nonaccrual of material benefits, conflicts arise from nonrecognition of nonmaterial aspects such as cultural values of and historical attachment to land and limited involvement of land claimants in decision making. The implications for co-management as a desired outcome on settled land claims are discussed.

Where the Wild Things Are

The intent of the study is to investigate and analyse the impact of the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims to the rural communities in South Africa. The authors opine that the issue of traditional leadership has been a contested terrain in South Africa long before the African National Congress (ANC) could assume power in 1994. Furthermore, the study attempts to highlight the intervention strategies embarked upon by the ANC in trying to resolve this problem, hence the institution of the Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims Commission which was tasked with investigating the legitimacy of some claims on traditional leadership. The study examines, critiques and contextualizes as to why would organisations and to a certain extent individuals sort claims of the legitimacy of traditional leadership in a democratic South Africa. Without doubt, such attempts made democratic dispensation in South Africa an interesting terrain to highlight issues of socio-political concerns. Therefore, with this study the authors intend to raise the issues of the recognition of traditional leadership in as far as disputes and claims are concerned. The study argues that the issue of traditional leadership disputes and claims can be regarded as a modern political struggle in a democratic South Africa and if not properly resolved, negative consequences can be experienced.

Protected areas for conservation and poverty alleviation: experiences from Madagascar Charlie J. Gardner*, Martin E. Nicoll, Tsibara Mbohoahy, Kirsten L. L. Oleson, Anitry N. Ratsifandrihamanana, Joelisoa Ratsirarson, Lily-Arison Ren e de Roland, Malika Virah-Sawmy, Bienvenue Zafindrasilivonona and Zoe G. Davies WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office, BP738, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, UK; D epartement de Biologie, Facult e des Sciences, Universit e de Toliara, Toliara 601, BP 185, Toliara, Madagascar; Blue Ventures Conservation, Level 2 Annex, Omnibus Business Centre, 39-41 North Road, N7 9DP London, UK; ESSA-D epartement Eaux et Forets, Universit e d’Antananarivo, BP 175 Antananarivo, Madagascar; and The Peregrine Fund, BP 4113 Antananarivo, Madagascar

Assessment of the effectiveness of coarse resolution fire products in monitoring long-term changes in fire regime within protected areas in South Africa

Simple SummaryWeeds have been extensively reported to cause numerous disturbances in ecosystems worldwide. However, the impacts of these weeds on biodiversity, especially for mammals, has received little attention in South Africa. Therefore, this study explored the impact of one specific weed, Lantana camara, on the mammals of an urban Game Reserve in South Africa. Small mammal weights were varied by treatment type and the degree of invasion. Moreover, the weight of these small mammals varied by season across different treatments. This finding implies that the weight of the small mammals in the study was seasonally affected by the quantity of weeds. For large mammals, the distance of treatments (where large mammal tracks were sampled) from a water source was not a significant predictor of species richness, but density of L. camara was a significant predictor of large mammal species richness. This study concludes that the L. camara weed influences mammals of the Groenkloof Nature Reserve (GNR) negatively.Multi-scale approaches have been used to determine scales at which mammal species are responding to habitat destruction due to invasion, but the impacts of weeds on mammals have not been extensively studied, especially in Africa. Inside the Groenkloof Nature Reserve (GNR), we assessed how mammals are affected by an invasive weed Lantana camara. A series of models were applied to determine the differences in species abundance as well as richness, separated for large and small mammals. When diversity indices were used, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no statistically significant difference between treatments (F5 = 0.233, p = 0.945) for large mammals. The results of a Generalised Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) showed that vegetation type (Wald χ22 = 120.156; p < 0.01) and foraging guilds (Wald χ23 = 76.771; p < 0.01) were significant predictors of large mammal species richness. However, for small mammals, the results of a GLMM showed that only treatment type (Wald χ25 = 10.62; p = 0.050) was a significant predictor of the number of small mammals trapped. In addition, the ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in species diversity between treatments (F5 = 0.934; p < 0.001) and by season (F1 = 9.122 p = 0.003) for small mammals. The presence of L. camara coupled with other predictors was associated with differences in large mammal abundances and diversity, and differences in how these large mammals were distributed across the landscape. Furthermore, the highest species diversity was found in the spring for small mammals. Therefore, for all the mammals studied, the presence of L. camara negatively affected species abundance, richness, and diversity, as well as how these species were distributed across the invaded and cleared areas.

Hegemonie en mag: 'n Normatiewe besinning in die lig van 'n gevallestudie Hegemony and power: A normative reflection as elucidated by a case study

The Durban Vision in practice: experiences in the participatory governance of Madagascar’s new protected areas

This article focuses 'on the question of whether the translocation of elephants can be termed successful according to the short-term indicators of natural reproduction, mortality rate and population growth'. It is based on data collected by the EMOA over the past decade, and particularly on information obtained by the 2001 questionnnaire which served as the base for a database tracking these aspects. Between 1979 and 2001 over 800 elephant were reintroduced, largely from Kruger NP, to 46 government and 12 private reserves in South Africa. Most of these areas lie within four regions: Zululand in KwaZulu Natal; Waterberg and Hoedspruit in Limpopo, and in the Eastern Cape. The number of animals introduced at any one time varied widely, from 2 to 227. Over half (56%) adult females that were transferred gave birth within 2 years and so were pregnant at the time of capture. 38 of the reserves (68%) have shown an increase greater than 10% of the initial populations, 16 have shown no change, however most of these have held the reintroduced animals for less than 5 years, and two, which were given only young orphaned animals have shown a loss. When young orphaned animals, which because of technology available in the earlier years were the initial founder populations, were transferred on their own, morality was relatively high (185of 225 animals) but it has decreased substantially since complete family groups have been moved. The authors note this analysis confirms the short-term success of establishing elephant in relatively small fenced reserve. However, the health and welfare of such herds in the long terms is yet to be determined and there have been a number of behavioural problems particualry those linked to disrupted social structure which need to be studied further and taken into account in management. Garai's paper 'History and populations of the re-introduced elephants in samll fenced reserves in South Africa' given at the 6th AfESG meeting in Mokuti Lodge, Namibia, December 4-8, 2003 was based on this article and one in preparation by Slotow and others, focused on population ecology of elephant in small fenced reserves.

Even after 20 years of democracy in South Africa access to archives is still facing many challenges and continuously going through process of transformation. This article concentrates on the present state of accessibility of archives in South Africa. It also exposes the limitations of this process caused by the government’s control over them whilst only serving the state in the apartheid era. The exclusion of the general public as users during this time was one of them. The article makes an attempt to compare the specifics of accessing archives between two important chapters of South African history, prior and post-1994. A short description of the impact of the new legislation developed and implemented after 1994 on the functioning of archives in the new environment is provided. It also presents the significant changes in the role of archival institutions in the new era of democracy in South Africa from the role of traditional records keepers to the more user friendly places more easily accessible to the public. Despite, the great improvement in the accessibility of the archives in South Africa, these institutions still face many daily challenges which impact on their proper functioning. The major issues are: lack of resources, shortage of professional skills, lack of interest and support from the government. They need urgent attention and implementation of some strategies to eliminate those problems. There is still much work to be done in this sector which requires the involvement and cooperation of all country wide archival institutions and plenty of support from the South African government. The contents of the article are based on an extensive literature review. However, the author’s personal professional experience in the archival field has also substantially contributed to the process.

Towards measuring the transaction costs of co-management in Mkambati Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa