This short film provides a case study for participatory forest management in South Africa, looking at the case of a nature reserve on the east coast. It tells of the struggle faced by local indigenous group to regain access to natural resources found in the area, resulting in the joint management of the area.

Synopsis and Review

The Dwesa forest on the east coast of South Africa was one of the last remaining indigenous forests in the country. To protect the area it was declared a nature preserve with limited access in the 1930’s, ignoring the large indigenous population in the area dependent on its resources such as game and seafood, medicine, wild food, and building materials. It is also a spiritual place, sacred to the local community. Once it was declared a preserve the local indigenous community was restricted from using the area even though the white population was able to own cabins and hotels in the reserve. Tensions began to build between the local community and nature reserve officials, especially after the reserve was completely closed in 1974. Fuelled by the political environment of the country at the time, tensions reached a peak in the 1990’s. And in 1994 members of the local community “invaded” the reserve, hunting game and collecting resources. Eventually the community began to raise awareness of their struggles and complaints and approached the nature reserve officials to conduct negotiations regarding use of the area. Land ownership was also discussed and after lengthy discussions the government agreed to return control of the reserve to the local community if they put a management system in place. Through the creation of a community property association (CPA) and land trust, the community began to take control of the reserve and its resources. They are now allowed to use their traditional resources in a controlled and sustainable fashion monitored by the community itself.

This film, while sometimes disjointed, provides a good example of the debate surrounding conservation and indigenous rights. Through interviews with community members that have lived through and participated in the transition from government controlled preserve to community managed area, it provides a fine example of the conflict that arises from non-participatory modes of conservation and the progress that can be made when the community is consulted and involved in the management and conservation process. However, it does have gaps begging to be addressed. For example, while it discusses in depth the traditional uses of the forest and the community’s traditional ecological methods for managing the forest, there is no mention of the effects of population increase on these traditional methods or the use of the forest today. And it would have been more satisfying to receive a more detailed explanation of how the transfer back to the community took place and is managed today beyond the issuing of collection permits and local enforcement. Despite its sometime cursory nature, the film is good demonstration of participatory resource management.

Prepared by Erin Smith