Feasibility Study of Proposed Tourism Dev in Shewula, NE ...

inevitably lost. In some instances, the researchers' inability to communicate in
seSwati was accompanied by accusations or suspicions that they were not
trustworthy. This affected the extent to which the community members were willing to
interact 'truthfully' or in a forthright manner with the researchers.
c) Lack of attendance at meetings
Lack of attendance at meetings constituted a limitation on the effectiveness of
research procedures. Various community members identified several reasons why
people did not attend meetings, including:
• Rain, which discourages residents from walking to meeting places, especially
after heavy falls when the road and side paths are very muddy;
• Communication problems, some members simply were not informed that
meetings were to take place;
• Boycotts, some felt that those who were against the initiative organised boycotts
of meetings that were held to discuss issues relevant to the research;
• Time constraints, many people in Shewula farm their lands in the mornings,
making attendance at early morning meetings difficult. Also, the research period
overlapped with the Marula season, which often meant that the residents were
unavailable. This was either because they were away, collecting marulas and
brewing Marula beer, or because they had been savouring the products of these
labours, and were in no frame of mind to discuss seriously the issues at hand.
Therefore, most of the study team's meeting were scheduled in the afternoons or
over weekends. The latter meetings provided the opportunity for residents who
work further afield, but return to Shewula on weekends, to have input into the
research.
• Confusion, misunderstandings and a belief that meetings called at a venue other
than the Chiefs kraal, or at a venue in an area where people did not live, did not
concern them. (For example, the poor attendance of Bucucotfombi residents at
the Nduma information-sharing session).
• Transport, was a problem for those members of the community who lived some
distance from meeting areas.
A conclusion to be drawn from these experiences is that attendance at meetings
called cannot be guaranteed. This rapidly became an assumption for the subsequent
planned research activities, with greater emphasis being placed on alternative
methods for interaction with the community.
1.6.1.3. Limitations identified during fieldwork and through
interaction with other people
Limitations were also identified through interaction with community members and
other l&AP's. These include factors relating to the socio-political context in Shewula
and misunderstandings and misconceptions on the part of Shewula community
members.
a) Factors in the community politics, power relations and social context that
affected the research process The absence of authority figures at some
meetings sometimes created problems for the research. Past conflicts, rivalries and
disagreements, both within the community, and between the Shewula community
and other parties arose, and could have been better controlled by an authoritative
figure. In addition, some community members used the research process as a forum
for discussion about their personal opinions on various issues. While these
situations had the potential to hinder the research process, they also provided
useful opportunities to explore the thinking and